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	great_a	time_n	3,780	5	3.5201	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05633	A more full answer of John Bastwick, Dr. of Phisick made to the former exceptions newly propounded by another wellwiller to him, against some expressions in his Letany, with his reasons for the printing of it. All set downe as more articles superadditionall vpon superadditionall, against the prelats. This is to follow the Letany as a fourth part of it.; Litany. Part 4	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1637 (1637)	STC 1575; ESTC S104510	13,880	12

much evill every way it ought to stirre up authority to looke into it for very reason teacheth us that which is no way usefull nor needfull for the salvation of men of that there can be no true need now of the Service booke there is no need nor necessity for if there had been God would himselfe have appointed one and all Christian Churches would have had that that had been needfull to their salvation and therefore when God hath neither appointed certain prayers to be daily read nor other Christian Churches which are daily saved never had any and when no man dare conclude that any man was ever excluded from heaven that never heard any Divine service it seemeth a strange thing to mee that such a peece of service in our Church should be authorized that was taken out of the Masse booke and of the which all the learned in reformed Churches where I have lived wonder that such a learned Prince as King Iames was would ever admit it in his dominions for they all had seene it it being translated into French and this I was often an eare witnes of that the profoundest men said if so be they had a purpose to turne againe to Babylon from which they were commanded to come out they would for a speedy way bring in the English service and discipline and then farewell immediatly all true religion and the intire service of God and by this meanes they should give so great and strong a weapen into their adversaries hands as they should never be able to make good their proceeding and withall should in a little time breed such a deale of ignorance in the people as they would be easily seduced For whereas many of them had not time through their many occasions in the whole weeke to reade the Scriptures if they should also on the Lords day be taken up in reading of prayers gathered and collected out of Popish Pamphlets this would bee an absolute meanes to extinguish that little knowledge they had already and bring in blindnes in stead of it And with all the correspondency that was between them in rites Ceremonies and Service would kindle a greater love in the Papists to their superstitious worship and in the Protestant it would also upon the least occasion beget some desire to returne unto their old errors and therefore they protested as they tendered the honour of God the salvation of the people and the advancement of learning they could never admit of our service amongst them of all which they professed they thought it an enimy and they add farther that if they had ever beleeved that such formes of prayer had been for the advancement of the Gospell and the glory of God and the edification of the people they had thousands in their Church that could make formes of prayer and never be beholding to the Masse-booke for them And I can truely say thus much I neuer yet met a Minister in France were hee in neuer so meane a place but he was a diligenr preacher and able to instruct any flock withall he was of so good literature as I never saw yet Bishop or any high Priest in England to be compared to him for that which I speake to the eternall honour of that people that giue vnto their Ministers such singular breeding and haue such care in their elections that they be able and sufficient men and euery way so accomplished for life doctrine as they cannot neither by feare fauour or preferment be brought from their integrity nor by all persecutions warres bloudy massacres be in the least daunted or deterred from their holy profession And of this Christianimity is this people and many more and of this sound learning where they neuer had a Letany or seruice book or either in gouernment discipline or ceremonyes were like vnto the Papists all which haue been euer dangerous if not fatall to all true religion for when Christians began to bring in Iewish and heathenish ceremonies rites and customes and their inuentions they then began to pervert true Religion and corrupt the sound doctrine of our glorious and holy profession And King Iames himself though for some ends he was willing for a time to retayne the ceremonyes yet he professed in the conference at Hampton Court that if he did dwell among the heathens Papists that then there was great danger in symbolizing with thē in any such things for it would much animate them in their superstition by which they might be hindred rather then furthered in religion but in regard that they had no Papists among them which might be hurt by them he was the more willing to conniue at them but had he liued vntill now and seene what mischeif both ceremonyes and service haue done amongst vs or did but King Charles see or were but truly informed of the ignorance that is amongst the people both in regard of their duty towards God and his royall Maiestie of the backsliding to Popery and superstition which hath ever protested against he would take some speedy course for the remouing of all the occasions of it which is nothing els bur the seruice booke and ceremonyes with their corrupt discipline Gouerners as by his autority the autority of his royall Predecessors they were established so when the inconueniences of all such constitutions are by dayly experience seene which was euer sufficient cause to abrogat lawes and dismisse Officers they may well be remoued with the great good to the whole Church and state and to his excellencyes immortall honour and the perpetuation of his Crowne and dignity And thus much at this time shall suffice to haue spoken concerning the seruice book and the tackling belonging to that businesse because I haue formerly spoken of it And now I am come to your master and capitall exception where you thinke that they will heauily censure mee for calling the Prelat of Canterbury William the Dragon and the Bishop of yorke the abby lubber of the North. Which you coniecture will be esteemed scandalum magnatum and will cause a seuere punishment from autority and which they haue also cruelly threatned vnto mee for the same words and therefore you would haue them omitted But before I come to the distinct answer to that you now suggest I thinke it fit to say something for a proeme concerning this scandalum magnatum and the orginall of it you very well know that Kings haue euer been called and esteemed Gods vpon earth and they indeed went before their people shining in vertues and goodnes of which they were composed so farre they were from any commaculation of vice that people were not to thinke euill of the King in their bedchamber or to say what dost thou by all which is sufficiently inferred what excellency is in Princes and mighty potentates aboue other men And as Kings had the supreme and first degree of dignity both for place and vertue so next vnto them had the true

Nobility and great Heroes their station whose first rise to honours was their wisdome and true seruice vnto their Prince and good they did to their country according to that of the heathen fundamentum nobilitatis virtus est So that the true and antient Nobility were such as next vnto their Kings and Princes were for all excellent endowments so singularly qualified as they were not capable of any aspersion and if any had been so black mouthed as to haue layd any blemish vpon their reputation the euill alwaies returned vnto themselues neither was their honour impeached by it but rather illustrated for the whole world was well acquainted with their goodnesse so that their traducers were branded for calumniators amongst the people which was punishment enough and eternall shame vnto them And so sarre were those truly heroicall Spirits from making any lawes about such a thing that they neuer thought so poorely of themselues as that any could speake the least thing to their infamy by which they could wound their reputations and vertuous life And the same goodnesse yet dwelleth in all the ancient Nobility and such as are truely illustrious and magnates so that they are like their Kings and Masters whose dignity no blast of a foule mouth can contaminate among the really vertuous and heroicall and so conscious they are to themselues of their excellent integrity that they will not so much as sully their thoughts with what any clamorous tongue saith much lesse their estimation among the prudent as to make them suppose that they are moued with railings which hurt them no more then the dogs barking against the Moone Notwithstanding since those antient and truely honoured Nobility there haue sprung vp a new generation of Lords who fearing the calumnies of the vulgar as new Lords are a meanes of sounding new lawes haue obtained so much of prudent Princes and Kings who were willing to yeild vnto their weakenes that such lawes should be enacted but with no intent that the vices of such men should be smothered or that those should be punished that were detectors and manifesters of them but onely for both terror and punishment if they had vnworthily defamed their noble families out of their priuat malitious and rancourous minds neither doth the eminency of place in any subiect warrant him securely to doe any thing against the honour of his King and Master or the molestation of his Kingdome and subiects or is the meanest subiect to be punished for doing his duty in this kind for the dignities conferred vpom them in such proximity vnto the King is so much the greater tye vnto them for the due hounouring of their Prince and seeing that next vnto him whose place it is to protect his people they should add their helping hands in seeking the safety and wellfare of them and be indeed mediators betweene the King and the poore people if they had fayled by frailty in their duty and loyalty to his Highnes Now I say when all those that are dignifyed with honours do neither truly honour the King as they should and are so farre from making a sweet harmony between the King and his people as they continually rather put into his royall heart sinister opinions against his best subjects and traduce their best endeavours pervert their words to contrary meanings and make their poore brother a prey for a word as the Prophet I say speaketh and do not onely move the King against them but do in their owne persons and by the authority that they have given them tyrannically abuse the subject to their utter ruine and undoing all such I say are so farre from having any priviledge by the Law as they themselves are delinquents in a high degree of contumacy by such demeanour and are fallen from their dignity Neither do I conceive that any King or people can take it ill at the meanest subjects hand for discovering any such mens practices when I say they are so prejudiciall to the State In the number of which men to say nothing neither of the obscurity of their parentage the meanesse and the poverty of their breeding the beginning of their order and whose image they are the usurpation of their places being by them the sworne rebells of Chris● and the cursed enimies of his Kingdome as I have in diverse books sufficiently shewed I say to speake at this time of none of all these but onely of their present proceeding towards the King their Master towards the Church and Common-wealth in generall and all the poore people and my self in speciall you will quickly perceive that the Prelats are justly to be reputed among the worst of men and not amongst the Nobles for ought I know they and they onely are the cause of all the calamities in Church and State which will manifestly appeare if wee looke either upon the King or true Nobles such as love God the King their Country and Religion And for the Kings most excellent Majesties owne person to speake but that equity and justice require what were ever any precedent Kings in this or any other Kingdome renowned for that is not in him if you respect either vertues morall or theologicall which are the onely honour of Princes I say name any thing for piety wisdome learning prowesse temperance clemency goodnes bounty affability kindnes or whatsoever els was in any other do you not see it in him radically nay doth he not seeme to be composed of goodnes so that never was there any nation more happy in a King then this our Nation is in ours Againe to reflect our eye upon the whole secular Nobility either antient or moderne I say to speake of them in the generall if you accost them and by any occasion have to deale with them you shall find them so excellently inclined and so favouring all vertue and goodnes and of such sweet humanity and kindnes and such honourers and favourers of learning and true vertue as they are exemplar to all other Nations so that for King and Nobility no Nation or Kingdome can compare with ours and yet nothwithstanding all this there is not in the world any Country that the subjects for the universality of them groane under more pressures and are more tyrannically abused then amongst us if you respect either bodies soules or goods having no certaine liberty for a day of either as woefull and lamentable experience hourely teacheth us All which proceeds not either from the King who is goodnes it self and knoweth not how to doe evill or from the Lords or Peeres of the Kingdom who are like their King and Master and fabricated of humanity from whence then I pray you proceed all the greivances of the poore people but from the Prelats who make a prey of the subject upon every triviall occasion and suggest into his royall eare both in publick and private strange relations concerning them as though they were the most disloyall people unto his grace in the world when I can

upon my owne knowledge affirme that never King was more happy in a loyall and obedient people then the King is in them never detrecting obedience to the losse of life liberty and estates but as they were borne under obedience desire to live and dye in that condition and are ever most willing to spend their best blouds for his honour crowne and dignity or in the cause of any of his allies which is well knowen to the whole Christian world And yet notwithstanding all this their condition is most greivous whether yea respect soule or body liberty or meanes they being every where deprived by the Prelats of their faithfull and true honorable Pastors and diligent teachers by which the keys of heaven are taken from them and idle drones and Epicures put in their places who neither feed the people themselves with the bread of life nor will let others doe it or suffer them to provide for their owne soules good but if they goe into any other parish to heare the word when they have none at home then they hoyst them up into the high Commission and there ruine and undoe them or if the people for feare are deterred from hearing of sermons and seeking to be acquainted with the word of God and if there chance a two or three neighbours to meet together for to conferre about holy things or in every thing observe not all their vaine and needles yea too too chargable and burdensome Ceremonies any of these things are matter enough to procure perdition and destruction unto them of body soule and goods as daily experience teacheth us Neither can any secular man Magistrat or Officer be he Iustice of peace Mayor Bayly or Constable Iury-man or witnes or any other doe his office and duty in putting in execution the Kings Lawes either for the honour of the King or his Religion against a delinquent Preist or against any of their impious Officers or write or witnesse the truth against them or the common enimy but they are immediatly hoisted up in their Courts and the King hath forthwith strange informations given against them as if they were notorious delinquents against King Church and State so that they are not onely deserted of all help from his Majestie and Nobles and the Lawes of his Kingdome but made a prey to the mercilesse fury of their enimies and the Prelats being their enimies and parties witnesse Iury and Iudge in their owne cause sit and give sentence against them And whereas Christ would be no Iudge nor divider they howsoever they pretend to be his successors judge the poore people most cruelly and divide not onely their inheritance but give away their whole estates and commit their soules to the Devill and commit their bodies to eternall prisons to the utter undoing of them their poore wives and children and that upon every triviall occasion and many times against all Lawes of God and nature and captivate the poore people and keepe them in a greater slavery both for soule and body then ever Pharao did And whereas Christ came to heale cure and spilt his owne precious bloud for the redemption of others and no sooner was Malchus his eare cut off but hee put it on againe they spill the blood of the people and cut off their eares at pleasure yea with ignorance and cruelty murder them soules and bodies of all which no subject can be ignorant that knoweth any thing and I by woefull experience have found it so that for my particular I may truely say that in respect of our gracious King and his clemency I had rather live with bread and water under his regiment then in all plenty under any Prince in the world yet in respect of the Prelats tyranny who abuse the authority committed into their hands I had rather live under the grand senior in the meanest condition then where they domineer with all plenty for by their cruell proceedings cursed inhumanity they so imbitter our lives and make us so odious both in Court and Countrey and such a prey to every prophane Preist that our lives are not onely irksome unto us but our being and living a very burden so that death is most welcome for by that and that onely we are set at liberty And I dare presume that of what I now say ten thousand thousands will witnes with mee of the truth of it For it is the Prelats that have onely enslaved us against all the Lawes of God and the Land and have made us hatefull to all men and a spectacle of men and Angels and yet they perswade his royall Majestie that they are his most loyall and faithfullest subjects and all those they accuse for Puritans the pest and plague of his Kingdome and seek with Human the extirpation of them all and by all manner of oppressions make thousands of them fly the land and others that have no abilities to support them in strange Countries to eate the bread of affliction and live here with wounded consciences when they put upon them such burdens of Popish Ceremonies and force them upon payne of severe punishment to the observation of so many superstitious performances which by their knowledge and in their consciences they are taught ever to abhorre and by this meanes the people are made miserable every kind of way And all this intolerable bondage procedeth onely from the Prelats who many times arme themselves with his Majesties authority pretending to his Highnes that they onely injoyne those things for order when there is no such matter And while they doe all this annoy to the kings subjects can they challenge the name of Mag●●●●es and be counted among the truely noble Peeres of the Kingdome especially when in their open Courts they renounce his authority and challenge their owne preeminency and dignity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and punish his subjects for writing against Antichrist and the Church of Rome which King Iames calls Babylon and Spirituall Egypt and Sodome to the infinit dishonour of King Iames of famous 〈…〉 and the now King their Master by all which proceedings they have made themselves guilty of great contumacy against God and the King and ipso facto are all in a Premunire by which they are fallen from all honour and dignity and are at the Kings mercy as delinquents and such as for my part so long as they continue in that condition I never intend to honour Neither have I cause for my owne particular to think any otherwise of them then of n●cent members of Church and State both by the warrant of King Iames himself and for their carriage towards mee and the Kings best subjects for when I was in the high Commission Court how superciliously the Prelats carried themselves towards mee all the standers by can tell and when the advocats saw the violence of his deportment towards mee and earnestly perswaded mee to an humble submission for otherwise they told mee he would utterly undoe mee which indeed so fell out I