Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	contain_v	doctrine_n	2,322	5	6.1087	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47052	Nonconformity not inconsistent with loyality, or, Protestant-dissenters no seditious or disloyal sectaries evidenc'd in a sober discourse upon those statutes, by which the Protestant-dissenters are prosecuted at this day : humbly offered to the candid consideration of all Protestants, whether conformists or nonconformists / by James Jones ...	Jones, James, fl. 1683-1684.	1684 (1684)	Wing J958; ESTC R17214	32,964	24

Life is ended 3. Consider That though these good things are managed in Separate Congregations distinct from the National Church yet they ought not to be counted the Managers of Schism and Rebellion but the Promoters of the Protestant Religion in higher degrees of Reformation according to the Word of God 4. Consider That for such men to be exposed to live five miles from Cities and Corporations or else to live in a Goal seemeth to be hard dealing thus being compelled to live at such a distance from the chief places of the Kingdom is a kind of Banishment from our Country while in our Countrey and all this for Nonconformity to the Church and for not swearing all the particulars in the Oath provided by the said Act one particular being this That I will not anytime endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State Which words doth at least suppose that all things in the Church Government are so well and so compleat that there ought to be no endeavours to alter or amend them and this is a great scruple to many persons that are good Protestants VI. Another Statute by which the Protestant Dissenters are Distressed is the 22d of Car. 2. Chap. 1. Intituled An Act to Surpress Seditious Conventicles from which Statute let these particular things be soberly considered 1. That this Statute was provided as a further and more speedy Remedy against the growing and dangerous Practices of Seditious Sectaries and other Disloyal Persons who under pretence of Tender Consciences have or may at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as late Experience hath shewn See Paragraph 1. Now it is well known throughout this Kingdom that the Protestant Dissenters even every sort of them do abhor to be such Persons and therefore do deem it a great wrong that they should be accounted and prosecuted as such persons 1. Because though they be separate from the Church of England yet that doth not demonstrate them to be Seditious Sectaries forasmuch as the main things in the Christian Religion Professed by the Church of England is Professed by the Dissenters with a greater care to live suitably unto such a Holy Profession then the generality of the Visible Members of the Church of England do make Conscience of and therefore they deserve to be accounted such as further the Protestant Reformation and not such as are guilty of Sedition 2. They deem it a wrong to be counted persons of Disloualty meerly because of their Nonconformity especially considering what a demonstration they have given of being peaceable under the Government for so many years notwithstanding many and great Troubles they have met with in most parts of this Kingdom meerly for Matters of Conscience 3. And forasmuch as mention is made of Meeting under colour and pretence of the Exercise of Religion to contrive Insurrections the Protestant Dissenters in general can comfortably Appeal to God and the whole Kingdom that they are not guilty in this Matter and besides this it is not consistent with good reason that contriving of Insurrections could be at all managed in the Dissenters Meetings forasmuch as all sorts of persons do Resort unto them viz. Rich and Poor young and old and do daily find no other Matters but the Real Exercise of Religion in Praying to God Praising of God and Preaching the Word of God that they may further the Conversion and Salvation of each other Furthermore it is to be considered that since the making of the aforesaid Act and the violent Prosecution thereof to the very great dammage of many Protestant Families His Majesty did take such Grievances of his Subjects of Tender Consciences into his Princely and Compassionate Consideration and did Declare his Dislike of such forceable courses in matters of Conscience See His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects March 15. 1672. Published by the Advice of his Privy Council 2. The Persons in the aforesaid Act who are accounted Offenders are All such who being of the Age of Sixteen years or upwards being Subjects of this Realm who shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England they being in number five or more besides the Family or Houshold and if it be in a place where there is no Family Inhabiting then the number of five or more are deemed Offenders Now from this part of the Act consider that the Persons Accounted Offenders are such whose Exercise of Religion is in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And therefore it is needful soberly to inquire whether the Exercise of Religion as it is among the Protestant Dissenters be in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And therefore let the Exercise of Religion in the Church of England and as it is among the Protestant Dissenters be well considered and compared together and then we shall see whether it be Contradictious or Harmonious 1. The Exercise of Religion in the Liturgy and as it is Practiced in the Church of England respecting the matters of it doth consist of Prayers to Almighty God in the Name of Jesus Christ his only Son for Spiritual and Temporal Blessings and this is the Practice of the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 2. The Church of England in the Exercise of Religion do give Thanks to God for Mercies Received from God as the Gracious Act of his Bounty and Good-Will unto such as are unworthy of the least Mercy and thus do the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 3. The Church of England does instruct Souls from the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament viz. From the Law and the Prophets and from the Epistles and Gospels which doth contain the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and thus do the Protestant Dissenters for which they are Prosecuted to their great dammage 4. The Church of England doth perform Religious Worship in English and so do the Protestant Dissenters that all Parties which come to attend the Exercise of Religion among them may understand what they are about 5. The Church of England doth observe the first day of the week commonly called the Lords day in Prayers and Sermons and so do the Protestant Dissenters yea in this matter the Dissenters are more careful that the day may be Religiously observed then the Church-Protestants 6. The Church of England and the Protestant Dissenters do agree in the Articles of Faith respecting the main and substantial matters of the Protestant Religion briefly thus 1. That there is a Holy Trinity viz. Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. That Jesus Christ is very God as well as very Man and that the Person of Christ considered as God and Man together with his compleat keeping of Gods Holy Law without any Breach of it in his own Person and his suffering the

Majesties Laws or shall by Printing Writing or Express Words or Speeches Advisedly or purposely Practice or go about to move any of her Majesties Subjects or any others to deny withstand or impugn her Majesties Power and Authority in Cases Ecclesiastical or shall Advisedly and Maliciously move or perswade any other Person to forbear to come to Church to hear Divine Service or the Communion according to her Majesties Laws or to come to or be present at any Vnlawful Assemblies Conventicles or Meetings under Colour or Pretence of any Exercise of Religion contrary to her Majesties said Laws and Statutes or shall willingly join in or be present at any such Assemblies Conventicles or Meetings that then every such Offender being Lawfully Convicted shall be Committed to Prison there to Remain without Bail or Mainprize until they shall Conform and Yield themselves to come to some Church or Chappel or usual place of Common-Prayer and hear Divine Service See Paragraph 1. 2. It is Provided in the same Statute That if such Offender so Convict as aforesaid shall not Conform in coming to Church to hear Divine Service and to make such open Confession as is after appointed by this Statute being Required thereunto within the Space of three Months after Conviction by the Bishop of the Diocess or any Justice of Peace of the County where the Person shall happen to be or by the Minister or Curate of the Parish That then every such Offender upon his being warned and Required by any Justice of Peace of the same County shall upon his Corporal Oath abjure this Realm and all other her Majesties Dominions and Countreys and shall not Return without Licence from her Majesty See Paragraph 2. 3. It is Provided That if such Offender shall Refuse to make such Abjuration as aforesaid or after Objuration made shall not depart out of this Realm according to this present Act or after such his Departure shall Return again without her Majesties Licence that then in every such Case the Person offending shall be Adjudged a Fellon and shall suffer as in the Case of Fellony without the Benefit of Clergy See Paragraph 3. 4. It is further Enacted That if such Offender before he or they be so warned or Required to make Abjuration shall Repair to some Parish-church on some Sunday or Festival Day and there hear Divine Service and make Publick and open Submission and Declaration of his and their Conformity that then the same Offender shall be clearly discharged of all the Penalties and Punishments Inflicted or Imposed by this Act. The Form of Submission is as followeth See Paragraph 4. 5. I A B. Do humbly Confess and Acknowledge That I have grievously Offended God in Contemning her Majesties Godly and Lawful Government and Authority by absenting my self from Church and from hearing Divine Service contrary to the Godly Laws and Statutes of this Realm and in using and frequenting Disordered and Vnlawful Conventicles and Assemblies under Pretence and Colour of Exercise of Religion And I am heartily sorry for the same and do Acknowledge and testify in my Conscience That no other Person hath or ought to have Power over her Majesty and I do promise and protest without any dissimulation or any Colour or means of any Dispensation that from henceforth I will from time to time obey and perform her Majesties Laws and Statutes in Reparing to the Church to hear Divine Service and do my utmost indeavour to maintain and defend the same See Paragraph 5. 6. It is also Provided by this Act. That no Popish Recusant or Feme-Covert shall be Compelled or bound to Abjure by Vertue of this Act See Paragraph 12. 7. It is further Provided by this Statute That every Person that shall Abjure or Refuse to Abjure being Required thereunto as aforesaid shall forfeit and lose to her Majesty all his Goods and Chattles for ever and shall further lose all his Lands Tenements and Hereditaments for and during the Life only of such Offender no longer and that the Wife of such Offender shall not lose her Dower and that the Heir of such Offender after the Death of such Offender shall have and injoy the Lands Tenements and Hereditaments of such Offender From this Statute let these things be Considered 1. That it is Evident this Statute was made for the punishing of sueh as were not at all accounted Papists or Popish Recusants and this will appear in these following Reasons First Because the design of the Statute was for the preventing and avoiding of great Inconveniencies and Perils as might happen and grow by the wicked and dangerous Practices of Seditious Sectaries and disloyal Persons Now this word Seditious Sectaries doth distinguish some Persons from those that by the Law of this Realm are called Papists or Popish Recusants Secondly Because Popish Recusants are exempted from Abjuring of the Realm by vertue of the aforesaid Statute which is a plain Demonstration that the Severity of this same Law was made and intended for such as were not Papists or Popish Recusants and therefore good Reason to conclude that those other Statutes in which mention is made of the Popish Party were made only against them and not against such as are in this Statute called Sectaries who are not Papists 2. Consider how those persons are described for whom the punishments of this Statute are Provided viz. Seditious Sectaries and Disloyal Persons See Paragraph 1. And for as much as this Law hath been put in Execution against the Protestant Dissenters it is meet to inquire whether they are in very deed such persons viz. Seditious Sectaries and Disloyal Persons It is one thing for persons to be called and reputed such and another thing to be such indeed and in truth The city of Jerusalem was called and counted a City of Rebellion and Sedition See Ezra 4.19 The Blessed Apostle Paul was Accused of Sedition and being a Ring-leader therein see Acts 24.5 For we have found this man a Pestilent Fellow and a Mover of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the world and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareens thus it is evident from the Holy Scripture that the best of persons have gone under the worst names being deemed such as indeed they are not our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was called a Devil yea Belzebub the Prince of the Devils and he was Prosecuted unto death as being a Blasphemer and therefore it must not be wondred at if those that are now most pure in the Profession and Practire of the Christian Religion be called Seditious Sectaries and Disloyal Persons though indeed and in truth they are not such as may be truly said of the Protestant Dissenters 1. They are not Seditious Persons because they make the Word of God the Rule of their Faith and Practice promoting the Christian Religion in every part of it as it is in opposition to Popery according to the best of their light and knowledg in the Holy Scriptures endeavouring to

or no. 7. If the said Person do not obey the said Admonition then the Ecclesiastical Court does Decre him Excommunicated and so send an Excommunication to the Minister requiring him to publish the same upon such Sunday or Holy-day as they appoint 8. If the said person stand Excommunicated forty days then the Bishop of the Diocess doth Certify this matter in the High-Court of Chancery by a certain thing called a Significavit 9. Then the High-Court of Chancery in the Term-time doth award forth or grant a Writ called De Excommunicato Capiendo which is directed to the Sheriffs of the City or County where the Excommunicate Person is an Inhabitant that the said Person may be Apprehended and Committed to Prison and there to remain without Bail or Mainprize until he shall satisfy the Church-Party so as 〈◊〉 Absolution which may be obtained several wayes as it is allowed and practised by the Ecclesiastical 〈…〉 First by swearing the Ecclesiastical Oath which is to swear to obey all the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws 〈◊〉 the Lawful Commands of his Ordinary Secondly giving a Bond to Conform upon the Penalty of so much money as shall be agreed upon between the Excommunicated Person and the aforesaid Court which formerly used to be ten pounds but now of late years the Ecclesiastical Market is risen and twenty pounds Bond is required Thirdly such as are not willing to take the aforesaid Oath nor give the aforesaid Bond may be absolved and so allowed some time to Conform if they will pay a Pledge which usually is ten pounds present payment and he that will not comply with any of these ways must abide in Goal whatever becometh of his poor Family and besides all this the said person must pay the Charges of the Ecclesiastical Court which is sometimes ordinary and sometimes extraordinary the ordinary charges is about Forty Shillings And now that it may be demonstrated that the Protestant Dissenters are not obstinate but Consciencious in their Nonconformity to the Church of England let these Causes and Reasons of their Nonconformity be soberly considerd in the particulars following The Protestant Dissenters cannot Conform to the Church of England 1. Because they cannot find a National Church in the New Testament But the Churches they find there are Congregational Churches which consisted of such Persons as God by his Word and Spirit had converted from a State of Nature to a State of Grace Such were the Churches of Jerusalem Samaria Antioch Corinth and Ephesus c. who being persons separated from the people amongst whom they were Inhabitants did by a mutual Consent and Agreement one with another maintain a Holy Communion together in the Worship of God as it was sounded upon the Word of God And so they were the Nonconformists of that day and underwent great Sufferings for not Conforming to that Worship which was Established in the places where they inhabited 2. Because they cannot find any such Officers belonging to a Church of Christ in the New-Testament as Arch-bishops Lord Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons Prebends Commissaries Officials c. But they find such Offiers in the Church of Christ as are called Pastors Eldery a 〈◊〉 d Overseers and the word Bishop doth belong to the same persons under the former Title considered as ●eeders of and Rulers over the true Church of Christ and the Apostle Peter doth forbid the Bishops of Christs Church to be Lords over Gods Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 3. The Protestant Dissenters cannot Conform to the Church of England in the Holy Sacrament called in Scripture the Lords Supper because that Holy Ordinance is not Administred unto the Communicants as Converted Persons but as those who by Tradition are brought up to Acknowledge and Confess Christ although in works too many deny him by living Prophane Lives being greatly guilty of Swearing Cursing and Drunkenness and divers other scandalous matters which is a Reproach to the Protestant Religion for although the Protestant Religion be the Reformed Religion yet thousands of those that profess it are not Reformed Persons and besides this too many of those who are Ministers of the said Church and so are Administrators of this Holy Ordinance are known to be very unholy in their Conversations notwithstanding all which the Protestant Dissenters have a great veneration and high esteem of many both of the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Common People of the Church of England who live sober lives and walk Conscienciously in Civil and Religious Matters Several other Reasons might be added but these shall suffice for the present Conclusion Now forasmuch as the Protestant Religion is Profess'd by his Majesties Subjects in general considered as Conformists and Nonconformists and both Parties are agreed in the main and substantial parts thereof and also both Parties are in a like danger of the Papists If ever the Government of this Realm should fall into their hands which God of his Infinite Mercy prevent for then the Church-Protestants as well as the Dissenting Protestants would be deemed Fanaticks Schismaticks Hereticks yea Rebelis and would be Prosecuted as such Therefore it highly concerns all sorts of Protestants to say to one another as Abraham to Lot Gen. 13.7 8. Let there be no strife between us for we are Brethren Especially considering the Popish Canaanite and Perizite are now too much in our Land Mat. 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets FINIS