Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	3,931	5	9.9167	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58539	The Scots Commissioners, their desires concerning unitie in religion, and uniformitie of Church-government as a speciall meanes for conserving of peace, in his Majesties dominions. Presented to the Kings Majestie, and both Houses of Parliament in England. March. 1641.	Scotland. Parliament.	1641 (1641)	Wing S1001C; ESTC R219080	7,516	18

would quickly turne themselves to their pious ordinances 8. This unitie of Religion shall make Ministers to build the Church with both their hands whiles now the one hand is holden out in opposition against the other partie and shall turne the many and unpleasant labours of writting and reading of unprofitable controversies into treatises of mortification and studies of devotion and practicall divinitie This unitie of Religion is a thing so desireable that all found Divines and Politicians are for it where it may bee easily obtained and brought about and as wee conceive so pious and profitable a work to be worthie the best considerations So are we earnest in recommending it to your Lo. that it may be brought before his Majestie and the Patliament as that which doth highly concerne his Majesties honour and the well of all his dominions And which without forcing of consciences seemeth not only to be possible but an easie work But because the matter is of great weight and of large extent Our desire is that for the present some course may betaken for an uniformitie in government 1. Because there can be small hope of unitie in Religion which is the chiefe bond of Peace and humane societie unlesse there be first one forme of Ecclesiasticall government 2. Because difference in this point hath beene the maine cause of all other differences betweene the two Nations since the reformation of Religion 3. Because although it ought not to be so we finde it true in experience that Church-men through their corruption are more hotte and greater Zelotes about government then about matters more substantiall their worldly dignities and wealth being herein concerned As Erasmus rendereth this reason of the animosity of the Church of Rome against Luther seeking after Reformation that hee medleth with the Popes crowne and the Monkes bellies 4. It is observed by Politicians and we have found it in experience that Church-men doe not onely beare with different Religions and suffer division both in Church and Policie to rise and grow but doe also foment and cherish the contrarie factions that they themselves may grow bigge and swell to a greatnesse while both sides have their dependance upon them and hath their thoughts busied about other matters then about Church-government and the ambition pompe and other corruptions of Church governours 5. None of all the reformed Churches although in Nations farre distant one from another and under diverse princes and Magistrates are at so great a difference in Church-government as these two Kingdomes which are in one Yland and under one Monarch which made King Iames of happie memorie to labour to bring them under one forme of government But since all the question is whither of the two Church-governments shall have place in both Nations for we know no third forme of the government of a nationall Church distant from these we doe not presume to propone the forme of government of the Church of Scotland as a paterne of the Church of England but doe only represent in all modestie these few considerations according to the trust committed unto us 1. The government of the Church of Scotland is the same with the government of all the reformed Churches and hath beene by them universally received and practised with the reformation of the doctrine and worship from which so far as we depart We disjoyne our selves as farre from them and welosse so much of our harmonic with them Whence it is that from other reformed Churches it hath beene written to the Church of Scotland That it was a great gift of God that they had brought together into Scotland the puritie of Religion and Discipline whereby the doctrine is safely keeped praying and beseeching them so to keepe those two together as beeing assured that if the one fall the other can not long stand Vpon the other part the government of the Church of England was not changed with the doctrine at the time of the reformation The Pope was rejected but his Hierarchie was retained which hath beene a ground of jealousie and suspition to the reformed Churches of continuall contention in the Church of England these foure-score years past since the beginning of Queen Elizabeth her reigne and of hopes and expectation to the church of Rome for saith Coulzen in his politicks l. 2. c. 18. Were all England brought once to approve of Bishops it were easie to reduce it to the church of Rome But what one Prince hath begun and by reason of the times or of other hinderances could not promote or perfect an other raised up by the mercie of God may bring to passe according to the example of good Iosiah like unto whom there was no King before which we heartily wish may bee verified of King Charles 2. The Church of Scotland hath beene continually and sundrie wayes vexed and disquieted by the Bishops of England First by the continuall and restlesse negotiation of the prime Prelates in England with some of that faction in Scotland both before the comming of King Iames into England which we are ready to make manifest and since his comming till at last a kind of Episcopacie was erected there by the power of the Prelates of England against the confession of Faith the Covenant and actes of the nationall assemblies of the Church of Scotland Secondly the Prelates of England without the consent or knowledge of the church of Scotland gave Episcopall consecration to some corrupt members of the Church of Scotland and sent them home to consecrat others like unto themselves And when some great men have beene for their obstinacie in papistrie excommunicat by the Church of Scotland they have been absolved from the sentence by the Prelates of England So that they have usurped the power of that which indeed is the highest point of jurisdiction Thirdly they rested not here but proceeded to change the forme of divine worship and for many yeares bred a great disturbance both to Pastours and people by five Articles of conformitie with the Church of England Fourthly having in the former prevailed and finding their opportunitie and a rare concurse of many powerfull hands and heads readie to cooperate they made strong assaults upon the whole externall worship and doctrine of our Church by inforcing upon us a popish book of common prayer for making Scotland first as the weaker and thereafter England conforme to Rome And upon the consciences liberties and goods of the people by a booke of canons and constitutions Ecclesiasticall establishing a tyrannicall power in the persons of our Prelats and abolishing the whole Discipline and government of our Church without so much as consulting with any Presbyterie Synod or Assembly in all the land Fifthly They procured subsidies to be lifted for warre against us under the paine of deprivation to all of the Clergie who should refuse Sixthly They commanded both preaching and imprecations against us as enemies to God and the King Seventhly they have received into the ministerie and provided place

for such of our Ministers as for their disobedience to the voice of the Assemblie and other faults and scandals were deposed in Scotland And finally they have left nothing undone which might tend to the overthrow of our Church not onely of late by the occasion of these troubles whereof they have beene the authors But of old from that opposition which is between Episcopall government government of reformed churches by Assemblies Vpon the contrare The Church of Scotland hath never molested them either in the doctrine worship ceremonies or discipline of their church but have lived quietly by them kept themselves within the lyne and would have been glad to enjoy their owne liberties in peace which yet is and by the helpe of God shall be our constant desire yet can we not conceal our minds but in our consciences before God declare not frō any sassinesse or presumptuous intention to reforme England but frō our just fears apprehensions that our reformation that hath cost us so deare And is all our wealth and glory shall againe be spoiled and defaced from England That whatsoever peace shall bee agreed upon we cannot see nor conceive the way how our peace shall bee firme and durable but our feare is that all will runne into a confusion againe ere it be long if Episcopacie shall be retained in England for the same causes will not faile to produce the same effects Their opposition against and hatred of the government of the reformed Churches Their credit at Court and nearnesse to the King living in England the opinion they have of their owne great learning and of the glory of their prelaticall church joyned with the small esteem disdaine of our Christian simplicity the consanguinitie of their Hierarchie with the church of Rome and their feare to fall before us at last will still be working especially now when they are made operative and shall be set on work at the first advantage by their vindictive disposition to be avenged upon us for the present quarrell which can never be changed by any limitations As on the contrarie the cause being taken away the effects will cease and the peace shall be firme It would seeme that limitations cautions and triennall Parliaments may doe much But we know that feare of perjury infamie excommunication and the power of a nationall Assembly which was in Scotland as terrible to a Bishop as a Parliament could not keep our men frō rising to be Prelates and after they had risen to their greatnesse their apologie was Conditiones illa pro tempore magis quo contentiosis rixandi ansa praeriperetur quam animo in perpetuum observandi acceptae These other cautions or conditions were rather accepted of for the time to prevent all occasion of jangling with the contentious then out of any purpose to observe them forever Much is spoken and written of the limitation of Bishops But what good can the limitation doe to the Church if ordination and Episcopall jurisdiction shall depend upon them and shall not be absolutely into the hands of the Assemblies of the Church And if it shall not depend upon them what shall their office be above other Pastours Or how shall their labours be worthy so large wages What service can they doe to King Church or Estate Rome and Spain may be glad at the retaining of the name of Bishops more then the reformed Churches which expect from us at this time some matter of rejoycing 3. The reformed Churches doe hold without doubting their Church officers Pastors Doctors Elders Deacons and their Church government by Assemblies to be jure divino and perpetuall as is manifest in all their writtings And on the other part Episcopacie as it differeth from the office of a Pastor is almost universally acknowledged even by the Bishops themselves and their adherents to be but an humane ordinance established by law and custome for conveniencie without warrand of Scripture which therefore by humane authority may be altered and abolished upon so great a conveniencie and is the hearty conjunction withall the reformed Churches and a durable peace of the two Kingdomes which have beene formerly divided by this partition wall Wee therefore desire that Ius divinum humanum conscience and conveniencie yea the greater convenience with the lesser and we may adde a conveniencie with a inconveniencle may bee compared and equally weighed in the ballance without adding any weight of prejudice 4. The Church of Scotland warranted by authority hath abjured Episcopall government as having no warrand in Scripture and by solemne oath and covenant before and now againe of late hath established the government in the Church by Assemblies But England neither having abjured the one nor sworne the other hath liberty from all bonds of this kinde to make choyse of that which is most warrantable by the word of God And least it be thought we have wilfully bund our selves of late by oath that we be not pressed with a change We desire it to be considered that our late oath is nothing but the renovation of our former oath and covenant which did bind our Church before but was transgrest of many by meanes of the Prelates 5. If it shall please the Lord to move the Kings heart to choise this course hee shall in a better way then was projected accomplish the great and glorious designe which King Iames had before his eyes all his time of the unitie of Religion and Church government in all his dominions his Crownes and Kingdomes shall be free of all assaults and policies of church-men which whither in the way of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and Church censure Or by complying with the Pope the grearest enemie of Monarchie Or by bringing of civill government into a confusion Or by taking the fatte of the sacrifice to themselves When the people are pleased with the government and when they are displeased by transferring the hatred upon authority which was never wont to be done by any good States-man Which all these wayes have proceeded from Bishops seeking their own greatnesse Never from Assemblies which unlesse overruled by Bishops have beene a strong guard to Monarchie and Magistracie both the one and the other being the ordinance of God The Church shall be peaceably governed by common consent of Church-men in Assemblies In which the Kings Majesty hath alwayes that eminency which is due unto the supreame Magistrat and by which all heresies errors schismes before abounding under Episcopall government shall be suppressed and the State and all civil matters in Parliament Councell and other inferiour Judicatories governed by civill men and not by Church-men who being out of their owne element must needs stirre and make trouble to themselves and the whole State as wofull experience hath taught The worke shall bee better done and the meanes which did uphold their unprofitable pompe and greatnesse may supply the wants of many preaching members to be provided to places and without the smallest losse or damnage to the Subject may be a great increase of his Majesties revenues his royall Authority shall be more deeply rooted in the unite hearts and more strongly guarded by the joint forces of his Subjects as if they were all of one Kingdome and his greatnesse shall be enlarged abroad by becomming the Head of all the Protestants in Europe to the greater terrour of his enemies and the forcing of greatnesse to his Posterity and royall Succession All which we entreat may bee represented to his Majestie and the Houses of Parliament as the expression of our desires and fears and as a testimonie of our Faithfulnesse in acquiting our selves in the trust committted unto us But no wayes forgetting our distance or intending to passe our bounds in prescribing or setting downe rules to their Wisedom● and Authoritie which we doe highly reverence and honour and from which onely as the proper fountaine th● Lawes and order of reformation in this Church and Policie must proceed for the nearer union and greater happinesse of his Majesties Dominions FINIS