Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A31175
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A scholasticall discourse demonstrating this conclusion, that ... neither the Pope, nor those called bishops in the church of Romes, are bishops either in order or jurisdiction ... / by R.C.
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R. C.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing C114; ESTC R24124
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11,034
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32
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Well let us see whether the Pope were Founder of the See of Canterbury as Erastus so vainly and without any authority or reason affirmeth That S. Paul did preach the Gospel here in England is affirmed by Theod. l. 9. de curandis Graecorum affectibus Paulum è priori captivitate Roma dimissum Britannis aliis in occidente Evangelium praedicasse and Nicephorus sayes that Simon Zelotes doctrinam Evangelii ad Occidentalem Oceanum Insulasque Britannicas perfert Lib. 2. c. 40. But I do no where find that ever any Christian Church was planted and endowed in any part of Britain now called England before King Lucius his time Lib. 1. c. 4. which Beda sayes was Anno Christi 156. and in the Reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus yet in the year 156. Antoninus Pius reigned In vita Sancti Eluth p. 20 21. and until 160. when Pla sayes the 25 Flamens * In London York and Carleton whereof three were Arch-Flamens were converted into Bishopricks and Arch-bishopricks some say the chief and Metropolitane of all was the Arch-bishoprick of London I speak this to shew if this were so how the Primacy came to be founded in Canterbury and by whom After the English Saxons had not onely driven the ancient Britans our of that part of Britain now called England some into that part of France called Britannia Aremorica others into Wales where Christianity continued when the English Saxons were converted but also the free exercise of Christianity they continued Pagan till their conversion by S. Austin and Miletus sent by S. Gregory the Great But though Austine was sent by the Pope yet did he not upon that mission presume to enter King Ethelbert's Dominions without leave but in the Isle of Thanet gave the King an account of his Embassie who commanded him and his followers to remain in the Isle and provided them necessaries till he should see convenient how further to dispose of them After Austin had declared his message he received leave of the King and went to preach in Kent where the King gave him and his followers dwellings in Canterbury which was the Metropolis of his Empire and also leave to preach Bed Eccles Hist Gent. Ang. cap. 25. Afterward before he was made a Bishop or had given any account to the Pope or received any message from him cap. 26. the Content sayes Ut idem viz. Augustinus in Cantio primitivae Ecclesiae doctrinam sit imitatus vitā atque in urbe Regis sedē Episcopatus acceperit How the same man viz. Austin in Kent imitated the doctrine and life of the Primitive Church and received his Episcopal See in the City of the King And the Chap. sayes Austin and those joyned with him upon the King's conversion to the Faith in all things received a greater liberty to preach and to build and restore Churches And at the end sayes Neither did the King delay but gave to his Teachers in the Metropolis of Canterbury a See or place of Seat agreeable to their degree and also conferred upon it necessary provisions of divers kinds Nec distulit quin etiam Doctoribus suis locum Sedis eorum gradui congruum in Doroverniâ Metropoli suâ donaret simul necessarias in diversis speciebus possessiones conferret And it is in the 27. chap. where Beda relates how he went into France to Arles and there was ordained by Etherius Arch-bishop of that City Arch-bishop and after he returned into England he presently sent to Rome Laurence the Priest and Peter the Monk who should give an account to the holy Bishop Gregory how the Nation of England had received the Faith and how he was made a Bishop CHAP. IV. Shewing the Bishops in the Church of England are Bishops Jurisdictione viz. are rightfully invested and installed in their Bishopricks and regularly may exercise in their Dioceses any Episcopal Act. I Will not dispute the power of God in his miraculous propagating of Christianity by the means of poor men and by setting of Dissention and Discord in the World all temporal powers contradicting it nor is it reasonable for any man to imagine that after Christian Faith and Religion is received and planted in any place that there men should expect that God would continue it by miracle but that they ought to use what means they can to support them nor can Erastus Senior by a Bishop Jurisdictione as of London or Canterbury mean this but of a planted Christian Church where the State as well as Church is Christian We Erastus and my self both agree that the Order of Bishops is a Divine Institution and therefore it cannot suscipere magis aut minus because no less power then that which made a thing can alter it and being a Divine Institution all Episcopal Acts are done and never to be undone in one place as much as another and therefore wheresoever any Bishop does confirm a man ordain a Bishop Priest or Deacon or consecrate any place to the worship and service of God these Acts are not onely done but are indeleble characters and can never be wiped out But what power that is which founds and confines Bishopricks and qualifies men so as none but such men can regularly exercise any Episcopal Act in such limits or precincts is now to be enquired into First then I answer negatively the endowments and limits of a Bishoprick are not in Spiritual Jurisdiction or cognisance for nothing is purely Spiritual but what is derived from our Saviour either immediately or mediately but the limits and endowments of Bishopricks are temporal things and our Saviour sayes Joh. 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world and Joh. 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world but that by him he might save the world and Lu. 12.14 O man who made me a Judge or Divider among you Nor can it ever be shewed wherein Christianity does in any respect detract from the Regality of Princes or temporal Powers And as under the Gospel so under the old Law though the Priesthood were a Divine Institution yet were the Priests subject to the temporal Powers and their Cities assigned by temporal Powers Exo. 4.16 Moses was in the stead of God to Aaron Josh 21.8 and the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these Cities with their Suburbs as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people c. and Kings shall be thy nursing fathers Isa 49.22 23. and their Queens thy nursing mothers says the Prophet Isaiah Yet never after was there any King of Judah but Idolaters and the Children of Israel were then carried into so strange a captivity that to this day is unknown what became of them This Prophecy then has reference to Christian Kings in them it is fulfilled Christian Kings therefore may and ought to nurse