Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	affair_n	great_a	king_n	2,752	5	3.4774	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62171	The infancy of elders a short treatise composed for vindication of the Christian liberty of freeborne denizens of England, or A refutation of the tyrannicall unlawfull mis-government of our church by lay-elders / written by J.S. minister of the Word in Lancashire.	J. S., Minister of the Word in Lancashire.	1647 (1647)	Wing S68; ESTC R8376	22,428	29

Levites only sate with them because they were learned in the Talmud not that of right it belonged unto them to sit there Goodwin in his Jewish Antiquities fol. 199. and 198. he saith how Jehosophat appointed in every walled City secular Judges which were their Elders to determine criminall offences I wonder that our Presbyterians should be so far brazed with ignorance as not to blush to urge this portion of Scripture for a warrant for their Court of Elders to be set up here in England when as it failes in every particular to be any wise applicable to us for First the Jewes were governed by 70 Elders before so was never England Seconly Moses was both King and Priest among them he was their Priest and tooke great paines in his holy function with them whereby he became lesse fitted to manage their civill affaires and wee may likewise reade Deut. 33.5 Moses was among the righteous as King I never knew that our Bishops or Presbyters ever exercised any Kingly Office in England nor hath it ever been unlesse in these foure yeeres last past whenas Charles Stewart being gone from his Parliament and being denudated of his Kingly power which power in conceit fell into the laps of our Assembly who thereupon Enthusiastically by imaginary Revelation publish they must take to themselves Elders of the people to beare part of the burthen with them Thirdly that was Gods owne immediate Act and he put his spirit upon them and they prophesied verse the 25 but this is a meere humane institution not warranted by any meanes unlesse by such imaginary Revelation and strange Oracles which things since Christ himselfe came in the flesh have ceased and why should wee now credit them I beleeve our Elders are not by their Office made wiser or indowed with any supernaturall gifts at all but continue still though Mr. Elders yet as arrant blockheads as they were before so that a man may say of them as one sayd of an ignorant Judge sitting in his robes upon the Bench yonder Judge is made fine by his place his place not beautified him nor for my part will I beleeve any thing they can prophesie unlesse they tell me they will be kickt out of their Office Fourthly that Government ceased when Israel obtained a King and now that England hath and ever had a King what shall wee doe with this inconsistant Government Unlesse to fit our selves to entertaine the Eldership wee cast off Monarchicall Government and introduce a Government by States for my part I wish that hand to wither that shall attempt to lop off the royall branches of our Land whose right to the Crowne and Kingly prerogative are equally just to any Subject his possessing what he hath nor is there any understanding Christian reproachfully called Independant of any other opinion so he may enjoy the liberty of his owne conscience without Civill coercion in point of Religion he being to give an account to God of his owne soule and every one being to beare his owne burthen the Father not being to answer for the Son nor the Son for the Father Gal. 6.5 Ezek. 18.20 but in civill and temporall matters is ready to subject himselfe with the most submissive to Kingly Authority according to the Law of the Nation where he lives And may those cursed soules who contrive the obliterating of the glorious beings of our Kings heere be suddainely snached hence by a hand unlooked for and yet I wish King Charles his returning to his Parliament and hearkening to their wholsome Councells for therein I conceive his flourishing and happinesse will most consist That there are and hath been Civill Elders here and elsewhere no man needs to doubt it is obvious enough and manifest to each capacity our Judges at Westminster are nothing else but in this sence Elders and Judges to sit in Counsell to determine and judge of criminall and other civill affaires which wee continue still to this day Therefore are our new Lay-Elders in this sence uselesse and if wee must for other ends erect Jewish Sanhedrins in England I have shewed you it is not warrantable for us so to doe because Moses by Gods speciall appointment assembled 70. Elders to beare part of the Government with him although it were urged with all the wit zeale and fervency it 's possible for a Countrey Presbyter to palliate his people from his Pulpit with yet his labour is all in vaine and he but endeavours to justifie unwarrantable things when as the unskilfull Sophister cannot set a specious glosse on a good matter But perhaps he hath learned his lesson so far by rote as to tell the people it was in Europe first set up at Geneva by reverend Mr. Calvin and since embraced by the States of Holland and severall places of Germany and therefore why should not wee have it in England I answer in the same way of reason that in Rome is and hath beene a long time continued the Popish Religion and professed and maintained by the Emperour by the Kingdome of Spaine by the King of France and some Princes of Germany and therefore why should not we professe that Religion too But more particularly to take off this cavill I will make it appeare that that argument doth no waies concerne England The beginning of this Government at Geneva is well knowne was by Mr. Calvin framed yet if wee will beleeve Histories not intended for he perceiving the abuses and too predominating tyranny of Bishops contrary to Gods word Lording it over Gods Heritage devised a way for freeing the people from that slavery and the inlarging of Gods people to cast off the Hierarchicall yoke and so invented a new way which he knew the giddy multitude greedy of novelties would be easily facinated with and that the rather because they groaned under the heavy pressure of their former slavery wherefore he buzzed into the eares of the people that they should have none of these Lording Bishops but they should be ruled by every Pastor in his respective Parish and to submit to his censure and because all should not hang on so slender a thread as the likeing of an ignorant multitude he bound the people by oath to give obedience to such orders as he with two other Ministers for more grace to the businesse had set downe and appointed every Church being to be governed by it selfe and the people sworne to obedience and so every Church almost differing from other began to accuse one another of disobedience to the will of Christ in those things in which they differed which occasioned much strife and contentions among them for these Presbyters being men of flesh as well as the Bishop was and subject to the like infirmities began to flutter as much or more over the people as ever the Bishop did and to exercise as much coercive power over mens consciences wherefore the people seeing themselves nothing bettered by this new frame of government but unadvisedly they had consented