Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	according_a	church_n	law_n	3,191	5	4.8145	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71273	The verdict upon the dissenters plea, occasioned by their Melius inquirendum to which is added A letter from Geneva, to the Assembly of Divines, printed by His late Majesties special command, with some notes upon the margent under his own royal and sacred hand : also a postscript touching the union of Protestants.	Womock, Laurence, 1612-1685.; Diodati, Giovanni, 1576-1649. Answer sent to the ecclesiastical assembly at London by the reverend, noble, and learned man, John Deodate.	1681 (1681)	Wing W3356; ESTC R36681	154,158	329

the exercise of that Right and Power in every Christian Common-wealth ought to depend upon the Authority of the Supream Civil Magistrate Wherefore that Learned and Ingenious S. P. in The Case of the Church of England p. 264 265. hath very well observed That the Bottom we build upon is this That the Church own'd by the Law of England is the very same that was establisht by the Law of Christ. For unless we suppose that the Church was Originally settled by our Saviour with Divine Authority we deny his Supremacy over his own Church and unless we suppose that the Supream Government of the Kingdom has power to abet and ratifie our Saviours establishment by Civil Laws we deny his Majesties Supremacy over his Christian Subjects and therefore both together must be taken into the right State and Constitution of the Church of England There are some Rites and Ceremonies whose Original cannot be trac'd out having bin in use in the Church of God at all times and places These are supposed with great Reason to have been derived from the Apostles themselves for such an Vniversal practice could not be introduced but by a Common and Vniversal Authority as an Vniversal effect must have a Cause of no less efficacy to produce it Now for any Particular Church to attempt a Change of such Rites and Ceremonies is as if a Quarter Sessions in a private Corporation should take upon them to dissolve or over-rule what has been regularly done and settled in a Full Parliament 3. We should consider whether there be any need of such Reformation as they endeavour There are some Rites and Ceremonies which no Person no Particular Church should presume to alter because the Vnity and Vniformity of the Catholick Church is preserved hereby and if we will possess our selves to continue in her Communion we must observe them upon the account of our Conformity to her practice But other particular Rites and Ceremonies are left to the prudence of Particular Churches to exercise their Power and Liberty with respect to the Manners and Temper of the People But That there is no Necessity of Reformation of the Publick Doctrine of the Church of England hath been made good against Doctor Burges by the Right Reverend Learned and Judicious Doctor Pearson now Lord Bishop of Chester And that there is no Need of such a Reformation of the Publick 1. Doctrine 2. Worship 3. Rites and Ceremonies 4. Church Government 5. Discipline as is pretended hath been proved by H. S. D. D. 1660. But we shall not take it for granted tho we know no Answer returned to these and several other Learned Men who have wrote in Justification of the Church of England to that effect but give our proof for it That Church which is already Reform'd and establisht according to the Word as far as a state of Frailty and Humane Prudence will admit That Church hath no need of further Reformation But such is the Church of England I would not be mistaken For I know there ought to be a proficiency in Grace and Holiness and the practice of all Christian Vertues till we arrive at such a Degree of Perfection as this Mortal condition is capable of But for a further Reformation of Doctrine or Government of Liturgy Rites and Ceremonies or of Laws and Canons if what are already enacted were duly inforced and executed we have no need of it It is duly observed by that Worthy Person even now mentioned That if every defect from Christs Institution should forfeit the Rights of a Christian Church there never was as we may find by the Apostles account of the Churches in their times nor ever will be such a thing as a Church in the World For in this life it is not to be expected that any thing should be absolutely perfect the very nature of Christianity supposes Imperfection and accepts of Integrity and as long as with sincere Affections men adhere to the Principles of the Church they are within the Promise of the Grace of God That the Church of England is not Reformed up to those Principles who can make good the Charge against her Where was the failure Did not our Reformers use sufficient Means 1 Did they not search the Scriptures according to the Rule of our Blessed Saviour Did they not understand the sense and latitude of the Scriptures Had they not an eye to the Rules of Decency and Order to God's Glory and the Edification of the Church 2 Did they not consult Antiquity according to Divine Direction Job 8. 8 10. Jer. 6. 16. 3 Did they not use a Moral Diligence to search into the nature of things for their full satisfaction 4 Did they not make this Inquiry after the Truth with a Christian Simplicity and Godly Sincerity We appeal to the Searcher of Hearts to witness this and to their own Learned and Judicious Writings to assert the other 5 Had they not as full Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil as was needful to establish that Reformation And 6 and Lastly Have we not had God's Blessing while we Conform'd obediently to it to assure us he was well-pleased with that Establishment King James tells us in his Proclamation even now mentioned We had no reason to presume that things were so far amiss as was pretended because we had seen the Kingdom under that Form of Religion which by Law was established in the days of the late Queen of Famous Memory blessed with a Peace and Prosperity both extraordinary and of many years continuance a strong Evidence that God was therewith well-pleased But 't is an ill sign of a growing Reformation when the times afford us as they have done a long while so many Evil men and Seducers who wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3. 13. A Reformation of Manners and Practice we acknowledge highly needful but for Ecclesiastical Orders and Constitutions about the Worship and Service of God there wants nothing but a hearty Observation to improve them 4. It is to be considered with great attention Whether such as are in Authority and are satisfied that there is no need of Reformation should alter Legal Constitutions to gratifie whether the Humor or Importunity of Dissenters In the management hereof I shall consult no Passion or Interest nor be swayed by any prejudice resolving only to give the sense of other Protestants and I shall begin with the Lutherans 'T is the Resolution of David Rungius After a faithful account given of the free use of things indifferent such as will not submit to a just Authority nothing is to be done in their favour but as Persons persisting in their purpose out of Hypocrisie or Stubborness out of a love of Contention or some other Mental distemper they are sharply to be reproved Brochmand another eminent Man of that Party saith Some respect is to be had of the Weak in order to their Information but to such as are obstinately Superstitious

first establishment of Christianity And as that very Learned and Judicious Divine hath determined There are certainly many occasions for a Christian to have recourse to God for his Grace upon Protestation of his Christianity which is the condition upon which all Grace of God becomes due when there is neither time nor opportunity to recollect his mind unto a formal address by praying unto God All which this Ceremony the Sign of the Cross fitly signifieth I shall conclude this with a matter of Fact The Practice and Behaviour of a Member of the Greek Church at the time of his Martyrdom a few years since sent to me by a very Worthy Learned and Ingenuous Person who was upon the place at Constantinople One thing saith he I cannot but take notice of that all the way this deplorable Creature was hurried backwards and forwards to the Cady and the Kaima Cam and afterwards to execution when either he could not speak through weakness of body or else could not be heard among the thronging Multitude He in a manner continually made the Sign of the Cross upon his Breast to testifie to the World by this dumb Rhetorick his undaunted resolution of being and dying a true Christian. I confess it made me with great pleasure reflect upon that ancient Rite used by our Church in Baptism I mean the sign of the Cross. It may be that to men who never lived abroad amongst Vnbelievers nor considered the state of the Primitive Church in which this Practice first prevailed it may seem a very useless and empty Ceremony to make this Sign upon an Infants Forehead at his reception into Christ's Flock much more for a man in Publick to do it upon his own Breast but for my own part I shall rather for ever esteem it as an Vniversal Character of a Christian forasmuch as it is sufficient to signifie throughout the whole World when no other Language is mutually understood that the Person so sign'd is own'd or owns himself to be a Member of Christ's Mystical Body And therefore many of the Primitive Christians were branded with a Cross and the Walls of their Cities and Castles and Houses as we see some yet remaining in many places to this very day bore this Mark upon them only as a note of distinction at first though the Superstition indeed of succeeding Ages much altered the Original intent of it The Christian Slaves and other miserable and indigent Believers who up and down the Streets beg our Charity when all Language is insignificant or perhaps their Tongues are cut out will declare their profession to us by this only sign And we have several times travelled abroad in Turkish habits and happening into a Christian Village we have found the People at first very fearful and averse from giving us any entertainment but assuring them by this sign that we were of their own Belief we have been immediately admitted and kindly treated And without any further Instances I have found this outward token alone in these Countries to be a sufficient Shibboleth to distinguish a Christian from an Infidel Now though perhaps in your Parts of Christendom a Christian of riper years may never have a real occasion of making profession of his Faith by this Outward Character yet I think our Church doth extreamly well in retaining so much as she doth of this Ancient Custome I mean in Crossing at least the Persons that are Newly baptized since the words which she useth in that Office sufficiently expound the meaning of the first Institutors of this Ceremony to wit it signifies that as they should manfully maintain the inward and Spiritual fight against Sin and the Devil and all Pomps and Vanities under the inward Banner of a stedfast and lively Faith in Christ so they should not be asham'd publickly even by this Outward Sign to confess the same Faith to the World and all the Powers thereof when and wheresoever they should have occasion for it Thus far I am gratified by my Worthy Friend's Letter We see then that the use of this Symbol in All the Christian Church has alwaies been accounted a Real Protestation of the Christian Faith and consequently they have understood and practised it as comprehended under the General Command of Confession which contradicts the Hypothesis of these Dissenters The Dissenters Ninth Section THey are the more cautious of all Ceremonies because the Old Church of England in her Homilies Serm. 3. of Good Works tells us That such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man superstitiously given to make new honouring of God of his own Head and then to have more affection and devotion to keep that than to search out God's Holy Commandments and do them The Answer 1. That which was the Old Church of England we desire may be the Old Church of England still But Martin Luther observed a sort of men in his time who were all for Novelties He was very fearful he saies of changing Old things for New ones in respect of the weak but especially Propter leves illos fastidiosos Spiritus in regard of those light and fastidious Spirits qui ceu sues immundae sine fide sine mente irruunt solâ Novitate gaudent atque statim ut Novitas esse desiit nauseant Who like unclean Swine without Faith without Sense rush upon Novelty and delight in nothing else and as soon as ever it ceaseth to be a Novelty it becomes nauseous to them If these Dissenters had any veneration for the Old Church of England they would not be so importune and fierce as their Party are for Innovations For what is it but a New Church which they attempt to set up New Laws New Liturgy New Form of Ordination New Ministry New Governours New Government New Discipline All New 2. That these Dissenters are more like to be given to Superstition than the Church of England for the more Scrupulous are ever the more Superstitious as Matthisius observes of those weak ones Rom. 14. Tanquam Evangelicae libertatis nescios superstitiosos They were ignorant of the liberty of the Gospel and Superstitious And though Mr. Perkins as was noted above says that discourse of St. Paul was intended peculiarly for those times not for ours who should and might understand as well our liberty as our duty a little better than those raw Converts yet these men fill their heads with the like Scruples and imitate their Superstition For what does Superstition signifie but an immoderate fear Quo se anxiè torquent superstitiosi homines dum sibi fabricant inanes scrupulos as Mr. Calvin hath it in Act. 17. 22. An immoderate Fear wherewith Superstitious men do sadly torment themselves while they frame vain scruples to themselves And a Superstitious man is defined to be a Person affected with a vain and superfluous fear of God Qui metuit ibi Deum offendere ubi non offenditur One that fears to offend God in that wherein