Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	church_n	order_n	presbyter_n	3,469	5	9.9598	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52751	The case of the kingdom stated according to the proper interests of the severall parties ingaged : I. Touching the interest of the King and his party, II. The interest of the Presbyterian party, III. The interest of the Independent party, IV. The interest of the citie of London, V. The interest of Scotland, not extant before now : a peece of rare observation and contexture, wherin all men are equally concerned.	Nedham, Marchamont, 1620-1678.	1647 (1647)	Wing N380; ESTC R40043	15,667	18

their owne Bookes of Discipline Secondly touching the Kings Friends which are of two Sorts viz. the Bishops and their Clergie the Courtiers with the Gentry they must expect lesse from the Presbyter than the King himselfe may For as They would leave the King nothing but a name without Substance so they will allow the Bishops neither Name nor Substance and inslave the Gentry in their own Lordships by a new way of par●chiall Tyrannie For if so be they conforme not then they must expect in a short time to see the meanest of their Tenants become their Masters in judicature and so what Solomon cals a great Vanitie will be a Prime mystery in this new Government Hence then we may conclude that the Kings Interests lead him to close rather with the other party called Independent as the onely means to f●ee him and his friends from the former Inconveniences and that for these following Reasons First because they are the onely friends to Civil government in the World leaving it wholly in the hands of the Magistrate pleading exemption in nothing but their Church-way Whereas the Presbyters claim not onely a distinct power in Church-affaires as you may read in that Branch of the Synods late confession which speakes of Church censures but they borrow also so much from the Magistrate as will in able them to compell mens Consciences And so under this cunning Pretence that the Magistrate is bound to use or lend his power to support their arbitrary constitutions the Proofes whereof they Fish out of the Judicials of Moses and some places of the Gospell misapplyed in some of their Articles lurkes the great Mystery of Iniquity whereby They gaine a power even over the Magistrate himselfe who in this case must use the sword for conscience sake wheresoever they please to Advise or Command him And so both King and Parliament must give way and compell others to submit to whatsoever they shall ordain in their Generall Assembly as for the well-governing of the Church Secondly because it is easie for th● King to mingle Interests with the Independents and oblige them w … that which is denyed them by the Presbyter viz. Liberty of conscience In which Particular he ought also to pretend great tendernesse it being his owne case at present to suffer by many pressing Importunities to take the Covenant and passe things of high Importance wherein he is not satisfied the refusall whereof upon Scruple of Conscience is the only cause of his non-accesse to the Parliament Thirdly because the Independent Principles lead them to admit rather of Monarchy than any other Government as being that under which they presume of greater Inlargements than when Many rule who are usually most apt to gratifie a faction in the Nationall Church with accruments of worldly pomp and power the better to support their own in the State Fourthly Here is a doore of Hope opened this way for the Bishops and their Clergie with all that are for the Liturgie and that Government Whereas if Presbytrie take place in a Nationall mode then there will be Form against their Form and Policy against their Policie which when it shall be actually twisted with that of the State can never be removed without length of time and extreme difficulty Where observe by the way how it was ever the grand mystery which Satan set on work in the hearts of those who glory in that usurped Title of Clergie first to introduce a plausible politique prudentiall way of Government in the Church as the only pattern brought out of the Mount then to gain it a sure being and repute with men thy were wont to take in some of the power of the World to countenance it and force a Submission thereto by all under the old specious pretext of Decency Conformity and Order and lastly to make all fast the Custome was to mingle Interests with the State or the Prince as the Bishops lately did with our Kings and the Presbyters doe now with some great Ones and the City and so their Fundamentalls being once poys'd with the others then whosoever shall presume to move the one must shake the other and presently incurre the brand of seditious disturbers of States and Kingdomes Which hath been no meane artifice of the Devill in all times to uphold his Kingdom in the hearts of men against the Kingdom of Christ In this Particular the Bishops and Presbyters have been alike faulty But if these have time to supplant the Bishops as they are in a fair way and over-act them at their owne game They are left for ever without remedy But Fifthly by an immediate Close with the Independent and abandoning that cursed Principle of universall Compulsion as well in opinion as practise since there is a numerous sort of people in the Kingdom that will not be satisfied without the old external Form of Diocesan Liturgie it 's clear then that Independents may help to Instate Them in that Forme again upon some visible assurance that themselves shall be left at Liberty rather then be trodden down by a Mornivall or two of Tyrants no lesse monstrous perhaps for Ignorance than pride in every parochiall Inquisition The last Reason is because the Kings Vnion with this party may so abate the fury of the Presbiter that whether Peace or War ensue those of the Court Councell and Gentry excepted from pardon and the rest that have not yet Compounded cannot continue long at this distance without some probable hope That Humors altering and by the mediation of some the rest being brought to a more moderate temper it may be no hard matter to reconcile all within the Limits of an Act of Oblivion And so for these Reasons I conceive we may boldly affirme That since the King hath no hope of remedy from his Friends here at home or abroad his true Interest at present is by some meanes or other to close with that Partie in this Kingdome which they call Independent The Interest of the Presbyter and his Party PResbiterie was no sooner born at Geneva but it was nurst up here in England in the Wishes of many as Heir apparent of Episcopacie For it 's usuall ever in all wordly Church-reformations as well as those of the State to finde some men either out of conscience or envy disaffected to the settled Government Out of Envy when they misse of that Preferment which they expected by a change out of conscience when they see a greater glory of Light and Purity beyond it and therefore will not live by it but beside it or above it The truth whereof Experience hath told us in all the degrees of Reformation in this Kingdom from Popery to Prelacie from the Bishop to the Presbyter And I shall willingly allow the Presbyters who reckon themselves for the old Puritans of England so much charity as to think their disaffection proceeded meerly from a conscience well-informed because I observe now an Impressa of divine glory and excellency in

Spirit which they esteeme sufficient to constitute and maintain a Church without any assistance from the Kingdomes of the world whose power they leave entire unto themselves The Summ is this both Bishops and Presbyters by their Church-policy stand Competitors with the Magistrate and Independents leave all to him save only the Kingdom of Christ which if you will take his own word is not of this world and so can be no trouble to it unless His be first troubled by it By this description then it appears that the Government contended for by the other two is but meer Policie and since their Politicks render them utterly irreconcileable Independencie which owns no Policie becomes the ballancing power betwixt them And as it behoves either of the two to strive to weigh down the other by a timely Close with It So the only Interest of Independency is to embrace that party where an union procures most Indulgence and little or no scandal which I conceive may be expected rather from the Royall Episcopall party then the other upon these following Grounds First Though principles of Faith should sway the Presbyters to brotherly amity with the Independent yet by their driving so furiously upon terms of discipline and through their eagernes upon uniformity in the Letter slighting that glorious unity in the Spirit which is the very life of Christian profession they give little hope of favour but rather expectation of a fiery Tryall seeing th●y begin to heat the Furnace already Secondly though Bishops stand at a great distance Yet setting aside that grosse mixture of Ceremonies their discipline were far more tolerable notwithstanding they had power to exercise it to the utmost with compulsion because Tyranny cannot be so great in the hands of few as many So that if hereafter in case Presbytery be setled our former plagues be not a thousand times trebled upon us we must acknowledge our present freedom only to the courtesie and goodnes of our Taskmasters But if corrupt times come on as who can assure us they will not since the old mystery of iniquity is now in the world under a new Forme What then will become of our posterity when the yoake shall be fastned to our necks by an Act of Parliament Thirdly though the Episcopall are enemies to both Presbyters and Independents yet considering these have been extream civill in using their victories and may now most oblige them in their lowest condition and it being possible that both their interests may stand together with discretion entire then if Bishops quit the exorbitant compulsive power and the King give assurance against it for liberty of Conscience the enmity betwixt him and the Independent may be soon extinguished Fourthly there can be no scandall to the Independent by such an union of interests since the Woe-following scandall belongs to them alway by whom the grounds of Scandall are necessitated And therefore that the Scandall may clearely report upon Presbyter as I proved before it must the Independent ought not to admit of a Breach till the Red Dragon begin to play Rex till the Whore prepares to dye her Scarlet a new and the pale Horse of imprisonment and exile threaten a Range about the Streets Lastly though th●s discovery of Interest may seem to portend ruine to the Parliament yet it is far otherwise For Independents ought not to looke upon it so as to neglect them in whose priviledges and safety all Liberty is involved But with all tendernesse to have regard unto them as the onely Rampire against all kinds of Tyranny since all proceedings thence against them as Hereticks and Schismaticks c. are actuated only by some particular men whose designes being laid in the darke Time alone must discover But that which will crowne Independent Interest and which is indeed true Parliamentary Interest though Presbyterians drive another way is to reconcile the King upon such honourable Termes that as he and they are in all reason obliged to down with the Dagon of a rigid Presbytery so the ingagement may be managed with such Caution for the safety of the Parliament and assurance of Liberty in time to come as may remove all Iealousies and lay a sure foundation for a lasting Peace The Interest of the City of London THis City bears the name of the Metropolis of England the Royall Chamber the grand Emporium the universall Exchange for Traffick so that her sole Interest is a free Trade whereby having acquired large Demesnes in all Parts she maintaines a considerable influence upon the whole which makes her stand on tip-toe looking down with disdain upon all as unable or unworthy to stand in competition with her single Selfe This conceit hath been much heightned by those large Contributions thence which have been the very Sinews of the War against the Royall Party so that it 's to be feared the Huge Animal having found its own strength may prove Rampant and contemne the Bridle unlesse a little corrected by Reason Therefore I thinke meet to lay down these ensuing considerations First that what they have hitherto done must not be look't upon as done by their own strength and Riches but only as these received an Authority of Parliament to give life unto the Action without which as then so all designes now or hereafter must prove abortive Secondly though the Citiz●ns pretend Religion to be the only necessary Appendix to that Trade by clasping both together with a rigid Presbytery and suppose this the more pleasing safe way because they are made beleeve it is Divine yet if they please to looke more narrowly upon the Scriptures and the procedings of their Priests they may learne the Scope of their State-Divinity is only to drive a Trade in the Ministry upon them and their Estates which the City shal soone find when the Presbyterian Charter is once confirmed by Act of Parliament Thirdly if onely even rekonings make long friends then it 's like this hot love to a Presbyterie may end in a Divorce before the three yeares end especially when the Accompts shall be cast up betwixt Clergy and Laity that worm-eaten Reverend Cheat of distinction betwixt Brethren It 's true indeed some of them shall be admitted to a partnership in the Tyranny and this is the very De-coy to allure them on but usually the preaching Presbyter swayes All and he is a very silly one indeed that knowes not how to do it since they either stand or fall according to his Report of their good Complyance in the opinion of the generall Assembly that Holy of Holies where the Lay-Vulgars must not enter which neat contrivance of invisible Clockworke will be sure to have a wheele going in all affaires of the Kingdome But Fourthly Suppose that the Lay-Elders themselves should have fair Play from the Priests yet what comfort will that be to the rest of the Parish who must be in little better condition then gally-slaves when the Eldership shall have an Oare in every Boat And

The Case of the KINGDOM STATED According to the Proper Interests of the severall Parties INGAGED I. Touching the Interest of the KING and his Party II. The Interest of the Presbyterian Party III. The Interest of the Independent Party IV. The Interest of the Citie of LONDON V. The Interest of SCOTLAND not extant before now A peece of rare Observation and Contexture wherin all men are equally Concerned The Third Edition with Addition by the Author M. N. Dulce decorum est pro Patriâ London Printed Anno Dom. 1647. To the KING SIR AFter so many storms I know you would willingly attain the wished Haven but then you must imbarque a new and not in the old Shipwrack't design And since it is no Flattery to wish you well for your own sake and many others pray take this Pamphlet to steer your course by and account him as good a friend to your self and the Kingdom as any you have bin acquainted with these seven yeers who first delivers it into your hands For I am confident were you abroad among your old Councell you should not reap so much of the truth of your Interest as you may in these poor sheets which are but the Gleanings of observation To the PRESBYTERS Sweet SIRS Let not your Jealousie accuse this Paper of a Plot against the State Truly I have added your Interest out of pitty to your condition that since you cannot attain your Jure divino you may at least open your eyes and preserve your selves if you please in a handsome equipage Jure humano To the INDEPENDENTS FRIENDS You who are Listed more immediatly under the Prince of Peace ought not so to prosecute your Interest as to begin a War upon it but only to remain on the defensive till your just Liberty be confirmed and the Prince's due right restored since Conscience must needs remain quieter where the power is invested in one King than in an Hydra of Presbyters Above all things you must not be Anti-parliamentary but exercise wisdome with patience and the countenance of that Authority cannot long be wanting A word to the wise To the CITY SIRS My desire is that you may flourish which cannot be unlesse you minde only your peculiar Interest of Trade If you resolve to live and die with Presbytery consider that you can ill Bandy against the other two Parties since it cannot be unknown that they are the major part of your selves A City divided against it self cannot stand To the SCOTS Friends and Confederates Take this brief draught of your Interest wherewith I here present you with the same Ingenuity and Candor that I wrote it God shall bear me record that I lay nothing open here with intent to work division it being contrary to my obligation by Covenant but onely to satisfie the world in truth concerning you and your selves in what concerns your own happinesse safety and advantage by a wise demeanour in order to the Conservaton of Peace in these Kingdoms Honi soit qui mal y pense And now Gentlemen but one word more to all I suppose none can take just offence since I state the Interests of all indifferently pointing out to each the way to advance and preserve their own Party and I shall commend to them what the Duke of Rohan saith of the States of Europe that according as they follow their proper Interests they thrive or faile in Successes so the Parties now on Foot in this Kingdom must looke to stand or fall upon the same Ground The Case of the Kingdom stated c. First touching the Interest of the KING and his Partie THE King as the case lately stood with him was a very Prisoner and so being fallen from the height of fortune must remit much of the height of his designe and what hath been lost by bandying he ought to Salve by a wary Compliance That this he may effect in a short time is very probable since what Machiavell sets downe as a sure Principle towards the purchase of Empire is acted ready to his hands by the mutuall expence of Spleene in his opposites against each other so that all he hath to doe is to sit still to foment and blow the Fire and give the humours time to toyle till being tyred in extreames there appeare a necessity of one Third to rest in which can be no other but himselfe and then his onely Interest will be to close with that Party which gives most hope of Indulgence to his Prerogative greatest probability of favor to his Friends That neither of these can be expected from the Presbyterian is evident for many Reasons And first touching the Prerogative their Government in the nature of it derogates not onely from the Civill in generall but carries with it a more speciall enmity against Monarchie so that they which intend to found the one must raze the Fundamentals of the other in any Kingdome whatsoever Politique assertions of this kinde should be strengthned by Observations out of History But the tender age of this Vpstart Hierarchy and the Little entertainment it hath found in the World yeelds us nothing of moment to observe unlesse in our own Island For if we looke abroad we finde it but stragling up and downe in France and Germany and in such places onely as acknowledge little or none at all of Kingly power so that Scotland is the onely visible Kingome where this Pest is Epidemicall and it was first Scotch Charity to Baptize it as Christian into the name and priviledge of a Nationall Forme This was done during the minority of King James when the Lords and Clergie ruling all as they listed at length parted stakes though the Clergie then got and still hold the better that when He came to age he found the Fable of Ixion's Juno moralized upon himself for as he instead of a Goddesse imbraced a Cloud so the King when he thought to grasp his Scepter laid hold on a Manacle which kept his hands so fast during his abode there that he could never Act but when they pleased to let him according to their own Directory of Kirk and State And in processe of time this heat of Presbytery proved such an Hectique in the body Politique of Scotland that the Substance of Kingly power was utterly consumed and nothing left as we see at this day but the bare bones the very Ek●leton of a Monarchie Witnesse the unlimited power of the Convention of Estates and Generall Assembly but especially of this latter which like to the Rod of Aaron is in such a budding thriving condition that it hath devoured the Rod of Moses as his did the Magicians of Aegypt and proves a Scourge to the Magistracie and People This is a sufficient Instance being also the onely one in the World to manifest the Antipathie betwixt a Nationall Presbytery and the civill power of Common weales and Kingdomes wherein whosoever desires further satisfaction needs doe no more but take a strict survey of