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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	king_n	matter_n	1,577	5	5.6457	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05383	The holy pilgrime, leading the way to heaven. Or, a diuine direction in the way of life, containing a familiar exposition of such secrets in diuinity, as may direct the simple in the way of their Christian pilgrimage In two books. The first declaring what man is in the mistery of himselfe. The second, what man is in the happines of Christ. Written by C.L.; Holy pilgrime, leading the way to new Jerusalem	Lever, Christopher, fl. 1627.	1618 (1618)	STC 15538; ESTC S102377	58,859	294

the proceedings of the Prelats against himself and their dealings tovvards others of their brethren the theame of vvhich booke he the Defendent desireth the honorable Court● to take a briefe relation of at this time that they may the better be informed of the falsitie of the information And first for the principall theame and matter of the booke it is the State of the questions in his Flagello Pontificis for vvhich he suffered vvith the summe of the Arguments he produced for the confirmation of the trueth The questio●s arising betvveen the Babylonian and the defendent concerning the autoritie of the Pope were these The first whether Christ did constitute Peter sole Monarch of the Catholick Church The second vvhether the Pope of Rome if hee bee a Bishop as hee is a Bishop hath Autoritie jurisdiction over Kings Emperors Thirdlie vvhether Popish Bishops be true Bishops or no and of the discussing of these questios the defendent saith his adversarie vvas the sole cause In the handling of the which the Defenden● f●rther affirmeth that he used all the caution that vvas possible as he supposed for man to use prefacing in his booke that being to dispute about the Autority of the Bishop of Rome he desired candidly to be understood of all men● for while he disputed of Episcopall autoritie he medled nor contended not against such Bishops as ackovvledge their autoritie jurisdiction from Kings and Emperors into vvhose hands the government of States Kingdomes● and Commonvvealths is by God committed For if the Popes themselves vvould acknovvledge their immense and unlimited autoritie from Kings and Emperors he the defendent there said if they commanded nothing contrarie to the vvill and Word of God that he for his part out of the reverence duty ● loyaltie to his Prince vvould obey it The Words in the Original are these Verum de Episcoporum autoritate locutus à bonis bene intelligi cupio Non enim litis litem moveo quatenus ab Imperatoribus Regibus Principibus Terre quorum interest salutem civium tueri potestatem ●us Imperium in socios totumque Dei gregem adepti sunt Nam si Romani Episcopi imm●nsam illam nullis limitibus circumscriptam autoritatem indulgentia Principum acceptam ferrent voluntati Episcopali nihil voluntati divinae inimicum jubenti obtemperandum putem ob reverentiam Principi si volenti debitam c. So that the defendent having thus playnlie set downe his minde before knowing that all the jurisdiction that the Bishops in England now exercise over others is ●rom the King he thought himself not onely secure from danger but expected fav●ur at least from the Bishops their helping hand especially when the opposing the Popes Autority in England is a thing that the King and State have ever so well allowed of And that this honorable Court may yet be f●rther informed of the speciall cause for which the Prelats are so displeased with the defendent it was for the truely and narrowlie disputing and discussing of the second question to wit whether the Pope of Rome if he be a Bishop as he is a Bishop have Autoritie jurisdiction not onelie over his fellow breth●en but over Kings and Emperors which the Defendent there denyed for many warrantable Arguments The summe of which he desireth here to relate unto this honorable Court for his just and necessarie defence justification For by the ve●ie light of nature and unanswerable reason it is evident and manifest that where there is an equalitie and pari●ie amongst men there the one doth not exceed the other in power or Dominion Paris enim in Parem non esse imperium inter Naturae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Novv Divine constitution hath made Bishops and Presbyters or Elders a like and equall vvhich that it might the better appeare the Defendent propounded there tvvo things to be proved The first vvas That Bishops and Presbyters vvere by the Word of God one and the same Secondlie That Presbyters had equall Autoritie of Government● Ordination Excommunication vvith Bishops vvherein onely consists their preeminency Autoritie above their brethren vvhich things being proved it vvill necessarilie follovv That the Pope of Rome as he is Bishop doth no vvay exceed other Bishops and Presbyters they being in all things a like and equall unto him much lesse hath any Autoritie and povver over Kings and Emperours And for the proofe of the first position the vvords Presbyter Bishop do sufficientlie evince i● vvhich in holy Scripture though diverse in sound signifie one and the same thing as not to cite the vvords themselves vvhich would be large The Apostle Paul to Titus in the first chapter doth sufficientlie shew vvhere the words Bishop Presbyter are confounded And likevvise in the first Epistle of Peter and the fift Chapter there Presbyter and Bishop signifie one and the same thing And the Epistl● to the Philippians the first Chapter and the ●irst verse do●h apparentlie demonstrate it● and diverse other places might be produced dilucidating the same thing But the 20● of the Acts puts all out of controversie where Presbyter and Bishop signifie one the same thing● for office● honour and function so that the identity of their office● is signifyed by those tvvo expressions Neither is there a confusion of their names with a difference still of their functions administrations as some vvould cavill for in these places vvhere Presbyters are called Bishops the disputation is not about the title but about the office signified and specified by the title For vvhen S. Paul exhorts the Presbyters to have an eye to their duty charge he useth this reason that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops● And the trueth of ●his is so evident that the Rhemists themselves as learned men as any Bishops in England and as able to mayntayne an error are forced ingen●ouslie to confesse it saying in expresse vvords in their No●es upon the 28. vers of that Chapter That in the Apostles times there vvas no difference betvveen Presbyter and Bishop● so that for the first position it is not onely by the Word of God clearlie evident but by the very confession of the adversaries of the trueth granted as a thing without controversy Novv for proofe of the second position that Presbyters as vvell as the Bishop of Rome have the povver and right of Government Ordination and Excommunication by vvhich in these times Bishops onely exceed Presbyters the defendent vvill here brieflie demonstrat it referring those of this honorable Court that have a desire to search into the full trueth of it to his booke And for proofe that the Government vvas committed unto them and that they exercised the same it is most perspicuous out of the first of Timothie 5. vvhere the Apostle sayth The Presbyters that rule vvell are vvorthie of double honour especially those that labour in Word and Doctrine By this testimonie it is evident that they

of the Kingdome of Heaven by name are committed those are more vvorthy honorable then those tha● have not that Priviledge But for the Presbyters they have the Priviledge of the Keys granted unto them by name Ergo the Presbyters are more honorable then Bishops For the major no good Christian vvill or rationall man can deny it And for the minor he that readeth the last of Iames shall finde it manifestly enough confirmed and proved By all vvhich Arguments the Defendent did sufficiently beat dovvne the Bishop of Romes autority and by the very light of reason overthew it For if that every Presbyter be by the word of God as good a man as the Bishop of Rome if not better and vvithall if the Presbyters neither can nor may usurp autority over their fellovv brethren much lesse may they doe it over Kings and Emperors and by consequence and necessity of reson it follovve●h that the Bishop of Rome hath no cause to arrogate such autority to himselfe over the vvhole Church as he doth and therefore that his rule Government is a meere usurpation and an abominable tyranny over the vvhole Church of God and ought of all men to be defyed abominated and abhorred vvith all his complices as impious and blasphemous against God●●njuriou● to Kings Princes and nocent to all the faithfull members of Iesus Christ. The recapitulation of all the vvh●ch Arguments this Defendent thought fit to make knovvne to this honourable Court that their illustricityes might in every respect see his innocency vvho first exemted all Bishops that acknovvledge their autorityes from Kings and Emperors out of the number of those against vvhich he disputed and secondly never by name fought against any other but Romish Bishops and vvi●h their ovvne arguments vvounded them● And therefore he could not but take it unkindly that when in this combat they should have helped him against the common enimie they defending him fell upon the poore Defendent to his perdition saying that he meant ●hem and that he vvas erronious and factious in his opinions Novv if the Defendent hath erred in the discussing of these truthes the Scripture that Word of Life hath brought him to it vvhich vvere blasphemie to thinke and therefore vvhen they adjudged his booke to be burnt they might as vvell have burnt th● Scripture also yea all antiquitie and the gravest and learnedest of auncient Fathers vvhose testimonies also hee hath made publick for the greater vindication of the truth against error and cruelty But that the integritie of the defendent may yet more clearlie appeare he most humbly entreateth this Illustrious Tribunall to heare hovv the busines vvas carried against him at his Araignment before the Prelats Barre at Lambeth and hovv submissively he demeaned himself there and hovv superciliously they carried themselves towards the Defendent on the contrary side When it came to his part to speake for himselfe the Advocat having formerly denied to plead his case any farther then about the vvitnesses testimonie vvhich he also did very jejunely beeing an Advocate of such excellent parts of learning and eloquence as he vvas and also at the Bar ●enouncing i● saying That the Defendent should plead himselfe which vvhen it vvas put upon him he then first related vnto the Assemblie the Theame of the booke vvhich vvas the mayntenance of the Kings prerogative royall Then he told them the occasion of his vvriting of it that he vvas provoked thereunto by a Pontifician vvho often had dared him into the list of dispute● which a● last he could not deny as he vvas a Christian and as he vvas a Subiect for by the Word of God he told them and by the Law of the Land and his speciall oath he vvas bound unto it vvhich Oath he also read at large in open Court the vvhich also all the Bishops of England and all the Iudges of the Kingdome had taken and vvere equally bound vvith him to observe Then before he entred into the combat vvith the adversarie he shevved vvhat caution he used that being to vvrite against the Bishop of Rome Italian Bishops it vvas onely as they arrogate their au●oritie over their Brethren and the Church of God yea over Kings and Emperors jure divino against such Bishops onely hee affirmed he did dispute read the vvords of exception formerly cited at the Barre as for such Bishops as acknovvledge their jurisdiction povver and autority from Kings and Emperors he sayd he ha● no controversy against them as he there againe and againe declared himself in the number of vvhich he the Defendent sayd ours were for all the Bishops of England and in his Majst Dominions had and received or at leastvvise ought so to doe their autoritie jurisdiction over their brethren from him For proofe of vvhich he cited read publickly the Statuts and Acts of Parlament as follow First that of the first of Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie vvherein the Oath of Allegiance vvas ratifyed In the which Statute there are these words That all jurisdiction all Superiorities and all Privileges and Preminencies spirituall and temporall are annexed to the Imperiall Crovvne vvhich by Oath he being bound to mayntayn●● could doe no lesse being provoked by an adversary of regal dignity He read also the Statute vvhich was inacted in the 37. of Henrry the eight vvhich is that Archb and Bish. and all other Ecclesiasticall persons have no other Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction but that vvhich they received and had by the King from the King and under his Royall Majest He read also the Statute made in the first of King Edward the sixt in these vvords That all jurisdiction and Autori●ie Spirituall and Temporall is derived and doth come frō the Kings Majest as supreme Head in the Churches and Kingdomes of England and Ireland and that by the Clergy of both the Kingdomes it ought no otherwise to be held or esteemed of and that all Ecclesiasticall Courts vvithin the sayd Kingdomes ought to be held and kept by no other povver and autoritie eyther domesticall or forrain then that vvhich comes from his most excellent Majestie And that vvhosoever did not acknovvledge and venerate this autoritie that the same men are ipso facto in a praemunire under the Kings high displeasure and indignation as the vvords of the Statute run and the mouth of the lavv speaks and then vvith some reason● also vvhich the Defendent produced besides the Word of God hee shevved That no Romish Bishops had autoritie over their fellovv brethren nor could jure divino challenge it much lesse over Kings and Emperors and therefore so long as the defendent had the Word of God the Lavves of the Kingdome and reason it self on his side he told them he thought himself reasonably secure from all danger in that place And then applying his speech unto the right honorable and noble Lord the Earle of Dorset then present the Defendent tolde his honour that he could not but vvonder that hee should stand

God of the whole world can not bee understood when notwithstanding David sayth they give light and understanding to the simple and that by reading and meditating in the law testimonies of the Lord he grew wiser then his Teachers and Paul that Timothy knew the Scriptures from his youth 2● Tim. chap. 3. vers 13. and notvvithstanding all this dare the Prelats affirme that the meaning of this Scripture cannot be knovvne vvithout the interpretation of the Fathers We have great cause to praise and blesse God that hath so graciously afforded us better Masters to be taught by It is good ever therefore to listen unto them Let us heare novv then vvhat the Prophets Christ and his Apostles have taught us concerning ●his vvaighty matter and of so great consequence let us follovv their example and instruction vvhich lead us into all truth and not listen to the contemners of holy Scripture They send those that are studious of the vvayes to heaven to the lavv and to the testimonyes Esai 8. to Moses the Prophets and the Scriptures not to the traditions of the Elders and custome of antiquity And they that bring an other doctrine are not to be listened unto neither may vve bid them God Speed The Word of the Lord is the vva● light and Lanthorne to our Feet vvhich send forth sufficiently the beames of truth and shines so clearly of it self as it may be both knovvne proved expounded and unfolden by its ovvne brightnesse T●ey do as it vvere lend luster unto the Sun from a smoaking snuffe that from the mist of the Fathers vvould bring light unto ●he Scriptures God is the Author of the Scriptures vvho is the originall and fountayne of all light in vvhom there is no darknes For the Prophesie came not in old time by the vvill of man but holy men of God spake as they vvere moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. chap. 1. vers 21. we have also a more sure vvord of Prophesy sayth the same Apostle vvhereunto you doe vvell that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place vers 19. So that the Scriptures vvere of purpose penned by holy men inspired by God him●elfe for a direction light to the Saints to be guided by and so they are termed by the holy Ghost So that as Peter sayd unto Christ in the sixt of Iohn vvhen he asked his tvvelve Disciples if they also would goe away To whom shall wee goe sayth he thou hast the Words of eternall life Even so we may truly say whither shall wee goe for light and direction to get to heaven but to the holy Scriptures for they have the Words of eternall life in them and this ●ayth Christ and his Apostles and yet notwithstanding all this excellent light that shineth in the Scripture the Prelats averre they are but blind guides and preferre humane darknes before the splendor of these sacred Oracles the Scrip●ures and say without the interpretation of the Fathers ●hey can not be knowne which is unsupportable blasphemy and as much as to tell the everliving God and truth it selfe hee lyes It is most veritable that they see not the light of the Scripture the eyes of whose minds are blinded neither doe they see the light of the Sun whose eyes are plucked out If our Gospell be hid sayth Saint Paul it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds that is in infidels least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should shine upon them 2 Cor. chap. 4. vers 3 4● every one knoweth the voice of that man with whom he is acquaynted as soone as the sound of it commeth to his eares and shall we not know the voice of God so clearly and perspicuously speaking unto us in the Scriptures Those that are taught of God know it ●he true worshippers of him know and understand it those that have any familiar commerce with heaven and in heavenly things But wordly men and those that are given to the love of the same are carelesse of heaven and happines they understand not the Divine language nor heavenly voice Canany heare the voice of God and not assent unto it without the aide and autority of the Fathers what a contumely is this to holy Scripture Shall God have lesse autority credit among men then the Fathers Shall vve not beleeve God speaking unto us and shall we beleeve the Fathers Shall we not give credit to Gods word and shall wee beleeve men Let the dishonor of so great a contumacy against God be farre from Christian obedience Truly the Fathers being conscious of their owne imbecillity and vveaknesse● never thought themselves worthy of so great dignity as to suppose that any honour came unto the Scriptures from their interpretations and expositions who in their writings frequently exhort their Readers not to listen what they say but what the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles speake in them and no farther to receive their autority and doctrine then it is grounded upon the holy Scriptures expressions to this purpose the Defendent saith he could accumulate infinite out of the Fathers which for brevity he omitteth fearing to be over tedious though it be a matter of greatest importance Such was the modesty of ●he Fathers fearing to be vvise above that vvhich vvas vvritten ever making the holy Scripture the rule and measure to be guided by And in this moderation the Fathers imitated Christ the Prophets and Apostles vvho ever fetch the proofe testimony of their doctrine from the Scriptures not as novv the Prelats doe preposterously bringing autority to the Scriptures from the interpretation of the Fathers according to their ovvne sense To the Lavv and to the Prophets sayth Esay 8. vers 20. vvhosoever speaketh not according to that hath no light in him And Iosua that great Commander is inioyned by God to order and governe himselfe and the people and the whole Common wealth according to the rule of the Scripture Iosua 1. ver 7 8. Onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayst observe to doe according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turne not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayst prosper whither soever thou goest This Booke of the Law shall not goe out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good suc●●sse And in the 23 chapter vers 6. he sayth Be yee therefore very couragious to keepe and to doe all that is written in the Booke of the Law of Moses that you turne not asides therefrom to the right hand nor to the left And Christ himselfe our great Master sayth Ioh. 5. vers 38. Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have

sent droanes and loyterers amongs● them dumb dogs that can not barke and is not this great cruelty to the poore Soules of men to deprive them of the food of life and to starve them See what Paul sayth to Bariesus the Sorcerer in the 13. of the Acts when Sergius Paulus the Deputy of the Country a prudent man called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to heare the word of God it is sayd that Elemas the Sorcerer withstood them seeking to turne away the Deputy from the faith to whom Saul filled with the holy Ghost setting his eyes on him sayd O full of all subtility and all mischiefe thou childe of the devill thou enimy of all righteousnes wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Those then that take away the meanes of salvation and hinder others from the hearing of the word they are most cruell unto them hindering of them of salvation it selfe and such are the children of the devill the enimies of all rightnousnes perverters of the wayes of the Lord the holy Ghost hath spake it and Christ himselfe sayth Matth. 23. and the 13. Woe unto you Scribes Pharisies hypocri●s for yee shut up t●e Kingdome of heaven against men for you neither goe in your selves neither suffer you them that are entring to goe in And in Luke the 11. and verse the 52. hee sayth Woe unto you Lawyers for yee have taken away the key of knowledge yee enter not in your selves and them that were entring you hindred Christ himselfe pronounces woe here to all such Soule-murtherers as take away the key of knowledg from the people and shut up the Kingdome of heaven against them which is the greatest cruelty that can be exercised over miserable men and yet this is the dayly occupation of the Prelats of which the whole Kingdome can witnes how that they have made most places desolate depriving them of the bread of life the preaching of the Gospell and taking away the key of knowledge from them and in stead of ●rue nourishing food they give them the huskes of ceremonyes and vaine traditions and idle superstitious observations Neither doe they onely extinguish and put out all their shi●ing lights but they severely punish those that seeke it or goe after it where it is so that if one do but goe out of his owne parish where he hath no preaching where perhaps there hath not been a sermon seven yeares together as there are many such parishes in this Kingdome he is forthwith haled into their Courts tormented to death and is not this horrible cruelty yea if one neighbour doe but goe to an other and that but to heare a Sermon repeated when he dare not goe out of his owne parish he is immediatly haled into their Courts as a Keeper of Conventicles and miserably there tormented and is not this also great cruelty Especially when any of their lewd parishioners may goe from yeare to yeare out of their owne parishes a drinking quaffing and that on the Lords day and holy dayes as they call them and have their meetings in troopes and great assemblyes in drinking Schooles tippling there to the great dishonour of God and many times to the great mischiefe of o●hers and the perpetrating of many ●innes and all such though they never heare Service neither divine nor humain find favour in their Courts and serve for wi●nesses against the generation of the just and those that feare God they are esteemed good Sons of the Church though in all other things they be also never so impious Neither is there any law against those children of Be●iall neither can any man deny this that knoweth any thing for they are the defenders of such fellows tormentors of the most godly And if this be not also insufferable tyranny and crue●ty let every reasonable man judge In this i●formation his most excellent Majest is truely and deservedly commended that he is an enimy to Popery and all innovation of religion as his Highnes hath often declared himselfe and that he doth dayly frequent the Church and is diligent in hearing of Sermons And this most eminent piety in our noble King and Soveraigne we his loyall though poore Subjects heartily reioyce at desiring the Lord of heaven still to inflame his royall heart with a zeale for the glory of God the propagation of the Gospell and to continue in him an increase a love unto his holy word Now all men know that Kings examples have been ever the paterne for their Subjects and it is the duty of all good Citizens Subjects to imitate their King in all well doing and men use commonly to say Regis ad exemplum the Kings example is ever to be followed and it is his royall hearts desire that his Subjects should imitat him in that his piety Now what a great unexpressible cruelty is this in the Prelats towards the poore people and how great a dishonour is done to the Ki●g in it that they will not let his Subjects be good for it is good in the King and hightly commendable before God men to heare the Word of God often preached and to be diligent in the hearing of Sermons or els the Informers would not have set it downe as so singular a vertue in our royall King and yet they punish this good in his Subjects and it is a cause of the utter undoing of many of them if they goe to Sermons and when they are found to bee diligent at the hearing of the word the going to a sermon into the next Parish when they have none in their owne is matter sufficient to mount them up into the high Commission which is none of the smallest crueltyes that holy and pious men in these our dayes groane under to the infinit dishonour of God and the King and the needles vexation and molestation of his dutifullest Subjects who desire to follow in that their godly Princes example In S. Iohn Baptists time it is sayd That Ierusalem Iudea and the region round about● came all out to heare him running after Sermons and so they did after Christ And it stands recorded in sacred Writ to their eternall honour and for our imitation For all the Saints godly examples are set downe for us to imitate and wee never read that any were by the very enimies of the Gospell in those dayes the Scribes Pharises and High-Priests molested or troubled for the same and it is sayd of them that they tooke the Kingdome of heaven with a kind of holy violence and their diligence in hearing the word is related ●nd told of them as a thing very honorable and praise worthy and so it is very well related in the information of our gracious King to his immortall honour and great praise and so it is and ever to be honoured in his Maj● and his example in this to be followed of all his obedient Subjects And is it not a transcendent cruel●y then