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	jurisdiction_n	ordination_n	4,138	5	10.4414	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88100	A discourse concerning Puritans. A vindication of those, who uniustly suffer by the mistake, abuse, and misapplication of that name. A tract necessary and usefull for these times.	Ley, John, 1583-1662, attributed name.; Parker, Henry, 1604-1652, attributed name.	1641 (1641)	Wing L1875; Thomason E204_3; ESTC R15236	40,576	60

extreams alike as well to represse Papal Bishops as to curbe proud Puritans For sayes the King the naturall sicknesses which have ever troubled and beene the decay of all Churches since the beginning changing the Candlestick from one to another have beene pride ambition and avarice and these wrought the overthrow of the Romish Church in divers Countries K. James knew well how apt Church-men had ever beene to abuse their power and pomp what enemies they had beene to our Saviour and what a tyranny they had erected over all Christendom ever since Constantine almost and therefore though Hee dislikes a democracie in the Church as Hee had reason yet Hee so limits and circumscribes his Bishops both in power and honour that they might be as sensible of their chaines and fetters as of their Miters and Crosiers I wish K. Iames had particularly signified what bonds and bounds Hee thought fit to prefix to Episcopacy to preserve it from corruption and what his opinion was of a Prelacy so active in secular affaires as ours is now in England and how it would have pleased him to see a Metropolitan amongst Protestants almost a rivall to the French Cardinall The world in my opinion hath little reason to dote upon a gowned Empire we have all smarted long enough under it men of meane birth commonly beare preferment with little moderation and their breeding having beene soft and esseminate in their malice cruelty they neerest of all approach to the nature of women and by the advantage of learning they extend their power and win upon others more then they ought When the Church was at first under Heathen or Jewish Governours which sought as enemies to ruine it not as Fathers to protect it they which were within could not live in peace and unity without some Politicall bonds so at that time there was a necessity of some coercive power within besides that which was without The world is now unsatisfied what kinde of power that was whether Episcopal or Presbyteriall or what Episcopacy or Presbytery was in those dayes Yet me thinks what government so ever then was it is not necessarily precedentary to us now The Episcopal faction at this day takes advantage by the abuses of the Presbyter al the Presbyterial by the Episcopal and most men think either the one power or the other necessary and some more favour the Episcopal as K. Iames some the Presbyterial as M. Calvin but sure the Presbyterial is lesse offensive then the Episcopal and yet neither the one nor other of necessity Kings may grant usuram quandam jurisdictionis either to Bishops or Elders but the jurisdiction it selfe is their owne property from which they ought not to depart nor can without wrong to their charge committed to them For the power which God gives the Prince is not given for his use alone but for the peoples benefit so that since He cannot let it fall to decay without making it insufficient for good and entire government which is mischievous to the people he cannot justly lessen it at all And it is manifest that except one supream head be alone in all causes as wel Ecclesiastical as civill humane nature must needs be destitute of those remedies which are necessary for its conservation since power cannot be divided but it must be diminished to him which suffers that division and being diminished it proves insufficient All confesse some government necessary for men in holy Orders to whom the power of the Keyes belongs but some account Princes but as meere temporall or Lay persons and therefore conclude against their authority over sacred Ecclesiastical persons as incompetent especially in cases meerely ecclesiasticall For this cause spirituall Governours have ever beene in the Church to whom some have attributed a divine right depending from none but God and subordinate to none but God but this hath beene controverted by others and no little debate and strife hath followed hereupon But it seemes to me that princes doe receive from God a spirituall unction whereby not only their persons are dignified and their hearts prepared and enlarged with divine graces fit for rule but their functions also innobled and sanctified above any other whatsoever and higher advanced then the sense of Laick or Secular will beare To Princes an assistance of counsell is requisite in spirituall as in civill affaires but that that Counsaile ought to bee composed onely of persons Ecclesiasticall or that those persons ought to bee invested with all those Ensignes of Honour and Authority which our Bishops now claime as of divine right seemes not necessary Clergy-men are not alwayes the most knowing in all Ecclesiasticall cases neither are they at all indifferent and impartiall in many which concerne their owne honour and profit as the world feeles to its regret therefore for jurisdiction they are not the most competent But be they of what use soever they may still remaine subordinate and at the Princes election and admitted of ad consilium solum not ad consensum and it had beene happy for all Christians these many hundred yeares by-past if they had not been further hearkned to The Sacerdotall function is not at all disparaged by this subordination for whether the order of Princes be more sacred then that of Bishops or not it is all one to Priests for an obedience they owe and must pay be it to the one Order or the other Our Bishops at this day stand much upon their Divine right of Jurisdiction and they refer their style to the providence of God immediately not to the grace of the King and though in words they acknowledge a Supremacy of power to remain to the King yet indeed I think they mean rather a priority of order Whatsoever Supremacy they meane if it be not such as makes them meerely subordinate and dependent so that the King may limit alter or extinguish their jurisdiction as far as He may to his civil Judges they derogate much from his Kingly office Bishops for their claim of Jurisdiction ought to prove that they alone did exercise it over all in all causes from our Saviours dayes till the entrance of Christian Princes and that being cleared they must further prove that those times also are leading and precedentary to ours In both these their proofes are lame especially in the latter for neither is the power of the Keyes the same thing as Iurisdiction nor is jurisdiction now as it was in the Apostles dayes nor is the State of the times now the same as then In those dayes either Christians were to implead one another before Infidel Magistrates whatsoever the case were criminall or civill spirituall or temporall or else they were to erect some tribunall in the Church or else they were to await no justice at all and because some judicature within the Church was most fit therefore Christ himselfe according to the exigence of those times did indow his Church with a divine Oeconomy which was partly miraculous of

use then but not now The Spirit of God did then internally incite such and such men at such times to reside preside in such such places and some of the Apostles at some times could judge by inspiration without proofes allegations and could execute sentence of death or other spirituall punishment upon secret hypocrites not intrenching upon temporall authority but in these times this discipline is uselesse therfore decayed Whatsoever the offence then was what injury or trespasse soever betwixt brother and brother the only remedy was Dic Ecclesiae and yet that precept serves as strong for temporall as spirituall trespasses so that it cannot be enforced now to continue unlesse wee meane to drowne all temporall authority As for the extent also of spirituall power in those dayes I will onely cite a learned Politician of the Popish religion who admitting it seemed that the keyes of heaven were given to Saint Peter alone and his Successours and not to all Bishops and Ministers whatsoever thus proceeds By the keyes given to S. Peter many Holy Fathers mean the one of knowledge the other of power and that that power ought not to be understood universally but only concerning the Kingdome of Heaven which is spirituall for the Civill Royall and Temporall power is expresly forbidden him by Christ Even so that also of knowledge it is not to be understood of natural politike or morall things but as Saint Paul saith of Christs mysteries only Wherefore in matters of faith Ecclesiasticall authority may approve and Secular cannot condemne but in matters or policy what all the Prelates in the World approve temporall authority may condemne It is a great wrong to pretend because Christ hath given Saint Peter the cognizance and power of the Kingdome and forbidden him the earthly contrary to this precept to extend spirituall things to temporall Saint Augustine often saith That Grace doth not destroy any thing in Nature but leaveth her all her owne adding moreover divine perfection The Temporality hath of its own nature power to forbid all things repugnant to publike quietnesse and honesty and Christ came not to take away this authority from Magigistrates He only adds power to his Ministers in matters of faith not knowne by nature but revelation For ought wee know this power of opening or shutting Heaven of binding and loosing sins was miraculous and so but temporary but admit it in this Catholike Writers sense yet we plainly see it is no prejudice at all to limit Secular Princes thereby The same learned Papist writes That the Easterne and Westerne Churches continued in unity and charity for the space of nine hundred yeares after Christ and this peace was easily kept because the Supream power was then in the Canons to which all Churches acknowledged themselves equally subject Ecclesiasticall Discipline was then severely mayntained in each Country by its own Prelates not arbitrarily but absolutely according to Canonicall rigour none of them intermedling in anothers government No Pope of Rome did pretend to conferre Benefices in other Bishops Diocesses or to get money out of others by way of Dispensations and Buls but when Rome began to shake off all subjection to Canons then notwithstanding any ancient order of the Fathers Councels or Apostles themselves instead of her ancient Primacy she brought in an absolute Dominion free from any Law or Canon this made the division Neither could any re-union bee brought to passe within these 700 yeares because this abuse which caused the Division is not remedied Whilst the union held Saint Pauls doctrine was joyntly observed that Every one should be subject to Princes no man pretended to be free from punishment Nay and after the division the same opinion remayned that every Christian in temporall businesses is subject to the Prince And nothing is more temporall then offence because nothing is more contrary to the Spirit Amongst the Greeks also it is still held that Bishops ought to judge what opinion is found what Hereticall but to punish those of hurtfull opinions belongeth to the Secular The State of Venice as well as other Catholike Kingdomes walks between two extreames betweene Protestants which have no other ayme but to diminish Ecclesiasticall authority and the Court of Rome which hath no other ayme but to increase it and to make the Temporall her servant Those of the Court of Rome making use of Religion for worldly ends and respects under a spirituall pretense but with an ambitious end and desire of worldly wealth and honour would free themselves from obedience due to the Prince and take away the love and reverence due by the people to draw it to themselves To bring those things to passe they have newly invented a doctrine that talks of nothing but Ecclesiasticall greatnesse liberty immunity and jurisdiction This doctrine was unheard of till about the year 1300 then it began to be written scatteringy in some books but till 1400 there were not written above two Bookes which treated of nothing else after this such Writers increased a little but after 1560 there were scarce any Books printed in Italy but in diminution of Secular authority and exaltation of the Ecclesiasticall And now the people have scarce any other Books to read nor have the Confessors any other doctrine or need any other learning Hence comes this perverse opinion that Magistracy is a humane invention and to be obeyed for policy only not for conscience but that every intimation of Ecclesiasticall persons is equivalent to a divine precept there want not in Italy pious learned men which hold the contrary but they are not suffered to write or print Neither are forraine Books permitted or ancient Authours left ungelded of all which serves for Temporall authority as appeares by a book printed 1607 called Index Expurgatorius and Clement the Eighth in 1595 published a rule in his Index that all Catholike Writers Books since 1515 might be corrected not only by expunging but also by interlining and this hath beene practised though not publikely above seventy yeares Thus we finde the Court of Romes but not the Authors meaning and finally wee are sure to have no book true I have hitherto cited this egregious Politician for these purposes First That we may see how easie it is for Clergie-men to wrest all authority out of the Temporalties hands if Princes will be so easie to be hood-winkt and deluded by them and to resigne their judgments to them in such cases as concern their profit and advancement Secondly That we may take notice how far the learnedst of Papists themselves doe discover and detect the errours and tyranny of the Court of Rome and that mysticall way of deceiving whereby all hope of remedy is cut off I observe this also the rather because our Prelates in England at this day assume to themselves almost as vast and unquestionable a power of shifting and repressing all adverse disputes and of authorizing and publishing all arguments whatsoever savouring their

cause as the Court of Rome does Thirdly that I might produce the same Author against himselfe in those points wherein he taxes Protestants We will yield that for the space of nine hundred yeers the See of Rome did not usurpe over other Sees but did acknowledge equall subjection to the Canons and that the division and separation of the Easterne Churches happened when Rome arrogated above Canons but withall we must have it yielded to us that those Canons had been composed only by Clergy-men and that in too much favour of Clergy-men and too much abridgment of Temporall Rights and Priviledges and that they did concerne matters more then meerly spirituall and speculative and things known by meere revelation So that though one Prelate did not usurpe over another yet all Prelates had usurped over the Laity from the times of Constantine almost It is true the Church had Bishops before in its times of persecution but of what power or pompe It is said of Calvin that in regard of his sway in Geneva he wanted nothing but the Name of Bishop and it may be as truly said of the Bishops before Constantine that they wanted all but the Name The power of Bishops before the installment of Christian Princes was rather like that of Arbitrators then of Judges and that held in all cases alike Civill and Spirituall but in case of disobedience they did not intrench so far upon the Lay power as to inflict any pecuniary or corporall punishment but they did deny the Sacrament and eject delinquents out of the Congregation and this was then an abscission from Christ being done Clave non errante that is whilst God did inspire according to his promise a miraculous power of binding and loosing infallibly The Priestly function was then an Office not a Jurisdiction of sacred dignity not Power but the Function of a Prince was ever sacred both for honour and power for dignity and command Constantine the Great was the first Prince which tooke upon him the care and protection of the Church after that it had suffered contempt and poverty for 300 yeares and now did even that authority and protection cease and devolve into his hands which the poore persecuted Bishops had but feebly managed before but such was the extraordinary indulgence of this pious Emperour as well to religious persons as to Religion it selfe that taking little notice what the Church had gaine by him as its Head and Governour He heaped up greater Titles and Honors upon Bishops Archbishops Patriarchs and Popes as if some other supreme Ruler more sacred and competent then himselfe were necessary Neverthelesse it is thought that this was as poyson poured into the Church and not Balme for from that very time Clergy men began to be more glorious but lesse gracious more rich outwardly but more poore and vile inwardly Within a little space after Constantine there was just cause of complaint that excessive Honours had corrupted the Church and that Religion had prospered better in former times when it had wooden Chalices and golden Priests then now when it had golden Chalices but wooden Priests It is remarkable also that soon after Constantine the temporall power being too much restrained and abased and the spirituall as much inlarged and exalted the whole face of Christendome began to be imbroyled with wars and poysoned with heresies so that the Historians of those times have almost nothing else to write of but the forcible investing and devesting by armes of such Bishops and Patriarchs and of the oppositions of such and such Councels and Synods and of the Appeals Jars Schismes Excommunications and Commotions of such and such Priests and Monks Nay such were the ill effects of those ages which were certainly more zealous then politike that they cannot yet be wholly rectified and purged in these our latter times which are growne too too contrary being more politike then zealous Thus did the Church fare for 900 yeares till the Roman Bishops began to Empire above all and then did the greatest part of the Clergie themselves especially East from Italy make their departure and separation Neither did the Romish Vice-god after this great rent and division in the World hang his head for shame or seeke any re-union by letting fall his pompous painted plumes but audaciates himselfe rather to mount higher yet and to detrude the Western Emperour quite out of the bounds of Italy And in this his industry fails him not for after much bloud-shed in many cruell conflicts Hee gains in Italy a Temporall and in all Europe besides a spirituall Monarchy making a triple Mitre shine as gloriously upon the seven-hilled City as the Diadem had done before During his wars with the Emperour of Germany He had other contestations also with England and some other Potentates at sometimes but all dismaid him not only once Hee was heard to say It was time for him to compound with the Dragon that hee might crush the lesser Adders at his pleasure Yet after this even this Holy tyranny grows too insolent and insufferable and so conspires its owne dissolution so that many Countries in the Northwest parts lying more remote from Rome quite revolt from her Allegeance and Protest against her Amongst those other Countries also lesse distant which still in words confesse her Supremacy her Reigne is now but little more then precarious Venice regards not Buls and Anathemacs France disdains a yonger brothers benediction and Spain being honoured with the title of the Popes eldest Son confesses him a Fathe● but employs him as a Chaplain gives verball but reaps reall honours by him Augustus having cashiered an unworthy Commander gave him leave to say that he had cashiered Augustus and so the Popes great sonnes shake off his yoke by degrees but conceal it and give him leave to doe the like It is now very good policy in the Pope not to pretend to Temporall things as they stand in ordine or have relation to spiritual things but rather to relinquish his right to spirituall things as they stand in order to Temporall it is eminent wisdome in him to forbeare threatning roaring cursing and sending his ridiculous Epigrams out of his owne Territories as hee was wont to doe Nay his very last refuge of sending forth his poysoning and stabbing Ministers cannot remayne in season much longer But to returne to our learned Statesman as Hee justly taxes the Court of Rome so He unjustly taxes Protestants of the contrary extream and this will appeare out of his own words For He grants first that the Secular Magistrates have nothing diminished of their authority by Christs comming and it is cleere that Princes were absolute Governours of the Church before Christ both in Spirituall and Temporall Cases In the next place Hee yields that the power and knowledge of Clergy-man called the power of the Keyes is no other but such as Christ infuses in smeere supernaturall things knowne only by Faith and Revelation not by any Physicall or

Ethicall Principles but it is easily proved by us that such power can extend to no proper jurisdiction at all in humane affaires but is a meere speculative motion and such wee deny not Thirdly Hee yields that in Jurisdiction there bee three things distinct First matter of Law Secondly matter of fact Thirdly matter of execution whereby retribution is made to every fact according to Law The first of these and that in Spirituall Cases alone being tryable by Clergy-men only Admit this and nothing follows but that things meerly Spirituall are best knowne to Spirituall persons there is no power here concluded As for example In case of Heresie that I hold such an opinion must appeare by witnesses and proofs and herein all kinds of witnesses besides Clergy-men are competent Next that this opinion is hereticall requires the judgement of Ecclesiasticall persons but it does not follow if they be the fittest Judges herein that they must be the supreme Judges herein and not aswell Dependent and Subordinate as our Civill Judges are in common actions But in the last place that such an hereticall opinion so dangerous and pestilent to the Church and Common-wealth ought to be corrected or cradicated by such coercive force and the raising of that force whereby it is to be punished is in the judgement and in the power of the Supreame Magistrate for two Magistrates cannot have a Supreame power of the same sword Either the Secular must command the Ecclesiasticall or the Ecclesiasticall must command the Secular as to coercive power or a worse confusion then either must needs follow So then it is the Execution of Justice alone which is essentiall to the Supreame Governour Matter of Law requires a Counsellour matter of Fact a witnesse Matter of Execution alone intimates a Prince and that Principality cannot bee divided betwixt two persons of a severall nature From hence then it appeares plainly that no Catholike differing from the Court of Rome ascribes more to Clergy men then this first point of adjudging according to the Law of God in things Divine and this implyes rather a dependent then an independent condition in the Judge and in this Protestants joyne with full consent But all this while I finde my selfe in a digression my scope is not to prove that Protestants doe attribute sufficient to Priests it lies upon mee to prove that they attribute too much to them and herein I am to undertake not only the Episcopall but the Presbyteriall side also not only Protestant Prelates but even Master CALVIN that great Arch-prelate also Divines have much trumped the World hitherto in not setting forth the true bounds and limits of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction but if I mistake not the first power which they claime as most essentiall they take to be the power of the Keyes though they define not certainly what that is whether a Power or Office or to whom belonging or of what extent and continuance The second power which they insist upon as next issuing out of the power of the Keyes is in Excommunication Ordination of Ministers Exposition of Scriptures c. The third and more remote kinde of causes wherein they challenge an Ecclesiasticall power is of such as concerne Matrimonie Testaments Heresies Fasts Tythes and Immunnities of Clergymen c. And further doubtlesse they would proceed but that these savour so much of the Temporality and discover their trumpery but I have said if in all these cases Clergy men are necessarily more knowing and impartiall then all the else there is necessity of their Counsell to declare matter of Law but not of their Consent in applying coercive and forcible remedies for the execution of Law I have said also that Clergy-men being as well Citizens of the Common-wealth as sons of the Church and these Cases importing as well perturbance of the State as annoyance to the Church that there can be but one Head which ought to have command over both and in both It is manifest also that many Cases are partly temporall and partly spirituall and that scarce any is so temporall but that it relates in some order to spirituall things or any so spirituall but that it hath some relation to temporall things so that the true subject of Ecclesiasticall and civill justice cannot rightly be divided Further also it is as manifest that where any doubt strife or uncertainty may arise between one Iurisdiction and another neither acknowledging any supreame power of decision no assured peace can continue and by consequence no stability or permanent subsistence to either is to be expected It is naturall therefore to be inferred that either the Temporall or the Ecclesiasticall Magistrate must bee in all Cases absolutely predominant and that since the Ecclesiastical ought not by Christs owne command therefore the temporall ought as hath been further proved by sundry arguments and Scripture proofes alledged out of this famous Politician So much of the temporall power and its necessary Supremacie my endevour shall be now to maintain that no Ecclesiasticall power is at all necessary in meere Ecclesiasticall persons Master Calvin according to the Popish grounds maintaines that spirituall jurisdiction differs from temporall is not incompatible but assistant therto because it proposes not the same ends but severall which by severall meanes may be the better compassed But the spirituall Magistrate as I conceive can propose no other end then what the Secular ought to ayme at for either the Prince ought to have no care at all of the Honour of God and the good of men and that which is the prime meane of both true Religion or else his ends must bee the same which the Prelate aymes at viz. to vindicate Religion by removing and correcting scandalous offenders Secondly to preserve the innocent from contagion by the separation of open offenders Thirdly to prevent further obduration or to procure the amendment of such as have transgressed by wholsome chastisement This is beyond all controversie as also that the Person and Power of a Prince are as sacred to effect these ends as the Prelates and certainly God did not so sanctifie their persons and offices for any lesse end And therefore in ancient times Holy Bishops did Preach and recommend nothing more to Princes then the care of Religion though proud Prelates now arrogate this onely to themselves and though it be still apparent that no offence is so spirituall but that it is a civill evill as well as a blemish to Religion forsomuch as true Religion is the foundation of a State And this could not bee neither were Princes answerable to God for the corruption of Religion if God had not given them a supreame power and that effectuall to bring all offenders whatsoever to confession satisfaction and contrition or to expell them the congregation by themselves or their surrogates Master Calvin instances in adultery drunkennes c. and sayes that the temporall power punishes these by externall force and for publick examples sake as it