Selected quad for the lemma: rest_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
rest_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	2,348	5	10.4986	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19459	A briefe ansvver vnto certaine reasons by way of an apologie deliuered to the Right Reuerend Father in God, the L. Bishop of Lincolne, by Mr. Iohn Burges wherin he laboureth to prooue, that hauing heretofore subscribed foure times, and now refusing (as a thing vnlawfull) that he hath notwithstanding done lawfully in both. Written by VVilliam Couell, Doctor in Diuinitie.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1606 (1606)	STC 5880; ESTC S108879	108,616	174

the demonstration of discipline and others to indeauour to proue the gouernment by Elders not to bee the inuention of wise men and not against the word of God but to be the expresse commaundement in euery particuler of GOD himselfe accounting those to haue no Church this being as essential as either the Word or Sacraments where this is wanting What meant the vehement commendations of this discipline in a booke called the Humble Motion that if this were established God would blesse our victuals and satisfie our poore with bread that he would cloath our Priests with health and his Saints should shout for ioy that it is best and surest for our state that it would cut off contentions and suites of Law that it would norish learning that then there would bee vnity in the Church that it would bee strength and victorie and many other benefits like these Why haue they striuen so earnestly for it if it were not absolutely commaunded in Gods word which seing you now denye giue me leaue to tell you we will henceforth be bolde with Saint Hierom seing it wanteth this warrant to reiect it with the same facility that it is alledged And wee hope seeing it is not commaunded in the Scripture that they will for euer now cease to poyson the Church with such opinions or to couer the policy of their first teachers with the vnhallowed contentions of all after-times But though you haue dealt so liberally with vs for the gouernment of Elders yet we dare not doe so with you in the gouernment of Bishops For if Clement saide true whome Polidore alledgeth to that end that Peter in euery Prouince appointed one Archbishoppe whome all other Bishops in the same Prouince should obey if the name of Archbishoppe and Bishoppe were not so vnusuall that Volusianus was not afraid to say that Dynosius Areopagita was by S. Paule made Archbishoppe of Athens or Erasmus to call Titus Archbishop of Creete or Eusebius to giue the authority to Iohn the Euāgelist who suruiuing the rest brought this benefit vnto the Church that for cōsecrating of Bishops other vses he was the Archbishop or Metropolitan to the whole Church for the Bishops as Epiphanius reasoneth begot fathers in the Church but the Presbiters only begot sons If this was the perpetual gouernment of the Church as that thrise learned most reuerend Bishop hath proued euen from the Apostles time we dare not say as you do that it hath but a tollerable alowance equall to Elders and that neither being repugnant the Church may lawfully imbrace either 2 Concerning the second point touching Ceremonies you name only the Crosse and the Surp●ice these you hold lawfull for so I thinke you meane when you say they be not vnlawfull being vsed as our Church doth but yet notwithstanding in some men places so inexpedient as that you thinke no mans Ministery likely to do so much good as some mens sodaine vse of them might doe hurt Consider I pray you the substance of these word● the things are lawfull as our Church vseth them What then inexpedient that is in respect of some circumstances not conuenient to be vsed a discretion attending vpon things indifferent by the Apostles aduice all things are lawfull but all things are not expedient euen then restraining the vse when it is like that the vsage will doe much hurt This hurt you set downe to be that no mans Ministery is likely to do so much good as some mens sodaine vse of them might do hurt Is this your determinate iudgement of these things deliuered vnder your hand vnto the king It is like nay doubtles it is more then like for it is sure otherwise most lamentable were the cōdicion of this land that the Ministery of some men shal be able to saue soules for that Gospel which we preach is the power of god vnto saluatiō now what hurt can you thinke of equall to this good peraduenture the destruction of soules and doe you thinke in earnest that this scandall will be the destruction of mens soules Well what are they are they elect then I am sure you will say they cannot fall for Christ saith No man shall take them out of his hands are they otherwise giuen ouer to a reprobate sence to such euen the Gospel it self is the sauor of death vnto death I confesse wee are to auoid scandall in what we may but better it is that that should arise then betray the truth and peraduenture by conformity and obedience your Ministery would receiue those blessings which now it wanteth But howsoeuer seeing the number can neither bee many the most part of our Land being better instructed vnder the long gouernment of the most vertuous Prince that euer England had before it had her nor the danger great being but the Scandall of such who are not willing to seeme weake and therfore I suppose wee neede not bee afraid to say contrarie to that which you affirme that many mens Ministerie is likely to doe more good then yours or any mans sodaine vse of the Ceremonies can doe hurt 3 The third thing whereunto you answered was Subscription and in this to some things without limitation as to the Kings Supremacie to others with and in both as the lawe requireth It hath beene the vsual euasion of a great number to pretend an obedience to the lawe in subscribing whilest notwithstanding they were not willing to subscribe as the Lawe required Surely there can be little hope of peace in the outward gouernmēt of that Church where the leaders of others are not willing or think it not lawfull to be obedient neither can there be any one act in the obseruation of all wise men more avayleable and in reason more likelye to procure this then Subscription which tyeth the tongue hands from any way resisting those lawfull ordinances that preserue peace all other creatures obserue that law which their maker appointed for them for he hath giuen them a law which shall not be broken This being the reproofe of man saith Saint Ambrose but most of all of vs of the Cleargie who being the children of the Church nay fathers in Christ to beget others are notwithstanding disobedient vnto those lawes which in great wisedome for her owne safety the Church hath made It is dangerous when we say Surely we will walke after our owne imaginations and doe euery man after the stubbernnes of his wicked heart But wee finde in you a better show of comformity then in many others who professing to subscribe to his Maiesties Supremacy without exception or qualification cannot in reason but yeild obedience vnto the lawes which are all of them authorized from his mouth for the censure of the communiō Booke notwithstanding you thinke something to bee faultie in it yet wee desire you to remember it considered in the intention of the Church of England and reduced to