Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A62487
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Three letters of publick concernment as to the present affairs ... as also concerning the late publication of the covenant in all churches / by a person of quality and of a publick spirit.
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Person of quality and of a publick spirit.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing T1097; ESTC R38805
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11,970
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30
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nation a great Bedlam a Wildernesse Inhabited by beasts not men a Chaos that nothing but an Almighty Power can work upon to produce beauty out of such disorder and confusion from which GOOD LORD DELIVER US Of the Influence of the Legislative Power upon Ecclesiastical Laws and Persons AS to your second Question how far the legislative power hath influence upon the Ecclesiastical I think there can be no doubt but that in the intention of our ancient laws the Judgment of the Primitive Catholick Church the suffrages and practices of all the reformed ones and the rule of Scripture they are as two great orbs in one Firmament both moving from the Primum Mobile in a motion orderly and Independing upon one another acting according to their several powers and functions although subordinate as members of one Community and Civil body so as the Civil Magistrate is supreme over their persons and in all Causes Ecclesiastical in regard of their Animation to the Exercise of their powers but not over them For as the Miter is to obey the Scepter in all things prudential in Government and to submit to the regulation of their outward actings to their Commands So the Scepter is not to interpose in Cases meerly Ecclesiastical as in matters of Faith making of Canons c. Onely in the inforcing of them for the Regulation of the Church in Decency any Order which S. Paul places in Church-men alone nor did ever any age countenance the invasion of the Clergies rights in it which were to make an assault upon God himself and sacrilegiously to force from his Spouse not onely her Jewells and Ornaments but the richest dowry she is invested with on earth Nor can the disorderly and excentrick motions and actings of the Clergy themselves in their unlawfull assemblies lay a foundation for the Civil powers imposing any thing upon us in order to the change either of Doctrine or Discipline from what our antient Laws or Canons prescribe Especially when their 's in themselves are so raw and undigested as they do rather nauseate then nourish And therefore I hope it will be the prudence of the PARLIAMENT to work after God's patterne doing all things in number weight and measure Order and proportion being that alone that gives beauty and permanency to any being and after so many wheelings and revolutions returne to our antient glorious and happy Government by the KING LORDS and COMMONS in Parliaments Bishops and Presbyters in their lawfully called nationall Synods which ballancing of the Interests cannot but unite the sober wise and moderate men of all parties as I have expressed in my Letter to my Lord General Monck For thus the Church can onely speak in her representatives as we do in our Conventions by our proxies and the spirit of the prophets be subject to the prophets as the Scripture commands so as Vzzah's hands must not uphold the Ark nor Corah's conspiracy usurp upon Moses and Aaron without engaging God as a party to revenge his owne cause and servants Interests But when all things are done in a Just and orderly subordination Laws carry reverence honour and authority in them and Religion is as the Bases and Pillars of Civil power That as the Roof and Covering of the Church to defend her against all the stormes of persecution so as it is the happy union and combination of both that makes the building durable and glorious the well tuning of them to one another that makes the Harmony when the one obeys all Civil Injunctions the other actuates and enforces all Ecclesiastical constitutions for they onely bring the Bullion prepared for the Legislators Mint he gives the Stamp that makes it currant so as all Church-laws to oblige the inward outward man ought to derive to us from the Clergy in a lawfull posture as their spring by the Magistrate as the stream the promise of the holy Ghost in regard of ministerial function and government being onely to them as hath been fully proved by many scarce ever denyed by any solid and sober Christian Which is all I have now to say in relation to what you propose The Third Leeter Of the late Publication of the Covenant in all Churches BUt there is an exile lately returned with what designe I know not the publication of the COVENANT in all Churches though it makes way for many conjectures which I am not willing to publish least with the Schoolmen in their unclean Speculations I should teach men many vices they are yet Innocently ignorant of Therefore I shall look upon it only as a well meant errour being willing to extract virtue out of a Venemous and unwholsome plant and put this interpretation upon it 1. That it is onely meant to insinuare into mens minds that naturall duty they owe their Soveraign both by divine and humane Laws and bring them to that Allegiance due to their KING by a sacred tye so universally taken to support not enervate their former OATHS of FEALTY and obedience Which my charity inclines me to for it were too daring a sinne for any Christian to own the espousing of any other sence and a suing out of a divorce from God as done in opposition to his ordinances 2. That in swearing to alter the Government of the Church as it was and is yet legally established by Archbishops Bishops Deans Chapters Officials c. It cannot be interpreted to intend the extirpation of reverent antient and APOSTOLICAL EPISCOPACY because the Oath Limits the intended reformation to the rule of Scripture in which Episcopacy is most clearly established and undoubtedly to be of the well being if not being and Essence of the Church but only to designe I hope in an Orderly Way of subordination with the KINGS Concurrence a breaking of the Chain a dissolving of that Hierarchy and taking out such links only as were of humane Authority and perhaps superfluous at this time as they drew in a train of unnecessary charges with them and increase of Fees in Ecclesiasticall Courts though prudentially retained in the reformation but if any shall be so Ignorantly bold as to attempt more it is to undermine under a pretence of building and to benight us by obscuring the great Lights of the Church and damming up the Fountain of it when Episcopacy as the Sun is the receptacle of all Light and placed by God in the Church to transmit it to the Presbyters and Deacons Stars of a lesser Magnitude by a due Ordination which in the consequences will let in an Egyptian blacknesse and even Eclips God himself in the glory of his outward Courts here on Earth which he wishes may be restored to its former lustre that is Your Humble Servant FINIS
which we cannot doubt of my Lord General MONCKS concurrence he is in all opinions a person of so intire a worth though yet abused by the specious pretences of a ruling faction when he findes the greatest part by much if not all of the Kingdome desire it as the onely means to compose us at home and secure us from many now united and powerfull enemies abroad especially if he will but consider how often this pretended RUMP of a Parliament that poysons all with their Hellish Fumes hath been dissolved as 1. By the Kings death as all great Lawyers will agree who was the most essentiall part of it his Assent onely giving a being and animation to all Laws 2. As the BILL it self by which they pretend to disinherit the Primo-Geniture of the Trienniall Act Refers to the Parliament as then composed of three Estates when one dissenting no Act could pass 3. By their several Dissolutions and Submissions to other called Parliaments and by most of their sittings as members in them 4. By the Counties new Elections which was an actuall revocation of their Trust and Power 5. By the forfeiture of their rights to sit as a HOUSE OF COMMONS in the forcible expulsion of the best part of their members 6. By their breach of Trust their Commissions as delegated by their Elections being onely to advise with the KING in rebus arduis weighty affairs not to destroy him as appears by the Writs of Summons And all this with the violation of their faith both to God and man wilfull breaches of their Declarations Oaths and Covenants So as a person of General MONCKS worth and honour can never upon digested thoughts espouse their Cause and Crimes by his protecting them however he is a person of too much piety and prudence to engage us in a Civil and forreign War at once where so faire and just an expedient as a FREE and FULL PARLIAMENT to be called by the Triennial Act is proposed for the skirts and rag of an expired Parliament which would botch up a garment onely for their own wearing leaving us stript and naked by depriving us of all our Rights and all this for the maintaining their guilt and Interest who care not to prevent the rack of our Ship of State wherein all are imbarked if they may but stand upon land themselves And therefore be not discouraged by what hath yet appeared but let us do our duties and leave the event to God which is the resolution of Your lately converted Servant The Second LETTER to the Lord Generall MONCK In behalf of MONARCHY AND EPISCOPACY Upon the Readmission of the formerly Secluded MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT London Printed 1660. The second Letter to the Lord General Monck upon the readmission of the formerly Secluded Members My HONOVRED LORD THough vertuous inclinations in their Infancy Cradle are best Nursed up with the Milk of Flattery and seeming Courtships your full grown virtues which like Saul amongst the people make you more eminent than others and the eyes of our Israel to look upon you as their Deliverer will bear a more ingenious freedome which makes me presume though none more truly honours your Prudence Piety and PERSON than my self as I am here intrusted to receive the corresponding intelligence from most Counties that have concentred their Hopes and Addresses in your LORDSHIP you will Pardon me if as the burning-glasse that collects the scattered and loose beams of the Sun to give them a more powerfull and vigorous operation I reflect the united sense of ALL to you in relation to your Words and Actings The last of which have been so prudent in Conduct so daring yet modest in the approaches to your proposed ends and so successfull in the great late changes we look upon as in lets to a settlement of the peace and happinesse of this KINGDOME as you stand yet unequalled by any in the opinions and affections of the people even above men and onely below GOD himself OUR rightfull KING who hath wrought so great wonders by you And we hope will set fast the bars of our gates and establish peace in our borders by so glorious an Instrument and in it record your memory to all posterity as the deliverer of this Nation from the high Vsurpation and severe Tyranny we have long laboured under But my LORD in relation to your words and Declared desires to the late restored Members of PARLIAMENT there are few satisfied but such as hope that with Frederick Duke of Austria you went abroad in a disguise to hear what others judments were by them and their reasons if convincing yours to shape your future proceedings or if it were your judgement that you did declare and enforce it with all the advantage Oratory or Arguments could contribute to its support that in the confutation of them all persons of those mistaken principles might be reduced by your example who espouses no interest but in order to Gods glory and the publick good nor impose your opinion upon but submit it to the dispassionate Debates and Resolutions of a FREE PARLIAMENT which humility and self denial is the crown and glory of all your other noble Actions and that which sets you up a Scepter in the hearts of ALL but Factions and Fanatick people and gives you a Command of our Persons and Purses Yet give me leave as the Eccho of the KINGDOMES voice to tell your Lordship it neither is or ever was for the alteration of our MONARCHICALL GOVERNMENT into Common-wealth foundations which are inconsistent with our ancient FUNDAMENTALL LAWS and the humour of the people of this Nation who comparing the long happy and flourishing condition it hath for many hundred years enjoyed under their KINGS and Reverent Episcopacy with the tragicall effects of our late changes cannot be in love with their Irons and shackles nor be willing to submit to Papall-Presbyterial Tyranny for such is rigid Presbytery that have been acquainted with the gentler Yoke the Fathers of our Church laid upon us And though I might make it appear to your Lordship by clear proofs and undisputed authorities from Reason Nature Scripture and Authority First That as all power is GODS so there is no exercise of it from divine Commission but paternal what is seated in the person of one man originally and derivatively onely from him as the spring and source into the lesser streames of subordinate administrations which Adam was vested in the state of innocency and that all men are borne to this naturall subordination for the orderly support of humane societies families being the epitomes of Kingdomes wherein the person to whome the SUPREAME POWER belongs is onely accountable to God for his Actions KINGS being subject onely to the direction not coaction of humane Laws Secondly That our KINGS had this right justly conveyed to them by the grace of God not gift of man and by it have a just title to our allegiance and obedience both by divine and civill right