Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	church_n	ordination_n	3,829	5	10.8464	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41016	Sacra nemesis, the Levites scourge, or, Mercurius Britan. disciplin'd, [Mercurius] civicvs [disciplin'd] also deverse remarkable disputes and resolvs in the Assembly of Divines related, episcopacy asserted, truth righted, innocency vindicated against detraction.	Featley, Daniel, 1582-1645.	1644 (1644)	Wing F593; ESTC R2806	73,187	105

upon record Lastly why was no cause expressed in the Warrant for committing him to Prison If the latter i. e. if the letter be so far from containing in it any matter subject to exception that it rather deserved approbation as expressing much loyaltie to his Majestie zeal of the true orthodox religion and a reverend regard and respect to the Assemblie of Divines with a desire to continue still among them with his Majesties leave 1. Why then is this letter made the only ground of all the proceedings against the Doctor 2. Why for writing this letter unsealed not to a stranger but to a member of the Assemblie was he voted out of both his Benefices all his estate both personall and reall sequestred his ●ooks in which lay his chiefest treasure taken from him his familie turned out of house and home his servants and friends examined upon oath concerning any plate money rents or arrerages bills or bonds belonging to him and all that could be found seized upon 3. Why is he suspended from the exercise of his Ecclesiasticall function 4. Why hath he been so long detained in prison and there put to a great charge without any allowance at all out of his sequestred estate worth above 400 pound per annum 5. Why is such a severe hand kept over him that in the space of eight moneths and more he can by no means obtain a most humble and conscionable petition to be rendered in his behalf to the house Thou whosoever readest these things and hast with Philip of Macedon reserved one eare for the defendant consider of all things impartially si quam opinionem animo conceperis si eam ratio conv●llit si ratio labefactabit si verita● extorquebit ne repugnes ●amque animo aut libenti aut aequo remittas Est eni●● haec norma forma judiciorum aequorum ut culpa sine invidiâ plectatur invidia sine culpâ ponatur whatsoever prejudicate opinion thou mayst have taken of the Doctor if reason convince it if reason overthrow it if truth it self pluck it from thee give over thy hold for this is the rule and pattern of all righteous judgements that guilt be censured without envie or spleen and envie and spleen without guilt be abandoned Post-script to the Reader COurteous Reader I know thou expectest that here the Doctors whole letter should be added But for the avoyding of ta●toligies because all the substantiall contents so far as in the Diurnall● and Mecurie they have been heretofore objected to the Doctor they are in in the Gentle Lash and in this Treatise related in severall sections and fully answered I shall intreat thee to be contented with the remainder thereof faithfully transcribed out of the originall sent to the Primate of Ireland Doctor Featley having written a letter to the Lord Arch-bishop of Armagh Mercurius Aulicus 41. week 1643. to give his Grace an account of his demeanour in the businesse of the Scottish Covenant was committed Prisoner to the Lord Peters house both his Livings given away to others and his Books bestowed upon that old instrument of sedition White of Dorchester But it was the Doctors reasons against their Covenant which raised all this stirre which the originall Letter being now in my hands I shall here impart and the pretended Houses who got a copie of it can testifie it to be true First the Doctor excepted against those words Wee will endeavour the true Reformed Protestants Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Discipline Worship and Government according to the Word of God These words said the Doctor imply that the Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland is according to the Word of God which said he is more then I dare subscribe much lesse confirme by an Oath For first I am not perswaded that any platforme of Government in each particular circumstance is jure divino 2. Admit some were yet I doubt whether the Scots Presbytery be that 3. Although somewhat may seeme to be urged out of Scripture for the Scots Government with some shew of probabilitie yet far from such evidence as may convince a mans conscience to sweare it is agreeable to Gods Word Next the Doctor excepted against that passage I shal endeavour the extirpation of Prelacy in the Church of England c. I saith he dare not 〈◊〉 that First in regard that I beleeve Episcopacie is an Apostolicall Institution 2. That the Church never so flourished as within 500 years after Christ when it was governed by Bishops 3. That our English Episcopacy is justified by the prime Divines of the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas 4. that our English Bishops now ever since the Reformation have disclaimed all Papall dependency 5. That the foure Generall Councels confirmed in England by Act of Parliament 1 Eliza. assert Episcopacy And 6. which all men had need consider the Ministers of the Church of England ordained according to a forme confirmed by Act of Parliament at their Ordination take an Oath that they will reverently obey their Ordinary and other chiefe Minister of the Church and them to whom the Government and charge is committed over them This Oath I and all Clergy-men have taken and if we shall sweare the extirpation of Prelacy we shall sweare to for sweare our selves Lastly he excepted against that passage I will defend the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament and defend His Majesties Person and Authority in defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome Here said he the Members are put before the Head the Parliaments Priviledges before the Kings Prerogative and the restraint of defending the King only in such such cases 〈◊〉 to imply something which I fear may be drawne to ●ll consequence FINIS Esay 51.19 Acts 28.4 11.36 Herman leomel Spong ex lit. urb 8. catenae marty●um sunt monilia religionis Humphredus in vita Iuelli nebula est transib●t P●●s sat 1. Eras. adag. Andabatarum ritu Liv. dec Foedior in orbe trucidatio cum turba foeminarum puerorum que in succensum ignem se Conjicerent rivique sanguinis flammam orientem restinguerent Diego Tornis edit. Venet. 1604. Barcaeus vester Diabolo venit obviam petiitque ut cathedram ejus occuparet quia erit dignior Psal. 1. Prov. 26.5 Alderm. P. Vell. Paters l. 2. Divin Instit. l. ult. Scalig. contra Lyid In locis nitidissimis olidum ponit * The one was hanged on a Gallowes fifty cubits high the other in a Cage on the highest Tower in Munster Civicus Scoticus C●elicus Merc. Brit. pag. 47. Annal. Tacit. lib. 12. Agrippina Statilium Taurum hortis ejus inhians pervertit Iustin. lib. 1. Persae festum celebrant ob necem Magorum dictum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Armiger Warner 1643. (a) M W●ite of Dorchest (b) M. Nye (c) M. Ben (d) M Cooke (e) Andrew Ke●win Brit. p. 45. Ans. The name of a Mood in the

hereby conceive that I speak any thing against the state of Bishops but onely against Rom●sh wolves and tyrant● Neither are the Lutherans of another mind at this day witnesse their every-way accomplished * Gerard none of us saith he affirmeth that there is no difference between a Bishop or Presbyter or Priest but we acknowledge a difference of degrees for good order s●ke and to preserve concord in the Church Here me thinks I see the Smec●y●nians bend their brows and answer with some indignation what have we to doe with Luthera●s who have Images in their Churches and auricular confession and maintain consubs●antiation and ubiquitie and intercision of grace and many other errors We are of Calvin and hold with the doctrine and discipline of Geneva which hath no allay at all of error and superstition but is like the pure angell-gold Here though I might as many have done crave leave to put in a legall exception against the authoritie of Calvin and Beza in matter of discipline because they had a hand in thrusting out the Bishop of Geneva and the Lay Presbyterian government was the issue of their brain and we know it is naturall for parents to dote upon their own children and accompt them farre fairer and more beautifull then indeed they are yet such was the ingenuitie of those worthie reformers and such is the evidence and strength of truth that in this point concerning the abolition of Episcopacie in the Church of England I dare chuse them as Umpires First let * Calvin speak in his exquisite Treatise concerning the necessitie of reforming the Church the most proper place if anywhere clearly to deliver his judgement in this controversie where having ript up the abuses of the Romish Hierarchie in the end thus he resolves let them shew us such an Hierarchie in which the Bishops may have such prehemine●cie that yet they refuse n●t themselves to be subject to Christ that they depend upon him as the onely Head and ref●rre all to him and so embrace brotherly societie that they are knit together by no other means then his truth and I will confesse they deserve any cu●se if there be any who will not observe such an Hierarchie with reverence and greatest obedience After him let us hear * Beza in that very booke which he wrote against Saravia a Prebend of Canterbury concerning different degrees in the Clergie but saith he if the reformed Churches of England remain still supported with the authoritie of their Arch-bishops and Bishops as it hath come to passe in our memorie that they have had men of that rank not only famous Martyrs but most excellent Doctors and Pastours which happinesse I for my part wish that they may continually enjoy c. Surely he that so highly extolled our Bishops and wished that that order might like the tree in the Poet continually bring forth such golden boughs and fruit would not readily swear to endeavour the utter extirpation thereof With these and other shafts the Doctors quiver was full though he drew out but one only considering the time and the auditorie which he took from the oath at the ordination of the Divines in that Assembly which as he conceived tied up their hands fast enough from subscribing to the second Clause in the Covenant for all persons so ordained who swear for the extirpation of Episcopacie forswear their Canonicall obedience and question the validitie of their Orders given them upon condition of performing such obedience and submission as that oath enjoyneth SECT. IX Britanicus his scurrilous jests at spirituall Courts retorted and extemporarie prayers and sermons deservedly censured HE sayes the Doctor excepted against the Scotch covenant as not agreeable to Gods Word this is not all For the Doctor would not like it a jot worse for that but there are not so many reverend conveniences you cannot have libertie of conscience and pluralities at once you cannot keep an orthodoxall coach and four horses you cannot mind your businesse of State and ease for the ceremonie of constant preaching you shall want the good companie of Chancellours and Commissaries and the gainfull equitie of the canon law and the goodly tyrannie of the high Commission Courts and the comfortable use of the keyes over a pottle of Sack in the Chancellours chamber If thou hadst any vermilion tincture of modestie Britanicus thou wouldst blush to charge the Doctor with negligence in preaching or coaching it with four horses or gleeking it on the Lords day for it is well known to all that know him that he never kept coach with four horses nor playd at gleek in his life much lesse on the Lords day And for his constant diligence in preaching for 35 years and more if I should hold my peace the prime and chief pulpits in the Universitie and London would say enough to stop thy mouth and open all ingenuous mens to yield a testimonie to a known truth But thou art possessed with Martin Marprelates devill which Urbanus will shortly conjure out of thee The power of the keyes is a great eye-sore to thee for those of thy sect like not to stand in white sheets though if the world belye you not none better deserve it for Papists and Brownists like Sampsons foxes though they are severed in the heads they are joyned in the tails And doubtlesse when thou wert summoned by an Apparitor for committing follie with an elect Sister waitedst in the Chancellors chamber it was then that thou heldst thy nose so long over a pottle of Sack till thy brains crowed For what Chimera's Tragelaphusses and Hippocentaurs dost thou talk of reverend conveniences orthodoxall coaches and businesse of State and ease the ceremonie of constant preaching and goodly tyrannie of the high commission Court as if that court now stood What thy intoxicated brain conceiveth or thy loose tongue would have understood by reverend conveniences and orthodoxall coaches I understand not unlesse thou alludest to that noble mans conveniencie who had a reverend coachman for his preacher whose doctrine very agreeable to his profession was that a stable was every way as holy a● a Church and for my part I wish those of his strain may have no other Church or thou hadst a s●ing at the Doctors successour in Acton who rideth every Lords day in triumph in a coach drawn with four horses to exercise there What thou talkest of businesse of state and ease thou understandest not thy self if there be businesse in state surely there is little ●ase bus●nesse of state and ease are a kind of asystata non bene conveniunt nec in una s●de morantur if there were ever such a calm● in the state that the steer●men might take their ease yet certainly never since your Boreas blew in the Church If that character might truly be given of any it may of your sect turba gravis paci placidaequ● immica quieti you are the naturall sons of Ismael your hands are

percrebuit de arcta domini Featlei custodiâ Siccine tractari insignem veritatis pugilem de religione reformata optimè meritum Idque ab iis qui reformandae ecclesiae palmam aliis praeripere omnibus satagunt Neutiquam tamen hoc mirum aut insolens discipulo videri debet cum sciat ipsius magistrum a gente sua magnis in Israele Rabbinis duriora passum Tuus ex animo Iohan. Stablesius generos Ger. From Harlew to his very loving friend Master Bull health and happinesse I Am sorry to hear of the close Imprisonment of that worthy Dr. Featley what He who is and ever hath been so stout a Champion for religion to be so used by the reformers thereof But let his own Nation not the disciple think it strange when his Master suffered so much crueltie from the great Rabbins of Israel Yours from my heart Ioh. Stables Gent. Aprill 11. 1644. These testimonies of forraign Divines I had thought to suppresse because the rehearsing them cannot but wound the modestie of the party may peradventure whet the venomous tooth of envie against him yet these comming to my hands and considering in what condition the partie now is I held it a dutie of Christian charitie and equitie to impart them to the indifferent reader for the vindicating his person and adding some light to his reputation now labouring in the eclipse SECT. XVIII The sum of D. F. his apologie reduced into two unanswerable Dilemma's BEfore I put forth the horns of the Dilemma's I will lay down certain Lemma's or assertions of undeniable veritie First after D. F. had delivered his mind concerning the Scottish Covenant which he thought he might doe safely in a free Assemblie and many days before he wrote any Letter to the Primate of Armagh it was spoken openly at Westminster that the Doctor should be voted out of the Assemblie as L.M. and M. H. disclosed to D. F. Secondly that D. F. sent not to A. Warner to conveigh a Letter of his to the Primate of Armagh but A. Warner was sent to the Doctor who by probable and plausible suggestions drew this Letter unsealed from the Doctor which he no sooner received but he shewed the close Committee Thirdly that when the Doctor wrote this Letter to Armagh the Bishop was an elect Member of the Assemblie by the house of Commons and both he and Doctor Pr●d●aux and Doctor Ward and Doctor Brounerigg and Doctor Oldisworth and Doctor Harris and others well affected to the Discipline and Liturgie of the Church of England were daily expected at the Synod and some of them excused their necessarie absence for a time from the Assemblie by Letters to the Prolocu●or whereof one was presented by Doctor Featley himself and Doctor Gouge Fourthly that when the Doctor wrote his Letter to the Primate of Armagh there was no declaration or ordinance of either of the houses of Parliament forbidding correspondencie by Letters to Oxford without leave of the houses or warrant from the Lord Generall for the Doctors Letter was written about the middle of September 1643. and the ordinance prohibiting any under pain of Sequestration to hold intelligence with Oxford bears date Octob. 22. 1643. a full moneth after so that the writing of the fore-named Letter at that time was not so much as malum quia prohibitum neither could the Doctor be censured for it as a crime because as the Apostle teacheth us where there is no law there is no transgression 5. Fifthly that there was never any thing objected against the Doctor since the ●●tting of the Parliament or the Assemblie save the seven Articles prefer'd against him by the Brownists of which he was cleared acquitted and discharged in a full house after a long debate Iuly 13. and his Letter to the Primate of Ireland which was written before the ordinance of Parliament made it criminall to write any letters to Oxford without speciall leave Now Civicus call to thee Britanicus and Scoticus and Coelicus together with Patriark W. and Independent N. and set all your wits upon the renters to render some colourable answer to these two insoluble dilemma's First either the vote of the house of Commons is an undoubted oracle of truth and justice and a concludent and definitive sentence in poynt of law or not If it be so then is D. F. cleare from all aspersions cast upon him For in a full house Iuly 12. he was acquitted of all the articles objected against him as appeareth in the record under the hand of H. Elsing exemplified in the vindication of D. F. p. 21. If it be not so but as some heretofore have conceived only as the inquest of the Grand Jurie and a preparatorie to the full information of the cause upon oath and finally sentencing it in the house of Peers then the vote passed against the Doctor in the house of Commons alone without any farther proceeding in the house of Lords is of no force or validitie in law and consequently D. F. is still Rector both of Lambeth and Acton and M. W. and M. N. are no better then intruders and usurpers of another mans ●ight and possession If the Allegations brought by the Brownists against the Doctor were true how came he to be acquitted Iuly 12 if they were false how came he to condemned by the vote of the same house Sept. 29 And why were those articles from which he was cleared commanded to be read in Lambeth Church and made the ground of the sentence of sequestration against him as if he had been guiltie of them Secondly either-the unsealed letter written to the Primate of Ireland contained in it some disclosing of secrets of state or imputations upon the Parliament or some other criminall matter liable to just censure or not If the former 1. Why was the originall Letter sent by order of the close Committee to Oxford If it gave any intelligence they who sent it were the intelligencers not the Doctor his letter intercepted at London could tell no ●ales at Oxford 2. Why was not the originall under the Doctors owne hand shewed him to convince him Or at least an authenticall copi● attested by the hand of a notarie or some sworn witnesse proving the accord thereof with the originall 3. Why were not the pretended offensive particulars put to the Doctor when he was convented before the Committee and his punctuall answer required thereunto 4. Why was not the messenger or some other witnesse produced to prove that the pretended offensive particulars were in the letter signed with the Doctors own hand 5. Why all this while is the letter suppressed and not published to this day to cleare the justice of the proceedings against the Doctor If it were a legall evidence against him as it is urged in the sentence why could the Doctor by no means gain a copie of it that he might interpret his own meaning and that his answer as well as the objections against him might be