Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	law_n	liberty_n	parliament_n	4,902	5	6.1958	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59950	A brief testimony for religion shewing that all penal laws, force, and violence against any matters of meer religion and conscience are inconsistant with the doctrines and precepts of Jesus Christ : presented to the consideration of all, but more especially those that may be chosen members of Parliament, that they may see cause to concur with the Kings gracious declaration for liberty of conscience / by a lover of the King and his country, and hater of no man because of his opinion, William Shewen.	Shewen, William, 1631?-1695.	1688 (1688)	Wing S3419; ESTC R10942	11,928	21

A BRIEF TESTIMONY FOR RELIGION SHEWING That all PENAL LAWS Force and Violence against any for Matters of meer Religion and Conscience are Inconsistent with the DOCTRINES and PRECEPTS of Jesus Christ PRESENTED To the Consideration of all but more Especially those that may be chosen Members of Parliament that they may see cause to concur with the Kings Gracious Declaration for Liberty of Conscience By a Lover of the King and his Country and a Hater of no Man because of his Opinion WILLIAM SHEWEN Printed in the Year 1688. A Brief Testimony for Religion shewing that all Penal Laws Force and Violence against any for Matters of meer Religion and Conscience are inconsistent with the Doctrines and Precepts of Christ Jesus c. THE Principle of Religion is Inward Spiritual and Divine not contained in Books nor taught by the Precepts of Men being before Books and the Precepts of Men were inwented and is in it self Sacred Pure and Undefiled Grounded Planted and Placed in the Heart of Mankind by the Sacred Pure Vndefiled God who hath given unto all Life Breath and Being And in all Nations upon the Face of the Earth all People therein who fear God and worketh Righteousness are accepted by him being in the Exercise of true Religion doing Justly loving Mercy and walking uprightly with God. Now tho' God hath sown this Seed laid this Foundation of Equity Justice Righteousness Mercy and Fear towards him in the Hearts of all Men yet they are greatly Degenerated therefrom those plants of his own Right-hand planting are greatly overgrown with that which is quite contrary viz. with the Weeds and Plants of Iniquity Injustice Vnrighteousness Cruelty Violence Disobedience Rebellion against God and one another so that almost the whole World of Mankind is now become Enemies to God Nature and their own selves in all Nations Countries and Kingdoms according to the degree of their Degeneration from the Law Light Love Dread and Fear of the Almighty God which he at first Placed Planted and Engraved in the Heart of Mankind Some in most Nations from the effect of what still remains have been made sensible of their Loss Nakedness and Degeneration from the likeness and Image of God viz. Vprightness Holiness Equity Justice and Mercy c. And they have been greatly concerned in their Thoughts Wills and faln understandings how to gain the same again and have therein invented and set up among Jews Turks and Indians as in Christendome various sorts and manners of VVorships and Ceremonies of Religion so called thinking thereby to please God profit themselves and others by teaching and compelling if they have Power the observance thereof tho in so doing they can go no further than Adam and Cain did hide and make a Covering with fig-leaves offer a Sacrifice with one hand and Murther with the other and are no more accepted therein than they were and the infallible reason and cause of it is because all the Righteousness and VVickedness proceeding from Mankind in this Degenerate State are both evil in the sight of God. Mankind through his Fall and Degeneration is so Polluted so Defiled so Corrupted with the stinking Leprosie of Sin that whatever he puts his hand to in things relating to Religion and the service of God is abomintion in his sight yea the very Prayers of the Wicked are sin and out of this Estate he cannot help himself he cannot Purge nor Purifie himself nor redeem nor deliver himself by all his working willing and running the Serpent is too Strong too powerful too Subtile and cunning for all Mankind in this Estate without a Saviour without a Redeemer without a Restorer and Deliverer all Perish c. Therefore God in his infinite Love and Kindness did promise and hath performed hath given and laid help upon one that is mighty to Save to Redeem to Purge Purifie and Restore lost Man Defiled Corrupted Captivated Man into the Image of God again into Righteousness Purity and Holiness again and the first name this Redeemer and Saviour hath in the Holy Scriptures is the Seed of the Woman and his first work is to bruise the head of the Serpent Now this promis'd seed this precious gift of God hath many other names throughout the Holy Scriptures and hath many other works to do in and for Mankind the Serpents head must not only be bruis'd by him but he and all his works destroyed and cast out of the heart of Mankind And this was and is the blessed end of his coming and appearing even to destroy the Devil and all his Works finish sin and bring in everlasting Righteousness in the room thereof Even into the heart and mind of Mankind which is Gods Throne tho the Serpent the Devil hath usurped it my desire is that all may come to enjoy that blessed Estate through Jesus Christ the Saviour VVhich Jesus Christ the Saviour is the Author and Founder of the Christian Religion in the Purity and Power of it which Religion excels all other Religions upon the Face of the Earth who are Impure Imperfect and VVeak made up of Mens Inventions Precepts and Traditions Carnal Ordinances VVorldly Rudiments and Beggarly Elements which had a beginning and must have an end together with all Hatred and Persecution about them for it hath been and i● about these things that those who lived in and under them have made Laws to force and compel observance and Conformity thereto for nothing of that fort or nature ever did or can proceed from the Christian Religion in the Purity and Power of it It s Fundamental Principles Precepts Doctrines and Examples are quite the contrary Love your Enemies Bless them that Curse you Do good to them that hate you Pray for them that dispitefully use you and persecute your As you would that Men should do unto you Do so likewise unto them Be like your Heavenly Father who maketh his Sun to shine on the Evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Vnjust Love one another as I have loved you love ye also one another By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if you have love to one another Do good to all c. This is the Tenure of the Gospel of Christ Peace on Earth and good will to Men. And they only were and are Disciples indeed who did and do observe those divine Precepts and Commands of Christ And all that profess love to him and a knowledge of him and keepeth not his Commandments are Lyars and the Truth is not in them let them profess what they will. There is no ground nor foundation for Sangunary Laws nor for any sort of Persecution Violence or Cruelty about Religion in the lovely meek quiet and innocent Spirit of Christianity nor in the Precepts Principles and Discipline of it they have certainly arose in Christendom from another Spirit that hath assum'd the Name and Usurp't the Throne of God the Heart and mind of Man which hath come

thing could be would be as a Monster in Nature that which is in its self most mild loving gentle harmless and innocent would become the most wild cruel ravenous and devouring if this could be not only Nature but Religion it self would be turned quite out of course Lillies would tear the Thorns and Lambs devour the Wolves and the Sheep prey upon the Tygers Bears and Lyons and the innocent Dove would devour the Birds of prey But these things cannot be therefore it may certainly be concluded and infallibly believed that whoever is found promoting or acting Cruelty or Violence against any under the name and profession of the Christian Religon are Wolves in Sheeps cloathing painted Sepulchres and professing Hypocrites neither truly loving God nor their Neighbour which Love is the Foundation of true Religion and by their works and doings not by their words they may be and are known Now when these poor deceived distemper'd people are known evidently by the Signs of their disease aforementioned what course is to be taken with them what means and medicine doth Humanity and Christianity call for And how far is the Christian Magistrate and Law-makers concerned about such things Ans First they are greatly to be pitied because the Cause of their distempers generally is Hereditary they are born of Jews Turks or Mahometans Infidels or Christians and are trained up and educated in their Various ways and worships beliefs and opinions about Religion by their Parents and Tutors so that they are Tinctured if not possessed with Hereditary traditional Religion or the Opinions of their Fore-fathers before they know they are men and become so bound with the Chains of Tradition Custom and Opinion in the things relating to Religion that they give up their Wills Judgment Vnderstanding Conscience and all for the forced Maintenance and Propagation thereof tho it be to their own hurt and the ruin of others not knowing nor rightly understanding what they do being captivated as above and the cause in the beginning chiefly from others Therefore even as Humanity teacheth to pity and take care of poor blind people and such who are under a great Lunary or Distraction naturally as to provide for and prevent their hurting themselves and others so it leadeth to do the same for those that are blinded and distracted through Tradition Custom Superstitious Education and opinion and Christianity teacheth a farther Lesson even to pray for them and with all mildness gentleness tenderness and love to endeavour their better information in order to their deliverance and redemption from under those sinful customs and false opinions whose Tyranny and oppression makes not only Fools but wise men mad And for so doing Christ himself hath left Example not only in his divine Precepts and Commandments before mentioned but in his own person when he prayed for those great professing people the Jews whom he also wept over and expressed as much tenderness towards them as a Hen hath towards her Chicken and when they were upon the point of Executing their utmost of envy rage blindness and madness upon him he said Father forgive them for they know not what they do and his Apostle Paul said if they had known him they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory this he knew to be true by woful experience himself being blind and ignorant while a mad zealous Persecutor ignorance and envy hath been and is the cause of all violence against the Righteous and about Religion throughout all former Ages and let the pretence be what it will it hath no other foundation in this Age. All the Inventers of Creeds Articles of Faith Mass-books Common-prayer-books Directories and other Prescribers of set forms of worship in whole Christendom have been prone to Curse persecution against such as comply not therewith especially when any one of them becomes National and are possessed of great Revenues for the maintenance of the same that is as Oyl to the Flame that hath devoured many and disturbed the whole Christian World. Therefore it concerns the Christian Magistrates and Law-makers to take care that none of those people have power and opportunity to force and compel under corporal pains and penalties the observation of their inventions and prescriptions for such things proceeds not from true Religion but from the opinion and imagination about it and as hath been said is inconsistent with it Now the great men of this Island of Great Brittain who are and may be concerned to make and execute Laws may in the first place see it absolutely needful to abrogate and demolish all such Laws about Religion as have proceeded from people in the State above as all Laws to banish hang burn Stigmatize whip and imprison the Bodies of people for matters of meer Religion and Conscience are and to make and establish such Laws in the room thereof as may prevent any sort or Sect of people to hurt rifle and spoil their Neighbours and Country-men because they may disser in their understanding and practice in matters of worship and religion and that may command and enjoyn morality and good Neighbourhood among men of different perswations about forms of worship c. herein the Nation would be made happy even in your imitating the great God of Love Peace and Vnity in the midst of all variety and the light of his countenance would shine in you and upon you And now you have a Season for so doing The King in his late tender gracious Declaration hath out-done all the Princes of Christendom and set them a glorious example by following which they may make themselves and all their people happy He is a Prince of great observation and experience and hath thereby made himself a Throne in the Hearts and affections of his people And if you do but cast an impartial Eye void of prejudice and opinion you will find none throughout the Nation but such who are captivated thereby and have been and would be again persecutors about the mode and manner of Religion and Church Ceremonies it being the Nature of every Sect private Spirit and opinion to use force and compulsion when able because false opinion blind Zeal and traditional Faith is some of the Wine with which the Whores cup is filled whereby those that drink freely thereof supposing it to be the Wine of the Kingdom are made Drunk intoxicated and mad therewith as hath been said you will find none but such that are for the continuation of such Laws as would spoil men of their lives liberties and Estates in this World about the things of another about matters of meer Religion and Conscience about humane inventions carnal ordinances and circumstances of Religion and Worship to the great shame and scandal of Christian Religion which never came into the World at that Door neither did it ever use or prevail by such means nor ever will being certainly true that all that are found in that way and work under the profession of Christianity they are in

one and a praise defence and encouragement to the other Now as you are English men your very Native Humanity where it is not spoiled with false opinion leads you to be sociable kind and neighbourly but where the principle and the precepts of the Christian Religion prevailes upon you and possess your Judgments As to do to others as you would have them do to you do good to all overcome evil with good love thy Neighbour as thy self c. I say where these universal precepts of Christianity prevailes in you from the principle thereof it makes you excel your Native Humanity and will incline your Hearts to concur with things that are sutable thereto and to abrogate the contrary Did you and the Princes and great Monarhs of the World but know and experience what ease what peace what pleasure what profit what true honour glory and greatness doth and would attend the true observation of these Christian precepts beyond all that can be otherwise invented or devised you and they would be in love therewith and seek only the advancement thereof because tending to the universal good of mankind not only in this Nation but throughout all Nations upon the Earth It is but a little while ago since most of the Courts and Magistrates of England were troubled with people about Non-conformity their Houses broken up their goods seized and taken away not leaving some a Bed to lye on nor a Pot to dress their Food in nor a Stool to sit on nor Tools to work with some places their Trades destroyed and their Bodies imprisoned And if any Magistrate did but incline to kindness and moderation people of the baser sort called Informers who lived upon the Prey would threaten them with 100 l. damage so that many that were not willing to make havock of people and their Goods were forced to please those Beasts of prey which was a trouble and exercise to many even of those called the Church of England-men themselves whose Humanity was not quite destroyed with their Christianity All which the King in his gracious Declaration hath eased you and the people of for which he is worthy of all gratitude and thankfulness from his Subjects of all degrees but especially from his Non-conforming Subjects who were a people designed for ruin so that they are ingaged to pray that he may receive from Almighty God a hundred fold ministred into his own Bosom So if you join with the King in laying aside all Penal Laws in matters Ecclesiastical and set people free from danger of losing their liberty and property for Non-conformity and with him as your wisdom may devise prevent the like to be made again in future Ages you will not only please the King and the Nation and all people therein except those in whom corrupt Interest false Opinion and fearful Jealousies prevailes but you will also go sar in answering and fulfilling those Christian divine Precepts which are according to the just and righteous principle of God in all men and where it is not Stifled Crucified and Buried it will arise and Answer to your just and righteous doings and you will have the comfort thereof in your selves and will become examplary to the Nations round about who when they shall hear see and behold the blessed Fruits and effects which certainly will follow your so doing may be stirred up to imitate and follow so glorious Example If you consult with any that are fill'd with Fears and Jealousies especially such who have a corrupt Interest to secure which cannot stand in that pomp and power they would have it without force and violence you will be discouraged in so good a Work as the preventing people from hurting one another about the opinion of Religion is Have a care of men of that temper your business is to shew forth a noble and generous Spirit Eying the good of all without respect to persons or opinions and to concur with the King in providing so that it shall not be in the power of the present and after Ages to spoil and persecute one another about matters of meer Religion and Conscience It is an ancient Maxim That the Truth is great and will prevail and the Christian Religion and Worship that stands therein requires neither Penal Laws nor Arms to set it up nor defend it if any shall call upon you or counsel you to continue and uphold such Laws search them to the bottom and you will find they have some private Belly Interest to carry on and that there lies a venemous biting Adder in their Grass and that their Religion is such as cannot stand in the pomp of it without Penal Laws 'T is the Whore the false Church that rides upon the Scarlet colour'd Beast she can't stand alone nor walk upon her own Legs and it is she that hath cryed to Kings Emperors Parliaments and great men to force and compel people to bear her dead weight under pains of Banishment Hanging Burning and Imprisoning and the loss of all the good things of this World without conformity to her wherever you find this cry assure your selves that it is not from the Spouse of Christ it is not the true Mother that would have the living Child divided or cut in pieces because her own is smothered and dead You may infallibly conclude that it is not the Apostolical and primitive Spirit of Christianity that would have mens Liberties Lives and Estates spoiled and ruinated about matters of worship and conscience tho their worship was wrong and erronious and their conscience desiled and misin-formed and therein making conscience of things which they ought not nor may not when with tenderness and meekness they are better inform'd and instructed The true Churches power as hath been said was and is Demonstration Perswasion and Conviction and her Weapons Spiritual and not Carnal if any dare say and affirm that the New Testament way and means to convert or proselite the World to Christianity was otherwise or that the Christian principle Doctrines and Precepts of Christ can admit of any other means in th● Christian Religion let them come forth and shew the proof in the New Testament or else let them not 〈◊〉 regarded In this the Children of God are manifest and 〈◊〉 Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteou●ness are not of God neither he that loveth not 〈◊〉 Brother 1 John 3.10 If a Man say I love God and hateth his Brother he 〈◊〉 a Lyar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath see● how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4 2● FINIS

the Degeneration from the Nature thereof and they are but a Sect though they may call themselves Universal or National Church have a care of Jealousies and false Suggestions and take heed of making conclusions that the design of the Kings Declaration is only to introduce the Roman Catholick Sect herein you may abuse the best of Kings for tho he hath declared himself to be of that perswasion as to the manner of worship c. yet it is most apparent that his understanding is so far divinely illuminated that he owns it not in the worst parts of it viz. force violence and persecution declaration We cannot but heartily wish as it will eafily be believed that all the people of our Dominions were Members of the Catholick Church yet we humbly thank Almighty God it is and hath of a long time been our constant sence and opinion which upon divers occasions we have declared that Conscience ought not to be constrained nor People forced in matters of meer Religion It has even been contrary to our inclination as we think it is to the interest of Government which it destroys by spoiling Trade Depopulating Countries and discouraging Strangers and finally that it never obtained the end for which it was imployed c. Here is as much said in so many words as can well be to signifie that they proceed from a profound Judgment a true and constant Sence a right opinion great reason a perfect sight of the true interest of Government and all confirm'd by observation and experience with thanks to Almighty God for the same Now for any to surmise and imagin that there is a Snake in this fair Grass and that there is some grand evil design to be ushered in thereby is great Ingratitude the effect of bad Jealousie and the Fruit of some fearful Sect that cannot live at ease while their Neighbours are free from trouble Indeed if the King acted without any of those excellent qualifications before mentioned barely as a Roman Catholick moving only by the Dictates of that Church you and the Nation might have ground to fear that there is an Adder in the Grass which is much more dangerous than a Snake and that it is with design not only to gain equal liberty for the Roman Catholicks but also to make them capable in time to suppress all others as the Nature of that Sect is with cruelty and violence as this and many Nations can witness but to think that this is the design of the King is the worst interpretation that malice and envy can put upon the words and doings of so great and just a Prince whom none can justly charge with playing the Hypocrite and dissembling with God and Man as such thoughts would insinuate and he hath been a Sufferer for Conscience sake himself while a Subject tho of the greatest Rank and when in the greatest power who can say that ever he moved or put forward the making or executing those Penal Laws about Religion by which many mens lives Liberties and Estates have been destroyed in this Nation Let all such thoughts and jealousies be laid aside and with the King give humble thanks to Almighty God that he hath placed such a one upon the Throne whose Heart he hath enclined to imitate his divine Majesty in being kind merciful and just to all without respect to Persons or Opinions and be ready to concur with him in his just design and Christian intentions of abolishing all Penal Laws about that which is accounted Religion but indeed is more properly Opinion for the Christian Religion and Penal Laws to enforce it were always inconsistent as hath been hinted 't is Opinion and not pure Religion that hath devised and set up Penal Laws to defend and propagate it The Christian Religion came into the World without the approbation consent or assistance of the great Scholars Doctors and Rabbies and other great men of the World they were all disturbed at the appearance of Christ the Author of it and consulted how to destroy him and the highest professors of God and Religion in that Age studied and sought all ways and means how to suppress and prevent the setting up and spreading the Christian Religion but it being founded in the Truth in the inward parts which God loves it grew and prevailed in the Hearts of people amidst all opposition working powerfully in the Minds Hearts and understandings of Jews Greeks Barbarians Schithyans bond and free making a real chaing in the inward man not in the opinion or notion of things only but they were renewed in the Spirit of their minds their Hearts were purified consciences rectified their understandings illuminated and their Conversations was such as became the Gospel of Christ Brotherly love Kindness patience long Suffering with Innocency and other Fruits of the Spirit abounded among them this was their State when Laws and Edicts of Men were against them who had neither Sword nor Penal Laws on their side they were far degenerated from the Nature tho not from the Name Christian when they called to the civil Magistrate for Penal Laws they were then run into Sects Sides and Opinions and into disputes and quarrellings with one another about them envying hating and persecuting one another becoming as they got power as cruel to each other as the Heathen had been to them forcing and imposing their Faiths Forms and Opinions by banishments Torments and Death to the great shame of the Christian Religion the foundation of which is love peace and good will to all men and the means it prevailes by and the Weapons it conquers with are not carnal but spiritual Domonstration Perswasion and Conviction whosoever hath or desire to use any other Weapons about the Christian Religion are certainly deceived and mistaken so far as to take false opinion for true Religion Now the chief end of Magestracy Laws and Government among men is to preserve and defend their properties liberties and lives from such as would spoil and rob them of either and among all the Beasts of prey blind Zeal misguided Conscience private dark selfish opinions are most ravenous this Wolf in Sheeps cloathing hath sharp Teeth and cruel Claws and a wild untamed devouring Spirit Notwithstanding his pretence of Zeal and Conscience for the Christian Religion 't is the Spirit of Cain and Saul that murtherer and Persecutor about Sacrifice and Worship But whosoever is led by his religious or rather irreligious opinions to endeavour the hurt or ruin of his Brother or Neighbour about matters of meer Religion and Conscience if he accomplish and effect the same he is an evil doer and ought to suffer as an evil doer And he that hath good will to all and seeks the good of all and hurts no man tho he be of a contrary mind and judgment to him and erroneous opinions he is a well doer and the Laws of God and all good men who are appointed to judge and rule for God are a Terror to the