Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	party_n	protestant_a	worthy_n	40	3	16.0742	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44854	Hē apostasīa, ho antichristos, or, A scriptural discourse of the apostasie and the Antichrist, by way of comment, upon the twelve first verses of 2 Thess. 2 under which are opened many of the dark prophecies of the Old Testament, which relate to the calling of the Jews, and the glorious things to be affected at the seventh trumpet through the world : together with a discourse of slaying the witnesses, and the immediate effects thereof : written for the consolation of the Catholike Church, especially the churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland / by E.H.	Hall, Edmund, 1619 or 20-1687.	1653 (1653)	Wing H325; ESTC R11943	203,833	222

enemies superstition and profanenesse have in all ages been to a powerfull and orthodox Ministry Which Ministry was hereby not onely exposed to the scorn and hatred of the people but also made liable to the Prelates persecution for did they but withstand their popish Innovations or but a little swerve from their rigorous injunctions immediately followed bitter persecutions thereby many eminently learned and godly Ministers as you may read in Mr. Clarks Lives an impartial Writer were silenced suspended vexed discouraged sequestred imprisoned and some inforced to leave the Kingdome Mean while superstitious scandalous popish and profane persons were admitted into Orders countenanced encouraged and preferred Thus did the prevailing Faction of popish Prelates for all were not so prove like those Angels Revel 7. 1. holding the winde of the Gospel from blowing on the Church of England Nor was this all but needs must these Popish Reformers go to Scotland an ancient Reformed Church that was no enemy to the ancient primitive Government of Bishops and kept the Doctrine of Christ pure though God for her security and profaneness had many things against her of which this rod was a special warning The Church of Scotland rejecting the usurpation of the English Prelates who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in going about to exercise an unknown Iurisdiction over them these revengefull Prelates putting off all humanity and Christianity to satisfie their hellish lusts thought it more fit that their Soveraign the Lords Annointed should hazzard his own life and the lives of his Nobles together with the losse of the bloud of innocent Protestants the Kings faithfull Subjects on both sides in an unnatural War to the reproach of Religion the endangering of both Kingdoms and the infinite expence of treasure then they be crossed in carrying on their designes against the innocent Church of Scotland This War begun by them was the beginning of the Brittish Wars which Wars have ruined the Brittish Royall Family the Brittish Nobles with many of their Families the ancient Brittish Laws and the Brittish reformed Church and all begun by a brutish Clergie in that Church Cursed be their wrath for it is cruell These fire-brands of State made the Bishops odious to the Gentry and Commonalty of both the Nations insomuch that when a Parliament was called which they were accidentally the cause of a certain party of the Commons of the Parliament animated by the preposterous Petitions of the over-zealous people and 't is more then probable incouraged by some of the covetous Nobility who thereby intended to make purchase of their Lands resolved to be satisfied with nothing but the utter extirpation of Episcopacy Here a fallacy was put upon the honest hearted Protestants in the Kingdome for the subtil Lawyers of the House of Commons whose Speeches were alwayes most prevalent in that House envying the wealth and dignity of the Clergie vehemently pressed that in stead of questioning the guilty they would accuse all the Bishops and in stead of questioning their persons they would pul down their Order purposely to take away the Iurisdiction This was carried on by a private faction of Polititians in the House who drew in many honester then themselves into the Designe which although not then yet since hath been discovered The Prelates it mainly concerning them at that time clearly discovered the Designe and thereupon were most firmly united Whereas had it been for a personall reformation amongst them which the grave and moderate Members desired or removing Innovations brought in by the Popish Faction amongst them they would many of them have hung more loose if not altogether sided with the Parliament against the upholders of any Doctrines or Discipline against the true Reformed Religion especially since the King declared himself at this time for a reformation of abuses crept into the Church and having respect unto tender consciences But here lieth such a mystery of iniquity that the wisest and most scruti●…ous in States mysteries cannot discover On whom to charge the overthrow of Episcopacy and the Church Government of a long time continued in their hands in the general wee know but on whom to charge the designes against the Protestant Religion in their overthrow we know not or at least wise nunc non est narrandi locus It is true the Primate of England with the insolent faction at Court became odious to the Nobility and Gentry about the Court and those of his faction elsewhere stepping up into civill Offices in the State made them odious to the Lawyers of the Kingdome whose Offices they usurped The schismaticall Separatists made it one of the chief principles of their Religion to oppose them concluding that man to have true illumination to salvation that had his eyes opened to see Episcopacy to be Antichristian The generality of the sincere Professors of the Gospel were much grieved at the barbarous rigour of their Discipline in suspending silencing and molesting learned godly orthodox Ministers because they would not wear a Surplice signe with the Crosse stand at the Creed kneel at the Sacrament observe a superstitious holi-day but most of all they were grieved that such persecution should befall them for refusing to read the book of Sports to their people a most abominable book giving liberty to people to profane the Lords day The people also generally disliked their rigour in citing them to their Courts for working on Holi-dayes or marrying without a Licence or upon a groundlesse suspicion of inchastitie Many such poor pretences meerly to drain the peoples purses did their Officers make Thus had the Prelatick party drawn the odium of the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty upon them and now a Parliament being called and in that Parliament severall Members of both Houses professed enemies to their Degree and not onely to their degree in the Church as Bishops but to their Office as since they professe as Ministers upon what designe may easily be conjectured These members also being popular took the opportunity of lifting these Protestant Churches off their hinges whiles the eyes of all men were on them for a Reformation Here I say was the fallacy that whiles they pretended to root out Popish pollution they struck at the very root of Primitive purity whiles they pretended to reform Episcopacy they struck at the very Office of the Ministry as now that wound being searched to the bottom discovers to us The King and his party saw to the bottom of this wound many yeers since Those Remonstrances now seem full of Prophecies which we have seen fulfilled But lest we should seem to throw dirt upon the Parliament and the Purliaments cause we must distinguish of a threefold party which sate in the house in plain truth the Parliaments covenant distinguisheth them There was a Popish party a Protestant party and a Schismaticall party the Protestant party made this covenant against the other two parties This Protestant party maintained the Protestant cause against all other parties No Protestant can be

ignorant how much those Worthies that maintained the protestant cause are by a bruitish rabble of degenerate protestants slandered and reproached and how much the cause of God suffers hereby to the causing of many a good Christian to stumble and fall dark providences are as dangerous as deep questions to a weak Christian both make him to stagger Prosperous apostates and successfull predominant hypocrites are like land-markes removed that shipwrack the ignorant marriner that steeres towards them In good truth our land-marks are removed and few Pilots this day are to be found to steere us into the harbour of truth and peace Some say loe here is Christ and others loe there is Christ Some say loe here is Antichrist and others loe there is Antichrist and hereby if 't were possible they would deceive the very Elect. Those called the Presbiterians are decryd by all opposite parties as the Antichristian party and they wittily quibble on one part and say their covenant which they made for the maintaining of Religion in doctrine and discipline against Popery on one hand and Schisme on the other together with the preservation of the Kings person and the fundamentall laws hath just 666 words in it the number of the beast and thence they conclude the Protestant Religion the King and the Fundamentall Laws to be Antichristian Others who seem more rational lay it to their charge as unwarrantable 1. In taking up Armes against the King and inciting the People thereto 2. in making a Covenant contrary to Law and imposing it on the Kings Subjects against his pleasure 3. In robbing of the Church of it's lands 4. In not establishing the King according to their former remonstrances when it was in their power Two things are here to be premised before we proceed 1. That Parliaments are of as great antiquity in a national Church as Monarks over that Church here 's the difference the one is an humane Institution approved of God the other the Monark is a divine Institution immediately ordained of God to be the Ruler of his people This is clear in Moses and the 70 under him chosen by him and afterwards approved by God 2. To our purpose The Parliament of England was called by the King chosen freely by the people assembled at Westminster and established by the King where they sate freely and voted freely Here they became formally our Rulers and Of the Rulers of the people we are not to speak evil Charity hopeth all things and is not easily provoked As to the Parliaments taking up of Arms the Question is whether they did it legally That a Parliament may leavie an Armie in the absence of the King is out of doubt legall for Commune periculum commune auxilium petit But to levie it against the King was absolutely illegall Now the Parliament in their Remonstrances Petitions and Applications to the King acquitted themselves of any such rebellious attempts making their War but meerly Defensive Now whether this were legall in the Parliament is very questionable many good men are divided about the question For say these of the Negative part when those of the Affirmative plead a necessity for what they did making Salum populi suprem●…m esse Legem say they There can be no necessity pleaded against a morall precept neither in the reallity of the thing was there any necessity only and at the most probability of evil to ensue if the King should come without resistance with an Army to London Nor by the rule of Charity was there so much as a probability for the King declared that he would preserve the Lawes the Religion and the Parliament of England as carefully as his own Family and why might not he be beleeved as well if not more and before the Parliament Further say they The Parliament as Subjects ought to keep to the Rule to act within their Spheere leaving the successe to God The King called them not thither to dispute his Authority nor could the people that chose them give them any such Commission Let the guilt of bloud or Injustice or Tyranny lie upon the King there was a righteous God would call him one day to a severe account for such actions when they as loyal Subjects suffering by him would be vindicated and justified in the eyes of all the people On the other side say they of the Affirmative part The Case is far otherwise for the Parliament kept to the rule they legally attached those persons of Treason who had endeavoured to overthrow the Magna Char●…a of the Kingdom and to overthrow the Protestant Religion these guilty persons fled from a legall trial prevailed with the King to remove himself from his Parliament that so he might be a Sanctuary to them The Parliament in their legall proceedings against them found resistance and perceived that these guilty persons under a false pretence of defending the Kings Person bandied themselves against their legall Iudges and gathered great numbers of armed men in a rebellious manner to oppose those two supreme Courts from whom they fled To suppresse and apprehend these persons the Parliament might command aid from the Kings Subjects otherwise wee shall deny that priviledg to the Parliament which the law in such a case allows a petty Constable For the King to protect such armed men is contrary to Law et quicquid contra legem fit pro infecto habetur say the most learned in our Laws in such a case the Kings Commission is invalid for Nihil potest Rex quam quod de jure potest saith Comines Who should protect the Magna Charta of England in the absence of the King but the Parliament of England and who should defend the Courts of Iudicature in the absence of the King against those of their prisoners that were broke from them and now making head against them but the Parliament and how should they defend them against men in arms but in raising men in arms against them Whereas 't is objected They raised men against the King They answer negatively and bid us read their Declarations their Remonstrances their Commissions to their Generals their Protestations and their Covenant which they solemnly swore to God with their hands lifted up to him to preserve the Kings P●…rson Honour and Estate 2. As to that of the ill●…gality of the Covenant in making it without the King and imposing it on his Subj●…cts against his will They answer that they did it to declare to his Majestie and the world how sincerely they were knit in loyal affection to his Person and Dignity that without any compulsion they would solemnly swear to God when they could not to him that they had no intention to diminish his just rights and that they never ordered that any should take that Covenant but such as entered into their service or were conversant with them that so all their servants might be the Kings true Subjects however some presumptuous Committees without any order from them and severall other