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	liberty_n	majesty_n	3,438	5	6.1731	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44305	A survey of the insolent and infamous libel, entituled, Naphtali &c. Part I wherein several things falling in debate in these times are considered, and some doctrines in lex rex and the apolog. narration, called by this author martyrs, are brought to the touch-stone representing the dreadful aspect of Naphtali's principles upon the powers ordained by God, and detecting the horrid consequences in practice necessarily resulting from such principles, if owned and received by people.	Honyman, Andrew, 1619-1676.	1668 (1668)	Wing H2604; ESTC R7940	125,044	140

discretion of the sufferers of prejudice by it were they never so few in comparison of the whole body of the people they may pronounce upon the same and according to their discretive judgement of the injurious perverting of Government determine their actions for renouncing or revolting from the society in which and Government under which they are and nothing should hinder them from this but want of probable capacity to through their work as he often speaks So wise and cautious must his followers be though not conscientious that in working a mischief they light not upon a mischief Good God! to what times are we reserved wherein the unmeasurable audaciousness of men dare present such poyson to a Christian People and to attempt the breaking them in pieces by such Doctrines which both Religion and sound Reason abhorres Dare this Libeller say that this is a fundamental constitution of political Societies that at the arbitrement and lust of any minor part of private persons pretending a perversion of the ends of Government a pretence that will never be wanting to malecontents and malapert wicked ones even katherines and highlandish theeves and it is real to them if they themselves be admitted Judges they may make secession from the Society in which they are embodied and renounce their obligation to the Government thereof Is not such a principle rather contra-fundamental to all humane combined Societies and were it at first entring of the Society expresly proposed that when ever any minor party should account the ends of Government perverted they should be at their primaeve liberty again to break off from all the magistratical Order and from society with the major party of these with whom they are combined Would not the overture of such a condition be rejected with indignation and upon just reason for that were to open a gap to continual seditions divisions and fractions And all rational men would judge it were better not to joyn in society with such men then to joyn in such termes Again suppose there be a breaking off from a magistratical Power and major part of a society upon pretension which will never be wanting to cover sedition and confusion such is the corruption of men of a perversion of the ends of Government the party making secession may haply meet with that same measure they gave to the Community wherewith they were formerly joyned For when they have combined and embodied themselves in a Society if a minor party arise amongst themselves with the same accusations against them which they had against the body they did separate from Must not that same party have the same priviledge of Primaeve liberty to combine and erect a corporation by themselves which they claimed before will not they plead that the obligation to the Government and Society ceaseth and they are free to erect a new one And where shall there be a stand till humane Societies be miserably broken in pieces which seems to be Satans design by this Mans Doctrine Further can this assertion subsist that neither alledgiance or fidelity nor obedience is to be given unto any created power but in defence of Religion and Liberty That obedience is not to be given unto any Creature on earth against Religion or the Revealed Will of God shall be easily granted we abhorre the very thought of so doing Again it shall not be said that obedience is to be given to Powers against the Liberty competent to us as Subjects and consistent with Soveraignty yet so that the measure of that Liberty must not be made by every private mans will but by the Declarature of the Parliament representative of the Subjects which best knows what thereunto belongs But to say that all not only obedience but alledgiance and fidelity due to any created power is indispensibly restricted to this qualification in Defence of Religion and Liberty viz. of the subject is a most false assertion It is known that a restriction excludes all other cases which are not in the restrictve proposition included now it is certain there may be cases wherein we ought to obey the Magistrate and yet the act of obedience cannot be properly and directly said to be either in defence of Religion or the Liberty of the Subject there may be some causes that properly concern his own honour wherein defence of Religion is not concerned the Magistrate perhaps not being of our Religion and far less defence of the Liberty of the Subject unless by a very remote and unnecessary consequence yet am I bound to him in causes concerning his honour this made the Ministers that disputed with the Doctors of Aberdeen decline to acknowledge that clause of the first Covenant in defence of Religion c. to be limitative or restrictive of duty to the King affirming it onely to be specificativen aming duties to him in some respects or in respect to some things not excluding others Yea the General Assembly 1639. will not have that clause in the Covenant restrictive for in their supplication to the Commissioner and Council they speak thus We have solemly sworn and do swear not only our mutual concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion and to the utmost of our power with our Means and Lives to stand to the defence of our Dread Soveraign His Person and Authority in the preservation of true Religion Liberties and Laws of this Kirk and Kingdom but also n. b. in every cause that may concern His Majesties Honour shall concur with our friends and followers as we shall be required c. So Duty and Obedience to the King is there extended beyond what is expresly mentioned in the Covenant in defence of Religion and Liberties But further as to the point of Alledgiance or Fidelity that is another matter then Obedience Alledgiance to a King imports owning him as Lawful and Rightful King and that none others have power over him together with fidelity to his Person Crown and Dignity against all conspiracies and treason Obedience is the result of this acknowledged Soveraignty where commands appear lawful A man may keep Alledgiance and Fidelity to the King albeit sometimes there may be commands given which cannot be obeyed because of Gods countermand many learned Priests and Papists in England took the Oath of Alledgiance when first it was emitted and injoyn'd albeit they thought they could not give obedience to the King as to matters of Religion But this man is plain in his assertion that no Alledgiance is due to the King except with this restriction in defence of Religion And as he said a main part of his Religion is to erect Presbytery and root out Prelacy So that if Presbytery be not defended people are taught to renounce Alledgiance to the King How contrary is this to the Confession of Faith cap. 23. S. 4. Difference in Religion doth not saith the Confession make void the Magistrates just and legal Authority nor free the people from their due obedience to him But this

man will have no Alledgiance due to him nor Obedience but in defence of Religion which it is like he will not defend if he be of a different perswasion in matters of Religion and so must his Authority be made void The contrary Thesis we must rest upon that although a supreme Magistrate defend not Religion yet Alledgiance and Fidelity is alwayes due to him and Obedience also in all things lawful It is the Lords way for keeping humane Societies from gross disorders to allow to such as are in supreme Power by lawful calling the honour due unto their place even although in the main things they pervert the ends of Government not glorifying God by advancing true Religion but dishonouring him by false Religion or seducing others to their evil way and persecuting them who follow not their unlawful commandments Yet where administrations of Justice in civil things are tolerably managed and civil Societies by Magistratical Authority kept in tolerable order that there be no general out-breakings in outragious oppressions God will have due respects payed to the places of Authority and persons therein installed and will reckon dreadfully with them for any perversions of the ends of Government in his own time Though Caesar give not God his due yet it is Christs mind that we give Caesar his due and his Apostles mind that he should be honoured not for his personal faults or abuse of his power but because he is invested with power from God which though he abuseth yet it remains the Ordinance of God And hereunto Mr. Calvin fully agrees lib. 4. instit cap. 20. S. 24 25. c. where at length he asserts That Alledgiance and Obedience in things lawful is due even to the worst of Princes and who do most manifestly pervert the ends of Government by private Subjects of which our question is now S 25. Si Dei verbum respicimus longius nos deducet viz. then to give alledgiance to good Princes ut non eorum modo principum imperio subditi simus qui probe qua debent fide munere suo erga nos defunguntur sed omnium qui quoquo modo rerum potiuntur etiamsi nihil minus praestent quam quod ex officio erat principum Again Omnes saith he speaking of evil Princes illa sancta Majestate sunt praediti qua legittimam potestatem instruxit Deus Again In homine deterrimo honoreque omni indignissimo penes quem modo sit publica potestas praeclara illa divina potestas residet quam Dominus justitiae judicii sui ministris verbo suo detulit proinde à subditis eadem reverentia dignatione habendus est quantum ad publicam obedientiam attinet qua optimum Regem si daretur habituri essent Again S. 27. he sayes of an evil King Assumptus est in Regiam Majestatem quam violare nefas est Again Nunquam in animum nobis seditiosae illae cogitationes veniant tractandum esse pro meritis Regem nec aequum esse ut subditos nos ei praestemus qui vicissim Regem nobis se non praestet Any may see that in the matter of Civil Government Mr. Calvin was of another and a better spirit than these men who inflame the people with their seditious Doctrine and tells them if the King do not his duty their alledgiance to him and obligation to his Government ceaseth and no alledgiance nor obedience due to him when he does not or does contrary to his duty But 2. As the Position in it self is most unchristian and irrational so the application of it to the case in these Times made by this Master of confusion is most unjust for not to speak of the first times of Reformation wherein he sayes that there was such perversion of the ends of Government as made the obligation of the injured Subjects thereto to cease Pag. 16. he repeats the same more fully Pag. 150. to justifie the late Insurrection against the King as if now there were such manifest and notorious perversion of the ends of Government that the band thereof is loosed and people are relapsed into their primaeve liberty to joyn in new Societies and Combinations as they see fit rejecting the old Now may not any see the desperate design of this Libeller and his like to dissipate and dissolve the immemorially settled frame of this Nation and Kingdom which through divine Providence hath in many generations subsisted under our lawful Soveraigns for the common benefit of the Subjects at home and to the honour and renown of the Nation abroad yea and to the glory of divine Providence which hath through many storms in several ages preserved us in this comfortable constitution But behold a foul gap is now opened to let in all confusion upon us and to dissipate and break us in pieces miserably if such wicked Doctrine take upon people God guard their hearts we hope sanctiores sunt aures corda auditorum quam linguae Doctorum as to this Now it is left to the arbitrement and lust of every party even lesser party of the people to break off the old union with the Nation to erect themselves into new Societies and Combinations as being now as free as if they had not been members of this Nation they are relapsed into their primaeve liberty and now every Paroch in Galloway is allowed to cantonize themselves into a free Re-publick or to become a little Kingdom of Ivetot or make Combinations and Heads of these Combinations as they see fit for they are liberate and loosed from the old Society and Government because the ends thereof are so manifestly perverted And wherein forsooth Doth not the true Protestant Religion as it is held forth in Scripture and was publickly confessed by our first Reformers which Confession is registred Parl. 1. K. James 6. through Gods mercy continue with us without variation from it in the least Doth not the Kings Majesty protect and advance this blessed Truth of the Saving Gospel and incourage and invite all according to his power to embrace it Is he not willing and desirous that the Laws be vigorously executed against Papists and all perverters of this sound Doctrine If there be deficiency in execution the blame lyes elsewhere then upon him Are Gods people or any people in the Land spoiled of their lawful civil Liberties What one thing hath he done without consent of the peoples Representatives in Parliament at which any may except as a grievance What burthen hath he laid upon their Estates but by Law of by their own consent in a necessary exigence What should be the great ground then of so horrid a dismembring of the body of this Common-wealth and secession from the civil Society and from subjection to the lawful Government thereof as this man teaches and would perswade What is that so fundamental perversion of the ends of Government that may to any minor party that pleases bear the Weight of a rational licence to