Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	book_n	church_n	doctrine_n	5,749	5	6.5670	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27954	The Reasons for non-conformity examined and refuted, in answer to a late Letter from a minister to a person of quality, shewing some reasons for his non-conformity.		1679 (1679)	Wing R497cA; Wing B26; ESTC R8497	14,618	25

from conformity heretofore conscience being now much more forced and violated by them in the Chair which is said to vindicate themselves for dissenting so much from many ancient Puritans who though they disliked many things yet conformed and peaceably submitted to publick Constitutions But this Person is either a great stranger to the Constitutions of the Church of England since the Reformation or cannot but know that if there were no such publick declaration yet there were publick subscriptions required of the conforming Clergy which is equivalent to a declaration for he must be a man of a mighty squeamish conscience who will not declare that which he can and does subscribe For what he asserts that there was no more required formerly of the Clergy but barely to use and submit to the Common-prayer and the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church is notoriously false In the Articles published by the Authority of King Edw. VI. this is one The Book which of late time was given to the Church of England by the Kings B. L. Authority and the Parliament containing the manner and form of praying and ministring the Sacraments in the Church of England likewise also the Book of ordering Ministers of the Church set forth by the same Authority are godly and in no point repugnant to the wholesome Doctrine of the Gospel but agreeable thereunto furthering and beautifying the same not a little and therefore of all faithful members of the Church of England and chiefly of the Ministers of the Word they ought to be received and allowed with all readiness of mind and thanksgiving and to be commended to the People of God which as you shall hear more presently is not inferiour to an unfeigned assent and consent This Article indeed is left out of those which were set forth by the Authority of Queen Elizabeth but instead of it the Clergy were required to subscribe this promise or declaration I shall read the B. L. Advertisements by the Queen Service appointed plainly distinctly and audibly that all the People may hear and understand In the Reign and by the Authority of King James were published the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical which are of force in the Church of England to this day and it is sufficiently known that by the 36 Canon every Person to be ordained or promoted to any Ecclesiastical Benefice or Function is required to subscribe the Three Articles the second of which concerns the Book of Common-prayer and of ordaining and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons that it contains nothing in it contrary to the Word of God and may be lawfully used and that he himself will use that same form and no other from whence it appears that there was something more required of conforming Ministers in those days than only to read the Book of Common-prayer and to observe the Rites and Ceremonies of it as this Author ignorantly asserts for they were also required by subscription to declare their approbation of it as fit to be used and their promise that they would use it But still they were not so strictly injoyned to declare their unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book Right not in these very words but to the same sense for to own that there is nothing in the Common prayer Book which is contrary to the Word of God and that it may be lawfully used and that we will use it is equivalent to an unfeigned assent and consent No says our Author for Assent with reference to the party assenting relates to his understanding and with reference to the thing assented to it relates to the truth and rightfulness of it So again Consent with reference to the party consenting relates to his will and with reference to the thing consented to it relates to that goodness expediency behovefulness of it A very wise and grave observation as if I could not assent to the doing of what is to be done as well as to the truth of a proposition or could not assent to the lawfulness of a thing without assenting to it as every way fittest and best and most expedient as if I could not consent to submit to the use of what is lawful and legally imposed without chusing every thing mentioned and prescribed in the same Book as most eligible and behoveful to be done practised and observed as this Author is pleased to paraphrase an unseigned Consent But to satisfie this Gentleman in the signification of these words Assent and Consent it may be convenient to give him Qu. Elizabeth's interpretation of them in the Preface to the Articles An. 1504. Whereupon by diligent conference and communication and at last Bishop Sparrow's Collection by Assent and Consent of the Persons before-said these orders and rules ensuing have been thought meet and convenient to be used and followed not yet prescribing these rules as laws equivalent with the eternal Word of God and as of necessity to bind the consciences of her subjects in the nature of them considered in themselves but as temporal orders meer Ecclesiastical without any vain superstition and as rules in some part of Discipline concerning decency distinction and order for the time So that the Queen and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops in commission with him who drew up those Articles thought we might give our assent and consent to orders and rules and by the same reason to a Book of Common-prayer as only meet and convenient to be used and followed and that we may give such an assent and consent to temporary rules which are alterable at pleasure and therefore not supposed to be every way perfect or not to have the least error or defect in them And in this sense the Act of Uniformity requires our unfeigned assent and consent to the Book of Common-prayer c. that is to the use of it as is expresly mentioned immediately before this declaration that every Minister shall openly and publickly before the Congregation declare his unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I A. B. do here declare c. Now when the Act it self limits the signification of these words Assent and Consent only to the use it evidently betrays a perverse and malicious design to affix such a large signification on them without the least appearance of reason as to render that declaration very absurd and impious or at best very suspicious to honest men As for what he urges that the Act it self expounds consent by approve where it is said of a Lecturer that he shall give his assent to and approbation of the said Book and to the use of all the prayers c. I would fain know how it can be otherwise for he who assents and consents must approve as far as he assents and consents but why cannot we approve of the use of a Book or approve of