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	ecclesiastical_a	king_n	2,627	5	3.7948	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48813	An answer to the Bishop of Oxford's reasons for abrogating the test impos'd on all members of Parliament anno 1678, Octob. 30 in these words, I, A.B., do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, profess, testifie, and declare, that I do believe that in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ at, or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever, and that the invocation of adoration of the Virgin Mary, or any other saint, and the sacrifice of the Dais, as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous / by a person of quality.	Lloyd, William, 1627-1717.	1688 (1688)	Wing L2673; ESTC R977	35,814	60

that however it might receive occasion from it yet the Essentials of it are such Sentiments as the Nation hath had for above the last hundred of years and that it hath upon greatest Judgment Reason and Experience confirm'd it self in and according to several Emergencies added to its securities by Law upon Law against the Regurgitations of that usurpation upon it not barely because of such Emergencies but because of that Grand Reason the very Essence of Popery hath given it whether therefore the particular Emergent hath had Dimensions Long and Broad enough for the particular Laws and Constitutions which have been made was not so much consider'd But the whole Nature of the Evil Fear'd and provided against being large enough to support such Acts it hath given Reason to all such provisions and that was the danger of the Roman Religion Resettling and Re-instating it self in a Protestant Nation as the English Nation is and hath been for so great a space Thus this Last Act for the Test setting before it only that so Full and Comprehensive Consideration of the Increase and Danger of Popery in this Nation to which the former good Laws had proved Ineffectual does therefore so Enact as that Act expresses In all which there is not the least Reference to the so much Infam'd Plot nor any Line looking toward it Till therefore there be a change in the very Essential Nature of Popery and a perfect Nullity of all the Fears arising from it made evident there must be This or That particular Accidental Cause quickning the Legislative Power of the Nation to branch out it self into more and more and further and further particular Laws that may more effectually reach the intended Point and be new in the Particulars observing where former Provisions were deficient and inefficacious which new Laws are not to be charged upon the lesser Accidental Causes but on the Irreconcileableness of Popery and its Growth to the peace and welfare of a Protestant Nation And so I have finished what I think necessary upon the Bishop's Second Reason to shew how Inconcluding it is for the Abrogating of the Test. I proceed now to the Third Reason The Test ought to be repeal'd because of the incompetent Authority by which it was enacted for it is a Law of an Ecclesiastick Nature made without the Authority of the Church contrary to the Practice of the Christian World in all Ages c. 1. This Reason rests upon these two Principal Pillars that the Power of making Decrees concerning Divine Verities is a Legislative Power given as the highest Act of Government by Christ's Commission to the Officers of his own Kingdom upon which the whole Fabrick of the Christian Church hath hitherto stood and is to stand to the End of the World and without which it must run into confusion and that to entrench upon this Prerogative of the Holy Catholick Church is to depose Christ from his Throne by disowning neglecting and affronting his Commission to his Catholick Church so that this Power cannot be usurped without Sacriledge and Blasphemy and such a daring Invasion of Christ's Kingdom as that nothing more imports Christian Kings and Governours than to be wary and cautious how they lay hands upon it 2. That the Bishops sitting in the House of Lords and to their shame consenting to this Law is not sufficient to make this Law an Act of Church Authority because it ought to have been first decreed by their own proper Authority without any Lay Concurrence and then to have come into Parliament and as they judged sit to have been abetted with Temporal Penalties a Practice never violated but by Aposlates and Rebel Parliaments And lastly because Particular Bishops sit not in Parliament by Power deriv'd from our Blessed Saviour but by the meer Grace and Favour of the King so that the exercising any Ecclesiastical Authority in that place is scandalously to betray as much as in them lies the very being of a Christian Church and profanely to pawn the Bishop to the Lord and lastly because the Ecclesiastical Power is by the Law of England setled in Convocation and therefore to enact any thing of an Ecclesiastical Nature without their consent is to betray the Rights of the Church of England as by Law established in particular as well as of the Church Catholick in general But as a Check and Limitation to all this the Episcopal Authour interposes the Civil Power may restrain the Exercise of this Ecclesiastical Prerogative as they shall judge meet for the Ends of Peace and the Interest of the Common Wealth and punish it too at their own discretion if it shall at any time entrench upon the Power of the State and it may prevent or correct Abuses I have thus collected the strength of this whole Reason without omitting any thing I could think material I have also subjoyn'd the Limitation that it may be of the use the Authour design'd it and may also be consider'd in its place to our purpose There are three Expressions I desire in modesty and reverence to this R. R. Authour to draw a Veil over 1. That Parenthetic to their shame viz. the Bishop's shame who consented to the Test-Law because it seems so much to confine on speaking Evil of Dignities and for the same Reason 2 ly upon that Except by Apostates and Rebel-Parliaments as also because I would not know the direct meaning of those words but go backward to cast a covering over them 3. On those words I draw the Curtain profanely pawn the Bishop to the Lord lest they seem rather fit to be retyr'd among the Bishops Ludicra But to the main purport and stress of the Argument I shall undertake to rejoyn these Assertions 1. That there is no such Legislative Power given by Commission from Christ to his Church or made the Foundation of it 2. That all such Pretensions of Church-Power drawn from the Practice of the Christian Church are very invalid 3. That the Law of the Test is not a Law of an Ecclesiastick Nature 4. And if it were the Church of England hath done enough in Convocation and other Church-Acts to support it 5. That the Presence of the Bishops in Parliament not protesting against it are sufficient proof of the two last Assertions 6. That according to the Bishop's own Limitation of Church-Power it must remain a good and necessary Law and for which the Parliament had Competent Authority I begin with the first 1. That there is no such Legislative Power given by Commission from Christ to his Church or made the Foundation of it which may be demonstrated in this manner This Legislative Power of the Church is most contrary to that Holy Book from whence we derive our Christian Sacred Religion and to the soundest Reason guided by that for by that there is nor can be any Legislative Power in matters of Divine Verity but what is immediately from Heaven either by voice from thence or by the