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	england_n	king_n	3,792	5	4.0738	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58539	The Scots Commissioners, their desires concerning unitie in religion, and uniformitie of Church-government as a speciall meanes for conserving of peace, in his Majesties dominions. Presented to the Kings Majestie, and both Houses of Parliament in England. March. 1641.	Scotland. Parliament.	1641 (1641)	Wing S1001C; ESTC R219080	7,516	18

for such of our Ministers as for their disobedience to the voice of the Assemblie and other faults and scandals were deposed in Scotland And finally they have left nothing undone which might tend to the overthrow of our Church not onely of late by the occasion of these troubles whereof they have beene the authors But of old from that opposition which is between Episcopall government government of reformed churches by Assemblies Vpon the contrare The Church of Scotland hath never molested them either in the doctrine worship ceremonies or discipline of their church but have lived quietly by them kept themselves within the lyne and would have been glad to enjoy their owne liberties in peace which yet is and by the helpe of God shall be our constant desire yet can we not conceal our minds but in our consciences before God declare not frō any sassinesse or presumptuous intention to reforme England but frō our just fears apprehensions that our reformation that hath cost us so deare And is all our wealth and glory shall againe be spoiled and defaced from England That whatsoever peace shall bee agreed upon we cannot see nor conceive the way how our peace shall bee firme and durable but our feare is that all will runne into a confusion againe ere it be long if Episcopacie shall be retained in England for the same causes will not faile to produce the same effects Their opposition against and hatred of the government of the reformed Churches Their credit at Court and nearnesse to the King living in England the opinion they have of their owne great learning and of the glory of their prelaticall church joyned with the small esteem disdaine of our Christian simplicity the consanguinitie of their Hierarchie with the church of Rome and their feare to fall before us at last will still be working especially now when they are made operative and shall be set on work at the first advantage by their vindictive disposition to be avenged upon us for the present quarrell which can never be changed by any limitations As on the contrarie the cause being taken away the effects will cease and the peace shall be firme It would seeme that limitations cautions and triennall Parliaments may doe much But we know that feare of perjury infamie excommunication and the power of a nationall Assembly which was in Scotland as terrible to a Bishop as a Parliament could not keep our men frō rising to be Prelates and after they had risen to their greatnesse their apologie was Conditiones illa pro tempore magis quo contentiosis rixandi ansa praeriperetur quam animo in perpetuum observandi acceptae These other cautions or conditions were rather accepted of for the time to prevent all occasion of jangling with the contentious then out of any purpose to observe them forever Much is spoken and written of the limitation of Bishops But what good can the limitation doe to the Church if ordination and Episcopall jurisdiction shall depend upon them and shall not be absolutely into the hands of the Assemblies of the Church And if it shall not depend upon them what shall their office be above other Pastours Or how shall their labours be worthy so large wages What service can they doe to King Church or Estate Rome and Spain may be glad at the retaining of the name of Bishops more then the reformed Churches which expect from us at this time some matter of rejoycing 3. The reformed Churches doe hold without doubting their Church officers Pastors Doctors Elders Deacons and their Church government by Assemblies to be jure divino and perpetuall as is manifest in all their writtings And on the other part Episcopacie as it differeth from the office of a Pastor is almost universally acknowledged even by the Bishops themselves and their adherents to be but an humane ordinance established by law and custome for conveniencie without warrand of Scripture which therefore by humane authority may be altered and abolished upon so great a conveniencie and is the hearty conjunction withall the reformed Churches and a durable peace of the two Kingdomes which have beene formerly divided by this partition wall Wee therefore desire that Ius divinum humanum conscience and conveniencie yea the greater convenience with the lesser and we may adde a conveniencie with a inconveniencle may bee compared and equally weighed in the ballance without adding any weight of prejudice 4. The Church of Scotland warranted by authority hath abjured Episcopall government as having no warrand in Scripture and by solemne oath and covenant before and now againe of late hath established the government in the Church by Assemblies But England neither having abjured the one nor sworne the other hath liberty from all bonds of this kinde to make choyse of that which is most warrantable by the word of God And least it be thought we have wilfully bund our selves of late by oath that we be not pressed with a change We desire it to be considered that our late oath is nothing but the renovation of our former oath and covenant which did bind our Church before but was transgrest of many by meanes of the Prelates 5. If it shall please the Lord to move the Kings heart to choise this course hee shall in a better way then was projected accomplish the great and glorious designe which King Iames had before his eyes all his time of the unitie of Religion and Church government in all his dominions his Crownes and Kingdomes shall be free of all assaults and policies of church-men which whither in the way of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and Church censure Or by complying with the Pope the grearest enemie of Monarchie Or by bringing of civill government into a confusion Or by taking the fatte of the sacrifice to themselves When the people are pleased with the government and when they are displeased by transferring the hatred upon authority which was never wont to be done by any good States-man Which all these wayes have proceeded from Bishops seeking their own greatnesse Never from Assemblies which unlesse overruled by Bishops have beene a strong guard to Monarchie and Magistracie both the one and the other being the ordinance of God The Church shall be peaceably governed by common consent of Church-men in Assemblies In which the Kings Majesty hath alwayes that eminency which is due unto the supreame Magistrat and by which all heresies errors schismes before abounding under Episcopall government shall be suppressed and the State and all civil matters in Parliament Councell and other inferiour Judicatories governed by civill men and not by Church-men who being out of their owne element must needs stirre and make trouble to themselves and the whole State as wofull experience hath taught The worke shall bee better done and the meanes which did uphold their unprofitable pompe and greatnesse may supply the wants of many preaching members to be provided to places and without the smallest losse or damnage to the Subject may be a great increase of his Majesties revenues his royall Authority shall be more deeply rooted in the unite hearts and more strongly guarded by the joint forces of his Subjects as if they were all of one Kingdome and his greatnesse shall be enlarged abroad by becomming the Head of all the Protestants in Europe to the greater terrour of his enemies and the forcing of greatnesse to his Posterity and royall Succession All which we entreat may bee represented to his Majestie and the Houses of Parliament as the expression of our desires and fears and as a testimonie of our Faithfulnesse in acquiting our selves in the trust committted unto us But no wayes forgetting our distance or intending to passe our bounds in prescribing or setting downe rules to their Wisedom● and Authoritie which we doe highly reverence and honour and from which onely as the proper fountaine th● Lawes and order of reformation in this Church and Policie must proceed for the nearer union and greater happinesse of his Majesties Dominions FINIS