Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A81607
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The dolefull lamentation of cheap-side crosse: or old England sick of the staggers. The dissenting, and disagreeing in matters of opinion, together with the sundry sorts of sects now raving and reigning, being the maine causes of the disturbance and hinderance of the Common-wealth.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing D1837; Thomason E134_9; ESTC R15630
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4,463
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9
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nay hatred of the reprobate is such a signe of a good estate that some are accounted religious onely for hating their Brethren Then for hardnesse of heart and contempt of Gods word the poor complayne of the one and the Priests of the other for the world is troubled with the stone that lies in the heart which makes their charity dead sicke and so feeble that it cannot stir it selfe in any good actions and it is so mad with a supposition of knowledge that whereas heretofore there was the Priests and the people now the common people will be Priests and because they are ignorant they will despise Learning Lastly for lying falshood and hypocrisie it is accounted nothing but a familiar expression the glosse of trades and the maintayner of life Qui nescit dissimularae nescit vivere How to live he cannot tell That knowes not to dissemble well Now from these premisses of discord and faction where truth is made the object of every contentious fancy and so becomes opinion needes must there proceed much tumult much division and much distraction to the great disgrace and scandall of the true Protestant Religion and the glory and renowne which hath been in this Kingdom and to the encouragement of wicked people who seeing that there are so many Sepâ—ratists and Sects will therfore be of no religion and another consâ—quent is as was mentioned at the beginning the hardnesse and deadnesse of the present times there being no imployment but a generall doubtfulnes making every one put confidence in their present Estates for where there is no unity there can bee no peace or quietnesse and where there is no peace there can be no plenty amonst the poor and inferiour sort of people Let us pray therefore unto God the Author of peace and lover of concord that hee would please to establish unity in opinion piety in profession and a generall conformity to the Protestant Religion to the glory of God and the peace and tranquillity of the Common-wealth of England The dolefull Lamentation of Cheap-side Crosse which was basely abused and wronged IIasper Crosse scituated in Cheap-side London upon Munday night being the 24 of Ianuarie the signe being in the head and face which made me the more suffer and in the yeare one thousand sixe hundred forty and one when almost everie man is to seek a new Religion and being then high water at London Bridge as their braines and heads were full of malice and envy I the foresaid Iasper Crosse was assaulted and battered in the Kings high way by many violent and insolent minded people or rather ill-affected Brethren and whether they were in their heighth of zeale or else overcome with passion or new wine lately come from New-England I cannot be yet resolved but this I am sure and it may bee plainly seen by all that passe by me that I was much abused and defaced by a sort of people which I cannot terme better than a mad and giddy headed multitude who were gathered together from all parts to wrong my antiquity and ancient renowned name so much spoken of in forraine parts Had I ever done these my Brethren the least offence I should be sorrie and am still willing to submit and referre my selfe to the grave and most just Senators now assembled Love and charity those my brethren had none at all for what benefit or credite did it bring to them to come by night like theeves to steale from me here a leg there a head here an arm and there a nose they did all goe away from mee the Crosse with prefit they have not done me so much dishonor as they have done themselves and the honourable City whose civill government is a patterne to all Nations But I will tell you my crosse brethren you both at that time wanted wit and money wit to govern your hot and over-boyling zeale and crosse money to pay your Land-lords rent that is a crosse to you not I and so wanting such crosses as those would bee revenged of me to satisfie your malitious crosse humours I am but your stocking horse and colour for your future malice your rage will not cease though you should pull mee downe and make me levill with the ground And when so done then you wil cry out that there be crosses in the goldsmiths shops which is plate and jewels standing upon crosse shelves those be the crosses you intend though your pretence be other wais Next the Mercers shops whose Satten and Velvet lie a crosse and whose Counters are a crosse their shops Then the next crosses which you will finde fault withall will bee with those rich monied men whose bags lye crose in their chests then with their wives if they bee hand some which you will make to be crosses too in a short space I say deare brethren if you be suffered to pull downe all things that are acrosse you will dare to pull a Magistrate of his horse because he rides acrosse his horse back and pull his chaine to peices because it hangs acrosse his shoulders and if a millers horse come to market with a sack of corn acrosse his horse back and if you say it is a crosse you then violently wil run and pul it down and share it as you have done part of me the crosse And at length then our Churches will prove crosses to you specially if the have bin builded in popish times so in processe of time every thing wil be a crosse to you that you either love or hate But I will conclude with this caution that as long as we have such cross people crosse every way especially to Majestrates and men of Authority and still go unpunished we shall alwayes have such crosse doings and so I poore Ieffery Crosse leave you to your crosse wives and your owne crosse opinions FINIS
The dolefull Lamentation of Cheap-side Crosse Or old England sick of the Staggers The dissenting and disagreeing in matters of opinion together with the sundry sorts of Sects now raving and reigning being the maine causes of the disturbance and hinderance of the Common-wealth London Printed for F. C. and T. B. 1641. The dolefull lamentation Of Cheap-side Crosse OR Old England sick of the Staggers IT is a generall and common complaint that trading employment and commerce in the Common-wealth is so astonished and dead that all Callings and Vocations are faine to make a cessation from their usuall wayes and endevours which they attribute to the present doubtfulnesse and disturbance of the Times which were never so full of faction destraction and contradiction as at this present men being onely full of windie opinion so that the world is growne into a new confused Chaos or a Babell of balling and foolish disputing First the Papist he thinkes there can be no salvation out of his Mother Church and an old woman she mistakes her Mothers Church for her mothers Church then the poore Papists they crye up merits because they had a dole of pudding at such a rich mans funerall then your fine fellowes together with Dancers Musicitians Organists and the like they like well of Ceremonies and complementing with God and some Countrie-men like well of Poperie because Ignorance is the mother of Devotion thus as everie one abounds in his owne sence or in the sence of profit so they will defend their owners in the blinde popish Religion Against this blinde sort of ignorant people steps out a Hydra or multitude of proud and precise Sects who are all knowledge and all eyes loving nothing but their own silly fancies accounting all things else prophanation and superstition they are full of new wine and a new spirit new revellations new formes of prayer they thinke the old ones are worne thred-bare and they are not tedious enough nor full of tautologies of the Name of the Lord. This Sect can endure no crosse but that on silver and for Cheap-side Crosse it is the abhomination of the City and Surplesses are Smocks of the whore of Rome and every thing tho never so laudable and decent and necessary if contrary to their opinion is by them accounted profane They like none but sanctified shuttle headed Weavers long-winded Box-makers and thorow-stitching Coblers thumping Felt-makers jerkin Coach-men and round-headed Button makers which spoyle Bibles while they thumbe over the leaves with their greasie fingers and sit by the fire-side scumming their porridge-pot while their zeale seethes over in applications and interpretations of Scriptures delivered to their as ignorant wives and hand-maids with the name and title of deare brethren and especially beloved sisters But the world doth sufficiently know their Characters and Description and is sensible enough of the trouble and discord which they breed But beside these there are divers foolish Sects and Schismaticks whereof many partake and are favourers thereof Nay most men in matte s of opinion are divided one against another One will do no good works because the Papists doe them another thinks good works are good but will doe none because they are chargeable a third makes faith a matter of Discourse but sheweth none in his pious life anâ— conversation for quantum habet in arca tantum hâ—bet fidei He hath so much faith as coyne hee hath in his Chest A fourth will needes make himselfe wise in Gods eternall Counsells and all his friends shall bee of the Elect but his foes and those he bares any grudge unto be accounts them Reprobates Some againe will talke themselves out of breath in Scripture phrases and coxen the world with an hypocriticall sanctity Another loves fasting well but his flesh better and therfore he thinkes feasting is very good and lawfull especially when our Laws commands fasting Another imagines prayers a great helpe to Heaven though they be never so briefe and compendious but then another spirit would know how farre it is to heaven that he might frame a long Babel-like prayer made up with hums and hawes that might reach up thither Sixe of the purer but of the weaker Sect One day had conference to this effect To change the old and ancient name of preaching And first the first would have it called teaching A second that same vulgar name dispising Said she would have it called Catechising A third though not so learned yet as wise Thought it more fit to call it Exercise The fourth a most magnificent Corrector Said she approv'd it best to call it Lector Nay quoth the fifth our brethren as I heare Doe call it Speaking iâ— Northampton shire Tush quoth the sixt then Standing were more fit For Preachers seldome in the Pulpit sit Then Standing let it be cry'd all the rest With one consent applauding standing best It is easier to reckon up all the Species and kinds of nature than to describe all the Sects Divisions and opinions in Religion that is now in London so that whereas there is but one truth and one way lâ—ading thereunto they cannot agree about this one way but error and vice being multiplyed manifold they can all finde out those wayes to a haire so that the times remaine still as corrupt in manners as ever they did for pride hath made them not onely ambitious to excesses of apparrell but every woman getting a red Petticote over their shoulders will mount into the chaire of Divinity what makes Artificers to be Preachers by presuming on the assistance of the Spirit is it not the Spirit of pride what makes them so ready to censure another transgressions is it not the pride of their profession surely all their factions are but the destractions and madnesse of their pride that delights to rave in Pulpits and to haue the libertie of talking blasphemous nonsence saying O good Lord little dost thou know how these sinfull proud and leacherous Bishops if they had not beene suppressed would have dealt with thy poore flock such as we are filly and harmlesse men and women but dear brethren and sisters whatsoever we doe let it be with zeale But where is this pious life and Religion so much talkt of Look into the world and there is a generall confusion or mixture of sinne Here you shall finde Drunkennesse eagerly disputing in an Ale-house sitting upon the Bench and condemning whom hee pleases and what Religion he doth disaffect and then precisenesse lookes down with his eyes as if he were onely religious when inwardly a whore is not more deceitfull As for covetousnesse rich men make that a part of their Religioâ— and adore gold as much as their God Voluptous wantonnesse hath her Conventicles where the Spirit enlightens the understanding to see a Sister in the dark and to wench with policie is but a City courtesie and a civill humanity yet there was never so much hatred of the Sinner condemning themselves therein in loving the same sins