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
A91881	John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ Iesvs: or, A necessity for liberty of conscience, as the only meanes under heaven to strengthen children weake in faith; to convince hereticks mis-led in faith; to discover the gospel to all such as yet never heard thereof; and establish peace betweene all states and people throughout the world; according unto which, were both our Saviours commission, and the apostles practice for the propagation of it peaceably: as appeares most evidently by sundry Scriptures digested into chapters, with some observations at the end of every one; most humbly devoted to the use and benefit of all such as are zealously inquisitive after truth; piously disposed to imbrace it, and constantly resolved to practice it in their lives and conversations; to the honour of God, the edifying of their brethren, and their owne salvation unto eternity. The contents of the chapters follow in the next leaf. This is licenced, but not permitted to be entred according to order.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?	1644 (1644)	Wing R1673; Thomason E9_13; ESTC R15393	119,971	135

kept because he did not onely covenant to believe and conforme unto what hee himselfe knew not what but also in regard it was not in his power to believe what he would and ought not willingly to conforme unto what he doth not stedfastly believe upon perill of damnation Rom. 14.23 Thirdly such a tenet is obstructive to the Gospels passage for who thinke we that understands himselfe and has his wits about him will enter into such a servitude the depth whereof is not fathomable by all the Engines in the World This is like to making of a pit and strawing it over with most sightly and fragrant herbes and slowers that men may be alluted to turne Christians and fall into it to their greater destruction and danger of being beaten with double stripes giving them all liberty that can be imagined untill they be entred into fellowship and there hold them bound in chains as falt as any Popish Inquisition I will not say but that they may expect with a little more long suffering until I come to submit unto them but sooner or later a little more or lesse I am sure to fare no better then if I were a prey in the talons of Spanish or Roman Vultures and the reason which the Reformed Persecuters give is the very same with Papists and if it were a good one it were good alike to all religions and opinions that is that if men have been severall times admonished of any point of faith which must reach to any thing wherein in men differ in opinion in a meeke and sober way that they must necessarily yeeld unto it and shew they are convinced by conforming thereunto or else that such doe both say and doe against their owne consciences and knowledge the truth as they pretend being of such infallible efficacie and force to that effect But little doe such thinke that every sect or heresie obtrudes her errours with as great vehemencie as the professours of the truth it selfe and neither can alleadge one tittle advantage wherefore any one in humane reason should rather yeeld or be convinced by the other untill the evidence of truth prevaile upon the conscience But do not such who take upon them to say that this or that man by name who does not believe the truth that is their opinions whether true or false and conform unto it sins against his own co●…ence enter into the secret closet of Gods eternall predestination and if any will lay claime to and pretend to exercise with this Spirit of profoundest Prophesie may not all Christians which acknowledge the Scriptures appropriate to themselves the same respectively and so upon one and the selfe same ground make reprobate and anathematize one an other untill the Civill sword devoure them all If the Protestants of Old England use the same meanes and patience to convince those of New England may they not as lawfully persecute them for being wilfully obstinate if they will not submit as be persecuted by them for the very same reason● If the Protestants of New England will not grant a toleration unto the Protestants of Old England with what equity can they expect it in Old England unlesse from the highest perfection of Christianity in doing good for evill but what reason is there why any one of a New England congregation or any other of reformed Protestants may not afterwards turne Brownist or Anabaptist and there in the same City c. make profession thereof as freely as any Pagan or as he him self did before in case he had first been converted from Paganisme or Heresie amongst them Can the Civill sword in one Country distinguish truth better amongst them then it doth in any other Country if not why should it pretend more right thereunto or expect to be reverenced or worshipped in this respect above the other Paul in his Epistles to severall Churches takes notice that there were contentions and divisions amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.11 that the Galathians were falne from their first faith saying I marvell that you are so soone removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel Gal. 1.6 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth c. 3.1 Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh have ye suffered so many things in vaine v. 3. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine c. 4.11 Ye did run well who did hinder ye that you should not obey the truth c. 5.7 and in fine their condition was so bad that Paul wished they were even cut off which had troubled them Gal. 5.12 yet I doe not finde that ever he went further then delivering up the offenders unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 55. How comes then the Civill Magistrate to trouble it selfe in matters when they can doe God no service Spirituall errours and sores must have spirituall cures and redresses and Paul sayes the weapons of our warfare are spirituall but mighty through God for bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10 4. and if the Civill Magistrates weapons are the like and can doe the same effect the force of 〈◊〉 argument would not onely bee quite dash'd and his expression improper but we should not longer need any such distinction of Civill and Spirituall armour Henry the 4. of France though he had outwardly conformed himselfe to the ceremonies of the Church of Rome because he thought he should not otherwise be able to possesse the Throne in peace yet the Pope and Spaine knowing he did it not out of zeale to their religion not only kept themselves some yeares from being reconciled unto him but intended to warre against him in earnest because they tooke him to be a reprobate they meant a Protestant in heart and they might as well know a pretending Papist to be a Protestant in heart as any Reformed Protestant to know a Lutheran or Brownist were such a one against his owne conscience The French King by example of his Predecessour treats and enters into league with the Great Turke capitulating that he should invade Italy with many thousand men the Pope thereupon begins to acknowledge his Majesty to be Christianissima that he might the freer chide him as a sonne for seeking to bring in such cruell Tygres to worry Peters flock The French King told his Holinesse forsooth that for his part he onely endeavoured as a faithfull shepheard understanding that his sheep might be endangered through the multiplying of unmercifull wolves to provide himselfe of mastive dogs to rescue them and the Venetians have of a long time by the same stratagem not only preserved themselves but all Italy besides in likelihood from the inundation of the Papalines yet this was in their owne defence against powerfull adversaries when they had no safety

accuse Jeremiah to King Zedechia for having weakned his men of warre moving that he might therefore be put to death Jer. 38.4 Was not Daniel accused as disregarding the Kings decree because he pray'd three times a day Dan. 6.5.13 Did they not call our Saviour de●eiver conjurer blasphemer Matth. 27.63 and 10.25 and 12.24 Joh. 12.36 Was not Paul termed an Idolater because he preached Jesus and the resurrection Act 17.18 Was not the profession of Christianity of the Gospel held a sect and every where spoken against Act. 28.22 whilest our Saviour himselfe was disallowed and judged of men 1 Pet. 2.4 Did not both the learned wise devout and honour able generally condemne Him and his Apostles Luke 9.22 Marke 8 31. Did they not raise tumults and commotions against Paul and Ba●nabas Act. 13.50 and 18.12.13 Did they not seeke and set up false witnesses Act. 6.10.11.13 Were not Peter and John forbad to teach Act. 4.17.19 Joh. 12.42 Was not Paul silenced Act. 18.6 Were they not required to depart the Country as our Saviour was by the Gargazenes Matth. 8.24 or banished as Paul Barnabas and John Act. 13.50 Rev. 1.9 Were not such as confessed Christ or received the brethren thrust out of the Synagogues Joh. 9.22 and 3. Joh. 10. Were they not imprisoned Act. 5.18 and 12.4 and 16.23.24 Were they not beaten and scourged Act. 16.22.23 and 22.25 2 Cor. 11.23.24 And lastly Were they not put to death as evill doers Act. 7.58 and 12.2 Heb. 11.37 In contemplation whereof 't is no false doctrine nor presumption to tell thee Deare Christian whoever thou beest that if the current of the Gospel tell truth Gods people must be persecuted therefore no persecuters Joh. 15.19 and 16.20 Mark 13.13 2 Tim. 3 12. and that whatever molestation or disturbance thou givest to any one for differing from thee in opinion be it more or lesse although him whom thou thus persecutest be in thy apprehesion as great a heretick as ever breathed yet it is possible that even such a one in Gods reckoning may bee as glorious a Saint as Stephen unto whose death Paul implies himselfe to have consented consider with thy selfe in the feare and love of God whether it be safe for thee to continue persecuting upon this hazard which can neither be avoided nor excused Innumerable are the absurdities and ridiculous are the extravagancies which the Spirit of persecution the exercising dominion over the consciences of others leads men into we may have seene the proofe thereof not long since amongst our selves The first and loudest cry of our Reformers was against a Common-Prayer-Booke Printed Homelies and customary or curtal'd Pulpit prayers all of them as Antichristian and abominable but against Bishops as yet more abominable not only for approving but enjoyning them would any thinke then that these very Reformers even before they can be certaine how farre their endeavours shall bee approved throughout the Kingdome much lesse confirmed should have the resolution to goe about or make shew of an intention to erect a greater Idoll of the selfe same Fabricke their owne imagination and yet upon indifferent and due enquiry it may be found so for whereas they have heretofore so much exclamed against Episcopacie for stinting of the Spirit in some part or particulars only of Gods worship they now thinking themselves sufficiently qualified being to take upon them to establish a Dagon on his throne in stinting the whole worship of the Great God of Heaven in manacling the consciences of his Saints their brethren and not suffering them to pay their very tythings or perform the least parcell of their duty unto the only Creator of the world save in such manner as they allow of and impose upon them Stand amazed oh Heaven and Earth judge but in mercy good God between this generation and their brethren not suffering the blessed first f●nits of thine owne handy reformation to be blasted through this obstinate selfe-conceitednesse and preposterous zeale of theirs If the Commandement for rooting out Idolaters and under that notion all such as differ from us in Religion in opinion be morall be universall then doth it belong to Papists Lutherans Calvinists Brownists Anabaptists all alike no one of them may pretend to have better title to it then the other if any besides themselves be judge with what reason and justice then have Protestants exclamed so loud against the Popish Inquisition the Churches of New England against the Nationall Church of Old England and the Puritans so tearmed heretofore against the High Commission Court if a Presbyteric when it hath got the Militia or Civill Magistrate at a becke may doe the like Tell me Good Reader what difference dost thou make betwixt being persecuted by an Episcopall or Presbyteriall Clergie whether hadst thou rather enjoy the Liberty of Conscience in some measure under a Popish French King than be persecuted by any Protestant government or discipline whatsoever nay deale freely with me 't is no time to mince it or dissemble hadst thou not rather the Great Turke should rule over thee than either shall I take thy silence for consent but what are thy reasons for it shall I guesse at some of them is it not because thou lookest upon the Presbyterians with tendernesse of affection as thy fellow-sufferers heretofore and even at present as thy brethren thy misled unhappy brethren to whom thou art forc'd to take up Jacobs words saying Gen. 49.5.6 Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations Oh my soule come not thou into their secrets unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united for in their anger they imprison plunder and with protracted torments and vexations cause to dye daily not a lustfull Shichem but all that differ from them in opinion how deare soever in Gods account Christ himselfe if he were on earth could not escape them did he but set footing within the dominions of an omnipotent classicall Presbyterie grosse miscarriages of such I know thou lookest upon with extremest griefe of soule as such to whom once thou so willingly gavest the right hand of fellowship Secondly I observe thou hast spared neither purse nor person for the publique cause but been amongst the forwardest to joyne with those who now are building the Presbyteriall Throne which even before hand too publickly though not so politickly threatens thy banishment thy ruine the thought hereof no doubt perplexes the● not a little whilest thou considerest how thou hast spent thy estate turmoyl'd thy person and distill'd away thy braine out of hopes to enjoy that freedome which not only the most flourishing and yet more Christian-like States of the united Provinces but a Popish French King or an unbeleeving Turk would not only grant thee gratis but be beholding that he might have the honour of ruling over thee in Civill matters only Oh how will such disciplin● and government prove a Divell a Legion of temptations to weaker Christians how apt will they be in imitation of Jobs wretched

bee Christs Disciples who take unto themselves a power which Christ never did destroying mens bodies and soules too as much as in them lyes in stead of saving them because they will not against their own consciences imbrace the truth of the Gospel as they say that impose it on them though in other mens judgements as wise and pious as themselves the truths they so much stand on may be accounted enmity both to truth and godlinesse If then we neither know nor have Christ as he is the truth nor walke in him as he is the way how can we ever imagine to attaine him as he is the life for which end we were not only created but make profession and would be thought to have imployed the utmost of our endeavours to arive thereat The powers of the Civill State and Church may not be confounded but each of them must have the absolute sovereignty within its own precincts and jurisdiction The Civill Magistrate as such may not proceed against a member of the Church for any matter which meerly concernes the Churches peace neither may the Church save only with Church and Spirituall weapons interpose against any member of the State in things which only touch the Civill peace And though there be no breach committed by any one against the Civill peace but what may give offence or tends remotely towards a disquieting of that Churches peace whereof he is a member yet there may be many breaches against the Churches peace without any the least disturbance unto the Civill peace In this respect the Civill State has so much the lesse cause to be jealous of any attempting to discompose it and ought to be so much the more backward in taking of offence at any thing but what doth primarily assault its Civill peace But if either State or Church shall take upon them to usurpe the weapons or intermeddle in matters which concerne the other it will not only disturbe the peace of both but bring them infallibly by degrees to take up armes upon pretence of defending their respective bounds and jurisdiction and that which is of greatest consequence even the most eminent destruction both of Church and State is that if the Civill Magistrate may at any time proceed against Church offenders whom the Church will not resolve to censure or having censured does not prevaile inflicting Civill punishments of imprisoning fining and putting them to death without the Churches coment then will the whole Church both officers and generality one after another be subject to the Civill sword in matters meerly of Religion for conscience and for such only as concern the Church estate or if the Civill State proceed to punishing such offenders out of duty which it should seeme to owe unto the Church or by order from the Church then will it necessarily follow that the Church has a supremacie over the Civill State and may when shee sees good require the Civill sword to be imployed even against the whole Civill State both Magistrates and Generality causing all of them one after another to be banished or put to death untill they or such of them as the Church shall please be executed and destroyed The Principles of persecution are of equall latitude with all Church censures which must have no respect of persons If the King himselfe be a member of the Church as subject to the Church as I may say with reverence he must be subject to the censures of it and consequently be lyable to be persecuted in such a State and Church as hold for persecuting though only of erroneous or obstinate offenders for whom they judge such whether they be so or no they must be persecuted for such and let them understand it as they please there is no middle betwixt these two In such States where civill punishments are inflicted on men for matters meerly of Religion for cause of conscience either the whole Religion must be resolved into the Civill Magistrates determination and the whole Church by consequence be subject to it in case of dissenting be lyable to be cut off at the pleasure of the Civil Magistrate or else the Civill Magistrate whether King Aristocracie or other government in whom the Sovereignty is contracted must be lyable to be persecuted even unto death whensoever the Church shall thinke fitting or give order and that for matters which concerne the conscience only The Italians have a Proverb Chi ui fa più charezze che non suole ò ui ha ingannato ui uuole He that courts thee more then ordinarily either has deceived thee already or intends to do it afterwards and much according this Machia vilian saying we may observe that all Roman Catholique States and Princes who so much idolize the Pope doe it only out of sinister and by-respects with a designe to make the greater use of him in their owne occasions amongst the rest we may pitch upon the King of Spaine who desires to be accounted and at least professes himselfe to bee the most dutifull sonne of all This Catholique King in matters of difference betwixt the Pope and other Princes has continually interposed and been still able to oversway them to the Popes favour and advantage but such as have knowledge of their respective interests and beene acquainted with the managing thereof cannot be ignorant that the Kings of Spaine not only when ever their ends were different but at all other times have generally made such benefit of that Supremacie which they seem to ascribe unto the Pope that the Popes have beene heretofore constrayned for the most part to be at their devotions untill they met with the spirit of this present Vrban whom all their stratagems could neither win nor vanquish Let us but consider that one selfe-interest of the Spaniards concerning the Kingdome of Naples the most rich and delicious Country of all Europe whereunto the Popedome layes claime pretending the King of Spaine usurpes possession of it for which cause his Catholique Majesty is yearly excommunicated and upon presenting of a mule with about 20 pounds in gold by his Ambassadour in the nature of a tenant-like acknowledgement is at same instant restored againe Neither are the Popes void of their interests in such compliance who having so large a portion of Civill and Spirituall jurisdiction colleague themselves with other Potentates the better to inthrall their subjects and by encroaching to devoure up petty neighbouring States and Princes as Ahab did Naboth's vineyard 1 King 21. according as they lye most commodiously situate for the purpose But what thinke we of some Protestant States and Churches do not they the very same did not our English Bishops at beginning of the Reformation give Henry the eight the Popes title formerly of supreme Head and Governour of the Church that they themselves might share at least in the power and wealth thereof and have we not heard it often affirmed No Bishop No King when the contrary thereof is the very truth it selfe that

is a King and a persecuting Bishop a Bishop or any Clergie disciples that passes the pale of spirituall censure and jurisdiction are incompatible one State is too narrow for them they must contract till one hath got the victory of the other And for Presbyteries which pretend to ascribe so much unto the Civill Magistrate making him Lord Keeper of both Tables is it not that they may engage him to imploy this power they give him when they require it and may it not be suspected or prove an imploying of the Civill Magistrate in punishing their delinquents the better to keepe the peoples odium and disrellishing from off themselves obliging the whole State to persecute one another at their request this is very much suspected as cleerly evident to those that seriously consider the nature of this controversie wherein I beseech God to instruct all such as may any wayes conduce to the better managing and illustrating thereof hereafter unto his further glory CHAP. VIII Christs Commands against the Apostles lordlinesse and dominion with their submission thereunto and practise JOh. 13.12.13,14.15,17 After Jesus had washed his feet and had taken his garments and was set downe againe he said unto them know ye not what I have done unto you ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye ought also to wash one anothers feet for I have given you an example that ye should doe as I have done unto you If ye know these things happy are ye if ye doe them Matth. 20.25,26 The Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you C. 23.11 He that is greatest amongst you shall be your servant 2 Cor. 1.24 We have not dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy C. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall though we walke in the flesh we doe not war after the flesh V. 8. Our authority the Lord hath given us for edification and not for destruction C. 13.10 I write these things being absent le●t being present I should use sharpnesse according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification and not destruction 1. Pet. 5.2,3 Take the oversight of Gods flocke not as being Lords over Gods heritage but as ensamples to the flocke 1 Cor. 3.9 We are labourers together with God y● are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building 2 Cor. 5.20 We are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you reconciled to God C. 10.1.3 I Paul my selfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ ●al 6.1 If a man be over taken in a fault you which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Observations upon CHAP. VIII SInce the Apostle Paul thinks it no disparagement to bring in the Great God even Christ Jesus himselfe beseeching his people 2 Cor. 5.20 surely such as are his true Disciples should not be weary of their Masters example or arrogate to themselves what Christ never practised If Peter tells us that in Pauls Epistles there are some things hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 and if Paul ravished with admiration cries out so pathetically Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding ou● ● Rom. 11 33. who are we that we should pretend beyond these eye-witnesses unto our Blessed Saviour or expect that our selfe acknowledged weaknesses and comming short should be obtruded as oracles upon the consciences of others were it through bad translation onely or what other respect soever that the Scriptures prove obscu●e and yeeld occasion of so different interpretations as that man cannot possibly even at best work out his salvation without fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 may we not be certaine that in regard of such obscurity God will the rather bear with so many different and erroneous opinions which destroy not the foundation Christ Jesus Nay what if we should conceive that God out of an especiall providence should have permitted the Scriptures to be conveyed unto us in a capacity of being thus controver●ed in many places to make us more diligent and inquisitive in the search of truth that we might not be over confident and presumptuous of our owne opinions but have greater cause and triall of exercising our love and charity in bearing with our brethren that differ from us and in this respect above all others wee ought to make appeare that we love our neighbour as our selves on which hangs our state of the whole Law and Prophets Mat. 7.12 doing unto them as we would be done to Luke 6.31 Nay the whole Law is fulfilled in this one word To love thy neighbour as thy selfe Gal. 5.14 not abridging others the liberty of conscience or using the eyes of their owne reason and understanding since we would not be contented that any body should take from us the use of ours I know there are very many men even of the Episcopall party who approve exceedingly of selfe-deniall and meeke spirits in all Christians especially in Ministers of the Gospel conceiving they ought not to seeke or imbrace any Church preferment out of carnall expectation to be called Rabbi have the uppermost places in all assemblies and rule over their brethren but meerly deem such superiority to be necessary as if withcut it there could be no government but all must necessarily runne headlong to Independencie which they account very Anarchie and confusion it selfe disposing Gods Church of its owne accord to fall a peeces into infinite heresies and schismes for satisfaction therefore of such in this particular I shall need only entreat them to consider whether a superiority of power with a coercive execution of it in the Church for matters meerly of Religion doe not render Christians lyable to be compelled into heresies and by this means every particular congregation becomes not only subject unto such heresies as shall arise within it selfe but unto all such as any other Church or Congregation which has attained a sharper sword then their owne and though the warrantablenesse which the Independent Government of particular Congregation has from evidence of Scripture were set apart let any godly and understanding Christian judge which of the two hazards and inconveniences be the greatest and whether the Papacie hath more advanced the propagation of the Gospel by persecuting all true Professours with their compulsive weapons and Inquisition torments or the States of the united Provinces by tolerating of them Can it possibly be imagined that whole Nations all the Inhabitants of Italy and Spaine amongst which are many as wise learned conscientious and zealous too I am sorry to say so much but the truth compells me as most Reformed Protestants should all live and