Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	church_n	doctrine_n	popery_n	4,964	5	10.7046	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81832	Vox populi, expressed in XXXV. motions to this present Parliament Being the generall voyce and the humble and earnest request of the people of God in England to that most honorable and religious assembly. For reforming the present corrupt state of the church. Published by Irenæus Philadelphus.	Du Moulin, Lewis, 1606-1680.	1641 (1641)	Wing D2554C; ESTC R231078	5,511	15

Vox Populi EXPRESSED IN XXXV MOTIONS TO THIS PRESENT PARLIAMENT Being the generall voyce and the humble and earnest request of the people of God in England to that most Honorable and Religious Assembly For reforming the present corrupt State of the Church Published by Irenaus Philadelphus Printed in the Yeare 1641. MOTIONS FOR REFORMING THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND I. THat since the first Reformation in King Edwards dayes was rather of the Doctrine then of the Discipline and of the Rites that were palpably grosse which yet were retained with a purpose they should be removed afterwards and for to unloose by degrees the fast holds to the Romish Church now since every Protestant is well informed of the change made in Religion that whatsoever in Religion is Popish or tending to the disturbing of the peace of the Church and maintaining of Hereticall doctrines be redressed II. That in that great worke of Reformation which is of moment and consequence far beyond the setling of civill affaires there be appointed by both the Houses a Committee or convocation and meeting of 40. or 50. English Divines men that were not of and did no way favour the late Convocation and such as be unpartiall learned and uncorrupt in their lives and Doctrine such as Dr. Vsher Arch. B. of Armach Dr. Prideaux Dr. Twisse and the like with 10. Scots Divines to which be called 8. Forrain Divines of the most learned and famous such as Rivetus Primrose Diodati Moulin and the like who may treat and agree upon a setled platforme of Church-government sutable to the Monarchy of great Britain which ought to be ratified and enacted by Parliament III. That since our neighbour Churches have enjoyed more peace and safety under their discipline our discipline bee framed upon the patron of theirs which hitherto hath not beene subject to the inconveniences that ours is such are To be rent with schismes poysoned with heresies to have the whole people of the land and the greatest part of the Ministers liable without any redresse to the unjust usurpations vexations and censure of some few Bishoppes To have in great many parochiall Churches a want of a profitable Minister To have in some of them either seldome or no Preaching at all in others little or no maintenance and in most a disproportionable maintenance Besides the manifold altercations and quarrells about trifles and toyes that our discipline is attended with It was never heard that any man living under our neighbour Churches discipline was ever so braine-sicke as to moove questions whether of the Table Pulpit and Font deserves more reverence and bowing at or that their Synods or Consistories made Canons and Constitutions about placing and rayling the Communion Table about Hoods and Surplisses and such needlesse orders which bring rather striving then edifying Since then our neighbour Churches discipline is obnoxious to lesse disorders that a discipline be established in England that be approaching unto theirs yet a sensible difference kept betweene theirs and ours IIII. That the Churches Discipline being established a Nationall Synod be convocated that may frame a Confession of faith to which may be called a competent number of Forraine Divines However since so many have beene so earnest of late to be in charity with the Roman Church that they have beene uncharitable to the Reformed Churches Let Canons be made in the Synode and an Act of Parliament for union with other Protestant Churches in matter of Doctrine and all the fire-brands of these late innovations in the Church that have made us a laughpng stocke to the neighbour Churches be sharrcly censured if not cut off as banes of the Church especially the first raisers of Altars such as Heylin Pocklington and the like V That in that Synod if the English Liturgie bee retained to the end it be received all over England without exceptions it be reformed and repurged from many corruptions and from a great deale of drosse among the gold and the good matters that are therein contained as it appeareth First in the vaine repetitions of the same thing Secondly in the uncouth expressions as the name of Epistle when it is Prophesie and misaplying peeces of Scripture to the daies for which they are appointed Thirdly in the reading of the ridiculous stories and fables of the Apocripha bookes such are the Stories of Tobit and his dogge and the like Fourthly in the unsutablenesse of many collects and prayers to the matter and intent they are prayed for such are the Collect before the Ten Commandements and the prayer for the Ministers of the Gospel O God Almighty that workest great marvels which if the words Bishops and Curates be taken out may be applyed to any purpose And last of all in the unsound Doctrines As that Sacraments are absolutely necessary to salvation and that Infants have Faith in the person of their Godfathers and Godmothers which is as much as to beleeve by a proxie or by an Atturney VI. That in that Synod it be determined what Popery is and Canons made where those errours where of the people is with good reason affraid be named and condemned VII That above all the holy doctrine of Iustification by Faith only which is the maine hinge of salvation bee strongly established by an especial Canon according to the tenets of all Protestant Churches which Canon be sworne and subscribed unto by all that have taken and hereafter shall take orders or Ecclesiasticall promotions This being the greatest plague of the Church of England that many men dignified in the Church and Masters of Colledges fellowes and Schollers in the Universitie defend openly the justification by workes which is flat popery and the ready way to bring in indulgences auricular confession Purgatory and the tyranny of the Clergie over the consciences VIII That likewise the Doctrine of the Necessitie and effecacy of the Sacraments especially of Baptisme bee mainely and distinctly established and explained according to the Tenets of all the other reformed Churches since it hath beene of late verie usuall among our timeservers and those Ministers that are as much taken with conformitie as they love non-residencie and pluralitie of livings to be enamoured with all the Popish and Arminians opinions and to hold and teach Baptisme of water to be of absolute necessity to be saved that it doth blot out sinnes and regenerate Ex Opere operato and vinudamactionis by the bare strength of washing and workes necessarily in the Baptized partie faith and the habit of true sanctification and have grounded their poysonous Tenets upon some passages of the Liturgie that were not dasht out nor explaned by the reformers of the Roman brevlarie in King Edwards daies As be the words in the Catechisme The Children Baptised have all things necesary to salvation and are undoubtedly saved And in The Prayer after Baptisme where thankes is given to God for regenerating the Infant with his holy spirit Since then such places have beene a stumbling blocke to weake ones

and have given faire opportunity of erring to malicious spirits that in the task expected of reforming the English Liturgie they be corrected and amended IX That bowing before of the Communion Table or toward the East bee forbidden under the punishment of deprivation of benificed men and expulsion of Schollers out of the Colleges and the Communion Table be kept in the Vestery and removed from the eyes of the people but in the time of the Communion to avoid the creeping idolatry X. That the Crucifixe in a peece of hanging and other superstious figures which sometimes in the yeare are set over the Communion Table of many Churches and Chappell 's bee removed and abolished and that the Authors or renewers of that superstition be severely punished XI That the authors of Popish and Arminian bookes bee called in question and that the pleasure of our late Soveraigne King James of blessed Memory be executed who sent his Divines to the Synode of Dort that the Church of England afterwards should be bound by the decisions made there and that Canons be made conformable to the determination of our Divines in that Synod XII That if Bishops are thought fit to be retained there be no more such distance betweene a Bishop and an ordinary Minister and that Bishops be no more called Lords and that they be enjoyned to preach diligently as is the duty of their place and office XIII That if some of them sit in Parliament it bee upon Wool-Sacks and have no more priviledges by their office and places then the Iudges the Lord Keeper and Treasurer and that a certaine number of Deputies from the Nationall Synod whether Bishops or other bee assisting both in the higher House and lower House for delivering their advices upon any clauses of Acts that may entrench upon the Churches priviledges or are contrary to Doctrine or good manners XV. That the principall defect of our Discipline and the spring of all errours in Doctrine and Practice which is the want of Synods bee mended hereafter all Visitations of Bishops be Synods as by right they ought to bee and according to the ancient Constitution as it appeareth by the Synodalls which Ministers pay in every Visitation and that at Synods all Parish Ministers be sitting and covered have their voyce in the discussing of the affaires of the Diocesse and making orders which may not afterwards be altered by the Bishops but onely by the Nationall or Metropolitical Synod which for the publike Union is to bee kept once every two yeares neither was ever the Church of late without Synods but but in England XVI That besides nationall Synods there be provinciall Synode convocated in each Diocesse once a yeare and that every moneth there bee a meeting of Ministers within the Precinct of sixe or seven neighbour parishes through the whole Diocesse to which the first citations complaints and processes within that precinct be carried and in which the incident controversies without further delay be composed and that what soever is judged within that precinct bee censurable againe by the provinciall Synode of the Diocesse and that onely causes of high moment as deciding controvesies of faith and matters which doth concerne the whole nation bee removed from the the Provinciall Synod to the Nationall XVII That the election of Presidents Assessors and other members of the Nationall Synode be in the power of the Deputies whether Bishops or others appointed for that purpose by each respective Provinciall Synod And that in Provinciall Synods the election of them bee in the power of the Presbyterie within each Diocesse XVIII That the presentment of causes and persons to the Nationall Synod bee made by the Bishop of the Diocesse g XIX That in every Presbyteriall meeting within the Precinct of neighbour Parishes the Bishop shall have power to assist in his owne person or by a Commissioner of his and have his voyce as others XX. That the citations and presentments from these Presbyteriall meetings to the Provinciall Synod beenot made without the knowledge of the Parish Minister who ought to present the delinquent and have his voyce in the censure XXI That the Bishop be censurable by the Synod whether it be provinciall or nationall and that it bee no more in the power of Bishops to impose what they please upon the Clergie with such rigorous penaltie as they have lately used for the oath of the sixth Canon XXII That the power of Ordination bee not stronger in Bishoppes then in other Ministers XXIII That no Scholler shall enter into the holy Ministrie without a certificate from the Vniversitie and from the Parish wherein he hath beene commorant of his life and Doctrine and without further triall and examination of his gifts and learning and soundnesse in Doctrine by sixe Ministers or at least fiue and that none shall be ordained Ministers except presently upon he is to be invested with a Cure of Soules XXIIII That Minister bee ordained at least foure times in the yeare and that a record bee kept of the Parishes void of Ministrie that in the time of Ordination they may be supplyed accordingly XXV That it be lawfull for Students in Divinity and having good report to Preach but not to exercise any other part of Ministeriall function to the end they may exercise their parts and give a tast of their abilities to the flocke XXVI That afore they be permitted to Preach in publique they be exercised in private by way of Sermons to handle and expound the word of God before the neighbour Ministers where they are cōmorant or before the heads of the Colledge where they are members And that their Sermon ended the matter and manner of their handling the word be censured and examined by those Ministers that are present XXVII That another course bee taken for maintaining Ministers and Bishops then that of Tyths which are the cause of endlesse suits betweene the Minister and the Parishioners the Patron and incumbent keepe the Minister from his Church while he followes suites in London and bring the holy Ministry into obloquy contempt But an honorable competent proportion bee appointed for the maintenance of each Parish Ministers by the Parishioners and rated by the Parliament or Synod and that the distinctions of Deane Arch-deacon Person Curat Vicar and Reader bee taken away but let them be coequalls and more or lesse in number in one Parish according to the greatnesse or wealth of the Parish XXVIII That as Bishops in height of Iurisdiction and place by act are to bee shortned so an act be made that from henceforth all ordinary Ministers which are too much vilified shall have more respect and honour then heretofore was given unto them and that of well deserving Schollers the Ministers sonnes bee preferred to the fellowships of Colledges XXIX That the power of Ecclesiasticall Keyes such as belongs to Bishops and Ministers be restored unto them according to the ancient constitutions of the primitive Churches and that there bee no censure past upon the Clergie or people from Synod Bishop or Presbyterie but such as is Spirituall and that the usuall penalties of imprisonment and fine be rendred againe to the right owner viz. to the civill Magistrate and the commutations of bodily penance into pecuniarie and the abuse of excommunication and the Oath Ex officio abolished XXX That the Clergie of the Diocesse shall choose their owne Bishop or present to the Kings Majestie two who may choose of them whom he pleaseth and that every Parish be Patron of its Parish and have the presentation of as many Ministers as the flocke requireth to the Synod or Bishop XXVIII That Bishops be more in number and their Diocesses of lesse extent then hitherto it hath beene XXXI That in stead of Chancellors Officers Apparitours Registers and such like Grashoppers there bee some Lay-elders that may sit in Provinciall Synods and have their voyce in matters of Discipline and Church-goverment and that in Nationall Synods there be some Laymen likewise appointed by the Parliament XXXII That a better course be taken for providing for the poore and that both Ministers and Chiefe of the Parish bee overseeing how Church-Wardens doe dispose of the Church-Treasury and that they bee not permitted under crime of Sacrilege to spend it upon themselves and that every moneth they give an account of whatsoever is received and laid out XXXIII That the griping of Church-duties and buriall-costs exacted oftner more rigorously of the poore then the rich be restrained and that the Minister bee contented with his yearely Salary performing all the branches of his calling as baptizing burying visiting the sicke without any further recompence but such as is tendered to him XXIIII That the Fountains of Learning Cambridge and Oxford be purged from superstitious Rites and Popish doctrines and Orthodoxe Readers be provided XXXV That no publique Vniversitie readers be admitted but such as are either allowed or named by the Nationall Synod or such as out of the Convocation of the Natioall Synod are presented to the Kings Majestie by the heads of the University and afterwards approved by the next insuing nationall Synod FINIS