Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	high_a	lord_n	treasurer_n	4,230	5	10.7514	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01086	Certaine considerations touching the better pacification, and edification of the Church of England dedicated to His most excellent Maiestie.	Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.	1604 (1604)	STC 1120; ESTC S101540	19,100	46

of the first good Emperours that imbraced the Faith For the times of persecution before temporall Princes receiued the Faith as they were excellent times for doctrine and māners so they be vnproper and vnlike examples of outward gouernment and policie And so much for this point now to the particular points of Controuersies or rather of Reformation Circumstances in the Gouernment of Byshops FIrst therefore for the Gouernment of Byshops I for my part not prejudging the Presidents of other reformed Churches doe hold it warranted by the word of God and by the practise of the ancient Church in the better times and much more conuenient for Kingdomes then parity of Ministers and gouernment by Synodes But then further it is to be considered that the Church is not now to plant or build but onely to bee pruned from corruptions and repaired and restored in some decayes For it is worth the noting that the Scripture saith Translato acerdotio necesse est vs Legis fiat translatio It is not possible in respect of the great and neere sympathie betweene the State Ciuill and the State Ecclesiasticall to make so mayne an alteration in the Church but it would haue a perilous operation vpon the Kingdome and therefore it is fit that controuersie be in peace and silence But there bee two circumstances in the administration of Byshops wherein I confesse I could neuer be satisfied The one The sole exercise of their authoritie The other the Deputation of their authoritie For the first the Byshop giueth orders alone excommunicateth alone judgeth alone This seemes to bee a thing almost without example in gouernment and therefore not vnlikely to haue crept in the degenerate and corrupt times Wee see the greatest Kings and Monarches haue their Councels There is no temporall Councell in England of the higher sort where the authoritie doth rest in one person The Kings-bench Cōmon-pleas and the Exchequer are benches of a certain number of Iudges The Chancellor of England hath an Assistance of 12. Maisters of the Chancerie The Master of the Wards hath a councell of the Court So hath the Chancellor of the Duchie In the Excliequer Chamber the Lord Treasuror is ioyned with the Chancellor and the Barrons The Masters of the Requests are euer more than one The Iustices of Assile are two The Lord Presidents in the Marches and in the North haue councels of diuers The Starre-chamber is an assembly of the Kings priuie Councell aspersed with Lords Spirituall and Temporall So as in all Courts the principall person hath euer either Colleagues or Assessors The like is to bee found in other well gouerned Kingdomes abroad where the jurisdiction is yet more distributed as in the Courts of Parliament of France and in other places No man will denie but the Acts that passe the Byshops jurisdiction are of as great importance as those that passe the Ciuill Courts for mens soules are more precious then their bodies or goods so are their good names Byshops haue their infirmities and haue no exception from that generall malediction which is pronounced against all men liuing Va sole nam si occiderit c. Nay we see that the first warrant in Spirituall causes is directed to a number Dei Ecclesia which is not so in temporall matters And we see that in generall causes of Church gouernment there are aswol Assemblies of all the Clergie in Councels as of the States in Parliament whence should this sole exercise of jurisdiction come Surely I doe suppose and thinke vpon ground that ab initio non fuit ita and that the Deanes and Chapters were Counsels about the Seas and chayres of Byshops at the first and were vnto them a Presbiterie or Consistorie and intermedled not onely in the disposing of their reuenues and endowments but much more in jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall But it is probable that the Deane and Chapter stucke close to the Byshops in matters of profit and the world and would not loose their hold but in matters of jurisdiction which they accounted but trouble and attendance they suffered the Byshops to encroach and vsurpe and so the one continueth and the other is lost And wee see that the Byshop of Rome f●● est ab hoste doceri and no question in that Church the first institutions were excellent performeth all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as in Consistorie And whereof consisteth this Consistorie but of the parish Priests of Rome which terme themselues Cardinals à cardivibus mundi because the Byshop pretendeth to be vniuersall ouer the whole world And hereof againe we see diuers shadowes yet remaining As that the Deane and Chapter Proforma chooseth the Byshop which is the highest point of jurisdiction And that the Byshop when hee giueth orders if there be any Ministers casually present calleth them to joyne with him in imposition of hands and some other particulars And therefore it seemes to me a thing reasonable and religious and according to the first institution that Byshops in the greatest causes and those which require a spirituall discerning namely in ordayning suspending or depriuing Ministers in excommunication being restored to the true and proper vse as shall bee afterwards touched in sentencing the validitie of Mariages and legittimations in judging causes criminous as Symonie incest blasphemie and the like should not proceed sole and vnassisted which point as I vnderstand is a Reformation that may bee planted sine strepitu without any perturbation at all and is a matter which will giue strength to the Byshops countenance to the inferiour degrees of Prelates or Ministers and the better issue or proceeding in those causes that shall passe And as I wish this strength giuen to the Byshops by Councell so it is not vnworthy your Maiesties Royall consideration whether you shall not think fit to giue strength to the general Councell of your Clergie the Conuocation House which was then restrained when the state of the Clergie was thought a suspected part to the Kingdome in regard of their late homage to the Byshop of Rome which state now will giue place to none in their loyaltie and deuotion but to your Maiestie For the second point which is the Deputation of their Authoritie I see no perfect and sure ground for that neither beeing somewhat different from the examples and rules of gouernment The Byshop exerciseth his jurisdiction by his Chancellor and Comissarie Officiall c. Wee see in all Lawes in the world Offices of confidence and skill cannot be put ouer nor exercised by deputie except it bee especially contained in the originall grant and in that case it is dutisull And for experience there was neuer any Chauncellour of England made a Deputie There was neuer any judge in any Court made a Deputie The Byshop is a Iudge and of a high Nature whence commeth it that hee should depute considering that all trust and confidence as was said is personall and inherent and cannot or ought not to bee transposed Surely in this againe ab

Surely the wisedome of the Kingdome hath beene otherwise in experience for three hundred yeares space at the least But if it bee said to me that there is a difference betweene Ciuill causes and Ecclesiasticall they may as well tell me that Churches and Chappels need no reparations though Castles and houses doe whereas commonly to speake truth dilapidations of the inward and spirituall edifications of the Church of God are in all times as great as the outward and materiall Sure I am that the very word and stile of Reformation vsed by our Sauiour ab initio non suit it a was applyed to Church matters aud those of the highest nature concerning the Law morall Neuerthelesse hee were both vnthankefull and unwise that would denie but that the Church of England during the time of Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie did flourish If I should compare it with forraine churches I would rather the comparison shouldbe in the vertues then as some make it in the defects rather I say as betweene the Vine the Oliue which should be most fruitfull not as between the bryer and the thistle which should bee most vnprofitable For that reuerence should be vsed to the Church which the good sonnes of Noah vsed to their fathers nakednesse that is as it were to goebackwards and to helpe the defects thereof and yet to dissemble them And it is to be acknowledged that scarcely any church since the Primitiue Church yeelded in like manner of yeares and Latitude of Countrey a greater number of excellent Preachers Famous Writers and graue Gouernours but for the discipline and Orders of the Church as many and the chiefest of them are very holy and good so yet if Saint Iohn were to indite an Epistle to the church of England as hee did to them of Asia it would sure haue the clause Habeo aduers us to pauca And no more for this point sauing that as an appendixe thereunto it is not amisle to touch that obiection which is made to the time and not to the matter pretending that is Reformation were necessarie yet it were not now seasonable at your Matesties first entrance Yct Hippocrates saith si quid moues à principio moue And the wisedome of all examples doth shew that the wisest Princes as they haue eue been the most sparing in remoouing or alteration of seruants and officers vpon their comming in so for remoouing of abuses and enormities and for reforming of Lawes and the policie of their States they haue chiefly sought to enable and commend their beginnings therewith knowing that the first impression with people continueth long and when mens mindes are most in expectation and suspence then are they best wrought and managed And therefore it seemeth to me that as the spring of nature I meane the spring of the yeare is the best time for purging and medicining the naturall body so the spring of Kingdoms is the most proper season for the purging and rectifying of politique bodies There remaineth yet an obiection rather of suspition then of reason and yet such as I thinke maketh a great impression in the mindes of very wise and well affected persons which is That if way be giuen to mutation though it be in taking away abuses get it may so acquaint men with sweetnesse of change as it will vndermine the stabilitie euen of that which is sound and good This surely had beene a good and true allegation in the ancient contentions and diuisions betweene the people and the Senate of Reme where things were carried at the appetites of multitudes which can neuer keepe within the compasse of any moderation But these things beeing with vs to haue an orderly passage vnder a King who hath a Royall power and approued judgement and knoweth as well the measure of things as the nature of them is surely a needlesse feare For they need not doubt but your Maiestie with the aduise of your Councell will discerne what things are intermingled like the rares amongst the wheat which haue their rootes so inwrapped and intangled as the one cannot be pulled vp without indangering the other and what are mingled but as the chaffe and the corne which needs but a fanne to fift and seuer them So much therefore for the first point of no reformation to be admitted at all For the second point That there should be but one forme of Discipline in all Churches and that imposed by a necessitie of a commandement and prescript out of the word of God it is a matter Volumes haue beene compiled of and therefore cannot receiue a briefe redargution I for my part doe confesse that in reuealing the Scriptures I could neuer find any such thing but that God had left the like libertie to the Church-gouernment as he hath done to the Ciuil gouernment to be varied according to time and place and accidents which neuerthelesse his high and diuine prouidence doth order and dispose for all ciuill gouernments are restrained from God vnto the genarall grounds of Iustice and manners but the policies and formes of them are left free So that Monarchies and Kingdomes Senates and Seignories popular States and Communalties are all lawfull and where they are planted ought to bee maintained inuiolate So likewise in Church matters the substance of Doctrine is immutable and so are the generall Rules of gouernment but for Rites and Ceremonies and for the particular Hierarchies policies and disciplines of Churches they be left at large And therefore it is good wee returne vnto the ancient bonds of vnitie in the Church of God which was one Faith one Baptisme and not one Hierarchie one Discipline and that wee obserue the league of Christians as it is penned by our Sauiour Christ which is in substance of doctrine this Hee that is nos with vs is against vs. But in things indifferent and but of circumstance this Hee that is not against vs is with vs. In these things so as the generall rules be obserued that Christs Flocks be fed that there be a succession in Byshops and Ministers which are the Prophets of the New Testament that there be a due reuerent vse of the power of the Keyes that these that Preach the Gospell liue of the Gospell that all things tend to edification that all things bee done in order and with decencie and the like the rest is left to the holy wisedome and spirituall discretion of the master-builders and inferiour builders in Christs Church as it is excellently alluded by that Father that noted that Christs Garment was without seame and yet the Churches garment was of diuers colours and thereupon setteth downe for a Rule In veste varies as sit scissura non sit In which varietie neuerthelesse it is a safe and a wise course to follow good examples and presidents But then the rule of imitation and example is to consider not onely which are the best but which are the likest as namely the gouernment of the Church in the purest times