Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	kingdom_n	parliament_n	5,178	5	6.3666	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68614	The unbishoping of Timothy and Titus. Or A briefe elaborate discourse, prooving Timothy to be no bishop (much lesse any sole, or diocæsan bishop) of Ephesus, nor Titus of Crete and that the power of ordination, or imposition of hands, belongs jure divino to presbyters, as well as to bishops, and not to bishops onely. Wherein all objections and pretences to the contrary are fully answered; and the pretended superiority of bishops over other ministers and presbyters jure divino, (now much contended for) utterly subverted in a most perspicuous maner. By a wellwisher to Gods truth and people.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1636 (1636)	STC 20476.5; ESTC S114342	135,615	241

pestilence as much as in you lies even upon our soules and bodies as you endeavour to do upon these poore prisoners thus detained by you which these times of plague and fasting call upon you to set free But take heed least whiles you se●ke to put downe preaching and fasting by such ungodly meanes and pretences to keepe off the plague from us and others you draw it not downe both on us and your selves I have already informed you of many Bishops who have perished of this disease I could acquaint you yet with more as The Bishops of Colen Spire Ratisbon Prague Verden and Leodium all swept away in An. 1169 〈◊〉 Hildewardus Bishop of Hildesheim An. 996. with many others let their examples be your warnings and if you will proove your calling to be of God then henceforth learne to preach not to suppresse his word to be mercifull as he is mercifull else all will henceforth conclude that you are of your father the devill for his workes you doe He was a murtherer from the beginning of mens soules and bodies and so are you Now if your Holinesses or any other deeme this censure of mine over-ha●sh one that was once of your owne Rochet and after that a Martyr Bishop Latimer will assure you that it was the very devill himselfe not God that set up the State of unpreaching Prelacy and that it is he alone who stirs these Prelates up to persecute and suppresse the preaching of the Gospell under the Title of Heresie and schisme and ill Magistrates to doe the like under the Title of sedition and our learned Thomas Becon as he affirmes and proves at large that the first and Principall point of a Bishop and spirituall Ministers office is to teach and preach the word of God so he resolves that such a Bishop as either doth not or cannot preach is a Nicholas Bishop and an Idoll and indeed no better then a painted Bishop on a wall yea he is as the Prophet saith a dumbe dogge and as our Saviour Christ saith unsavourie salt ●worth nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under foot of men Woe be to those Rulers that set such Idols and white-daubed walls over the Flocke of Christ whom he hath purchased with his precious blood Horrible and great is their damnation Our Saviour Christ saith to his Disciples As my Father sent me so send I you Now who knoweth not that Christ was sent of his Father to preach the Gospell as we may see in divers places of the holy Scripture It therefore followeth that such as are sent of Christ are sent to preach the Gospell If they preach not the case of many of our Lord Prelates it is an evident token that Christ sent them not BVT ANTICHIST and THE DEVILL Thus and much more Becon who tells these unpreaching Prelates in plaine termes that nothing abideth them but everlasting damnation What then will become of our great Lord Pre●ates who will neither preach to the people themselves nor suffer others who are willing to doe it stoping up our preachers mouthes with their illegall unchristian anti-christian suspenions and excommunications yea expresly prohibiting all preaching in these dolefull mortiferous times of Plague and pestilence and that on the very Fasting-dayes for feare it should infect mens soules and bodies when as the whole Councell of Paris under Lewes and Lotharius Anno 829. l. 1 2 5. decreed the quite contrary in these very remarkable termes Statuimus pari voto parique consensu ut unusquisque nostrum dictis exemplis plebes parochiae suae attentius ad meli●ra incitare studeat easque ut se a malis cohibeant ad Dominum ex totocorde convertant solicite admoneant Deumque quem peccando sibi iratum fecerunt digna paenitentiae satisfactione eleemosinarum largitione sibi placabilem facere satagant c. Cum itaque Praedicatores SINE CESSATIONE POPVLODEI PRAEDICARE NECESSE SIT juxta illud Esaiae Clam NEECSSES quasi tuba exalt a vocem tuam annuncia popul●●eo scelera ●orum domui Iacob peccata corum TVM MAXIME ID FACERE NECESSE EST QVANDO IRAM DOMINI CONTRA POPVLVM DEI meritis exigentibus GRASSARI PERSEPXERINT juxta illud quod Dominus per Ezechielem Prophetamloquitur Ezech. 3. 17. 18. 19. c. 33. 7 8. 9. 10 c. At which our silent and silencing Prelates and old doting Shelford Priest may well blush for shame especially if they peruse the 23 24 25. 28 29. and 31. Chapters of the same Councell following And good reason for the very Romish Prelates in the Concell of Trent as lewd as they were had so much ingenuity as to decree That the preaching of Gods word was the principall part of a Bishops Office belonging especially unto them and that it ought to be exercised as frequently as might be for the salvation of the people and thereupon enjoyned all Bishops in proper person or in case of inevitable occasions by their sufficient substitutes and all Ministers in every Parish to preach every Lords-day and Holy-day at the least and in the time of Fasts as of Lent Advent and the like QVOTIDIE VEL SALTEM TRI●VS IN HEBDOMADE DIEBVS to preach every day or at least three dayes every weeke and at other times also as often as oportunity would permit and to Catechise the people besides If this Popish Councell then prescribes all Bishops and Ministers whatsoever thus constantly and dayly to preach Gods word especially on Lords-dayes Holy-dayes and Fasting-dayes without intermission our Lordly lasie Loytering Prelates who will neither thus preach themselves and prohibit others to preach thus frequently and daily on these seasons or in any infected Cities on our Solemne Fasting-dayes are certainely not onely farre worse then these Trent Prelates but even as bad or worse then the very Devill himselfe as Bishop Latimer proves at large in his Sermon of the Plough which I would wish them seriously to peruse yea they are meere Rebels Traytors and enemies to God his Church Religion and the peoples soules And can they then be ever true loyall or faithfull to their Prince No verily Not to mention all the conspiracies Rebellions and Treasons of our owne or forraigne Prelates against their Soveraignes in all ages enough to fill a volume as large as Baronius his Annals I shall instance onely in three late examples Anno 1536. Christian the 3. King of Denmarke our King Charles his great grand-father by the mothers side imprisoned all the seaven Bishops of Denmarke for their severall Treasons Rebellions conspiracies and insurrections against him the Kingdome and Christian Religion and for usurping regall authoritie with the rule of the Kingdome to themselves alone and publishing Edicts in their owne names as the Senate of that Realm as our Prelates do now in their visitations Consistories against the Ministers and Professors of the Reformed Religion

neither will not nor cannot preach and persecuting none but the most painefull Preachers a thing well worthy noting discovering their emnity to be directly against preaching and the Gospell to remember that of Master Tyndall our godly Martyr That B●shops who persecute their owne office of preaching for and by which they hold their 〈◊〉 Bishoprickes are not worthy of it nor sufferable in it and that Bishops or Preists that preach not or that preach ought save Gods word are none of Christs nor of his anointing therefore not Jure divino but Servants of the Beast whose marke they beare whose word they preach whose Law they maintaine cleane against Gods Law and therefore both Ministers and people must and will henceforth call and deeme them such As for those Ministers most unjustly silenced suspended and excommunicated by them who now basely sit downe silent under their Suspensions when as they should goe 〈◊〉 couragiously in their Ministery in despite of them I shall desire them onely to consider First the example and answer of the Apostles themselves who when they were commaunded by the High Preists Elders and whole Councell of the Jewes who had as much or more power over them then any Bishops have over Ministers at this day not to speake at all or teach in the name of Jesus gave this answer Wee ought to obey God rather then men whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto God more then unto you judge yee for we cannot but speake the things which we have seene and heard and though they were thrice expresly inhibited from preaching yea imprisoned and beaten for violating these prohibitions yet they dayly in the Temple IN EVERI HOWSE which now forsooth must be a Conventicle I am sure an Apostolicall one they ceased not to preach and teach Jesus Christ filling Jerusalem and every place with their doctrine the very Angel of God himselfe commaunding them to doe it If then the whole Senate of the High Preists and Elders their terrible Prohibitions and Suspen●ions yea their imprisonments and stripes could neither keepe nor de●erre the Apostles from preaching why should our Bishops threats suspentions 〈◊〉 most unjust illegall Censures warranted by no Statute Law ot Commission from his Majesty hinder our Ministers from their duty Secondly The example of our owne godly Martyrs who both their Doctrine and example taught and professed That Ministers ought not to give over preaching for any unjust suspension excommunication inhibition Censure or persecution whatsoever either of the Pope himselfe or of any other Prelate going on boldly to preach the Gospell maugre all inhibitions menaces imprisonments and penalties to the contrary though fire and death it selfe Whereupon they never would give over their preaching upon any Prelates inhibition no not in their prisons where Master Bradford and others preached twice every day And shall our eminentest Ministers now in the Sunne shine of the Gospell under a most gratious Prince be more pusillanimous base and cowardly then these godly Martyrs were even in times of darknesse under Popish Princes Prelates and Tyrants when it was death to professe and preach the truth which now God be thanked it neither is nor can be God forbid Thirdly That position of our Godly Martyr Master John Wicklife excellently defended and notably proved by Iohn Hus at large in the Schoole of Prague as all may read at leisure in Master Fox That they which lea 〈…〉 off preaching and hearing of the word of God for feare of any excommunication threatning persecution or imprisonment threatned or inflicted by the Pope or any other whatsoever are already excommunicate by God himselfe and in the day of Iudgement shall be accounted the betrayers of Christ which is so well prooued and defended by Hus that all Godly Ministers and people must subscribe thereto And who of all our late suspended Ministers would be either accounted here or adjudged hereafter a man excommunicated of God and a betrayer of Christ yea of the very Word of God of Religion it selfe and of the soules committed to his Cure who are slaine for lacke of spirituall food whiles they out of a slavish feare of I know not what or whom sitt mute and silent and become so many laughing stockes to our Prelates who would be terrified daunted and repulsed by their Godly courage Fourthly That Popish Preists and Iesuites dare say Masse and preach in a maner publikely though a thing unlawfull and expressely prohibited both by the Lawes of God and the Realme and no lesse then high treason for which capitall punishments are prescribed If these Miscreants and generation of vipers then have so much courage for their false and trayterly religion that they will not be silenced nor scared from preaching neither by Lawes nor capitall punishments how much lesse then should zealous faithfull Ministers of the Gospell contrary to Gods Lawes and the Realmes give over their Ministrie and preaching upon the bare illegall suspension or excommunication of a Lordly Bishop warranted by no Law nor Statute of the Realme nor any Patent or Commission from the King and so no colour for any to obey or submit thereto Fiftly What a great blow and wound they have given to religion what great discouragement and ill example to their people and fellow Ministers what losse and prejudice to their flockes what encouragement to Iesuites Seminaries Papists and domineering Prelates who gett heart head by their faintheartednes yeelding silence and submission encroaching every day further on their liberties consciences and Religion so that they have brought themselves and others into a meere vassalage to the Bishops unruly lusts and pleasures all which their opposition and contemning of these their suspen●ions and excommunications beeing meere nullities in Law for want of a Commission from his Maiesty a lawfull ground a due maner of proceeding and his Maiesties stile and seale had prevented and may yet chance to remedie Sixtly That a necessity is layd upon them euen by God and Christ himselfe to preach the Gospell and to be instant in season and out of season and a temporall and eternall woe denounced against them if they forbeare or give over to doe it upon any unjust inhibition whatsoever which can neither nullify controll nor dispense with the commaunds of God How then can they avoyd or shunne this woe if the frowne or unjust suspension of a prophane unpreaching domineering Prelate may restraine them from this duety or dispense with this most serious taske imposed on them from heaven it selfe Seaventhly That solemne charge that was given them in the name and behalfe of Christ himselfe yea of the whole Realme and Church of England and that solemne promise they made before God and the Congregation when they were first made Ministers to wit that as they would answer it before Christs tribunall at the great day of judgement they should and would teach premonish feed and provide for the

Lords flocke for whom hee shed his blood AND NEVER THEIR LABOVR CARE AND DILIGENCE HEREIN untill they had done all that lyeth in them according to their bounden duety to bring all such as were or should be committed to their charge unto that agreement of faith and knowledge of God and to that ripenes and perfectnes of age in Christ which none of them hath yet done that there should be no place left among them neither of errour in Religion or for viciousnes of life and that for the same cause they should and would forsake and sett aside as much as in them lyeth all worldly cares and studies and give themselves WHOLLY to this thing and draw all their cares and studies this way and to this end and that they should and would preach and be faithfull dispensers of Gods Word in their Congregations which charge being layd upon them by the Bishop at their ordination in the name of Christ by the whole Church and State of England and the Booke of Ordination confirmed by three severall Acts of Parliament the 8 Canon and their owne subscriptions to it and they particularly promising in a most solemne maner to performe it to the ●ttermost of their power How any Bishop can by Law suspend them from preaching as long as they continue Ministers and are not actually degraded or deprived of their livings for some just or lawfull cause warranted by an expresse Act of Parliament or how any godly Minister in point of Law or Conscience can give over his preaching or Ministry upon any unjust suspen●ion inhibition excommunication or commaund of any Bishop Visitor or Ordinary who cannot countermaund this charge or Booke of Ordination ratified by 3 Acts of Parliaments I cannot conjecture Finally That if Ministers will thus suffer every Bishop at his pleasure without any speciall Commission from his Maiesty vnder the great Seale of England or any just cause in point of Law upon every humor fancy or new minted Article of his owne which by the Statute of 25. H. 8. c. 19. and the 13. Canons resolution yea and his Maiesties too in his Declaration before the 39. Articles hee hath no power to make to suspend excommunicate and put them downe from preaching then it will be in the Bishops power to suppresse and alter Religion at their pleasure without his Maiesties or a Parliaments assent and so all shall hang vpon their wills who have no power at all either by the Lawes of God or the Realme to institute any new rites Ceremonies Articles Canons or Injunctions or to alter or innovate any thing in Religion much lesse to suspend or silence Ministers Wherefore in case our Prelates presently revoke not these their anti-christian illegall suspen●ions inhibitions injunctions or other Censures to hinder Ministers from preaching I hope every Godly Minister who hath any care either of his owne soule liberty people any love at all to God or Religion any zeale or courage for the truth or desire of the good either of Church or State taking these considerations into his thoughts and finding the Bishops Jurisdiction and proceedings to have no lawfull warrant either from the Lawes of God or man will readily protest both against their usurped authority and proceedings as meere nullities and vanities and proceed to preach pray and doe his duetie as the Apostles and Martyrs did of old without any feare or discouragement that so Gods judgements Plagues and punishments which the Prelates late practises with the Ministers silence and cowardize and all our sinnes have drawen downe upon us may be asswaged and remooved and wee may ever retaine the Ordinances and Word of God among vs in purity power sincerity and plenty both to our present and future happines I shall close all with this Syllogisme That calling authoritie and jurisdiction which obliterates persecutes suppresseth oppugneth the very Law Gospell and word of God with the frequent powerfull preaching preachers and professors thereof is doubtles not of divine right or institution but Anti-christian and Diabolicall 1. Thess 2. 14. 15. 16. Rom. 2. 13. 10. Iohn 8. 39. to 48. 1. Tim. 3. 1. to 7. Tit. 1. 5. to 10. But this doth the calling authority and jurisdiction of Lord Archbishops and Bishops as the premises and all stories witnes especially our Booke of Martyrs Therefore it is doubtles not of divine right or institution but Anti-christian and Diabolicall If the Minor be not sufficiently evidenced by the Premises by the silencing of many Ministers suppressing of so many Lectures throughout the Realme give me leave to instance but in two fresh examples more The first in Doctor Peirce Bishop of Bath and Wels who in his Visitation in the midst of August last expresly prohibited all Ministers in his Diocesse to preach on the Lords day afternoone threatning some Ministers to suspend them both from their office Benefice if they durst presume to preach any more on the Lords day afternoone without alleadging any Law or Canon which there is none or any danger of bringing or spreading the plague which there is not feared but onely out of his malice to preaching and to deprive poore people of the sprituall food of their soules to affront the Sta●utes of 5. and 6. E. 6. c. 1. 3. and 1. Eli. c. 2. which require OFTEN PREACHING AND HEARING of the Gospell upon every Sunday and Holy day and prescribe preaching twice a day as well as much as Common-prayer coupling them together in the same words to oppugne the Homily of the right use of the Church p. 3. 4. 5. which prescribes and enforceth the dayly and continuall preaching of Gods word and specially on the Sabbath-dayes from our Saviours and his Apostles owne Precepts and Examples to make all Ministers perjured who at the time of their Ordination make a solemne promise and covenant before God diligently and painefully to instruct their people never to give over preaching c. as the Booke of Ordination and the Church and State of England both in and by it injoyne them and to spite S. Paul● himselse who as by the space of three yeares together hee ceased not to warne every one Night and Day therefore hee preached Evenings as well as mornings publikely from howse to howse Acts. 20. 20. 31. So hee chargeth Timothy and in him all Ministers To preach the word instantly in season out of season that is on Lords dayes and weekedayes Morning and Evening yea and at Midnight to if need be in times of prosperity and adversity of health and pestilence when preaching is most seasonable to raise men from their sinnes 2. Tim. 4. 2. which Apostle were hee in this Bishops and some other of his Brethrens Diocesse they would schoole him roundly for such good doctrine and stop his mouth to prevent the great mischeife of often preaching yea 〈◊〉 our Saviour Christ himselfe and his Apostles were now among our Prelates and should preach DAYLY in our temples as they