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	time_n	3,239	5	3.7702	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88100	A discourse concerning Puritans. A vindication of those, who uniustly suffer by the mistake, abuse, and misapplication of that name. A tract necessary and usefull for these times.	Ley, John, 1583-1662, attributed name.; Parker, Henry, 1604-1652, attributed name.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1875; Thomason E204_3; ESTC R15236	40,576	60

cause as the Court of Rome does Thirdly that I might produce the same Author against himselfe in those points wherein he taxes Protestants We will yield that for the space of nine hundred yeers the See of Rome did not usurpe over other Sees but did acknowledge equall subjection to the Canons and that the division and separation of the Easterne Churches happened when Rome arrogated above Canons but withall we must have it yielded to us that those Canons had been composed only by Clergy-men and that in too much favour of Clergy-men and too much abridgment of Temporall Rights and Priviledges and that they did concerne matters more then meerly spirituall and speculative and things known by meere revelation So that though one Prelate did not usurpe over another yet all Prelates had usurped over the Laity from the times of Constantine almost It is true the Church had Bishops before in its times of persecution but of what power or pompe It is said of Calvin that in regard of his sway in Geneva he wanted nothing but the Name of Bishop and it may be as truly said of the Bishops before Constantine that they wanted all but the Name The power of Bishops before the installment of Christian Princes was rather like that of Arbitrators then of Judges and that held in all cases alike Civill and Spirituall but in case of disobedience they did not intrench so far upon the Lay power as to inflict any pecuniary or corporall punishment but they did deny the Sacrament and eject delinquents out of the Congregation and this was then an abscission from Christ being done Clave non errante that is whilst God did inspire according to his promise a miraculous power of binding and loosing infallibly The Priestly function was then an Office not a Jurisdiction of sacred dignity not Power but the Function of a Prince was ever sacred both for honour and power for dignity and command Constantine the Great was the first Prince which tooke upon him the care and protection of the Church after that it had suffered contempt and poverty for 300 yeares and now did even that authority and protection cease and devolve into his hands which the poore persecuted Bishops had but feebly managed before but such was the extraordinary indulgence of this pious Emperour as well to religious persons as to Religion it selfe that taking little notice what the Church had gaine by him as its Head and Governour He heaped up greater Titles and Honors upon Bishops Archbishops Patriarchs and Popes as if some other supreme Ruler more sacred and competent then himselfe were necessary Neverthelesse it is thought that this was as poyson poured into the Church and not Balme for from that very time Clergy men began to be more glorious but lesse gracious more rich outwardly but more poore and vile inwardly Within a little space after Constantine there was just cause of complaint that excessive Honours had corrupted the Church and that Religion had prospered better in former times when it had wooden Chalices and golden Priests then now when it had golden Chalices but wooden Priests It is remarkable also that soon after Constantine the temporall power being too much restrained and abased and the spirituall as much inlarged and exalted the whole face of Christendome began to be imbroyled with wars and poysoned with heresies so that the Historians of those times have almost nothing else to write of but the forcible investing and devesting by armes of such Bishops and Patriarchs and of the oppositions of such and such Councels and Synods and of the Appeals Jars Schismes Excommunications and Commotions of such and such Priests and Monks Nay such were the ill effects of those ages which were certainly more zealous then politike that they cannot yet be wholly rectified and purged in these our latter times which are growne too too contrary being more politike then zealous Thus did the Church fare for 900 yeares till the Roman Bishops began to Empire above all and then did the greatest part of the Clergie themselves especially East from Italy make their departure and separation Neither did the Romish Vice-god after this great rent and division in the World hang his head for shame or seeke any re-union by letting fall his pompous painted plumes but audaciates himselfe rather to mount higher yet and to detrude the Western Emperour quite out of the bounds of Italy And in this his industry fails him not for after much bloud-shed in many cruell conflicts Hee gains in Italy a Temporall and in all Europe besides a spirituall Monarchy making a triple Mitre shine as gloriously upon the seven-hilled City as the Diadem had done before During his wars with the Emperour of Germany He had other contestations also with England and some other Potentates at sometimes but all dismaid him not only once Hee was heard to say It was time for him to compound with the Dragon that hee might crush the lesser Adders at his pleasure Yet after this even this Holy tyranny grows too insolent and insufferable and so conspires its owne dissolution so that many Countries in the Northwest parts lying more remote from Rome quite revolt from her Allegeance and Protest against her Amongst those other Countries also lesse distant which still in words confesse her Supremacy her Reigne is now but little more then precarious Venice regards not Buls and Anathemacs France disdains a yonger brothers benediction and Spain being honoured with the title of the Popes eldest Son confesses him a Fathe● but employs him as a Chaplain gives verball but reaps reall honours by him Augustus having cashiered an unworthy Commander gave him leave to say that he had cashiered Augustus and so the Popes great sonnes shake off his yoke by degrees but conceal it and give him leave to doe the like It is now very good policy in the Pope not to pretend to Temporall things as they stand in ordine or have relation to spiritual things but rather to relinquish his right to spirituall things as they stand in order to Temporall it is eminent wisdome in him to forbeare threatning roaring cursing and sending his ridiculous Epigrams out of his owne Territories as hee was wont to doe Nay his very last refuge of sending forth his poysoning and stabbing Ministers cannot remayne in season much longer But to returne to our learned Statesman as Hee justly taxes the Court of Rome so He unjustly taxes Protestants of the contrary extream and this will appeare out of his own words For He grants first that the Secular Magistrates have nothing diminished of their authority by Christs comming and it is cleere that Princes were absolute Governours of the Church before Christ both in Spirituall and Temporall Cases In the next place Hee yields that the power and knowledge of Clergy-man called the power of the Keyes is no other but such as Christ infuses in smeere supernaturall things knowne only by Faith and Revelation not by any Physicall or

extreams alike as well to represse Papal Bishops as to curbe proud Puritans For sayes the King the naturall sicknesses which have ever troubled and beene the decay of all Churches since the beginning changing the Candlestick from one to another have beene pride ambition and avarice and these wrought the overthrow of the Romish Church in divers Countries K. James knew well how apt Church-men had ever beene to abuse their power and pomp what enemies they had beene to our Saviour and what a tyranny they had erected over all Christendom ever since Constantine almost and therefore though Hee dislikes a democracie in the Church as Hee had reason yet Hee so limits and circumscribes his Bishops both in power and honour that they might be as sensible of their chaines and fetters as of their Miters and Crosiers I wish K. Iames had particularly signified what bonds and bounds Hee thought fit to prefix to Episcopacy to preserve it from corruption and what his opinion was of a Prelacy so active in secular affaires as ours is now in England and how it would have pleased him to see a Metropolitan amongst Protestants almost a rivall to the French Cardinall The world in my opinion hath little reason to dote upon a gowned Empire we have all smarted long enough under it men of meane birth commonly beare preferment with little moderation and their breeding having beene soft and esseminate in their malice cruelty they neerest of all approach to the nature of women and by the advantage of learning they extend their power and win upon others more then they ought When the Church was at first under Heathen or Jewish Governours which sought as enemies to ruine it not as Fathers to protect it they which were within could not live in peace and unity without some Politicall bonds so at that time there was a necessity of some coercive power within besides that which was without The world is now unsatisfied what kinde of power that was whether Episcopal or Presbyteriall or what Episcopacy or Presbytery was in those dayes Yet me thinks what government so ever then was it is not necessarily precedentary to us now The Episcopal faction at this day takes advantage by the abuses of the Presbyter al the Presbyterial by the Episcopal and most men think either the one power or the other necessary and some more favour the Episcopal as K. Iames some the Presbyterial as M. Calvin but sure the Presbyterial is lesse offensive then the Episcopal and yet neither the one nor other of necessity Kings may grant usuram quandam jurisdictionis either to Bishops or Elders but the jurisdiction it selfe is their owne property from which they ought not to depart nor can without wrong to their charge committed to them For the power which God gives the Prince is not given for his use alone but for the peoples benefit so that since He cannot let it fall to decay without making it insufficient for good and entire government which is mischievous to the people he cannot justly lessen it at all And it is manifest that except one supream head be alone in all causes as wel Ecclesiastical as civill humane nature must needs be destitute of those remedies which are necessary for its conservation since power cannot be divided but it must be diminished to him which suffers that division and being diminished it proves insufficient All confesse some government necessary for men in holy Orders to whom the power of the Keyes belongs but some account Princes but as meere temporall or Lay persons and therefore conclude against their authority over sacred Ecclesiastical persons as incompetent especially in cases meerely ecclesiasticall For this cause spirituall Governours have ever beene in the Church to whom some have attributed a divine right depending from none but God and subordinate to none but God but this hath beene controverted by others and no little debate and strife hath followed hereupon But it seemes to me that princes doe receive from God a spirituall unction whereby not only their persons are dignified and their hearts prepared and enlarged with divine graces fit for rule but their functions also innobled and sanctified above any other whatsoever and higher advanced then the sense of Laick or Secular will beare To Princes an assistance of counsell is requisite in spirituall as in civill affaires but that that Counsaile ought to bee composed onely of persons Ecclesiasticall or that those persons ought to bee invested with all those Ensignes of Honour and Authority which our Bishops now claime as of divine right seemes not necessary Clergy-men are not alwayes the most knowing in all Ecclesiasticall cases neither are they at all indifferent and impartiall in many which concerne their owne honour and profit as the world feeles to its regret therefore for jurisdiction they are not the most competent But be they of what use soever they may still remaine subordinate and at the Princes election and admitted of ad consilium solum not ad consensum and it had beene happy for all Christians these many hundred yeares by-past if they had not been further hearkned to The Sacerdotall function is not at all disparaged by this subordination for whether the order of Princes be more sacred then that of Bishops or not it is all one to Priests for an obedience they owe and must pay be it to the one Order or the other Our Bishops at this day stand much upon their Divine right of Jurisdiction and they refer their style to the providence of God immediately not to the grace of the King and though in words they acknowledge a Supremacy of power to remain to the King yet indeed I think they mean rather a priority of order Whatsoever Supremacy they meane if it be not such as makes them meerely subordinate and dependent so that the King may limit alter or extinguish their jurisdiction as far as He may to his civil Judges they derogate much from his Kingly office Bishops for their claim of Jurisdiction ought to prove that they alone did exercise it over all in all causes from our Saviours dayes till the entrance of Christian Princes and that being cleared they must further prove that those times also are leading and precedentary to ours In both these their proofes are lame especially in the latter for neither is the power of the Keyes the same thing as Iurisdiction nor is jurisdiction now as it was in the Apostles dayes nor is the State of the times now the same as then In those dayes either Christians were to implead one another before Infidel Magistrates whatsoever the case were criminall or civill spirituall or temporall or else they were to erect some tribunall in the Church or else they were to await no justice at all and because some judicature within the Church was most fit therefore Christ himselfe according to the exigence of those times did indow his Church with a divine Oeconomy which was partly miraculous of