Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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B10258
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The mystery of the two ivntos Presbyterian and independent. Or, The serpent in the bosome vnfolded.
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Walker, Clement, 1595-1651.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing W332A; ESTC R235062
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15,370
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28
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THE MYSTERY OF THE TWO IVNTOS PRESBYTERIAN and INDEPENDENT OR THE SERPENT IN THE BOSOME VNFOLDED PETRON ARBITER Omnes nobiscum aut Corvi qui Lacerant aut Cadavera quae lacerantur Printed in the Yeare 1647. To the un-byassed Reader YOu that are byassed with self-respects I write not to you have your aimes and your ends before you are aware like shot not feared till felt will come upon you To the upright in heart though mis led in judgment I speak Consider how by a prevaricating number of Grandees our first Principles are altered our Religion into Schisme and Hypocriticall profanenes Insomuch that the Lords Supper is now almost every where discontinued for want of I know not what imaginary Vtopian holinesse The Creed Lords Prayer and Ten Commandements the instruments of Faith Hope Charity teaching Omnia credenda speranda facienda left out of the Directory Thus much for Religion Our known Laws being the second Principle held out to the People by the Nationall Covenant and many Declarations are turned into Arbitrary emergent and upstart Orders and Ordinances of Parliament every day rising and every day withering like Mushromes So that we are now governed Jure vago incerto by a leaden Lesbian rule to which we cannot square our obedience and actions but must stay till the Grandees that guide the Legislative power of Parliament make application of them to our actions A great misery The third Principle is our Liberties What is become of them this little Treatise will tell you as also of our Properties But stay me thinks I heare men say that the clamour and danger mutining at the Parliament door these two last weeks hath humbled our Grandees and made them seek the Lord with Fasting and Prayer I answer let mee tell you what succeeded in the House of Commons when a Letter and Declaration from the Army being tendred to be read some of the Grandees answered That if they should read those demands they might chance to find them of that nature as they can neither with justice deny them nor with honour grant them because it was not honourable for them to doe their duty upon admonition of their Army being but their servants and would savour of compulsion To prevent this they resolved to take into confideration freely and of their owne accord the Grievances which scandalized the people They went therefore upon 3. Heads The Self-denying Ordinance Vpon which they Voted as they said by a Preparatory Vote onely That all Members holding any Offices Grants or Places by concession of the Parliament shall account for and pay in the profits thereof to the Grand Committee of Accounts This I conceive under favour of the Grandees who possesse those places and contrived this Vote to be a meer delusory Order For who can beleeve that such self-seeking men as all men know them to be will execute these offices for nothing and pay in to the use of the State their profits Besides it is apparent how subservient to these Grandees their own creatures the Committee of Accounts are 2. They Voted That no money hereafter should be given to any Member in compensation or recompence of his losses untill the Publick Debts be paid Here the Grandees were in earnest because their owne turnes are already served and the losse and inconvenience of this Vote falls only upon the much contemned Middle or Moderate Members 3. They appointed a Committee to consider how to take off the Grievance arising from such Members as abusing the Priviledge of Parliament refuse to pay their debts Proh Superi quantum mortalia pectora caecae Noctis habent Ipse sceleris molimine Tereus Creditur esse pius laudemque a crimine sumit Let not the Grandees be offended that I discover those sicknesses which they labour to cover Antea morbos necesse est cognitos esse quam remedia eorum God onely can be the Aesculapius and cure them But I am afraid they desire rather a slight suppurating then a perfect cure and that they pray rather to hide then help their evils Da fallere da justum sanctumque videri Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem If this be their condition quos perdere vult Jupiter hos dementat quos tueri vult suscitat I have done my duty even in this generation quando dicere quod nolo miserum quod volo debeo periculosum I leave the successe to God resting Thine THEODORUS VERAX The Mysterie of the two Iuntos Presbyterian and Independent THe Kingdome being overgrowne with Prerogative Corruption and Superstition the fruits of a long and lazie peace by a long discontinuance of Parliaments At last by Providence his Majestie was necessitated to call a Parliament the onely Colledge of Physitians to purge the much distempered body of the Common-wealth In this Parliament a contest betweene the Kings Prerogative and the peoples lawes and liberties begat a warre The Divines on both sides out of their pulpits sounding Alarme thereto and not only Sermons but Declarations of Parliament and the Nationall Covenant holding forth to the people the defence of Religion Laws Liberties and properties inflamed the people to the rage of battle as the Elephant is inraged at the sight of Red. This warre occasioned extraordinary Taxes and leavies of money such as was never heard of by our Ancestours and were Irritamenta malorum the nurse of our Corruptions This incentive working upon the humane frailty of the speaking and leading members of the Houses 3. Grandees caused them first to interweave their particular interests and ambitions with the publique and lastly to preferre them before the publique Wherefore the said Leading men or Grandees for that is now Parliament language 4. Factions First divided themselves into two factions or Junto's Presbyterians and Independents seeming to look only upon the Church but Religion having the strongest operation upon the spirit of man involved the interests of the Common-wealth The Common people of the two houses following with an implicite faith and blind obedience the example of their leaders divided themselves also into the said Dichotomy which they did with more seriousnesse then their leaders as not perceiving any thing of designe therein But according to the diversity of their judgements or rather fancyes and confidings for to resigne a mans judgement to the opinion of another man is but a silly trust and confidence studied the to holding of their parties with earnestnesse whilst the Grandees of each party in private close together for their owne advancement serving one anothers turn The Grandees in all publique debates seeme as reall in their reciprocall oppositions as those silly ones who are in earnest whereby they cherish the zeal of their respective partyes keepe them still divided Divide impera is the devils rule and so amuse them and take them off from looking after other interests in which were they conjoyned they might share with the Grandees themselves and for the better contentment of