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	worship_n	3,910	5	7.2192	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90963	Clerico-classicum, or, The clergi-allarum to a third war. Being an answer to a pamphlet, intituled, A serious and faithfull representation of the judgements of ministers of the Gospel within the province of London, contained in a letter from them to the Generall and his Councell of Warre. Delivered to his Excellency by some of the subscribers, Jan. 18. 1648. Which may likewise serve for a brief answer to their late vindication, relating to their former actings, touching the capitall punishment of the person of the King. / By John Price, citizen of London.	Price, John, Citizen of London.	1649 (1649)	Wing P3340; Thomason E544_1; ESTC R204338	47,303	74

high Court of Justice and to sheath each neighbors sword in his brothers bowels yet you think your selves wrong'd to be called Incendiaries Have you endeavored to preserve the union and peace between the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland How is it then that some of you even in Pulpits have prayed for the good successe of those Scots that invaded this Kingdome with an Armie of wicked and prophane men the last yeare breaking all Leagues Covenants Compacts between the two Nations and so voted by this Kingdome Have you neither for hope feare nor other respect relinquished this promise Vow and Protestation how is it then that you are so shoffling changing and uncertaine for the King and against the King for the Parliament and against the Parliament for the Army and against the Army for Justice and against Justice m●king your vicissitudes and turnings up and downe the subject-matter of scorne contempt and derision both of your persons and Function Again Whereas you mention the Vow and Covenant you might have indeed shewed your ingenuity and candor bee●mming the Ministers of the Gospell of Jesus Christ to have taken notice of that which was the maine end of that Vow and Covenant contained in these words That I will according to my power and vocation assist the Forces raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament against the Forces raised by the King without their consent Have you perform'd this Vow and Covenant made and taken in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as you shall answer at the great day when the secrets of all hea●ts shall be disclosed What meanes then your lowing and bleating in the cares of the people from day to day stirring up the City and Countrey if it be possible to break the Forces raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament requiring them in the name of the Lord to rise up as one man against that rebellious Army assuring them that God hath given it unto you that they shall not prosper but be broken in pieces comming against London as once that Army was which came against Jerusalem and venturing the credite of your Function upon your passionat tongue affirming that if this comes not to passe the Lord hath not spoken by you as one of you affirmed and if deliverance comes not by you speaking to your Auditors God will bring it in some other way and since that God hath given most ample testimony against you by blessing that Army which you have cursed from Pulp●● to Pulpit in the name of the Lord against whom you begg'd and prayed and went and rais'd up the 〈…〉 groanes of your women-audience by your pathetick investiv●● while they happily have been fighting in blood and many of them expiring and breathing out their lives to save you from apparent ruine and destruction making some of your owne party more Christian and ingentious then your selves to blesse God for them acknowledging their own mistakes and weaknesses in their former opposing them yea and the whole Church of Scotland to acknowledg the same and to give a candid and thankfull testimonie of them and since that time have not some of you prayed God to forgive the cowardice of the City that they did not take hold of the opportunity of rising up against the Army admonishing them to be humbled for it As Mr. Jenkin before the Lord Major and Aldermen February 4. at Mercers Chappell especially that they did neglect the opportunity for feare of Reformation fearing that a rigid Presbytery would be set up they chose rather to 〈◊〉 still urging that because they neglected the government of Jesus Christ in the Church they shall have no government 〈◊〉 the State yet stroaking that party that was hopefully firme to them acknowledging that there were some that did keep● the Covenant of their God and were loyall to their late Soveraign and zealous for the government of Jesus Christ insinuating that the Parliament and Army and Court of Justice were guilty of the blood of the King of breaking the hedge of Government of levelling mens estates of sedition treason and rebellion c. Is this your keeping the Vow and Covenant which you here make mention of Is this your ass●sting the Forces raised and continued by both Houses of Parliament against the Forces raised by the King Were there ever such enemies to the Parliaments Army in all the Kingdome as your selves Did not your very Sermons and prayers tend to little else all the last Summer then to breake the Forces raised up by the Parliament But the truth is your folly is made known unto all men and you shall proceed no further your P●●pit language of this nature is of 〈◊〉 use except it be to the powring forth contempt upon your own heads But the maine thing you insist upon is the solemn Leagu● and Covenant this indeed serves you at every turne when all things else when Scripture and reason civility justice and honesty leave you you make the Solemn League and Covenant to goe along with you using it as you doe the holy Scriptures themselves dispossessing them of their true naturall and genuine meaning and as Satan once assumed Samuels body to deceive you spirit them with your own opinion Hence it is that when you were for the Parl. against the K. his Forces you stirr'd up the people with Scriptures Curs●yee Meroz c. When your interest your great Commander bids you fac● about or makes peace with your Adversary and it may be lists you under his Colours then like mercenary souldiers that sights for money on either side you engage against your quondam party and run to the Magazine of the Scriptures to furnish your selves with weapons making them like those Con●treyes that indifferently sell arms to their friends or foes then you cry out feare thou God and the King Let every soul● he subject c. When the Prelaticall party stood in your way then you summon'd up all the Scriptures that you could come at relating to the wickednesse of superstition Idolatry and of Prophets that tell lies in the name of the Lord if on the other hand the Prelates removed you sit not in their seats under a new notion then you summon up the other straine of Scriptures relating to the sins of the people in contemning the Prophets of the Lord that despise his Messengers c. Just so you deale with the Covenant when the Prelaticall party opposeth you then you run to that Article of the Solemne League and Covenant which engageth against Popery Prele●y Arch-Bishops Bishops c. When a contrary party stands in your way and doe not conform to your Discipline and bow down to your sheafe then you pay them with another Article engaging our endeavours for preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worship discipline and government c. If the Kings party lifts up a

this the way to make the Covenant like AN ALMANACKE OVTO● DATE It seemes our Ministers the Subscribers make little difference betweene Covenant or no Covenant Religion or no Religion when these stand in their way but are ready to acquiesce in that which destroyes both the one and the other whether Bishops be abolished or not abolished whether malignants be punished or not punished Nay they can plead for the King or joyne with Malignants or what not in the prosecution of their game though the Minister● of Scotland 〈◊〉 of another opinion These Subscribers make little difference between seven men excepted from pardon in the late Treaty at Newpor● and si●● of these out of the reach of Justice an olde man Judge 〈◊〉 that never personally shed blood only left behind and ●bout 37. or 38. before excepted from mercie by the 2. King●omes the liberties of the Kingdomes Religion Covenant all must velle and pay tribute unto these men In the 5th place whereas th●se Ministers both in their serious and faithfull representation of their judgements and in th●● vindication plead Covenant I desire to know of them whether one of the great and capitall ends both of the Covenant and Warre it sal●e hath not expresly beene set forth by 〈◊〉 Kingdoms from time to time to be the bringing of Delinquents to condign● punishment and is made the subject matter of th● 4th Article thereof is not this then an abhominable mocker● in the fight of Heaven and Earth and shall this be indulged and pleaded for by the Ministers of Jesus Christ in the Province of London Do● you thinke the blood of so many thousand Protestants in England and Scotland could be expla●●d by the blood of David 〈◊〉 who was not so much guilty of blood in all these War● a● some of your selves have been in 〈◊〉 men up to the late second War●e Is this your keeping of Covenant Is this the fruit of all your Sermons lasting and praying exciting and stirring up the Parliament as severall of your printed Sermons doe witnesse to cause judgement and justice to 〈◊〉 downe like amighty flood amongst u● Will the blood of David Jenkin make such a flood think you You say to the Army page 12. be not deceived God is not mocked but they may retort it upon your selves and God will require the● things at your hands above all others In the 6th and last place whereas you alwayes plead Solemn League and Covenant and leaving the Scriptures cry o● Covenant Oath of God Covenant of the Lord and breach of Covenant perjury c. Doth not the All-seeing eye of Heaven know and will he not judge think you betweene you and others in these things hath any generation party or society of men in the Kingdome taken more Oaths Vowes Covenants directly crosse and contrary each to other then your selves Looke backe into your former course of life and call to minde how many oaths and subscriptions subscription● and oaths you have made from time to time over and over and how you have either made it a meere vaine sinfull customary thing to swear solemnly in the sight of Heaven and Earth or have been very rash hasty and injudicious In so doing or 3dly have directly forsworn your selves against the light and sence of your own judgement and conscience have we not cause to judge better of many of the Prelaticall party who being men of learning and conscience and never so violent against their opposers in Church and State as your selves making no disturbances rents divisions factions by Pul●● and Presse as you doe from day to day as all men observe that being conscious to themselves of the many Oaths Vo●● Covenants that they have made of subjection and obedien●● unto Bishops the then established Church-government 〈◊〉 of Common-prayer Homilies Canons c. cannot take 〈◊〉 Solemn League and Covenant and rather choose to lose the● livings and livelihoods committing themselves Wives and Children to the mercy of God having no visible meanes 〈◊〉 subsisting then to break the peace of their consciences by taking an Oath Vow and Covenant contrary to all their former oaths before satisfaction received then for you or some of you that presently turn'd Presbyterian● cast away Episcopacy tooke the Covenant and having taken it turne in and wind it wring it and wr●st it making it to looke East and West North and South as your interest works with King Parliament or Army or against them all and this is not my saying only whom I expect you will represent as a Schismatick Sectary Hereticke a bold impudent inconsiderate c. But it is Vox Populi the late KING the Lord● the Commons the City the Countrey the whole Kingdome observed it it would have been rather expected that you should have made published and printed a Recantation of all your former Oaths Vows Covenants Promises Subscriptions then as if people knew neither you nor your wayes to exclaime at men for breaking Cove●●●● because they subject not themselves unto your interest and judgement under the Notion of Presbytery putting th● Crown upon Christs head building his house c. not one word of Presbytery in the Covenant and the very mention of Episcopacy and Government of the Church by the Arch-Bishops Bishops c. expresly made in some of your former 〈◊〉 which you have taken you tell the Army page 9. of your serious and faithfull representation that they have made Religion to stinke by reason of their miscarriages and like to become a 〈◊〉 and reproach in all the Christian world The truth●● they have spread the sweete savour of Religion abroad throughout this Kingdome more then thousands of those that stile themselves the Ministers of the Gospell and Embassadors of Jesus Christ And although some of them may have some mistaken about religion in some points thereof as you cannot deny 〈…〉 your selves have their errors yet their fame in matters of Religion hath sounded throughout all the Christian world beyond all Armies that ever were before them notwithstanding all your blacke lines and language ●owle scandalous and false aspersions cast upon them and this Kingdome in the severall parts of it yea in almost all the parts of it yea and the Kingdome of Scotland also have received full and ●●ple testimony of their worthinesse and declared the same to your vexation unto all the world and whether that your 〈◊〉 have not made Religion to stinke I would not use 〈◊〉 words were they not your owne and like to become a scorne 〈◊〉 reproach to all the Christian world Let all men judge nay the truth is almost all men have already given in their judgment against you many of your own party being more moderate meek and considerate then your selves have declin'd you and are asham'd of you no men party or faction Schismaticks Hereticks or call you them what you please have been greater hinderers of Reformation or the establishment of a moderate holy peaceable quiet advancement of the Kingdome