Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	king_n	law_n	legal_a	2,470	5	10.2354	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61586	Proposals tender'd to the consideration of both Houses of Parliament for uniting the Protestant interest for the present, and preventing divisions for the future together with the declaration of K. Charles II, concerning ecclesiastical affairs, and some proposals of terms of union between the Church of England and dissenters / long since published by the Reverend Dean of S. Pauls.	Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.; Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1660-1685 : Charles II). Declaration to all his loving subjects of his kingdom of England and dominion of Wales concerning ecclesiastical affairs.	1689 (1689)	Wing S5621; ESTC R8098	25,861	37

promise of the Use of it may not be sufficient in stead of the late Form of declaring their Assent and Consent which hath been so much scrupled by our Brethren These are all the things which appear to me reasonable to be allowed in order to an Union and which I suppose may be granted without detriment or dishonour to our Church There are other things very desirable towards the happiness and flourishing of this Church as the exercise of Discipline in Parochial Churches in a due subordination to the Bishop the Reforming the Ecclesiastical Courts as to Excommunication without prejudice to the excellent Profession of the Civil Law the Building of more Churches in great Parishes especially about the City of London the retrenching Pluralities the strictness and solemnity of Ordinations the making a Book of Canons suitable to this Age for the better Regulating the Conversations of the Clergy Such things as these might facilitate our Union and make our Church in spight of all its Enemies become a Praise in the whole Earth A Specimen of a Bill for Vniting Protestants being a rough Draught of such Terms as seem equal for the Conformist to grant and the Non-conformist to yield to for Peace sake Provided a good while and Published on purpose only for the farther better and more easie Consideration of the Parliament WHereas there are many Jealousies risen about Popery which makes it even necessary to the peace of the Nation that the Protestant Interest be united and strengthened by all Good and Lawful Means And to this end there being this one proper Expedient to wit The removing the Occasion of Divisions which several persons do find to themselves in those late Injunctions which yet were intended to the same purpose of Concord in the Nation Be it Enacted That an Explanation of these Impositions and such Alleviations be allowed to the tenderly Considerate and peaceably Scrupulous as follow In the Act of Uniformity By the Declaration of Assent and Consent to all things and every Thing contained in and prescribed by the two Books of Common Prayer and of Ordering Priests and Deacons we understand not that these Books are in every Minute particular infallible or free from that Defect which is incident to all Human Composure But that they are in the main Contents to be sincerely approved and used And we do therefore allow this Declaration to be sufficient if it be made to the use of the Book in the Ordinary Constant Lords-Days-Service notwithstanding any Exceptions some may have against some Things in the By-Offices and Occasional Service the Rubrick and otherwise And for the Ceremonies which are made and have been always and on all hands held to be only indifferent Things we think fit that they be left to the Consciences and prudence of Ministers and People every where excepting the Cathedrals to use them or forbear them as they judge it most meet for their own and others Edification provided that if any person will have his Child Baptized with the Sign of the Cross or stands upon any thing else hitherto required by the Service-Book if the Minister himself scruple the performance he shall permit another to do it In the same Act By those Words in the Subscription that It is not lawful to take Arms against the King upon any Pretence whatsoever we intend no new or strange Thing but the Rightful Maintenance only of the King's Authority against Rebellion according to the common determination of Learned Writers in the Case of Subjection to Princes By the Words I abhor the Position of taking Arms by the Authority of the King against any Commissionated by Him we never thought of advancing the Arbitrary Commissions of the King above Law but by those Commissionated by Him we understand such as are Legally Commissionated and in the Legal pursuit of such Commissions By the Clause which follows that requires a Renunciation of all Endeavour of any Alteration of Government in the Church or State we never meant to deny any Free-born Subject his Right of Choosing Parliament-Men or Acting in in his place for the Common Good any way according to Law but that he shall Renounce all such Endeavour as is Seditious or not warranted by the Constitution of the Nation and particularly such an Endeavour as was Assumed in the late Times without and against the Consent of the King And for the rest of the Subscription which is enjoyned but to the Year 1682. Be it Enacted that it cease presently and be no longer enjoyned And forasmuch as there is an Oath prescribed and required of all Non-conformists Preachers that reside in any Corporate Town by a certain Act of the former Parliament made at Oxford in the 17 th Year of His now Majesties Reign Entituled An Act for restraining Non-conformists from inhabiting Corporations We do further declare That it shall suffice any Man for the Enjoyment of his Free born Liberty of Inhabiting where he thinks best and serve him also instead of the fore-mentioned Subscription to take that Oath in this form of Words following I A. B. do swear That I hold it unlawful upon any pretence to take Arms against the King His Government or Laws And that I disclaim that dangerous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or any Legally Commissionated by him in the Legal pursuit of such Commissions And that I will not endeavour any Alteration of Government in the Church or State in any way or manner not warrantted by the Constitution of the Kingdom or any otherwise than by Act of Parliament And as soon as any Man has taken the Oath thus he shall be discharged of all penalty for his omission before We do Declare moreover That whereas it is required also in the Act of Uniformity that every Minister who injoys any Living or Ecclesiastical preferment shall be Ordained by a Bishop and there are several persons of late who in case of Necessity for want of Bishops took Presbyterian-Orders Our meaning is not in any wise to disgust the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas and make it necessary for such to be Re-ordained to the Office but that they receive this Second imposition of Hands to the Exercise of their Office in the new charge unto which they are or shall be called and that the Bishop shall frame his words accordingly And whereas there is a Subscription also in the Canons and the Canonical-Oath of Obedience imposed on most Ministers by the Bishops that have given some of the greatest Occasion to Non-conformity heretofore which yet never passed into Law by any Act of Parliament We do further Declare That nothing more of that kind shall be required of Ministers hence forward than was made and held necessary by the Act of the Thirteenth of Elizabeth And in regard there hath been great Offence taken by Conscientious Ministers at the Bishops or their Courts commanding them to read the Sentence of Excommunication against some or other of their Parish

for such faults as they think not at all worthy of so great a Censure We declare it but a just Thing that every Minister be first satisfied in the Cause or else be exempted from the Execution of that Charge and that the Bishop or his Court provide some other person that is satisfied about it to do it And to the intent that a free search after Truth may not be discouraged in the pursuit of Concord and many other Scruples avoided upon that Account We declare that though an Authentick Interpretation be required as to the Substance of all Laws yet in the Articles of the Church which are Theses for Agreement and not Laws and the Homilies a Doctrinal Interpretation shall be held sufficient for an Assent or Subscription to them And because the very Superintendency of Bishops and that Subjection to them which is required by the Constitution of the Realm is or may be an hindrance to many sober Ministers and other Protestants of coming into the Church who are ready to consent to the Doctrine but not to the Discipline or Government of it We do declare That so long as any Person or Party do acknowledge the King's Supremacy as Head of the Church in this Nation and obey their Ordinary or the Bishops in Licitis Honestis upon the account of his Authority committed to them for the Exercise of that External Regiment Circa Sacra which is granted by all our Divines to the Higher Powers in every Nation it is enough for the owning Episcopal Iurisdiction so far as they do own it in the Declaration of Assent and Consent or in any other part of Conformity and shall serve them to all intents and purposes in Law no lets than a professed belief and acknowledgment of the immediate Divine Right of it Be it therefore Enacted by this present Parliament That if any Person be willing to Conform to the present Establishment of the Church of England and her Service appointed according to these Explanations Alleviations Declarations Lenitives or Cautions he shall be admitted to any Ecclesiastical preferment and enjoy the use of his Ministry without any molestation All Statutes Canons or Laws to the contrary notwithstanding And for the making this Act of better Signification to the Concerned and the prevention of that Scandal which is raised on the Clergy through the Covetousness of some in heaping up to themselves all the Preferments they can get when others have scarce Subsistence for their Families and the Souls of many People are thereby neglected Be it farther Enacted that no Clergy-men for the three next years ensuing be suffered to enjoy any more than one Living or Cure of Souls and one Dignity or other Ecclesiastical Preferment at one time and that every Man without Exception that hath more than One of Either shall immediately give up the Rest to be distributed among those who shall be brought off from their Non-conformity upon the Terms of this Act into the Established Order Which that they may also be obtained and possessed with a clean Conscience and that grievous Curruption of Simony may be Extirpate out of the Land Be it Enacted moreover that every Patron that shall hence forward present his Clerk to any Living shall have the Oath called The Simonical Oath imposed on him no less than on the Incumbent And if he refuses to take it that then the Bishop shall have immediate Power taking only the same Oath of Presentation in his Room And forasmuch as there are some Ministers of a good Life that cannot according to their Judgments allow of our Parochial Churches nor a Book of Liturgy But do choose to Worship God and Jesus Christ in the way of their gathered or separate Congregations and crave the Protection and Clemency of the King upon their Allegiance as other Subjects Be it finally Enacted for the happiness and quiet of the Realm and the Reduction of these Men by other means than those which have hitherto proved unsuccessful That every Christian Subject throughout the Land that profess the Reformed Religion and be not Convict of Popery be Pardoned all Faults and Penalties incurred upon the account of any Fore-passed Non-conformity and that they shall not during these Seven Years next ensuing be Prosecuted upon any Penal Law for their Consciences in the matter of Religion They carrying themselves Innocently and Peaceably with submission to the Civil and without disturbance to the Ecclesiastical Government now settled in the Nation All Statutes to the contrary notwithstanding In Short A Repeal of our Laws about Conformity unto the 13 th of Elizabeth Or a New Act of Uniformity Or The King's Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs at his first coming in turn'd into a Law were Comprehension His latter Declaration to all his Loving Subjects some few things in both yet a little considered made so were Indulgence A Bill of Comprehension with Indulgence both together will do our Business An Addition or Clause in it against Pluralities will do it with Supererogation Deo Gloria Hooker's Preface to his Ecclesiastical Polity printed anno 1676. p. 44 45. Hooker's Preface to his Ecclesiastical Polity p. 44. Dr. Stillingfleet's Irenicu● p. 122.123 Preface to the Common-Prayer Dr. Tillotson's Sermon Preached at the Yorkshire-Feast An. 1679. p. 28. Dr. Sherlock's Sermon Preached before the Lord Mayor Nov. 1688. Co. Inst. 4. Part. 323 324