Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	apostle_n	govern_v	presbyter_n	3,143	5	10.0726	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69969	Eikōn basilikē The porvtraictvre of His sacred Maiestie in his solitudes and svfferings. Together with His Maiesties praiers delivered to Doctor Juxon immediately before his death. Also His Majesties reasons, against the pretended jurisdiction of the high court of justice, which he intended to deliver in writing on Munday January 22, 1648.	Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649. Reliqiæ sacræ Carolinæ.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.; Dugard, William, 1602-1662. aut	1649 (1649)	Wing E311; ESTC R39418	116,576	254

that speciall dignity which had extraordinary call mission gifts and power immediatly from Christ they contented themselves with the ordinary titles of Bishops and Presbyters untill use the great Arbitrator of words and Master of Language finding reason to distinguish by a peculiar name those persons whose power and office were indeed distinct from and above all other in the Church as suceeding the Apostles in the ordinary and constant power of governing the Churches the honour of whose name they moderately yet commendably declined all Christian Churches submitting to that special anthority appropriated also the name of Bishop without any suspition or reproach of arrogancy to those who were by apostolical propagation rightly descended invested into that highest largest power of governing even the most pure primitive Churches which without all doubt had many such holy Bishops after the pattern of Timothy Titus whose speciall power is not more clearly set down in those Epistles the chief grounds limits of all Episcopall claim as from divine Right then are the Characters of these perilous times those men that make them such who not enduring sound doctrine clear testimonies of all Churches practise are most perverse disputers and proud Usurpers against true Episcopacy who if they be not Traytors and Boasters yet they seem to be very covetous heady high-minded inordinate feirce lovers of themselves having much of the form litle of the power of godlines Who by popular heaps of weak light and unlearned Teachers seeke to over-lay smother the pregnancy and authority of that power of Episcopall government which beyond al equivocation vulgar fallacy of names is most convincingly set forth both by Scripture and all after-Historyes of the Church This I write rather like a Divine than a Prince that Posterity may see if ever these Papers be publick that I had fair grounds both from scripture-Canons Ecclesiasticall examples whereon My judgment was stated for Episcopall government Nor was it any policy of State or obstinacy of wil or partiality of affection either to the men or their Function which fixed Me who cannot in point of worldly respects be so considerable to me as to recompence the injuries and losses I and My dearest relations with My Kingdomes have sustained and hazarded chiefly at first upon this quarrell And not only in Religion of which Scripture is the best rule and the Churches Vniversall practice the best commentary but also in right reason and the true nature of Government it cannot be thought that an orderly Subordination among Presbyters or Ministers should be any more against Christianity then it is in all secular and civill Governments where parity breeds Confusion and Faction I can no more believe that such order is inconsistent with true Religion then good features are with beauty or numbers with harmony Nor is it likely that God who appointed severall orders and a Prelacy in the Government of his Church among the Jewish Priests should abhor or forbid them among Christian Ministers who have as much of the principles of schisme and division as other men for preventing and suppressing of which the Apostolicall wisdom which was divine after that Christians were multiplied to many Congregations and Presbyters with them appointed this way of Government which might best preserve order and union with Authority So that I conceive it was not the favour of Princes or ambition of Presbyters but the wisdome and piety of the Apostles that first setled Bishops in the Church which Authority they constantly used and injoyed in those times which were purest for Religion though sharpest for Persecution Not that I am against the managing of this presidency and authority in one man by the joynt Counsell and consent of many Presbyters I have offerd to restore that as a fit means to avoid those Errours Corruptions and Partialities which are incident to any one man Also to avoyd Tyranny which becomes no Christians least of all Church-men besides it will be a means to take away that burden and odium of afaires which may lie too heavy on one mans shoulders as indeed I think it formerly did on the Bishops here Nor can I see what can be more agreeable both to Reason and Religion then such a frame of Government which is paternall not Magisterial and wherein not only the necessity of avoyding Faction and Confusion Emulations and Cont●mps which are prone to rise among equals in power and function but also the differences of some Ministers gifts and aptitudes for Government above others doth invite to imploy them in reference to those Abilities wherein they are eminent Nor is this judgment of Mine touching Episcopacy any pre-occupation of opinion which wil not admit any oppositions against it it is well knowne I have endeavoured to satisfie my self in what the chiefe Patrons for other wayes can say against this or for theirs And I finde they have as sarr lesse of Scripture grounds and of Reason so for examples and practise of the Church or testimonies of Histories they are wholy destitute where in the whose stream runs so for Episcopacy that there is not the least rivolet for any others As for those obtruded examples of some late reformed Churches for many retain Bishops still whom necessity of times and affaires rather excuseth then commendeth for their inconformity to all Antiquity I could never see any reason why Churches orderly reformed and governed by Bishops should be forced to conforme to those few rather then to the Catholick example of all Ancient Churches which needed no Reformation and to those Churches at this day who Governed by Bishops in all the Christian world are many more then Presbyterians or Independents can pretend to be All whom the Churches in My three Kingdoms lately Governed by Bishops would equalize I think if not exceed Nor is it any point of wisdom or charity where Christians differ as many do in some points there to widen the differences at once to give all the Christian world except a handfull of some Protestants so great a scandall in point of Church-government whom though you may convince of their Errours in some points of Doctrine yet you shal never perswade them that to compleat their Reformation they must necessarily desert and wholly cast off that Government which they and all before them have ever owned as Catholick Primitive and Apostolicall So farre as never Schismaticks nor Hereticks except those Aerians have strayed from the Vnity and Conformity of the Church in that point ever having Bishops above Presbyters Besides the late generall approbation and submission to this Government of Bishops by the Clergy as well as the Laity of these Kindoms is a great confirmation of My Judgement and their inconstancy is a great prejudice against their novelty I cannot in charity so far doubt of their learning or integrity as if they understood not what heretofore they did or that they did confirme contrary to their consciences So that their

facility and levity is never to be excused who before ever the point of Church-government had any free and impartiall debate contrary to their former Oathes and practice against their obedience to the Laws in force and against My consent have not only quite cryed down the government by Bishops but have approved and incouraged the violent and most illegall stripping all the Bishops and many other Church-men of all their due Authority and Revenues even to the selling away utter alienation of those church-lands from any Ecclesiastical uses So great a power hath the stream of times the prevalency of parties over some mens judgements of whose so sudden and so total change little reason can be given besides the Scots Army comming into England But the folly of these men will at last punish it self and the Desertors of Episcopacy will appear the greatest enemies to betrayers of their own interest for Presbytery is never so considerable or effectuall as when it is joyned to and crowned with Episcopacy All Ministers will find as great a difference in point of thriving between the favour of the People of Princes as Plants do betweene being watered by hand or by the sweet and liberal dews of Heaven The tenuity and contempt of Clergy-men wil soon let them see what a poor carcasse they are when parted from the influence of that Head to whose Supremacy they have been sworn A little moderation might have prevented great mischiefs I am firm to Primitive Episcopacy not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it Discretion without passion might easily reform whatever the rust of times or indulgence of laws or corruption of manners have brought upon it It being a grosse vulgar errour to impute to or revenge upon the Function the faults of times or persons which seditious popular principle and practise all wise men abhor For those secular additaments ornaments of Authority civill Honor Estate which My Predecessors Christian Princes in al countries have annexed to Bishops Church-men I look upon them but as just rewards of their learning and piety who are fit to be in any degree of Church-Government also enablements to works of Charity and Hospitality meet strengthenings of their Authority in point of respect and observance which in peaceable times is hardly payed to any Governours by the measure of their vertues so much as by that of their Estates Poverty and meannesse exposing them and their Authority to the contempt of licentious minds and manners which persecuting times much restrained I would have such men Bishops as are most worthy of those incouragements and best able to use them if at any time my judgement of men failed My good intention made My errour veniall And some Bishops I am sure I had whose learning gravity and piety no men of any worth or forehead can deny But of all men I would have Church-men especially the Governours to be redeemed from that vulgar neglect which besides an innate principle of vitious opposition which is in all men against those that seem to reprove or restrain them will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian party which makes all Ministers equall and the Independent inferiority which sets their Pastors below the People This for My judgment touching Episcopacy wherein God knows I do not gratifie any design or passion with the least perverting of truth And now I appeal to God above and all the Christian world whether it be just for Subjects or pious for Christians by violence infinite indignities with servile restraints to seek to force Me their KING and Soveraign as some men have endeavoured to do against al these grounds of My Judgment to consent to their weake and divided noveltis The greatest Pretender of them desires not more then I do That the Church should be governed as Christ hath appointed in true Reason and in Scripture of which I could never see any probable shew for any other wayes who either content themselves with the examples of some Churches in their infancy solitude when one Presbyter might serve one Congregation in a City or Country or else they deny these most evident Truths That the Apostles were Bishops over those Presbyters they ordained as wel as over the Churches they planted and that Government being necessary for the Churches wel-being when multiplyed sociated must also necesarily descend from the Apostles to others after the example of that power and superiority they had above others which could not end with their persons since the use and ends of such Government still continue It is most sure that the purest Primitive and best Churches flourished under Episcopacy may so still if ignorance superstition avarice revenge and other disorderly and disloyall passions had not so blown up some mens minds against it that what they want of Reasons or primitive Patterns they supply with violence and oppression wherein some mens zeal for Bishops Lands Houses Revenues hath set them on work to eat up Episcopacy which however other men esteeme to Me is no lesse sin then Sacriledge or a robbery of God the giver of all we have of that portion which devout minds have thankfuly given again to him in giving it to his Church and Prophets through whose hands he graciously accepts even a cup of cold water as a libation offered to him Furthermore as to My particular engagement above other men by an Oath agreeable to My judgment I am solemnly obliged to preserve that Government and the Rights of the Church Were I convinced of the unlawfulnes of the Function as Antichristian which some men boldly but weakly calumniate I could soon with Judgement break that Oath which erroneously was taken by Me. But being daily by the best disquisition of truth more confirmd in the reason Religion of that to which I am Sworn how can any man that wisheth not My damnation perswade Me at once to so notorious and combined sins of Sacriledg and Perjury besides the many personall Injustices I must doe to many worthy men who are as legally invested in the ir Estates as any who seek to deprive thē and they have by no Law been convicted of those Crimes which might forfeit their estates livelyhoods I have oft wondred how men pretending to tendernes of Conscience and Reformation can at once tell Me that My Coronation Oath binds Me to consent to whatsoever they shall propound to me which they urge with such violence though contrary to all that Rationall and Religious freedom which every man ought to preserve and of which they seem so tender of their own Votes yet at the same time these men will needs perswade Me That I must and ought to dispense with and roundly break that part of My Oath which binds me agreeable to the best light of Reason and Religion I have to maintain the Government and legall Rights of the Church 'T is strange My Oath should be valid in that part which both My self and

but for their weighty and judicious piety than those are whose weaknes or giddines they sought to gratifie by taking it away One of the greatest faults some men found with the Common-Prayer-book I beleive was this That it taught them to pray so oft for Me to which Petitions they had not Loyalty enough to say Amen nor yet charity enough to forbear Reproaches and even cursings of Me in their own forms instead of praying for Me. I wish their Repentance may be their only punishment that seeing the mischiefs which the disuse of publique Liturgyes hath already produced they may restore that credit use and reverence to them which by the ancient Churches were given to Set Formes of sound and wholsome words And thou O Lord which art the same God blessed for ever whose mercies are full of varie y yet of constancy Thou denyest us not a new fresh sense of our old and dayly wants nor despisest renued affections ioyned to constant expressions Let us not want the benefit of thy Churches united wel-advised Devotions Let the matters of our prayers be agreeable to thy will which is alwaies the same and the fervency of our spirits to the motions of thy holy Spirit in us And then we doubt not but thy spirituall perfections are such as thou art neither to be pleased with affected Novelties for matter or manner nor offended with the pious constancy of our petitions in them both Whose variety or constancy thou hast no where either forbidden or commanded but left them to the piety and prudence of thy Church that both may be used neither dispised Keep men in that pious moderation of their Iudgments in matters of Religion that their ignorance may not offend others nor their opinion of their own abilities tempt them to deprive others of what they may lawfully and devoutly use to help their infirmities And since the advantage of Errour consists in novelty and variety as Truths in unity and constancy Suffer not thy Church to be pestered with errours and diformed with undecencies in thy service under the pretence of variety and novelty Nor to be deprived of truth unity and order under this fallacy That constancy is the cause of formality Lord keep us from formall Hypocisie in our own hearts and then we know that praying to thee or praising of thee with David and other holy men in the same formes cannot hurt us Give us wisdome to amend what is amisse within us and there will be lesse to mend without us Evermore defend and deliver thy Church from the effects of blind zeal and over-bold devotion 17. Of the differences betweene the King and the two Houses in point of Church-government TOuching the GOVERNMENT of the Church by Bishops the common Jealousie hath bin that I am earnest and resolute to maintain it not so much out of piety as policy and reason of State Wherein so far indeed reason of State doth induce Me to approve that Government above any other as I find it impossible for a Prince to preserve the State in quiet unlesse he hath such an influence upon Church-men and they such a dependance on Him as may best restraine the seditions exorbitances of Ministers Tongues who with the Keys of Heaven have so far the Keys of the Peoples hearts as they prevaile much by their Oratory to let in or shut out both Peace and Loyalty So that I being as King intrusted by God the Laws with the good both of Church and State I see no reason I should give up or weaken by any change that power and influence which in right and reason I ought to have over both The moving Bishops out of the House of Peers of which I have elsewhere given an account was sufficient to take off any suspicion that I encline to them for any use to be made of their Votes in State affairs Though indeed I never thought any Bishop worthy to sit in that House who would not Vote according to his Conscience I must now in charity be thought desirous to preserve that Government in its right constitution as a matter of Religion wherein both My judgement is justly satisfyed that it hath of all other the fullest Scripture grounds and also the constant practise of all Christian Churches til of late years the tumultuarinesse of People or the factiousnesse and pride of Presbyters or the covetousnesse of some States and Princes gave occasion to some mens wits to invent new modells aud propose them under specious titles of Christs Government Scepter and Kindome the better to serve their turns to whom the change was beneficiall They must give Me leave having none of their temptations to invite Me to alter the Government of Bishops that I may have a Title to their Estates not to believe their pretended grounds to any new wayes contrary to the full and constant testimony of all Histories sufficiently convincing unbiased men that as the Primitive Churches were undoubtedly governed by the Apostls and their immediate Successors first best Bishops so it cannot in reason or charity be supposed that al churches in the world should either be ignorant of the rule by thē prescribed or so soon deviate from their divine and holy patterne That since the first Age for 1500. years not one Example can be produced of any setled Church wherein were many Ministers and Congregations which had not some Bishop above them under whose jurisdiction and government they were Whose constant and universall practise agreeing with so large and evident Scripture-directions and examples as are set down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus for the setling of that Government not in the persons only of Timothy and Titus but in the succession the want of Government being that which the Church can no more dispense with in point of wel-being then the want of the Word Sacraments in point of being I wonder how men came to look with so envious an eye upon Bishops power and authority as to oversee both the Ecclesiasticall use of them and Apostolicall constitution which to Me seems no lesse evidently set forth as to the maine scope design of those Epistles for the setling of a peculiar Office Power and Authority in them as President-Bishops above others in point of Ordination Censures and other acts of Ecclesiasticall discipline then those shorter Characters of the qualities and duties of Presbiter-Bishops and Deacons are described in some parts of the same Epistles who in the latitude and community of the name were then and may now not improperly be called Bishops as to the oversight and care of single Congregations committed to them by the Apostles or those Apostolicall Bishops who as Timothy and Titus succeeded them in that ordinary power there assigned over larger divisions in which were many Presbyters The humility of those first Bishops avoiding the eminent title of Apostles as a name in the Churches stile appropriated from its common notion of a Messenger or one sent to

all men in their own case esteem injurious unreasonable as being against the very natural and essentiall liberty of our souls yet it should be invalid and to be broken in another clause wherein I think my self justly obliged both to God Man Yet upon this Rack chiefly have I been held so long by some mens ambitious covetousnesse and Sacrilegious Cruelty torturing with Me both Church and State in Civill dissentions till I shall be forced to consent and declare that I doe approve what God knowes I utterly dislike and in My Soul abhorre as many wayes highly against Reason Justice and Religion and whereto If I should shamefully and dishonourably give My consent yet should I not by so doing satisfie the divided Interests and Opinions of those Parties which contend with each other as well as both against Me and Episcopacy Nor can My late condesending to the Scots in point of Church-government be rightly objected against Me as an inducement for Me to consent to the like in My other Kingdoms For it should be considered that Episcopacy was not so rooted and setled there as 't is here nor I in that respect so strictly bound to continue it in that Kingdom as in this for what I think in My judgement best I may not think so absolutly necessary for all places and at all times If any shall impute My yeelding to them as My failing and sin I can easily acknowledge it but that is no argument to do so again or much worse I being now more convinced in that point nor indeed hath My yeelding to them bin so happy and successefull as to incourage Me to grant the like to others Did I see any thing more of Christ as to Meeknesse Justice Order Charity and Loyalty in those that pretend to other modes of Government I might suspect My judgement to be biased or fore-stalled with some prejudice wontednes of opinion but I have hitherto so much cause to suspect the contrary in the manners of many of those men that I cannot from them gain the least reputation for their new wayes of Government Nor can I find that in any Reformed Churches whose paterns are so cryed up and obtruded upon the Churches under My Dominion that either Learning or Religion works of Piety or Charity have so flourished beyond what they have done in My Kingdomes by Gods blessing which might make me beleive either Presbytery or Independency have a more benigne influence upon the Church and mens hearts and lives than Episcopacy in its right constitution The abuses of which deserve to be extirpated as much as the use retained for I think it far better to hold to primitive uniform Antiquity than to comply with divided novelty A right Episcopacy would at once satisfie all just desires and interests of good Bishops humble Presbyters and sober people so as Church affairs should be managed neither with tyranny purity nor popularity neither Bishops ejected nor Presbiters despised nor People oppressed And in this integrity both of My judgment Conscience I hope God will preserve Me. For Thou O Lord knowest My uprightnesse and tendernesse as thou hast set me to be a Defender of the Faith and a Protector of thy Church so susser me not by any violence to be overborn against My Conscience Arise O Lord maintaine thine own Cause let not thy Church be deformed as to that Government which derived from thy Apostles hath been retained in purest and primitive times till th● Revenues of the Church became the obiect of secular envy which seeks to rob it of all the incouragements of Learning and Religion Make me as the good Samaritan compassionate and helpfull to thy afflicted Church which some men have wounded and robbed others passe by without regard either to pitty or relieve As my power is from thee so give me grace to use it for thee And though I am not suffered to be Master of my other Rights as a KING yet preserve me in that liberty of Reason love of Religion and thy Churches welfare which are fixed in my Censcience as a Christian Preserve from sacrilegious invasions those temporall blessings which thy providence hath bestowed on thy Church for thy glory Forgive their sinnes and errours who have deserved thy iust permission thus to let in the wilde Boar and subtill Foxes to wast and deforme thy Vineyard which thy right hand hath planted and the dew of Heaven so long watred to a happy and flourishing estate O let me not bear the infamous brand to all Posterity of being the the first Christian KING in this Kingdom who should consent to the oppressions of thy Church and the fathers of it whose errours I would rather with Constantine cover with silence and reform with meeknesse than expose their persons and sacred functions to vulgar contempt Thou O Lord seest how much I have suffered with and for thy Church make no long tarrying O my God to deliver hoth me and it from unreasonable men whose counsels have brought forth and continue such violent confusions by a precipitant destroying the ancient boundaries of thy Churches peace thereby letting in all manner of errours schismes and disorders O thou God of order and of truth in thy good time abate the malice aswage the rage and confound all the mischievous devices of thine mine and thy Churches enemies That I and all that love thy Church may sing praises to thee and ever magnifie thy salvation even before the sons of men 18 Vpon Vxbridge-treaty and other Offers made by the King I Look upon the way of Treaties as a retiring from fighting like Beasts to arguing like Men whose strength should be more in their understandings than in their limbs And though I could seldome get opportunities to Treat yet I never wanted either desire or disposition to it having greater confidence of My Reason than My Sword I was so wholly resolved to yeeld to the first that I thought neither My selfe nor others should need to use the second if once we rightly understood each other Nor did I ever think it a diminution of Me to prevent them with Expresses of My desires and even importunities to Treat It being an office not onely of humanity rather to use Reason than Force but also of Christianity to seek peace and ensue it As I was very unwillingly compelled to defend My self with Arms so I very willingly embraced any thing tending to peace The events of all War by the sword being very dubious and of a Civill VVarre uncomfortable the end had hardly recompencing late repairing the mischief of the means Nor did any successe I had ever enhance with Me the price of Peace as earnestly desired by Me as any man though I was like to pay dearer for it then any man All that I sought to reserve was Mine Honour and My Conscience the one I could not part with as a KING the other as a Christian The Treaty at Uxbridge gave the fairest hopes of an hapdy