Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	law_n	majesty_n	3,064	5	5.9700	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69915	A plea for the Non-Conformists giving the true state of the dissenters case, and how far the Conformists separation from the Church of Rome, for their Popish superstitions and traditions introduced into the service of God, justifies the Non-Conformists separation from them for the same : in a letter to Dr. Benjamin Calamy, upon his sermon, called, Scrupulous conscience, inviting hereto : to which is added, A parallel scheme of the pagan, papal and Christian rites and ceremonies : with a narrative of the sufferings underwent for writing, printing and publishing hereof / by Thomas De Laune.	De Laune, Thomas, d. 1685.; Danson, Thomas, d. 1694.; De Laune, Thomas, d. 1685. Eikōn tou thēriou.; De Laune, Thomas, d. 1685. Narrative of the sufferings of Thomas Delaune.	1684 (1684)	Wing D893; Wing D891; Wing D892; ESTC R12757	93,215	122

and it would be strange the Church would require more than Christ himself did and make more conditions of Communion then our Saviour did of Discipleship The Grand Commission the Apostles were sent out wit hwas only to teach what Christ had commanded them not the least intimation of any power given them to impose or require any thing beyond what he himself had spoken to them or they were derected to by the immediate guidance of the Spirit of God And again Declares thus that without controversy the main of all the Distractions Confusions and Divisions of the Christian World hath been by Adding other Conditions of Church Communion then Christ hath done And speaking of the Grand Reasor our first Compilers of the Common Prayer had in taking in so much of the Popish Service which was to gain over the Papists to them Desires that their Charity therein to the Papists may not be a Breach of Charity to the protestants his words are these And Certainly those holy men who did s●ek by any means to Draw in others at such a Distance from their Principles as the Papists were did never intend by what they did for that end to Exclude any Truly Tender Consciences from their Communion That which they laid as a Bait for them was never intended by them as a Hook for those of their own Profession Dr. Tayler in his Ductor Dubitantium tells us wittily that for a Trifling Cause to Cut off a man which our Lay Chancollors so familiarly do from the Communion of the Church is to do as the man in the Fable espying a Fly upon his Neighbours Forehead went to beat it off with a Hatchet and so strook out his Brains Dr. Tillotson in his Sermon before the Parliament on Luke 9. 55. page 156. You know not what manner of Spirit you are of Which is as if he had said you own your selves to be my Disciples but do you Consider what Spirit now Acts and Governs you not that surely which my Doctrine Designs to mold and fashion you into which is not saith he a Furious and Persecuting and Destructive Spirit but mild and gentle and saving Tender of the Lives and Interests of men even of those who are our Greatest Enemies you are to consider that you are not now under the Rough and Sowre Dispensation of the Law but under the Calm and Peaceable Institution of the Gospel To which the Spirit of Elias though a good man would be altogether unsuitable but under the Gospel intollerable for that designs universal love and peace and good will and now no difference of Religion no pretence of zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justify thy pasionate and sierce thy vindicative and Exterminating Spirit To these we might add the Worthy Sayings of Bishop Vsher Davenant Hall which the Late Worthy Author of the Protestant Reconciler hath furnished us with and many more but let these Suffice only for a Conclusion Take a passage of the Lord Castlemains A Great papist Husband to the Dutches of Cleveland in his Book against Dr. Floyd Sure saith he these Men that persecute Others are Beside themselves for if they should go but to Reckon themselves up together with all their Adherence they would find they are not the Sixth part of the Reformed people in England and Adds Pag. 18. That they have not much Reason to Reproach the Roman Catholicks for the Parisian Massacre that of Ireland and the Gun-powder-Plot on the 5th of November 1605. Since that these Massacres were Committed only upon those Persons whom Rome had Anathematiz'd and Proscrib'd as Hereticks and Apostates and it was never known That Rome persecuted as the Bishops do those who Adhere to the same Doctrine and Faith with themselves and Established an Inquisition against the Bigots among them nor against the Professors of the Strictest Piety And again tells us in another place to this purpose That however the Prelates Complain of the Bloody Persecution under Q. Mary that it is Manifest their persecution Exceeds it for under her Saith he there were not more then Two or Three Hundred actually put to Death Whereas under their persecution there has above Treble that Number Been Stifled Destroyed and Ruined in their Estates Li●es and Liberties being as is most Remarkable Men for the most part of the same Spirit and principle with those Protestants who Suffered under the Prelates in Q. Maries Time In the next place as a farther Witness against Imposition and Persecution take the following Declared Sense and Suffrage of several of our Kings viz. Bede L. 1. ch 26. tells us That King Ethelbert Declared after he Professed the Christian Religion that he would compel none Having been instructed that it was contrary to the Christian Religion which ought to be vollentary not compulsive King James affirmed that for Concord there is no nearer way then diligently to seperate things necessary from unnecessary and bestow all our labour that we may agree in the things necessary and that in things unnecessary which are most of the Rites and Ceremonies there may be a Christian Liberty allowed Apud Caus Ep. ad Car. Perron King Charles 1st In his Declaration Anno 1641. Sayeth thus As for Differences amongst our selves for matters indifferent in their own Nature concerning Religion we shall in tenderness to any number of our loving Subjects very willingly comply with the advice of our Parliament that some Law may be made for the Exemption of Tender Consciences from punishment or Persecution for such Ceremonies and in such Cases which by the judgment of most men are held to be matters indifferent His present Majesty in his Declaration from Breda April 4. Speaks thus We do declare a Liberty to Tender Consciences and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for Differences in Opinion which do not disturb the peace of the Kingdom Which was also the Declared Sence of most of the Nobility and Gentry at that time to which they subscribed their Names The which he often inculcates viz. Declar. oct 25. 1660. Whe do again Remember what we have formerly said from Breda for the liberty of Tender Consciences And again in his speech May 8th 1661. I do vallew my self much upon keeping my Word upon making good what ever I Promised to my subjects The which the Chancelor repeates And again July 8th 1661. Remynds his Promise as also what the Lords had promised to the same purpose at that time before mentioned which his Maty calls an honest generous and Christian Declaration signd by the most Eminent Sufferors amongst them Telling them he would not have it be in any mans power to charge him or them with the Breach of their words or promises which he saith would be no good ingredient for the future Security And again in his Declaration 26 Dec. 1662. Wee will remember the Confirmations we have made of them upon several Occasions in Parliament and as also these things are still fresh

and to reduce them in unity Whitgift propounded three Articles to the Ministers by them to be Subscribed but adds Cambden 'T is ●●credible what Controversies and Disputations arose upon this what Troubles Whitgift suffered of certain Noble Men c. How the said Whitgift vexed the poor Dissenters what Letters were writ to him from the Counsel and Treasurer Cicil upon their complaints and his Answers you have at large in a late piece called the Harmony between the old and present Nonconformists some small abridgment thereof take as followeth not unworthy of your notice viz. in a Letter sent unto the Arch Bishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London from her Majesties Council September 20. 1584. We have heard of late times sundry complaints against a great number of Preachers whereby some were de●rived of their Livings some suspended from their Ministry and Preaching especially such who instruct the people against your Spiritual Courts advancing their profits by such kind of proceedings and particularly the lamentable estate of the Church in the County of Essex Where there is a great number of Zealous and Learned Preachers suspended from their Cures the vacancy of their place for the most part without any Ministry or Preaching Prayers and Saments and in some places of Certain appointed to those void Rooms being persons neither of Learning nor of good Names and in other places of the Country a great number notoriously unfit Chargable with Ignorance and with great enormous faults as Drunkenness filthiness of Life Gamsters at Cards hunting of Ale Houses and such like against whom we hear not of ●ny Proceedig but that they are quietly suffered to the Slander of the Church to the offence of good people yea to the famishing them for want of good teaching and thereby dangerous to the subverting of many Weaklings from their duties to God and Her Majesty by secret Jesuits and Counterfiet Papists c. And in a Letter to the Arch-Bishop by the Lord Treasurer Burleigh Dated July 5. 1584. it is said It may please your Grace I am sorry to Trouble you so often as I do But I am more Troubled my self not only with many private Petitions of Sundary Ministers Recommended from Persons of Credit for peaceable persons yet greatly Troubled but also am I dayly now Charged by Counsellers and Publick Persons to neglect my duty in not staying these your Graces Proceedings so vehement and so general against Ministers and Preachers as the Papists thereby are greatly Encouraged and evil dsposed persons animated and thereby the Queens Majesties Safety Endangered With these kind of Arguments I am dayly Assaulted and now my Lord I am come to the sight of an Instrument of 24 Articles of great length and Curiosity formed in a Romish Stile to Examine all manner of Ministers in this time without Distinction of persons Which Articles are Intituted A pud Lambeth May 1581. To be Executed ex officio mero c. Which Articles I find so Curiously Penned so full of Branches and Circumstances and I think the Inquisitors of Spain use not so many questions to Comprehend and to Trap their Preys I know the Canonists can defend these with all their Particles but surely under your Graces Correction This Judicial and Canonical Sifting of poor Ministers is not to Edify and Reform and in Charity I think they ought not to answer to all these Nice Points except they were very Notorious Offenders in Papistry or Heresy I write with the Testimony of a Good Conscience c. This kind of Proceeding is too much Savouring the Romish Inquisition and is rather a Device to seek for Offenders then to Reform any and in another Letter adds seeking rather by Excommunication to urge 〈◊〉 to Accuse themselves and then punish them The Arch-Bishop makes a large reply In it Saith thus I have taken upon me the defence of the Religion and Rites of this Church of England to appease the Sects of Schisms therein to Reduce all the Ministry thereof to Uniformity and due Obedience Herein I intend to be constant and not to Waver with every Wind The which also my place my person my duty the Law Her Majesty and the Goodness of the Cause doth Require of me and wherein your Lordship and Others all things considered ought in duty to Assist and Countenance me It is strange that a man in my place dealing with so good Warranties as I do should be so encountred and for not yielding should be accounted wilful but I must be Contented Vincit qui patitur And if my friends herein forsake me I trust God will not neither the Law her Majesty who hath laid the Charge on me and are able to protect me Many were the Severe Laws made against the Nonconformists which were put in Execution with Great Cruelty To the Suspending Imprisoning and Executing many of the Faithful Servants of Christ in this Queens Reign whereof Fuller in his Ecclesiastical History gives a particular Account The High Commision Court that grand Grievance Set up also by her In the next place I shall give you some Confirmation of the Truth of the prevalency of Popery under a Protestant Mask in the Rites and Ceremonies imposed in these and succeeding times by the witness Bourn by several Eminent Dissenters which we find upon Record in several Books viz. A Book called the Register another the Abridgment which was a Book Delivered to King James by the Ministers of Lincoln Diocess Anno 1605. In the Register page 3. We have the 24 Articles agreed in the Synod and Confirmed by the Queen Exhibited to Mr. Edward Dering and his Answers thereto Anno 1573. whereof Receive his Answer to the first Article The Article was whether the Book Intituled the Book of Common Service allowed by publick Authority in this Realm is to be allowed in the Church of God by Gods Word or no To which he replyed That The Similitude that this Book hath with the Form of Prayer which the Papists used I think declineth from the Equity of those Laws Deut. 7. 25 12 30 18 4. Which Thing our Fathers so much Regarded in the Primitive Church that their Books are full of great Complaints against all Similitude to be had with the Gentles yea the Second Council of Bracca made a Decree that no Christian should have either Bay-leaves or Green Boughs in their houses because the Gentles so Accustomed and at this day all Reformed Churches in France Polonia Helvetia Scotland and other places have changed that Form of Prayers which Prudency of all Ages if we shall Condemn the Rebuke of the Apostle I think will Teach us 1 Cor. 14. 36. Came the Word of God out from you or came it unto you only Secondly We have the Psalms Venite Benedictus Magnificat nunc Demittis usual in our Ministry of which we can give no good reason nor I see no cause why we should more leave out Ave Maria and because of parting the Scriptures again

for the of Peace and Order And the late most terrible Thunder-clap from the Bench giving the Dissenters in charge to the Grand Jury as such Despisers of Authority who had sin'd the unpardonable sin not to be forgiven them To which we say That it is most certain that Obedience is due from Inferiors to Superiors for Conscience sake and for the Lord's sake But then that is limited to be only in the Lord for if they who are his Ministers command any thing not agreeable to his Word and plainly Sinful though they may call them Indifferent things State Policy Order and Decency we are justifi'd with the Midwives in disobeying the King's command Exod. 1. 17. and Saul's Guard in refusing Obedience to the King 1 Sam 22. 17. and Daniel and the three Children in disobeying the King Dan. 3. 6. and with Peter and John who refused to forbear preaching Christ at the Rulers command telling them It was beete to obey God than Man Though this absolute obedience to Superiors as you 'l find is an Argument principally urged by men who have the Magistrate on their side and their own Profit and Advantage concern'd then Obedience to them is cryed up to be better than Sacrifice and fall foul upon the Conscientious as Disobedient Seditious and Rebellious So Celsus the Heathen reproaches the Christians for their forsaking their publick Assemblies getting into Corners disobeying Authority So all the time of Popery were the Waldenses Wicklivists Lollards and Protestants branded with Seditions Disobedience to Authority impugning the King and Queen's proceedings And how doth Bonner lay the 13 Romans to the Martyrs to require their Obedience and Subjection to all their Mumsimus's and Sumsimus's But if the Tide be turn'd and the Magistrate on the other side then the same men cry out against Imposition and Persecution as it was with the Arians and Orthodox under the several Emperors of different minds the 13 Romans was in those days used as the Dutch-man's Breeches to serve all occasions and always improved to establish and inforce the present Impositions by the Power and Religion which was uppermost This reproves all our worthy Witnesses the Waldenses Wicklivists Lollards c. who bore up for Christ against all their Sanguinary Laws Prohibitions and Commands and those who opposed Jeroboam's Calf-Worship This would establish the Religion of the present Power be it either Judaism Turcism Popery c. and a conformity to it But 't is said you intend this subjection to Superiors only in lawful things things not plainly sinful Then if the Inferior be to judge what is Unlawful and plainly Sinful the Controversie is at an end If they command lawful things they command no other than God has commanded which makes it lawful then Obedience as due is given to God If they command in the things of God any other than lawful or what he has required they have no Authority so to do and we Sin not in Disobedience by your own Rule if they command sinful or unlawful things As to those things of an Indifferent Nature or things not possitively forbidden under which is included all the Rites and Ceremonies injoy'd by man whereof no Word of God for We know of no such things all the Rites Services and Ceremonies to be observed and enjoyned in Gods Worship being necessary things and no negative Articles of Faith as before Object But is it not manifest that Persons who presume to seperate from the Religion established by Law are usually of turbulent seditious factious Spirits otherwise what means those sensible Impressions that have lately been made upon Authority expressed by the publick Declaration manifold Addresses and Pulpit Alarms reflecting upon them as to the PLOT and the Severity used by putting the Penal Laws in execution against this sort of People in City and Country It s very true that Press and Pulpit late Declaration Weekly Addresses and severe Usage both in City and Country speaks this Language But 't is not therefore true that the Dissenters are guilty of Sedition Treason and Rebellion because the Truth and Innocency of Gods Church and People as traduced to Authority have been so falsly and maliciously branded and handled all along which may be some Relief to them under their present Tryals and Sufferings Suggestions Calumnies and Outcrys being no Proofs Did not the Church of old pathetically complain of the very same Usage The Mouth of the Wicked and Deceitful are opened against me they have spoken against me with a Lying Tongue they compassed me about with words of Hatred and fought against me without a cause Psal 109. 2 3. So no new thing And again They that hate me without a cause are more than the Nairs of my Head they that would destroy me being my Enemies wronfully are mighty for lo they lie in wait for my Soul the mighty are gathered against me not for my Transgression not for my Sin they run and prepare themselves without my fault Psal 69. 4. 59. 34. And further Mine Enemies saith the Church reproach me all the day and they that are mad against me are sworn a-against me it seems they wanted not perjured Informers in those days Therefore prays Let not them who are my Enemies wrongfully rejoyee over me neither let them wink with the Eye that hate me without a cause for they speak not Peace but devise deceitful Matters against them that are quiet in the Land Was not the Slander wherewith the Adversaries of the Church reproacht them in Ezra's and Nehemiah's time viz. that for their peaceable attending upon the Lord they were esteem'd A Rebellious and Factious People and hurtful to Kings moving Sedition Ezra 4. 15. Neh. 6. 6. And was not this the Accusation of wicked Haman against Gods People that because they dissented from the Religion established by Law having Laws contrary to the Kings Laws therefore as Seditious and Rebellious they ought to be cut off and not suffered to live Esth 3. 8 c. Were not the three eminent Dissenters in Nebuchadnezar's time so treated for their Non-conformity to the Religion established Law and as Turbulent Stubborn Factious Disobedient and Rebellious cast into the Fiery Furnace Dan. 3. And afterwards Daniel upon the same score slung to the Lyons though his God and his Innocency pleaded his Cause against his malicious Treppaning Adversaries that could only in the matter of his God get the Advantage against him My God saith he hath sent his Angels and shut the Lyons Mouthes forasmuch as before him Innocency was found in me also before thee O King have I done no hurt Dan. 3. 21 c. And what became of their malicious Accusers afterwards you there understand Neither did our Saviour himself who was so meek gentle and innocent so harmless and inoffensive meet with other measure being directly so dealt with Did not the Treppanners assault him For is it not said They watched him and sent forth Spyes which should feign themselves just Men