Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	conquest_n	gather_v	great_a	28	3	2.1077	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27058	The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended vindicator of the primitive church, but indeed of the tympanite & tyranny of some prelates many hundred years after Christ, with a detection of the false history of Edward Lord Bishop of Corke and Rosse in Ireland ... and a preface abbreviating much of Ludolphus's History of Habassta : written to shew their dangerous errour, who think that a general council, or colledge of bishops, is a supream governour of all the Christian world ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; to which is added by another hand, a defence of a book, entituled, No evidence for diocesan churches ...	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1682 (1682)	Wing B1438; ESTC R39511	217,503	278

Sword Whether it be true that they say that they were necessitated to do what they did against Barnevolt and Grotius for the safety of their State I am no Judge But I am sure it is of an ill sound to those that read it And so is it to read in Episcopius and others what violence the People have used against the Arminians and they were fain to tolerate them when all was done And it 's no wonder that the Dissention increased in England when the Clergy would not long stand to the decrees that by our own six Delegates were moderated Dr. Heylin tells you how Bishop Laua's Zeal was the cause of our following Contentions And how By bearing down all that were against him 2. But the meer Doctrinal Decrees of the Synod of Dort are so moderate and healing that where Violence hath been forborn and Reason used many have been pacified by them And 3. What that Synod did not a few private Peace-makers have much done The Writings of Camero Amyraldus Capellus Placeus Testardus Lud. Crocius Mat. Martinius Conr. Bergius Joh. Bergius Blondel Daile and above all Le Blank 's have for ought I hear half ended the controversie And having my self written one Book Cathol Theologie for Reconciliation I have not to this day had a word of Contradiction but the Consent of very many And as I before noted Is not even in London where other differences might exasperate yet this Controversie almost laid to sleep But if our Arminians will but get as severe Laws and Canons made against them that are not of their Opinions as be against them that dare not conform to the Diocesane Model and the rest they shall quickly see this quarrel revived The Articles of the Church of England determine not these Controversies and that is our Peace Put in but one determining Article against either side and it will break us more in pieces Doth not our own Case and Experience then confute those over-doing Councils § 34. His next Instance is that of the Westminster Assembly So far from reconciling the People that after this they were distracted into innumerable Schisms Never was there so lamentable a face of things never such variety of Heresie and such Wantonness and Extravagancy in blaspheming God under pretence of Religion and Conscience And this is the State whither the same manner of men are driving again Ans 1. I say again I knew so many of that Assembly as that I do not think that the Christian World had ever an Assembly of more able and truly pious Clergy-Men these 1300 Years at least But these Upstarts that knew them not can tell us any thing that Faction hath taught them to believe concerning them and others The Parliament was by seeming necessity drawn to gratifie the Scots The Assembly though Conformists all save Eight or Nine were as sensible as the Nonconformists of the mischiefs of silencing worthy Ministers and forbidding Afternoon Sermons and such like and they were as much against Arminianism and Popery as the Church of England was in A. Bp. Abbat's days and as much as he against the Doctrine of Mainwaring and Sibthorp And the Parliament absolutely restrained them from debating any thing but what they proposed to them so that they that were for the Primitive Episcopacy had no liberty to debate it or speak for it but on the by But when the Covenant was offered them against Prelacy they were about to enter a Protestation against it and were stopt only by limiting the renunciation to the English frame described in an explicatory Parenthesis But for my part I think them much to be blamed that they did not though against that prohibition resolve to propose such moderate healing terms to the Parliament as were agreeable to their judgments or at least have testified against the limiting of Church Concord to such narrow termes as must exclude such men as were for the English Episcopacy They might easily have known that the number of such in England was so great as that an excluding Law must needs be an Engine of great Division and that Conquest will not change mens Judgments And as I doubt not but the five Dissenting Independents were greatly to blame for making such a stir for leave to gather their Churches when nothing was imposed on them which they could accuse So I doubt not but the Assembly were to be blamed for making a greater noise against errours than they had cause for Their desire of Concord which was good itself did raise them to too great Expectations of it and too great impatience of little differences They published their Testimony against the errours of the times in which they took in Dr. Hammond and made many differences worse than they were too like the old Hereticators And they wanted that skill to compose their differences with the Independents as was needful to that end and might have been attained And will the faults of that Assembly justifie the far greater faults of others But 2. This sort of Historians do much more differ from us about the matters of Fact which our Eyes have dayly-seen yea about our own Thoughts and Minds than about the History of the ancient Church The case was very far different from that which he describeth Mr. Lawson a Conformist saith There was never better Preaching Piety encouraged and encreased c. than at that time In all the Counties where I was acquainted there were many young Orthodox faithful Preachers that gave themselves wholly to do good for one that was ten Years before and not any considerable number noted for any immorality We were in the County where I lived almost all of one mind for Episcopal Presbyterians and Independents uniting in that which they agreed in and leaving all to Liberty in the rest we lived in constant Brotherly Love and Peace without Dissention I never knew of any of a divers Religion in all the County save at the end in one or two corners about Twenty Quakers And near me were about Twenty otherwise Orthodox that denied Infant-Baptism and perhaps as many more in the whole County and Two or Three ignorant Socinians In the next County I heard not of so many Heterodox Never did I see before or since so much Love and Concord among Ministers and all religious People nor read of any Age that had so much for 1300 Years And whereas the common cry is Oh but they were all Rebels against the King I have named abundance of the Ministers in mine Apology to Dr. Good who being Episcopal was a Guide in our Meetings and after so accused the Nonconformists and challenged him to name one of them that ever meddled with Wars I knew none in all the County that was in any Army save the King 's save Mr. Hopkins of Evesham dead and my self and one that is a Conformist and one Independent dead But it 's true that they were then so set upon Parish Reformation and Concord that they were more

can they tell the Church that they are subject to the six first General Councils and yet not to the seventh eighth ninth or any since 3. I have oft against Johnson and elsewhere proved that there never was an universal Council of all the Churches but only of part of those in the Roman Empire Were there no proof but from the recorded Names of the Callers of Councils and all the Subscribers it is unanswerable 4. Who knows not that the Church is now divided into about Twelve Sects all condemning one another And that they are under the Power of various Princes and many Enemies to Christianity who will never agree to give them leave to travel to General Councils And who shall call them or how long time will you give the Bishops of Antioch Alexandria the Jacobites Abassines Nestorians Armenians Muscovites and all the rest to learn so much of each others Languages as to debate intelligibly matters of such moment as Laws for all the World must be Twenty more such absurdities make this Aristocracy over all the World as mad a conceit as that forementioned And when we know already what the Christian Parties hold and that the said Jacobites Nestorians Armenians Circassians Mengrelians Greeks Muscovites c. are far more than either Protestants or Papists do we not know that in Councils if they have free Votes they will judge accordingly against both But this sort of men are well aware that the Church is always but Councils are rare and it 's at least uncertain whether ever there will be more and the Articles of the Church of England say They may not be called without the Will of Princes and the Church is now under so many contrary Princes as are never like to agree hereto And they know that some body must call them and some body must preside c. Therefore they are forced to speak out and say that the Pope is St. Peters Successor the prime Patriarch and principium Unitatis and must call Councils and as President moderate and difference the lawful from the unlawful And that in the Intervals of Councils he as Patriarch is to govern at least the West and that every Diocesane being ex Officio the Representer of his Diocess and every Metropolitane of his Province and every Patriarch of his Patriarchate what these do all the Bishops on Earth do And so the Riddle of a Collegium Pastorum is opened and all cometh but to this that the Italians are Papists who would have the Pope rule Arbitrarily as above Councils but the French are no Papists who would have the Pope rule only by the Canons or Church Parliaments and to be singulis Major at universis Minor This is the true Reformation of Church-Government in which the English should by them agree And now you know what I am warning you to beware of We are for a twist conjunction of the civil Power and the Ecclesiastical and for Christian Kingdoms and Churches so far national as to be ruled and protected by Christian Kings in the greatest Love and Concord that can be well obtained And for Councils necessary to such ends But we are not for setting up a Foreign Jurisdiction over King and Kingdom Church and Souls upon the false claim of uncapable Usurpers One of your selves in a small Book called The whole Duty of Nations and another Dr. Isaac Barrow against Papal and all Foreign Jurisdiction published by Dr. Tillotson have spoken our thoughts so fully as that we only intreat you to take those for our sense and concurr with us therein for our common Peace and Safety We reverence all Councils so far as they have done good we are even for the Advice and Concord of Foreigners but not their Jurisdiction If you know the difference between an Assembly of Princes consulting for Peace and Concord and a Senate to govern all those Princes as their Subjects you will know the difference between our Reverence to Foreign Councils and the Obedience to them now challenged as the only way to avoid Schism I hope you will join with us in being called Schismaticks both to Italian and French Papists The great Instrument of such mens Design being to over-extol Councils called General and to hide their Miscarriages and so by false History to deceive their credulous party who cannot have while to search after the truth I took it to be my Duty to tell such men the truth out of the most credible Historians especially out of the Councils themselves as written by our greatest Adversaries that they may truly know what such Bishops and Councils have done Among others this exasperated a Writer by same called Mr. Morrice who would make men believe that I have wronged Councils and Bishops and falsified History and divers other accusations he brings to which I have tendered you mine Answer I have heard men reverence the English Synods who yet thought that the 5th 6th 7th 8th Excommunicating Canons and the late Engines to cast out 2000 Ministers proved them such to England as I will not denominate I have heard men reverence the present Ministry and Universities who yet have said that they fear more hurt from the worser part of them to England than they should do from an Army of Foreign Enemies whom we might resist I write much and in great weakness and haste and have not time for due perusal And my judgment is rather to do it when I think it necessary as I can than not at all And Mr. M. would make his Readers believe when he hath found a word of Theodorets hastily mistaken and Calami translated Quils and such matter for a few trifling cavils that he hath vindicated the Councils and Bishops and proved me a false Historian And can we have a harder censure of General Councils than his own Reverend Lords and Patrons pass upon them who tell us that there is but six of all the multitude to be owned If all the rest are to be rejected I think the faults of those six may be made known against their Designs who would bring us under a Foreign Jurisdiction by the art of over-magnifying General Conncils I confess these men have great advantage against all that such as I can say for they have got a sort of Followers who will take their words and are far from having will or wit impartially themselves to read the Hiflories and try the case but will swear that we are all Rogues and Schismaticks and unfit to be suffered And they have got young Reverend Priests who can cry away with them execute the Laws being conscious how much less able they are to confute us than the Gaoler is But this is but a Dream The morning is near when we shall all awake Perhaps you remember the jeasting story with which Sag●tar●us begins the Preface to his Metaphysicks Indeed the hysterical suffocating Vapours do ordinarily so work that in a place of Perfumes or sweetness the Women faint and swoun away as dead

the men Ans And what did I ever say more It is his custom when he hath stormed at me to say in Effect the same that he stormed at Some Papists would persuade men that it was only Arian Councils that he meant but most Protestants that Write about Councils against them do cite vindicate these words of Gregory And the impartial Papists confess that it was the Councils also of the Catholicks that there and else where he spake of § 6. In the Case of Meletius and Paulinus two Bishops in a City and the Case of Lucifer Calaritanus made a Heretick for separating from lapsed Arians he saith over the same that I do that good men cannot rightly understand one another and so it ever hath been and it 's the Effect of humane frailty and not Episcopacy In all this I agree But 1. If humane frailty make Bishops swell in pride and ambition and domineering it hath far worse Effects than in other men 2. And Bishops are bound to excell their flocks in Piety humility Selfdenyal peaceableness as well as in knowledge If the Physicians of this city should prove unskilful and yet confident where they err it is not quatenus Physicians that they are such But if it be qui Physicians that are such they may kill thousands while the same faults in all their neighbours may kill few or none If your Interest made you not smart and angry without cause you would not cavil against such plain truth § 7. About the Priscillianists he saith I all along observe this Rule to be very favourable to all Hereticks and Schismaticks be they never so much in the wrong and to fall on the Orthodox party and improve every miscarriage of theirs into a mighty crime Ans If all along this accusation be false then all a long your History serveth such a use But in France Spain Italy he is favourable to Hereticks that takes not the orthodox for such or that is not for racking and burning them And in England he is favourable to Schismaticks that taketh not the greatest lovers of Piety and peace for such and the Church Tearers for Church-Healers As Mr. Dodwell phraseth it they are Schismaticks that suffer themselves to be excommunicate for unsinful things in the Bishops account and heinous sin in theirs and so that are not so ripe in Knowledge as to know all the unsinful things to be such which may be imposed § 8. What would this enemy of railing have had me said more than I did of the Priscillianists viz. that they were Gnosticks and Manichees Was not that bad Enough No I favour them still And what say I more of the Bishops and the whole cause than Sulpitius Severus the fullest and most knowing Describer saith Why doth he not accuse him for the same description Yea and their Mr. Ri. Hooker who in the Preface to his Eccl. Pol. saith of Ithacius the like Yea Baronius himself consenteth Where I say that to the death Martin separated from the synods of these Bishops I said not from all Bishops in the world he saith he renounced only the Communion of Ithacius his Party and that others did as well as he Reader it will be thy folly to take either his word or mine what an Author saith when we differ without looking into the Book it self Read Sulpitius Severus I will transcribe some words lest he say I mistranslate them Priscillianus familia nobilis praedives opibus acer inquies facundus multa lectione eruditus disserendi disputandi promptissimus vigilare multum famem sitim ferre poterat habendi minime cupidus utendi parcissimus Was it a crime to say so much good of him But proud of his Learning set up a Heresie and two Bishops Instantius and Salvianus ioyned with him and made him a Bishop At Caesar Augusta one Synod was gathered against him The Story I before recited Next a Synod at Burdeaux tryeth them Saith Sulpitius Ac mea quidem sententia est mihi tam reos quam accusatores displicere Certe Ithacium nihil pensi nihil sancti habuisse definio suit enim audax loquax impudens sumptuosus ventri gulae plurimum impertiens Hic stultitiae eo usque processerat ut omnes etiam sanctos viros quibus aut studium erat lectionis aut propositum erat certare jejuniis tanquam Priscilliani socios aut discipulos in crimen arcesseret Ausus etiam miser est ea tempestate Martino Episcopo palam objectare haeresis infamiam Imperator per Magnum Ru●um Episcopos depravatus à mitioribus consiliis deflexus So he tells how many were put to death Caeterum Priscilliano occiso non solum non repressa est haeresis sed confirmata latius propagata est Namque sectatores ejus qui eum prius ut sanctum honoraverant postea ut Martyrem colere c●p●runt Ac inter nostros perpetuum discordiarum bellum exarserat quod jam per quind●●im annos ●oedis dissensionibus agitatum nullo modo sopiri poterat Et nunc cum maxime discordiis Episcoporum turbari aut misceri omnia ce●nerentur cunctaque per eos odio aut gratia metu inconstantia invidia factione libidine avaritia arrogantia somno desidia essent depravata Postremo plures adversus paucos bene consulentes insan●s consiliis pertinacibus studiis certarent Inter haec Plebs Dei Optimus quisque probro atque ludibrio habebatur So ends Sulpitius History Do you not see Mr. Morrice that there have been Prelates and Puritanes even Episcopal Puritanes before our Times Doth not your stomach rise against Sulpitius as too Puritanical and severe Is not my Language of most of the Bishops soft in comparison of his Yet he was so early as to live in that which you now call the most flourishing Time of the Church Sir I hate Discord and love Peace but I never look that the Enmity between the Woman's and the Serpent's Seed or Cain and Abel should be ended or that the holy Title of Bishops and Priests should reconcile ungodly men to Saints Sir England knoweth that though some factious persons have done otherwise the main Body of those that your Law doth Silence Ruine and Revile have a high esteem of such Bishops as have been seriously godly such as were many in Antient and late Times And deride it as long as you will the seriously religious People in England are they that are most against Church-Tyranny and which Party most of the debauched and prophane are of hath long been known § 9. But the Reader shall further hear how little you are to be trusted Saith Sul. in Vita Mart. Apud Nemausium Episcoporum Synodus habebatur ad quam quidem ire noluerat There 's another Synod Et pag. 584. In Mon. Pat. Maximus Imperator aliâs vir bonus depravatus consiliis Sacerdotum post Priscilliani necem Ithacium Episcopum Priscilliani accusatorem caeterosque illius socios quos nominare non est necesse