Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	henry_n	king_n	son_n	33,152	5	6.0091	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03590	Of the lavves of ecclesiasticall politie eight bookes. By Richard Hooker.; Ecclesiastical polity. Books 1-4	Hooker, Richard, 1553 or 4-1600.; Spenser, John, 1559-1614.	1604 (1604)	STC 13713; ESTC S120914	286,221	214

till such things be abolished what exception can there be taken against the iudgement of S. Augustine who saith that Of things harmelesse whatsoeuer there is which the whole Church doth obserue throughout the world to argue for any mans immunitie from obseruing the same it were a point of most insolent madnes And surely odious it must needs haue bene for one Christian Church to abolish that which all had receiued and held for the space of many ages that without any detriment vnto Religion so manifest and so great as might in the eyes of vnpartiall men appeare sufficient to cleare thē from all blame of rash inconsiderate proceeding if in feruour of zeale they had remoued such things Whereas contrariwise so reasonable moderation herein vsed hath freed vs from being deseruedly subiect vnto that bitter kind of obloquie wherby as the Church of Rome doth vnder the colour of loue towards those things which be harmelesse maintaine extremely most hurtfull corruptions so we peraduenture might be vpbraided that vnder colour of hatred towards those things that are corrupt we are on the other side as extreme euen againts most harmelesse ordinances And as they are obstinate to retaine that which no man of any conscience is able wel to defend so we might be reckoned fierce and violent to teare away that which if our owne mouthes did condemne our consciences would storme and repine thereat The Romanes hauing banished Tarquinius the proud and taken a sollemne oath that they neuer would permit any man more to raigne could not herewith content themselues or thinke that tyrannie was throughly extinguished till they had driuen one of their Consuls to depart the Citie against whom they found not in the world what to obiect sauing onely that his name was Tarquine and that the common-wealth could not seeme to haue recouered perfect freedome as long as a man of so daungerous a name was left remaining For the Church of England to haue done the like in casting out of Papall tyranny and superstition to haue shewed greater willingnes of accepting the very ceremonies of the Turke Christs professed enemie then of the most indifferent things which the Church of Rome approueth to haue left not so much as the names which the Church of Rome doth giue vnto things innocent to haue eiected whatsoeuer that Church doth make accompt of be it neuer so harmelesse in it selfe and of neuer so auncient continuance without any other crime to charge it with then onely that it hath bene the hap thereof to be vsed by the Church of Rome and not to be commanded in the word of God this kind of proceeding might happily haue pleased some fewe men who hauing begun such a course themselues must needs be glad to see their example followed by vs. But the Almightie which giueth wisedome and inspireth with right vnderstanding whō soeuer it pleaseth him he foreseeing that which mans wit had neuer bene able to reach vnto namely what tragedies the attempt of so extreme alteration would raise in some parts of the Christian world did for the endlesse good of his Church as we cannot chuse but interpret it vse the bridle of his prouident restraining hand to stay those eager affections in some and to settle their resolution vpon a course more calme and moderate least as in other most ample and heretofore most flourishing dominions it hath since fallen out so likewise if in ours it had come to passe that the aduerse part being enraged and betaking it selfe to such practises as men are commonly wont to embrace when they behold things brought to desperate extremities and no hope left to see any other end then onely the vtter oppression and cleane extinguishment of one side by this meane Christendome flaming in all parts of greatest importance at once they all had wanted that comfort of mutuall reliefe wherby they are now for the time susteined and not the least by this our Church which they so much impeach till mutuall combustious bloudsheads and wastes because no other inducement will serue may enforce them through very faintnesse after the experience of so endlesse miseries to enter on all sides at the length into some such consultation as may tend to the best reestablishment of the whole Church of Iesus Christ. To the singular good whereof it cannot but serue as a profitable direction to teach men what is most likely to proue auaileable when they shall quietly consider the triall that hath bene thus long had of both kinds of reformation as well this moderate kind which the Church of England hath taken as that other more extreme and rigorous which certaine Churches elsewhere haue better liked In the meane while it may be that suspence of iudgement and exercise of charity were safer and seemelier for Christian men then the hote pursute of these controuersies wherein they that are most feruent to dispute be not alwayes the most able to determine But who are on his side and who against him our Lord in his good time shall reueale And sith thus farre we haue proceeded in opening the things that haue beene done let not the principall doers themselues be forgotten When the ruines of the house of God that house which cōsisting of religious soules is most immediatly the pretious temple of the holy Ghost were become not in his sight alone but in the eyes of the whole world so exceeding great that very superstition began euen to feele itselfe too farre growne the first that with vs made way to repaire the decayes thereof by beheading superstition was King Henry the eight The sonne and successour of which famous King as we know was Edward the Saint in whom for so by the euent wee may gather it pleased God righteous and iust to let England see what a blessing sinne and iniquitie would not suffer it to enioy Howbeit that which the wise man hath sayde concerning Enoch whose dayes were though many in respect of ours yet scarse as three to nine in comparison of theirs with whome hee liued the same to that admirable child most worthily may be applyed Though he departed this worlde soone yet fulfilled he much time But what ensued That worke which the one in such sort had begun and the other so farre proceeded in was in short space so ouerthrowne as if almost it had neuer bene till such time as that God whose property is to shew his mercies then greatest when they are neerest to be vtterly despaired of caused in the depth of discomfort and darknes a most glorious starre to arise and on her head setled the Crowne whome him selfe had kept as a lambe from the slaughter of those bloudie times that the experience of his goodnes in her own deliuerance might cause her mercifull disposition to take so much the more delight in sauing others whom the like necessity shold presse What in this behalfe hath bene done towards nations abroad the parts of Christendome most afflicted can best testifie That which