Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
B06090
|
The Times dissected. Or, A learned discovrse of severall occvrrences very worthy of speciall observation, to deter evill men, and incourage good.
|
|
1642
(1642)
|
Wing T1289; ESTC R185073
|
6,468
|
11
|
and proxies for this cause it were fit the Bishops were hindred of votes Another Argument is there is no reason they should take place of their benefactors which they doe in the Lords House which will be if not excluded The third reason the Nobility and Gentry gave land and were benefactors to Bishops estates but the erection of Bishops came from the Pope anciently as appeares by many records and therefore their erections being Papisticall they may come to owe more service to the Pope then to the King which I leave to the consideration of the Parliament Now to declare the opinion of Lawyers not Catholicke there have beene Parliaments say they without Bishops E. 1. 24. a Parliament held Excluso Clero 7. R. 2. cap. 3. 7. R. 2. cap. 12. No Bishops and many other Parliaments had no Bishops and therefore it is the opinion of the best Lawyers at this day that they ought to be put out of the Lords House Lastly how many upright and sincere men have been put out by them and silenced Now let us touch the antiquity of Bishops to see whether they have anciently medled with temporalities or no From Christs time they were only Overseers of Churches in the Apostolicall function and superintendent Pastors of the Church appointed so by the Holy Ghost Acts 20 23 who by common consent did assemble together in which for more orderly proceeding in their charges they choose one amongst them to be Moderator and President this is he whom after the fathers called Bishop but not meerely from Christ and the Apostles for the name of all Elders and Ministers in the beginning was Bishop which after by the usuall language of the fathers was appropriated to the Presidentship of the Elders and Ministers therefore it was Saint Cyprian reproved the Elders for receiving those who were fallen away in time of Persecution before the Bishop had advised of it with them and others because they should make publicke satisfaction and therefore I conceive it an error that they had not power given before in generall Synods if any should returne to the faith to be restored in the interim to the Church upon confession and penitency in the congregation before a Synod called who otherwise might despaire in the meane time or by ill counsell fall away so that it is apparent that Bishops did deale in matters of the Church government by the counsell and consent of the Elders and no further but it is observed the Bishops in every succession and in every City caused all orders for to stand as the law the Prophets and our Lord did preach as Hegesippus said but how many an Apostolicall waies have they introduced contrary to the Scriptures witnesse the reverence to Altars kneeling at the Sacrament and many more as silencing Ministers for matters of conscience for no authority hath power of the confcience but God and nothing bindes the conscience semper ad semper but the decalogue so that it was never in the primitive times heard that the Clergy medled with Temporall affaires as they now doe which superabundancy of power causeth such corruption impurity of Religion and hurt to the Commonwealth therefore they seeke to crop their power or that they may have no more then in the first institution and manage affaires of Church with primitive temper to the good of the Common-wealth and glory of God and felicity of the Church but they have commanded what they list without controule are so insolent as of late Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterburies vices the more visible were by how much hee was more potent in power and gracious in the Princes eye to perswade the sequestration of zealous and pious in the Church and the Majesty to be aloofe off in matter of state from Ministers able and sincere or else to give the Soveraigne over to such as might loâ—se his subjects hearts and cause them fall into the Malady of disobedience a thing incident to misguided governments so he brought in innovations into the Church making her of a pure Virgin a very Strumpet Ship Coat and Conduct money and other sterne impositions he brought in not according to abilities but what the Iudges wickedly affirmed to be Law constraining inferiours to be instruments in execution for hope of advancement or over awing them by feare for acts that fill Princes coffers with unjust demands of money not due are ever the ruine of the first founders times are not bad but the wicked that live therein make them so who are the fathers of ill counsell as well as those who are the begetters of bad children which seasons make the best Ministers oftentimes minister fuell to illegall and wicked desires of great men wherein Kings themselves passe not blamelesse who chuse not instruments by the ballance of merit but with the sailes of will and passionate affection for as their mindes are large in respect of potency so their election is rather to satisfie their various humours then solid judgement like those who looke for the Philosophers stone and finde out nothing but fine conceits not worthy the looking for The Bishop alone manageth the State under the Diadem chooseth his chiefe instrument Wentworth into office of best trust and both together weave the web whose woofe was the mislike of the people flocks that love no fleaing the skin can indure the shearing this violent deporment bred a great distemper in the hearts of Scotland and caused the English murmure and draw to a defection or mutiny but no power gotten by wickednesse of Ministers is durable nor to such is any stability betwixt mediocrity and precipitation which cause doubtfull and ambiguous speeches of the Soveraigne when the fault ought to be imposed on the Ministers so dangerous are the wayes of Majesty that the folly of great ones strive for ruine Suppose those misconstructions the multitude have of the Diadem force Majesty to seeke advice and helpe from strangers when he cannot purchase duty at home what a lamentable consequence may follow to invite an ancient enemy to the funerall obsequies of her liberties the cure being worse then the disease And such is our state now that the House of Commons are constrained to be helpers a Theame most displeasing to Soveraignty though in a distracted state a rule infallible on Wentworth the affection of the Soveraigne was so placed as his power was boundlesse in Ireland and here unsufferable though a Gentleman of transcendent parts and of the highest ranke under the degree of Barony yet of a swoulne ambition which no republike can indure for all preferment passeth by him and all suits addresse to him who finding so full a Moone of favour thought he could not dye for Treason the price of his life surely I blame not a Prince for taking a reposefull friend to participate his intimate thoughts to temper the affaires of state so as he infects not the effects of his principality nor sullieth his parentall respect to the subject by hatred
THE TIMES DISSECTED OR A LEARNED DICOVRSE Of Severall OCCVRRENCES Very worthy of SPECIALL OBSERVATION To deter evill men and incourage good Printed in the yeare 1642. THE TIMES EVROPE afflicted mournes an Age it may be accounted when ruine is from time to time but great Brittaine as the last in the world in reservation of punishment is assailed with an Inundation of troubles a Country found no danger therefore sought no remedy as a Province when a Comet hath no relation to it feares not this caused her make no use of others harmes as wisedome should have done when a neighbours house is on fire therefore either because God chasteneth more the faults of us hee loveth a signe of good will or because he punisheth our errors he is most obliged to pay with revenge the sâ—urce of which Malady if we take the Elevation from the past inward or outward causes proceed First from our sinnes which did cast a Epidemicall Lethargy of unthankefulnesse for mercies received the greatest sicknesse a conceit of health when most in danger The second because there was not heretofore a perfect union twixt England and Scotland incorporâ—ting both into one body and minde if possible it might have beene a reason hath caused Portugall and Catalonia to revolt from the King of Spaine and Transilvania Valachia and Moldavia under Vayvodes and not Bashaes easily elapsed to disobedience in these turbulent and lachrymable times enter the yeare 1639. when two Armies in hostile manner oppose each other but cured with a pacification the ulcer not killed it revived the yeare 1640. inveâ—…oming the mindes of both Kingdomes as in a hecticke or rather a burning feaver with much corrupt matter ascendâ—ng caused a new Parocisme to devour the substance of the King and people which was prognosticated by divine anger threatned by the Ministers the Church conspurgated with errors the Common-wealth loaded with projects Monopolies and Impositions a Tyrannical Government propounded and assaied Parliamentary wayes denied the Road and Highway to justice the petitions of the people not heard nor answered all which chalked out ruine whereupon finding their lawfull desires made vaine they doe not so willingly obey the soveraignes edicts and commands finding the Diadem led with pernitious councells so that the Feaver of disobedience growing high the Scots invaded our souldiers had no will to fight the subjects no desire to pay to such a warre whereby the precepts of the head were of no availe over purse and spirit to oppose such invasion this distemper caused the King summon the Peerary to Yorke to consult and play Physitians to cure the present malady with a purpose King and Lords might doe all things without the Commons but they out of a sincere minde petitioned his Majesty for a Parliament because they could not accomplish the businesse without common consent to set in joynt the factions and fractions of the Kingdome which appeared by the miserable condition the face of the Common-wealth was beheld withall now better by a thousand degrees thankes be given to God for many wrinckles are worne away and I hope it will come to be in good health since the Parliament cannot be dissolved till all things desired be accomplished of which the Trieuniall Parliament will be the touchstone to try the truth But finding the Episcopall government caused divers distempers in the State by introducing new innovations in the Church as Altars removed for adoration a new unlawfull oath imposed by the Canons and not confirmed by the Parliament without which it was of no validity Secondly Service said at the Altar that the greater part of the people could not heare and the Pontificall Divines teaching and preaching in bookes and sermons that the King might invade our liberties this caused a research of the Episcopall power by whose authority this poyson was infused that a Bill issued from the Commons to the Lords and passed their House in all but one point which was putting out of the House but since some pride from the Bishops and Petitions from some parts of the Kingdome finding Church and republike impostumated the House of Commons hath committed a Bil for the eradicating of roote and branch Noble Friend to satisfie the appetite of your desires I will tell you the various opinions of men some there are haters of Reformation and pure formes like those that live in corrupt aire cannot breath in pure or used to brackish water delight not in sweet fountaines others there are who adhere to Rome and would have that forme of Church which but by a paire of sheeres devides from that Hierarchy that they might easily in that path goe to the Antichristian way which if it were hedged up had no gap to Babylonian errors for they found none but the Bishops and their followers brought in the Arminian and Socinian errors the bridges for Popery Some they say there are who have sucked in errors at the Vniversity by reading Papisticall bookes admitted by the Bishops and allowed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and are so infected in judgement that they had need of Spectacles to discerne the truth or of eye salve to cure and cleere their judgements Likewise others affirme many great Ladies because they are esteemed and flattered of Bishops would have them in their Pontificalibus some Protestants whose knowledge is not great would have them without other reason giving them because they have beene bred in that way And further the Papists whose Religion for the most part is in reverence and devotion are mightily for them because by that Hierarchy they confirme their opinions in Popery as an antiquity derived from Popish Bishops who first instituted inducted and confirmed them in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths time so that all our Pontificall Clergy derive the pedegrees of their rites and ceremonies from Rome so that if they are not in the first institution there may be a retrogradation to Rome by the same steps as in a maze goe backe againe the way they came in The politique sort finding the predominant constellation of their aime and pride are carried with other considerations that Monarchy had better give a loose to Hierarchy for there is nothing Aristocraticall but Parliaments which consists of Lords Spirituall Lords Temporall and Commons the three last are Aristocraticall now if one of these three be dissolved the Monarchy wil shine cleerer for that none can oppose the Supremacy of the King in great Britaine and Ireland but the Bishops who would if they had occasion draw the power to themselves from Rome and Peter and disseize his Majesty moreover some of the Lords Spirituall being Temporall Lords it may be feared there may be Parliaments without the Temporall Peeres for some of the Bishops are Temporall and Spirituall so that it is possible that the Lords Temporall may be barred which God forbid And further it is apparent the Commons shall passe nothing because the Bishops will not who sway the Lords House much with the Catholique party