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
A96886	The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1642 (1642)	Wing W3484; Thomason E122_1; ESTC R18182	151,993	158

bid freely Thy Religion thy Faith never put thee to cost till new what wilt thou doe now A Papist shall not out-bid thee for the maintaining his Idol-service a cursed service yet see how forward he is he will give all to his skin nay skin and all for ●e will venture his precious soule he loves not his life unto death in his blind zeale so he may maintaine the Man of sinne a despicable man and his cause a desperate cause The Atheist bids roundly too the man without God in the world who bel●eves not that there is any Spirit good or bad he carries his soule in his hand too he fights himselfe into slavery that he may maintaine his Idol his ●ride and Ambition for Honour in that waie there is none no nor ease nor peace neither yet see what he doth how impatient * Omne peccatum impatientiae ascribendum Nemo impudicus non impatiens pudicitiae n●c iniustus non impatiens iustitiae Tert. de pat cap. 5. he is in traversing his waie that cursed waie The Papist shall not exceed thee now no nor the Atheist neither Why then thou must be very active and liberall too thy hand and thy heart and all must go els they will go beyond thee I aske agai●e what wilt thou doe Before thou canst answer me I must resolve thee in one doubt more Ob. I could act with a more free spirit with more enlarged affectio●s If he be a Clerg●man that scrup●es here either ●t the will of Man or at the offering beleeve him not he is a counterfeit he hath satisfied his conscience and rock'd it a sleepe resolved in a more scrupulous case that he may receive h●● offerings next Easter his Tithes all the yeare after and more a great dealt from two places though he ministers at neither there he is pinched now but no scruple there because with more clearenesse of judgement if so be Gods wi●l were concurring with the will of my ●ur●ing Fathers and spirituall Lords An. These were no● spirituall once nor Lords now But this is a strange speech if we marke it that Gods will must concurre with mans wi●l else we will not doe there after This is preposterous indeed What must yeeld here Without all contradiction as the lesse is blessed of the better a Heb. 77. So the lesse must yeeld to the greatest and the worst to the Best Gods will is an holy a good a just will as you heard mans wil● is crosse stubberne and perverse as you shall heare it is affianced to carnall wisdome and humane reason and so it is as it hath bin and it doth as it hath done all the mischiefe in the world Mans will by the helpe of carnall reason and the Law of sin in the members hath rebelled against God ever since there was a man upon the Earth This will saith one b Bernard Ochr Serm. 3. was the Serpent in the Garden it made Cain kill his brother perswaded the old world to do as we reade and provoked Pharaoh to rush into the Sea It made Gods people murmure it made Solomon lose his wits amongst his strange wives and stirred his Father to kill Uriah this very will with her confederates persecuted the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles in former ages the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ ever since downe ward to this day Nothing so much as this will favoureth the Kingdome of Anti-christ introdu●ing all the superstitions Hypocrisies murthers massacres c. This will perswades a man rather then stoope to fall though he is but to stoope to Law and right Reason This will makes the most worldly wise the most foole most wicked most persecuting And so the Authour goes on Testimonies from latter times can tell us as much Mans will by it's helpers afore said will bring a city into a snare So in English e Pro. 29. 8. Sufflant sufflando inflammant Will set Cities on fi●e and whole Kingdomes in a flame so Iunius reades it and so we for so this will would have done As then it is wilfullnesse to say This shall be for I Will have it so the VVill is the Reason So also it is wickednesse to looke unto mans vvill further then it is subordinate to Gods vvill for it is as the carnall mind enmity against God not subject to His Lavv neither indeed can be f Rom. 87. It is then sufficient abundantly sufficient That we know Gods vvill and this is our wisdome to resolve all thereinto That it is His VVILL we should contend for the Faith for the safeguarding that Ship strive even unto death for the rescuing our King Parliament Nation Lavves Liberties Religion Lives out of the hands of Spoylers Ob. Spoylers why so Those of our owne Nation and those called in unto us endeavour with all their might to establish our Religion Iawes Liberties God forbid I should denie it for they affirme and vow it too Ans I thought this had been answered before but some men will not be answered In earnest tell me Art thou so credulous as aforesaid Yes Then dost thou beleeve as afore-said that Noahs flood came-in to allay the dust And that the Duke of Arabia with his companies of Sabeans were stirred up to safeguard Job and his house It is not Gods WILL we should beleeve lies not what the tongue saith but what the hand doth Mans WILL is cleared here to be perverse and wicked GODS WILL so cleared also that we cannot pleade ignorance therof I will hold my Candle no longer before that Sun This is GODS WILL as afore said and we kn●w it so to be and They that doe know it and are engaged to doe thereafter have such a sense of Dutie that they would rather loose their Heads then that their King so we touching King and PARLIAMENT should loose one hai●e of his or their Honour And so I have cleared as I could and as briefly the maine doubts touching the Thanke-offering the person that offers it our Dutie thereupon and grave questions thereabouts for the setling of the judgement therein that we also may offer d Amemus Christū facilè videbitur omne difficile parvum c. Hier. ad Eust ep 17. p. 207. Sequitur hunc affectum membra omnia omnes partes c. Cal. in Dan. ● 4. THANKES to GOD His King and His faithfull Servants i e. our Tongues and our hands and our hearts to serve them in LOVE and Love is a great Commander it commands all it does all it beleeves all it gives all d c. The method is questioned next not where I am to begin for surely that is out of all question with prime and ancient Mercies and with the bottome or top Mercy expresse it you for I cannot the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chry. in cap. 29. Gen. root-Mercy The Church fixeth thereon therefore I must remember that for I could not raise a Pillar and make it stand

markes upon it for it clears forth unto us as the Morning light no such demonstration as this vvho are the Church indeed who but in name so and that the MALIGNANT Church It cleares the Churches innocency also as the Sunne beame and cleares our duty to walke exactly as a peculiar people if we looke to be delivered how So miraculously after THAT SORT that all must say The Right-hand of the Lord did This. † 2. The Reader may consider that in the following Month I met with that ROOT the PARLIAMENT I mean which beares all our sweets here below our Religion our Lawes our Liberties our Lives by the good hand of God upon that High Court the KING and PARLIAMENT accursed be they that divide them and accursed be they also that strike at that Root we gather all the fore-mentioned for our selves and our children after us even all that blessed fruit for there it is as in a common root Therfore I staid the longer upon that fundamentall blessing Now I can goe on apace for I am but to bring in these after fruits as they did the Grapes all in a cluster but we must view over the lessons vvee tooke forth last and make a short collection thereof 1 The Lord hath triumphed gloriously H●s right Hand hath dashed to peeces the enemy In the greatnesse of His excellency He hath over-thrown them that rose up against Him 2. We have seene the Salvations of God great Salvations therefore the Israel of God is here amongst Exod. 15. 7. us a people greatly beloved Saved by the Lord for whose helpe Herideth upon the Heaven and in His excellency on the Sky Deut. 33. 26. Lastly Would vve be so saved then vve must be guided as the Church is according to her Lords WILL and so commanded by Him if we would be carried as upon the wings of Eagles then we must bee found walking in His way Thus we have seene the strange Overtures and turnings of things in these two Moneths and vvee have observed the certaine Uses and Conclusions there-from Now vve goe on to set downe the Heads of the after proceedings ¶ A Transition to the next Chapter Hitherto vve have observed vvhat God hath vvrought vvorking alone and by His own Arme bringing Salvations Now vve must observe vvith the same observation vvhat Salvations Man hath wrought with God the following Months as strange as vvas that Salvation vvhich Ionathan vvrought for Israel a 1 Sam. 14. 45. I have treated thereon severally not according to the excellency thereof but after my measure as I vvas inabled and am resolved not to mutilate or maim that continued Story by taking any part thence But which is more sutable to this place and my scope to set downe the Heads therof in as narrow a compasse as may be and as the matter can be contracted to give an abstract only leaving the specification of the set time vvhen the Salvations were vvrought the Month and the day to those Diurnals vvhich are vvritten before me vvhere also I blotted a few sheets of paper but specially to the vvorthy pains of good M Vicars vvorthy all acceptation So I proceed CHAP. IX The Heads of proceeding the following Months to the end of the first Jubile holding forth the wrath of God fury to His Adversaries His marvellous workes of Grace to His people breaking bands and taking off yoakes and bringing them into the band of a Covenant engaging His Church for ever to Record to Thanke to Praise SECT I. The Church blesseth God for you That you did not ioyne your selves with the Men of the Earth nor after the manner of Men forsake her in her low estate That you did not establish iniquity by a Law that yee read her petitions and heard her complaints that you opened her prisons and mouthes of the Ministers And had Dominion over the Mighty NOVEMBER a Month specially to be observed The third Day the High Court assembled things vvere done after the Manner c. At this point others begin and here I shall not breake off but dissolve a well continued Story into some chiefe Heads vvhich vvill containe the chiefe workes of wonder and so yeeld us matter enough of praise to God and thanks to Man The Lord tune our spirits to the setting forth the high praises of the Lord. The first Head will lead-in all the test for it containes much a Ezek. 23. 32. therefore that we may begin right the Church would have us consider That her enemy and adversary the Head and the Tayle who these are is now fully manifested and declared before had wrought effectually in the children of disobedience They had carried all before them levell to their owne mark They had levened the Land they thought from corner to corner with most impure Doctrines and as uncleane practises Indeed as was said they had vvrought very effectually as appeareth this day They had prepared their owne way made it so strait plaine and levell so as they thought verily they could find no rubb no opposition none at all they might goe on smooth away the Angell of the Lord could not meet with them at least could not stop controll nor crosse them in the way no not with the Sword in the hand They had now set the BVSH on fire round about I meane the Church a flaming Bush was her Embleme once and it must be her Embleme there you see the Church to the Worlds end They had set the Church all on a flame and thought verily if Gods dwelling were there which they thought not of they could if not thrust Him out of His House yet they could fire Him out for they looked wistly when His House would sinke downe and fall into ashes Indeed this is notable by the way and engageth the Church mightily That God dwelleth vvith her when she is all on a flame in the fornace of afflictions then He DWELS in the BVSH therefore it consumes not But the Adversary and enemy thought not of this they looked when the House should fall as aforesaid and hastened vvhat they could the Ruine thereof They would put to more wood and make the burning yet greater This then is the first Head for this the Church blesseth God and thanks you ¶ 1. That you did not joyne with the stronger side I meane in appearance That you did not joyne strength to strength and adde more fuell also to make the flame the more fierce and raging for this is the manner of men To oppresse the oppressed to add to the affliction and like Mice as to runne out vvhen the House is on fire So to judge of Gods workes before they bee ripe I meane before the FIFT ACT and that is against the Rule b De operi●us Dei 〈◊〉 quintum actū 〈…〉 If a storme lye upon the Ship of the Church and she be tossed with tempests men will not waite till the fourth watch commonly so long the Lord deferrs His comming but

WHOSE FOVNDATION WAS OVERFLOWNE WITH A FLOOD The Church applies all this right even to the Judges and would have them apply it so too for they are able Surely they can looke backe and enquire of the dayes of old which will tell them that their Fathers in whose steps they trod consulted shame to their house Because of Mens bloud and for the violence of the Land g Exod. 22 22 23 24. shame devoured the labours of their Fathers h Hab. 2. The stone cryed out of the Wall and the Beame out of the Timber answered it woe to him that buildeth a House with bloud and establisheth it with iniquitie And so it was and is for these houses are consumed away by the heate of Gods displeasure as if they had been made as we reade Ier. 2. some houses are in Gothland of SNOW i O lau● d● rit Gent. Septen lib. 1 Ch● 23. The Lord grant they may consider this and trust to their Repentance and free acknowledgement of their crimes to that BLOOD above all which yet speaketh rather then to their Apologies which some thinke and all say are smooth and plausible A SAGE of their owne is cleare against them Thus the Lord Cooke speaks where he speakes as we may understand him Latine and English both and full to this purpose for I may not hit of his words being long since I read them The Law is cleare for free Subjects in point of Priviledge and property if the Client through ignorance and the Lawyer through wilfullnesse doe not darken it The Law showes a way very discernable to a cleared sight betwixt Mine and Thine If the Lawyer be at a fault here surely there is dust cast into his eyes and he deales treacherously because he will doe so not because he wants wit or knowledge but because he is subtle and wicked for he goes by the clearest Lights not single but plurall that any Science in the world hath the light of Nature and of Reason and of conscience all three Therefore the Sage concludes A knowing Lawyer whom wee commonly call good must necessarily be a good man or c. the Contrary as the Country man calls him who calls a Spade a Spade And the best excuse he can make why he dealt contrary must be his feare that made him clash against the Law feare of present drowning if he did not swim with the stream and not ignorance of the Law But here also our Chronicles gives us a famous example of a good Judge and a good man Sir Iohn Markham by name late times yeeld us one or two more King Edward the 4. outed him his place But the valiant Knight valiant for the Truth no Iudge thereof now gloried in this as well he might that Though the King could make him NO IVDGE he could not make him a DISHONEST MAN He could doe nothing against the Truth but for the Truth k 2 Cor. 13 8. notwithstanding all provocations and forcei●g to the contrary Our Iudges the worst part of them cleane contrary nothing for the Truth but against the Truth nor were they so much forced as they used forcing Then Iudgement was turned away backward and Iustice stood afarre off for Esa 59. 14. Truth sell in the street and equity could not enter c. For it followed just so Therefore Gods Arme brought Salvations He put on the garment of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeale as ver 16 17. 18. a cloake According to their deeds He did repay fury to His Adversaries recompen●e to His enemies Thus the Lord did for a peeled people that we might set OVR HOPE in Him and not forget His workes But behold we are turned backe we are not stedfast This is the Truth which appeareth thus ¶ 2 We mind our Covenant no further then as it may be a Covenant of Salt to assure us our outward Priviledges for ever That 's our great errour the Church confutes it and instructs us to Discretion VVE are not stedfast in the Covenant farther then it concernes our private wealth so far we will hold-fast to it as it doth maintain our outward Rights We are resolved upon the Question and let us now be begged for fooles or madd men if we doe not by all lawfull meanes maintaine the peace of our King His Crowne and Dignity and the Priviledges of Parliament for herein we must have a principle of profit to carry us the Rights and Liberties of the Subject are maintained Vowes are upon Him and Them the Oath of God is betwixt us the strongest engagement that can be to maintaine th● LAW and then the Law will maintaine us and all the fore-mentioned And that is all we looke after We consider not how spirituals strengthen Politickes that both King and Kingdome are established by Righteousnesse Therefore the Church mindeth us of a great principle of State government which is this That true Religion and Godlinesse is the root of all true virtue and the stay of all well ordered Common-weales And to keepe the true Religion pure and unstained ought to be the highest of all cares appertaining to publicke Regiments and the peace therof Did not thy Father Iosiah doe judgement and justice and it was well with him l Ier. 22 ●● While he was yet young he begun to seeke after the God of his father and to pur●e Iudah and Ierusalem m 2 Chro. 34. 3. And there was never any King before him or since that live● so desired or dyed so lamented No not one But his son Iehoiakim not so His Eyes and his Heart were for oppression and for violence to doe it n Ier. 22. therefore he was buried with the buriall of an Asse they lamented not for him saying AH LORD or AH IS GLORY But what is this to the people much every way as what concerned the HEAD then concernes the BODY now because of that sympathy and nearest Relation betwixt them and what concernes the BEE concernes the BEEHIVE and vvhat doth good or hurt to the one doth the very same to both Therefore this is added They then and They onely doe seele the weight of Duty towards their Prince and Country they know the just bounds of observation towards both who can in a gracious freedome of Spirit arising from Their innocency and independancy except on the living God stand out notwithstanding all shockes against all corruptions in Doctrine and manners having a tender sense of both that there be no corruption in either And so doe wish from an entire and ingenious heart O KING LIVE FOR EVER It is not the strength of all united hands that can set the Crowne fast upon a Kings head not the pollicy of as many heads can make it flourish there nor can all the Arme of flesh put out to it 's utmost strength confirme to us our Liberties and establish the Right of Subjects No but it is RELIGION kept in it's purity Iustice maintained in it's

vengeance against those treacherous Priests and light Prophets now He will recompence upon them all their abominati●ns which they have committed in His house before His face Now He will raise up Carpenters which shall strike off those hornes that have pushed and goard and scattered the servants of the Lord m Zach. 1. 20. And surely all the undertakings of that High Court have gone ou● all along with God in His way And have the very stampe and seale of His Hand upon theirs to make H●s worship truly spirituall according to His will and not clogged and mixed with humane Inventions Ecclesiasticall and Civill charges And he that shall looke upon them the actions I meane of the High Court with an impartiall eye that shall be but willing to understand them the meaning and tendencie thereof hee will be forced to beleeve as was ●aid in a higher case n Qui studuerit intelligere cogetur ei credere ●ertul de Deo cap. 17. That all this hath beene suggested to them by God and managed by His right-hand They have beene but as noble instruments bent unto His purpo●e and as the bow and sword in His Hand But remember this with it which was intimated before He hath brought upon them their owne iniquity o Ps 94. 13. and so hath cut them off Their owne wickednesse hath helped forward this great worke the casting out of these Church-men nursing Fathers in Name and no more for they starved their children They helped forward p Zach. 1. 15. the wrath for the slaying a whole Nation Now His own wrath killeth the foolish man and envy slayeth the silly one q Iob 5. 2. So as we may say in allusion thereunto and conclude as of old These Church-mens iniquity makes full proof of the Justice and innocency of that High Court r Probatio est nostra innocentiae impietas vestra Tert. cap. 48. If you will aske me now in the close what I can say against the office My answer is ready but yet I will say no more here but as St. Paul saith touching the LAW vve know the Law is good if a man use it LAWFULLY * 1 Tim. 1. 8. The next Objection scorcheth for it is from a tongue set on fire of hell Ob. That now they have cast forth Church men they will cast forth their King too out of the inheritance of the Lord They will rise up in batt●ll against their King and can they expect that we should tender them a Thank-offering for that An. No sure the Axe rather or a rope let one or both be tendred to such Philistines who deale vilely with their King as if he were not anoynted vvith oyle a 2 Sam. 1. 21. and then shall these servants of the Lord be free for they can call God to record upon their soules that they rise up for their King against spoylers for their Religion against Papists for their lives and liberties against murtherers for their Church and Nation against them that would make fenced Cities ruined heapes and bring utter desolation to the King and Kingdome Church and Common-wealth and all The contrary is suggested to his sacred Majesty and so forced that he dares protest see how wicked Counsell may prevaile in the face of Heaven and Earth that they who seeme to be on his side and with him shall maintaine the Lawes just Liberties and Rights of the Church and Common-wealth Marke Reader Sons of Belial so much malice hath suggested and so far prevailed shall maintain the Lawes and Papists the true Reformed Religion men of bloods like Irish Villaines nay the very same shall safeguard your lives Reade on Those that are gone out to battell against these enemies vvhither soever the LORD shall send them VVhat are these men 1 Kin. 8. 44. Ob. Malice hath suggested but shee vvas foully out That most of them are ANABAPTISTS Ans Nay not one I say againe not one Malice may suggest That some one or two there is a Samaritan and hath a Divell for that has bin suggested against the Captaine of the Host b Ioh. ● 48. but that there are ANABAPTISTS there that is false sure because they are gone forth to vvarre and vvill maintaine it to the Death No ANABAPTIST then No nor Rebels nor Traitors neither though suggested so Like the dirt of Oysters it will not staine the righteous have bin slandered so of old but never has beene heard or seene such contradictions of sinners such contrarieties of Tongues and Wills as now a daies They can reade much written in commendation of folly and to some purpose They can reade also some sheets blotted in the commendation of the Ague the Feaver and the Gout Yea and one whole sheet in the praise of a Louse and three sheets in the praise of the vilest person but he was an Emperour that ever went upon two Leggs All this they may finde and reade in Bookes but they never heard or read till of late nor their Fathers before them That an Army most of Papists and the other looking stedfastly towards Rome in the same Kingdom haue bin commended for loyall Subjects to a Protestant King And an Army of Protestants charged with Treason and Rebellion against the same King But the Righteous are not carefull they can turne as afore-said to the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE and seeing there is no vvrong in their Hands They can say as David so persecuted before them The God of their Fathers looke theron and rebuke it c 2 Chr. 12. 17. This has beene the good mans comfort evermore when he hath been smitten at with the tongue My Adversaries can say much against me for he thinkes his tongue his owne but he cannot say I HAVE FORSAKEN THE LAW OF MY GOD So now malice may suggest that there be Traitors in Gods Hoste and most of them Brownists and Atheists she is not so shamelesse to suggest that most or any of them are Papists no Anabaptists If so be malice could have suggested that and have made the charge good where had our Hope beene Certainly had this Hoste consisted most of Papists it had gone out under the guilt of all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abell unto the blood of Zacharias and so downe ward unto this Day d Mat. 23. 35. but not one PAPIST no not one in the Hoast of God the enemies themselves being Iudges the Papists are all on their side all the world over And that it is so is ●n cleare as the Sunne when he shines in his strength All the Papists are on the other side and not one with the Host of God Surely here is matter for high praise to our God Blessed be the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost that Satan the accuser of the Brethren hath condemned his owne cause and justified theirs for behold all this is granted that all the Papists in the Land nay all the world over are on that

in the highest Reason and therefore by helpe of God and the law and right reason also they will doe exploits Observe we how the Worthies in the managing of their great affaires have walked by the same help and steering their course by the same hand levell to the same mark how exactly how blamelesly how harmelesly as the Sonnes of God according to the line of men so as Momus himselfe an envious and prying person once and now and yet cannot rebuke them d Phil. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How comes it to be so That these Worthies have carried themselves so exactly well There can be no other reason given but this by helpe of God the law and the highest Reason For as was said God is their Pilot He steers their course and the law was their land-marke their boundary their hedge had they broken that a Serpent had bi * Eccl. 10. 8. them a Eccl. 10 8. therefore c. for every man knowes it they with such helpe must steere their course as exactly as the King does who does according to his charge seeke helpe from God and direction from his Law-book b Deut. 17. 18 19. But now on the contrary when a man shall slip his hand from out of Gods hand will have none of Him none of His help will desert the Law the supreame Law that old Land-marke remove that out of it's place and forsake Reason the highest reason what will hee doe blunder on as the old Sorcerer did Prophet is too good a name Balaam I meane so he will blunder on though a flaming Sword stand in their way turning every way to stop them in their course Like the Duke of Arabia Leader to the S●beans so they will doe And he was a wild Duke some say mad for carelesse of his owne desert Country he commanded in chiefe over those who carrying their right upon the Swords point robbed spoyled pillaged all places and persons they came to though their best friends they served all alike as they did Job How so By helpe of the Divell he stirred them up and by helpe of his Lawes which are written in blood They forsooke the supreame law and were forsaken of right Reason So they went on in a cursed way the path of the Destroyer wasting and destruction was there and this is the way of the wicked now the old pathes that the Papists have trod in through all Generations the way of peace they have not knowne and cursed are they that walke therin nay he shall not escape punishment that stands still walkes not but alloweth of that way Marke this good Reader for I would gaster thee at the very thought of this way he shall not escape punishment that alloweth or consenteth to this way I will cause them to be removed into all Kingdomes of the Earth because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Iudah for that which he did in Ierusalem c Ier 15. 4. You will find part of this answer in the large English Bible more fully in Iunius but most fully clearly and usefully explained in Calvin upon this place Might we question the Righteous judgement of the Lord we would aske here Why must the people be removed for that which their King did And why must the after-generation for this was long after be sorely visited for the sins of their fore-Fathers There is a double answer unto this double Question and it will cleare the just proceedings of the Lord The Judge of all the Earth and shall not he do right d Gen. 18. 25. Because the people then when Manasseh was living allowed of what their King did in the alteration of Religion purged and setled by his good Father and persecution of Gods servants He was the Authour of bloody Decrees but the People were the Ministers and Executioners therof and woe to both * Tum auctoribus maleficiorum ●um administris Isa ● 10. Iun. 2. And the generations following allowed of all this for they went on securely not humbled for what their Fathers had done This is the answer and the note and if it be noted well it will be as a flaming sword to keepe our foot from the path of the destroyer nay more from allowing of that way for as sure as our soules doe live they shall fall they and their companies that walke in this way that allow and consent to such a way where wasting and destruction is forsaking the helpe of God and the Law and forsaken of right Reason For the blessing of the Pope goes along with them and the curse of the Al●ighty That was the point and it cleares forth the way unto us what way we must avoid if we would escape the curse of God what way w● must take for there is no standing still a N●●ter that is to allow of a ba● way if we do● expect a blessing from Him And this I hope is cleared out unto thee ●o is thy judgement therein Thou seest clearly what way thou art to take by the helpe of God the Law and the highest Reason I shall ●leare the WILL of GOD unto thee next for I doe suppose th●re is a th●cke c●oud betwixt thine eye and it thou art not cleare at that point By the helpe of God I shall make it as cleare unto thee as is the Sunne beame But I doe beleeve already thy mind is so cleared now That thou dost thinke it but a point of meere duty that the Church should render a Thank offering to Her God that cannot be questioned now and to man also that is questioned by whose hands the Lord hath wrought so wonderfully this last yeare Nay I am perswaded better then so Thou wilt doe as the Church doth thou wilt offer too Yes thou wilt say thou wilt give thankes for that is as easily done as thy Cap is moved an easie motion that No but it is not it is the Churches THANK-OFFERING and she offers willingly therefore if thou wilt doe like her we must have thy tongue and thy hand and thy heart A Thank-offering is not a Lip-labour no there is in it the very labour of love the worke of faith and because we looke to see our thankes againe the patience of hope Come now what wilt thou doe For words and no more are like Nuts they nourish not Marke what followes If I knew the will of my GODS I vvould doe vvhat they vvould have me doe and they should have vvhat they vvould have from me A notable speech and yet a Heathen spake it Seneca whom because of this and something else he said and did Erasmus cals a Divine-man and is so charitable as to register him in the Catalogue of Saints Indeed this saying containes much and we must make much use of it we will heare it again If he knew the will of his gods What then Then they should have the strength of his parts and the chiefest of his Riches they should have vvhat

they vvould have So he said What were these gods Stocks and Stones some of them Divels few did him a little good at somtime in conceit the most a great deal of hurt but he offered so liberally to all because he would please all that some might do him good others might doe him no hurt d Aust de civit l. 8 13. Plac●ndi sunt Dij mali ne laed●nt bo●●i invocandi ut profi●● Enquire now and so thou shalt understand His Will the better VVhat is thy God As we reade The God That made the Heaven and the Earth The Father of the Lord Jesus Christ the God before whom thou dost walk b Gen 49. 25. the God Who hath fed thee all thy life long unto this Day The God Almighty Who hath blessed us with the blessings of Heaven above blessings * Gen. 4. 15. of the deep that lieth under blessings of the brest and of the womb But when I have said God I have said all Mercy goodnesse wisdome power riches all only this was not said That He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Sonne c. What wilt thou do now for this God and His Christ Thou wilt understand what His will is first Thou dost well So thou shalt His will shall be cleared unto you as the Sunne beame This is His will even thy Sanctification c 1 Thes 4. 3. His will the very Law of His will but His will is His Law an holy Law and His will revealed is our Law that wee should sanctifie His Name a●d His Day heare His word a●d doe it that is His will walke as people in Covenant with Him as children of the light honestly d Rom. 13. 13. as in the Day soberly righteously and godly in this present world e Tit. 2. 12. not in rioting and drunkennesse not in strife and envying not as Arabians Sabeans and Chaldeans Papists and Atheists men without God in the world robbing spoyling pillaging not as the fishes in the Sea where the greater devoure the lesser a Hab. 1. 14. not as Devils b 1 Tim. 2. 12. slandring each other not as his eldest sonnes children of Beliall breaking yoakes and casting away bands and girdles under a pretence of being freed from fetters not so for this is after the lust of the Divell most contrary to the will of God which is as was said Holy just and good It is impossible we should be ignorant of it Why then Thou knowest what the will of thy God is and Thou seest Who steere their course thereafter by the help● of God and the Law You see who doe contend for the Faith for Religion for th● Gospell call it what you will It is that whereto the Prophets and Apostles have sealed and so transmitted it to the generations following and from them it came streaming downe unto us in the blood of the Martyrs under the shadow whereof this Church hath enjoyed her Sabbaths rest and peace these foure-score yeares and upward So long have we set in peace under this cove●ing For this the Nobles have contended and are resolved to resist the opposers of it unto blood And is it not Gods will they should so doe Yes more cleared unto them then if it could have bin written with the Sunne beame And is it not their bounden duty so to doe No question to be made of that when it is clearly the will of God But I would rather their children sh●uld answer here Certainly ha● these Nobles failed at this point had they not given out their Male their strength in the managing thi● great businesse had they not contended here then had their Descendents put up a complaint against them doubled the same as we reade Bloody Fathers have ye bin to Exod. 4. 25. us bloody Fathers ye are Yee contended not for Religion ye neglected that ye were carelesse thereof and so of the good estate of future times unnto which ye knew ye must transmit and commend-over us your dearest pledges bloody Fathers ye are so they had complained Blessed be God they knew the will of their Lord and their bounden dutie and have done thereafter they have contended for this Faith and they will contend what is their life to them o● what regard to a new b●rne son If ICHABOD where is the glory that is gone They will contend for the Glory they will keepe it they are resolved so so to contend even as for life Ob. What contend against their King Is that the will of God An. A sillie Objection I had almost said wicked They contend for the King for the maintaining his Crowne Peace and Dignitie They contend for the maintenance of Religion and that is like the maintaining a Ship in a Tempest a sillie will●ull man and let him perish if he be not a sleepe that will not put forth his hand to maintaine the Ship now in distresse of weather if that lives he lives if that drowns be drownes Truly I have said all I can saie They that contend to maintaine Religion doe as those who contend to save their ship save that and that will save them The Nobles doe contend to maintaine Religion that ship and in so doing they contend for their King his life and peace for his everlasting Crown for the peace and honour of his people for the safetie of his Kingdomes that they may be the head and not the tail● the most honourable of Kingdomes All this they doe contend for for they contend for Religion that ship which carries three Kingdomes in it at once peace safetie lives liberties and all And is it not the will of God they should so contend It were folly to answer for it is blasphemie to doubt Then what wilt thou doe to helpe them and their cause against the Mightie It is the greatest the most hopefull cause the best the plainest and clearest as cleare as the Sunne beame the most legible cause that ever was heard or read of in the world What wilt thou doe now to rescue thy King from out of the hands of Murtherers The Land from out of the hands of spoylers The Laws of God and man from sons of Belial who would make all void What wilt th●u doe to helpe the Lord against these Nimrods mightie hu●ters What wilt thou doe I say to helpe God and the cause of Christ Neither of them both do need thee He Whose cause it is can manage it without thee But so He is pleased to honour His Servants by calling them forth to helpe Him against the mighty And what wilt thou doe for H●m and His cause Who was made a curse for thee gave His blood for thee what wilt thou doe for Him It is His will and command both that thou shouldest give in thy helpe the Male of thy flocke thy strength and chiefe of thy substance to Him and thou hast heard what an Heathen will doe in such a case then thou wilt

give their Lord no rest till He shall give them rest The Lord hath given His people th● greatest mercies which they prayed not for ELECTION before time His SON in the fullnesse of time How can He with Him denie His people any thing They forsake not their confidence there ore they are importunate with their friends as they have beene in former yeares the day of Jacobs troubles and treading downe saying Pray pray pray Pray for the King That the Lord would deliver his soule from the snare of the Hunter And pray for the Parliament who have sought the peace of the King and his Kingdomes as their ●wne peace nay more then so they have preferred it before their owne And seeing 't is cleare to every man that will see that thus they have done They have sought and wrought effectually for the peace that containes all of their King or the Salvation a comprehensive blessing of King and his Kingdomes for maintaining this Ship RELIGION wherein our lives our liberties our estates our peace and the Churches all over the world and our Generations after us are bottomed and maintained seeing I say their Care Piety Zeale is manifest to all men in the maintaining this Ship And all this by the line of the Law the Plummet of right Reason the Rule of their Lords will Seeing we know it to be so and doe know also in all our hearts and soules That not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord hath spoken concerning His people Nor any of Iosh 24. 14. 1● the evill things which He threatned against His enemies but all came to passe We will close with the word of the Lord which He hath spoken to the heart of all His faithfull Servants in all Generations I VVILL BLESSE THEM THAT BLESSE Gen. ●2 3. THEE and CURSE HIM THAT CURSETH THEE even so Lord let the curse they have called for fall upon the wicked but Thou hast promised this goodnesse unto Thy Servants Now therfore Let it please Thee to blesse the house of Thy Servants that they and their house may be before Thee for ever For Thou blessee 1 Ch● 17. 26 2● O Lord and it shall be blessed for ever Amen and Amen THE CHVRCHES THANK-OFFERING To GOD Her KING and the PARLIAMENT CHAP. I. Recording thanking praising an high imployment who fit for it how great the engagement to it who the fountaine of mercies whence received thither returned SECT I. Thankes-giving and praise a sacred imployment THe old manner was that a certaine number were appointed to record to thanke and to praise the Lord God of Israel a 1 Chron. 16. ● These must b● Levites such as did minister before the Arke of the Lord. It was a sacred imployment a worke as some Psalmes are of Degrees To Record was the lowest and required little clevation of spirit To Thanke was an higher Degree and commanded more life of affection To Prai●e that it to sing the high praises of our God there comes in Selah a winding-up of the spirit to the highest It may be said What need all this Such a livelinesse of affection Such an activity of spirit to thank and to praise God It is as ordinary a thing and as easie a worke as is done in the world Kings of the Earth and all people Princes and all Iudges of the Earth both young-men and Maidens Old men and children b Ps 148. 11 12. All these doe as they are commanded they thanke the Lord and praise Him too if we could heare the afore-mentioned speaking one after another we should heare nothing but Thankes and Praise I am in health saith one I thanke God I am increased and prosper in the world saith another I praise God I have had many crosses and troubles in the world I blesse my God They have well spoken in all that they have said but ô that there were such an heart c Deut. 5. 29. All creatures praise God for so they are commanded Dragons and all deepes c. Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and flying soule all praise Him in their kind But man is a more excellent Creature he stands charged to doe it in a more excellent manner els as good not done he hath a tongue for that end and called his glory and yet the fewest of all doe praise God as they should and all because they thinke it so easie and ordinary a worke to praise Him whereas tongue and heart both must be well tuned for this work for it is the most heaven-like of all the services perform'd by Man here below As to Praise is comely so is it a clean pure heavenly lasting action None but the Righteous whose hearts are cleansed from sinne and emptied of Selfe they onely doe it the upright in heart d Ps 33. 1. Ps 119. 7 and what they doe now on Earth they shall doe hereafter in Heaven it is their worke to all Eternity SECT II. Who the Person is that is fit for this worke VVE must then find-out a fit person for this worke so high an imployment a person that can doe it to purpose decently and in order that ministers before the Lord continually they that walke with Him cleave to Him trust in Him the people of God such as feare Him onely serve Him onely so walking in his wayes These many are but one one House one Body so single they in conversation so usefull they in their communion each with other as members one of another And so I shall take them all under a single Notion as one person whom I shall properly call the Church The Church indeed e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having more then a name for that and no more is nothing She hath a Name that she lives and she doth live and this life is the more spiritfull and active because as light was brought out of the wombe of darknesse so her life from death She was dead but she is now alive and lives for ever her life being hid with Christ in God f Col. 3. 3. A very fit person for such a worke an heavenly worke an heavenly person who might she deliver her own words with her own mouth would doe it exactly well but howsoever she will doe it decently and in order after she hath told us her ingagement to the worke how she doth record it and to whom she payeth the tribute of praise and thankes SECT III. The Churches engagement to record to thanke to praise HItherto all fits very well the Person and the Worke. Now see the engagement thereunto that 's very strong and binding For behold how great the loving kindnesses are how rich the mercies how marvellous the workes which the Lord hath done for this Nation whereof in due place and conveyed to it through the hands of man It is God Who makes two of one mind in one house and the same God Who hath made two Houses one to goe together

him and that there is now a Statute in Israel that all Iudah should meet together sing and rejoyce vvhen they tell forth the loving kindnesses of the Lord That according to this time it may be said of Jacob and of Israel What hath GOD WROVGHT What hath He wrou●ht Speake it out if yee can Truely Reader I cannot I can fill a sheet or two vvith the Records thereof but me thinkes it is an empty vvorke no vvay sufficient to set forth the vvonderfull worke of God therein So I leave it and leave thee Reader to muse upon it being resolved that this Treatise shall not cloy thee nor fill thy hand It is intended but to vvhe● thy Appetite if thou haply meetest vvith these Heads largely treated on in time to come and to raise thy heart for the raising of a PILLAR to the everlasting Praise of the KNOWN GOD. There is one or two Observations more vvhich the Church chargeth us to gather-up from the scatterings of this Month. ¶ 5. THe Bishops had a Court They called it the High-Commission-Court Others the bloudy Inquisition Certainely The smartest Purgatory the sorest tyranny that ever the Church felt-upon Earth but her comfort is it 's all her Purgatory here and it ceaseth vvith the Earth This bloody Inquisition for so they perverted Judgement and Justice there turning such sweete blessings into Gall and Hemlocke a Amos 6. 12. received it's fatall blow this very Month languished the Month following and dyed shortly after We must enquire now vvho gave this Court this deadly blow The Answer is The Iudges there Yes that 's the Answer the enemies themselves being Judges With their owne hands they vvounded themselves and gave their Court that deadly blow I must correct my vvords a little I did but mistake the hand for the tongue there is a smiting with the tongue too I should have said vvith their owne tongues they smote themselves and destroyed their Court. See Reader how they brought the blow about but observe vvithall observation the Retaliation of the Lord What is that For it is not English how the Lord the Lord God of Recompences b Ier. 51. 5● retal ated those Men that is returned their Recompence upon their owne head c Ioel 3. 7. But yet for the glory of this vvonderfull vvorke of Retaliation they themselves vvith their owne Tongues must retaliate as it vvere Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth d Exod. 21. 24. they must vvith their owne tongues Returne Recompence upon their owne Heads for thus it vvas ¶ 6. THe Bishops had an Oath vvhich they forced upon the righteous in homage and meere duty to their Court and it was a gin and a trap and a snare to His people as a Serpent by the ●ay an Adder in the path that bite●h the Rider so that ●e fals back ward c Gen 4● 17. The Lord Who commands us to sweare in Truth in Iudgement and in Righteousnesse * Ier. 4. ● look'd upon this opp●●ssion and required it how They must Retaliate themselves now Oath for Oath Their chaine must be let out now the rope must be lengthned give some men rope enough they vvill goe neare to strangle themselves as in this case they must have full scope given them and vvhat must they doe Hammer out another Oath and that must be as the other vvas to the righteous a gin a trap and a snare to take their own foot in as a Serpent to make those Riders that marched so furiously to fall back-ward I hat Oath must retaliate them it must recompence all their evill upon their owne heads That Oath like a Mushrome that miracle in Nature for it growes and hath no root d In miraculis vel max●mum est aliquid 〈◊〉 aut veve●e sine ul●ā●adice Tub●r● haec vocantur c. Pl●● Hi● l. 19 cap. ● So this Oath that had no root neither in Nature nor in Grace neither i● Law nor in Gospell neither in Reason then nor in Religion sure This Mushrome-Oath this rootlesse thing must come in and helpe to carry out head and taile the Bishops vvith c. it must be a means to root out them and their Courts Take we all in two words and in Scripture language and then see the Retaliation of the Lord They had killed the Righteous there in that Court as they could they scorched him vvith the breath of their lips See now The Lord ordered it so That their owne breath as fire did devoure them h Esa 33. 1● They spake devouring words indeed they swallowed up the Righteous there See now the Retaliation of the L●rd and muse on the worke of His hands i P● 143. 5. for so it was according to the saying The words of a Wise-mans mouth are gracious but their lips did swallow up themselves k Eccl. 10. 1● They fell upon the righteous like a Mil-stone they vvould have ground him to powder See now They shall make their owne torgue to fall upon themselves l Ps ●4 ● So I have pointed at the Remarkables in this Moneth as befits an Epitomy or Abridgement The Et cetera s here are very notorious which I have reserved to a place vvhere they may take more Roome then they can doe in this Treatise vvhich I intend as afore-said So vve goe on CHAP. VII October The Product thereof Many Mercies and yet but one marvellous worke wrought for the Church at that time SECT I. October The imployment thereof NOw the Lord Keeper was busily imployed in issuing forth Writs to summon a Parliament which service he did more out of duty than affection to that high Court This Moneth was much of it spent in enquiring after or reading newes out of the North and in chusing Knights and Bargesses for the severall Counties Cities and Towns Where there were a poore people also who had no voices but in corners and there they might be bold to send up strong cryes to Heaven which furthered the businesse not a little Now the people having chosen a Man to stand for ten thousand they transmitted unto him the great Trust their Estates their Liberties their Lives their all that was theirs Religion and all And they who understood what they did prayed That the service he had to doe for his King and Countrey might be throughly thought on and accepted And that he might goe up and returne in the fulnesse of the blessing of God SECT II. Many Mercies in one Parliament A comprehensive Blessing Why called a Parliament The Honour and Antiquity of that High Court Long vacation there makes sinners impudent THis Moneth the Church heard the newes That a Parliament must be summoned againe Very comfortable newes That and another manner of sight then to see the whole world represented in a M●p That 's but a dead representation In a Parliament we see the Body of a Kingdome not as sometimes you see in a Table head and shoulders onely and no more