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
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A67694 Causes of the Lords wrath against Scotland manifested in his sad late dispensations. Whereunto is added a paper, particularly holding forth the sins of the ministery. Warriston, Archibald Johnston, Lord, 1611-1663. 1653 (1653) Wing W983; ESTC R204011 68,060 90

There are 3 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

the corruptions both of Kirk and State And that it was for restraint of this and for their own just defence against tyranny and unjust violence which ordinarily is the fruit and effect of such a power that the Lords People did joyn in Covenant and have been at the expences of so much blood travels and pains these years past Fifthly That the King being averse from the Work of Reformation and the Instruments thereof and compassed about with Malignant and dis-affected men whom he hearkens to as his most faithfull Counsellours and looks upon as his most loyall and faithfull Subjects being admitted to the exercise of his power before satisfaction given would by these counsels endeavour an over-turning of these things which the Lord hath wrought amongst us and labour to draw Publick Administrations concerning Religion and the Liberty of the Subject into that course and Channel in which they did run under Prelacie before the Work of Reformation Which we had the more cause to fear because his Royall Father did often declare That he conceived himself bound to imploy all the power that God had put in his hands to the utmost for these ends and that he adhered to his Fathers principles and walked in his way and had made a peace with the Irish Rebels by which is granted to them the full liberty of Popery From these Principles the Generall Assembly did then infer That it would be the wisedome of every one who dwells in this Land to take heed to such a temptation and snare that they be not accessory to any such designes and endeavours of bringing or admitting the King to the exercise of his Power without satisfaction given concerning the security of Religion and Liberty of the Subjects as they would not bring upon themselves and on their Families the guilt of all the detriment that would undoubtedly follow thereupon to Religion and the Covenant and of all the miseries and calamities that it would bring on his Majesties Person and Throne and on these Kingdoms Such a thing say they would in all appearance be the under-minding and shaking off if not the over-throwing and destroying the Work of Reformation and that therefore whosoever attempts the same do oppose themselves to the Cause of GOD and will at last dash against the rock of the Lords Power which hath broken in pieces many high and losty ones since the beginning of this Work in these Kingdomes From all which it dotli appear upon good grounds that it was an high provocation to admit the King to the exercise of his Power or to intrust him with the Cause and People of GOD whilst he was continuing in his former disaffection to and eninity against the same with which sin the Lord hath been so displeased that he Hath in a great measure verified the same things on the Land which are holden forth by the Generall Assembly and which would be the consequents thereof We know that it will be objected by many That the King did desist from and abandon that course of enmity against the Work and People of God before the close of the Treaty and that he did give satisfaction concerning the security of Religion and Liberty of the Subjects by condescending to and subscribing these demands which were sent to him from the Parliament of this Kingdom and the Commission of the Generall Assembly To which we reply First that these demands were desicient at least not so plain and positive and expresse in the main and necessary thing to wit a reall abandoning of former malignant courses and principles and a reall and cordiall cleaving to the Work and people of God without which there could not be a reall security it was not a shadow of security for Religion and Liberty or a paper and verball security onely but a reall security which we were bound before the Lord to have evdeavoured and obtained before the close of a Treaty with the King for intrusting him with the Government and to authorize Commissioners to settle with him upon such paper-securities and accordingly to intrust him was but to mock God and to deceive the World and to betray and destroy our selves by giving up all the precious Interests of Religion and Liberty into the hands of one who was in a course of enmity to these Secondly it is certain if men will not deny clear and evident truths that the King had not only before the authorizing of these Commissioners to close a Treaty with him upon his condescending to these Demands given evidence of his emnity to the Work and people of God but also was continuing in the same during the time of the Treaty and that he had not abandoned these Principles and courses at the close of the Treaty And when he did swear and subscribe the Nationall Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant Nay the whole tenour of his carriage did then and afterward convincingly enough to intelligent men demonstrate him to be the same he was before We shall not need bring many instances therefore passing over these things which he did before this Kingdome began to treat with him such as the Declaration emitted by him when he was Prince against the Cause and People of God and his Printed Declaration at Iersey as King against all who had been in opposition to his Father in these troubles We shall mention only a few particulars that fell out thereafter to wit these first he did not only countenance and entertain the most Capital and known Enemies of this Kingdom such as Iames Grahame and others who had shed much of the bloud thereof but also did give Commission to the said Iames Grahame to make war upon and invade the Inhabitants thereof as Traitors and Rebels Secondly in the whole progres●e of the Treaty as he did communicate and take counsell with known dis-affected and malignant men in all things relating to the same and not moving a step but according to their advice so did he procrastinat and delay to grant what was desired untill all other means of help had failed and his own estate and condition was now become desperat and what he did grant was not all at once and cheerfully as if it had been a duty but by little and little and by a kind of coaction and merchandise as if it had been a bargain of buying and selling Thirdly after the Treaty was brought to some close he did before his coming to Sea receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper from one of the Prelatical Chaplains and according to the Servi●e-Book notwithstanding the Commissioners of the Kirk did represent the evill thereof to him and did earnestly deal with him to the contrary Fourthly he brought to Sea and into Scotland with him almost the whole Train of Malignant and dis-affected men who had followed him in his former evill courses and fled from the Justice of both Kingdoms and these he did more familiarly intirely converse with then with others Fi●thly he was nea●
of the earth by clear shining after ram 2 Chr. 19. 6 7 8. And he said to the Iudges Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts v. 9. And he charged them saying Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart and Deut. 23. 9. When the host goeth forth against thyn enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing Therfore were they unclean by Leprosie by an Issue and by the Dead to be put out of the Camp Num. 5. 2. Command the children of Israel that they put out of the Camp every Leper and every one that hath an Issue and whosoever is defiled by the dead Deut. 22. 10. Thou shalt not plow with an Oxe and an Asse together v. 11. Thou shalt not wear a garment of diver sorts as of woollen and linnen together because the Lord their God did walk in the midest of the Camp of his People to deliver them and to give up his enemies before them therefore was the Camp to be holy that he might see no unclean thing in them turn away from them Deut. 23. 14. For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy Camp be holy that be may see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee And because this Nation had exceedingly neglected the purging of Judicatories and Armies and constituting the same of persons rightly qualified which was the cause of many evils of sin and punishment therefore was this neglect publickly and solemnly confessed to GOD and the contrary duty engaged unto at the renewing of the Covenant toward the end of the year 1648. as is to be seen in the solemn Publick Confession of sins and engagement to duties For rendering of the which effectual the Commission of the Generall Assembly did present many Petitions Remonstrances and Warnings from time to time to the Committee of Estates and to the Parliament who did make sundry Lawes both for the purging of the Judicatories and Armies which then were and for keeping them pure for the time to come as is to be seen in their Registers and Acts Anno 1649. and 1650. And accordingly somewhat was done in that great and necessary duty by themselves and others to whom they did commit the trust but not withstanding of all these things it did appear very soon after the Confessing of that sin and engaging to that duty that many did neither mind repentance of the one or performance of the other Therefore as the Commission of the Generall Assembly were necessitated to renew their desires in that particular very often and from moneth to moneth so were not these Lawes and Committees having power to execute the same established without some wrestling and difficultie not a few labouring to obstruct and retard the same and when it came to the execution with what neglect and slowness and partiality did they proceed therein And what impediments did they who were not diligent cast in the way of others who were more diligent and faithful and zealous in following of the duty By which it came to passe that little could be gotten done in that matter and what was done was not onely loadned with imputations and reproaches but also was for most part made ineffectuall The persons appointed to be removed being either keeped still or shortly thereafter being brought again to their own or some other place or else as evill being put in their place Nay after the defeat at Dumbar these duties came not only to be neglected but what formerly had been gotten done therein was looked and cryed out upon as the cause of the ruine of the Army and therefore not only these who had been formerly purged but all others how malignant and loose soever were brought to the Judicatories and Army and what had formerly been confessed a sin was then followed and commended as a duty 5. Step. The fifth is The authorizing of Commissioners to close a Treaty with the King for the investing him with the Government upon his subscribing such demands as were sent to him after he had given many clear evidences of his dis-affection and enmity to the Work and people of GOD and was continuing in the same and the admitting of him to the full exercise of his power and Crowning him notwithstanding of new discoveries of his adhering to his former Principles and way and of many warnings to the contrary For the better understanding and more full and clear discovery of this sin we would consider these things which are set down by the Generall Assembly of this Kirk in their Declaration of the date Iuly 27 1649. to wit that as Magistrats and their power are ordained of GOD so are they in the exercise thereof not to walk according to their own will but according to the Law of equity and righteousnesse as being the Ministers of GOD for the safety of his people c. Secondly That there is a continuall obligation and stipulation betwixt the King and the People as both of them are tyed to GOD so each of them are tyed each to other for the performance of mutuall and reciprocall duties according to which it is statute and ordained in the 8. Act of the Parliament of King Iames the Sixt That all Kings Princes and Magistrats whatsomever holding their place which hereafter shall happen at any time to reign and bear rule over this Realm at the time of their Coronation the receipt of their Princely Authority make their faithfull Promise by Oath in the presence of the Eternall GOD That during the whole course of their lives they shall serve the same Eternall GOD to the utmost of their power according as he hath required in his Holy Word contained in the Old and New Testament and according to the same Word shall maintain the true Religion of JESUS CHRIST the Preaching of his most holy Word and due and right Administration of the Sacraments now received and preachd within this Realm and shall abolish and gainstand all false Religion contrary to the same and shall rule the People of GOD committed to their charge according to the will and command of GOD revealed in his Word and according to the laudable Lawes and Constitutions received within this Realm c. Thirdly That in the League and Covenant that had been so solemnly and publickly sworn and renewed by this Kingdom the duty of defending and preserving the Kings Majesties Person and Authority is joyned with and subordinate to the duty of preserving and desending the true Religion and Liberty of the Kingdoms Fourthly That an arbitrary Government and an illimited Power was the fountain of most if not of all
the coast of Scotland before he would condescend to the subscribing of these Demand which were sent from the Parliament upon the report of the close of the Treaty as it was first closed in Holland and the Commissioners were so far out of hopes of obtaining their desire that even when they were come near the shore they were preparing Papers of exoneration and when in an instant on the suggestion of some Malignants he did condescend to subscribe the Demands and take the Covenant it was with a reserve of a Declaration to be printed therewith which he did not pass from untill the Commissioners of the Church did refuse to admit thereof Sixthly Within a few dayes of his coming to Scotland when removing Malignants from his Family and Court was earnestly pressed by the Commissioners both of Kirk and State at Falkland he shewed himself very averse from the same and did not only at that place but at all places and times afterwards countenance and entertain men of that stamp who were in his Family and Court and came to the same Seventhly He did for a long time refuse to subscribe the Declaration which was tendered to him for the acknowledging of his own and his Parents guiltiness for the time past and according to his duty for the time to come and after that he had with a great deal of reluctancy subscribed the same he did oftentimes express That he did not think his Father guilty of bloud and that not withstanding he had so declared he had his own meaning thereof Eighthly As he did first by Letters authorize sundry of the Malignant party to rise in Arms without the knowledge of the Committee of Estates and contrary to the standing Laws of this Kingdom so did he himself within a short time thereafter desert the Publick Councels of the Kingdom and joyn with the Malignants Ninthly During the whole time of the Treaty and after the close thereof he had correspondence with all the Malignants of the three Nations to sundry of which he gave Commissions These Instances do clearly ●nough prove what was said concerning the Kings continuing in a course of enmity to the Work and People of God which made it a sin in us whilest he was in that condition to entrust him with the Interests of both neither was our carriage here more faulty in the matter then it was rash and precipitant in regard of the manner The news of the late Kings death brought to Edinburgh on the Lords day at night the Parliament did the next day before twelve of the clock proclaim this King with all publick solemnitie without setting any time apart to seek the Lord for Counsel and direction therein which as both Reason and Religion might have taught us to have used more deliberation amongst ourselves and more supplication to God before he whose Father and himself had been engaged so much in opposition to the Work and People of God had been proclaimed King and within a short time thereafter solemn Address was made to him for offering him the Crown and Kingdom upon some verbal and paper security without any previous Address for informing his conscience or taking notice whether he did adhere to his former principles and way and when the Lord was pleased to render these Applications ineffectual and to bring back the Commissioners to this Kingdom and Kirk without any satisfaction to their desires we did again no less precipitantly then before rush on a second Address which was at one and the same day concluded and proponed in Parliament not only without any previous Consultation or Debate had there anent amongst these who had been tender and faithful to the Work of God from the begining but without their knowledge and contrary to their expectation and afterwards in regard of the close and dispatch of Commissioners which was so passionatly and violently driven on that many were impatient even of the most necessary delaies and of the most reasonable contradiction in any thing that related thereto and it is not to be past without observation that whilest we were treading these slippery and sinful steps the Lord suffered not us to want warning We shall not insist on the sad apprehensions that were in the hearts of many of the godly in the Land in reference thereto So albeit they durst not altogether deny duty to be in making Application to the King yet did the sence of the Lords controversie with him and his house together with his walking in his former way lie heavy on their spirits and made them rather fear a curse then expect a blessing thereupon Nor shall we speak of the passionat inclination desires and endeavors of the Malignant party and of their rejoycing herein and of their heightning of their hopes thereby But we desire it may be remembred That whilest the second Address was in preparing not only did the Lord give us warning of presumptions first of the King his authorizing of Iames Graham to invade this Kingdom and of his encouraging him by Letters to go on in that Invasion even whilst he was in terms of a Treaty with Us but also by Iames Graham his actual invasion a little thereafter by the Kings Commission and by bringing to our hands the authentick Commission it self and sundry Letters under the Kings own hand testifying his adherence to his former principles his affection to that great Enemy of this Cause and Kingdom And what were all these instances which we have formerly spoken of in the Kings carriage but warnings from the Lord to have taught us wisdom in this thing We know that some may think it unsutable for us to meddle in these things which seems to have been otherwise determined by the General Assembly of this Kirk 1650. and that others may wonder that that Assembly should have so determined We shall not now stand to debate how far that Assembly did approve of these things which concern the Treaty with the King anent the security of Religion but the Lord having declared so much from Heaven against the whole Land it concerns us and all others impartially to search into and to discover the causes thereof so far as he is pleased to convince and give light therein and we do in charity and not without ground presume That of all the passages of procedor of the Kings carriage in the Treaty and from the beginning in order to this Kingdom and the enemies thereof had been impartially and freely discovered and made known to the Assembly as they have been since they had nor gone the length which they went 6. Step. For understanding of the sixth Step which relateth unto the rejecting the discovery of guiltiness and causes of the LORDS contending with us It will be needfull to speak some what for clearing of the matter of fact in the instances which are given in the Article The first instance is in the causes of humiliation condescended on by the Commission of the Generall Assembly at