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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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85184	The league illegal. Wherein the late Solemn League and Covenant is seriously examined, scholastically and solidly confuted: for the right informing of weak and tender consciences, and the undeceiving of the erroneous. Written long since in prison, by Daniel Featley D.D. and never until now made known to the world. Published by John Faireclough, vulgò Featley, chaplain to the Kings most Excellent Majesty.	Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645.; Featley, John, 1605?-1666.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I)	1660 (1660)	Wing F591; Thomason E1040_8; ESTC R199	47,903	77

but that Christ left a Pattern of Government to his Church to continue till the end of the world and doubtlesse his Apostles with whom he conversed forty dayes after his Resurection speaking of those things which appertain to the kingdom of God Act. 3. 1. delivered that to the Church which they received from their Master What Government or Discipline was that There can be conceived but three formes of Government Episcopal most conformable to Monarchy Presbyterial to Aristocracy and Independent as they tearm it to Democracy Presbyterial or Independent it could not be for Presbyterial is no Elder then the Reformation in Geneva and the Independent no Elder then New-England whereas Episcopal Government hath been time out of mind not in one but in all Churches A and sith it was not first constituted by any Sanction of a General Counsel it follows necessarily according to St. Augustins observation that it must needs be an Apostolical Institution For what not one Church but all Churches not in one age but all ages hath uniformly observed and practised and no man can define who after the Apostles were the beginners of it must needs be supposed to be done by Order or Tradition from them 7. This form of Government was not only generally received and embraced by Catholicks but even by Hereticks and Schismaticks who though they severed from the Communion of the Church in Doctrine yet not in Discipline For the Novatians and Donatists had Bishops of their own from whom they took their names only * Aerius who stood for a Bishoprick and missed it out of discontent broached that new Doctrine wherewith the heads of our Schismaticks are so much intoxicated viz. That there ought to be no distinction in the Church between a Bishop and a Presbyter and for this confounding those Sacred Orders was himself ranked among Hereticks and stands upon record in the Bedrolls of them made by Epiphanius Angustin and Philastrius It is true he had other brands on him but this was the proper mark put upon him by those ancient Fathers who mention this Tenet of his as Erroneous and Heretical I grant some of the ancient Doctors affirm That in the beginning till the prevention of Schism made this distinction between Bishops and Presbyters they were all one in name as now they are in those essential parts of their function viz. Preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments But Aerius was the first who professedly oppugned the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy maintaining That there ought to be no difference and distinction between Bishops and Elders 8. This assertion of Aërius as in the Doctrine thereof it was defined by the Doctors of the Church to be Heresie so in the practise thereof it is condemned by the great Councel of Chalcedon to be Sacriledge To confound say they the Ranks of Bishops and Elders and to bring down a Bishop to the inferior degree of an Elder is no lesse then Sacriledge Now I would fain know how that comes to be truth now which was condemned for Heresie and to be Piety now which was branded for Sacriledge above 1200 agoe 9. Neither were the Fathers of the Councel of Chalcedon only zealous in this cause which so much concerned the honour of the Church but the other three also whose authority St. Gregory held to be the next to the four Evangelists and the Doctrine thereof is after a sort incorporated into our Acts of Parliament Eliz. 1. In these Councels which all consisted of Bishops Episcopacy it self is almost in every Canon and Sanction either Asserted or Regulated 10. Next to the Primitive Church we owe a reverend respect to the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas who either have Bishops as in Poland Transilvania Denmark and Swethland or the same function is in Nature though not in Name to wit Intendents and Super-intendents as they would have them if they could as I understood from many Ministers in France or at least approve of them as appeareth by the testimony of Beza Sadiel Scultetus and others 11. What should I speak of the Articles of Religion ratified by a Sequence of Religious Princes succeeding one the other and confirmed by Act of Parliament to which all Beneficed men are required under pain of losse of their livings within a moneth to professe their assent and consent in which both the Power and Consecration of Bishops and Ministers is expresly asserted and their distinction from Presbyters or of the Statute of Carlile the 15. of Edw. 2. and the first of Qu. Eliz. with very many other unrepealed Acts in which Episcopall Government is either related unto or regulated and confirmed in such sort that quite to abolish and extirpate it would bring a confusion and make a stop as well in Secular as Ecclesiastical Courts And therefore our zealous Reformers if they think themselves not too good to be advised by the Great Counsellor ought to take heed how they rashly and unadvisedly pluck up the tares as they esteem them of holy Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws ne simul eradicent triticum lest together with those tares as they count them they pluck up by the roots the good wheat of many profitable and wholesome Laws of the Common-wealth and Acts of Parliament 12. But if the Authority of both Houses could soon cure these sores in precedent Acts of Parliament yet how will they make up the breaches in the Consciences of all those who in the late Protestation and this New Covenant have taken a Solemn Oath to maintain the Priviledges of the Members of Parliament and the Liberties of the Subject The most Authentical evidence whereof are Charta Magna and the Petitionof Right in both which the Rights of the Church and Priviledges of Episcopal Sees are set down in the Fore-front in Capital Letters 13. To strain this string a little higher the power of granting Congedeliers together with the investitute of Archbishops Bishops and Collation of Deanries and Prebends with a setled Revenue from the First-fruits and Tenths there is one of the fairest flowers in the Kings Crown and to rob the imperial Diadem of it considering the King is a Person most Sacred is Sacriledge in a high degree and not Sacriledge only but Perjury also in all those who attempt it For all Graduates in the University and men of Ranck and Quality in the Common-wealth who are admitted to any place of eminent Authority or Trust take the Oath of Supremacy whereby they are bound to defend and Propugne all Preeminences Authorities and Prerogatives annexed to the Imperial Crown whereof this is known to be one inherent in the King as he is Supreme head of the Church within his Realms and Defender of the Faith 14. Yet for all this admit that Reason of State should inforce the Extirpation of Episcopacy thus rooted as it hath been said both in the Royal Prerogative and Priviledge of the Subject and in the Laws of the Land it is a golden Maxim of Law

Mother the daughter in law her mother in law the Servant his Master the Tennant his Landlord the Schollar his Tutor and the Pupil his Gaurdian and not to discover them only but to be active also in bringing them to such heavy Censures as they who have the Legislative power in themselves can inflict What great out-cries have been heard of late what bitter invectives against the Oath commonly called ex officio and that as it hath been used in some Courts not without cause But here is an Oath not ex officio but rather as it may be used contra officium not of duty but against the duty we ow by all Laws of God and man to our Superiours Inferiours and Equals Bishops and their Chancellours were hardly thought of and suffered much in the opinion of many for pressing innocent Ceremonies and Vestures as the Cap Surplice Grosse in Baptism Ring in Marriage c. upon all such of the Clergy as were instituted and inducted into Benefices What then will be thought of them who with greater Eagerness and Violence under worse penalties presse upon the conscience not Ceremonies but Oaths nor upon a few of one calling but all sorts of men not innocent but nocent Oaths to the grievous wounding of their troubled spirits and utter ruine of their Estates To conclude with the most Christian resolution of Lactantius Religio defendenda est non occidendo sed moriendo non saevitiâ sed patientiâ non scelere sed fide Nam si sanguine si tormentis si malo Religionem defendere velis jam non defendetur illa sed polluetur Nihil enim est tam voluntarium quam Religio in quâ si animus sacrificantis aversus est jam sublata est jam nulla est The fairest pretence and most plausible scope and end of them who first Devised and Framed this Oath was to engage the Subjects of England in a firm League with the Scots against the Popish party that so by their associated Armes they might the better Protect the Protestant Religion in England and Vindicate it and Restore it in Ireland But what if it may be made good by authority of Scriptures and the testimonies of all ages that Christian Religion approveth not such a kinde of defence That such a strengthening of her cause is indeed the weakning it and such a forcible propugning the Protestant Doctrine a strong opposition to it and a real impugning it Surely Mr. Coleman in his Sermon commanded to the Presse by the Authority of the High Court of Parliament saith as much terminis terminantibus and verish not only disertis but exertis pag. 36. May the Reformation of Religion be brought in by Armes I answer Negatively it may not The Sword is not the means which God ordained to propagate the Gospel Go and teach all Nations not go and subdue all Nations is our Masters Precept And Bosquier truly observeth That Fish will not be caught with a bloudy net if they spie but a drop of bloud upon it they will swime away Nay Christ himself refused to be rescued by force of Armes commanding Peter to put up his sword and adding withal He that taketh up the Sword shall perish by the Sword And if the ancient Doctors as well as Historians may be believed they speak out and tell us That Christian Religion though she could yet never would draw any other weapons in her defence against the Powers that are Ordained of God then prayers and tears and therefore her style was when she had cause to weep and lament for thousands of her children executed with most exquisite torments by bloudy Persecutours in her Remonstrances to the Emperours Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus We prostrate our selves at thy feet O noble Emperour we rise not up in Armes against thee For we have learned from our Master That true and undefiled Religion before God is to be defended not by the Sword but by the Word not by Resistance but by Patience not by Wickedness but by Loyalty not by Killing but by Dying For if Religion be defended and maintained otherwayes as by laying wast Countries Plundring Cities and Villages slaughtering men and copious effusion of bloud she will not be thereby defended but defiled God open our eyes that we may see the way chalked out before us in his word and in this day of our visitation timely pursue those things that belong to our peace Amen and Amen THE END D. F. his Speech before the Assembly of Divines CONCERNING The New LEAGUE and COVENANT M. Prolocutor OUr Brethren of Scotland desire a Resolution from this Assembly concerning the Necessity and Lawfulness of entring into this New League and how can we resolve them if we be not resolved our selves as some of us are not I shall therefore humbly offer to your serious consideration Whether it be not fit to qualifie the word Prelacy when it is ranked with Popery and Superstition after this manner I will endeavour the extirpation of Popery and all Antichristian Tyrannical or Independent Prelacy for otherwise by abjuring Prelacy absolutely some of us shall swear to forswear our selves For Prelacy as also Hierarchy in the former and better ages of the Church were taken in the better part Hierarchy signifying nothing but a holy Rule or Government and Prelacy the preeminence of one in the Church above another Prelation is a relatio disquiparantiae and Praelati are Relati to those over whom they are set who may be either the flock or the Pastors themselves If the Flock in that sense all that have charge of souls may be truly called Praelati viz. Gregi for they are set over them to be their Over-seers and Spiritual Rulers Act. 8. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Heb. 13. 17 24. 1 Tim. 5. 17. In this sense both St. Gregory and Bernard take the word Praelati non quae sua sunt sed quae Domini quaerant non Pastores sed Impostores non Doctores sed Seductores non Praelati sed Pilati let Prelates not seek their own but those things which are the Lords now a dayes we have not Teachers but Seducers not Shepherds but Deceivers not Prelates but Pilats in which sentence Teachers Pastors and Prelates are ranged together as signifying the same persons In which elegant Antanaclasis you hear that Doctors Pastors and Prelates are a kind of Synonyma's In this sense if we condemn Prelates and Vote their Exterpation we shall with one breath blow all the Divines that have cure of Souls not only out of this Assembly but out of their Parsonages and Vicaridges also But if Praelati are here in this Covenant taken in reference to Pastors themselves and Ministers of the Gospel and thereby such are meant only who are Praepositi clero set over Clergy-men themselves as having not only some precedency to but authority over the rest neither in this sense may we piously swear the Eradication of them For there are Classes in the Netherlands