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
A85427	An apologeticall narration, humbly submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament. By Tho: Goodwin, Philip Nye, Sidrach Simpson, Jer: Burroughes, William Bridge.	Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1643 (1643)	Wing G1225; Thomason E80_7	16,409	36

at least in each congregation whom we were subject to yet not clayming to our selves an independent power in every congregation to give account or be subject to none others but onely a ful and entire power compleat within our selves until we should be challenged to erre grosly such as Corporations enjoy who have the power and priviledge to passe sentence for life death within themselves and yet are accountable to the State they live in But that it should be the institution of Christ or his Apostles that the combination of the Elders of many Churches should be the first compleat and entire seat of Church power over each congregation so combined or that they could challenge and assume that authority over those Churches they feed and teach not ordinarily by virtue of those fore-mentioned Apostolicall precepts was to us a question and judged to be an additament unto the other which therefore rested on those that allowed us what we practised over and above to make evident and demonstrate and certainly of all other the challenge of all spiritual power from Christ had need have a cleare pattent to shew for it Yea wee appeale further unto them that have read bookes whether untill those latter wrytings of the two reverend and learned Divines of Scotland set forth after our return nor much more then two yeeres since and others of no elder date from Holland and one of our own Divines more lately written with much learning and ingenuity there hath been much settly and directly or with strength insisted on to prove that governement and although assert and inculcate it they do as their opinions yet the full strength and streame of our Non-conformists wrytings and others are spent rather in arguments against for the overthrowing the Episcopall government and the corruptions that cleave to our worship and in maintayning those severall Officers in Churches which Christ hath instituted in stead thereof in which we fully agree with them then in the proofe of a combined classicall Presbyteriall government as it is authoritatively practised in the most reformed Churches And whereas the common prejudice and exception laid into all mens thoughts against us and our opinions is that in such a congregationall governement thus entire within it self there is no allowed sufficient remedy for miscarriages though never so grosse no reliefe for wrongful sentences or persons injured thereby no roome for complaints no powerful or effectual means to reduce a Church or Churches that fal into heresie schisme c. but every one is left and may take liberty without controule to do what is good in their own eyes we have through the good providence of God upon us from the avowed declarations of our judgements among our Churches mutually during our exile and that also confirmed by the most solemne instance of our practice wherewith to vindicate our selves and way in this particular which upon no other occasion we should ever have made thus publique God so ordered it that a scandall and offence fell out between those very Churches whilst living in this banishment whereof we our selves that write these things were then the Ministers one of our Churches having unhappily deposed one of their Ministers the other judged it not onely as too suddaine an act having proceeded in a matter of so great moment without consulting their sister Churches as was publiquely professed we should have done in such cases of concernement but also in the proceedings thereof as too severe and not managed according to the rules laid down in the word In this case our Churches did mutually and universally acknowledge and submit to this as a sacred and undoubted principle and supreame law to be observed among all Churches that as by virtue of that Apostolical command Churches as wel as particular men are bound to give no offence neither to Iew nor Gentile nor the Churches of God they live amongst So that in all cases of such offence or difference by the obligation of the cōmon law of cōmunion of Churches for the vindication of the glory of Christ which in cōmon they hold forth the church or churches chalenged to offend or differ are to submit themselves upon the challenge of the offence or complaint of the person wronged to the most full open tryall examination by other neighbour Churches offended there at of what ever hath given the offence And further that by the virtue of the same and like law of not partaking in other mens sins the Churches offended may ought upon the impenitency of those Churches persisting in their errour and miscarriage to pronounce that heavy sentence against them of with-drawing and renouncing all Christian communion with them until they do repent And further to declare and protest this with the causes thereof to all other Churches of Christ that they may do the like And what further authority or proceedings purely Ecclesiasticall of one or many sister Churches towards another whole Church or Churches offending either the Scriptures doe hold forth or can rationally be put in execution without the Magistrates interposing a power of another nature unto which we upon his particular cognisance and examination of such causes professe ever to submit and also to be most vvilling to have recourse unto for our parts vve savv not then nor do yet see And likewise we did then suppose and doe yet that this principle of submission of Churches that miscarry unto other Churches offended together with this other that it is a command from Christ enjoyned to Churches that are finally offended to denounce such a sentence of Non-communion and withdrawing from them whilst impenitent as unworthy to hold forth the name of Christ these principles being received and generally acknowledged by the Churches of Christ to be a mutuall duty as strictly enjoyned them by Christ as any other that these would be as effectuall means through the blessing of Christ to awe and preserve Churches and their Elders in their duties as that other of claime to an authoritative power Ecclesiastical to Excommunicate other Churches or their Elders offending For if the one be compared with the other in a meere Ecclesiastial notion That of Excommunication pretended hath but this more in it That it is a delivering of whole Churches and their Elders offending unto Satan for which we know no warrant in the Scriptures that Churches should have such a power over other Churches And then as for the binding obligation both of the one way the other it can be supposed to lye but in these 2. things First in a warrant and injunction given by Christ to his Churches to put either the one or the other into execution and 2. that mens consciences be accordingly taken therewith so as to subject themselves whether unto the one way or the other For suppose that other principle of an authoritative power in the greater part of Churches combined to excommunicate other Churches c. to be the ordinance of God yet