Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	king_n	time_n	2,805	5	3.3508	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85317	The first and large petition of the Citie of London and other inhabitants thereabouts: for a reformation in church-government, as also for the abolishment of episcopacie: with a remonstrance thereto annexed, of the many pressures and grievances occasioned by the bishops, and the sundry inconveniences incident to episcopacie. The tyrannie and extortion practised in ecclesiasticall courts, together with the unlawfulnesse of the oath ex officio: preferred to the high and honourable court of Parliament.		1641 (1641)	Wing F973; Thomason E156_20; ESTC R23330	5,182	18

THE FIRST AND LARGE PETITION Of the Citie of LONDON and other Inhabitants thereabouts For a Reformation in Church-government as also for the abolishment of Episcopacie WITH A REMONSTRANCE thereto annexed of the many Pressures and Grievances occasioned by the Bishops and the sundry inconveniences incident to EPISCOPACIE The Tyrannie and Extortion practised in Ecclesiasticall Courts together with the vnlawfulnesse of the Oath EX OFFICIO preferred to the high and honourable Court of PARLIAMENT Printed Anno Dom. 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The Commons House of PARLIAMENT The humble Petition of many of his Majesties Subjects in and about the City of London and severall Counties of the Kingdome THat whereas the government of Archbishops and Lord Bishops Deanes and Archdeacons c. with their Courts and ministrations in thom hath proved prejudiciall and very dangerous both to the Church and Common-wealth they themselves having formerly held that they have their Iurisdiction or authority of humane Authority till of these later times being further perused about the unlawfulnesse that they have claymed their calling immediately from the Lord JESVS CHRIST which is against the Lawes of this Kingdome and Derogatory to his Majestie and his State Royall And whereas the said government is found by wofull experience to be a maine cause and occasion of many foule evils pressures and grievances of a very high nature unto his Majesties Subjects in their owne Consciences liberties and estates as in a Schedule of particulars hereunto annexed may in part appeare We therefore most humply pray and beseech this Honourable Assembly the premisses considered that the said government with all its dependances rootes and branches may be abolished and all lawes in their behalfe made voyd and the government according to Gods word may be rightly placed among us and we your humble Supplyants as in duty we are bound will daily pray for his Majesties long and happy raigne over us and for the prosperous successe of this High and Honourable Court of Parliament c. A Particular of the manifold Evils Pressures and Grievances caused practized and occasioned by the Prelates and their Dependants I. FIrst the subjecting and inclining all Ministers under them and their Authoritie and so by degrees exempting of them from the Temporall power whence followes II. The faint-heartednesse of Ministers to preach the truth of GOD lest they should displease the Prelates as namely the Doctrine of Predestination of Free-grace of Perseverance of Originall sinne remaining after Baptisme of the Sabboth the Doctrine against universall Grace Election for Faith fore-seene Freewill against Antichrist non-Residents humane Inventions of GODS worship all which are generally with-held from the peoples knowledge because not relishing to the Bishops III. The incouragement of Ministers to despise the temporall Magistracie the Nobles and Gentry of the Land to abuse the Subjects and live contentiously with their neighbours knowing that they being the Bishops creatures they shall be supported IV. The restraint of many godly and able men from the Ministry and thrusting out of many Congregations their faithfull diligent and powerfull Ministers who lived peaceably with them and did them good onely because they cannot in Conscience submit unto and maintaine the Bishops needlesse devices nay sometimes for no other cause but for their zeale in Preaching or great Auditories V. The suppressing of that godly Designe set on foot by certaine Sects and sugred with many great guifts by sundry well-affected persons for the buying of Impropriations and placing of able Ministers in them maintaining of Lectures and founding of Free-Schooles which the Prelates could not endure lest it should darken their glories and draw the Ministers from their dependance upon them VI. The great increase of Idle lewd and dissolute ignorant and erroneous men in the Ministry which swarme like the Locusts of Egypt over the whole Kingdome and will they but weare a Canonicall Coate a Surplisse a Hood bow at the name of JESUS and be zealous of Superstitious Ceremonies they may live as they list confront whom they please preach and vent what errours they will and neglect preaching at their pleasures without controule VII The discouragement of many from bringing up their Children in learning the many schismes errours and strange opinions which are in the Church great Corruptions which are in Universities the grosse and lamentable ignorance almost every where among the people the want of preaching Ministers in very many places both of England and Wales the loathing of the Ministry and the generall defection to all manner of profanenesse VIII The swarming of lascivious Idle and unprofitable books and pamphlets Play-books and Ballads as namely Ovids fits of Love the Parliament of Women came out at the dissolving of the last Parliament Barnes Poems Parkers Ballads in disgrace of Religion to the increase of all vice and withdrawing of people from reading studying and hearing the word of God and other good Bookes IX The hindring of godly Bookes to be printed the blotting out or perverting those which they suffer all or most of that which strikes either at Poperie or Arminianisme the adding of what or where pleaseth them and the restraints of reprinting Bookes formerly lycensed without relycensing X. The publishing and venting of Popish Arminian and other dangerous Bookes and Tenets as namely that the Church of Rome is a true Church and in the worst times never erred in Fundamentals that the Subjects have no propriety in their Estates but that the King may take from them what he pleaseth that all is the Kings and that he is bound by no Law and many other from the former whereof hath sprang XI The growth of Popery and increase of Papists Priests and Jesuits in sundry places but especially about London since the Reformation the frequent venting of Crucifixes and Popish pictures both engraven and printed and the placing of such in Bibles XII The multitude of Monopolies and Pattents drawing with them innumerable Perjuries the large increase of Customes and Impositions upon Commodities the Ship-moneyes and many other great burthens upon the Common-wealth under which all groane XIII Moreover the Offices and Jurisdictions of Arch-bishops Lord-Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons being the same way of Church-Government which is in the Romish Church and which was in England in the time of Poperie little change thereof being made except onely the head from whence it was derived the same Arguments supporting the Pope which doe uphold the Prelates and overthrowing the Prelates which doe pull downe the Pope other reformed Churches having upon their rejection of the Pope cast the Prelates out also as Members of the Beast Hence it is that the Prelates here in England by themselves or their Disciples plead and maintaine that the Pope is not Antichrist and that the Church of Rome is a true Church hath not erred in Fundamentall points and that Salvation is attaynable in that Religion and therefore have restrayned to pray for the Conversion of our Soveraigne Lady the Queene

Hence also hath come XIV The great Conformity and likenesse both continued and encreased of our Church to the Church of Rome in vestures postures Ceremonies and Administrations namely as the Bishops Rochets and the Lawne sleeves the 4. cornerd Cap the Cope and Surplisse the Tippit the Hood and the Canonicall Coate the Pulpit clothed especially now of late with the Jesuites Badge upon them every way XV. The standing up at Gloria Patri and at the reading the Gospell praying towards the East the bowing at the name of JESUS the bowing to the Altar towards the East Crosse in Baptisme the Kneeling at the Communion XVI The turning of the Communion Tables Altar-wise setting Jmages Crucifixes and Conceits over them and Tapers and Bookes upon them and bowing and adoreing to or before them the reading of the second Service at the Altar and forcing people to come up thither to receive or else denying the Sacrament to them tearming the Altar to bee the mercy-seate or the place of God Almighty in the Church which is a plain device to usher in the Masse XVII The Christening and Consecrating of Churches and Chappell 's the consecrating Fonts Pulpits Tables Chalices Church-yards and many other things and putting holinesse in them yea reconsecrating upon pretended pollution as though every thing were uncleane without their Consecrating and for want of this sundry Churches have beene interdicted and kept from use as polluted XVIII The Liturgy for the most parts framed out of the Romish Breviary Ritualium mass-Masse-booke also the booke of Ordination for Archbishops and Ministers framed out of the Roman Pontificall IX The multitude of Canons formerly made wherein among other things Excommunication ipso facto is denounced for speaking of a word against the devises above said or subscription thereunto though no Law enjoyned a restraint from the Ministry without such subscription and Appeale is denyed to any that should refuse subscription or unlawfull conformity though hee be never so much wronged by the inferious Judge also the Canons made in the late sacred Synod as they call it wherein are many strange and dangerous Devices to undermine the Gospel and the Subjects liberties to propogate Popery to spoyle Gods people insnare Ministers and other Students and so to draw all into an absolute subjection and thraldome to them and their government spoyling both the King and the Parliament of their power XX. The countenancing plurality of Benefices prohibiting of Marriages without their lycense at certaine times almost halfe the yeare and lycensing of Marriages without Banes asking XXI Proph●nation of the Lords day pleading for it and enjoyning Ministers to read a Declaration set forth as 't is thought by their procurement for tolerating of sports upon that day suspending and depriving many godly Ministers for not reading the same onely out of Conscience it was against the Law of God so to doe and no Law of the Land to enjoyne it XXII The pressing of the strict observati●● of S●ints D●yes whereby great summes of Moneyes are drawne out of Mens purses for working on them a very high burthen on most people who getting their living by their dayly imployments must either omit them and be idle or part with their money whereby many poore families are undone or brought behind hand yea many Church-Wardens are sued or threatned to be sued by their troublesome Ministers as perjured persons for not presenting their Parishioners who fayled in observing Holy-dayes XXIII The great increase and frequencie of whoredomes and Adulteries occasioned by the P●elates corrupt administration of Justice in such Cases who taking upon them the punishment of it doe turn all into moneyes for the filling of their purses and lest their Officers should defraud them of their gaine they have in their late Canon in stead of remedying their vices decreed that the Commutation of Pennance shall not be without the Bishops privity XXIV The generall abuse of that great ordinance of Excommunication which GOD hath left in his Church to bee used as the last and greatest punishment the Church can inflict upon obstinate and great Offendors and that the Prelates and their Officers who of right have nothing to doe with it doe daily excommunicate men either for doing that which is lawfull or for vaine idle and triviall matters as working or opening a shop on a Holiday for not appearing at every beck upon their summons not paying a fee or the like yea they have made it as they doe all other things a hooke or instrument wherewith to empty mens purses and to advance their owne greatnesse and so that sacred ordinance of God by their perverting of it becomes contemptible to all men and seldome or never used against notorious offendors who for the most part are their favorites XXV Yea further the pride and ambition of the Prelates being boundlesse unwilling to be subject to either man or Lawes they claime their Office and Jurisdiction to be Jure divino exercise Ecclesiasticall authority in their owne names and Rights and under their owne Seales and take upon them Temporall dignities places and offices in the Common-wealth that they may sway both swords XXVI Whence followes the taking Commissions in their owne Courts Consistories and where else they sit in matters determinable of Right at Common Law the putting of Ministers upon Parishes without the Patrons and peoples consent XXVII The imposing of Oathes of various and triviall Articles yearly upon Church-wardens and Side-men which without perjury unlesse they fall at jarres continually with their Ministers and Neighbours and wholly neglect their owne calling XXVIII The exercising of the Oath Ex Officio and other proceedings by way of Inquisition reaching even to mens thoughts the apprehending and detaining of men by Pursivants the frequent suspending and depriving of Ministers fining imprisoning of all sorts of people breaking up of mens houses and studyes taking away mens Bookes Letters and other writings seizing upon their Estates removing them from their callings separating betweene them and their wives against both their wills the rejecting of prohibitions with threatnings and the doing of many other out-rages to the utter infringing the Lawes of the Realme and the Subjects liberties and arraigning of them and their families and of latter time the Judges of the Land are so awed with the power and greatnesse of the Prelates and other wayes promoted that neither prohibition Habeas Corpus or any other lawfull remedy can be had or take place for the distressed Subjects in most cases onely Papists Jesuits Priests and such others as propagate Popery or Arminianisme are countenanced spared have much liberty and from hence followed among others these dangerous Consequences 1. FIrst the generall hope and expectation of the Romish part that their superstitious Religion will ere long be fully planted in this Kingdome againe and so they are encouraged to persist therin and to practice the same openly in divers places to the high dishonour of God and contrary to the Lawes of the Realme II. Secondly the discouragement and destruction of all good Subjects of whom all Multitudes both Clothiers Marchants and others being deprived of their Ministers and over-burthen'd with these pressures have departed the Kingdome to Holland and other parts and have drawne with them a great part of manufacture of Cloth and Trading out of the Land into other places where they reside whereby wooll the great staple of the Kingdome is become of small value and vends not Trading is decayed many poore people want worke Sea-men lose imployment and the whole Land much impoverished to the great dishonour of this Kingdome and blemishment to the government thereof III. The present warres and Commotions hapned betweene his Majesty and his Subjects of Scotland wherein his Majesty and all his Kingdome are indangered and suffer greatly and are like to become a prey to the common Enemy in case the wars goe on which wee exceedingly feare will not onely goe on but also increase to an utter Ruine of all unlesse the Prelates with their dependancies be removed out of England and also they and their practises who as wee under your Honours favour doe verily beleeve and conceive have occasioned the Quarrell All which we humbly referre to the consideration of this Honourable Assembly desiring the Lord of Heaven to direct you in the right way to redresse all these evills FINIS