Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	dare_v	good_a	great_a	295	4	2.0926	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42137	A true and perfect relation of the whole transactions concerning the petition of the six counties of South-Wales, and the county of Monmouth, formerly presented to the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England for a supply of Godly ministers, and an account of ecclesiasticall revenues therein with Parliaments resolves, and proceedings thereupon, now humbly represented to His Highnesse the Lord Protector's consideration / published by A.G.	Griffith, Alexander, d. 1690.	1654 (1654)	Wing G1989; ESTC R177698	38,108	69

penalties of these Acts for transgressing against the same when they neither heard or saw the same or were made privy therewith there being a great distance betwixt Westminster Hall and Wales And therefore the Petitioners doe well hope that the same commendable course commandded and observed in England ought to be also Practised in Wales being part of the same Common-wealth subject to the same Law and Authority and not independant or distant from the supreame Power of the Parliament The Petitioners acknowledging the goodnesse and favour of the Parliament to have beene all along equally distributed to them in their Acts Orders and Edicts as well as to other parts of the Nation But the Petitioners with griefe and sadnesse of heart cannot but complaine for want of the due examination and observance thereof And whereas the said Commissioners or at least wise those that have put in their said Answer under a shew of Humanity doe uncharitably conceive and give forth that the Promoters of the Petition are persons well known to be pretenders of the Worke of God thereby to carry on other designes branding them abroade and before this Honourable Committee by way of Recrimination with the Name of Malignants Delinquents and all affected persons and such as have a designe to bring in power Malignants and to re-invest scandalous Malignant unpreaching Ministers and Curats notwithstanding their Petition and Prosecution thereof speaks the contrary The Petitioners and Promoters thereof dare appeale as touching the sincerity of their thoughts and affections to the Parliament and the truth of the Petition to the Righteous God that judgeth righteously and trieth the Heart and Reynes before whose Judgement Seat they doubt not but to appeare as innocent from those things laid to their charge as most of their Accusers who as they feare doe judge before their time and are wise above what is Revealed The Lord onely knowes who are his and who are onely pretenders of true Religion and who not and who they are that drive and carry at selfe interest under faire and specious pretences and count gaine godlinesse making too great hast to grow rich which true Believers dare not doe The Petitioners therefore not regarding the judgement of men dare trust their Good and Gracious God in all Conditions And doe humbly Acquiesce in his most Righteous Judgements Earnestly beseeching your Honours Seriously Piously and Christianly to weigh and consider the Premises and the Particulars exhibited by the Petitioners And as it was impossible for the Petitioners to prepare the particulars of the seven Counties in two Dayes time much lesse in one so it was impossible to Reply to the Commissioners Answer untill they saw the same and had a Copy thereof Especially not understanding the meaning of the Order untill it was explained And as your Honours favourably entertained and received their particulars though the Petitioners for the reason aforesaid failed in strictnesse of time So they likewise pray your Honours to accept of this their Reply the Petitioners having not obtained a Copy of their Answer untill your Honours by the Order of the 16th of July did command and Order the same though your Petitioners ever since the 10. of May since it was lodged with this Committee used their endeavours therein which untill July the 16th proved fruitlesse And the Petitioners pray this Reply may be added and annexed to their particulars to be reported to the Parliament that Command may issue fourth to the Countrey according to the Resolves of Parliament to examine Witnesses for discovery and manifestation of the truth of the premises And the Petitioners likewise pray the particular Booke of Accompt mentioned in the Report of the Sub-Committee may be produced and the Petitioners have a Copy thereof with time and liberty to sur-charge the same And that your Honours would favourably consider of all the grievances in Order to a settlement of a convenient number of Godly able Ministers and Schoole-Masters such as the Parliament and your Honours shall approve of and an accompt for the profits of the Tithes c. Received since the Commissioners were impowered And that in Order to a future supply of such Ministers and Schoole-Masters and improving and advancing the Tithes and Revenues aforesaid The Parliament will be pleased to take such course therein as they shall thinke meete for where is no vision the People perish And so having done our best endeavours therein and discharged our Consciences we shall say no more at this time but patiently waite on our God who in his One time without doubt will beare Witnesse of the Truth by the Petitioners Averred in the Petition In which they aime at nothing more than the Glory of God the good of His Church and People The true Propagation of his glorious Gospell The safety and well-fare of their Countrey in particular and this Commonwealth in generall waiting in hope and Expectation of a blessing and successe accordnigly Mr. Tho Lewis Mr. Tho. Powell and Mr. Griffith Hatley their Letter to Mr. Jenk Jones MR. Jones we desire to be resolved by you whether the ejected Ministers of this Country who have been silenced suspended now this long time ab officio beneficio may at last have the door of utterance opened and be permitted to preach the Gospel freely among those that do much want it do as earnestly call for it as the parched Earth after the dew and Raine of Heaven The reason why we put this busines to the question is because about the last spring some of our fellow Ministers taking the boldnes to preach the word of God were some of them sent prisoners to Chepsto Garrison others pull'd out of the Pulpit and all the rest were threatned to have the same measure meted unto them if they should make the same attempts and therefore wee desire to know whether we are under the same restraint still or are at liberty wee doubt not but that you can resolve us herein as well as any other in this County and we hope you will be pleased to satisfie our civill request herein and vouchsafe a line of answer which you may direct to either of the subscribers who are Sir Your friends as far as you are a friend to Christ and his wayes Tho. Lewis Tho. Powell Griffith Hatley Feb. 6. 1653 Mr. Jenk Jones Letter in Answer to the former Gentlemen YOur Letter dated Feb. 6. 1653. I received the first of March And in answer to what you propose therein I shall onely put you in minde that you are still and more than like to be in the same condition with those in the last Spring And tell you that you are to expect the same measure from the * See the Government or the Articles signed by the Lord Protector present Power whose connivance you seem at least to fansie to your selves As your brethren had the last Spring from the then powers And also that you need not pretend your being pressed as from pitty to water the parched earth there being more Sermons Preached now in one moneth then were formerly in twelve and with very much though I dare not say with a greater blessing consider the restraint-fearing-Spirit that 's in you Your friend and servant Jen. Jones March 2. 1653. Mr. Lewis Mr. Powel and Mr. Ha●lies Reply to Mr. Jenkin Jones Answer MR. Jones wee thank you for your Letter wherein you have fully resolved us what we must expect if we Preach the Gospell in this poor Countrey nothing but bonds and imprisonment if you divine aright abide us If we be silent and do not Preach we are reproached and if we do Preach we are menaced A hard dilemma Sir notwithstanding your paines in preaching which nevertheless is much abated of what it was since you have caught the f●●h that you looked for there are many dry and thirsty soules in this Country that are very seldom refreshed with the dew of Heavenly Doctrine and for want thereof do daily relapse to Popery and that in no small number we could name above 20 Parish churches in this County in many whereof there have not been above two Sermons this 12 moneth and in most of them none at all yet the Inhabitants pay their Tithes still as formerly Their complaints have fill'd the ears of men long since and have no doubt e're this ascended up to the eares of the Lord of Saboth We shall therefore in compassion to these poor soules adventure to bestow our paines among them and put our selves upon the candor clemency of our present Governour from whom we do expect and doubt not to find better measure then you forbad us or then our fellow Ministers received the last Spring when other powers swayed to wit your own That there are more Sermons preached now in a month then was formerly in 12. will hardly finde credit with any that knowes this Country and is such a story that men will admire to have proceeded from your Pen since that we do not know of above two Itinerant Preachers resident in the Country and one of the two hardly worth the name of a Preacher whereas formerly there was a preaching Minister almost in every parish some Impropriations except and most of them graduated in the Universities and able and painfull men in their callings Consider better of that passage of your Letter and consider what spirit you are of for the Spirit of God is a spirit of truth Nec mendax est nec mordax Your loving friends Tho. Lewis Tho. Pow. Gr. Hatly March 6. 1653. And thus you have a full Narration of the Petition the Petitioners charge The Commissioners Answer and the Reply thereunto which makes evident to all Christian soules the deplorable Condition of the Inhabitants of Wales concerning their Soules we fare wherein they continue to this very day enduring a Famine of the Word and the Bread of life being tendered unto them is forbidden As may appeare by these Letters sent unto me from 3 Reverend and Orthodox Ministers and Batchelors of Divinity within the County of Brecknock directed to Capt Jenk Jones one of the Itineraries with his unchristian and insolent Answer thereunto FINIS

accompted for to the State That for want of the due Execution of the said Act your Petitioners together with the said Inhabitants indure a Famine of the Word of God Children are not bred up in the Instruction and Information of the Lord The vast revenues of the outed Ministers are set out at extraordinary undervalues The Churches are in most places shut up and the Fabrick thereof ready to fall to the ground for want of Repaire Neither can the Inhabitants take notice of your Honours Acts Edicts and Proclamations wherein the publique Welfare the Liberty and Safety of their persons and estates are concerned for want of a fitting number of Teachers in each County to publish the same Your Petitioners therefore out of their duty to God the preservation of the Soules of the Inhabitants of their Countrey the Common-wealths interest and the earnest desire they have that your Honours most pious intentions expressed in the said Act may be accordingly observed Doe hold themselves bound in conscience out of Christian and Soule-saving necessity to present the premises to your Honours consideration Earnestly beseeching your Honours in pursuance of your wonted zeale and unfeigned Affection to Gods Glory and the Increase of true Religion Learning and Piety to take such a course for the future supply of their respective Counties with such convenient number of Godly able Teachers and for Provisions of Schooles and Nurseries of Learning and Religion there As also to call to account such persons as have received the profits of the said Tithes Church-livings and Prebends and the Sequestred Impropriations as to your Honours grave wisdom shall seeme meete And your Petitioners shall as in duty bound most humbly pray c. 2. The presenting thereof to the Parliament by Col. Freeman and his Speech At the presenting of the Petition Col. Freeman being come to the Bar did deliver at the request of the Petitioners the true sense and meaning of the Petition and Petitioners and the sum of their desires for a more cleer demonstration of their reall intentions therein in these words viz. Mr. SPEAKER IT was the desire of many well-affected Gentry and other Inhabitants of South-wales That I should present to your Grave consideration this Petition and withall humbly to beg you will be pleased to believe they desire not to bring in any scandalous ejected Ministers as some out of prejudice to the Petitioners do suggest but such as this Honorable House shall approve of and onely such shall be most gratefully entertained by them A Soule-saving necessity hath constrained them to this humble addresse who for above two yeares last past have lived in darknesse the light of the Gospell being almost extinguished shining onely in some few corners of the Country and ingrossed into particular distinct Congregations which are not above foure or five in most Counties in Southwales how foure or five Itineraryes can supply a whole County most of the Counties consisting of eighty or a hundred Parishes is humbly left to your Honours grave consideration The Inhabitants of Southwales are not onely destitute of a convenient number of Ministers but also of able Schoole-masters to the decay of Religion and Learning And neverthelesse the vast Revenue of the outed Clergy and all Sequestred Tythes Impropriations Gleabs and other Ecclesiasticall Livings amounting to a great value is received by persons deriving Authority from the Act of the 22 of Febru 1649 which was really intended by this Honourable House for the true propagation of the Gospell who do let and set out the same to Friends Creatures and Alliance of their owne at extraordinary undervalues to the prejudice of the State and the gaine of private persons Mr. Speaker This innocent Petition hath no designe in it against the Common wealth or any particular persons All that the Petitioners crave from this Honourable house is a convenient number of able godly Teachers and Schoole-Masters such as you shall approve of and an account for the profits and Revenues of the Churches received for these two last yeares As we ayme herein at the Glory of God and the publick good so let God blesse us and give a gracious issue to our humble desires The Petitioners being with-drawne the said Petition was read and taken into consideration and thereupon the Parliament passed the ensuing Resolves viz. 3. The Resolution of the Parliament The 10 of March 1651. 1. Resolved by the Parliament that it be referred to the Committee for plundred Ministers to examine this businesse and to state matters of fact and Report their opinions therein to the Parliament with power for the same Committee to send for Persons Papers and Witnesses 2. Resolved That the same Committee have power to examine upon Oath and to authorize such Commissioners in the Country as they shall thinke fit to examine witnesses upon Oath touching any the matters contained in the Petition and to returne those examinations to the said Committee 4. The tran●mitting of th● Petition an● Resolves to th● Committee fo● plundered M●nisters And the same day the said Petition and Resolves were transmitted to the Honorable Committee for plundred Ministers to whom the same was referred And it was then Ordered That the same should be taken into consideration on the 16 of March following on which day severall of the Petitioners with their Councellors and Solliciters did attend the said Committee with Commissioners Names 5 The Petitioners with Councell and Solliciters attend the Committee 16 Martii which they offered and prayed a Commission directed to those Gentlemen or such other persons as the Honorable Committee should thinke fit to examine the matters contained in the said Petition in the Countrey where the witnesses resided and matters of fact did rise according to the said Resolves of Parliament 6. Major Gen Harrison excepts against the generality of the Petition requiring a particular charge and the Sollicitors Answer At which time some of the Committee especially Major Generall Harrison one of the Commissioners for Propagation in Wales did insist that the Petition was to generall and demanded a particular charge Unto which the Petitioners Sollicitors gave answer that they were onely Sollicitors for the Petitioners and had no more yet in charge for their Clients the Petitioners then the preservation of the Petition and doubted not but to exhibite particulars if required and the Petitioners have convenient time for that purpose yet neverthelesse conceived that the Petitioners by the aforesaid Resolves of Parliament were not directed to exhibite any new charge or particulars other then the Petition it selfe which was all that was referred to the consideration of that Honourable Committee and all that the Petitioners were to prove and make good which they were ready to doe according to these Resolves which gave that Committee no power or direction as they humbly conceived to demand or receive any new charge or particulars 7. The Petitioners are denied a Commission A Letter to be first