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	doctrine_n	england_n	6,989	5	6.3346	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70864	Concordia discors, or, The dissonant harmony of sacred publique oathes, protestations, leagues, covenants, ingagements, lately taken by many time-serving saints, officers, without scruple of conscience ... by William Prynne, Esq. ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing P3928; ESTC R22150	38,103	48

people throughout the Realm and by all or most Officers and Souldiers of the Army by their Authority We the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the Commons House of Parliament finding to the great grief of our hearts that the designs of the Priests and Jesuites and other Adherents to the See of Rome have of late been * more boldly and frequently put in practise than formerly to the undermining and danger of the ruine of the true reformed Protestant Religion in his Majesties Dominions established And finding also that there have been and having just cause to suspect that there still are even during this sitting in Parliament * endeavours to subvert the Fundamental Laws of England and Ireland and to introduce the exercise of an Arbitrary and Tyranical Government by most pernicious and wicked Counsels Practises Plots and Conspiracies And that the long intermission and unhappy breach of Parliaments hath occasioned many illegal Taxations whereupon the Subject hath been prosecuted and grieved And that divers Innovations and Superstitions have been brought into the Church multitudes driven out of his Majesties Dominions jealousies raised and fomented betwixt the King and his people a Popish Army levyed in Ireland and two Armies brought into the bowels of this Kingdom to the hazard of his Majesties Royal Person the * consumpsion of the Revenues of the Crown and Treasure of this Kingdom And lastly finding a great cause of Jealousie that endeavours have been and are used to bring the English Army into a Mis-understanding of this Parliament thereby to * incline that Army with force to bring to passe those wicked Counsels have therefore thought good to joyn our selves in a Declaration of our united Affections and Resolutions and to make this ensuing Protestation I A. B do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine and according to the duty of my Allegiance His Majesties Royal Person Honour and Estate as also the power and privilege of Parliament The lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and means endeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by force practise counsels plots conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary in this present Protestation contained And further that I shall in all just and honourable waies endeavour to preserve the Vnion and Peace between the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland And neither for hope fear nor other respect shall relinquish this Promise Vow Protestation 7. The next in time is the Solemn League and Covenant taken in the most solemn manner with hands lifted up to heaven and subscribed by all Members of Parliament in England and Scotland by all Civil Military Officers Souldiers and well-affected persons in our three Kingdoms by f sundry special Ordinances of Parliament approving and ratifying the same A Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion the Honour and Happiness of the King and the Peace and Safety of the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland WE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happiness of the Kings Majesty and his Posterity and the true Publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloudy plots Conspiracies Attempts and practises of the Enemies of God against the true religion and professors thereof in all places especially in these three kingdoms ever since the reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable estate of the Church and kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publike Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our religion from utter ruine and destruction according to the commendable practice of these kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods people in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutual and Solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our several places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechising That we and our posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiastical Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Profaneness and whatsoeuer shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III. We shall with the same sincerity reality and constancy in our several Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Privileges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witness with our consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power and greatness IV. We shall also with all faithfullness endeavour the discoverie of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindering the reformation of

Protector over their Infant Common-wealth much against their wills the Mock-Parliament under him whiles above 150 Members duly elected most confided in by the Country were forcibly secluded by their Additional Petition and Addresse the 26th of June 1647. imposed this new Oath on all Counsellors of State and Members of Parliament I A. B. do in the presence of God Almighty promise and swear That to the uttermost of my Power I will uphold and maintain the true reformed Protestant Religion in the purity thereof as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and encourage the Profession and Professors of the same And that I will be true and faithfull to his Highnesse the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging as chief Magistrate thereof And shall not contrive design or attempt any thing against the Person or lawfull Authority of the Lord Protector shall keep secret all matters that shall be treated of in Counsel and put under secrecy and not reveal them but by Command or consent of his Highnesse the Parliament or the Counsel and shall in all things faithfully perform the trust committed to me as a Counsellour according to the best of my understanding in order to the good Government peace and wellfare of these Natiions And shall endeavour as much as in me lyes as a Member of Parliament the preservation of the Rights and Liberties of the People These Oaths were sworn by many of those who had taken the premised Oaths Protestation Solemn League and Covenant and the Engagement too both to their Protector Oliver and his Son Richard with whom the Army-Officers Souldiers and sundry others in the name of most Counties and Corporations of England Scotland and Ireland in their special Addresses to Richard faithfully promised to live and die yet lo within few Months after notwithstanding these Oaths and Addresses by a miraculous Divine providence admirable in all considerate mens eyes they not only all deserted but degraded him from his Protectorship without one stroke or drop of blood spilt or Sword drawn in his quarrel after so much Christian bloud shed so many Millions of Treasure spent and many years travel care by his Father Oliver to establish his Posterity in this new-erected Supremacy Protectorship and that by his own Army-Officers and nearest most endeared Relations even in a moment beyond all probability or possibility in humane apprehension To accomplish this strange unexpected work the Army-Officers called in the old Vnparliamentary Iuncto sitting since the year 1648. till April 20. 1653. whom they formerly dissolved and unparliamented secluding all the rest of the old Parliament sitting till December 6. 1648. by force and armed guards with the whole House of Lords re-creating them alone for a Parliament who usurping to themselves the name and power of a Parliament against both Law Equity Reason dismounted his Son Richard from his Protectorship unlorded degraded his New other House of Mushrom Lords and new dubbed Knights cashiered some of the Army-Colonells and other Officers who helped to make them a Parliament him a Protector and may gratifie the rest in this kinde Commissioned some whom Oliver cashiered turned most of his Council Commissioners Judges Creatures out of their Offices and pulled down most of that he set up with force and blood Who now thinking themselves secure and forgetting all their former with these late sodain Revolutions Changes as the just rewards of perfidious breaches of Oaths Protestations Covenants to their lawfull Soveraigns they hav now afresh to make us a Freestate not only doubled our former Taxes in effect and more than trebled them by a most arbitrary new Militia on many but also by a New Bill appointed an Oath to be taken by their Iudges Iustices of the Peace and other Officers in form following You shall swear That you shall be true faithfull and constant to this Commonwealth without a single Person Kingship or House of Lords Which ‖ illegal Oath so diametrically contrary to the former it swallowed by their unarmed Judges Justices and other civil Officers out of fear will in time be imposed on the Army Officers Soldiers and all others as their former Ingagement was with as severe penalties Having presented you with these contradictory repugnant irreconcileable Oathes Protestations Covenants and Engagements I shall propose some few cases of conscience upon them in this age when Conscience is so much pretended and Liberty of Conscience so much pressed that tendernes of Conscience and Conscience it self are hardly to be found in the greatest pretenders to them 1. Whether all lawfull sacred Oaths Vowes Covenants Protestations doe not i firmly immutably inviolably bind the souls consciences of all that take them to an Absolute indispensible sincere faithful performance and strict observation of them to the uttermost of their power in all estates and conditions as is evident by Numb. 30. 2. to 14. Josh 9. 19 20. Gal. 3. 15. Deut. 23. 22 23. Judg. 11. 30. 39. Job 22. 27 Ps. 15. 4. Ps. 22. 25 Ps. 61. 8. Ps. 66. 13. Ps. 116 14 18. Ps. 132. 2 3 c. Eccles. 5. 4. Jer. 44. 25. Jonah 2 9. Isay 19. 21. Nah. 1. 15. Gen. 21. 23 24 31. c. 24. 3. to 10. 37. to 47. c 26. 3 31. c. 47. 31. c. 50. 5 6. Levit. 19. 12. Josh. 2. 12. 17. 20. Judg. 15. 12 13. Deut. 8. 12. Josh. 21. 43 44. 1 Kings 1. 13. 17. 29 30. 2 Chron. 36. 13. Ezra 10. 5. Neh. 13. 25. Jer. 4. 2. c 11. 5. Mat. 5. 33. 1 Kings 15. 3 4 5. 2 Chron. 21. 5 6 7. compared with Hebr 6. 16 17 18. An Oath for confirmation is to men an end of all strife wherfore God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it with an Oath that by two Immutable things his Oath and Covenant in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation Ps. 89. 3. 34. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my Servant My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lipps Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David Ps. 132. 11. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it Jer. 33. 20. 21. Thus saith the Lord If you can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night and that there should not be day and night in their season Then may also my Covenant be broken with David my Servant that he should not have a Son to reign upon his throne If Gods Oaths and Covenants to mortal sinful men be thus true constants sincere firme unalterable immutable then by like reason should mens Oaths and Covenants to God and their lawfull Kings be such as Psal. 15. 4. Eccles. 8. 2. Gal. 3. 15. Levit. 30. 2. to 14. and the