Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	law_n	write_v	5,072	5	6.3071	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26103	A collection of svndry petitions presented to the Kings Most Excellent Majestie as also to the two most honourable houses, now assembled in Parliament, and others, already signed, by most of the gentry, ministers, and free-holders of severall counties, in behalfe of episcopacie, liturgie, and supportation of church-revenues, and suppression of schismaticks / collected by a faithful lover of the church, for the comfort of the dejected clergy, and all moderately affected Protestants.	Aston, Thomas, Sir, 1600-1645.; Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1642 (1642)	Wing A4073; ESTC R208748	30,703	48

pursuance of their pious intendments and in allowance of their Reasons doe also presse to your great Tribunal and begge of you that which is the honour of Kings to be Nutricij of the Church and her most ancient and successive Government Wee therefore humbly beg of you to leave us in that state the Apostles left the Church in That the three Ages of Martyrs were governed by That the thirteene Ages since them have alwayes gloried in by their Succession of Bishops from the Apostles proving themselves members of the Catholike and Apostolike Church that our Lawes have established so many Kings and Parliaments have protected into which we were baptized as certainely Apostolicall as the observation of the Lords Day as the distinction of Books Apocryphall from Canonicall as that such Bookes were written by such Evangelists and Apostles as the consecration of the Eucharist by Presbyters as any thing which you will doe by upholding the Government of the Church by Bishops which we againe and againe begge of you to doe having pitty on our Consciences and not forcing of us to seeke Communion as yet we know not where So shall we be bound to pray with a multiplyed Devotion for the increase of publike and personall blessings to your Honourably assembly to your Noble Persons Wee also doe with all Humility begge leave to represent these our Considerations subjoyned which wee hope you will favourably expound to be a well-meant zeale and at least a confidence of duty and charity to those our Fathers from whom wee have received and daily hope to receive many issues of spirituall Benison 1 WEe consider that Christ either left his Church without a lasting Government or else Bishops and Presbyters under them are that Government the former wee feare to say lest wee might seeme to accuse the Wisdome of the Father of Improvidence in the not providing for his Family the Feeder and the Ruler in Scripture being all one in Office ●n expression in person So that if hee left no Rulers hee left no Feeders The latter wee are more confident of for that Christ did clearely institute a disparity in the Clergy which is the maine Stone of offence appeares in the Apostles and seventy two Disciples to whom according to the voyce of Christendome and traditive Interpretation of the Church Bishops and Presbyters respectively doe succeed and also many actually did succeed the Apostles in their Chaires being ordained Bishops by the Apostles themselves that did survive and also beyond all exception that Christ did institute a Government appeares in those Evangelicall words who then is that Faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shal make Ruler over his houshold c. which Rulers are Bishops and Priests under them or else the Church hath beene Apostate from her Lord shee having clearely for fifteene hundred yeares had no other Rulers then such 2. Wee consider that whether it can be a Church or no without Bishops is at least a question of great consideration and the Negative is maintained by Apostolicall and Primitive men and Martyrs and by the greatest part of Christendome and those few in respect of the whole that dissent being most certainely not infallible to bee sure with Episcopacy it may be a Church eatenus therefore it is the surest course to retaine it for feare we separate from the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth 3 No Ordination never was without a Bishop and if any Presbyter did impose hands unlesse in conjunction with a Bishop hee was accounted an Usurper and anathematized by publike and unquestioned authority and so without Bishops no Presbyter then no absolution no consecration of the Sacraments of the Lords Supper and for these wants no man can make a recompence or satisfaction 4 No Presbyter did ever impose hands on a Bishop which if so famous a resolve or publike voice of Christendome may have an estimate shewes their disparity and that a Bishop hath a Character which cannot be imprinted without at least an equall hand 5 VVithout Bishops no Confirmation of Children and yet confirmation called in Scripture Imposition of hands Saint Paul in his famous Catechisme accounts a Fundamentall point and the Church hath alwayes used it and it was appropriate to Bishops by the laudable custome of Christendome and by the example of the Apostles in the case of the Samaritane Christians whom Phillip the Evangelist had converted and is charged upon the Parents of Children that they bring their children to Bishops to be confirmed and it was never otherwise but just as in the case of Ordination videlicet by singularity and usurpation till of late that the Iesuits to enlarge their Philacteries have striven to make Bishops not necessary by communicating Confirmation to the Priests of their Order 6 To take away Bishops is against the Wisdome of the State of England ever since the Reformation and having beene attempted by clancular practises was checked by the Princes respectively and their Councell and confidently by the wisdome of preceeding Parliaments and this although the Bishops then were lesse learned and as much infamed 7 We are sure that Episcopall Government hath consisted with Monarchy ever since the English Monarchy was Christian we are to try whether any innovated Government can or will 8 Wee consider that if it could consist with Monarchy when it was byassed by the Popes prevalent incroachment much more since the Reformation when the King hath the raines in his owne hand and can give them Lawes and ascertaines them by their immediate dependance both for their Baronies and Election and personall Iurisdiction on the Crowne and by the Statute of Submission 9 Wee consider that Saint Hierome pretented as the maine Authenticke enemy against Episcopacy yet sayes That Bishops were constituted as an antidote and deletory to dis-improve the issues of Schisme and that by the Apostles who best knew the remedies And now that Schismes multiply there is more need of Bishops so that they cannot be taken away upon pretence their Regiment is not necessary for the taking them away makes them more necessary by the multiplication of Schismes 10 All Learning will be discountenanced if not extinguished upon the demolition of Episcopacy the Bishops being parties for the advancement of Learning and on the other side if the Government should be in the hands of Presbitery or lay Elders we know no reason sufficient to stifle our feares lest preferment be given to people unlearned and unfit to have the mannaging of Soules especially since a learned Clergy will be suspected by their Lay-Elders as too knowing to be ruled by their Dictates which will not have so much artifice and finenesse as to command by strength of reason which our feares are also increased by considering that by the multiplication of Lay-Elders or other Governours their personall interest being increased partiality must be more frequent and all this is besides their incompetency of judging the abilities of Schollers 11 The remove all