Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	church_n	profess_v	3,448	5	8.0722	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73049	Englands pvrginge fire Conteyninge two petitions, the one to the Kinges most excellent Majesty, the other to the High Courte of Parliament held at this tyme in England. Shewinge in diverse perticulers, how the Church in England might be ordered, yet more conformably to the Will of God reveiled in his worde then at this day it is. Herewithall is declared, the evell and lamentable effects of our vnable and negligent ministers: and the happy fruict of our learned and painefull pastors. A worke most needefull for theise tymes, as servinge to turne away the wrath and iudgements of God from this lande, through the removinge, (accordinge to the advertisements herein given) such disorders and evells, as for which the wrath of God may be, and is, kindled against this Land, and the church therein.	Proctor, Thomas, fl. 1621.	1621 (1621)	STC 20408.5; ESTC S124597	53,590	98

ENGLANDS PVRGINGE FIRE Conteyninge two Petitions the one to the Kinges most excellent Majesty the other to the High Courte of Parliament held at this tyme in England Shewinge in diverse perticulers how the Church in England might be ordered yet more consormably to the will of God reveiled in his Worde then at this day it is Herewithall is declared the evell and lamentable effects of our vnable and negligent Ministers and the happy fruict of our learned and painefull Pastors A worke most needefull for theise tymes as servinge to turne away the wrath and Iudgements of God from this Lande through the removinge accordinge to the Advertisements herein given such disorders and evells as for which the wrath of God may be and is kindled against this Land and the Church therein IER 6 16. Thus faith the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske of the ancient paths which is the good way and walke therein and ye shall finde rest for your Soules 16●● ENGLANDS PVRGINGE FIRE To the Right Honorable the Lords Spirituall and Temporall of the upper Hovvse vvith the Knights and Burgesses of the lovver hovvse assembled in the high Courte of Parliament RIGHT HONORABLE IT pleased the Kinges most excellent Mastie very lately to confess among you that in the Civill affaires off this Kingdome he founde not things answerable to that face which our excellent Government would induce any man to have hope of Might it therefore please this Honorable Assembly to examine the State of this Lande in Spirituall affaires also we then the subjects of this happy Kingedome may well have comforteable hope of your happy successe in theise as in those It is truly a greate measure of Happiness to this Kingdome it is also to be acknowledged to our Kinge as a singular Grace off his unto us that the Ghospell of our Lord Redeemer is freely preached in this Kingdome Solemne Divine Service maintayned and people pressed to resorte on the Sabbaoth to both but because the prevailinge of the Ghospell in the lives and conversations of men is most acceptable to God and because our people are not answereable herein to the face of that excellent Government which our Church carryes I most humbly pray that I may petition this Courte for an entringe into an examination hereof also For my part I havinge here in this Land drawen my first breath of this mortall life thinke my selfe bounde to imploy whatsoeuer Grace my God hath given mee for the Good thereof therefore I have adventured to expose my selfe to danger in movinge you to vouchsafe your examination of the State also of the Church in this Kingedome This high and worthily Highe Courte hath here to fore taken care that God be both solemnely worshipped and also served in this Land by peoples obedience acknowledginge that this is the Meanes to put away punishments and plagues from this Lande As therefore the Ghospell is not sent by God to be hearde onely by our people but to be obeyed also by their ordering their life and conversation thereafter or otherwise serves vnto condemnation rather then to Salvation so surely it will turne from us punishments and plagues and insteade of them will bringe vpon us holy favours and Blessings if you take care of the peoples livinge as becommeth Saincts For the furtheringe whereof I by a writinge adventured many yeares since to petition his sacred Majestie declaringe therein the perticulers wherein I petitioned his Roy all Assistance If it shall please you Right Honorable that I for discharge of my Conscience may exhibit vnto you the copie well neere of the same that so both his sacred Majestie may be put in remembrance thereof in this so sit a tyme for this motion and also you may bee occasioned as you professedly tender so now also to further the good of this Church you shall shew to me a Christian favour and I shall pray for you that God will second with happy succrss all your pious indeavours Your Lo pps in all bounden Duty THOMAS PROCTOR TO THE KINGES MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY TO my heartes ioye and to the ioye of all good Christians have you my most gratious Lord and Kinge made knovven to the vvorlde by vvritinge your knovvledge of the office of a Christian Kinge As vvhere you vvrite That Christian Kinges within their owne Dominions are to Governe the Church to commande obedience to be given to the vvorde of God yea and to Reforme Religion according to Gods prescribed vvill Which Office most mighty and dread Soveraigne vvell may you perfourme longe may you live vvell to perfourme the same vvithin theise your most flourishinge Kingedomes Imitatinge herein the good Kinges of Israell and Iudah vvhom and vvhose Actions in Governinge the Church your Majestly hath set before Christian Kinges and Princes as examples unto them for their rulinge over the Christian Church vvithin their seuerall Dominions Which excellent knovvledge and religious Care of your Majesties so made euident to the vvorlde put me in good hope that it vvould not be displeasinge vnto you if collectinge out of Scripture some of the speciall Acts of those good Kinges of Israell and Iudah I thereby tooke occasion to vvrite vnto your Majesty of some thinges of greate importāce vvherein the Church of God in England needeth the redress of your povverfull hande Which thinge Dread Soueraigne I have not done either vvith any vaine conceipt thinking to better by instruction your excellent knovvledge or vvith any insufferable presumption in pressinge your executiō of Royall Dutyes vvith more hast then convenience but onely that I might discharge a Christian Duty by petitioninge your povverfull Assistance in some things vvherein your tymely helpe may greately further the good of the Church of God Neither truly is there any thinge better besittinge your Royall hande then is the yeildinge succour to the Church of God in those things vvherein shee greately needeth in theise tymes your aide For thus to doe is not onely the perfourmance of a very speciall duty of the kingely office but also it is an eterniznge of your fame in the eternal continuance of the Church Hovv pretious a Name hovv longe duringe a Fame have those good Kinges of Israell and Iudah obteined by vvhose blessed hands tymely assistāce vvas yeilded to the Church of God VVhat marble Monument of theirs like this VVhat other Act of theirs is comparable to this Their marble monuments are mouldred and their other Acts hovv greate and famous so euer yet make they not their Name and Memoriall so blessed as doth the Recorde of those things done by them in ordeninge the Churches Gouerment according to Gods prescribed vvill Hopinge therefore both of your Majesties beinge like mynded vvith these good Kings and also of your gratious acceptance of this my poore vvritinge vvritten for the good of this Church of Englande I humbly pray that I may prooceede first to collect out of the Scriptures some of the speciall Acts of the good Kinges of

there is not usually holy exercises perfourmed But yet because the very Showe of Godliness is good not onely for an evidence to Pastors of the prevailinge of Gods Grace in their Parishioners but also for examples sake to others as servinge to provoake or incite one family by another in the use of such pious exercises and Showe of Godliness it is very behoovefull that families have their publick holy exercises at convenient seazons Indeede some of those who most use theise pious family exercises make Religion a weariness to their family by so continually drawinge them in every minute of tyme wherein they worke not to theise exercises that they leave no time for their familyes recreation and refreshment by sportinge dancinge usinge exercises of Activity or exercises of danger for animatinge them to valiancy and other like Thus by an extreame a vice growes and this both to the hurte of the family and also to the scandall of the Ghospell of Christe for some erroneously conceavinge that Religion cannot stande with such things they make their Children servants dull and slowe of motion and unsit for the defence of the Kingedome and of the Church and others thinkinge that the Ghospell admits not such things make the Ghospels yoake heavier then the Lord would have it and so make the people take offēce therat Yea som have raised a reproach caused themselvs to be a by-worde through their puttinge the bridle of their owne worde in peoples mouths restreyninge them in thinges which Gods vvorde restreynes them not in such Men doe both themselvs and also the Ghospell wronge The Scriptures declare the Lord not to dislike but rather to approve of sportinges Gen. 26 8 dancings Exod. 15 20 Iudges 11 34 37 and of exercises of Activity Iudges 20 16 1. Chron. 12 2 therefore none ought by a vvorde of their owne to restreyn Gods people in such things Such Men would make conscience to doe as David did who for the rescue of a sheepe would followe after a Beare and after a Lion but this exposinge a Mans selfe to such dangers even upon such causes the Scripture rather approves then condemnes Surely the Scripture commendinge as an Ornament and Honor of Kingedomes that there are Active valiant Men in the same 1. Chron. 12 1 it doth consequently allow of such hazardous exercises as incyte move Men to a valiant exposinge themselvs to dangers therefore the baitinge of Bulls of Beares and huntinge of vvilde Beasts and the like are not to be condemned to be used by Gods people If any evell be done or evell Speach hearde in the usinge of theise things let that indeede be reproved and punished but let not Gods people be debarred from the use of theise lawfull things under pretence that Religion and Holiness will not stande with such thinges Would God that they that use theise things would say and resolve and profess that seinge God is gratious to allowe them to sporte to dance to use exercises for Activity and even unto danger for animatinge of them to valiancy therefore he should not be dishonored by any in the use of them for surely if Gods people did this the Lord would delight in his peoples exercisinge themselvs in theise things True it is Mans corrupt nature is such as that hardly it cann use theise things without takinge Liberty with all both to forget God and also to put away his feare in the tyme of their makinge use of theise things but if Masters of families and publick Governours as also their Pastors would teach them frequently to minde the Lord and to have care in their hearts not to displease him in their usinge theise things as also would be ready to reprove and punish any that should dishonor God in the tyme of the use of theise things then the corruption of nature would be kept downe herein as in other things hereby for the Awe of Goverment changeth the Manners which a depraved Nature is apt to bringe fourth And why should not every one of every family thinke with themselvs that as to doe or say oughts in their sportinges one with another or family with family or neighbours vvith neighbours vvhich vvould displease their Masters and also their Magistrats knewe they thereof were the next way to be deprived of theise Solaces and Refreshments so to displease God is likewise the next way to make him also to deprive them of them and to plague the Land and them Therefore people should use theise things as by Gods permission havinge an Awe of God in their hearts not to permit or doe any thinge in the use of them which is truly a breach of any of Gods Commandements As for the Sabbaoth day vvhereas some use exercises of violence unto Blood such as are baiting of bulls or beares cudgell playinge other like theise though they be lawfull at other tymes yet not on the Sabbaoth more harmeless solaces delights befits the same both for conveniency also for that it is a rest aswell to Beasts as to Men the like I might say for hobby-horses and men in vvomens apparell but this indeede unlawfull vvhich our Maygaimes commonly use for even in indifferent things there may be a fitness not to use them on the Lords Sabbaoth day Theise things I thought good to touch at here because men are apt to erre by an erroneous restreinte aswell as by an erroneous liberty-takinge Againe I finde in those who most use holy and religious dutyes a custome of long prayinge as if they would make a custome or get a Name for great prayinge whereas the Lord doth in Scripture declare himselfe to delight in shorte praiers tendinge to the present occasions of praying vvhich also are fittest for the Spirits attendance thereto and to be made in faith of that praied for There is no truth in praier when the Spirit and faith accompany not the things praied for neither cann they conveniently accompany longe and tedions praiers In Congregations indeede there must be in the Pastor a sence of and praier for publick offences Benefits and the very rehearsing of many perticulers is there truly needefull but in the private family the occasion of the prayinge vvhither it be for the morninge or eveninge is especially to be tendered though som other perticulers for the common wealth may also breifely be remembred Thus have I noted some evells whereinto some the most devoute are apt to fall that so such evells may be prevented but yet if this Care be taken against theise evells it would be very proffitable that every family aparte use its selfe to such Religious Dutyes For for vvant of accoustominge a family hereto vve fynde that Men goinge to church and comminge from thence make that all their Religion for all the vveeke after never thinkinge any more of any thinge learned at the Church nor caringe to doe in the vveeke as they vvere at Church taught to doe vvhereas if at home the family