Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	bishop_n	church_n	key_n	2,617	5	9.5045	5	false

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

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

examination of Ministers Namely that the Byshops doe not ordaine alone but by aduise and then that the ancient holy orders of the Church might be reuiued by the which the Byshop did ordaine Ministers but at foure set times in the yeare which were called Quatuor tempora which are now called Ember-weekes it being thought fit to accompany so high an action with generall Fasting and Prayer and Sermons and all holy exerciles And the names likewise of those that were ordained were published some dayes before their ordination to the end exceptions might bee taken if just cause were The third consideration is that if the case of the Church of England bee that where a computation is taken of all the perochian Parishes as allowing the vnion of such as were too small and adjacent and againe a computation to bee taken of the persons who are worthie to bee Paftors And if vpon the said account it fall out that there are many more Churches then Pastors then of necessitie recourse must bee had to one of these remedies eyther that Pluralities must be allowed specially if you can by permutations make the benefices more compatible as there be allowed Preachers to haue a more generall charge to supply and serue by turne Parishes vnfurnished For that some Churchas should bee prouided of Pastors able to teach and other wholly destitute seemeth to mee to bee against the Communion of Saints and Christians and against the practise of the Primitiue Church Touching the abuse of Excommunication EXcommunication is the greatest judgement vppon the earth being that which is ratified in Heauen and being a precursorie or prelasorie judgement of Christ in the end of the world and therefore for this to be vsed vnreuerently and to bee made an ordinarie processe to lackie vp and downe for Fees how can it bee without derogation to Gods honour and making the power of the keyes contemptible I know very well the defence thereof which hath no great force That it issues foorth not for the thing it selfe but for the contumacie I doe not denie but this judgement is as I said before of the nature of Gods judgement of the which it is a modell For as the judgement of God taketh hold vpon the least sin of the impenitent so excommunicatiò may in case issue vpon the smallest offence and in case not issue vpon the greatest but is this cōtumacy such a contumacie as Excommunication is now vsed for for the contumacie must be such as the partie as farre as the eye and wisedome of the Church can discerne standeth in state of reprobation and damnation as one that for that time seemeth giuen ouer to finall impenitencie Vpon this obseruation I ground ' two considerations The one that this censure bee restored to the true dignitie and vse thereof which is that it proceed not but in cases of great weight and that it be decreed not by any Deputie or substitute of the Byshop but by the Byshop in person and not by him alone but by the Byshop assisted The other Consideration is that in lieu thereof there be giuen to the Ecclesiasticall Courts some ordinary processe with such force and coertion as appertaineth That so the dignitie of so high a sentence being retained and the necessitie of meane processe supplyed the Church may bee indeed restored to the Ancient vigor and splendor To this purpose joyned with some other holy and good purposes was there a Bill drawne in Parliament in the three and twentie yeare of the raigne of the Queene deceased which was the grauest Parliament that I haue knowne and the Bill recommended by the grauest Counsellor of Estate in Parliament though afterwards it was stayed by the Queenes speciall commandement the nature of those times considered Touching the Non-residents and Pluralities FOR Non residents except it be iust of necessary absence it seemeth to be an abuse drawne out of couetousnesse and sloath for that men should liue of the flocke that they doe not feede or at the Altar at which they doe not serue is a thing that can hardly receiue just defence And to exercise the office of a Pastor in matter of word and doctrine by deputy is a thing not warranted as hath beene touched before The question vpon this poynt doth chiefely arise vpon the cases of exception and excusation which shall be thought reasonable and sufficient which not for the case of Chaplaines let me speake that with your Majesties pardon and with due reuerence towards oother Peeres and graue persons which are by Statutes priuiledged I should thinke that the attendance which Chaplaines giue to your Majesties Court and in the Houses and Families of their Lords were a juster reason why they should haue no Benifice then why they should bee qualified to haue two for as it standeth with Christian policie that such attendance be in no wise neglected because that good which ensueth thereof to the Church of God may excced or counteruaile that which may sollow of their labours in any though neuer so large a congregation so it were reasonable that their maintainance should liberally proceed thence whence their labours bee employed Neither are there wanting in the Church Dignities and preferments not joyned with any exact cure of soules by which and by the hope of which such attendants in ordinary who ought to be as for the most part they are of the best gifts and sort may bee further encouraged and rewardeds And as for extraordinary attendants they may very well retaine the grace and countenance of their places and duties at times incident therunto without discontinuance or non-residence in their pastorall charges Next for the case of Intending studies in the Vniuersities it will now easily receiue an Answer for studies doe but serue and tend to the practise of those studies And theref ore by that which most principall and finall to be left vndone for the attending of those which is subseruient and subministrant seemeth to bee against proportion of reason Neither do I see but that they proceed Right-well in all knowledge which do couple studie with their practise and do not first study altogether and then practise altogether And therefore they may very well study at their benefice Thirdly for the case of extraordinary seruice of the Church as if some Pastor be sent to a generall Counsell or here to a Conuocation and likewise for the case of necessity as in the particular of infirmity of body and the like no man will contradict but there may be some substitution for such a time But the generall case of necessity is the case of Pluralities the want of Pastors and insufficiency of Liuings considered Posilo that a man doth faithfully and incessantly diuide his labours betweene two Cures which kinde of necessity I come now to speake of in the handling of Pluralities For Pluralities in case the number of able Ministers were sufficient and the value of the Benefices were sufficient then Pluralities were in no sort