Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	ceremony_n	church_n	rite_n	3,560	5	9.9325	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39078	An expostulatorie (but friendly) adhortation to that part of the ministry of England, who (being true to the doctrine) are not yet reconciled to the rites and ceremonies of the church.		1660 (1660)	Wing E3889; ESTC R218786	4,314	9

An Expostulatorie but friendly Adhortation to that part of the Ministry of England who being true to the Doctrine are not yet reconciled to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church I Have passed a double score of years in a Station that afforded me some opportunity to discern and with inclinations that suffer'd me not to be unconcern'd for what befell the Church of God in this Nation There hath nothing been all along my business more than to understand both the positions and demeanure of the Old Puritan betwixt whom and the Hierarchie the differences were then conspicuous but not as I conceiv'd of much scandal for during the first fourth part of that time there was scarce either the Denomination of Non-Conformity or the practice Their Doctrinal Tenets were never arrain'd as discrepant from our Establish't Articles whatever their private Notions as to Ceremonies and Forms were they exhibited thereto more than passive Obedience and an utter abhorrence of Common-Prayer they were so far from that on the ordinary Holy-dayes when there was no more enjoyn'd but the using of it and calling the people to together for that end they thought it not out of season to be instant with their Auditors in other parts of the Ministerial Office and added Sermons to the Service They were content though perhaps they would not have chosen them to put on the enjoyned sorts of Habit and Dress rather then not preach the Gospel of Christ 'T is true when that Book which gave the Rein to the Vulgar who are too apt to take Head of themselves and some Liberty yet no Command for Recreations on the Lords-day was to be published sundry of them quitted their present charge quietly withdrawing to beyond the Seas but I remember not that they gathered Churches or maintain'd publickly any worship within the bowels of this Kingdome by Law prohibited Others of them who were no less tenderly conscientious than the former weather'd out that storm kept their stations and by the humility of their deportment or candidness of their Address found means not to come under the wrath of the Magistrate except some three or four that for certain immoderate and ill-tim'd publications were somewhat roughly dealt withall I am fully perswaded in the general they only lifted up their hands with Prayers and Tears the Christians best weapons to the God of Heaven for the removal of such things as they judged were burthensome And that they had never lifted up an Arm of Flesh in opposition to the power set over them by Heaven if a fatal co-incidence of temporal no less than spiritual concerns had not melted down the Resolutions of those Times so as there came out beyond expectation a Parliament * Exod. 32.24 a Parliament which claim'd even at first dash a right of dividing at least the Empire with our Caesar And indeed those praetensions supported by a jealousie which a connivance towards all and the activity of some Romanists had occasion'd were so managed as might lessen the wonder if some persons even of sincere intentions were Conscientiously led into a mistake of Duty I speak it knowingly many of you would have parted with your right-eyes when the dismal consequences of that breach were within view to have obviated the mischief And when the appointed time was drawing on wherein God had determined to bring home our King you were not behind with you seasonable and vigorous Assistances Though you could peradventure have been well pleased to have understood the length and breadth of that Universal regard held forth towards tender Consciences yet when you did not find it praeviously ascertain'd you would not leave the main work at a stand for all that but helpt it forward by all possible and proper means Notwithstanding the many Invectives which have been thrown at randome against you I cannot think that Hacket and Cartwright in remoter dayes or Peters and Calamy in our own acted upon the same principles nor that the Original of those woful dissentions differing sentiments I would rather term them took birth meerly from obstinacy for our Reformed Religion was but lately planted here and the Law for Uniformity however fit could not have spread its root so far and deep as that like the Laws of God it should oblige all English men at all times and in all places nor was it yet become like those of the Medes and Persians unalterable when Doctor Coxe who could have no Jurisdiction over his poor exil'd Countrey-men taken in at Franck ford about a year before under a condition that they should not vary from the French Church for fear of divisions would needs rule alone there and force the English Liturgie upon them a thing that Dr. Storie though himself a Bishop thought not fit to attempt hence animosities and heats which in more then the lapse of an hundred years cannot be allay'd or cool'd I find Doctor Coxe every where 〈◊〉 character'd as a vessel well fraught with Learning and Piety but a little over-hung with the sayles of an high-rustling Spirit which rendred him obnoxious to the violent gusts of his own passion and probably the intemperance of his actings drew from Calvin those Diminutions he put upon the Common-Prayer-Book which had else never been heard of yet note we here in passing that most of the passages in it whereon he thought sit to fasten the term of Inept only 't is likely because he apprehended them unapt have since upon review been taken off to so good a degree as his successour Beza found nothing in the substance of it or the Dependent Rites whereto the intervention of the Magistrates Command ought not to oblige even the conscience by actual obedience It was a truly Christian frame the Geneva-English put upon themselves when they observed God by drying up the Red Sea of blood which had flowed here to be opening a way for them towards their own land by Letters to their Brethren dispersed throughout Germany they sued for reconciliation and ensued peace even with those who had supplanted them at and drove them from Frankford Nay I can me thinks easily pardon the importunities wherewith after their return they sollicited our Governours whil'st the things in controversie might seem to be yet sub Judice and under Debate But now the case is so much alter'd That there is 1. No reason but to Obey 2. No necessity of Disobedience Consider I beseech you whether All you have said or writ to justifie your separation can signifie any thing unless what you take offence at were proposed either 1. As Essential parts of worship or 2. As Conferring Grace Truly I have all-a-long without prejudice nay with inclinations tending toward you consulted some of your persons and most of your Books yet am altogether of this mind that the falling-short herein hath unpointed all your Arguments The very Imposers themselves having made a thousand times as ample and as clear Declaration in reference to both as can possibly come from