Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	archbishop_n	bishop_n	pope_n	3,987	5	6.3221	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85184	The league illegal. Wherein the late Solemn League and Covenant is seriously examined, scholastically and solidly confuted: for the right informing of weak and tender consciences, and the undeceiving of the erroneous. Written long since in prison, by Daniel Featley D.D. and never until now made known to the world. Published by John Faireclough, vulgò Featley, chaplain to the Kings most Excellent Majesty.	Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645.; Featley, John, 1605?-1666.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I)	1660 (1660)	Wing F591; Thomason E1040_8; ESTC R199	47,903	77

keep his Oath sincerely and intirely But in this Covenant and Oath there are many Ambiguities For what is meant in the first clause by common enemies Either the world the flesh and the Divel which indeed are as it were sworn enemies to all true Religion or Papists or Independents who are both enemies to the Discipline and Government of the Scotch Church In the second clause what is meant by Church government by Archbishops Bishops c either all government by Bishops or the present Government only with the late Innovations and abuses thereof If all government by Bishops then in taking this Oath we condemn not only the perpetual Government of the Church from the Apostles time till the reformation of Religion in the dayes of Hen. 8. but also the reformed Churches in England Ireland Denmark Swethland Poland Saxonie and other parts of Germany where either they have Archbishops and Bishops or tantmount Intendents and Superintendents If the present government only with innovations and abuses let them explain what are the innovations and abuses we swear against else we cannot swear in judgement What is meant by Hierarchy the word signifieth holy Government being derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} holy and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rule or government And is it fit crudely without any glosse to forswear all holy Government In the third clause what is meant by defending the Kings person in the defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms Is it a limitation or not If it be no limitation what doth it there There ought to be no idle and if I may so speak hang-by words in an Oath for the Wiseman teacheth us when we speak to God our words must be few If it be a limitation how doth this Covenant agree with the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance by which we are absolutely bound to defend the Kings person royal Dignities and Prerogatives of the Crown without any if or of restriction or qualification In the fourth clause what is meant by Malignants or evill instruments a word never used till of late in any Statute Law or Ordinance and never so much abused as at this day In the sixth clause how far extend these words I will assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and persuance thereof Doth it reach to giving battle to the King Sequestring Estates plundering houses and trampling all Laws under foot and to the justifying all the outrages committed in the maintaining and pursuing this League If not why is it not circumscribed with that limitation in the first Protestation By all good and lawful means or so far as lawfully I may There being so many Amphibologies Ambiguities and riddles in this Oath we must have some Oedipus of the Synod to read and clearly expound them before we can safely engage our conscience by Oath to perform them No Covenant may be made or Oath taken which implyeth in it contradictions for in such an Oath or Covenant we play fast and loose say and unsay and overthrow the nature of an Oath and take Gods name in vain The Schools and ancient Doctors constantly maintain that it exceedeth even Divine Omnipotency to reconcile Contradictions which are amongst those many things St. Augustine speaketh of which God therefore cannot do because he is Omnipotent But there are apparent contradictions in this Covenant and Gordian knots which cannot be untied For First It is said in the Preface that the Noblemen Barons c. enter into this Covenant according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and yet Mr. Nye in his Speech published by special order of the House upon the very day the Covenant was read and sworn unto and subscribed by the Honorable House of Commons and Reverend Assembly of Divines Sept. 25. saith p. 12. That such an Oath for matter persons and other circumstances hath not been in any age or oath we read of in sacred or humane stories And Mr. Coleman in his Sermon commanded to be printed by the Commons of the House of Parliament Sept. ult. 1643. p. 18. Ask your Fathers consult with the aged of our times whether ever such a thing were done in their dayes or in the dayes of their Fathers before them And in his Epistle Dedicatory An Oath if vain makes the Land to mourn an Oath if weighty makes it rejoyce This is a new thing and not done in our Land before and I hope will have a new effect not seen by our people before We are to swear in the first branch That we will really and constantly endeavour the preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government and yet in the same branch we swear to endeavour to bring the Churches of God in these three Kingdoms of which Scotland is one to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in form of Church Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches But this cannot be done if Scotland be preserved in her present Directory for Worship Discipline and Government for the Government in the Church of England Ireland Denmark Swethland Poland Saxony and in all the Churches of the East not subject to the Pope is Episcopal and that is proved to be most conformable to the Word of God by the writings of Bilson Downham Armagh never yet answered by any We swear in the same branch That we will endeavour to reform the Doctrine of the Church of England according to Gods Word and yet preserve the reformed Religion in Scotland in Doctrine whereas the Doctrine of the Church of England and Scotland is all one as appears by the Confession of the one and Articles of the other All the difference between the Church of England and Scotland is concerning Discipline and Liturgie not Doctrine as it is distinguished from them We swear in the second branch That we will endeavour the extirpation of Prelacy and Schisms whereas Prelacy hath been ever and is the special if not only means to extirpate Schisme If Prelacy be taken away saith St. Jerome ad Luc. and the preeminencie of one Presbyter above another tot Schismata erunt quot Sacerdotes That is to extirpate Church-government by Archbishops Bishops c. and yet in the third branch we swear to preserve the rights and priviledges of the Parliament and liberties of the Kingdoms among which liberties of the Kingdom of England and priviledges of the Parliament are the contents of Magna Charta and Petition of Right in which the Government of Archbishops and Bishops and the rights and priviledges of the Church are comprised In the third branch we swear to preserve and defend his Majesties Person and Authority without any diminution of his just power and greatness and yet in the sixth Article we swear to assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in

and after adding the thistle unto them Nay they had the chief hands in planting the reformed Religion in this Kingdome and some of them watered it with their bloud If in this Covenant the Wow had been to endeavour the removall of all Antichristian Prelates Popish Archbishops and Bishops corrupt Chancellours Arch-deacons and Officialls that would have been no more then as it were pulling off some withered buds from the rod of Aaron But simply to abjure Prelacie with an English glosse far worse then the Scotch Text that is Church Government by Archbishops Bishops c. is either to blast with a poysoned breath or to pluck up that rod which ever since the reformation hath happily budded in this Church and to deprive us soe farr as in them lyeth for ever of the goodly and fair Almonds it hath heretofore and no doubt will in succceding Ages bear if they be not nipt in the bud Many glorious Martyres such as were Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Farrar Philpot Many noble Champions of the reformed religion as B Jewell Bilson Andrews Abbot Fr. White Dr. Reynolds Nowel Sutcliffe Field Many eminnet Preachers B. Mathews King Babbington Felton Lake Party Dr. Sinnewes Thompson Goodwin Eedes Boyse Many munificent Patrons of Learning and Religion Founders of or Benefactours to Vniversities Schools Colledges Halls and Hospitalls as Merton Chichley Wai●fleete Wickham Kemp Leichfield Fox Oldham Grindall Whitgift G. Abbot and divers others Here if they cast in our dish some Beckets and Gardiners and Bonuers which were indeed bitter Almonds we can easily rid our hands of them For it was not Prelacie but Popery that imbittered or rather poysoned them Which poyson since the reformation is drawn out and taken away from Episcopacie in England by the Oath at their Consecration which cutteth off all their dependencie from the Pope and since that none have given him a more deadly Wound then our learned and every way accomplished Vshers Mortons Halls and Prideauxes Howsoever was there not a Saul among the Prophets a Julian among the Emperours a Judas among the Apostles a Diotrophes among the Elders and a Nicholas among the Deacons and must these most sacred and divine Callings like so many trees of Paradise planted by God himself be extirpated for here and there some rotten or perished fruit found at some times upon the branches Desine paucorum diffundere crimen in omnes Yea but manifold abuses have crept into the ecclesiasticall Courts Commutations delays and excessive fees And have not the like or as bad in secular Shall we then have no Consistories or Courts at all The Bishops as it is objected but not proved have corrupted the Gospell and have not some Judges the Laws Shall we then have no more Judges upon the Bench A Synod of Priests and Elders condemned our Saviour and divers Councels have defined heresies for Doctrines Defide and set up Idolatry and Superstition shall we then have no more Aslembltes of Divines Nay truth cannot be concealed Rupto jecore exibit caprificus There have been strange passages in former Parliaments at which our Archives and Records blush must we therefore v●te down all Votes and take away all Parliaments God forbid Let all those who are now most exasperated against the reverend Fathers of the Church and others as they tearm them of the prelaticall Clergie coole their heat and put water into their Wine either with that precept of our Saviour Judge not that ye be not judged condemn not that ye be not condemned or that Item of the Apostle Devoure not l●st ye be devoured one of another or of that modest and ingenuous confessiou of a devout Father Toleramus toleramur we must bear with some things in the Clergie for they must bear with more in the Laitie Tolerari non tolerare est intolerabile He is of a most intolerable nature and disposition who expects that others should tolerate him in all things and he tolerate others in nothing for such a disposition is diametrically opposite to the Apostles precept Bear ye one anothers Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Noe Oath ought to be taken or Covenant made which is against Charity For Covenants and Leagues are made to confirm and strengthen not to weaken or any way loosen those natural and civill tyes whereby we are bound one to another Charitie is the end of the Law and summe of the Gospell and bond of perfection it self As whatsoever is not done out of faith so whatsoever is not done in Charity is sin But this Covenant is against Charity and offers violence to Humanity it self For by it we are bound to loose and untie all Bonds whatsoever whether of affinytie or consanguinity or of intimate friendship cum qua mariuntur et pro qua moriuntur verae amiciliae candidat If our brother or our sonne and daughter or the wife that lyes in our bosome or our friend that is as our own soul be a malignant we are sworn by this Covenant to detect them and betray them to the seve●itie of the close Committee and barbarous cruelty of the Sequestrators and their instruments And Malignants in the sense of them who tender this Oath are all such without exception who swim against the streame or rather torrent that bears all down before it all who comply not with the times all who complain of the Liberties of Subject trencht upon and their propriety invaded of Churches prophaned monuments of the dead defaced of hundreds of able and learned and orthodox divines of irreprovable life and carriage turned out of their benefices and illeterate Ignonoramus's and zealous beautifeux's set in their rooms who preach as familiarly blasphemie and treason as they pray Non-sense Lastly who make scruple of the managing of this present warr whereby the Kings person and life is endangered It is t●ue they professe to fight for King and Parliament To rescue the one and preserve the other But as in the Civill broyles in Italie a great Commander sometimes said My sword though it have a keen edge and can divide between the bone and marrow yet it cannot distinguish a Guelf from a Gibbeline So it is most certain that the Canon or musquet bullet distinguisheth not between King and Subject much lesse between the King his Head and his Crown his Person and his power The primitive Christians though they desired nothing more then to glorifie Christ by their death who saved them by his and therefore ran with as much alacrity to Martyrdome as to silver games wherein prizes of infinite value were to be wonne yet they could never be brought by any tortures or torments to discover any Christian to the heathen persecutors that sought to bereave them of their estate liberty or life But here by vertue of this new Covenant not only a Christian Brother is bound by a strict Oath to detect another but the son his Father the Wife her Husband the Daughter her