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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	great_a	schism_n	1,418	5	9.7695	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16624	Twelve generall arguments proving that the ceremonies imposed upon the ministers of the gospell in England, by our prelates, are unlawfull; and therefore that the ministers of the gospell, for the bare and sole omission of them in church service, for conscience sake, are most unjustlie charged of disloyaltie to his Maiestie.	Bradshaw, William, 1571-1618.	1605 (1605)	STC 3531; ESTC S113554	22,354	86

is more notorious then for us that make scruple of these things to be reputed worse then Papistes One that is a great Iudge in these causes Ecclesiasticall affirmed it unto my selfe Another openly at Paules Crosse in myne owne hearing made no doubt but the Papistes were in the Church but he made great doubt whether the Puritanes were And yet we are Puritanes for nothing els but for refusinge Cōformitie to their Ceremonies For howsoever they sclaunder us with manie other grosse imputations yet they can not laye any thing to our charge but our Conscience in this For all other matters concerning their own estats and dignityes cōsidering how desperate they are and unreformable we can be content to leaue them to the Iudgment of God who as it seemes intendeth to gloryfie himself by some other meanes then by then conversion For the 4. Read Scottish Genevat The Survey Remonstraunce etc. And yea shal find all this laid to their charge Also their practise sufficiently proveth it for the ministers that are of late susspended and deprived only refusing to use these Ceremonies beare their cōdemnation vnder these names and Titles The 5 and 6 is proved by their owne late Canons ffor yf they bee to bee excommunicated ipso sacto as houlding damnable wicked errours that shall Professe any of these Ceremonies to bee vnlawefull a man ought not to acknowledge himself a member of any such Churche as doth affectedly cast them out of gods worship ffor for what error a perticular person is not to bee reputed a member of the Churche but as a heathen and publican ffor the same a whole church is not to be reputed a church but a Sinagoge of Sathan The 7 may be iustified by many instances of many vile and impious persons of those kindes tolerated in the ministry The 8 is proved by him that answers the Plea of the Innocent Whoe Saith that they that call in questiō the lawfulnes of these Ceremonies call in question hir late Maiesties Religion which they could not doe except at the least parte of hir religiō consisted in them Further yf this doth not sufficiently proue the maine assumption let these reasons following be wayed 1 If the Church be necessary to salvatiō and yf the pillars of the church be necessary to the Church and if the lord Bishops be the Pillars of the Church and these or such like Ceremonies be the maine Supporters of L. Bishops then are these Ceremonies in the iudgment of the prelates necessary to Salvatiō For no Church no Salvation no pillor of the church no Church no L. Bishop no pillar of the Church No ceremony no Lord Bishop Ergo no Ceremonie of this kinde no Salvation 2 All divine constitutions binding conscience are necessary to Salvatiō But by the late doctrine of the Prelates and others these Ceremonies being not vnlawefull when they ar commanded by the Church are said not to be humane but divine Constitutions binding conscience therfore they as they are vrged are necessary to Salvation For all divine constitutions binding conscience are necessary to Salvation or ●ls nothing on our part can be said in any sence to be necessary thereunto 3 It is necessary to Salvation that men should not only worship God but worship him in a comly decent and orderly manner it being a matter of damnation to worship God in a confused vnseemely and disordered manner but by the doctrine of our Prelates comelines decencie and order consists in the vse of these Ceremonies Ergo in their Iudgment they are necessary to Salvation Ob. The Church doth not intende to vrge these thinges as necessary to Saluation Ergo They are not urged ●s necessary to Salvation Ans 1 The Churche vrgeth not these things at all but onely 3 or 4 Bishops in the Churche whiche if theyr owne doctrine be true are Vsurpers over our Churches not so much as any true members of a Church 2 what if the Synode should decree that the Kinge should hould the arch bishop stirrop and the Prnce Nobles kisse his Toe once or twice a year and withall they should protest that they doe not require this as a worship or honor to the Archbishop but only for Comelines Order Edification were not this a shamefull shift as bad as the thing it self The 12 Argument All actions not required by the word of God though commanded by humane authoritie that are apparent meanes of the Damnation of the Soules of infinite numbers of men are directly against the Lawe of charitie and therefore Sin But these Ceremonies are such Actions Ergo The Proposition is without question For if without commandiment from God I may vpon the sole will and pleasure of the Magistrate or governors of the Church doe that by which I shal be a means of the damnation of my brothers Soule which is the greatest breach of the lawe of charitie that can bee Then may I do any sinn at theyr Commaundement without sinn for what greater sinne can there be against the 2 Table then this to be a witting instrument of my Neighbours Damnation Which though it be but a matter of Iest to our greate Doctors that haue many Cures and no care of Soules yet to them which know the price of a soul it is more then if vpon the more will of the Magistrates they should be forced to kill their owne Children and d●●rest b●loveds with their owne hand OB. The Ma●●●●are hauing authorit●e given him by God to commaund things Indifferent he commaunding th●● are to be done notwithstanding 〈◊〉 ●candall of our Nighbour Answ 1 Though the Subiect ought to obey his Magistrate in all Indifrent actions imposed vpon him what soever yet I desier that it may be proved that God in his word hath given to any Power or Potentate vpon Earth any such absolute authoritie The Magistrate is Gods Leifetenaūt and the glorie of the Magistrate consists in this in that vnder God hee beareth a sword to punish those that transgresse his Lawes but hee is by Gods Ordinaunce to be the procurer and protector of the christian libertie of his subiects That therfore he hath power graunted him of God vpon his owne pleasure to take away the same especially insuch a case requires profe out of the word of God 2. If he have such a power yet those things that God leaues to his will to commaund or not to commaund he cannot commaund vnder a greater penaltie then bodily death for his sword can cutt no deeper and then in the case of Scandall a christian subiect ought rather to suffer the Magistrate to take away his life then to doe that which shall procure the Damnation of his Brothers Soule And in thus doing he is noe contem nor of the Magistrates Lawe but a● fulfiller of the Lawe of Charitie in not distroying his brothers Soule vpon the mere● pleasure of a mortall man OB. But the commaundiment of the Magistrate takes away the scandall When the thing is done in

obedience to him An. This is a nother desperate shift As though the conscience of the weake brother that iudgeth a thing indifferent to be a Sinne wil be ever the more satisfied and releeved in the matter by the authoritie of the Magistrate nothing but the authoritie of God either can or ought to satisfie a doubting conscience And as for them that put superstitiō in things Indiffrent and are that way scandalized the authoritie of the Magistrate or church commaunding them their scandall is increased and not removed by the same OB But wee must more respect Obedience to the Magistrate then the scandall of inferiour persons the thing commaunded being indifferent and not evell Ans 1 The thing commanded is not Indiffrent then when it is a scandall and stumbling block to our brother 2 Wee must obay the Magistrate only in the Lord but this is not to obay him in the Lord onely vpon his pleasur to destroy a soule for whō Christ died 3. An obedience to the Magistrate so far as to the condemnation of our brothers soule must be a speciall obedience in some speciall good and iust commandiment which cannot be verified of a commaundiment that requireth onely a thing indifferent much les such an indifferent as is a scandall and meanes of distruction to mens soules 4 Such a forbeareing of obedience onely in loue to the salvation of our brothers Soule being without apparent contempt of the Magistrate and having adioined with it a meeke submission to the mercie of the Magistrat● cannot be called a dissobedience but is in deed a better obedienc then theirs that doe contrarie whoe in their obedience bring the bloud of the soules they destroy both vpon their owne heads and the Magistrate which is a sinn in the eyes of God wors then rebellion OB. But by obedience to these Ceremonies many soules by meanes of preaching are saved which shall want the meanes in the refusall Ans 1 Wee must not distroy the soules of some that we may saue the soules of other wee must doe that which is iust though the world goe to wreck for it 2. The greatest good that a man can doe cannot counteervaile the least evill much les so great an evell as to bee a witting instrument of the damnation of a brothers soule 3 Hee that preacheth cannot assure himself of the salvation of one soule by the same for that is wrought by the worke of the spirite of God And he hath litle cause to hope for a blessing vpon that preaching which hee purchaseth with the price of blood yea of the blood of soules OB But the K. the Magistrats state are scandalized also at the omission of them and their scandall is more to be respected then the scandall of inferiour parsons for the vseing of them Ans 1. For his Maiestie we doubt not but if the prelates would hee would easily yeald to the removall of them and therfore he cannot be scandalized at the refusall when it is of meere conscience though of conscience deceived 2 The States and Inferiour Magistrates of the kingdome have in all Parliaments shewed them selues willing and ready to set their handes to the removall of them 3 If the King State wil be scandalized because upon their mere will pleasure I will not doe that which I am perswaded will be a meanes of the destruction of their soules for whom Christ died They wil be much more scandalized at me if I doe it For such an obeydience as this must needs be a meanes of begetting or confirming straing sinns in their soules for as it is a kind of deifiyng of themselues To require even in the case of scandall a thing indifferēt to be done so they that shall in such a case obey cannot but nurish exceedingly that corruption from wh●ch such a cōmaudement shall proceed 4 The soule of the meanest and poorest in a kingdom cost as great a price and is as dear to Christ as the soule of the Noblest and in the matter of scandall as great heed is to be taken to them as to any other And it shewes of what spirit these men are of that thinke they may betray the soules of Christs little ones rather then displease a mortall man Ob. What Must the Magistrates lawes be chaunged for every humour that will pretend scandall Aunsw Yea such lawes as commaūd onely thinges indifferent in cases of generall scandall are to be chaunged of particular scandall are at the least to be dispenced withall For if laws that commaund things necessary are som times to be dispenced with and if of them it is said Extreeme right is Extreme wrong Much more then such lawes as require onely such things as are indifferēt 1 Such things that but for the cōmaunders pleasure makes noe matter whether they be done or noe Which are indeed vnworthy to be commaunded of worthies 2 A pretended scandall in humor is easily discerned by those that are wise and not malicious for they that are ready to performe all obedience to the Magistrate in all other heavier greater thinges are ready in his service to spend their goods lyues that think nothing to deare for the redeēyng of his safety that are in all other things as obedient and more obedient then any other of his subiects It is not to be supposed of any that are not possest with the malicious spirit of Antichrist That such should refuse to obey the Kings pleasure in a toye and a trifle such as are all things indifferēt except that in obeying him they were perswaded that they should sin against their own conscience which next vnto God they haue cause to please farr aboue all the Kings of the earth for it hath greater power to torment them then they haue But I proue the Assumption All apparent meanes of confirmyng mē in Scisme Superstition and Idolatry by meanes wherof many haue profesedly lived and dyed therein without repentaunce are apparent meanes of the dānation and destruction of many soules amongst us But These Ceremonyes are such Ergo. The proposition canot be denyed for what action of man can be sayde to be a meanes of the damnation and destruction of anothers soule If thes actions be not that confirme men in suche foule Sinnes So that either a man can doe nothinge that shall destroy his brothers soule which is dyrectly against the expresse wordes of St. Paule Or els such a conformitie in such actions as Confirme men in such Damnable Sinnes doth destroy his soule The Assumption is as evident as any such matter can be For 1. The Papists not onely amongst vs which are innumerable but others also doe professe that by our vse of thes Ceremonies which are consecrated mysteryes of their owne Religion they are confirmed in the truth of their Religion and the falshood of ours And good reason they haue so to iudge For if the broth be good that the Divill is sod in sure the Divill himself must needs be good also 2

or inconvenience to any part of the Worship of God bee omitted in the same and yet notwithstanding are inioyned and urged as more necessarie then those Actions that are by the woord of God necessarie to Salvation I saye such humane Ceremonies and Traditions are inioyned as necessarie to Salvation But these Ceremonies are such as may without any sinne or any inconvenience to any part of the Worship of God bee omitted in the same and yet notwithstanding are inioyned as more necessarie for Christians to doe then those Actions that are necessarie to Salvation by the Woord of God Ergo These Ceremonies in controversie are inioyned c. as necessarie to salvation He hath no blood of shame running in his veines that will deny the Proposition The Assumption hath two partes The first is this That these Ceremonies are such as may without sinne or any inconvenience to anie part of the worship of God bee omitted This is evident For 1. if they could not bee omitted without sinne in Divine Worship they were Divine not Humane Ordinances For example Though to go clothed to the Congregation be a Civill action yet because it is a sinne for any to goe naked to the Congregation It is a Divine Ordinance That men should goe clothed thither And in this case as in any other case of sinne a man ought rather never Worship God publicklie then to goe naked to the Congregation For the omission of a Good action is no sinne when it can not be done but by committing of a sinne 2. Divine Worship consisting in Prayer the Sacraments and the Word no witt of man can shew wherein the bare omission of any one of these Ceremonies is inconvenient to any one of these partes For what inconvenience can a man that is not drunk with the dreggs and lees of popish superstition finde it to publike prayer to bee saide in the Congregation without a Priestes Surplice The omission of ordinarie Pawses Accentes pointes stoppes the suppressing of the voice or a lowd whopping and hollowing out of the words or an undistinct soundinge of them were such Actions as common reason will teach are inconvenient for prayer and so inconvenient that a man ought never to praye publikelie in the Congregation as the voyce thereof that should by Canon be tied thereto And the Magistrate though there were no Canon to the cōtrarie ought to turne such out of the Ministery that should omitt such matters in prayer But for a Minister to pray without a Surplice can be in reason no more inconvenient then for him to pray without booke without a paire of Spectacles upon his nose And there may bee as good reason given to proove it convenient for a man that saith a thinge without booke to putt on a paire of Spectacles as there can be to prove it convenient for him that is to praye in the Church to putt upon him selfe a white linnen garment The second part of the Assumption is this That they are inioyned as more necessary for Christians to doe then those actions that by the worde of God are necessary to Salvation Which I proove by this collection of Reasons 1. If the whole Solemne Worship and Misterie of Iesus must stoupe and yeelde to these And these must not stoupe or yeeld to them 2. If those that will yeeld to these are dispenced with for omissiō of some duties that God requires of the Minister to be performed as necessarie to Salvation and those that are willing to doe all necessarie Services tending to the Salvation of Man can not be dispenced with for the Omission of these but must bee turned out of Christes Service 3. If those that refuse onely Conformitie to these are worse then Idolatrous Papistes 4. If the bare omission of these though upon tendernesse of Cosscience bee Sedition Scisme Disloyaltie Rebellion a deniall of the Kings Supremacie Anabaptistrie Frenzie Worthie imprisonment Banishment losse of Goods and living 5. If all that professe these to bee unlawfull are to be delivered up to Sathan and anathematized as men holding wicked damnable errours 6. If a man beeing in that Church ought not to be of it where these Ceremonies are omitted 7. If the bare omission of these make a Minister by our law more subiect to deprivation and suspension then the commission of the foulest Crimes even Drunkennes Blasphemie grosse Ignorance Vncleannesse 8. If her late Excellent Ma. Religion consisted in these I say If all these Assertions bee true then are they inioyned as more necessarie to bee done then those Actions that by the worde of God are necessarie to Salvation But all these 8. pointes are to bee iustified Ergo These Ceremonies are enioyned as more necessarie to bee done then some Actions that are necessarie to Salvation The Proposition can not be gainesayed It being a Topick Axiom Cuius privatio est deterior illud ipsum est melius to wit The worse the Privation of a thing is the better the thing is For example If blindnes be worse thē deafnesse Then is the positive habit of seeing better then that of hearing So if Non-Conformitie be worse then drūkennes blasphemie Idolatrie Filthines of body c. It must needs follow that Conformitie is a more excellent thing in it selfe then Sobrietie the true worship of God the glorifying of the name of God then a chaste and honest life But all these are urged by the worde of God as necessarie meanes to Salvatiō For the holy Ghost saith No Murderer Adulterer Vncleane person Idolator c. shall enter into the kingdome of heaven If therefore Conformitie be more urged by our lawes then these and the Privation more punished If this be more strictly required of Christians yea of principall Christians even the Ministers of the word then the other They must needes bee urged more necessarie to Salvation then the other For of the more excellencie a Christian vertue is the more necessarie to Salvation it is The Assumption in every part and parcell thereof may be iustified by the practise and Assertions of our Adversaries not onely privately but in publique For the 1. God must not by Canon bee Worshipped solemnely in England except these be mingled with it Though without them he might be never so well worshipped For the 2. Those that yeeld to these neede not preach at all in our church except they will No nor to doe any other parte of Divine Service in their owne person if they will maintayne a Curate that will keepe the Ceremoniall Law and fairely Read or Sing the Kings Service as they call it And yet if preaching were not necessarie to Salvation Paule that was above an Archbishop should not haue been under a woe if hee had not done it For no Minister of the Gospell is under a woe That performeth all services to the Churches of God that are necessarie to Salvation Neither was Paules preaching A reading of Homilies or of a Service booke For the 3. Nothing