Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	council_n	decree_n	2,825	5	8.8444	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80550	The second part of the interest of England, in the matter of religion, unfolded in a deliberative discourse, proving that it is not agreeable to sound reason to prefer the contracted and dividing interest of one party, before the general interest of Protestantism, and of the whole kingdom of England, in which the Episcopal and Presbyterian parties may be happily united. /; Interest of England in the matter of religion. Part 2	Corbet, John, 1620-1680.	1660 (1660)	Wing C6264; Thomason E1857_2; ESTC R210384	40,874	132

sacred name of the Church be given to a society not carnal but truly spirituall according to that of the Apostle We are the Circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh It is the preheminence of His Majesty as General Bishop of the Land for so He is in a political sence to visit His people of all ranks by His prudent inspection And it is worthy of His chiefest care and search to know whether every Pastor be resident with his own Flock and doth constantly on every Sabbath teach them the good Knowledge of God what Pluralists do seize upon several Congregations thrusting or barring out laborious Ministers a●d leaving the sheep in the hands of one who is a meer mercinary and careth not for them whether Preaching in Cathedral Churches be more frequent since the reviving of Deans and Chapters then before when those places were supplied by one or two stipendiary Ministers whether the Precincts of Cathedrals be the purest parts of the Land and the Members thereof the purest parts of the Clergy as in reason they ought to be In all His Majesties superintendency there is nothing of greater moment then to provide that the Order and Frame of Ecclesiasticks have not a tendency to make the superior Party proud and covetous and the inferior poor and vicious A good Constitution or Frame of Ecclesiastical Politie is incomparably more available to produce good effects then good Canons or good Governours can be where the Constitution is naught For in such a state good Canons and good Governours will not be able to reform abuses and correct scandals and promote the true end of Church Discipline In the Trent-Council the Papalins or the Popes Creatures held this for a maxime That the Decrees of Reformation could not diminish the profits of the Court of Rome as long as the Authority of the Apostolique See was not impaired The Council being ended and the Decrees coming to be ratified by the Pope and the Officers of the Court representing their losses and prejudices by the Ratification and the Pope thereby perplexed and the Cardinals divided in their Opinions one Bishop a man well conversant in Court Affairs said That he could not chuse but wonder at this great fear concerning the confirmation of the Decrees which he saw did arise without reason for that Laws have no power but what is given them by him that Governeth That the Pope by his Exposition might give them a larger or a stricter sence yea and contrary to that which the words do import That he might ordain a particular Congregation for expounding the Council and effectually provide that none should be able to alleadge the Decrees in prejudice of the Court The Pope was satisfied with these reasons being perswaded that it would fall out as the Bishop had said And so the Decrees of Reformation proved of no effect to reform the enormities of the Court of Rome By this it appears that new Laws and Decrees work little where a corrupt Frame remaineth still in force If in such a state of things good men promoted to Government should do their utmost to rule well they are no more able to reform the Churches committed to them then the two Cato's to reform the Roman Common-wealth when it was wholly corrupted and out of frame Besides in a corrupt frame of Politie there are these two great evils the one that good men will soon degenerate the other that bad men led by ambition and avarice will by Arts proper to the times more easily get promotions and a good Prince shall see it and not know how to help it That Politie whether Civil or Ecclesiastical is well constituted that in its frame is apt to bridle humane desires but that is ill constituted which lets loose the reins to appetite No function or calling is exempted from the corruption that is in the world through lust And the grandeur of this world is not more perillous to any then to Ecclesiastical persons It is a singular excellency in any frame of Politie that the power of doing good be very ample and that a power to hurt be as much contracted and restrained as the ends of Government will permit And verily no wise and gracious persons would willingly be tempted with a power to hurt if they be sufficiently impowered to do good without it Besides it is an odious power and makes the Office hateful Now the way to this happy Order of things is obvious Let not severe Laws and Canons concerning things disputable and unnecessary which may insnare the consciences of godly orthodox and peaceable persons remain in force The most zealous assertors and rigid imposers of Ceremonies acknowledge that they are not necessary parts of Worship the declaring That holiness is not to be placed in them is their best defence against the charge of wil-worship Therfore to suspend and silence able and painful Ministers to vex and punish other godly Christians that cannot submit to those Ceremonies is to procure much evil without a benefit to countervail it A power of doing much harm and little good is unhappily placed in any sort of men but especially in Christs spiritual officers who according to the Apostles words have received authority from the Lord for edification and not for destruction The most renowned Polititian observes that those Kingdoms Republicks and sects of Religions subsist longest that are often renewed or brought back to their first beginnings For the beginnings of all these must needs contain some goodness in them by means whereof they rise to their first reputation and increase Now in process of time that goodness will ●e overgrown by corruption and unlesse something happen to reduce it to the just mark those Societies must needs be destroyed And touching Religions he proves these Reformations necessary by the example of the Roman Religion saying If it had not been reduced again to its principles by St. Francis and St. Dominick it would have been quite defaced For these by their poverty and imitation of Christs life made a new impression thereof in mens minds which was quite blotted out thence and their new rules were so powerful and are now the cause that the dishonesty of the Prelates and Heads of Religion do not ruine it partly by their living in poverty and partly by the credit they have in confessing the people and preaching to them Indeed this Author doth not hit the mark and no marvel touching the true principles of Christianity and right imitation of Christ the reviving whereof he ascribes to those two popish Saints but his reason of Religion in general is solid and excellent and his instances in particular are right and sound being applyed as they are to the upholding of the popish Religion As for Religion truly Christian the way to preserve it in its power and glory is frequently to reduce it to its first beginnings for then was its goodness most eminent