Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A57825
|
Five speeches in the High and Honourable Court of Parliament by Sir Benjamin Rudyerd ... ; printed according to his owne true copies, the former being absurdly false.; Speeches. Selections
|
Rudyerd, Benjamin, Sir, 1572-1658.
|
1641
(1641)
|
Wing R2184; ESTC R12031
|
12,505
|
32
|
government of the State Every man can say it is so common and known a truch that sudden and great changes both in naturall and politique bodies have dangerous operations and give me leave to say that we cannot presently see to the end of such a consequence especially in so great a kingdom as this and where Episcopacie is so wrap dane involv'd in the Laws of it Wherefore Master Speaker my humble motion is That we may punish the present offenders reduce and preserve the Calling for better men hereafter Let us remember with fresh thankfulnesse to God those glorious Martyr Bishops who were burn'd for our Religion in the times of Popery who by their learning zeal and constancle uphold and convay'd it down to us We have some good Bishops still who do preach every Lords Day and are therefore worthy of double honour They have suffer'd enough already in the disease I shall be forry we should make them suffer more in the remedy Concerning BISHOPS DEANES AND CHAPTERS At a Committee of the whole House by Sir Beniamin Rudyerd M. Hyde WE are now upon a very great businesse so great indeed as it requires our soundest our saddest consideration our best iudgement for the present our utmost foresight for the futuer But Sir One thing doth exceedingly trouble me it turnes me quite round it makes my whole reason vertiginous which is that so many doe beleeve against the wisdom of all ages that now there can he no reformation without destruction as if every sick body must presently be knock'd in the head as past hope of cure Religion was first and best planted in Cities God did spread his net where most might be caught Cities had Bishops and Presbiters Presbiters were the Seminaries out of which were sent labourers by the Bishops to propagate and cultivate the Gospell The Clergy then liv'd wholly upon the free-will-offerings and bounty of the people Afterward when Kings and States grew to be Christians the outward settlement of the church grew up with them They erected Bishopricks founded Cathedrall churches endowed them with large possessions Land lords built parish churches gleabd them with some portion of land for which they have still a right of Presentation I do confesse that some Bishops have had ambitious dangerous aymes and have so still That in their government there are very great Enormities Regeneration doth neither destroy the man nor the faculties but doth rectifie and reforme them so the calling of Bishops may c. But I am not of their opinion who beleeve that there is an innate ill quallity in Episcopacy like a specificall property which is a refuge not a reason I hope there is no originall sin in Episcopacie and though there were yet may the Calling be aswell reformed as the person regenerated Bishops have govern'd the church for fifteene hundred yeeres without interruption and no man will say But that God hath saved soules in all those times under their government Let them be reduced according to the usage of ancient Churches in the best times so restrayned as they may not be able hereafter to shame the calling I love not those that hate to be reformed and doe therefore thinke them worthy of the more strict the more close reformation We have often complaind that Bishops are too absolute too singular Although Cathedrall churches are now for the most part but receptacles of Droanes and Non-residents yet some good men may be found or placed there to be Assessours with the Bishops to assist them in actions of moment in causes of importance There is maintenance already provided for them If either in Bishopricks or Cathedrall churches there be too much some may be pared off to relieve them that have to little If yet more may be spared it may be employed to the setting up of a preaching ministery thorow the whole kingdome and untill this be done although we are Christians yet are we not a Christian State There are some places in England that are not in Christendome the people are so ignorant they live so without God in the world for which Parliaments are to answer both to God and man let us looke to it for it lyes like one of the Burdens of the Prophet Esay heavy and flat upon Parliaments I have oftentimes seriously considered with my selfe what strong concurrent motives and causes did meet together in that time when Abbeyes and Monasteryes were overthrown Certainly Gods hand was the greatest for he was most offended The prophane superstitions the abhominable Idolatryes the filthy nefandous wickednesse of their lifes did stink in Gods nostriles did call downe for vengeance for reformation A good party of Religious men were zealous instruments in that great work As likewise many covetous ambitious Persons gaping for fat morsells did lustily drive it on But Master Hyde there was a principall Parliamentary motive which did facillitate the rest For it was propounded in Parliament that the Accession of Abbey lands would so in-rich the crowne as the people should never be put to pay Subsidies againe this was plausable both to court and country besides with the overplus there should be mainteyned a standing army of forty thousand men for a perpetuall defence of the kingdome this was safety at home terrour and honour abroad The Parliament would make all sure Gods part Religion by his blessing hath been reasonably well preserv'd but it hath been saved an by fire for the rest is consum'd and vanish'd The people have paid Subsidies ever since and we are now in no very good case to pay an Army Let us beware Master Hyde that we do not look with a worldly carnall evill eye upon church lands Let us cleare our sight search our hearts that we may have unmixt and sincere ends without the least thought of saving our own purses Church lands will still be fittest to maintaine church men by a proportionable and orderly distribution We are very strict and curious to uphold our own propriety and there is great reason for it Are the Clergy only a sort of men who have no propriety at all in that which is called theirs I am sure they are Englishmen they are Subiects If we pull down Bishopricks and pull down Cathedrall churches in a short time we must be forc'd to pull downe Colledges too for schollers will live and die there as in cells if there be no considerable preferment to invite them abroad and the example we are making now will be an easie temptation to the lesse pressing necessities of future times This is the next way to bring in Barbarisine to make the Clergy an unlearnd contemptible vocation not to be desir'd but by the basest of the people and then where shall we finde men able to convince an adversary A Clergy man ought to have a farre greater proportion to live upon then any other man of an equall condition He is not bred to multiply Three-pences it becomes him not to live mechanically and sordidly He must be given to hospitality I do know my selfe a Clergy man nodignitary whose books have cost him a thousand pounds which when he dyes may be worth to his wife and children about some two hundred It will be a shamefull reproach to so flourishing a kingdom as this to have a poore beggerly Clergy For my part I think nothing too much nothing too good for a good minister a good Clergy man They ought least to want who best know how to abound Burning and shining lights do well deserve to bee set in good candlesticks Master Hyde I am as much for reformation for purging and maintaining Religion as any man whatsoever But I professe I am not for Innovation Demolition nor Abolition FINIS