Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	city_n	great_a	king_n	7,710	5	3.5489	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09952	The iudgement of a most reuerend and learned man from beyond the seas concerning a threefold order of bishops, with a declaration of certaine other waightie points, concerning the discipline and gouernement of the Church.	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Fielde, John, d. 1588.	1585 (1585)	STC 2021; ESTC S120819	15,412	46

with all the ancient good lawes prouidyng for the resisting of the gouernyng by some few had bene in their former force agayne But besides that the state of the world being quite changed experience of so many ages doeth teach vs too well that vnlesse this roote also be plucked vp it wil come to passe that the same fruite will sprout and bud forth again Finally seing the Lord hath so oftē decided this cōtrouersie of superiority among his own disciples that he shut it cleane out seing the rule both for doctrine good order of the Church is to bee sought for out of the very writings of the apostles it is manifested the churches thē prospered whē all this authoritie of one man ouer the rest yet was not but as that grew vp so al things fell to decay Finally seeyng where the remnants of this gouernment by a few are not cleane taken away the woorke of the Lord is openly hindered Our iudgement is that after the chasing away of this deuise of man the churches shall be wel prouided for if they may be repaired according to the writynges of the Apostles And the reformation as it semeth to vs consisteth herein that first the whole kingdome is to bee deuided into regions Agayne the regions into parishes either of Cities or countrey townes that in places most fit and of greatest assembly be placed pastors beyng lawfully propounded by the company of their owne elders to the kinges christiā maiestie or the deputies therof and allowed of all Lastly beyng receyued of their own people ouer whō they are to be set they be placed promulgation hauing gone before and that in euery parish the pastour may haue with hym fit men to assist him who also may beyng watchfull salue vp the offences not so waighty leauyng the other of greater importance to the whole eldership Also that eldership made of the pastors of parishes both of citie cuntry and a sufficient number of men approoued for their godlines wisedom lawfully also chosen as is aforesayd bee placed in most fitte places who assemblyng at a certaine tyme and place may determine of the Church-affayres of their owne gouernment accordyng to the prescript lawes first set downe in a generall councell and afterward confirmed by the authoritie of the soueraigne maiestie In this company let there be chosen by common voyces one first in order not superior in authoritie who shall be thought most fit and that without making choyse of any certaine place but for a certaine tyme. After the expiryng whereof either let another bee chosen or els the same man is to be established agayne for another tyme by a new consent whose office is to make report of the common affaires to the company to demaund their iudgements and to giue sentence by the iudgement of the eldership hauing no authority giuē him ouer his felows to whō rather he is most subiect In this assembly let nothyng be debated of besides maters of consciēce that by the word of god the lawes of church discipline established drawen out of the worde of God not one whit medling with the authority of the ciuil magistrate And let the soueraign maiesty the lawfull magistrate thereby appointed be keepers of this order the punisher of those that seditiously rage against it But if any shal imagin that this sodain abolishing of both these bishops will minister occasion of new stirres although we see not with what consciēce the bish may so chalenge to themselues the goods of the church or els call thēselues bishops liue like princes of this world yet for to keep the cōmon peace the soueraigne maiesty may leaue vnto thē which are now bishops their reuenues whole for their lyfe tyme so they trouble not the well made order of the Church with prouiding there be none chosen into their place when they bee dead As for the frowardnes of the people it may be kept downe better a great deale by other reynes then by the authoritie of a false named bishop as by preaching of the word of God by censures of the church and the authoritie of the magistrate of the cuntry agaynst the open troubles of the publike state either ecclesiastical or ciuil The Churches may very wel be visited at set times without any great cost and bishoplike pride by thē whō euery eldership hath chosen vnder the K. maiesties authority which wil not be alwais necessary if the elders do rightly execute their office This sitting of the bish with the authority of the voice in the publike estates of the kingdom came in with a manifest abuse cōtrary to the word therfore in our mind is to be vtterly abolished For the bish hath nothing to do in ordring of meer ciuil affairs yet forasmuch as in such assemblies especially some things many times happen belonging to the establishing of the estate order of the churches the kepers wherof the godly magistrates ought to be not the ouer turners as we are taught by the exāple of holy kings It is very necessary that as often as the meetinges of the land are proclaymed intelligence thereof be giuen to the chiefe elders who may bee present in the behalfe of their seignories yet not sittyng as iudges but dealing about matters of the church onely with the estates of the land as their elderships haue giuen them in charge except the states thinke good vpon extraordinary occasion that they aske counsell of God about some other affaires also If also the kinges Maiestie thinke good to admit into counsell amongest the pastors or elders one who shall bee thought to be wise and experienced in things he may admit him though not as a pastor or elder yet as a citizen And it were iniurious to remooue from their office in the Church the pastours and much lesse the Elders and Deacons otherwise laymen frō that degree which they hold as citizens either in the common wealth or in the assemblies But the kings maiesty and all the Princes Lordes are to be exceedyng wary that they make not courtlike gouernours of their pastors to the great endamagyng of the Church as we haue a faire example in Eusebius of Nicomedia in the court of Constantine As for the right of the patronage least some man should say that it was gotten for himselfe Our iudgement is that it may be concealed but not without some conditiōs namely that he which shall be chosen by the free voyces of the eldership should bee offred by the Patrone to the kings maiestie beyng also to set vpon his charge after the consenting of his flocke The second question After that religion is reformed it hath bene a receiued custome that the bishops and of the ministers pastors elders so many as should be sent of the bishops should assemble themselues that they together with the chiefe Barons and nobles which professe the true religion might make enquirie after the doctrine and maners of euery one