Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	england_n	king_n	kingdom_n	4,625	5	5.7154	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28585	The continuation of An historicall discourse of the government of England, untill the end of the reigne of Queene Elizabeth with a preface, being a vindication of the ancient way of parliaments in England / by Nath. Bacon of Grais-Inne, Esquire.	Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660.; Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660. Historicall and political discourse of the laws & government of England.	1651 (1651)	Wing B348; ESTC R10585	244,447	342

had beene formerly and bold enough to outface small doubts in point of succession for he could for a need outface common civility it selfe This might have lien in his way for he that cannot govern himselfe can much lesse govern a Kingdome Yet a hidden Providence concluded quite contrary and rendred him a cleare testimony of a strange change by the annointing oyle like that of Saul that forthwith had the Spirit of another man So though not hammered thereto by affliction as was Edward the first yet was he his parallell in Government and superiour in successe Being seated in the Throne all men thought it dangerous to abide the adventure of the turne of this Kings Spirit The Clergy had but yesterday tryed the Mastery with the Laity and gained it but by one Vote there was no dealing with the Clergy while Arch Bishop Arundell lived nor with him whiles Henry the fourth lived or his merits were in memory but now they both are dead the Clergy and the Laity are upon even ground this might make the Clergy now not over confident The Lords looked on the King as a man like enough to strike him that stands next The wise men saw he would be doing all men were tired with intestine quarrells and jumped in one that he that would be in action should act abroad where he might get renowne and a purchase big enough for his Spirit Scotland was a Kingdome yet incompetent to the Kings appetite France was the fairer marke and better game and though too big for the English gripe yet the Eagle stooped and sped himselfe so well as within six yeares he fastned upon the Sword and Scepter and a daughter of France and might have seised the Crowne but chose to suffer a blurr to lye upon his title derived from Edward the third rather then to incurr the Censure of Arrogancy over a stooping enemy or to Pluck the fruit from the tree before it was fully ripe which in time would fall into his lap by a better Law then that of the Sword otherwise it might be well conceited that he that hath both right and Power and will not seise disclaimes Besides the King was as well Inheritor to his Fathers Fate as Crowne still he had successe but the end was so farr distant that he died in the way thereto The brave Dauphine of France maintaining Warr after his Father the French King had yeilded up the Bucklers to Henry the fifth till Henry the fifth died and the English did foregoe what they had formerly gotten in France by the Sword of that great Commander Nor did the English gaine any thing in the conclusion of this Warr but an honorable windy repute of being one of the five cheif Nations of Christendome if honor it be to be reputed amongst the Nations a Conquerer of France the cheif Leader unto the dethroning of three Popes at once the election of Pope Martin and of giving a cure to that deadly wound of the Popedome which had spent the bloud of two hundred thousand mens lives lost in that quarrell These forraine ingagements made the King lesse solicitous of point of Prerogative at home and the rather because he knew the way to conquer his private enemies armes and his Subjects hearts without losse of honor in the one or reverence in the other He loved justice above the ranke of his Predecessors and in some respects above himselfe for he advanced Gascoigne for doing justice though to the Kings owne shame He liked not to intrude himselfe into elections and therefore though requested by the Monks of Canterbury he would not nominate a Successor to Arch Bishop Arundell but left the whole worke to them In the authority of his place he was moderate and where his Predecessors did matters without the Lords consent when he made his Uncle the Marquis of Dorcet Duke of Exceter and had given him a pention to maintaine that honor he asked the Lords consent thereto To the Clergy he was more then just if not indulgent led thereto by his Fathers example as being wrapped up in the same Interest as I conceive rather then out of any liking of their wayes now growing more bold upon usurpation then in former times Or it may be that having prevailed in that work in France which to any rationall man must needs appear above the power of the King and all the Realm of England he looked upon it as more then humane and himself as an instrument of Miracles and was stirred up in his zeal to God according to his understanding in those darke times to give the Clergy scope and to pleasure them with their liberty of the Canon Law that began now to thunder with fire and terror in such manner that neither greatnesse nor multitude could withstand the dint as was evidenced in that Penance inflicted upon the Lord Strange and his Lady in Case of bloodshed in Holy Ground and their hot pursuit of the Lord Cobham unto a death of a new Nature for somewhat done which was sometimes called Treason and sometimes Heresie And thus became Henry the Fifth baptized in the flames of the Lollards as his Father had sadly rendered up his Spirit in the same I say in this he is to be looked upon as one misled for want of light rather then in opposition against the light For in his last Will wherein men are wont to be more serious and sincere amongst his private regards he forgets not to reflect upon Religion to this purpose We further bequeath saith he to the redundant Mercy of the most excellent Saviour the Faith Hope and Charity the Vertue Prosperity and Peace of the Kings our Successours and of our Kingdome of England that God for his Goodnesse sake would Protect Visite and Defend them from Divisions Dissensions and from all manner of deceitfulnesse of Heretiques And thus Piety Justice and Moderation of Henry the Fifth Adorned and Crowned the honour of his Courage and Greatnesse with that honourable Title of Prince of Preists and had he been blessed with a clearer light he might as well under God have obtained the Title of Prince of Princes wanting nothing that might have rendered him a president of Fame BUt the time is now come that the Tide of Englands Glory must turn and the sudden Conquest in France by Henry the Fifth not unlike the Macedonian Monarchy must disgorge it selfe of what it had hastily devoured but never could digest Three things concurred hereunto one dangerous the other two fatall to the flourishing condition of any Nation First the King is a Minor in the least degree that ever any Prince sate on English Throne He entered thereinto neither knowing what he did nor where he was and some say he sate therein in his Mothers lap for his life had been more in the wombe then abroade A sad presage of what followed for many men thinke that he was in a lap all his dayes Nor are the cheife men to be

now began to honour his Valour above his Fathers But the Tyde is spent the Prince of Chivalry dyes the brave Commanders wasted and the French too fickle to continue subject to the English longer then needs must tack about for another Adventure and make it plaine that France is too bigg to be Garrison'd by England and that it will cost England more to hold it then to have it His Religion was more to the purpose then of any of his Predecessors since the Norman times he reflected upon God in common events more ordinarily then the generall streame of the Clergy did in those dayes He loved if not adored devout men and their prayers and yet intentively disclaimed opinion of merits in the Creature Hee saw the Pope through and through loved him but little feared him lesse and yet lost neither Honour nor Power thereby His cheife policy at home was to be much at home great with his People and they great with him what the Parliament did he accounted well done he never questioned their Power though he was over-reached in questioning their Wisedome For he that shall preferr his owne wisedome above that of the Parliament must needs thinke himselfe extreamly Wise and so much the more to know himselfe to be such But the worst of his fate was to live to his Winter age and after fifty yeares Reigne or more to dye in his minority under the rule of a Woman of none of the best fame after hee had so long enjoyed the honour of greatest note in the Christian World in his dayes Such was not Richard the Second though the onely Son of that famous Cheiftaine the Black Prince of Wales a renouned Son of a renouned Father but as a Plant transplanted into a Savage soyle in degree and disposition wholly degenerate retained a tincture of the light inconstancy of his Mother and the luxuriousnesse of his Great Grandfather Edward the Second and running his course came to his end His entrance however by colour of Inheritance yet was a greater adventure then his Predecessors that came in by election upon the designation of his Father by his last Will say some For this man came in upon many disadvantages both of time and person The times were very troublesome the Kingdome new wrapped up in a double Warr abroad and which is worse flooded with distractions at home contracted partly by his Predecessors weaknesses in his decrepit estate partly by a new interest of Religion sprung up against the Papall Tyranny from the Doctrine of Wickleiff all which required a very wise Man and a brave Commander in both which the King fayled Religion now began to dawne through the foggs of Romish usurpations and superstitions ayded thereto by a Scisme in the triple Crowne that continued forty yeares with much virulency abroad and with as bad influence upon our Myters at home Some of whom were called Clementines others Vrbanists and yet none of them all worthy of eyther of the Names in their proper signification The Laity though lookers on yet were not quiet For though Liberty be a hopefull thing yet its dangerous to them that are not a Law to themselves especially in matter of Opinion for that arraines the rule and layes the way open to licentiousnesse And now that the Liberty from the Keyes began to be taught as a duty of Religion the inferiour sort meet with Doctrines of licentiousnesse upon mistake of the notion and will acknowledge no rule now they must be all at liberty and thus sprang up the insurrection of the Servants and Bond-men against their Lords and Masters under Cade and Strawe that might have brought the Common wealth into a hideous Chaos had not the Lords and Great Men betimes bestirred themselves and the King shewed an extraordinary spirit or rather a kinde of rage that put it selfe forth beyond the ordinary temper of his minde Much of this mischeife was imputed to Wickleiffs Doctrine for it is an ordinary thing to proclaime all evills concurring with the very joynt of Reformation to be the proper fruits thereof but I looke upon it as a fruit of corruption that indeavours to stopp the breath of Reformation in the birth and there is somewhat of a hidden influence from Above in the thing for it was not onely the Cupp of England to be thus troubled but France and other places had their portion sutable The Kings minority rendred him unequall unto these contrary motions he was in his eleventh yeare when he entred the Throne and which was worse his yeares came on faster then his Parts but his worke posted before them all The common helpe of Protectors left him yet more unhappy for they were prepossessed with strong ingagements of particular Interests and so were eyther not wise enough or not good enough for all This brought forth a third inconvenience the change of Protectorship and that change of Affaires and Interests an uncertaine good that brings forth a certaine evill for variety of Instruments and Interests move severall wayes and though the end be one the difference concerning the way many times doth as much hinder the Journey as so many blocks in the way The Protectorship was thrice changed the Kings Unkles had the first essay any one of them was bigg enough for one Kingdome but all of them together were too great to make one Protector The Duke of Lancaster would have done well alone if he had been alone and that work alone but he being somewhat ingaged with the Wickleiffists and so intangled with the Clergy and other restlesse spirits and drawne off by his private ayme at the Crowne of Castile saw this worke too much and so he warily withdrew himselfe leaving the Directory to a Committee of Lords a soveraine Plaister questionlesse where the times are whole but not for these distractions wherein even the Committee it selfe suffered its share Thus the breach is made the wider and for a cure of all the Government is committed into one hand wherein the Earle of Warwick acquitted himselfe well for he was wise enough to observe such as the people most honoured And thus passed over the two first yeares of the Kings Reigne The remainder of the Kings minority was rather in common repute then in true account For the King however young took little more from the Protector then he saw meet to collour his own commands with opinion of Regularity and so his will came to full strength before his wisdome budded Thus lifted up he sets himself above all interests of Parliament Protectors Councellors Unkles wise Men and Law leaving them all to be rules for those below And so long as the Kings desire is thus served he is content to be reputed a Minor and be as it were under protection of others though not under their direction and is content to continue thus untill his two and twentieth year Some might thinke him very moderate had hee been moderate but he forbears suing out his

thus the Parliament of England tells all the World that they hold themselves compleat without the Clergy and to all intents and purposes sufficient to conclude matters concerning the Church without their Concurrence Thus began the Mewing time of Prelacy and the principall Feather of their wings to fall away having now flourished in England nigh eight hundred years and had future Ages pursued the flight as it was begun these Lordings might have beaten the Aire without making any speedy way or great work saving the noise A third step yet was made further in order to the reducing of the power of the Popedome in England but which stumbled most immediatly upon the greatnes of the Prelates For it was the condition of the Spirituall Powers besides their height of Calling to be set in high Places so as their Title was from Heaven but their Possessions were from men whereby they gained Lordship Authority and Power by way of Appendix to their Spirituall Dignities This Addition however it might please them yet it for a long time ere now had been occasion of such murmur and grudge in the Commons against the Clergy as though it advanced the Clergy for the present yet it treasured up a back reconing for these men and made them lyable to the displeasure of the Laity by seisure of their great places when as otherwayes their Ecclesiasticall Dignities had been beyond their reach And of this these times begin now to speak louder then ever not onely by complaints made in Parliament by the People but also by the Lords and Commons in Parliament to the King that the Kingdome had been now long and too long time governed by the Clergy to the disherison of the Crown and therefore prayed that the principall Offices of the Kingdome might henceforth be executed by the Laity and thus the stir arose between the Lords Temporall and Spirituall each prevayling or loosing ground as they had occasion to lay the way open for them The Duke of Lancaster being still upon the upper ground that as little regarded the Popes Curse as the Clergy loved him But the worst or rather the best is yet behinde Outward Power and Honourable places are but undersetters or props to this Gourd of Prelacy that might prove no lesse prejudiciall by creeping upon the ground then by perking upward For so long as Error abideth in the Commons Truth can have little security amongst Princes although it cannot be denyed but it s a good signe of a clear morning when the Sun rising glorieth upon the top of the Mountains God gives Commission therefore to a Worme to smite this Gourd in the roote and so at once both Prelate and Pope doe wither by undermining This was Wickleife that had the double Honour of Learning in Humane and Divine Mysteries the latter of which had for many yeares passed obscurely as it were in a twilight amongst the meaner sort who had no Indowments to hold it forth amongst the throng of learned or great men of the World And though the newes thereof did sound much of Holynesse and Devotion Theames unmeet to be propounded to an Age scarce Civillized Yet because divers of them were more immediately reflecting upon the Policy of the Church wherein all the greater sort of the Churchmen were much concerned but the Pope above all the rest the accesse of all the matter was made thereby more easie to the Consideration of the great Lords and Princes in the Kingdome who out of principles of State were more deeply ingaged against the Pope then others of their ranke formerly had been Duke John of Gant led the way in this Act and had a party amongst the Nobility that had never red the Canon Law These held forth Wickleife and his Learning to the World and Edward the Third himself savoured it well enough but in his old Age desiring his ease was contented to looke on whiles his Lords Temporall and Spirituall played their Prize yet giving his plaudite rather to his Sonne then his Spirituall Fathers as if led by Principles of Nature rather then Religion This was the blossoming part of the Wickleifists but the principall strength was from beneath where the roots spread and fastned exceedingly especially in the South and Eastern parts of this Kingdome To tell of the Vsurpations of the Clergy the Idolatry of their costly Worship the vanity of their Curses c. was exceeding welcome newes to an oppressed multitude especially where these things were rightly understood The Issue soon manifested it selfe to the World no Parliament passed without reflections at Prelates Rome or some such thing and not onely the persons and practices of these men but even their Lawes and Canons were begun to be had in contempt and their missives sleighted And thus these men pretending Patronage both from Right drawn from Heaven and derived from men faile in their Evidence unlesse the people doe still beleive more then they are able to understand No marvell if Rome be now rouzed and that sort of men that formerly were Wolves in Sheeps clothing become now red and fiery Dragons taking up a new course of Establishing their Power by Persecution This was a way of Power indeed but it s a touchy thing to have to doe with fire least it gets too high It is therefore holden a point of discretion by the Prelates not to meddle with the Lords or the Common People the former were too great the later too many the one sort would not heare the other would not understand The Teachers therefore being the Velites at them they give fire Wickleife their Leader comes on bravely and notwithstanding they all made at him he routes them and in despite of them all comes off fairely and dies in his bed by the course of Nature Then an Ordinance is levelled at the rest of the Teachers This was made of an old Canon the nature whereof was to this purpose That upon complaint of the Bishop the Kings Writt shall be granted to apprehend Preachers of Heresies Errours and matters of Slander tending to Discord and Discention betweene the States of this Realme with their Factors and Abbettors and to imprison them till they be acquitted according to the Law of the Church This Law for such it yet appears gives occasion to consider of these particulers Viz. The Crime the Delinquents the manner of Inquisition and the penalty For the first not to trouble my way with Debate about the right of liberty of Preaching the matter in Fact was that men did publiquely Preach without Authority matters of Theology tending as it s said to sow discord and dissention so as they are under consideration censure of the Church-Men and Canon Law in one regard and of the Lawes of the Kingdome and Civill Magistrate as disturbers of the Peace on the other side and thus the Subjects liberty is cast into a mysterious cloudy and doubtfull posture by matters of Opinion Secondly the Persons Delinquent are