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
A96886	The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1642 (1642)	Wing W3484; Thomason E122_1; ESTC R18182	151,993	158

WHOSE FOVNDATION WAS OVERFLOWNE WITH A FLOOD The Church applies all this right even to the Judges and would have them apply it so too for they are able Surely they can looke backe and enquire of the dayes of old which will tell them that their Fathers in whose steps they trod consulted shame to their house Because of Mens bloud and for the violence of the Land g Exod. 22 22 23 24. shame devoured the labours of their Fathers h Hab. 2. The stone cryed out of the Wall and the Beame out of the Timber answered it woe to him that buildeth a House with bloud and establisheth it with iniquitie And so it was and is for these houses are consumed away by the heate of Gods displeasure as if they had been made as we reade Ier. 2. some houses are in Gothland of SNOW i O lau● d● rit Gent. Septen lib. 1 Ch● 23. The Lord grant they may consider this and trust to their Repentance and free acknowledgement of their crimes to that BLOOD above all which yet speaketh rather then to their Apologies which some thinke and all say are smooth and plausible A SAGE of their owne is cleare against them Thus the Lord Cooke speaks where he speakes as we may understand him Latine and English both and full to this purpose for I may not hit of his words being long since I read them The Law is cleare for free Subjects in point of Priviledge and property if the Client through ignorance and the Lawyer through wilfullnesse doe not darken it The Law showes a way very discernable to a cleared sight betwixt Mine and Thine If the Lawyer be at a fault here surely there is dust cast into his eyes and he deales treacherously because he will doe so not because he wants wit or knowledge but because he is subtle and wicked for he goes by the clearest Lights not single but plurall that any Science in the world hath the light of Nature and of Reason and of conscience all three Therefore the Sage concludes A knowing Lawyer whom wee commonly call good must necessarily be a good man or c. the Contrary as the Country man calls him who calls a Spade a Spade And the best excuse he can make why he dealt contrary must be his feare that made him clash against the Law feare of present drowning if he did not swim with the stream and not ignorance of the Law But here also our Chronicles gives us a famous example of a good Judge and a good man Sir Iohn Markham by name late times yeeld us one or two more King Edward the 4. outed him his place But the valiant Knight valiant for the Truth no Iudge thereof now gloried in this as well he might that Though the King could make him NO IVDGE he could not make him a DISHONEST MAN He could doe nothing against the Truth but for the Truth k 2 Cor. 13 8. notwithstanding all provocations and forcei●g to the contrary Our Iudges the worst part of them cleane contrary nothing for the Truth but against the Truth nor were they so much forced as they used forcing Then Iudgement was turned away backward and Iustice stood afarre off for Esa 59. 14. Truth sell in the street and equity could not enter c. For it followed just so Therefore Gods Arme brought Salvations He put on the garment of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeale as ver 16 17. 18. a cloake According to their deeds He did repay fury to His Adversaries recompen●e to His enemies Thus the Lord did for a peeled people that we might set OVR HOPE in Him and not forget His workes But behold we are turned backe we are not stedfast This is the Truth which appeareth thus ¶ 2 We mind our Covenant no further then as it may be a Covenant of Salt to assure us our outward Priviledges for ever That 's our great errour the Church confutes it and instructs us to Discretion VVE are not stedfast in the Covenant farther then it concernes our private wealth so far we will hold-fast to it as it doth maintain our outward Rights We are resolved upon the Question and let us now be begged for fooles or madd men if we doe not by all lawfull meanes maintaine the peace of our King His Crowne and Dignity and the Priviledges of Parliament for herein we must have a principle of profit to carry us the Rights and Liberties of the Subject are maintained Vowes are upon Him and Them the Oath of God is betwixt us the strongest engagement that can be to maintaine th● LAW and then the Law will maintaine us and all the fore-mentioned And that is all we looke after We consider not how spirituals strengthen Politickes that both King and Kingdome are established by Righteousnesse Therefore the Church mindeth us of a great principle of State government which is this That true Religion and Godlinesse is the root of all true virtue and the stay of all well ordered Common-weales And to keepe the true Religion pure and unstained ought to be the highest of all cares appertaining to publicke Regiments and the peace therof Did not thy Father Iosiah doe judgement and justice and it was well with him l Ier. 22 ●● While he was yet young he begun to seeke after the God of his father and to pur●e Iudah and Ierusalem m 2 Chro. 34. 3. And there was never any King before him or since that live● so desired or dyed so lamented No not one But his son Iehoiakim not so His Eyes and his Heart were for oppression and for violence to doe it n Ier. 22. therefore he was buried with the buriall of an Asse they lamented not for him saying AH LORD or AH IS GLORY But what is this to the people much every way as what concerned the HEAD then concernes the BODY now because of that sympathy and nearest Relation betwixt them and what concernes the BEE concernes the BEEHIVE and vvhat doth good or hurt to the one doth the very same to both Therefore this is added They then and They onely doe seele the weight of Duty towards their Prince and Country they know the just bounds of observation towards both who can in a gracious freedome of Spirit arising from Their innocency and independancy except on the living God stand out notwithstanding all shockes against all corruptions in Doctrine and manners having a tender sense of both that there be no corruption in either And so doe wish from an entire and ingenious heart O KING LIVE FOR EVER It is not the strength of all united hands that can set the Crowne fast upon a Kings head not the pollicy of as many heads can make it flourish there nor can all the Arme of flesh put out to it 's utmost strength confirme to us our Liberties and establish the Right of Subjects No but it is RELIGION kept in it's purity Iustice maintained in it's

vengeance against those treacherous Priests and light Prophets now He will recompence upon them all their abominati●ns which they have committed in His house before His face Now He will raise up Carpenters which shall strike off those hornes that have pushed and goard and scattered the servants of the Lord m Zach. 1. 20. And surely all the undertakings of that High Court have gone ou● all along with God in His way And have the very stampe and seale of His Hand upon theirs to make H●s worship truly spirituall according to His will and not clogged and mixed with humane Inventions Ecclesiasticall and Civill charges And he that shall looke upon them the actions I meane of the High Court with an impartiall eye that shall be but willing to understand them the meaning and tendencie thereof hee will be forced to beleeve as was ●aid in a higher case n Qui studuerit intelligere cogetur ei credere ●ertul de Deo cap. 17. That all this hath beene suggested to them by God and managed by His right-hand They have beene but as noble instruments bent unto His purpo●e and as the bow and sword in His Hand But remember this with it which was intimated before He hath brought upon them their owne iniquity o Ps 94. 13. and so hath cut them off Their owne wickednesse hath helped forward this great worke the casting out of these Church-men nursing Fathers in Name and no more for they starved their children They helped forward p Zach. 1. 15. the wrath for the slaying a whole Nation Now His own wrath killeth the foolish man and envy slayeth the silly one q Iob 5. 2. So as we may say in allusion thereunto and conclude as of old These Church-mens iniquity makes full proof of the Justice and innocency of that High Court r Probatio est nostra innocentiae impietas vestra Tert. cap. 48. If you will aske me now in the close what I can say against the office My answer is ready but yet I will say no more here but as St. Paul saith touching the LAW vve know the Law is good if a man use it LAWFULLY * 1 Tim. 1. 8. The next Objection scorcheth for it is from a tongue set on fire of hell Ob. That now they have cast forth Church men they will cast forth their King too out of the inheritance of the Lord They will rise up in batt●ll against their King and can they expect that we should tender them a Thank-offering for that An. No sure the Axe rather or a rope let one or both be tendred to such Philistines who deale vilely with their King as if he were not anoynted vvith oyle a 2 Sam. 1. 21. and then shall these servants of the Lord be free for they can call God to record upon their soules that they rise up for their King against spoylers for their Religion against Papists for their lives and liberties against murtherers for their Church and Nation against them that would make fenced Cities ruined heapes and bring utter desolation to the King and Kingdome Church and Common-wealth and all The contrary is suggested to his sacred Majesty and so forced that he dares protest see how wicked Counsell may prevaile in the face of Heaven and Earth that they who seeme to be on his side and with him shall maintaine the Lawes just Liberties and Rights of the Church and Common-wealth Marke Reader Sons of Belial so much malice hath suggested and so far prevailed shall maintain the Lawes and Papists the true Reformed Religion men of bloods like Irish Villaines nay the very same shall safeguard your lives Reade on Those that are gone out to battell against these enemies vvhither soever the LORD shall send them VVhat are these men 1 Kin. 8. 44. Ob. Malice hath suggested but shee vvas foully out That most of them are ANABAPTISTS Ans Nay not one I say againe not one Malice may suggest That some one or two there is a Samaritan and hath a Divell for that has bin suggested against the Captaine of the Host b Ioh. ● 48. but that there are ANABAPTISTS there that is false sure because they are gone forth to vvarre and vvill maintaine it to the Death No ANABAPTIST then No nor Rebels nor Traitors neither though suggested so Like the dirt of Oysters it will not staine the righteous have bin slandered so of old but never has beene heard or seene such contradictions of sinners such contrarieties of Tongues and Wills as now a daies They can reade much written in commendation of folly and to some purpose They can reade also some sheets blotted in the commendation of the Ague the Feaver and the Gout Yea and one whole sheet in the praise of a Louse and three sheets in the praise of the vilest person but he was an Emperour that ever went upon two Leggs All this they may finde and reade in Bookes but they never heard or read till of late nor their Fathers before them That an Army most of Papists and the other looking stedfastly towards Rome in the same Kingdom haue bin commended for loyall Subjects to a Protestant King And an Army of Protestants charged with Treason and Rebellion against the same King But the Righteous are not carefull they can turne as afore-said to the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE and seeing there is no vvrong in their Hands They can say as David so persecuted before them The God of their Fathers looke theron and rebuke it c 2 Chr. 12. 17. This has beene the good mans comfort evermore when he hath been smitten at with the tongue My Adversaries can say much against me for he thinkes his tongue his owne but he cannot say I HAVE FORSAKEN THE LAW OF MY GOD So now malice may suggest that there be Traitors in Gods Hoste and most of them Brownists and Atheists she is not so shamelesse to suggest that most or any of them are Papists no Anabaptists If so be malice could have suggested that and have made the charge good where had our Hope beene Certainly had this Hoste consisted most of Papists it had gone out under the guilt of all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abell unto the blood of Zacharias and so downe ward unto this Day d Mat. 23. 35. but not one PAPIST no not one in the Hoast of God the enemies themselves being Iudges the Papists are all on their side all the world over And that it is so is ●n cleare as the Sunne when he shines in his strength All the Papists are on the other side and not one with the Host of God Surely here is matter for high praise to our God Blessed be the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost that Satan the accuser of the Brethren hath condemned his owne cause and justified theirs for behold all this is granted that all the Papists in the Land nay all the world over are on that

they vvould have So he said What were these gods Stocks and Stones some of them Divels few did him a little good at somtime in conceit the most a great deal of hurt but he offered so liberally to all because he would please all that some might do him good others might doe him no hurt d Aust de civit l. 8 13. Plac●ndi sunt Dij mali ne laed●nt bo●●i invocandi ut profi●● Enquire now and so thou shalt understand His Will the better VVhat is thy God As we reade The God That made the Heaven and the Earth The Father of the Lord Jesus Christ the God before whom thou dost walk b Gen 49. 25. the God Who hath fed thee all thy life long unto this Day The God Almighty Who hath blessed us with the blessings of Heaven above blessings * Gen. 4. 15. of the deep that lieth under blessings of the brest and of the womb But when I have said God I have said all Mercy goodnesse wisdome power riches all only this was not said That He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Sonne c. What wilt thou do now for this God and His Christ Thou wilt understand what His will is first Thou dost well So thou shalt His will shall be cleared unto you as the Sunne beame This is His will even thy Sanctification c 1 Thes 4. 3. His will the very Law of His will but His will is His Law an holy Law and His will revealed is our Law that wee should sanctifie His Name a●d His Day heare His word a●d doe it that is His will walke as people in Covenant with Him as children of the light honestly d Rom. 13. 13. as in the Day soberly righteously and godly in this present world e Tit. 2. 12. not in rioting and drunkennesse not in strife and envying not as Arabians Sabeans and Chaldeans Papists and Atheists men without God in the world robbing spoyling pillaging not as the fishes in the Sea where the greater devoure the lesser a Hab. 1. 14. not as Devils b 1 Tim. 2. 12. slandring each other not as his eldest sonnes children of Beliall breaking yoakes and casting away bands and girdles under a pretence of being freed from fetters not so for this is after the lust of the Divell most contrary to the will of God which is as was said Holy just and good It is impossible we should be ignorant of it Why then Thou knowest what the will of thy God is and Thou seest Who steere their course thereafter by the help● of God and the Law You see who doe contend for the Faith for Religion for th● Gospell call it what you will It is that whereto the Prophets and Apostles have sealed and so transmitted it to the generations following and from them it came streaming downe unto us in the blood of the Martyrs under the shadow whereof this Church hath enjoyed her Sabbaths rest and peace these foure-score yeares and upward So long have we set in peace under this cove●ing For this the Nobles have contended and are resolved to resist the opposers of it unto blood And is it not Gods will they should so doe Yes more cleared unto them then if it could have bin written with the Sunne beame And is it not their bounden duty so to doe No question to be made of that when it is clearly the will of God But I would rather their children sh●uld answer here Certainly ha● these Nobles failed at this point had they not given out their Male their strength in the managing thi● great businesse had they not contended here then had their Descendents put up a complaint against them doubled the same as we reade Bloody Fathers have ye bin to Exod. 4. 25. us bloody Fathers ye are Yee contended not for Religion ye neglected that ye were carelesse thereof and so of the good estate of future times unnto which ye knew ye must transmit and commend-over us your dearest pledges bloody Fathers ye are so they had complained Blessed be God they knew the will of their Lord and their bounden dutie and have done thereafter they have contended for this Faith and they will contend what is their life to them o● what regard to a new b●rne son If ICHABOD where is the glory that is gone They will contend for the Glory they will keepe it they are resolved so so to contend even as for life Ob. What contend against their King Is that the will of God An. A sillie Objection I had almost said wicked They contend for the King for the maintaining his Crowne Peace and Dignitie They contend for the maintenance of Religion and that is like the maintaining a Ship in a Tempest a sillie will●ull man and let him perish if he be not a sleepe that will not put forth his hand to maintaine the Ship now in distresse of weather if that lives he lives if that drowns be drownes Truly I have said all I can saie They that contend to maintaine Religion doe as those who contend to save their ship save that and that will save them The Nobles doe contend to maintaine Religion that ship and in so doing they contend for their King his life and peace for his everlasting Crown for the peace and honour of his people for the safetie of his Kingdomes that they may be the head and not the tail● the most honourable of Kingdomes All this they doe contend for for they contend for Religion that ship which carries three Kingdomes in it at once peace safetie lives liberties and all And is it not the will of God they should so contend It were folly to answer for it is blasphemie to doubt Then what wilt thou doe to helpe them and their cause against the Mightie It is the greatest the most hopefull cause the best the plainest and clearest as cleare as the Sunne beame the most legible cause that ever was heard or read of in the world What wilt thou doe now to rescue thy King from out of the hands of Murtherers The Land from out of the hands of spoylers The Laws of God and man from sons of Belial who would make all void What wilt th●u doe to helpe the Lord against these Nimrods mightie hu●ters What wilt thou doe I say to helpe God and the cause of Christ Neither of them both do need thee He Whose cause it is can manage it without thee But so He is pleased to honour His Servants by calling them forth to helpe Him against the mighty And what wilt thou doe for H●m and His cause Who was made a curse for thee gave His blood for thee what wilt thou doe for Him It is His will and command both that thou shouldest give in thy helpe the Male of thy flocke thy strength and chiefe of thy substance to Him and thou hast heard what an Heathen will doe in such a case then thou wilt

but the entire Body represented and compacted together as one man And my selfe I see there though but as the foot in the Body yet there I am my interest there my estate there my liberty my Religion so farre as man can command it all is there that I have below as in a joynt stocke there it is managed and carried about by that great Body We cannot wonder now that we heare such shootings in every corner besides those we heare from the Pulpit Grace Grace a Zach. 4. 7. unto it The Good-will of Him that dwelt in the Bush b Deut. ●3 16. be upon it Lord blesse the King and the Parliament It is the highest Court on Earth it can call all other Courts to account how they have proceeded whether according to or against Law It is the great Assembly gathered from all the quarters and corners of the Kingdome whether all the people from Dan to Beersheba come up to present their sores there they looke for balme their grievances and pressures there they expect helpe and ease It is the great Councell of the Land there they consider take advice and speake their minds Every man there doe's as the purpose of the word is PARLER-LA-MENT speake judiciously his mind neither to flatter prerogative nor ●o extend priviledge c Nec praerogativis blandientes nec privilegia dilatantes L. Cooke ●p 8. be-his Reports being wisely valiant and zealously wise Therfore if I might use the Sages word christned a Parliament the highest House on Earth we cannot properly call it two Houses if we doe respect the Antiquity of it it is most venerable and ancient d Si vetustatem est antiquissim si dignitatem est honoratissima si iurisdictionem est capacissima Ep 9. if the honour and dignity of it it is most honourable if Jurisdiction and Power we remember the old saying The KING and the PARLIAMENT what cannot they doe Even what they please and wee stand still and hearken what that will be The Church is resolved already That shall be done which plea●eth them for sh●e is of the Shepheards mind That shall be done which pleaseth God and what pleaseth God pleaseth her But the Church counted it a mercy to heare newes of another Parliament If we should out-live Parliaments if a Parliament should be denied us or being granted should be destroyed then I-C ABOD where is the glory Then call the Church desolate and her Land forsake● The wicked would walke on every side for the vilest men should be exalted * Ps 12. 8. The long vacation given to the high Court hath given all the advantage to the Adversary whereby to worke their owne ends in the ruine of the publike Then was their time to sow tares and to give them rooting when they could cast the Lawes into a dead sleepe when they could cause jealousies betweene Prince and people when they could raise an evill spirit their owne familiar a fire of Contention which should come forth on the left-hand and devoure upon the right and then from the right and devoure upon the left O what an exceeding Mercy to have a Parliament in England like the great day of Judgement to the wicked when by the good hand of God upon it there is a full discovery of things the waies yea the hearts of men are laid open Things represented as they are the upright person as he is The vile as he is When Mephibosheth commeth in but of late represented as an enemy unto his Prince but now sound at the heart though lame in his feet and forgetting himselfe wholy for joy that the King is in safety and his Kingdome like to prosper when there is a right understanding of things betweene the King and his Subjects The King beholding his good peoples he●rts truly loy●ll and faithfull and they the face of their King as an Angell of God O! A Parliament 't is a fundamentall Mercy So th● Church allowes us to call it and to put it to that head and then reckon on A great Mercy to have another PARLIAMENT a Mercy but no wonder For SECT III. Things were so farre out of frame that they could not be set as rights but by a Parliament The having one or two in one yeare is not a wonder but a Mercie COnsider we how it stood with the Church as it is commonly and 〈◊〉 be cal'● ●nd no● with the Common-wealth we consider there two the Church as then it was called and the Common-wealth as then it stood a part and divided for so they are The Church standing against the Common-wealth as the one Pole against the other The Church so they were called the Governours Seers Over-seers chiefe Over seers commonly called Priests Bishops Arch-bishops and their ETCETERA'S made their loyns so strong and fortified their power so mightily as they thought they might rule with a rod of iron and still prevaile breaking in peeces the Lords Jewels as they pleased and making-up in the place thereof the basest peeces of the Earth The Holy Ghost hath fitted us with a most fit and full expression none like it Their workes were the workes of an imperious whoorish woman a Ezek. 16. 30. They were growne so impudently bold so past all shame so farre beyond all bounds of civility and modesty that they could not be longer endured They laid such loades upon the people That the stomacke of the Land was so over-charged that it must spew them out without putting finger into the throat or else die of a Sur●et No Remedy but by a PARLIAMENT I shall be corrected a CONVOCATION you should say let the Priest correct the Priest A Convocation that were to send the Iesuite to be tryed in a Conclave of Cardinals they would never find him guilty sure The whole Body of the Land was so ov●r-charged with the last Convocation that th●y cannot thinke thereof without loathing It 's so uns●voury at this day There must be a Parliament if it were for no other end but to advise about this whoorish woman so imperious she was And a Covocation in all likely-hood would make her more imperiously proud They would have reformed the Church they were about it as the Reformers did in the Councell of Trent who made the greatest Deformation that ever was heard or read of in the world But it is pleaded Let Church-men determine Church matters Let spirituall men have to doe in spirituall things And let them ●o ●ut let them know that there is a Councell above them that can call them to an account how spirituall they have beene And how like Church-men they have kept to the rule in their Determinations about Church matters This is not above the Power and Wisdome of a Parliament called together to advise DE ARDVIS REGNI ECCLESIAE Then surely the Lord Christ Hi● Religion Worship and Service the matter and manner of it is one of the greatest and most vveighty things and of the highest concernment

performe according to the PROTESTATION even the Lord shake him out and emptie him c Neh. 5. 1● The Lord grant thes● Malignants th●se sonnes or B●liall these troublers of Israel vvho will be bound by no other cord but by the cords of their owne sinnes may be cut off even all cut-off that trouble the Church those that love peace and pursue it These sonnes of Beliall cannot frame to pronounce an holy just and good Commandment ô that they vvere dealt vvith now as those persons vvere vve reade of in the Text Then they tooke him and sl●w him at the passages of Jordan d Iud. 12. 6. The Church knowes that there vvould be a greater slaughter then was that vve reade of and there fell at that time of the Ephramites fourty and two thousand Heere comes in a doubt and it will bee easily resolved The Obj●ction ●s Ob. The Church is a peaceable Mother in Israel her Father is the God of peace her Lord the Prince of peace her servants the children of peace then sure the Church doth not know vvhat spirit shee is of that prayes for Fire and Sword to come downe from Heaven Answ Yes the Church knows she hath the Spirit of God dwelling in her and by that Spirit she can and doth pray as afore-said ●nd will fight anon and be a peaceable vvoman for all this and a true Mother in Israel and follow the Lambe here also for in some cases and none riseth higher then this He even the Lambe hath wrath and that must be executed by her Sword Nay more as she prayeth for this thing so she can rejoyce to see this vengeance and to wash her feet c Ps ●8 10. in the bloud of the wicked and the whole City with her yea and to shout for joy d Prov. 11. 10. These are wicked persons professed enemies to God and His Christ Without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers inconti●c●t fierce despisers of those that are good Traitors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God not having so much as a forme of Godlinesse e 2 Tim. 3. 3 4 5. Pitty these vvicked Malignant persons and you destroy the Good shew mercy here you are cruell to the Church spare such and they will make havocke of Gods Servants as you see they doe and have done in all ages Wicked persons they and desperately bold and daring They would turne the Songs of the Temple into howlings f Amos 8. 3. She can rejoyce to see the vengeance yea and to wash her feet in the blood of these slaine And till this be done she never looks to have peace on the Earth for these are they who have taken peace from her Therefore she is resolved upon it now she vvill not onely pray but use her WEAPONS too Yes you will say PRAYERS and TEARES True for these are the Churches weapons and very prevailing nay commanding they are Prayers command God He is pleased to say so much and to yeeld g Esa 45. 11. so farre but the Church said she will fight too in a case wherein her Prince His State Crowne and Dignity is concerned for in all this the Church is concerned her Lawes Liberties Religion Life In such cases He vvill fight Let it goe it is good construction to apply a Masculine vvord to so Heroicke a spirit as I reade Queen Elizabeth did not well digest that Grammaticall nicety to be prayed for by the Title of DEFENDRESSE of the Faith DEFENDER vvas better concord in her Eares And indeed never any man Answered the Title better I was saying the Church hath another weapon which vvee call the Sword and she will make it drunke in the bloud of these Adversaries and yet doe no more then what she hath done in all Ages from the Primitive time downe-ward For though Prayers and Teares and these onely are her Sonnes and Daughters vveapons as they are private persons Yet as they are publike persons That alters the case and exalted in the Earth the Sword belongs unto them as their proper right and they stand bound to use it though then also They STVDIE TO BE QVIET h 1 Thes 4. 11. and know themselves CALLED VNTO PEACE so they may have TRVTH too i 1 Cor. 7. 15. The Church hath her Ioshaah's and they must not lye upon the face * Iosh 7. 10. wishing those even cut-off that trouble us k Gal. 5. 12. He must rise and cut-off those TROVBLERS it is his office so to doe The Church hath her Nehemiah's they may build with one hand and hold the Sword in another Shee hath her Davids the truest Subjects in the world as then hee was and yet their H●ast may be as his was as the HOAST OF GOD l and all for their owne safety and to maintaine as ● Chr● 12. ●2 David did their Masters peace The Church hath her Princes and her Nobles and her Worthies blessed be God for them all to whom the Sword belongs and they are charged to use it for the cutting off those that trouble her and are enemies to her Lords Crowne and Dignity They are charged to be of good courage and to play the men for their King and His people and the Cities of their God and the Lord doe that which seemeth Him good d 2 Sam. 10. 12. Then in the last place ¶ 4. Private Persons must make Supplications THe Church makes her Supplication to you That you would rise up and be doing that you would avenge her of these Adversaries who have done what they can to take peace from the Earth All is contained in your Covenant every whit Remember that and you remember all and the Lord remember His Covenant with you for the darke places of the Earth are full of cruelty e Ps 74. Doubtlesse the Lord Who keepeth Covenant and mercy for ever will not breake with you now Remember f Deut. 7. 18. WELL what the Lord your God hath done for you That will give you assured confidence for the time to come Onely deale couragiously g 2 Chron. 19. 11. stand to what you have said and what in you lyeth cause the Covenant to passe through the Land and doe as the good King did vvhat you can to make the people stand to it h 2 Chron. 34. 32. and the Lord shall be with the good i 2 Chron. 19. 11. Amen for they will make their prayer to Him which cannot be in vain k Esa 45. 19. being one of the most prevailing things in Heaven or Earth but it is reserved for the time when ye as Esther l Est 4 16. commanded Prayer then it will appeare how prayer commanded for you SECT IV. The engaging the heart to God engageth God to our Businesse then they slide-on the loftinesse of Man shall be bowed downe and the ●aughtinesse of Men shall be made low Idols and Idol-men and Idoll-garments and bloody Courts shall