Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	church_n	reformation_n	2,930	5	8.7259	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51420	Episkopos apostolikos, or, The episcopacy of the Church of England justified to be apostolical from the authority of the antient primitive church, and from the confessions of the most famous divines of the reformed churches beyond the seas : being a full satisfaction in this cause, as well for the necessity, as for the just right thereof, as consonant to the word of God / by ... Thomas Morton ... ; before which is prefixed a preface to the reader concerning this subject, by Sir Henry Yelverton, Baronet.	Morton, Thomas, 1564-1659.	1670 (1670)	Wing M2838; ESTC R16296	103,691	240

not from Christ as the Apostles only were and therefore if by the Laws of Men he was prohibited Preaching he ought to obey and never did Preach till Mr. Knightly his Patron procured him a Licence from Archbishop Abbot Where by Ordinance of Parliament the Common Prayer Book was laid aside he never forsook the use of it but read always as much as his very old Age would suffer him When he was desired to Baptize a Child after the Mode of those Times without the Common-Prayer-Book he refused but administred both Sacraments according to that Order the Cross only excepted which practice made some imagine 't was the only thing he scrupled And when by Accident a great Commander in the Parliaments Army who formerly had been his Auditor came with Forces that way he asked Mr. Dod why he did not Pray and Preach up the Parliament He Replied He Preached Jesus Christ which was the work of a Minister And after that asked that Commander Who he fought for He answered For the King and Parliament The good old man replied But what if the King be in a fight and you should kill him The Commander replied He must take his fortune Mr. Dod returned 'T is a strange fighting for the King to kill him and this answer did so trouble and concern this good man that after this discourse ended he mentioned it with great horror to some of his Relations A little before Naseby fight King Charles of blessed memory sent the late Earl of Lyndsey to Mr. Dod to know his Opinion of the War His Lordship found him ill however he sate up and dictated his sense of it But the Earl was on a sudden by reason of the Fight hurried away that whether the King had the paper or no I cannot learn but the Original or a Copy of it was by some zealous men suppressed And their lived near him a Justice of Peace in those ill times who though he pretended to much Piety had little honesty as appeared at his death that was thought the man who suppressed it And when by some of Mr. Dod's Relations he was asked about it he made this answer That in his old Age he began to dote I have done my utmost to retrive it and am not yet out of hopes to do it which if I can compass the World shall see this man was none of those who disliked the Liturgy despised our Ecclesiastical Government none of those who gathered Proselytes by broaching Opinions contrary to the Established Laws none of those who Preached in Corners and so applaud themselves and their fancies that they fill our streets with their unreasonable Argumentations none of those who study to deceive because either they have deceived or been deceived themselves I have now done I only desire the Reader to lay aside all interest and partiality and as an indifferent and unconcern'd person to read this Discourse I here offer thee And since all Truth is great and will prevail I cannot but hope this truth will have a good success If the constant practice of the Primitive Church if the Authority of all the great Reformers in the Protestant Church if the universal consent of Antient holy Fathers if the concurrent Testimony of Modern Divines if the confessions of so many great Divines in our late ill times the blood of Archbishop Laud or the Martyrdom of our late blessed Sovereign have any Rhetorique at all let these compel thee to forsake these Separations and to return to the bosome of that Church whose Orders are Apostolical whose Ceremonies are Primitive and whose Doctrin is most Orthodox Hen. Yelverton From my house at Easton Manduit in Northamptonshire this 12 of March 1668 ● Episcopacy Asserted CAP. I. SECT I. That the Church of Geneva hath both justified and praised our Episcopal Government in England and prayed for the prosperous continuance thereof FRom the Church of Geneva we have that Pole-starr thereof Mr. Calvin himself peremptorily asserting the Right of Episcopal Government in what Church soever That professeth the truth of Doctrine and denieth dependence on the Roman Antichrist And the Case so standing he denounceth them Anathema and accursed who shall not reverently obey such Episcopal Hierarchy so Mr. Calvin which is the more remarkable because the Tractate wherein these words are is written professedly concerning the Reformation of Churches and therefore so much more appliable to the impugners of our English Church none more professedly maintaining the same Religion and somewhat more Reformed than it was in the dayes of Calvin Yea and even in her last Canons opposite to Papists and Popery as ever Again his Approbation of our English Episcopal Government then in being was expressed sufficiently in dignifying Archbishop Cranmer Even for his Archi-episcopal care which he had saith he not only of England but also of the whole World Meaning by endeavouring to his power to propagate the truth of Christ's Gospel every where In which sense of Publick Universal care good Bishops were antiently called Bishops of the Catholick Church Yea and in a more vehement and emphatical expression he exhorteth him with others the Governors of the Church To labour to discharge their Function as that which is enjoined them of God who will exact of them a due account thereof Our second witness Mr. Beza testifieth That the Church of England after the Reformation was supported by the Authority of Archbishops and Bishops excellent Pastors of the Church wishing furthermore blessing upon their Function that it might be perpetual to this Nation And in another place Judging them worthy of punishment that should not willingly obey their Authority So he Next both Mr. Beza and Sadeel jointly inveigh against those As impudent slanderers who should report them to have detracted any thing from the dignity of Episcopacy in this Church What shall we say to that mirrour of Learning Mr. Isaac Causabon who having taken due survey of our Episcopal Government in England doubted not to publish to the World That no Church in the World doth come nearer to the form of the Primitive Church than it doth so far saith he that they that envied her happiness are notwithstanding constrained to extol it judging furthermore That what either belongeth to the Doctrine of Salvation or to the decency of a Church is found in her as well as in any other Church upon Earth And in a Brotherly and Christian close concludeth saying Praised and magnified be God therefore Even as he did at the sight of the Consecration of Bishops in Paul's Church with this pathetical ejaculation Good God saith he how great was my joy do thou Lord Jesus preserve this Church and restore such to their wits who do deride these things So he After these Doctor Diodati now a famous Preacher in Geneva at his being in England did not a little joy to observe our Episcopal Government who if he had been an Adversary thereunto would not

as he did have noted One of the seven Angels in the Revelations to have been the Bishop of Ephesus Lastly Fredericus Spanhemius Professor of Divinity in the same Church may well stand for another witness who after his ample commendations and that worthily of the late Primate of Ireland manifestly extolleth The Bishops and Divines of our English Church for their accurate Writings in defence of the Orthodox Religion and their dexterity in confuting Romish subtilties after professeth in the name of the Church of Geneva Their embracing our Pastors and Prelates with Christian affection praying for the prosperity of them that sit at the Helm of this Church that their Prelatical Authority may continue unto them So they and somewhat more pertinent to our Question in hand as now followeth SECT II. That the Church of Geneva disclaimed the Opinion of thinking that their Churches Government should be a pattern for other Churches THe Smectymnians our Opposites by instancing in that Church may seem in the same book Dedicated to both Houses of Parliament that the same Church of Geneva which we acknowledge to be essentially a member of the Church of Christ ought to be a Pattern of Ecclesiastical Government to all other Protestant Churches We have a contrary Certificate from Theodore Beza speaking of Bishops as the Celebrious mouth of that Church We saith he do embrace all faithful Bishops with all reverence neither do we as some falsly object against us propose our Example to any other Church to be followed So he Hitherto of the justification of our English Episcopacy by the judgment of our most Judicious Divines of the Church of Geneva We are not destitute of like Testimonies from other Protestant Churches SECT III. That also other Protestant Divines of Reformed Churches have observed the Worthiness of the Episcopal Government in England MR. Moulin whose Name is Venerable among all Orthodox Divines acknowledgeth That our English Bishops that suffered Martyrdom in the days of Queen Mary were for Zeal nothing inferior to the most excellent servants of God which Germany or France ever had which none saith he will deny if not blinded in day-light And least that worthy Divine should be thought to approve of such of our English Bishops only as then suffered Martyrdom we have furthermore his indefinite large Testimony We affirm saith he speaking as the mouth of the French Church That the Bishops of England after the Reformation were the faithful servants of God and ought not to desert their Office or title of Bishop Hierome Zanchie amongst excellent Divines in his time exhorteth Queen Elizabeth with an Imprimis and especially to extend her care and Authority to have godly and learned Bishops whereof by the blessing of God saith he you have very many and to cherish them And again he congratulateth the Episcopal Dignity of Jewel Bishop of Salisbury Praying to God for his prosperous success in his Function and of all others the Pious Bishops of England and all this in the name of his Colleages the Pastors of the Church of Heidelburgh Sarania a Belgick Doctor though a great favourer of the Order of Episcopacy yet an earnest inveigher against the Roman Hierarchy confesseth Himself to wonder often at the Wisdom of the Reformers of the Church of England as no way deviating from the antient Church of Christ And he concludeth with this Epiphonema saying I hold it a part of her happiness that she hath retained with her the Order of Bishops Mr. Moulin again that he may be the Epilogue who was the Prologue concludeth for the Church of England saying That their agreement is such that England hath been a Refuge to our persecuted Churches and correspondently the excellent servants of God in our Churches saith he Peter Martyr Calvin Beza and Zanchie have often written Letters full of respect and amity to the Prelates of England So he To these may be added the late dedicated Books to some of our Bishops of these times together with others referring their Controversies among themselves to be decided by their judgment if we thought that such instances could be of easie digestion with some Hitherto by way of Introduction in behalf of our particular English Church We are now to prosecute the justification of Episcopacy in general so farr as to make good the Title of this Treatise inscribed A FULL SATISFACTION IN THIS CAUSE as well for the Necessary use as also for the just Right thereof as consonant to the Word of God We begin to consult with gray-headed Antiquity for the manifestation hereof SECT IV. That the Episcopal Government in the Church of Christ is for Necessary Use the best according to the judgment of Primitive Antiquity GEnerally the bestness of a thing that we may so call it is best discerned by the Necessary Use whereof Antiquity hath testified by Hierome That the original reason of constituting one over the rest of Presbyters to whom all the care of the Church should belong was saith he so decreed through the whole World that Schisme might be removed Which from the continual experimental success thereof in the Church he himself held to be such As whereupon the safety of the Church did depend Tertullian yet himself no Bishop neither will not have Presbyters and Deacons to Baptize without Authority from the Bishop for the honour of the Church which being observed Peace saith he will be preserved Chrysostom illustrateth the Necessity of Episcopal Government by resembling the Bishop to the Head in respect of the Body to a Shepheard in respect of his Sheep to a Master in respect of his Scholars and to a Captain in respect of his Soldiers with whom Ambrose agreeth in the first resemblance calling likewise the Bishop The Head of the rest of the members Augustine compareth the Bishop to the Father of the Family as being Head of the House Nazianzen Ambrose Nicetas decipher him as the Eie in that Head whose Office is to look to the whole Body whence they have their names Episcopi or Bishops Basil yet higher compares the Church to the Body and the Bishop to the Soul saying That the Members of the Church by Episcopal Dignity as by one Soul are reduced to Concord and Communion Cyprian Bishop and Martyr doth more than once complain of the Contempt and Disobedience of the inferior Clergy and People against their Bishops as the Original Spring of Heresies and Schisms We have done with the Fathers whom we have found generally asserting the Necessary Use of Episcopal Government and whom i● the next place we shall find seconded by the ingenious confession of Judicious Protestants of remo●● Churches SECT V. The Protestant Divines of remo●● Churches have generally acknowledged Episcopal Government to for Necessary Use the best THe Protestant Witnesses whic● we shall here alleadg are 〈◊〉 two Classes the one Lutheram with

Life in the Ministers intendeth a further execution of their Ministration and Discharge of their Function in these Angels which was a Prelatical Superintendency or Episcopacy as hath been testified not only by Protestant Divines of the Reformed Churches fourteen in number but also so generally that Doctor Scultetus Divinity Professor of Heidelburgh concerning this Approbation of Christ saith That all the most learned Interpreters have by Angels understood Bishops nor can they do otherwise without violence to the Text. So he All Glory be to God through Jesus Christ the Bishop of our Souls the Author and Finisher of our Faith Amen FINIS THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. SECT I. That the Church of Geneva hath both justified and praised our Episcopal Government in England and prayed for the prosperous continuance thereof Page 1 SECT II. That the Church of Geneva disclaimed the Opinion of thinking that their Churches Government should be a Pattern for other Churches p. 6. SECT III. That also other Protestant Divines of Reformed Churches have observed the Worthiness of the Episcopal Government in England p. 7. SECT IV. That the Episcopal Government in the Church of Christ is for Necessary Use the best according to the judgment of Primitive Antiquity p. 11 SECT V. The Protestant Divines of remote Churches have generally acknowledged Episcopal Government to be for Necessary Use the best p. 14 SECT VI. That the Episcopal Government is far more practised among Protestants of Remote Churches than is the Presbyterial p. 22 CHAP. II. SECT I. The second General Part of this full Satisfaction is concerning the Right of Episcopacy which is to accord to the Word of God which is the second reserved Condition in the Common Covenant p. 24 SECT II. First That no Antient Father hath been justly objected as gainsaying the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy no not Hierome p. 26 SECT III. That Augustine objected against the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy is directly for it p. 31 SECT IV. Thirdly Gregory Nazianzen a Primitive Father who is verbally objected against Episcopacy doth really contradict the Objectors p. 34 SECT V. That Clemens one of the most Antient of Fathers objected proveth to be a Counterwitness against the Objectors p. 37 SECT VI. The justification of Episcopal Prelacy by the Universal Practice of the Church Christian in times approaching towards Primitive Antiquity First By condemning Aerius the only famous Adversary against Episcopal Prelacy in those times p. 42 SECT VII That in the time of the foresaid Fathers the whole Church of Christ held the Derogation from Episcopal Prelacy to be Sacrilegious p. 45 SECT VIII That the immediate Succession of Bishops from the daies of the Apostles is liberally confirmed unto us by Learned Protestant Divines albeit sufficiently Presbyterial p. 47 SECT IX That there was an immediate Succession of Bishops from the Apostles times proved first because no time can be assigned wherein it was not in use p. 48 SECT X. That the whole Church Christian did profess and practise the Apostolical Right of Episcopacy p. 55 CHAP. III. After these our Evidences from Primitive Antiquity according to our precedent Method we are to contemplate of the Coelestial Sphear the Word of God it self p. 59 The Right of Episcopacy discussed by the Word of God ib. SECT I. Against the first Objection from the Identity of Names as they call it of Bishops and Presbyters in Scripture p. 60 SECT II. That the former Objection is rejected by the choicest and most acceptable Divines which our Opposites themselves can name p. 62 SECT III. The second Objection out of Scripture in that place Phil. 1.1 With the Bishops and Deacons c. is repugnant to the general Expositions of Antient Fathers p. 64 SECT IV. The third Objection is against the Appropriation of the word Bishop unto one which Appellation is shewn to be most justifiable p. 67 SECT V. The last Objection 3 John 9. p. 72 CHAP. IV. Our Prepositions grounded upon the Word of God Our first Evidence out of the Epistles of St. Paul p. 73 SECT I. That the Presbyterial Order was alwaies substitute to an higher Government as first to the Jurisdiction Apostolical ib. SECT II. That divers of the Apostolical Disciples were even in their times both in Dignity and Authority Superintendents over Presbyters p. 76 SECT III. That the aforesaid Apostolical Disciples were as Bishops over the Presbyters Among whom were Timothy and Titus by Evidence from Scripture p. 78 SECT IV. That Timothy and Titus were properly and distinctly Bishops notwithstanding their Title of Evangelists as is confessed by Protestant Divines of remote Churches p. 81 SECT V. That Timothy was Bishop of Ephesus notwithstanding that objected Scripture Act. 20 p. 88 SECT VI. That Timothy and Titus were both of them properly Bishops by the judgment of Antiquity p. 91 SECT VII That Protestant Divines of very great esteem have acknowledged Timothy and Titus to have been properly Bishops p. 94 SECT VIII The Second Evidence from Scripture for proof of Episcopal Prelacy is out of Christs Epistles To the Angels of the seven Churches of Asia To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write c. Chap. 2.1 p. 97 SECT IX That the first Exposition of our Opposites by Angel understanding the whole Church is flatly repugnant to the Context p. 98 SECT X. That the second Exposition is in interpreting the word Angel to signifie the Order of Presbyters in the Church The state of which Question is set down by our Opposites p. 100 SECT XI That the Objections made for this Exposition are confuted by their own best approved Protestant Authors p. 101 SECT XII Their second Reason confuted by their own alleadged Author p. 103 SECT XIII Their third Argument likewise confuted by their own Chiefest Author p. 106 SECT IVX. Their fourth Argument confuted by the same their own much applauded Author p. 108 SECT XV. The fifth Objection as a body in a Consumption languisheth in it self p. 111 SECT XVI Their last Argument standeth confuted by their own selves p. 112 SECT XVII Our Arguments to prove that the word Angel in the aforesaid Epistles of Christ signifyeth an individual person as a Prelate over Presbyters p. 114 SECT XVIII Arguments in special collected from the Texts p. 116 SECT XIX The second kind of Arguments taken out of the Doctrinal Testimonies of Antiquity p. 119 SECT XX. That Historical Evidence from Antiquity demonstrateth what Bishops some of these Angels personally were by their proper names and from them some of their Successors p. 121 SECT XXI A Torrent of Protestant Divines of the Reformed Churches consenting to the same Exposition of an Individual Person having Prelacy over Presbyters under the name of Angels p. 128 SECT XXII The second of our English Protestant Divines in the Opinion of our Opposites as competent Witnesses as any p. 131 SECT XXIII Of two notable Subterfuges of our Opposites What they are p. 132 SECT XXIV Against the Opposites Exception to Episcopal