Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	discipline_n	government_n	3,314	5	6.9877	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91218	Minors no senators. Or A briefe discourse, proving, that infants under the age of 21. yeares, are uncapable, in point of law, of being members of Parliament, and that the elections of any such are meere nullities; yea, injurious, prejuditiall, dishonourable to the whole Parliament and Kingdome, in sundry respects. / Written by a common-lawyer (a true lover of his country, and honourer of the Parliament) to a friend and client of his, for his private satisfaction, and published for the common-good.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1646 (1646)	Wing P4008; Thomason E506_33; ESTC R205590	20,692	18

of all England and Vote and judge in their behalfe Secondly As the Parliament is the Supreame Court so the u Greatest Councell of the Kingdome Hence it is usually stiled in our Ancient Writers especially before the Conquest x Concilium SAPIENTUM ore SAPIENTUM POPULI Concilium SENATORUM SENIORUM NATU MAJORUM ALDERMANNORUM c. and are Infants such The Members of it representing the House of Commons are commonly called Sapientes Sapientissimi viri Senatores Seniores populi ●rudentissimi viri Authoritate Scientia pollentes Conspic●i clarique Viri and are Infants such Or can they be stiled such If not then certainly they are no fit Members of such a Councell neither were they so reputed informer ages why then should they be deemed fit Members now when greater weightier businesses of all sorts concerning Church and State are imagitation then in any former age whatsoever or all our Parliaments put together Nay why should they bee deemed meete Members to sit and Vote in this greatest Councell of the Realme at this time who are not thought fit persons to bee admitted in any our most inferiour Councells authorized either by Law or custom at any time Who ever heard or saw an Infant elected a Common-Councell man in any of our Cities Corporations Fraternities Guiles much lesse a Major Alderman Master or Warden in any of them Did ever any of our Kings make choice of Infants for their Priv●e Councellours of State for their Councell of Warre Law Physicke Or were ever any such elected to be Members of any Convocation Synod Councell our x present Laws and Ancient Canons prescribe that no man shall bee made a Minister before the age of 24. yeares much lesse then can bee a Member of any Synod or Convocation before that age And shall Infants then bee capable of being Members of the supream Councell of Parliament before the age of 2● wherein all Acts Canons made in Synods or Convocations must be x ratified before they becom obligatory Certainly this would be a great solecisme disparity absurdity Every Senater and Member of the greatest Councell of the Realme as z Polititians and others resolve ought to be endued with these severall qualifications to discharge that place which Infants commonly want 1. With deepe solid wisdome and gravity 2. Sound judgement 3. Grand experience 4. Impartiall Justice 5. Inflexible undaunted courage and resolution not to be overcome with flattery or threats 6. A prudent foresight to prevent all gro●ing mischiefes 7. A competent measure of Learning and skill especially in the lawes constitutions and Histories of his owne and other States and in State affaires Now what Infant is there to bee found endowed with all these qualities in such an eminent manner as to make him a fitting Member for so great so publike a Councell as the Parliament to which none are to bee admitted but such who are qualified in some good measure for it Thirdly The matters to be debated and transacted in Parliament will easily resolve that they are too ●igh weightie difficult for Infants to debate order as determine aright As namely a First All matters touching the King his Prerogative Crown Revenewes Secondly All matters concerning the State of the Kingdomes of England and Ireland as well in times of Warre as Peace Thirdly All affaires which concerne the defence of the Kingdom by Sea or Land Fourthly The preservation Reformation of the Church Government disciplin of the Church of Engl. and true Religion established therein Fifthly The enacting of new Laws with the amendment or repeale of old ones Sixthly All matters concerning the Courts Officers and administration of Justice Seventhly All things concerning trade commerce the severall arts and professions of all sorts of men Eighthly Crimes grievances oppressions of all sorts Ninthly The liberties properties estates lives limbes of all the people Tenthly The Priviledges of this high Court and of the Members therof Alas what Infant yea what ancient experienced States man almost is sufficient for all these things of moment Yea if we look only upon the great arduous Ecclesiasticall Civill Millitary affaires wherein this Parliament hath spent above five yeares deliberation and debate we shall finde them so intricate difficult ponderous dangerous arduous and transcendent as I am confident all that know them will conclude they transcend the capacity of any Infants to understand much more to debate determine resolve settle in a ●ight and stable way for our Churches Kingdoms future preservation And shall we make or suffer Infants to be Members of this greatest Councell of the Realme to settle determine such difficult weighty things as these which their capacities skill abilities are unable to comprehend much lesse to resolve regulate settle Verily if we should do this I feare the whole Kingdome and Christian world would censure and condemne us as Children for it Finally our b Parliaments themselves have in all ages provided and taken speciall care of Infants educations persons estates enjoyning their Gardians others to take the care and custody of them during their minority and exempting them out of sundry Acts in cases of Lackes Nonclaime fines as persons uncapable to dispose of themselves or their estates yea void of competent wisdome and discretion to manage their owne privat● affaires A direct Parliamentary judgment and resolution in all ages that they are much more uncapable to order settle manage the greatest affaires of the Church State in the supreamest Court and Councell of the Realme 3ly The reasons drawne from the inconveniencies and mischiefs of admitting Infants to be Members are many First it is of one of the saddest judgments God threatens to his people That he will give them Children to be their Princes and Babes to rule over them Isa 3. 4. Eccles. 10. 16. and then what followes The people shall be oppressed every one by another and every one by his Neighbour the Child shal behave himselfe proudly against the ancient and the base against the Honourable Children are their oppressors and women rule over them O my people those that load thee cause the to erre and destroy the way of thy Paths Isay 3. 5. 12. Therefore it must needs be mischeivous and an heavy judgment to have Children and Babes in Law Members of our Parliaments which should be a Councell of the sagest discreetest Senators and Elders of our Realme 2ly It is of very dangerous consequence for Infants to be admitted Members especially in these times of greatest consultation action danger and reformation For first if any one Infant may de jure be a Member of Parliament then by consequence a second third so in infinitum till the House be filled with such for surety if one Infant be capable of being a Member then another as well as hee And if an Infant of twenty yeares then of ten twelve or lesse by like reason since if you once break the Rules of Law you can set no bounds to