Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	doctrine_n	reform_a	3,582	5	9.8202	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93345	England and Scotland united, disjoyned. Or, A gentle corosive, and healing plaister, applied to two dying kingdoms: with some balsamum for wounded Ireland; humbly presented to both kingdoms, and communicated to all good subjects, that wish peace and good to the kingdoms, or to either of them. Wherein is represented, the grievances of the people, and their several murmurings. By Ethog Grimes Gent.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1648 (1648)	Wing S4034; Thomason E447_30	26,358	32

destroy your selves because the enemy could not do it consider the saying of that wise able Soldier Sir Jacob Ashley when Routed and taken near Stowe speaking to Colonel Morgan and to gallant Major Hawksworth and others Gentlemen said be you may now put up your sword for the War is done we are able to do no more by the power of an Army except you fall out among your selves this was a fair warming he was more our friend in speaking it then we to our selves in contending Know that this is the Jesuits Maxime First divide then conquer History tells us Rome by this means hath gained more Kingdoms then by the sword and this is the design at this day Now let England and Scotland say as Joab said to Abishai If the Assyrians be too strong for me then thou shalt help me but if ●…am 10. 11. the children of Ammon be too strong for thee I will come and help thee thus you have Covenanted and wo to you if you do it not Whether one or the other whilst united none can hurt you once disjoyned you are both destroyed There is yet one cause more and that is God he is the cause of all causes Let the instrument be what or who it will by which a man a family a people or Kingdom is afflicted or destroyed God is the effecient cause men nor devils can do nothing without God they are but Gods executioners of wrath and judgement for sin but the rod in Gods hand Assyria is but the rod of Gods anger Isa 10. 5. Sickness pain imprisonment loss of goods war pestilence famine and all afflictions whatsover are from God to some for chastisement by which they learn righteousness to others as judgements to punish and to destroy Is there any evil saith God Am. 3. 9 in the city and I have not done it that is evil of punishment not evil of sin God forms the light and creates darkness makes peace Isa 45. 7. Is 42 24 and creates war Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned when God will punish a sinful people by the ill Government of Kings and Princes He leads away Counsellors spoiled and makes Judges Iob 12. 17 fools when Israel will be hypocrites to draw near unto God with their mouthes and remove their hearts far from him God will make the wisdom of the wise to perish and the understanding Isa 29. 14. of the prudent shall be hid When God will punish a King for oppression that King shall hearken to evil Councel and refuse the good Counsel of grave and wise men so did Rehoboam and los● ten tribes the text saith The thing was done of the Lord When 1 King 12. 18 4. God will bring the sword upon wicked Counsellors and upon a Nation together he can make void all the Counsels of Judah and Jerusalem When Israel devised mischief and gave wicked Counsel Ier. 19. 7. God turns that wickedness to effect his own purpose and by it brings a sword upon themselves and the people The Princes Ezek. 11. ver 2. 8. of Zoan became fools and the Princes of Noph were deceived that they erred in every work the text saith It was God that mingled Isa 19. 13 14. Iob. 34. 29. a perverse spirit among them When God giveth quietness saith holy Job who can make trouble and when he hideth his face who can behold him whether it be done against a nation or against a man onely When the sins of an impenitent people provoke God to bring destroying judgements upon that nation he withdraws his common restraining grace from men and leaves them to their own lusts he will punish sin with sin wicked men shall act according to their own several lusts and grow more wicked oppressing killing and reviling one another till they be like Judea and Jerusalem Vid. Josep bel Jud. lib. 6. lib. 7 destroyed one by another and at last made a spoil and a prey to the enemy When a lying spirit is put into the mouth of a Ministery as in Ahabs 400. prophets expect speedy ruine and desolations or if men and Armies will go against the word of God pronounced by the mouth of Gods messengers they are not likely to prosper but like Ahab miscarry in their confidence but to all that are godly and of upright hearts I say with the Prophet Fear Isa 45. 4. not be strong behold your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you This is the time of Gods indignation he will punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth shall also disclose her bloods and shall no more cover her slain it will be but for a moment the time is appointed by God and the indignation shall be overpast Believe in the Lord 2 Chro. 20. 20. your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall you prosper God now in special maner calls his people to humiliation to repentance and reformation of sin when Gods hand was upon whole Israel in the days of David he enquired the cause he knew it was for sin for God onely punisheth for sin and the Lord revealed to him that it was for Saul and his bloody house because 2 Sam. 21. 1. he slew some of the Gibeonites contrary to Covenant it was many generations before Sauls time that Joshua and the Princes of Israel had made a covenant with the Gibeonites Saul swore not to it and Joshua was forbid to make any league with them yea the Gibeonites engaged Joshua and the Princes by craft and further the people of Israel sware not unto it but after three days when their craft was discovered murmured because of the Oath not withstanding all this Joshua durst not make null that Covenant And why Least faith he wrath be upon us because See Ioshua chap. 9. 8 of the oath not so much as put one of them to death who had by craft deceived them We know when our Enemies were strong and we very weak the Kingdom of England invited the Kingdom of Scotland to our assistance they as wilingly came but desired a perfect union of both Kingdoms and to that end a Solemn League and Covenant was entred into by both and joyfully received not onely sworn unto by our Nobles Knights and Gentlemen but generally by all the people or by sinful negligence omitted the command is warrantable by Scripture Whosoever would not Covenant to seek the 2 Chro. 15. 13. Lord should be put to death whether small or great In our Covenant we swear Reformation Ecclesiastical and Personal defence of Religion against the common Enemy Reformation in Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline c. according to Gods word and the best Reformed Churches And we have sworn every one for himself to endeavor the nearest conjunction that can be in the three

lost all means used to weaken us at home and the Protestants in other Countreys all done to give way to Popery Nor can our Brethren of Scotland forget how a new old Mass Liturgy was forced upon them such as was contrived at Rome prepared by the arch Enemy Canterbury which they refusing were threatned by an Army a Parliament in England was called to raise money to engage in a War with Scotland the Parliament refused to contribute in that War and was presently dismissed yet an Army was raised and Scotland in their defence brought their Army into England how much they were engaged to England for their brotherly love and good affections the people generally refusing to contribute any thing to hurt them they cannot but remember nor can they forget what humble supplicants and petitioners the Lords and Gentlemen of all Counties of England were in their behalf which I hope shall never be repaid by any ill from that Kingdom I would reminde them of these things Let me again put England in minde of the Plots and Designs of the Hierarchy to corrupt our Religion by Superstition and prophaneness you had Canons Articles and Lyturgies given you as gilded pills to purge out sound Doctrine And to plant prophaneness a Book was commanded to be read in all Churches to give liberty to prophane the holy Sabbath forbidding afternoon Sermons and there was injunctions penal to keep holy Popish Saints days all Church-service was adulterated In a word Religion was choaked with the lawn of Heirarchy the mouthes of godly Ministers stopped their persons persecuted imprisoned banished Bishop Wren will not deny it as it was with Jeremiah and Baruch in the days of Jehoiakim and with Micaiah in the time of Ahab so was it unto them because they spake the word of God to the people and said Go not up to Ramath-Gilead Good men were also cauterized pillory'd and stigmatized for like causes and who knows but the Protestants in England should intentionally have acted the first scene in that Bloody Tragedy that Ireland hath done it was not that the common Enemy had greater love or more pity to us but Gods mercy to us And shall we now destroy one another Consider how we cryed out in those times for a Parliament a Parliament a Parliament saying Nothing but a Parliament could deliver us and keep our posterities from bondage God gave us a Parliament and made our Parliament a blessing to us till we idolized them and now because we finde they are not Gods but men and men of infirmities you cry out against Parliaments and calumniate them ready to stone them O ungrateful people because God tryeth you as he did the Israelites in the wilderness to humble you and will not suffer the Parliament to establish your peace so soon as you desire you will like the Jews murmure and sin against God notwithstrnding God hath done very great and miraculous things for you Why do you lust and look back to Popery and say as the Idolatrous Israelites It had been better for us Exod. 14. 12. to serve the Egyptians then to dye in the wilderness you would eat the sweet but you will not endure to taste of the sowre you would have your sore healed but will not endure the plaister you say many Members in Parliament are self-seekers not minding the common good I pray who sent them thither If you were fools in your choyce your backs must bear the fools reward will you therefore destroy Parliaments and make your posterity-Slaves wil nothing satisfie you now but a King a King upon any terms Truly I wish and pray that we may have a King and a blessing with him But why do ye cry out as ye do A King upon any terms Is this less then madness in you you have forgot the bondage of Egypt and think onely upon the flesh-pots onions and garlick c. O silly men why do ye break your Covenant with God and men Take heed ye be not like Israel in sin lest ye be like Israel in punishment they murmured and were disobedient to God but therefore they were destroyed by the sword of the destroyer Num. 14. 37. by the Pestilence by Serpents Korah and his company were swallowed up by the earth consider that the Apostle tells you and me even all us at this day that All those things 1 Cor. 10. 11. hapned for our ensamples and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Now we know that the many thousands that came out of Egypt dyed all in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb and their little ones that were born in Num. 14. 34. 35. the desert Let not us flatter our selves to think though we do the same things that we shal escape but let us be admonished do our duties in all obedience that it may be wel with us in the later end I blame none simply for desiring a King nor for petitioning for a Treaty with the King for I wish honor to his person and bliss to his soul and so shall ever pray But I cannot Idolize any King Kings are but men and all men have failings what hath been may be again the burnt childe dreads the fire and men once deceived trust not again without assurance Though Kings cannot erre their Councels have erred and for ought we know will erre again first let the Kingdom have its rights which Nature and Law hath given to free Subjects then make the King as great as he can be that his Honor and just Greatness may be ever splendant in Justice and Clemency God forbid that because through evil Counsel he hath erred and infringed the Subjects Liberty that therefore we his Subjects should utterly cast him off or take from him or his posterity any of his or their Rights I hope none will say that because his Majesties Councel put on by Romes Hierarchy hath caused a War that we will have no more a Peace We know our War was to defend Priviledges of Parliament our Liberties and Religion all which are involved in Parliaments not to destroy the King nor his posterity But it highly concerns us to take heed what peace is made and how for there is a destructive peace as there is a depopulating war And herein we have made our respective Members in free Parliament our Judge and so long as a free Parliament and of free Election we are not to judge their actions but are bound to maintain their Freedom and Priviledge for therein stands our Peace and welfare to our posterities you know what Jehu said to Joram when he asked if it were peace What peace 2 King 9. 22. so long as the Whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked Will Isa 48. 22. God give peace to a wicked Nation when blood and oppression and horrible hypocrisie cryeth for vengeance and for desolation

Kingdoms in Religion Form of Government Directory of Worship c. as shall be found most consonant with Scripture not as it is established in Scotland or any other Reformed Church except in tryal they be found the best and herein the Kingdom of Scotland is to alter as well as England any thing not fully agreeing with Gods Word Now he that hath not endeavored this and doth not still endeavor it hath broken his Covenant but such as have opposed it let their pretence be what it will are guilty of perjury before the high and holy God 2. We have sworn to endeavor to extirpate Popery and Prelacy and Church Government by Prelavical Bishops c. and also to extirpate Superstition Heresie Schism Prophaneness and whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godliness Therefore he or they who look back to Popery or that endeavor not to the uttermost to abolish all Popish Superstition and suppress Heresie Schisms and Blasphemy violate their Oath but they that endeavor to support either Popery Prelacy Heresie or Schism are injurious to God to his Truth and to the Kingdom and of such God will surely avenge his Covenant 3. We have sworn to endeavor with our Estates and Lives every one for himself mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdom● Consider how many among us may be taxed in this particular for false swearing and for prefidious persons 1. They that endeavor not to assist the Preservation of Parliament Priviledges 2. They that make breaches and joyn with them that do as too many have done of Soldiers Apprentices of City and Countrey 3. The Liberty of the Subject which many for Self-interest infringed this latter we know is involved in the former 4. They that shall or have endeavored to bring His Majesty to the sole rule of the Kingdom till assurance be given to the Parliament of the Preservation of Religion and of the Subjects Liberty for future are Covenant-breakers and may be deemed as enemies to posterity but security once given to the Parliament God forbid that Parliment or people should desire to diminish any thing in His Majesties just power and greatness 4. We swore that we wo●●… endeavor that all Incendiaries Malignants evil Instruments that hinder Reformation of Religion divide the King from His People or one of the Kingdoms from another or that make Factions and Parties among the People contrary to the Covenant may be brought to condign punishment c. What shall we say or think of this when any one Kingdom shall not onely not bring to punishment such persons but connive at them and suffer them among them though they are and have been known Enemies and Incendiaries Hinderers of Reformation and Dividers between both Kingdoms to set them together in blood and that make Factions and Parties among the People contrary to the Covenant Is not this a breach of the Covenant and dishonor to the most high God before whom we have sworn 5. We have acknowledged it a great mercy and blessing that the Peace is concluded and settled between the two Kingdoms such as God denyed to our Progenitors and therefore swore to endeavor the two Kingdoms may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterities and that Justice may be done upon the wilful opposers thereof if so Who dare break this Union whether Kingdom without perjury can attempt a War or draw a sword against the other except first he were set upon and that no pacification could be made and I hope neither Kingdom will blame me for what I write I have entred into the same Covenant and am bound by my Covenant to endeavor the Peace and Union though it prove my prejudice 't is my duty which to neglect were to incur Gods displeasure and just judgement upon my self 6. We did swear In this common cause of Religion Liberty and peace of the Kingdoms to assist and defend all that entred into this Covenant in pursuance thereof and not to suffer our selves by perswasion or terror to be divided or drawn from this conjunction nor to be neuters in this cause but to continue in it all the days of our lives against all opposition Now let every man and both Kingdoms lay it to heart and consider how base and cowardly they have been I mean not all to own this Covenant and to act according as they have sworn I utter it with grief I know many that have taken it are quite fallen from it some to the left hand some to the right hand all w●●…h God sees and will once exact an accompt of every man For God is not mocked deceive not your selves Gods Honor and Justice is ingaged in it Judgement Hos 10. 3 shall spring up upon them as hemlock in the furrows of the field that have sworn falsly in making a Covenant I finde recorded in the Turkish History a remarkable story That after a long War betwen Vladislaus King of Hungary a Christian but a Papist and Amurath Emperor of Turky Vladislaus made a Pea●e with Amurath and entred into a Covenant which was interchangeably given in writing but the King of Hungary was perswaded by Julian a Cardinal to violate that Covenant which he did and at great advantage secretly and speedily prepared a mighty Army and fell upon the Turks territories the Emperor of Turky hearing of it as soon as he could prepared to oppose him they came to a field hatrel and the Turks lost many men so that the Emperor and his whole Army were in danger at last the Emperor seeing a Crucifix in one of the King of Hungaries Banners he pluckt forth of his bosom the Writing and Covenant which he had received from the King of Hungary and holding it up in his hand with his eyes cast up to heaven said these words Behold thou crucified Christ is this the League thy Christians in thy name made with me which they have without cause violated if thou be a God as they say thou art revenge the wrong done unto thy name and to me and shew thy power upon thy perfulious people who in their deeds deny thee their God This said the battel grew fierce on both sides Vladislaus was wholly and totally routed himself slain by a Janizary and great numbers of the Christians slaughtered Consider this example England and Scotland and as Christ said to his Disciples Remember Lots wife So say I Remember Vladislaus Tissaphernes Lieutenant to the King of Persia broke a truce which he made with the Grecians the Grecians sent him thanks by his own Herald saying he had thereby engaged the gods in whose name the truce was sworn to be on their side Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia made a truce with the Argians for seven days but did it with deceitful equivocation meaning to take advantage of the night And so did for the third night when the Argians were secure and asleep he fell upon them and was

are so impious that they deny the Command to keep it holy as if God had neither appointed a time for publique worship nor required any worship of us but after our own wills 9. Contempt of the Ministery What opposition corrupt nature hath made against the Ministery we know in all times but when or in what Kingdom was it ever more opposed then now except in Jerusalem till Gods wrath arose against them without 2 Chro. 36. 16. remedy and in Germany a little before the desolation of that Monarchy by the Anabaptists who have been cherished in England for such a purpose Those Ministers by whose Ministery they were converted if converted at all are by them contemned and despised their Ministery abhorred as old truths common things nothing but new errors and heresies will serve them these men do but their kinde and I complain not so much of them as that they are suffered to disturb a Commonweal and be a stumbling block to weak Christians I mean not such as onely dissent in matter of Ceremony or Circumstance but such as erre in Doctrine some are to be cast out according to the Apostles rule by excommunication that is such as are Church members There are others such as are not properly Church members yet live within the pale of the Church turbulent to the State and the peace of the Kingdom that seduce souls to error and to rebellion under the notion of Religion these are to be dealt with by the Civil Magistrate and that sharply I would Gal. 5. 12. saith the Apostle they were even cut off that trouble you he means not by Excommunication for that he and the Church had power to have done but not to punish as a Magistrate ought in such a case The Prophet that did seduce any to false Worship was by the Law put to death not by Aaron but by Moses If Deut. 13. 5. Vers 9. any Brother Son Sister Wife Friend c. should intice any man to false Worship he or they was to be put to death without pity I say not that error nor all heresie is to be punished with death though all to be suppressed by penal Laws and punished according to the offence and nature The Apostle Peter urging the duty of Christians to the Magistrate saith It is the will of God to submit he means not Thieves Murtherers Blasphemers c. but Christians within the Church such as Christ had made free therefore he saith As free and not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness 1 Pet. 2. 13 14 15 There is a liberty left in matter of Discipline but no liberty given to particular men to repugn that Discipline that is established by the Magistrate not disagreeing from Gods word much more in matter of Doctrine nor do I say any particular man doubting shall be compelled or punished but exhorted from day to day except he labor to draw others and thereby the peace of the Church and State be disquieted if so such ought to be curb'd by the sword of the Magistrate and this cannot be said is to punish for conscience nor for opinion but for turbulency The Church of Thyatira is reproved for suffering that woman Jezabel that called her self a Prophetess to seduce the people to error Pergamos for suffering erroneous Doctrine is threatned sharply The error of the seven Churches of Asia caused God to depart and to remove the Candlestick from them Rome once Christian by permitting one error then error begetting error she became Antchristian There is a propinquity between error and error and between error and heresie one ushereth in the other and a multitude followeth at their heels experience shews it and we know except any be wilfull igno ant that our present errors and diversity of opinions have been spread by the subtilty of the common enemy whilest they have united themselves against us and is their sole refuge and ground of their confidence that by which they have divided the Parliament among themselves lost the peoples affections to them alienated one friend from another and made one man jealous of another that we are grown to discord and scattered as a people without a head like sheep without a shepherd Lastly The sin of Self-love a known iniquity of all times and mother of Mischief now a destroying sin in this Kingdom I may say of three Kigdoms all lying upon the bed of languishing it is a sweet sin whilest the sinner pleaseth himself in it but afterward fills the mouth with gravel it produceth most bitter fruits Prov. 20. 17. like that which Eve eat in the garden of Eden kills all Self-love is said to be blinde it sees not to Judge it self and in Judging others is always partial How then can it be well when self-lovers judge all things If any man saith Christ will follow me let him deny himself he that denies not himself cannot be Christs Mat. 16. 24. Mark 8. 34. Disciple and he that is not Christs Disciple is not one of his members therefore cannot be a good Member of the Common-weal other Members may dye the body be sick but he knows it not he owns it not As was said of Ephraim so may be said of England Gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knows it Hos 7 9. not Self-love and self-interest hath devoured his strength and he is brought to the last gasp The remedy is clear if the forenamed sins be the cause take Ps 25. 10. Isa 57. 15 away the cause and the effect will cease Keep thy Covenant with God and man conscionably Extirpate Pride and plant Humility Isa 58. 6. in the room Hate covetousness Do good to all Oppress none Loose the bands of wickedness Undo the heavy burthens and let the oppressed go free Take nothing from any man if Luke 19. 8. 3. 14. Ps 51. 14 you have taken any thing falsly restore it as Zacheus did Let the Soldier offer violence to none neither to Law nor to Religion but be content with wages Seek pardon from heaven for Blood guiltiness redeem the time past by vigilance and double endeavors for time to come to preserve the lives of them yet living especially those in Josephs afflictions now in jeopardy in Ireland Be temperate in the use of all Gods creatures use every 1 Thess 5. 6. Eph. 5. 18 Pro 2. 16 1 Thess 5. 22. thing with sobriety moderation and thanksgiving Let not that which God gave to chear the heart destroy the soul Keep thy self from the evil woman from the flattering of the tongue of the strange woman Abstain from all fleshly lusts and from all appearances of evil Worship God in Spirit and in Truth Sanctifie his Sabbath and sanctifie your days of Humiliation Humble your selves afflict your souls they are days of atonement and Lev. 23. 27. Reconciliation then make them not formal onely as mock-Fasts but holy convocations reverence Gods Ministers sent of God