Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	great_a	king_n	parliament_n	3,205	5	6.3516	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87987	A letter from the synod of Zeland, to the commissioners of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland: vvritten by them in Latin, and now faithfully translated into English: expressing, 1. Their fellow-feeling of the present condition of the Kirks of Ireland and England, and exciting us to the like. 2. Their respects and affection to the Kirk of Scotland. 3. Their zeale to the Reformation of the Kirk of England, in government and ceremonies, and to the preservation of religion there, against the pride of Popery at this time. 4. And their desire of Unity in Religion, and the Kirk-government in his Majesties Dominions. July 18. 1643. Imprimatur. John White.	Gereformeerde Kerk in de Nederlanden. Synode van Zeeland.	1643 (1643)	Wing L1542; Thomason E61_5	5,482	12

A LETTER FROM THE SYNOD OF ZELAND TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF The Generall Assembly of the Kirk of SCOTLAND Written by them in Latin and now faithfully translated into English EXPRESSING 1. Their fellow-feeling of the present condition of the Kirks of Ireland and England and exciting us to the like 2. Their respects and affection to the Kirk of Scotland 3. Their zeale to the Reformation of the Kirk of England in Government and Ceremonies and to the preservation of Religion there Against the pride of Popery at this time 4. And their desire of Unity in Religion and Uniformity of Kirk-government in his Majesties Dominions Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shal prosper that love thee Ps 122.6 July 18. 1643. Imprimatur JOHN WHITE First Printed at Edinburgh and now reprinted at London for Edward Brewster and are to be sold on Fleet-bridge 1643. Right reverend learned and much honoured THe anxiety and sorrow arising from the lamentable condition of the Kirk in Ireland and troubled Estate of the Kirk in England doth so vex and torment us and the extream danger to which they are brought is so great and our desire of their delivery so vehement that if we would yet we cannot sufficiently expresse the same We acknowledge that for our sins the Kirks are afflicted with these great miseries forasmuch as in this so great light of the Gospel Pride Covetousnesse Ambition Drunkennesse Wantonnesse filthy Lusts and such like pestilent evils do no lesse abundantly spring up among us then when we sate in the darknesse of Paganisme and Popery wherefore that which is written hath befallen us I have forsaken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my Soul into the hand of her enemies with what measure we have mete out unto the Lord with the same he is againe measuring unto us We heare from all quarters of the boasting and pride of Moab of the loftinesse and arrogancy of his heart that skipping for joy he glorieth that now the fatall day is come and the fairest occasion that ever was is now offered to cut off such as they do hate with deadly hatred and with one stroke to overthrow the reformed Kirks and to root them out together that they be no more And verily if wee looked only to the arme of flesh we might conceive this their insolent boasting not to be without cause for if they be able to prevaile over the Kirks of the flourishing and potent Kingdom of England they are hopefull without difficulty to overturn the Kirks of Scotland as also to bring easily the reformed Kirks of the Netherland● to the same desolation and that there is no reformed Kirk in Europe which shall be able to withstand their formidable power yea they shall with open throat swallow them all up as a morsell of bread feeding themselves upon these hopes with great courage extream endeavours and united forces they addresse themselves to this work So must also the reformed Kirks do they must joyne their Counsels courage and strength that they may make the present pernicious blow aimed at them return upon the heads of the enemies if herein they bee deficient such shamefull cowardise will be inexcusable to all posterity And whereas much honoured we use this compellation by our Letters we earnestly entreat you that ye take not this our dealing in ill part as if we took upon us to waken you out of a deep sleep farre bee such arrogancy and rashnesse from us there are extant to the world most evident testimonies of your zeal for the reformed Religion But the true cause of saluting you by these our Letters is that we may approve by our suffrage your diligence and zeal and that wee may poure out into your bosomes the fear of the dolefull event wherewith wee are perplexed And that we may declare our desire and affection towards the Kirks of England with which the Kirks within our bounds are so united that we judge if the Kirks of England perish they cannot escape ruine Pardon therefore our freedom in that we make bold thus to trouble you with our Letters if it may be called trouble We entreat your wisdomes forasmuch as ye are joyned to these afflicted Kirks in neighbourhood and nearest bonds under the government of one King who is resolved to live and die in the reformed Religion as in his publick Declarations plainly he hath professed that with all carefull endeavours ye aid them against the rage and fury of the factious and malignant And first seeing the deplorable division between the Kings most Excellent Majesty and his Parliament is exceeding perillous and hurtfull to the Kirks of that Kingdome that yee leave nothing unessayed for healing of that rent by prayer supplications intercessions and all other lawfull meanes Secondly let it never come to passe that these Kirks deserted by you become a prey to Popish Forces and be wofully torne by them O how much blood would be spilt The times of Queen Mary would returne yea much more cruell then these no cruelty that savages could devise would be omitted no sex would be spared keep not therefore your selves quiet in this difficil time as if from a high rock ye were beholding securely a tempest and present shipwrack Far far be such a minde from you as it is indeed not like to Meroz whom the Angel of the Lord accursed Therefore make haste to help the Lord to help the Lord against the mighty So shall ye oblige all the reformed Kirks of Europe unto you Thirdly so far as in you lieth give all diligence that the foresaid Kirks now freed of the Episcopall yoke and purged from all the rites and dregs of Antichrist be not drawn back to the same bondage neither by fraud nor force The Lord of his infinite goodnesse hath bestowed this favour on you and hath put it in the heart of the Kings most excellent Majesty that he will not have your necks pressed any longer with the yoke or rather intolerable tyranny of Episcopall government we heartily congratulate with you in this your happinesse But withall it is our desire that ye lay your accompt that if the neighbouring Kirks bee drawn back to that yoke of bondage which God of his mercy avert your liberty will not be long sure for the enemies of the truth being strengthened by a new addition of forces and encrease of power they will uncessantly pursue you that at last ye will yeeld and of your own accord take on that iron yoke which though by a slow yet by a sure pace leadeth to utter destruction Ye ought therefore to strengthen and support the Kirks of England by your whole power and to exhort them that they come never again under that tyrannicall yoke but rather that they may stand couragiously for the maintenance of their liberty yet so that they fall not on the other extream Anarchy a more dangerous evill yea that they have not the least fellowship with any

idolatrous rites or ceremonies The Christian tabernacle no lesse then the Jewish ought to bee built according to that pattern shewed in the Mount of the Scripture so that there be not in the curtaines thereof so much as a loop or a tach but according to the prescript of God the only Law-giver Long experience hath taught us that there is in such rites a secret and wonderfull power to defile if but the smallest part thereof be admitted it will not long continue so but speedily like a gangrene it will begin to spread whilst at ●ast it corrupt the whole worship having lost the simplicity and purity of Christs institution What were she not a foolish and mad woman who would adorne her selfe with ornaments borrowed from some vile harlot supposing thereby the better to please her husband What filthier harlot is there then the Romish strumpet most accomplished in all sorts of spirituall villanies surpassing all the bounds of impudency Let us never therefore be so demented as to accompt the worship of God most pure by Christs institution to be more pleasing unto God when it is performed with ornaments borrowed from the Romish Bordell Let us think that the Lord cannot but be highly offended take away his holy Spirit and depart far with the light of his grace so soon as men begin to bee so mad then hee suffereth them from day to day to sink deeper in the dunghill of superstitious rites wherein they delight while at last they be suffocated therein as it came to passe in the Papacy We confesse indeed that for things indifferent we like not to bee contentious neither left we the Romish Kirk for these or such like things but for the denying of that only sacrifice of Christ in their Masse for their adoration of a breaden god and of Saints for their exalting the Pope above God and for his tyranny for their contempt prohibition of the use of Scripture for justification by works and hundreds more of that kinde If the Romish Kirk had been tainted only with some smaller blemishes or had been defiled only with some indifferent rites if for these we had departed from her we might have been justly taxed as Scismaticks yea a generation of vipers which bursting through the mothers bowels is not brought forth but by particide But first having once departed for their accursed idolatry and the Kirk being purged to returne back againe unto Popish rites once cast out appeareth evidently to be extream dangerous by reason of the subtilty and restlesnesse of Sathan 2. Whosoever ceaseth not eagerly to presse and to introduce these rites though they perceive all things to be turned up side down therby they make manifest that it is not for these ceremonies alone they stir up such troubles but that they do secretly project some other thing 3. As for such ceremonies and rites as have their origin all from minds arrogant and not contented with divine institution to which an opinion of necessity is added as if without these holy things could not be decently gone about and the worship but coldly performed truely we cannot see how such ceremonies can be called indifferent Suffer never therefore much honoured brethren so farre as is in you that the English Kirks be forced to receive such ceremonies but rather use all meanes that they and yee in Kirk-government may be brought to as near agreement as may be Hence shall redound manifold and great utilitie 1 The pure manner of worship being preserved the inestimable treasure of the purity of doctrine which is committed to us shall be the better kept and transmitted uncorrupt to Posterity 2 If the Kirk be purged from all Popish leaven she will be the more comely in the eyes of her bridegroome and will obtain the larger showre of blessings and as a field purged of tares shall be the more fruitfull 3. This will exceedingly settle the Estate of your Kirks against the continuall Plots and Conspiracies of Papists united Forces are strongest The purity of worship being established your Kirks shal grow up together with the English in a more sollid and durable concord 4 This will cut short the Popish Emissaries of all hope of comming speed by their crafty wiles They perceive that the reformed Kirks doe extreamly abhorre their Idolatry therefore they despaire to introduce the same wholly and together but they essay to creep in by degrees They labour to perswade that there is no danger if with the singing of Psalmes Organs be joyned as a part of Divine worship if for the simple and ordinary habit of Ministers the Surplise bee used if with the Lords day there be celebrated also Festivall dayes in memory of the Martyrs If these things shall prosper in their hands then in place of a Table yee shall have an Altar for sitting at Communion kneeling and if they have successe herein then shall yee have Images and the whole mask of Popery with this hope they uphold themselves and of this hope they are to be cut short 5 This also shall constrain such of ours who are busied about Reconc●liation that is to say who labour to make up a Communion between day and night darknesse and light to relinquish their foolish undertaking And let not that move you which is pretended that such ceremonies as kneeling in the holy Supper conduceth much to stir up piety and to avoid contempt that forewarning of the Apostle hath taken deep impression in our hearts That such things have a shew of wisedome in will-worship and humility but in effect are of no worth Such things have the appearance of wisedome but not the reality thereof What came not such a thought into our Saviours minde Why then sate hee after the ordinary custome of the countrey Why enjoyned he not kneeling Next what if some other should appoint for greater humility and submission of minde that wee should come with sack-cloth and ashes to the holy Supper Yea if another should appoint that wee ought to come with ropes about our necks that by this signe they might openly declare their extreame unworthinesse and that they had deserved death as the servants of Benhaded came unto the King of Israel And in end what shall bee the end if this doore shall once be opened therefore wee must not passe from the Primitive worship But wherefore then may some say doe your selves passe from the Primitive way Why stand they in the French Kirks at the Lords Supper Why sit yee in the Netherlands And why doe yee not leane every where The reformed Kirks have their answer ready When we come to eat and drink at Table it is all one whether according to the custome of our countrey we leane sit or stand in none of these gestures is Religious worship placed but to receive meat kneeling is no where usuall But that jugling enemie who can transforme himselfe into a thousand shapes after he hath brought in kneeling can remove a Table for what hath kneeling to doe with a Table And having once removed a Table can easily bring in an Altar and then at last perswade to offer there a sacrifice for the living and for the dead Neither need yee Right reverend to bee afraid of them who by their vile lies and calumnies labour to stirre up against you the hatred of your most excellent King as if ye were enemies to His Honour and Royall Highnesse or envied His greater Honour and Glory For the King out of His deep Wisdome knoweth that Hee hath not any more loyall Subjects then these who are devoted to the reformed Religion Hee knoweth that there is nothing can establish more His Throne that can enlarge His Royall Honour and Magnificence more or can better preserve His Royall Person then if with His whole Power He defend the reformed Religion against all the adversaries thereof For the Kings most excellent Majesty knoweth that such flatterers carry the shew of good-will but in effect are the most deadly enemies of His Honour Let not therefore such vaine shadows of feare scare you but goe on constantly and couragiously in helping the afflicted Kirks God shall abundantly blesse your endevours and shall grant unto you that the whole Antichristian crew in vaine shewing their teeth and opposing you yee having obtained your desires shall have large matter of giving thanks to his divine Majesty As for us both in publike and private in all the reformed Kirks throughout the Netherlands wee poure forth our earnest desires to God that at last he would pitie his afflicted Kirks would calme their horrible tempests and make them flourish in truth piety and peace would remove all the impediments that hinder so great happinesse Farewell right reverend and dearly beloved Brethren and interpret to the better part this our brotherly dealing as flowing from our good affection FINIS