Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	jurisdiction_n	5,357	5	9.3309	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13111	The looking-glasse of schisme wherein by a briefe and true narration of the execrable murders, done by Enoch ap Evan, a downe-right separatist, on the bodies of his mother and brother, with the cause mooving him thereunto, the disobedience of that sect, against royall majesty, and the lawes of our Church is plainly set forth. By Peter Studley, Master of Arts, and minister of Gods Word, in Shrevvsbury.	Studley, Peter, 1587 or 8-1648.	1634 (1634)	STC 23403; ESTC S117932	73,005	313

effected and established our peace and that is A legall provision of encouraging maintenance for an able Ministry For as long as men of worth for quality as all Ministers ought to bee are forced to grapple with povertie which begets contempt of their persons and disesteeme of their Ministery So long the nature of poverty wherewith they are sensibly pinched is ever active in devising shifts to succour and to relieve it selfe Now what shifts can the wit of any man living excogitate whereby to releeve himselfe which may carry countenance of Piety and sincere dealing But by insinuation to creepe into the favour and esteeme of great men and the richer sort who are able to succour and support them And by obsequious flattery to instill into their hearts an ill opinion of the present Government under which wee live and to which conceit because it tends to Innovation and singularitie most mens hearts are prone and inclined according to that of the Comaedian Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Now this obsequiousnesse wherby friendship is prepared must of necessity deflect from the wayes and rules of Truth or it will never take hold and politikely succeed For to apply it to the purpose wee have now in hand If all the Nobility Gentry and Rich-men of England were fully perswaded both in judgement and conscience that the Discipline of our English Church is exactly consonant with the Word of GOD and needes neither subversion correction or alteration as both justly and judiciously they ought to be so perswaded Then any Minister of able giftes in the knowledge of GOD's Word adorned with vertue and sanctitie of life would serve their turne either for their Parish Minister or Family Chaplaine without that solicitous distinction of person and person for opinions sake in matter of Ceremony which rules too much in this divided Church For where no variety or differences of opinion have liberty to worke upon mens understandings consciences and affections by reason of that generall unity which ought to bee among us Church-men both in judgement of our peaceable discipline and uniformity of practice in our submission thereunto There every wise and charitable hearted Gentleman must needs be free from faction and part-taking and thereby the peace of our Church gratiously composed So that this Non-conformity in the first brochers thereof was but a tricke of politike wit by casting differences of opinion among Gods people to make way for themselves to raise a party of private friendship and thereby to draw unto them such competency of maintenance to their estates and credit to their persons as might both releeve their poverty and inhance their spirits to a selfe-good opinion of their owne inventions by ingrossing many mens good opinions of their Pietie their vertue their aversnesse from Popery And if all the policy of this wise learned and religious Kingdome shall wracke and teynter it selfe totally to suppresse and supplant these courses it will never be able in my poore opinion to effect their just righteous designes till a proportionable maintenance setting Ministers free from a servile dependance and ingagement to their people do sweetly invite and induce them to obedience For as long as any sap or moysture of discontent by poverty remaines in the root of Non-conformity it will regerminate bud-forth againe and creepe into corners although the strong arme of Regall power and sound Iustice guided by sanctified policy suppresse the raging flames and restraine the open walking therof 48 I have many times in my private meditations of these matters admired how it hath come to passe that those prudent and well-intended Lawes which were in the Reigne of King Henry the eight first projected And afterwards in the reigne of his religious and wise Sonne King Edward the sixt more largely extracted out of the Copies of the Canon Law by 32. persons consisting of the Honourable Nobility Reverend Bishops Learned Divines Wise Civilians and Prudent Gentlemen and were also confirmed Regio Diplomate by Regall grant of power from both those Kings and wanting nothing but Promulgation prevented by the immature death of that holy wise and learned young Prince King Edward the 6. How these Laws could never since that time obtaine their intended strength For had those Lawes beene established either by Parlamentary authoritie then or since by the Royall Prerogative of any of our Kings and Queenes from whom all authority Iurisdiction and power is derived into Church Common-wealth I will make bold to deliver my opinion and that is this There had not beene I suppose at this day Printed 157● one Puritane Non-conformed Minister in this Illustrious Church and Kingdome For in those Lawes there is provision made for convenient maintenance of Ministers in all the Cities great Townes and Corporations of England which are the Seminaries and principall places where schisme is bred and nourished conformable to the custome of the Citie of London by a rate and taxa upon their house and shops In Titulo de Decimis capite 14. the Lawe runnes thus Magnam indignitatem habet à tenuibus Laboriosis Agricolis decimas annuas Ecclesiarum ministris suppeditari Mercatores autem opibus affluentes viros Scientiarum artificiorum copiis abundantes nihil ferme ad ministrorum necessitates conferre praesertim cùm illis ministrorum officio non minus opus sit quàm colonis Quapropter ut ex pari labore par consequatur merees constituimus ut Mercatores pannorum confectores artifices reliqui cujuscunque generis ac omnes qui scientia vel peritia qualecunque lucrum percipiunt hoc modo decimas persolvant Pro Domibus nimirum atque terris quibus utuntur illarum ratione decimas praediales non solvunt quolibet anno dabunt annuae pensionis decimam partem It is a great indignitie that poore and laborious countrey Farmers doe pay their Tythes to the Ministers of their Churches But that Merchants flowing in riches and men of Sciences and Trades abounding with wealth should impart in a manner nothing to the necessities of their Ministers especially since these rich men stand in no lesse need of the Ministers labours then the Countrey men doe VVherefore that from equall labour a like reward may accrew wee ordaine that Merchants Clothiers and all other Artificers of what kinde soever and all others who by any science or skill doe gaine profit to themselves shall pay Tithes after this manner To wit they shall pay the tenth part of yeerely pension for their houses and grounds which they hold and use and by reason thereof pay no praediall Tythes Thus farre the Law Now for prevention of cavill vvhich vvranglers are apt to foyst into all necessary offices and in this particular to say that this Law was intended only for the City of London and is there in force and practice The very front and Title of the Law it selfe wipes away and dissolves this plea and objection saying unto us Solvendas esse

Gospell For as the wisdome of GOD in the old Testament prescribed the rule of his will unto his people for their direction saying e Malack 3.7 The Priests lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for He is the Messenger of the LORD of Hoasts So hath the divine and constant wisdome of the same our GOD declared the Canon of His will in the New Testament to continue in the Church to the dissolution of this World f Ephes 4.11.12 CHRIST gave some to be Prophets some Apostles and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministry for the edifying of the body of CHRIST till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the SONNE of GOD unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. Now these holy Arts and Ordinations of GOD's wisdome and love unto His people are the Constant rules of direction and order to be observed and obeyed by all His faithfull children whiles here they remaine in their militant condition 2 And though secular persons are both warranted and directed by our LORD and SAVIOUR for their preservation in faith and obedience g Mat. 7.15 To beware of false prophets which come unto them in sheepe● cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves And are also commanded in the practice of holy and gracious vigilancie over their own soules h 1 Ioh. 4.1 To trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no yet this warrant direction command are not so vast and universall but that they are limitted and confined within their owne proper bounds Not giving libertie unto i 2 Pet. 3.16 Vnlearned and unstable persons to wrest the sacred Scriptures to their owne destruction Nor to judge and censure their Teacher either in his doctrine or spirit if his upright and sound judgement accord not with their light and seduced fancies or his Method of preaching arride not their vaine and selfe-pleasing Humour And further if any branch of doctrine shall bee publikely delivered by any Minister of the Gospell not exactly consonant with the Canon of the Scriptures the analogie of the Christian faith and the orthodox doctrine and judgement of the Ancient and Moderne Church Lay persons are not presently to presume of themselves that they are so qualified with judgement or armed with power as to reprove their pastours because as the Apostle hath told us k 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirits of the Prophets are subject unto the Prophets All that any Lay-person can or ought to doe in matter of his owne private judgement is no more but to submit himselfe to that rule of the HOLY GHOST l 1. Thes 5.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trie all things and hold that which is good And to this triall and retaining of sound doctrines they are for action and practice of life to adde that of another Apostle m Iude 20. By building up themselves in their most holy faith and praying in the HOLY GHOST keepe themselves in the love of GOD looking for the mercies of our LORD IESUS CHRIST unto eternall life They may indeed if erroneous doctrines be taught in publike congregations dangerous to the soules of GOD's people give notice thereof by way of information to their and our Superiours the Bishops who for the maturitie of their judgement the gravitie of their persons and the weight of their authoritie are able to rebuke reprove exhort convince of errour any unsound doctrine repugnant to the sacred Scriptures And when by weight of Argument and pregnant conviction of errour any doctrine taught shall deservedly be reproved if the teacher thereof shall obstinately persist in his errour and refuse to be reformed by the wisdome and authoritie of his Governour the sentence of suspension excommunication or deprivation is justly to proceed against him 3 This course of Ecclesiasticall discipline being for substance Sacred for antiquitie Venerable and for forme and processe therein so exact that mans wit cannot reprove it they that preferre their owne private spirits and opinions before this prudent judgement and practice of the Church as fantastick separatists do plainly discover themselves to have their part in that description which by the spirit of prophecie is given of all such n 2 Pet. 2.18 Presumptuous they are selfe-willed they are not afraid to speake evill of Dignities With this kinde of high and overweening spirits our English Church hath of late years beene much pestered and disquieted so that many godly Ministers of rich talents worthy endowments and able gifts have not received that sweet comfort to their soules which from the profitable and painfull execution of so sacred a calling is by command of GOD'S Spirit due unto them For the Apostle hath strictly charged all Christians o Hebr. 23.18 To obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves unto them for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Yet notwithstanding the weight of this charge such is the insolent pride and contumacie of spirit in this kinde of men strongly conceited of the spirituall favour of GOD unchangeably setled on their particular persons that unlesse both the observance and which is more the obsequiousnesse of the Minister both in doctrine and practice be accommodated to give them content and flatter their fancies they will maligne his person traduce his name and scorne and vilifie him with all basenesse of contempt yea although his life bee most conscionably led in the feare of GOD and his outward conversements with men adorned and made gracefull with all Humanity Humility and Integritie 4 In the ranke and number of these bold and busie Scripturists wee are to range one ENOCH ap EVAN a fellow of very meane quality and small understanding as able only to reade English and no more yet of high thoughts touching his owne personall worth in spirituall abilities For so cunningly and yet powerfully had Satan insinuated himselfe by spirituall illusions into his understanding for opinion and into his heart for affection and inclination to his owne dull and extravagant conceits that he became presumptuously bold to dislike not only the Gestures and rites prescribed by the Governours of our Church for conservation of uniformitie peace and unitie among GOD'S people and ratified by Regall and Legall Authority But hee proceeded so farre as to reprove the forme of words used by the Minister in the delivery of the sacred Communion into the hands of God's people For whereas the wisdome of our Church prescribes the forme of words thus The Body of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which was given for thee preserve thy bodie and soule unto everlasting life The pride and ignorance of this fellow no● able to conceive the strength and significancie of these

Ceremonies but to aime at such substantials alterations in Church and State as would willingly subjugate the Royall Diadem and Scepter of Princely Power to the subordinate rule and direction of their Presbyterian consistory 41 Vnto this Towne of ours divers Gentlemen from many parts of this Kingdome and Widdowes also have within these twelve last yeares resorted Resolving here to plant themselves for fixed habitation and expecting to enjoy with impunity the vaine toyes and schismaticall conceits they brought hither with them But my trust is under GOD and the sacred and Royall Majestie of our King that our Reverend Bishop will either in short time reforme their irregularities or cause them to returne to the places of their former aboad Hither also have flocked Mechanicall fellowes of many Artifices and Professions Masons Carpenters Brick-layers Corsers Weavers Stone-gravers and what not And being in their persons of worthlesse quality and receiving countenance from men of better ranke they have pestered our Towne with disobedience and schisme and for their low condition and obscurity of living have escaped presentment and passed unregarded Pardon my zeale good Reader a surcharged heart speaking nothing but knowne and justifiable truth may justly obtaine libertie to unburden it selfe Now these persons of the better and inferiour ranke grow presently into strict and inviolable leagues of mutuall amitie as if long continuance of time experience and proofe of their Christian vertues had incorporated and united them together in reciprocall societie For it is the nature of Schisme and all unwarranted courses ever to shew it selfe active in malignitie and by examples and encouragements from one to another in short time to disdaine to submit themselves to the commands of their Superiours lest thereby they dishonour their fantasticall profession by shrinking from the hold of their Christian libertie and abridging themselves of their selfe-pleasing fantasies They assemble and feast and pray and discourse and perhaps take libertie also to complaine and lament each unto other that the Reliques of Rome continue still among us to adulterate the sacred puritie of our Gospell of Peace But blessed bee the Name of the LORD our GOD and thankes be given to the excellent Majestie and Piety of our King who resolving in his royall heart Quoad brachii humaeni virtutem to conserve the puritie of the glory of CHRIST in supporting the free passage of His blessed Gospell doth also designe in His Princely thoughts and intentions to reduce His wandring subjects to uniformity of obedience 42 A Letter was written by a Non-conformed Minister to that late reverend worthy and learned Prelate Bishop Iewel who if the judgement of Master Hooker ratified with the approbation of that most Illustrious Memorable and Learned King Iames t Hooker Eccl. polit●e pag. 68. Preface before Iewels workes may be received was one of the most accomplished Divines that Christendome hath yeelded for some hundreds of yeares In this Letter the judgement of that gracious man was desired touching our Ceremonies and specially the government of our Church by Bishops Who weighing in his prudent and peaceful thoughts the sleight Arguments sent unto him wherewith the impregnable fort of our discipline was attempted for battery and subversion replied thus as hee is cited by Doctor Whitgift in his Reply u Answer to a libell intituled An adnotion c. As for these reasons in my judgement they are not made to build up and they are too weake to pull downe Stultitia nata est in corde pueri Virga disciplinae fugabit illam x Pro. 22.15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction will drive it from him It is but wantonnesse correction will helpe it Thus far Bishop Iewel Now the weight of this mans authority furnished as hee was with infinite variety of reading in the writings of the Church Ancient and Moderne is more to be esteemed than the up-start conceits of many hundreds of those light and vaine Novellers the wanton perturbers of our Christian peace And till this correcting rod of Humane power qualified and ratified by divine authority and given by GOD into the Princely hand of His Vicegerents be either inflicted or at least lifted up and shaked though shaking without striking will doe little good these men are so setled upon the Lees and dregges of their pleasing errours that like Moab y Ier. 48.11 for want of emptying from vessell to vessell they will still retaine their old sent within them 43 I publikely told them five Moneths agoe namely in Iuly last past 1633 in a Preface to my Catechisme Lecture in a very great assembly that it was to bee feared that they who obeyed not the Lawes of the King did curse his sacred Person in their hearts contrary to that rule Eccle. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thoughts and curse not the Rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the ayre shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter These words of mine stirred up such a Tempest in the unruly tumultuous and stormy affections that many of them rashly rowed but have fayled therein that they would never heare mee againe because I imployed good Talents and partes to the disgrace of Gods children But now let them give mee leave since time hath allaied their passions and rendred them more capable of wholsome advice to tell them without feare or flattery that I conceive the Spirituall meaning of these words in this sense Hee that obeyes not the Law which is by commande of Princely power and Iustice impsed on him Curses that law which he refuseth to obey for betweene obedience and cursing there is no medium or meane in the sense of Gods Spirit For every act of murmuring and repining against the supposed iniquity of any law coupled with contempt of the same law by disobedience thereunto is an act of the heart and Spirit of that man cursing the 〈◊〉 to which hee refuseth to yeeld true and faithfull subjection Now this inward curse lighting on the law which is disobeyed reflects or rather falls directly on the Majestie of the King from whose sacred Authority as hee is the immediate Vicegerent of God that law receives either Constitution or Ratification and Command for obedience This sense I obtrude not on these Persons as arrogating to my selfe infallibility of judgement in the meaning of Gods Spirit But I refer it to the grave and deliberat judgement of those prudent and learned Persons who fit at the Helme of government in our Church and are more profound in knowledge and fully able to resolve and cleere this doubt for as then so now I deliver onely my opinion and no more But yet let me further tell them that since they like not to bee told that their thoughts and hearts do Curse Christian Kings whose lawes check and countermaund their novell fancies what will they say to that place of sacred Scriptures

wish unto all those persons with whom they converse and are entertained And even so this sect of men wish to their profitable friends all other kindes of happinesse riches honours dignities affluence of all worldly contents answerable to the desires of their owne hearts But that their understandings should be inlightned to discover their owne former errours and to find out the frauds and alluring enticements wherewith they use to insnare them and tye them fast to themselves This part of divine wisdome they never wish unto them but mainely labour to hold them backe from attaining therunto for if once this bright ray and beame of divine truth glance into their soules and be received by them with pause deliberation and more prudent inspection into their former courses than formerly they have used then these men know right wel Actum est de illis their Acts are discovered and their Play is exploded For now silencing from the execution of so sacred a vocation is become in this age for temporall emoluments farre more profitable to this kinde of men than the godly labours of religious Ministers in the constant imployment of their talents proves unto them So miserably are Gods people led blindfolded into spirituall captivity But if the bosomes of these men were transparent and the close-wrought veyle wherein all their policies are enwrapped were Translucent and thereby their sleights exposed to the view of all men I make no question but that the leprosie of corruption would bee sensibly discovered to have maculated their hearts and consciences For it is not possible that Gods Spirit should erre in describing the Acts and Qualities of seducers I beseech you Brethren marke them which cause divisions among you and offences contrary to the Doctrine that yee have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not the LORD IESUS but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple And these men in Saint Paul's time in the Church of Rome were reputed as sincere up right holy and spiritually qualified with gifts of divine grace as are our Non-conformists in the Church of England And certainely unlesse this worke of the Kings most excellent Majesty and his pious and prudent Bishops were directed by GOD Himselfe in their hearts it could never have received so great approbation in the hearts of most men and they wise religious and vertuous as of late it hath done in this Land for not only many thousands who had a kinde of charitable opinion of these men though they did not familiarly converse with them entertaine them in their houses or comply with them in their cōceits begin now much to distaste them and greatly desire the suppression of them But which is more even their owne friends also who were wholly theirs begin to faint in their courage and in some degrees to distaste those courses if they could handsomely shake them off and yet preserve the reputation of their former zeale For this is the maine blocke which most of them stumble at namely Not feare of dishonouring GOD nor hurting the purity of their owne consciences if they should shake hands and bid farewell to their niceties and follies But how to keepe up their credits in the hearts of those men who being honest vertuous and worthy of good respect they have much vilified dis-esteemed in matters of religion in comparison with themselves But this is a needlesse and superfluous care for I am of opinion that all honest hearted Christians both Ministers and Lay-people who zealously desire the peace and flourish of our Church and Kingdome will readily give them the right-hand of unfained fellowship receive them into their bosomes with alacrity and joy for their return to the obedience of their spirituall Mother the Church and never twit nor upbraid them with their former toyish errours And here let me put you my Brethren of Shrewsbury in minde which you ought to take in good part and thankfully at my hands from the sense and experience thereof in your owne bosomes That I have observed in divers of your persons that your zeale and fervour in your once approved cause doth begin to slake and remit of those intensive degree which it formerly had in you So that there is nothing wanting unto you but the application and pressing of authoritie unto your wavering mindes which are easily taken off from your former course And I am perswaded upon very pregnant grounds that there are of you who beginne to smell out either the fraud or Art or what other terme is apt for that fine peece of policie wherein you have beene long enwrapped by errour of your judgements to your cost and expences And which hath made many Gentlemen of this Kingdom to say in the words of our LORD though in a contrary sense Zelus Domus tuae exedit me Ioh. 2.17 The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up And many of your well-willers as your selves know very well being but halfe brothers and percell gilt are content to sooth and flatter you in your opinions but they will looke well enough to their purses and have care of the maine as though they had learned that axiome in Philosophie Noli perdere substantiam propter accidens Destroy not thy substance for an accident to wit a Toy My hope is therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with GOD that our Prudent Governour lately placed over us Bishop Wright in whose Person wisdome and courage conjoyned with gracious Affability and mildnesse of spirit doe strive for precedencie will execute that Authority wherewith the sacred Majesty of our King hath entrusted him and by correcting your insolencies which are nothing else but selfe-pleasing vanities and the proper effects of pride and weaknesse of judgement will reduce you to obedience of righteous Lawes and keepe you in order for untill the rod of power and discipline bee imposed gently for your correction your affections wil stray from that regularity of obedience which Gods sacred Word and the obligation of your owne consciences borne under the Law of natural alleagiance to the Majesty of your Prince require at your hands For it is an ancient and profitable saying and which holy David found true in spirituall matters Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections whether Divine or Humane do instruct the children of GOD which I hope you are to wiser and more obedient intentions and actions 52 And here I am forced much against my will to Apologize for mine owne integrity and innocencie in a particular matter which lately fell out among us in which I have beene by many of this factious Brother-hood most impudently abused The matter would be very long to relate it with all circumstances incident thereunto take it therefore thus with al the brevity I am able The most Reverend Father in God the L. Bishop of our Diocesse preached a