Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	bishop_n	church_n	time_n	3,265	5	3.4917	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B06320	Two petitions to the honourable Court of Parliament in behalfe of episcopacy. One delivered by Sir Thomas Aston from the County Palatine of Chester. The other from the citties of L. and W.	Aston, Thomas, Sir, 1600-1645.; England and Wales. Parliament.; City of London (England). Corporation.	1641 (1641)	Wing T3524; ESTC R201124	3,920	16

TVVO PETITIONS TO THE HONOVRABLE COVRT OF PARLIAMENT IN BEHALFE OF EPISCOPACY ONE DELIVERED BY Sr THOMAS ASTON from the County Palatine of Chester THE OTHER FROM THE Citties of L. and W. Printed in the yeare 1641. A PETITION DELIVERED INTO The Lords Spirituall and Temporall by Sir THOMAS ASTON Baronet from the County Palatine of CHESTER concerning EPISCOPACIE To the High and Honorable Court of PARLIAMENT The Nobility Knights Gentry Ministers Free-Holders and Inhabitants of the County Palatine of Chester whose names are subscribed in the severall Schedules hereunto annexed Humbly shew THat whereas divers Petitions have lately been carried about this County against the present forme of Church-Government and the hands of many persons of ordinary quality solicited to the same with pretence to be presented to this Honorable Assembly which we conceiving not so much to ayme at reformation as absolute innovation of Government such as must give a great advantage to the Adversaries of our Religion We held it our duty to disavow them all And humbly pray that We incurre no miscensure if any such clamours have without our privity assum'd the name of the County We as others are sensible of the common Grievances of the Kingdome have just cause to rejoyce at and acknowledge with thankfulnesse the pious care which is already taken for the suppressing of the growth of Popery the better supply of able Ministers and the removing of all Innovation and We doubt not but in your great Wisedomes you will regulate the rigour of Ecclesiasticall Courts to suit with the temper of our lawes and the nature of Freemen Yet when We consider that Bishops were instituted in the time of the Apostles That they were the great lights of the Church in all the first generall Councells That so many of them sowed the seeds of Religion in their bloods and rescued Christianity from utter extirpation in the Primitive Heathen persecutions That to them we owe the redemption of the purity of the Gospell We now professe from Romish corruption That many of them for the propagation of the truth became glorious Martyrs That divers of them lately and yet living with us have been so strong assertors of our Religion against its common enemy of Rome And that their Government hath beene so long approved so oft established by the Common and Statute-Lawes of this Kingdome And as yet nothing in their doctrine generally taught dissonant from the Word of God or the Articles ratified by Law In this case to call their Government a perpetuall vassalage an intollerable bondage And primâ facie inauditâ alterá parte to pray the present removall of them or as in some of their Petitions to seeke the utter dissolution and ruine of their Offices as Antichristian We cannot conceive to relish of justice or charity nor can We joyne with them But on the contrary when We consider the tenor of such Writings as in the name of Petitions are spread amongst the Common People the tenents preached publiquely in Pulpits and the contents of many printed Pamphlets swarming amongst us all of them dangerously exciting a disobedience to the established forme of Government and their severall intimations of the desire of the power of the Keyes and that their Congregations may execute Ecclesiasticall Censures within themselves We cannot but expresse our just feares that their desire is to introduce an absolute Innovation of Presbyterial Government whereby We who are now governed by the Canon and Civill Lawes dispensed by twenty-six Ordinaries easily responsall to Parliaments for any deviation from the rule of Law conceive We should become exposed to the meere arbitrary Government of a numerous Presbytery who together with their ruling Elders will arise to neere forty thousand Church-Governours and with their Adherents must needs beare so great a sway in the Common-wealth that if future inconvenience shall be found in that Government We humbly offer to consideration how these shall be reducible by Parliaments how consistent with a Monarchy and how dangerously conducible to an Anarchy which We have iust cause to pray against as fearing the consequences would prove the utter losse of Learning and Lawes which must necessarily produce an extermination of Nobility Gentry and Order if not of Religion With what vehemency of spirit these things are prosecuted and how plausibly such popular infusions spread as incline to a paritie We held it our duty to represent to this Honorable Assembly And humbly pray that some such present course be taken as in your Wisedomes shall be thought fit to suppresse the future dispersing of such dangerous discontents amongst the Common People We having great cause to feare that of all the distempers that at present threaten the wellfare of this State there is none more worthy the mature and grave consideration of this Honorable Assembly then to stop the Torrent of such Spirits before they swell beyond the bounds of Government Then We doubt not but his Maiestie persevering in his gracious inclination to heare the complaints and relieve the grievances of his Subiects in frequent Parliaments it will so unite the Head and the Body so indissolubly cement the affections of his people to our Royall Soveraigne that without any other change of Government He can never want revenue nor We iustice We have presumed to annex a Coppy of a Petition or Libell dispersed and certaine positions preacht in this County which We conceive imply matter of dangerous consequence to the peace both of Church and State All which We humbly submit to your great Iudgments praying they may be read And shall ever pray c. Subscribed to this Petition Foure Noblemen Knight Baronets Knights and Esquires fourescore and odde Divines threescore and ten Gentlemen three hundred and odde Freeholders and other Inhabitants above six thousand All of the same County The Anti-Petition or Answere to this is a base Libell and a forgerie TO THE HONORABLE THE Knights Cittizens c. The humble Petition of the Citties of L. and W. Humbly sheweth THAT whereas there hath of late a Petition subscribed by many who pretend to be Inhabitants of these Citties been delivered received and read in this HONORABLE House against the ancient present and by Law established Government of the Church and that not so much for the Reformation of Bishops as for the utter subversion and extirpation of Episcopacy it selfe Wee whose names are underwritten to shew there be many and those of the better sort of the Inhabitants of these Citties otherwise and better minded doe humbly represent unto this Honorable House these considerations following I. That Episcopacy is as ancient as Christianity it selfe in this Kingdome II. That Bishops were the chiefe instruments in the Reformation of this Church against Popery and afterwards the most eminent Martyrs for the Protestant Religion and since the best and ablest Champions for the defence of it III. That since the Reformation the times have been very peaceable happy and glorious notwithstanding Episcopall

Government in the Church and therefore that this Government can be no cause of our unhappinesse IV. We conceive that not only many Learned but diverse other Godly persons would be much scandalled and troubled in Conscience if the Government of Episcopacy conceived by them to be an Apostolicall Institution were altered since there is so much care taken that no man should be offended in the least Ceremony we hope there will be some that such mens Consciences may not be pressed upon in a matter of an higher nature and consequence especially considering that this Government by Episcopacy is not only lawfull and convenient for edification but likewise sutable and agreeable to the Civill policie and Government of this State V. That this Government is lawfull it appeares by the immediate universall constāt practise of all the Christian World grounded upon Scripture from the Apostles time to this last Age for above 1500 yeares together It being utterly incredible if not impossible that the whole Church for so long a time should not discover by Gods word this Government to be unlawfull if it had been so To which may be added that the most learned Protestants even in those very Churches which now are not governed by Bishops doe not only hold the Government by Episcopacy to be lawfull but wish that they themselves might injoy it Againe that the Government by Episcopacy is not only lawfull but convenient for edification as much or more conducing to Piety and devotion then any other it appeares because no modest man denies that the Primitive times were most famous for Piety Constancy Perseverance in the Faith notwithstanding more frequent and more cruell persecutions then ever have been since and yet it is confessed that the Church in those times was govern'd by Bishops Lastly That the Government of the Church by Episcopacy is most sutable to the frame and forme of the Civill Government here in this Kingdome it appeares by the happy flourishing Union of them both for so long a time together Whereas no man can give us an assurance how any Church Government besides this whereof We have had so long an experience will suit and agree with the Civill policie of this State And We conceive it may be of dangerous consequence for men of setled fortunes to hazzard their estates by making so great an alteration and venturing upon a new forme of Government whereof neither We nor our Ancestors have had any tryall or experience especially considering that those who would have Episcopacy to be abolished have not yet agreed nor as We are verily perswaded ever will or can agree upon any other common forme of Government to succeed in the roome of it as appeares by the many different and contrary draughts and platformes they have made published according to the several humors and sects of those that made them Whereas seeing every great alteration in a Church or State must needs be dangerous it is just and reasonable that whosoever would introduce a new forme in stead of an old one should be obliged to demonstrate and make it evidently appeare aforehand that the Government he would introduce is proportionably so much better then that he would abolish as may recompence the losse we may sustaine and may be worthy of the hazzard we must run in abolishing the one and in introducing and setling of the other But this We are confident can never be done in regard of this particular And therefore our humble and earnest request to this Honorable House is that as well in this consideration as all the other aforesaid We may still injoy that Government which most probably holds its Institution from the Apostles and most certainly its plantation with our Christian Faith it selfe in this Kingdome where it hath ever since flourished and continued for many Ages without any interruption or alteration whereby it plainly appeares that as it is the most excellent Government in it selfe so it is the most sutable most agreeable and every way most proportionable to the Civill constitutions and temper of this State And therefore We pray and hope will alwayes be continued and preserved in it by it notwithstanding the abuses and corruptions which in so long tract of time through the errors or negligences of men may have crept into it Which abuses and corruptions being all of them what and how many soever they may be but meerely accidentall to Episcopacy We conceive and hope there may be a Reformation of of the one without destruction of the other Which is the humble suit of Ten thousand thousand