Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	faith_n	true_a	truth_n	4,594	5	5.5207	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05555	The answer of John Bastvvick, Doctor of Phisicke, to the information of Sir Iohn Bancks Knight, Atturney universall In which there is a sufficient demonstration, that the prelats are invaders of the Kings prerogative royall, contemners and despisers of holy Scripture, advancers of poperie, superstition, idolatry and phophanesse: also that they abuse the Kings authoritie ...	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.; England and Wales. Attorney-General.	1637 (1637)	STC 1568; ESTC R212826	58,859	30

THE ANSWER OF JOHN BASTVVICK Doctor of Phisicke To the Information of Sir IOHN BANCKS Knight Atturney universall IN WHICH There is a sufficient Demonstration That the Prelats are Invaders of the Kings Prerogative Royall Contemners and Despisers of holy Scripture Advancers of Poperie Superstition Idolatry and Prophanesse ALSO That they abuse the Kings Authoritie to the oppression of his loyallest Subjects and therein exercise great crueltie tyrannie and injustice and in the execution of these impious performances they shew neither wit honestie nor temperance NOR That they are either Servants of GOD or of the KING as they are not indeed but of the Devill being enemies of God and the King and of every living thing that is good All which the sayd Doctor Bastwick is ready to maintaine before King and Counsell against them all with the hazard of otherwise being exposed to extremest miserie Printed in the yeare 1637. To the Kings most Excellent Majestie Most Sacred Majestie THE comfort of all poore Subjects under any Kingdom and Empire hath ever be●n this That in all oppressions calamities they had a Caesar to appeale to● who in the place of God did defend the poore from the tyranny of the mighty deliver them from the cruelty of the more potent after hee had heard their just Defence and Answer for themselves this is the onely glory of a Monarchy and of regal Government which favour liberty was never yet denyed under Pagan Emperors to poore Christians and the which your Highnesse hath never yet refused to grant to any in your Kingdomes which hath emboldened mee a loyall though poore Subject in this great extremity to flye unto your Highnes who hath been most cruelly and unjustly dealt with by the Prelates for mayntayning your Prerogative Royall and at this time suffers their mercylesse oppression being denyed that which hath not been hitherto refused to those that have been reputed delinquents against sacred Mast. and to have abused the reverend Iudges of the Kingdome which was the enjoying of the society of their wifes and friends for their reliefe and comfort and that they might put in their answer under their owne hands names when they could have no counsel and yet these are now denyed unto your poore Subjects by the Prelats Wherefore he amongst the rest doth humbly appeals unto your Mast. beseeching your gracious Highnes to heare his just defence and answer especially it tending so much for the advancement of the honour of God the honour dignity of your most excellent Mast. the good of the whole Kingdome it making so much allso for the discovering of the cruelty tyranny unjustice of the Prelats over your loyallest Subjects in abusing your Mast autority their impiety also against God their disloyaltie also against your sacred Mast. with the vvrong they have likevvise done to your royall Father of famous memory All vvhich if hee shall not bee able to prove against them he vvill vvillingly undergoe vvhat punishment any authoritie shall lay upon him Therefore he most humbly beseecheth your Mast. that you vvould please to receive his ansvver to vvhom he hath made it● vvhom chiefly it concerneth And hee shall ever acknovvledge your Princely favour in it and shall ever pray for your Mast. happy raigne and long life● vvith the affluence of all divine benediction upon your Royall Person Crovvne Dignitie your illustrious Posteritie and ever remaine Your most truely obedient Subject JOHN BASTWICK The severall Answ●● OF Iohn Bastwick Doctor of Physick 〈…〉 ents to the Information of Sir Iohn Ba 〈…〉 his Majesties Atturney Generall THe ●aid Defendent saving reserving to himselfe now and at all times hereafter all advantages and benefits of exceptions to the incertaintie and insufficientie and other imperfection of the said Information For answer thereunto so far forth as concerns the sayd defendent he saith he doth with all thankfullnes acknowledge his Majesties great care zeale at all times for the mayntenance and defence of the true Christian faith and religion the service of Almighty God love charity and concord among his Subjects withall that his people● all loyall Subjects have great cause dayly to praise God for the happy government they have had under him and for that they may for futurity promise unto themselves under his Royalty and Principality especially when he hath so graciously made knowne his pious intentions for the good● and Wellfare of Church and State in that his Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects of the causes which made him dissolve the last Parlament published by his Highnesses speciall command in the which Declaration pag. 21. his Mast. thus speaks For wee call God to record before whom we stand That it is and alwayes hath been our hearts desire to be found worthy of that Title which we account the most glorious in all our Crowne Defender of the faith Neither shall we ever give way to the autorizing of any thing whereby innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserve that unity of doctrine discipline established in the time of Queen Eliz● whereby the Church of England hath stood fl●rished ever since c. These words ●olemne protestation of our most pious King cannot but stirre up the hearts loves and affections of all his true and loyall Subjects both incessantly to pray for his happy life raigne preservation and also to the utmost of their powers to yeeld all subjection obedience yea their lives and liberties for the honour of his Crowne Dignity in the number of the vvhich Subjects the said defendent professeth himself to be being willing and ready at all times and upon all occasions not onely to lose his liberty livelyhood estate but millions of lives if he had them in defence of his Empire and prerogative royall and doth againe againe acknowledge and that with all thankfullnes his renowned Highnesses zeale care for the maintenance of the true religion love charity and concord amongst his Subjects and beseech the King of Kings and Lord of Lords long to continue him among us and to put into his royall heart to remove all those Scandals in Church State which have been● such hinderances of the propagation of the Christian faith and true religion established in his Mast. Kingdoms of the which he is defender in his dominions and the right instruction of the people in the same who alone are most of the Prelats in generall the Arch Prelats in speciall being so farre from seeking the right and due instruction of the people in the true Christian faith religion as the information vvould inferre as they spend their vvhole endeavours to take avvay all the possibility and meanes of instruction vvhich is the preaching of the vvord that is onely able to save our soules and vvithout vvhich no man can beleeve or come to life eternall as thousand pl●ces in sacred Writ vvitn●s and among other that

the said Iohn Bastvvick● by the advice confede●acy● combination abetment helpe and assistance of the sayd Henry Burton and Mr. Prin c. hath unlavvfully contrived framed and vvri● vvithout licence printed divers epistles prefaces additions other passages annexed and inserted thereunto and all vvritten by him the sayd Iohn Bastvvick or by his advice and approbation in vvhich book he hath causlesly boldly enveighed against the Oath ex officio other the antient formes and proceedings of the sayd High Commission Court c. against the Hierarchy of the Church preferring a Presbyterian parity before the sacred and setled Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons and in the sayd book hath falsly and scandalously defamed the vvitnesses produced against him falsly allso and maliciously taxed the High Commission Court it self and the Iudges therein in generall and some of them particularly personally vvith cruelty injustice vvith vvant of vvisdome temperance and that they are persvvaders of his Mast. though in vaine to bloud●hed and are upholders of idolatry superstition prophanesse and therein farther most malicio●sly falsly affirmeth That the Archbishop the Lord Treasurer and the Bishop of Ely three of the most vvorthy and learned Prelats of the Kingdome that they are disgracers and contemnets of the holy Scriptures and falsly traduceth them for Traytors and invaders of his Mast. prerogative And in the sayd booke are contayned divers other unlavvfull scandalous libellous passages vvhich beeing many and of various natures is annexed unto the information as a part thereof to vvhich he referreth himselfe To all vvhich large accusation the Defendent for ansvver saith That vvhereas these things of so foule nature consequence are layd upon him Mr. Burton and Mr. Prin That the informers begin their accusation with a calumny As for the defendents ovvne partscular he affirmeth and that truely That for reverend and learned Mr. Henry Burton and Mr. Prin he hath never knovvne them othervvise then to be loyall Subjects unto his Mast. and such as in all peaceable vvayes and honest endeavours have sought vvished earnestly laboured for the promotion of the true Christian faith and religion and such no other maner of men he the defendent hath ever knovvne them and such he verily believeth they are and therefore as they feare God honour the King he is and hath been and ever vvill be by the grace of God an a better vvith them and if that in so doing and practising it be counted either faction confederation or combination he vvill live and dye in it But notvvithstanding of the resolution and purpose of the defendent he further for satisfaction to the information sayth that hovvsoever the forenamed Master Burton and Mr. Prin and himself have been of long acqueyntance yet their familiar●●y hath been ever very little they having not by the 4. or 5. yeares together neither seen nor heard one of an other and for these three yeares last past the defendent sayth that he hath not seen the face of Mr. Prin nor been ever vvith Mr. Burton above tvvice or thrice as he remembreth much lesse bene privy or acquaynted the one vvhat the others either proceedings or intentions vvere and therefore for ever doth disa●ow● any help counsell advice in the making or publishing of any thing that ever he hath done but vvhatsoever he hath vvrit it vvas accomplished before that they knevv of it And for the other men specifyed in the information the defendent knovves them not● neither by face nor name and this he is ready to depose And so much may suffice in generall to have spoke of this matter But novv more especially vvhereas he the defendent is accused of long continuance to have envyed maligned his Mast. happy governmen● and the good discipline of the Church● Hee the defendent protesteth in the presence of God● and before the vvorld that it is a most false accusation and that there is never a Subject in his Mast. dominions a more honourer of the government of his Imperiall Mast. one that desireth more the good discipline of the Church and is able to produce the testimonies of all the places he ha●h lived in in this Kingdome both from Magistrats Ministers for the honesty and integri●y of his life and conversation and that in all respects he hath so demeaned himself as that he hath not onely been free from vice● faction schisme but from the suspition of all vvhich testimonies he hath ready to shevv to this honorable Court the vvhich he exhibited to ●he High Commission Court at that time they studyed most to defame him all this both towne and contrey can testify as also of the infatigable diligence in his particular calling How that he neglected no opportunity to doe the indigentes● men good how that being unwearyed in his imployments he wen● through the heat of Summer the cold of Winter rose earlie went to bed late exposing himself at all times to any danger whatsoever of plague and pestilence and all to doe the meanest of the Kings Subjects good never taking penny of poore nor never of servant never suffering the most neglected creature of nature to perish for want of care or looking to but made them all an object of his pity and of his art giving them out of his poore competency both for their food Physick neither can any man say that ever he asked the richest a farthing for any paynes he tooke day or night for their preservation or that he ever murmured at the smallest content thy gave him if the Prel●●s had let him follow his calling this defendent had continued in this diligent course of life till the day of his death Bu● they picking a quarrell with him for writing in defence of the Kings prerogative Royall against the Pope● saying● that while hee writ against the Pope he meant them put him upon s●ch imployments as he indeed thinks will be very little pleasing to the Prelats all●hough he is most cenfident that in them he hath and shall doe the King and Church good service and so he knoweth it will appeare when he is dead and gone But because this book● is now layd unto the Defendents charge as tending to th● mayntenance and upholding of schisme and division i● his Mast. Church of England opposition against th● laudable Orders and Ce●emonyes of the sayd Church● howsoever there be no such thing in the sayd Flag●ll● ye● this Defendent desireth to give a reason unto this honorable Court for the writing publishing not onely o● that booke but of all other his writings since And first concerning the booke for which he was censured He saith that he was provoked thereunto by a Popish Iesuiticall Doctor of Physick who continually dared him into the field of Dispute and set downe his owne theames about which he w●●ld contend which were concerning the Popes Supremacy and the sacrifice of the Masse And it

in the Prelats that poore Christians in our age may neither obey the commandement of God who inioyneth us to heare in season and out of season nor imitate the Saints of olde in their pious indeavours in building up themselves in their most holy faith nor follow the good paternes of their Kings and Governors but they must be severely punished for it yea undone traduced ●or it a● evil doers if this be not great cruelty tyranny it selfe in the Prelats there was never none for they robb them of Heaven ear●h all other comforts in as much as in them lyeth Nay which is yet more to shew their cruelty injustice unrightuous dealing the Prelats in the Baptisme of infants constraine the Godfathers Godmothers there solemnly to promise that they wil call upon them that are baptised when they come to yeares of discretion of●en to heare Sermons to this duty are also the baptized tyed Now when they are come to yeares of understanding and in obedience of their promise they made by their God Fathers and God-Mothers and perhaps beeing stirred up also by their exhortation to this good duty of hearing the Word if ●hey goe out to heare Sermons when they have none in their owne Parishes they are first punished in their purses and liberties and then given to the Devill for this good worke which they notwithstanding have tied them to by speciall promise in their baptisme and if all this be not unspeakeable cruelty tyranny and injustice there was never none in the world and yet this is the dayly practise of the Prelates through the Kingdome as all men know And which is yet more to be observed in the same Sacrament of Baptisme children promise there by their God-Fathers and God-Mothers or they doe it for the children to be baptized that they will forsake the Devill and all his works the pomps and vanities of this wicked world and are there signed with the signe of the Crosse that innocent Ceremony as they call it that he shall continue Christs Faithfull Souldier fight under his banner all the dayes of his life against the World the Flesh and the Devill by the which promise he is bound to the utmost of his power alwayes to oppose all errors wickednes and prophanenesse Now if any in conscience of his promise either speake or write in defence of the truth as it ought to be defended or if he doe but put in practice that which he hath promised in opposing of Error Superstition Prophanesse Idolatry or the iniquities of the times the Prelates severely punish them for it as their dayly proceedings witnes and if this be not a daring crueltie also and great injustice there is none exercised upon the earth for what is unjustice and crueltie if punishing of men for doeing their duty and keeping their promise and performing that which the Prelates themselves have tied them to by speciall promise be not They teach all Christians in an other Ceremonie of standing up at the Gospell and at Gloria Pa●ri and at the Creed to shew their readinesse and promptitude in fighting for ●he Faith of Iesus and their Holy Religion against Heresie Poperie and all Innovations all which our Gracious King declares himse●fe that he will never al●ow of or suffer and the neglect of this Ceremonie will cost a man an undoeing Now if any beeing taught by this Ceremonie come forth to the combat and but oppose themselves against Popery Errors or Innovations in defence of the Faith and the Honour of their King they are punished most severelie for it by the Prelates both in the High-Commission and other Courts and Bils and Informations and Articles are exhibited and made against them as evil doers and troublers of the State and all for doing that th●y teach them by their Ceremonies and bind them by promises oath to doe which is Hyperbolicall tyrannie● unjustice and cruelty in those reverend Fathers It seemes they would have Christians like Saint George a horsebacke ever mounted but never moving and if they doe chance to sti●re or dare bee so bold as to move they immediatelie are cast downe and breake either their eares or their noses or their foreheads and it may be ●hey are also wh●pped to the ba●gaine for beeing so bold some mischief for the most part followes their endeavours and that for doing their dutie and that which they were taught by Ceremonies and is not this arrogant tyranny● cruelty and inju●●ice in the Prelates to punish and that severely both the neglect and the doing also of their duty and that they are injoyned to doe without all doubt there is no such crueltie in the world as is daily practised by the Prelates and in their Courts of the which there might mightie volumes bee made but the Defendent hath instanced in these few things onely because● they are knowne to most men and obvious every day and the Defendents condi●ion and his cause can sufficiently witnes their unrighteous dealings and that in divers respects for they dealt with him against the very law and light of nature and as they would not bee done by to make him accuse himselfe to admit his sworne and capital enimies and which first informed them against him out of meere malice as was proved by many to bee prosecutors and witnesses against him yea to speake as it is that the Prelates themselves should be Accusers Parties Witnesses Iury and Iudge in their owne● cause as they all were this the Defendent saith is unrighteous dealing to which may bee added the defending of the Popes quarrell to condemne him for one thing and putting those things likewise in the records of the Court for which by the whole Court he was freed from As for example the Defendent was condemned onely for his booke now in the order of the Court or Sentence it is put in● that he was condemned for the other things also● which howsoever they were in themselves verie ridiculous yet it is great injustice to superadde them and so to deale with him Neither is that a small part of injustice to punish and condemne the innocent and justify the wicked both which are an abomination to the Lord. Now they condemned the Defendent for writing against the Pope adjudged his Booke to be burnt and justified his adversaries and Chouny who writ in defence of the Church of Rome and it is their daily practice to condemne bookes that are writ for the Honour of Religion accusing them to bee factious pamphlets but Bookes that are writ for the advancement of Poperie and Superstition and in defence of the Pontificalitie of Prelats and the magnification of the Church of Rome ●o the trampling downe of regall autoritie and for the murdering killing of Kings for the bringing in of Innovations into a Kingdome and for suppressing of true Religion many of which are not to bee named of these Bookes a man may buy shipfuls of them in Pauls Church yard

all which tend to the ruine of the Kingdome and perver●ing of Re●igion and the seducing of the Kings good Subjects And all other Bookes of Arminians Sosinians and a thousand such blasphemous treatises are bought and sold publikely in every Stationars shop with the Prelates very good liking And the greatest enimies of the truth such as Bellarmine Baronius Tyrrian Ca●etan are not onely publicklie vented but are before the King and in the Vniversities and indeed in every Pulpit magnified with glorious titles as the learned Cardinal incomparable Bellarmine those grand impostors and perverte●s of the wayes of God and such as have abused King IAMES of famous memory and blasphemously defamed our most Holy Religion All these Authors and many more with their Bookes the Defendent saith are dailie approved of and commended by the Prelates● and such as extoll the Church of Rome patronized by them and maintained And what is it then to advance Poperie if all these doings of the Prelates bee not and what is it to favour prophanesse and irreligion if the punishing and silencing of those that write and speake against the iniquitie of the times be not let all men judge of this with serious reason and they will soone perceive that in this accusation of the Prelats the Defendent hath no way wronged them And for their intemperance and want of wit it is notoriouslie also knowne who raile most shamefully and unhumanelie upon all honest men that come before them as their very speeches in their censure may witnes Iudges of old were wont to give Sentence in lesse matters beeing full of compassion with teares in their eyes neither doe wee read of any Iudges since Christs time but of Ananias the High Priest and Festus the Governor that they ever did revile those that were brought before them or give them any ill language And the one was a Iew and the other a Heathen both enimies of Christ and Christians But for Christian Iudges and them spirituall ones for such contumeliouslie to abuse their brethren as they did the Defendent and dailie doe others and to give them over to the Devill and to perpetuall chaines for every triviall thing yea even for a misprision or a very surmise and to make a man an offender for a word and to ruine them their wives and children for such things and that with scoffes reproaches tants and mocks this the Defendent affirmeth in the Prelates is both crueltie injustice intemperance and want of wisdome and so hee nothing doubteth but this honorable Court and all rationall men will judge Neither doth his gracious● Majest or this honorable Court as he truelie believeth know how they abuse his poore Subjects neither will God take this well at their hands for it no way beseemeth those would bee thought the Fa●hers of the Church so to doe For if wee looke upon Timothy and Titus whose successors they would be thought to bee and the rules that they followed and were guided by wee shall find a vast difference betweene them Saint Paul in his 2. epistle to Timothy chap. 2. telleth him That the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men● apt to teach patient in meeknes instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the trueth c. And in an other place the same Apostle sayth A Bpp. must be patient and no brawler Now when the Prelats so exorbitantly behave themselves trampling all Apostolicall Canons under their feet and so basely revile the good Subjects of the King and their brethren trampling also the sacred Scriptures under their fee● and that with as great contempt as the Papists themselves doe advancing Poperie everie way and the Defenders of it can any denie that these are intempera● imprudent unjust men and furtheres upholders of Poperie vvhereas the Defendent is charged in the information● That he accuseth the Prelats as upholders of idolatry superstition and prophanesse and that h●● defameth the witn●sses brought against him and hath causlesly and boldlie inveighed against the oath Ex officio The Defendent humbly intreateth the honorable Court that vvith patience they vvould heare his ansvver to these things then he vvill come to the last thing that concerne●h him the Letany and the occasion of the vvriting of it What he himself hath done he is ever resolved to seale vvith his best bloud to justifie and make good vvhatsoever he shall accuse the Prelats of Amongst the vvhich he acknovvledgeth that he chargeth them to be advancers of Poperie idolatrie superstition prophanesse And so they are as hath been alreadie sufficiently evinced and by that vvhich follovveth shall yet more illustriously appeare For what is it to aduance Popery and idolatry if that the Prelats dayly doe be it not without men will thinke that Poperie onely that advanceth the Popes Supremacy and they Protestants onely that goe no farther in opposing that Hereticall religion when that is among many Divines counted one of ●he least controversies in Theology between Papists and us true Catholicks Greater matters I wosse hundreds there are between us And howsoever the King blessed be God his predecessors by the blood of their Subjects and the sacrificing of themselves have shaken off the yoake of the Pope yet his poore Subjects are under many Popes which deale worse with them then ever Popes did to Kings in the middest of their swelling●● pride arrogancy yea every parish Priest and base fellow that is but a Prelats Servant can ruine and undoe the honestest man upon any information So that for the Subjects cōdition it is worse they are in a farre more deplorable predicament then they were in under the Pope by this change for now they have neither their consciences their libertyes their purses their bodyes their limbs or lives in any security but as the Prelats their creatures please are deprived of all who seek continually for their bloud and starve many of them in prisons and expose them to infinit miseries and calamityes● so that they are as sheep to the slaughter slayne all the day long And of their deadly crueltie against those that feare God the whole Kingdome can witnes and how that they make them every where most odious But now to the matter the Defendent c●argeth the Prelats with viz. that they are advancers of Idolatry superstition and pr●phanesse And that ●hey are advancers of idolatry who can doubt of it that knoweth that very rudiments of Divinity or in the least measure ●a●h been acquaynted with the lawes of God For as God onely is and must be the object of all Divine worship as t●e first commandement teacheth for him onely we are to serve Matth. 4. as Christ also commandeth to worship any other or to trust in any thi●g els is idolatry in a high degree for we must love him with all our hearts and all our Soul●s and trust on●ly in him So likewise for