Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	church_n	ecclesiastical_a	3,085	5	8.2464	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25196	The case of ministring at the communion-table when there is no Eucharist stated and discussed, upon occasion of a treatise entitled, Parish churches turn'd into conventicles, &c. : together with some preliminary reflections made upon two papers in answer to that treatise.	T. A.	1683 (1683)	Wing A29; ESTC R21330	27,156	35

one of Moment and not every one of Moment but such as is stoutly and boldly defended makes an Heretick and Nonconformist in Ceremonials It is farther objected That to approve the Multitudes forwardness and Pretence of tender Consciences against Authority is to endanger the whole State of the Church I grant it to be most true that nothing can be more Pernicious to Ecclesiastical Order Unity or Charity than Charity pretended to Private and Ignorant men's Consciences against the wiser and Weightier Determinations of our Governours Especially we considering First that no Just Cause is given for to offend Conscience and Secondly that we must take their own bare word that their Consciences are really offended as is pretended and that not rather some other wicked Passions and Peevish Envious Ambitious Humour to be valued and give Laws to their betters wearing the Clothes of Conscience puts them upon such Perverse Disputings and Refractoriness To prevent which it seems to concern Governours to judge fully of the End and Use as well as Form of Laws and especially of the Form it self and accordingly to interpret and enjoyn what doth appear to be Legal and Canonical without suffering Custom insensibly but in Tract of time so strongly to encroach upon them that both their Authority and the things Commanded should become doubtful And that Variation and Exemption from Rule may proceed rather from their Particular Dispensation than the choice or Liberty of him that is Singular Now what those Cases are which may require an Equitable or Favourable sense rather than Literal or Rigorous some may presume to assign and I for my Part could alledge not only the unprofitableness in great Part not absolute for I make no doubt but considerable Benefit doth redound to the Deaf and not actually hearing being present dutifully at the Ministration of Gods Officer in Publick Prayers of such as are at Church at the time of the Communion Service at the Altar But mine own Infirmity which you know hath of late Years appeared too Notorious But I hold it more prudent to refer things of this nature to be judged and resolved in a Synod which God in his due time send for the Reformation of such Errours Obliquities and Defects as have and must necessarily creep into a Church without more Frequent General and Publick Review of the Rules of Discipline than hath of late Years been allowed And so I conclude professing all readiness to such Resolutions above mine own Understanding not exceeding my Bodily Power also Preliminary Reflections to the Ensuing Treatise occasioned by two Papers of the same Subject IN the beginning of March last receiving from a very good Friend and Reverend Brother I may more truely say Brethren a Printed Treatise entitled Parish Churches turned into Conventicles c. Wherein the Author endeavoured to shew that the Ministration of the Church of England not performed at the Communion-Table which he supposed to be commanded by the Church rendred the whole Conventicling and being desired to give mine Opinion of the same I tho under great Indispositions at that time applyed my self to declare my Judgement thereof in manner following which I returned to them that same Week not intending to have it made Publick But in July following receiving from the same hands two Papers more the one called Parish Churches no Conventicles c. in a Letter to his Friend N. D. and the other whose Title was Moderation a Vertue Or a Vindication of the Principles and Practises of the Moderate Divines and Laity of the Church of England c. in which an Appendix was specially added against the foresaid Treatise of Churches turn'd into Conventicles of which also I was desired to give my Sense I perceiving both the Replyers commended Moderation so much thought they nor any of their Perswasion could take it much amiss if I stepped in between the two Extremes viz. the Gentleman and his two Adversaries And to this Purpose I must declare my self to be much Scandaliz'd with the Title of the Gentleman's Book but upon later Information that himself upon better thoughts was not very well pleased with it I rested better satisfied and so should others too if it be so How far I approved the Work my following Discourse will shew On the other side when I discovered so much Gall and Bitterness on his Adversaries Part especially by O. V. I could not well brook the Treatment they gave him even supposing he erred and they had hit the Mark. But especially I observed how both were weakly hurried down the Torrent of Vulgar Acceptation and Sense of Moderation which doubtless they ought better a great deal to have understood before they built upon such a Slippery Sandy Foundation the whole Fabrick of their Tottering Discourses For to me this seems to be the great occasion of Divisions and Schisms that every man fancies to himself a Mean and Moderation comparing himself with himself And because he can instance in some on both hands that differ from him and therefore must needs be extream he applauds himself as having hit the Golden Mean Defining Moderation as he in Aulus Gellius did Man For being demanded what was Man answered wisely Socrates is a Man and himself was a Man So these men being demanded what is true Moderation in effect answer It is to do as they do and to be able to shew that both sides of them do otherwise than they Whereas upon due Examination according to the Rule of Moderation either of such Extreams as they call them are more Moderate than what they magnifie for such And to such Moderation as this Preduce Mr. Baxter's Unlearned as well as Vain and Vile Distinction of Occasional Communion As if constant Communion were not Occasional also And his Occasional Communion with the Church of England a little to turn the edge of the Arguments proving him to be such were not constant Schismaticalness notwithstanding this Plausible Shuffle If Occasional Communion be the thing they approve why do they not Communicate with the Church but when they have no occasion to go to a Conventicle and perhaps play the Minister there By which Occasional going to Mass and more constantly to a Canventicle may be called Moderation too And if some men of the Church of England leave the Communion-Service quite out while others use it in the Desk they may be termed men of Moderation too As he that lays claim to an whole Estate tho most unjustly is a moderate Man if he acquiesces with one Field or two for Peace sake when not a Foot is by Law due unto him And doth not the present Moderation come to this as if the Enemies of our Church should say thus as they truly may We have by innumerable false and wicked Slanders cast upon the Government and Governours and Service of the Church of England disaffected many People from them all And having so done we seasonably and successfully took Arms and beat them all down and confounded