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	lord_n	william_n	4,856	5	8.2991	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87430	The judgement of foraign divines as well from Geneva as other parts, touching the discipline, liturgie, and ceremonies of the Church of England. Whereunto is added a letter from Mr. Iohn Calvin to Mr. Knox, concerning the English Common-Prayer, after he had purused the same. Now published for publick information and benefit.	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.	1660 (1660)	Wing J1176; Thomason E1040_16; ESTC R202627	12,660	32

will one day from heaven roughly revenge these manifest abuses wherewith the consciences of our brethren are troubled except speedy redress be had therein In the mean whiles the things which are not well done by the one party may be well enough tolerated as we think by those men which bear the thing which they cannot change Yet thus far as that they allow not the thing it self for good but do onely redeem their unjust disquieting by patience But if so be that they shall be forced not onely to tolerate this faction but also to approve this excommunication as lawful and be constrained to ask unlawful absolution to assent to this manifest abuse we then exhort them that they will rather suffer any kind of trouble then to do herein against their consciences But to what end is all this For verily we do promise our selves much better things then these yea of all things the best even at this pinch especially of that realm in which the restoring of Christian Religion hath been sealed and confirmed with the blood of so many excellent Martyrs also Onely we fear this least that which hath befallen so many Contries should happen to England to wit least because the due fruits of repentance are not brought forth the angry God should double our darkness the light of his Gospel being first taken from us Of this contents are our dayly Preachings in our Congregations and verily we think the same ought to be done of all Ministers of Gods word especially in these our dayes That they chiefly set forwards this principle of the Gospel which doth anpertain to earnest amendment of life For this point atchieved undoubtedly the Lord shall give both counsel and zeal and all things else which do necessarily appertaine to the accomplishment of the reparation of the Church already begun And before all we do require and with tears humbly crave that our good and right worshipful in the Lord the brethren of the English Churches all bitterness of mind set a part which we surely fear after what sort it hath on either fide forced this evil would patiently bear and suffer each other so long as purity of Christian doctrine it self and soundness of conscience doth remain Willingly to obey the Queens Majesty who is full of compassion and all other Prelates And finally that with all concord minds in the Lord if they manly set against Satan who seeketh all occasion of tumult and infinite calamities yea although they have not like judgment of all forts of Prelates at the first For this our writing God is our witness doth not tend to this purpose that either part should use it against other as that we should send it to you as an Apple of contention Although we have concerning these matters declared our judgments even simply as upon a supposed case God is our witness being overcome with the continual suit of our brethren And we joyne our daily prayers to the groanings of all the godly on that side the Seas that it may please the most merciful God having compassion on mans frailite to direct the Queens highness and all the Nobles of the Realm of England Also every prelate and finally cack workman of this spiritual building with his holy Spirit most effectuously so as the work of the Lord so often begun and so often stayed may happily be set forward to the great quietness and concord of all men not onely the old staines in the doctrine it self and Ecclesiastical discipline also being at length utterly done out but also all monstrousness offerers and which Satan newly seeketh to bring into the Church again driven away which vouchsafe to bring to pass through his holy spirit the most kind father in Jesus Christ his very son eternal and consubstantial with him in which persons we profess one God and not divers ought to be worshipped for ever Amen At Geneva the 24. October 1547. Your brethren in Christ to all your godlinesse most assured Theodorus Beza c. Jo. Gaiagnaezius Ge. Favergius Jo. Parnillus Slm. Golerlius Cor. Barlierdus Remundus Calvetus Jo. Tremlerus Car. P. Kuds Faverius Pet. Carpenterus Hen. S. Nicolas Coladonus Johan Pinaldus Egid. Causcus Vrb. Calvetus Fransc Portus Abden Dupleus A Coppie of the Letter sent to the Bishops and Pastors of England who hath renounced the Roman Antichrist and profess the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity The superintendent Ministers and Commissioners of charges within the Realm of Scotland To their Brethren the Bishops and Pastors of England who hath renounced the Roman Antichrist and do profess with them the Lord Jesus in sincerity desire the perpetual increase of the holy Spirit BY word and writ it is come to our knowledge reverend Pastors that divers of our dearest brethren amongst whom are some of the best learned within that Realm are deprived from Ecclesiastical function and forbidden to preach and so by you that they are straight to promote the Kingd me of Jesus Christ because their consciences will not suffer to take upon them at the commandement of the authority such garments as Idolaters in time of blindness have used in their Idolatry which brute cannot be but most dolorous to our hearts mindful of that sentence of the Apostle saying If ye bite and devoure one another take heed least ye be consumed one of another We purpose not at this present to enter into the ground of that question which we hear of either part to be agitate with greater vehemency then well liketh us to wit whether that such apparel is to be counted amongst things that are simple indifferent or not but in the bowels of the Lord Jesus we crave that Christian charity may so prevail in you we say the Pastors and leaders of the flock within that Realm That ye do not to others that which you would not others should do to you Ye cannot be ignorant how tender a thing the conscience of man is All that have knowledg are not a like perswaded your consciences reclaimes not at wearing of such garments but many thousands both godly and learned are otherwise perswaded whose consciences are continually stricken with these sentences what hath Christ Jesus to do with Belial What fellowship is there betwixt darkness and light If Surpluce Corner cap and Tippit have been badges of Idolaters in the very act of their Idolatry what hath the preachers of Christian liberty and the open rebuker of all Superstition to do with the dregs of the Romish Beast Our brethren that of Conscience refuse that unprofitable apparel do neither damne yours or molest you that use such vain trifles If you shall do the like to them we doubt not but therein ye shall please God and comfort the hearts of many which are wounded with extremity which is used against those godly and our beloved brethren Colour of Rhetorick or manly perswasion will we use none but charitably we desire you to call that sentence of pitty to mind Feed the flock of God which

is committed to your charge caring for them not by constraint but willingly not as though ye were Lords over Gods Heritage but that ye may be examples to the flock And further also we desire you to meditate that sentence of the Apostle saying Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God In what condition of time ye and we both travel in the promoting of Christs Kingdome we suppose you not to be ignorant And therefore we are more bold to exhort you to walk more circumspectly then that for such varities the godly should be troubled For all things that may seem lawful edifie not If the Commandement of authority urge the conscience of yours and our brethren more then they can bear we unfainedly crave of you that ye remember that ye are called the light of the world and the earth All civil authority hath not the light of God alwayes shining before their eyes in the Statutes and commandements but their affections oft-time savour too much of the earth and of worldly wisdome And therefore we think that ye should boldly oppone your selves to all power that will or dare extol it self not onely against God but also against all such as do burthen the consciences of the faithful farther then God hath burthened them by his own word But here in we confess our offence in that we have entered farther in reasoning then we purposed and promised at the beginning And therefore we shortly return to our former humble supplication which is that our brethren who among you refuse the Romish rags may find of you the Prelates such favours as our head and Master commands every one of his members to shew one to another while we look to receive of your gentleness not onely for that ye fear to offend Gods Majesty in troubling of your brethren for such vain trifles But also because ye will not refuse the humble requests of us your brethren and fellow Preachers of Christ Jesus in whom albeit there appeare no great worldly pomp yet we suppose you will not so far despise us but that ye will esteem us to be of the number of those that fight against that Roman Antichrist and travel that the kingdome of Christ Jesus universally may be maintained and advanced The dayes are evil Iniquitie abounds Christian charitie alas is waxen cold And therefore we ought the more diligently to watch For the hour is uncertain when the Lord Jesus shall appear before whom we your brethren and ye may give an account of our administration And thus in conclusion we once again crave favour to our brethren which granted ye in the Lord shall command us in things of double more importance The Lord Jesus rule your hearts in his true fear to the end and give unto you and unto us victory over that conjured enemy of all true Religion to wit over that Roman Antichrist whose wounded head Sathan by all meanes labours to cure again but to destruction shall he and his maintainers go by the power of the Lord Jesus To whose mighty power and protection we heartily commit you Subscribed by the hands of Superintendents one part of Ministers and scribed in our general Assemblies and fourth Session thereof At Edenbrough the 38 day of Decemb. 1566. Your loving brethren and follow Preachers in Christ Jesus Jo. Craig Da. Lyndesay Guil. Gislisomus Io. Spottiswood Io. Row Rob. Pont. Io. VViram Iaco. Mailvil Io. Erskin Nic. Spital Thus have you heard in these two letters the indgments of those excellent Churches of the French and Scottish touching the things in controversie Now if to these I should add all other which are of the same judgment and of their opinion the number of Churches would be so many that the adversaries would evidently see and perceive what small cause they have to charge us thus with singularitie as though we were post alone and none to be of our opinion And it may here also be noted that the most ancientest fathers of this our own country as Master Coverdale Master Doctor Turner Master Whitehead and many others some dead some yet living from whose mouths and pens the urgers of these received first the light of the Gospel could never be brought to yeeld or consent unto such things as are now forced vvith so great extremity The answer and judgment of that famous and excellent learned man Master Iohn Calvin the late Pastor of Gene●a touching the Book of England after that he had perused the same faithfully translated out of Latin by Mr. Whittingham To the godly and learned men Masler John Knox and Master William Whittingham his faithful brethren at Frankford c. THis thing truly grieveth me very much and it is a great shame that contention should arise among brethren banished and driven out of their country for one faith and for that cause which onely ought to have holden you bound together as it were with an holy band in this your dispersion For what might you do better in this dolerous and miserable plague then being pulled violently from your countrie to procure your selves a Church which should receive and nourish you being joyned together in minds and language in her motherly lap But now for some men to strive as touching the forme of Prayer and for cetimonies as though ye were at rest and prosperity and to suffer that to be an impediment that ye cannot there joyne into one body of the Church as I think it is too much out of season Yet notwithstanding I allow their constancie which strive for a just cause being forced against their wills unto contention I do worthily condemne frowardness which doth hinder and stay the holy carefulness of reforming the Church And as I behave my self gentle and tractable in mean things as external Ceremonies so do I not always judg it profitable to give place to the foolish stoutness which will forsake nothing of their own wonted custome In the Liturgie of England I see that there were many tolerable foolish things by these words I mean Manyt lerable foolish things in the book by Calvins judgment that there was not the puritie which was to be desired These vices though they could not at the first day be amended yet seeing there was manifest impietie they were for a season to be tolerated Therefore it was lawful to begin of such rudiments or Absedaries but so that it behoved the learned grave and godly Ministers of Christ to enterprise farther and so set forth something more filed from rust and purer If godly Religion had flourished till this day in England there ought to have been a thing better corrected and many things clean taken away Now when these principles be overthrown a Church must be set up in another place where ye may freely make an order again which shall be apparent to be most commodious to the use and edification of the Church I cannot tell what they mean which so greatly delight in the leavings of Popish dregs The book trisling and childish by Calvins judgment They love the things whereunto they are accustomed First of all this is a thing both trifling and childish Furthermore this new Order far differeth from a change Therefore as I would not have you fierce over them whose infirmity will not suffer to assend an higher step So would I adve●tise other that they please not themselves too much in their foolishness Also that by their frowardness they do not let the course of the holy building Last of all lest that foolish vain-glory steal them away For what cause have they to contend except it be for that they are ashamed to give place to better things But I speak in vain to them which perchance esteem me not so well as they will vouchsafe to admit the counsel that cometh from such an author If they fear the evil rumour in England as though they had fallen from that Religion which was the cause of their banishment they are far deceived for this true and sincere Religion will rather compel them that there remain faithfully to consider into what deep gulf they have fallen For their downfal shall more grievously wound them when they perceive your going forward beyond mid course from the which they are turned Far-ye wel dearly beloved brethren and faithful Servants of Christ the Lord defend and govern you From Geneva 22. Ian. 1555. Yours IOHN CALVIN FINIS