Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	lord_n	person_n	2,832	5	4.9191	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10151	The right of Kings conteyning a defence of their supremacy, over all persons and in all causes, as well ecclesiasticall as civill, within their severall dominions : herewithall is proved by testimony of Holy Scripture, that Christian Kinges are to haue such dignity, and execute such office in the Christian church, as Gods kinges had exercised in the church under the lawe : which part of the mysterie of Gods will, as it hath been wickedly under poperie shut up from men, so it is in our tymes right needfull that the same be opened to all Christian nations.	Procter, Thomas.	1621 (1621)	STC 20410; ESTC S1281	21,909	36

THE RIGHT OF KINGS CONTEYNING A DEFENCE OF THEIR SUpremacy over all persons and in all causes aswell ecclesiasticall as civill within their severall Dominions HEREWITHALL IS PROVED BY TESTIMONY of Holy Scripture That Christian Kinges are to haue such Dignity and execute such Office in the Christian Church as Gods Kinges had and exercised in the Church under the Lawe WHICH PART OF THE MYSTERIE of Gods Will as it hath been wickedly under Poperie shut up from Men so it is in our tymes right needfull that the same be opened to all Christian Nations Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subiect to the Higher Powers Printed 1621. The epistle to the Reader WHo that considers the evills done unto the Sonne of God by Kings Who that considers that most cruel persecution of the Church by Kings in the primitive tymes this also for about three hundred yeares of continuance yea who that considers the Churches persecution by Kings in these last tymes wherein our Princes being miss-led by the delusions of the Romane Bishop haue persecuted them who suffered their faith and service of God to be instructed and ordered by the word of God who I say that considers these things would not expect that the Lord even our most blessed God should utterly reject them denying them any dignity or office in his Church upon earth But the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Righteous beyond our apprehension and mercifull beyond all expectation hath contrarywise reveiled from heaven by his word and witnessed unto it with miraculous power that the Kings among the Nations of the Gentiles are accepted by him for his Ministers unto whom as unto Kings allowed by God all Christians must be subiect By how much the lesse therefore their desert hath been by so much the more is this Grace of God to be magnified By how much the lesse their desert of this grace hath been by so much the more are they bound to attend diligently to the due execution of the will of God Is it not sufficient that Kings being miss-lead partly by Heathenisme before their conversion to Christianity partly by Poperie after their conversion haue heretofore bloudily persecuted and slaine those who haue yeilded obedience to the word of God Shall the Saints euen to this day also be butchered by their power when the Lord is so gratious as to mainteyne the right of Kings will not they doe right to the children of God how long shall a falfe word misslead the most of them how long will they be before they by the light of the word of God discerne the Lords sheepe from others Blessed be God who hath opened the eyes of many of them and moved their harts to be Protectors of his flock His Flock are those who if not fully yet most neerely conforme their faith their life and conversation to the reveiled will of God as it is preserved in the sacred scriptures As therefore the Lord is mercifull to Kings so ought they in duety to God by the word of God in scripture to discerne and discerning to protect the people of the Lord. Much of the Lords people are miss-lead by Teachers who teach evilly in some things and hardly finde we any wholly conformable to the instruction of the Lords word in Scripture but yet difference is to be put betweene those who in the greatest part obey the word of the Lord those who in the greatest part walk in disobedience And my hope is that as by this Treatise I move Gods people to consider advisedly the great Dignity and Office of Princes so Princes will be gratious to those who most neerely Beleeve and live as becommeth Saints Neyther would I haue my Reader here to expect that I would iudge who or who are lawfully Kings but onely that these who are Kinges by the permission and grace of God may be put in minde of their Dignity and Office in the Church be also obeyed by those of the Church as God by his instruction reveiled to the Church gives direction This is the end of my writing this following Treatise this the aime of my heart which having now showen in this epistle I think fit to put an end to the same and to proceed to the Treatise it selfe Yours in the Lord Thomas Proctor A TREATISE OF SUPREMACY Wherein is proved by testimony of sacred Scripture that Kings or independant civill powers or States are by Gods Ordinance to be supreame Governours over all persons and in all causes aswell ecclesiasticall as Civill within their severall Dominions IT hath been of long time and in too many Nations of Christendome still is an errour of no small importance to think That Kinges are not to judge in things perteyning to the Church of God nor to order the offices and affaires of the Church nor to governe over all ecclesiasticall persons within their severall kingdomes or Dominions From which errours possessing the mindes alwell of Princes as of private persons strange troubles haue arisen to the church of God both Princes and private persons mistaking their dueties and so Princes not doing in the church what God appoints them others and even of their subjects haue been scourges unto them by practising against them things farre differing from the teaching of Christian Religion Alas how much innocent blond haue Princes shed whilst guided by a false word of the Romane Bishop they haue neglected to meditate in the word of God and to Iudge and Governe according to its directions and so haue butchered the Saincts of God in all Nations and on the cōtrary haue exalted them who most haue troden under foote the sacred word and ordinances of the living God What should therefore be more deare to Princes then to know the dignity and true office wherein God by his Ordinance hath set them Or what greater honour can be done them then when some wicked Bishop would depresse their right herein God by his word declares his wickedness and by his strange and mervailous Acts in our times raiseth his Princes will or nill that Bishop and all his Adherents to their true dignity and office in the Church Verily we see in these times how God tendereth the rights of Christian Princes when under the Reformation as he on the one hand hath freed them frō the usurpations and bondage of the Romane Bishop so on the other hand he hath preserved their right against all who under any pretences whatsoever haue indeavoured to deprive them thereof It is therefore dangerous for any aswel for Princes as for people to doe oughts against the will of God as he hath revealed the same by his word preserved in scripture True it is that many are not suffered to be informed hereof because by such information that Bishop of Romes delusions and his insufferable abusions would be discovered But fitter it is that Princes know their Right and people their dueties then that the consciences of both being missinformed they be led thereby into the

doing the proper Duties of their Episcopall or Priestly Ministration or which occasions their over seldome or negligent doing the same that is ill done by Princes and God will visit them both for drawing his Ministers of the word from performing their proper duties of such Ministration and also for suffering unpunished any such omission or neglect of these duties These things I thought good here to touch at because it might occasion our Princes to hold Gods Priests to the duties proper to their Ministration and to punish in them any omission or over negligent performance of the same But now to conclude this poynt Princes are not barely as executioners to reward the good and punish evill doers but they are costituted also Iudges by the Lord that they also may iudge in all things to which the word already revealed from God stretcheth And verily even the Ministers of the word already revealed are preaching the same to them to preach as to Gods Iudges of doctrine preached Not that they are all alike capable of iudgement in such things but that this is the right of their office which also for conscience towards God must be had in Reverence Thus have I proved that Kings under the Gospell are to exercise such Dignitie and Ministration as with Gods blessed approbation we find in Scripture that Gods Kings exercised under the Law As therfore under the Law the King was over the Church in the Nation of the Iewes as Moses sayd If thou say I wil set a King over mee c. which manner Supremacie the Kings under the Law did in fact exercise and hold And as under the Law the Kinges did not onely reward the good and punish the evill but did also Iudge of good and evill by the direction of the word given him restoring pure Doctrine and setting the Priests and Levits to their due offices and ordering the Divine Service so are the Kings under the Gospell likewise to doe being over the Church in their severall Dominions and iudging of what is good and evill by the word of God in Scripture and restoring Religion setting the Cleargy to their due offices and ordering the Divine Service in the Church Wherin though they are not to neglect not the advice onely but authority also of the Bishops and Priests yet they are not to take for their direction whatsoever they shall advise and presse but they ought themselves to read and meditate in the word of God and to judge by it of that advised and urged by the Bishops These things concerning the Supremacy and Government of Kings I have here pressed upon the observation of Princes partly to stirre them up to mind their owne Authority in the Church partly to instruct all Christian Subiects what to beleeve concerning their dutie toward Princes but now having this done I think it fit to answer in the next place one or two obiections which either are or may peradventure be made against this which formerly I have written The first obiection AGainst the Supremacy of Kings and their judging in all causes and governing ouer all persons within their severall Dominions it commonly heretofore hath been and to this day is alleadged That our Lord committed unto Peter to be continued in his Successors the Supreame vicariate power of governing the Church for ever This opinion they fortifie partly by Scripture partly by Tradition partly by the sayings of Doctors of great authoritie in the Church The Scriptures which they commonly make use of are first Math. 16.18 where the Lord sayd thus unto Peter I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not overcome it Secondly Iohn 21.15 where againe the Lord sayd thus unto the same Apostle Simon the sonne of Iona lovest thou mee He sayd unto Him Yea Lord Thou knowest that I love Thee Hee sayd unto him Feed my Lambs He sayd unto him againe the second time Simon the sonne of Iona lovest thou me he sayd unto Him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He sayd unto him Feed my Sheepe Hee sayd unto him the third time Simon the sonne of Iona lovest thou me Peter was sorie because he sayd unto him the third time lovest thou me and he sayd unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Iesus sayd unto him Feed my Sheep From both these Scriptures they collect that the Apostle Peter should feed all the Lords sheep for ever both with Doctrine and Government therefore all the Lords sheep must receive from this Apostle their Doctrine and Powers or Offices that so they may be built upon the Rock of this Apostles approbation or allowance And because the Apostle was to doe this for ever therefore after his death this must bee done by his Successors the Popes of Rome Hence it is that they seeke the Popes approbation of all Doctrines and receive their Episcopall authoritie from him yea Kings also receive kingdomes of him But now I will in the next place discover the fallacy of this collection shewing that these Scriptures are not so to be understood neither do intend any such matter And I think fit to write first of the latter Scripture because the false use made thereof being discovered it will the more easily appeare that they make a false use of the first Scripture also If from the Lords words in saying to Peter Feed my Lambs feed my sheep it be collected that Peter must feed all Christs sheep and this also both with Doctrine and Government then it followes that the rest of the Apostles as well as any other must be thus fed by Peter seeing they also are a part of the Lords sheep but seeing feeding is taken in matter of Doctrine for the receiving of doctrine from him or grounded upon the authoritie of his approbation and seeing feeding in matter of Government is taken for a bearing rule over all Christs sheep and that all Powers or Offices Ecclesiasticall and civill are to be derived from him or grounded upon the authoritie of his approbation therefore I am to prove by testimonies of holy Scripture that we are not thus to understand the Lord in this speech of his For matter of Doctrine it is well knowen that the rest of the Apostles received not their Doctrine from Peter but from the Lord Christ even as Peter himselfe did neither were they to ground or build that upon the authoritie of Peters approbation which they received immediatly from the Lord therfore I conclude that the rest of the Apostles were not fed by Peter in matter of Doctrine Moreover the Apostle Paul Galat. 1.11 testifies saying I certifie you brethren that the Gospell which was preached of me was not after man for neither received I it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Iesus Christ. By this testimonie it is plaine that the Apostle Peter fed not the Apostle Paul with Doctrine but rather

office prerogatives or dignitie which himself as an Apostle had received of the Lord Christ Moreover seeing the Lords Apostles were the Lords governours set over the rest of the ecclesiasticall Governours of the Church how unfit were it to conceive that the Successour onely of an Apostle should be Governour over any Apostle But some are of opinion that the Apostle Iohn remained long after the death of the Apostle Peter if therfore the successor of Peter haue a Vicariate power to governe and rule over all Christs Sheepe then must he be this to the Apostle Iohn but what manner unsufferable ambition this favours of I leave to the judgement of all men Let us therefore rather beleeve that if the Apostle Peter appointed his successour then yet he conferred not upon him neyther all the guifts by which himself was an Apostle nor all the power Ministeriall nor dignity which as being an Apostle and one of the chiefe among the Apostles he held and injoyed in the Church of Christ but onely as Paul upon Timothie and Titus he conferred a portion of power and charge such as a Successour might be capable of To conclude seeing no Apostle could conferr upon an other man all the guifts offices and dignity which himself injoyed as an Apostle therefore the successor must be a Minister of a farr inferiour rank dignity and charge of Government in the Church then was the Apostle Peter himselfe Now then why should not such a Minister though he be successour to that Apostle subject himself to the supreame goverment of Gods Kinges so witnessed unto by holy scripture as before I have showen Thus having answered this objection let us proceed to an other The second Obiection SOme peradventure may obiect saying The Kingdome of heaven comming in among the Gentiles by Apostles and Bishops it were a subiecting the Kingdome of Heaven to the powers of this world if we maintayn not the supreme Government to remaine in Bishops and specially in the Apostle Peters successour If any should thus object then I answer the kingdome of heaven comprehending all power as the Lord sayd Math. 28.18 All power is given me in heaven and in earth the power Apostolicall and Episcopall must not be taken for the Kingdome of heaven as if the kingdom of heaven had in it none other powers then it But you see that I haue showen before that there are the powers of Kings in the earth which it pleased God to allow and confirm accepting gratiously also of them as for his Ministers Now though in God the fountaine of power all power is alike as water in a fountaine yet in distributing of that Power into Ministeriall Streames the Lord may ordeyne which parte to which shal be subordinate therefore seeing afore I haue showen that the Apostle Paul calls the Ministers of the sword The Higher Powers and seeing I haue before proved that these powers are allowed by God as for his Ministers and consequently are to exercise such dignity and office in the Church as Gods Kings exercised in the Church under the Lawe And lastly seeing all the scripture shewes that those Kings were over all the Church exercising a supreame government over all ecclesiasticall persons therefore I say it is no subjecting of the kingdome of heaven to the powers of this world to subject the Bishops of the Church to Gods Kings and Soveraigne States Bishops are Ministers of the kingdome of heaven but they are not all the Ministers therof for Kinges also are declared by the Gospell to be Ministers of the same seeing God hath declared himself to accept of them as for his Ministers therefore to subiect one kinde of officer of a kingdome to an other officer is not to subiect the kingdome to an other kingdome Bishops preach the word to these to subdue them to Christ but being subdued by the word ministred Bishops may not say The kingdomes of this world are ours and we will dispose of them but they must say as Rev. 11.15 The kingdomes of this world are our Lordes and his Christs and he shall reigne for evermore True it is that even the greatest Kinges are comprehended in that cōmandement Heb. 13.17 where it is sayd Obey them that haue the Oversight of you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules as they that must give accompts that they may doe it with ioy not with griefe for that is unprofitable for you Therefore even the greatest Princes are subiected by Christian religiō unto spirituall Pastors in the things wherof they are Ministers but this may be without Bishops having the Supreme government For as a Lord of greatest authority in a kingdome must obey to every the meanest Constable of a kingdome within his precinct of charge in that wherein such Cōstable is indued with power authority from the King when yet this makes not such Lord to lose his superiority which in the kingdome he hath over such Constable so is it between a King and a Bishop God hath declared the Kings of the Gentiles for his Ministers therefore as Kinges were to Priestes under the Lawe so must they be to Bishops under the Gospell and on the cōtrary as Priests were to Kings under the Lawe so may Bishops be to Kings under the Gospell The King under the Lawe left the Priestly power and ministration to the Priest was obedient in all things when yet he ceased not hereby to be governour over the Priests even so are Kinges to doe under the Gospell The King that must submit himself to heare the Gospell preached by the Bishop to receive of his hand Gods Sacraments to use him as Gods Priest to pray for him and other like yet is such a Minister for God over such Priest as that such Priest preaching false doctrine or ministring the sacraments otherwise then according to Gods institution or doing any thing otherwise then as Gods word in scripture prescribes in stead of obeying such Priest he is over him to take vengeance on him in Gods stead as for an evill doer So likewise the King that doing evill is subiected to the Priests proceeding against evill doers whether it be to discipline of humiliation or shaming to sequestration or excommunication is yet such a Minister for God over the Priest that the Priest doing this upon uniust cause or pressing unjust ends or effects of such discipline the King in stead of obeying must punish such Priest as for an evill doer The Pope is one of these wicked Priests for even for obedience to the true word of God and for ordering things according to its direction he useth the sword of the Church against men yea against Kings and not onely so but having excommunicated any he teacheth that subiects should not acknowledge nor obey their excommunicate Kings childrē their excommunicate Parents nor wives their excommunicate husbands and the like but with what peace of conscience shall a man break Gods word to doe according to this word of