Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	bishop_n	church_n	true_a	3,104	5	4.6853	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43750	Christian counsel and advice unto the rulers and people of England even unto all such who have not yet sinned out their day of blessed visitation from God, which he in his infinite love and mercy hath held forth, and is holding forth unto the children of men, throughout all kingdoms of this world : with Christian counsel and good advice, against that grievous crying sin, and most abominable transgression of persecuting men about religion for the answer of a good conscience towards God : presented unto all that bear rule in ecclesiastical affairs now in the Church of England / by ... John Higgins.	Higgins, John, 1633-1667.	1663 (1663)	Wing H1951; ESTC R18558	9,342	16

darkness unto the Light and from Satan's power unto the power of God the Creator of all that man through faith and obedience may come to be blessed with the blessing of eternal life Furthermore the Lord God of heaven and earth for his glory and honours sake doth now command and require all men as well the King on the Throne as the lowest of men to bow their hearts and submit their souls in all holy obedience and conformity unto the guidance rule and government of the Light and Spirit of Christ that he may rule as King in the hearts of all the children of men in all nations and countries upon the face of the whole Earth and his Kingdom is to reach over all the Kingdoms of this world And now my friends and Countrymen both high and low rich and poor c. this obedience and conformity unto the Light and Spirit of Christ doth the God of Heaven Command Require of us all even from the highest to the lowest upon pain and peril of Eternal Condemnation and an utter separation from God and all the Saints in Light And these things Oh ye Rulers and people of England have deeply entered into the hearts of many thousands in this our native Countrie even in this Kingdom and in the Ilands dominions thereunto belonging and God hath given us an absolute command and a perfest sence and feeling in our hearts of that which he requires of us all and so in obedience to his heavenly calling many are they who love not their lives unto the death that God may be glorified and our souls rest in his heavenly blessings from hence forth and for evermore And now since the Lord God hath thus called us to serve and to worship and Reverence his holy name in faithful obedience unto Christ the Light and the truth Oh! how hath the seed of the Serpent raged and raised war against the Lord and against his Annointed But the Lord our God is with us and his Blessed presence dwells in us and among us so that in the godly Resolution of our soules we are purposed in the name and power and spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to go on and follow the Lamb in righteousness wheresoever he goes and thus we are the Lords and at the disposings of his blessed spirit to serve and to worship him in all godly fear and Reverence even all the dayes of our appointed time And behold this is but our Reasonable duty so to do and as the Lord our God hath engaged us through his infinite love mercy thus to walk in all holy duty and obedience unto him even the same Obligation comes upon all as they wait for an understanding in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ But now this is that which grieves the spirit of the Lord and is the greatest of abominations that when a man or a people doth not onely neglect their own duty and obedience unto God but are also smiting ready to devour the obedient children of the Lord who fears and Reverences his holy name and power and dare not sin against him Oh this grieves the Spirit of the Lord and is that crying sin and grievous Abomination which draws down wrath and vengeance from God upon the wicked and world of ungodly as it did in generations past Oh remember Sodom and what became of the inhabitants thereof when they persecuted Righteous Lot And this is of concernment for the King and Rulers of this our Nation to consider and remember least they also perish in Gods wrath and indignation But for as much as God hath put it into their heads to do Justice and to execute judgment in the earth oh that they might serve God in their generation and set a stop to the violence of the wicked who are like unto the wild beasts often ready to rent and devour the innocent and harmless people that feares the Lord and dares not sin against him nor lift up a hand with carnall weapons for to defend themselves but commits their innocent-cause singly and wholly unto him who will certainly render recompence and vengeance unto his enemies either in this World or in that which is to come Oh sad to consider where shall the wicked and the ungodly appear who do not onely neglect their own Duty and obedience to God but are beating their fellow-servants and smiting with the fist of wickedness even those that fear God and walk humbly before him and cannot run with the wicked into the abominable excess of Riot Oh! Consider these things ye that forget God and work wickedness least he tear you to pieces and there be none to deliver you for that for which you cause the ineocent to suffer Buffetings Beatings and Persecution with great and grievous and long imprisonments that for which you cause them thus to suffer ought to be your own duty and obedience unto your Creator even to fear and to walk humbly with your God and to wait upon him in his light and counsell and to hate and deny every false way of the wicked and to be led and ruled ordered by the light and spirit of Christ the beloved of the father in all your waies and exercise th●● I say ought to be your obedience and practice also who are causing the innocent faithful and obedient children of the Lord to suffer for these things even for their obedience and duty unto the name and power and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ Wel now is the day of the patience and long suffering of the Lord our God not willing that any should perish in their sins but that all might repent come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved from the wrath which is to come And now God in his infinite love and mercy hath lifted up a standard in the Nations that all may flow unto him and may be saved with an eternal Salvation which he hath prepared before the face of all people and unto him must the gathering of all be for all the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of the Lord in the new and everlasting covenant of God where sin and Transgression comes to be blotted out and man renewed into the image of God again where he shall give glory and honour unto him that is the ancient of days whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and of his Dominion there shall be no End Christian Counsel with good Advice against that grievous crying sin and most abominable transgression of Persecuting men about Religion for the answer of a good Conscience towards God Presented unto the View and Consideration of the Bishops and Priests and to all that bear Rule in Ecclesiastical affairs now in the Church of England HEarken and be moderate Oh ye Bishops and Priests and all that bear Rule in Eecclesiastical affaires or spiritual matters about Religion and the worship of God It is a Christian spirit of Moderation that would be a

comely Ornament for you all that ye might shew forth Christian Moderation unto all men not in shew onely or in a feigned Humility before men for that is indeed Hypocrisie But this we mean is the true Christian Moderation and it is Really so in Gods account for you all to be humble and low in heart before the Lord and to do unto all men as you would be done unto not to lay any yoakes or Bondage upon the Consciences of any in matters of Religion or Ecclesiastical affaires whatsoever for in so doing this spirit of Christian-Moderation would indeed be a very comely Ornament upon you and would more beautifie and advance you in the hearts of all true Christian People then all your Laws and Carnall Commandements and ungodly impositions which many of you hitherto have defiled and polluted your selves withall and this is such a Monsterous and filthy garment not indeed fit for a Bishop in the Church of Christ to be cloathed withall Now then this is the thing that lyes chiefly in my heart towards you all Oh ye Bishops and Priests in England c. Is it a light thing with you to curse them whom God hath blessed and to shut out and Excommunicate those whom the Lord gathers into his favor and into union and communion with the Saints in light Behold this and much more hath been the practice of some of you and many of God's dear children and servants have been and are cast into Prisons Dungeons and Holes and many suffer the spoiling of their Goods and Estates because they fear Gods Name and cannot violate their consciences in bowing down to your inventions and carnal commandements and abominable impositions which we know in our hearts and that by the Spirit of the Lord that he does not Require such things at our hands which are imposed upon us upon great pain and penalties Oh what Renting and tearing and knocking down and casting into Prisons and holes has been of late in our Christian-Meetings in and about this city of London when not a hand hath been lifted up on our part to defend our selves being kept out of our own hired houses and Meeting-places and this we have taken patiently some having been beaten and knocked down with Clubs and staves and yet this has not been all but men of war hath been sent amongst us with their Swords drawn in the-hand and their Guns charged against a harmless and peaceable people as aforesaid And this cruel violent dealing has been to the great Terror and Astonishment of the people who has been spectators for to see quiet peaceable and honest people so wickedly and maliciously disturbed and abused by armed men as aforesaid who without haveing Regard either to age or Sex have laid on with their naked swords sometimes with the back and broad side and sometimes with the Edge and divers has been wounded at Horsly-down in Southwark and at Bull and Month London And the Souldiers Maliciously wickedly and on purpose to disturb discharged their Muskets against a company of Innocent and peaceable people men and women as if they had been charging an enemy in the field Oh what sad inhumane wicked and malicious disturbances are these I do now Remember that once there wa● a Law an Act of Parliament against such who came into peaceable Meetings wickedly maliciously and on purpose to disturb c. But who knowes what is become of it now Wel Is this the way to settle Religion oh ye Bishops and Overseers of the Church of England and is this the means to bring into a vniformity in the worship of God for to plant the Gospel and to convert soules to God! surely if this be so then are ye become more wiser then Paul and his Companions in the Gospel of peace who said The weapons of their warfare were not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God c. And this indeed is our beleef that all true Christian-Ministers are yet of the same spirit and mind and Judgement as Paul and the primitive ministers of the gospel were in this to wit concerning propogating the gospel not by carnal weapons nay nor according to the wisdom of this world by carnal Laws and commandements of men But by the spirit and power of the Lord Jesus Christ Now then the contrary way and practice not running paralel with the Saints of old with the Bishops and true Christian Ministers in the primitive time I say not Running paralel with their's it 's to be Judged denyed and condemned as false and erroneous and runs paralel with Cain who slew his Brother and was the first persecutor about Religion that ever we read off and so here all persecutors may read and understand their descent and of what stock and Linage they are even all along from Cain downward unto this very day And now oh ye Priests and Bishops c. Who are flourishing in the pomp and glory of this world and think not upon the afflictions of the afflicted but are rather adding tribulation unto the bonds of the Righteous Well God even the living God wil avenge the cause of his own Elect and we are to suffer patiently continuing in well doing and he that shall come will come and wil not carry onely in the mean time in love unto all your immortal souls we cannot but tel you of these things that by bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance yet may escape the wrath which is to come and to this faithful testimony Gods witness in all consciences shall answer whether men will hear or forbear London the 7 th Month 1663. J. H. THE END