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	liberty_n	parliament_n	4,708	5	6.3048	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38376	Englands apology for its late change, or, A sober persvvasive of all disaffected or dissenting persons to a seasonable engagement for the settlement of this common-vvealth drawne from the workings of providence, the state of affaires, the danger of division.		1651 (1651)	Wing E2942; ESTC R20286	29,201	44

of them and that only for time which would of it self pass away and which he meant by all designs to cut as short as he could the best-advantage that ever we could have hoped to have by that persons life was but a cessation of our miseries until he had recruited and perfected his designes and patcht a peace with the utter loss both of the sense and fruit of the first undertakings and here let us make a stop and pause with sad and mournful hearts on the condition of poor Germany who after all their powerful wrestings with tyranny in a long and horrid war have got nothing but a miserable peace and the protestant interest left to shift for it self and stra●gers that came first to help them have made up their own gaines with their utter ruine let Bohemia especially speak where the Protestant hath ●ardly an article for their prosperity but what is general of little advantage and the Emperour and Swe●ds like the S●o●s and their King divide all among themselves the Papists and great men m●st fellowed the Emperour and the Protestants the Swede for friendly assistance and brotherly pretence and now they have made a peace both for themselves and thus would it have been with us if God had not raised up some instrument to have no respect of persons let Germanies example be an occasion to us to think on the King and the Scots while we slight the mention of a Common-wealth which God hath given us all advantages to make not only sure but the freest and choisest in Europe And if any be affright●d at the ●ha●ge a● that which seems to be dangerous and unlawfull and putting by the heire of the Crowne I hope they are not ignorant how many changes have been in England by the tyranny and usurpations of Kings and of forraigne powers over us but never yet had we the happinesse to change into a Common-wealth although our best histories tell us that the first of this Nation when they were most free was without Kings but we need not be so stumbled at this change seeing the necessity and conveniensie of it and that it is only change of persons and not of the Lawes and priviledges by which we are governed which were long since and yet at divers times purchased by the blood of our auncestors rather then the goodnesse of our Princes and if we look warily we must needs see all the series of Gods actings have directly led us to this change which we have been prest unto by the necessity of our owne affaires and the continual dictates of Gods providences and who hath resisted his will we see by experience that God changes all mens states as they oppose or fall in with it But yet if the thoughts of the Covenant be brought in as the main objection why many cannot so freely joyn in with the Common wealth I must commend the tendernesse of their consciences but not their wisedome and understanding in making a difference between things and persons and judging of the nature of obligations No former covenant can hinder me from obedience to a present duty and serving my generation according to speciall opportunities obedience to ●ivill powers is a duty at pre-present and must not be superseded by any former engagement without I make two sins instead of one a sin in omitting my duty and a sin in covenanting not to doe it As for that clause in the Covenant of maintaining the Kings Person it s sufficiently explained and limited in the next words in the preservation of Religion and liberties both which have been publickly Voted inconsistent and the one positively necessary for preservation And when we Covevenant to maintain his person we suppose to find in it such a capacity as not opposite to Religion or liberties nor to be found in the lest Article among delinquents against the State which we have covenanted to endeavour to bring to condigne punishment under which capacity the Parliament have found the late King and his Son CHARLES STVART and under that account prosecuted him and kept the Covenant as every honest Christian must doe in all the rest of the Articles that seem to be dark without they be made the interpreters one of another and however we may gnaw on the Covenant and rifle it to maintain our prejudices yet we may better take the Engagement to this Common-wealth notwithstanding the Covenant then take up Armes against the King notwithstanding the Oath of Allegiance for that Oath did absolutely without any limitation as is fully exprest in the Covenant bind us to the maintainance of the Kings Person and Heires yet when our dissenting friends came to perswade the people to helpe the Parliament against the King they could make little of that Oath yea could goe quite against the letter of it to prevent a mischi●fe and raise a necessary war against his person while they kept their Oath to defend his person and is that lawfull and honest to take up Armes and raise a dreadfull war against his personall capacity notwithstanding a solemne Oath in such distinguishing termes onely out of pretence to preserve his publique capacity which is greater that is the state and is it not the same and may it not be done with as good conscience to remove his person to preserve Religion and liberties both which if they were not in eminent danger let all men judge in a word no more doth the Covenant hinder me from taking the Engagement then the Protestation did men from taking the Covenant though there were many other words of a different dialect inserted into it Had the Parliament imposed on the consciences of godly and honest spirits any new Articles of the Greed or an Ecclesiastical government without any tendernesse to godly consciences or drawne a new Model of Religion and required obedience of all unto it this great piece of intolerable Tyranny could have no more raised the spirits of some or exasperated mens passions then the imposing an Engagement to a Civil government which hath nothing of sin in it to reflect any guilt upon the consciences of any seing all Civil Governments are alike lawful in themselves the conveniency of them and good use makes them profitable yet disobedience to them is sinful it being a resistance of an Ordinance of God And therefore it cannot but be worthy of much blame though to be lamented also that Ministers of the Gospel those that should be the blessed Messengers of peace and joy should make their Pulpits Stages of bitternesse and Satyrs against the present Authority this hath hapned much among us of late through the pride of mens hearts and instigations of subtile enemies that these good Ministers who in other things have had the Vrin and Thummim shining with much brightnesse on their breasts yet have made their Sermons like the malignant sort of Diurnals that when poore soules come hungring and thirsting to heare something of the Lord Jesus to refresh their sad