Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	council_n	majesty_n	privy_a	1,209	5	9.6979	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05089	A petition directed to Her Most Excellent Maiestie wherein is deliuered 1. A meane howe to compound the ciuill dissention in the Church of England, 2. A proofe that they who write for reformation, do not offend against the stat. of 23. Eliz. c.2. and therefore till matters be compounded, deserue more fauour ... : here vnto is annexed, some opinions of such as sue for reformation ... : also, certayne articles vvherein is discouered the negligence of the bishoppes ... : lastlie, certayne questions or interrogatories dravvn by a fauourer of reformation ...	Barrow, Henry, 1550?-1593.	1591 (1591)	STC 1522A; ESTC S1453	68,920	84

it euidently appeare where the fault lyeth This is the intent of this humble petition made onely for the peace of this Church quiet of the Realme Which two things it behooueth all Christian subiectes to aduaunce forward with their whole endeuour The God almighty who to the great wonder of the world hath most miraculous●ie defended and deliuered you from all the cursed enterprises against your Realme and person preserue your Maiestie many yeares in health honour prosperity and victory to his glory the good of his Church the reliefe of his Saints to the ioy of Englande and all Nations that professe the trueth AMEN good Lord and cursed be he from heauen that sayeth not from the heart AMEN AMEN To the ende that it may appeare howe vniustlie the Seekers of Reformation are slaundered by the Bishoppes and others I thought good bries●●e and truely to deliuer the opinions of such as sue for Reformation which I haue gathered out of their bookes and seene in their practise and heard in conference which I haue had with them 1 THEY openly professe and acknowledge that they be sinfull men subiect to infirmity as well as others They doe not call or account them selues Cathar● or 〈◊〉 and therefore if Augustine say true that Cathar● sunt q●i ●eipsos isto nomine quafi propter munditi●● suberbissime at que o●iosissimè nominant They bee Puritanes That in conceipt of their owne puritie do● most proudly and odiously call them selues by that name then vvithout question they be no Puritanes vnles in that sence that all the Apostles saue Iudas and all other true Christians are called 〈◊〉 or Puritanes in the Scriptures 2 They doe absolutely yeelde and subscribe to all the articles of Christian f●●th and doctrine professed in the Church of Englande according as they bee inioyned by the lawes of the lande and therefore they doe not offende against the Statute made in the thirteenth yeare of her Highnes raigne and withall haue open iniurie in being called schismatikes 3 They doe vnfeinedly giue to her maiesty all that power souera●tie and authoritie whatsoeuer is recognised to be in her Highnes by the othe of the Supremacies as her maiesty 〈◊〉 and the Parliament haue expounded 〈◊〉 and there●ore they be not Traytours by the statutes of 〈◊〉 or quinto of her Maiesty 4 They professe all submission reuerence and obedience to the right Honourable the Lordes of the priuy Councell the Iudges and all other ciuill Magistrates of this state honouring them as Lieutenants of God and her Maiesty and therefore they be not Anababtists who would abandon the authority of Magistrates and distinctions of states among Christians And although they beleeue that it is not agreeable to the doctrine and example of Christ and his Apostles that Bb. and Preachers should accept temporall Lordship and ciuill authority yet they honour that authoritie which is deriued to them from her Maiestie in regard whereof they submit them selues to be conuented imprisoned fined c. by them much lesse will they vvith force and armes resist or rebell against her Maiesties most lawfull authority eyther in her selfe or being deputed to others who are not disabled by Gods worde to vse it and therefore they bee not within the statute of vice ●imo tertio of Raising rebellion against her Highness 5 They hold it lawfull and necessarie before Magistrates to take an oth being called thereunto so that the oth being a matter highly concerning the worship of God be guided and taken as the Scriptures allowe that is not in vaine where a matter may bee otherwise proued by sufficient euidence or witnesse nor yet rashly as swearing to answere they know not to what or before the Articles which they must answere vpō their oth be made knowen vnto them 6 They seeke not to pull downe the Courts of Iustice as the high Court of Parliamēt the Starchamber the Kings bench the Chanceri● or any of the rest but they desire they may stande as they doe sauing that Bb. Ecclesiasticall persons should be shut out from them set to preach the gospell follow their owne vocation not being charged with other offices vnles they were sometimes called in weighty difficult causes to giue counsell aduise what may or should be done by the word of God 7 They denie not but that matters of Testamentes and Mariages may bee determined by Ciuilians in their Courtes if it seeme not good to the Parliament to transferre these things to the temporall Lawiers alwaies prouided that their Courtes may be made meere tēporall not intermedling wi the Church Censures prouided likewise that the Bb. or other Ministers haue no dealing therin prouided also that causes may be iudged there not by popes lawes but by the word of God the laudable Customes Statutes Iniunctions Synodall and Prouinciall Constitutions accepted in this Realme a greable to the word of God and established by hir Maiesties authoritie and act of Parliament 8 They teach that neyther the Ministerie nor people of this Realme ought to make any general Reformation neither with force and armes or otherwise of their owne authoritie change any lawes made or established for religion by authoritie of Parliament but they holde that the generall reformation doeth belong to the Magistrate as Gods Lieuetenant to deale in and that for them selues they may and oughte in dutifull and christian forte both preache write and sue to the Magistrates for redresse of enormities and also practise the or dinances of Christ which he hath commanded his Church to keepe to the ende of the world and therefore they haue not incurred the dangers of lawes made against Riots Routes or vnlawfull Assemblies 9 They detest all such as aduisedly falsly or malicious●ie slaunder or dis●ame her most excellent Maiestie and therfore they be not felons by the statut prouided against spreaders of Newes or false rumours 10 They doe maineteyne that according to the approued doctrine of Englande Emperours or any Christian magistrats whatsoeuer being members of the Church of Christ ought to submit themselues to excommunication or other ecclesiastical censures being duely orderly vpon iust occasion according to the commaundements of Christ executed 11 That a Magistrate standing excommunicated ought to be obeyed and honoured in all respectes of subiection for custome subsidie loue or any other imposition or seruice whatsoeuer of body goods and landes as if hee were not excommunicated And therefore they abhorre the Antichristian and most pestiferous doctrine of the popish ●orte that giueth liberty to the subiect to withholde his seruices and duties from the Magistrate so long as he standeth excommunicate 12 Their suite to her M●iesty and this honorable state is that it may be permitted and enacted by law that the church of Christ may bee ruled by such lawes orders and officers as Christ himselfe hath expressed in his

sermon at Oxforde this testimony of Maister Nowell to proue that men by authoritie might speake in defence of gouernement by Elders To be short I haue shewed that my L. of Canterburie and the other Bb. That D. Co●●ns and the aduertiser doe in writing reproue many things coūtenanced by law as excommunication by lay Chauncellours Nonresidence Ignoraunt ministers the milde punishment of Adultery Subscription and such like and yet these men be not deemed indited conuict or attaint as diffamers of her maiesty and felons by this statute Such be our times that Iisdem de causis alij plectantur alij ne appellentur quidem Thus much may serue touching the accusation of diffaming of our Soueraine Ladie the Queenes most excellēt maiesty Now it remaineth to consider how iustly the writers for Reformation be charged with rebellion VVHereas the aduersaries to Reformation do take as a principle that whosoeuer writeth to worke a disc●●tentment in the mindes of the subiectes doe intende a rebellion That is a most vntrewe assertion and sophistical paralogisme For although Rebellion doth grow of Discontentement yet all discontentement doth not bring forth rebellion or if the writinge against the state of Bishops shoulde moue some men to discontentment who being discontented should stirre vp rebelliō yet it doeth not followe that the writers against the Bb. were rebels as this stat doeth intende For the writers must write Aduisedlie and of purpose to stirre rebellion So that if a man write in humble loyall and duetiful manner hauing no purpose and intent to worke rebellion though rebellion should here of insue yet could not such a writer without great iniustice be drawn within this statute For he can not be a felon that hath not a felonious intent and purpose Christ by his preaching had wrought such a dislike of the Priests and their proceedinges in the mindes of his Disciples that one of thē in defence of his Maister did strike of the eare of Marchus a seruant of purseuant of the high priestes yet the Priestes did not charge Christ with this outrage of his Disciple For albeit Christ did speake against the Rulers Priests in his time drawing after him many dislikers of that present state yet Christ neuer meant to woorke in mens mindes a discontentement which should bring forth mutinies or rebellion but amendement and reformation In like manner these Seek of Reformation haue descried manie supposed abuses in the church gouuernement they beare vs in hande that there is another forme of Ruling the church more agreeable to the Scriptures then this which we haue receyued They write to lay open the faultes of the one the necessitie and profit of the other that the one beeing remoued by lawful autho●itie the other by like authoritie might be entertained For considering that hir Maiestie and Lordes without the Commons can not by the order of our state reforme the abuses imperfections of the laws it is requisite that the Commons of this land should be acquainted with the wants both of the Church and common wealth For euery man and woman of this Realme is partie and priuie to all Actes of Parliament Their assent is needefull to the making of euery lawe In their name and as the deputies the Knightes Burgesses are present and haue voices in the Parliament Nowe howe shoulde the commons their Knightes and Burgesses conceyue what is amis●e in the Lawes and state but by publike writings for that purpose That hauing deepelie weighed and pondered what and how thinges should be reformed they might be able in time of Parliament after the lawfull and laudable custome of this Realme to take order for them according to knowledge A few daies or weekes are are not sufficient throughly to examine what may bee said what should be done in these matters Wherefore if these Seekers of Reformation should by publike writinge in duetifull and Christian sorte communicate to hir Maiestie the Lordes and commons of this Realme the enormities of the state to the ende that they in their Parliamentes should reforme the same though some of the Commons should take occasion herevpon desperately and vndutifullie to rebell yet the Seekers of Reformation coulde not iustly be condemned as aduised and malitious mouers of rebellion Much lesse can their writinges which haue as yet neuer effected nor affected rebellion be deemed rebellions Their writing for Reformation doeth rather prooue that they bee not rebells For if they purposed a rebellion they would rather tumultuouslie rise vp and reforme thinges them selues then write bookes to moue the Queenes Maiestie the ●ords and Commons in their Parliaments to lay their handes to reformation They that be not blinded with malice do see wel that the Ministers who seeke Reformation doe preache true obedience to the Magistrates with greater zeale and sincerity then any Bishop in this lande It is not oriously knowen that they teach as an article of their faith That no subiect or seruaunt ought to rebell against his Prince or Maisters though hee bee cruell and frowarde but rather shoulde meekely suffer oppression and violence at their handes They teach that the lawes must either be performed by obeying them or else the punishment for not yeelding vnto thē patiently suffered and vndertaken Therefore howsoeuer they write to bring a discontentment into mens mindes yet they would not haue the subiect to intrude vpon the Magistrates office much lesse to rebell against his Soueraine Furthermore if all they that write to bring the people to adiscontentement and dislike of the authorized gouuernement doe write of purpose to moue rebellion then doe the lawes the Bishops and whole state of Englande intende a rebellion I proued that both the lawes Bishops of this lande doe expect a further reformation which can not be accomplished vnlesse hir Maiestie the Ll. and commons be drawen to a discontentement and dis●ike of the present state For amendement and redresse can neuer follow but where discontentement goeth before ●ikewise it is prooued that the Church of Englande hath seene allowed and suffered to be printed and publikely solde diuerse bookes which doe speake most effectualli● against the state of ●orde Bishops I shewed that bookes wherin the Lordship of Bb. hath bene cōdemned haue bene allowed by expresse act of Parliament I shewed also that the gouernement by Elders is approued in books which are commended by the Bb. to be fully grounded vpon Gods worde which are commanded to be taught learned throughout this Realme If it be rebellion to worke a dislike discontentement in the state of Lord Bb. If it bee rebellion to commende the reformed gouernement by Elders then doth the state of England intende a rebellion against hir Maiestie But God forbid that we should thinke so dishonorably or dis●oyally of our Christian State though it hath wrought in mens mindes a dislike of the present Church-gouernement If then this argument be vaine