Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	according_a	church_n	discipline_n	2,858	5	9.0169	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85583	Great Brittans ruine plotted by seven sorts of men; discoved [sic] and counter plotted: in which is contained a probable way for the happy and peaceable composing of all the distempers of the time, with articles for the finding out of scandalous ministers. commended in a letter to a friend, and now recommended to the Honourable Parliaments consideration. By a true-hearted well-wisher to great Brittanes happinesse.	True-hearted well-wisher to Great Brittanes happinesse.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1669; Thomason E134_31; ESTC R9186	13,456	33

the effects that have followed in this Kingdome No question Machiavil Ignatius or the Devill began to apply this old Hereticall name in such an extended and generall way For in these latter times every man that subscribed unto the Doctrine of the Church if he was tender in matter of ceremonie hath beene reputed a Puritan nay every man that will not sweare be drunk wanton scoffe and jeere others he is a puritan though conformable to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England so that the late projectours have united together in this principle and by it have much advanced their designes upon this ground the Papist hath beene cherished as the honester m●n men of most refined life and exact godlinesse and have shewed forth eminent vertue in practice have beene brow-beaten discountenanced and persecuted drunkards have beene the good Sonnes of the Church temperate men the stubborne children of their mother O Tempora O Mores what strange times were we fallen into when light was called darknesse and darknesse light sweete sower and sowre sweet good evill and evill good when the wicked shall bee justified for a reward and the righteousnesse of the righteous shall bee taken away from them This principle hath beene followed with such hellish zeal that Religion and Vertue are almost bereft of life and sense for this principle hath put out the eyes cut off the legges and hands of Religion and Vertue Help Lord for faith and truth are almost perished and discouraged for looking amongst the sonnes of men Thirdly libertie is sweet a principle which is acknowledged most true provided it be not extended in longitude and latitude above the true naturall dimensions of it If it had beene stretched no further then Gods service it had beene perfect freedome but let it be onely understood of the satisfaction of the carnall will and sensuall appetite then liberty is dangerous and of bad consequence Now Sir survey seriously the latter times you shall observe the scandalous Minister the corrupt Magistrate the innovating Prelate and his Officers the professed Papist the Popish Protestant the rigid Arminian and the Libertine all sayling in one and the same channell of carnal libertie and crying out Te te nos poscimus omnes all of them with one consent desire libertie not freedom of conscience in indifferent undetermined things for this you shall scarce have one hand amongst them but libertie to sin to have their lusts their heterodox and unsound opinions libertie to cast off the bonds of truth This principle doth cement their affections one to an other and unite them more strongly against all divine obedience and hath hetherto made the late conspiracies against Church and State more formidable and dreadfull These and the like diabolicall prin●iples our late projectors have mannaged with what faithfulnesse they can against the God of order the law of charitie the rules of piety so that the beautie of these glorious Islands by these and the like devises is much defaced and obscured Sir having thus surveyed these Projectors and their principles methinks it seemes our dutie and the dutie of all good Christians and true English hearts to Petition unto the high and honourable Court of Parliament against these as underminers of State happinesse either for their reformation or else punishing or discountenancing of them for so long as these have publique encouragement in our State neither can religion be secured nor the throne and tranquility of the Kingdome well established It s true whiles we looke upon the numbers of these confederates upon their strength for they look like the sons of Anak or upon their union for they seem like the scales of a Whale which a sword cannot pierce and divide easily they render themselves to our eyes like the Moabites and Amonites to Jehosaphat in a very terrible forme and for our parts wee seeme a little flock of sheepe and like grassehoppers in comparison Yet mee thinks under correction of your better judgement unto whom I render my selfe as a learner there is hope in Israel concerning this thing provided the countermine be wel wrought and managed I shall therefore crave your assistance to make up by your mature thoughts what is wanting in my conceit of a Counterplot THE COVNTERPLOT SIR there is no better Counterplot to the workers of iniquity then for the opposite side to worke contrarily to countermine errors with truth unrighteousnesse with righteousnesse uncharitablenesse with charitie violence with moderation and all sinne with a sincere practice of pietie This for a generall will hold as the great mine which the Church of God is to raise against the enemies of it But besides this there are three particular mines which I conceive are most fitting at this present to raise against the aforenamed confederate projectors against great Britain The first a well managed Commission the second is a well constituted and orderd Church-assembly the third is a right frame of Ecclesiasticall government First a well managed Commission I understand by that first Commissioners chosen by the house of Commons approved by the House of Lords which shall bee no parties nor delinquents as far as can bee discerned these chosen out of every Shire or Dioces If the Shire be barren of able and sufficient men then to appoint strāgers rather then delinquents and those qualified with integritie wisdome and resolution Secondly when the Commissioners are thus chosen for both the houses to move his Majesty for sufficient authority for the managing of the said commission That the Commissioners may bee enabled to give oaths to call before them any parties offending or others for witnesses as they shall see cause and to have as large power to punish contempts non aparences or abuse of the Commissioners as the Archbishops Visitors were wont to have in their Metropoliticall visitations Thirdly when the Commissioners are thus chosen and armed with authority then to have a booke of Articles according to the tenour of what I shall propound in the latter end of the discourse and the said Commissioners to have power to admonish to enjoine recantation and to deprive Ministers or else to return their names into the House of Commons to bee censured there and haply it might conduce well to the worke to have a Register allowed to the Commissioners for every Shire or Diocesse and some small fee to be paid to the said Commissioners towards the charges of the said Commissioners and Register by every delinquent as in like cases hath beene allowed in Bishops visitations Secondly a well constituted assembly or Synod I meane an assembly of godly orthodox learned wise and well tempered Divines gathered by the singular prudence and providence especially of the House of Commons which haply might be done most opportunely when the commission hath first discovered the innovating Prelates the scandalous Minister Arminians and Popish Protestants within these Churches and disabled them from judging advising or determining in any Church affaires till their

of the seven viz. the scandalous Minister the innovating Prelate with his Officer together with the rigid Arminian be well disciplined you shall observe the other foure the corrupt Magistrate the professed Papist the popish Protestant and the Libertine presently brought in by the power of the Gospel and if it please his Majesty with the Parlament to plant in the rooms of the scādalous Ministers and Arminians approved ministers for doctrine and life it would be a true piece of policie beyond the Bishop-craft practised in these later times for the advancing of their Hierarchie And if it so please the wisdome of the State to bestow the Lands and Impropriations belonging to the Bishops and great Churches besides what shall be thought fit to settle on the Crown upon Ministers conscientious industrious able and learned where meanes is most wanting to make some provision for Ministers widdowes and children as they doe in the French Churches to maintain Schollers in the Universitie and enlarge Schoole-masters allowance I dare confidently undertake that learning would not bee discouraged but the present generation would pray and posterity for ever would rise up to praise God for such a blessed King and such a happie Parliament In the meane time Sir Three discouragements whisper in my eares all pretending that this alteration is not safe nor fecible Ob. 1 First if Ecclesiastical government be altered why may not the civil also be desired to be altered upon the same terms Ans First there is more general grief and desire of alteration in the Ecclesiastical government then in the Civil Secondly the conscience is more concerned in the one then in the other the purse is pinched in the one the conscience in the other examine this wel you shall find something worth notice Thirdly the Scripture seemes to prescribe more for Ecclesiasticall government then Civill leaving all Nations to libertie for their severall lawes provided none crosse his own eternall commands Ob. Secondly doth not reason require a levell in the Commonwealth as wel as a parity in Ecclesiasticall dignities Ans I am confident no moderate wise man would desire such a levell as to have all Ecclesiasticall grounds ly in a flat high Mountaines are fitter for barren Wales then fruitfull England little hils doe not disparage the most fruitfull grounds If some Minister have one some two some three hundred pounds per annum haply more such hills will not bee complained of only let the Mountains be throwne into the Seas I meane the greater promotions then shall the little hils skip like lambs when the World is more equally divided one graine of faith may remove these Mountaines into the middest of the Sea Ob. 2 Secondly the Church may bee called the younger sister of the common-wealth there was a Common-wealth in Israel before the Priesthood of Levie Commonwealths were before Apostles Pastors or Teachers seniority usually gives dignitie though Rachell the younger sister was faire and more admired by Jacob yet Leah the elder sister was preferred for it was the custome of the Countrey said Laban Thirdly much advantage may come by levelling the Church but unconceiveable mischief by levelling the Common-wealth sandie Hills may be easily levelled high stonie Rocks cannot without difficultie Verbum sapienti Ob. 3 Thirdly the King will not easily consent Ans Sir I fear it not never was better King upon the Throne then our gratious Soveraigne never any more deepely engaged to maintain Episcopacie but I am confident that God who hath given him a gratious heart will give him a discerning spirit to see the evil consequences of degenerate Episcopacie by the cleere information of his great Counsell Sir excuse me for that my Remora hath stayed my ship a little longer among the projectors then I did intend I will now come to the principles by which they have wrought First no ceremony no Bishop no Bishop no King a principle it is true which it may bee pleased the palate of a wise man but as it hath beene used and applyed it hath opened a gap to destruction schisme ruine and danger It hath beene used as though a King could not rule without the help of a Bishop whereas Kings swayed their scepters before the Episcopal dignitie was ever knowne in the World and as like themselves as ever since and as though a Bishop could not subsist without a ceremonie whereas the Bishops of the Apostles and primitive times as they were then called had few or no ceremonies at all The further you come from Christ the Apostles and primitive times the more ceremonies you shall finde in Augustines time there were but few in comparison of after times yet he complaines of a Judaisme and multitude of ceremonies above that which is meet that in a few hundred yeers were crept into the Church I conceive the Apostles and primitive Bishops were more pious more conscientious more industrious and did more good in feeding and governing the Church of God then our late Bishops and yet they used few or no ceremonies in comparison Sir these Septemvirated conspirators if you observe have all admired this principle witnesse their inordinate zeal for the ceremonies as though there were no Religion but in the practice of these have not the laws of God I meane the expresse morall Commandements beene slighted and neglected the breaches of it easily dispenced withall The fundamentall lawes of the Kingdome shaken while these ungodly projectors have advanced their Ceremonies and Canons for my part I have ever tooke a King for a beame of the Deity cast into an angle of the Earth and that Judgment and Justice make the throne stable ruling according to Law is the greatest honour and safety of a Prince and therefore God requires by Moses that the King shall read in the book of the Law night and day there are two sorts of Lawes Gods owne Laws and the fundamentall lawes of a Kingdome or State the King is to see the execution of both these and it is most safe to preserve them with all tendernesse so that if a King have a care of these he may bee sufficienrly supported without the help either of Bishop or Ceremonie methinks it is a disparagement to the Crowne to bee supported by Bishops sure I am Solomons throne was supported by Lyons and for Ceremony to support Bishops It seemes such a sandy foundation that with a violent storme the foundation may be washed away and the whole building may easily fall Goe through all the seven sorts of men whom I have charged for the conspirators of State you shall hardly finde a man but working a great deale of trouble by vertue of this principle I will close all with crossing and thwarting of the proverb A King may be without a Bishop and an Apostles Bishop without a Ceremony The second principle that a papist is much honester then a puritan and much more to bee favoured a damnable principle according to the intention and application of it and of