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	government_n	worship_n	3,428	5	7.3798	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00289	A very lively portrayture, of the most reverend arch-bishops, the right reverend bs. of the Church of England set forth in XX. irrefragable positions, concerning their authority, power, and practise, as they onely are our diocesan lord bishops, so grounded upon Scripture, reason, and experience, by evident demonstrative practises, as their troublesome opposites, may cleerely see, how greatly they are deceived in all these. A labour undertaken for the peace of all Gods people, and for a just condemnation of al those, that cause division, and offences, contrary to the doctrine and discipline of Christs Church.		1640 (1640)	STC 10406; ESTC R212270	37,262	65

gift of the holy Ghost Act. 8 18 19. 4. Because they greatly extoll the dignity of Lord Bishops by writing for it by preaching alowd for it in high places and cannot or will not otherwise beleeve but that they bee such 〈◊〉 Lords jur●… divin●… for they find it written how can 〈◊〉 beleeve which receive honour one from another and seeke not the honour which commeth from God alone Iohn 5. 44. Now all these so lawfull meanes they use because they would be knowne to come with no greedy desire to such honour And therefore before their consecration they hypocritically refuse it three times because they have either read or heard of as it hath bintold them that really and in earnest some ancient Bishops have had Bi●…p-ricks forced upon them against their wills as had Saint Augusti●… Ambrose Athanasius Gregorie 〈◊〉 Father and many moe some utterly have refused and by no perswa●…ons would take diverse great and wealthie Bishop-ricks as on●…Ephraim Syrus Ny●… and Saint Bernard who did refuse the Bishoprick of 〈◊〉 and Mill●… as also did Adrian the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with others moe but more fooles they for their 〈◊〉 shame none now or very few to seeke 〈◊〉 after Bishop-ricks and to use such blessed meanes as are afore mentioned to obtaine them For they find it written that in the last dayes men shall be lovers of their 〈◊〉 s●…lves 〈◊〉 and so forth 2 Tim. 3. 1. 2. POSITION 11. They may not forsake their so warra●…table Lordly Prelaticall standing 1. BEcause they read the complaint they ceased ●…ot from their 〈◊〉 doings nor from their stubborne way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Because Christ hath said 〈◊〉 plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be 〈◊〉 up M●… 15. 13. 3. Because they know the lo●…e to be great both of wealth honour and ple●…sure and they read that Chri●… Discipl●…●…sooke all to follow him Mat 19 27. And 〈◊〉 voluntarily left his honour and the pleasures of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reproach of Christ with the people of God Heb. 11. 25. 26. 4. Because they find it written thou 〈◊〉 not the things which be of God but these things which bee of men Mat 16. 23. 5. Because they are taught a good lesson by Saint 〈◊〉 saying love not the World nor the things that are in the World that is the lust of the eyes the lust of the eyes and the pride of life if any man love the world the love of God the Father is not in him 1 John 2 15. 6. Because they 〈◊〉 or may read of very many Bishops in former times who voluntarily renounced their places not onely Bishops in other Countries but ours here in our owne Nation as of foure Arch-Bishops of Canterbury foure of Yorke two of London two of Lincolne two of Coventry and Litchfield two of Worcoster three of Rochester and others to the number of 37. or 38. Bishops Putta a Bishop of Rochester left his place and turned a Schole Master all his daves Father Latimer gave over his Bishoprick of Worcester and blessed God that gave him that grace to resigne it and to make himselfe a quondam Bishop But when our Reverend Lordly Fathers thinke on thes●… they oppose Lordly 〈◊〉 a better example for them to follow for hee as they doe loved to have the preheminence 3 Iohn 9. and they looke upon hundreds of others more worthie imitation wiser men who learned the words of our Saviour Christ without booke The Children of this world are wiser in their generation then the Children of the light Luke 16. 8. 7. Because they know that this Lordlynesse and their secular employments hinder greatly the spirituall function and almost quite taketh them off from it as the Kings of Denmarke and Sweden found to be true and as wee find it if wee will judge aright and as the now most reverend Arch-Bishop of Canterbury acknowledgeth in his dedicatory Epistle before his late published booke that by such occasions he was made too much a stranger to his Bookes 8. Because they know what great good they may do to settle peace betweene his Majesty and his Subjects and prevent much evill which may fall out upon both Nations if they would freely and truely confesse these three things 1. That their Lordly standing is not jure divine but an hum 〈◊〉 invention as hath beene heretofore acknowledged by Bishops by holy Martyrs learned Doctours in this our Church 2. That true religion with the saving knowledge of Christ might be more propagated Gods holy worship more purely preserved without them then with them as the Church of Scotland hath found true by experience and doth testifie as much 3. That the Civill estate may bee most peaceably governed and Monarchicall government made to slourish in piety and plenty without their great Lordships If the Cathedrall great revenues might be employed to the training up of young Divines and thence Pastours chosen when places are void in Parishes If Bishops Palaces might be for Schooles of Learning and the Temporalities bestowed to the maintenance thereof and other pious uses as by the wisedome of the state in Parliament should be thought most fit among other godly acts to help to enlarge the maintenance of many poore Ministers who have livings of very small value of only ten pound or twelve pound per annum and some no more numeratis 〈◊〉 out of which they pay Tenths and Subsidies yea and some where at a new Bishops enterance they pay him a benevolence the tenth of their poore maintenance which their gracious good Lordships will not remit one penny off POSITION 12. No Bishops no King this is undeniable FOR they support the Throne of Kings this is an undoubted truth the reasons are very manifest 1. Because its 〈◊〉 in Revel. 17. 12. that the ten hornes are ten Kings which receive power as Kings at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Beast 2. Because they raigne as Kings without the King for 1. They keepe their Courts and Visitations without speciall patent under the broad Seale 2. They print Articles upon their owne authority and minister oathes upon them 3. They send out processes in their owne name and many other things they doe contrary to the Statutes of the 〈◊〉 as hath by some learned in the Law beene fully proved by which they doe rule over his Majesties good Subjects contrary to his Crowne and Dignity 3. Because Kings may very well and safely reigne without them for 1. The Roman Emperours did reigne a long time before there were any Lord Bishops 2. King 〈◊〉 here the first Christian King reigned without them and it was hee that made some Bishops some Arch-Bishops and not they him a King 3. 〈◊〉 and others States in reformed Churches doe subsist without them and cannot Kings be Kings without such Lord like Bishops they may if they have but eyes to see it 4. As spirituall Lords they have nothing to doe in Civill causes and as they be Barons by their ●…lities they be made

spirituall Pri●…st which is but one Iesus Christ after the order of 〈◊〉 such a Priest none may presume to bee without hellish presumption and high arrogancy Or the Christian Priest in which sense every Christian man and woman is a Pri●… unto God R●…v 1. 6. 4. B●…cause the title of Priest was a name of divine O●…fice from Godunder the Law but under the Gospell it is a lying title without the office For there is now no Priests O●…fice for a Priests Office is to off●…r sacrifice a bloudie sacrifice but now uuder the Gospel after Christ no such sacrifice to be offered And wee all doe acknowledge and have taught hitherto 5. Because now it is the P●…pish name of the Romish Masse Priests pu●… upon them by the Babylo●…ish Seat of Rome that great 〈◊〉 the Mother of Harlots and abhominations of the Earth R●…v 17. 1. 5. out of which we are commanded to come forth R●…v 18. 4. both from their idolatrous wordes and idolatrous workes 6. Bec●…use its much dishonour to Gods holy spirit in his holy Apostles to leave the names set downe in holy writ and to take up a name from the ●…re of R●… and put it upon the Ministers of the L●…rd I●…us Lastly because we all prof●…sse to have re●…ounced her and therefore it is a derogation to our Church a Church of Christ to retaine a name of her idolatrie as if still we ●…ither were her slaves or had a mind to become so For now of late the name Priest is so extolled as the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. 17. mus●…in in the pulpit bee againe and againe called Priests as if the name of El●…ers Presbyt●…rs given by the holy Ghost and they made Overfe●…rs of the flock were too base except it should be turned into the name of Romish Priest●… for other Priests by office there are now none Thus with impudent boldnesse is the holy Gh●…st controlled and m●…de to speake aft●…r the R●…ish fashion to bring us backe to that Wh●…re againe POSITION 7. They stand for and d●…e mai●…taine all Cerem●…nies upon very good grounds 1. B Ecause they ●…annot bee knowne whence they be withou●… these R●…mish trincket●… for without thei●… Lordly 〈◊〉 and these their Ceremoni●…s the Mother Roare would soone be ●…orgotten 2. Because they were first brought in by that bloudy Monke 〈◊〉 the Arch-Bish●…p o●…Canterbury who dyed them in the 〈◊〉 of the Monks of Bang●…r which red Scarlet colo●… they have kept eversince ●…or many Ministers have been●… cruelly delt with in witnessing against th●…se suspended excommunicated deprived ●…d imprisoned And therefore Ceremonies laid in this scarle●… dye in g●…ine a colour very costly 〈◊〉 no marvel that they are held at so high a price by them and not valued at ●…o low a rate as they be by others 3. Because they say no Ceremonies no Bishops therefore ●…ust c●…use they have to sta●…d for them to keep their standing and Ceremonious observances though with much off●…nce of which they take no care for they find it writt●…n W●… bat●… th●… by wh●… offences 〈◊〉 Mat. 18. 7. 4. Because there was a time in the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when there was Bishops El●…rs and y●…t no s●…ch Popish ceremonies nor pope-like Bishops 5. Because ●…ue religion and 〈◊〉 pure worship and service can stand well without them as in other ●…formed Chu●…ches 6. Because go●…y Bishop Ho●…per withstood them for a time and desired to be discharged of his Bishoprick rather than to use them wherein hee was opposed by Ar●… Bishop Cra●…er and Bis●…p Ridl●…y but when they were out of their Rochets they did judge●…t to be wisdome in him and simplicity in themselves for urging him to the use of them 7. Because they have beene nothing else but snares and traps unto many Godly Min●…sters laborious men in the Lords Vin●…rd scourges in their sides and thornes in their eyes and heavy burth●…s to them for they find it written that the Scribes and Pharises did bind burthens gr●…v to be borne upon the Pe●…le and laid them on mens shoulders Mat. 23. 4. 8. Because if they hold them as necessary in themselves they have no authority from GOD to impose them so upon mens consciences and it is against their faithfull promise made at their còns●…cration which was to maintaine as required of necessity to salvation nothing but that which may be concluded and proved out of Scrip●…ue If they hold them in themselves as things indifferent y●… in the practise and imposing of them they answere not to the rules prescribed for the use and practise of indifferent things For indifferent things must be 1. Not onely lawfull but ●… expedient convenient and profitable 1 Cor. 6 12. 3 making for peace Rom. 14. 19. 4 for Charity Rom. 14 15. 5 done to the ed●…ying of one another R●… 14. 19. 1 Cor. 10. 23. Which is that we may more and more grow up in CHRIST and be o●…r in our faith and become better 〈◊〉 Done 〈◊〉 and in order 1 Cor. 14 40 That is as it becommeth the House of GOD Dec●…tly that is agr●…ble to the pure worship of GOD without vanity sup●…stition and Spirituall filthines In Order that is without confusion in a setled course fit for a holy As●…mbly 7 Done to the glory of GOD Cor. 10. 31. tending to set forth the LORD eith●…r in his titles attributes word worship and workes by all which God is knowne praised and obtaineth glory 8 That the use be without offence whereby a Brother may stumble or be offended or made weake Rom. 14 ●…1 by being made to do those things with a doubting and so with a wounded conscience and thus hee sinneth Rom. 14. 23. and is made to perish 1 Cor. 811. For they find it written what is that to us see th●…n to that Mat. 27 〈◊〉 9. Because our Saviour CHRIST stood not upon idle Ceremonies nor imposed any upon his Disciples but rebuked the Scribes and Pharises as Hypocrites for their strict observation of such things as they had devised and taken upon them to observe Mar. 7 2 9. So it 's Pharis●…icall to devise and undertake to observe of themselves what GOD never commanded 10. Because Saint Paul would abstaine from the use of indifferent things all his daies lest hee make his Brother to offend 1 Cor. 8. 13. Lastly because Sain●…Paul tell●…th them that by using things indifferent wee are not the better and by not using them are wee the worse 1 Cor. 8 8. but they by making others to use them who are not perswad●…d of the Lawfull use thereof they sinne against their Brethren and so against Christ 1 Cor. 8. 12. By all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they not very good cause to maintaine to defend and urge with great violence the use of these so pious and needfull Ceremonies so much tending to peace edification and GODS glory He must be very blind that cannot see what truth charity edifying conveniencie profit and glory commeth to GOD where these Ceremonies be

concerning right betweene party and party There it is about causes Ecclesiasticall and criminall matters and not ever betweene party and party in a matter of 〈◊〉 justice 4. Here the oath is administred in a case not otherwise to be tryed and decided for if it could say the Hebrew Doctors the Oath was not to be administred There it s administred whether it can or cannot bee otherwise proved 5. Here the Judges proceed in the behalfe of the party complaynant to end the 〈◊〉 betweene them In the other the Judges proceed with relation to themselves secretly becomming parties not to end a 〈◊〉 betweene others but to begin it betweene the party and themselves too often 6. Here the Oath is administred not ex Officio upon the Judges pleasure and their owne authority but upon the just complaint of another In the other ex Officio is a proceeding upon their owne authority and the framing of a bill upon their owne imagination against the party called before them letting the wicked accuser lurke in a corner or else to be gone till they can ripen the 〈◊〉 7. Here is an Oath given to make an end of the controversie to cleare the party and the 〈◊〉 to rest satisfied In the other the Oath ex Officio is to begin a controversie not to cleare the party but 〈◊〉 breed him more and greater trouble for they will not be satisfied though they have no just matter against him but if they let him depart it s by making him enter into a bond of appearance againe whensoever they 〈◊〉 call him Lastly 〈◊〉 the Oath is administred onely touching the particular cause in hand That is administred upon many captious interrogatories that by all or some of them the party may be catched and brought into danger Wee see from all this that hence is no 〈◊〉 for their wickednesse but is rather against them Touching the other Scripture though in a criminall cause of adultery Numb. 5. 19. yet it helpes them nothing thus to tyrannize over Ministers and others 1. It was a Law all the circumstances and meanes used peculiar to the Iewes because of the mans jealousie against his wife to satisfie him to prevent further mischiefe but with us no such meanes is allowed to satisfie the jealousie of the Husband against his wife 2. This was to take an Oath against her selfe which our Law alloweth not 3. Here the Oath was not a bare Oath but 〈◊〉 Oath of cursing to which he was to say Amen Amen such a kinde of Oath we use not to 〈◊〉 4. Besides the Oath with a curse other meanes were used by which the truth should bee made undoubtedly to appeare as the Text doth shew so as the taking of an Oath in a matter of such 〈◊〉 served not the turne to take away the Husbands jealousie 5. In this case the woman found guilty 〈◊〉 plagued of God but if she were 〈◊〉 shee received a blessing from God verse 28. Lastly yet this was not allowed to be done by the Lord but when there was no witnesse against her or shee 〈◊〉 taken in the fact verse 13. These holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make God speake for them who as I have proved is 〈◊〉 them The Conclusion IT cannot be sufficiently admired in these 〈◊〉 distracted dayes that Bishops the Reverend Fathers in our Church should be from time to time so opposed as they have beene First they have beene prayed against Second preached against Thirdly written against Fourthly witnessed against by suffering persecution suspension excommunication deprivation degradation also whipping pillory the cropping off of the eares the slitting of Noses fining deepely and imprisonment unto death Fiftly I hope lastly resisted with the sword as if men desired and intended wholy the rooting out of those so eminent persons from the Churches of Christ as if Enemies to peace to preaching to the power of godlines all goodnes and as if they were lyms of that Romish Antichrist Lovers of that 〈◊〉 of Rome secret nourishers of Superstition Lawles Innovators in matters of religion Such as makd way for 〈◊〉 to the Sea of Rome the very chiefe troublers of Church and State minding onely how to uphold their Hierarchie and Prelaticall Church though with the ruine of the King and his Kingdomes But for better discoverie of the truth here is laid before every judicious Reader their way and walking that all may see that will see and not mistake but bee inforced to acknowledge them to be such as they are before the face of God and all good men who can truly judge aright betweene them and all those which so condemne them It cannot be denyed that they prove themselves to be Bishops Superiours to Elders in dignity from Ti●…hy and Titus whom the 〈◊〉 Postscripts to the Epistles of Saint Paul make to 〈◊〉 Bishops This is their divine ground on which they build their worthy standing and well may they For they follow all the rules and exhortations given to these two Bishops by Saint Paul very exactly and punctually to every thing being strongly fenced with Saint Pauls authority in all their doings 1. They conceive Bishops to be superiours in office and dignity to Elders For they read that Saint Paul maketh Bishops and Elders all one Tit. 1. 5. 7. 1 Tim. 3. 1. as the fo●…mer treatise doth declare and if Elders Pastours and Ministers be not one and the same the Apostle hath not in directing 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 told what a one a Minister of Christ should be 2. They clayme Jurisdiction over Ministers and others For Ti●…hy and Titus were extraordinary men who were substituted for a time in Sain●…Pauls absence to doe what he was to doe had hee beene in person there But they 〈◊〉 not nor 〈◊〉 any 〈◊〉 made of any power of iurisdiction invested in those which the Apostle doth call 〈◊〉 in his describing of a Bishop in 1 Tim 3. 1. and in Tit. 1. 7 8. 9. no one word is there of iurisdiction 3. They challenge ordination to themselves imposition of hands and making of Ministers For they find it written that imposition of hands was in the 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 14. and that more then one laid on hands Acts 13. 3. and ordained Ministers Acts 14. 23. and 〈◊〉 Acts 6 6. and they also read that Saint Paul said to 〈◊〉 lay hands sodainly on no man he saith not lay thy hands as if hee alone were to doe it but lay hand to wit with other on no man when they would ordaine any which expositio●… the words following doe confirme neither b●… partak●…rs of other 〈◊〉 sinnes that is if they would sinne in misor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on such with them and be guilty of sinne with them So is the place in Titus of his ordaining Elders to be understood Tit. 1. 5. for its not probable that Saint Paul would give authority to either Timothie or Titus which he never 〈◊〉 to himselfe alone but