Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	lord_n	parliament_n	time_n	3,250	5	3.6307	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93344	An alarum: to the last warning peece to London by way of answer: discovering the danger of sectaries suffered: and the necessity of order, and vniformity to bee established. Wherein the Presbiterian way of government, and the Independant liberty, is compared.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1646 (1646)	Wing S4033; Thomason E339_6; ESTC R200848	17,531	24

humble hearts and seek verity rather then victory which yet we doubt not t' is pride that is the cause of our contention Nothing tendeth more to the disolving of that Army that under God hath bin your preservation or can so miserably teare you into rents and divisions leaving you all a naked disunited prey to those that of purpose have begotten and nourished these destructive honours in you c. You see where charity is wanting Envy abounds and breakes out into sedition he is not contened to cast divisions in Familyes and Citties but into the Army of peace whe●e I dare say he hath few friends for sectaries seldome do any act of publike good I know there are in the Army Independants as well as Presbyterians not Sectaries Godly and gallant men which together make an Army like the host of Israell when Jehova went in and out be ore them God hath done great things for them and for us by them But sectaries like the evill Spies bring false reports to cause murmuring in the Campe let those that sow sedition reape the fruit of it as God shall recompence it unto them according to their humour c. EIther of these two unreasonable humours of Kingly authority or Presbyterian Government are enough to undo you and to perplex if not frustrate all the labour of the Parliament to preserve you and is likely to bring a n●w confusion upon the Common-wealth c. I told you the Pamphleter was either no Covenanter or a Covenant Breaker observe how hee perswades the people to practise against Covenant that instead of a blessing hee might procure a curse upon them his Councell is like Baalams to Balak or like Iobes wifes in his misery curse God and di● he would expunge that clause of Covenant for preserving the honour of the King c. And that for Reformation according to any rule either Gods word or reformed Churches nothing but liberty like beasts without Law or Government This is indeed the way to ●rustrate all the care and labour of the Parliament to preserve us and to bring upon our selves confusion and swifter destruction When the Saxons had conquered England they divided it and made it into seven Kingdomes differences of Government quickly cause contentions so as they destroyed one an other the strongest get all and yet quickly lost all but the suffering of severall religions or discipline in worship will be of no lesse dangerous consequence By the first humour you are prepaired to receive the King in again upon any conditions notwithstanding all his bloudshed and perfidiousnesse whereby you encourage and assist under hand workings and projects against the Parliament and occasion horrible plots against the City and crafty devices to divide betweene the Parliament and City and to receive the King whether the Parliament will or no c. Reason commands to receive the King as a King but reason and Religion ●orbids to receive him but upon safe and good conditions or upon any other conditions then the Parliament shall in their wisedome thinke fit Nor could any Agents for the King worke any underhand workings nor effect any designe against the Parliament or City to divide them if not furthered by Sectaries under whose protection the enemyes designes are now carryed on and coloured under that Notion the Jesuites plot and seeke to divide Kingdomes Parliaments Cities all one against another it is all the hope the Enemy hath left as Sir Iacob Ashley ingeniously confessed And were it not for these home divisions the Enemy at home would crutch for mercy and forraigne Nations sue to Great Britaine for friendship as the Island beloved of God a people conjoyned in holy covenant established in Unity Order and Peace within it selfe whose King is the Lord of Hosts more admired and honored by other Kingdomes then Solomon by the Queene of the South when she heard of his wisdome and see the order of his servants To this happinesse there is no greater impediment then the pride of man by obstinate contention willing rather to consume three Kingdomes in such a fire then deny themselves or quench one burning Lust The second unreasonable and unchristian humour provoking you to be importument with the Parliament to establish a Presbyterian or compulsion Church Government all things considered threaten a more eminent danger then the former at this time can doe for if the Commons in Parliament should doe a● some have procured the Common Councell to Petition see in what a sad condition you would immediately be in for all the Independants and Sepratists of all sorts then whom the Parliament and you have not found more constant and stedfast friends all these must necessarily withdraw their assistance for if they cannot be free to worship God every one of them according to their particular conscience all liberty to them is taken away for what is all other liberty where that is not also the Army that hath recovered you out of a most languishing estate thereupon will instantly be scattered if not dissolved so you would be extreamly divided and distracted among your selves at home and destitute of any assured strength abroad and whose worke should be effected therby even there 's whose maxim it is to divide and master you c. One would thinke the Author of the Pamphlet were a meer Jesuite for many such are incorporated among our London Sectaries he complaines of the Presbyterians importunity to the Parliament that he might make them odious though they petition for nothing but what the Parliament have Voted and granted just things in case of necessity may be unseasonably asked and yet the fault is pardonable but audatious bold threats deserves severe censure for so I take the Pamphleters words that if the Commons should doe which they have declared to be there intentions as some have Petitioned it were more eminent danger to the Kingdome then the former troubles as if he would deter the Parliament from their just intentions He cunningly puts the Independants and Sectaries together as if they were all one but wee know they are divided in opinions more then Herod and Pilot though like Herod and Pilate they agree against the peace of the Church they al would have liberty right or wrong For my part I cannot in judgment nor charity ranck our de●senting Brethren called Independants who hold all fundamentalls of truth with us with Sectaries who all in some things differ from us in fundamentalls more or lesse therefore no marvill though we agree not But that Christian Brethren of the houshould of faith should disagree about trifles as if they were Enemies is strange where is love where is peace where is charity or for what doe we contend not for the faith we both professe it not for the bread of life we both enjoy it But wee contend how it shall be carved to us surely God is not in this except as he is angry against our pride and wantonnesse do wee not all set our

faces towards Zion why then do we fall out about the way God is able to bring us together and the Parliament have power to enjoyne it that we may serve God with order and comelinesse in one way if we would but deny out selves and seeke God God would bring it to passe That Sectaries and Heretickes should have a liberty or tolleration to worship God according to their wills and erring conscience would be the greatest dishonour to God that may bee and necessarily would be the ruine of Church and state if all should have liberty then why not Papists who have assaulted us why not Turkes and Pagons have not they conscience to plead for as well as others what were this but to set up a nursery or Accademy for all Heresies would not God then spew us out of ou● land and remove his Candlestick from us God and Beliall cannot dwell together if such withdraw from us we shall be the stronger not the weaker As for the Army it consists not of such they are and will be friends to the publike they fight for God and their Country to settle peace not to begin Warre nor to give it over till they have perfected what they have by Gods blessing beene prosperous in the l●sse of Sectaries cannot make us distracted at home nor destitute of friends abroad but contrary for Sectaries are but the Jesuites Apes to bring fuell to the fire of contention at home and abroad or the Iesuites stalking horses by which they ensnare us who seeke to ●ffect their worke thereby it is their maxime by dividing us to master us it concernes two Kingdomes to be wary and discreet the designe is against both therefore mee thinkes a Nation that really intends to helpe should not obstruct in any case at such a time when the prejudice will returne upon it selfe while united both are safe but devided both are ruind IF you have a minde to be vassallzed be still importunate to suppresse all privat meetings or Conventicles and compell all sorts of beleivers to worship God as you and your abbettors shall approve you cannot want the assistance of them who are or would be Lords over their Brethren and when by your means they have prevailed over those you and they are pleased to call Independants or Sectaries your selves must be the next in order to be their slaves and Vassalls c. That wee may not be vassallized nor circumvented by false Brethren who are crept in to Spie out our liberty to bring us into a bondage by useing liberty as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. and a cloak of malitiousnesse 1. Pet. 2. 16. we adresse our selves by Petitions and humble supplycations to the Parliament into whose hands wee have committed our selves betrusted them with out Religion Lawes Liberty lives and all And to petition is the peoples Birth-right The stander by some times sees more then the gamster And he that weares the shooe best knowes where it pincheth t' is the subjects liberty to make knowne his greivances and that time is fittest when apparent prejudice is intended Then to supplicate is unseasonable Nor do the Presbiterians petition to suppresse all privat meetings of the Godly Godforbid for it is the joy and rejoycing of Christians to meet sometimes in privat to conferre to read to pray to sing Psalmes c. But those that meet at Conventicles at the time of publike worship such as wholly separate from the great Congregation to heare erronious Doctrines and to preach their owne fancies and grose heresieis where ignorant uncalled and ungifted men usurpe authority and creepe into Widowes houses under pretence of long prayers devoure them and sow seeds of sedition in the Kingdome These the Presbyterians doe petition against as dishonour of God! and obnoctious to the State who live like Stoicks to their owne will Iudge all men vile and uncleane but themselves these ought to be suppressed my prayer shall ever be for their conversation and endeavour for their suppression that God will worke the one and the Parliament command the other If it were the sinne of the Church of Pargamus to suffer them that held the Doctrine of Balaam who caused Balak● to cast a stumbling block before Israell and those that held the Doctrine of the Nicholaitans Reu. 2. 14. 15. Then it is the duty of the Church of England to suppresse them not compell the conscience of any to worship God as the civill or Ecclesiasticall power shall approve but to suppresse their turbulent practises it is one thing to compell the Conscience and an other thing to punish a wilfull obstinate fact a man may refuse to doe a thing out of scruple and weaknesse but he that will do the direct contrary is obstinate and turbulent and lyable to the sword of the civill Majestrate this is not to Lord it over their Brethren for among Brethren there must bee distruction of persons for place and command in discipline and order all that are godly will assent thereunto and be assistant to execute just punishment upon obstinate offenders nor shall wee thereby enthrawle our selves but the contrary for while such seducers and wilfull offenders are suffered wee shall incur Gods displeasure which is the way to be made slaves and Vassalls to the worst of our enemies For remedy hereof we cast our selves on the Parliaments wisdome by advice with the Learned and godly Assembly called together by the Parliament to that purpose But there is good hopes the Commons of England now in Parliament who are chosen for the preservation of all just liberties will in no measure countenance so unjust and dangerous a designe certainly they cannot so soone forgot the vigorous assistance they have alwaies had in the greatest necessities from this people c. Observe how he winds himselfe like a Serpent by insinuating sophestry for thus he argues the Parliament are the preservers of all just liberties therefore they will maintaine any unjust libertie to licentiousnesse but thus is truth the Parliament are preservers of the subjects just liberties but they are suppressors of all unjust liberties therefore they will surely suppresse licentious libertines the pamphleter is so audatious that hee dares call the Presbyterian way of government a dangerous and unjust designe though the Parliament as hee knowes have after severall debates voted it and ordered it and since declared to the world to be the way resolved to settle Sectaries make great boast of their vigorous assistance to the Parliament t●at which is but little in substance hath need of helps by Orations like the blowing of a Pharisaicall Trumpet Those that have out done any sectary say nothing of their doings it is sufficient to them that God sees and knowes The Parliament neither are nor can be be trusted to make lawes to rule men in the practise of Religion and that he that is most vassallized in his judgment with an opinion of uniformity and of a necessity of suppressing all private

for redresse against Seditious Sectaries nor need that honourable house be importuned to do justice submissive requests in making our greivances knowne is not importunity We have betrusted them withall and we leave all to their wisdomes and care to settle Order and Government in the Church and Common-weale for the peace and benefit of both and wish there were no underhand dealing used by those of contrary judgments to disturbe the peace of both and to traduce us But God will defend the just truth seekes no corners nor pretends any thing shee professeth not to deceive any THe Lords are not to go before the Commons in determining what concernes the Nation Their large answer to your last Petition for Church Government and suppression of Conventicles insinuates they would allure you from the Commons therefore observe them watchfully and trust them accordingly c. The Lords and Commons make but one Parliament but wee petition them a part as two distinct Houses We blesse God for the happy concurrence that is betweene them for publike peace and benefit and thankfully accept their answer to our last last petitions But the pamphleter snews the envy of sectaries their seditious endeavour to devide betweene the two houses and between two Kingdoms care not how or whom they bely to make quarrells because in times of destraction loosenesse is a Law to disordered and lawlesse persons It is better such men be observed then trusted THe Clergy you kn●w most of them that now stickle against th● Sepratists or independants do it for their owne ends to retains their Glory in a distinction of Clergy Their domination in judging of Doctrine Discipline and Ecclesiasticall Censures and their profit in pretences of Tithes all with the sepratists dis●●●●● and oppose which is the true cause of the quarrell between them c. The Presbyterian Clergie we know are men of conscience learning piety and holy life by whose prayers and sufferings as a meanes we are preserved to this day they stickle not against Sepratists or Independants in displeasure against their persons but their erronious opinions Nor seeke they glorious distinctions nor domination in judgment as any end to themselves but as it shall bee found consonant to the will of Jesus Christ They ayme not at their profit in the right of Tythes but as it hath bin an Ecclesiasticall right and due to the Ministry held out in holy Scripture Heb. 7. 5 6 c. continued since the Primitive times And as it is established by the Laws of this kingdome The labourer is worthy of his hire That the Sepratists or Independants deny any of these I deny except for selfe end for there more honour and greater profit For the glory domination judgment censuring c. that the dissenting party assume is more every way then the Presbyterian hath or seeks Separatists maintaine that there is an intire power of all government in every single Congregation of which the Clergy is chiefe there censures right or wrong admit no higher appeale is not this domination equall to a King hath a Pope or more Or what can he aske more And for their profit they ayme at unknowne benefit not contented with the Tythes which customarily have bin payd and is a certainty for convenient subsistance but expect from every one of there Congregation a farre larger gratuity not so little as double the value of tythes nor hold him worthy a Disciple that doth not by private offerings exceed it I might instance particulars but I will forbeare and shall desire all rationall men to observe but generalls looke upon the men their wives children c. note there garbe ga●lantry fashions riches and increase of wealth within 3. years past and I shal need say no more let the juditious Judg it may be it wil be objected that the Presbyterians are not exempt in all this and seeke pluralities too my answer is modest for I cannot call evill good it is possible some such there are but t is but for the present they are subject to command and will obey There losse have been much and there labours are great by which expences ri●e high we neither allow such things nor justifie them but desire a holy reformation in these things as in other according to that of Tim. 2. 11. and ● Tim. 3. 2 3 4. c. Nor is this the cause of quarrell or difference betweene the Presbyterians and them as they would pretend to delude the people except as they make it there quarrell for selfe ends The contest between us in concerning things of order wherin Gods glory and the Kingdomes peace is chiefly concerned by a holy uniformity which is the thing the Presbyterians seeke and Sepratists oppose The former would have all Congregations governed as one Church in one order according to divine right The latter would be left at liberty that every Congregation may have power and government within it selfe The Presbiterian would have only porochiall Congregations the Sepratists would have select Congregations out of all the parishes of a City or County if some out of all will enter themselves some to this Church some to that fewest to the Congregation or Parish in which they live as their fancy which they call conscience leads them and not only so but they would that every person in a family Sonne or servant c. shall by the same fancy claime liberty to be of what Church they will if there bee ten in a Family those ten may be of ten severall Churches and so be made incapable of Society and family duties what is this but confusion and against the rule of Scripture or example of all or any reformed Churches what is this liberty but libertinisme and it must needs end in loosenesse and prophanesse besides it must needs be destructive to the peace of the common weale Now that which the Presbyterians would have and for which they supplicate as that which doubtlesse is consonant 〈◊〉 the holy Scripture is that every Minister as a shepheard should bee over his porochiall flock as they that are appointed over them of whose soules they must give an account Hebr. 13. 17. these he is to keep feed and cherish The 7. Churches of Asia had seven Angells that is seven Ministers over them Rev. 1. 20. and each Church had his particular Angell over it not confusedly as the Independants would have it but one Angell was over the Church of Ephesus one Angell over the Church Smerna an other over the Church of Pergam●● c. and each Church was 〈…〉 d to one and the same order as appeareth in compa●ing that 〈◊〉 Ephesus commended that they hated the deeds of the Nicholaitans Rev. 26. with that of Pergamos blamed for suffering the doctrine of the Nicholaitans among them Revel 2. 15. and that of Thyatira reproved for suffering those that by false doctrines seduced the people vers 20. and the sin is aggravated because they were forewarned and time given to reforme The Shep●eard o● pasture over a parochial flock hath them ever in his eye may see which straggles and which is weake and is alwayes ready to helpe them but select Congregations that are scattered all the week some a myle some five myles f●om there shepheard cannot be observed tended nor cherished but are left to live as too many such doe at this day to their lusts in disorder and scandalous manner under the notion of Religious men yet voyd of civill honesty and justice How disagreeable such a way is to the rule of Gods word or to the peace or laws of a well constituted common-weale and how agreeable the Presbyteriall way is to both I leave to all juditious or rationall men to consider and advise all men as they love the honour of God and the good of the Kingdome to be wary of rash conjunction with such private Congregations least they foolishly ensnare their Consciences and after much heart-breaking returne by weeping crosse This is one maine difference and cause of the quarrell betweene us if it be a quarrell but I never counted it a quarrell but a dispute only I use the Pamphleters owne word who it seemes and the rest of his society meane to make a quarrell of it There are divers other particulars wherein we disagree which for brevity I must omit my ayme in this tract ●e●●ing only to give a short answer to his seditious Pamphlet to undeceive seduced people that meane well but are ensnared in their consciences by Sectaries who as the Prophet saith set Trappes to catch men Nor should I have undertaken to set my pen to paper to Answer him but that after three weekes time or more I see it was omitted by all of more abi●lities my end is Gods glory and my ayme the publike good to which I devote my selfe neither seeking favour nor fearing frownes Conscience and Covenant command thus much From George Smith Gent. Imprimat Io. Downam FINIS