Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	ancient_a	church_n	father_n	2,262	5	4.7708	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18210	A petition apologeticall, presented to the Kinges most excellent Maiesty, by the lay Catholikes of England, in Iuly last	Lecey, John.	1604 (1604)	STC 4835; ESTC S120958	34,556	41

foundation of truth If they slie to the Fathers for one place euill vnderstood some time falsified some time mutilated and some time wholy corrupted we produce a thousand not by patches nor mammocke as they doe but whole pages whole chapters whole bookes and the vniforme consent of all the auncient Fathers and Catholike Church If they presse vs with their passed Parliaments and Princes for one of theirs we haue an hundred and for a Child King a Woman Queene we haue for vs so many so Holy so Wise so Learned so Religious so Victorious Princes as our Histories without them would be very barren our Names obscure our Clergy miserable our Bishops beggerly our Parliaments confused our Lawes intricated our Vniuersities without Colledges our Colledges without Schollers our Schollers without maintenaunce Reason then the life of the lawe requireth to our vnderstanding more ample and authenticall euidence before we be condemned by lawe as superstitious or irreligious The faith we professe The 6. reason Rom. cap. 1. is that faith and Religion which S. Paul to the Romans so highly commendeth which therefore is called Catholike and Romane because b The Church of Rome euen vvas and is the Mother Church al the Churches in the world either did in their beginninges or doe for the present agree vniformely with the Sea of Rome in vnion and communion of faith doctrine and fellowshippe hauing recourse thereto as to the Mother Church From the Pastors and Prelates of this Church to witte from a S. Gregory the Pope S. Augustine the Monke S. Gregory the Pope and S. Augustine the Monke we receiued the benefit of our conuersion and regeneration from them we receiued the selfe same Doctrine Discipline Seruice Sacraments Feasts and laudable Cermonies which are by vs held practized professed and defended with the effusion of our bloudes at this very day and this we finde verified by the Histories of b S. Bead Cambden Stovve Hollenshed and Sauel● S. Bead Cambden Hollenshed Stowe and that Tripartite History set out by Master Sauell The 7. reason From this Church of Rome we receiued our Bible our Gospell our Creede our Cannons which are the same through the whole Christian world among Catholikes both for the translation sence and interpretation The 8. reason This Church is by your Maiesty and by the learned sorte of the Protestants acknowledged to be the Mother Church wee hope then we are excusable that reuerence loue our dearest Mother from whose breast our forefathers and we haue receiued the sweet milke of our soules The 9. reason There was neuer yet since the Incarnation of Christ any heresie that crept into the Church of God but we finde the names of the authours of such heresies we finde by the Church of Rome Councels called to condemne them and Doctors imployed to confute them there is not the least Ceremony or circumstance that hath beene added for the greater Majesty and solemnity in Gods deuine seruice but the yeare is knowne when and the Pope by whome it was ordayned If matters then of so smale moment passe not without recording reason would that the lawes that must condemne our Mother Church of Idolatry and superstitions should tell vs the authours that first corrupted her integrity but if the first jnuentors and jnstitutors of the Masse of Purgatory of prayer to Saintes and the like supposed errors cannot be produced doubtlesse we must attribute them as wee doe indeede to Christ and his Apostles and as deriued from such infallible authority we are bound in all equity to followe them The 10. reason But if by the fruits your Maiestie will giue judgement of the tree the fruites of our Religion are Loue Vnity Concord Piety actes of Charity and Deuotion as Fasting Prayer Almes building of Monesteries erecting of Vniuersities founding of Hospitals conuerting of Nations calling of Councels confuting of Heresies obedience to our Princes though they bee Pagans and Infidels and that for conscience sake a Calu. lib. 4. Inst cap. 4 lib. 4. cap. 10. 6. 5. whereas both practisers and professors of the Religion which we are so pressed to embrace doe farre differ from vs in those pointes teaching vnder colour of the libertie of the Gospell b Knox in his exhortation to England printed at Geneua 1559. contempt of power and authoritie c Luther in his booke de potestate seculari in his comment vpon the 1. of S. Peter cap. 2. neglect of lawes d Goodman in his booke of obedience all vvh●ch teach contempt of authority and neglect of lavves in the places cited and obedience The examples are to late and lamentable in your Maiesties Realme of Scotland and in the Persons of your gratious Mother and Grand-Mother Father and Grand-Father to passe with silence the tragedies by such like played in sundrie other Countries Reason then the life of the lawe will acquite vs if we preferre a Faith that hath taken so deepe roote whose goodlie fruites wee daylie see and taste before a slender sleight greene and farre lesse fruitfull plant About twentie foure yeares nowe past when a certaine conference was helde in the Tower betweene Master Campion and Master Sherwin Catholike Priestes and some of the selected learned Protestant diuines there were then in prison in the Fleete diuers Catholikes both of honorable and vvorshippefull degree for Testemony of their conscience only as the Lord Vaux Master Thomas Somerset brother to the Earle of Worcester Sir Thomas Thresham Sir William Catsby others who offered the warden of the Fleet to procure them licence of the priuy Councell to be present at that conference and to haue that question of reparing to the Protestant Church discussed and decided one hundred French Crownes for euery day that this question should remayne thus vnder examination but their request could not then be admitted albeit the said warden did vndertake the sute and confidently promised to effect it and seriously laboured it aswell by his honourable friendes in Court as by all other meanes he could possibly The same offer of conformity and desire to be satisfied in this point which we made then we in humble wise make nowe and that with so much the more greater efficacy as your Maiesty hath a most full and ample possession of our hartes and affections for manifold important respectes both for the loue your gratious Mother did beare vs and the cause for which we suffer as also for the often to vs most comfortable protestations your Maiestie hath made and that in publique and in priuate that you haue a minde free from persecution or thrawling your subiects in matters of conscience that you would not increase our burdens with Roboam to which adding your Clemency of which wee haue tasted and your Gratious promises where vvith wee liue in hope and your daylie discourses springing from your natiue bounty and benignity make vs strayne our selues to the vttermost to giue your Grace