Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	keep_v	peace_n	unity_n	7,015	5	8.9407	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31788	The Kings Maiesties answer to a late petition presented unto him by the hands of Mr. Alexander Henderson, from the commissioners of the Generall Assemblie of the Kirk of Scotland with their humble remonstrance and renewed petition to the Kings Most Excellent Majestie, from their meeting at Edinburgh, June 2, 1643.	England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I); Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; Ker, A.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.	1643 (1643)	Wing C2098; ESTC R35826	16,804	32

reverence which is due to your Majesties person and the matter it selfe to be reprochfull to the honour and constitution of that your Majesties Kingdome Whether the matter of the Petition be reproachfull shall aferwards in the particulars appear But for the expressions we have examined the whole Petition and can finde no word of that kinde Wee rather did feare the censure of fauning and flattering words which your Majestie may remember were sometime put upon our supplications Our desire was to keepe within the bounds of that liberty which beseemeth the Ministers of Christ and if any word have escaped us which we cannot see it was contrary to our intention for wee know that we should neither speak evill of dignities nor unreverently unto them The like report hath beene made to your Mejestie of our preaching and prayers but when the de lators are tryed they will be found either malicious against us for reproving their faults Or having no other way of insinuation too officious to your Majestie or to others whom they desire to please or so blinded with self-love that they thinke Preachers should speak like Parasites or so undiscerning that when we professe our desire to the reformation of Religion in England and Ireland we are fansied by them to preach or pray against the King and his royall authoritie Wee fear God and honour the King And have learned not onely to put a difference betwixt God and the King but also against the old sophistication now revived betwixt the pictures of the Emperour and the images of the false gods craftily insert into them and know the way how to honour the King without such a mixture and confusion Slownesse to beleeve an evill report and the constructing of things doubtfull is one of your Majesties royall praises of which the faithfull Ministers of this Kirk desire against slanders and suspitions to have the experience which will prove profitable for your Majesties honour and obedience and our peace and quietnesse As the north winde driveth away rain So doth an angrie countenance a back biting tongue Righteous lips are the delight of Kings and they love him that speaketh right Concerning the interposing of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland and our intermedling by commission from them in the affairs of the Kirk of England We humbly intreat your Majestie to consider of the reasons of this our doing 1. Although the Kirks of one Nation be distant in place from the Kirks of another Nation yet are they united in heart and spirit and are generally but one body and Kirke and must as Sisters of one Mother keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace whence ariseth the communion of all Gods graces and blessings amongst the Kirks that they may not only help comfort and refresh but advise admonish exhort warne and reprove one another so farre as need requireth and their Christian love and abilitie reacheth Yet avoiding both ambition and confusion there being a coordination between Kirkes of diverse Nations but no subordination We have not presumed to passe the limits of this Christian communion having proceeded by way of charity and in a ministeriall or rather brotherly manner not by authority or Magisterially by way of humble supplication to your Majestie Declaration to the house of Parliament and advice and exhortation to such of our brethren of the Ministerie as were best known unto us very farre from usurpation or jurisdiction 2. Our humble petition to your Majestie and our Declaration to the Parliament were nothing els but a prosecution of the demand made by the Commissioners of this Kingdome and a pressing of the answer given by your Majestie and the Parliament in the last treatie which filled us with hope of what was then demanded since followed by diverse Declarations and now again desired 3. The experience of the sufferings of this Kirk from the doctrine for me of worship and government of the Kirk of England Doth beget feares of the like hereafter which maketh our petition to be unto us a necessare meane of self preservation 4. Our encouragements from your Majesties Letter to the Generall Assembly and the Declaration of the house of Parliament desiring them to concur in petitioning your Majestie for setling one confession of Faith one directorie of the publike worship and one Catechisme in all the three Kingdomes as a meane to advance the honour and service of God enlarge the greatnesse power and glorie of the King confirme the peace securitie and prosperitie of all his good Subjects make way to the relief and deliverance of the poore afflicted Kirks abroad and to the totall abolishing of the usurpation and tyrannie of Rome 5 The paterne wee have of this Christian duty both by word and wryting in the Kirk at Jerusalem and the Kirk at Antioch which was first crowned with the name of Christians The one of which were Jewes and the other Gentiles And in diverse other Kirks recorded in Scripture many Precedents also in antiquity before the Kirks did contend for primacy or knew any preheminence one over another Many examples of other reformed Kirks And the practise of the Kirk of Scotland diverse times after the Reformation wryting into England against the ceremonies and for union against the Papists and their confederats banded together by the bloudie league of Trent These and the like reasons wee conceive did sufficiently authorize us in all that we have done not as Directors or Judges but as supplicants and humble advisers In that day shall there be a high way one of Egypt into Assyria from one Kirk and Nation of the Gentiles to another And the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians whom the Lord of Hostes shall blesse Upon this and the like grounds have letters been sent professedly between some godly loyall and peaceable Ministers of the Kirk of England and the Generall Assembly here and their Commissioners One of the means intended for the good of Religion in both Kingdomes against Sects and Shismes admitted and approven by your Majesties Commissioners in the Generall Assembly and which for the forme of doing is innocent and may bee profitable unlesse the matter bee nocent and hurtfull and thereby deserves censure Wee wish we were able by our Letters Declarations or Petitions To reduce all the reformed Kirks to a perfect conformitie to suppresse all the Heresie Superstition and Tyrannie of Papists and the Paganisme of Turkes and Insidels and would not doubt of your Majesties Roy all approbation not withstanding all the Lawes standing to the contrarie and plea's could be made for their antiquitie happinesse and stabilitie Common arguments and collours pretended for every Religion and of late answered to the full in the point of Episcopall government from the verity of Scripture which is true antiquity and the onely solide ground of the happinesse and stabilitie of Religion and government of the Kirk The Petitioners were far from laying upon your Majestie any Imputation of the