Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	civil_a	ecclesiastical_a	2,893	5	8.1068	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61448	The spirit of the church-faction detected, in its nature and operations more particularly in the mystery of the convocation-book lately published and exposed to the view and censure of the world by the late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and the progress of the faction, and the mischiefs thereof, the late civil war, and our present disappointments.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1691 (1691)	Wing S5443; ESTC R24618	38,051	52

his so easie access to the Crown of England And it no less filled the Hearts of others with Hopes and Expectations some of Honours some of Places and Estates and some of both which his Prodigality of both yet more inlarged and Emulation raised to the highest degree These Emulations were partly National between the Scotch and English and partly among the English themselves and those of two sorts such as at the Court sought Preferment in the State and such as sought either Preferment in the Church or Favour in Church matters So that he was addressed to and courted by all Parties for his Favour in an extraordinary manner and by most in the usual methods of Courtship viz. Magnifying his Wisdom and his State and Power beyond Truth and Modesty insinuating into him all the Prejudice that might be against those who were looked upon as Rivals and recommending their own specious Services by misrepresenting the Modesty of others for want of affection And so gross notorious and impudent were the Acts of this Courtship as provoked the House of Commons in the very first Parliament to make a Declaration of their Grief to find his Majesty to the extream prejudice of his Subjects of England so greatly wronged by Misinformation and among other things concerning the Rights and Liberties of his Subjects of England and the Priviledges of Parliament which they there assert but belong not to this place to be here recited Among the Competitors for his Favour were many serious religious people who sought his Favour only for the Reformation of some things in the Church which were thought not so throughly reformed as was to be wished And for that purpose prepared a Petition which was subscribed by many hundred hands They had encouraged themselves upon the Favour the King had formerly shewed them in writing to the Queen on their behalf and they had had an Agent with him immediately upon the Queens death to whom without doubt he gave a fair and smooth Answer But some of the Bishops were not behind hand with them in Scotland and soon outwent them in the Success of their Courtship and his Favour after he came into England He had conceived a Prejudice against a Scotch Presbytery before This Bancroft and some other hot men took advantage of both to heighten the prejudice against all who desired any thing of a Reformation here and to insinuate themselves into his Favour And when he found himself received and securely settled in the Throne beyond his Expectation he soon discover'd his Inclinations and more particularly in his Proclamation 24 Oct. 1603. Concerning such as seek Reformation in Church matters Which stopp'd the Petition for some time and in the Conference at Hampton-Court 14 Jan. which whether appointed at the instance of any others or at the Kings own pleasure is uncertain but served as appears by the Relation principally for the King to express his Favour to the Bishops and Conforming party and his Prejudice against the rest and for them to express their Respects to him as some of them did by speaking to him upon the knee viz. Whitgift and Bancroft and applauding what he said as undoubtedly spoken by the special assistance of Gods Spirit and for mutual Courtship and Indearments between them But though they were never so well assured of the Kings Favour yet were they fearful of the Parliament which had often in the Queens Time been upon Bills against Pluralities and for Reformation of other matters which though the Archbishop by the Queens means had prevailed to have stopped yet was he so concerned that he wished he might not live to see another Parliament And this disposed Them not only by way of Complement as a means to recommend themselves to the King but in good earnest for their own Interest being well assured of his Favour to magnifie the Kings Authority and set it as high as might be even without the concurrence of the Parliament and to derogate as much as they durst from their Authority And this again so much the more disposed the King to favour Them not politickly in apperance only but in good earnest as the most apt Instruments he could have for his Designs which appear by many plain instances to have been from his first coming in to set up himself by his Arts and Kingcraft above all Law and for that end to confirm and enlarge the Authority of the Bishops and Clergy which depended upon him for their Preferment as much as might be to make them the more capable to serve his turn And these are the true Principles which have produced and raised this Faction to what it is For upon these Principles were things managed by a secret Correspondence between him and some leading men of the Clergy Accordingly in the next Convocation after they had provided in the first Cannon for asserting his Supremacy according to the Law of the Land against all forreign Jurisdiction in the next Canon they set it up paramount the Law and without the Parliament to be the same Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical that the godly Kings had among the Jews and Christian Emperours in the Primitive Church and might with as much reason have asserted as much concerning his Authority in Civil matters if they durst for both depend upon the same Principles but that both he and they knew very well would never have passed without being taken notice of and question'd in Parliament And therefore there was another Project to help that out carried on with great Artifice and Secrecy in the same Convocation which at last hath appeared in print published by the late Archbishop under the Title of Bishop Overals Convocation Book though he was no Bishop in seven years after it pass'd the Convocation The chief purpose of which is pretended to be to imitate the Scriptures in setting out and describing the Dignity of our Saviour Christ by his Almighty Power and Vniversal Government of all the World as they say in the beginning But they tell us not what Occasion they had to do this in so solemn a manner The King in his Letter lately published to good Dr. Abbot who probably was not acquainted with the Intreigue tells them You know all of you as I think that my Reason of calling you together was to give your Judgments How far a Christian and a Protestant King may concur to assist his Neighbours to shake off their Obedience to their own Soveraign upon the account of Oppression Tyranny or what else you like to name it Nor does there appear any just Occasion for this For if it be well considered it was not War but a Treaty of Peace between the Hollanders and Spain which was then under consideration Nor does the Form of the Book suit with a meer Resolution of such a Doubt For it is one thing to give a Judgment or Opinion of a Case of Conscience and another to make Canons and Decrees Nor lastly is the matter of it proportionable only

Vertues and Faculties And one he hath lately given in the Case of Mr. David Jones and that so notable an one as may fully satisfie all men who consider it well which I will therefore briefly relate Mr. Jones had twice preached here in London for a Minister who was absent and at the second time being to make some stay in Town he was desired by some persons of other Parishes who had either heard him or heard of him to preach at their Churches and particularly at St. Andrews and Christ-church both the same day 2 Nov. Thereupon considering the quality of those Auditories he made choice of a Sermon which he had formerly made at Oxford upon 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded And discoursing upon the parts of his Text in order as is usual before he came to discourse of the Rich which he principally intended from the first word he touched upon the Ministerial Charge and the Neglect thereof by many Pluralists Chaplains and other Non-Residents and others deserting then former Charges for temporal Advantage And this passed well enough in the Morning at S. Andrewes where there were none present who were much concerned in it But in the Afternoon at Christ-Church Dr. H 〈…〉 being there who hath a Cure in the Countrey two Lectures in the City is the Kings Chaplain and a Noble-mans Chaplain besides all this seem'd designed directly against him especially being preached by one of his own Colledge And thereupon as Mr. Jones was going from the Pulpit to the Vestry the Dr. came to him and after some hard words took him by the shoulder and bid him be gone out of the Church adding That he would take care he should come no more there to tell them of their Faults This strange carriage of the Dr. occasioned much Discourse and that and the Effervescence of his own Passion made him not only break out into foul and false Aspersions of Mr. Jones in all Companies the Week following but into indecent Reflections upon him even from the Pulpit the next Lords day This moved a Friend of Mr. Jones who was then at Church to go to the Dr. afteward into the Vestry to expostulate the matter calmly with him But the Dr. could not contain himself but presently fell into passion and threatned he would desire those Gentlemen who stood there by to serve him as he had served Mr. Jones the Sunday before To which the other replyed If he were of that temper he should not need to trouble himself for he had no more to say to him and so left him but the next day wrote him the following Letter Reverend Dr. I Am very sorry that such a Difference should fall out between two Persons so qualified to do good service in the Church as may prove some Impediment to both It becomes men of your Profession to be mutual Assistants to one another in the promotion of the Work and Service of your common Master And therefore that the Evil of the Difference may be prevented and stopped and if possible turned to good I beg your patience to peruse and seriously consider these few things which I shall as briefly as I can and with all candor and impartiality offer to your consideration I am of opinion that as it usually falls out in most differences so in this there may be some fault on both sides Mr. Jones I take to be in the right in the Substance of what he delivered but may have erred a little in Circumstance in the Season of his delivering it But yet in Charity that ought to be imputed to the height of his Zeal for the Reformation of things notoriously amiss and of great Importance to be reformed And as his unblamable and strict Life obligeth us to make this construction of it so the great and notorious Remisness of the Governours of our Church makes his Reproof whether in season or out of season excusable at least if not commendable And if you or any other of the Clergy offer to give him any Disturbance for it I dare assure you you will but so much the more expose your selves and a foul Cause It will be more agreeable to Christianity and the places you hold in the Church to humble your selves before God and set speedily about such a Reformation as may make such Preaching needless And for Mr. Jones I hope I shall be able to prevail with him to consider better of the Season for those things but not to remit any thing of his warmth against them in due season untill I see more Zeal for the Reformation of them in others But your Fault pardon my plain dealing which proceeds not from ill will but to do you good is in the Substance of what is amiss You have undertaken as I am informed the greatest Charge in the World the Cure of Souls and neglect it leave it to a Hireling who if he be as good a man as your self deserves as much that is all the Profits if he be not you do not discharge your Duty there And you not only neglect so great a Charge but neglect it for the World for the Profit of a Lecture nay two Lectures and in a place where there is no need of your Help where there are Labourers who want Work and some who want Subsistence besides So that the sin of your Neglect is aggravated with great Scandal tempting People both to Worldly-mindedness and to suspect that you an eminent Dr. either believe not the Doctrine you profess and so also to Atheism or that you believe not the strict Observation thereof to be necessary and so at least to Licentiousness and aggravated not only with Scandal but with Vncharitableness too and that even to men of your own Kind through such Vnsatiableness or * * V. Isa 6.11 Canine Appetite which not only preys upon the Flock but devours the very Shepherds Nor is this all yet for you plainly encourage and lead into sin the People you preach to If to covet another mans Servant be a Sin contrary to the express Command of God then certainly to inveigle another mans Servant from him is a greater Sin And if this be so what is it then to inveigle the Minister of a whole Parish from the service of their Souls And no less a sin than this are all they guilty of who contribute to either of your Lectures The due consideration of this and what it is to be partakers in other mens sins as they are in all yours before mentioned is fit to be recommended to your Auditors And a due sense of these things had you bin in nothing else concerned in that discourse would have allayed and checked the intemperance of your Passion against a just Reproof which I am certain was not designed by any man for your person more than for any other but ordered it seems by the Providence of God to fall upon you for your Correction and your Good