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	parliament_n	7,328	5	6.6868	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79762	A solemne and seasonable warning to the noblemen, barons, gentlemen, burrows, ministers, and commons of Scotland: as also to the Scotish armies without and within that kingdom. From the Generall Assembly, 12 Feb. 1645. And the humble remonstrance of the aforesaid Assembly to the King, 13. Feb. 1645.	Church of Scotland. General Assembly.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Remonstrance of the Generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland to His Majestie. aut	1645 (1645)	Wing C4259H; Thomason E293_25; ESTC R200167	12,823	16

avenge the quarrell of his broken Covenant For besides the defection of many of this Nation under the Prelats from our first National Covenant a sin not forgotten by God if not repented by men as well as forsaken our latter Vows and Covenants have been also foully violated by not contributing our uttermost assistance to this Cause with our Estates and Lives by not endeavouring with all faithfulnesse the discovery triall and condigne punishment of Malignants and evil Instruments yea by complying too much with those who have not onely born Arms and given their personall presence and assistance but also drawn and led on others after them in the shedding of our Brethrens blood Therefore is our sin made our punishment and We are filled with the fruit of our own wayes These horns now push the sides of Judah and Jerusalem because Carpenters when they ought and might did not them off And yet to this day the course of Justice is obstructed The Lord himself will execute justice if men will not But above all let it be deeply and seriously thought of that our Covenant is broken by the neglect of a reall Reformation of our selves and others under our power let every one ask his own heart what lust is mortified in him or what change wrought in his life since more than before the Covenant Swearing Cursing Profanation of the Lords day Fornication and other uncleannesse Drunkennesse Injustice Lying Oppression Murmuring Repining and other sorts of Prophanenesse still abound too much both in the Countrey and in our Armies yea there is no Reformation of some Members of publike Judicatories which is a great dishonour to God and a foul scandall to the whole Nation Thirdly we have not glorified God according to the great things which he hath done for us nor made the right use of former mercies since he loved us a Nation not worthy to be beloved he hath made us precious and honourable but we have not walked worthy of his love We waxed fat and kicked forsaking God who made us and lightly esteeming the Rock of our salvation And this great unthankfulnes filled up our Cup. Fourthly Notwithstanding of so much guiltinesse we did sent forth our Armies and undertake great services presumptuously without repentance and making our peace with God like the Children of Israel who trusting the goodnesse of their cause minded no more but Which of us shall go up first It is now high time under the feeling of so great a burden both of sin and wrath to humble our uncircumcised hearts to put our mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope to wallow our selves in ashes to clothe our selves with our shame as with a garment to justifie Gods righteous judgements to acknowledge our iniquity to make our supplication to our Judge and to seek his face that he may pardon our sin and heal our Land The Lord roareth and shall not his children tremble The God of glory thundereth and the Highest uttereth his voice hailstones and coales of fire who will not fall down and fear before him The fire waxeth hot and burneth round about us and shall any sit still and be secure The storm bloweth hard and shall any sluggard be still asleep This is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy who will not take up a lamentation Let the Watch-men rouze up themselves and others and strive to get their own and their peoples hearts deeply affected and even melted before the Lord Let every one turn from his evil way and cry mightily to God and give him no rest till he repent of the evill and smell a favour of rest and say It is enough He hath not said to the seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain We do not mourn as they that have no hope but we will bear the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him untill he plead our cause and execute judgement for us And what though our Candles be put out so that our Sun shine What though our honour be laid in the dust so that God work out his own honour yea our happinesse out of our shame In vain have we trusted to the arm of Flesh in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel No flesh must glory before him but he that glorieth must glory in the Lord. These duties of Humiliation Repentance Faith Amendment of life and Fervent Prayer though the principall yet are not all which are required at the hands of this Nation but men of all sorts and degrees must timely apply themselves to such other Resolutions and Actions as are most suteable and necessary at this time Which that all may the better understand and be excited and encouraged to act accordingly let it be well observed that the present state of the Controversie and Cause is no other but what hath been formerly professed before God and the World that is The Reformation and Preservation of Religion The Defence of the Honour and Happinesse of the King and of the authority of the Parliament together with The maintenance of our Laws Liberties Lives and Estates We are not changed from our former principles and intentions but these who did fall off from us to the contrary party have now made it manifest that these were not their ends when they seemed to joyn with us Therefore are they gone out from us because they were not of us And as our Cause is the same so the danger thereof is not lesse but greater than before and that from two sorts of Enemies First from open Enemies we mean those of the Popish Prelaticall and Malignant Faction who have displayed a Banner against the Lord and against his Christ in all the three Kingdoms being set on fire of Hell and by the speciall inspiration of Satan who is full of fury because he knows he hath but a short time to reign The Cockatrice before hatched is now broken forth into a Viper The danger was before feared now it is felt before imminent now incumbent before our division now our destruction is endeavoured before the Sword was fourbished and made ready now the Sword is made fat with Flesh and drunk with Bloud and yet it hungreth and thirsteth for more The Queen is most active abroad using all means for strengthening the Popish and suppressing the Protestant party insomuch that Malignants have insolently expressed their confidence that her journey to France shall prove a successefull Councell and that this Mand and particularly this Kingdom shall have a greater power to grapple with before the next Summer than any which yet we have encountred with The Irish Rebels have offered to the King to send over a greater number into both the Kingdoms The hostile intentions of the King of Denmark if God be not pleased still to divert and disable him do plainly enough appear from his own Letters sent not long since to the Estates of this Kingdom In the mean time the hellish crue under the conduct

A SOLEMNE AND SEASONABLE WARNING To the Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burrows Ministers and Commons of Scotland As also to the Scotish Armies without and within that Kingdom From the Generall Assembly 12 Feb. 1645. And the humble Remonstrance of the aforesaid Assembly to the King 13. Feb. 1645. Shall the Watch-men of Sion be silent when Israel is in trouble LONDON Printed by J. Raworth in the yeer 1645. According to the Copy printed at Edinburgh 12 Feb. 1645. Postmeridiem Sess XVIII THe Generall Assembly after mature deliberation having found it most necessary that this whole Nation be timely Warned and duly Informed of their present Dangers and the Remedies to be used and Duties to be done for preventing and removing thereof Doth ordain this Warning to be fortwith Printed and Published and sent to all the Presbyteries in this Kingdom as also to the Presbyteries that are with our Armies And that each Presbytery immediately after the receipt hereof take speedy course for the Reading of it in every Congregation within their bounds upon the Lords day after the forenoons Sermon and before the Blessing And that they give account of their diligence herein to the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly Who have hereby Power and Warrant to try and censure such as shall contemne or slight the said Warning or shall refuse or neglect to obey this Ordinance A Solemne and Seasonable Warning to the Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burrows Ministers and Commons of Scotland As also to our Armies without and within this Kingdom From the Generall Assembly 12 Feb. 1645. THe Cause of God in this Kingdom both in the beginnings and progresse of it hath been carried through much craft and mighty opposition of Enemies and through other perplexities and dangers God so disposing for the greater glory of his manifold and marvellous Wisdom and his invincible Power for our greater tryall These dangers both from without and from within together with the remedies thereof have been from time to time represented and held forth in the many publick Supplications of this Kirk and Kingdom to the King and in their many Declarations Remonstrances Letters Acts and other publick Intimations Particularly by a necessary Warning published by the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly in January 1643. And by the Remonstrance of the same Commissioners to the Convention of Estates in July thereafter concerning the Dangers of Religion and the Remedies of these Dangers Which Warning and Remonstrance at that time had by the blessing of God very good and comfortable effects And now the Generall Assembly it self being by a speciall Providence and upon extraordinary occasions called together while God is writing bitter things against this Land in great Letters which he that runs may read and knowing that we cannot be answerable to God nor our own consciences nor the expectation of others if from this chief Watch-Tower we should give no Seasonable Warning to the City of God While we think of these things For Sions sake we will not hold our peace and for Jerusalems sake we will not rest trusting that God will give though not to all yet to many a seeing Eye a hearing Ear and an understanding Heart For who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them For the Wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein and the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand That which we principally intend is to hold forth so far as the Lord gives us light how this Nation ought to be affected with their present Mercies and Judgements What use is to be made of the Lords dealings And what is required of a people so dealt with Had we been timely awaked and taken warning either from the exemplary judgements of other Nations or from Gods threatnings by the mouths of his servants amongst our selves or from our own former visitations and namely The Sword threatned and drawn against us both at home and from abroad but at that time through the forbearance of God put up in the Sheath again we might have prevented the miseries under which now we groane But the Cup of trembling before taken out of our hands is again come about to us that we may drink deeper of it And although when these bloody Monsters the Irish Rebels together with some degenerate unnaturall and perfidious Countrey-men of our own did first lift up their heads and enter this Kingdom in a hostile way it was looked upon as a light matter and the great judgement which hath since appeared in it not apprehended yet now we are made more sensible that they are The rod of Gods wrath and the staffe in their hand which hath stricken us these three times is his indignation He hath shewed his people hard things and made us to drink the wine of astonishment Take we therefore notice of the hand that smiteth us for affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground There is no evill in the City nor Countrey which the Lord hath not done He it is that formeth the light and createth darknesse Who maketh peace and createth evill He it is that hath given a charge to the Sword so that it cannot be still He it is that hath his other Arrows ready upon the string to shoot at us the Pestilence and Famine In the next place let us apply our hearts to know and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things and to understand the language of this present judgement and Gods meaning in it For though the Almighty giveth not an accompt of any of his matters and hath his way in the Sea and his path in the deep waters which cannot be traced Yet he is pleased by the light of his Word and Spirit by the voice of our own consciences and by that which is written and ingraven upon our judgement as with the point of a Diamond and a Pen of iron to make known in some measure his meaning unto his servants God hath spoken once yea twice yet man perceiveth not Therefore now hath he made this rod to speak aloud the third time that we may hear the voice of the rod and who hath appointed it That which the rod pointeth at is not any guilt of Rebellion or disloyalty in us as the Sons of Belial do slander and belye the Solemne League and Covenant of the three Kingdoms which we are so far from repenting of that we cannot remember or mention it without great joy and thankfulnesse to God as that which hath drawn many blessings after it and unto which God hath given manifold and evident testimonies for no sooner was the Covenant begun to be taken in England but sensibly the condition of affairs there was changed to the better and though a little before the Enemy was coming in like a Flood yet as soon as the Spirit of the Lord did lift up

the Standard against him from that day forward the Waters of their Deluge did decrease And for our part our Forces sent into that Kingdom in pursuance of that Covenant have been so mercifully and manifestly assisted and blessed from Heaven though in the mids of many dangers and distresses and much want and hardship and have been so far instrumentall to the foyling and scattering of two principall Armies First the Marquesse of Newcastle his Army And afterward Prince Ruperts and his together And to the reducing of two strong Cities York and Newcastle that we have what to answer the Enemy that reproacheth us concerning that Businesse and that which may make iniquity it self to stop her mouth But which is more unto us than all Victories or whatsomever temporall Blessing The Reformation of Religion in England and Uniformity therein between both Kingdoms a principall end of that Covenant is so far advanced that the English Service-Book with the Holy-dayes and many other Ceremonies contained in it together with the Prelacy the fountain of all these are abolished and taken away by Ordinance of Parliament and a Directory for the Worship of God in all the three Kingdoms agreed upon in the Assemblies and in the Parliaments of both Kingdoms without a contrary voice in either the Government of the Kirk by Congregationall Elderships Classicall Presbyteries Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies is agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster which is also voted and concluded in both Houses of the Parliament of England And what is yet remaining of the intended Uniformitie is in a good way So that let our Lot fall in other things as it may the Will of the Lord be done In this we rejoyce and will rejoyce that our Lord Jesus Christ is no loser but a Conquerour that his Ordinances take place that his Cause prevaileth and the work of purging and building his Temple goeth forward and not backward Neither yet are we so to understand the voice of the rod which lyeth heavy upon us as if the Lords meaning were to pluck up what he hath planted and to pull down what he hath builded in this Kingdom to have no more pleasure in us to remove our Candlestick and to take his Kingdom from us nay before that our God cast us off and the glory depart from Israel let him rather consume us by the Sword and the Famine and the Pestilence so that he will but keep his own great Name from reproach and blasphemy and own us as his people in Convenant with him But now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing we will beleeve that we shall yet see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living We will not cast a way our confidence of a blessed Peace of the removing of the scourge and casting it in the Fire when the Lord hath by it performed his whole Work upon mount Sion and Jerusalem much more will we be confident of the continuance of the blessings of the Gospel that glory may dwell in our Land This is the day of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it And the time is coming when a new Song shall be put in our mouths and we shall say This is our God we have waited for him and he hath saved us Though the Lord smite us it is the hand of a Father not of an Enemy he is not consuming us but refining us that we may come forth as Gold out of the Fire We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed We know assuredly there is more mercy in emptying us from Vessell to Vessell than in suffering us to settle on our Lees whereby our taste should remain in us and our sent not be changed These things premised we come to the true langauge of this heavy judgement and to the reall procuring causes thereof For the transgression of Jacob is all this and for the sins of the house of Israel God is hereby shewing to great and small in this Land their work and their transgression that they have exceeded He openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity We leave every Congregation in the Land every Family in every Congregation and every Person in every Family to examine their own hearts and wayes and to mourn for Congregationall Domesticall and Personall sins Cursed shall they be who have added fuell to the fire and now bring no water to extinguish it who had a great hand in the provocation and bear no part in the humiliation Let every one commune with his own conscience and repent of his even his wickednesse and say What have I done We shall here touch onely the Nationall sins or at least more publike ones than those of a Family or Congregation which we also intend for chief causes of a publike Fast and Humiliation If among our Nobles Gentry and Barons there have been some studying their own private interests more than the publike and Seeking their own things more than the things of Christ or oppressing and defranding the poorer sort and the needy because it was in the power of their hand and if among our Ministry there have been divers Time-servers Who have not renounced the hidden things of dishonesty whose hearts have not been right before God nor stedfast in his Covenant who have been secretly haters of the Power of Godlinesse and of Mortification shall not God search all this out who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the Councels of the hearts In these also leaving all men to a judging and searching of themselves there are many other provocations which are apparent in all or many of this Nation from which though they wash with nitre and take much sope yet they cannot make themselves clean Because of these the Land mourneth and at these the Sword striketh As first the contempt neglect and dis-esteem of the glorious Gospel our unbelief unfruitfulnesse lukewarmnesse formality and hardnesse of heart under all the means of Grace our not receiving of Christ in our hearts nor seeking to know him and glorifie him in all his Offices The power of Godlinesse is hated and mocked by many to this day and by the better sort too much neglected and many Christian duties are not minded as The not speaking of our own words nor finding of our own pleasure upon the Lords day Holy and edifying conference both on that day and at other occasions The instructing admonishing comforting and rebuking one another as Divine Providence ministreth occasion In many Families almost no knowledge nor worship of God to be found yea there are among the Ministers who have strengthened the hearts and hands of the profane more than of the godly and have not taken heed to the Ministry which they have received of the Lord to fulfill it Next God hath sent the Sword to

of the excommunicate and aforefaulted Earle of Montrose and of Alaster Mac-Donald a Papist and an Outlaw doth exercise such barbarous unnaturall horrid and unheard-of cruelty as is above expression And if not repressed what better usage can others not yet touched expect from them being now hardened and animated by the successe which God hath for our humiliation and correction permitted unto them and if they shall now get leave to secure the High-Lands for themselves they will not only from thence infest the rest of this Countrey but endeavour a diversion of our Forces in England from the prosecution of the ends expressed in the Covenant of the three Kingdoms toward which ends as their service hath been already advantageous so their continuance is most necessary The second sort of Enemies from which our present dangers arise are secret Malignants and Dis-covenanters who may be known by these and the like Characters Their slighting or censulting of the publike Resolutions of this Kirk and State Their consulting and labouring to raise Jealousies and Divisions to retard or hinder the execution of what is ordered by the publike Judicatories Their standering of the Covenant of the three Kingdoms and Expedition into England as not necessary for the good of Religion or safety of this Kingdom or as tending to the diminution of the Kings just power and greatnesse Their confounding of the Kings Honour and Authority with the abuse and pretence thereof and with Commissions Warrants and Letters procured from the King by the Enemies of this Cause and Covenant as if we could not oppose the latter without encroacing upon the former Their whetting of their tongues to censure and slander those whom God hath honoured as his chief Instruments in this Work Their commending justifying or excusing the proceedings of James Grahame sometime Earle of Mon●rose and his Complices Their conversing or intercommuning by word or writ with him or other excommunicate Lords contrary to the nature of that Ordinance of Christ and to the old Acts of Generall Assemblies Their making merry and their inselent carriage and the News of any prosperous successe of the Popish and Malignant Armies in any of these Kingdoms Their drawing of Parties and Factions to the weakning of the common Union Their spreading of Informations That Uniformity in Religion and the Presbyteriall Government is not intended by the Parliament of England Their Endeavours Informations and Sollicitations tending to weaken the hearts and hands of others and to make them withhold their assistance from this Work Let this sort of bosome Enemies and disaffected Persons be well marked timely discovered and carefully avoided lest they infuse the poyson of their seducing Councels into the minds of others Wherein let Ministers be faithfull and Presbyteries vigilant and unpartiall as they will answer the contrary to God and to the Generall Assembly or their Commissioners The cause and the dangers thereof being thus evidenced unlesse men will blot out of their hearts the love of Religion and the Cause of God and cast off all care of their Countrey Laws Liberties and Estates yea all naturall affection to the preservation of themselves their Wives Children and Friends and whatsoever is dearest to them under the Sun all these being in the visible danger of a present ruine and destruction they must now or never appear actively each one stretching himself to yea beyond his power It is no time to dally nor go about the businesse by halfes nor by almost but altogether zealous Cursed be he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently or dealeth falsly in the Covenant of God If we have been so forward to assist our Neighbour Kingdoms shall we neglect to defend our own Or shall the Enemies of God be more active against his Cause than his People for it God forbid If the Work being so far carried on shall now miscarry and fail in our hands our own consciences shall condemne us and posterity shall curse us But if we stand stoutly and stedfastly to it the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in our hands and all Generations shall call us blessed Let Ministers stir up others by free and faithfull preaching and by admonishing every one of his duty as there shall be occasion And if it shall be the lot of any of them to fall under the power of the Enemy let them through the strength of Christ persevere in their integrity choosing affliction rather than sin glorifying God and not fearing what Flesh can do unto them Let our Armies beware of ungodlinesse and worldly lusts living godly soberly and righteously avoiding all scandalous carriage which may give occasion to others to think the worse of their Cause and Covenant and remembring that the eyes of God Angels and Men are upon them Finally renouncing all confidence in their own strength skill valour and number and trusting onely to the God of the Armies of Israel who hath fought and will fight for them Lat all sorts both of high and low degree in this Kingdom call to mind their Solemne Covenants and pay their vows to the most High and namely that Article of our first Covenant which obligeth us not to stay nor hinder any such Resolution as by common consent shall be found to conduce for the ends of the Covenant but by all lawfull means to further and promove the same Which lyeth as a bond upon peoples consciences readily to obey such orders and willingly to undergo such burdens as by the publike and common resolution of the Estates of Parliament are found necessary for the prosecution of the War considering that the Enemy cannot be suppressed without a competent number of Forces and Forces cannot be kept together without maintenance and maintenance cannot be had without such publike Burdens which however for the present not joyous but grievous yet it shall be no grief of heart afterwards even unto the common sort that they have given some part of their necessary livelihood for assisting so good a Work It is far from our thoughts that the pinching of some should make others superfluously to abound It is rather to be expected of the richer sort that they will spare and defalk not onely the pride and superfluity both of apparell and diet but also a part of their lawfull allowance in these things to contribute the same as a free-will-offering beside what they are obliged to by Law or upblike Order after the example of godly Nehemiah who for the space of twelve yeers while the walls of Jerusalem were a building did not eat the bread of the Governour that he might ease by so much the Peoples Burthens and Bondage In our last Covenant there is another Article which without the oblivion or neglect of any of the rest we wish may be well remembred at this time namely That we shall assist and defend all that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever