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	england_n	reform_a	4,212	5	9.5265	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75428	An ansvver to the chief, or materiall heads & passages of the late declaration, called, The declaration of the kingdome of Scotland and ansvver to the commissioners to both Houses of Parliament, upon the new propositions of peace, and the foure bills. Imprimatur, Gilb. Mabbot.		1648 (1648)	Wing A3398; Thomason E421_32; ESTC R204779	19,190	26

addresses And Scotland yet may but not of what they please Ambassadours sent from forreign States may be denied Audience and have by King Charles when their Ambassie may be prejudiciall yea if a King be King of two kingdomes there is little of reason that the one Kingdome shall have liberty to make addresses which in their opinion are destructive to them Suppose King Charles should offer to add to the Kingdome of Scotland the Counties of Northumberland Durham Cumberland and Westmerland as some of their own say he did Is it fit the Parliament permit such a transaction And had they not received assurance from the Parliament of the contrary all the allurements of the world and threatnings could not have made them part with the King untill all Armies had been disbanded For the Parliaments assurance certainly they never made any of this kinde it being not in their power nor should they have put the King in prison and laid him in chains nor could you have made good yours had you so done which was not agreed at his coming but the contrary You see his Majesty when he pleases can escape guards and for that way of allurements and threatnings sure none were made by Parliament nor doth it appear they were so zealous to have him but that it was as much your as their desire as for his return untill all was disbanded its probable the Parliament would not have much stood upon that nor would they were his Majesty with you And this they assert against all calumnies that their loyalty is more to them then all Loyalty is of a large extent admits of various interpretations a volume may be written in definition of it Scotland is famous for Loyalty and as famous for contending destroying dis-throning of their Kings what hath been foolishly said it had been better to have past by with scorn the Parliament never letting fall the least word to the contrary of your Loyalty But the Ordinance leaves out the sitting of the Assembly Not of Scotland but England What of that they have sate long An Army or a Kingdome of strange opinions indeed is brought forth not at all to their credit who have not laid any of them upon their backs by Argument nay declining it a way which was judged best in most times and places to make all men of a mind in matters of Religion and had their debates been more publick and admitted of objections no doubt the fruit had been better But must they sit always there peoples soules crie aloud for their returne and truly lines of communication are downe and they may passe that is all that have not got better livings within The Proposition of setling Religion in England and Ireland according to Covenant is not done but instead thereof a meere shadow of Presbyterian government without life or power The Covenant runs Setle Religion according to the word of God and best Reformed Churches this is expounded the Scots Presbytery which indeed was the word of God and best Reformed Churches in their drift the great stick is because there is not a coercive power to kill burne destroy imprison and ruine in life and estate all that are contrary minded or will not conforme thereto Because no power to compell therefore no life or power the Ministers profession and paines is dead unlesse he have a power to compell to conformity which never went with life and power since the beginning of the world But instead thereof Liberty is granted for all wayes of Worship and for exercise of any opinion that men shall have which opens a door to all blasphemy and contrary to Covenant It is not true that liberty is granted to all opinions nor doth granting some liberty open a way to blasphemy for you proffer to yield in some things What is Blasphemy and Idolatry punishable is disputable the Scripture seemes to make them both to be a casting off the worship of the true God and worshiping an Idol and sure the Parliament takes care to prevent that or will do As for its being contrary to agreement or Covenant it s not so conceived by Parliament but agreeable thereunto and sure there are none more fit to expound their Covenant then themselves as to themselves And this is true because it s Ordained that none shall be forced to the stablishment And is this grievous consider seriously Would you in Scotland have been content to have been forced to the Common-Prayer-Book when sent unto you by the King Would the French Protestants think well if they should be forc'd to Popery which is established by their supream Judge all the world whether there be much of reason or piety that a Prince may compell his people to be of his Religion or what he sets up and so its possible either by the minde of the Prince or by deaths three or four Alterations may be in twelve years as was in the dayes of Henry the eighth Edward the sixth Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth But ours is the true Religion therefore all are to be compelled unto it prove that it was given you immediately from God and spare not but if it were hammered out of the heads of an Assembly of Scots or English Divines there is no reason that compulsion should be used where infallability cannot be made good The Jews Christ his Apostles never compelled And whatever is pretended liberty is only intended To judge of intention is proper to God I the Lord trie the heart this cannot be meant of a Scotch lord Presbyterie is limited for a time The Parliament when they make Laws know not oftentimes how they will prove and therefore for tryall set a time not out of dislike or intent to alter but to prevent inconvenience which possible may fall by the experiment or perpetuating a Law at first Pardon England if they take not Presbyterie upon the bare recommendation of Scotland its possible we may therein as to persecution be out of the Frying-pan into the fire The Ministers are to exclude none from Saerament but what the houses think fit though against their consciences Why What a turning about is here now men must have liberty of conscience and must act in judgement and righteousnesse And is this allowed Presbyterian Ministers only shew us a place of Scripture or a good reason for this viz. That you should have liberty and others compelled The Parliament allows not in the Church the use of all Ordinances All that they think are Jure Divine and for other it s not good to put overmuch power into their hands untill they see how they will imploy a lesse tallent which if experience shews well its like they will have more men newly raised in nower grow so proud that no ground can hold them The Parliament● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allowes many Sects that have been cast out informer time Look the History of the Churches and you will finde sometimes a Counsell threw out the next put in and the next after put out and

Newcastle and before Or how come they to be his chief pleaders that were first fighters against him And had not that apprehension frighted he had gone into Scotland and not come this way when he was at Newcastle If they were esteemed enemies that drew him from Parliament What are they that hinder his return They that drew him away were occasions of a war therefore enemies and for that end did it The Parliament to prevent a war are not willing he come untill all is agreed and what is that comming to London What if there were no London cannot the King and Parliament agree Have Kings been so in love with London and Parliaments in times of peace King James counted the one his hell the other his purgatory But the new Propositions the foundation of Peace which concern Religion the interest of the Crown the Vnion and Joynt-concernment of both Kingdoms are not so well stated as in the old For first The Covenant is left out which is a solemn vow by creatures made to God The Covenant was entred into to bring a good peace now to stand upon it is to bring an ill War for the reasons before and because there is a generall adversnesse to the taking it more then against the matter of it It s the opinion of learned Perkins that Jeptha did not sacrifice his daughter but did that which was equivolent and better so may the Parliament The parts of which Covenant are in preservation and reformation of Religion Not the Scots Religion farther then against the common enemy and let any disturb them for it or go about to destroy it England will hazzard life and estate for them and their best blood No better quarrell to fight then when any will destroy others because not of their Religion For Reformation it is to be according to the word of God and best reformed Churches for the word of God that must be as the Parliament conceive for best reformed Churches what have you against that in the Netherlands where many different professions are tollerated Happinesse of the King As he is King of England sure the Parliament of England are as fit judges as the Parliament of Scotland is as he is King of Scotland and therefore may make their lawes for his happinesse as well as they in Scotland and so no need England be in ward to Scotland Peace and safety of the three Kingdomes The best way for that is to destroy and keep under the Common enemy to all and they that consider how the Scots prosecute the war in Ireland now and long since too much favouring the Rebels and at this time upon treaty with them to deliver vvhat they there hold the transactors on the Rebels side being Romish Clergy as by credible Intelligence is certified never having for years marched one foot or made one shot against them and how active with small help the English have been and victorious insomuch that had the Scots done what they could Ireland had in all likelyhood ben conquered by this time which had they as much minde unto as to subdue their enemies in Scotland would have appeared by the like activity and to pretend supplyes from England is idle they having all necessaries about them and growing rich As for England the third kingd how forward they have been al know is mentioned before The King is adverse to the Covenant is our obiection and why then take we so much liberty in other matters of God We take that liberty that in our judgement is according to the minde of God and dare maintain by Argument and Scripture that it is Consonant to both against whomsoever But the Covenant must be kept unto let the King be as adverse as he will because good for King and Kingdomes That is He must not be King of England Scotland or Ireland as to government unlesse he will take the Covenant and where is his reason or what he can say or his Commissioners in a personall Treaty allowed him in this Let an Angell come from heaven and say he must not take it yet unlesse he will he must not govern when they will reason must take place and when they will not then it must not So that what is good for Kingdoms in the opinion of Scotland may be stood upon though his Majesty and England Ireland have never so much reason against it But this must not be understood that his Majestie be kept in prison or wronged Truly for a King to be at liberty and not to governe can be no great content to see a mans wife and not to enjoy her to be hungry and see good food and not permitted to eat it is an unhappinesse rather then an happinesse the King undoubtedly were it put to him would rather choose to end his dayes in the Isle of Wight then to live in any outward contents in London or any of his houses divested of his Government Or that Armies should be kept on foot after the enemy is overcome to burthen the Kingdome or force the King to grant what they please Why keep you an Army on foot in Scotland having no enemy in field can there be no need of an Army to prevent an enemyes rising how many discontents are in England and Scotland what tampering is there between the Crown of France and Scotland at this time how are the people disposed unto insurrection occasioned by their present and future suffering the latter you cannot wash your hands off nor well of the present let England have assurance Scotland will not stirre up nor act new troubles the Parliament will undertake to reduce to as small a number as you shall in Scotland As for the Armies forcing the King to grant what they please its clear his Majestie being Judge the Army hath made as pleasing overtures for him as the Parliament of England or Scotland and for the burthen of England what is it to any other that the owner carryed his cow besides you know England can bear to maintaine an Army as well and as long as Scotland But you expected that when you departed the Army in England should be disbanded You meane the Independent part of it for sure you have not forgot that before the 11 Members went away long an Army of many thousand horse and foot was voted to be a standing Army for this Kingdome and Colonels named Governors of Towns appoynted and had they been of your party no doubt you would have stood for their continuance and excused the burthen and imposing upon his Majesty which now you cry out of but is it in any of the Treaties great or small or in the Covenant that England shall not keep an Army on foot without the approbation of the Commissioners or Kingdome of Scotland And not have taken the King away contrary to his will That he never yet said but if true the Parliament are proper Judges of that offence To whom the Parliament of both Kingdoms were to make