Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	church_n	city_n	presbyter_n	1,849	5	11.3706	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38258	Eikōn basilikē, The pourtraicture of His Sacred Majestie in his solitudes and sufferings; Eikon basilike.	Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; Gauden, John, 1605-1662.	1648 (1648)	Wing E268; ESTC R18840	116,516	280

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 and utter alienation of those Church-lands from any Ecclesiasticall uses So great a power hath the stream of times and the prevalency of parties over some mens judgements of whose so sudden and so totall 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 appeare the greatest Enemies to and Betrayers of their owne interest for Presbytery is never so considerable or effectuall as when it is joyned to and crowned with Episcopacy All Ministers wil find as great a difference in po●nt of thriving between the favour of the People and of Princes as plants doe between being watered by hand or by the sweet and liberall dews of Heaven The tenuity and contempt of Clegy-men will soone let them see what a poore carcasse they are when parted from the influence of that Head to whose Supremacy they have been sworne A little moderation might have prevented great mischiefs I am firme to Primitive Episcopacy not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it Discretion without passion might easily reforme 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 and popular principle and practise all wise men abhorre For those secular additaments and ornaments of Authority Civill Honour and Estate which My Predecessours and Christian Princes in all Countries have annexed to Bishops and 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 Hospitality meet strengthenings of their Authority in point of respect and observance which in peacefull 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 judgment 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 restraine them will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian parity 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 doe not gratifie any designe or passion with the least perverting of Truth And now I appeale to God above and all the Christian world whether it be just for Subjects or pious for Christians by violence and infinite indignities with servile restraints to seek to force Me their KING and Soveraigne as some men have endeavoured to doe against all these grounds of My Judgment to consent to their weak and divided novelties The greatest Pretender of them desires not more than I doe 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 waies 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 Countrey or else they deny these most evident Truths That the Apostles were Bishops over those Presbyters they ordained as well as over the Churches they planted and that Government being necessary for the Churches wel-being when multiplied and sociated must also necessarily 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 and may so still if ignorance superstition avarice revenge and other disorderly and disloyall passions had not so blowne up some mens minds against it that what they want of Reasons or Primitive Patterns they supply with violence and oppression wherein some mens zeale for Bishops Lands Houses and Revenues hath set them on worke to eate up Episcopacy which however other men esteem to Me is no lesse sin than Sacriledge or a robbery of GOD the giver of all we have of that portion which devout mindes have thankfully given againe 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 himselfe Furthermore as to My particular engagement above other men by an Oath agreeable to My judgement I am solemnly obliged to preserve that Government and the Rights of the Church Were I convinced of the unlawfullnesse of the Function as Antichristian which some men boldly but weakly calumniate I could soone with Judgment break that Oath which erroneously was taken by Me. But being daily by the best disquisition of truth more confirmed in the Reason and 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 Sacriledge and Perjury besides the many personall Injustices I must doe to many worthy men who are as legally invested in their Estates as any who seek to deprive them and they have by no Law been convicted of those crimes which might forfeit their Estates and Lively-hoods I have oft wondred how men pretending to tendernesse 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 freedome which every man ought to preserve of which they seem so tender in their own Votes yet at the same time these men will needs perswade Me That I must and ought to dispence 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 lot should be valid in that part which both My self and all men in their own case esteem injurious unreasonable as being against the very naturall and essentiall liberty of our soules yet it should be invalid and to be broken in another clause wherein I think My selfe justly obliged both to God and Man Yet upon this Rack chiefly have I been held so long by

attend the cry and hollow of those Men who hunt after Factious and private Designes to the ruine of Church and State Did My judgment tell Me that the Propositions sent to Me were the Results of the Major part of their Votes who exercise their freedome as well as they have a right to sit in Parliament I should then suspect My own judgment for not speedily and fully concurring with every one of them For I have charity enough to think there are wise men among them and humility to think that as in some things I may want so 't is fit I should use their advise which is the end for which I called them to a Parliament But yet I cannot allow their wisdome such a compleatnesse and inerrability as to exclude My self since none of them hath that part to Act that Trust to discharge nor that Estate and Honour to preserve as My selfe without whose Reason concurrent with theirs as the Suns influence is necessary in all natures productions they cannot beget or bring forth any one compleat and authoritative Act of publique wisdome which makes the Lawes But the nnreasonablenesse of some Propositions is not more evident to Me than this is That they are not the joynt and free desires of those in their Major number who are of right to Sit and Vote in Parliament For many of them savour very strong of that old leaven of Innovations masked under the name of Reformation which in My two last famous Predecessours daies heaved at and sometime threatned both Prince and Parliaments But I am sure was never wont so far to infect the whole masse of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdome however it dispersed among the Vulgar Nor was it likely so suddenly to taynt the Major part of both Houses as that they should unanimously desire and affect so enormous and dangerous innovations in Church and State contrary to their former education practise and judgement Not that I am ignorant how the choice of many Members was carried by much faction in the Countries some thirsting after nothing more than a passionate revenge of what ever displeasure they had conceived against me my Court or the Clergy But all Reason bids me impute these sudden and vast desires of change to those few who armed themselves with the many-headed and many-handed Tumults No lesse doth Reason Honour and Safety both of Church and State command me to chew such morsels before I let them downe If the straitnesse of my Conscience will not give me leave to swallow down such Camels as others doe of Sacriledge and injustice both to God and man they have no more cause to quarrell with me than for this that my throat is not so wide as theirs Yet by Gods help I am resolved That nothing of passion or peevishnesse or list to contradict or vanity to shew my negative power shall have any byas upon my judgment to make me gratifie my will by denying any thing which my Reason and Conscience commands me not Nor on the other side will I consent to more than Reason Justice Honour and Religion perswade me to be for Gods glory the Churches good my Peoples welfare and my owne peace I will study to satisfie my Parliament and my People but I will never for feare or flattery gratifie any Faction how potent soever for this were to nourish the disease oppresse the body Although many mens loyalty and prudence are terrified from giving me that free and faithfull counsell which they are able and willing to impart and I may want yet none can hinder me from craving of the counsell of that mighty Counsellour who can both suggest what is best and incline my heart stedfastly to follow it O thou first and eternall Reason whose wisdome is fortified with omnipotency furnish thy Servant first with cleare discoveries of Truth Reason and Iustice in My Understanding then so confirme My will and resolution to adhere to them that no terrours injuries or oppressions of my Enemies may ever inforce me against those rules which thou by them hast planted in My Conscience Thou never madest me a King that I should be lesse than a Man and not dare to say Yea or Nay as I see cause which freedome is not denied to the meanest creature that hath the use of Reason and liberty of speech Shall that be blameable in Me which is commendable veracity and constancy in others● Thou seest O Lord with what partiality and injustice they deny that freedome to Me their KING which Thou hast given to all ●en and which Themselves pertinaciously challenge to themselves while they are so tender of the least breach of their priviledges To Thee I make my supplication who canst guide us by an unerring rule through thy perplexed Labyrinths of our owne thoughts and other mens proposalls which I have some cause to suspect are purposely cast as snares that by My granting or denying them I might be more entangled in those difficulties wherewith they lie in wait to afflict Me. O Lord make thy way plaine before Me. Let not My owne sinfull passions cloud or divert thy sacred suggestions Let thy glory be my end thy word my rule and then thy will be done I cannot please all I care not to please some men If I may be happy to please thee I need not feare whom I displease Thou that makest the wisdome of the world foolishnesse and takest in their owne devices such as are wise in their owne conceits make me wise by thy Truth for thy honour my Kingdoms generall good and my owne soules salvation and I shall not much regard the worlds opinion or diminution of me The lesse wisdome they are willing to impute to me the more they shall be convinced of thy wisdome directing me while I deny nothing fit to be granted out of crosnesse or humour nor grant any thing which is to be denied out of any feare or flattery of men Suffer me not to be guilty or unhappy by willing or inconsiderate advancing any mens designes which are injurious to the publique good while I confirme them by my consent Nor let me be any occasion to hinder or defraud the publique of what is best by any morose or perverse d●ssentings Make me so humbly charitable as to follow their advise when it appeares to be for the publ●que good of whose affections to me I have yet but few evidences to assure Me. Thou canst as well blesse honest errours as blast fraudulent counsells Since we must give an account of every evill and idle word in private at thy Tribunall Lord make me carefull of those solemne Declarations of my mind which are like to have the greatest influence upon the Publique either for woe or weale The lesse others con●ider what they aske make me the more solicitous what I answer Though Mine owne and My Peoples pressures are grievous and peace would be very pleasing yet Lord never suffer Me to avoid the one or purchase the other