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
A90968	The pulpit incendiary: or, The divinity and devotion of Mr. Calamy, Mr. Case, Mr. Cauton, Mr. Cranford, and other Sion-Colledge preachers in their morning-exercises, with the keen and angry application thereof unto the Parliament and Army. Together with a true vindication of the Covenant from the false glosses put upon it, and a plain indication of Covenant-breakers. Published according to order.	Price, John, Citizen of London.	1648 (1648)	Wing P3346; Thomason E438_10; ESTC R203205	55,372	67

God Object Wee have often heard your Apologie Rebuke them sharply or cuttingly that they may be sound in the Faith Will you be pleased to receive a Reply Are you commanded to reprove cuttingly and not to convince clearly are you alwayes to inveigh and never to instruct doth not the Apostle in the very same Chapter and upon the very same occasion command the Bishop or PRESBYTER to be able by sound doctrine first to exhort and convince gain-sayers and so to stop their mouths by arguments and reasonings and after if that will not serve turne to rebuke them cuttingly that they may be sound in the faith And have you yet taken this course with your dissenting brethren if you have refer us to your paines of this nature surely your brethren will presently either yeeld unto you or give you good reason for the contrary Secondly the Apostle commands to rebuke them sharply but WHOM must they rebuke sharply or cuttingly their brethren acknowledged to be holy learned usefull in the Church and Common-wealth on●ly differing in judgement about government and discipline as for matters doctrinall no more differing from the Presbyterians than the Presbyterians differ among themselves are these the men that must be reproved or rebuked sharply Surely the Apostle gives no such instruction unto Titus concerning such men but the unruly vaine talkers deceivers they of the Circumcision who subver● whole houses much more Cities and Countreys teaching that which they ought not for filthy lucres s●ke ly●rs evill beasts slow bellies these are to be rebuked cuttingly and ma● not this as truly be charged upon some Presby●erians as upon some Independents and may not as cleare an account hereof be rendred as well by the one as by the other but when shall this striving for mastery between them both have an end Thirdly rebuke them sharply or cuttingly not slanderously uncivily charging them falsly and scandalously with rebellion as Mr. Cawton hath charged the Army and Covenant-breaking as Mr. Jenkin hath charged the Parliament c. You have yet another covering for this nakednesse which you steale away from the divine Wardrobe the holy Scriptures which serves you no more to that purpose than Jonas Gourd did to cover him in his pettish mood and that is the saying of our Lord Object I came not to send peace but a sword for I am come to set a m●● at variance against his father and the daughter against the mother and the daughter in law against the mother in law c. and the like in the 12 Ia●k 51. I am come to send fire on earth c. Reply 1. How often have you taught us that these are the accidentall not the naturall products of Christs coming into the world was not the proper end of his coming to furnish his Ministers with the subject matter of their Commission viz. a message of peace that they may say to every Countrey every Citie every man peace be to this Countrey this Citie this man if they know not or minde not or acknowledge not the things that belong unto their peace if they will not receive a message of peace but stand it out to the utmost against God their bloud is upon their own heads have not you often told us thus Secondly Did Christ come into the world to put a sword into the hands of his converted ones to kill and destroy the unconverted or the contrary Did he come into the world to make wolves or sheep leopards or ●ambs vultures or doves that beleevers should destroy or save men from destruction Thirdly Did Christ come into the world to send a sword among brethren that they may be digging one anothers bowels cutting one anothers throats bite devour and consume one another what miserable Text-men are these to take the minde and meaning of Satan and fasten it upon the words of God may not truth justly complain of these men as David in the like case they wrest or torture my words daily intending to doe me mischiefe doth not the Apostle bid us mark such which cause divisions and tels us that such how ever they pretend serve not our Lord Jesus but their own bellies and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple and is not the consent to divide the childe an argument of no naturall relation to the childe the trick of a strange woman and not of a naturall mother Wee meet yet with your main Objection with which you alwayes flourish as if that like the sword of Saul or bow of Jonathan did never returne emptie and when that you have spent your selves by searching up and down the Scriptures for some grounds to justifie your unbrotherly proceedings in bitternesse against your brethren fishing night and day and catching nothing to relieve you in this poynt at last you take up the Covenant the solemne League and Covenant that blessed Covenant and make such a noise with the word Coven●r as if no man could pronounce it but your selves you mannage this after such a manner as that if the word of God cannot help you yet the Covenant will if principles of civility morality will not help you the Covenant will if Orders Votes and Ordinances of Parliament cannot help you yet the Covenant will as if the Covenant did say unto you as Peter did unto Christ Though all forsake you though Scripture and reason and argument and principles of common honesty forsake you yet will not I but alas if you will but a little throughly examine the Covenant with a very few Queries as the maid examined Peter the Covenant it selfe will be ready to protest that how ever it might be indeed with some of the thoughts of those that did promote the Covenant at the beginning yet in true construction and intent it never knew any such meanings as you are pleased to put upon it but if truly and throughly examined it will prove as B●alam did unto Balack though it was sent for out of Scotland with a designe of some it seemes to curse Israel yet it will not curse them but blesse them altogether for what can you find in this Covenant either feeding or justifying that spirit of bitternes wherewith you are possest against your brethren is there any one word jod or tittle of Presbytery in any Article line or letter of the Covenant Is there any one word that looks towards such a thing as a rigid fierce biting devouring persecuting Presbytery All that possibly you can plead for out of the Covenant to your purpose is it not contained in the first Article and what is that With hands lifted up to the m●st high God wee doe sweare that wee shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God endeavour in our severali places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against us common enemies the reform●tion of our Religion in the Kingdomes of England and

Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches and shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion Confession of faith forme of Church government Directory for worship and catechizing that wee and our posterity after us may as brethren live in faith and love and the Lord may delight to d●ell in the midst of us First What is here for Presbytery especially a vexatious Presbytery a briery thorny persecuting Presbytery Wee have engaged our selves for the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and government doth that justifie your railing against your brethren and your charging the Parliament with Covenant-breaking as Mr. Cawton and that peremptory Mr. Jenkins have done in expresse termes What an affront is this upon our brethren of Scotland as if the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of our brethren of Scotland were constituted framed and calculated for the Meridian of wilde beasts of the Desert for Gim and Ogim owles and satyres dragons and vultures that live and prey upon their fellow-creatures and not for the sonnes of Sion who are the children of peace Doe you represent the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of our brethren of Scotland in such horrid black and bloudy colours as such a taking object unto the sonnes of England if the Cannons and Laws Edicts and Orders Statutes and Ordinances of the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland enjoyns to raile and rage slander and abuse Magistrates or Ministers Parliament or people that will not act according to the fiery fierce and furious motions of peevish froward and angry spirits such Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government doth more become the American Pequids Cannibals or Men eaters in New-England than those that have heard of a Gospel of peace or the least sound of that sweet Commandement of Jesus Christ our liege Lord who hath said This is my Commandement that yee love one another Secondly Are not Presbyterians by this Covenant as well bound to hearken to the counsels of their dissenting brethren as their dissenting brethren to hearken to their counsels and is not Scotland as well engaged to listen to the advice of England as England to Scotland For are not all of them to make THE WORD OF GOD AND THE EXAMPLE OF THE BEST REFORMED CHURCHES whose walking must be judged by their conformity to the Word of God the golden Standard to measure them by Thirdly who must judge and determine the meaning of the Covenant Presbytery is not in the letter of the covenant and we hope though we doe not in the least implead a holy godly peacefull and pious Presbytery but doe wait and hope for the establishment of it in all our Congregations in the Kingdome that such a Presbytery as seems now to be contended for will never be found to be the meaning of those that imposed the covenant Shall the Parliament of England enjoyn a Covenant upon the people and Sion Colledge in London give nay command or conjure such a meaning into it as was never intended what is this but to put Sion Colledge above the Parliament of England The Parliament of England commands the Kingdome to take the Covenant and Sion Colledge upon the matter commands the Parliament to subject themselves unto their interpretation thereof upon pain of being arraigned in their Pulpits for Covenant-breakers forsakers of their first love yea and of vilifying scorning and abusing them in the eyes of the people stirring up a spirit of contempt in the people against them as many of you have done from day to day Fourthly what is such an interpretation of the covenant but a meere prophaning of the covenant it selfe Does the covenant obliege us to raile and rage revile and abuse men that are holy learned godly peaceable usefull in Church and common-wealth to brand them with the odious names of Heretickes Separatists Schismaticks c. who cannot subject themselves we say not to the covenant for they took it yea defended the taking of it yea stirred up their brethren to take it in its true proper naturall genuine and literall meaning of it but unto such a sense meaning and interpretation as will serve onely to drive on the designes of the faction of Sion Colledge for most confident we are there is at this day no faction in the Kingdome more dangerous and obnoxious unto the peace prosperity and welfare of the Parliament Army and consequently whole Kingdome THAN SION COLLEDGE IS What greater dishonour indignity and scorne can be put upon the SO●EMNE LEAGUE AND COVENANT than to justifie not onely those bitter cruell unbrotherly unchristian nay unnaturall invectives each against other but rebellion treason mutini●s insurrections against the Parliament and Army the raising up of new warres to the utter ruine of the whole kingdome as the sense and meaning of the solemne League and Covenant and do not many of you in your prayers and Sermons justifie the proceedings of those members that fled beyond seas from the justice of the Parliament and the prisoners in the Tower committed thither by Parliaments order for such misdemeanours in pleading their cause with God as men persecuted imprisoned for nothing but keeping their solemne League and Covenant professing for your selves and others that you own their cause so deluding and captivating the judgement● and consciences of many of your hearers as you did some at least of those said prisoners who doubtlesse in the simplicity of their hearts were charmed into that delinquencie through your devout chantings under the colour of zeale for the glory of God a blessed ref●rmation and we know not what as that they are ready upon all 〈◊〉 to side with any mu●inous insurrections against the Parliament and Army what is this but to abuse and prophane the innocent Covenant which intended union peace love and goodnesse amongst brethren and the banding them together as one man against the common enemy Doubtlesse the true naturall soule and spirit of the Covenant was Union and not division amongst brethren But when men force that soule out of the Covenant we mean that meaning of the covenant which is naturall and possesse it with a contrary spirit or meaning though it pretends zeale for God and a blest reformation c. yet this is to represent the covenant like Samuels body without his naturall soule possessed with the spirit of Satan speaking indeed like Samuel but with a wicked and Satanicall designe what is this but to make the covenant not like an Angel of God a messenger of peace and union among brethren but a very Fury from beneath furnishing men with fire-brands to hurle and throw each against other to the danger of fiering and enflaming the whole kingdome You complain of contempt of the covenant that it is looked upon as an Almanack out of date

c. and most confident we are that no pretenders to the covenant under heaven have rendered the covenant more vile base and contemptible than your selves have done by the interpretation sense meaning which you have put into it But the truth is it is no great marvell that you make the covenant speak what you please for your own designes since you make or at least strive to make the holy Scriptures themselves whose naturall juice is milk and honey to yeeld forth gall yea blood it selfe Fifthly who are they which truly and properly break the Covenant Either those that act contrary to the very letter of it or those that deny to subject themselves unto that illegitimate and forc'd interpretation which Sion Colledge men put upon it surely they are the covenant-breakers who act contrary to the letter and most naturall literall and obvious meaning of it If so let us examine each Article of the Covenant and compare it with the practice of Sion Colledge men and let indifferent men judge who breake the Covenant In the first Article we sweare with hands lifted up to the most high God to endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government AGAINST OUR COMMON ENEMIES c. THAT WE AND OUR POSTERITY AFTER US MAY AS BRETHREN LIVE IN FAITH AND LOVE AND THE LORD MAY DELIGHT TO DWELL IN THE MIDDEST OF US He●e are two things which are to steere us in our endeavours to preserve the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government First our endeavours must be against our common enemies Secondly our endeavours must be so ordered that we and our posterity may as brethren live in faith and love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us it so they that doe joyne with the common enemy they that divide brethren each from other hindering brethrens living together as brethren in faith and low doe break the covenant in the expresse letter of it but who they are that joyn with the common enemy that divide between brethren that obstruct their living together in faith and love and so provoke the eye of jealousie that the Lord delight not to dwell amongst us i●evident to all the world almost the complaint of all disengaged men Take but one instance from one of them I had rather said hee that the great Turke should come and enslave this kingdome unto his tyranny and that I should be a slave among the rest of the Kingdome than that there should be a toleration of I dependents He cannot but suppose that if the great Turk was Lord Paramount in this Kingdome that he would establish his Religion amongst us 〈◊〉 who is he that breakes the Covenant he that shall professe he cannot in conscience subject unto such or such externall discipline being very doub●●ull and disputable whether it be agreeable to Gods word or no though otherwise he be acknowledged to be holy learned usefull in Church and Common-wealth or he that shall professe his desire rather that the great Turk and by consequence the Religion of the Turkes should rule over us than a toleration should be allowed to such a man considering withall that there is no Article word or syllable in the covenant engaging against the toleration of such a man and the very letter of the covenant binds us unto such endeavours for uniformity that brethren may live together as brethren in faith and love that the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of them We know it will be replied that we are tied in the very letter of the covenant unto unity and uniformity in the three kingdoms which is inconsistent with a toleration of Independents or any other way whatsoever that is against the received way of the authority of the Kingdomes and therefore an absolute breach of covenant which we must not commit upon any termes better the great Turk should come in and we suffer for our faithfulnesse to Jesus Christ holding fast the profession of our faith under his tyranny than be actuall breakers of our covenant by such a toleration We answer First if we had promised absolutely to be uniforme in the three Kingdoms except we had attained to a most certain infallible knowledge of the mind of God herein we had sinned by such an engagement for we had sworn to we know not what and so had-sinn●d against the law of Covenant-making which is to sweare in righte●usnesse and judgement and by consequence were not bound to keep such a covenant every man being bound to forsake and not to continue in a sinfull engagement Secondly ABSOLUTE uniformity in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government in the three Kingdomes is not our covenant but our ENDEAVOURS after such an uniformity is our-covenant and doubtlesse we are all bound by all just wayes in our severall places and callings to endeavour the same Thirdly our Covenant hath tied us to order manage frame our endeavours so as that brethren may live together in faith and love all other endeavours directly hindering this blessed issue is against the expresse letter of the covenant Fourthly that not an absolute uniformity but a Christian loving and bortherly endeavour was not onely the expresse letter but also the intent of the covenant appeares both by the persons that made the covenant whom we all know not perfectly agreed at that time about a certain way of Church-government calling the Assembly of Divines to consult withall about it as also by their severall Declarations since that time and also by the persons that did promote the covenant and took the covenant being men known to be of another judgement and practice at that time and so continue unto this day than the now received way of the Nation so that in the meane while wee cannot but take notice what a sad case a miserable and intolerable CASE this is that wee should desire rather slavery under Turcisme than though enjoying our own judgement in our own persons yet the permitting our brethren to enjoy themselves though not disturbing our peace and wolfare in the least kinde In the second Article wee sweare that wee shall endeavour without respect of persons the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-goverment by Arch-Bishops Bishops c. and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending in that Hierareby superstition heresie schisme prophanenesse and what soever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse least wee partake of other mens sinnes and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdomes As for this Article of the Covenant it is the jealousie of a great many that the very authority and jurisdiction of Sion Colledge it selfe is a branch sprung out from the root of Prelacy and untill their Pattent be shewed and it clearly