Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	king_n	law_n	prerogative_n	2,294	5	10.0658	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85583	Great Brittans ruine plotted by seven sorts of men; discoved [sic] and counter plotted: in which is contained a probable way for the happy and peaceable composing of all the distempers of the time, with articles for the finding out of scandalous ministers. commended in a letter to a friend, and now recommended to the Honourable Parliaments consideration. By a true-hearted well-wisher to great Brittanes happinesse.	True-hearted well-wisher to Great Brittanes happinesse.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1669; Thomason E134_31; ESTC R9186	13,456	33

of the seven viz. the scandalous Minister the innovating Prelate with his Officer together with the rigid Arminian be well disciplined you shall observe the other foure the corrupt Magistrate the professed Papist the popish Protestant and the Libertine presently brought in by the power of the Gospel and if it please his Majesty with the Parlament to plant in the rooms of the scādalous Ministers and Arminians approved ministers for doctrine and life it would be a true piece of policie beyond the Bishop-craft practised in these later times for the advancing of their Hierarchie And if it so please the wisdome of the State to bestow the Lands and Impropriations belonging to the Bishops and great Churches besides what shall be thought fit to settle on the Crown upon Ministers conscientious industrious able and learned where meanes is most wanting to make some provision for Ministers widdowes and children as they doe in the French Churches to maintain Schollers in the Universitie and enlarge Schoole-masters allowance I dare confidently undertake that learning would not bee discouraged but the present generation would pray and posterity for ever would rise up to praise God for such a blessed King and such a happie Parliament In the meane time Sir Three discouragements whisper in my eares all pretending that this alteration is not safe nor fecible Ob. 1 First if Ecclesiastical government be altered why may not the civil also be desired to be altered upon the same terms Ans First there is more general grief and desire of alteration in the Ecclesiastical government then in the Civil Secondly the conscience is more concerned in the one then in the other the purse is pinched in the one the conscience in the other examine this wel you shall find something worth notice Thirdly the Scripture seemes to prescribe more for Ecclesiasticall government then Civill leaving all Nations to libertie for their severall lawes provided none crosse his own eternall commands Ob. Secondly doth not reason require a levell in the Commonwealth as wel as a parity in Ecclesiasticall dignities Ans I am confident no moderate wise man would desire such a levell as to have all Ecclesiasticall grounds ly in a flat high Mountaines are fitter for barren Wales then fruitfull England little hils doe not disparage the most fruitfull grounds If some Minister have one some two some three hundred pounds per annum haply more such hills will not bee complained of only let the Mountains be throwne into the Seas I meane the greater promotions then shall the little hils skip like lambs when the World is more equally divided one graine of faith may remove these Mountaines into the middest of the Sea Ob. 2 Secondly the Church may bee called the younger sister of the common-wealth there was a Common-wealth in Israel before the Priesthood of Levie Commonwealths were before Apostles Pastors or Teachers seniority usually gives dignitie though Rachell the younger sister was faire and more admired by Jacob yet Leah the elder sister was preferred for it was the custome of the Countrey said Laban Thirdly much advantage may come by levelling the Church but unconceiveable mischief by levelling the Common-wealth sandie Hills may be easily levelled high stonie Rocks cannot without difficultie Verbum sapienti Ob. 3 Thirdly the King will not easily consent Ans Sir I fear it not never was better King upon the Throne then our gratious Soveraigne never any more deepely engaged to maintain Episcopacie but I am confident that God who hath given him a gratious heart will give him a discerning spirit to see the evil consequences of degenerate Episcopacie by the cleere information of his great Counsell Sir excuse me for that my Remora hath stayed my ship a little longer among the projectors then I did intend I will now come to the principles by which they have wrought First no ceremony no Bishop no Bishop no King a principle it is true which it may bee pleased the palate of a wise man but as it hath beene used and applyed it hath opened a gap to destruction schisme ruine and danger It hath beene used as though a King could not rule without the help of a Bishop whereas Kings swayed their scepters before the Episcopal dignitie was ever knowne in the World and as like themselves as ever since and as though a Bishop could not subsist without a ceremonie whereas the Bishops of the Apostles and primitive times as they were then called had few or no ceremonies at all The further you come from Christ the Apostles and primitive times the more ceremonies you shall finde in Augustines time there were but few in comparison of after times yet he complaines of a Judaisme and multitude of ceremonies above that which is meet that in a few hundred yeers were crept into the Church I conceive the Apostles and primitive Bishops were more pious more conscientious more industrious and did more good in feeding and governing the Church of God then our late Bishops and yet they used few or no ceremonies in comparison Sir these Septemvirated conspirators if you observe have all admired this principle witnesse their inordinate zeal for the ceremonies as though there were no Religion but in the practice of these have not the laws of God I meane the expresse morall Commandements beene slighted and neglected the breaches of it easily dispenced withall The fundamentall lawes of the Kingdome shaken while these ungodly projectors have advanced their Ceremonies and Canons for my part I have ever tooke a King for a beame of the Deity cast into an angle of the Earth and that Judgment and Justice make the throne stable ruling according to Law is the greatest honour and safety of a Prince and therefore God requires by Moses that the King shall read in the book of the Law night and day there are two sorts of Lawes Gods owne Laws and the fundamentall lawes of a Kingdome or State the King is to see the execution of both these and it is most safe to preserve them with all tendernesse so that if a King have a care of these he may bee sufficienrly supported without the help either of Bishop or Ceremonie methinks it is a disparagement to the Crowne to bee supported by Bishops sure I am Solomons throne was supported by Lyons and for Ceremony to support Bishops It seemes such a sandy foundation that with a violent storme the foundation may be washed away and the whole building may easily fall Goe through all the seven sorts of men whom I have charged for the conspirators of State you shall hardly finde a man but working a great deale of trouble by vertue of this principle I will close all with crossing and thwarting of the proverb A King may be without a Bishop and an Apostles Bishop without a Ceremony The second principle that a papist is much honester then a puritan and much more to bee favoured a damnable principle according to the intention and application of it and of

by many of these who go under the name of the Angells of the Church of England and by their mimicall apish and ridiculous cariages seek to please the humour of the brave sparks and gallants of our times Lastlie such also are scandalous ministers as are carried with bitter and malicious spirits against the strict and more exact practise of Religion which can scarcely forbeare to disgorge their foule stomacks in the pulpit against them who walke closer with God then themselves which can finde more Rhetorike to advance ceremonie then substance which can finde no honestie in a man that practises in all the maine points of Religion if tender in conscience about a ceremony but copious and full in testimony of a good fellow a boone companion a common swearer if zealous only in matter of ceremony such as cannot suffer a pious conscientious man to passe without a jeere nay haply persecute him out of his parish if he conform not in folio to all indifferent ceremonies such bitter spirits as these give great offence whiles they arrogate the names of Christs Ministers and Ambassadors and in their lives shew neither humility nor supernaturall charitie and love of their Master These and such like are they which pull downe more by their practice then they build up by preaching These are the watchmen on the wall which meeting with the Spouse of Christ pluck her vaile from her wound buffet her Cant. 5.7 Secondly the corrupt Magistrate such I meane as buy and therefore must sell Justice which makes the face of his prince not the laws the rules of Justice which in a tryall consider more the person then the cause such as delays or hastens an hearing according to his satisfaction of the sense of feeling such as wry Justice upon a great mans letter or private information that the person before him is a Puritan as if he that were a Devill should not have his due Thirdly innovating Prelates with their Officers whether Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons Commissaries Officialls c. such are they which manage jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall whether Excommunications Visitations Synods Corrections and other Courts ad collectionem nummorum non ad correctionē morum They rather visite mens purses then their persons spinning their Cannons and Articles like the Spider his web where little flies are caught but great ones breake through these are such as have learned in these latter times the art of commutation they had rather have a hundred commutations then one publique satisfaction and acknowledgment They will connive dispence and what not so that they may have Dr. Argent to make the motion Lords Knights Gentlemen and others may whore bee drunk and what not so that the fat of their sins may come ad culinam Episcopi to the Bishop and their Officers Kitchin Such I suppose are our corrupt Prelates as know how only if they preach at all to speake placentia to sow pillowes under the arme-holes of Prince and People such as use Rhetorike to screw Prerogative as high as Tyranny and conclude as much to belong to the King in way of command as to God Almighty But O wonder of ages I meane our gratious King whom God hath preserved so that hee hath no more beene poysoned with Episcopall flatterie Examine all ages was there ever president for so many suspensions in these Christian Churches as by our l●te Bishops was there ever such a fire kindled as in these our days by Prelates to the hazard of three Kingdomes at once were there ever Prelates and their officers so grosse for notorious lusts for oppression extortion rasing fees picking advantages preaching seldome or never Were there ever any Bishops since the time of Edward the sixth and the reformation in those days that have brought us so far back to a violent necessity of such usages as might more neerely conforme us to the Romish Religion and Ceremonies bowings ducking cringings Images c. These Sir and such like are they who have improved all opportunities and diligence to discourage and supplant all Schollers in the Universities and Ministers in their severall Diocesses who have been orthodox and industrious Queene Elizabeths Protestants if moderate about the ceremonies and have planted right men as they call them in the roome of Orthodox and Pious men haply learned but ambitious Simonicall scandalous and inclining to all Romish corruption whereunto their Ecclesiasticall Patrons I mean the Bishops have invited them either by their precepts or examples These Sir and the like are those who are the innovating Prelates and have quantum in ill●s brought ruine upon Church and State and laid the Plot for an universall alteration of both Fourthly The professed Papist I mean such whether convict or not convict as acknowledg the Popes supremacie never come to our Churches admire their Popish priests especially their Jesuites those infernall Locusts which have come out of the bottomelesse pit as their holy fathers such as account Protestants Heretiques and it a sacred point of devotion to kill Protestant Princes though in a barbarous base and trecherous way such as serve God by Images and account ignorance the mother of devotion costly unnecessary and uncommanded ceremonies the glory of the Church These are they who are fallen into the great conspiracie against great BRITAINES prosperitie Fifthly The Popish Protestants I mean such as are excessively charitable concerning the professed Papist they love not to come to Church oftener then the lawes enforce if the State will give them leave they will conforme to any Popish usage and are indeed Papists in every point but Supremacie and p●●ests mariages and in these likewise in their judgments they are very favourable to the Romish way Sixthly The rigid Arminian who accounts no Doctrine sublime but what advances his own opinion about predestination free-will falling from grace and the like These account all men unsound not rightly informed or very dunces that are not of their opinion these finde no musique in a Sermon where the Minister gives not a touch upon the Arminian string These pretend the advancing of good life by their doctrine while in the meane time if you observe them generally there are none more dissolute proud vaine and scurrilous then they that prate most in the Arminian cause Seventhly the Libertine such I understand to be the swearer drunkard whore-master profaner of the Sabbath scorner despiser of others following no calling but their sinful lusts harsh cruell in their dealings as though God had granted them a charter to doe what they list for these and the like doth the land morne many are the Princes thereof and a fruitfull land doth God make barren for the sin of the inhabitants that dwell therein Sir I can never looke on these seven sorts of men but I call to mind that Septemfluus Amnis the River Nilus which swel'd and overflowed all EGYPT Yet if it please his Majestie and this high and honorable Court of Parliament that three sorts