Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29957	A short and true relation of some main passages of things (wherein the Scots are particularly concerned (from the very first beginning of these unhappy troubles to this day; Short and true relation of some passages of things	Buchanan, David, 1595?-1652?	1645 (1645)	Wing B5273; ESTC R521	70,601	122

of Christ but this is of another condition and so it belongs to another place Besides he who offers unto the Houses his passive obedience endeavours what he can and pleads earnestly to be free from it as we have seen published by writing Then also it was said publikely by one that the main quarrell the Parliament stood for at first and thereafter did take up Arms for was not for Religion which is as much to say the main different betwixt the Parliament and the corrupt Court-Papists Prelatists Atheists and divers other instruments of iniquity who having sworn inimity to the Truth opposeth it with all their cunning and power not the Reformation of the Church but the freedom and Liberty of the Subject Which saying is injurious in my mind for to aver or publish that the Parliament did not from thē beginning intend a true Reformation of Religion is a great wrong done to the Wisdom of the Parliament for how can the Parliament be said or thought to be wise in God without it hath his fear before its eyes and how can the Parliament be said to have the fear of God before its eyes if it hath not care of the establishing the Truth of Religion and to represse the errors I cannot conceive for without the true Worship of God there can be no true fear of him then it is most false for from the first beginning did not the Parliament expresse that it namely intended a true Reformation by divers instances although now and then it hath been at a stand how to go through with it by reason of the lets that the Enemies of the Truth have cast in and cast still in to this day by open opposition and clandestine undermining witnesse the pulling down of the high Commission-Court the courbing of the Prelats tyranny the making silenced Ministers freely preach and so soon is the occasion offers it self is it not embraced to throw the Prelats out of the Church as Enemies to the Truth of God Then the calling of the Synod which things with divers more the Parliament had never done if it had not intended mainly the Reformation of the Church and of Religion I must confesse the businesses in the Synod did go on but very remisly before the Scots joyning by the Nationall Covenant with the Parliament who hath since pressed it somewhat more home and yet it goeth on but very slowly not so much by the open opposition of the professed Enemy as by the crafty infinuations of some phantasticall and factious men who having endeared themselves by some expression of good offices to the people have buzzed the Parliament in the ear they must not anger them for fear of losing so many good Friends who give themselves out to be in great number although if things were tryed it should be found that their number is far short of what is said of it and their affection to the publike lesse for I shall never beleeve that those who are for confusion in the Church are for the setled ordering of the State Further if the Parliament did not make Religion at first its main quarrell it stood for and took Arms for I pray you then when did the Parliament begin to make the Reformation of the Church its main quarrell at the joyning of the Scots by the Nationall Covenant perhaps you will say If so be when England hath a setled Reformation of the Church according to the Word of God the practice of the first ages and of the best Reformed Church now adayes it may thank their poor Friends distressed at this time for their sake I am assured he that sayeth that the Parliament did not intend mainly Reformation from the beginning careth but little for it himself Next he makes the main quarrell of the Parliament to be the freedom and Liberty of the Subject If under the notion of freedom and Liberty were understood first a free libr● profession of the Truth in a setled Reformed Church as aforesaid it were well and in the second place the honest freedom and just Liberty in externall things Such is the freedom that the truely reformed Churches abroad have constantly sought for to this day who when they obtain the first they stand not so much upon the second But let us see a little what can be the meaning of the freedom and Liberty of the Subject without Religion Is it to be free from the vexation of Monopolies Projects Ship-moneys c. and of some exorbitant courses of Judicatory as of that of the Star-Chamber If in those alone and no other things better and more I beseech you what benefit hath the Subject by the freedom from the Court of the Star-chamber The people say The Committees of one City or County doeth more wrong in one yeer to the City or County then the Starchamber-Court did to the whole Kingdom in seven yeers if all things be well considered for it did reach but one man here and there but the Committees reach almost every man It is true the wounds of the Star-chamber were very sore deep but they were not so frequent and now then they were mollified by some moderation which divers Committees will not admit As for the freedom from Ship-money Monopolies Projects c. Vox populi sayeth there be more in taxes and contributions laid upon the people in one yeer now adayes then for many yeers in Ship-money c. Yea which is the worst this burden must continue God knows how long besides the way of levying it by the inferior Officers if the taxes are most grievous and the best affected men for the most part are most loaden such is the cry and complaint of the people through the City and County So if the Subject had not the gain of a Reformed setled Church and Religion he were in a worse case then formerly Next there is found but very little more just and honest Liberty for the Subject then before onely the Sectaries take greater licence then they were wont to do and phantasticall men to vent their idle imaginations and to abuse the simpler ones as likewise scurrilous fellows take upon them to say and write what they list against men All this is a meer licentiousnesse and libertinage tending to the trouble of the people and not to their good so far is it from the Liberty of honest and discret men who desireth and ought to live within the borns of good and wholsome constitutions both of Church and State What is said here of taxes is not to blame them for it is known ther must be tribute levied for the supporting of the burdens of the Common-Wealth namely in time of War for its good and benefit At the beginning of these Wars here in England betwixt the King and Parliament both parties did draw unto them so many of the Scots Officers as they could conveniently neither of them having in their own opinion such Commanders or at least in such number as to make