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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	scripture_n	sense_n	2,756	5	6.8104	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53674	A brief vindication of the non-conformists from the charge of schisme as it was managed against them in a sermon preached before the Lord Mayor by Dr. Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Pauls.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1680 (1680)	Wing O723; ESTC R30840	37,860	60

Charity to believe all things to believe that each Party was accepted with God whilest they served him according unto the Light which they had received And as it is to be thought that upon the giving of this Rule and Direction they utterly laid aside all the animosities in Judging and despising one another which they had been guilty of so it is certain that they continued in their different Practice a long time after without any rebuke or reproof Yea some Learned men do Judge and that not on Grounds to be despised that the parties who differed were gathered into distinct Churches and so continued to walk even to the dayes of Adrian the Emperour when the last and final destruction of the whole Nation of the Jews did befall them after which those who were not hardened to the utmost gave off all expectation of any respect to be had with God of their old Institutions I do not know how tho present Case between the Church of England and the Non-conformists could have possibly been more plainly and distinctly stated and exemplified in any thing that the Churches were capable of or liable unto in those days then it is in this Case here stated and determined by the Apostle in whose Direction Rule and Determination we do fully acquiesce But 5 It is true also which this Reverend Author observes that when the False Apostles or any other Judaizing Teachers pretending to Authority did impose the Observation of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Levitical Law on any Churches unto their Disturbance and Division the Apostle looks hereon as that which so far altered the Case that he gives other Rules and Directions about it And if such Impositions might be yet forborn in the like Case especially as accompanied with the severe Supplement and Addition of all sorts of outward Penalties to be inflicted on them who cannot comply with them an open Door would appear into all that Agreement Peace and Quietness among us which are desired I have treated thus far of these things not to manage a Controversie with this Author or any other but only to shew that there is no ground to be taken from this Text or its Context to give countenance unto the severe Censure of Schisme and all the evil Consequents of it as maintained by ill Arts and Practices upon the Non-conformists The Procedure of our Author in the management of his Charge is in a way of proving from the Assertions and Concessions of the several Parties whereinto he hath distinguished Non-conformists that they have no just Cause to with-hold full Communion from the Church of England especially in its Parochial Assemblies And as unto the first Party whom he affirms to grant that they are in a State of Separation he quotes some Sayings out of a Discourse of a Nameless Authour Concerning Evangelical Love Church Peace and Unity And together with some Concessions of his he adds his Judgment that Communion in Ordinances must be only in such Churches as Christ himself instituted by unalterable Rules which were only particular and Congregational Churches As I remember that Author hath at large declared in his Discourse what Communion Believers ought to have with the Church or all Churches the Church in every sense wherein that Name is used in the Scripture But I shall not trouble my self to inquire into his Assertions or Concessions nor at present can I do so not having that Book with me where I now am My business is only to examine on this occasion what this Reverend Author excepteth against or opposeth unto his Assertion about Congregational Churches and the answering his Charge of Schisme notwithstanding this Plea of the Institution of particular Churches for the Celebration of Divine Ordinances This he doth pag. 25. Granting this to be true how doth it hence appear not to be a sin to separate from our Parochial Churches which according to their own Concessions have all the Essentials of true Churches And what ground can they have to separate and divide those Churches which for all that we can see are of the same nature with the Churches planted by the Apostles at Corinth Philippi or Thessalonica Ans. We will allow at present that the Parochial Churches at least some of them in this Nation are true Churches that is that they are not guilty of any such hainous Errors in Doctrine or Idolatrous Practice in Worship as should utterly deprive them of the Being and Nature of Churches Yet we suppose it will not be made a Rule That Communion may be with-held or withdrawn from any Church in any thing so long as it continues as unto the Essence of it to be so This Author knows that Testimonies may be produced out of very Learned Protestant Writers to the contrary 2. We do not say it is not pleaded that because Communion in Ordinances must be only in such Churches as Christ Himself hath Instituted c. that therefore it is Lawful and Necessary to Seperate from Parochial Churches but it may be pleaded thence That if it be on other Grounds necessary to so seperate or with-hold Communion from them it is the Duty of them who do so to joyn themselves in or unto some other particular Congregations The Reasons why the Non-conformists cannot joyn in that Communion with those Parochial Churches which were before described are quite of another Nature which are not here to be pleaded however some of them may be mentioned to deliver us from this Mistake that the Ground of Seperation from them is the Institution of particular Congregational Churches And they are such as these 1. There are many things in all Parochial Churches that openly stand in need of Reformation What these are both with respect unto Persons and things hath been before intimated and shall be further declared if occasion require But these Parochial Churches neither do nor indeed can nor have Power in themselves to reform the things that ought by the Rule of the Scripture to be reformed For none among us will plead that they are intrusted with power for their own Government and Reformation In this case we judg it lawful for any Man peacoably to with-draw Communion from such Churches to provide for his own Edification in others 2. That there are many things in the constant total Communion of Parochial Churches imposed on the Consciences and Practices of Men which are not according to the Mind of Christ. The things of this nature I shall not here mention in Particular 3. There is no Evangelical Church Discipline administred in such Parochial Churches which yet is a necessary means unto the Edification of the Churches appointed by Christ himself and sacredly attended unto by the Primitive Churches And we dare not renounce our Interest in so blessed an Ordinance of Christ in the Gospel 4. The Rule and Government which such Parochial Churches are absolutely under in the room of that Rule and Discipline which ought to be in and among themselves namely that

frequent them generally judge otherwise For it is not to be supposed that Faction among them should so commonly prevail beyond Interest and therefore if they thought it were lawful for them to comply with the Laws they would do it But why then is this kept up as such a mighty Secret in the breasts of their Teachers Why do they not Preach to them in their Congregations Is it for fear they should have none left to Preach to that is not to be imagined of mortified and conscientious men Is it lest they should seem to condemn themselves whil'st they Preach against Separation in a Separate Congregation This I confess looks oddly and the tenderness of a man's mind in such a case may out of meer shamefacedness keep him from declaring a Truth which flies in his face while he speaks it Is it that they fear the Reproaches of the People Which some few of the most Eminent Persons among them have found they must undergo if they touch upon this Subject for I know not how it comes to pass that the most godly People among them can the least endure to be told of their faults But is it not as plainly written by St. Paul If I yet serve men I should not be the servant of Christ as Wo be unto me if I Preach not the Gospel If they therefore would acquit themselves like honest and conscientious men let them tell the People plainly that they look on our Churches as true Churches and that they may lawfully communicate with us in Prayers and Sacraments and I do not question but in time if they find it lawful they will judge it to be their Duty For it is the Apostles command here Whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same things A Crime this is which if true is not easily to be expiated Nor can men give greater evidence of their own Hypocrisie Insincerity and Government by corrupt Ends and Designs than by such abominable Arts and Contrivances So if it should prove not to be true it cannot but be looked on as animated by such an evil Surmise as is of no small provocation in the sight of God and men This Reverend Author makes a distinction about Communion with the Church Page 20. between what is required of Ministers and that which is called Lay-Communion which is the foundation of this Charge I do not confound bare suspending Communion in some particular Rites which Persons do modestly scruple and using it in what they judge to be lawful with either total or at least ordinary forbearance of Communion in what they judge to be lawful and proceeding to the forming of separate Congregations i. e. under other Teachers and by other Rules than what the established Religion allows And this is the present Case of Separation which I intend to consider and to make the sinfulness and mischief of it appear But he knows that by the Communion and uniting our selves unto the Church which is pressed either on Ministers or People a total submission unto the Rule as established in the Book of Canons and Rubrick of the Liturgy is required of them all When this is once engaged in there is no suspending of Communion in particular Rites to be allowed They who give up themselves hereunto must observe the whole Rule to a tittle Nor is it in the power of this Reverend Author who is of great dignity in the Church and as like as any Man I know to be inclined thereunto to give Indulgence unto them in their abstinence from the least Ceremony enjoined Wherefore the Question about Lay-Communion is concerning that which is absolute and total according unto all that is enjoined by the Laws of the Land or by the Canons Constitutions and Orders of the Church Hereby are they obliged to bring their Children to be baptized with the use of the Aerial Sign of the Cross to kneel at the Communion to the Religious observation of Holy-days to the constant use of the Liturgie in all the Publick Offices of the Church unto the exclusion of the exercise of those Gifts which Christ continues to communicate for its Edification to forego all means of Publick Edification besides that in their Parish-Churches where to speak with modesty it is oft times scanty and wanting to renounce all other Assemblies wherein they have had great experience of spiritual advantage unto their souls to desert the observation of many useful Gospel-duties in their mutual watch that Believers of the same Church ought to have one over another to divest themselves of all interest of a voluntary consent in the Discipline of the Church and choice of their own Pastors and to submit unto an Ecclesiastical Rule and Discipline which not one in a thousand of them can apprehend to have any thing in it of the Authority of Christ or Rule of the Gospel and other things of the like nature may be added This being the true state of Lay-Communion which will admit of no Indulgence if the Rule be observed I must say that I do not believe that there are Six Nonconformist Ministers in England that do believe this Communion to be lawful for the People to embrace And on the other hand they cease not to instruct them wherein their true Communion with the Church of England doth consist namely in Faith and Love and all the fruits of them unto the glory of God I heartily wish these things had been omitted that they had not been spoken not to cover any guilt in the Nonconformists whose Consciences are unto them a thousand witnesses against such Imputations But whereas the ground of them is only Surmises and Suspicions and the Evil charged of the highest nature that any men can involve themselves in the guilt of it argues such a frame of spirit such an habit of mind as evidenceth men to be very remote from that Christian love and charity which on all hands we sometimes pretend unto Of the same nature is another Charge of the like want of sincerity pag 46. Those saith he who speak now most against the Magistrates Power in matters of Religion had ten substantial Reasons for it when they thought the Magistrates on their own side For which is quoted an Answer unto two Questions 1659. that is they change their Opinions according to their Interest I know not directly whom he intends Those who are commonly called Independents expressed their apprehension of the Magistrates Power in and about Religion in their Confession made 1659. That any of them have on what hath ensued changed their Opinion therein I know not And for my part I have on this occasion perused the Answer unto the two Questions directed unto and do profess my self at this day to be of the same judgment with the Author of them as it is expressed in that Paper There are things not easily to be numbred wherein we acknowledge the Magistrates Power and Duty in matters of Religion