Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	form_n	prayer_n	set_a	6,981	5	11.4340	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43718	Plus ultra, or, Englands reformation, needing to be reformed being an examination of Doctor Heylins History of the reformation of the Church of England, wherein by laying together all that is there said ... / written by way of letter to Dr. Heylin by H.N. ...	Hickman, Henry, d. 1692.	1661 (1661)	Wing H1913; ESTC R19961	41,680	57

in the Word against them and there is an express command to obey the laws and constitutions of our Superiors and therefore obedience is due though not for the things themselves yet for the Authorities sake enjoyning them In answer to this weighty objection we shall propose these Queries Whether the talent of Authority be faithfully and rightly laid out and improved in making that necessary which God in his Word hath in silence past by and so left indifferent We do not dislike Dr. Pierce his Scala of Obedience mentioned pag. 33. of his Synodica Concio à Synodo ad Regem à Rege statim ad Deum that we must proceed in the path of our obedience from the Convocation to the King from the King immediately to God we are very well pleased with this order though the Doctor would have it otherwise pag. 39. We know God hath tied every soul to be subject unto the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. and God requires the higher powers to be subject unto himself Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Whether by parity of reason Authority may free us where God hath bound us as bind us to observe such things where God hath left us free Whether if Authority judge it meet to bind us to indifferents such things be to be enjoyned which administer offence to the Reformed Churches abroad and to many good men at home and link us in a conformity to that Church from which in many other things we have separated We shall take a little liberty to debate upon this last Querie waving at present the two former We shall speak first to the first branch First therefore we say that the things before mentioned Liturgy Vestments c. have been an offence to the Reformed Churches abroad You tell us pag. 79. part 1. That Bucer who was sent for over to be Regius Professor in Cambridge was not well satisfied in some particular branches of the Liturgy you tell us he had given an account to Calvin of the English Liturgy desiring a Letter from him to the Lord Protector which you say pag. 80. proved the occasion of much trouble to the Church and Orders of it In this Letter you say Calvin approving well enough of set forms of Prayer descends particularly to the English Liturgy and makes it his advice it is wholsome counsel Mr. Doctor and for this alone your rash pen flings so much scorn on that learned and blessed man that all these Ceremonies should be abrogated that he should go forwards to reform the Church without fear but not as you say without wit without regard of peace at home or correspondency abroad such considerations being to be had in Civil matters but not in matters of the Church wherein as you quote his own words in latine in your Margin not any thing is to be exacted which is not warranted by the Word doth not Jewel say so and in the managing whereof there is not any thing more distastefull in the eyes of God then worldly wisdom either in moderating cutting off or going backwards but meerly as we are directed by his will revealed You tell us in the same page he toucheth on the Book of Homilies permits them very faintly for a season you say but by no means allows of them for along continuance or to be looked on as a rule of the Churches or constantiy to serve for the instruction of the people Would you have it so Mr. Doctor The Church and people of God are then little beholding to you The Churches rule is the Word of God and the people of God have found far better helps for their instruction by painfull and able Preachers and hope it shall be so still then the reading of a Homily by a simple non-preaching Curate You add concerning Calvin pag. 80. That he must needs trouble the Protector about the Ceremonies that he writes to him you quote his own words in the Margin to this effect you say That the Papists would grow insolenter every day then other unless the differences were composed about the Ceremonies But how say you not by reducing the opponents to conformity which it seems you would have but by encouraging them rather in their opposition and that he solicited the Protector in behalf of Hooper who was then fallen into some trouble about the Ceremonies Do not you see Mr. Doctor that these Ceremonies have ever been the occasion of trouble You tell us next of Peter Martyr a great and eminent Divine as you report him pag. 97. part 1. yet pag. 92. you tell us That Caps and Surplices were utterly opposed by him That he thinks it you quote his own words in your Margin most expedient to the good of the Church that they and all others of that kind should be taken away And he gives you say this reason for it That where such Ceremonies were so stifly contended for which were not warranted and supported by the Word of God there commonmonly men lay your hand upon your heart Doctor were less solicitous of the substance of religion then they were of the circumstances of it and you say he tells of himself in one of his Epistles that he had never used the Surplice when he lived in Oxford though he were then a Canon of Christs-Church and frequently present in the Quire You tell us pag. 107. part 1. That Calvin desiring esteem here in England as well as in other places writes to King Edward after the Refomation had gone as far forward as ever it went that many things were still amiss in England which needed Reformation Thus Sir by your own confessions Liturgy and Ceremonies have been an offence and trouble to the Reformed Churches abroad Martin Bucer Peter Martyr and Calvin the glorious lights of these Churches men of renown in the Church of God have strugled and born witness against them The last but not the least of which three worthies for he is the chiefest of the three Mr. Iohn Calvin then whom the Church of God since the time of the Apostles never had a more choice and happy instrument both for learning piety wisdom moderation and diligence you and most of the sacred Hierarchy as you stile it do still decry and vilifie as Iosephs Brethren did him because he brings your evil report amongst the Churches and cries down your Diana Liturgy and Ceremonies as not warranted by the Word and so not to be endured in the Church of God Never shall you or any man by all your starcht Oratory bring Mr. Calvin out of credit in the Churches of God they have tasted such a soul edifying and strengthning sweetness in his learned and happy labours that you may assoon perswade the Church of God that the Sun is dark and Honey bitter as that Mr. Calvin was not a heavenly spiritual holy man But this is no new thing Mr. Doctor to hit men desirous to see the Church perfectly reformed in the teeth with Calvin and Zuinglius as if they were a couple

yet by the tenour of the Act you mention it doth appear first That there was nothing contained in the said first book but what was agreeable to the Word of God and the Primitive Church Secondly That such doubts as had been raised in the use and exercise thereof proceeded rather from the curiosity of the Minister and mistakers then any worthy cause they are the very words of the Act as you quote them And therefore Mr. Doctor you might have spared your pains p. 108. in seeking the names of those good and godly men by whom it was altered for bona fide there was no alteration at all if you will believe your own Book You tell us p. 121 122. part 1. of the hand the Convocation had in canvasing the Articles of Religion but you question whether they had any such hand in reviewing the Liturgy and you speak of digesting of such alterations as were considered and resolved on but shew not what they were in the least and possibly you say it might recieve the like authority from the Convocation you cannot say it did receive as the book of Articles had But whether so or not say you it received as much authority and countenance as could be given unto it by an Act of Parliament by which it was imposed you say upon the subject under penalties A worthy foundation for divine service And then page 121. p. 1. Mr. Doctor you begin to triumph as if you had got a firm bottom for the Liturgy the Liturgy you say thus setled and confirmed in Parliament was by the Kings command And p. 123. you say we have seen a reformation made in point of doctrine and setled in the forms of worship the superstitions and corruptions of the Church of Rome entirely abrogated good news if it were true and all things recteifed according to the Word of God How prove you this Sir and the Primitive practice we can see nothing but an Act of Parliament This is all account you give us in your History of the Reformation of the Church in the time of King Edward the sixth saving that p. 125. you speak something of Holy dayes and Fasting dayes which were to be abolished or retained But possibly more may be behind we shall not follow you in your History of the Church in the reign of Queen Mary when the Reformation by your own confession went down the wind and the professors and assertors of it persecuted in all parts of the Nation We shall therefore pass on with you to the times of Queen Elizabeth and see what was more done to the repairing and carrying on this work And when we consider what you say in the 103. page of your History of her reign that she retained such as had been of privy Council to Queen Mary her sister to be of her Council of which according as you have set them down there were thirteen of which one was an Archbishop and adding but seven to them it cannot in reason be imagined that Church reformation should be so far from growing to perfection that it is more likely to decrease and wither And so it proved for the Parliament that was summoned which passed an Act as you say p. 110 111. for recommending and imposing the Book of Common Prayer and administration of the Sacraments took care to revise the book and to make alterations and corrections now Mr. Doctor we have found some alterations in the Liturgy and what are they why say you p. 111. great care was taken for expunging mark Mr. Doctor all such passages in it as might give any scandal or offence to the Popish party in the Letany you say the Pope and his detestable enormity were expunged as giving offence and in the delivery of the Sacrament though by Calvins means as you say some Reformation had been made in the second Liturgy in King Edwards time now it is returned back into the first form and besides you say a whole Rubrick was expunged as not favouring the figment of Transubstantiation and not only so but there was made alteration in the Bread of the Sacrament in Alters and the standing of them in gestures vestments musick and what not by which compliances with Rome your plain dealing is commendable the book was made so passable you say p. 111. amongst the Papists that they repaired to our Parish Churches without scruple And to give us a more full account of the State of Religion in these times you tell us p. 172. part 2. Such a well tempered piety did at that time appear in the Devotions of the Church of England that generally the English Papists still resorted to them moreover you tell us p. 131. that Queen Elizabeth doing all this in the form and fashion of our devotions did so far satisfie the Pope then being that he shewed himself willing to confirm all by his Papal power and that Parpalio was instructed to offer in the name of his Holiness that the English Liturgy should be confirmed And now you triumph again p. 173. part 2. as if the matter were past all doubt telling us Thus we have seen the publick Liturgy confirmed in Parliament with divers penalties on all those who either did reproach it or neglect to use it or willfully withdrew their attendance from it But pray you Sir look back to what you say of this Parliament which confirmed the Liturgy p. 107. there wanted not say you some rough and furious spirits in the house of Commons who eagerly opposed all propositions which seemed to tend unto the prejudice of the Church of Rome of which number none so violent as Story Doctor of the Laws and a great instrument of Bonners butcheries others there were say you and doubtless many others also in the house of Commons who had as great a zeal as he to the Papal interest Thus Mr. Doctor we have travailed over your History and have pickt up and laid together the several pieces of this goodly building as you call it that you and others may have the full prospect of it at once and for the integrity of this action in these quotations we appeal to the great searcher of hearts And now Sir would you have the world satisfied in such a Reformation Can the conscience of a Protestant comfortably repose it self on such a foundation as you have here laid We gladly embrace the reformation of Doctrine contained in the book of Articles because we see blessed be God they have a clear and full authority from the Holy Scriptures but Sir you have dealt very deceitfully with your readers in your History in jumbling Doctrine Discipline and Worship together as if because there was a Reformation in Doctrine and that grounded upon the Word of God there must also be a Reformation in the rest too which was little or not at all and that grounded upon the Word also this deceit runs through your book you tell us ever and anon of