Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A94817
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A treatise in iustification of the King.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing T2091; Thomason E88_6; ESTC R22270
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7,323
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16
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how could we so soon have lost and torn the unity of the Faith from the bond of Peace do we not all beleeve in one God worship one Trinity and rely upon one Mediator and acknowledge one way to Heaven and shall the garbe and apparrell wherwith we walke this voyage the gesture whereby we worship this God the Dialect wherein we pray to this Mediator set us at a greater distance of affections than if we were Turkes Infidels and Pagans doth God more delight in contentions about Ceremonies Gestures words than in the peace of his Church or shall the wearing of a Surplice signing with a Crosse or bowing with a knee be able to divorce Christ from his Spouse God forbid Oh then I charge you yee Daughters of Jerusalem and you that wish well unto Sion by the Roes and by the Hindes of the Forrests That yee awake not this his Spouse this his Beloved untill she please let us not like the dogge in Esops-Fables quarrell for the shadow and lose the bone where the marrow is while we seek to purifie the Ceremony let not the substance perish while we would settle the Church let us not cut the throat of the State which is the guard of the Church who will poure a Vessell of pure Oyle upon the floure because the out side of the Caske is not eye-pleasing or who will cast away jewels because the Cabinet wherein they are suits not with his fancy Oh then let as binde up the breaches of Sion least the Cloud depart from between the Chernbins and the Arke fall into the hands of the uncircumcised Kings are Magistrates and let it be our Religion to obey those Magistrates God hath not given them the sword in vain and let not us feele the power thereof for our disobedience Thus shall we follow the steps of our fore-fathers the Apostles and Fathers in the Primitive Church who chose rather to glorifie their faith by suffering under than resisting the power of Magistracy though Tyrannicall It is not the height of your zeal if not guided with knowledge can excuse you for then the Jews might have had a fair plea for their crucifying Christ the Apostle testifying they did it through ignorance and yet we what a curse hath dogg'd them and their Posterity to this day If the King were a Tyrant the case might be otherwise but t is a thing knowne to all the world that His Majesty hath given abundant satisfaction for the past unhappy accidents in this government and so solemnly protested for the future to be guided by the knowne Lawes of the Land and to defend the truth of Religion the Liberty of the Subject and the priviledge of Parliament What shall any man plead for himselfe at the high Tribunall of the Almighty that shall dare to take Weapons in his hands against his Anointed let him flatter himselfe how he please with his zeale dote as he will upon his imaginary fancy and think his infidelity in and to his Prince an argument of his faith to God yet miserable will his end be who shall perish in such an attempt and into the Congregation of suchlet not my soule come In a Remonstrance bearing date the 15. day of Decem 1641. The dissolution of the Parliament in 4. Caroli is mentioned and the imprisoning of divers Members of the House after it was dissolved not permitting their wives to come unto them even in their time of their sicknesse enforcing some to put in security of good behaviour before they were released still continuing the imprisonment of those which refused to be bound which might have been perpetuall if necessity had not brought another Parliament to relieve them of whom one dyed by the cruelty and harshnesse of his imprisonment and his blood still cryes either for vengeance or repentance of those Ministers of State who at once obstructed the course both of His Majesties justice and mercy And to speake truth without Faction or any Seditious intent are there not many at this time imprisoned in the same manner as is complained of in that Remonstrance being consined to that unwholsome air which the mercifull narrow grate can afford them and that no sooner received but corrupted with the filthy stenches of those nasty prisons nay are there not some in these times committed and their wives according to the words of that Remonstrance not permitted to come unto them nay is not Sir George Whittmore an aged man and of equality sent to Yarmouth or some other prison farre distant from this place and from his wife and children and if his estate should miscarry through his absence or his aged selfe by reason of that cold and hard passage hee may meet with before his arrivall would not that cry for vengeance or repentance of those Ministers of State that sent him or caused it I accuse not the Parliament neither can I harbour the least suspition of their justice but sure I am that it is possible they may lend some of their authority to those that may abuse it For that Aldermans offence I question it not but I am confident an Imprisonment neerer home would have beene more mercifull nay to speake farther are not now many prisoners denyed to be bayled according to Law I speake not this invectively against the Parliament but rather declare it to them for peradventure they may not know it that they may remedy it and though convenience cannot be offered for a speedy triall of some that are accused because there are now such urgent occasions yet for those that are baylable by Law for safety of their estates and their security that they must then give would be as cautious and as much awed by that as they are by being in prison I know not what the rules of State pollicy are but I know it was the saying of a good man that policy may governe the World and nature policy but Religion should govern both policy and nature may be her councellors but shee is the Soveraigne they may bee used at some time with commendation but she at all times with necessity and approbation I speake not this either to perswade any man to desert the Parliament cause or to incense the KING against them neither will I take upon mee to acquitt either side from errors but consider them to be all Mortalls and will ever pray that both King and People may remember their duties one to the other and that either one side or other may be so sensible of whose duty it is to give the first stoope that so by some divine assistance there may be an utter cessation of armes in this cause t is said in the English-Gentleman pag. 36. that such is the misery of ambitious spirits whose ends are without end limiting their desires to no other period then sole Soveraignty that they flatter themselves in their vanity as Pigmalion with his Image or Narcissus with his shadow reposing more confidence in their owne valour Themistocles or Parsanias
A TREATISE IN IVSTIFICATION OF THE KING OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield Printer to the University 1642. A Iustification of the KING TIBERIUS the third Emperour of Rome was not onely killed and drawn through the streets by the Romanes but the Priests of all the Temples prayed unto the gods not to receive him unto them and prayed the Infernall Furies that they would grievously torment him saying it was justly required that the Tyrant which troubleth the good in this life should have no place amongst the good after his death And Tully speaking of a Tyrant saith non est naturae dispar illum spoliare quem honestum ect necarâ— nay the same Author saith non se obstruxit scelere si quis Tyrannum occidit quamvis familiarem that is t is no wickednesse to kill a Tyrant now from that saying of Tully I inferre that to kill a King is impious nay so crying is the blood of a murdered King that the particular agent bears not all the ensuing misery though he only gave the stroake as you may see in the 49. of Genesis the sixt and seventh verses Into their secret let not my soule come for in their wrath they slew a man now who that King was you may see in the 34. Chapter Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israell verse 7. And are there not some in these times as guilty as Simeon and Levi in their desires though by Gods preventing grace they want their opportunities witnesse that unchristian like trayterous and disloyall praier of him that wished he might wash his hands in His Majesties bloud or what can be thought of that Declaration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament for the raising of all power and force as well Trayned Bands as others to fight with kill and slay by force of armes all such as shall oppose them and shall raise or conduct any forces against them which are imployed in this service by either or both Houses of Parliament and whereas they know that the King doth raise forces and notwithstanding that they give power to kill and slay such as raise or conduct forces against their forces and never so much as except the King in that Declaration as His Majesty himselfe hath observed Perhaps that may be a neglect in the Clearke that delivered the Copy or else in the Printer for certainly the Parliament have a greater care of the Kings owne Person but however that neglect breeds ill affections and disloyalty in the ruder fort of people and therefore it deserves to be amended and corrected by the House that the Malignants as they are called might have nothing to object against them Another thing worth their consideration is that which Saint Paul mentions to the Romanes in the 16. Chapter 17 and 18. verses I beseech you Brethren marke them diligently which cause division offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learn'd and avoid them And let any man judge whether there are not such in these times the Parliament is the only meanes we have to redresse those grievances which are and will be if suffered far worse then that of Shipmony or any other that hath been remedied Are there not like wise such as the Apostle mentions in his Epistle to Timothy Truce-breakers false Accusers Intemperate men fierce and Despisers of such as are good Traitors heady high-minded Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turn away saith the Apostle for of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead away simple women laden with sins and led aways with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3. and 3 4 5 6 verses certainly we have some pestilent fellows amongst us I name none such as are movers of sedition amongst us throughout the world and chief maintainers of the Sect of the Nazarites Acts 24. 5. Nay are there not such in these times that give private information of things which they cannot prove according to that in the Acts They cannot prove the things whereof they now accuse me Acts 24. 13. Kings are Gods annointed and therefore sacred and not to be touch'd with rude hands though their demeanour in Government be never so wicked and never so unjust yet the Divine character of Authority enstampt upon them giveth him an inviolable immunity from humane hands Hence it was that David though himselfe annointed also by Gods appointment durst not injure Saul But his heart smote him for renting but the lap of Sauls garment when God had delivered Saul into Davids hands and shall we applaud our selves without remorse of conscience when we lay violent hands upon the fairest jewell of the Crown of our Lords Annointed and when we pluck the fairest flower of His Garland from his head was Saul more sacred more holy more vertuous than our Charles or have we more liberty more priviledge to disobey and to dis-robe Kings of their Honor than the Jews had or hath this Parliament a more wise and understanding heart or a more sincere zeale to Reformation or a more sacred and Divine calling than David had Oh then be wise yee sonnes of men be learned you that take upon you to judge the earth lest the King of kings laugh at your folly and crush you in peeces with a rod of iron Let it be a badge of antichristianity and of that Man of sin and odious let it be to all true zealots to exalt themselves against all that is called God let us fear to seperate that which God hath conjoynd Hath not he taught both in the Old and New Testament to fear God and honor the King and shall we now imagine that the dishonoring the King must be the chiefe evidence of our fearing God God forbid let us know that Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft most odious to God most bewitching and entising in it selfe shall we wonder it should appear maskt with Religion and ushered in with pretence of Reformation behold the father or lyes the Devill when he would have tempted our Saviour to Rebellion against his Father came with scriptum est for a Preface though he knew his mischievous design of heart could not lye hid from the All-seeing eys of our Lord. How did Absolon court the hearts of the Israelites when he was hatching his odious Rebellion against â—is Father was it not with pretence of Reformatioâ—â—â—…ying Behold thy matter is good and just but there is noâ—â—â—â—…uted of the King to heare it oh that I were made Governour over this land how would I do justice to all that came unto me And shall this policy of dazling our purblinde mortall eys seem now strange unto us nay certainly were not the face of all these present distempers maskt with a pretence of Reformation and uizarded with a seeming hatred of Superstition though ayming at more horrid intentions