Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	discipline_n	doctrine_n	4,176	5	6.2312	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71022	Some notes or heads of a preface and of a lecture Preached at Distinckorn--Hill, in the parish of Gaastoun. April 15. 1688. By master Alexander Shields preacher of the gospel.	Shields, Alexander, 1660?-1700.	1688 (1688)	Wing S3435B; ESTC R184108	30,397	24

them all First According to the first Article of the 〈◊〉 we are sworn through Grace to endeavour in our Places and Stations the ●wor● of our Reforme● Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government Well have no done this Ay ay Minister and People will born say they have done it But now I say if we have done it What 〈◊〉 Blea●ing of the Sheep and Lowing of the Oxen If we have keepes this A●●icle of our Covenant then how comes it that the Overtu●ne● 〈◊〉 to sit upon the Throne and submitted unto And in Absolute Power claimed by the Granter of this Toler●tion and the Accepters do re●cognos●e that Absolute power to be in him for that Toleration flows from it The Design whereof is to overturn Religion and introduce Idolatry yet how is the same not only embraced and accepted by the most part but thanked for by all the Presbyterian Ministerses their Address bears O can this consist with Presbyterian Principles and yet the obligation of the Covenant dare not be preached in no Tollerated Meeting this day in Scotland And yet it was the Doctrine of the Reformers of the Church of Scotland that Folk should Witness for these things But now nothing may be preached that may tend to alienate the hearts of the people from Papists and is not the Doctrine encroached upon by this Tolleration when it is prescribed to Ministers how they should preach And is not the Discipline enc●o●ched upon For none are Tollerated but those whom the Enemies please and these have no power to exercise Discipline And the Goverument is also Enc●oached upon So that it is the most shameful thing and most destructive thing that ever was in the C●urch before For there was never such a Bondage is this What means the ble●●ing of the sheep and l●wing of the ●xen O! may we not see how we have broken this Article Secondly We are commanded to keep the Lords Land cle●n we are bou●d in the second Article to extirpate Popery and Prelacy c Now have we done this 〈…〉 Ministers and Professors will say that they have done it but 〈◊〉 we have done it then what means the bleeting of the deep and lowing of the ●xen if we have extirpated Prelacy then what meaneth the Ringing of the Bells to the Curates preaching which some of you might have heard the day by the way For if we had been Faithful in keeping this Article there would none of them been in the Kirks this day If we have endeavoured to extirpate Pop●ry Then what means the Mumbling o● the Mass in many places of the Land Do ye not hear tell of Masses Do ye not he●r of a Popish Tyrant on the Throne a V●ssel of Antichrist And yet Acknowledged ●s the Vicegere●t of JEHOVAH Have you been ex●irpating those when you have been Hyring them by paying them these things that they Requ●●e of you And what means the imbracing of and Accepting A Tolleration The Design of the grauting of which is to introduce Popery For was ever Popery introduced ●here once it was Rooted out without A Tolleration And is this the way to extirpate Popery O! no no Are there not many of you br●ve Coven●nters indeed when ye countenance A Tolleration which opens ● Gap to let in Popery But some of you will say may not Papists do good For Cyrus was a Heathen and he gave Libertie to the Jews to go Home to their own Land and build the Temple of Jerusalem there we see he did good O ye who ple●d thus have a care what you say and do not Father your Ill gotten Get●s on the Holy scripture Do not wrest the scriptures of Truth for ye have no ground to plead the Lawfulness of your practice from this Example of Cyrus This Antichristian Tolleration now so Universally Accepted improved and App●●uded of is no way● like that Liberty granted by Cyrus to the Lords people it is neither like it in the Gra●ter nor in the Terms whereupon it is gran●ted nor in the Design wherefore it was granted nor in any other thing are they like other For Cyrus was prophesied of long before he was born by 〈◊〉 Prophet Isaiah that he should build the LORD's House and let go his Captives He was ex●traordinarlie 〈◊〉 up by the Lord and called of GOD to give Liberty to His people and to Establish their Religion by a Decree Now this cannot be said of him who grants this Tolleration Again Cyrus in his Proclamation gives Libertie to the Lords people the Jews only and not to any of the Nations as Ammanites Philistians or the Rest and the thing he granted is the Free Exercise of their Religion in their own Land Ezra 1 ● And he gives a Noble Testimonie to the Glorie of GOD But he does not give any Libertie to the Idolatrous 〈◊〉 to Exercise their Idolatries Now this cannot be said of the Tyrant and his Proclamation for this Tolleration For is gives Libertie to Idolaters and Hereticks Papists and Quakers And he grants Religion among ●ther things to be Tollerated But Cyrus does not Tollerate the Religion of the Je●s as a thing to 〈◊〉 suffered but by a real Decree and he gives Testimonie to Truth and people of GOD ●ut this Tyrant gives no Testimonie to the Gorie of GOD he does not Encourage and Establish ●eligion as Dutie but Toller●●s it under the Notion of a Crime And gives Libertie to it under ●e Notion of a Fru●t to be pardoned Now Religion cannot be Tollerated but should be ●wned encouraged and established as suc● Likewise he gives Libertie to Idol●ters to Exercise ●eir Idolatries and to Hereticks to spread Abroad and vent their Heretics he gives Papists libertie to say their Mass and Quakers to vent their ●●●sphemies So that now as it were the 〈◊〉 of the Lord is set up beside Dagon Moreover Cy●us granted the Jews the 〈◊〉 Exercise of their ●eligion without any Bonds Restriction or Limitatio●s But this cannot be said of this Toller●●●on For it is clogged with Restrictions and Limitations By it Ministers are Restricted in 〈◊〉 Doctrine For they must pre●ch nothing that any way may tend to Allenate the Hearts of the subjects from the Granter of it or his Government and the place of their preaching is also Restricted it must be in Houses and not in the Fields Likeways the Design of Cyrus granting Libertie to the Jews was good For he gave them Libertie to go up to Jerusalem to Build the House of the LORD But this is not the Design of this Granter it is to Introduce Popery And he intends not to Build the House of the LORD but to Build Babylon And he will make use of this Tolleration as a scaffolding to keep up that Tower of Babylon And when ever he hath the building finished then he will pull down the scaffold again Then again some plead for the Lawfulness of Accepting and making use of this Libertie from the Philistians sending Home the

Ark. A● ay say they seing the Philistians sends us Home the Ark why may we not Receive it may not the Philistians Kin● 〈◊〉 home the Ark of the LORD But they have no ground for this neither For the Ark and Dagon cannot stand together under one sconce For no sooner was the Ark set up but Dagon went down But now if ye will look upon the Libertie granted by this Tolleration is the bringing back of the Ark then the Ark and Dagon are standing very peaceably and pleasan●●y together under one sconce this c●nnot be for they cannot stand together and now many both Ministers and Professors are living peaceably And in good Neighbourhood with Papists and Quakers O abominable what is this O this is sad that ever this should have been heard of in Scotland Moreover when the Lords of the Philistians sent back the Ark the Kine that carried it went straight to Beths●●mesh in the Land of Israel but now they are going away to Babylon And if this Liberty granted by this Tolleration be the Ark then they are carrying it the high-gate to Rome Then Thirdly In the third Article of our Solemn League and Covenant we are bound to stand fast in the Defence and to maintain the Liberties of the Church and Privileges of the Kingdom as We are Men and Christians We have observed this that some will plead on this Article of the Covenant for owning a Popish King But O● is there not an express Condition and Qualification there that we shall own no Magistrats over us but in subordination to the Law of GOD and those who will give us security for our Religion and Liberty And have we not the Laws of GOD against Tyranny and also the Laws of the Land which we are bound to maintain every Soul of us and now we do subscribe our selves Breakers of it when we own a Papist Now have we performed this Ay ay it may be some Ministers and Pro●essors will say they have but if we have done it then what meaneth the ble●ting of the sheep and l●wing of t●e oxen What meaneth the lowing of the Bulls of Bas●an What meant the Wicked walking on every side And what means the Bloo●●●shed All these things do Witness against us if We have keeped this Article in refusing to set up Magistrats over us without security given for our Religion and Liberty Neither was it Requi●ed of him now when he is set up and hath Arrogate to himself an absolute power by vertue whereof he hath stoped and disabled all our Penal statutes made against Idolaters and is intending to 〈◊〉 us of all Privileges and Liberties as we are Men and Christians And if we have maintained and Defended out Privileges as we are Men and Christians then what meaneth the great Oppression both of Bodies and Consciences in the Land What me●neth the Gro●●ing of many poor people under heavy Burdens and great Bondage Nay we are obliged to cut off Idolat●rs The Idolater should be put to Death according to the Law of GOD and those Penal statutes in the Old Testament are not abrogated yet for they are Moral Fourthly In the Fourth Article of the solemn League and Covenant we are bound to bring the Malignant Enemies of GOD to Condign punishment By the Law of GOD Idolaters should die the Death and M●rderers should Die the Death that the Land should not be defiled with Blood ● Well have we done this ay ay Ministers and Professors will say they have done it But if we have performed this then what meaneth the bleeting of the sheep 〈◊〉 lowing of the Oxen If we have Endeavoured to bring the Enemies of GOD to condign Punishment Then what means the setting them up in places of Power and Trust and instead of bringing Idolaters and Murderers to punishment We have set them up Con●ederate with them and taken Protection from them and instead of bringing them to punishment we have maintained them For what 's your C●ss but a Grassing of Antichrists Bulls to push and destroy the LORDS people The Devil has so many Oxen to Feed and 〈◊〉 Requires you to Feed them that they may 〈◊〉 down the Work of GOD and where is there any that stands up and justifies themselves O is that a keeping of the Covenant to maintain its Destroyers And is that a bringing of these Enemies Idolaters and Murderers to punishment to Feed them and Confederate with them O ye have made thereby an unhappy Conjunction Fifthly By the fifth Article of our Solemn League and Covenant we are obliged to seek and promote Peace and Union Now can we say we have done this Ay ay Ministers and Professo● will say they ●ave done it then what meaneth our Joining in this unhappy and unhallowed Union for our bitter Debates and Contentions have been the Fruit of our Defections For our Defection hath brought on Division and Division hath brought on Confusion our yet we must not Unite in this Tolleration We must not Unite in a course of Def●ction from the LORD for that would bring on Wrath and Indignation and the Judgement of the Lord upon us But 〈◊〉 we have United with Antichrists The Reek of our Chimneys and the Bleeting of your sheep ones Witness against you I do not envy your Peice in the Way of Righteousness But this I may say if ye be Confessors of His Name and appear for Him as ye ought to do ye will no● get sitting long and I fe●r there is not a Man that can 〈◊〉 himself of the bre●ch of this Article Sixthly By the sixth Article of the Covenant we are bound to Defend our Brethren in their pursuing the Ends of the Covenant and we are oblige● to take what is 〈◊〉 to one ●s done to all Well have we not done this Have we defended but Brethren Ay ay may be some Ministers and Professors will say they have done it if we have done it What meaneth the Bl●●●ing of the sheep and Lowing of the Oxen What means your w●th●rawing your Help from your brethren when in Hazard What means your not Relieving your brethren when in your power to do it when drawn to Death by Enemies Oh! many of you instead of ●elping your brethren you have helped the Enemies Alas We are Guilty of the Breach of Covenant We have not endeavoured to perform these things which we are bound to perform For there is not one Article of the Solemn League and Covenant but we have ●●oken And we have not endeavoured as we should ●ave done in our several places and Callings to preserve the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government We have not endeavoured as we should have done to ex●●●pate Popery and Prelacy And the Accepting this Tolleration is a Breach of every Article of the Covenant For how can the● extirpate Popery and Prelacy seing they make use of this Tolleration that Tollerates then And ye who go to these Tolleration Meetings ye are guilty