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
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

contention wee have but one LEADER and COMMANDER And so I have done with the Divines whom I honour very much and heartily so be they are Divine magnifying their office exalting the Scepter of the Lord Iesus Christ● these not so but the contrary the Lord lay it not to their charge He will not if in truth of heart they can charge and shame themselves with it I should now come to the Lawyers the chiefest of them for they have made the THANK-OFFERING to be questioned very much in point of Law but they are run away turning their backs upon the Law yes the supreame Law and the highest reason Thankes be to God we have the Law on our side and in more strength energie and virtue now these Lawyers be gone And by helpe of God and the fore-mentioned I shall cleare the THANK-OFFERING and the Readers understanding touching the Cavils about it and render him also in the close a very thankfull man that is he shall give us his heart and his purse too if need require his life also if Law or Reason can perswade with him or the WILL of GOD all this shall be cleared in order All appeale to the Law I shall appeale thither too and yet not to the Law of Nature which teacheth a poore worme to Earth-it-selfe against the foot of pride nor to the Law of Nations no nor to the Lawes and Constitutions of this Kingdome whereby we have a priviledge beyond the Christians in Primitive times living under those Emperours whose Constitutions I had rather call them so then Lawes were flat against the Christians and their Religion and that is very considerable now But all this I leave to the good Lawyer I meane the honest man and truly he hath cleared the case soundly and well so much I knew and I doe professe my selfe No Lawyer you will say Yes but I am for I understand the Lavv as the Proverbe is Every man is a foole or a Physition he understands something touching the state of his bodie what is good or hurtfull for him so he is a simple man that knowes not so much Law and I presume no more then as may fit him for a civill life in his Societie or Neighbourhood But that I may keepe within my owne bounds and be sure to goe right I will aske and returne such an answer as shall be to the mind and heart of every honest man Q. What is the Lavv we have heard much of the common Law we have seene and felt something from the Civill-lavv but what is the SVPREAME LAW A. The answer is this and you shall heare no other if you shall ask till Doom● Daie THAT THE SVPREAM AND SOVERAIGN LAW IS THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE b Suprema lex salus populi We argue Then the Nobles all we need no other word they all are so so their Votes for Christ and actions to promote His glory have innobled them have proceeded according to LAVV the SUPREAME Law For I aske and let malice answer Did ever any before them sweat as they have done Did ever any worke so effectually for the safety of their Nations We thought such fools we were That safety it selfe c Salus ipsa as the simple Proverbe is could not have saved the Nation We said Our hope is perished the house of Esau shall be a fire and the house of Iacob as stubble Behold by their noble indeavours and contrivements they have so vvrought vvith God this Day That it is otherwise they have snatched us as brands out of the burning and now we may say as we reade The house of Iacob shall be a fire and the house of Ioseph a flame and the house of Esau for stubble d Obad. 18. And have they not Lavv for this No Lavv for keeping downe the fire that vvild-fire from kindling upon our Bodies our Houses our Townes our Cities our Nation our three Kingdomes No Law for saving all these from utter ruine and Destruction Doubtlesse they have Lavv on their side which will justifie them and their actions The Supreame lavv It cannot be clearer but it is as cleare as the Sunne that glorious Creature shining in it's strength Nay I must goe higher and quite stop the mouth of malice it selfe Did ever any contend so heartily worke so effectually with one lip and one shoulder as these Nobles have wrought for the SVPREAME safety of the people I meane the SALVATION of our SOVLES that is Supreme a Salvation indeed If we will be fullen and will not answer here as men hating to be Reformed I can tell who will answer with indignation and wrath enough the Prelates will those that labour not in the Word and Doctrine those I meane All that Antichristian Tribe the Divell and all his servants The Votes and actions of the Nobles this way have tormented the Divell and his Angels A sure evidence That the Nobles have done right They have wrought for the safety o● our bodies and soules hoth that 's a Salvation indeed It were ●ol●y to aske now and blasphemy to doubt whether they had not a Law a Supreame Law for all this And so I would leave the Law but it will not be left and come to Reason so to argue the case What is the best Reason The Answer is and we have no other That is the chiefe the prime the principall the highest REASON WHICH MAKES FOR RELIGION e Summa Ratio quae pro Religione fa●●● that it is come then let us argue the case like reasonable men keeping close to our Reason yet honouring the Law of the Land just and good and the good Lawyer for he is a good man and be knowes himselfe to be so or the contrary no man in the world more clearely then he because though he could tread the Law under his foot as the bad Lawyer hath done yet he cannot put-out the light which he hath set up in his understanding All call out law law as if all their helpe were in God and the law It is indeed but if wee forsake right Reason and yet expect helpe from God and the Law we shall faile of our expectation neither God nor the law will yeeld us any helpe for God is holy and the law is just Consider then what partie for there be two parties in the world deviding all betwixt them and carrying all before them so they have done ever since the world was and so they will doe while the world stands Which of the two doe act according to right Reason that we cal'd the highest Reason Who of them doe make it their worke to doe Iustice and Iudgement But I will come to the highest step which of them doe labour to advance Religion to ●et up the Standard of Iesus Christ He is blind and will not see who sees not his answer hereunto Why then they have God on their side and the law on their side I might say Gospell too for there comes

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

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