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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	prince_n	time_n	3,325	5	3.4597	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86830	The humble petition of the ministers of the Church of England desiring reformation of certain ceremonies and abuses of the Church with the answer of the vicechancelor, the doctors, both the proctours, and other the heads of houses, in the Vniversity of Oxford.; Answere of the vicechancelour, the doctors, both the proctors, and other the heads of houses in the Universitie of Oxford.	University of Oxford.	1641 (1641)	Wing H3562; Thomason E170_4; ESTC R9252	19,567	36

laws of Eccles polit Tracts published long since wherein their vain fancies and illiterate objections are refuted at large If notwithstanding they will yet venture to write it will be answered If they will needs argue and dispute there are ready that will either satisfie them or by argument silence them And were it not in regard that we would not seem as undutifull in accepting as they have been in the offering of this Challenge it is the thing we would urge and instantly entreat that these matters might be debated between us in writing But in the mean time what motions are these for the reformers to make unto a most prudent Prince in his settled and peaceable government who for many years hath had triall in that his other kingdome of their pretended reformation and in this also hath seen the gracious effects under her Majesties late hapy Raign of that Church Discipline which they would ruinate and overthrow God hath appointed his Majesty unto this Kingdome It is true and we magnifie the goodnesse of God for it and congratulate his Highnes in the prosperous possession of it from the ground of our hearts But that God hath appointed him to this kingdome for such a purpose as they conceite what spirit of divination is in them that they should forespeake it Nay rather seeing almighty God hath ordained him as the great Physitian next and immediately under himselfe to take care of the body politique both of his Church and Common-wealth he will surely cure such diseases as these men are sick of For turbulent and discontented humors are like to breed very dangerous deseases in a civill State And not be perswaded as they fondly imagine by such suggestions as these to alter that state of the Church which is acceptable to God honorable to his Highnes comfortable to many thousand Ministers the Nurse of good learning admirable to strangers approved by our * The letters that Mr. Beza hath written to the Arch. bish of C. that now is Opposites envied of our enemies distastfull unto none but such as know neither how to rule nor how to obey The very names of punishments are unpleasant indeed but the things themselves are necessary sometimes and their effects good and profitable for preservation of the whol howsoever the induring of them may be grievous in the particular And he that will indifferently consider the true causes of the corrections here mentioned shall have just cause to approve the Justice * Conspiracy for pretended Reformation and commend the mildnes that hath bin used towards this sort of men As for that clause of Mens traditions it is too too odious and would imply Superstition or Popery to be in some of them But how vainly and how injuriously hath in some sort been heretofore declared That other of beeing prejudiciall to none but those that seek their own c. is as injurious to all the rest of the Min sters of this land Be we the men that are so addicted to our own quiet credite and commoditie in the world Where then be the the fruits of our covetousnes the effects of our ambition the marks of our idlenes We be the men that in the testimony of a good conscience for the repelling of such a malicious contumely and slanderous reproach may truly say We put not out our mony to usury we detest all filthy lucre we contain our selves within our Vocations we forsake not our holy callings we omit not to labour in our severall charges we sustaine the places of great labour travaile and expense we neglect not in publike in private in word in writing at home and abroad to put to silence and stop the mouth of the common Adversary which these men have enlarged against us and our most holy faith To conclude the thing they seeke is so prejudiciall both to the Civill state in generall and in particular to so many of the very best of the Ministery that if it should take effect but God of his mercy and the Kings most excellent Majesty in his Christian wisdome will not suffer it it would breed a strange alteration in the One and in the Other it would for the present not only impoverish us and our Universities but make both them and us and the whol Clergy very base and contemptible in the eies of our own people as also a by-word and scorne to our neighbour Nations And for succeeding ages it would cut off all hope of a learned Ministery and of that grounded learning which as yet is and heretofore hath been the glory and honour of this kingdome For manifestation of this point look upon the face of all the reformed Churches in the world and wheresoever the desire of these Petitioners doth take place be it duly considered first how well their proceedings do suit with the state of a Monarchy And then how poverty on the one side and lack of learning on the other doth creep upon the whole Clergy in those Dominions As to the first would it not beseem the supereminent authority and Regal person of a King to be himself confined within the limits of some particular parish then to subject his soveraigne power to the pure Apostolicall simplicity of an over-swaying and all-commanding Presbytery Would it not do him much good in a time of need that his people should be rooted and grounded in this truth viz. That his meeke and humble Clergy have power to bind their King in chaines and their Prince in lincks of iron that is in their learning to censure him to enjoyn him penance to excommunicate him yea in case they see cause to proceed against him as a tyrant We speake not here of other points as namely that all appeales in causes Ecclesiasticall and what doe they not make Ecclesiasticall must finally lie not unto the Prince but unto the Assembly Provinciall That they alow the supreme Magistrate not potestatem juris but only facti while they make him the maintainer of their proceedings but no commander in them These and the like are but petty abridgments of the Praerogative Royall while yet the King a T.C. l. 1. p. 180 submits his Scepter unto the Scepter of Christ and licks the dust of the Churches feete Neither may it be truely said that these are only Speculations There are some of high place yet alive and other some are dead that have felt the smart hereof in their own experience and have seen the worst of all this put in wofull execution As to the second Do we not see it at this day verified among them which hath been so often truly said and as often unadvisedly denied that honos alit artes and contrariwise where due reward of learning and liberal maintenance of the Ministery is fraudulently impaired or injuriously taken away b Ecclesias difcipl pag. 114. there Religion and learning com to decay There Atheisme and Barbarisme and confusion must needs ensue It is too aparent that as

The humble PETITION OF THE MINISTERS Of the Church of England desiring Reformation of certain Ceremonies and abuses of the Church with the ANSWER Of the Vicechancelor the Doctors both the Proctours and other the Heads of Houses in the Vniversity of OXFORD Printed Anno 1641. To the Kings most Excellent Maiestie The humble Petition of the Ministers of the Church of England desiring Reformation of certain Ceremonies and abuses of the Church MOst Gracious and dread Sovereigne seeing it hath pleased the divine Majesty to the great comfort of all good Christians to advance your Highnesse according to your just title to the peaceable government of this Church and Commonwealth of England wee the Ministers of the Gospell in this Land neither as factious men affecting a popular Paritie in the Church nor as Schismaticks ayming at the dissolution of the State Ecclesiasticall but as the faithfull servants of Christ and loyall subjects to your Majestie desiring and longing for the redresse of divers abuses of the Church could do no lesse in our obedience to God service to your Majesty love to his Church then acquaint your Princely Majesty with our particular griefs For as your Princely pen writeth The King as a good Physician must first know what peccant humours his patient naturally is most subject unto before hee can begin his cure And although divers of us that sue for Reformation have formerly in respect of the times subscribed to the book some upon Protestation some upon exposition given them some with condition rather then the Church should have beene deprived of their labour and Ministery yet now we to the number of more then a Thousand of your Majesties Subiects and Ministers all groaning as under a common burden of humane Rites and Ceremonies do with one joynt consent humble our selves at your Majesties feet to be eased and relieved in this behalf Our humble suit then unto your Maiesty is that these offences following some may be removed some amended some qualified 1 In the Church Service That the Crosse in Baptisme Interrogatories ministred to Infants Confirmation as superfluous may be taken away Baptisme not to be ministred by Women and so explaned The Cap and Surplice not urged That examination may goe before the Communion That it be ministred with a Sermon That divers terms of Priests and Absolution and some other used with the Ring in Marriage and other such like in the book may be corrected The long-somnesse of service abridged Church-songs and Musick moderated to better edification That the Lords day be not prophaned The rest upon Holydayes not so strictly urged That there may be an uniformity of doctrine prescribed No Popish opinion to be any more taught or defended No Ministers charged to teach their people to bow at the Name of Jesus That the Canonicall Scriptures onely be read in the Church 2 Concerning Church Ministers That none hereafter be admitted into the Ministery but able and sufficient men and those to preach diligently and especially upon the Lords day That such as be already entred and cannot preach may either be removed and some charitable course taken with them for their reliefe or else to be forced according to the value of their livings to maintain Preachers That Non-residency be not permitted That King Edwards Statute for the lawfulnesse of Ministers marriage be revived That Ministers be not urged to subscribe but according to the Law to the Articles of Religion and the Kings Supremacy onely 3 For Churchlivings and maintenance That Bishops leave their Commendams some holding Prebends some Parsonages some Vicarages with their Bishopricks That double-beneficed men be not suffered to hold some two some three Benefices with Cure and some two three or foure dignities besides That Impropriations annexed to Bishopricks and Colleges be demised only to the Preachers Incumbents for the old Rent That the Impropriations of Laymens fee may be charged with a sixt or seventh part of the worth to the mayntenance of the preaching Minister 4 For Church Discipline That the Discipline and Excommunication may be administred according to Christs own institution Or at the least that enormities may be redressed As namely That Excommunication come not forth under the name of lay persons Chancellours Officials c. That men be not excommunicated for trifles and twelve peny matters That none be excommunicated without consent of his Pastor That the Officers be not suffered to extort unreasonable fees That none having jurisdiction or Register places put out the same to farm That divers Popish Canons as for restraint of marriage at certain times be reversed That the longsomnesse of suits in Ecclesiasticall courts which hang sometime two three foure five six or seven years may be restrained That the Oath ex Officio whereby men are forced to accuse themselves be more sparingly used That licenses for mariage without Banes asked be more cautiously granted These with such other Abuses yet remayning and practised in the Church of England we are able to shew not to be agreeable to the Scriptures if it shall please your Highnesse further to heare us or more at large by writing to be enformed or by conference among the learned to be resolved And yet we doubt not but that without any farther processe your Majesty of whose Christian judgement we have received so good a tast already is able of your selfe to judge of the equity of this cause God wee trust hath appointed your Highnesse our Physician to heale these diseases And we say with Mordecay to Hester who knoweth whether you are come to the Kingdome for such a time Thus your Majesty shall do that which we are perswaded shall be acceptable to God honorable to your Majestie in all succeeding ages profitable to his Church which shall be thereby encreased comfortable to your Ministers which shall be no more suspended silenced disgraced imprisoned for mens traditions and prejudiciall to none but to those that seeke their own quiet credit and profit in the World Thus with all dutifull submission referring our selves to your Majesties pleasure for your gracious answer as God shall direct you we most humbly recommend your Highnesse to the divine Majesty whom we beseech for Christ his sake to dispose your royall heart to doe herein what shall be to his glory the good of his Church and your endlesse comfort Your Majesties most humble Subjects The Ministers of the Gospell that desire not a disorderly Innovation but a due and godly Reformation The Answer of the Vicechancelor the Doctours both the Proctours and other the Heads of Houses in the Vniversity of OXFORD To the Petition of the Ministers of the Church of England desiring Reformation In their Petition there are three principall parts 1 A Preface 2 A Complaint consisting of foure speciall points In every of them they desire that certain Ceremonies and Abuses may be some of them removed some amended some qualified 3 A Conclusion For answer whereunto 1 In Generall WE most humbly beseech his