Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	authority_n	church_n	person_n	1,479	5	5.0691	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75749	A remonstrance, against presbitery. Exhibited by divers of the nobilitie, gentrie, ministers and inhabitants of the county palatine. of Chester with the motives of that remonstrance. Together with a short survey of the Presbyterian discipline. Shewing the inconveniences of it; and the inconsistency thereof with the constitution of this state, being in its principles destructive to the laws and liberties of the people. With a briefe review of the institution, succession, iurisdiction of the ancient and venerable order of bishops. Found to bee instituted by the Apostles, continued ever since, grounded on the lawes of God, and most agreeable to the law of the land. / By Sir Thomas Aston baronet.	Aston, Thomas, Sir, 1600-1645.	1641 (1641)	Wing A4078; Thomason E163_1; Thomason E163_2; ESTC R212696	75,691	128

there is no reason but the same Authoritie the Synagoge had under the Law should continue in the Church under the Gospell b Beza praefat ad libr. de excom verius fuit Synagogae sub lege c. That under the Law judgements betweene bloud and bloud between plea and plea c T. C. l. 2. p. ●7 Beza de excom 104. did belong to the Priests and that it was death for any man to rest in his determination To deduce this judiciall power to themselves they tell us Christ as a King not as a Priest or Prophet prescribed the forme of Ecclesiasticall government d Cartwr l. 2 p 240. And that every Eldership is the Tribunall seat of God e Bez. de Presbyt 124. That every well-ordered parish having a perfect Eldership is of equall authoritie f Cartwr l. 2. p. 419. So here we see every parochiall Presbyterie invested in Christs Throne claiming judiciall power immediately from Christ whereby as is set forth in the Geneva g Thes 83. Civiles quoque lites antequam Christiani essent Magistratus ex Apostolica Doctrina componebantur Discipline Civill contentions were compounded by the Elderships before there were any Christian Magistrates But how have they now lost that judiciall power No sayes Cartwright b Cartwright l. 1. p. 175. the same Authoritie which the Church had before there was a Christian Magistrate doth still continue And another would be glad to learn how this authority was translated from the Church unto the Civill Magistrate i Discourse of Discipl p. 118. 119. For saies Travers Heathen Princes being become Christians doe receive no further increase of their authority than they had when they were Pagans If so certainly in their esteeme all Civill Magistracie is but a meere usurpation upon the Tribunall of Christ the Eldership SECT 12. Presbyterie against Lawes BUt Kings Nobles Magistrates are all men subject to sins and infirmities and no reason the blind should lead them who have the light of truth Christ on his Throne fol. 67. being inwardly called and gifted as they say for the work of the Ministerie yet surely the Law is a perfect guid to which all men must give absolute obedience which is enjoyned by St. Paul Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of man 1 Pet. 2 13● for the Lords sake This precept was so prevalent with the ancient Fathers that they conformed to the customes and rules of everie Church where they came St. Ambrose saies p Ambrosius in Epist 118. August ad Januarium Cum Romam venio jejuno Sabbato cum sum Mediolano non jejuno sic etiam tu ad quam forte Ecclesiam veneris eius morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi When I come to Rome I fast the Sabboth at Millaine I fast not so also doe thou in what Church soever thou commest observe their Customes if thou wilt neither give scandall to others nor have others give offence to thee And St. Austin seemes much to be troubled at the refractorinesse of such spirits as are not conformable to the government of the places they live in q Sensienim saepe dolens gemens multas infirmorum perturbationes fieri per quorundam fratium contentiosam obstinationem superstitiosam timiditatem qui in rebus hujusmodi quae neque Scripturae authoritate neque universalis Eccclesiae Traditione neque vitae corrigendae utilitate ad certum possunt terminum pervenire tantum quia suhest qualiscunque ratiocinatio cogitantis aut quia in sua patria sic consuevit aut quia thi vivit ubi peregrinationem suam quo remotiorem á suis eo doctiorem factum putat tam litigiosas excitant quaestiones ut nisi quo● ipsi faciunt nihil rectum existiment St. August in Epist 118. ad Januar●●m Often saies he do I think with sorrow and groanes what vaine perturbations arise from some weak brethren by their contentious obstinacie and superstitious feares in such things which neither by authoritie of Scripture nor universall tradition of the Church nor necessarie conformity of manners can bee reduc'd to any certaine terme onely because they find various matter of Argument or because it was so in such a Countrey or because they are so farre out of conceipt with their owne that they hold those things most authentick which differ most from their present practisee Hereupon raising so many litigious questions that they esteeme nothing right but their owne fancies To such obstinate Opinionators Master Calvin whose Discipline they would seeme to imitate though I feare they will scarce follow his Doctrine leaves this principle I desire such may bee admonished first not to wed themselves to their owne folly Secondly that in such frowardnesse they hinder not the building of the Church Thirdly that foolish emulation transport them not for what cause have such of brawling but shame to yeild to their betters r Calvin Epistola ad Anglos agentes Franckford●ae Illos monitos esse cupio ne sibi in sua inscitia nimis placeant dei de ne sua pervicatia sancti Aedificu cursam retardent Tertio ne stulta eos aemulatio abripiat Nam quae illis rixandi caus● nisi quia pudet mel●oribus cedere Now how farre the Apostles precept the Fathers president or the advice of Mr. Calvin prevailes upon some of these to submit to men or Lawes or with what moderation they proceed to establish their owne new Discipline is observeable Posito uno absurdo sequuntur mille is a Rule in Schooles and now can they bee conformable subordinate to Law or Government who lay their Principles above all Lawes They tell us a Practice of Prelates D. 2. the Presbyter is the only band of peace That b T. Cart. lib. 1. Epist the want of Eldership is the cause of all evills That this Discipline c Idem l. 1. p. 6. 48. is no small part of the Gospell it is of the substance of it * Knox Exhortation pag. 35. 43. That it is the Gospell of the Kingdone of God d Register pag. 68. That without this Discipline there can bee no true Religion e T. Cart. lib. pag. 220. Idem Preface to the Demonstrat That they that reject this Discipiine refuse to have Christ reigne over them and denie him in effect to bee their King or their Lord. And thence conclude that if any refuse to have the Lord Iesus set up as Lord let him bee f Christ on his throne fol. 76. Anathema Maranatha Vpon these pillars advancing the Church above the reach of all humane power telling us that every visible Church g In the 8. unanswerable propositions printed 1641. Eatons Positions not 9. which they say is every parish is an independant bodie of it self and hath power from Christ her head who hath left perfect Lawes for the government thereof which are unalterable and

by the protection of the Lawes as with a partition Wall against the spoyle of vermine vulgar the Boares of the Forrest that would root up our plants wed and prun'd from inbred Weed and Canker by the skilfull hand of Parlaments should now be all cast into the lump laid common All become yoke-fellowes beare the bonds of such boundlesse Disciplinarians which hold themselves subordinate neither to Emperours Kings Princes Magistrates Lawes Parliaments Presbyteries Synods Assemblies nor any thing they ever meane to reckon with in this world but onely to Iesus Christ their Head Such as these rather appeare to bee of the followers of Jehu the sonne of Nimshi for they drive furiously x 2 Kings 9.20 who walk'd in the wayes of Ieroboam Then of those undefiled Virgins that follow the Lambe whithersoever hee goeth y Revelation 14 4. Wee know that the meek he will guid in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way z Psal 25.9 But such as have bitter envying and strife in their hearts This wisedome descendeth not from above bus is earthly sensuall devillish * Iames 3.17 SECT 16. The vaine excuse that Lay Elders shall moderate them refuted YEt some have a fine veile to blinde the eyes of the willing and certainly none see lesse than the wilfully blind that this is a mixt government we shall have Lay Elders amongst them to moderate the extravagancies of the pastors and we need not feare but they will looke to them Alas how vaine a shadow is this when wee looke upon it but with the light of reason Are we not taught these Elders must bee chosen by the voyce of the people and are not these people taught by the pastors subordinate to them the Elders being but temporary for halfe a yeare or a y●are is it probable they shall have that dependance upon one another they shall have that interest in the parish as hee that is perpetuus Dictator Chancellour Arbiter for life in his petty popedome Some men talke of dumbe Dogs and certainly he will be held such that cannot so bestir himselfe in his parish as to have all their votes follow his who hath such absolute power over every mans person family and estate a Hunting of the Fox c Ec. 2. a S. Snecanus de Discipl●na Ecclesiae pag. 456. If then by this rule every little parish Church should have seven such Elders at the least and every great Church thirteene and these people at the devotions of their pastor of their Chancellour wee have then instantly no lesse than a hundred thousand Church-governours besides their adherents which admitted wee are sure in danger never to recover a free Parliament againe and in stead of 26. Bishops whose deputation is from whose dependance is upon the King as supreame whose temporall power is wholly derived from limited by the Lawes whose persons are easily responsible to Parliaments for any deviation from the rules of Law wee should thus expose our selves to an irrecoverable subjection to a multitude whose Election is prescribed to Iure Divino immediately from Christ Iesus who are the carvers of their owne Government b View of the Prelaticall Church fol. 41. Their Nationall Assembly to be gathered once in three years to make Canons and to establish Ecclesiasticall Government This independant of Parliaments accomptable to none but Christ Jesus either for Doctrine or Discipline and if in time found to be extravagant from or destructive to all Lawes and Government yet the Parliament shall then have an Hoast to encounter and not a few Delinquents to punish May not their owne words be more properly inverted upon such than on the Bishops c Englands complaint to Iesus Christ against the Ca●ons Such Presbyteriall Government and Jurisdiction it is meerly papall though not in the first degree the Pope usurping an universall power over all the Churches in the world yet in a second Everie pastor in his Diocesse his parish exercising a papall power and so doth cunningly undermine the Royall Office and overthrow Gods sacred Ordinance who hath given a power and charge to Kings to suppresse all such Ecclesiasticall Tyranny over the soules of his people Yet perhaps it may be sayd though their government bee thus wholly sever'd from the Parliaments and stands a part by it selfe our Lay Elders shall have vote among them in all their Synods and Assemblies who may have a care to ballance the scale 'twixt Church and State But are wee not told Some one Elder of each Parish appoynted by the particular Kirk Sessions and the whole Ministerie of those Churches meet c. Whereto if their Doctors and Teachers bee admitted they are double in number to the Lay-men if equall one Lay Elder inclining to their partie turnes the scale if not yet how incapable in respect of abilities how inactive in respect of Spirit these annuall temporary Officers must needs be in comparison of this powerfull preaching ministerie which hath such absolute authority over the soules of their parishioners every man may foresee with halfe an eye SECT 17. No reformed Church gives any president parallell with ours BUT many of us will not trust or trouble our owne judgement to rifle into the consequences of things but wee cry out how doe other Reformed Churches Gens humana novitatis avida and no Nation more unfortunately more improvidently prone to follow fashions than we And alas whence can we fetch a patterne that the freedome of our State considered would not render us miserable Can the French be any president to us who live under a Monarch of another Religion who will allow them no Sea no Diocesse no meanes for a Bishop whose Bishops will admit no sub-Bishops of another faith under their jurisdiction Therefore what necessitie makes to them Law must we make our choyce Is it the position of their Church to exclude them Shall wee beleeve Moulin himselfe he saies d Moulins Buckler of the faith the 30. Article fol. 3. 45. Our adversaries unjustly accuse us to be enemies of the Episcopall Order for we must be altogether ignorant of Histories if we do not know that all antiquitie speakes honourably of that degree The Geneva Discipline many dote upon not knowing what it is nor how consistent with our State That which makes our common people so greedily embrace this desired change is the frequent preaching and possessing them of an interest in the power of the Keyes if they follow that president they 'le finde themselves deceived Beza tells us e De gradibus Ministerii cap. 11. In Geneva the Elders are chosen yearely not of the baser sort of people but of the order of 25. 60. or 200. men which bee the Counsels of that State Nor was that government of choyse as fittest but of necessity Their Bishop was also their Prince Franciscus Bonivardus sayes 1124. The Bishop fained of Emperour Frederick ut ille solus Genevae principatum obtineret Regali jure who

God prescribed unto and cruelly imposed upon us by them for as touching the Prelates themselves we conceive them to be the Popes Substitutes per accidens at the least if not by solemne covenanted allegiance as it may appeare by their Lording it over Gods heritage both Pastors and People and assuming the power of the Keyes onely to themselves contrary to Gods sacred word Therefore we humbly Petition you this honourable Assembly as you tender the glorie of God the Kings Prerogative the Subjects libertie the purity of Gods sacred Ordinances and the welfare of Posteritie or wish the downfall of Antichrist and his adherents to stirre up the zeale and strength wherewith the Lord hath endued you and courag●ously proceed unto your immortall praise against these his mightie enemies and secret underm●n●rs of the good estate of our Church and Common-wealth and utterly dissolve their Offices which give l●fe to the most superstitious practises in or about the worship of God And so together with the ruine of their Antichristian Offi●es and Government we also humbly pray may fall to the ground their impious Courts with all their dependant Officers even from the Chancellors to the Parators their corrupt Canons booke of Articles the English refined Masse-booke of Common Prayer with all their popish significant Ceremonies therein contained the strict imposing whereof hath driven out of this our English Nation many of our most godly and able Ministers and other his Majesties loyall Subjects able both for person and estate to have done good service to God our King and Countrie Secondly our Civill miseries are chiefely these First That the tenths of all our goods should bee taken from us by Parsons Impropriators and in some places by Recusants under a pretence of maintaining the Ministerie and yet notwithstanding wee forced in divers places to maintaine a Ministerie out of the rest of our estates if we will have any and to repaire our Churches which have beene of late very excessive and superstitious Secondly That Sutes in Law are so long unnecessarily detained in Civil Courts before judgement be had wherby divers persons have their estates utterly ruined and others much decayed Thirdly That the Oath in Courts Leet and Baron is usually administred without limitation and before the charge be given so that the Jurors cannot sweare in judgement as the Lord requires they should Fourthly That the Countie Court is kept upon the Munday and thereby we are put unto excessive charges in travelling thereto unlesse wee should labour upon the Lords day next before Fiftly that our Countrie is verie destitute of sufficient Schoolemasters for the educating of our Children and fitting them for the service of God our King and Common-weale Sixtly that there are such excessive fines by some Gentlemen imposed upon their Tenants as that thereby they are both disabled to maintaine their families whence ariseth so many poore people and to doe his Majestie service and pay him lawfull tribute Therefore that these our grievances both Ecclesiasticall and Civill may be redressed and that the contrarie privileges which Christ hath purchased and commanded us to stand unto may be obtained and established WEe most humbly beg that the revealed will of God contained in the Books of the Old and New Testaments and recorded for our practise in the dayes of the gospell may be that Rule which your Honors would be pleased to follow O what glory would it be unto our God our King and Nation what beauty unto our Church what honor unto this Noble Parliament and what confusion to the enemies of his Majesty and loyall Subjects if wee might see the morall Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles made old Englands Canons then might our Ministers have liberty to preach Gods world and administer the Sacraments according to the mind of Christ and our Congregation power to execute Ecclesiasticall Censures within themselves Then might his Majesties Subjects meete together and pray for the King and Queene and their Posterity without punishment and false Calumniation O this would make our peace with God and good men this would gaine our friends and scatter our enemies This would make our Land impregnable and our Souldiers courageable This would unite our Kingdome in peace and cause us and our little ones to sleepe in safety This would cal backe the banished and release the Lords imprisoned this would advance our Mord●cais and hang our wicked Hamans This would replant our conscionable Ministers and supplant our Lordly Pr●lacy This would take away illegall exactions and bring our people to due subjection this would take away extorted Herriots excessive Fines and unlimited Boones for it would learn land-Lords more compassion and Tenants due submission yea this would make a sweete Harmony betwixt Rule and Obedience in all Relations Which that it may now happily be effected we earnestly implore the Lord of Heaven to bend your noble spirits to this great work of God which so sweetly ushereth al other comforts And so we shall ever pray c. The Positions annexed also to the Remonstrance Certaine Positions preached at St. Iohns Church in Chester by Mr. Samuel Eaton a Minister lately returned from new England upon Sunday being the third day of Ianuary 1640. in the afternoone FIrst That the names of Parsons and Vicars are Antichristian 2. The Pastors and Teachers of particular Congregations must be chosen by the people or else their entrance is not lawfull 3. That all things which are of Humane invention in the worship of God under which he seemed chiefly to comprehend the book of Common prayer and the rites and Ceremonies therein prescribed are unsavory and loathsome unto God 4. That Ecclesiasticall censures of admonition and Excommunication ought to be exercised by particular congregations within themselves 5. That the people should not suffer this power to bee wrested out of their hands and usurped by the Bishops 6. That the supreame power in Church matters next under Christ is in the Church meaning as he clearly explained himselfe particular Congregations for he denied all Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Churches as well as Bishops and so expounded that text Math. 18. Go tell the Church c of particular Congregations or as we call them parochiall Churches 7. That all good people should pray earnestly unto God and not cease to petition the Parliament for the razing of the old foundation meaning as he plainly discovered himselfe the abolishing of Episcopall Government and the establishing of their new Presbyterian Discipline as also for the purging all filth and Ceremonies out of the house of God 8. That they that put not to their hand to helpe forward this worke may justly feare that curse pronounced against Meroz Iudges 5. Curse you Meroz because they come not to helpe the Lord against his mighty enemies there he expresly called the Bishops the mighty enemies of God and his Church Certayn other Positions preached by the same man at Knuttesford a great market Towne in the same County 9