Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	church_n	true_a	word_n	2,093	5	4.1234	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54125	The continued cry of the oppressed for justice being a farther account of the late unjust and cruel proceedings of unreasonable men against the persons and estates of many of the people call'd Quakers, only for their peaceable meetings to worship God : presented to the serious consideration of the King and both Houses of Parliament : with a postscript of the nature, difference and limits of civil and ecclesiastical authority, and the inconsistency of such severities with both, recommended and submitted to the perusal of Cæsar's true friends / by the author of England's present interest, &c.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1675 (1675)	Wing P1270; ESTC R18856	19,683	36

comes Imposition Force Cruelty Spoil of Goods Imprisonments Knocking 's Beatings Bruisings Stockins Whippings and Spilling of Blood for Religion What Church is that whose Officers are so far from cloathing the naked as to strip the clothed from feeding the hungry that they take their Bread from them and those poor Widdows and helpless Orphans too and so remote from visiting the sick and imprisoned that they drag away their Bed from under them and cast People into Prison for Conscience sake Nay they haled away an Honest Man from a Meeting to Goal at Reading but the other Day not permitting him to TAKE LEAVE of his poor Wife newly delivered and in a DYING Condition though she also desired it and liv'd but just by the Meeting-House where they took him In fine what are they that for no other Cause pass such dreadful Excommunications as render the Excommunicants little better then outlawed Persons subjecting their Civil and Natural Rights to their Pride Passion Interest or Revenge unless they will purchase their Enjoyment at the dear Rate of loosing their own Souls For what else can be the Conseq●ence of conforming to that I do not believe Is not this to destroy sincere Men and make and save Hypocrites Oh that such as are concern'd would soberly consider if any Thing is so Scandalous to True Religion as FORCE who can think that evidence Good that is extorted And what a Church is that which is made up of such Proselites or that employes such Means to make them O where is that Christian Meekness Patience and Forbearance How many have been ruined that were never exhorted and excomunicated before they were once admonished This is not to serve God but Worldly Interest it s quite contrary to Christ's Counsel and Doctrine He came to save and not to destroy Nature to magnifie his Grace You pretend to hate J. Calvin's unconditional Reprobation yet practise it If you say no Conformity is your Condition I answer that it s as unreasonable to require an impossibillity as cruel to damn Men for not doing it For as you say his Doctrine makes God to command them to repent that cannot repent and yet damn them if they repent not So you injoyn Men to relinquish their present Faith and Worship and conform to yours which is not in their Power to do yet damn them in a temporal Respect if they refuse it For you make such an unavoidable Dissent punishable with the Destruction of Mens Liberties and Estates You had better leave off valuing your selves upon the Mercy and Well-Natur'dness of that Tenet of the universal Love of God to Mankind till you love more then your selves and abominate the Church of England's being such an Elect to the Civil Government as utterly reprobates the rest as you pretend to detest the like Injustice in J. Calvin's Notion of Election and Reprobation And the Truth of it is this helps on Atheism as much as any Enormity in the Land when Witty Men not willing to take Pains to examine after the Truth and Excellency of Religion behold Men that call themselves Christ's Ministers and the Apostles Successors and Followers to affect and seek Government and yet twice deny it when they go to receive it that some others grow Lordly live Voluptuously and watch after the biggest Preferments not being excited by most Service for God but Earthly Power and Wealth for themselves and at the same Time persecuting Men of more Self-Denyal for Matters of Opinion about Faith and Worship towards God so that No Conformity to this Church No Protection from the State Which among Protestants is so much the more unreasonable because they by these Courses implicitely own and assume the highest Infallibility and Perfection and yet deny any such Thing for it supposes that nothing is Truer nothing Perfecter or else they both persecute Men to embrace a Fallible and Imperfect Religion and with cruel Penalties provide against any Thing more True or Infallible the greatest Injury to the World that can be for it is a plain Endeavour to frustrate all those excellent Prophesies and gracious Promises God has given and the holy Scriptures declare of the latter Dayes To conclude I shall desire Men of this Unnatural Unreasonable and Unchristian Spirit to consider 1. What Church was that which John saw riding upon the Powers of the Earth employing their Authority to force CONFESSION TRIBUTE and SUBJECTION to her 2. What that Church was which dyed her self in the BLOOD of them that believed not in her against whom the poor Souls under the Altar whose Bodies had been beheaded by her cryed to God 3. What Church it was that would suffer none to Buy Sell or Traffick without having her Mark CONFORMITY to her in their Forehead or right Hand that is either those that heartily and openly confest her or those that basely complyed for Fear 4. What Church is that which Trades in the Souls of Men Read Revelations Chap. 13. 18. 20. 5. Whether this Church reigns not wherever Mens LIBERTIES and PROPERTIES with all the Comforts of this Life are exposed and sacrificed for Matters of FAITH and WORSHIP to Almighty God Weigh these Things you great Church-Men of the Age in the Fear of that God who made Heaven and Earth and think not to make thus cheap of the Lives Liberties and Estates of Free-born English People and Harmless Christians for their peaceable Conscience without being accountable to that Great Lord in the Terrible Day of his Judgment that draws on upon the World No Plea you have shall be able to justifie these things or fence off the heavy Stroak of that Just Judge unless you repent 'T is not Succession in Name but Nature that makes the true Christian Minister and Bishop And where the Divine Life and Holy Qualifications of Christ and his Apostles are wanting there can be no Succession but what is as proper to the false Church as the true the Counterfeit as the Christian Be not deceived God will not be mocked such as you Sow such shall you Reap Remember Christ's Words Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the Pure in Heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Meek for they shall inherit the Earth Blessed are the MERCIFVL for they shall obtain Mercy Therefore Reform and let your Moderation be known unto all Men for the Lord is at hand Even so come Lord Jesus ERRATA Pag. 18. Line 33. for Injustice read Injury p. 20. l. 11. dele and. p. 20. 31. read Heaven is hereby barr'd as much as in Men lyes from p. 22. l. 22. for the read though p. 25. l. 15. read revenged p. 28. l. 25. read Chains ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☞ ☜ a Mat. 11. 29 b 1 Pet. 3. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 2. c Phil. 4. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 15. d Mat. 16. 24 e 2 Cor. 4. 6. f Luke 6. 37. g Mat. 5 44. h Rev. 14. 4. i Phil. 2. 6. k Eph. 1. 22. Col. 1. 118. l Job 19. 14 15. m Rom 8. 17. n Heb 2. 11. o Tit. 2. 14. p Acts 20 28. q Rev. 14. 3. r 1 Pet. 2. 9. s Heb. 12 23. t Col. 1. 24. u Rev. 21. 9. w Joh. 18. 36. Mat. 22. 2. Luke 13. 2. Joh. 18. 36. Luke 17. 21. Tit. 2. 12. Mat. 26. 52. Mat. 27. 20. Ver. 27. c. Ver. 29. ver 48. Luke 23. 34. Mat. 26. 53. Mat. 5. 44. 45 46 47. Luke 9. 53 54 55 56. Luke 9. 49 50. Mat. 13. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Ver. 36 37 38 39. Joh. 15. 12. Phil. 3. 15.

to Ruin and their Persons to Goals Exiles and Abundance of other Cruelties What is this but to confound the Things of Caesar with the Things of God Divine Worship with Civil Obedience the Church with the State and perplex human Societies with endless Debates about Religious Differences nay is not this to erect new Measures to try the Members of Worldly Societies by and give an Accession to another Power then that which is necessary to the Constitution of Civil Government But that which ought to deter wise Rulers from assuming and exercising such an Authority is the Consideration of the pernicious Consequences of doing so For First It makes PROPERTY which is the first and most fixt part of English Government floating and uncertain no Conformity to the Church no Property in the State and doubtless the Insecurity of Property can be no Security to the Government 2dly It makes me owe more to the Church then to the State for in this Case the Anchor I ride by is not my Obedience to Laws relating to the Preservation of Civil Society but Conformity to certain Things belonging to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church to that though I may be an honest industrious English man a great Lover of my Country and an Admirer of the Government I live under yet if I refuse to profess the Religion that either now is or hereafter may be imposed I must neither enjoy the Liberty of my Person nor the quiet Possesion of my Estate 3dly This not only alters the Government by sacrificing Mens Properties for that which cannot be called a Sin against Property nor an Offence to the Nature of Civil Government if any Transgression at all but it narrows the Interest and Power of the Governours for proportionably what Number they cut off from their Protection they cut off from themselves and the Government not only rendering a great Body of People Vseless but provoaking them to be Dangerous to be sure it clogs the Civil Magistrate in his Administration of Government making that necessary which is not at all necessary to him as Caesar It is a Sort of DVVMVIRATESHIP in Power by which the Civil Monarchy is broken for as that was a Plurality of Men so this is a Plurality of Powers and to speak freely the Civil Power is but Lackey to run of all the unpleasant Errands the froward Zeal of the other sends it upon and the best Preferment it receives for its Pains is to be Informer Goaler or Executioner to some of the best Livers and therefore the best Subjects in the Kingdom Oh what greater Injustice to Caesar then to make his Government vary by such Modes of Religion and him to hold his Obedience from his People not by their Conformity to Him but the Church 4thly This is so far from resembling the Universal Goodness of God who dispenses his Light Air Showres and comfortable Seasons to all and whom Caesar ought alwayes to imitate and remote from increasing the Trade Populacy and Wealth of this Kingdom that it evidently tends to the utter Ruin of Thousands of Traders Artificers and Husband-men and their Families thereby increasing the Charges by increasing the poor of the Nation 5thly This must needs be a great Discouragement to Strangers from coming in and setling themselves amongst us when they have Reason to apprehend that they and their Children after them can be no longer secured in the Enjoyment of their Properties then they shall be able to prevail with their Consciences to believe that the Religion which our Laws do now or shall at any Time approve and impose is undoubtedly true and the Way of worshipping of God which shall at any Time be by our Laws enjoyned is and shall be more agreeable to the Will of God then any other Way in which God is worshipped in the World 6thly The Religion we are commanded Conformity to doth not make better Livers that 's a Demonstrative nor better Artists for it cannot be thought that going to Church hearing Common-Prayer or believing in the present Episcopacy learns Men to build Ships or Houses to make Clothes Shoes Dials or Watches Buy Sell Trade or Commerce better then any that are of another Perswasion and since these Things are Vseful if not Requisite in Civil Society is not prohibiting nay ruining such Men because they will not come to hear Common-Prayer c. distructive of Civil Society nor more obedient Subjects If any object Dissenters have not alwayes been so the Answer is ready do not expose them protect them in their Lives Liberties and Estates for in their present Posture they think they can call nothing their own and that all the Comforts they have in this World are hourly lyable to Forfeiture for their Faith Nope and Practice concerning the other World Is not this to destroy Nature and Civil Government when People are ruined in their Natural and Civil Capacity not for Things relating to either but what are of a Super-natural Import 7thly This deprives them of Protection that protect the Government Dissenters have a great Share in the Trade which is the Greatness of this Kingdom and they make a large Proportion of the Taxes that maintain the Government and is it reasonable or can it be Christian when they pay Tribute to Caesar to be preserved in an Vndisturbed Poss●ssion of the rest and that the rest should be continually exposed for the peaceable Exercise of their Consciences to God 8thly Neither is this a Conformity to True and Solid Religion such as is necessary to Eternal Salvation wherein most Parties verbally agree but for a Modification of Religion some peculiar Way of Worship and Discipline All confess One God One Christ One Holy Chest and that it is indispensably requisite to live Soberly Righteously and Godlikely in this present evil World yet is one prosecuting the other for his Conscience seizing Corn driving away Cattel breaking open Doors taking away and spoiling of Goods in some Places not leaving a Cow to give poor Orphans Milk nor a B●d to lye on in other Places Houses have been swept so clean that a Stool hath not been left to fit on nor so much as working Tools to labour for Bread To say nothing of the Opprobrious Speeches Bloody Blows and Tedious Imprisonments even to Death it self through Nastiness of Dungeous that many Innocent People have suffered for their peaceable Conscience only 9thly But this Way of proceeding for Maintenance of the National Religion is of an ill Consequence upon this Account Heaven is barr'd from all further Illuminations let God send what Light he pleaseth it must not be received by Caesar's People without Caesar's Licence and if it happen that Caesar be not presently convinced it is of God at this Rate I must either renounce my Conv●ct●ons and loose my Soul to please Caesar or profess and persevere in my Perswassion and loo●e my Life Liberty or Estate to please God this hath frequently oc●urr'd and may again therefore I

would entreat Caesar to consider the sad Conseq●ence of Imp●sition and remember both that God did never ask Man Leave to Introduce Truth or make further Discoveries of ●is Mind to the World and that it hath been a wof●l Snare to those Governments that have been drawn to employ their Power against his Work and People 10thly This Way of Proceedure endeavours to stiffle or else to punish Sincerity for Fear or Hopes Frowns or Favour prevail only with base Minds So●ls degenerated to the third and fourth Generation every Spark of Integrity must be extinguisht where Conscience is sacrificed to Worldly Saf●ty and Preferment so that t●is Net holds no Temporizers Honest Men are all the Fish it catches but one would t●ink they should make but an ill Treat to such as reckon themselves generous Men and what is more Christians too but that which renders the Matter more unjustifiable is the Temptation such Severity puts upon Men not hardy enough to suffer for Conscience yet strongly perswaded they have Truth on their Side to desert their Principles and smo●her their Convictions which in plain Terms is to make of sincere Men Hypocrites whereas it is one great End of Government by all laudable Means to pre●erve Sincerity for without it there can be no Faith or Truth in Civ●l Society nor is this all for it is a Maxim worthy of Caesar's Notice NEVER TO THINK HIM TRUE TO CAESAR THAT IS FALSE TO HIS OWN CONSCIENCE besides raped Consciences treasure up Revenge and such Persons are not likely to be longer Friends to Caesar then he hath Preferm●●ts to a●lure them or Power to deter them from being his most implacable Enemies 11thly There is not so ready a Way to 〈…〉 eism as this of extinguishing the Sense of Conscience for Worldly Ends destroy that Internal Rule of Faith Worship and Pract 〈…〉 t●wards God and the Reason of my Religion will be Civil Injunctions and not Divine Convictions consequently I am to be of as many Religions as the Civil Authority shall impose however untrue or contradictory this Sacred Tye of Conscience thus broken farewell to all ●eavenly Obligations in the Soul Scripture-Authority and ancient Protesta●t Principles Christ may at this Rate become what the Jews would have had him and his Apostles be reputed Turners of the World upside down as their Enemies represented them and the godly Martyrs of all Ages so many Self-Murderers for they might justly be esteemed Resisters of Worldly Authority so far as that Authority concerns it self with the Imposition of Religion because they refused the Conformity commanded even to Death And it may not be unworthy of Caesar's Consideration if from these Proceedings People are tempted to infer there is nothing in Religion but Worldly Aims and Ends because so much Power is abus'd under the Name of Religion to vex and destroy Men for being of another Religion that he hazards the best Hold and Obligation he hath to Obedience which is Conscience for where they are taught to obey for Interest Duty and Conviction are out of Doors By all Means let Conscience be sacred and Virtue and Integrity the under dissenting Principles cherisht Charity is more powerful then Severity Perswasion then Penal Laws Lastly To the Reproach of this Course with wise Men it hath never yet obtain'd the End desired for instead of Compliance the Difference is widened the Sufferers are pitied by Spectators which only helps to increase the Number of Dissenters for whoever is in the wrong few think the Persecutor in the Right This in all Ages having been the Issue of severe Prosecution of Dissenters for Matters of Religion what a Cruel Troublesom Thankless Succesless Office is it for Caesar to be employed in may he take better Measure of his Authority and use his Power to the Encouragement of all the Virtuous and Industrious and Just Punishment of the Lazy and Vicious in all Perswasions so shall the Kingdom Florish and the Government Prosper For Ecclesiastical Authori●y or in plainer English Church-Power which makes up the other Pa●t of this Postscript it will be requisite to consult Holy Scripture wh●re we shall be informed of the Institution and Practice of it among the Ancient Ch●istians and by that Canon all People professing Christianity pretend a Willingness to be concluded CHurch-Power supposeth a Church first It will not be improper therefore to examine first What a Scripture-New-Testament-Church is and next what is the Scripture Power belonging to such a Church A Scripture-Church is a Company or Society of People believing professing and practising according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ Jesus and his Apostles and not according to the Scribes Pharisees that taught for Doctrine the Traditions of Men They are such as are Meek in Heart Lowly in Spirit Chast in Life Virtuous in all Conversation full of Self-Denyal Long-Suffering and Patience not only for giving but loving their very Enemies a People so effectually redeemed from the Impieties and Vanities of the World he that thought it no Robbery to be equal with God thought it no Disparagement to be Head to and account as his own Body It was upon a Society thus qualified that the Holy Ghost bestows these excellent Names Disciples and Friends of Christ Heirs and 〈◊〉 with Christ Christ's Brethren and Ki●d●●● A peculiar People The p●r 〈…〉 as most p●●ci●us Blood the Redeemed from 〈◊〉 Earth A Royal Priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nation The Church of the First Born Christ's Body and the Lamb's Brid which answers but Christ's own Character of himself Religion and Kingdom which is the most apt Distinction that ever can be given of the Nature of his Church and her Authority viz MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD which well connects with Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar 's and unto God the things that are God 's It was an Answer to a very suspitious Question for it was familiarly bruited that he was a King and came to poss●ss his Kingdom and was by some called the King of the Jews The Jews being then subjected to the Roman Empire it concerned Pilate Caesar's Deputy to understand his pretentions which upon better information he found to center in this My Kingdome is not of this World else would my Subjects fight for me As if he had said these Reports are a meer perversion of my Peaceable and Self-denying Intentions an Infamy invented by malicious Scribes and Pharisees that they might the better prevaile with Caesar to sacrifice me to their hatred and revenge I am Caesar's Friend I seek none of his Kingdom from him nor will I sow Sedition plot or conspire his Ruin no let all Men render unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar 's that 's my Doctrine for I am come to erect a Kingdom of another Nature then that of this World to wit a Spiritual Kingdom to be set up