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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	know_v	write_v	3,089	5	5.4567	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44394	Four tracts by the ever memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton College. Viz. I. Of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. II. Of the power of the keyes. III. Of schism and schismaticks. IV. Missellanies.	Hales, John, 1584-1656.	1677 (1677)	Wing H268A; ESTC R223741	37,038	64

which St. Paul would never have refused to do Mean while wheresoever false or suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Church Liturgy he that seperates is not the Schismatick For it is alike unlawful to make profession of known or suspected falshoods as to put in practice unlawful or suspect actions The third thing I noted for matter of Schism was Ambition I mean Episcopal Ambition shewing it self especially in two heads one concerning Plurality of Bishops in the same See another the Superiority of Bishops in divers Sees Aristotle tells us that Necessity causeth but small faults but Avarice and Ambition were the Mothers of great Crimes Episcopal Ambition hath made this true For no Occasion hath produced more frequent more continuing more sanguinary Schisms than this hath done The Sees of Alexandria of Constantinople of Antioch and above all of Rome do abundantly shew thus much and our Ecclesiastical Stories witness no less of which the greatest part consists in the factionating and tumultuating of great and potent Bishops Socrates Apologizing for himself that professing to write an Ecclesiastical Story he did oft-times interlace the actions of secular Princes and other civil businesses tells us That he did thus to refresh his Reader who otherwise were in danger to be cloy'd by reading so much of the Acts of unquiet and unruly Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which as a Man might say they made Butter and Cheese one of another For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may shew you a cast out of my old Office and open you a Mystery in Grammer properly signifieth to make Butter and Cheese Now because these are not made without much agitation of the Milk hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a borrowed and translated signification signifies to do things with much agitation and tumult But that I may a little consider of the two Heads which I but now specified The first I mentioned was the Plurality of Bishops in one See For the general practice of the Church from the beginning at least since the original of Episcopacy as now it is was never to admit at once more than one Bishop in one See And so far in this point have they been careful to preserve Unity that they would not suffer a Bishop in his See to have two Cathedral Churches which thing lately brought us a Book out of France De Monogamia Episcoporum written by occasion of the Bishop of Langres who I know not upon what fancy could not be content with one Cathedral Church in his Diocess but would needs have two which to the Author of that work seems to be a kind of spiritual Polygamy It fell out amongst the Ancients very often sometimes upon occasion of difference in Opinion sometimes because of difference amongst those who were interessed in the choice of Bishops that two Bishops and sometimes more were set up and all Parties striving to maintain their own Bishop made themselves several Churches several Congregations each refusing to participate with others and many times proceeding to mutual Excommunication This is that which Cyprian calls Erigere Altare contra Altare to this doth he impute the Original of all Church disorders and if you read him you would think he thought no other Church-Tumult to be a Schism but this This perchance might plead some excuse For though in regard of Religion it self it matters not whether there be one or more Bishops in the same Diocess and sometimes two are known to have sat at once for Epiphanius reckoning up the Bishops of Rome makes Peter and Paul the first and St. Austin acknowledgeth that for a time he sat fellow Bishop with his Predecessor though he excuseth it that he did so by being ignorant that the contrary had been decreed by the Council of Nice yet it being a thing very convenient for the Peace of the Church to have it so neither doth it any way savour of Vice or Misdemeanor their Punishment sleeps not who unnecessarily and wantonly go about to infringe it But that other Head of Episcopal Ambition concerning Supremacy of Bishops in divers Sees one claiming Superority over another as it hath been from time to time a great Trespasser against the Churches Peace so it is now the final Ruin of it The East and the West through the fury of the two prime Bishops being irremediably separated without all hope of Reconcilement And besides all this mischief it is founded in a vice contrary to all Christian humility without which no Man shall see his Saviour For they do but abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christ's Institution have any Superiority over other Men further than of Reverence or that any Bishop is Superiour to another further than positive order agreed upon amongst Christians hath prescribed For we have believed him that hath told us That in Jesus Christ there is neither high nor low and that in giving honour every Man should be ready to prefer another before himself which sayings cut of all claim most certainly to Superiority by title of Christianity except Men can think that these things were spoken only to poor and private Men. Nature and Religion agree in this that neither of them hath a hand in this Heraldry of secundum sub supra all this comes from Composition and Agreement of Men among themselves Wherefore this abuse of Christianity to make it Lacquey to Ambition is a vice for which I have no extraordinary name of Ignominy and an ordinary I will not give it least you should take so transcendent a vice to be but trivial Now concerning Schism arising upon these Heads you cannot be for behaviour much to seek for you may safely communicate with all Parties as Occasion shall call you and the Schismaticks here are all those who are heads of the Faction together with all those who foment it for private and indifferent Persons they may be Spectators of these contentions as securely in regard of any peril of Conscience for of danger in Purse or Person I keep no account as at a Cock fight Where Serpents fight who cares who hath the better The best Wish is that both may perish in the fight Now for Conventicles of the nature of which you desire to be informed thus much in general It evidently appears that all Meetings upon unnecessary Occasions of Separation are to be stiled so that in this sense a Conventicle is nothing else but a Congregation of Schismaticks Yet Time hath taken leave sometimes to fix this Name upon good and honest Meetings and that perchance not altogether without good reason For with publick Religious Meetings thus it fares First it hath been at all times confessed necessary that God requires not only inward and private Devotion when Men either in their Hearts and Closets or within their private walls pray praise confess and acknowledge but he further requires all those things to be done in Publick by troops and shoals of Men and from