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	zeal_n	zealous_a	103	3	9.0738	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00011	Englands complaint to Iesus Christ, against the bishops canons of the late sinfull synod, a seditious conuenticle, a packe of hypocrites, a sworne confederacy, a traiterous conspiracy ... In this complaint are specified those impieties and insolencies, which are most notorious, scattered through the canons and constitutions of the said sinfull synod. And confuted by arguments annexed hereunto.		1640 (1640)	STC 10008; ESTC S101178	37,368	54

's the Synod● vain hope or rather hypocriticall dissimulation For they know it to be most true and the Papists have reason so to hope as some of their own Authors in their late English pamphlets have jea●●ngly writ of Englands back●●tiding to Popery as of a thing whereof England is grown now adayes very ambitious And for the feare and jealousie which they say the weake have hereof have not the wisest men in the King●●●●e the like feare and jealousie and that upon just causes and grounds And suppose the weake onely were offended with such things why did not the wise and Sacred 〈◊〉 rather remove the Scandall then slappe them in the mouth with the Fox tayle of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canon or smoke out their cryes with the charge 〈…〉 † The strong as saith the Apostle ought to beare with the 〈◊〉 of the weake and not to please themselves But the Synod tells us That the standing of the Communion-Table 〈◊〉 way under the East window of every Chancel or Chappell i● 〈◊〉 its 〈◊〉 nature indifferent neither commanded nor condemned by the word of God either expresly or by immediate deduction and therfore that no Religion is to be placed therein or s●ruple to be made thereon First if it be a thing indifferent why doe they trouble me Consciences of their weak● brethren with it who hold it to be a thing Scandalous This is against the Apostles Rule even the rule of Charity tending to the destruction of mens soules Secondly if a thing indifferent why are they so eagre for it when it may as well be forborne and especially at this time when both the Kingdomes and the wisest men therein are so troubled with it the ●eace disturbed the State distracted and the Kingdomes hazarded Thirdly if it be indifferent why doe they not so leave it Why doe they alter the nature of it turning the indifferencie into a necessity as they doe with all their other Ceremonies which they professe to be in their own nature indifferent yet turne them out of their nature and make them necessary and so intolerable burthens to mens Consciences Yea why doe they force all Ministers to take a Solemne Oath that they approve these things as necessary to be observed But neither is this they so urge a thing in its own nature indifferent namely whether the Communion-Table stand Sideway under the East window of every Chancel For first it is a Communion Table and therefore to stand in the midst where all may sit about it as about a Table and thus it is rightly and properly a Communion-Table it is not a Communion-Cubbord or a Communion dresser to stand Side-way to the wall That 's no Communion Table And consequently such a standing Sideway to the wall of every Chancel is by immediate deduction condemned in the word of God For the word of God calls and commends and commands this by the name of the Lords Table and so it commands withall the proper use of it as of the Table of the Lord but the standing of this Table Sideway to the wall takes away not onely the nature and indeed the name of a Table but also the proper use of the Lords Table where every one of his family is to sit about it As David saith † Thy Children like olive plants round about thy table● For such is the right and proper use of a Table And therefore as the Scripture commands and commends unto us the Lords Table with the right use thereof as is sutable to the nature of it So by necessary consequence and immediate deduction the Scripture condemnes any such posture or placing therof as altee● both the nature and use of the Lords Table So as it is not a thi●g indifferent whether the Table stand sideway to the wall for it ought not so to stand seeing it is a perverting of the nature and use of the Table of the Lord and so a perverting of the Lords Ordinance Againe not indifferent for all Chancels alike for in many vast Churches the People cannot heare when their Priest sayes or sings his Second Service at his new Altar as he is injoyned unlesse the Ordinary be more mercifull to the Congregation were it a mercy to communicate with Superstitious worship and Service Againe the word of God * expresly condemnes in his people the ●mitation of the heathen in their Idolatry or Superstition or to doe after their manner So as such guises are not things indifferent Now for the standing of the Communion Table sideway to the East wall is to place it like to Popish Altars which are Altars of Idolatry like to those of the heathen and so is a faire inducement by degrees of their Idolatrous Sacrifice too for all the faire pretences the Synod makes to the contrary And doth not the Synod confesse that at the time of Reformation of this Church from that grosse Superstition of Popery it was carefully provided that all meanes should be used to root out of the minds of the people both the inclination thereunto and memory thereof especially of the Idolatry committed in the Masse for which cause all Popish Altars were demolished Then we aske thy Synod why they are here so zealous in seting up the Communion Table sideway to the East wall after the manner of Popish Altars Seeing before they pretend such care and zeale for the suppressing of the growth of Popery and for the bringing of Papists to the English Church Where when they come and presently see a thing set up sideway at the East end of the Chancel just like their high-Altar and seeing withall the people or Priest lowly lowting unto it or devoutly bowing before it or toward it are they not hereby straight put in mind of their old Romish Idolatry enough to make them presently to turne Papists againe Where is then the carefull provision of this Synod that all meanes be used to root out of the minds of such both the inclination and memory of the Idolatry of the Masse for which cause our ancient Reformers caused all Romish Altars to be demolished times in the place where the Altars formerly stood but in time of of 〈◊〉 in the midst of the Church or Chancel And yet the ●●u●ction did not necessarily tye the Table to stand at all other times saving at the Communion at the end of the Chancel but for most conveniencie according to the discretion of the Minister and Gardians And certainly the good Queens intent never was are could be that that standing so at other times should be a precedent for aftertimes to introduce Altars againe there to have a fixed station and so to become a stumbling blocke to Protestants and a laughing stock to Papists causing the one to feare Innovations and the other to hope our backesliding into Popish Superstation And that the Table hath stood so ever since unremoved in the Royall Chappels there is not the same reason of a Chappel and of a Church a Chappel wanting conver●ent

that the Children of Israel came up out the Land of Aegypt unto this day consider of it take advise and speake that same may be said of this Oath There was never such a deed done or seen since we came out of spirituall Aegypt Consider of it take advise and speake what shall be done to these Innovators It 's against the King and his Prerogative Royall who by the Statutes and Customes of this Kingdome hath power to appoint any of his naturall Subjects to exercise all manner of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction under him as appeareth by Stat. 1. Elizab. cap 1. and Stat. 25. Hen. 8 cap. 19. and 37. Hen. 8. cap. 17. but this Oath spoyles his Majesty of all such power investing onely Arch-bishops Bishops Deanes c. with Ecclesiasticall power and so takes from his Majesty what his Predecessor Henry the had who gave a Commission to Lord Cro●●●d to 〈◊〉 cise under him all Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall as you may 〈◊〉 in Mr. Fox his Martyrologie Volume 2. pa. 1000. Printed An. 1597. It 's against the Oath of Supremacy in taking of which we acknowledge the Kings Majesty to be Supreme Governour of the Church in all Causes and over all persons Ecclesiasticall as well as Civil and the King by Law having power to alter Church Government and to delegate whom he pleaseth of his Subjects to exercise Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction as appeares by what is foresaid and still is in practise in the High Comission in which are alwayes the Lords of his Majesties Privy 〈…〉 If the Oath be once lawfully taken what new power can discharge it in such a case they may aswell Unchristian me as unsweare me How can any honest sworne Subject take this New Oath without manifest danger and great suspition of per●ary for having sworne before for the King in case he alter the Government by vertue of this Oath I have sworne against the King set up Oath against Oath myselfe against my Soveraigne and that which is yet worse must not repent of it For I am sworne from ever consenting to what his Majesty hath done And is that all No I must dissent and become a Schismatick and Seperatist for ever Neither is that all but I must take up Armes twice a year at least and Preach for the Hierarchie and their present Government against my Soveraigne and that he hath charged This I am bound to by vertue of the 〈◊〉 Canon and if not by the Oath of Canonicall obedience And in case a Minister refuse or neglect this it's Suspension by his 〈◊〉 and if it be done who knows but it may c●st Hang●● tuum for resisting Supreme Authority Againe this Oath is a plot to sweare in the conceit of Epis●●pacie to be jure divino of late they have step'd off from their ancient foundation thinking to weaknesse either to depend vpon humane Laws or Princes favours and have published to the whole world that their standing is by divine right and therfore 〈…〉 Now this Oath will hinder the alteration of the Church Government to a better For being once sworn to Melius non mutabis pejus Christs Kingdome must be kept out Antichristian Offices government rules and wayes of proceeding be established in the Church and that by an Oath If the Book of Common Prayer would better the Discipline and doe much wish therefore to have publique Penance restored this Oath contradicts it and tells us that we have all the Discipline is needfull to Salvation and that the Government by right ought to stand a● now it stands But there are great grievances dreadfull disorders and horrible corruptions in the Discipline and Government of the Church as now it stands and men should rather sweare to indeavour their utmost to get them removed in this approaching Parliament then give consent to have them unalterd one day longer as Iesu-worship Altar-worship kneeling at Sacrament promiscuous receivers subscription Oaths ex Officio Canonicall obedience reading of Apocrypha Books abuse of Excommunication the exorbitant power of Bishop interdicting whole Churches perverting equity in all their Courts changing times and seasons for Marriage at their pleasure hindring Preaching and praying where they list imposing new and unlawfull things upon the Ministry illegally outing them from their livings c. The proceeding yet in many things by the Popes Canon Law the taking away the power of the keyes from the Pastors of particular Congregations and setting up Chancellors over them and their flocks putting into Laymens hands for a Chancellor is no other the power of Excommunication Lay-Elders are much cryed out of and condemn'd by us in the Scottish and Forraigne Churches and yet we set and hold them up at home with both hands The Bishop delegates his power to the Chancellour and so the sentence of Excommunication is devolv'd upon a meere Lay-man which dealing with Presbyterians we say is incompatible to a Lay-man and what is this but to destroy with the hand what we bind with the tongue Neither is that shift avayleable to say it 's some grave Minister that must pronounce the sentence because he is but os Canceliarij the mouth of the Chancellour to pronounce what he decrees who can stoppe it if not pronounc'd call it out of the Ministers hand and must give the A●solution if pronounced and so the whole power lyes still in the Chancellors hand If these things therefore and diverse other were altered we should not abjure them but thinke our selves bound by right and Conscience to intertaine them Againe this Oath appeares further to be unlawfull First because it doth insuare our Consciences and takes away the liberty of them binding us not so much as to consent unto any alteration although it should be in the judgement of all farre better then what we have Secondly it doth make us vassals and bondslaves to the Prelary we must be their sworn Subjects and tye our selvs by Oath to uphold their tottering Kingdome And if the Prelacie have its pedegree from Rome as some of themselves 〈◊〉 me what is this Oath but a policie to setch in our shoulders so support Antichrist and his Government what is it but the plain marke of the Beast which some make to be an Oath and others a submitting to his power and acknowledging of him to be Lord Me●d in Comment. 〈◊〉 Here is both an Oath and an absolute 〈◊〉 unto the 〈◊〉 and acknowledging of them to be 〈◊〉 By this Oath free 〈◊〉 become 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 contrary to the Petit●on of Right 30. 〈◊〉 3. It is an 〈◊〉 and perpetuating of humane and 〈…〉 for the whole Hierarchie mention'd in the Oath from Arch-bishops to the end of the c. are sufficiently known to be moore Ecclesiasticall Constitutions and subject to such coruptions from time to time as may necessitate an altert●ion Are there not such ●oule corruptions now amongst them as er● mightily to the Parliament for alteration and without redresse will sinke the whole Kingdome What safety or 〈◊〉 then