Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	1,708	5	10.0860	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43220	The speech of Nicholas Heath Lord Chancellor of England, Lord President of Wales, Bishop of Worcester, and afterward Archbishop of York and ambassadour into Germany / delivered in the Upper House of Parliament in the year 1555 ; proofs from Scripture that Christ left a true church and that there is no salvation but in the Catholick and Apostolick Church ; proofs from the Fathers that there is no salvation to be expected out of the true Catholick and Apostolick Church ; certain principles of the first authors of the Reformation not so well known to many of their followers ; the principle of the Catholick Apostolick Church ; testimony of the Fathers concerning the real presence.	Heath, Nicholas, 1501?-1578.	1688 (1688)	Wing H1337; ESTC R35988	79,776	181

Church and that the Bishop of Rome is Patriarch of the West is acknowledged by King James and T. Bishop of Winchester Now for a part to set up against the whole for a few Bishops of one National Church to Reform the Church of all Nations and for a National Synod to condemn all the General Councils at once is what all the Learning in the World can not justifie I would fain know why b● the same reason might not the Metropolitan of York Reform the National Church of England if he should pretend gross intollerable errours or the Diocesan of Carlile Reform the Metropolitan of York on the same score and any single Presbyte● again his Diocesan of Carlisles which indeed happen'd in the fundamental Reformation when Luther first Revolved and though but a single Presbyter yet took up on him boldly to Reform not only his own Superiour or Diocesan but even no less than the five Proto-Patriarchs at once The Church of Christ is surely an Established Government with power sufficient to chastise her Rebellious Subjects and certainly our Saviour never meant that every Presbyter should be Independent or that ever Bishop should be so or that every Province should be so nor that any Rational Church should be independent of the Whole For our Saviour expresses himself clearly that all his Sheep should be fed by one visible Head that all the Christians in the whole world should be subject to one Law and he gave sufficient Authority for the putting of it in execution If any private Gentleman here in England should declare he found gross intolerable Errours in the Government that he absolutely disliked Monarchy and should stir up a Party in the Nation to a Rebellion against the King. Suppose a Peer should do so or suppose a Province as for Instance that of Kent should pretend to discover these Errours and Revoult from their Sovereign what think you would not that Gentleman that Peer or that Province deservedly fall under the punishment of the Law and be thought by all the World guilty of Treason The Aplication is obvious and I defie any Man living to shew the disparity for the National Church of England was at least as much and as unavoidably subject to the Western Patriach Church as any one Province of England to the Laws of the whole Kingdom I never yet saw this objection answer'd nor any plausible reason given for the Grounds and Motives of the English Reformation And indeed the Schism is so obvious the Defection so apparently inexcusable and the Motives that induc'd Henry the VIII and those that prevailed with Edward thee VI. and Q. Eliz. so notoriously scandalous as Blood Divorce Perjury Sacriledge the maintainance of an Usurped Title that it seemeth to me little less than a Miracle how considering Men who have regard to their Eternal wellfare should be able to persuade themselves into a Belief that they may safely venture in the Communion of a Church sprung out of the Ruins of Churches and Religious Houses begun with the Divorce of Queen Catherine reveled with the Blood of Mary Queen of Scots made an Engine of state to support the Precatious Title of an Usurper and which has continued ever since in force by vertue of Sanguinary Penal Laws This subject has given occasion and vent to many Volumes and I might easily have extended it to a far greater length but I hope the Brevity will recommend it to the Perusal of all those who will not lose themselves and the Question in reading prolix Discourses I hope the old way of Answering will be no more taken up by Protestants to confute this or any Paper of the same Nature For when they can find no Reasons nor Arguments that may pass with Discerning Men to justifie the defection of the English Church or satisfie the people that the Roman is not the Catholick Church they still fly from the point in hand into Harangues and Rhetorical Digressions falling foul on some Doctrine of the Romish Church which they endeavour with Tropes and figures to paint out in the colours of Idolatry and Superstition Thus when hard pressed with the Sin of Schism and not able to justifie their Seperation they fall a railing at Transubstantiation Purgatory c. I would caution every Man that searches after Truth not to be put of with this Sophistry If the English Church can not shew Persuasive Arguments for her deserting her Mother the Church of Rome she fails in what is expected from her 'T is enough to fall foul on particular Doctrines she ought to shew that no subjection was due from her to the Western Patriarchal Church In treating of particular Controversies as Purgatory c. the Roman Church is very well able to satisfie all reasonable and impartial Men but she knows 't is the trick of Protestant Writers to wheedle Men into the Labyrinth of Controversial points and then dezle their eyes with fine words and elaborate Expressions I will Insert a Speech made in Parliament against Supreme Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Authority granted to Queen Elizabeth The Person that spake it was Nicholas Heath who was first Bishop of Worcester and Lord President of Wales Afterwards Arch-bishop of York and Embassador into Germany And made Lord Chancellor of England by Queen Mary in the year of our Lord 1555 and continued until he did surrender it up in Queen Elizabeth's time to Sir Nicholas Bacon The Person from whom I had this Speech is yet living who told me That he found it in Manuscript amongst Papers and Notes of his great Grandfather George Parrey who had been High Sheriff of Hereford-shire in the second year of the said Queen A Speech Made in the Vpper House of Parliament against the Supemacy to be in Her Majesty by Nicholas Heath Lord Chancellour of England in the first year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth above an 100 years fince In the Original Copy it is stiled A Tale told in Parliament For Oaths the Land shall be Cloathed in Mourning My LORDS WIth all humble submission of my whole Discourse to your Wisdoms I purpose to speak to the Body of this Act touching the Supremacy that so what this Honourable Assembly is now adoing concerning the passing of this Act may thereby be better weighed and considered by your Wisdoms First When by the Virtue of this Act of Supremacy we must forsake and fly from the See of Rome it would be considered what matter lies therein and what matter of danger or inconvenience or else whether there be none at all Secondly If the intent of this Act be to grant or settle upon the Queens Majesty a Supremacy it would be considered of your Wisdoms what this Supremacy is and whether it doth consist in Spiritual Government or Temporal If in Temporal what further Authority can this House give Her more than what She already hath by right of Inheritance And not by your Gift but by the Appointment of God Being our Sovereign Lord and

any but as each Congregation Synod particular Doctor or Man of sound judgement interprets it and consequently what ever Doctrine any man of sound judgement Interprets it judges to be of Scripture is to be esteem'd the Doctrine of the Reformation and you may safely believe it if you like it and remain still as truly a Reformed Child as the proudest Protestant of England The Rule of Faith is Scripture as any particular Doctor of person of sound Judgement understands it Behold how convincingly first we have heard Luther quoted but now say We receive nothing but Scripture but so as that we must have some Authority to Interpret it Hear him again d In Colloq mensal fol. 118. The Governours and Pastors have Power to teach but the sheep must give their judgement f In Defens Art. Reliq Protest pag. 199. whether they propose the Voice of Christ or of strangers And again e To. Wittem fol. 374. Christ has taken from the Bishops Councils and Pastors the right of Doctrine and given it to all Christians in general and the Rule is Scripture as each one will think fit to interpret it And in consequent to this we have heard him say above I will be free and will not submit to Doctors Councils or Pastors but will teach whatever I think to be true Barlow The Apostles have given to each particular Man the right and power of Interpreting and judging by his inward spirit what is true it is needless that any Man or Angel Pope or Council should instruct you the spirit working in the Heart and Scripture are to each particular Person most assured Interpreters Bilson Bishop of Winchester says the same g In his true difier par 2. pag. 353. The people must be discerners and judges of what is taught Our Religion has no other rule of Faith says our French Reformation by the mouth of Du Moulin h Boucler de lay Foy. Drelincourt and the holy Synod of Charenton but the written Word of God as Interpreted by us It matters not so much for you to know what I approve or condemn but to know what the Doctrine of the Reformation is It is this That none can Teach Preach Administer Sacraments or Exercise Ecclesiastical Functions if he be not in Holy Orders Bishop Priest or Deacon for the Church of England teaches it and you may believe it if you please You may also deny it and say any Woman or Tradesmen has as much power to Preach and administer the Sacraments as the ablest Bishop in England This also is the Doctrine of the Reformation as well as the former because Quakers Presbyterians Brownists Anabaptists c. Believe and Teach this and they are men of as sound judgements and as good Reformers as the Protestants nay the most learned of our Reformaers allow Women a right to exercise Spiritual Functions and Administer the Sacraments Samaise Peter Martyr In lib ad Corin c. 11. in Explan Art. 17. To. 2. de minist Eccles instit fol. 369 lib. de Cap. Babil c. de Ordin lib. de abroganda Missa and Zuinlius expresly defend the Priesthood as well of Women as Men And Luther proves it strongly The first Office of a Priest says he is to Preach this is common to all even Women the second to Baptize which is also common to Women the third is to Consecrate Bread and Wine and this also is common to all as well as to Men and in the absence of a Priest a Woman may Absolve from Sins as well as the Pope because the words of Christ Whatever ye shall untye on Earth shall be untyed in Heaven were sad to all Christians And when so eminent Men had not said it Reason and Scripture convinces it Reason because that our Rule of Faith being Scripture as each Person of sound judgement understands it many Women undoubtedly are of sound judgement and why should not their Interpretation of Scripture pass for the Doctrine of the Reformation as well as that of our Bishops and Ministers Scripture because we read the Samariatan Woman was the first who preached the Messias to the City of Samaria and Christ commanded Mary Magdalen to go to Preach his Resurrection to his Disciples and we know by our Chronicles that our glorious Queen Elizabeth of blessed Memory did not only govern the state but was a great Apostoless in Church affairs To what purpose then have we Bishops and Ministers who enjoy so vast Revenues if any Man or Women can Preach and Administer the Sacraments as well as they You may believe Bishops and Ministers are very needful for the service of the Church for they being commonly learned witty Men and having Wives they come to instruct Wives so well that the good Women come in a short time to be as learned as their Husbands and as nimble and quick in the Ecclesiastical Ministery as if they were permitted to exercise it as some Authors of Credit relate unto us that a Gentleman of Constance writ to his friend in a Village about three Leagues distant from that City whose Inhabitants were for the most part of our Lutheran Reformation the good Pastor exhorted his Flock to prepare for Easter Communion that none should presume to come to the Holy Table but should first Confess and receive Absolution of his Sins Easter Holy days being come such a multitude flock'd to Confession that the Pastor could not satisfie the Devotion of so great a Croud he called his Wife to help him to hear Confessions and to give them Absolution in which Ministery the good Lady did Labour with great satisfaction of the Penitents but neither the Pastor nor his vertuous Consort being able to dispatch so great a multitude he called his Maid Servant who did work in the Holy Ministery with as much expedition as her Master For after all the Church of Scotland France and all England Protestants excepted will tell you that Bishops and Ministers are not needful nay that they are very prejudicial to the Reformation and State To the Reformation because this Hierarchy was the Bishops Court Surplices Corner Caps and other Trumperies puts the flock in mind of Popery whereof it 's a perfect Resemblance I remember a discourse started in the House of Lords not many years ago by his Grace the Duke of Buckingham he desired to know what it was to be a Protestant and wherein did Protestancy properly consist The Bishops who were present looked one upon another and whether they feared the difficulty of the Question or that for modesty's sake each expected to hear another speak first they stood silent for a while at last the Ice was broken by one others followed but hardly any two agreed and all that the Duke could gather out of their ●…al Answers was That our Rule of ●aith was Scripture as Interpreted by the Parliament and Church of England Whereupon he concluded We have been these hundred years very busie to settle Religion