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	papist_n	protestant_n	3,430	5	8.0447	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57599	Loyalty and peace, or, Two seasonable discourses from I Sam. 24, 5 viz., David's heart smote him because he cut off Saul's skirt : the first of conscience and its smitings, the second of the prodigious impiety of murthering King Charles I, intended to promote sincere devotion and humiliation upon each anniversary fast for the Late King's death / by Samuel Rolls.	Rolle, Samuel, fl. 1657-1678.	1678 (1678)	Wing R1880; ESTC R25524	110,484	255

since his Return we have had as much assurance as we need to wish of the greatness and goodness of his Princely Intellectuals of his being endowed with excellent natural parts which brings to mind a Scotch Proverb viz. That one inch of Mother-wit meaning natural ingenuity is better than an ell of Clergy And those natural parts improved and exalted by forein Travel converse with all sorts of men Experience both of Adversity and Prosperity dispatch of business for many years together the constant and assistance of wise Counsellors and the advantage of his great office and Dignity and you know by how much higher any man standeth by so much farther off can he see So that now I know no man can question whether he hath great fitness and skill for the business and purposes of a King great understanding how to govern in all points and better skill to manage a Scepter than any man who hath not a Scepter to manage 5. If it be yet a further mercy or happiness to a people to have a King that is active or nimble not dull or sluggish so is he I had almost said that his Majesty seems to be as much an Vbiquitary when he pleaseth i.e. here and there and every where as his Affairs require his presence as any man that wears a body I had almost said he hath not only a body so agile and active as if it were a Soul but also a Soul so active as if it were an Angel rather than the Soul of a mortal man 6. Is not that King a great mercy and blessing under whom his Subjects do live as easily as freely and as much like men as any Subjects in the world do Where more liberty more peace more plenty than amongst English men who by their Representatives in Parliament may be said to carry the purse at their Girdles whilst his Majesty carrieth the Sword by his side Go but over Sea to other parts of Europe or of the world and when you see how it fareth with Subjects almost every where else what meer Slaves they are in comparison of Englishmen you will look upon England as the most temperate Climate that any Subjects do live in and think with your selves that if there were but a Bridge betwixt England and other parts of the world all Subjects would chuse to come and live here as is said in another case Verily the Subjects of England are little Princes to what the Subjects are in other parts and to them I may apply those words of the Poet Foelices nimium sua si bona norant We are too too happy if we did but know it If there be at this day a Canaan upon earth like that of old flowing with milk and honey I mean abounding with all manner of good things England is one not for Bodies only but for Souls also In England God is known and his Name great in England he hath not dealt so with every Nation nor have they known his Statutes as we have done Why then hear we such bleating of the sheep and such lowing of the oxen Why such murmuring complaining and not rather serving God with chearfulness in the midst of all the good things which we have in England Is it not a great wonder that we should be the most happy of all people and yet the least contented the least thankful If it be a happiness to a trading people to have a King that maketh it his business to promote the Trade and Traffique of his people we have such a one I could safely produce a person of great worth and eminency and of as much skill in Merchandize possibly as most men in the world who has told me time after time bona fide that no Prince to the best of his observation was ever so much concern'd for the good of Trade or had more denied himself for the advancement thereof than his Majesty that now is hath done which I doubt not but he is ready to demonstrate to every rational man But if after all this Trading be but dead as that is the great complaint and the very cardo controversiae hinc illae lachrymae may not his Majesty say to his people Am I in Gods stead If the Lord help ye not in that point as the King said to the woman of Samaria that cried to him for bread in the time of famine How should I help you So it fareth with many private Families they are but poor and yet the Master of the Family is a man of double diligence providence forecast rises early and eates the bread of carefulness Is it just and equal that his Children and Servants should be ready to stone him because he doth not grow rich upon all his labours Nay it is as God pleases for that matter witness Deut. 8.18 Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth If he that is poor in spight of all his diligence and care had been careless and slothful possibly his Family had been starv'd which now is only not rich So had we not had a Prince who had been such a Nursing-Father to Trade as his present Majesty is it may be by this time there had been no Trade at all or next to none 8ly If Kings be Defenders of the Antient Catholick Apostolick Faith The faith once delivered to the Churches of the true Christian Protestant Religion have we not cause to bless God for them as such And such an one is he whom God hath set over us Is not the Protestant Religion defended by him Are not Protestants by him defended and protected in the publick open and free exercise of their Religion So as Papists are not who fly about like Bats rather than otherwise Are not all the Preferments of the Church bestowed upon the Protestant Divines have not they all the Archbishopricks Bishopricks Deaneries Prebends Masterships of Colledges c. amongst them Are not good and learned Books against Popery licens'd from time to time and Popish Books suppressed whether they come from beyond Sea or endeavor to get out of our English Presses Are not all publick Ordinations Administration of Sacraments and other Church-Offices dispensed after the manner of Protestants Are not the Articles of the Church of England defended by his Majesty and are not they all purely Frotestant Those things considered who can deny his Majesty to be really a Defender of the Faith And why should any man go about to clip his Title any more than he dare to clip his Coin May he not be truly a Defender of the Faith though he be no Defender of Presbytery either Scotch or English nor yet of Independency nor of Anabaptism nor of Quakerism nor of Fifth-Monarchism I say though he be no Defender of any of them in the Abstract but only of their persons in the Concrete who are of those perswasions I say he may be a Defender of the Faith nevertheless and so he is

for it but presume not to meddle with the persons of Soveraigns whom God hath reserved to his own immediate Justice Let them stand or fall to their own Master and who is that but God Almighty Would it not be murther in him who is no Executioner nor appointed by the Magistrate thereunto to put to death the fowlest Malefactor that was ever brought to a Gaole because he has no authority so to do To be sure they who put the late King to death neither had or could have any authority or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what they did for we have no such Law or Custom in England thanks be to God as to put our Kings to death if they do not please us They may be free in their own perswasion to do such things if commissioned from Rome for that purpose who doubt the Supremacy of all Princes but the Pope to whom they apprehend all other Princes to be of right in subjection but we Protestants have not so learned Christ and Religion as to think that the Heads of all Secular Princes are at the Popes Devotion and their lives in his hands and that they are to hold them but durante illius beneplacito During his Holiness Pleasure Therefore I am amaz'd to think what kind of Heteroclite degenerate Protestants they were if we may call them Protestants who took the boldness to behead King Charles the Martyr Sixthly The sixth Article which I exhibit against the Murtherers of the late Royal Martyr is that their fault was Regicide the murthering not of a private person or subject but of a King which gave a great accent to their crime and made them as it were double-died in blood Though the blood of Jesus Christ may and will upon true and lively repentance wash away the Guilt of Royal Blood so as to prevent the eternal damnation of them that shod it and oh the virtue and value of that Blood that can do so yet I know no Laver that God hath appointed to wash out the stain thereof I mean the blot and stain which it always leaves upon the names and memories of them whose hands have been so imbrewed To attempt that were to wash a Blackamore All injuries become greater by the greatness of the object or party against whom they are committed Read the greatness of their sins in the greatness of the punishments which God hath inflicted on them as the Scripture tells us who have so much as resisted or rebell'd against their Kings but more against them who have put their Kings to death When the Moabites who had paid tribute to King Ahab rebell'd against his Son Jehoram 2 Kings 3.5 They were sorely beaten and the King of Moab brought to such distress that he took his Eldest Son that should have reign'd in his stead and offered him for a burnt offering upon the Wall v. 27. Again we read how Ho eah the King of Israel was punished and the Israel it es carried away Captive though the Governours were Heathen and the Subjects the People of God 2 Kings 17. because after he had made himself servant and tributary to Shalmonezer King of Assiria he afterwards denied him tribute c. In like manner Zedekiah King of Judah was punished as you may see 2 Kings 25.1 compared with chap. 24.20 Thorow the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah until he had cast them out from his presence viz. giving them up to Famine Desolation Captivity Destruction of their City and Temple chap. 25 c. that Zedekiah rebell'd against the King of Babylon yea see what is added chap. 25.7 They slew the Sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the Eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in Fetters of Brass and carried him to Babylon Lord what a dismal train of Consequences insued upon a Jewish King his rebelling but against a Babylonish King Instance we next in Sheba who rebell'd against David and drew all the ten tribes after him was he not by him besieg'd in Abel had his head cut off by the advice of a Woman and thrown out to him 2 Sam. 20.22 The Amalakite that said he had slain Saul though he had not slain him and though he said that Saul bid him was notwithstanding presently put to death at the command of David saying this to him 2 Sam. 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy the Lords anointed Yea David was so incensed at it that he cursed the Mountains where Saul was slain v. 21. Ye mountains of Gilboa let there be no dew neither let there be rain upon you nor fields of offerings for there the shield of the mighty is v●lely cast away the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oyl The meer murmurings of the Israelites against Moses are both spoken of and punished as murmurings against God Exod. 16.8 So Num●● 20 13. it is said the people chode with Mose● for water and yet v. 13. it is said that th● water was called the water of Meribah be cause the Children of Israel strove with th● Lord. Hannaniah perswaded the Jews to revolt from the King of Babylon only an● yet it is said that he taught rebellion again● the Lord Jer. 28.16 Was not Miriam punished with Leprosie but for speaking again●● Moses Numb 12.10 Mind what God said and did upon that occasion ver 8. were y●● not then afraid ye viz. Miriam and Aaron to speak against my servant Moses ver 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled again●● them and he departed v. 10. And the Clo●● departed from off the Tabernacle and behold Miriam became leprous Nay we find disobedience to the very Priests and Lovite● threatned with Leprosie Deut. 24.8 9. Tak● heed of the plague of Leprosie that ye take heed diligently to observe and do according t● all that the Priests and Levites shall teach thee ver 9. Remember what the Lord thy God d●● to Miriam viz. who was strucken with Leprosie for murmuring against Moses who was no Priest To perswade men to revelt from those Princes whose subjects they are is yet a farther Crime than bare murmuring and see how God punished it in Ahab and Zedikiah who were rosted to death by Nebuchad-nezzer Jer. 29.22 And how Shemaiah's whole Family was likewise extirpated v. 32. Hear David's Sentence against Saul's Servants for not using their utmost indeavours to preserve his Life 1 Sam. 26.16 As the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your Master the Lords anointed See how miserably Rachab and Banah two of Ishbosheth's Captains came off who murthered their Master and carried his Head as a present to King David hoping for a reward v. 12. David commanded his Young Men and they slew them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them up possibly in Chains as a terror to others Had Zimri peace who slew his Master Elah King of Israel Surely no for when

and Religion often into their mouths for their having nothing of either in their hearts Commend me to a famous Story which I heard from a Reverend and dignified Divine not far off and not long since which was to this purpose An excellent Knight told me saith he that a year or two before the late War betwixt the King and Parliament broke out there were several Meetings held at his house then in Covent-Garden betwixt some great Officers of State that were then in play and other popular Gentlemen who had a great mind to their places The late King was privy to all their Conferences if not sometimes present and finding where the Cardo Controversiae or Hinge of the Controversie was viz. that some Popular but yet private and unpreferr'd Gentlemen thirsted to get into publick Offices such as Mr. of the Court of Wards c. and that they would never be quiet till it were effected yielded that all of them save one to whom he had some particular and unpardonable exception should have and enjoy the Places and Offices which they sought for but the King refusing him and they being resolved upon one and all hit or miss the meeting was quite dissolved and not long after the War broke out which saith he could every one of those great Seekers have found the Preferment which he sought for had been prevented But that which the Author of this Story said most of all to my purpose was this Whilst we were thus bandying at this our meeting from time to time one half to hold the places which we were possest of or parta tueri the other half of the Company to throw us out and get themselves into our places without those Walls nothing was talkt of but Religion what great contrivances there were at that time for reforming and settling Religion whilst God knows within those Walls there was not all that while one word spoken concerning Religion but some of us were willing to hold our Preferments and others to get them away from us O Nation sweetly cheated O thou blessed Name Religion how oft hast thou been misus'd and made use of to christen the most horrid Villanies For the Proverb has prov'd too true In nomine Domine incipit omne malum Was it not under pretext of Religion because Religion as was alledged could not be preferr'd if he were suffer'd to live that that Martyrs blood must be made shed for the Church that the King's Head was said to be cut off As if to cut off the Head of the Church of England were the only way to keep life in the Body thereof Now how fond and irrational a thing was it how groundless and malicious a slander and censure to say or think that the life of King Charles the First could not consist with the true Christian and Protestant Religion Moreover they knew no more than their heels when the Religion established in the Church of England by Law was gone what to put in the room of it for they themselves were not of one Religion nay what if many of them were of no Religion What think you of St. Martin and St. Scot were they not pure Saints with several others of those Aeacus's and Radamanthus's who gave Sentence against the late King Oh how did they burn Was it with zeal for Religion A man would hardly think that Religion to be chaste and honest which such men courted or seemed to court What Religion I beseech you in pulling down all the fences of the Church and letting in all sorts of little foxes and wild bores to spoil God's Vineyard If this were Reformation it was not unlike that in Egypt when the whole Land did swarm and was over-run with Frogs and Lice and Flies Exod. 8. Whilst these men pretended to the honour of Religion who ever disgraced it more to the preservation of true Religion who indangered it more to the Reforming of Religion who ever deform'd and undid it more Look how the Ivy whilst it creeps into the wall and clasp's close about it embracing it as it were with greatest kindness doth mean time rot decay and perish it or look how the Ape so hugs her young ones as that she kills them with her kindness so kind and no kinder were those bloody Reformers to true Religion which they could have as ill afforded to have lookt in the face as a Debtor his severest Creditor or a Malefactor his Judge Surely they were never intended by God for Reformers considering what God said to David 1 Chro. 28. Thou shalt not build an House for my Name because thou hast been a man of war or hast shed blood Who could expect a Reformation of such men's making worthy the cost of that Royal Blood wherewith they purchased it That which they gave us was to dear by every drop which the purchase cost them When I am convinc'd that Jezebel took the course which she took with Naboth upon a Religious account that a zeal to reform Religion put her upon writing Letters in Ahab's name and sealing them with his Seal as it is 2 Kings 21.8 9 10. saying Proclaim a Fast and set Nabal on high among the people and set sons of Belial to bear witness against him saying Thou didst blaspheme God and the King and then carry him out and stone him that he may die I say when I believe that a true zeal against blaspheming of God made her do as she did who 't is most certain did all this meerly in order to what we read ver 15. When Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead Jezebelsaid to Ahab Arise take possession of the Vineyard of Naboth which he refused to give thee for money for Naboth is dead I say when I so believe then and not till then shall I think that an unfeign'd desire to promote true and undefiled Religion to keep out Popery and to reform Protestantism as practised amongst us was that which prompted the unhappy Judges of King Charles the Martyr to send him packing out of the world How hypocritical and false was the name that was given to the Court which tried him called The High Court of Justice For 1. we know it was no Court for it was not any such thing legall● and nothing is a Court but what is legally so and moreover his Majesty would never own it for a Court 2. It was no ways High● but in ●ride presumption and Arrogan●e to undertake what they did 3. It was to be sure no Court of Justice for it was called together only to serve one turn like Jezeb●ls Court that was summoned against Naboth aforesaid to do one wi●ked job or feat that is per fas aut nefas right or wrong to cut off the Kings Head and there was to be the end of it But do men think that God will always be thus mocked When Ananias and Sapphira added as little Hypocrisie as this comes to to their Sacriled●e did it not cost them

save in a few instances here and there one c. and of them whom they censured as carnal and ungodly or but moral people at the best for that the morality of some of them did much outstrip their own has put me out of conceit with what had wont to be called The Good Old Cause more than any thing else has done And then to see that the Chieftains and greatest Bigots of and for the good old Cause as they call'd it could swallow such a Camel as was the murthering of the King yea be themselves some of the Camels that murthered him or caused him to be murthered whilst they seem'd to strain at meer Gnats could say This is the heir come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours Those I say are the things which have made me think cheaply of those times those men and their pretensions to suspect if not more than so a very grand cheat and a bottomless-pit of worldly interest and carnal design in and under all those things and to wish heartily that the Church and State might always continue as now it is much rather than to fall back again into the hands of such Tinker-like Reformers as were in those days making ten holes where they mended one and be re-invaded by hypocritical Vsurpation Sacriledge Enthusiasme and Confusion If I know any thing of my own heart I do at this very day sincerely love every body that I know or think to be truly good and possibly my charity is as large as most mens and my censoriousness as little but as for those who make the highest pretences to Religion and seem to be Piety-like Calomelanos as Physicians call it six or 12 times sublimed or like the Pharisees of old who said to other men Stand off I am holier than thou who rather blaze and blare like great Comets than shine like Stars in the Firmament of Religion if I find them playing the Knaves becoming the Ring-leaders of Murther embrewing their hands in Royal blood under pretence of abhorring Idols committing Sacriledge and bringing all to confusion and under colour of Reforming Church and State to design nothing but the feathering of their own Nests getting wealth and power into their own hands per fas nefas overturning overturning overturning till they themselves whose right it is not come and take all and when they have done all entitling God and Religion to all their Villanies like those with whom the great God doth thus expostulate Jer. 7.9 Will ye steal murder and commit Adultery and swear falsly and come and stand before me in this House and say we are delivered to do all these abominations c. I say the people to whom this Character is due whose Inscription this is are to my Soul as one calls it the first-born of Abominations Now after all that hath been said of the exceeding sinfulness of their bloody fact who were the Murtherers of the late King and of the woful hazard which their precious and immortal Souls did incur thereby give me leave to hope that if the same opportunities should ever come again which God forbid i. e. if ever the now dissenting people of England should have so puissant an Army at their back as then they had and so subtile skilful and resolute a General to conduct them and so many covetous people at their heels waiting to enrich themselves by the spoil of the Kings and Churches Lands so dividing the Lions skin when once he were dead from a real dread of thereby plunging themselves into everlasting flames they would rather burn at a stake than have their hands in such another business To shut up all I have been induced to insist so long upon the heinousness and danger of their sin who put the King to death because a thorow belief and due consideration of what I have said and I do aver it is all true might and would in my opinion be a very great security against all publick Mutinies Insurrections and Civil Wars hereafter For if the people of England did universally and all as one man dread the thoughts of Regicide as of a sin next to that which is unpardonable there would be no cause to fear Rebellion for then would men be govern'd and over-aw'd by this Dilemna If the King against whom we rebel shall always keep his head we shall lose our lives first or last but if he lose his head by our means and contrivances we shall be in great danger to lose our Souls which is worse For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his own Soul FINIS