Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	answer_v	church_n	word_n	3,982	5	4.2706	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45150	The peaceable design being a modest account of the non-conformist's meetings : with some of their reasons for nonconformity, and the way of accomodation in the matter of religion, humbly proposed to publick consideration by some ministers of London against the sitting of Parliament in the year 1675.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1675 (1675)	Wing H3701; ESTC R24391	30,262	97

think if they could do it It is only to answer the Sheet which was tendered to the Parliament about two or three Sessions ago for taking away the Subscription and Oxford Oath and which shall be in order therefore by and by repeated We would give all the Money in our Purses with a Tax or without any upon condition that the Parliament would either have such Arguments of ours answered or else repeal their Impositions There are Three things enjoyned in the Act of Uniformity Re-ordination The Declaration The Subscription As we have borrowed thus much already from a late Paper of the Author now intimated So shall we make use of others of the same person in the which follows We begin with the Threshold Re-ordination It must be acknowledg'd by both Parties That Re-ordinvtion is an uncouth thing quite against the Hair of the literate World whether Fathers Councels or Modern Divines Protestants and Papists and put usually into the same Predicament and more especially by Austin with Re-baptization If the present Bishops therefore in the imposing of it would have stood by it and maintained the Lawfulness of it as being neither against the Law of Nature nor positive Institution but as having rather the Examples of the Apostles and of Paul and Barnabas more particularly for it with what else by some is urged against the stream barely of humane Authority this would perhaps have looked handsome and the ingenuity of it would have been notable But when they would generally have it imposed and yet disown it and be ashamed of it in so much as though there be few or none ordained by Presbyters but believed the validity of that Ordination they would have our former Ministry to be null and make us contented in effect to be held but usurpers of holy things Sacrilegious persons and all our Ministerial Acts void as the Acts of meer Laicks before it is really so intollerably vile as no mortal flesh is able to bear It is true there is one Instance from Antiquity out of Athanasius of some persons with Ischyras among them whom they would not allow as these hold to be Ministers because one Coluthus that ordained them was only a Presbyter Unto which may be added the Story of the purblind Bishop 2. Concil Hispal 3. Can. 5. circa An. 656. But we answer with Dr. Field on the Church in his Fifth Book It is one thing what they judged according to their Ecclesiastical Canons and another what they ought to judg according to the Word of God The Scripture makes no difference between Bishop and Presbyter the Superiority and Inferiority arising after in the Church And when we are made Christs Ministers and put in office by him according to his Word how shall that Authority be vacated for something wanting only in the Constitutions of Men Here is a matter of Infinite wrong which the opinion of these Men do us It takes away the Office Christ hath given us and holds it null If it was a grievous thing in the late times to put one of these Ministers out of his place what is it to put so many of us out of our Office There is no Person almost of Spirit but will be ready to part with his life as soon as the Honour he holds from the King and shall not the Ordained Minister maintain the Right which he holds from Christ When so many eminent Predecessors to these Bishops and other Defenders of this Church have maintained Presbyterian Ordination When the Reformed Churches abroad have no other When the Case was such as that there was no other to be had here in the late times When not we alone then are concerned only in the wrong but our Lord and Master whose cause it is and whose business we are to do and the Souls of so many people We cannot but appeal to the Higher Powers in a matter of so great right and wrong as this is For we are contented to have it revised and judged whether the Diocesan Bishop be distinguishedly named in Christs Charter for Ordination as he is in the Canons of Men Or when we have been ordained already as Timothy by the laying on of the hands of Presbytery whether the Lawn be de Essentia to the Ceremony and the Hands avail nothing without the Sleeves on The next thing is the Declaration I A. B. do here declare my unfained assent and consent to all and every thing contain-and pr●scribed in and by the Book Entituled The Book of Common Prayer and the form of Ordaining Bishops Priests and Deacons That is assent to all and every thing contained in and consent to every thing prescribed by these Books Sirs There was a time when that the Nation had the hopeful overture of a Concord between the sober of two parties and the Hearts of most Men were in preparation to receive it But alas instead of such a Gratious and Blessed Issue as was expected loe here the streight injunction of an Assent and Consent to all Conformity and every thing of it new and old to be approved and obeyed or else one part of the Ministry must be immediately turn'd out How can those now whose Judgments are and have been still for moderation between both opinions in times before as now be able to come over to one side altogether on such terms as these How can they we say make so short a turn as this without the hazard of some sprain to their Conscience if they do it We cannot tell you perhaps nor are willing to declare the Impressions we have upon our Spirits against a going back from that more Spiritual Plain and simply zealous Service of Almighty God in the way we were in and Reformation we sought unto that something we are not used to and fear to wit unto a form of Worship and Discipline that carrying a countenance of both but being rather only a kind of Idols thereof doth seem to us by the shew pomp and complement of the things it contains not to undermine the Life Power and Efficacy of one and the other We cannot tell you perhaps what moves us so much from within whether fear of Popery returning on us or aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we will produce Two or Three Instances apiece against Assent and against Consent to that which is injoyned that we may approve our selves to the Consciences of all as well as our own in refusing this Declaration For our Assent In the Athanasian Creed we find this passage Which Faith except every one does keep whole without doubt he shall perish everlastingly One of the Articles of this Creed is this The Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son In this Article we know the Greek Church hath differed from the Latin and held That the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father only If we give our Assent then to every thing or passage contained in this Book we must believe the Greek Church undoubtedly damned And what if

the Constitution Let us suppose therefore the word Government confined only to the Constitution There is the Constitution of the Government in the State which is a Legal Monarchy and this indeed we are so far bound from endeavouring to alter as that we think it is not alterable by the King himself and Parliament because that Supream Power for the Administration must be supposed in all Communities to be derived from and held by the Constitution But as for Government in the Church we are to know and acknowledge that the Constitution hereof it self is but a Law of the Administration in reference to the State And consequently when all Laws for the Administration are liable to the Regulation of Parliaments the great question will remain how those Men who are Presbyterian or Independent in their Judgment and think Episcopacy against the Scripture can be abridged the Endeavour only afore-mentioned which consists but in choosing Representatives and doing no more than the Consitution allows in order to the prosecution of what they think themselves obliged to in Conscience both by Oath and the Word of God Is not the foundation Liberty of the whole People and our selves with them here in danger Judg ye that are wise And what an anointed Plot have we had here on the Nation that Allegiance in effect should be sworn to the Bishops as well as to the King For the Words then or Form we wonder at this Rigour in the Compiler that a Man must swear not to endeavour any Alteration Had it not been enough to be engaged not to endeavour the Alteration of the Substance of our Government Episcopacy in the Church and Monarchy in the State but must it be not any Alteration It were well we were so absolutely perfect And again must they not at any time endeavour any alteration What if times should turn and we be in as great a confusion as we were or any the like chance or change come Must these Men be bound up that they cannot endeavour to reduce back this Government that we have No not the King and Bishops if the Iniquity of the times should put them out for they have sworn they will not at any time endeavour any alteration in Church or State Sirs The matter of this obligation being against the fundamental Freedom of the Subject and Parliament and the words you see so ensnaring and that against the duty all owe to the publick good We offer it you to consider in the first place whether this last part be according to Righteousness For the middle part of the Oath Here is a position of taking Arms by the Kings authority against any Commissionated by him which must be sworn to as abhord and traiterous There is now a Case in the mouths of all the understanding Refusers of the Oath and Subscription Suppose some Writ sued out and comes to the Sheriffs hands and suppose some to oppose the Execution by the Kings Personal Command or Commission and he thereupon raises the posse Comitatus upon them We will ask here whether the Sheriff acts not herein by the Kings Authority We think it cannot be denyed By the Kings Authority is all one as by the Law or in the Name of the King according to Law And when he can act so against any for all their Commission and the Law will bear him out how is this position in this Case traiterus and to be abhord for our parts we do resolutely believe that it was not ever the intent of the Parliament in this Oath or the Subscription as to the Major part we may be bold to advance the personal Will or Commission of the King above Law which were to make his power despotical and not Royal. Non est Rex says Bracton ubi dominatur voluntas non Lex He is no King that governs by his will and not by the Law And how this position indefinitely without exception of this Case at least must be sworn to as altogether traiterous we are to learn What if any should come with a Commission under the Seal to raise Money without an Act of Parliament and by vertue of such Commission shall seize our Goods rifle our Houses and ravish our Wives May not the People or our inferiour Magistrates or the Sheriff for the County withstand such violence May not the Constable alone by a Warrant from the Justice to keep the Peace raise the Neighbourhood and do it If he may or the Sheriff may it must be in the Name of the King or by Authority of the Law and then is there some Case or Cases where Arms or Force may be raised by the Authority of the King against such as are Commissionated by him though never against his own Sacred Person Suppose again that Papists or Fanaticks should either by Power or Surprize at any time get the King into their hands as the Duke of Guise once dealt with the French King and prevail with him for fear of his life to grant Commissions under His Hand and Seal destructive to the Church and State must the Nation be remediless in this Case and so the King and Kingdom ruin'd by these Commissions Nay what security hath the Nation that a Lord Keeper may not prove Traytor to his King and Countrey If we may suppose such a thing possible what if such a Lord Keeper should under the Broad Seal grant Commissions to disband His Majesties Life Guard deliver up the Navy or Sea-port Towns seize the Tower or places of strength in what a Condition were the King and Kingdom brought if the Subjects hands be bound up by an Oath not to resist or take Arms against the execution of such Commissions Suppose but so long as till they understand his design for by that time the whole Nation may be past recovery We are offended at the sense and stand amazed at the horrour of those sad Consequences into which the Imposition of such like Tests or Injunctions as these if not timely retrenched may lead our Posterity The Courts of Law can avoid the Kings Charters or Commissions which are passed against Law for the King is subject to the Law and Sworn to maintain it says Judg Jenkins in his Works p. 48. As for the form then of the words I abhor this Traiterous Position they are harsh the word abhor especially is a word of interest and passion a cooler word as I disown or disallow might have served Some of the more Grave as Calamy particularly were much offended at that word A Man may say a thing is unlawful in his Conscience when he cannot say according to truth I abhor it There is never a Gentleman in the Land but may swear truly that he believes it unlawful to company with any other Woman as his own Wife but if each one was put to swear he abhors it we suppose some very good Sons of the Church as well as our Brethren would be found willing to be Non-conformists to such an Oath Well