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	law_n	matter_n	2,980	5	5.2921	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39309	A sober reply, on behalf of the people called Quakers, to two petitions against them, the one out of Norfolk, and the other from Bury in Suffolk, being some brief observations upon them published on occasion of Francis Bugg's exposing one of the said petitions in print, and commending the other, &c, with many unjust aggravations and misrepresentations in his late book, falsly stiled A modest defence, &c.	Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1713.	1699 (1699)	Wing E628; ESTC R5881	8,677	18

A SOBER REPLY On Behalf of the People called QUAKERS To Two Petitions against them The One out of Norfolk and the Other from Bury in Suffolk Being some Brief Observations upon them Published on Occasion of Francis Bugg's Exposing One of the said Petitions in Print and Commending the Other c. With many unjust Aggravations and Misrepresentations in his late Book falsly stiled A Modest Defence c. It is an Honour for a Man to cease from Strife but every Fool will be medling Prov. 20. 3. London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street 1699. A Reply on Behalf of the People called Quakers to Two Petitions against them c. THat we may not build too large a Porch to so small an House we shall only premise That the Christian Religion hath often Suffered but never taught or countenanced Persecution That it was the Persecuting Jews not the Persecuted Apostle who cry'd Men of Israel help Acts 21. 28. That these Petitioners against us have nothing to Charge us with of Immorality nothing against the Publick Peace nothing but what concerns our Religion Which is an implicit Acknowledgment at least that they are in the same Streight to find out Matter of Accusation against us that Daniel's Adversaries were in to find Matter against him who thereupon ingeniously confest We shall not find any Occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God Dan. 6. 5. We begin with the Norfolk Petition as that which we understand was contrived first and probably led on the other Petition We cannot without Resentment take notice of the great Growth and daily Increase of the Quakers and the Mischief and Dangers from thence threatning this Nation Observation We hope we may without incurring their Resentment observe That the Jews of old took notice and that not without Resentment of the great Growth and daily Increase of the Christians in the first Age of the spreading of the Gospel and of the Mischief and Dangers they apprehended did from thence threaten their Nation John 11. 48. Which Misapprehension of theirs made them bend their Forces against the Innocent Christians to Suppress Destroy and Ro●t them out Whereby they brought upon Themselves and their Nation the Mischief and Dangers they feared God avenging by the hands of the Romans and their own one against another their Evil Treatment of his Son and Servants Pet. 'T is observable with what restless Zeal their deluding Teachers ramble into all parts of these Kingdoms Obs. 'T is probable the little Zeal unless for Maintenance the Petitioners have observed in their own over-rested Teachers makes the Zeal of those they Petition against so observable to them But they may do well also to observe which if they will not it may be hoped They to whom they have Petitioned will how much this Charge of Restless Zeal renders us like unto the Apostles and Primitive Christian Teachers whose Restless Zeal would not suffer them to sit down and rest in a Fat Benefice with a Curat to perform the Service for them But made them Travel into most of the then Civilized Parts of the World as the Acts of the Apostles and Ecclesiastical Histories shew And though their Enemies then were more modest than to call it Rambling yet they failed not to call them Deluding Teachers as these do us Pet. And as we suspect many Romish Emissaries under their Disguise Obs. The Petitioners should have done well to have given the Ground of this Suspicion of theirs if they had any to give that it might have been examined But to Suggest for it is probable this came è Suggesto out of the Pulpit For Justices we hope would deal more justly so Scandalous a Matter upon a bare Suspicion without assigning any Ground for it is to speak modestly of it an Evil-Surmising and against Charity For Charity we are assured 1 Cor. 13. 5. thinks no Evil. And since Charity is so excellent a Christian Vertue as to be preferr'd to both Faith and Hope verse 13. We are sorry to find so little Charity among the Justices and Grand Jurors of Norfolk This Suspicion of Romish Emissaries going under the Disguise of Quakers is indeed an old Scandal rais'd by our profest Enemies the Priests above Forty Years ago and by them industriously spread and kept up ever since on purpose to Traduce us to the better sort of People But is it not strange that if this had been true not one single Instance could be given not one Proof made in all this time of one Romish Emissary found among the Quakers This alone is enough to baffle the Slander which it hath done already with considerate Persons Therefore without taking further notice of it here we will conclude with Queen Elizabeth's Motto used while she was Princess Persecuted and a Prisoner viz. Much suspected by me Nothing proved can be Pet. And boldly spread their Venemous Doctrines every where Obs. This Venemous Epithet so ill becomes Justices and Grand Jurors that we are not willing to think it theirs but rather imposed on them by some of their dictating Teachers But passing by the Venome of it we cannot but observe here likwise how much they make us even in this also to resemble those whom we desire and labour to imitate the Apostles of our Lord. Whose Boldness in Asserting the Christian Faith and Spreading the Doctrine of their Holy Religion which no doubt their Opposers the Priests of that Age and such Rulers as those Priests could insluence thought to be wrong though they seem to have been more modest than to call it Venemous made even their Adversaries Marvel who yet were so ingenuous as to impute their Boldness to their having been with Jesus Acts 4. 13. Pet. Attempting to infect and shake the Minds of weak Protestants Obs. Had not those Protestants weak Teaches they would not be such weak Protestants Nor will it peradventure upon due Consideration be found a Dis-service in the Quakers if by their Zealous Preaching they excite those Teachers how unwillingly soever to be more Zealous more Assiduous more Laborious and Diligent in Preaching to strengthen their weak Hearers Pet. And Assuming Rules of Discipline Power in matters of Religion and Forms of Government Repugnant to the Establish'd Laws of this Kingdom contrary to the very Acts of Toleration and not allow'd to any other Dissenters Obs. We presume it is intended in all the Branches of this manifold Charge with respect to themselves only and we hope it will be so understood That if we assume Rules of Discipline in Church Matters they are for our selves only Power in Matters of Religion for and amongst our selves only As for Forms of Government though they are Ambiguous Words and such as we do not use amongst or of our selves Yet as there ought to be Government in every Religious as well as Civil Society and a Form or Forms of such Government So we know of no Form of Government in our Religious Society no Rules of Discipline no Power in Matters of Religion among us that is Repugnant to the Establish'd Laws of this Kingdom relating only to Civil Matters nor