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 time_n 6,871 5 3.7848 3 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A34754 The countrey-minister's reflections on the city-ministers letter to his friend shewing the reasons why we cannot read the King's declaration in our churches. Countrey minister. 1688 (1688) Wing C6561; ESTC R7155 9,928 10

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Scruples were raised and Conscience pretended against your Orders Where does the Scriptures forbid it If it be not Forbidden the Command is plain and the safest way must be taken which is to Obey It is certain some parts of the Declaration contain very plain and necessary Truths which Church-of-England-Ministers ought to Approve If there be any thing in it which you think you may not Approve that should have been Specified it would have been more modest humbly to have Applyed to the King for a convenient Explication in that part then presently in Print to Cry the whole is Sinful and a device to ruine that you call the best Church in the World. Next You endeavour to prove That Reading the Declaration in our Churches is an Interpretative Consent Because say you By Our Law Ministerial Officers are accountable for their Actions and the Authority of Superiours though of the King himself cannot justifie Inferiours in Executing any Illegal Command With reference to the Command of Superiours we are to exercise our own Judgment and Reason and we may not obey a Prince against the Laws of the Land or the Laws of God because what we do let the Authority be what it will that Commands it becomes our own Act and we are responsible for it This sort of Arguing whatever may be in it would not a few years since be allowed by some sort of People sufficiently known in this Kingdom when urg'd in opposition to their Inclinations Then the Prince was set above Law and it was His Command and the Notification of His Pleasure made any thing which was not Malum in se Obliging Private Judgment might by no means be admitted when once the Governours had interessed themselves in it and made a Determination Is it not very Dis-ingenuous for any Men especially for Ministers to have recourse to a Principle of their Adversaries which they have for many years decried onely because they would serve themselves with it upon a particular Occasion and to forsake their own Doctrine which they Avowed so long as it would gratifie their Revenge and Ambition tho now they think it may do them some Diskindness This is to fetch Weapons out of their Adversaries Artillery not to Fight against them but to Assault their Prince and batter that Authority of which they formerly boasted They were the only Supporters The most Unjustifiable and Shameful Inconstancy is that of Altering and Changing and Closing with any thing to serve a present Turn Why may you not tell the People in his Majesties words That none of His Subjects shall be Forced by Fines and other Penalties to Submit their Judgment to others in the weightiest matters as well as to tell the Nation this in Print That Clergy-men must follow their own Judgment not only in matters of Religion but of Law also If Inferiour Officers are not satisfied that their Superiours Command is not Lawful Is it not enough for them to desist from Obeying it without making Clamours against it in Print Can they not comfort themselves in Silence with that Doctrine of Universal Passive-Obedience which they when in the height of their Ease and Authority Preached to others as Orthodox and Sound and thought they thereby Signalized their Loyalty above all other Societies of People in the World If a Prince Declares That there are some Laws in being which are greatly Injurious to many of His Subjects and that He is willing That these Inconveniences shall be redressed in a Legal Way Can any thing be more Condescending and Gracious then for him to Certifie this to his People who are to Choose those that are to Repeal such Laws as are Prejudicial and make such Others as may be for the Publick Good What hurt can there be in making known the Princes Pleasure in this as particularly as he shall think meet that His People may have time to Consider and weigh Matters that nothing be done Unadvisedly in such Important Concerns But say you Ministers of Religion have the Care and Conduct of Souls and therefore are bound to take Care that what they publish in their Churches be neither contrary to the Laws of the Land or the good of the Church If you would keep close to your own Argument you should have said That Ministers who have the Care of Souls are bound to take Care that what they publish in their Churches be not contrary to the Law of God. But Since you Speak of the Laws of the Land I can see no reason from thence Why such Orders as are given by those that are under His Majest● should be Enjoyned to be Observed though Conscience be really concerned in the Matter and His Majesties Orders which have far greater Authority be Denied It may be when People are well acquainted with the Kings Declaration it may have this good Effect That the Ministers of Religion shall not be compelled to Publish other Peoples Pleasures in their Churches at least not under such severe Temporal Penalties as have been heretofore insisted on You say Ministers of Religion are not looked upon as common Cryers but what they Read they are supposed to Recommend too If they have not been looked upon as common Cryers I think they have been looked upon as Worse When Bishops sent Orders made Arbitrarily by Justices of the Sessions to be Published by them in time of Divine Service B●t doth not the Rubrick appoint That what the King Enjoyns as well as what the Bishops Enjoyn● shall be Published in the Churches The Clergy of the Church of England have loudly Taught and solemnly Owned That the King of England as Head of the Church has Power to make Injunctions and Constitutions and are not Ministers every jot as much obliged to be His Majesty's Cryers as to be Instruments through which the Bishop's Eccho may sound more Audibly to the People But what they Read they Recommend too Ministers are not to be considered alike in every thing they Publish in the Church A difference arises from the Nature of the things we Publish Reading a Chapter in the Bible and Publishing the Banns of Matrimony or Citations are differently to be Considered when you Publish the Banns what do you Recommend unless it be to know Whether any of the People have any thing to Object against such Persons Marrying But seeing you say That for a Minister to Read any thing in the Church which he does not consent to or approve is to Misguide the People I would ask you this one Question Whether you do really think that the Worship which His Majesty doth Celebrate be the true and right Way of Worshipping God which Protestants ought to Pray He may be kept and strengthened in If you are for the Negative Pray consider what you Recommend to the People when you Read these Words in the Litany That it may please Thee to keep and strengthen in the true Worshipping of Thee Thy Servant James Our most Gracious King and Governour But Reading is Teaching