Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	2,934	5	4.3576	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67227	The prelates pride, or, The manifestation, that the bishops lordly government from the originall institution, is not de iure divino, by divine right, but meerely humane and contrary both to the holy word of God, the practice of the Apostles, and of the primitive churches in the purest times whereunto is added the Bishop of Lincolnes prophecie concerning the prelates.	Walker, Henry, fl. 1641-1660.	1641 (1641)	Wing W378; ESTC R3875	12,380	30

possessed and not the Bishops for many hundred Yeares after Let us view the dayes of Innocentius the 1. And we shall finde that at his first beginning about the yeare of our Lord 400. About the raign of Theodosius the Emperour who fighting with Eugenius the tyrant was so miraculously delivered who having recourse to God by prayer his cause being holyer in the battell by a tempest of wind GOD hearing his so often recourse to him by prayer in the battell the Lord sent a wind which blew so vehemently that the darts were turned back by the violence of the wind in the faces of the Tyrants Army of whom the Poet Claudian writes Sure God doth love thee well from heaven to send his tempest for thine end For from the Ayre By blasts couragiously its force doth lend thou prayest God heares fierce winds to thee repaire The power which the Bishop of Rome now possesseth did appertaine to the Emperour yet neverthelesse in this Bishops time at the Emperors death were playes and enterludes practised many vain things invented this man also brought ambition to the Chaire of Rome who swelling in pride usurped jurisdiction over other Churches but the greater he grew in Lordly predominancy the more ignorantly were those ensuing Emperors led to their owne misery and the Saints of God cruelly persecuted Pope Bonifacius comming into the Chaire of Rome about the space of a yeare after Innocentius prevailed with the Emperour Phocas in whose dayes Antichrist sprang and flourished in greater abundance these were the dayes for which a proverb was used long time after saying the time of Phocas was the calamity of the Romane Emperour but where was the great Bishop to helpe him afterwards when his Head Feete and secret Members were cut off and burnt Oh the misery that Princes Churches and Kingdomes have bin brought to by the usurping tyranizing Prelates who glory in their usurped Dominions The Bishops of Rome are then successors you see to Innocentius who for the great See have no warrant from God and stand upon no better grounds then on a temporall and personall act meerely humane And what hath beene the practice of other Prelates since this usurpation of the See of Rome what doe all other Lordly Bishops but by degrees even as they are able tread the same steps are they not a nest of ambitious Prelates hunting for the supremacie fore-told of Antichrist 1 Ioh. 2. 22. 4. 3. 2 Thes. 2. 3. but oh how hath this supremacie ever bin detested of the ancient primitive Churches who with Gregorie have beene compelled to cry out as well as wee Oh times oh manners behold in all the parts of Europe all things cry under them Townes are destroyed Castles are overthrowne Provinces are spoyled because the Priests who should lye in ashes upon the ground weeping they are seeking unto themselves names of vanity and they doe glory in prophane stiles Truly saith Claudius Thurinensis hee is not to be counted an apostolicall bishop who sitteth in a chaire of glory but hee who fulfilleth an Apostolicke office Oh it is a miserable thing to heare of those inormities and abuses commanded and committed by the Prelates from time to time as the number of their holidayes and all lusts of uncleannesse according to the sayings of Whores and naughty women who have bragged that they have gained more in one such day then in 50. other dayes and also their idlenesse and vncomely behaviour proceeding from them who have so defiled other mens houses that the stinke of their uncleanesse is known to the whole world Oh then seeing so many Nations have from time to time received such corruption from the Prelates Oh then where should reformation begin but even at the Sanctuary Ezekiel 9. We may say of England as a Bishop once said of Rome that England was blest if Bishops were not rulers of her state Or if her Bishops scorn'd not their faith to violate Eugenius the 1. being Bishop of Rome found out yet more for the Chaire of Bishops sees then before he was the first that made an ordinance that Bishops should have prison houses nay what glory would the prelates in all ages let passe if they could obtaine it Let all men but consider how not onely the Bishop of Rome the Metropolitan Prelate hath from time to time advanced his Chaire but even those lesser Prelates but too great pastors too great said I indeed the proverbe is too good is starke naught I pray God that their too greatnesse make not them starke naught for I am sure it makes most if not all worse then they were before a good Minister may make a bad Lord Bishop but I could never heare of a bad Minister that was made good by such advancement yet they have also to their endeavour laboured to advance their Sees as time and opportunity would permit them Bonifacius a man borne in England not farre from Exeter he was familiarly acquainted with five Popes and by them he was advanced to many honours as to be the Popes Legate in England Germany and France and afterwards Archbishop of Mentz and all his travells was to bring those Nations to subjection under the Bishop of Rome who by his treachery to the King of France then raigning called Childericus caused him to be disthroned and thrust out and another to be set in his place but in the end he was justly rewarded and slaine by the Pagans for his labour But when Rhotardus Bishop of Soisan was commanded by Hadrian the Bishop of Rome to excommunicate the King of France his soveraigne Lord hee denyed and refusing so to doe returned an answer advising him to bee circumspect and not rash in pronouncing sentence of excommunication This Bishop was a very proud man and very serious in inquiry concerning titles of land and other temporall affaires of the Kingdome but the Nobles of that Country reproved him for it and told him that it was a strange and vnaccustomed thing that a Bishop should take-upon him to be judge in a Controversie of civill affaires or about titles and rights of Kingdomes because as they told him he could not be both a Bishop and a Iudge I can not heere over-passe that defence of Marsilinus Patavinus concerning Bishops He saith 1 That one Bishop hath not authority over another much lesse over Kings and Emperours 2 That the word of God ought onely to be Iudge in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall matters 3 That the Bishops should be subject to the Magistrates 4 That the head of the Church is Christ and that he never appointed any Bishop to be Vickar over the vniversall Church 5 That Bishops ought to be chosen by their owne Church and Clergie 6 That the Clergy after Romes institution are a denne of Theeves 7 That the Doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed because it leades to eternall

THE PRELATES PRIDE OR THE MANIFESTATION THAT THE BISHOPS LORDLY Government from the originall institution is not De Iure divino by divine right but meerely humane and contrary both to the holy word of God the practise of the Apostles and of the primitive Churches in the purest times WHEREVNTO IS ADDED THE Bishop of Lincolnes Prophecie concerning the Prelates Printed in the Yeare M. DC XLI To the Bishops of ENGLAND OH that your visards were vnmasked that your wayes might be discovered that the state might see your aime whereas now it is so much disturbed to rove to find out your seducements by conjectures Now you are a great advancer of the Chaire of Rome and by and by a child of our Church and in difficult and unsettled times betwixt both and stand out for neither And sure Rome scarce dare trust you lest you will not leave us and we are fearefull lest you will fly to them your own consciences can testifie that you affect both yet are you entire to neither give me leave to speake plainly because you are firme to neither you are troublesome to both To be too zealous in a pretended good worke is ill and so is it to sit still and be satisfied with ignorance but worst of all to know both and he firme to neither will you still abide amongst us and yet not be of us and will you still cast your eyes on Rome and yet ahide with us are you ignorant or unconstant that you still stand on doubts know your selves that we may know you either abide with us with whom you speake and cut your wings or else betake you to your wings and speake at Rome and not so trouble us both Either speake to us in the light or abide with them who worke in the darke Remember death and let the thought thereof cause your wavering to cease and be firme in your resolutions Will you not yet resolve If you meane to chuse when shall it be why not now let your learning discover to you the dangers of delay it makes you miserable in what you want doubtfull in what you have and trouble us to know what you are why will you looke to heaven with one eye and on Romes pompe with the other God cals you if you will stād for him then take a resolution to cast this Iezebell out of the Windowes of our Churches this Whore of Rome that hath thus advāced her pride bewitched you is their not just cause for what I cry Yet if you will still remaine unconstant who shall make you firme If you love to stagger yet aquaint us why you wi● thus be unconstant Surely you waver because you speake not plainly to us your words are one thing and your aime another Methinkes I see your silence with a blush to answer this conjecture as if thereby you granted this to be the cause Are you offended I am grieved and have I not cause since civill jarres have beene by you so lamentable will nothing please you but the glory of your owne partaking and the quietnesse of your owne ful-bellied peace Thinke you to finde more glory in them then in our Churches wee have one Christ labour not then for those who divide his Garments nay his very body and blood If you will bee to vs like Barnabas to Paul yet bee not to vs like Simon Magus to Peter Other Churches have complained of these distractions as well as we yet our greatest greevance is in your vnsetlednesse Thinke you the glory of Rome to be so famous for you amongst whom are severall hundreds of Contrarieties amongst her selfe which will distract you more then you expect though their Dissentions are smothered by their subtleties have not you learned of them to fight closly within doores without noise which endangered I had almost said begun frayes in the field Surely the more you labour for their policie the more you runne with them into want of Peace and if you bee not either partiall or incredulous you may easily perceive the mischiefe of their secret Differences Will you Rule the Church alone alas how full is such rule of contradiction and purposes repugnant to Christ her head If you alone lay claime to the Church as yours why doe you chide with her best members disturbe them why doe you fight with your selfe will you looke for Peace and not from GOD indeed much pompe and glory Romes Churches sonnes receive but it is better to be content with what estate Christ bequeaths to his Church Will you rather let your Soule and the Soules of all your Flockes want their food then you be taken from your Palaces Is nothing worth your respect but earthly peace But if you love your peace and glory so dearely that you will not leaue it take your peace and pompe to your selves let us have truth yet if it may bee Peace too If you love your safety and the Churches seeke rather grounds whereon to rest then excuses for your abode in trouble seeke Peace and follow Truth forsake Rome and follow CHRIST except you will rather abide in earthly pompe then come to Christ Yours if you Christs H. W. THE PRELATES PRIDE OR The manifestation that the Bishops Lordly government from the originall institution is not de jure divine by divine right but meerly Humane This is a token that they hate the Lord for that they will have themselves to be called by the name of Lords saith Eusebius in his 7. booke of Preparation THe Lordly institution of Bishops is not from divine right but meerely humane The Argument THat institution which is from men and not from the Word of God is not of divine right but humane But the institution of Lordly Bishops is not from God but of men therefore such Lordly predominancy of the Bishops is not de jure divino by divine right but meerely humane I. To prove that such institution as is from men and not from the word of God is not of divine right but humaine which I shall cleare briefly 3. wayes by Reason by Scripture and by the testimony of former Ages I. Reason it selfe is forced to confesse that such institutions as there is no warrant for in GODS Word but are onely forged by the inventions of men can no wayes be said to be from God seeing the word of God expresseth not the same except we will goe about to make humane mortals divine or exalt them as Gods or else adde to those things which God hath written and so bring those heavie plagues upon us Revel. 22. 18. that which is from God is divine but what is onely from man must needs be humane If the glory of all the wisedomes in the world were in one assembly and should conclude of some particular not exprest in holy writ such institution though never so approved by men yet is it notwithstanding humane because instituted by men onely and having no warrant from Gods holy word 2. The

holy Scripture so expresseth it which as the Prophet Ieremiah saith is vanity to speake the visions of a mans owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord Ier. 23. 16. 3. St. Hillar saith that the tradition of man shall be taken away saith he for it is humane Surely by this time I hope any reasonableman may be well satisfied concerning the first proposition for the eyes of any may here behold how cleere this is laid downe and proved that such institution as is from men and not from the Word of God is not of divine right but meerely humane II. That institution onely which is from the word of God that alone is of divine right and not the institutions or acts of the inventions of after Ages being from themselves alone Doth the scripture confirme it then it must needes be divine Is it onely from man Oh fond Age wilt thou maintaine such things as divine which the holy writ doth not then may many Caterpillers more plead free priviledges in Gods garden and many wolves nest themselves amongst Gods sheepe Have not some preferred playes before the Word of God who have protested that the spirit of GOD hath more wrought upon their hearts at the conceit of some shadowed Tragedy then being present at a Sermon The Vsurer can pleade that God is honoured by his doing good The Papists can pretend their Zeale before their Crosses and Crucifixes and all these and many more can claime Antiquity and pleade as much for themselves as any Prelate but all this while they are but humane and permitted by men as the Prelates are they are not permitted by Gods holy word nor no such vaine inventions which caused holy David to take up this resolution I hate saith he vaine inventions but thy Law doe I love Psal. 119. 113. And though our Lordly Bishops would prove themselves to be the Lords Bishops from divine right yet let them but consider that saying of St. AUSTIN for as much saith he as Christ hath not revealed these things who dare be so vaine or rash amongst us as to affirme without any testimony of the scriptures that such things are divine which the Lord hath not so declared of them III. To prove that the Lordly government of Bishops is from men and not from God and that shall be first from a briefe survey of history how they have received their institution from men secondly by a briefe Catalogue of some particular places of Scripture in every booke through the whole Bible to prove that they are not permitted thus to stand by the word of God 1. To prove that their institution is from men that to be briefe I will give you a litle glimps of Linus in the first place by the way because he was the first Bishop of Rome that we reade of from the time of the Apostles suffering who never was recorded to be exalted to the prelasie or Lordly government whō St. Paul stiles a brother and not a Lord amongst those other brethren Eubulus and P●dence and Claudia and the rest of the brethren whom as I take it St. PAVL aimes 2 Timoth. 4. 21. In those dayes also was Clement Bishop of Rome and the text of Scripture by St. Paul calls him no Lord Lord Bishop was a strange language with him no it was faithfull yoak-fellow it was Clement and other fellow-labourers with the rest of the Preachers of the Gospell these were the stiles of the Ministers after the Apostles Custome as it is Philip 4. 3. There were then also many Christian preachers in Ierusalem as Marcus Crassianus Publius Maximus Valen●e these and other Bishops in those dayes wee never reade of any of them that were made Lords or that were exalted to temporall dignities except onely such as Demas who fell in love indeed with the glory of the world but the Apostle brands him for a forsaker of his calling for his labour 2 Timoth. 4. 10. Indeed some decretall Epistles have beene forged on Zephyrinus the 14. Bishop of Rome but they are very foolish and ridiculous onely forged of late as many judicious Readers judge As to consecrate the holy Cup to be in a vessell of glasse That a Bishop being accused shall choose his own Iudges and that no diffinitive sentence shall be denounced against a Bishop untill the time that his cause were heard of the Patriarch of Rome c. But alas this is but a mocking of the Church of God to attribute such swelling pride such unaccustomed formes of judicature such fencing and guarding of unrighteous men against just deserved punishment which being falsly forged upon the fathers were without all doubt altogether unknowne unto them in those dayes And so also some decretall Epistles ascribed unto Pontianus as Pontianus sanctae vniversalis Ecclesiae Episcopus c. how palpable doth this seeme to be false and forged for such magnificent stiles as these were not as yet in use And afterwards when they crept into the Church they were onely at the first ascribed to them by such as admired the vertues of some singular and rare men such as Cyprian Athanasius but no church man of any degree whatsoever did in those times usurpe such proud and arrogant titles of dignity in his owne writings directed to other Christians and therefore the learned reject this Epistle as composed by some late unlearned and flattering fellow Some have bin so bold not onely to attribute to Cajus the 27. Bishop of Rome the constitution of these Ecclesiasticall orders but to attribute it even to the Apostles themselves but I say beatus qui non credit they father the institution of these degrees upon them as first to be Ostiarius 2. to bee Lector 3. Exorcista 4. Acoluthus 5. Subdiaconus 6. Diaconus 7. Presbetor 8. Episcopus but happy is he who beleeves no such lyes As for Cajus the time wherin he lived was a time of persecutiō Cajus he was fain to hide himself a long time in a Cave Had this bin attributed to Bonifacius the 8. Gregory the 7. or to Alexander the 3. it might have bin more probable And as for the Apostles indeed we find allowed 2 orders of Ministers a Bi. and a Deacon or an Elder and a Deacon 1 Tim. 3. 1. but surely with them a Bishop Elder Pastor Shepheard was all one and not two distinct degrees Acts 15. Titus 1. 5 6 7. Gordius 8. Narcissus and a worthy man called Alexander were Bishops in Ierusalem all at once yet none of them desired preheminence or any Lordly title or rule over other Ministes But to come to after times some there are who have gone about to prove that Constantine did confirme the Bishop of Rome in his glory but how can that be since the purple garment the Palace of Lateran the Superiority of Rome and government of the West all these honours the Emperours successours to Constantine