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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88579	A cleare and necessary vindication of the principles and practices of me Christopher Love, since my tryall before, and condemnation by, the High Court of Iustice. Whereby it is manifested, that a close prison, a long sword, a High Court, and a bloody scaffold, have not in the least altered my judgment. Whereas also the cruelty of the sentence, the insufficiency of the proofs, and my own innocency, are demonstrated. As also my grounds and reasons of giving in a narrative, and the lawfulness of the matter and titles of my petitions (though to usurpers) manifested and maintained. Together with a declaration of my judgement concerning Cromwells unlawfull invasion of the kingdom of Scotland. Written by me Christopher Love, Master of Arts, minister of Lawrence Iury, London; penned by me the eighth of August, fourteen days before my death.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.	1651 (1651)	Wing L3148; Thomason E790_5; ESTC R202748	58,288	49

that encreaseth that which is not his c. We punish him with death who breakes open a house and robs but one Family but what a thousand deaths doth he deserve who breaks into a Kingdome and robbes many thousand Families even a whole Nation The Prophet Hab akkuk pronounceth A woe to him that builds a Town with blood and establisheth a City by iniquity Hab. 2. 12. What a woe then shall befall Cromwell that doth not build Townes with blood but destroys many Townes by blood but builds up none that doth not stablish a City but destroyes many Cities in ENGLAND and SCOTLAND by Iniquity 5. A fifth reason may be drawn from the Covenant and Treaties between the two Nations I begin with the Covenant so far as it concerns Scotland In the first Article we promise to endeavour the preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government But Cromwells invading Scotland tends directly to the destruction of the reformed Religion in Scotland both in Doctrine by the many Heresies the Army spreads amongst them and in Worship by those who are above Ordinances and in Discipline and Government by those that are inveterate enemies to the Presbyteriall Government and are most of them for Independency or Anabaptisme Brownisme or Scepticisme c. In the third Article we promise to preserve the liberties of the Kingdoms But Cromwells invading Scotland brings England under guilt and Scotland under beggery and slavery In the fourth Article we promise That we shall endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or ev●ll Instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his people or one of the Kingdomes from another If these things be the brands that the Covenant puts upon Incendiaries Malignants or evill Instruments then is not Cromwell and his Faction the great Incendiaries Malignauts and evill Instruments who have hindred the Reformation of Religion nay blemished the very name and destroyed the very face of Religion and have they not divided the King from his people not only by interrupting his agreement with the Parliament and dividing him from them but by dividing his head from his body and have not they divided one of the Kingdoms from another and by this unjust invasion laid such seeds to dissentions and irreconcileable differences as are likely never to be healed yea so divided as never likely to be united together any more In the fifth Article it is said Where as the happinesse of a blessed peace between these Kingdomes denyed in former times to our pr●genitors is by the good provide●ce of God granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments we shal each one of us indeavour that they may remaine conjoyned in a firme Peace and Union to all posterity Let the world judge whether Cromwell and his invaders have endeavoured that the Kingdoms may remain in a firme peace and union to all posterity he was so far from endeavouring to have this Union kept to all posterity that he dissolved this Union within seven years after he promised to preserve this Union for he took the Covenant in the yeare 1643. and entred Scotland in a bloody Hostile manner in the yeare 1650. Thus you see Cromwells invasion of Scotland is repugnant to the whole scope and tenour of the Covenant it is contrary to the Articles of the Treaty between both Kingdoms for this is one among the rest That one Nation shall not wage war with each other but give three moneths warning before hand but Cremwell did not not give three dayes warning to Scotland before he invaded their Land 6. I may draw the sixth reason from the judgement of the Parliament when free and full they were still averse to any breach with and war against their Brethren of Scotland as knowing it would endanger the Protestant Religion and godly party in both the Nations I well remember the King called a Parliament here in England in April 1640. on purpose to raise money to carry on the Warre against the Scots but the Parliament utterly refused to grant any money to so ill a purpose and did all they could to disswade the King from the Warre with Scotland publiquely protesting against the War as dishonourable and dangerous to Religion and both Kingdomes whereupon through the designes of the Prelates and Popish party that Parliament was dissolved within 10 dayes after it was called Although the dissolving that Parliament was a great grief of heart to all the godly in this Nation yet it was a rejoycing that the Parliament refused to engage in the War of Scotland After this there were publique Thanksgivings throughout all England enjoyned by King and Parliament for the Pacification between England and Scotland If the wisdome of the Parliament in the year 1640. judged it unlawfull to wage War against Scotland upon the sollicitations of the King and Bishops because they would obtrude Popish Ceremonies upon that Nation may not we judge it much more unlawfull to wage War with Scotland to bring Blasphemies Heresies and Slavery upon them and that after we have had a Brotherly assistance from them and have entered into Covenant with them There are l●●●e pretences to justifie the War with Scotland in the year 1650 by Cromwell than in the year 1640. when the King intended to wage war with them 7. A seventh Reason may be drawn from the intollerable mischiefs sad consequences and unexpressible calamities likely to befall the Protestant and Covenanting party in the 3. Kingdoms the mischiefs and sad consequences of Cromwells invading Scotland I shall reduce to 8. heads 1. The War with the Irish Rebels is by this means neglected and lengthened out had Cromwell staid in Ireland and had but one half of the Souldiers he hath now in Scotland in all likelyhood the Irish Wars had been ended long before now the Rebels destroyed and the English had had a quiet and peaceable possession of that Land But Cromwell through the counsell of the Pope King of Spaine and the Iesuites had rather fight with the Protestant covenanting party in Scotland than with the Rebels of Ireland 2. By this means most grievous and burdensome Taxes are continued and increased I shall mention one thing which to the vulgar may seem incredible viz. That the Iuncto at Westminster have by the Excise Customes Sequestrations and Taxes received more money in one year than all the Kings of England put them all together since the Conquest did raise upon their Subjects for such a space of time yet the Kings called Oppressors and these called Saints c. 3. A totall eradication of the Presbyteriall Government in both the Kingdoms Presbytery is the But at which the Prelates of old and the Sectaries of late have shot their invenomed Arrows 4. A great indangering of all the Protestant Churches and States in Europe The Kingdomes of England and Scotland make up the greatest

then the Lawfull King of Israel set over him by God and Absalom only an intruder and made King by the tumults of the People yea David himself did bid Hushai call Absalom that Usurper King 2 Sam. 15. 34. Say to Absalom I will be thy servant O King Yea further David himself did call Absalom King 2 Sam. 15. 19. David said to Hushai returne to thy place and abide with the King that is with Absalom yet he knew himselfe to be the lawfull King and did not acknowledge that his Sonne Absalom had any right to the Kingdom though he did give him the Title of a King So Athaliahs Usurping is called by the Spirit of God reigning yet the spirit of God ownes not her right to reigne but approved of the killing of her and the setting up Ieh●ash the true and lawfull heire in her room Yea Christ himself called the Devill the Prince of this World Iohn 12. 13. and 16. and 11. yet is it imaginable that Christ thought this Title of right belonged to the Divell certainely no Musculus on Iohn 12. 31. well observes non est i●le viz. Satan Princeps mundi legitimus sed per rapinam Paul called the Devills Principalities and power Eph. 6. 12. yet none will be so shamelesse as to say that Paul thought this their Rule Dominion and power of right belonged to them but is meerly usurped and intruded into See Annot. on the Bible on Ephes. 6. 12. 3. Titles are not alwaies approbative but distinctive my meaning is that giving of Titles to persons or things argues not ones approving of a just right to those Titles but seems meerly to distinguish those persons or things from others that are called by other names or Titles as I call them at Whitehall a Councell of State to distinguish them from a Councell of Warre I call those at Westminster the Parliament of the Common-wealth to distinguish them from the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament 4. Titles are giving to things or persons sometimes meerly by allusion not approbation as in Scripture phrase sin is said to reigne and the Devils are said to rule not that either the one or the other hath an approved right to rule over man as a lawfull Prince hath to rule over his Subjects but they are said to reign or rule by way of allusion to the reign of Princes in their Dominions 5. Titles may be given without sin to persons or things though of right they belong not to them where they are generally received or mentioned by such titles by the people where I live About names and titles much indulgence is to be given to the common usages and customes of the people I may call things or persons by such names or titles as I know belongs not of right unto them because they are ordinarily knowne and generally received by such names and titles I could give manifold instances out of Scripture to prove this David called Abs●lom King not that he thought him so of right but because he was commonly known and generally received by that title among the people So Herod was called by the Evangelist King of the Jews so did the Jews generally call him by that title yet none but that sect or sort of people called the Herodians did owne it as Herods right to be the King of the Iews who were so called because they pleaded for Herod to be the lawfull King of the Iews which the Pharises and others withstood because he was not one of the Iewish Nation as he ought to be Deut 17. 15. Yet all the Iews called Herod King though they did not acknowledge him to be their lawfull King t is manifest giving of titles are but titular acknowledgments and no more 6. If names may without sin be given to places and things which belong not to them I see no reason why they may not be given to persons There are names and titles given to many places both upon superstitious and idolatrous grounds yet may without sin be used I speak not of the first imposers when those places are so called and commonly knowne by such names Luke that writ the Acts of the Apostles calls a place in Athens Mars-hill as it was commonly called and this he might do without sin though this name was originally imposed on that place in honour of Mars yet he calls the place as it was commonly called though called so upon an Idolatrous ground Acts 17. 22. So for T●ings also we may without sin call them by those names which others give them though they may deal superstitiously or sinfully in the first imposition of such names Thus Paul mentions a ship of Alexandria whose signe was Cast●r and Pollux names originally imposed by the Gentiles upon an idolatrous ground yet being generally received Paul calls the ship after this name 7. It was a matter of absolute necessity as to my life for me to Petition them I being condemned to dye t is true for a trivial or ordinary occasion I should never Petition them but in an extraordinary case I might lawfully do it David in a case of extreme necessity did eat the Shew-bread which in an ordinary case he might not do T is true indeed Cato would not Petition Caesar for his life he had rather dye than Petition but that I conceive was rather out of some animosity or height of Spirit or petty discontent than out of a rectified judgment for my part I am fully satisfied that I have not sinned in giving them their assumed Titles Names and Titles do not determine rights conveniunt rebus nemina saepe suis it is true sometimes but not alwayes 8. Titles men assume to themselves or are generally given by others may be given them by me without sin or without owning a right to those titles this I may make appear by sundry late instances Henry the eighth had this title given him Defender of the faith yet he had no right to this title for he defended only the Popish Religion he opposed the Faith rather than defended the Faith and the true reason why the Pope gave him this title Defender of the Faith was because he opposed the Doctrine of Luther and wrote against him yet none scrupled to call him and the succeeding Kings of England the Defenders of the Faith So the King of Spaine is called the Catholick King yet he hath no true right to this title for he is not a Catholick or universall Monarch yet our new State have lately sent to the King of Spaine under this title The Catholick King so the King of France is call'd the most Christian King so the Duke of Bavaria having by arms ejected the Palsgrave writes himselfe Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine so the King of Poland takes this title to himselfe King of Sweden yet hath no right to that Kingdom yet none that ever I heard of scrupled to give these titles to them considering that titles do not determine rights and considering

Body of the Protestant Religion in Christendome being best able to defend themselves and succour other Reformed Churches when indangered and designed to ruine by Popish Enemies therefore the discountenancing of the Covenanting party in England and the ruining of them in Scotland is the readiest way to indanger conquer ruine all other Reformed Churches in the World and how will this imbolden and encourage Popish Adveraries to invade and ruine the Protestants whiles they see England and Scotland who make up the greatest Body of the Protestant Religion in Christendome engaged in an un-Brotherly and un-Christian War between themselves and weakning impoverishing and destroying each other 5. Cromwells invasion of Scotland is an extraordinary ground of joy to the Pope and all his Confederates Had the Conclave of Rome plotted together they could not wish a more happy and hopefull designe to advance the interest of Rome and Catholick Religion that doth more glad and gratifie the Popish party than to see the Protestant party in England and Scotland ruining one another I have read a very remarkeable story of a great Politician in France that is Cardinal Richelieu That a little before his death be left Instructions and advice with the late French King that he would use his utmost endeavour to foment the late differences between the King of England and the Parliament and if it were possible by the sollicitations of his Instruments to draw the House of Commons in England to change their Government from a Kingdome into a Common-wealth by which means England and Scotland would be imbroyled in warres one against another which is the onely and best policy of all to weaken and destroy the Protestant Religion and advance the interest of France and Catholique Religion The truth of this story is asserted by an Italian of good note and credit and published by him and Printed in Italy anno 1645. I shall say no more touching this particular but only this that I doe verily beleeve Cromwels invading Scotland in the year 1650. makes it a year of Iubilee in Rome but a year of slavery to England and Scotland and a year of sorrow to all the Protestant Churches round about us which puts me upon the next sad consequence of this war viz. 6. It will be and is a great grief and sadning to all Protestant States and Churches round about us when they consider how we who have lived under one King united in one Covenant ingaged in one and the same Quarrell that we should ruine and destroy one another and that with such bloody rage and cruell hatred as we doe what a grief is it to them to consider that we who might have been their he●pers are our own destroyers neither able to assist them abroad nor defend our selves at home 7. It will lay lasting foundations of irreconcileable discord between the two Nations That we who were the dearest Friends will be to each other the greatest Enemies 8. There will be a toleration of all Heresies and Blasphemies in the Church and an increasing of all oppression and violence in the State These two usually goe together Iudges 5. 8. They chose new Gods then was there War in their Gates These with manifold more inconceivable mischiefes are likely to arise by reason of Cromwels groundlesse and unwarrantable invasion of our neighbour Nation The last work I have now to doe about this vindication of my self is to take off some aspersions and slanders unjustly laid upon me 1. Some report that I am under great fears of death that much terror and trembling laies hold upon me To which I say That through the sence of the pardoning mercies of God through the blood of sprinkling the bitternesse fear and sting of death is much abated that I am delivered from the fear of death to which all the former part part of my life I was subject unto bondage I speak it without vanity to the praise of Gods glorious grace I formerly have had more feare at the pulling out of a Tooth than now I have at the thoughts of the cutting off my head I mention it to the praise of God who supported me the hearing of the Sentence of Death pronounced against me in the Court did no whit dismay me I had as much calmnesse and quietnesse in my minde at that very ho●●e as ever I had in all my life yea since I have been condemned I blesse God I have not had one troubled thought nor broke one hours rest nor forborne one meals meat yea the very night before I was to suffer I supt as heartily and slept as sweetly as ever I did in all my life the hopes I have of an eternall life doth swallow up the fears of a temporall death 2. Objection But you confesse you have sinned therefore you are put to death for your sinne Sol. I have indeed and I ought to confesse my sinns against God so condemne my self and justifie God acknowledging that I have sinned and he is righteous in all that is come upon me so that it is just with the most high to cut me off in the midst of my dayes and in the midst of my Ministry but yet I never said that I had sinned against God in the particular facts for which that cruell sentence was past upon me I say still as I did at the Bar when I received the sentence of death that God did not condemne me when I was judged that neither God nor my own Conscience did condemne me of sin I have transgressed their bloody Lawes it is true yet not broken any command of God in so doing they have sinned in making such Lawes not I in breaking them I am far from thinking that I have sinned in what I have done to desire the King might agree with the Scots upon the interest of Religion and the terms of the Covenant to relieve that gallant Gentleman Major Generall Massey to pray for and endeavour after the good of the Godly in the neighbour nation of Scotland who are Brethren in Covenant with us I count all this my duty not my sinne yet I deny not but as infirmities doe cleave to my duties so in the way of mannagement of this businesse inadvertency indiscretion and too much opennesse might cleave to these actings of mine but that the thing it self was evill that I never have never shall confesse 3. Object Some are not ashamed to say that I am a debaucht person that I have been guilty of uncleannesse Sol. This I declare in the sight of God is most abominably false as Luther said of himself That he was not tempted to covetousnesse so through the grace of God I can say it without vanity or falshood I have not been tempted to uncleannesse I know no ground of this report but this that on Easter-day night last was six yeare one of my name Master Edward Love a Chaplain in the Army was questioned before Justice Rich dwelling about Chancery Lane for being found in bed

their blood are directly guilty of all the blood shed in Scotland 2. By no kind of consequence can the guilt of Scotland's blood be charged on me I would fain know what act I have done that hath a remote tendency to the sheding of blood in Scotland Can I be said by Consequence to be guilty of the blood of Scotland only for praying the King may agree with the Scots upon the interest of Religion and terms of the Covenant there is no more consequence in this than to say Tenterden Steeple is the cause of Goodwin Sands nor no more consequence than in the Iesuits Argument that because CHRIST did feed the multitude with five Loaves and two Fishes therefore there must be seven Sacraments Thirdly For my part I am a man of such an obscure station that it was not within my sphere to be able to doe any thing to promote the Agreement between the King and the Scots otherwise than by my poor prayers I was at no meeting as I remember to promote that end Fast onely excepted but one at my house at which time William Drake propounded this question What we should do to promote the Agreement between the King and the Scots at the Treaty at Bred●h he drew out some papers written in Characters which he called A Commission and Instructions to severall persons in Holland to use their I●terest to fu●ther the Agreement between the King and the Scots When I heard it I declared my self against it as being an act of high presumption for private persons to send Commi●●ion and Instructions and an act of notorious falshood to say it was in the name of the Presbyterian party when none knew thereof but those present that I know of yea one of the Witnesses viz. Captain Far swore that all the Company were against sending them I know no more that I have done to promote the Agreement yet the blood of Scotland is charged upon me But suppose I had done a hundred times more than I did to promote the Agreement between the King and the Scots upon the interest of Religion and terms of the Covenant yet how can I be justly charged with all the blood of Scotland for desiring the King should agree with that Kingdom who had proclaimed him King What law of God or of the Land have I broken if I had done so the Covenant counts them Malig●ants Incendiaries and evill Instruments that desire or endeavour the contrary videlicet Divide the King from his people or one of the Kingdoms from another 3. I say no more concerning this I shall be more large in the 3d. viz. Lay down some Arguments to prove the unlawfulnesse of the English Army's invading Scotland Yet I intend not to handle the case of Invasion to shew in what cases only an Invasion of another Nation in a Hostile manner is lawfull I am from all my books that I cannot consult with Casuists in that point all that I shall doe at present is to give some Scripture instances that may hint unto us the unwarrantablenesse of the War with that Nation of the same Religion and in Covenant with us and then give reasons and considerations drawn from interest of State against the unlawfull Invasion of Scotland Had God given me life I intended a large Treatise concerning the Usurpation of the Government of England and the unlawfulnesse of the Invasion of Scotland but my collections being lost and taken away they must dye with me I hope more able hands will write against the Invasion though they cannot fight against the Invaders I will offer but a few Scripture instances that may suggest something against this bloody War with our Brethren in Covenant with us Read Amos 1. 9. 10. 11. 12. I will not turn away the puni●●ment of Tyrus because they have delivered the whole cap●ivity to Edom and remembred not the brotherly Covenant So that Scotland may say as in Obadiah ver. 7. The men of my confederacy that were at peace with me have deceived me and prevailed against me Yea the English did to Scotland as Edom did to Israel Amos 1. 11. Edom did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pitie and his anger did teare continually did not Cromwell do so to Scotland worse than Edom to Israe● let Dunbar fight testifie and the worse than butcherly usage afterwards of the prisoners there taken I may say to Cromwell as God said to Edom for thy violence against thy Brother Jacob thy Brother Scotland shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever Obad. v. 10. then in Obad. v. 13 14 15 it is said Thou should'st not have entred into the ga●e of my people in the day of their calamity yea thou should'st not have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity neither should'st thou have stood in the cross way to cut off those of his that did escape neither shouldst thou deliver those of his that did remaine in the day of distresse Then it followes As thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne upon thine owne head I shall mention one Scripture History that is pertinently applyed and published in Print entituled The History of Pek●h it is worth your perusall Pekah King of Israel did sinfully invade Jud●h had the worser Cause and the lesser number yet prevailed over Iudah then said Oded the Prophet because the Lord was wrath with Iudah he hath delivered them into your hand and yee have flaine them in a rage reaching up to Heaven and now ye purpose to keep under the Children for Bond-men and Bond-women unto you but are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God c And doth not C●o●●ell do this to Scotland as Pekah did to Iudah Nay he is not so mercifull for Pekah returned the Captives restored the spoyle arrayed them and shoo'd them gave them to eat and to drinke and carried all the feeble of them upon Asses c. 2 Chron. 28. 15. Cromwell is so accustomed to works of cruelty that he is far from shewing such acts of mercy to his Brethren of Scotland as Pekah did to his Brethren of Iudah There is one Chapter in Ezekiel that I have often thought of which cannot be more aptly applyed to any in the World than to Cromwell and the rest of the invaders of the Scot●ish Nation it is the 35 of Ez●kiel v. 5. to the end Because thou hast had a perpetuall h●tred and hast shed the blood of the Children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity in the time that their iniquity had an end therefore as I live saith the Lord I will prepare thee unto bloud and bloud shall pursue thee and v. 10. Because thou hast said These two Nations and these two Countries shall be mine and we will possesse it whereas the Lord was there therefore as I live saith the Lord I wil do