id	author	title	date	pages	extension	mime	words	sentence	flesch	summary	cache	txt
A52167	E. M., Mason.	The covenant acknowledged by an English Covenanter, and the manifested wants of the common prayer, or divine service, formerly used, thought the fittest for publique worship by one vvhose hearty desires are presented to all the lovers of peace and truth in these nations, and shall be the prayers of a wel-wisher to both, and a very much obliged servant to all the promoters of this just cause, E.M., Mason.	1660.0		.xml	application/xml	6954	105	29	Likewise , I have wondred why the Birth of our blessed Saviour should not be solemnized , ( as formerly it was ) by as wise and learned men as are now , to keep in memory a day for his birth ; since God so miraculously , and of his own goodness , hath been pleased to discover how our God was made man , and that holy born man made God to redeem us , and therefore in my weak judgment fit to be kept in perpetual memory to all generations of Christian men , until the Resurrection , when there will be no distinction of Gods : At last I did conceive it was the old enemy of mans happiness , that would obliterate the great Gods Birth-day , under some reforming pretence , that in time he might bring in Infidelism , and by degrees damp the light of the holy Scriptures , the great work he is now about ; the Lord prevent him with the birth of our dear Saviour whom he would have forgotten : Then let him alone to bring several gods amongst us , as Ashteroth , Molech , Mahomet , or any of those heathenish Baboons ; but God , who is alwayes good to his , is now raising up one instrument or other to keep the memory of his holy Childs birth on foot , as may be spoken to his glorious honour , and the immortal praise of that vertuous Lady Parthenia Lowman , who hath given to St. Dunstans west , and two or three adjacent parishes 100 l. apeece , the improvement whereof she hath ordered to be given to glad the hearts of the Poor upon the Birth-day of our blessed Lord , with a commemoration-Sermon also to continue his sacred memory to all succeeding generations . Pardon me also , I pray you , ye great learned lights of the Church , for thus presuming to offer with my roughhewing hands and unpollished Pen , in touching things so far above my feeble reach , ( and with the greatest , accept of the will for the deed ) you know the poor widow would cast into the Treasury all that she had ; and it was the poor Shepherds , inconsiderable persons , I humbly conceive , that had the happiness to see that heavenly sight of the blessed Quire of Angels , when they proclaimed Glory to God in the highest , on earth peace , good will towards men ; yea their poor ears had the honor to hear that unexpressible soul-ravishing mirth , that that Hierarchy of Angels made at the birth of our dear mothers new-born Bridgroom : And we poor weaklings would heartily rejoyce to hear and see the Church again comforted ; therefore I hope you will excuse me , poor despicable worm , ( and with humble reverence I 'le but remember you ) A Carpenter was dry Nurse to the holy Son of the most high God ; and divers mean men have had a hand in repairing of Churches though they could not perfect them ; and I am confident the Church with her decencies and truths will again be in high esteem with moderate men , when these foggy mists of our misled understandings are dispers'd , as God hath already begun to manifest his divine power after his own way , without one blow strucken by man as yet , and many of the opposers of Church and State nonplus'd or amazedly astonished and vanished ; and a great part of that prophesie uttered by the late King performed , and all the rest of it hasting by divine justice to be made known to all the world , as in the Kings Book of his Prophesies is foretold : Nor will he suffer those men long to prosper in their Babel , who build it with the bones , and cement it with the bloud of their Kings .	cache/A52167.xml	txt/A52167.txt
