Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A01038
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A peaceable vvarning, to the subjects in Scotland given in the yeare of God 1638.
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Forbes, John, 1593-1648.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 11142; ESTC S102457
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8,127
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22
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A PEACEABLE WARNING TO THE SUBJECTS IN SCOTLAND Given in the Yeare of GOD 1638. ABERDENE IMPRINTED BY EDW. RABAN The Yeare aboue written BON ACCORD Insignia Vrbis abredonie To the most Noble My very Speciall Good LORD My L Marquis of HVNTLEY Earle of AENZIE Lord GORDON and BADENOCH c. One of his Majesties most honourable Privie Counsell Grace and Peace Most Noble and My verie Speciall Good LORD YOur vpright loue of the TRVETH professed by the REFORMED CHVRCH now openlie knowne and notified to manie but to mee manie yeares agoe evidentlie certayne as it doeth vndoubtedlie portend and promise to all your Friends the plentifull Blessings of GOD vpon your Lo. and your most Religious Ladie and your most noble Progenie and House so lykewyse it gayneth vnto your Lo. the true affections of those who feare GOD according to His word Your worldlie Greatnesse may purchase you outward attendance but your Pietie and Humanitie doe command inward Benevolence and make conquest of the will and affections of men to doe you honour and service And which is most of all this grace given to you of GOD is an Earnest of Eternall Happinesse Your zeale of GOD lest it should bee without knowledge hath carried you to an accurate tryall of all thinges and to a wyse holding of that which is best And for better information of others also in these present Dissensions and commotions Your Lo. lay de vpon mee this piece of paynes which I humblie lay downe at your Lo. feete And I pray GOD Almightie the GOD of Trueth the LORD of Peace Himselfe who hath commanded vs to loue Trueth and Peace to make vs all of one mynde according to IESUS CHRIST and to giue vs Peace alwayes and by all meanes which is also heartilie wished to your good Lo. and to all yours By OLD ABERDENE 6 Aprill 1638. Your Lo true Servant IOHN FORBES OF CORSE PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR TO THE CHRISTIAN READER IN some Few written Copies of the first sudden draught of this WARNING before it was perfected some haske speaches were found and haue beene verie hasklie interpreted I loue not to bee offensiue to anie and I doe playnlie and openlie disallow all other Copies and holde to this onlie perfect Edition in a meeke and calme stile beseeching my de we Countrey-men to pardon what was amisse in anie Copie or what perhaps may bee yet amisse in this first publicke and onlie true Edition which I doe presens vnto them with a loving and peaceable heart ayming onlie at Trueth and Peace And let not anie exception agaynst anie weaknesse of the Warner hinder them from vnpartiall consideration of the Warning it selfe The Apostle hath tolde vs that the wrath of man worketh not the rigteousnesse of GOD. Therefore let vs all laye asyde wrath and bring our best concurrance to cure this miserable division and in all singlenesse and humblenesse of mynde contribute therevnto the best overtures which it shall please GOD to put into our hearts if possibly this fearfull rupture may be solidlie and peaceablie remedied Which to obtayne let vs all search and trye our wayes and turne agayne to the LORD Let vs lift vp our heart with our handes vnto GOD in the Heavens Now the LORD GOD of Trueth and Peace who hath tolde vs by His holie Prophet That Hee will restore Health vnto His CHVRCH even when Her sore is vncurable bind vp this breach which is great lyke the Sea But GOD dryeth the Sea and to Him all thinges are possible Blessed bee the LORD His Grace bee with thee that thou mayest loue Trueth and Peace Augustinus Epist 7. ad Marcellinum Ego fateor me ex eorum numero esse conari qui proficiendo scribunt scribendo proficiunt A Peaceable WARNING To the Subjects in SCOTLAND Given in the year of GOD 1638. CHAP. 1. A true Historicall Narration Concerning our Nationall Confession of Fayth registrated in Parliament and concerning that other little Confession called Generall which was also called The King's Confession and the Negatiue Confession contayning the Oath MASTER IOHN KNOX of happie memorie with others his Fellow-labourers in the Reformation of Religion in SCOTLAND did present in name of the Nationall reformed Kirke of this Realme vnto the Parliament a Confession of Fayth distinguished into 25 Articles which was read in face of Parliament and ratified by the three Estates in the yeare of GOD 1560 as a Doctrine grounded vpon the infallible Word of GOD. And agayne the same Confession and fore-sayde Act made in ratification thereof were ratified approved and authorized in the first Parliament of KING IAMES the sixt of blessed memorie holden at EDINBVRGH in December Anno 1567 as it is extant in the publicke Printed Acts of the sayde Parliament and Acts were made in that and others succeeding Parliaments for mayntayning of the sayde Confession and agaynst the gayn-sayers and disobedient as you may reade in the Acts of those Parliaments Act. 4. 5. 6. 9. 35. 45. 46. 47. 99. 106. c. Yet still with that modestie and ingenuitie which the Estates and all professing IESUS CHRIST and His holie EVANGELL in this Realme did declare in their Epistle written to their owne natiue Countrey-men and to other Kingdomes and Nations professing with them the same IESUS CHRIST and prefixed as a Preface to the Latine Edition of the sayde Confession as it is extant in the Booke called Corpus Syntagma confessionum c. where their words are these Si quis in hac nostra Confessione articulum vel sententiam repugnantem sancto DEI Verbo notaverit nosque illius scripto admonuerit promittimus DEI gratia ex DEI ore id est ex sacris Scripturas nos illi satisfacturos aut correcturos si quis quid erroris inesse probaverit DEVM enim in conscientiis nostris testem advocamus nos ex animo omnes sectas Haereses omnesque falsae doctrinae doctores detestari c that is If in this our Confession anie man shall note anie Article or Sentence repugnant to GOD'S holie Word and shall by wryting admonish vs thereof wee promise by the grace of GOD to giue him satisfaction out of GOD'S mouth that is out of the holie Scriptures or to amend it if anie shall proue anie errour to bee therein for we in our consciences call GOD witnesse that wee doe from our heart detest all Sects Heresies and all teachers of false Doctrine c. Now it beeing ordayned by publicke Lawes aboue cited that all Recusants or suspected of Papistrie within this Realme should giue confession of their fayth according to the forme approved in Parliament and should assent and subscrybe to the Articles of the true and Christian Religion established by the King's Lawes it was found that manie masked Papistes did promise sweare subscrybe and for a tyme vse the holie Sacraments in the Kirke deceatfullie agaynst their owne conscience mynding heereby first vnder the externall cloake of Religion to
corrupt and subvert secretlie GOD'S true Religion within the Kirke and afterwardes when tyme might serue to become open enemies and Persecuters of the same vnder vaine hope of the Pop's dispensation Therefore a certayne Reverend Learned Brother whose name shall hereafter appeare in his zeale to remeade that evill for discovering and barring out such dissembling and equivocating Seducers and Persecuters did drawe vp a forme of consenting to the sayde Nationall Confession by way of a Generall Confession of the trueth thereof in all poynts and a generall rejection of all contrarie Religion and Doctrine with a speciall rehearsall and refusall of sundrie Popish Erroures and Superstitions particularlie expressed and an acknowledging of this true Reformed Kirke with an Oath to continue in the obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline thereof and according to their calling and power to defende the fame all the dayes of their lyfe and to keepe duetie to the King's Majestie with solemne Protestation of the sincere meaning of them that doe make this Confession Promise Oath and Subscription And for making easier way to this Generall Confession the King's Majestie was moved to subscrybe the same and his House-holde to giue example to others and a Mandate was drawne from his Majestie commanding and charging all Commissioners and Ministers to craue the same Confession of their Parochiners vnder the payne of fourtie pounds to bee taken from their Stipend Subscryved with his Majesties hand at Holy-roode-house the second day of March in the yeare of GOD 1580 reckoning the yeare to ende at the 25 day of March but beginning the yeare at Ianuarie it was 1581 and of the King's reygne the 14 yeare There were there-after in the same yeare 1581 holden two Generall or Nationall Assemblies of the Kirke of SCOTLAND one at GLASGOW in the Moneth of Aprill another at EDINBVRGH in October In both which there is mention made of this Generall Confession In GLASGOW ASSEMBLIE in the 9 Session after the ende of the Booke of Policie are these wordes Anent the Confession latelie set foorth by the Kings Majesties Proclamation and Subscrybed by his Highnesse the Kirke in one voyce acknowledgeth the sayde Confession to bee a true Christian and faythfull Confession to bee agreed vnto by such as truelie professe Christ and his true Religion and the tenor thereof to bee followed out as the same is layde out in the sayde Proclamation Thus farre are the words of that Act of GLASGOW ASSEMBLIE Followeth the Act of EDINBVRGH ASSEMBLIE Session 5. For as much as the King's Majestie with the advyse of his Counsell hath set out and proclaymed a Godlie and Christian Confession of Fayth to bee embraced by all his true Subjects and by the same expresslie given commandement to the Ministerie to proceede agaynst whatsoever persons that will not acknowledge and subscrybe the same wherein great negligence hath beene seene farre by the duetie and office of true Pastors Herefore the Kirke and the Assemblie present hath enjoyned and concluded That all Ministers and Pastors within their bounds with all expedient and possible diligence execute the tenor of his Majesties Proclamation betwixt this and the next Synodall Assemblie of everie Province and present before the Synodall Assemblies to the Moderators thereof their duetifull diligence in this behalfe to bee reported to the next Generall Assemblie of the Church vnder the payne of deprivation of the saydes Ministers from the Function of the Ministerie that are found negligent heerein Thus farre are the words of that Act of that Nationall Assemblie holden at EDINBVRGH where the penner of the sayde Generall Confession was Moderator for the tyme. Heerevpon followed there after some moe Subscriptions This Confession because it was set out in the King's Name was called commonlie the King's Confession and because it insisteth most in rejecting of Erroures it is also called the Negatiue Confession CHAP. II. Concerning the Authoritie of the sayd little or short Confession called Generall and Negatiue THE Authoritie of any such Wryting is eyther Divine or Humane for in so farre as anie Wryting or Preaching of man hath in it GOD'S vndoubted Trueth revealed in His holie SCRIPTVRES it may bee sayde or that Trueth there-in propounded may bee sayde to haue Authoritie Divine because that Trueth doeth obliedge vs altho no humane authoritie were added there-vnto This sort of Authoritie doeth absolutelie appertayne onlie to the Canonicke SCRIPTVRES of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS No other Wryting or Preaching hath it Absolutelie but onlie Conditionallie and with restriction to wit if it hath and in so farre onlie as it hath the same true Doctrine which is contayned in the holie SCRIPTVRES And there-fore all such Wrytinges or Sermons are subject to examination by the SCRIPTVRES Neyther are wee obliedged to acknowledge them or anie part of them as Divine Trueth but in so farre as they propound evidentlie the same Doctrine which is delivered in the holie SCRIPTVRES And if anie thing in Them bee founde repugnant to holie SCRIPTVRE wee ought to reject it to correct and amende it as our Progenitoures worthilie professed in their Epistle praefixed to their NATIONALL CONFESSION Neyther can anie humane Ordinance Act Oath Promise or Subscription make that to bee the Word of GOD or the true meaning there-of which before that Ordinance Act Oath Promise or Subscription was not the Word of GOD nor the true meaning there-of Humane Authoritie is eyther Private or Publicke I call Private Authoritie of anie Wryting or Sermon that which it hath from the credit and estimation where-in the Author or consenter is had in respect of his Learning Pietie Gravitie Iudgement Diligence Experience c. such is the Authoritie of the Wrytinges and Sermons of fandric Learned men both Ancient and Mâ—derne And in this sort that short CONFESSION hath respectful Authoritie in respect of the Learning Pietie of the Penner there-of which was Master IOHN CRAIG of happie memorie Preacher to the King's Majestie at that tyme and in respect that manie well-affected Christians did approue it by their Subscriptions But by this Authoritie wee are no more tyed vnto this CONFESSION than wee are to anie part approven by manie good Christians of the Wrytinges of Ambrose or Augustine or Luther or Calvine or Beza or anie other Reverende Divine Neyther doeth the particular Obligation of those Subscrybers extende beyond their owne persons and lyfe-tymes expressed in that CONFESSION the example onelie appertayning to others and imitable by others so farre onelie as the Word of GOD and the Rules there-in delivered concerning our Fayth and Christian libertie and practise doe direct Publicke Humane Authoritie is eyther Civill or Ecclesiasticall And both these sortes in thinges lawfull that is not repugnant to Divine Authoritie are so backed and fortified by Divine Authoritie as the contempt of them redoundeth highlie agaynst Divine Authoritie And thus these Authorities are in such sorte Humane as they are also in some consideration DIVINE Let vs consider what such Authoritie