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
A96239	A letter from the Assembly of Divines in England, and the commissioners of the Church of Scotland, written, and sent by order of the honorable House of Commons assembled in Parliament, to the Belgick, French, Helvetian, and other reformed churches. Translated into English, and now published with the severall inscriptions to those churches. By order of the said House.; Literae a Conventu Theologorum in Anglia et Ecclesiae Scoticanae delegatis. English	Westminster Assembly; Lauderdale, John Maitland, Duke of, 1616-1682.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. aut	1644 (1644)	Wing W1443; Thomason E39_7; ESTC R20514	7,959	20

Die Mercurii 22 Novemb. 1643. It is this day Ordered by the Commons House of Parliament That the Assembly of Divines bee moved to write Letters unto some Divines or Churches of Zealand and Holland and to the Protestant Churches in France Switzerland and other Reformed Churches to informe them against the great Artifices and Disguises of his Majesties Agents in these parts of the true state of our affaires and of the constant imployment of Irish Popish Rebels and other Papists to bee Governours Commanders and Souldiers the many evidences of their intentions to introduce Popery their indevour to hinder the Reformation here intended and condemning other Protestant Churches as unsound because not Prelaticall And that the Scots Commissioners bee desired to joyn therein And likewise that the Committees of the Lords and Commons and of the Divines may advise with the Scots Commissioners in the Premises H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. Die Mercurii 13 Martii 1643. IT is this day ordered by the Commons House of Parliament That the Letter from the Assembly of Divines to the Reformed Churches beyond Seas shall be printed in Latin and English with the severall Inscriptions to the particular severall Churches and that Mr. Selden and Mr. Rous doe acquaint the Assembly with this Order H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. A LETTER From the ASSEMBLY of DIVINES IN ENGLAND AND THE Commissioners of the Church of SCOTLAND Written and Sent by Order of the honorable House of Commons Assembled in Parliament to the Belgick French Helvetian and other Reformed CHURCHES Translated into English and now published with the severall Inscriptions to those Churches By Order of the said House LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes for Ralph Smith and are to bee sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible in Cornhill neere the Royall Exchange 1644. A Letter from the Assembly of Divines in England and the Commissioners of the Church of Scotland to the Belgick French Helvetian and other Reformed Churches Right Reverend and dearely beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ WEE the Assembly of Divines and others called and conveened by the Authority of both Houses of Parliament of England with the Commissioners sent from the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland doe heartily salute you in the Lord. Wee doubt not but the sad reports of the miseries under which the Church and Kingdome of England do bleed and wherewith wee are all ready to bee swallowed up the cup which the righteous Lord hath given us to drink is long since come to your ears And it is probable that the same instruments of Satan and Antichrist have indevoured by their emissaries to present us as black as may bee among your selves who by falsehood and lyes indevour every where to put faire glosses upon their own bloody designes and to reproach our strugglings after a more thorow Reformation of Religion in the Church of England according to the Word of God and our just defence of our lives liberties and Religion against their cruell and unjust violences And wee sometimes doubt whether wee have not been wanting to our own innocency and your satisfaction in being thus long silent from giving you a faithfull though sorrowfull relation of the state wherein wee stand But pardon us deare Brethren if this Cup of trembling wherewith our spirits have been filled to amazement and our wrestlings with extreame difficulties ever since our meeting have hindred us from that which wee long since knew to bee our duty And give us leave now a little to ease our griefe by powring our hearts into your bosomes while wee relate the desolation made by an Antichristian faction who amongst us have still been hindring the work of Reformation and withall introducing and cherishing of Popery and are now arrived at that strength and have prevailed so farre against us that if the Lord whose judgments are unsearchable and whose tender mercies are innumerable doe not speedily help us wee shall even altogether bee laid waste by them How great a hand this treacherous and bloody generation amongst us have long had in the miseries of other Reformed Churches in the destruction of the Palatinate and in the betraying and losse of Rochell and how by seeming overtures of Ambassies and Treaties for their reliefe they have fomented continued and encreased their calamities are so fully known by you all and miserably felt by some of your selves that we need not speak any thing of them And we suppose their inveterate hatred against you all is sufficiently manifested in that multitudes of them have refused to acknowledge any of you for Churches of Christ because you are not Prelaticall and thereby as they conceive want a lawfull Vocation of Ministers Sure wee are that amongst our selves in all these three Kingdomes they have prevailed so farre in advancing Popery and depressing Religion that it would require a Volume rather than a Letter to relate all the particulars Scarce one thing can bee thought upon which may bee supposed to bee an argument of any intent to set up Popery and even extirpate the true Reformed Religion but wee could give you abundant instances that they have not onely attempted but in great measure prevailed for the putting thereof in execution All the good and just Laws of this Kingdome against Papists concerning their lives liberties and goods suspended Judges prohibited to proceed against condemned Priests and even Jesuites set free Houses of Superstition in Ireland and England set up and not discountenanced beside the seldome or never questioned transportation of many young persons to Seminaries in foraine parts Notorious Papists contrary to known Laws permitted to come to Court to reside there and enjoy the favour and preferment of it Multitudes of them released from legall Penalties for time past and time to come Prosecuters of them checked and discountenanced Agents sent from hence into Italy Nuntioes and Agents from Rome received and treated with such as warped that way cherished and advanced the most zealous Ministers Professors of Religion bitterly persecuted And all these things so apparent that abundance of Popishly affected Prelates and Ministers adventured in every part of the Kingdome publickly to preach and leaven their people with almost all points of Popery except the Supremacy and to introduce abundance of corrupt innovations in the worship of God compelling the people to yeeld conformity to them with persecuting such as would not Insomuch as many who looked at Religion onely for outward advantage found it best for their gaine and safety to turne Papists And many godly Ministers who would not publish a book purposely set forth to allow such sports on the Lords day which the Reformed Churches thinke unlawfull at any time or who would not conforme themselves to their other superstitions have had their mouthes stopped and many thousands of their people with them compelled to seeke for refuge amongst your selves or in remote parts of the world Yea so farre they had advanced in their presumption as to

blood poured out in every corner things though otherwise very precious to us wee omit to mention If our God wil lay our bodies as the ground and as the dust under their feet the will of the Lord bee done Might our blood bee a Sacrifice to ransome the rest of the Saints of Christ from antichristian fury most gladly would wee offer it upon this service But that which breaks our hearts is the danger wee behold the Protestant Religion and all the Reformed Churches in at this time Wee know their rage is insatiable and will not bee quenched with our blood their fury is kindled against us not as wee are sinfull men but as men ingaged in the defence of the true Religion and panting after a right Reformation And if once the Lord deliver us as a prey into their teeth Oh the darknesse and horrour the bondage slavery and persecution which all who will not receive the mark of the beast are like to bee wrapped in in these three wofull Kingdomes And not here only but they are like to attempt the same in all the Reformed Churches in Europe Your owne thoughts can easily suggest unto you with what rage the beast which came out of the bottomlesse pit the Woman who hath thus long drunk the blood of the Saints is filled now before her utter destruction against that Virgin Company that follow the Lamb. The Church and Kingdome of Scotland have been willing and ready by all good meanes to quench this unnaturall fire They have sent their humble Supplications Remonstrances and Declarations to his Majesty And at last made offer of their humble Mediation and Nationall intercession for a Pacification All which being refused and rejected they have entered into a mutuall League and Covenant with the Church and Kingdome of England and have resolved to joyn in Arms with their Brethren for their assistance and deliverance for the preservation of their own Religion of themselves from the mercilesse cruelty of the common enemy and so farre as in them lyeth for the safety of their Native King and his Kingdoms from destruction and desolation as is more largely expressed in their publick Declaration and in the Solemne League and Covenant of the three Kingdomes which will give full satisfaction to all the wise and well-affected concerning their intentions They have also according to the desire of the Honourable Houses of Parliament sent us their Commissioners hither for uniformity of Religion in the Churches of both Kingdoms And wee their Commissioners do exceedingly rejoyce to behold the Foundation of the House of God not only in Doctrine but Church-Government laid before our eyes in a reverend Assembly of so wise learned and godly Divines And find our selves bound in all Christian duty but especially by the late Solemne League and Covenant of both Kingdomes wherein wee are so deepely interessed and ingaged to joyne in representing to the Reformed Churches abroad the true condition of affaires here against all mis-informations and mistakings And now deare Brethren in this extreame danger threatning us all what are the things wee can begge of you But that first you would judge aright of our afflicted condition of our innocency and integrity in this our just defence If our Enemies every where calumniate us that we be risen up in Rebellion against our Soveraigne to deprive him of his just power and greatnesse and endeavour to bring Anarchy and confusion into the Church of Christ from these foule and false aspersions our intentions fully and clearely set forth in our solemne League and Covenant the copy whereof we here withall humbly present you wee doubt not will sufficiently cleare us But if these children of Beliall have unjustly stirred up our Soveraigne against us and by abusing his Majesties name and Authority are labouring to keepe themselves from deserved punishment of their former crimes which the supreme Judicatories of the Kingdome went about to inflict upon them and to deprive us of our lives Liberties Priviledges and especially of our Religion And that our defensive Arms are by us used and intended onely to preserve our selves from their unjust violence which hath often beene the condition of many of your selves Let the righteous Lord judge between us and them whom we implore to helpe us no further then we can plead these things in sincerity before him And let our deare Brethren to whom these letters are addressed acquit our Innocency in their hearts and make their Apologie for us in all their Churches Secondly that yee will sympathize with us as Brethren who suffer in and for the same cause wherein your selves have beene oppressed which will be no little refreshing to our mourning spirits when we shall know that our God who smites us yet inclines the hearts of his beloved Churches to looke upon us with compassionate bowells as judging us to be the servants of their owne God and Saviour Jesus Christ and as remembring themselves to be in the body Thirdly and lastly That as all the Antichristian faction ownes the cause of our Adversaries as their owne and contributes what lyes in their power every way to their helpe and our ruine So that you would imbrace our condition as your owne common cause wherein if we be once swallowed up your selves are not like long to escape the quarrell of the enemy being not so much against the persons of men as against the power of Godlinesse and Purity of Gods word wherever it is professed The way and manner of your owning us we leave wholly to your selves Except this one particular which we must importunately crave even your fervent prayers both publike and private That God who heareth prayer now he hath humbled us and broken all our Arms of Flesh whereon alas we have beene too prone to leane would himselfe bring salvation to us that the blessings of truth and peace might rest upon us that these three Nations may be joyned as one stick in the hand of the Lord and that we our selves contemptible builders called to repaire the House of God in a troublesome time being ashamed of our former pollutions may see the patterne of this House and commend such a platforme to our Zorobabells as may be most agreeing to his own sacred word nearest conformity to the best Reformed Churches and greatest uniformity amongst our selves that all mountains may become plains before them and us that then all who now see the plummet in our hands may also behold the Top stone set upon the head of the Lords house amongst us and may help us with shouting to cry Grace Grace unto it And thus much we have beene willed to Informe you of Reverend Brethren and by you all faithfull Christians under your Charges by the Honourable House of Commons In whose name and in our own we bid you heartily farewell in the Lord. Your most affectionately devoted Brethren in Christ Commissioners of the Church of Scotland Jo. Maitland A. Jhonston Alex. Henderson Sam. Rutherfurd Rob. Bailyie Geo. Gillespie William Twisse Prolocutor Cornel. Burges Assessor Jo. White Assessor Henry Robrough Scribe Adoniram Byfield Scribe THE Severall Inscriptions to THE REFORMED CHVRCHES Zealand TO the Reverend and Learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Zealand our much Honoured Brethren Holland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Holland our much Honoured Brethren East-Holland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of East-Holland our much Honoured Brethren Gelderland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Gelderland our much honoured Brethren Over Ysell To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Over Ysell our much honoured Brethren Utrecht To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Utrecht our much Honoured Brethren Frizeland To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province of Frizeland our much honoured Brethren Groningen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of the Province and City of Grohingen our much honoured Brethren Geneva To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Church in the City and Republick of Geneva our much honoured Brethren Berne To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Berne our much honoured Brethren Zurich To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Zurich our much honoured Brethren Bazell To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Bazell our much honoured Brethren Schafhausen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Schafhausen our much honoured Brethren Paris To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Church which is at Paris our much honoured Brethren Hessen To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of Hessen our much honoured Brethren Anhalt To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Classes and Churches of Anhalt our much honoured Brethren Hanaw To the Reverend and learned Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Hanaw our much honoured Brethren FINIS

impose upon the whole Kingdome of Scotland a new Popish book of Service Rites and Ceremonies and a book of Canons To which when the piety and zeale of that Nation would not submit they prevailed alas with his Majesty to proclaime them Rebels and Traytors to raise a formidable army against them to which all the Papists popishly affected did professedly contribute their best assistance And certainely had not the Lord by his blessing upon the Scotish Army by the manifestation and acknowledgement of the wrongs done them by the calling of this Parliament and their godly care to cleare the Innocency of their Brethren and by the Treaty of Peace concluded betwixt the two Kingdomes prevented it the two Nations long since through the treachery and rage of these brutish men had beene embrewing their hands in each others bloud But though through the goodnesse of God and his blessing upon the publike Counsells and proceedings of both Nations of England and Scotland they were more closely and mutually conjoyned and the Lord had raised up such a spirit throughout this whole Kingdom to mourne after the Lord to lament our backslidings and to desire a perfect Reformation and had so inclined the hearts of the Honorable Senators convened in Parliament to repaire the house of the Lord among us that wee verily hoped our winter to be past and the time of our refreshing and healing to be come Yet alas we find it to be clean otherwise Our God who before was a moth and rottennesse is now turned unto a Lyon to us Wee know our sinnes have deserved all and if we all dye and perish yet the Lord is righteous to his hand we submit and to him alone we desire to look for healing Howbeit the Instruments of these new miseries are the same Antichristian faction Who have beene so farre from being discouraged or giving over their former designe by their want of successe in Scotland or in beholding the fixed resolution of the Parliament here for Reformation that their rage and diligence therein is more increased since the beginning of the Parliament then at any time before And indeed have more prevailed both by stirring up a bloody Rebellion in Ireland wherein as the Papists themselves boast they have destroyed above a hundred thousand Protestants in one Province within a few moneths And in England by alienating the heart of his Majesty from his Parliament which had begun to call many of them to account for their former mischiefes And after an attempt to surprize some Members of both Houses in an hostile manner prevailing with his Majesty to withdraw himselfe from the Parliament and to raise an Army which at first pretended onely to bee made up of Protestants but the Papists knew their intents who both here and beyond the Seas had frequent prayers for the good successe of this great work intended in England for the advancing of the Catholick Cause And spared not in England to boast that they were not to appeare untill many Protestants were ingaged so farre that they might not start backe and then they were to own it which accordingly is come to passe For when once many seeming Protestants were ingaged upon pretence of the Kings Prerogative and Priviledges of Parliament and Protestant Religion which Protestants yet for the most part were the same who before the beginning of these stirres had been by the publick Judicatory of the Kingdom impeached of Treason Oppression and other high crimes and misdemeanors and others who knew themselves guilty thereof and other corrupt parties of the Clergy and their adherents presently the Papists who before were spared from all plunder and violence where ever the Kings Forces came though many Protestants who even held not for the Parliament were rifled were armed by Commission from the King and promise of repayment for their armes if they were lost Many great Papists being put into places of Command in severall parts of the Kingdom and the body of all the Papists joyning with all their might and professing and exercising their Religion even by publike Masses in divers parts of the Realme And thus assisted with ammunition Men and Money from other parts deluded by their faire glosses and pretences they goe up and down plunder and murder and spoile all such as adhere to the Parliament and cause of Religion And although when the Parliament saw that these wicked instruments prevailed with the King to raise force to be protected from the justice of the Laws which the Parliament went about to inflict upon them for their former Treasons and other high crimes and to accomplish their former designes they endeavored to secure the Forts Navy provide meanes for the defence of themselves and of Laws Liberties and Religion all which these men indevoured to destroy Yet such hath been their cunning by false glosses to hide their own intention and to seduce others Or rather such is the righteous judgement of our now angry God for our abuse of our long peace that wee have not yet been able by Supplications Petitions and Remonstrances to recover his Majesty out of their hands or to bring these men to deserved punishments but the sword rageth almost in every corner of this wofull land And to make up our misery to the full they have now at last prevailed with his Majesty so farre to own the bloody Rebels in Ireland as not onely to call them his Roman-Catholick Subjects now in Arms c. but even to grant them a Cessation for a yeare when they were brought into great extremity and to hold what they have gotten liberty to strengthen themselves with Men Money Arms Ammunition from any place freedome to send or come to his Majesty and thereby bee not only inabled to destroy the remnant of the Protestants there but to come over hither as many of them are already to act the same butcheries upon us as they have hitherto exercised upon our miserable and distressed Brethren among themselves In these deplorable calamities are wee involved and in the midst of these troublesome times have the honorable Houses of Parliament called this Assembly to give them our best Counsell for the Reformation of the Church for the purging and preserving of Religion and require us to make Gods Word onely our Rule and to indevour the neerest conformity to the best Reformed Churches and uniformity in all the Churches of the three Kingdomes And in this work wee are now exercised though the enemy hath stirred up the heart of our deare and dread Soveraign against us also Yet through the good hand of God upon us wee have made some comfortable beginnings The work is his who commands us not to despise the day of small things Thus Reverend and Deare Brethren wee have given you the face or rather the shadow for what words are able to expresse the face of our miserable condition in England Our civill Liberties in danger to bee lost our goods spoiled our houses plundered our