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	true_a	2,820	4	4.2163	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85872	A declaration of Sir John Gaire Lord Mayor· Alderman Langham Alderman Adams Alderman Bunce Sheriff Cullam. With others imprisoned by the authorities of the Parliament and the Army.	Gayer, John, Sir, d. 1649.	1647 (1647)	Wing G403; Thomason E409_15; ESTC R202271	2,622	8

A DECLARATION OF Sir John Gaire Lord Mayor Alderman Langham Alderman Adams Alderman Bunce Sheriff Cullam With others Imprisoned by the Authorities of the PARLIAMENT AND ARMY Veritas Tactu 7 ber 30 Printed in the Year 1647. A DECLARATION of the LORD MAYOR c. WEre it as lawfull to utter truth as unlawfull to suffer for truth to compare the neerest of our thoughts with the most notorious of our actions and present them as in a Mirrour to the publike eye we might then Declare That as we have engaged our selves in one sacred tye of Covenant so therein we have in all fidelity persevered declining neither Law Religion King Parliament nor Liberty necessary in professing Christians properly naturall to true subjects The Covenant binds all without exception within the pale thereof to an unite defence and mutuall co-assistance of each other but as in the Divine Law the breach of one Commandment pleads the Offendor guilty of all so we presume in this humane Law the Covenant the forfeiture of one branch brings self-guiltiness on all the rest We pray for mercy on this National Sin And seeing with too transparent eyes both Nature and Religion turn'd Antipodes acting themselvs into a self-Antipathy as if Man above all sublunary Creatures was an only compound of contrarities seeing the foundation on which next under heaven our hopes depend of our Laws our Religion our proper Rights and Priviledges we say not Oaths and Protestations blown up by the very roots by such a strong tempestuous violence which bears down all things before it making the loftiest Cedar level with the lowest shrubs untill it hath vented it selfe into an universal destruction that the fearfully over awed and beguiled Multitude may in the view of our present condition be sensible of their own ruine thus unanimously we unbosome our selves unto the world shewing That in all our enterprises since these unnaturall and domestick Divisions we have endeavoured to keep a good Conscience towards God and all men and how unsavory the fruit of these last six years have relisht with us none better then our own souls can attest what forwardness for the publick good what backwardnes in the enbrewing our selves in unknown alarums especially of blood what assistance both in our persons and purses for the cuting off the neck of this unnatural War and the closing up of all distractions in the armes of peace and unity not done in closets nor promov'd in secret corners the whole City and Kingdom can bear witness And when we had exhausted our selves for the General of the Kingdom abroad the sword being by divine mercy pluckt out of the hand of our enemies hoping then we should receive a sweet and blessed issue of all our travels finding our own sword still drawn yet no enemy to oppose and too sad probation of sinister reaches we could not but reflect upon our selves and apply our endeavors to the safety of that wherewith God and the Laws had entrusted us at home Wil any man suffer his estate and and livelyhood to be entrencht on by another that hath no right thereto and be silent Have not we through many generations by the gracious influence of many glorious Kings been possessors of an honorable and free CHARTER the very sinew of the City and Fee simple of our being wherein besides other priviledges that of the Militia which we account as chief vi et armis to be wrested from us and yet be accounted enemies to others whilst we endeavor to preserv our own If such things pass for Law who can be master of what he hath What can the whole Kingdom expect when those out of the very bowels of the City seeks her ruine Neither did we by a self-defence ever harbor the least thoughts of of an embroyling War as by our dayly and incessant actings with the Parliament and Army did appear straining our selves to our utmost pow'r the highest key of a pure conscience to qualify all things into a right sence by our Commissioners but all in vain the returns of our endeavours with our hopes being but pills guilded over with specious glozes and pretences for we are not ignorant that though the Army came with Olives in their mouthes yet they had swords in their hands and death and destruction in their hearts the greatest part of them threatning at a distance the Sack and Plunder of the City and had we not cause then not only to a Verbal but a Virgal a Martial defence yet blessed be the Lord not a sword was drawn not a blow was given and yet we suffer as Enemies that had made a way to our own peace through a deluge of the Armies blood But though a homely yet it is a true saying He that is willing to hang his neighbours dog must say he steals sheep But yet that which we value above the richest price of Nature our Religion is made an O … um become a laughing-stock unto many who like tamping Lyons rather then the Lamb of Christ rend and tear down the pale of his fold from a Christian Conformity to a Platonical Community and that unciviliz'd Liberty the flood-gate to a perpetual Confusion and yet they and we are brethren Do they stand up for a Liberty Why not we No we deny our own Liberty that we may be the the Lords Freemen We say Religion character'd by the Laws of the Land and the finger of Gods Spirit on our Souls this indeed was a grand motive to our defence the cause arising not from our Superiour but fellow-Subjects But blame not us lay the blame on Christ under whose Command alone in this we are and if for this we suffer we suffer with him and suffering with him we know that we shal also reign with him The next Cause is his Majesty oh we bleed within when we think how many souls in this Nation excluding Scotland and Ireland are shipwrackt on this rock to whom though never so tyrannicall we stand bound by Nature Equity Religion by Oath Covenant Conscience in all loyalty and allegiance and sha● thi● plead us guilty Well the Servant is not above his Lord nor the Disciple his Master and when the head is sick it is injustice in the members not to condole So that now we call heaven and earth to witness that we have not faild in any thing that may plead us innocent we have been more then servants to the Parliament more than votaries to the Army lesse we were not more we could not be we have procured the dislike of our Prince for partaking with his people we are sleighted for emptying our selves to make others full and for others liberty we stand imprisoned Here O heavens and judge O earth the cause of the distressed and because with man there is neither truth nor mercy may the divine arme of justice carry on these things unto a blessed issue whilst from the bottome of our hearts we unfeignedly do pray That God would be pleased to pour Oyle and Wine into our Kingdomes wounds to the everlasting peace and consolation of his People that his Majesty may with highest honour be enthrowned in his Kingdome and remain as a fixed star in the firmament of the Church that the Parliament may judg Righteous Judgement and settle our Divisions into a peacefull posture that the Army as hitherto so they may still be faithfull to their friends victorious over their enemies and that the whole Kingdome may enjoy that liberty which by Religion Law or Custome they can claim FINIS