Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	kingdom_n	law_n	parliament_n	3,975	5	6.2994	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05459	Against the apple of the left eye of antichrist, or the masse book of lurking darknesse making way for the apple of the right eye of antichrist, the compleat masse book of palpable darknesse : this apple of the left eye, commonly called, the liturgie, or service book, is in great use both among the halting papists, and compleat papists, and the things written heere are also against the compleat masse book.	Lightbody, George.	1638 (1638)	STC 15591.5; ESTC S2182	52,108	90

was unlawfully constitute both in the moderator and other members thereof The moderator was an usurping archbishop the members were other usurping bishops the constant moderators of presbyteries of the bishops own making and one of every presbyterie with the moderator as the bishops commanded by writing unto the presbyteries and because the proceedings and carriage thereof were craftie and violent and although the prelats pretend the authoritie thereof against others for conscience yet themselves have forborn the practise of some of these novations untill this time why then may we not forbear the practise of the rest since the collective kirk or greatest part of the kirks in the kingdome did never acknowledge them for the constitution of an assembly 2. The reason of the appointing of kneeling by way of contraries infers now the forebearing of kneeling For kneeling was concluded because as they alleadged the memorie of superstition was past It should therefore now be foreborn because the memorie of superstition is revived and fragrant They who practise kneeling do keep the letter of the Act foresaid but they who forebear it do keep the life and reason of the Act. That is They will use no gestures in Gods worship which may strengthen superstition 3. The Act was concluded not by way of precept as if it did ordeine kneeling but by way of counsell s●ying The assemblie thi●ks it good c. which was professed by the prelate themselves and promises given that no man should be constrained end therefore no censure 〈◊〉 pointed for the contraviners 4. The manner of practi● hath never beene particularly determined which hath made so many disordered formes of observation in this land hath multiplied scandals made the worship of GOD ridicolous and therefore it may be a sufficient ground for our forebearance 5. The prelats professe themselves to be leaders and good examples unto others in all kinde of good order how many acts of the lawfull generall assemblies have they dayly violat and broken How can they then accuse us for rejecting their unlawfull acts and craftie conclusions of their unlawfull assemblies The 3. Objection Is from the Act of Parliament ratifying the foresaid novations Ans 1. Ratification was not desired by the assemblie if the greater part had looked for ratification in Parliament they had never given their consent in the assemblie 2. A supplication was orderly presented before the Parlaiment in the name of the Ministers against these novations and the supplication being suppressed protestation was made in due time and place according to the order of law 3. The greatest promises that could be devised was made by his Majesties Commissioners that the articles should never be pressed nor penaltie should be affixed and that no further conformitie in ceremonies with England should be urged hereafter 4. The Act of Parliament although it hath the nature of a law and therefore hath authoritie over all the subjects is nothing but a meer ratification and can not alter the nature of the act of the assembly to turn a counsell into a precept neither a precept into a counsell for that were rather to make a law in matters of religion then to ratifie the act of the kirk the act of the assembly ordeined kneeling by way of counsell Therefore the act of Parliament when it ratifieth the act ●●ssembly it must onely ratifie it to bee but a counsell 5. It is repugnant to the fundamentall lawes of the kingdome to fine cōfine or punish the subjects with any pain which is not expressed in the common law supposing it to be inacted by their own consent in parliament The subscribers who are the greater part of the leidges do deny preceptive power to the act and will concurre by all meanes lawfull to keep themselves and others free of all censures for matters of that kinde till they obteine a Parliament free assembly like as they have already disclamed the prelats protested against the high commission The 4. objection is from the oath that some Ministers have made at their entry unto which the subscription seemes to be contrarie Ans So many as perceive the oath given at their entry to be unlawfull whither in respect of the unlawfulnesse of the thing which they have sworne to practise or in respect of the obligation of the oath tying them to practise can pretend no scruple for their forbearance in time coming 2. Let every one consider with himself whither it was a dispencing with himself in the darknesse or scruple in his conscience that he had at his entry in the Ministrie or an full perswasion of the lawfulnesse of the things themselves that made him to give his oath Every conscientious man would have beene glad of a free entrie without any oath of this kinde 3. In the covenant there is nothing spoken of Pearths articles in themselves or of any perpetuall forbearance of the practise of them but only of the forbearance for a time viz. untill a generall assembly 4. No prelate will say that he required nor minister that he hath given an oath of another kinde then that which is agreable to the acts of assemblie and of Parlament and therefore the observation thereof must be free voluntary as unto a counsell and not necessary as unto precept 5. The reviving of superstition is a reason no lesse for●● for forbearance of the practise of the thing sworn then the pretended removing of superstition which was forcible for the practise it self for the freedome from superstition and the removing thereof was the ground of the act and thereafter of the oath required Because I promised to hold the portes open while the enemy is a far of shall I be bound to hold them open and not rather to shute them when the enmy is come neer unto the door and beginenth to enter in 6. All thought the matters were indifferent yet in case of scandall which is palbable they being introdictory to Poperie forbearance is a necessary duety neither is it to be thought that any man was so unadvised as to sweare a perpetuall practise whatsoever should be the consequence For even the ceremoniall law which God himself ordeined was abolished when it became unprofitable 7. The prelates are now turned Popish and liberty from their yoke being offered they deserve to die in servitude who refuse the offer 8. The oath to be taken of the Ministers at their entrie is expressed in the act of Parliament The prelates for exacting an oath without warrand of law and the Ministers who subject themselves to this episcopall tyrannie are both censurable by the law and the things themselves are unlawfull which were sworn and therefore they are the more censurable 9. No Minister hath sworn obedience to Pearths articles but they have already forborn and are like to forbear all the dayes of their life the practise of some of them as of confirmation c. without any suspicion of perjury for how can the Ministers be further bound then the

King and his familie of Cou●seders and of the whole members of the College of Justice of his Majestie subjects of all degrees from the highst to the lowest of the which kingdome if to the prescription and custome we fa●de it i● perpetuall and recent observation unto this day If we look to the Prelats the authors and urgers of the present novations we finde that they themselves have subscribed the same Confession before but now they have laboured to involve us in the same guiltinesse with themselves and Our Subscription at the time is the most innocent most worthy and most powerfu● meane to confirm Our selves and to stop O●r ad●●●sar●● their presumptions that they no more here ster attempt ●● like amongst us and so far as the secret intention of the 〈◊〉 of man may be seene Our proceedings to this time the tenor that which We do now subscribe and OUr whole deportment and carriage We make manifest to all who are not possest with prejudice against us that We meane nothing but the maintenance of the reformed Religion to the glory of GOD the honour of Our King and the happinesse of Our kingdome for now and for afterward The first Objection That it is the making of a band against the Act of Parliament Anno 1585. Answer 1. That naturalists know the parts of the world must sometimes forget themselves and passe their particular bounds for the preservation of the whole As in naturalibus individua operantur ac aguntur contra naturam suam particularem ad conservationem naturae universalis nam ascendit grave descendit leve ne detur vacuum Item manet grave in superiori leve in inferiori loco ad evitandum vacuum A flaggon full of water if the narrow mouth of it being open shall be holden streight downward to the earth the water will remaine still having the lighter air under it A kan which watereth herbs having many holes in the bottome if it be filled with water and if thou hold thy thumb upon the narrow mouth of it the water will not run out at the holes of the bottome but if thou uncover the mouth of it the water shall rin out A pipe of lead that convoyeth water from one place to another if the middle part of the pipe ascend the water will ascend in it providing that the ascending part of the pipe go foreward unto a discension which shall in the end bee lower ●●en where the pipe began to ascend in which descension when the water beginneth to descend the lighter air shall des●●● before it So in morall observations politicks justly plead 〈◊〉 the safetie of the people is the soveraigne law It is law●●ll yea necessarie to passe by one legality or formality of the law for the preservation of the whole lawes of the kingdome seing every particular law must abide the exception of Salvo jure cujuslibet of the fundamentall law of all lawes which is Salus reipublice suprema lex esto If a Gangrene hath consumed a finger or a toe the chirurgian cutteth of the member least the disease spread unto the rest of the body If the patient be bleeding with great danger the chirurgian cutteth a veine in another place for avoiding the danger If a house be burning servants will leave their masters service to quench the fire least their masters house and the whole city be burnt and men will cast down the tback and covering of the houses beside least the fire come upon them and thereby finde a passage unto the rest of the city In all these there some transgression of a civill law but they agree with the fundamentall law in the preservation of men or of the city So in matters of religion Christians can not but acknowledge that Queene Esther did better in coming to the king which was not according to the law then if according to the law of the kingdome she had destroyed her self and her fathers house with the hazard and destruction of Gods people If she had not come to the king it had beene very hurtfull unto Gods kirk If King David so faithfull a servant of God and ruler of Gods people had perished for hunger therefore to keep him from this evill the Priest gave unto him of the shew-bread to eat which according to Gods own law Levit. 24.9 Matth. 12.4 was lawfull to none to eat but the Priests then salus Ecclesiae canon esto To this effect the people would not suffer king Saul to kill Ionathan when he had eaten of the honey when Saul band the people with an oath not to eat untill the evening This was no treason when they hindered the king 〈◊〉 secute his rash intension but it was his honour and glory 〈◊〉 preserve his children alive It is reported that King Iames the 6. in a treatise anent the powder treason said Pro aris focis patre patriae c. That is when the religion the Common-wealth and the King are in danger men should not bee silent but the whole estates and members of the kingdome as one man should arise for the safetie of any of the three Hath not the body of this kingdome good reason to arise when all the three are in danger at this time 2. It is a mistaking to think that this is a new band against law since it is nothing but the renewing of the Confession of Faith warranted by the command and example of King Iames and by the acts of Counsell and Assembly and if it were a new band yet it is lawfull and agreeable to the fundamentall law foresaid in respect that both King countrie and religion were compassed either with spirituall dangers or with both spirituall and bodily dangers through the tyrannie of the antichristian prelats 3. It is not a privat league or band of any degree of subjects among themselves but a publict Covenant made of the collective body even the estates of the kingdome as well collective as representative with God and for God and the King 4. It can not fall under the censure of sedition quae est seorsim itio à republica ecclesia à lege rege grege nor of troubling the peace of the kingdome mentioned in the act of Parliament since it is for the maintenance of religion the Kings authoritie and the preservation of the lawes liberties peace of the kingdome against all trouble and sedition a duetie whereunto all his Majesties subjects are bound by the law of God and man to concurre and they who are enemies thereunto are enemies to the peace of the kingdome and seditious ●e 2. Objection Is from the Act of Pearths assem●●y commanding the practise of these novations in the worship of God which by this Subscription we oblege us to forbear Ans 1. The conclusions of these meetings can not have the authoritie of a generall assemblie with us except we by seeking precepts of that kinde for these novations had inclined unto the same and because it