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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	appoint_v	place_n	time_n	1,168	5	4.4869	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19459	A briefe ansvver vnto certaine reasons by way of an apologie deliuered to the Right Reuerend Father in God, the L. Bishop of Lincolne, by Mr. Iohn Burges wherin he laboureth to prooue, that hauing heretofore subscribed foure times, and now refusing (as a thing vnlawfull) that he hath notwithstanding done lawfully in both. Written by VVilliam Couell, Doctor in Diuinitie.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1606 (1606)	STC 5880; ESTC S108879	108,616	174

be euer able to disproue that as the foundation of our doctrine is the vnchangeable word of truth so it is hath beene like the author thereof God himselfe euer constant and the same neither can the vsuall imputations of difference laid by our aduersaries bee any blemish to vs seeing those things wherein wee dissent are rather the opinions of some few then the setled consent of the whole Church It seemeth you haue hitherto mistaken what subscription was supposing it to import an Admonition of things so farre tollerable that men not otherwise priudiced might lawfully vse them beeing imposed Where priuate fancies aduēture to interpret the limitations of their own obedience the wisdome of those that make lawes shall haue little vse men disposed not to obey wil find colorable excuses vnder pretence of being preiudiced for that which they do refuse could any man think Subscription to be a Tolleration onely of things not to be approued and not rather an allowance of things to be tollerated the intention doubtles of the Church in this was not to require a tolleration or approbation frō you or any inferior of such things as were thought fit for the Church to commād but to tye the tongues and the hands of all men from disturbing the Churches quiet frō any way resisting those lawful ordinations that preserue peace It cannot bee the duety of inferiours to examine with what reason lawes are made seing other places times wherein they are interessed are appointed to that end but only by obedience to giue an allowance by subscribing an approbation to what the lawes command which either by way of tolleration to indure without approbation or in show to approue without an harty allowance were subtilly by conformity to procure their owne peace and dangerously when occasion should serue to disturbe the Church Would any man do that vnder his hand which he is loath to be commanded to doe ex animo surely it cannot be seuerity in that lawe which requireth the heart to consent to what the hand doth seing reason telleth vs that in reasonable actions the hands and the tongue should expresse the heart whosoeuer desireth to seuere these either intendeth to dally with God or to delude man But many things say you are in the Communion booke which may be tollerated but not approued for therin are multae tollerabiles ineptiae Indeed it pleased M. Caluin writing his censure of that booke from Geneua to Knox and Whittingam at Frankford to say as you doe that in it were many tollerable follies But we see not how either if they be follies they can be tollerable in a Church Lyturgy or how any dispraises of ours haue inuented a Lyturgy of their owne more absolute and perfect then ours is but least the commendation of this should be thought but the opinion of such as were willing to flatter the state at that time the graue approbation of that holy Martyr Doctor Taylor is fit to be alledged in this place a censure giuen in Englād within two daies of that which before M. Caluin gaue There was saith he set forth by the most innocent king Edward for whom God be praised euerlastingly the whole Church serui●e with great deliberation the aduice of the best learned mē of the realm authorised by the whole Parliament receiued published gladly by the whole Realme which book was neuer reformed but once note that seldom alteratiōs are their vertues that were before vs yet by that one reformation it was so fully perfected according to the rules of our Christian religion in euery behalf that no Christian cōsciēce I pray you mark it can be offēded with any thing therin contained I mean of the book reformed And shal we now frō the cōceipt of so●e few make light accoūt of so honorable a testimony not rather say of this booke as S. Austin doth in another case If thou runnest through all the wordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalt finde nothing which the Lords Prayer doth not containe and comprehend therefore wee may in other words speake the same things in our Prayers but wee may not speake contrary thinges Those of great place who thinke some things fit to be remoued may peraduenture be wronged by you for if their wisdome bee answerable to their places they knowe and must confesse both alterations with cause to bee dangerous and without cause such as this were to be needlesse No man would blame you to obserue the moderation which you mention out of Saint Austin for quisquis vel quod potest arguendo corrigit vel quod corrigere non potest saluo pacis vinculo excludit vel quod saluo pacis vinculo excludere non potest aequitate improbat firmitate supportat hic pacificus est In all which if most of the refusers to subscribe haue failed wee must needes say with the Prophet DAVID The way of peace haue they not knowne And because they beleeue when impudently they say wee are holy they dare say wee alone are holy but if these things may bee well obserued the faults in commaunding doubtlesse wil not bee required at your hands and surely the wisdome in our Gouernours was great who sawe that in alterations of custome that which may helpe peraduenture with the profit of it doubtlesse with the nouelty of change will doe more hurt and yet in reason you cannot but acknowledge that their LL. haue done wel in cōmanding these Ceremonies beeing both ancient and seruing for order and to edefication vnlesse you can shew that they are vnlawfull But say you hath God in vaine commaunded dissisimilitude with Idolators Were the Fathers vnwise that called so instantly from conformity with the heathen or the sects of Iewes or hereticks in matters indifferent such as a garland or habit or keeping of Easter daye or thryse dippings c. In the weaknes of my vnderstanding these can be no warrents for your manifest dissenting from the orders of this church are the rulers Idolatours are the things commaunded idolatrye you yourself haue cleared thē from that fault Tertullian a great light surely of the Church if he had not beene a falling starre reporteth of one at whome peraduenture you aime in mentioning the garland who chose rather to dye then with the rest of the souldiers to be crowned with lawrel only in this respect that the Christians had a ceremony not to doe it For to cast away in time of persecution the badge and signes of their warfare was to discouer vnto the world that they were cowardly soldiers and vndoubtedly in the Church there would haue beene no difference about thrise dipping if the Arrians had not abused it to establish their heresie of the three natures of the three persons which made Gregory to cōmaund that through all Spaine there should bee but once dipping and this after was confirmed by the Counsell of

as wee do And if you or any other notwithstanding all this shall labour to make the world beleeue that the courage of Bishops for defence of the Church is but a stifnesse in their owne quarrels wee must let the world vnderstand which we know to be true that greater moderation and patience ioyned with carefull thoughts of what was to be altered hath by many degrees more appeared in them then in the meanest of the Cleargie besides wherewith if you cannot rest content but desire them to followe the Counsell of Trent in the alteration of these things wee are sory that out of loue to example you will rather propound them then none to please you wee can be content to say as Du●antus doth that to speake properly there is no Epistle out of the old Testament but rather they are called Lessons APOLOGY AND now my Lord from the intention of subscription which I dare not answere vntil I come vnto the things subscribed vnto Wherin I pray to haue cōsidered first the Liturgy in general thē some particulers in it In general acknowledging the booke to be a good and godly booke I take exception at that new imposition of the Canons which doth absolutely command against all exceptions the whole Lyturgy to be read euery Sabboth and that at the vsuall houres The Booke at the first was ordained in part to supply the want of a learned ministery and vntill now some parts might be omitted lawfully for a Sermon as the Lord Cheefe Iustice of England iudged lately at Thetford in Norfolke in Tylneys case And in this intention who could condemne the Churches godly care of supplying some meanes of Gods seruice where all could not bee at once prouided But this intention is so changed that by the Canons no peece of the seruice must giue way to a Sermon or any other respect which computed with the accessorie occasions of Christinings Buryals mariages and Communions which fall out all at sometimes some at all times in many congregations doth necessarily pretend if not a purpose yet a consequence of diuorsing Preaching and so not widowes houses but Gods house vnder pretence of long prayers while neither the time nor the ministers strength nor peoples patience can beare that taske of reading and preaching to of which intention if we be afraid who can maruell that either shall obserue my Lord of Londons motion at the conference for a praying ministery as more needefull in a Church planted then Preaching as his speech since also haue professed or that shall marke how some Canons are planted against Lectures in market townes whereby the light hath spred to many other darke places and withall how skilfully all his Maiesties godly purposes against the ignorāt negligent scandalous Ministers haue beene not so much delaid as deluded and the offendours couered as the Flauians in the battell at Cremona by the rysing of the Moone at their backs which casting long shadowes vpon which the blowes being spent fell short of the bodies themselues of which there remaines an indigne abuse to his Maiesty a foule sinne to your Lordships a heauy plague to the Church and to the offenders intollerable insolencie in stead of deserued shame Now my Lord I that could well subscribe to the vse of the Lyturgy as it was before intended cannot doe so now the intention not being somwhat shifted but to the contrary point ANSVVER FEw things are likely to escape vnreproued where the best things in our Church are reprehēded there is no duty vpon earth that concerneth man with a greater nearnes then prayer doth which vsuallye expresseth euen all the seruice that wee owe vnto God for in religiō as one wisely noteth there is no acceptable duty which deuout inuocation of the name of God doth not either presuppose or inferre neither can there be greater approbation of this action being publick then that the Temple being appointed for this end in this respect God vouchsafeth it to be accounted his house as if Sermons Sacrifices Sacraments and all other seruices performed in that place were but second intentions for the building thereof in respect of Prayer Now for the better performance of this duty the late Canons haue renewed that care which in all ages was found in the gouernours of Christes Church that the strange desire of some few to heare themselues speake might not banish from amongst vs an institution of that vse a dutie of so much profit an ordinance so holy as if for feare to displace preaching our Temples ought not now to be accounted a house of prayer We must first for answere to their iniurious accusation in this case tell them that neuer any sauing some few meane persons haue disliked a forme of publike prayer those which mislike ours euen with the greatest seueritie that eyther malice or at the best the most scrupulous conscience could inuent haue beene able but to alleadge some few shadowes of faults all which haue beene often heretofore answered and if any in the feruencie of a zealous conscience remaine as yet vnsatisfied we will be bold to vse the words vnto him of Bishop Ridley after his condemnation to Master Grindall then beyond the seas Alas that our brother Knox could not beare with our booke of common prayer in matters against which although I grant a man as he is of wit and learning may finde to make apparant reasons but I suppose he cannot be able soundly to disproue by Gods word the reason he maketh against the Leteny and the fault per sanguinem sudorem he findeth in the same I doe marueile how he can or dare auouch them before the learned men that be with you As for priuate Baptisme It is not prescribed in the booke but where solemne Baptisme for lacke of time and danger of death cannot be had what would he in that case should be done Peraduenture he will say it is better then to let them die without Baptisme For this his better what word hath he in the scripture and if he haue none why will hee not rather follow that that the sentences of the old ancient writers doe more allow from whom to dissent without warrant of Gods word I cannot thinke it any godly wisedome And as for purification of women I ween the word purification is changed and it is called thankesgiuing surely Maister Knox in my mind is a man of much good learning and of an earnest zeale the Lord grant him to vse them to his glorie Thus farre Bishop Ridley Bishop of London and a blessed Martyr with whom we say of a great number they are learned they are zealous the Lord grant them to vse them to his glorie for wee will confesse as Maister Bucer doth there are not some few things wanting in the Lyturgye of England which if they be not charitably interpreted may seeme to dissent from the word of God But accessimus as Maister Iewell confesseth quantum

the present intention of our Church I dare not subscribe to such an vse of priuate Baptisme neither to the former Rubrick which being capable of a good sense may also be taken and hereafter pleaded vnder our subscriptions in a bad one ANSVVER WE cannot but wish that the holy pretenders of zeale had so much discretion that those things were iustly blameable for which they are so willing to forsake the executiō of their deuine function so boldly without consciēce to transgresse the lawful ordinatiōs of a religious King whose cōmaundements eyther to limit to their owne fancies or to censure after those opinions which they apprehēd to be vertuous iust were both to cōmit an act neuer warrantable in any age and to vsurp vpon that throne which they must not touch all men that liue in the bosome of a Church whose peace to thē ought to be dearer then 1000. liues are to be caried with that charity towards the doctrine lawes which it publikly professeth or wherwith it is well gouerned that all indeuors of reconcilement are to be bēded to this scope to make it seeme both to teach to gouern like the Church of Christ for there is nothing of that euidēce in the word of god nor euer was of that vse in the family of Gods house which oppositiō vnbridled could not peruert or vnhallowed boldnes misconster there is nothing left vpō earth to the Church of greater vse then the Sacramēts whose chiefest force vertue cōsisteth in this that they are heauēly ceremonies which God hath sāctified ordained to be administred in his Church first as marks to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof secondly as means conditionall which God requireth in thē vnto whom he imparteth grace for as elswhere we haue noted It must needs be a great vnthankfulnes easily breed contēpt to ascribe only that power to thē to be but as seales and that they teach but the mind by other senses as the word doth by hearing which if it were al what reasō hath the Church to bestow any Sacramēt vpō infants who as yet for their years are not capable of any instructiō ther is therfore of Sacramēts vndoutedly some more excellent heauenly vse Sacramēts by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted disputed of thē any other part of religiō besides for that in so great store of properties belōging to the self same thing as euery mans wit hath takē hold of some especial consideratiō aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giuē their censure of the vse necessity of thē for if respect be had to the duty which euery cōmunicant doth vndertake we may cal thē truly bonds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutual exercise of christiā charity prouocatiōs to godlines preseruations from Sin memorials of the principall benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institution they are annexed for euer vnto the new Testament as other rites were before to the old If we regard the weaknes that is in vs they are warrāts for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue thē not they are works of destinction to separate Gods own from strangers in those that receiue thē as they ought they are tokens of Gods gracious presence wherby men are taught to know what they cannot see for Christ his holy spirit with all their blessed effectes though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how do notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to cōmunicate by sēsible means those blessings which are incōprehensible seeing therfore that grace is a cōsequent of Sacramēts a thing which accōpanieth thē as their end a benefit which he that hath receiueth from God himself the author of Sacramēts not frō any other naturall or supernaturall quality in them It may be hardly both vnderstood that Sacraments are necessary and that the manner of their necessitie to life supernaturall is not in all respects as meat drink and such like vnto naturall life because they containe in themselues no vitall force or efficacy but they are duties of seruice and worship which vnlesse we performe as the author of grace requireth they are vnprofitable For all receiue not the grace of God which receiue the Sacraments of his grace neither is it ordinarily his wil to bestow the grace of sacraments vpon any but by the Sacraments which grace also they that receiue by Sacraments or with Sacraments receiue it from him and not from them for as Hugo saith These do not giue that which is giuen by these and yet ordinarily as necessary to receiue these as those graces are necessary which we receiue by these so that Baptisme though it be not a cause of grace yet the grace which is giuen by Baptisme doth so farre depend vpon the very outward Sacrament as that God will haue it imbraced as a necessary means whereby we receiue the same and howsoeuer we dare not iudge those that in in some cases do want it for the want of it yet we may boldly gather that he whose mercy now vouchsafeth to bestow the means hath also long since intended vs that wherunto they lead so that we think in this discourse of yours concerning priuate the necessity of baptisme that some things are misunderstood some things misconstrued and some things false misunderstood where you make this to be the opinion of our Church that all who are Baptised must necessarily be saued or of the contrary whereas it is but vnderstood as eyther man hath euidence left to direct his iudgement or the Church hath power to admit into the house of GOD. And for others who want this Sacrament although wee cannot Iudge of the secret election of God yet we haue reason to feare a denyall of that Grace where we see a manifestation of the want of the meanes appointed for the obtaining of it for doubtlesse as one noteth the sacrament of Baptisme in respect of God the author of the institution may admit dispensation but in regard of vs who are tyed to obey there is an absolute necessitie for it is in the power of God without these to saue but it is not in the power of man without these to come to saluation And yet our Church holdeth constantly and truely notwithstanding your doubts as well touching other beleeuers as Martyrs that Baptisme taken away by ne●necessity taketh not away the necessity of Baptisme but is supplyed by the desire thereof For as the visible signe may be without true holinesse so the inuisible sanctification saith S Austin may sometimes be without the visible signe and yet these are no reasons either to debarre the Church from imposing priuate Baptisme vpon great peril from this