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	english_a	king_n	3,418	5	3.7156	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48309	A discovrse concerning Puritans tending to a vindication of those, who unjustly suffer by the mistake, abuse, and misapplication of that name.	Parker, Henry, 1604-1652.; Ley, John, 1583-1662.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1876; ESTC R212712	47,271	67

sense is He which imitates Anabaptists in rebellion turbulence and opposition to Law and such are liable to Law but negatively a Puritan in the acception of King Iames is not He which dislikes Episcopacie or the Ceremonious Discipline of England This King Iames protests upon his honour though to his great dishonour He be now often cited to the contrary As for those which rellish not Bishops and Ceremonies or the English Policie Wishes them to be at peace only with those of the opposite opinion Hee himselfe vowing equall love and honour to the grave and learned of either side and not taking upon him to be a Judge in so old and difficult a controversie He onely like a sweet arbitrator perswades both parties to peace and amity I wish our Bishops would now stand to this arbitration I wish they would neither condemne the Scots discipline nor urge the English I wish they would put difference betweene seditious and scrupulous Puritans and not inferre the one out of the other I wish they would either disclaime King Iames as a manifest favourer of Puritans or else imitate him in the same definition and opinion of them King Iames further takes notice that the reformation in Scotland was far more disorderly then in England Denmark c. whilst the mayne affaires there were unduly carried by popular tumults and by some fiery-spirited Ministers which having gotten the guiding of the multitude and finding the relish of government sweet did fancie to themselves a democratick forme of policy wherein they were likely to be Tribuni plebis That the Crown might be disincombred of these usurping ring-leaders the King advises the Prince to entertaine and advance godly learned and modest Ministers promoting them to Bishopricks but restrayning them heedfully from pride ambition and avarice These things then are hence observable First Scotland differs from England in turbulent Ministers Secondly this is imputed to the iniquity of the times not to Puritanisme as if by nature the Scots were more inclining to Puritanisme then other Nations Thirdly notwithstanding that iniquity of those times there was a number sufficient of worthy Ministers fit for preferrement Fourthly King Iames erects Bishops Sees in Scotland for peculiar reasons and therefore He speaks not of Denmarke c. Lastly notwithstanding that peculiar reason He advises the Prince to be indifferently at warre with both extreams alike as well to represse Papall Bishops as to curbe proud Puritans For sayes the King the naturall sicknesses which have ever troubled and beene the decay of all Churches since the beginning changing the Candlesticke from one to another have beene pride ambition and avarice and these wrought the overthrow of the Romish Church in divers Countreys King Iames knew well how apt Churchmen had ever beene to abuse their power and pompe what enemies the High-Priests had beene to our Saviour and what a tyranny Bishops had erected over all Christendome ever since Constantine almost and therefore though he dislikes a Democracie in the Church as Hee had reason yet Hee so limits and circumscribes his Bishops both in power and honour that they might be as sensible of their chaines and fetters as of their Miters and Crosiers I wish King Iames had particularly signified what bonds and bounds Hee thought fit to prefixe to Episcopacie to preserve it from corruption and what his opinion was of a Prelacie so active in secular affaires as ours is now in England and how it would have pleased him to see a Metropolitan amongst Protestants almost a rivall to the French Cardinall The world in my opinion hath little reason to doate upon a gowned Empire wee have all smarted long enough under it men of meane birth commonly beare preferment with little moderation and their breeding having beene soft and effeminate in their malice and cruelty they neerest of all approach to the nature of Women and by the advantage of learning they extend their power and win upon others more then they ought When the Church was at first under Heathen or Jewish Governours which sought as enemies to ruine it not as Fathers to protect it they which were within could not live in peace and unity without some Politicall bonds so at that time there was a necessity of some coercive power within besides that which was without The world is now unsatisfied what kinde of power that was whether Episcopall or Presbyteriall or what Episcopacy or Presbytery was in those dayes Yet me thinks what government so ever then was it is not necessarily precedentary to us now The Episcopall faction at this day takes advantage by the abuses of the Presbyteriall and the Presbyteriall by the Episcopall and most men thinke either the one power or the other necessary and some more favour the Episcopall as K. Iames some the Presbyteriall as M. Calvin but sure the Presbyteriall is lesse offensive then the Episcopall and yet neither the one nor other of necessity Kings may grant usuram quandam jurisdictionis either to Bishops or Elders but the jurisdiction it selfe is their owne property from which they ought not to depart nor can without wrong to their charge committed to them For the power which God gives the Prince is not given for his use alone but for the peoples benefit so that since He cannot let it fall to decay without making it insufficient for good and entire government which is mischievous to the people he cannot justly lessen it at all And it is manifest that except one supreme head be alone in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill humane nature must needs be destitute of those remedies which are necessary for its conservation since power cannot be divided but it must be diminished to him which suffers that division and being diminished it proves insufficient All confesse some government necessary for men in holy Orders to whom the power of the Keyes belongs but some account Princes but as meere Temporall or Lay persons and therefore conclude against their authority over sacred Ecclesiasticall persons as incompetent especially in cases meerely Ecclesiasticall For this cause spirituall Governours have ever beene in the Church to whom some have attributed a divine right depending from none but God and subordinate to none but God but this hath beene controverted by others and no little debate and strife hath followed hereupon But it seemes to me that Princes do receive from God a spirituall Unction whereby not onely their persons are dignified and their hearts prepared and enlarged with divine graces fit for rule but their functions also innobled and sanctified above any other whatsoever and higher advanced then the sense of Laick or Secular will beare To Princes an assistance of counsell is requisite in spirituall as in civill affaires but that that Counsaile ought to bee composed onely of persons Ecclesiasticall or that those persons ought to bee invested with all those Ensignes of Honour and Authority which our Bishops now claime as of divine right seemes not necessary Clergy-men are

unite nor fils whole Kingdomes with bloud but out of love to Order Such was sure Diogenes his humility trampling upon Plato's Couches such was Nero's uniformity setting on fire the streets of Rome such was Procrustes his symmetry cutting his guests according to his beds And therefore it s thought Puritans are not so much hated for their opposition to Ceremonies as Ceremonies are multiplied and inforced for suppression of all zealous Christians under the umbrage of Puritans and that for the same purpose the enemies of Piety have blown those coales which they might have quenched Hooker that sweet and noble Antagonist of Ecclesiasticall Puritans says much in defence of the Churches authority in imposing of Ceremonies but he says nothing in defence of the Churches Charity in imposing many and displeasing Ceremonies So S. Paul might have justified himselfe as fitter to be subscribed unto and complyed withall then his scrupulous brother and he might have justified his case concerning eating of such and such meates but S. Paul in wisdome and Charity would doe neither S. Paul made not his strength an Argument to make his brother yeeld who was weake but he made his brothers weaknesse an Argument whereby to prevaile and win upon him being strong And why then does our Mother the Church maintaine her authority against her own scrupulous and tender-minded infants If in Iustice and rigor they ought to obey her and conforme to her wise commands does it therefore follow that in Wisdome and Charity she ought not to pity and preferre their foolish groundlesse doubts and jealousies Is it honorable for the Nurce to contest about authority with a forward Childe when by indulgence she may better still it If Ceremonies bee but things indifferent they are not so valuable as peace for that is necessary Admit fit and decent Ceremonies to bee the outworkes of Religion the better to secure it from contempt and prophanation Yet let not the outworks be too vast least they take up more admiration than they repulse disregard Neither let us suppose that all times are alike liable to prophanenesse Before Moses Religion was very naked and simple in her Ceremonies and yet we must not thinke that God did then make ill provision or was carelesse of the government of his Church but under the Law Ceremonies were strangely multiplyed to the Iews and that by Gods owne appoyntment and yet in those times I cannot thinke that any Discipline could bee invented more honorable for Religion I shall desire therefore to walke between two extremes neither wholy condemning all Ceremonies as superstitious nor embracing many as necessary besides the Ceremonious use of water in Baptisme and of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist the Gospell recommends no externall rites but such as the generall rules of decency inclose to our observation but it seemes utterly to discountenance all Iewish carnall ordinances yet certainly if multiplicity of pompous ceremonies had been very usefull where knowledge abounds and to be look't upon as the outworks of Religion the Gospell would not have been so silent as it is concerning them Were we now to plant a Church in the West-Indies amongst rude Salvages perhaps the externall splendour of our worship might bee as convenient as it was amongst the Iews to attract Proselytes Or had we now such a dreadfull presence of God residing amongst us as the Iews had in their Oracle perhaps Musick Vocall and Instrumentall and Statelinesse of attire and fearefulnesse in our Gestures and Postures would beseeme us in our solemn addresses and Festivall celebrations but the difference betwixt these times and those and these Christian Countreys and those that are Barbarous is very great What manner of Divine Service the French Protestants and the Scots use and some other Nations I cannot tell but I hope it is not so nasty and slovenly as some of our Formalists would make us believe for it seemes not impossible to me but that in times of so much Light as these are God may be very honourably and zealously served without many Stately Ceremonies The Bishop of Downe makes a very sharpe speech to the Puritans in Ireland as being very disobedient and animated therein by the Scotish Covenanters but his chiefest eloquence is uttered against his own Countreymen the Scots whom bee paints forth as the chiefest Traytors Perjured Rebels Heretiques and Hypocrites in the World nay he denounceth them worse than Anabatists and such as have more than justified the Powder-Traytors and all the rebellious practises of the Iesuites Afterwards hee addes also That Puritanisme is not the Nationall sin of Scotland only but that they of the same faction in England had been as deep in the same condemnation had they had so much power See here the lively portraiture of an Antipuritane see a true B●ner revived againe but in Protestant habit and for ought I see here are none exempted from this black venomous censure in all the Kings Dominions but those of the Popish and Episcopall Faction It 's not to bee wondred at that the King thinkes ill of his subjects or that Burton or Prin suffered worse than Traytors merits It s rather to be wondred at that our streets do not runne with bloud dayly since this is the Gospell our Reverend Fathers of the Church preach This Speech was thought worthy to bee dispersed in Print over all our Kingdomes in English but since because it redounds so much to the honour of the three Nations and the repute of Protestant Religion it s Translated into Latine and Coppies are Printed for all Christendome to take notice of In this Speech it s urged that Puritans who began about 80 yeares since have proceeded from bad to worse by sixe degrees first they did dislike then contemne Bishops then they did disobey their Jurisdiction then separate themselves then they fell into the Heresie of holding no difference between Bishop and Presbyter lastly they rebelled and grew more immoderate than Anabaptists And here S. Cyprian is alledged who says that the contempt of Bishops is the beginning and ground of all Heresies and Schismes Here we see what Puritans are the most cursed Miscreants on earth next we see who Puritans are all such as hold not with Episcopacy that is in probability halfe Ireland more than halfe England all Scotland and many other Protestant Countryes King James did put a difference betwixt such as dis●relisht Bishops and Ceremonies meerly and such as under that pretext fraudulently sought to perturbe the State and make a factious separation But here the difference of all Puritans is graduall only not substantiall for dislike of Bishops is the beginning of all Heresie and must needs end in Anabaptisme and rebellion How plainly d●es it here appeare that Episcopacy is the true Helena of all this war and yet S. Cyprian is to bee understood of the Pastorall function not of the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction of a Bishop or else in his sense the Genevans and the greatest part of Protestants are

this suggestion is utterly false and impossible for such as the major part in Parliament is such are those that chose them and sent them thither and such are those that now approve their actions there and both in the elections of Parliament men and in the consultations of Parliament affaires the Kings party is as wise cautious and vigilant if not more as the other party and no subtilty could circumvent or cheat them out of their votes if the Puritans were so small and inconsiderable a side as now they make them No man of what capacity soever can admit this it is to all undeniable that the blame of a Parliament is the blame of a whole Kingdome But I returne to my Ecclesiasticall Puritan Though it be true that Ecclesiasticall Puritans are fewer now then heretofore they have been yet it is as true that Ecclesiasticall puritanisme is made a larger thing by farre then it was being now spread abroad like a net to ensnare the more as our many late additions and innovations testifie which have crept into the Church as may be feared for the vexation and molestation of such men as were not disquieted with former ceremonies It is generally suspected that our Prelates have aimed at two things in the novelties which they have lately induced into the Church first the suppression of those which are enemies to their pride avarice and ambition by them tearmed Puritans secondly their owne further ease promotion and advantage Both these ends seeme to be leveld at in sanctifying the Altar and unsanctifying the Lords day in advancing auricular confession and corporall penances by externall mortifications and crying downe lecturing and preaching for if we marke it these new Doctrines doe not onely serve to terrifie and scandalize tender consciences and thereby to deprive and silence many painfull good Ministers and to scare away into forreign Plantations whole troups of Laymen and to inwrap the rest in opposition but each of these doctrines besides hath a further reach in it of benefit to the Clergie The Communion Table hath lately gained a new Name a new Nature a new Posture a new Worship that Emperours and Kings may be brought againe to take notice how far the persons and offices of Priests excell in sanctity the persons and offices of Princes Theodosius within one hundred yeares after Prelacie began to arrogate to it selfe was presently taught this lesson for taking his seat in the Chancell according to the Easterne and ancient fashion a Deacon was sent to him in great state to let him understand that none but men in holy Orders might presume to set their feet on that sacred ground This was then the Bishops Law not the Emperours nor knowne in any other of his Dominions but Italy onely but sure it was fit discretion that much should be ascribed by Bishops to that place from which they were to derive much and which would be sure to repay their homage with so great an advantage of homage back againe Preaching is now also grown too burthensome and the Lords Day to Priests according to that sanctity which Puritans allow it it requires too much praying preaching singing which are not onely to them tedious but also apt means to encrease and foment Puritanisme amongst the people Auricular Confession also is a godly devise to bring the Laity into subjection and to make the people bow before the power of the Keyes and it may aptly force the consciences of Kings themselves to feare the scourges of gowned men Adde lastly Mr. Wats his bodily mortification to Mr. Sparrows confession and then Laymen will be soone inured againe to finde out the fittest penances especially Praesbyteris aeris advolvi and so in time their purses their bodies their consciences shall all bee made sensible of the spirituall Scepter of Priests It s no great wonder then if our Court Divines and their dependents doe what they can to draw us neerer dayly towards Popery under shew of Antiquity Uniformity and Charity for without all doubt of all Religions Popery is the most beneficiall to Priests most tyrannous to Laymen Neither is it strange that they pretend so much zeale and devotion to the Kings Crowne and Prerogative as things now stand in England as if none truly affected the same but themselves for its cleare that they cannot subject the people but by the King nor the King without the people and so long as they stand possessed of the Kings good opinion no man shall have power to confute them King Iames is a great instance for Antipuritans and a great prop to the Episcopall Cause it s alleadged of him that Hee hated Puritans for their hatred to Episcopacie and loved Episcopacie for its amity to Monarchie His Aphorisme was No Bishop no King Let us therefore appeale from King Iames in their words to King Iames in his owne In his Preface before his Basilicon Doron his words are The style of Puritans properly belongs to that vile Sect of the Anabaptists onely called the Family of love Such were Browne Penry Howbeit there are others which participate too much with Anabaptists contemning civill Magistrates c. It is onely this sort of men which I wish my sonne to punish in case they refuse to obey Law and cease not to stirre up Rebellion But I protest upon mine Honour I meane it not generally of all Preachers or others which like better of the single forme of Policie in our Church of Scotland then of the many Ceremonies in the Church of England which are perswaded that Bishops smell of a Papall supremacie that Surplices Caps c. are outward badges of popish errour No I am so farre from being contentious in these indifferent things that I doe equally love and honour the learned and grave of either opinion It can no wayes become mee to pronounce sentence so lightly in so old a controversie Since wee all agree in grounds the bitternesse of men in such questions doth but trouble the peace of the Church and give advantage to Papists by our division These were the golden words of that peacefull just Prince upon his second thoughts ô that they were now duly pondred and taken to peeces word for word ô that they were esteemed and understood in their owne weight amongst us that they might reconcile our present differences and that the same peace which followed him to his glorious Urne might still blesse these our times ò how contrary are these mild words to the unnaturall suggestions of Antipuritans Such as daily accuse all good men for Precisians and all precise men for Puritans and all Puritans for the onely Firebrands of the World thus aiming the King against his Subjects and by consequence raising Subjects against the King Puritans here are described both what they are and what they are not the King had been misinterpreted before writing generally of Puritans now to avoid all mistake he expresses himselfe plainely and definitely A Puritan positively in King Iames his