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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	great_a	king_n	see_v	5,768	5	3.7537	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60294	Sions groans for her distressed, or Sober endeavours to prevent innocent blood, and to stablish the nation in the best of settlements Grounded upon scripture, reason, and authority. Proving it the undoubted right of Christian liberty under different perswasions, in matters spiritual, to have equal protection as to their civil peace. Unto which is added the testimony of fifteen antients. Humbly offered to the Kings Majesty, Parliament and people, and left unto their serious view. By Tho. Monck, Joseph Wright, Fran. Stanley, &c.; Sions groans for her distressed.	Monck, Thomas. aut; Wright, Joseph, 1623-1703. aut; Stanley, Fr. (Francis), d. 1696. aut; Hanson, Geo. aut; Reynolds, William, 1625-1698. aut; Jeffery, William, 1616-1693. aut	1661 (1661)	Wing S3870; ESTC R220545	19,156	24

Sions Groans for her Distressed OR Sober Endeavours to prevent Innocent Blood and to stablish the Nation in the best of SETTLEMENTS Grounded upon Scripture Reason and Authority Proving it the undoubted right of Christian Liberty under different perswasions in matters Spiritual to have equal Protection as to their Civil Peace Unto which is added the Testimony of fifteen ANTIENTS Humbly offered to the Kings Majesty Parliament and People And left unto their Serious View By Tho. Monck Ioseph Wright Fran. Stanley c. Matth. 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do you even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Mat. 13.28 29 30. The servants said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up but he said nay lest while ye gather up the Tares ye root up also the Wheat with them let both grow together in the field the world until the Harvest which is the end of the world Act. 5.38 And now I say unto you refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or Work be of man it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest haply ye be found to fight against God London Printed for the Authors and are to bee sold in London and at Westminster 1661. TO THE READER Courteous Reader WIth burthened hearts as once the two Disciples travelling unto Emaus spoke to Christ a supposed stranger so speak we unto thee Art thou a stranger in our Island and hast not known the things that have come to pass in these daies while the father hath been divided against the son and the son against the father three against two and two against three Even a mans foes they of his own houshold so great have been our Divisions like Reuben that no sooner light hath been by Gods grace manifested to the begetting Children of the Free-woman but presently they are persecuted by the Children of the Bond-woman and how unpleasing this is to Iesus Christ and how unlike his golden Rule that saith And all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets We say how unpleasing this is to him judge upon thy serious perusal of this following Treatise which we commend to thy perusal in thy most retired consideration when thou canst read with thy thoughts least cumbred with other business our design in what we beg may be perused is general good in setting at liberty that which God made free even the Conscience Thou canst not bee ignorant of the great Contriversie that now is on foot as to uniformity in Worship to impose by violence where they cannot perswade under seeming pretence of Scripture warrant and antiquity the contrary to which is asserted in the words of truth and soberness by Scripture reason and practice of the Primitive times And lest violence and oppressing of conscience should run up to that height till it terminate in the blood of some who are dear and their blood precious in the eyes of the God of all the Earth therefore have we committed this unto the view of all men as part of the work of our Generation in singleness of heart and remain lovers and prayers for all men that we might live a peaceable and a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Farewel Tho. Monck Ioseph Wright Geo. Hamon Fran. Stanley Will. Reynolds Will. Ieffery The eight day of the 3 Month 1661. Sions Groans for her Distressed OR Sober Endeavours to prevent Innocent Blood and stablish the Nation in the best of Settlements AS all the holy Scriptures have been written afore-time for our learning and admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come So that particular Book of the Revelation is of such excellent worth That blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things that are written therein for the time is at hand In which Book in no less than three several Texts it is testified that the Nations of the world and inhabiters of the Earth with their Kings would drink the wine of the fornication of that abominable Harlot that sitteth upon Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues and by her sorceries deceiveth all Nations until they become drunk and altogether uncapable in that condition to receive the pure waters of life tendred to them in the plain way of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus This with grief of heart we see too visible for the Doctrine and Traditions of Rome who is mystery Babylon and since her Apostacy the Mother of Harlots For the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth have so corrupted the earth and clouded the understandings of the sons of men that the great and most important truths of God cannot bee received or beleeved The reason why the Nations are so generally beguiled in the concernments of their souls is because the greatest part being carnal and unregenerate persons they are naturally inclined to such wayes of worship as are accompanied with external pomp and glory and therefore the Spirit of the Lord testifies that the great Harlot filleth her abominations and filthy fornications in a golden cup like the Physitian that guilds his bitter Pill that his Patient may the better swallow it Thus doth the Romish Church and her followers who to make their carnal Ordinances finde the better reception deliver them to the inhabitants of the earth by such as are honourable amongst men in worldly Sanctuaries most magnificently built and adorned endowed with Lordly Revenues accompanied with Musick and Voyces and Pontificial Vestments yea many Superstitions and Customes meerly earthly and sensual if not worse which we say so pleaseth the earthly and unregenerate man that he is ready to say This is the best Religion which is of most esteem in the Nations and accompanied with all earthly glory and delights altogether forgetting that strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that finde it And that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God And if it had been the minde of the Lord Jesus that the Gospel should have been recommended unto the world and accompanied with these Ceremonies and Formalities that are practised in the worship of the Nations or were used amongst the Iews it is very strange we should not have one word for it in all the Scriptures of the New Testament when Christ was as faithful over his house as Moses was over his and is to be heard in all things as Moses himself commanded and there will be little encouragement to touch with the Gentile Nations in their superstitious Ceremonies when it shall be considered that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Mosaical law being once the appointments of God did far exceed in glory what

therefore no reason why the World should persecute and hate his own Fifthly For Magistrates to inflict temporal punishments upon any of their Subjects for not conforming to their decrees that enjoyn any Spiritual Worship or Service is undoubtedly a breach of that Royal Law which sayes That whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do you even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets and is a sure and standing rule by which all men if they would deal ingeniously by themselves might measure the justice of their proceedings towards others for who that was not a desperate enemy to himself would put out another mans eye if he were sure his own should be put out as soon as he had done as he was to be served by the Iudicial Law neither would those that are forward to persecute be very zealous in their proceedings if they were sure that those whom they persecute should have power on their sides to meet the same measure unto them and this is worthy of observation that this rule of doing as we would be done unto can be received and pleaded by all sorts of men whilst they are under affliction and persecution but who remembers it when they have power to afflict and persecute others the Papists themselves when out of power in this and other Nations can plead against persecution for their conscience as they did in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth procuring the Letters of the Emperour and other Princes to interceede for some places to be allowed where they may worship by themselves but in this they desired more than themselves would allow to others when in power so many of the Protestants where the Magistrate is different from them in Religion can be very well pleased with a tolleration and Martin Luther in his Sermon of the Good Shepheard engl●shed by W. G. in the year 1581. speaking of the Kingdom of Christ saith it is not governed at all by any force or power but by outward Preaching alone that is by the Gospel why therefore ●●nnot the Protestants who would seem to have an honourable Esteem of this man be of the same Spirit and the Papists be as much for Liberty in prosperity as in adversity seeing the Lord Jesus hath not directed at one time to the use of force and violence in the work of the Gospel and at another time if the civil sword be not to be procured then to use arguments and perswations no at all times the rule which his Disciples must take notice of sayes whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do you even so to them for with what measure ye meet it shall bemeasured to you again And because mystery Babylon hath not regarded these sayings but exerciseth all manner of cruelties and deaths upon such as cannot believe as she believes and practises therefore God will find out a way to retaliate upon her all the blood of his servants and in the cup which she hath filled shall it be filled to her double how much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her and the Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail and lament for her and her Merchants which are the great men of the earth who Traffique with her in things costly delicate and of esteem in the World and inslaves the souls of men or as by the margent it may be read bodies and souls of men these also shall mourn over her for no man buyeth their Merchandize any more and thus the fierceness of Gods wrath will over take her to the sinking of her like a Milstone into the bottome of the Sea because the great weight of innocent blood lyeth upon her for in her will be found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and all that were slain upon the earth he that therefore would not partake with her in any of her plagues let him flee from her and partake not with here in any of her sins one of the greatest being the persecution of men for keeping a good conscience for except the great God should cease to be what he is if men repent not of their deeds there will be as certainly punishment as there is sin and it shall not be the arm of flesh that wil be able to support this strumpet although many Kingdomes should ingage in her quarrell 〈◊〉 shall the wisdome and prudence of great states men be able to keep of her judgements for if men should cease to do any thing against her yet God will make the very Elements to fight against her and will contend with her by famine and Pestilence yea and Sword to although she feares it not for God will stire up the 10. Kings to do his will upon her and by his great works judgements that he will manifest in the Earth will he gain himself a name and great honour and glory even so Amen As it is no waies lawful from the word of God for Christian Magistrates in the daies of the Gospell to destroy and root out the contrary minded in religious matters although Idolaters so such proceedings may somtimes prove inconsistent with the very being of Nations for suppose any Nation were wholly Heathenish idolators and the word of God coming in amongst them should convert the cheife Magistrate and one twentieth part of the Nation more must he then with that twentieth part destroy all the other nineteen if they will not be converted but continue in their Heathenish Idolatry it cannot possibly be suposed to be warrantable and this reason holds good likewise against the rooting up and destroying Heriticks out of the world because if the Church proceeds against any of her members to Excomunication the Churches deportment towards him so cast out is to be the same as towards a Heathen so saith Christ himself If he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican who for the aforesaid reason is not to be destroyed because he is so and moreover seeing the Lord who is aboundantly Mercifull many times give repentance not only to the unbeleeving Idolater but also to the excomunicated person he therefore that destroyes the body of such a one doth as much as in him lyeth destroy his soul also for the Lord you see brings into his vineyard some at the third hour some at the sixth some at the ninth and others at the eleventh he therefore that shall destroy any at the third or sixth hour of the life hinders his conversion that possiblely may be called at the ninth or eleventh hour And so may be

also 〈◊〉 conscience sake and if any thing otherwise shall be required we shall be passive and suffer what may be inflicted on us for our consciences for what ever hath been suggested by evil men yet that Magistracy and Government is an Ordinance of God hath been frequently asserted in our discourses and writings and is by us beleeved as fully as the Apostle Paul in the 13 of the Romans hath taught And all that we desire which is dearer to us than our lives is that our spirits and consciences may bee left free to serve the Eternal God which ought to be granted us seeing as the same Apostle saith in these cases We shall every one of us give an account of himself to God But to our Arguments the first of which shall be that which some of us made use of to the Kings Majesty from Maidstone which we have not yet seen weakned Let it therefore be considered if any Magistrate under Heaven in the dayes of the Gospel hath power by outward force to impose any thing in the worship and service of God on the conscience it is given him as he is a Magistrate only or as a Christian so considered but that no such power is given by God to any Magistrate appears 1 Because if Magistrates as such have such an Authority then all Magistrates in all Nations have the same power then if we lived in Turky must we receive the Alchoran and be worshippers of Mahomet if in Spain be Papists in England sometimes Papists as in Henry the eighths ●ayes Protestants in Edward the sixths Papists again in Queen Maries and Protestants again in Queen Elizabeths and so for ever as the Authority changes Religion wee must do the same but God forbid for nothing is more absurd 2 Seeing in the dayes of the Gospel the Lord Jesus is that great Prophet which as Moses said is to be heard in all things and as himself testifieth Hath all power in heaven and earth given unto him Then if Magistrates have power to impose any thing by outward force on the conscience it must be committed unto them from the Lord Jesus and written in the Scriptures of the New Testament or else how doth it appear but the whole stream of the New Testament Scriptures run clear in another channel and there is no colour for any such supposition as farther appears 3 Because the Apostles themselves that gave forth those Commands which are written in Scripture to be obedient to Magistrates refused to be obedient to their Rulers when they were commanded to forbear that which they judged part of the worship of God and said Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge yee 4 All the Scriptures of the New Testament that enjoyn obedience unto Magistrates were written when the Romans had the Empire of the world whose Emperours were for the most part if not all heathenish Idolators for the first three hundred years until Constantines time it therefore cannot be supposed that any of those Texts of Scripture that call for obedience to Magistrates intend an obedience in matters of faith for then the Christians that lived under those Emperours must needs have denied Christ and worshipped the Roman gods as some of the Emperours commanded 5 If Magistrates as such have power from God in the dayes of the Gospel to command in spiritual matters and to punish those that obey not then must Christians surely be actually obedient not only for wrath but also for conscience sake because else they should resist the Ordinance of God but if this were true the way to heaven would be so far from being strait and narrow that any might be a Disciple of Christ without taking up the cross and following him yea all sufferings and persecutions should wholly be at an end and they that undergo them should utterly be condemned for it is not to be supposed there could be persecutions if all the commands of the Magistrate in spiritual causes were actually to be obeyed It therefore reasonably follows that no Magistrate as such hath power from God to compel in spiritual causes but on the contrary for Saints to endure persecutions and sufferings rather than actually obey is abundantly by the Lord foretold rewarded and justified as by the Scriptures of the New Testament appears Bu● if it be objected that neither the Magistrate is to command nor the subjects actually to obey any thing but what is according to the minde of God It is answered that all Magistrates suppose what ever they impose to be so but the question is who is to determine for if the Magistrate or any other man or men have power from God to judge and determine what is lawful for men to obey then no room is left for them to dispute the lawfulness of any of his commands it being their duty to obey what ever is commanded and so as it hath been said before the Cross of Christ ceases but if every one shall give account for himself to God then it reasonably follows that every man judge for himself in matters spiritual and therefore for the Magistrate to compel cannot be warrantable by Scripture or Reason Again that the power to judge and determine in spiritual matters is not in a Magistrate as such Gallio the Roman Deputy of Achaia well understood when the Iews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the Judgement seat saying This fellow perswadeth men to worship God contrary to the Law which almost ever since hath been the great cry by all sorts of the National Clergy whose turns it hath been to have the Magistrate on their sides against all others that have differed from them but Gallio said If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness O ye Iews reason would that I should bear with you but if it be a question of words and names and of your Law look yee to it for I will be no judge of such matters And he drave them from the Iudgement seat Which worthy example if Magistrates would be perswaded to follow by judging and punishing onely Civil injuries and wrongs and leaving Spiritual differences to bee decided and judged and punished by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel they then would finde themselves and Governments quickly free from many inconveniences that now they are involved in about deciding Religious Controversies with external force and power And now that no Magistrate although a Christian hath power to be a Lord over anothers faith or by outward force to impose any thing in the worship of God is also very clear 1 Because the Lord Jesus himself would never by any outward force compel men to receive him or his Doctrine for when his Disciples supposing they might use violence as under the Law would have commanded fire to come down from heaven as Elias did to consume them that would

charged with bringing eternall losse and dammage to him whom he destroyed Object But whereas the Example of the Kings of Israel and Iuda is made the greatest Pillar to support the Magistrates proceedings under the Gospel in persecuting and punishing the contrary minded in religious matters or such as shall be judged guilty of Blasphemy or Idolatry therefore the second Cannon of the English Church tells us Whosoever shall affirme that the Kings Majesty hath not the same Authority in causes Ecclesiasticall that the godly Kings had amongst the Iews shall be Excomunicated but if Magistrates would deferre persecuting any man for religion untill the Clergy had proved this unto them it would be happy for the most Consciencious under them and themselves too Answ. But in answer we deny not but the Kings of the Iews had power to punish Idolatours and Blasphemers and some other transgressors of the then Law of God which power was given them of God and written in plain precepts in the Mosaical Law but who tells them that Magistrates under the Gospel Dispensation hath such power hath the Lord Jesus said any such thing or if he have where is it written nay where is it written from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelations that Magistrates under the Gospel should have the same power in Religious causes as those under the Law If the judiciall Law be a rule for Magistrates under the Gospel to walk by then why must it be mangled in peeces and just so much taken of it as suites their interest and all the rest rejected Is it left to Magistrates now or was it ever left to the Jewish Kings to take what part of it they please to be a rule to them and reject all the rest and it is eminently remarkable how this plea is by the Clergy themselves that most contend for it made together invalid for by it they will stirre up the Civill Magistrate to punish those that dissents from them about the Doctrine and worship under the notion of Blasphemers or Hereticks and against such this Law must be held Authentick but he that smiteth or curseth his Father or Mother or stealeth a man or him that committeth Adultery or breaketh the Sabboth who were all of them sure to be put to death by the same judiciall Law yet in these cases they will not tell the Magistrate it is any rule but is to be rejected because here they cannot much make it reach their supposed Hereticks who they are more jealous of then any of the aforementioned ●●fenders But besides it is observable that the Kings of the Iews all the time they kept to the Law of God had advantages to give Righteous Judgement in Spiritual Causes which Magistrates under the Gospel have not for they had that standing Oracle of God amongst them the U●m and Thumum together with extraordinary Prophets which in all difficult Cases they had recourse unto and would infalliably direct them to judge according to the Mind of God but when these Kings became wicked and lost the benefit of the abovesaid Oracle and extraordinary Prophets then although they had the written Law amongst them did they run headlong into grosse mistakes that the True Prophets of the Lord were sure to be persecuted and those Prophets which would prophesie smooth things unto them were cherish●d although many times by hearkening unto them they lost their Kingdomes Lives and it is to be feared Souls and all How grosly did Ahab mistake when he accounted Elijah the troubler of Israel and caused poor Micaiah to be imprisoned and fed with bread and water of affliction because he would not help to deceive him at his 400. time serving Prophets had done So Ieremiah ●●s accused for seeking the hurt of his Nation and not the welfare and must be put in a miery Dungeon because he in plainness delivered the Mind of the Lord to the K●ng his Princes and People how therefore can the Gentile Rulers assure themselves they do any better then these Rulers did if they shall persecute the contrary minded in Religious matters s●eing they have neither an infalliable Oracle to inquire at nor extraordinary Prophet nor yet such written precepts as the Iews under the Mosaical Law had that did not onely direct them what offenders should be punished but also what the particular punishment to every several offence should be Furthermore it is very plain that the Gospel which we live under is clear another Dispensation far different in all its Ordinances and Administration from the Law under which the Lord Jesus is the only Law-giver who doth not as Moses proceed against the Transgressors of his Precepts by External force and power to the destroying them in their Bodies and Estates in this life but in long sufferings waits on men not willing they should perish but rather that they should repent and be saved And when any continues in disobedience to the Gospel his punishment is eternal in the World to come therefore as the Apostle Paul saith Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who will bring to light hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the Councels of the Hearts and then shall every man have praise of God the same Apostle testifieth of himself that he was a Blasphemer and Persecutor 1 Tim. 1.13 and if the Mind of God had been that he should have suffered death in that Condition how should he have had repentance given him and been such a glorious Instrument in the Church as afterwards he was And it is too well known that the Iews are the great Blasphemers against our Lord Jesus Christ that is on Earth yet it is not the mind of the Lord they should be destroyed from the face of the earth for how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled wherein God hath promised to call them and make them the most Glorious Nation on earth or how can they be converted if they be not permitted where the Gospel is preached we speak not this in favour of any Blasphemy for our Souls abhor it but because all men that have Powers in their hands might be as tender of t●● Lives of Men as the most Righteous and Holy God is who would have men be imitators of himself in mercy and goodnesse towards others and he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and unjust If it shall still be objected that it is inconsistent with the safety and well being of any Nations to allow or Tollerate any more waies of worship then one we answer experience hath taught the contrary to several Countries of Europe as France and the united Provinces and several Countries of Germany besides those that say they are the Servants of God should conclude that to be most for the safety and well being of their Countries which is most agreeable to his heavenly will declared in his Word it was the ruine of