Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	church_n	england_n	1,563	5	6.0318	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21016	Certaine arguments and motives of speciall moment propounded to the consideration of our most noble King and state tending to perswade them to abolish that unhappy and unhallowed government of our church by bishops, and in stead thereof to set up the government of the Lord Iesus Christ and his holy ordinances in their purity and power.		1634 (1634)	STC 739; ESTC S5086	18,494	38

know not unlesse it bee to the place whither their fellow traitour Iudas is gone before Act. 2.25 there to remaine among such as the Apostle speaketh of Phil. 3.19 For it can not bee imagined that there should bee any place in heaven for these wretches but as they hate Gods people here upon earth with a perfect hatred so it is to bee thought that the Lord will set a great gulfe and make an eternall separation between them the vessels of his mercy Luke 16.26 2. Thess 1.7.8.9.10 6 They have suppressed that famous worthy worke of buying in and restoring to the church Impropriations which was a most charitable and usefull hopefull busines and likely to have brought more advantage to the Ministery of England then any one thing of that nature which hath beene undertaken in any mans memory Divers were brought in brought back againe to the Church by those men which were trusted with that busines who caried themselves very faithfully in it many great summes lay ready which would have beene frankly and freely given for the buying in of moe if that worke had gone on as it began whereby much glory would have redounded to God as much comfort to thousands of poore soules which now are like to want it In many places where the maintenance of the Minister was short and scant the feoffees did out of those Impropriations which they had in their hands make a supply and addition to make the living competent for an able and an honest man In other places where there was most want of preaching they set up Lectures and put in men of good abilities and such as would teach the people to bee obedient to God and loyall to their Soveraigne And where there were Lectures before which had not a competency of meanes allotted to them they increased their allowance that so he Ministers might go on the more confortably in the worke of their Minstery But this made our Bishops sick of the splene They cried out that this would bee the ruine of the Church of England The truth is they feared but without cause that this would in time have clipped their wings have abridged their authority whereof they are much more jelous then of Gods glory and that caused them to set the matter so much to hart It is true that the fatall blow was given to that worke in another Court but these ungratious Prelats kindled the coles and blew that fire which hath consumed and brought it to nothing Wherein they have shewed themselves to bee like to their father the Devill who as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom hee may devoure 1. Pet. 5.8 They have put downe the meetings of the men of several shires counties now dwellers in London which were wont to assemble together once a yeere did a great deale of good to those countries where they were borne There they set up and do to this day maintaine at their owne charge Lectures in Market townes and other places of greatest resort where they supposed they might do most good and where there was greatest want of preaching which was a great ease and comfort to the Christians in those parts and more they would have done every yeere for the good of those places if these meetings of theirs had not beene thus unseasonably interrupted and broken off by these men which beare ill will to Sion But the name of a Lecture is ynough to crush quash any such pious good worke I know well that the places where they used to meete were denied them by another authority but the Prelats were the plotters and contrivers of this mischiefe out of that inveterate malice and hatred which they beare against preaching Wherein they resemble their Predecessours the Scribes and Pharises which shut up the kingdome of heaven against men will neither go in themselves nor suffer them that are entering to go in Mat. 23.13 8 They urge and presse upon Ministers a Subscription not onely against reason but directly against Law The statute of the 13. Elizabeth requireth of Ministers no subscription but to the Articles of religion and that also no further then they concerne faith and Sacraments onely But these troublers of Israel and disturbers of the peace of our church wil have them subscribe not onely to that whole booke but to foure other bookes also namely the booke of common prayer the booke of Ordination and two bookes Homilies in some one of which said bookes it is well knowne that there bee many hundreds of foule and grosse corruptions And if a man have subscribed in his younger yeeres when hee knew no better and was unable and it may bee unwilling also to examine and try things by the true touchstone and to weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary if afterwards hee renounce or do but revolt from his subscription and shall refuse to justify by his practise that to which ignorantly and unadvisedly hee did formerly subscribe with his hand though hee have done God faithfull service in his Church for the space of many yeeres and have taken more then ordinary paines in his ministery they turne him out with a great deale of wrath and indignation and expose him his wife children to misery beggery And if in these cases men bee content to leave their native soyle shall seeke to secure and safegard themselves in other nations from the fury of these Tigers yet thither will their malice follow them and their armes are now growne so long that even there also they can reach them But there will a time come when these wretches shall know to their cost and by miserable and wofull experience when it will bee to late that it is the Lord Iesus himselfe whom they persecute and that they kick against pricks Act. 9.5 And hee that hath those starrs in his right hand Revel 1.16 and accounteth of them as his Iewels will one day render into the bosome of their Persecutours and that with more then ordinary severity all the wrongs which they have done to those poore servants of his will then bee throughly avenged of all his and their malicious and despitefull enemies 9 They thrust Christ out of his chaire of Estate and will not suffer him to rule raigne amongst us according to his owne holy will revealed in his word by Pastours Teachers and Elders which hee hath ordained and appointed for the governing of his Churches and for the perfecting of the Saints c. till wee all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the soone of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ Rom. 12.7.8 and 1. Tim. 5.17 Ephes 4.12.13 Wherein they plainely professe and proclaime openly to the whole world that they are fighters against God himselfe and maine opposers of his grace and goodnes How would the Gospel flourish in our land what glorious successe and