Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	ceremony_n	church_n	ordain_v	3,759	5	9.3766	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47873	Interest mistaken, or, the Holy cheat proving from the undeniable practises and positions of the Presbyterians, that the design of that party is to enslave both king and people under the masque of religion : by way of observation upon a treatise, intitutled, The interest of England in the matter of religion, &c. / by Roger L'Estrange.	L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.	1661 (1661)	Wing L1262; ESTC R41427	86,066	191

to be restor'd Vbi vigent Isti ordines scil non esse Abolendos ubicunque Iniquitas temporum eos abolevit Restituendos With what Face now shall the Enemies of Bishops call themselves Protestants in this particular at least wherein they evidently cross the whole stream of Protestant Divines Now to the second Quae●e Whether such Laws of Humane and significant Institution as are orderly made and neither contradict the general Laws of Nature nor any positive Law in Scripture be binding or not Hear Calvin first Quamvis quod oberuditur scandalum afferat quia tamen verbo Dei per se non repugnat concedi potest Scandals Taken without repugnancy to the Word of God are not sufficient to invalidate the obligation of a Ceremony imposed by the Church Beza himself nay Mr. Cartwright the Captain of our blessed Legions will allow rather than quit a Benefice to wear a Surplice Bucer thanks God with all his soul to see the English Ceremonies so pure and conform to the Word of God or at least rightly understood not contrary to it Not to hunt further for particular Authorities I shall be bold with my own Brother and make use of some general Collections which he hath gathered ready to my hand Nothing assuredly can be more demonstrative of the Protestant Tenets than the Confession of their several Churches That of Helvetia first Churches have always used their Liberty in Rites as being things indifferent which we also do at this day That of Bohemia Humane Traditions and Ceremonies brought in by a good custom are with an uniform consent to be retained in the Ecclesiastical Assemblies of Christian People at the common Service of God The Gallican Every place may have their peculiar constitutions as it shall seem convenient for them The Belgick We receive those Laws as are fit either to cherish or maintain concord or to keep us in the obedience of God That of Ausburg Ecclesiastical Rites which are ordained by mans Authority and tend to quietness and good order in the Church are to be observed That of Saxony For order sake there must be some decent and seemly Ceremonies That of Swethland Such Traditions of men as agree with the Scriptures and were ordained for good manners and the profit of men are worthily to be accounted rather of God than of Man These were the Tenents they publickly owned nor did they act different from what they taught ordaining Churches Pulpits Prayers before and after Sermon administring the Sacraments in Churches delivering the Communion in the forenoon to Women Baptizing Infants and several other things not one whereof were directly commanded by either Christ or his Apostles From hence 't is manifest we may divide from Presbyterians and yet the Protestant Religion not be divided against it self A Schism there is but whether in the Church or in the Faction is onely a dispute for those that plead the Authority of Tumults As their opinions are not one jot Protestant where they divide from Bishops so neither are their Morals any more warrantable wherein they act as Men. Which shall we credit Words or Deeds Will they not Bite where they pretend to Kiss A famous Martyr of that Party Hacket served a fellow so Some difference there had been and they were to be made friends Hacket pretends a Reconcilement takes the man in his Arms bites off his Nose and swallows it This is that Hacket that was joyn'd with Coppinger and Archington in a plot to murder the Lords in the Star-chamber because they had committed Cartwright the great Rabbi of the Party whose Crime was onely the erecting of the Presbytery without and against the Queens Authority Thus we see That in Queen Elizabeth 's days too the Protestant Religion was divided against it self Briefly that it is not Religion which moves these people is most apparent from their unquiet and distempered Actings Proceed we now to enquire what it is or in plain terms to unmasque the Holy Cheat and shew it bare-fac'd to the people Of all Impressions those of Religion are the deepests and of all Errors the most to be lamented and indulged are those of tender and mis-guided Consciences The clearness of this Principle considered it is no wonder that the foulest designs put on the greatest shews of Holiness as the onely way to gain and rule affections without which no great matters can be accomplish'd This is a truth well known to the Presbyterians and of experiment as antient as their Discipline We do not undertake to read their Hearts but their VVritings we may venture upon enquire a little into their practises and by comparing both give some tolerable guess at their Intentions The readiest way is to look back and match them for the best prospect of the future is behind us Some grumblings toward the Consistorian discipline there were in the days of Edw. 6. but the first notorious Separation was that of Frankford in the Reign of Queen Mary when Gilby Goodman and Whitingham with their Companions flew off and went to Geneva from whence they returned into England soon after Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown These led the Dance in England Knox in Scotland and at this day our Presbyterians do but write after their Copy professing the same Principles pretending the same Scruples and beyond doubt proposing the same End which was to get the same Dominion here which Calvin and Beza exercised at Geneva to whom they still repair'd for Counsel as they needed Cartwright and Travers came in the breech of these but not without consulting Beza first to learn the Knack of the Geneva Model These were the men that first brought into England that horrible Position that the Geneva Discipline was as essential a Note of the Church as either the true preaching of the Word or the due Administration of the Sacraments This is the Principle which supports the Presbyterian Interest For the first thirteen years of the Queen's Reign they contented themselves to throw about their Libels against Ceremonies and divide into Conventicles In the fourteenth of her Majesty they addressed two Admonitions to the Parliament the former in the quality of a Remonstrance with a Platform the other bolder and more peremptory This Parliament was no sooner Dissolved but they fell presently to work upon their Discipline the Progress whereof is with great exactness set down in the Third Book of Bancroft's dangerous Positions In 1572. a Presbytery was erected at Wandesworth in Surrey at which time they had also their Conventicles in London where little was debated but against Subscription the Attire and Book of Common-prayer In 82. A meeting was appointed of 60 Ministers out of Essex Cambridge-shire and Norfolk at Cockfield to confer about the Common-prayer what might be tolerated In 83. The form of Discipline was compiled and Decrees made touching the practise of it which soon after were put in execution

But I shall pass my bounds too far I 'll borrow one Maxim of the judicious Hooker upon th●t subject which shall serve for all Those things which the Law of God leaveth Arbitrary and at liberty are all subject unto positive Laws of men which Laws for the common benefit abridge particular mens libertie in such things as far as the rules of equity will suffer After the Quality of our Ceremonies the holy man will have one fling at the number of them If the English Ceremonies be warrantably used what hinders the use of divers other Ceremonies used in the Roman Church Is it said their multitude will become burthensome and inconvenient But who can determine the convenient number And however an exchange of one Ceremony for another were not unlawful For what reason may not some other Romish Rites in Baptism be used as well as the Cross seeing they are nothing less significant or inoffensive nay peradventure much more inoffensive because the Papists by giving divine worship to the Cross have abused it to gross Idolatry Observation Beggars must be no choosers Must we use all or none The English Church hath made election of the English Ceremonies what and how many being the proper Judge both in the point of Number and Convenience 'T is not for us to Question the Authority but to Obey it What if the Cross hath been abused So hath the Knee been bent the Hands and Eyes addressed to an Idol Are we because of this mis-application prohibited to worship the true God in the same manner and posture Now to the Liturgy again The Presbyterians are not satisfied in the present Liturgy but desire it may be laid aside or much reformed And what solid reason withstands the Equity of this desire This solid reason does withstand it They beg like sturdy Cripples for Christ's sake with a Cudgel And 't is not safe for Authority to give ground to a Faction Whosoever observes impartially shall find that political prudence was joyn'd with Christian Piety in composing the English Service-Book And the same Prudence is now joyn'd with the same Piety both in the Right and Interest of preserving it His next grief is a heavy one Canonical Subscription lately impos'd is a yoke of bondage Now mark him to be considered by all those that have a true regard to such Liberty in Religion as Equity and Necessity pleads for Observation Either this passage is seditious and to enflame the people against Authority or I am no Englishman The Canon says he requires a subscribing to the thirty nine Articles to the Common-Prayer-Book to the Book of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons that all these contain in them nothing contrary to the Word of God This is unreasonable unprofitable and unnecessary Nay let us take in the third Article too To wit That the nine and thirty Articles are agreeable to the Word of God And now the form of Subscription viz. I do willingly and ex animo subscribe to these three Articles above mentioned and to all things that are contained in them This is the Yoke of Bondage which our Reverend Libertine complains of First to the unreasonableness of this subscription Touching the King's Supremacy asserted in the first Article he is silent and I suppose he would be thought consenting As to the rest what Reason is there that any man should be admitted into the Ministery without subscribing to the Constitution of that Church into which he seeks admitance If he cannot subscribe in Conscience he cannot be admitted in Prudence and if he refuses in point of stomach that man is not of a Gospel-temper In fine he that holds a fair opinion of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England may very reasonably set his hand to his opinion and he that does not may as reasonably be rejected because of such disagreement So much for unreasonable Neither is it unprofitable for such as have any spark either of Honor or Shame will in regard to such a Testimony be tender of giving themselves the Lye whatever they would do otherwise His third Cavil is that it is unnecessary so are his Exceptions Let any man consider when all these Bars and Limits are too little to restrain turbulent and sacrilegious spirits from dangerous and irreverent attempts what Seas of Schism and Heresie would break in upon us were but these Banks demolish'd But he hath found out an expedient how Unity in Doctrine and Uniformity in practise may be as well attain'd and far more kindly without this enforced Subscription that is If no Minister be suffered to Preach or Write any thing contrary to the establish'd Doctrine Worship or Discipline nor ordinarily for the main to neglect the establish'd Rule Observation This last passage appears to me most spitefully pleasant Not ordinarily for the main that is Always sometimes he would neglect the establish'd Rule If the Laws already in force against Revolters had been duly executed 't is likely the Interest of England in the matter of Religion had not been now the Question But still this supposition does not imply an absolute sufficiency of that strictness to all intents and purposes of Order and Agreement 'T is what we Think not what we Say the harmony of Souls more then of Forms which God regards without that sacred and entire consent of Judgment and Affections the rest is but a flat and cold formality Not to act contrary to prescribed Rules where we are bound up by a Penalty is but a Negative and Passive Obedience a compliance rather with Convenience than Duty unless joyn'd with a prone and full assent both to the truth and equity of those determinations For these and many reasons more Canonical subscription seems to me exceeding necessary But for those people to decline it upon pretence forsooth of Conscience that upon pain of Freedom and Estates nay and of Hell it self enforced the Covenant is most unequal A Presbyterian Preacher refused to pray for Sir William Nesbett late Provost of Edenburgh when he was lying upon his Death-bed onely because he had not subscribed the Covenant Let me be pardoned if I understand not this incongruous Holiness As for the Decrees and Canons of the Church what rightful Authority doth make them as the Law of the Medes and Persians that altereth not Observation Surely his Reverence over-shoots himself What rightful Authority The Kings and by a less Authority they cannot be discharged By that Authority that Licenses the Excommunication of the Impugners of the Rites and Ceremonies established in the Church of England the Opposers also of the Government by Arch-bishops Bishops c. By that Authority to which this Gentleman hath forfeited the Head he wears Well but he tells us The publick state of these differences is such that the Prelatists may and ought to descend to the Presbyterians in the proposed moderate way but the Presbyterians cannot come

of Religion Laws and Liberties which are the very fundamentals of this Contract and Covenant may be controlled and opposed and if he set himself to overthrow all these by Arms then they who have power as the Estates of a Land may and ought to resist by Arms Because he doth by that opposition break the very Bonds and overthroweth all the Essentials of this Contract and Covenant This may ☜ serve to Justifie the proceedings of this Kingdom against the late King who in an hostile way set himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties I think this needs no Comment About the same time Smectymnuus was revived by Mr. Manton a most auspicious welcome doubtless to his Majesty wherein five Champions of the Cause take up the Cudgels against one Bishop on the behalf of scandalous Pamphlets and Tumultuary Petitions against Episcopacy This is the naked Truth what ever the Jolly Priest may tell the Reader of the Faction against which they dealt Five Orthodox Divines he says were the Authors Four of the Five I shall not mention the Fifth was Marshal of whose Divinity a Taste that by the sweet Agreement we may the better judge of Mr. Manton's In a Letter printed 1643. arguing for the Authority of the two Houses page 14. Thus. Let every soul in England be subject to King and Parliament for they are the higher Powers ordained unto you of God whosoever therefore resisteth King and Parliament resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation The man was no Conjurer yet he had wit enough when Presbytery went down to Court the rising Interest and ' though the Common-prayer was an Abomination to marry his Daughter by it for fear of After-claps But I suppose 't was huddl'd up as 't is in Mr. Manton's Church that no man might be able to make Oath 't was not the Directory If the Case had been concerning the Allowance of Christian Burial to a Gentleman that was Quartered for his Loyalty Or to determine in the great Point of the late Kings Death upon an Anniversary Fast whether or no 't was Murther Truly considering the potent Arguments brought on both sides 't is possible that Mr. Marshal would have contented himself as well as his Neighbours barely to put the Case and leave the point at last undecided to his Auditory Not to spend time and paper needlesly The whole stream of the Disciplinarians runs this way onely perhaps more or less Bold and Open according to the present strength or weakness of the Faction But to return Can any thing be more gentle then A Reformation and due Regulation of things in Church and State words smoother than Oyle yet are they very Swords First To Reform and Regulate belongs to the Supreme Magistrate if they intended That they were to blame Now to take it in a Qualifi'd and softer sense 't was a Due Regulation they intended To put this General notion in more Intelligible terms upon this point depends no less then all that 's dear to every honest man The Dignity of the King the Liberty of the Subject the Freedome of Parliaments and the Honor of the Nation God knows my thoughts I do not envy any man either the Benefit of his Majesty's Mercy or the Blessing of his Favour that hath the Grace at last not to Abuse it I look upon his Royal Act of Pardon with Reverence and upon every Soul within that pale as in a Sanctuary But yet I do not understand a Pardon for one Rebellion to be a Dispensation for another nor how the Argument lies from Fact to Right Under these two words Due Regulation Thus much is comprehended waiving less Differences and Greater 1. The transferring of the Power of chusing Great Officers and Ministers of State from the King to the Two Houses 2. All matters of State in the Interval of Parliaments must be Debated and Concluded by a Counsel so chosen and in number not above twenty five nor under fifteen and no Publick Act esteemed of any Validity as proceeding from the Royal Authority unless it be done by the Advice and Consent of the Major part of that Counsel Attested under their Hands And These too sworn to the sense of Both Houses 3. The Lords and Commons must be intrusted with the Militia 4. His Majesty may appoint but the Two Houses or the Counsel in such manner as aforesaid must Approve of All Governors of Forts and Castles Lastly No Peers hereafter made must Sit or Vote in Parliament unless Admitted thereunto by the Consent of Both Houses Upon these Terms his Majesty shall be supported in Honor and plenty by his most Humble and Faithful Subjects who have in their Thoughts and Desires nothing more precious next to the Honor and immediate Service of God than their just and faithful performance of their Duty to the King and Kingdom This is the Due Regulation they Intended for sure they Meant what they Proposed to our Late Soveraign I speak not this of Persons but of the Gross of the Party nor to reproach That neither but to remove a Scandal from the Ashes of that Blessed Martyr and to direct a Reverence towards his Successor What provocation have these restless People now to revive This Question but an unruly Impotency of Passion against the Government This is their way In Generals they justifie from first to last the Presbyterians Cause The multitude they look into Particulars and from those Injuries which the late King suffered draw Inferences Dis-honourable and Dangerous to this In the next Periode me-thinks he falls upon a Non-sequitur The Re-admission of the Secluded Members he says did necessarily draw after it the Restoring of King Lords and Commons according to the antient Constitution Not Necessarily under favour according to the antient Constitution I will not say nor probably but there were two shrewd Blocks cast in the way The First in the Militia where no Commissionated Officer was to Act that should not first acknowledge in these words viz. I do Acknowledge and Declare that the Warre undertaken by both Houses of Parliament in their defence against the Forces raised in the Name of the late King was Just and Lawful and that Magistracy and Ministery are the Ordinances of God The Second was in the Exclusion of the Royal Party from the next Choice as followeth Resolved that all and every Person who have advised or voluntarily aided abeited or assisted in any War against the Parliament since the first day of January 1641. his or their sons unless he or they have since Manifested their good affections to this Parliament shall be uncapable to be elected to serve as members of the next Parliament Now how a Choice thus limited in the House and Principled in the Field should Necessarily set us right does not to me appear Perhaps it was the most the Time would bear but God forbid That Declaration charging the Guilt and

give good Evidence As touching Ceremonies the Contest began early even in King Edward's Reign between Hooper and other Bishops The Consecration of Hooper Elect Bishop of Glocester being stayed because he refused to wear certain Garments used by Popish Bishops he obtained Letters from the King and from the Earl of Warwick to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and others that he might not be burthened with certain Rites and Ceremonies and an Oath common●y used in the Consecration of Bishops which were offensive to his Conscience Nevertheless he found but harsh dealing from his fellow-Bishops whereof some were afterwards his fellow-Martyrs and Ridley among others who afterwards thus wrote unto him when they were both Prisoners for the Gospel However in time past in certain Circumstances and By-matters of Religion your wisdom and my simplicity I grant hath a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgment Now be assured that even with my whole heart in the Bowels of Christ I love you in the truth and for the truth's sake which abideth in us Some godly Martyrs in Queen Mary's days disliked the Ceremonies and none of them died in the defence of Ceremonies Liturgy and Prelacy in opposition to all other Ecclesiastical Government and Order It was the Protestant verity which they witnessed and sealed in blood in opposition to Popery especially the prodigious Opinion of Transubstantiation and the Abomination of the Romish Mass or Sacrifice In the same bloody days certain English Protestants being fled for refuge into Germany and setled at Frankford were divided amongst themselves about the Service-book even with scandalous breach of Charity and in the issue the Congregation was sadly broken and dissipated What is intended by Due Liberty might be a Doubt did not the Coherence explain it to be a Freedom of Acting to all intents and purposes at pleasure whether without Law or against it no matter according to such presidents of Former times as our Resolver refers unto and justifies He tells us The contest about Ceremonies began early and so in truth it did For in the time of King Edward there was a wambling toward the Geneva Discipline but neither very earnest nor very popular and That so far as I can learn procured even by the Author of that Platform Calvin himself Concerning Godly Martyrs in Queen Mary's days Some suffered that disliked the Ceremonies Others that liked them That none died in defence of them is a Remarque might have been spared For the Question was matter of Faith not Discipline The Frankford Breach indeed was a sad Story but yet considering the Dividers of no great Honor or Authority to our Friends purpose Knox and Whittingham were the prime Ring-leaders in this Disorder who upon some Disputes started about the Service-book joyning with others of the Consistorian stamp drew such an extract of it as they thought fit and sent it to Calvin requesting his Opinion of it Such was the Answer they received as blew the whole Congregation into a flame from whence arose that scandalous breach ensuing viz. The English Service being established Whitingham Gilby Goodman with some others Divided and went to Geneva whence both by Letters and Discourses they tampered the Ministers and People of England and Scotland into a revolt encouraging them to set up their new Discipline in despite of all Opposers whatsoever The Gospel returning under Queen Elizabeth these differences were revived and held up by Disputes Writings and Addresses to several Parliaments and there were great thoughts of heart for these Divisions Observation Why this is English yet it is but turning now to Queen Elizabeth's Reign to understand these people and unriddle the Due Liberty they plead for But of This in its proper place Having drawn down the Quarrel from Edward the Sixth to the blessed Restauration of Charls the Second whom God protect he proceeds to descant upon the Present The greatest part of the Ministers named Puritans yielded conformity to those controverted Rites and Forms that were by Law or Canons established as to things burdensome not desirable in their nature supposed indifferent but in their use many ways offensive and groaning more and more under the yoke of bondage as they conceived they waited for deliverance and were in the main of one soul and spirit with the Nonconformists And even then the way called Puritanism did not give but get ground But now the Tenents of this way are rooted more than ever and those things formerly imposed are no● by many if not by the most of this way accounted not onely burdensome but unlawful Observation But is it so that Matters by Law established in themselves Indifferent and onely Burthensome to day rebu●sic stantibus may become Vnlawful to morrow By the same Rule Kings may be taken away as well as Bishops all Dignities and Powers being alike submitted to a Popular Level For if the People shall think fit to say the Magistrate is unlawful as well as the Ceremony by the same reason he may destroy One with the Other and Virtually he does it We know the Rites and Forms of Worshipping are not of the Essence of Religion and the huge bustle about Discipline is onely an Appeal to Ignorance and Tumult The Church must be Reformed By whom Not by the Rabble What means this application then of so many factious Sermons and Libels to the People They are not Judges of the Controversie But in a Cause more capable of Force than Argument they do well to Negotiate where Clamour and Pretence weigh more than Modesty and Reason If a man asks by what Commission Act these Zelots They answer readily 'T is God's Cause and better obey God than Man He that said Give not Credit to every Spirit I suppose knew as much of Gods mind as our Illuminates Is not mistaken or perverted Scripture the ground of all Schism and Heresie Counsels may erre they say and cannot Presbyterians How comes this Party to be more infallible than their Neighbours If they are not let but all other people of Different Judgments take the same Freedom they do of out-cries against any thing under pretext of Conscience let any man imagine the confusion For where every man is his own Judge All men shall dispute till each Particular condemns himself so that the Strife is Endless and the Event Restlesness and Confusion This comes of not submitting to some Final and over-ruling Decision Upon this pinch at a dead lift they fly to their Judgment of Discretion which leaves them still at Liberty to shape their Duty to their Profit They tell us They 'l be tryed by the Word of God not heeding how That is again to be tri'd by Them so that in Issue their private Interpretation of the Scriptures must pass for the Law Paramount to which both King and People are equally and indispensably subjected Undoubtedly what God commands we ought to do and not to do what he forbids This in few