Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	call_v	church_n	part_n	2,516	5	4.5208	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86885	Comprehension with indulgence	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1689 (1689)	Wing H3675A; ESTC R204501	6,819	8

for the Trees could not come down from the Hills nor the Waves get up from the Shoars I must say the same of this Policy It was really a great vanity to think that Folks should be made to swear away their Thoughts and Beliefs Whatsoever it is we think or believe we do think it we must think it we do believe it we must believe it notwithstanding any of these outward Impositions The honest man indeed will refuse an Injunction against his Conscience the Knave will swallow it but both retain their Principles which the last will be the likeliest to put any villanous Practice On the contrary there is nothing could be advised more certain to keep the Covenant and such Principles alive in mens hearts and memories than this perpetual enjoyning the Renunciation of it Nor may you wonder if that Lesson sink deep into mens flesh which you will teach them with Briars and Thorns as Gideon taught the men of Succoth Besides it is the most unpolitick thing that ever could have been for such Contents as are of that dangerous consequence to Majesty and the Government to have them once disputed or brought into question to be put into these Declarations Oaths and Subscriptions which necessitates the examination of them to so many It was the Wisdom of the ancient Church instead of Contention about the Jewish Ceremonies to take care they might have an honourable Burial and I dare say if that Great Lord Chancellour had but put off his Cap to the Covenant and bidden it a fair adieu only he should have done more towards its Extirpation than by all this iterated trouble to mens Consciences And if it shall therefore please the succeeding Ministers of our State instead of going to root out the Principles of Innovation which are got into people by this means which is no means to do it but the means to rivet them more in us to endeavour rather to root out the Causes from us which make men willing to entertain such Principles and desire change I suppose their Policy will prove the sounder The way to establish the Throne of the King is this to make it appear that all those Grievances and all those Good things which the people in the late times expected to be removed or to be obtained by a Common-wealth or a change of the Government may be more effectually accomplished by a King in the Acts of his Parliament I am sensible how my Theme rises upon me and that I begin to shoot wide I take my aim therefore again and two things in earnest I would expect from this BILL as the sum of what is necessary to the End of it our Ease if it be made to serve the turn The one is that Bishop Land be confined to his Cathedrals and the other that Chancellour Hyde be totally expell'd our Acts of Parliament By the first I mean that the Ceremonies in the ordinary Parish-Churches be left to the liberty of the Minister to use or use them not according to his Conscience and Prudence toward his own Congregation and by the latter that all these new devised Oaths Subscriptions and Declarations together with the Canonical Oath and the Subscription in the Canons be suspended for the time to come If that be too much I shall content my self with a modester Motion that whatsoever these Declarations be that are required to be Made Subscribed or Sworn they may be imposed only as to the Matter and End leaving the Takers but free to the use of their own Expressions And this Expedient I gather from my Lord Cook who hath providently as it were against such a season laid in this Observation The form of the Subscription set down in the Cannons ratified by King James was not expressed in the Act of the Thirteenth of Elizabeth Instit p. 4. c. 74. And consequently if the Clergy enjoyed this Freedom until then in reference to the particulars therein contained what hinders why they might not have the same restored in reference also to others It is true that it may seem hard to many in the Parliament to undo any thing themselves have done but though this be no Rule for Christians who are sometimes to repent as well as believe if they be loath to Repeal any thing what if they shall only Interpret or Explain Let us suppose then some Clause in this BILL or some new Act for Explanations If any Nonconformist cannot come up to the full meaning and intent of these Injunctions rightly explained let him remain in statu quo under the state only of Indulgence without benefit of Comprehension for so long as those who are not Comprehended may yet enjoy that Ease as to be Indulged in some equal measure answerable to his Majesties Declaration whether Comprehension be large or narrow such terms as we obtain are pure advantage and such as we obtain not are no loss But if any does and can honestly agree to the whole Sense the Parliament intends in such Impositions why should there be any Obstruction for such a man though he delivers himself in his own Words to be received into the established Order with others Unless men will look on these Injunctions only to be contrived for Engines of Battery to destroy the Nonconformist and not as Instruments of Vnity to edifie the Church of God I will not leave our Congregational Brethren neither so long as I have something more that may be said for them not ordinarily considered by any It is this that though indeed they are not and cannot seek to be of our Churches as they are Parochial under the Diocess or Superintendency of the Bishops yet do they not refuse but seek to be comprehended within the Church as National under His Majesty I will explain my self The Church may be considered as Vniversal and so Christ alone is the Head of it and we receive our Laws from him or as Particular and so the Pastors are Heads Guides or Bishops over their respective Flocks who are commanded therefore to obey them in the Lord or as National which is an accidental and external respect to the Church of God wherein the King is to be acknowledged the Supreme Head of it and as I judg no otherwise For thus also runs the Statute That our Soveraign Lord shall be taken and reputed the only Supreme Head in Earth of the Church of England called Ecclesia Anglicana Now if it should please the King and Parliament to allow and approve these Separate Meetings and Stated places for Worship by a Law as His Majesty did by his Declaration I must profess that as such Assemblies by this means must be constituted immediately integral parts of the Church as National no less than our Parish-Congregations so would the Congregate Churches at least those that understand themselves own the King for Head over them in the same sense as we own him Head over ours that is as much as to say for the Supreme Coercive Governour of all