Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	act_n	declare_v	parliament_n	2,663	5	6.5816	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35128	Labyrinthvs cantuariensis, or, Doctor Lawd's labyrinth beeing an answer to the late Archbishop of Canterburies relation of a conference between himselfe and Mr. Fisher, etc., wherein the true grounds of the Roman Catholique religion are asserted, the principall controversies betwixt Catholiques and Protestants thoroughly examined, and the Bishops Meandrick windings throughout his whole worke layd open to publique view / by T.C.	Carwell, Thomas, 1600-1664.	1658 (1658)	Wing C721; ESTC R20902	499,353	446

such things Are they themselves without blame Is there no corruption of manners amongst them Surely yes but passion blindes them and they are like those who being brought into a most pleasant garden richly beautified with variety of usefull herbs and odoriferous flowers should pass over all this and onely entertain themselves with looking upon some few weeds which their curious or rather malicious eyes had there spy'd For they take no notice of the Sanctity and Good life perspicuous in very many both of the Clergy and Laiety in the Roman Church They will not see the great variety of Religious Orders wherewith the garment of the Church is as it were embroidered Astitit Regina à dextris tuis in vestitu deaurato circumdata varietate Psal. 44. ver 10. in which so many thousands of both Sexes tye themselves to the Service of God by perpetual Vowes never to be dissolv'd by their own seeking praying and singing divine Hymnes day and night which is a strange unheard of thing amongst Protestants They tell us of many Popes that have been wicked but they never mention how many of them have been undeniably men of most holy life and Saint-like conversation I mean not onely those of the Primitive and golden ages wherein no less then thirty or more successively one after another for three hundred years together and upwards were either Martyrs or glorious Confessors for the Christian Faith but even of late and in this our Iron Age. The discovery of some few motes darkens not the brightness of the Sun-shine What if some few Catholique Authors are of opinion that some of the Popes as private Doctours have fallen into Heresie though Bellarmin and others deny it and rather shew the contrary What if some others have fallen into other foul Crimes was there not even in the Colledge of the Apostles one that deny'd and another that betray'd his Master Besides it may be worth the noting that amongst Catholiques though Sins be committed yet they are seldome maintained they are not defended nor justified as Good Works whereas among Protestants Darkness it self is called Light and the greatest of all Sins viz. Heresie Scisme Sacriledge Rebellion c. together with all the bad spawn they leave behinde them are cry'd up for perfect vertue zeal godly Reformation and what not Let our Adversaries therefore still bark they shall never hinder Sanctity of life from being a mark of the True that is of the Roman Church though our chief quarrel with them for the present be for endeavouring to brand her with Doctrinal errours upon which account they both separate from her Communion and attempt that horrid work of their deformed Reformation But in vain do they attempt to reform the Church of what she can never be guilty They ought rather to reform themselves and disclaim those errours which with Heretical and Schismatical obstinacy they have so long maintain'd against her 2. But I return to his Lordship who grounding himself upon the Separation of the ten Tribes averres that a particular Church may reform it self But whether or no or how this may be done I referre my Reader to what shall be said hereafter For the present I onely note that his Lordship goes upon false grounds Thus he discourses Was it not lawful sayes he for Juda to reform her self when Israel would not joyn Sure it was First by this Rhetorical Interrogation and answer he supposes that Juda reform'd her self which is false For Juda being the Orthodox Church united with her Head the High Priest and not tainted with any Doctrinal errours what need I pray was there of her reformation His Text out of Osee Though Israel transgress yet let not Juda sin by which he endeavours to prove that Juda reform'd her self is rather against then for him because in any indifferent mans judgement these words Though Israel trangress yet at least let not Juda sin have rather this sense Let not Juda at least fall into Schisme though Israel does then the sense following Let Juda reform her self Secondly he supposes that Juda is the Protestant party which is also false For if you be Juda who I pray are the revolted Ten Tribes who are of Jeroboams Cabal But let us see what a pretty Parallel there is between Juda and you Juda remain'd in Jerusalem you left the Catholique Jerusalem that is Rome the City of peace in whose bosom you were brought up Juda never went to Dan nor Bethel never made Priests of Baal never adored golden Calves You made new Synagogues to which you resorted new and unheard of Priests without Altar or Sacrifice and all this by your own authority Juda was still united with her Spiritual Head the High-Priest of Jerusalem nay with her Temporal Head also King Roboam you revolted first from your Spiritual Head the Pope of Rome and afterwards cast off also your Loyalty due to Temporal Princes as appears in the lamentable Rebellions heretofore in Germany the Low Countreys and France Is not his Lordships Parallel then between Juda and the Protestant party very pat and much to the purpose He would have had far better success had he compar'd his Schismatical party with the ten revolted Tribes of Israel for this Parallel comes very home not only in respect of the people misled but also in regard of the misleaders even in England Jeroboam had no title at all to the Crown of Israel Queen Elizabeth was declar'd Illègitimate and uncapable to inherit her Fathers Crown by Act of Parliament Jeroboam out of ungodly Policy the better to secure his usurp'd Crown caused the ten Tribes to desert the old and true religion of Juda which they had ever since their being Gods people most constantly and universally professed Queen Elizabeth more out of Policy and Reason of State then of Conscience to fasten the Crown of England upon her head made a Schisme from the Romane Church abolished the Catholique and True Religion which had been professed in England for so many hundred years before purposely to ingratiate her self with the common people which easily inclines to all licentiousness and utterly disable that party from ever prevailing afterward in Parliament which formerly had voted against her Jeroboam to the end his rebellious party might never return to Jerusalem and be united with the High-Priest in the true religion set up a new Synagogue new Priests new Sacrifices and new Ceremonies Queen Elizabeth to the end her Schismatical party might never piece again with their Spirituall Head the Pope of Rome set on foot a new Church new Bishops new Pastours new Liturgies and new Ceremonies In fine Jeroboam stretcht forth his hand against the true Prophet of Juda and commanded him to be apprehended Queen Elizabeth stretcht forth her hand not against one onely but all Priests and all Catholiques witness the bloody persecution rais'd against them in her dayes when it was made Treason for Priests to come into England to exercise any

likewise invited with full security to come and go if they had pleas'd but of this we have spoken already Whereas at London to that Synod of English Protestants not one of the lawfull English Prelates were call'd or permitted to come who yet of all others were most concern'd and ought to have been there present as well by reason of their Authority and Function as of their just interest What speak I of the Prelates not so much as one of the English Catholiques how numerous soever they were at that time were call'd to that Assembly but all both Pastours and people were condemn'd together without being heard or allow'd to speak one word for themselves At Trent there were no Bishops illegally depriv'd of their Bishopricks purposely to cashier their Votes in Council nor any others included into their places contrary to the Canons of the Church purposely to vote down the said Churches established Doctrine and Canons In England it is notorious that all the lawful Prelates of that Nation were most illegally and arbitrarily depriv'd of their Bishopricks for no other end but to evacuate their Authority in the Nation and Lay-Bishops thrust into their places purposely to vote down and abolish Catholique Religion by some colour of Authority and seigned shew of a pretended Ecclesiastical Synod At Trent nothing had been done or was done in matter of Religion by the Pope or any other person in way of Determination or New Decree but by and upon the most unanimous and general resolutions of that Council In England 't is too notorious to be deny'd Religion was already chang'd by the Queen and a few meer-lay-persons in Parliament scarce enough to make a legal vote had the matter been proper for them and this Synod of London call'd apparently not to debate matters of Religion as they ought to be debated in a Free Ecclesiastical Synod but to serve designs and to boulster up by their pretended titular and usurp'd Authority what before-hand had most Uncanonically been resolv'd upon by the State This his Lordship should have a little reflected on when he objected want of Freedom to the Council of Trent But it seems he could more easily see a Mote in another man's eye then a Beam in his own 8. Our desire is not that any man should rather be blinde then open his owneyes God forbid we would have him onely clear them to see that Catholiques approve of National Provincial and also Diocesan Synods and onely disapprove of such Assemblies as Convene and Act contrary to the Canons in opposition to the chief Pastour of the Church universally receiv'd Doctrines and General Councils The Bishop therefore might very well have spar'd his pains of proving so industriously that many Reformations have been made by particular Councils for who denyes it Bellarmin had sufficiently shew'd it already who also observes out of St. Austin that for the Defining of easie things 't is not convenient to trouble all Christian Provinces Non omnis Haeresis est talis ut propter eam debeant vexari omnes provinciae We deny not but matters of less moment such as concern Rites and Ceremonies onely or Abuses in Manners and Discipline may be reform'd by particular Councils and that without asking express leave of the Pope for who knows not that the Discipline of the Church allows this Who knows not that the Pope is so far from being a hinderance to such Assemblies that it is no small part of his Apostolical vigilancy for the good of the Church to encourage and stir up the Bishops of other Nations and Provinces to the frequent holding of them But we affirm that in matters of greater moment which concern the Faith and publique Doctrine of the Church Sacraments and whatever else is of Divine Institution or universal obligation particular Councils if they duly proceed attempt nothing without recourse to the Sea Apostolique and the Popes consent either expresly granted or justly presum'd The Bishop indeed all along pretends the contrary viz. that National and Provincial Councils did reform in matters of Faith and Doctrine both without and against the Popes consent and it concerns him so to do for without this granted his Lordship knew well enough it would be impossible for him to justifie the pretended Reformation of his English Church But let us examine his proofs First Gerson speaks nothing expresly touching matters of Faith but onely that he would have all the States or Degrees of the Church reform'd which may be understood as well of personal abuses or corruption in Manners and Discipline as in matters of Faith Besides writing his first-alledg'd Treatise upon this subject de Concilio unius obedientiae and pleading hard for such a General Council as should acknowledge one Head 't is manifest he allow'd of no Schismatical Reformations nor any thing to be done in that kinde contrary to the Authority and good liking of the Churches Head Secondly the Bishop cites Concilium Romanum sub Sylvestro but here the very title confutes his pretence for the Council was held sub Sylvestro under the Pope therefore not without or against him And at the Council of Gangres Osius was Popes Sylvesters Legate and the Canons of this Council as Pope Symmachus related by Baronius affirms were enacted by the Authority of the Sea Apostolique His third proof is Concilium Carthiginense primum which was indeed assembled by Gratus Bishop of Carthage but no new Article Defined in it onely the perpetual Tradition of the Church touching Non-rebaptization was confirm'd therein having been defined long before by sundry Popes and also by the Council of Nice For this Council therefore of Carthage no man can be so hardy as to deny but that the Popes consent if it were not expresly had yet might be justly presum'd In the Synod of Aquileia which is his fourth proof the Bishop himself findes nothing but only that Palladius and Secundinus were therein condemn'd for embracing the Arian Heresie which having been already condemn'd by the Council of Nice and St. Ambrose with other Bishops of Italy being present at Aquileia who can doubt but every thing was there done by the Popes Authority and consent His fifth proof is the second otherwise call'd the third Council of Carthage which was so far from being held against the Popes consent that in the forty eighth Canon 't is expresly resolv'd by the Council to consult Pope Syricius concerning the matter of that Decree His sixth proof is the Council of Milevis in Africa condemning the Heresie of Pelagius But was not I pray the Sea Apostolique consulted in that grand affair Sure it was St. Austin above cited will avouch as much His seventh proof is the second Council of Aurange which was assembled by means of Felix Bishop of Rome so far was it from being held without the Popes consent After this comes the third Council of Toledo which was so devoted to the Authority of the Sea of Rome