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	power_n	2,820	5	5.0653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50348	Episcopacie not abivred in His Maiesties realme of Scotland containing many remarkable passages newly pvblished, the contents of the severall chapters follow in the next page.	Maxwell, John, 1590?-1647.	1641 (1641)	Wing M1380; ESTC R21652	85,480	138

shall please them within their own Diocese and there all the Clergie of the Diocese are bound to conveene and all matters which concerne the Diocese are therein to be determined by the Bishop So likewise albeit that in the first book of Discipline there is no mention of Synodall or Provinciall Assemblies yet after by Acts of Generall Assemblies it is appointed that every Superintendent and Commissioner shall hold Synods in their own bounds wherein all matters pertaining particularly to their own Diocese or Province shall be determined as appeares by the Assemblie at Edinburgh March 5. 1570. wherein these two Acts are set downe first It is ordained that offenders in hainous crymes shall not appear before the generall Assembly but shall be called before the Superintendents and Commissioners of Provinces to appear before them in their Synodall Conventions and there to receive their injunctions conforme to the order used before in Generall Assemblies Itein It is ordained that all Question● concerning the Province shall be propounded first to the Superintendent et Commissioner to receive resolution in their Synodall conventions and if they be diffieile to be propounded to the next generall Assemblie by the Superiatendent or Commissioner with certification that no Question shall be received hereafter from any private Minister So likewise in the Assemblie at Edinburgh 1568. It is ordained that no Minister exhort or reade or other person shall trouble the Generall Assembly with such matters as Superintendents may and ought to decide in their Synods And if they doe so their Letters shall be rejected Fiftly As no Pastor ought to have place in Nationall Assemblies except such as are authorized thereunto by their Ordinarie Bishop according to the custome of the ancient Church Although our Bishops in Scotland since they were re-established did never usurpe this power to themselves but left the Election of the Commissioner in the power of the Brethren of the Presbyterie So likewise it was ordained in the Assemblie at Edinburgh 1568. That no Minister should have voyce in Generall Assemblies nor leave their flocks to attend thereat unlesse they be chosen by their Superintendent as men known able to reason and of knowledge to judge in matters of weight The same likewise we see testified to have been the Custome of the Church of Scotland by a Letter written by the Lord Glames then Chancellor of Scotland unto Beza about the year 1575. when Episcopacie began to be quarrelled wherein Quaest. 2. he saith Post reformatam Religionem consuetudine receptum est ut Episcopi under which word he comprehendeth the Superintendents ex Ministris Pastoribus ac Senioribus tot quot ijde● Episcopi jusserint unum in locum conveniant cum praecipuis Barronibus ac Nobilibus Religionem veram profitentibus de doctrinâ de moribus inquisituri Sixtly As all the presentation of Benefices vacant were to be directed to the Bishop of the Diocese where the Benefice lyes so that if the person presented be found qualified he may enjoy the same So is it appointed at the Assembly holden at St. Iohnstone Iune 1563. That when any Benefice shall chance to vaick or is now vacant that a qualified person be presented to the Superintendent of that Province where the Benefice lyes and that he being found sufficient be admitted Minister to that Kirk c. Likewise in the Assembly at Edinburgh 1578. wherein they alleage the second book of Discipline was agreed unto one of the Petitions of the Assemblie preferred to the King and Councell was That all presentations to Benefices may be directed to the Commissioner or Superintendent where the Benefice lyes Seventhly As the Ordination of Ministers appertaines peculiarly to the Bishop of the Diocese So likewise the Ordination which by the stile of Scotland is called Admission or Conftirmation not onely of Ministers but also of Readers Schoolmasters and Principalls of Colledges did appertaine to the Superintendents in their owne bounds as is evident by the fifth Chapter of the book of Discipline in the Article of Superintendents and in the Article of Schools and Universities Eightly As Bishops have at all times had power to examine the life doctrine and behaviour of the Clergie of his own Diocese and to admonish correct or censure them accordingly So likewise in the same book of Discipline Cap. 5. the Superintendents received power and authoritie to visit the Churches of their bounds so often as they may and therein not only to preach But also to exmine the life diligence and behaviour of all the Ministers as likewise the orders of the Kirks and manners of the people and to admonish where admonition needeth and to correct them by the censures of the Kirk c. Ninthly As Bishops have power of suspension or deposition of Ministers who are either scandalous in their lives or hereticall in their doctrine So by the book of Discipline and divers Acts of the Assemblies that power doth appertaine to Superintendents Commissioners or Visitors as is manifest by that place of the book of Disciplince cited by us in the former Article and by the Assemblie holden at Edinburgh April 1576. wherein it is said Anent the demand made by Mr. Andrew Hay Parson of Ranthrow if every Commissioner or Visitor in his own bounds hath alike power and Iurisdiction to plant Ministers suspend and depose for reasonable causes the Assemblie resolved affirmative that they have alike power and Iurisdiction therein as is contained in the particular Acts concerning the Iurisdiction of Visitors Tenthly As Bishops because of their places and great charges in overseeing all the Churches have greater rents appointed to them than to other Pastors So likewise by the book of Disciplie Cap. 5. in the Article for the provision of Ministers is appointed almost foure times asmuch stipend for the Superintendent as for other private Ministers Moreover it is evident by many Acts of Generall Assemblies that those Bishops who had joyned themselves to the reformed Church retaining still the office and title of Bishops did by approbation of the generall Assemblies exercise their Iurisdiction over the Ministrie and people of their own Diocese even from the beginning of the Reformation almost for in the Assembly at Edinburgh 1582. Alexander Gordon Bishop of Galloway was authorized to plant Ministers exhorters and readers and to doe such other things as has been heretofore accustomed to be done by Superintendents or Commissioners In the Assembly at S. Iohnstone Iunc 1563. the Bishops of Orknay and Kai●hnes are allowed to exercise the same Iurisdiction and to shew that they did not this by compulsion of Superior Authoritie but of their own voluntary motion in that Assembly it is appointed that a Supplication shall be preferred in name of the whole Assembly to the Queens Majestie that she would be pleased to remit the thirds of the Bishopricks which were then in the Queens hands to the Bishops who were allowed by the Church to be Commissioners for planting of

in after ages in all Christian Nations untill this last age yea retained by the first reformers of the Church of Scotland and approved by the Church therein for many yeers thereafter So that the Authoritie of these Assemblies ought not to move judicious men judging without partiall affection This much in generall concerning those Assemblies whereby the estate of Bishops was opprest in those dayes yet to remove all scruple we shall discusse particularly all the Acts alleaged here out of these assemblies shewing that they serve little or nothing to the present purpose First they alleage that Bishops were tollerated from the year 1572. untill this year 1575. But by their leave they were tollerated from the very first years of the Reformation for so many of them as did joyne themselves to the reformed Religion retaining the title office and Benefice of a Bishop did exercise their jurisdiction 〈◊〉 all the Pastors a●d people within their Diocese by approbation of the generall Assemblies of the Church as we have shown before Cap. 5. So that this was not as they alleage a meer tolleration but a full consent and approbation at least in regard of their power and preheminence above Ministers and charge over moe particular parishes It is true that Anno 1572. there were divers Bishopricks vacant and that my Lord Regent did excuse himself to the Assembly that they had been so long void as appears by an Act of that Assemblie at Edinburgh August 1572. wherein it is recorded that Alexander Hay Clark of the Councell presented some Articles in name of the Regent to the Assembly whereof one is My Lord Regent his grace mindes that with all convenient diligence qualified persons shall be presented to the Bishopricks now vacant the delay whereof has not been by his owne default but by reason that some enteresse ●as made to those livings in favour of some Noblemen before his acceptation of the Regencie yet his Grace is perswaded that qualified persons shall be speedily presented and in case of fail●i● will not faile without the others knowledge or consent to present So it appeares by his excuse and promise of diligence in times to come that this was not a tolleration onely but an earnest suit of the Church that qualified persons should be presented as they were shortly after and accepted by the Assemblie The Regent at this time was the worthy Mathew Earle of Lenox a man of a noble and generous disposition who bent himself to wrest the Church Livings out of the Noblemens hands and to establish the Church in her proper lustre which doubtlesse he had effectuate if he had been suffered longer to live and so settled things therein as King Iames of happy memory and King Charles now raigning should not have had so much trouble and turmoile in redressing the estate thereof againe But not long after this he was traiterously murthered at 〈…〉 and after his death another wind blowing all his designes were reversed Episcopacie born down and the Church brought to miserable povertie The first Assembly alleaged to prove their conclusion is that in August 1575. which notwithstanding doth nothing make for them but against them rather as we shall make manifest by the proceeding of that Assemblie and Conclusion thereof according as we have faithfully extracted them out of the Register of the Assemblies At this Assemblie indeed was made the first publik motion against Episcopacie although they had before laid privately their plots in their own conventicles at the very beginning of the Assembly when they were calling the Roll of their names the Bishops according to the accustomed order in former Assemblies being first called the promoters of Geneva discipline set forward one Iohn Durie a man neither of the wisest nor most learned of the Ministrie but of great boldnesse which happily he had learned in the Cloister having been sometime as I have heard a Monk in Dumfermling he rising up made a Protestation That the calling of the Bishops in the Assemblie should not prejudge the opinions and reasons which he and other Brethren of his mind had to oppone against the office and name of Bishops this Protestation being vehemently seconded by others the question was proposed to the Assemblie in these termes Whether the Bishops as they are now in Scotland have their function of the word of God or not a more formall proposition indeed than this in the Assemblie of the Covenanters albeit it have some ambiguitie also they thought it not sit to put the matter presently to the voycing untill it were sufficiently discussed by reasoning pro contra and for that effect there are three appointed upon every part to reason the matter and to report their judgement and opinion to the Assemblie and how farre they could agree the reasoners against Episcopacie were M● Andrew Meltin Principall of the Colledge of Glasgow who was the chief man in this cause M● Iames Lawson Minister at Edinburgh and M. Iohn Craig Minister at Aberdeene on the other part for Bishops were appointed M. George Hay Commissioner of Caithnes M. David Lyndsay Minister at Leith M. Iohn Ro●● Minister at P●rth they together having conferred and reasoned the matter at length could not agree upon the Principall question and therefore the Assembly determined by an Act That they think it not expedient presently to answer to the Principall question yet they who were appointed to reason the matter reported to the Assembly that they had agreed altogether in certain points First that the name of Bishop is common to all them which have charge of a particular flock to preach the Word and administer the Sacrament which is their chief function by the Word of God Secondly That out of this number may be chosen one to have power to visite such reasonable bounds as the Assemblie shall appoint Thirdly That he may have power in these bounds to appoint Ministers with consent of the Ministers of that province and of the flock to which they are appointed Fourthly That he may have power to appoint Elders and Deacons in every particular Congregation with consent of the people Fiftly That he may have power to suspend and depose Ministers for reasonable causes with consent of the Ministers aforesaid The which points of agreement were ratified and approved by the next Generall Assembly in April 1576. whereby it is evident that they did not intend to diminish that power and preheminence which Superintendents had before over private Ministers or over the particular Congregations within their bounds which as we have shown before was no lesse than tha● which Bishops now doe require to have in the Church And therefore that this Assemblie concluded directly against them who condemne the power and preheminence of Bishops over Ministers and over moe particular flocks than one Secondly we must remark a subtill dissimulation of our Covenanters who in the Citation of this Act remember only one point of this Agreement towit That the Name of a Bishop