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
A40709	The general assembly, or, The necessity of receiving the communion in our publick congregations evinced from the nature of the church, the Word of God, and presbyterian principles, in a sermon / lately preached in the Cathedral Church of Exeter by Francis Fullwood.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.	1667 (1667)	Wing F2504; ESTC R35476	18,644	34

Primitive Church every Lords Day and as if this were the Sum Total of all Worship all Liturgies seem to be compiled chiefly in order to it this Ordinance therefore is expresly known by the name of the Communion and I could heartily wish that many that attend our Prayers and Sermons do not hence conclude they are yet none of us they have no Church-Fellowship or Communion with us because they refuse to Communicate with us in the Lords Supper My matter is now fitted I hope for a very serious application to which I hasten as my great aim I Doubt not but you all remember what joy and encouragement Application General the context offer'd us to Come unto to Joyn with and continue in the Fellowship of the Church of God For we thus come to the General assembly we have Communion with our own Church and with all in every place that Worship God and at all times too with Adam and Abel with Abraham Isaac and Jacob with N●a● Daniel and Job with all the Patriarchs Confessors and Fathers the glorious company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the Prophets the Noble Army of Martyrs and the holy Church throughout all the World Yea thus you dwell in the holy Hill Moun● Sion the new and heavenly Jerusalem where even in this life you have fellowship with Myriads of Angels who have the charge of you where you have fellowship with Jesus Christ as Mediatour and all the virtues of the blood of sprinkling and thereby also in the pardon and favour and presence and glory of God himself the Judge of all Who would not covet who would not stedfastly continue in and carefully improve such a society where such are priviledges of every member and such honour have all it's Saints Let us then hold fast the profession of our fa●th without wavering when the blessed Apostle preach't this Doctrine this was the use he made of it Seeing we are all come to this General Assembly let us never depart from it never forsake the Assembling our selves together as the manner of some is This in the Apostles sense is not only to let loose but to let go the profession of our faith ye have heard of the excellent unity of this General Assembly tremble to think of breaking it ye have heard of the glor●ous advantages of all that come to it and have true and sincere fellowship with it let us therefore fear least any of us should seem to fall short of Ca● 4. 1. them The Apostle speaks bitterly so some would express it Mark those saith he that cause divisions and offences R●m 16 17 and ●void them he useth a hard some perphaps would think it a railing word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies dissention causing Schism or Separation yea Sedition and Faction whereby they greatly Scandalize wound and divide the Church therefore the Apostle chargeth the Church with some heat that they should mark such and avoid them that they should mark them as men do a Rock at Sea that they may avoid ruine and sh●pwrack There are two degrees of Schisme The first is a renting and dividing in the Church 'T is against this the Apostles indignation ariseth as you have heard this therefore doubtless in his opinion whatever favour we have for it was a very great sin but the other is a renting our selves or others from the Church And this is so great an evil that 't is both sin and punishment 't is its own guilt sentence and execution If we rent our selves from the Body how do we Extra Ecclesiam nulla Salus hold the Head If we depart from the Church where shall we finde salvation and what is it to draw back but to draw back unto perdition Pardon my plainness censure not my charity for I only repeat the Apostles Arguments which he once used upon the same exhortation they are these and such like To forsake the assembling of our selves together is to despise the Gospel Heb. 6. is to shame and crucifie Christ is to prophane his Blood and rent and tear his Sacred Body and if those Heb. 10. 25. to 30. that desp●sed Moses Law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall these be thought worthy to forsake the assembling our selves together is by the Apostles interpretation a si●ni●g w●●fully and if we sin wilfully by the Apostles Argument there remains no mere sacrifice for sin and what then remains I fear to speak it a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation that shall devour the adversaries for Heb. 2. 3. Phil. 4. 1. how shall they escape that neglect the means of so great salvation If there be therefore any Corsolation in Christ to be expected in his Church and Ord●nances if any ●omfort of love among Brethren If any fellowship of the Spirit in the Assemblies of Gods people if any bow●l of mercies towards your own and others souls towards us that watch for them towards this divided distressed calamitous Church of England and the General Assembly Remember ye are Subjects of the same Kingdom ye are Children of the same House Partners in the same Fellowship Members of the same Body and that ye have all these Relations only or chiefly in order to Communion let this minde then be in you and rejoyce in the gates of Sion co-habit in the Courts of Gods House and with one accord and one minde preserve the Unity of the Church and save your selves from this untoward Generation dreading to make the least breach when a Torrent of Popery or Irreligion threatens daily to break in upon us So sad a prospect is in my eye that were my words Spirit and Life or had I the Tongue of Men and Angels could I utter power and effects or pronounce a fia● like to Gods I say if our divisions continue or increase so black a prospect is in my eye that pretend not to see afar off that I should imploy all my strength and Oratory here to advise and perswade you all to Worship the Lord Jesus Christ in the Unity and fellowship of his Church Obj. BUt why so earnest especially with us we could not hear your reproof did not our presence confute it or receive this counsel but by shewing we need it not do not we attend the Word and Prayer do we forsake the General Assembly Answ So far you have run well yet you must be remembred I am sorry you must that the Apostles fellowship consisted not only in Doctrine and Prayers but in BREAKING OF BREAD 'T is sad that the Communion Application ●pe●ial should be the great matter of our Division but the Text and our present condition assure us that by BREAKING of Bread we may be ONE BODY again and now you may see my MARK Three things especially give life and vigor to an Argument the seasonableness of it the necessity of it and the capacity or disposition of the persons to whom it

haply think to evade all by saying you do not despise the Ordinance or neglect it for though you do not receive with us in Publique yet you do receive in private for consult your own principles and this will not serve your turn nor to be plain excuse you from Schism If you count it nothing to dishearten your Minister and to break the Laws both of Church and State yet ask your own hearts why you refuse to Communicate Publickly Whether it be not to avoid Communion with a wicked generation Ask again if so whether this be not a Schismatical separation unjustifiable by your own principles as hath been said Indeed the not having Actual fellowship with every particular Congregation which is morally impossible is not Schism but doubtless to Refuse Communion with any particular Church on such a ground is Schism in it self and your own Doctrine Let me once again reason with you will you yet rather then break bread with it will you rend and break the Church in pieces rather then have Communion with the body of Christ will ye divide and tear it When your mind is satisfied if you hea●ken to it that it is sin in you and so great a sin to do so as the pleasing of your selves or others can never Compensate Moreover I hope you will not mistake me if out of my tender affection to you I desire you seriously to weigh with your selves what comfort will suffering afford you if the cause be sin and Schism and your own Hearts conspire with the Laws to Judge and condemn you or to use the Apostles Words if the sentence of rejection should pass against you as such as being subverted and sinning are you not self judged and self-condemned or what have you to answer for your selves Tit. 3. 10. that you should not answer the Laws I provoke not the Law I would fain provoke you to your duty LAstly would you be perswaded to Comply with this duty how greatly would you Advantage both your selves and your Generation and is not this considerable with prudent persons Certainly it is I need not present you with Arguments of your own interest and advantage they are always with you your peace your grace your Spiritual and Temporal comfort very much depend on this Ordinance and your worthy receiving of it shall I adde your Estates the good of your families yea the interest of that which you call your party are herein concerned Consider the Laws and the extent of them What is the plea of your Adversaries but that your general refusing throughout the land to Communicate with us looks like a Conspiracy and a dangerous sign of your reserving a body to confront if occasion invites both the King and the Church and how can this be so well answered as by your thorough embodying with us and sealing the un●ty openly in the Lords Supper What is the Hope of our Common Enemies but our sad divisions among our selves and which way can we frustrate them but by our Communion What is the ground of all our fears the means of continuing our distractions at home the Confidence of Neighbour Nations that have War with us but this one thing our differences and jealousies among our selves kept up by our distance in the Worship of God you are very near us take but this step farther And evidence your Friendship by your ●ellowsh●p with us in the Supper of the Lord and all these Black Clouds are gone What else remains in outward appearance to make us quiet and happy to establish a Flourishing Church and State an Object of Envy but above the Malice of all the Nations round about us I speak unto Wise men Judge ye what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS