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kingdom_n	lord_n	parliament_n	time_n	3,250	5	3.6307	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91570	The nevv distemper. Written by the author of the Loyall convert. Hilar. de Trin.Lib. 4. Hoc habet proprium Ecclesia; dum persecutionĕpatitur, floret; dum opprimitur, proficit; dum læditur, vincit: dum arguitur, intelligit; tunc stat quum superari videtur.	Quarles, Francis, 1592-1644.	1645 (1645)	Wing Q110; Thomason E17_20	19,252	30

approved by holy Martyrs and allowed of as most fitting untill the yeare of our Lord 1641. At which time multitudes of the lower sort of people throughout this Kingdome petitioned and tumultuously troubled the Parliament so that some of the Members perchance according to their inclination and others for quietnesse sake consented to the abolition and extirpation of Episcopacy the unadviz'd Contents of their clamorous Petitions Now if these Governments Hierarchicall and Presbyteriall be indifferent these Circumstances First of the time when Episcopall Government began Secondly of the unintermissive continuance for so many Ages Thirdly the credit of the persons confirming and approving it me thinks should cast such a kind of necessity upon it that the other being an untry'd Government and having no consent or approbation from the Supreme Magistrate and being onely cryed in by the Ignorant multitude affected to novelties and change should have no wise friend to plead for it Ob. We reade in the Scriptures of Elders which are members of a Presbyterie as it is written Titus 1. 5. For this cause I left thee in Creete that thou shouldest set in order things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City as I had appointed thee Also 1 Pet. 5. 1. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder By which it appears that Titus had instructions to set up a Presbyterie Ans You take the Scriptures by snatches Had you read in Titus the next verse following but one you would have had Saint Pauls meaning with his words viz. ver 7. For a Bishop must be blamelesse as the steward of God not selfe-willed c. So that it plainly appeares that Elders mentioned in the 5. verse are expounded Bishops in the 7. Or had you compared Saint Peters first verse before mentioned with his fift in the same Chapter you would have found Elders no positive but a relative word no Office but a degree of Age. Ver. 5. Likewise the younger submitting themselves to the elder the Apostle here shewing what the behaviour of the Elder Ministers should be towards God and of the younger towards them So that if either of them had set up a Presbyterie it was suddenly pulled downe againe and Episcopacie which you so much dislike placed in the roome Ob. We are so far from disliking Bishops that where there is one we desire there were twenty nay that every Church in England and Ireland had a severall Bishop Diocesan Bishops we dislike Parochiall we allow Ans How suddenly to crosse a setled and warranted establishment your windmill fancies can make an alteration Titus c. 1. 5. had a cōmand from S. Paul to ordain Elders in every City which he interprets Bishops not in every Church or Parish which Ordinance the Church of England hath punctually observed from the Primitive times to this day But you have refractory and gainesaying spirits spirits of contradiction that understand not the Scriptures but by your owne Interpretations alwayes stirring but never setled hating order despising Government and resisting all Authority Ob. But this Episcopall Government had her originall from Rome and being poysoned in the Root it cannot be wholsome in the Branch Ans Ignorance is the mother of all Error Your Chronologie failes you If you carefully search Antiquities you will find your Objection against it a good Argument for it I confesse Episcopacie had her Originall partly from Rome but in those dayes when we conformed according to the Church of Rome the Church of Rome conformed according to the Word of God Rome was then part of the Primitive Church not being above 187. yeares after Christ The Bishops of Rome were so far then from being Antichrists that most of them were Martyrs and dyed for Christ Ob. But our Bishops have too great Revenues whereby they are occasioned to Riot pomp and glory Ans Those Princely Benefactors whose bountifull Pieties thought nothing too much for Gods Ambassadours and therefore enlarged their Revenues so much well knew their places and callings requir'd it whose gates were to be open to all commers and bread to be given to all that wanted Their Places owe reliefe to the fatherlesse comfort to the widow supplies to the needy and succour to all that are afflicted and hospitality to all strangers No their great Revenues are greater Eye-sores then Inconveniences if not abused Ob. But these great Revenues might have been decimated and the Tenth part might have sufficiently maintained a preaching Ministry and the nine other parts might have been added to the Kings Revenues which would have made him the richest and most glorious King in Christendome and taken away the necessity of Subsidies from the Subject Ans This is robbing Peter to pay Paul beggering the Keyes to inrich the Sword and the next way to bring a Curse upon the King and all his people in generall by a generall guilt of Sacriledge The Shewbread must not be eaten but upon more necessity then God be thanked His Majesty was at that time put to The holy Oyle must not be put unto a Civil use But His Majesties pious and resolute refusall thereof hath in one word fully and fairely answered this Objection Ob. But Bishops have too absolute a power which gives them occasion and opportunity to be tyrannicall and to exercise an arbitrary Jurisdiction over their Brethren Ans From the beginning I confesse it was not so neither stands it with wisdome or policy to suffer it to be so For the Government of the Church must have proportion with the Government of the State Government of severall natures in one Nation breeds confusion and that ruine We therefore being a mixt Monarchy necessarily require a mixture likewise in the Hierarchy which excludes all arbitrary power It is true absolute Monarchy and an unlimited Hierarchy are apt to fall into the distemper of Tyrannie and Democracie and a parity in Government is as apt to run into the disease of Tumult but of the two evils Tyrannie is the least by how much it is the easier to be cured A monster with one head is sooner overcome then a Hidra with many If our Hierarchy hath slipt into this irregularity it is great wisdome and reason for a Parliament to rectifie it Ob. But the King having the sole Election of Bishops and so much favouring them will hardly consent to the abridgement of their power and greatnesse so that being his Creatures their power will be upheld by him to the end that upon any difference betwixt him and his people they may be the more able to uphold him and ready to make a strong party for him so that the more their power is weakned the lesse his party will be prevalent whereby his Prerogative may want Advocates and the Liberty of the Subject no enemies Ans His Majesty by his yeelding to the Bill of taking away their Votes in Parliament hath given a sufficient Earnest of a further Moderation of their power and no question was and

can do against them unlesse for Seducing which a particular Statute made Treason is to punish their purses for not observing his Statutes respectively or for exercising their Religion contrary to his Lawes But well it were if such a necessity of Connivance had no such subject to work upon How happy had it been for this unlucky kingdom if his Majesties most prudent and pious offer two yeare since propounded to us had been accepted in this particular That all the Children of his subjects of that Religion should be taken from them and educated in the Religion of the Church of England By which means the whole Kingdom in a short space of time would have been peaceably reduced to an Vnity in Doctrine And if the same course were taken with othe Strectaryes an Vniformity in Discipline also But our Kingdom must not expect an universall and through Reformation in all particulars till Catechismes be more strictly used and the entercourse of Embassadours which cannot simply be avoyded and Legers be restrained and strict statutes made and executed against sectaries But to returne to our first matter Admit Episcopacy were a Government accidentally inconvenient and that a more fitting Government were discovered prepared and made ready to be set up It would be but a new untryed Government and not experimentally known what proportion it would beare without temporall Constitutions A horse may be well metled and conditioned and every way commendable for the saddle yet not draw well in a Coach or Chariot A great part of our Common-Law is bu●lt upon the Cases of Bishops insomuch that if that Government be changed there must be a necessary alteration of many Lawes of the land And what incovenience may arise from such an Alteration I leave to the Judgment of Lawyers being not unworthy of some Consideration But let these things be accompted not Inconveniencyes and that the Hierarchicall Government is fit to be demolished either for the abuse of it by some few exorbitant Prelates or for the mischiefes that follow in respect of it self in that it administers such occasion of offence yet the too sudden Execution of a busines of so great aconsequence and concernment gives a livelyer testimony of passion then discretion if polititions may have credit and savours of extremity which is opposite to all virtue and too much rashnesse the distemper of all serious and honorable undertakings Too sudden an Alteration in matters of small moment passes not without some inconvenience but in things of such a nature as a Government nay a Church government too the nursery of the whole kingdoms happinesse or misery it cannot be without imminent danger but the sudden alteration of a fundamentall government of the Church which necessarily carryes the state with it threatens nay brings no lesse then unavoydable ruine to both A Rashnes too much we feare relishing of private ends to demolish that government in twelve moneths which hath been setting up and maintained by as wise generations as ours above foureteen hundred yeares How happy had it been for this at that time prosperous but now miserable kingdom had we taken the advantage of that greatest blessing that ever gracious Prince confered upon unthankfull Subjects the Trienniall Parliament wherein we might every 3 years have inspected this new recoverd Kingdome and kept it alwayes in a perfect Crisis the approaching Terror whereof would not have afforded popular evils so long a time or liberty to root themselves or gather head against the peace and welfare of our happy Government through the benefit whereof we might have taken an advantageous leisure and mature deliberation to ripen every Bill and by degrees to rectifie every nonag'd Crievance and indeed what happinesse was there which we had not then an offerd opportunity to bring upon this now unhappy Land The Government of the State as in many things it was reduced into an excellent temper so questionlesse had not this unnaturall difference interposed it had in all things by the continued goodnesse and favour of His Sacred Majesty been perfected to the comfort of us and the happinesse of succeeding Generations The Government of the Church likewise might by the vertue of the granted Trienniall been narrowly and exactly searcht into The Governours strictly observed The Bad turned out and changed for better They that deserved punishment punisht according to their misdemeanours Others lesse offending through some neglect reproved and checkt and upon no amendment the next Trienniall proceeded against accordingly The Fig-tree was not presently cut downe Root and Branch but suffered till another yeare And punishments before an Admonition are too rashly and severely inflicted Thus by this graduall and Trienniall Course Mercy and Justice would have incorporated the Government of the Church had been establisht the peace of this Kingdome had been secured the bad Governours had been rectified or removed the good encouraged and honoured and Peace and Truth had kist each other But the multitudes of these our nationall sins were too great to permit so great a Blessing on this Nation as the benefit of this Trienniall Parliament God suffered Abraham to see the holy Land but for the transgressions of the people not to possesse it God shewed us a glimpse of that mercy which our sins made us unworthy to enjoy and snatcht it from us In which respect we are now left to our owne wayes and governed by our owne Inventions and what is worse we are neither penitent for our nationall sins nor our owne nor what is worst of all sensible of Gods Iudgements nor our owne miseries How often have our Moderne Ministers in their unmeditated prayers before the open Congregation given God joyfull thanks for these blessed times Eccles ● Whereas if their hearts had not been hasty to utter any things before God they might have rather petitioned for a removall of these his terrible judgements How often have they prayed for the continuance of these happy dayes whereas 〈…〉 had not their mouthes been rash they might better have deprecated those miseries How often have they in their Sermons blasphemously challenged God upon the forfeiture of his Justice to crowne their Cause with Victory How often instead of wholsome doctrine have they delivered such reports as their Consciences knew Fables and were before next Sabboth Lyes upon Record How often have they preached downe Subjection to Princes and encouraged the Sword to grow warme in the blood of Christians How often have they Articled against Orthodoxe able and learned Divines and crowded themselves into their Livings who upon my certaine knowledge some of them can neither make true Latine nor write good English and then lay their preferment upon the wisdome of the Parliament How many children above a yeare old because their fathers are suspected to be loyall to their Prince continue unbaptiz'd many parishes can witnesse How long time is it since the last Sacrament of the Lords Supper was administred let the people tell if their memories

a new to be set up lest the tender Consciences of some should be offended The businesse being thus controverted it was at length voted for the purging of the old to which service were appointed Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Doctor Goodrick Bishop of Ely Doctor Skip Bishop of Hereford Doctor Thirlby Bishop of Westminster Doctor Day Bishop of Chichester Doctor Holbeck Bishop of Lincoln Doctor Ridley Bishop of Rochester Martyr after B. of London Doctor Cox King EDWARDS Almoner Doctor Taylor Deane of Lincoln Martyr Doctor Heynes Deane of Exceter Doctor RedmanDeane of Westminster Master Robinson Archdeacon of Leycester Mense Maio 1549. Anno Regni Edwardi sexti tertie Whereof three were famous Martyrs and the rest men of unquestionable sanctity soundnesse and learning which being done was authorized by Act of Parliament in that blessed Kings reigne Edw. 6. and with a full Consent received into the Church of England confirmed by divers Acts of Parl. in the dayes of Qu. Eliz. King Iames and King Charles our now gracious Soveraigne whom Almighty God long preserve But this establisht Discipline had no sooner being but enemies of which sort the devill hath alwayes instruments to nip the Plants of Religion in the Bud whose number daily since encreasing grew hotter and hotter in opposition and stronger and stronger in faction being too long for peace sake conniv'd at and at last too unseasonably and violently opposed insomuch that the disease in these our late dayes grew too powerfull for the Remedy so that the Distemper of our Church in that respect is growne so high that I feare Phlebotomy will rather produce a further languishment being already come to Madnesse then a Cure Nay so far have the Enemies of this establisht Government and Discipline given way to their exorbitant and refractory Opinion that they will neither allow the Matter nor the Forme nor the Authority and testimony of the Composers 1. Not the Matter though they cannot but acknowledge it in the generall to be very good yet because it was unsanctified by superstitious lips 2. Not the Forme because set and composed by Humane Invention 3. Not the Composers because Bishops and so though Martyrs for the Cause of God and his true Religion Members of Antichrist 1. As for their Exceptions against the Matter how ridiculous they are let Reason judge Have not superstitious tongues and eyes viewed and read the Scriptures in their very Originall and purity Shall therefore the Scriptures be disallowed Have not superstitious persons profaned our Churches with their Popish Doctrines Sacraments and Ceremonies and shall our Churches therefore be cryed downe or shut against the Ordinances of God because those Poets were Heathenish was S. Paul afraid to use their sayings Was the Spirit of God too blame to endite them Good things abused worke evill effects upon the abusers but lose not their goodnesse by the Abuse 2. As for their Exceptions against the Forme being set and not conceived the Authority of the Scriptures I hope will answer God the Father warrants it God the Son prescribes it God the holy Ghost allowes it 1. God the Father warrants it in the Old Testament at the time of the Law by his command to Moses Numb 6. 21. where he gives him a set forme and words to blesse the people The Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee 2. God the Sonne prescribes it in the New Testament in the time of the Gospel When S. Iohn the Baptist had taught his Disciples to pray the Disciples of Jesus Christ whose house was called the house of Prayer humbly requested the same boone from him who prescribed them that Forme which he had formerly used in the end of his Sermon Mat. 6. 9. which he intended not as a Model as some would have it but a very Prayer it selfe to be used in those very words as they were delivered Luke 11. 2. not After this manner but when ye pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say That he will'd the same words to be used is evident For his Disciples would be taught as Iohn taught his And how were they taught S. Iohn taught them the words onely he could not give them the Spirit to make an extemporary descant upon them So that being a direct Set Forme it warranted Set Formes which were used from the beginning of the Primitive Church from whence this part of our Discipline had her originall 3. God the holy Spirit allowes it Who dare question that the holy Spirit inspired S. Paul in all his Epistles written to the Churches In all which Epistles he concludes with this one Prayer The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. 3. As for their exceptions against the Composers of this Lyturgie who were no lesse then holy Martyrs and by Fire-light saw more Revelations then these Objectors did by day-light men of approved learning and true piety though some have impudence and spirituall pride enough to think their owne abilities and inspirations to flye a higher pitch and Ignorance enough to acknowledge greater knowledge in themselves yet the most humble able and truly sanctified minds have alwayes had Martyrdome in so high reverence that they conclude that God that made their blood the seed of the Church and gave them the courage and honour to dye in the maintenance of the Truth would not permit that seed to bring forth such darnel of superstition or them to die guilty of those Errors they so resolutely cryed down with their dying blood 2. As for her government by Episcopacie the extirpation wherof being a great addition to her Distemper It hath as much or more Ius Divinum to plead then that which endeavours to demolish succeed it Presbyterie Both are but mentioned in the Scripture at large but no particular Rules for the executing the office of either which being left wholly as arbitrary it rests in the power of the Supreme Magistrate whom God hath constituted his Vicegerent to choose and establish which may best be found consistent with the Constitutions of the Kingdome and stand to most advantage with the civil Government But admit the Civil Government will stand with either When the Balances stand eavenly poised the least Grain turns it In things indifferent the smallest circumstance casts it This Island of Britaine if we look back above 1400 yeares being a long Prescription when she first received the Faith was then governed by King Lucius whom God made a great Instrument for reducing of this Kingdome from Paganisme who sending to Rome and accommodated from thence with two Christian and learned Divines by their labours and Gods assistance upon them planted the Gospel At the beginning of which plantation Arch-Flamins and Flamins were put downe and in their roome Archbishops and Bishops were introduced which Government successively continued and flourisht through the reigns of many wise Princes confirmed by many Acts of Parliament since the Reformation exercised and