Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	apostle_n	church_n	word_n	1,489	5	3.9514	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32768	Ecclesiasticum, or, A plain and familiar Christian conference concerning gospel churches, and order for the information and benefit of those who shall seek the Lord their God and ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward ...	Chauncy, Isaac, 1632-1712.	1690 (1690)	Wing C3751; ESTC R23991	70,072	162

remark by the decisive Power of the Church and declare that such an one hath sinfully or disorderly withdrawn and divided himself from the Communion of the Church whereby he must immediately be looked upon as Ecclesiastically felo de se and one cut off from the Communion of the Churches of Christ being separated from that Congregation to which he did belong For he that challengeth Communion with other Churches can do it but as a Member of one particular Church from which being divided by his act having disclaimed it and secluded thereupon by the act of the Church he is doubly excommunicate and hath no ground to claim right of Communion any where but is as a dead branch cut off a Tree twice dead in respect of his visible Church-standing and plucked up by the roots Phil. I am glad to understand that in the way of Church discipline you do profess to there is a regular way of proceeding to curb such kind of disturbers of Churches for it 's easier to correct those who are chargeable with scandal For such make parties divide Churches and depart from their Communion bidding defiance to all Rule and Government and that out of a pretence of Conscience Now the way you speak of would tend much to the humbling such proud and prejudiced professors who under pretence of serving Christ serve not the Lord Jesus but their own Lusts which to gratifie they regard not the defaming and breaking the best Churches on Earth But other Churches and Elders will countenance abett and receive them as I have known some do Christ I must acknowledge it to our great sorrow and shame that is of some Elders and Churches that will be still taking part with the offenders and censured Members of other Churches and have no Conscience of the violation of the Communion of Churches but there is not many of them It cannot be expected but as among a great many Churches some will be disorderly and unruly so among many Churches some will be of that nature and become Common-shores for Mammon sake to all lawless ungovernable Members of other Congregations But a little more of this when we come to speak of the Communion of Churches Phil. What is that which you call direct Excommunication Christ It is when the Church by its decisive power adjudgeth a person an impenitent obstinate offender or grosly scandalous layeth him under a sentence of Excommunication Phil. What Rules are there to proceed by in that case Christ There are two sorts of Offences to be proceeded upon and accordingly are the Rules of proceeding 1. Cases of less hainous nature and privately committed as one Brother's sinning against another in lying defrauding purloining c. and so sins not publickly known not being so criminal and hainous In this kind of offences Christ hath laid us down the degrees of proceeding and if at last he is not convinced of his sin when the Church adjudgeth there is abundant ground of conviction laid before him it is to proceed to censure and he is to be looked upon as a Heathen or Publican that hath no right to Church-priviledges 2. There are some sins hainous more criminal publickly committed and known to the World such as Blasphemy Drunkenness Whoredom Perjury c. These sins are not to be dallied with in a gradual way of proceeding for they go before the sinner to Judgment and such are immediately to be proceeded against to Excommunication 1. Because it was so practised in the case of the incestuous person by the command of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.2 It is requisite it should be so for the vindication of the honour of Christ and his Church before the World 3. That whatever pretences there are of present remorse it is not meet such a person should be permitted to abide an actual Church Member under the reproach of such a Sin without suffering the utmost censure so long time as is requisite to satisfie the Church of the dueness of his remorse and truth of his repentance The dealing with the incestuous person after Excommunication is a rule to Churches to walk by in the like cases Phil. The receiving in of an Excommunicated person upon due Repentance is also by the decisive power of the Church Christ It is so for it is the same Key that opens to cast out and shut the Door and therefore must open it again to let in the Penitent Sinner upon his Repentance Phil. For what Sins is a person to be Excommunicated Some of your persuasion say not for any but hainous crimes such as the light of Nature condemns as Murther Adultery Theft Blasphemy And the Acts of those sins must be clearly proved too any scandalous actions leading to these sins will not bear the dreadful sentence of Excommunication As for example words of threatning and revenge and actions manifestly such lascivious carriages keeping ill and wicked company purloyning over-reaching cheating equivocating lying these are not sins with them to be excommunicated for nor any sins of omission As for example never to pray in a family or read the Word c. nor for great errours Christ I must confess I have much wondred upon what grounds some men speak and write in this case But I find it mostly was those that prudentially made this plea an evasion to excuse themselves from the exercising of any censure upon any Church-Member especially from questioning and dealing with any rich and honourable for any sin For Pastors are hereby pretty well secured upon this account from this trouble so long as there is none to be excommunicated but such as are burnt in the Hand at the Old Baily or whipt at the Carts Tail or condemn'd to be Hang'd at Tiburn But we have not this limitation from the Spirit of God but from corrupt man for there is no sin specified Mat. 18. yea any manifest sin is supposed by that text to be cause enough of Excommunication if a manifest impenitency be found in the offender and he be not by any due means to be reduced and brought to a sight and sense of the sin he is charged with and there is sufficient proof of it As for sins of ordinary infirmity they are watched against to be corrected by the brotherly admonitions of others and frequently bewail'd by our selves but not made the causes of Church censures Phil. In case one come under the censure of Excommunication in what form and manner is it usually denounced in your Churches Christ In the very Words which the Apostle Paul commanded the Corinthians to Excommunicate the Incestuous Person 1 Cor. 5. Phil. Is not that a dreadful curse to deliver one to Satan for the Destruction of the flesh c. I pray what doth these words import Christ The Sentence is very terrible and awful but it 's for a good and desirable end viz. The recovery of a Sinner from Sin and saving his Soul the words which you mention are of marvellous spiritual signification To deliver

Churches exercise of it's power 1. In Election of Officers 2. Admission of Members 3. Translating Members to other Churches Admonition and Censures 5. Contribution for the support of Ordinances Ministry and necessity of the Saints 6. I may add unto this Holy Conference for mutual Edification These are given either as peculiar Priviledges to the Churches such as the Seals and Keys of Discipline or primarily though for the Conversion and in order to the Salvation of others but for the sake of the Churches for their Multiplication growth and Confirmation in Grace Phil. Speak to these Gospel Ordinances particularly as to the distinct Nature End and Use of them Christ 1. The Preaching of the Word comprehends 1. The reading of it frequently in the Church 2. The opening and expounding of it 3. The applying it unto the Consciences of Saints and unbelieving Sinners according to the true intent thereof by Instruction Reprehension Exhortation Direction Consolation in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit 4. By the instilling and promoting the knowledge of God in the Mysteries of the Gospel by Catechizing Children Youth in such a way and manner as may conduce most to the enlightning their understandings in and bringing over their affections to the things of God in their tender years Phil. Sir I doubt in the last thing mentioned many if not most of your Churches have been too defective Christ I grant it and fear the next Generation will have great cause to complain of us for the Children of Church Members do manifestly grow up in Ignorance carnality and looseness little care is taken of most religious Parents and less by the Churches to educate them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord all or the chief of Parents care is how to provide well for them in the World Besides every way of Catechizing will not answer the end to learn a Catechism meerly by rote and a preaching upon it will make no more impression on their Ages than other preaching there must be care to instill in to their understandings by little and little in a plain and familiar way of discourse with them as they are able to receive if a great deal of Water be flusht on upon a narrow-mouth'd Bottle very little or none will go in but you may by a small stream and gradually fill it Ignorance in Religion is destruction of Religion it hath been the mother of all false Worship and Error in Doctrine and it 's evident it is the cause for the most part of the disorders in and among Churches Phil. To what Officers doth the ministration of the word in Churches belong Christ To the Pastor and Teacher if there be any they being the Preaching Elders that labour in the Word and Doctrine The Pastors work in Preaching seems to lye most in dealing with the Consciences and Affections of the hearers whether for Conversion or Edification The Teacher insists most on the enlightning the understanding by doctrinal Truths Catechising Argumentation and Conviction of gainsayers Rom. 12.7 8. If one Officer according to the present circumstances can perform his Office to the full edification of the Church in all these things it 's well if not then both are requisite as hath been spoken And the word is to be so preached as hath been said 2 Tim. 4.2 3. Eph. 4.12 Act. 2.42 the Apostles doctrine is the word that is to be Preached and to be attended on by us Phil. I look upon prayer and praises ab be great Church Ordinances as well as duties of a Universal nature to all and individual persons in private and secret Christ It is a solemn Church Ordinance expressed either way in publick prayers or in praises not only in the Prayers of a single person the mouth of the Congregation but in Psalms and Hymns That prayer is a Church ordinance and a duty to be performed frequently in the Church service see Act. 1.14 These continued with one accord in Prayer and Supplication so Act. 2.42 no other Ordinance can be duly administred without it Phil. I think there is no Christians but hold that Prayer is a Church Ordinance but I have heard some except against singing of Psalm in Metre as we do Christ That singing Psalms is an Ordinance of the Church I think is plain 1. That singing Praises to God with an audible voice was practised in the Apostles times by the Apostles Act. 16.25 2. That they are to be sung in the Church at the most solemn Ordinance of the Lords Supper is without dispute Mat. 26.30 Mark 14.26 3. That singing with words of Psalms and Hymns at the same time making melody in the Heart is recommended to us Eph. 5.19 so Col. 3.16 teaching and admonishing your selves so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred and not one another for thus Interpreters have rendred the same word your selves Eph. 5.19 in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Odes in Grace singing in your Heart to the Lord. From both which places singing Spiritual Psalms and Hymns for instructing and quickning a gracious Heart sweetly and affectionately carried forth in them is highly recommended to us by the Spirit of God And that it 's a duty to sing in conjunction with others appears by what was practised by our Saviour and his Disciples at the institution of the Lords Supper that they Sang an Hymn And by Paul and Silas in Prison but what the Holy Ghost sayeth expresly he expects of us Rom. 15.6 that you may with one Mind and one Mouth i.e. with sameness of Words and Heart glorifie God Phil. Some may say this is to use forms Christ A. 1. Tho' it be to use a form in Singing it 's not an imposed form but freely taken and chosen no more than the Ministers Text is imposed 2. A form allowed or enjoyned by the Spirit of God may and ought to be used as the words of institution in administration of the Seal of Baptism or of the Elements in the Lords Supper 3. The nature of the thing requireth that it be premeditated that the Singing be melodious i. e. orderly not with confusion and not in absurd dissonies Phil. But some are against singing in mixt Congregations Chr. They may as well be against publick Praying in mixt Congregations Doth not he that Prayeth endeavour to use such expressions as most may joyn with him in So he that propounds a Psalm or Hymn endeavours to suit it to the Congregation where and the time and occasion when it is to be sung It 's due to God from all his creatures to praise him it 's his Saints only bless him but it 's not in our power to judge the heart of him that joyns in a publick duty and if it be to be performed publickly as Praying and Preaching we are not to hinder any that will joyn with us if they are not upright in one or profited by the other the sin lyes on themselves to answer for it Phil. Which be the Seals of