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	majesty_n	parliament_n	3,897	5	6.3360	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87530	A looking-glasse for the Parliament. Wherein they may see the face of their unjust, illegall, treasonous and rebellious practices, 1 Against Almighty God. 2 Against their King. 3 Against the fundamentall lawes of the kingdome. 4 Against their own oaths and covenants. Argued betwixt two learned judges, the one remaining an exile beyond the seas, the other a prisoner for his allegiance and fidelity to his King and country.	Jenkins, David, 1582-1663.; R. H.; Heath, Robert, Sir, 1575-1649, attributed name.	1648 (1648)	Wing J595; Thomason E427_17; ESTC R202656	43,342	52

the Lord shall have them in derision he shall bruise them with a Rod of Iron and breake them in peeces like a Potters Vessell Be wise now therefore O yee Princes be learned O yee that are Judges of the Earth What though many Ox●n are come about the King and fat Bulls of Rasan have closed him in on every side that gape upon him with their mouthes as if they were ramping and roaring Lions was not this good King Davids case Psal. 22. 12. was not he hunted after by Saul to destroy his life as a man hunteth after a Partridge in the Mountaines 1 Sam. 26. 20. did not his enemies lie waiting in his way on every side turning their eyes downe to the ground Like as a Lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a Lions Whelpe lucking in secret places Psal. 17. 11. 12. They spake against him with false tongues compassed him about with words of hatred fought against him without a cause Psal. 109. 3. And Davids enemies kept him Prisoner too as out King is for they compassed him about Psal. 140. 9. Nay he complaines more heavily they that hate me without a cause are more then the haires of mine head they that are mine enemies and would destroy me guiltlesse are mighty Psal. 69. 4. Yet what of all this Are not there many promises held forth in the holy Scriptures to us that may assure a man of the smallest faith that the King shall be reestablished in his Throne and his enemies confounded for David assures us there is verily a reward for the righteous Doubtlesse there is a God in Heaven that judgeth in the earth Psal. 58. 11. and Psal. 9. The Lord is knowne by executing judgement the wicked shall be shared in the works of their owne hands for the poore shall not be alwaies forgotten the hope of the afflicted shall not perish for ever and to prove this he affirmes by way of evidence Psa. 27. 2. When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eate up my flesh they stumbled and fell and Psal. 30. He shewes his deliverance by his thanksgiving in these words I will magnifie thee O Lord for thou hast set me up and not made my foes to triumph over me thou hast turned my heavinesse into joy thou hast put off my sackcloth and gi●ded me with gladnesse How then can I dispaire of our Kings deliverance and victory I hope I may without offence say that I beleeve our King is a parallell to David in his vertues and the justice of his Cause and therefore shall with David Psal. 21. conclude this point The King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation thou shalt give him his hearts desire and wilt not deny him the request of his lips and why Because the King putteth his trust in the Lord and in the mercy of the most highest he shall not miscarry And for the latter part of your Argument which is that either the King will signe the Propositions and so mine estate will be confiscated or if he doe not the Parliament will doe it by their Ordinances without him I answer that I feare not his Majesties consent to give away the estates of his Loyall Subjects but if he be a Prisoner as you signifie unto me by your letters that he is I feare not much that his assent to the Propositions can take away mine estate neither doe I hold it a peece of wisdome to presse his consent perdures to such Propositions for you that are learned in the Lawes know that such consent is not any way binding at all amongst common persons a fortiori in the Kings cause And for their disposing of mine estate by Ordinance without the Kings consent I must deale plainely with you it terrifieth me not at all for I am cleerely of opinion that no Ordinance without the Kings consent is binding to the people or can alter any property that I have in mine estate by the Fundamentall Lawes of the Land And if the King should consent to such an Ordinance it were onely binding till the first Sessions of the next Parliament and then to dye of it selfe if not againe revived which if I thought you doubted of I would take the paines to cleare it by citing you authorities sufficient in the point whereupon I doubt not but you wil infer that there can be no good assurance or sale made of the Bishops lands by Ordinance without the Kings Royall and personall assent nor that both or either House of Parliament can dispose of his Royall person by any Law of the Land and I hope God will never permit them to dispose of him otherwise then to re-establish him in his Throne againe and invest him with all his Royall powers and interests which by the knowne Lawes of the Land are due unto him and to make him a glorious King according to their severall Declarations Protestations oaths of Supremacie and Allegiance and according to their solemne League and Covenant all which Protestations Oaths and Covenants every Member of both Houses either by the Lawes or by their owne Orders hath or ought to take Now as concerning the Covenant if I understand it aright the principall ends of it are the setling of Presbyterian government in the Church the extirpation of Episcopacy the right and priviledges of Parliament the preservation of the Kings Majesties person and authority which is qualified with a clause of equivocation viz. in the maintenance of the true Religion and liberties of the Kingdome to bring Incendiaries and malignants or evill instruments to condigne punishment and lastly to assist and defend all those that joyn in that League and Covenant to the ends and purposes aforesaid These being the ends of the Covenant it is expedient that I should consider whether it be lawfull to take any Covenant tending to these ends for I will not dispute the legality or illegality of taking of Covenants in generall but whether without my King and his confirmation I may make any Covenant at all with any sort of people in this Land especially to abrogate any knowne and established Law of the Land Now to pull downe that government of Episcopacy which is established by divers acts of Parliament in this Kingdome to set up Presbyterian by force of Armes which is inconsistent with the Laws and Statutes of this Realme and without the Kings consent who by his office of divine appointment is the nursing father of the Church as Isaiah 49. 22. and by the Statutes of this Land acknowledged to be supreame Moderator and governour of the Church and Kingdome as hereafter is more at large declared I very much doubt and scruple whether I may doe it and the rather for this cause for feare lest joyning in an unlawfull Covenant haply I be found to fight against God as it was said in the case of the Apostles Act. 5. 30. for if I enter into

this Covenant to eradicate Episcopacy which hath been approved in the Church for the first 1500 yeares after Christs ascention by all men that have professed the name of Christ and was doubtlesse of Apostolicall institution if we may give credit unto the ancient Fathers and Chronologies of the Primitive times and make a League to set up Presbyterian government which was never so much as heard of in the Church under that notion for ought I can read till the revolt of the Towne of Genevah from their obedience unto the Duke of Savoy in the year of our Lord 1535. at which time they tooke occasion to change their old Religion and to expell their Bishops for countenance to their rebellion and called in Calvin a learned man of France bred up in the Civill Laws to be their Moderator in Divinity whom they after through their inconstancie banished and would have had a Bishop of the reformed Religion if they could have procured consecration for want whereof they recalled him againe upon second thoughts to perfect their new modell of Church-government which he there established as it happened in the yeare of our Lord 1541. as partly by his owne Epistles and more plainly by Mr. Hookers workes and by Franciscus Boninardus his writings to a Sebastian Minister and elsewhere appeares which kinde of Government as many learned men are of opinion is neither of Apostolicall institution nor example nor agreeable either to the primitive verity or regiment in the Church nor the true Christian liberty which the Saints of God doe challenge though I will not deny that there were both Elders and Presbyters in the Church of Christ in the Apostles times yet I take them rather to be a subordinate then a distinct degree from the Regiment of Episcopacy And therefore for mee that am not better satisfied in the discipline of Presbytery and more perswaded of the divine right of Episcopacy to take this Covenant were to act a sin of presumption against the perswasion of my conscience wherein I may be said to fight against God As for the preservation of the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament God forbid that I should not both sweare and covenant to maintaine them so long as the Houses move within their Spheare and steere their course by the knowne Chanels of the Lawes of England and launch not out into the maine of Arbitrary Government without scale or compasse so long I hold my selfe obliged with my life and fortune to mainetain them But whether all those things are priviledges of Parliament which are now pretended to be so or whether the Houses move in their proper Orbe without irregularity or deviation it being a matter of state which I being abroad cannot take so perfect notice of I leave it to you and other learned men who are in England to judge of it being more proper for you and those that are upon the place to give a determination of it then my selfe And as touching the preservation of the Kings Majesties person I hold it my duty to lay downe my life and fortune for it either in Active or Passive Obedience without any reservation or such restriction as is aforesaid whatsoever And I could wish for the worlds better satisfaction that the Houses would please to explaine themselves what the Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome are they mean by these words in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome And as touching Incendiaries Malignants and evill instruments of all sorts I could wish they might be tryed by indifferent Judges lawfully constituted and by the knowne established Lawes of the Land and by those Lawes to be brought to condigne punishment But to enter into a Covenant or solemne League to defend the persons of those that shall take it in any other sence then what I have before expressed I doubt I may not lawfully doe it Another scruple I make whether this Covenant is not already broken by those that have taken it in the very Act of restraining the Kings Person and by taking away of his Authority from him and in other points I will not now insist upon if it so fall out in truth that it be already broken I ought not then to joyne in League and Covenant with those that lifting up their hands to the high God have sworne to maintaine and keepe the same and notwithstanding this their Oath have falsified their faith to him with whom if I should joyne my selfe I should say with the rebellious Jewes Hosea 10. 3. Wee have no King because wee feared not the Lord and what should a King doe to us And I should not only doe the same which they have done but should also favour them that do them making my selfe worthy of eternall death with those Covenant breakers which Saint Paul makes mention of Rom. 1. 30. 31. And thus much concerning the Covenant But truely Sir though I take not upon me to dispute the lawfulnesse of the power of both Houses to impose Oathes or Covenants upon the Kings people yet if I were in England and this Covenant or the negative Oath or any other Oath or Covenant were offered to me by way of imposition or constraint I doe confesse I should make these two objections against it the one is that which a wise and great Peere of this Realme now sitting in this present Parliament objected against that Oath which was offered to be imposed upon all the Members of the great Counsell at Yorke to wit that I may lawfully refuse to take or submit my se fe to any Oath that is not lawfully injoyned mee by Act of Parliament that is enacted and made a Law with full consent of the King Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament And the other objection I should make is this That if the King Lords and Commons with full consent in Parliament should enact a thing contrary to the Law and word of God and enjoyne all the Subjects of the Realme to take an oath to observe it I might lawfully and would refuse to take that Oath rather submitting my selfe to the punishment inflicted for not taking that Oath then committing so high a sinne of presumption against God and mine owne conscience as to sweare to observe a Law which is against his Law and his most holy Word and Commandement For we ought rather to obey God then man Act. 4. 19. 5. 29. And I am fully of this opinion that there ought not to be any other oath imposed upon the Subjects of this Realme then what is imposed and enjoyned by act of Parliament and that only concerning lawfull and indifferent things And when an oath is offered unto us so conditioned I am likewise of opinion that both my selfe and all other his Majesties subjects are bound to take it and observe it Now as concerning the Oath in question which is the Negative Oath which runnes in these words viz. I. A. B. doe sweare from my heart that I will

name and by authority of the Kings highnesse and his heyres Kings of this Realme in all Shires Counties Counties palatine and other places of this Realme Wales and Marches of the same or in any other his dominions at their pleasure and wills in such manner and forme as Justices of Eire justices of Assise justices of Peace and justices of Goale-delivery be commonly made in every shire of this Realme any grants usages prescription allowance act or acts of Parliament or any other thing or things to the contrary thereof notwithstanding By the Statute of 1. Edw. 6. cap. 2. It is acknowledged that all authority of jurisdiction spirituall and temporall is derived and deducted from the Kings Majestie as supreame head of the Realme and that no Ecclesiasticall Court can be held within the Realme but by authority from his Majestie By the statute of 5. and 6. Edw. 6 cap. 11. It is recited Forasmuch as it is most necessary both for common pollicy and duty of the Subjects above all things to prohibit restraine and extinct all manner of shamefull slanders which might grow happen or arise to their sovereigne Lord the Kings Majestie which when they be heard seene or understood cannot but be odible and abhorred of all those sorts that be true and loving Subjects if in any point they may doe or shall touch his Majesty upon whom dependeth the whole unity and universall wealth of this his Realme c. By the Statute made in the second Parliament of the first yeare of Queene Mary cap. 1. It is acknowledged that the imperiall Crowne of this Realme with all dignities honours prerogatives authorities jurisdictions and preheminences whatsoever to the same united or annexed were descended unto Queen Mary and that by force and vertue of the same all regall power dignity honour prerogative preheminency and jurisdiction did appertaine and of right ought to appertaine unto her as to the soveraigne supreame governour and Queene of this Realme By the statute of primo Eliz. cap. 1. The Queenes right as belonging to the Crowne of England and are restored to her and the Oath of supremacie enacted and then made and by another Act made the same Parliament cap. 3. Intituled an Act of Recognition of the Queenes highnesse title to the imperiall Crowne of this Realme the whole Parliament acknowledgeth the Queenes right to the Crowne by lawfull discent and succession both by the lawes of God and the lawes and statutes of this Realme with all the rights prerogatives preheminencies and jurisdictions whatsoever belonging or appertaining to the same binding themselves therein by solemne oath to maintaine the title of her and her heyres thereunto Neither can I omit to remember that famous and never to bee forgotten Act of Recognition of his right to the Crowne of England made to King James our Kings Father in full Parliament in the first yeare of his reigne which that it may the more clearely appeare what it is I have here transcribed at large without addition or diminution of word or syllable as an Act to the observance whereof I am obliged and was bound in the loynes of myne Ancestors who were then representatively present in the same Parliament which act of Parliament is thus intituled A most joyfull and just Recognition of the immediate lawfull and undoubted succession descent and right to the Crowne The act it selfe is printed in the statutes at large in these words Anno primo Iacobi Regis Great and manifold were the benefits most deare and most gracious Sovereigne wherewith Almighty God blessed this Kingdome and Nation by the happy union and conjunction of the two noble houses of Yorke and Lancaster thereby preserving this noble Realme formerly torne and almost wasted with long and miserable dissention and bloody civill warres But more inestimable and unspeakable blessings are therby powred upon us because there is derived and growne from and out of that union of those two princely Families a more famous and greater union or rather a reuniting of two mighty famous and ancient Kingdomes yet anciently but one of England and Scotland under one imperiall Crowne in your most royall person who is lineally rightfully and lawfully descended of the body of the most excellent Lady Margaret eldest daughter of the most renowned King Henry the seaventh and the high and noble Princesse Queene Elizabeth his Wife eldest daughter of King Edward the fourth The said Lady Margaret being eldest sister of King Henry the eight Father of the high and mighty Princesse of famous memory Elizabeth late Queene of England In consideration whereof albeit we your Majesties most loyall and faithfull subjects of all estates and degrees with all possible and publique joy and acclamation by open Proclamations within few howres after the decease of our late Sovereigns Queene acknowledging thereby with one full voyce of tongue and heart that your Majestie was our onely lawfull and rightfull leige Lord and Sovereigne by our unspeakable and generall rejoycing and applause at your Majesties most happy Inauguration and Coronation by the affectionate desire of infinite numbers of us of all degrees to see your Royall Person and by all possible outward meanes have endeavoured to make demonstration of our inward love zeale and devotion to your excellent Majesty our undoubted rightfull leige Sovereigne Lord and King Yet as we cannot doe it too often or enough so can there be no meanes or way so fit both to sacrifice our unfained and hearty thankes to Almighty God for blessing us with a Sovereigne adorned with the rarest gifts of minde and body in such admirable peace and quietnesse and upon the knees of our hearts to Agnize our most constant faith obedience and loyalty to your Majesty and you royall Progenie as in this high Court of Parliament where all the whole body of the Realme and every particular member thereof either by person or by representation upon their owne free elections are by the lawes of this Realme deemed to be personally present To the acknowledgment whereof to your Majestie wee are the more deeply bounden and obliged as well in regard of the extraordinary care and paines which with so great wisedome knowledge experience and dexterity your Majestie fithence the imperiall Crowne of this Realme descended to you have taken for the continuance and establishment of the blessed peace both of the Church of England in the true and sincere Religion and of the Common-wealth by due and speedy administration of Justice as in respect of the gracious care and inward affection which it pleased you on the first day of this Parliament so lively to expresse by your owne words so full of high wisedome learning and vertue and so repleate with Royall and thankfull acceptation of all our faithfull and constant endeavours which is and ever will bee to our inestimable consolation and comfort We therefore your most humble and loyall subjects the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled doe from

redeeme his liber●y would sweare any thing therefore least I should gaine such an opinion and lose my esteem in the world being now brought into that condition that I must be a Souldier I cannot take this Oath by the rules of honour and as it is not honourable in me to take it for the reasons aforesaid so is it against honour that an oath that would bring so much inconveniency of losse of honour and esteeme amongst all men should be offered to any man Quia in juramentis administrandis dantis recipient is eadem est ratio idem jus In administring of Oathes the same reason and law ought to binde the giver as well as the receiver It is also against pollicy either to take or require this oath the life of a Souldier is his honour when that is lost his life is as good as lost by taking this oath a Souldier loseth his honour what King Prince or State will entertaine that Souldier in his pay that hath abjured his naturall Sovereigne Liege Lord or Masters service and allegiance his owne King will never trust him more the adverse party will not trust him nor any other Prince or State whatsoever and therefore in pollicy a Souldier ought not to take this oath And lastly there is no pollicy in pressing this oath upon any for the Parliament gaines no security by taking it for I thinke very few of the Kings party hold that Oath lawfull and then what security to the Parliament in it since no other thing can be expected from him of the performance of an oath given unto him that either doubts the power unlawfull that administred it or that holds the matter or thing he is bound to performe by his oath unlawfull that then he will keep such an oath no longer then till the first time he hath occasion or oppertunity to breake it Nay the same Religion or new light that hath taught him to break the Kings Oath will or may teach him to break the Parliaments Having now made my doubts according to my conscience if I come over and be made a prisoner because I will not take these oathes and covenants or suffer any other prejudice either in mine estate or person for declaring my conscience herein I would and in the case I am I will with holy Job content my selfe saying Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1. 21. Comforting my selfe with this of the P●almist Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise up in his holy place even he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart and that hath not lift up his minde unto vanity nor sworne to deceive his neighbour he shall receive the blessing of the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation Psalm 24. 3 4 5. And according to the instructions of St. Paul 1. Rom 12. 12. Shall rejoyce in hope be patient in tribulation and continue in prayers strengthened with all might according to Gods glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse Colos. 1. 11. Knowing that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 2. 12. Taking the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for ensamples of suffering affliction and patience Jomes 5. 10. And accompting it alwayes thank-worthy if for conscience towards God I endure grief suffering wrongfully for even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 19. 20. And in this resolution by Gods gracious assistance in peace of a good conscience and in all patience will I abide till my dissolution shall come looking for that blessed hope and appearing of that glory of that mighty God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 13. Chusing rather to suffer adversity with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. 25. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole World and lose his owne Soule Mar. S. 36. In this opinion therfore will I abide putting my whole trust and confidence in God my Lord which executeth justice for the oppressed which gives bread to the hungry and loseth the prisoners for the Lord heareth the poore and dispiseth not his prisoners Psalme 66. 33. and 146. 7. To conclude Sir whereas you signifie unto me that you will returne me a satisfactory answer to my doubts from godly and learned Devines and men of judgement in the Lawes of the Land ● desire you that you will please to take advice only from such Devines as neither have renounced their Orders or obedience to their Ordinaries and such that are without partiallity or hypocrisie in this publique cause and from such Judges and learned Lawyers as serve not the times so much as the truth and such as have not mens persons in admiration because of advantage for I must deale plainly with you that there is great scandall in th●se forraigne parts upon the men of these professions it being reported of the first that they goe about to prophane and blespheme the Church their Mother with stigmaticall imputations of Antichristian impieties and th●● the latter have adulterated the Lawes the Nurses that have fed them applying them to the humors and ends of those that have put them in authority and as the Proph●● Mich. 3 9. saith abhorring judgement and p●v●rting all equity in that they take upon them to give sentence of death upon ●●ose that have served his Majesty according to their duty of Allegiance in these ●at Wa●s as fellons when they have but taken an horse or armes for the Kings service though they tooke them from those that were actually in armes against the Kings Majesty with an intention only to ayd his Majesty against those that had risen up against him and not animo furan●i or with a fellonious intent Nay we heare that some of the Judges lately put into Commission by both Houses of Parliament have delivered it for Law that such a one as hath served the King in these late wars or any such that they call Malignants may not sue for their rights and are incapable to receive justice though they be neither outlawed or committed that whatsoever they recover or purchase before they have made their Compositions ought to be seized on and sequestred to the use of the State I pray you Sir where or in what bookes of the Lawes of England do you reade of such definition of felony or inhabilities or incapacities of the Kings Loyall Subjects Mr. Littleton who reckons up all the inhabilities of the Subjects of England mentions none such neither are any such else where to be found but these men put the Kings Liege and loyall people into a worse condition then slaves villaines or aliens And yet they account it