Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	4,212	5	9.5265	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46453	King James his letter and directions to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning preaching and preachers with the Bishop of Canterburies letter to the Bishop of Lincolne, Lord Keeper, desiring him to put in practise the Kings desires that none should preach but in a religious forme : and not that every young man should take to himselfe an exorbitant liberty to preach what he listeth to the offence of His Majesty and the disturbance and disquiet of the church and common-wealth.	England and Wales. Sovereign (1603-1625 : James I); Abbot, George, 1562-1633.	1642 (1642)	Wing J139; ESTC R16287	4,604	11

some further punishment The Arch-Bishop of Canterburies Letter to the Arch-bishop of Yorke MY very good Lord I doubt not but before this time you have received from mee the Directions of his most excellent Majesty concerning Preaching and Preachers which are so graciously set downe that no godly or discreet man can otherwise then acknowledge that they doe much tend to edification if hee doe not take them up upon report but doe punctually consider the tenure of the words as they lye and doe not give an ill construction to that which may receive a faire interpretation Notwithstanding because some few Churchmen and many of the people have sinisterly conceived as wee here find that those instructions doe tend to the restraint of the exercise of preaching and doe in some sort abate the number of Sermons and so consequently by degrees doe make a breach to ignorance and superstition His Majesty in his Princely wisedome hath thought fit that I should advertise your Lordship of the grave and weighty reasons which induced his Highnesse to prescribe that which is done You are therefore to know that his Majesty being much troubled and grieved at the heart to heare every day of so many defections from our Religion both to Popery and Anabaptisme or other points of Seperation in some parts of this Kingdome and considering with much admiration what might bee the cause thereof especially in the Raigne of such a King who doth so constantly professe himselfe an open Adversary to the Superstition of the one and madnesse of the other his Princely wisedome could fall upon no one greater probability then the lightnesse affectednesse and unprofitablenesse of that kind of preaching which hath beene of late yeares too much taken up in Court Vniversity City and Countrey The usuall scope of very many Preachers is noted to bee soringe up in points of Divinty too deepe for the cap●city of the people or a mustring up of much reading or a displaying of their owne wit or an ignorant medling with civill matters as well in the private of severall Parishes and Corporations as in the publike of the Kingdome or a venting of their owne distast or a smoothing up of those idle fancies which in this blessed time of so long a peace doe boile in the braines of an unadvised people or lastly a rude or undecent rayling not against the Doctrines which when the Text shall occasion the same is not onely improved but much commended by his Royall Majesty but against the Persons of Papists and Puritans Now the people bred up with this kind of teaching and never instructed in the Catechisme and fundamentall grounds of Religion are for all this Ayry nourishment no better then abrajae tabulae new table bookes ready to bee filled up either with the Manuals and Catechismes of the Popish Priests or the Papers and Pamphlets of Anabaptists Brownists and Puritans His Majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian Id verum quod primum and remembring with what Doctrine the Church of England in her first and most happy Reformation did drive out the one and keepe out the other from poisoning and infecting the people of this Kingdome doth find that the whole scope of this Doctrine is contained in the articles of Religion the two bookes of Homilies the lesser and the greater Catechisme which his Majesty doth recommend againe in these Directions as the Theames and proper Subjects of all sound and edifying preaching And so farre are these Directions from abating that his Majesty doth expect at our hands that it should increase the number of Sermons by renuing upon every Sunday in the afternone in all Parish Churches throughout the Kingdome that Primitive and most profitable exposition of the Catechisme where with the people yea very Children may bee timely seasoned and instructed in all the heads of Christian Religion the which kind of teaching to our amendment bee it spoken is more diligently observed in all the reformed Churches of Europe then of late it hath beene here in England I find his Majesty much moved with this neglect and resolved if wee that are his Bishops doe not see a Reformation hereof which I trust wee shall to recommend it to care of the Civill Magistrate So farre is his Highnesse from giving the least discouragement to sollide preaching or discreet or religious Preachers To all this I am to adde that it is his Majesties Princely pleasure that both the former Directions and those reasons of the same bee fairely written in every Registers office to the end that every Preacher of what denomination soever may if hee bee so pleased take out Coppies of either of them with his owne hand gratis paying nothing in the name of fee and expedition But if hee doe use the paines of the Register or his Clarkes then to pay some moderate fee to bee pronounced in open Court by the Chancellours and Commissaries of the place taking the direction and approbation of my Lords the Bishops Lastly that from hence forward a course may bee taken that every Parson Vicar Curate or Lecturer doe make exhibite of these his Majesties Directions and the reasons for the same at the ensuing visitation of the Bishops and Arch-Deacons paying to the Register by way of fee but two pence at the time of the exhibite and so wishing but withall in his Majesties name requiring your Lordship to have a speciall and extraordinary care of the premisses I leave you to the Almighty From Croyden Sept. 4. 1622. Your Lordships very loving Brother G. CANT. The Lord Arch-Bishops Letter to the Lord Keeper BY this you see his Majesties Princely care That none should preach CHRIST crucified obedience to the Higher Powers and Honest and Christian conversation of life but in a Religious forme and not that every young man shall take unto himselfe an exorbitant liberty to teach what he listeth to the offence of his Majesty and the disturbance and disquiet of the Church and Common-wealth I can give your Lordship no better directions for the pursuance hereof then are prescribed to you in his Majesties Letter and the Schedule herewith sent unto you whereof I pray your Lordship to bee very carefull since it is the Princely pleasure of his Highnesse to require an accompt both of you and mee for the same And so not doubting but by your Register or otherwise you will cause these instructions to bee communicated to your Clergy I leave you to the Almighty and remaine Your loving Brother G. CANT. FINI●