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	church_n	person_n	1,429	5	4.7818	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56021	A proposal of union amongst Protestants, from the last-will of the most Reverend Doctor Sands sometime Archbishop of York (as the sentiment of the first reformers) humbly presented to the Parliament.	Sandys, Edwin, 1516?-1588.	1679 (1679)	Wing P3709A; ESTC R182167	5,069	4

way to bring them into the bosom of their Mother It is not for me the meanest of ten thousand to act the Dictator no no I will turn Orator and humbly pray That you may be all taught of God and endued with a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding to find out proper and effectual means and methods for the bringing about this ever-to be desired harmony and accord among Protestants Only this I crave leave with all humility and earnestness to beg That what God hath not set up in the Church may be pull'd down and those things taken out of the way which have been and always will be bones of contention among persons truly learned and godly May that be rejected as an Innovation which is not as old as the Apostles and nothing imposed upon Ministers or People but what hath footing and warrant in the holy Scriptures Oh that all Dissenters would come up to the Church of England as far as ever they can with a good conscience and oh that they also may be so far condescended to And certainly it can neither be prejudicial to the Church to yield in those things which Dissenters account sinful and she her self calls indifferent and upon that score are at best but chips in Porridg not worth contending for Nor can it be any unhandsome or dishonourable reflexion upon our first Renowned Reformers whose Memory is deservedly dear to us for they did famously in this our Israel casting out abundance of filth and rubbish laying a good foundation and making an admirable progress in the structure yet such was the iniquity of the Times the rage of their Enemies and the opposition they met with that they did not nay they could not finish the work nor add the top-stone to the Reformation but left something for their Successors to do which are You the good Lord give you an heart to do it Rome was not built nor could it be pull'd down in a day or in an Age. Since therefore His most Sacred Majesty being thorowly sensible of the great advantage our common Enemy the Papist hath received by the breaches that have not only been made but hitherto continued among such as profess the same faith hath been graciously pleased to recommend to your special care the concern of the Protestant interest as well at home as abroad and hath commanded the Honourable the Lord Chancellor of England to acquaint you that he judgeth it a thing necessary for you in your great Wisdom to find out some way for the relief of such Protestants as do wander only from the Church of England thorow the tenderness of their consciences being such as would not destroy it but do build upon the same foundation with your selves I take upon me the humble boldness to offer to your Honours serious Consideration the Sentiments and very words of one of the very first Reformers of our Church of England as it remains upon Record being extracted out of the Last Will and Testament of the most Reverend Father in God Edward Sands late Arch-Bishop of York being the general sense of the said Reformers of which you may be more fully satisfied from the words themselves COncerning Rights and Ceremonies by Political Constitutions authorized among us As I am and have been perswaded that such as are set down by publick Authority in this Church of England are no way either ungodly or unlawful but may with good conscience for order and obedience-sake be used of a good Christian for the private Baptism to be ministred by Women I take neither to be prescribed nor permitted so have I ever been and presently am perswaded that some of them be not so expedient for this Church now but that in the Church reformed and in all this time of the Gospel wherein the seed of the Scripture hath so long been sown they may better be difused by little and little than more and more urged Howbeit as I do easily acknowledg our Ecclesiastical Policy in some points may be better'd so do I utterly mislike even in my conscience all such rude and undigested platforms as have been more lately and boldly than either learnedly or wisely preferred tending not to the Reformation but to the destruction of the Church of England The particularities of both sorts referred to the discretion of the godly-wise of the latter I only say thus That the State of a small private Church and the form of a large Christian Kingdom neither would long like nor can at all brook one and the same Ecclesiastical Government Thus much I thought good to testifie concerning these Ecclesiastical matters to clear me of all suspicion of double and indirect dealing in the house of God wherein as touching mine Office I have not halted but walked sincerely according to that skill and ability which I received at Gods merciful hand c. L. Probatum apud London c. Vicesimo Secundo die Mensis Maii Anno Domini Milissimo Quingessimo Nonagissimo Juramento Iohannis Theaker Notarii Publici Procuratoris Ciciliae Relictae Executoris c. Cui c. de bene c. Jurat Drury fol. 30. Marcus Cottle Regist. I Shall not trouble you with any Observations of mine upon this discourse of that Reverend Person but submit it to your Honours Judgment and take further boldness to subjoyn a remarkable passage of the truly Worthy and Reverend Dean Tillotson viz. It is not for private persons to undertake in matters of publick concernment but I think we have no cause to doubt but the Governours of our Church notwithstanding all the advantages of Authority and we think of Reason too on our side are persons of that Piety and Prudence that for peace-sake and in order to a firm Vnion among Protestants they would be content if that would do it not to insist upon little things but to yield them up whether to the infirmity or importunity or perhaps in some very few things to the plausible exceptions of those who differ from us Oh that it may be according to his word and so I shall most cheerfully yield to him that On the other side men ought to bring along with them a peaceable disposition and a mind ready to comply with the Church in which they were born and baptized in all reasonable and lawful things and desirous upon any terms that are tolerable to return to the communion of it a mind free from passion and prejudice from peevish exceptions and groundless and endless scruples And such I perswade my self all sober and Pious Dissenters will be found And now Right Honourable I humbly crave your gracious entertainment of these few lines sent indeed from a mean and unknown hand but from an heart full-fraught with Loyalty to His Majesty and dutiful respects to your Honours and Zeal for the Purity Peace and Prosperity of the Reformed Church and particularly that part of it which Gods right hand hath planted in this famous Island I shall not sin in ceasing to pray That the good hand of God may be upon you that he would spirit direct assist and succeed you that you may be the repairers of our breaches and the restorers of paths to dwell in The Father of mercies and God of peace grant that there may be no longer among us the noise of Axes and Hammers no more crumbling into parties and factions no more divisions nor causes of them but that our English Ierusalem may be as a Bride made ready for her Husband That upon all our Assemblies there may be a glory and upon that glory a defence FINIS