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	government_n	kingdom_n	3,695	5	5.8013	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69468	England's confusion, or, A true and impartial relation of the late traverses of state in England with the counsels leading thereunto : together with a description of the present power ruling there by the name of a Parliament, under the mask of The good old cause / written by one of the few English men that are left in England ...	Anglesey, Arthur Annesley, Earl of, 1614-1686.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3168A; ESTC R59	19,125	24

depending against Vane and Hazilrig and if they rule on as well as they did when Oliver turned them out of doors with the braod of Knaves Whoremasters and Drunkards to the general rejoycing of the people no doubt we shall be a happy Nation And what esteem the people had of them appears by the elections to the last Parliament wherein though none but persons well affected to Parliaments had Votes and the persons now sitting laboured hard to be chosen very few of them were elected the people generally looking upon them as apostares from the Good Old Cause and therefore no wonder they would have that Parliament to which only they were chosen never dissolved I have now little more to do at present honest and learned Mr. Pryane having saved much of my labour but to let the world see how they go about by the example of the Army whose Apes they are to cozen the people of their Religion Laws Liberties Parliaments and Money with a Ra●●le called the Good old Cause which is a very cheat as you may see by the ensuing penitential Letter of one better skilled in their Cheats than I am Mr. Hugh Peters Letter written to a chief Officer of the Army SIR VVHereas the late transactions of the Army have very sore afflicted me and with Heman Psal. 88. ver. 15. have exceed ugly troubled me because of my love to my Native Countrey and the concernments thereof I thought it my duty being under much bodily weaknesse to desire you to take and give notice unto others of these my apprehensions ensuing 1. Though call'd to speak to the Officers I knew not their further intentions 2. When I heard of his Highnesse distasting their meetings I went to Three of the Chief and beg'd as for a penny that they would not proceed in any meeting and did the same to other Officers I met withall The dangers I conceive are these because the Protector and the two Houses as they were Set was the hopefullest way in the whole world to settle these Nations and the crossing thereof most dangerous as now it appears both in the sin and sorrow of it As 1. All the Armies addresses to his Highness to live and die with him are broken and their proclaiming of him everywhere slighted 2. His Family Himself and Lady being truly godly yea such a Family of godlinesse and sobriety not known in the Christian world now broken and the son of Jerubaal not regarded 3. The Authority of the best Parliament and most freely chosen trampled upon yea such a sort of men gathered together as would have been a Defence and establishment against all evils 4. Nothing set up in their place an Enemy at the door a pe●u●ious souldiery thousands of poor perishing that by this time might have been paid Widows and Orphants already dying in the streets Trade gone Private souldiers grown Masters Law and Gospel dying the whole Protestant cause in the whole world over●ottering how much animosity discontent and self ends have prevailed herein I know not but if the least encouragement was taken by any word of mine who was a stranger to any design I do here professe my sorrow and grief for the least occasion of it and look upon the whole businesse as very sinful and ruining of which the Child unborn and after Ages will be sensible and this I write from the saddest spirit of a sick man and Your Loving friend Hugh Peters I know but one expedient which is That his Highnesse may be in the same condition with his House and Family and that he be desired to call in as many of the late Parliament as are at hand to make up a House and Councel and Indemp●ity to passe and so forthwith to settle things And for that which they call the Good Old Cause I look upon it as a Cheat by the Jesuits put upon the Army the which we enjoyed it being Liberty and Peace VVhitehall May 10. 1659. Thus far Mr. Peters But for a further discovery of the Cheat ob●●uled upon the people by putting of the Good old Cause I shall to avoid large recicals of Remonstrances Votes and Declarations of Parliament state the true Good old Cause in the House of Commons own words briefly out of their Declaration of the 17th of April 1646. At the end of the War when they were full and free which they caused to be affixed in all the Churches of England to call God and Man to witnesse their sincerity therein And because the title of it is very significant and comprehensive take that at large viz. Die veneris April 17. 1646. A Declaration of the Commons of England assembled in Parliament of their true intentions concerning the Antient and Fundamental Government of the Realm the Goverment of the Church The present peace securing the people against all arbitrary Government and maintaining a right understanding between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland according to the Covenant and Treaties The Preamble recites how their good intentions had been misrepresented by divers Declarations and Suggestions of the King and thereby and by other practices the minds of many possessed with a belief that there was no just Cause of the War And that now they had succeeded in the War they desired to exceed or swarve from their first Aims and Principles in the undertaking the War and to recede from the solemn League and Covenant and treaties between the two Kingdoms and that they would prolong these uncomfortable troubles and bleeding distractions in order to alter the fundamental constitution and frame of this Kingdom To leave all Government in the Church loose and unsetled and themselves to exercise the same arbitrary power over the persons and estates of the subjects which that Parliament had thought fit to abolish by taking away The Star Chamber High Commission and other arbitrary Courts and the exorbitant power of the Councel Table Then they declare in General that they will settle Religion in purity according to the Covenant maintain the antient and fundamental Government of this Kingdom preserve the rights and liberties of the subject lay hold on the first opportunity of procuring a safe and well grounded peace in the three Kingdomes and to keep a good understanding between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland according to the Covenant and Treaties Then to give fuller satisfaction they declare particularly concerning Church Government that they are for the Presbiterial Government with a due regard that tender consciences which differ not in any fundamentals of Religion may be so provided for as may stand with the word of God and the peace of the Kingdom Then they declare that there was nothing they had more earnestly desired nor more constantly laboured after than a safe and good peace with the King which is the just end of a just War and ●here they assert the fundamental constitution and Government of this Kingdome to be by King Lords and Commons which they will not alter Then

they conclude that the first and chiefest grounds of the Parliaments taking up Armes in this cause was to suppress attempts of introducing an arbitrary Government over this Nation and Protecting Delinquents enemies of our Religion and liberties by force from the Justice of Parliament and declare that they will not interrupt the ordinary course of Justice in the several Courts and Judicatories of this Kingdome This is the good old Cause the Parliament owned And therefore let all that fear God in the three Nations consider whence they are fallen even from the Good old Cause held forth in the Votes Remonstrances Declarations Protestations Vows and oaths of the Parliament published in maintenance of our Ancient and well tempered setled Government by King Lords and Commons to a sneaking Oligarchical Tyranny under the bare name of The Good Old Cause which is as changeable as the addle heads that contrive it as oppressive as the corrupt w●●ls of licentious men can make it must be as arbitrary as the Army will have it and shall be more fully deciphered if they persist in it which they never dare do if the people who yet seem to be in a Lethargy remember their first works and be as resolute to assert their Religion Lawes and Liberties as these despera●e men of lost fortunes and reputations are bold to trample them under foot and make this great people once famous is through the world for valour wisdom and Religion a scorn and derision to all that are round about us and themselves Monsters of men by their A●heism Apostacy and Inconstancy I shall conclude with some advice now it 's seasonable To the Army To the people of all sorts and degrees and to the members sitting at Westminster 1. Faithful aduice to the Army First remember the ends for which you were raised for defence of king Parliament Religion and Liberties that you were servants to them and received their wages and were 〈◊〉 by oathes to them 2. Remember how in 1647 you were fi●st by some of your ambitious Officers most whereof are since dead seduced to Rebel against and betray your masters whom you accused falsely and to refuse to disband when the War was ended whereby you are become Oppressers and Robbers ever since And meer 〈…〉 3. Remember how in December 1648. you rebelled the second time against your masters and forceably and trait●rously as well as perjuriously b●oak the Parliament imprisoning and driving away most of the faithful members keeping only a few that prostituted themselves and the rights and liberties of the Kingdome with the lives of the King Nobles and Commons to their own ambition and to your lusts and wills as your pentioners in the house till April 1643. when you rebelled against them and for their self seeking and notorious crimes and miscarriages printed then at large in your Declaration you absolutely dissolved them to the general satisfaction of the people 4. Remember how giddily and impiously your ambitious wicked Officers have lead you through horrid Murders Treasons and breach of Oathes from a happy settled Government under a King and Parliament First to a Ridiculous Commonwealth thence to a new kind of Protector thence To Prayse God Bare-bones little Parliament thence to a Protector with an instrument of Lamberts making but never in tune thence to Tyrannical Major Generals thence to a new Crochet called The Petition and Advice thence to a New Protector and two Houses of Parliament whereof one was still-born thence To build up the things which you destroyed whereby you have made your selves transgressors Gal. 2. 18. Thus have you marched so fast from one Government to another ' that the poor people wearied out are fain to return home and sit still in a maze abhorring your unstable ungodly ways and crying to God in secret that he will at length restore unto England Our Kings and Nobles as at the first and our Judges as at the beginning making it a quiet habitation which by your ungodly courses hath been so long a howling wildernesse full of birds of prey and beasts that do devoure I have no mo●e to say to you but that if your mist●ading Officers can reconcile your actings since 1646 to the Scripture rule which you find Luke 3. 14. By which all Christian souldiers much more then Heathen are to walk viz. Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages then le● them go for honest men and count me mistaken But if this discourse of mine by God's blessing becomes instrumental for the awakening your Drowzie consciences to see your Long course of Sins and Provocations and to repent Then let me tell you your Work is short to make your Selves and the Kingdome happy for as you have lately gone Six yeares backward at one Step viz. from this time to April 1653. So if your Officers and You will but make one Step more viz. from April 1653 to December 1648 to our Ancient Long-experienced and fundamental Constitution of Government by KING LORDS and COMMONS you will justifie your Repentance to be sincere and render it famous to all the World and deserve and have Rewards from your Countrey instead of Indempnity which you now beg from every Power that Sits 2. Advise to the People of all sorts and degrees Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi your rulers do●e and go astray but you suffer by it as well as they Therefore strive to set them right though they forget their Oaths and Promises do you remember yours Have you ever seen quiet or settlement since the King was inhumanely murd●ed this own Gate and our ancient Government by King Lords and Commons changed since our Covenant was counted an Almenack out of date this was one in 1648. shall I perswade you to return whence you are fallen I need not I know you are ready for it and watch your opportunity Let me only tell you the time is now come for having tryed all other ways insomuch that we are going round again where we first turned aside you see no Foundation to build upon but our Ancient one strive therefore for the restoring of King Lords and Commons that you may enjoy them and be happy Remember how the Ministers and others of London Essex Suffolk Northamptonshire Lancashire and other Counties gave their Testimony against the King's death in 1648 and repent for that Bloud with which the land is defiled Let those who so boldly in their late mutinous Representation to the Protector moved for a Justification of the Kings death and all acts done in pursuance thereof know that they may as soon pull the Stars out of God's right hand as make those that fear his name in England justifie such a horrid impiety for which God hath made us an unsetled people ever since and hath given them and the Kingdome no rest ever since nor will till they repent and do their first works and call all the Members of the Long-Parliament together to sit