Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	duty_n	folio_n	pacify_v	24	3	15.9555	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27050	A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort of diocesan churches, prelacy and government, which casteth out the primitive church-species, episcopacy, ministry and discipline and confoundeth the Christian world by corruption, usurpation, schism and persecution : meditated in the year 1640, when the et cætera oath was imposed : written 1671 and cast by : published 1680 by the importunity of our superiours, who demand the reasons of our nonconformity / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1681 (1681)	Wing B1427; ESTC R19704	421,766	406

of the first rank afore-described must govern it statedly as present by himself and not absent by others Chap. 12. The just opening and understanding of the true nature of the Pastoral Office and Church Government would end these Controversies about Prelacy Chap. 13. That there is no need of such as our Dioces●nes for the Unity or the Government of the particular Ministers nor for the silencing of the unworthy Chap. 14. The true original of the warrantable sort of Episcopacy in particular Churches was the notorious disparity of abilities in the Pastors And tho original of that tyrannical Prelacy into which it did degenerate was the worldly Spirit in the Pastors and people which with the World came by prosperity into the Church Quaere Whether the thing cease not when the Reason of it ceaseth PART II. Chap. 1. THe clearing of the State of the Question Chap. 2. The first Argument against the aforedescribed Diocesanes that their form quantum in se destroyeth the particular Church form of Gods institution and setteth up a humane form in its stead Chap. 3. That the Primitive Episcopal Churches of the Holy Ghosts Institution were but such Congregations as I before described Proved by Scripture Chap. 4. The same proved by the Concessions of the most learned Defenders of Prelacy Chap. 5. The same proved by the full Testimony of Antiquity Chap. 6. The same further confirmed by the Ancients Chap. 7. More proof of the aforesaid Ancient Church limits from the Ancient Customs Chap. 8. That the Diocesanes cause the Error of the Separatists who avoid our Churches as false in their Constitution and would disable us to confute them Chap. 9. The second Argument from the deposition of the Primitive species of Bishops and the erecting of a humane inconsi●tent species in their stead A specifi k difference proved Chap. 10. Whether any form of Church Government be instituted by God as necessary or all be left to humane prudence and choice Chap. 11. Argument third from the destruction of the Order of Presbyters of divine Institution and the invention of a new Order of half Sub-presbyters in their stead Chap. 12. That God instituted such Presbyters as had the foresaid power of the Keyes in doctrine worship and discipline and no other proved by the Scriptures Chap. 13. The same confirmed by the Ancients Chap. 14. And by the Confessions of the greatest and learnedest Prelatists Chap. 15. Whether this Government belonging to the Presbyters be in foro Ecclesiastico exteriore or only in foro Conscientiae vel interiore Chap. 16. That the English Diocesane Government doth change this Office of a Presbyter of God's institution quantum in se into another of humane invention The difference opened Twenty instances of taking away the Presbyters power from them Chap. 17. That the great change of Government hitherto described the making of a new species of Churches Bishops and Presbyters and deposing the old was sinfully done and not according to the intent of the Apostles Chap. 18. Argument fourth from the impossibility of their performance of the Episcopal Office in a Diocesane Church And the certain exclusion and destruction of the perticular Church Government while one man only will undertake a work too great for many hundreds when their work is further opened in perticulars Chap 19. The same impossibility proved by experience 1. Of the ancient Church 2. Of the Foreign Churches 3. Of the Church of England 4. Of our selves Chap. 20. Objections against Parish discipline answered The need of it proved Chap. 21. The Magistrates sword 1. Is neither the strength of Church discipline 2. Nor will serve instead of it 3. Nor should be too much used to second and enforce it The mischeifs of enforcing men to Sacramental Communion opened in twenty instances Chap. 22. An Answer to the Objections 1. No Bishop no King 2. Of the Rebellions and Seditions of them that have been against Bishops Chah 23. Certain brief consectaries Chap. 24. Some Testinonies of Prelatists themselves of the late state of the Church of England its Bishops and Clergy lest we be thought to wrong them in our description of them and their fruits Chap. 25. The Ordination lately exercised by the Presbyters in England when the Bishops were put down by the Parliament is valid and Re ordination not to be required jure divino as supposing it null A TREATISE OF EPISCOPACY Confuting by SCRIPTURE REASON And the CHURCHES TESTIMONY That sort of Diocesan Churches Prelacy and Government which casteth out the Primitive Church-species Episcopacy Ministry and Discipline and confoundeth the Christian world by Corruption Usurpation Schismes and Persecution Meditated 1640 when the c. Oath was imposed Written 1671 and cast by Published 1680 by the Call of Mr. H. Dodwel and the Importunity of our Superiors who demand the Reasons of our Nonconformity The designe of this book is not to weaken the Church of England its Government Riches Honour or Unity But to strengthen and secure it 1. By the concord of all true Protestants who can never unite in the present Impositions 2. And by the necessary reformation of Parish-Churches and those abuses which else will in all ages keep up a succession of Nonconformists As an Account why we dare not Covenant by Oath or Subscription never to endeavour any amending alteration of the Church Government by lawful meanes as Subjects nor make our selves the justifying vouchers for all the unknown persons in the Kingdom who vowed and swore it that none of them are obliged to such lawful endeavour by their vow By RICHARD BAXTER a Catholick Christian for love concord and peace of all true Christians and obedience to all lawful commands of Rulers but made called and used as a Nonconformist London Printed for Nevil Simmons at the three Cocks at the West end of Saint Pauls and Thomas Simmons at the Prince's Armes in Ludgate-street MDCLXXXI These Books following are printed for and sold by Nevil Simmons at the three Golden Cocks at the west end of St. Pauls A Christian Directory or sum of practical Theology and cases of Conscience directing Christians how to use their Knowledge and Faith how to improve all helps and meanes and to performe all duties how to overcome temptations and to escape or mortifie every sin in four parts 1. Christian Ethicks or private Duties 2. Christian Oeconomicks or Family Duties 3. Christian Ecclesiasticks or Church Duties 4. Christian Politicks or Duties to Our selves and Neighbours in Folio Catholick Theology Plain Pure Peaceable for Pacification in three Books 1. Pacifying Principles c. 2. Pacifying Praxis c. 3. Pacifying Disputations c. in Folio The Life of Faith in three Parts The first Sermon preached before his Majesty c. The Second Instructions for confirming believers in the Christian faith The third directions how to live by faith or how to exercise it in all occasions in Quarto Naked Popery or the naked Falshood of a book called the Catholick naked Truth

have a due and moderate regard of our own reputation as men but much more as Ministers of Christ seeing the doctrine of Christ which we preach or write is usually dishonoured in the Ministers dishonour and the edification of the souls of them that hear us or read our writings is greatly hindered by it 7. While Noblemen Knights Gentlemen conformable Clergy men and many others of all Ranks are possessed with these thoughts of us that we are persons who hypocritically pretend to Godliness while indeed we are so humoursome that we will forbear our Ministry and our Maintenance and suffer any thing and divide the Church rather than yield to indifferent things this is a scandal a grievous scandal either given or taken and tendeth to wrong their souls that are scandalized And if we give them this scandal it is our heinous sin But if they take it by misinformation we are obliged to do our part to heal it Souls are precious and scandal doth endanger them even to distast Religion it self for the sakes of such as they take us to be And we must not stand by and see men perish if we can do any thing to save them 8. The sufferings of many of the Ministers are very great that have not bread for their children nor cloaths to cover them and are ashamed to make known their wants And if with all this we suffer the burden of unreproved calumny to lie on them and keep them not to the necessary comfort which conscience should find in sufferings with innocency we shall be guilty of uncharitableness our selves 9. It is part of our Honouring the King and Parliament and other Magistrates not to despise or slight their censures And the judgment which they have publickly passed on us in an Act of Confinement which imposeth the Oath for Prelacy is so hard and grievous that if we are guilty it is fit we should be made the common reproach of men And if we are not as Non-conformists it is our duty to rectifie the judgment of our superiours where they are misinformed And as Augustine saith that no good Christian should be patient under an imputation of Heresie so I may say that no good Subject should be senslesly patient under an imputation of disloyalty and sedition That better beseemeth the anarchical and truly disloyal and seditious who take it for no crime 10. And we know how pleasantly the Papists insult to hear us stigmatized for Villains and seditious Persons by our brethren and what use they will make of it at present and in future History to the Service of their malice and injury to the truth which we ought not silently still to suffer while we see how hereby they do already multiply 11. And how unlikely soever it be it is not impossible that our Superiours that at once deposed and silenced about 1800. Ministers of Christ when they see what Reasons we have for our Non-conformity may be moved to restore those that yet survive And then how many thousand souls would have the joy and benefit 12. Lastly Truth and the just information of Posterity is a thing exceedingly desirable to ingenuous minds It is a great trouble to think that the Ages to come should be injured by false History Therefore we must do our best that they may but truly know our Case and then let them judge of the Persons and Actions of this our Age as they shall find Cause when Truth is opened to-them Upon all these Reasons though to my own great labour and to the greater contradiction of my natural love of silent quietness and to the probable incurring of mens displeasure I take it to be my duty to give my Superlours Neighbours and Posterity a true Account of the Reasons which have moved my self and others of my mind to refuse to Subscribe and Swear to the present English Diocesan Prelacy Committing my Life and Liberty to the pleasure of God in obedience to whom I have both refused to Conform and written these Reasons of my Non-conformity CHAP. II. The English Diocesan Prelacy and Church-Government truly described that it may be known what it is which we disown IT being not Episcopacy in General but the Popish and the English Species of Prelacy which our Judgments cannot approve and which we cannot swear to as approvers it is necessary that we tell strangers what this Prelacy is that the subject of our Controversie be not unknown or misunderstood But the subject is so large that the very naming of the parts of our Ecclesiastical Government in Tables by Dr. Ri. Cosins maketh up a Volume in 16 Tables and many hundred branches Which being written in Latin I must refer the Foreign Reader to it Not at all for the understanding of our Practice but only of our Rule or Laws with our Church-Constitution seeing it would take up a considerable Volume to open but one half of his Scheme All that I shall now do is to give you this brief Intimation That in England there are 26 or 27 Bishopricks of which two are Archbishops In all these set together there was when Speed numbred them nine thousand seven hundred twenty five Parish Churches but now many more In the Diocess that I live in Lincoln there is above a 1000 or 1100. In very many of these Parishes besides the Parish-Churches there are Chapels that have Curates in some Parishes one Chapel in some two in some three if not more In these Parishes the number of Inhabitants is various as they are greater or lesser The greatest about London such as Stepny Giles-Cripplegate Sepulchres Martins c. have some about 50000 persons some say much more some about 30000 some about 20000 c. But ordinarily in Cities and Market-Towns through the Country the number is about 2000 or 3000 or 4000 or 5000 at the most except Plimouth and some few great Parishes that have far more And in Villages in some 2000 in some 1000 in some small ones 500 or 300 or in some very small ones fewer There are in England 641 Market-Towns saith Speed which are of the greater sort of Parishes and such as in old times were called Cities though now a few have got that title at least a great number of them are equal and some much greater and richer than some that now are named Cities The Diocess that I live in is about six-score Miles in length By all this you may conjecture how many hundred thousand souls are in some Diocesses and at what a distance from each other and what personal Communion it is that they are capable of I my self who have travelled over most of England never saw the face or heard the name of one Person I think of many thousands in the Diocess that I live in Nor have we any other Communion with the rest of the Diocess even with above a thousand Parishes in it than we have with the People of any other Church or Diocess in the land about us save that One