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
A42331	The Paschal or Lent-Fast, apostolical & perpetual at first deliver'd in a sermon preached before His Majesty in Lent and since enlarged : wherein the judgment of antiquity is laid down : with an appendix containing an answer to the late printed objections of the Presbyterians against the fast of Lent / by Peter Gunning ...	Gunning, Peter, 1614-1684.	1662 (1662)	Wing G2236; ESTC R5920	244,843	370

Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you acknowledging none over you in the interpretation of t●…ose Scriptures also we ●…ee what hath followed we know 〈◊〉 ●…ll follow even the following of your own will for a law to you●… sel●…es and to others that please to depend upon your Interpretati●… It hath ●…een sufficiently tried in the late confusion of our Church and State that give men ●…ut leave to be uncontrouled ●…nterpreters of the Law and they need not care what written lawes be called their rule to judg by Next whereas you say that after Christ who speak●… infallibly by his inspired Apostle a●… you kn●… no true head of the Church Universal so also you know no 〈◊〉 Church of Christ but either such as are the Kings Subjects or a 〈◊〉 Church It m●…st needs be 〈◊〉 in your judgment that since the Catholick Church 〈◊〉 is not in the whole body of it the Kings Subjects that it is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you and so you to it or else you know no Catholick ●…hurch a●… all But that there is a Catholick Church which in the whole body of it is not the Kings Subjects nor yet any forr●…ign Church we thus demonstrate Because our most 〈◊〉 Soveraign blessed be God for him is a part and a Highly Honourable par●… 〈◊〉 he ●…atholick Church and yet no part of any forraign Church nor ●…ject to himself therefore there is som●… Catholick Church viz. that whereof His Excellent Majesty is a part which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church ●…or yet only the Kings Subjects We who are so are twice happy for that ●…is most Excellent M●…eeps himself firmly to the usag●…s of ●…he H. Catholick and Apostolick Church of Christ whiles you either doubt whither there be ●…ny such thing as the Catholick Church for you speak here very suspiciousl●… or certainly would 〈◊〉 aside our m●…st Gracious Soveraign and 〈◊〉 Church and Nation if you were hearkned to from due regard to the Catholick Church which is the mother o●… u●… all To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y●… say That the Article of the Church of England 〈◊〉 all human●… Laws about Rites and Ceremonies of the Church unchangeable sure you mean changeable by each particular National Church 〈◊〉 That A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Binding Traditions are not meer humane ●…ws th●…gh humane L●…ws are ●…iously by Christians Kings and Magistrates made to enforce them also But if you ask Which are they I will give you inst●…ces 〈◊〉 make you your best of them Such is F●…rst The Anniversary Feast of Easter that I may omit in this place to make instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought the in Point controverted Secondly The Power of Priests and not Deacons from the beginning to consecrate the H. Eucharist Thirdly Such is the Precept or Law from the beginning of changing the seventh day into the first day of the week for the Churches solemn publick Assemblies Such is Fourthly The Testimony whereby any one comes certainly to know concerning any controverted Chapter or Verse or larger piece of a Chapter to say nothing now of a Book whither it be Canonical Scripture or not Thus liberally you see we deal with you But at last you earnestly beseech us that we would be cautious how we obtrude upon you a forraign Power under the name of Christs Church I answer First We assure you that we your Brethren having by our Oath according to what was our Judgement and Duty otherwise renounced utterly all forraign Jurisdictions Powers Superiorities and Authorities have kept inviolably our Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy not turning aside after Absalon nor Adoni●…ah within nor Rome or Geneva without and therefore may hope to be believed for the time to come Secondly We fear lest you be in much more danger of that then we for you professing a Catholick Church in the Creed you were baptized into and in your Writings and yet professing now to know none but either a forraign Church or the Kings Subjects which Subjects of our gracious Soveraign you know to be only a part of the Catholick Church upon the whole matter you acknowledge a Catholick Church and yet acknowledge no other but some forraign Church Again you reply If it be said That the Church hath Authority to command We desire to know what Church that is and where to be found and heard c And a little after you tell us rightly supposing indeed that we do not mean any pretended head of the Church Universal You can find no Church of Christ but either the National Church of England which are the Kings Subjects or some forrain Church and you not know therefore what we mean then hear you St. Austine speak our meaning when he neither spake of the National Church whereof he was a part nor of any foraign Church yet pronounces that to dispute against that which the Universal Church practiseth Insolentissimae est insaniae Epist. 119. Again the same St. Austine l. 2 de Baptism Co. Donatist c. 7. Quam consuetudinem credo ab Apostolica Traditione venientem sicut multa que non inveniuntur in literi●… eorum neque in conciliis posteriorum tamen quia per universam custodiuntur Ecclesiam non nisi ab ipsis tradita commendata creduntur Which custome I believe to have come from Tradition of the Apostles as many things which are not found in their Writings nor in the Councels of following times and yet because they are observed through the Church Universal are believed to have been by them delivered and commended If you understand St. Austines meaning you understand ours If you know the Church he spake of you know the Church we speak of But whatsoever we mean you say we seem to contradict the forecited Article of the Church of England But why Doth i●… follow at all that because it is not necessary that Ceremonies or Traditions be in all places one or utterly alike that therefore there is no one Tradition no not as to the substance of it though not utterly as to the manner or circumstances common to all the Church for example that of the Feast of Easter As to your exception against what was said of St. Peters Fast till noon you should before your declamation have well considered that Fast of St. Peter mention'd Acts 10. 9 10 Four things are in the Text observable as at least sufficiently implyed 1. That it was about the sixth hour i. e. it may be something after when others usually according to our custome are ending their meal that was the time I say that St. Peter went up upon the house top to pray Verse 9. Then it follows Verse 10. And he became exceeding hungry viz. after his Prayer Therefore this yet more after the point of noon thence continued he fasting while they made ready for him But yet before he eat he falls into a trance in which a vision was presented to him wherein to him being hungry several Creatures were offered Arise Peter s●…ay and eat The mystical signification of this Vision we all

nos per abstinentiam mortificemus Fortie daies of ABSTINCE he requires though as for the degrees of that Abstinence and as to stricter Fastings he adds Unusquisque in quantum virtus suppetit carnem maceret ejusque desideria affligat c. Thus much be said to what your Socrates writes of Rome But when he tells you there how those in Illyricum and all Greece and Alexandria fast their Paschal-fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 six weeks before Easter and call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how others begin their Lent 7 weeks before the Feast and call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how well doth this varietie that you alledge out of Socrates yet agree upon the matter with the Religious Fast of Lent in the Church of England which she begins betwixt the sixth and seventh weeks before her Feast of Easter And to your second citation out of Socrates if he say that there is no express written Precept for Lent as he saies indeed more than once of such Rites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * St. Basil l. de Spiritu Sancto c. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They clamour and call for demonstrations from written testimonies and send away with disgrace as nothing worth the unwritten witness of the Fathers And cap. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But they cease not up and down clamouring that this is not witnessed in any written Word of God No written DEMONSTRATIVE Institution or Precept St. Austin we grant hath said and we have ever yielded as much Non evidenter praeceptum in literis Evangelicis c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet St. Augustin could whatsoever Socrates saw or not derive its authoritie ex Evangelio as he saith Nor is any varietie about the number of daies alledged from Socrates or others any barre to that which St. Austin and others say of the Apostolical Original of the Paschal-fast before the Feast of Easter Nothing more than when the same Socrates in the same Chapter by you cited recounts the varieties and differences of several Churches about the daies and number of daies of the Churches publick Synaxes or Celebrations of the holy Eucharist is any barre to the divine Original of the Synaxis or holy Eucharists administration and that also on the Lord's daies For what though some added Saturdaies as Socrates saies most Churches then did yet they at Rome and Alexandria from a certain Tradition did not And what though others added the days of the stations and some everie day of the week for the holy Eucharist also and others not yet the Lords day was always held proper for that service Socrates words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Whereas you cite Socrates as saying Perspicuum esse Apostolos liberam potestatem in eâdem cujusque menti ac arbitrio permisisse That it is perspicuous that the Apostles left a free power in the same to every mans mind and arbitrement These words either you would have your reader believe that Socrates spake of the religious fast of Lent which is set forth in our Common-Prayer-Book or of some other matter or circumstance If this latter to what purpose is it here by you alledged But if the former be by you pretended as evidently it is as if Socrates had said that to be the Apostles minde concerning the religious fast of Lent which only our Common-Prayer-Book sets forth as if it were to be left to every ones minde and will This is a great untruth and a great abuse of your Reader Socrates speaking these words of the Apostles permission and judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the religious fast of Lent it self NOR OF THE NUMBER OF DAYES MORE OR FEWER But having last mention'd the matter of abstinence from some meats and shewn it not to be alike in all Countreys for that some abstained from all creatures that have sensitive life others but from some allowing themselves to partake of fish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and others together with fish allowing themselves the flesh of birds how others also abstained from some fruits and eggs and some lived only on dry bread and others not that and others fast till three a clock in the afternoon perhaps on the days of their abstinence and not of their stricter fasts and then used a freer refection of which varietie he shews there have been various causes he immediately subjoyns the words by you cited which in his own Greek we will let the Reader see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he says de hâc re of this thing not of whatsoever you please to extend it to therefore not at all necessarily of the number of dayes more or less much less of the Paschal fast it self But here you produce this saying of Socrates against the Religious fast of Lent as set forth in our Common-Prayer-Book which was spoken of varietie of abstinence from flesh also in some places from fish from some fruits from eggs and of others even at three a clock entertaining themselves more plentifully Of this Socrates says and of this who doubts to affirm that we have no written precept Of this who doubts to say that as for any thing left from the Apostles if ye abstract from Laws Ecclesiastical a free power thereof is permitted to everie mans choice and will But here you begin your citation out of Socrates with a Relative without an Antecedent either expressed or intimated by you on which Antecedent yet lay all the controversie of what it was that Socrates spake Thus you begin Ac quoniam nemo de eâ re praeceptum literarum monumentis c. And again Apostolos liberam potestatem in eâdem re c. But quae ea res there sirs lay all the strength of your argument and all the concern of the cause And in that the Reader is left probably to think that Socrates and the Apostles according to Socrates in those words had made that judgement of the Religious fast of Lent whereas the speech there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of some choices of some meats and the more or less plentiful refection at three a clock or otherwise And it is observable that Socrates there calls even some forbearing of some meats by choice for the exercise of fasting as we read in Daniel so also chastening himself as that he doth record I ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth three full weeks that for the chastening of himself before his God Dan. 10. 2 3 12. that Socrates I say in the very words by you produced doth call even that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working that which is good Nothing now surely needs to be added but to advertise you that in many things as to any law from the Apostles permitted by them to everie mans will and choice we yet may be and are lawfully and profitably bound up by godly Ecclesiastical constitutions and that in the matter of fasting I have