Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	1,645	5	10.1981	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47908	The relaps'd apostate, or, Notes upon a Presbyterian pamphlet, entituled, A petition for peace, &c. wherein the faction and design are laid as open as heart can wish by Roger L'Estrange.	L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1293; ESTC R16441	60,742	101

Antichrist Pag. 80. Pride Rebellion Treason Unthank-fulness which have issued from Episcopacy Pag. 85. These were Favours of the Bishops own laying up and so much for the Reverend Moderate and Learned It seems a Presbyter in the Chayre is not Infallible why may they not mistake themselves as well in the Bishops opinion as in his Character Or may they not forget their Proposalls they have offer'd as well as the Injuries Will these Gentlemen subscribe to the Bishops Episcopacy by Divine Right Or will they shew wherever he pass'd a Contradiction upon himself Nay come to his Modest offer to the Assembly in 1644. Is That the Piece shall rise in Judgement against us and That yet was par'd as Close as close could be the better to comply with the Sullenness of a Prevailing Faction Hear what the Bishop says in That Treatise then There never yet was any History of the Church wherein there was not full mention made of Bishops as the only Governours thereof The Rules of Church Government laid forth in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus do suppose and Import that very proper Jurisdiction which is claim'd by Episcopacy at this day The Co-assession of a Lay-Presbytery he disapproves and in his Epistle Dedicatory to his Episcopacy by Divine Right This If any man Living can shew any one Lay-Presbyter that ever was in the World till Farell and Viret first created him let me forfeit my Reputation to Shame and my Life to Justice See now what the late Primate of Armagh sayes in his Direction of 1642. Episcopal Ordination and Jurisdiction hath express Warrant in holy Scriptures as namely Titus 1.5 For this Cause left I Thee in Crete that thou should'st set in order things that are wanting and ordeyn Presbyters that is Ministers in every City as the first of Timothy 5.22 lay hands suddenly on no man and Verse 19. Against a Presbyter or Minister receive not an Accusation but under Two or Three Witnesses Pag. 4. No other Government heard of in the Churches for 1500. years and more then by Bishops Pag. 5. This is enough to clear the Authority of the Institution But That they 'll say is not the Question These Reverend Bishops gave their Judgements of and for a Primitive Episcopacy and to a Government so Regulated these Divines offer to submit That is they will allow a Bishop to Rule in Consociation with his Presbyters and This looks gayly to the Common-People Rule with his Presbyters they cry and will not that content him what would the Bishops be as absolute as Popes and Then the Order's presently proclaim'd for Antichristian and War denounc'd against all Constitutions of Their framing as Superstitious Nay the most Solemn Forms and Orders of the Church though venerable for their long Continuance Vse Decency and Vniversal Practice are thrown out as Idolatrous because the Bishops favour them Of so great moment are the Fallacies of pleasing words where there wants skill or care to tast the bitter meaning But alas Those simple Wretches that inveigh against the Tyranny and Claim of Bishops and with an undistinguishing rage confound the persons with their Calling how do they draw upon themselves the thing they Fear and furiously oppose the sum of their own wishes Do they first know what 't is To RULE in CONSOCIATION It is To Degrade a Bishop into a Prime Pastor to disrobe him of his Apostolical prelation of Degree and allow him a Complemental priority of Order This Imminution of Bishops will doubtless not displease their Enemies but let them have a care for in that very Act and Instant wherein they fetch a Bishop down to a Presbyter does every Presbyter become a Bishop so that for five and twenty they pluck down they set up some ten thousand This was the Cheat that fool'd the People into those Tumults which the Smectymnuans entred the Lists to justifie A Primitive Episcopacy was the Pretense which they boyl'd down at length into a rank Presbytery and more Imperious Thus was the Government of the Church destroyed and after the same manner That of the State The King was to govern with his Parliament This saying carryed a Popular sound and the Multitude were not able to comprehend the Drift of it In short they brought his Majesty first to be one of the Three Estates thence by degrees lower and lower till they Dethron'd him and at last Murther'd him This was the cursed Issue of a Pretense to the Regulation of Monarchy and Episcopacy But to end this point The Reformers would perswade the world That they have made a Tender of more yielding than the foremention'd Reverend Bishops have accounted necessary to Fraternal Vnity and Peace We answer That to make This good they must prove that These Bishops have renounc'd their Episcopal and Superintendent Authority or Instance for Themselves wherein They acknowledge it Not to insist upon their Vsurpations of Framing a new Liturgy without a Commission and Imposing upon the Established Government without either Modesty or Reason C Touching Reordination with submission I do not understand it either Requisite or Vnlawful nor can I learn that it is Press'd as they pretend The Canon whereupon they ground is This. Si quis Episcopus aut Presbyter aut Diaconus secundam ab aliquo Ordinationem susceperit deponitor tam ipse quam qui ipsum Ordinavit nisi fortè constet eum Ordinationem habere ab haereticis Qui enim à talibus Baptizati aut Ordinati sunt hi neque Fideles neque Clerici esse possunt If any Bishop Presbyter or Deacon shall receive from any man ab aliquo a second Ordination let the Person Ordaining qui ipsum ordinavit and the Person Ordained be both Deposed unless it appear that his prior Ordination was by Hereticks For those that are either Baptized or Ordained by such cannot be reputed either Believers or Clergy-men Observe first that This Canon presupposes a Regular and Episcopal Ordination ab aliquo qui ordinavit referring singly to the Bishop whose Assistance is deem'd so Essential to the work as that No Bishop no Ordination Next there 's an Error in the Canon For If Baptism seriously be administred in the same Element and with the same form of words which Christs Institution Teacheth there is no other defect in the world that can make it Frustrate So that This Canon availes them little either in respect of the Scope of it or the Authority But is Re-ordination say they so new and strange a thing I am sorry to see Smectymnuus quarrel with himself We had it in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth urg'd and received and with less colour Then th●n Now for there a true necessity lay upon them They fled for Conscience and received Orders in the Reformed Churches not in contempt of Bishops but onely for want of them Whereas our cavilling Pretenders have cast them off Rejected their Authority Vsurped their Power laid violent hands upon their sacred Order and

this Instant We are to Marque here a Third Property of this Faction They propose things unreasonable unnecessary and dangerous More then they ought to ask as to themselves more then the People can be suppos'd to want on whose behalf they seem to Beg more then the King can Grant with Safety to his Majesty When they 'r repuls'd how sad a Tale they tell of the hard usage of Gods People This is done in a Sermon or Petition Let them alone thus far and once within a fortnight you may expect a Remonstrance a state of the Case or some such business That 's dangerous for 't is ten to one That Presbyterian Legend will have some Cutting Truths in 't no Government being absolutely faultless The Vulgar thinking it as easie to avoid Errors as to discover them and finding some Truths in the mixture swallow down all the Rest for Company and for Gospel The next News possibly may be the Storming of White-hall or the Two Houses with a Petition against Bishops ☞ When once Authority comes to be Bayted by the Rabble your Judgement is at hand Bethink your selves in time my Masters reason the matter with your selves a little what can these ministers propose by this Appeal from the Supreme Authority to the People but to extort by Mutiny and Tumult what they cannot prevail for by Argument You are not first the Judges of the Case so that in That Regard 't is an Impertinence Nor are you vers'd I speak to the Common sort Instructed in the Controversie Your businesse lyes not in the Revelation nor among general Counsells Alas your own souls know you do not understand the very Terms of the Dispute much less the Springs and Reasons of it Yet see you are the men these Gentlemen are pleas'd to make the Vmpires of the Difference What are these Applications then but Trapps bayted with Ends of Scripture and Fragments of Religion set to betray your Honest and well-meaning Weaknesse Now ask your selves This Question Whether did you contract Those Scruples which they charge upon you if really you have any upon the accompt of your own judgement or from their Instigation If upon Their accompt observe what use this sort of people have ever made of your Beleevings how Step by Step they have drawn you on from a meer Counterfeit of Conscience to a direct Insensibility and Loss of it Thus far we have met with very little either fair dealing or Moderation from them But perhaps they 'll say that less would have contented them 'T is very right if manifested to be unmeet Pag. 23. but who shall make them see more then they have a mind to see They 'll say perchance too for the Printing of it that it was only done to shew the World that they had discharg'd their Duties Their Duty was discharg'd in the bare Tender to the Bishops that is admitting such Incumbency upon them The work it self was Supere-rogatory and afterward their telling of the People what they had done was to accuse the Bishops not to acquit Themselves Beside the huge Impressions the close Carriage of it In fine it was not menaged either with an Honourable or an Evangelical Cleerness Further the Title makes the matter worst yet A Petition for PEACE That is Take away BISHOPS or provide for another WAR This will be taken heynously Who They take away Bishops Why 't is no wonder The Order stands Excommunicate already they have inserted no particular Prayer for them and if they should do it now it is no new thing for them to do But their grand Plea will be this They have no design nor desire to justl● out the Common-Prayer but only that Theirs and That may be Inserted in several Columnes and the Minister left to his Discretion which to read According to his Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs Let the Kings Declaration judge betwixt us then SInce We find says His Majesty speaking of the English Liturgy some Exceptions made against several things therein We will appoint an equal number of Learned Divines of both Perswasions to review the same and to make such alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some Additional Forms in the Scripture-Phrase as near as may be suited unto the nature of the several parts of Worship and that it be left to the Ministers choice to use one or other at his Discretion In the mean time and till this be done although we do heartily wish and desire that the Ministers in their several Churches because they dislike some Clauses and Expressions would not totally lay aside the use of the Book of Common-Prayer but read the parts against which there can be no Exception which would be the best instance of declining those marks of Distinction which We so much labour and desire to remove Yet in Compassion to divers of Our good Subjects who scruple the use of it as now it is Our Will and Pleasure is that none be punished or troubled for not using it untill it be reviewed and effectually Reformed as aforesaid His Majesty in persuance of this Gracious Indulgence makes an Appointment to the Intents abovementioned We 'll see now the proportion betwixt the Liberty they take and what the Kings Declaration allows them They have first form'd to Themselves a Complete Liturgy after the Presbyterian Mode in stead of only altering some passages in the other Let This be granted them and They left at Discretion which to follow we may be sure they 'll read their own Consider then how they have Nestled Themselves in the most Populous and Wealthy places of the Kingdome both for Convenience of Gain and Proselytes Put these together and what would this Allowance fall short of a Presbyterian Government Take notice next that the Alterations are to be such as by the Divines of both Perswasions shall be thought most NECESSARY This puts a Bar to Slight and Trivial Charges of meer Humour and Caprice But our good friends regard not that they have chang'd All that is not of Authority unalterable disdaining in all cases any Subjection to Episcopal Dominion and claiming to themselves a Right of Governing all others Imposing upon the Multitude for Holy Zeal the troublesome Effects of Pride and Faction In short This Form of Theirs is calculated to the Meridian of the Directory Hitherto the Kings Concessions in favour of his Presbyterian People See now the Dutiful Return they make their Soveraign We do heartily Wish and Desire sayes His Majesty that the Ministers would not totally lay aside the use of the Book of Common-Prayer but Read those Parts against which there can be no Exception c. A man would think nothing but Heaven or Hell could step betwixt these men and their Obedience They are now drawing the first Breath of a new Life and their Preserver is their Prince who to endear the Bounty and the Kindness Hazzards himself to save them Here 's Duty Honour Justice

concerning Meats and Days Was ever any thing more sourly Superstitious then their Monthly-Fast Those Days wherein the Church enjoyns Abstinence they choose to Feast upon and Sunday is the only Day for Humiliation B Laws are compos'd for the Publique welfare not for the Humours of Particular Persons and shortly They that do not like the Law where they Live should do well to search the VVorld for a Law they like Si non ubi sedeas locus est est ubi ambules C We come now to a fine Request That is they desire the Bishops to Petition the King to establish Presbytery for That is directly the Effect of it to destroy the Act of Conformity Do not people understand that when Laws are form'd to a Complyance with Phansie and Humour there is no other Law but Humour They tell us hitherto what they would not have see now what 't is they would have D The cause of the Non-conformists they say is long since stated at Frankford Is that it then they would be at Yes that or thereabouts We have no reason to suspect them of any considerable change they tell us Truly nor much to thank them for sticking there But the late War is the best Measure of their Aims and yet they did no more there than they attempt every where for I defie the world to shew me one story where ever That Faction was quiet unless they govern'd But they have confess'd enough we are to look at Frankford for their model and by the spirit of the Reformers There to judge of These Here. In the days of Edw. 6th this Island first began to be leaven'd with Presbytery through the particular craft and instigation of Calvin whose late success and absolute dominion at Geneva gave no small pretence and encouragement to an allowance of his Discipline While Discontents were gathering That Prince dies leaving the Government to Queen Mary in whose Reign diverse of the Reformed perswasion fled into Germany No sooner were they met at Frankford but Calvin's model was there ready to bid them welcom Some liked it but too well and to make easier way for 't made it their first work to disgrace the English Forms just as our Consistorian Puritans do at this day Knox Whitingham and some others of the Geneva-humor made a Cull of the particulars they faulted and sent them to Calvin for his opinion whose Answer was That there were many tolerable Fopperies in the English Liturgy This Letter was made publick and a great furtherance to the ensuing Breach which ended yet in the establishment of the English way at Frankford the Calvinizers flying off to Geneva So that Their Reformers and Ours agree Both Enemies to the English Ceremonies and Common-Prayer The cause the same too both are friends to the Geneva Platform Nay they agree in Practise likewise That Faction cast off their PRINCE and BISHOP there ours did as much for KING and BISHOPS here If those Nonconformists and These are of a judgment as our Divines unwarily imply we shall best read what these men think and mean srom what those said and did and rather proceed upon their own confession than summon the three Kingdoms to bear witness of their Actions We shall begin with Knox one of the intermedlers whose Letters and Discourses are sufficient to his condemnation without that History of the Church of Scotland of which though generally ascrib'd to him Spotswood acquits him In 1559. Willock and Knox were advised with concerning the discharging the Queen of her Regency Willock gave his opinion That they might justly deprive her from all Regiment and Authority over them Knox follow'd and added That she ought now to be deprived Those of most note among the Frankford-sticklers were Goodman Whittingham and Gilby See them at large in Bancroft's dangerous Positions from whence we 'l borrow some Collections out of them If the Magistrates says Goodman shall refuse to put Mass-mongers and false Preachers to death the people in seeing it performed do shew that zeal of God which was commended in Phineas destroying the Adulterers and in the Israelites against the Benjamites Now see the men that these Reformers call Mass-mongers and false Preachers The most part of our Ministers says Gilby are either Popish Priests or Monks or Fryers Procters of Antichrist's Inventions Popish Chapmen c. If Kings and Princes refuse to reform Religion says Whittingham the Inferior Magistrates or People by direction of the Ministery may lawfully and ought if need require even by Force and Arms to reform it themselves To the Multitude says Goodman a portion of the sword of Justice is committed from the which no person King Queen or Emperor being an Idolater is exempt he must die the death These are the opinions of those Persons whom our Reformers make their Pattern How they proceeded the story of Queen Elizabeth sets forth abundantly and our own memories may enform us how close our Covenanters have follow'd them E We have now faithfully c. With what Faith Reason or Necessity soever the case was spread before the Bishops we 're sure 't was fouly done to spread the case before the People But where 's the Faith of taking an Ell for an Inch of abolishing what they pretend to alter of perverting Scripture and of putting an Arbitrary Nothing upon the People instead of a Set-form Where lies the Reason of presenting the Opinions of the Simple as Arguments to the Wise of opposing Number to Equity Tumults to Authority and of pressing his Majesty to put himself into the power of those very people that dethron'd his Father Lastly where lies the necessity of insisting upon so many variations as are already prov'd to be utterly unnecessary Now see the Remedies they offer us which come to this They propose to cure good Order by Confusion Honest and safe they say they are and honest and safe we may believe them but we must first believe that there 's no Knavery in Nature for set mens consciences at liberty once to think what they please their hands will not be long restrained from executing those thinkings Never was a general Freedom demanded but for a particular design nor was it ever granted but the next proposition was Equality But they propose it here it seems as to prevent the fear'd enemies of our distractions Behold a drop fallen from the lips of Prudence it self Are we in danger already and shall we be in less when those we fear are in more power Either the Reason's naught or the Design let them say whether APPENDIX SO far as open and clear Dealing to their Arguments or Justice to their meaning may acquit me I think I owe them nothing and yet methinks I'm in their Debt unless I match their Twenty Reasons in favour of their Propositions with as many against them And which is more since 't is the Multitude they Court I am content their friends shall be my Judges When I have