Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A39224
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Communion of churches, or, The divine management of gospel-churches by the ordinance of councils constituted in order according to the Scriptures as also the way of bringing all Christian parishes to be particular Reforming Congregationall Churches, humbly proposed as ... a means of uniting those two holy and eminent parties the Presbyterians and the Congregationals ... / written by John Eliot.
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Eliot, John, 1604-1690.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing E508; ESTC R24949
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30,563
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42
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National Council 1. The present state of all the first Councils and of all the Churches combined with them 2. All the Causes that are transmitted by them unto the National Council 3. The Appeals if any such be All these being first read are delivered to them and so they are sent with their prayers and blessing 11. If these Councils foresee any future Sessions this quarter they may now agree upon the same if any Fasts or Feasts are to be kept by all their Churches they may now agree upon it and propose the Causes thereof 12. When these Elders do next meet in their first Councils they must prudently and faithfully report the good state of all the rest of the first Councils in the Province and of all the Churches combined with them and all other weighty affairs fitting to be communicated that so they may relate them to their Churches that these things may be mutter of joy praise thanksgiving prayer and obedience in all the Churches The particular Works of the National and highest Ecclesiastical Council within the Nation THe National Council being met at the stated time and place agreed on compleated and blessed then 1. The Moderator with the co attestation of the Ruling Elder his Associate is to declare unto them the present good estate of that Provincial Council which sent them as also the state of all the first Councils and particular Churches with them combined Also he declareth such casesâ—…s â—…s are transmitted by them unto this Council and such Appeals as are made unto them as part of the presentâ—… business of this Council All these things to be delivered in writing distinctly unto the Notaries who reade them all and then record the present good estate of that Province and all the Councils and Churches therein combined as also the matters that are from them dilated unto the present Council 2. The Moderator calleth all the rest of the Provincial Representatives in order who are to make the like declaration â—…s the Moderator hath done with the co-attestation of their Associate Ruling Elders All their Papers are to be delivered to the Notaries who are to reade and then record them distinctly with the present Ecclesiastical state of all the Provinces in the Nation whose Representatives do there appear make declaration thereof before the National Council 3. The Notaries are orderly to propose all the matters presented by the Provincial Councils when the Moderator requireth the same Care being had that the persons concerned be present and have free and competent liberty to argue answer object in due reverent and modest manner and to do what may be necessary for the finding out of the truth 4. If there be no Cases transmitted to them nor Appeals the affairs of all the Churches in the Nation are presently issued with glory and praise to the Lord Iesus the King of Peace 5. If any other person or persons within the Nation or of any other Nation have any Cases or Questions about Religion they may now have liberty of proposing the same to receive an answer 6. If any Cases of difficulty be such as that they cannot obtain an issue and resolution satisfactory then the Case must be recorded and stay untill by further consideration and discussion God shall please to reveal further light therein because there is no Higher Council to appeal unto for light within the Nation And in such casés so the Apostles did walk and teach the Churches to walk Phil 3. 15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us minde the same things But if the matter be of due weight and worth then either by Transmission or Appeal it may ascend unto an Occumenical Council 7. If any person or persons whose opinion or practice receiveth a judgement with counsel and advice in reference to the person or persons concerned and he or they rest not therein as to Peace and Order then if he or they be they many or few be not already under Church Censure the Church to which they belong are to proceed according to the determination of this Council in the case unto their Censure as the Church of Corinth did upon the advice of Paul 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. for the healing of their soules and bringing of them unto repentance and good order Which being effected the end of all this acting both in Conviction and Correction is attended And thus within the compass of one year the whole Order of Ecclesiastical Discipline hath its course and that in a most difficult case 8. But yet if he or they rest not such are high disturbers and must be suppressed by civil Power And in civil Order he that doth not submit unto and rest in as to peace and order the sentence of the Supreme Power is guilty of a Capital Offence and ought to be put to death by the Law of God Deut. 17. 10 11 12 13. and the reason is because Order is better then any of our lives It is a greater good to preserve Order then to preserve the lives of the wilfull and obstinate violaters thereof And the loss of Order and Peace in Ecclesiastical Government in the way of the Churches is of greater consequence then the loss of their lives Zec. 13. 3 6. 9. All things that are to be commended or committed to Civil Authority either from the Churches or in behalf of the Churches and Religion are to be resolved and acted by the National Council Where great care is to be had to keep a clear distinction betwixt Civil and Ecclesiastical Power and not to meddle or in the least intrude or intrench upon Civil Authority The usurpation of Antichrist upon the Civil Authority must ever keep the Ecclesiastical Councils in a vigilant fear of that aspiring pride a worm too apt to breed and grow in the breasts of learned and eminently gifted men if there be not a vigilant spirit of mortification and humble subjection unto Order 10 It will be necessary that an appointed Committee of this National Council be alwayes some or other of them resident near unto the Supream Civil Authority that they may speedily have notice of all occurrences that may have respect unto or concern the Ecclesiastical affaires of the Churches and may receive Commands from Authority about Fastings or Feastings according to the well or ill being of the affaires of the Nation or the Churches either at home or abroad and may call together the whole Council if there be any cause that it should be so c. 11. Such publick Fasts and Feasts as concern all the Churches in the Nation to solemnize which are not first commanded by civil Authority why may they not be appointed and agreed on by the National Councilâ—… such publick sins as are to be bewailed such mercies as are to
Synod both by themselves and by chusing such as may further promote the same in a National Council c. V. The Time of this Election is to be in that Session of the first Councils which doth immediately precede the stated Quarterly time of the Provincial Councils Meeting VI. The Order and Manner of this Election may be this The Moderator of that Session may first put this to vote whether they will send buâ—… one or more then one Teaching Elders for by the good Providence and rich Grace of Christ there may be sâ—…ndry able and eminent Lights in one first Council and such as that it were a publick injury and detriment to the Cause of Christ if they be not sent This provided That according to the Number of Teaching Elders a like Number of Ruling Elders be also sent with them The Manner of Election may be by Papers if they see meet which the Moderator and Notary are to take and number and manifest who are chosen and such as are chosen are by the Notary to be recorded VII The National Council doth consist of the most choice â—…oly able and eminent Lights in all the Provincial Councils by whom they are chosen and sent forth with their prayers and blessing Every Provincial Council chusing the most holy and able Elders both Teaching and Ruling that they have among them to constitute a National Council and to carry on the Ordinance of Counsel in that high and holy service of Christ and of all the Churches in the Nation yeâ—… and among other Nations if need be and when there is a calling thereunto VIII The Time of this Election is to be in that Session of the Provincial Councils which doth immediately precede the stated time of the Annual Session of the National Council The Order and Manner of their Election may be in all respects according to the forementioned Election in the Provincial Synod IX An Oecumenical Council is to consist of the most holy and eminent Lights in all the National Councils combined in this holy Ordinance of Mutual Counsel and may readily be ordered by this standard when the Lord shall in the riches of his grace give opportunity to exercise the same Touching the Duration of these Councils X. Every one of these Councils doth continue in being until according to Order a new Election be made the new Election doth antiquate the old Hence as the Primitive Church had Apostles alwayes in being for their help So there be at least three Orders of Ecclesiastical Councils ever in being in every populous Christian Nation who must at the stated Times and may at any â—…it time meet when the affairs of Christ and of any of the Churches do need and duely call for the same And when Christian Nations shall be thus combined there will be an Oecumenical Council ever in being yea and when all the World shall be combined there will be a great Oecumenical Council ever in being to order all ecclesiastical affaires in unity holiness and peace all the World over XI A principal objection ariseth against this fixing and stating of Councils viz. That although pro-renascent Councils are a divine remedy when troubles arise as it was at Antioch who also then finished the Council when the present work was finished but of fixed stated and permanent Councils we have no example nor doth there appear any ground iâ—… Scripture to bottom them upon Ans. The Primitive Churches had a stated and permâ—…nent way of counsel eminently and more then our stated and permanent Councils can be for they had the Apostles and Evangelists constantly among them And though they had fixed Elders in every Church yet they did need the visitations and frequently made use of the counsel of the Apostles and Evangelists who were the permanent Councils of the Primitive Churches And though it hath pleased the wisdome of our great Lawgiver to give us but one Example of an ordinary Council and that he hath done to be our perpetual guide in our ordinary way yet there be many examples of the Churches need of and frequent use of the Apostles and Evangelists counsel whom they had alwayes with them or knew when and where to repair unto them for their help And we finde by much and long experience that our Reforming Churches do stand in as much if not more need of constant and stated Councils as the primitive Churches did of the constant presence of the Apostles and Evangelists alwayes for their directive and often for their corrective â—…elp We finde by experience that our Churches do oftener need the directive help of Councils then the corrective and in both respects together we need them to be always in being Many good works for the promotion of the Gospel and Kingdom of Jesus Christ do stick long in the birth and languish yea oft miscarry and vanish for want of the help of Councils Sundry Churches also and remote places ly long in the dark without food and help for want of the orderly care of setled Councils Every bodies work is no-bodies But when all Churches are in order all know where their work lyeth Disorders likewise and insuperable distempers by long â—…retting and burning in the bosom of sundry Churches to the great dishonour of God and scandal to the Saints for want of stated Councils some or other refusing in the time of their temptations to submit themselves unto the remedy especially having that advantage that without their consent a pro-renascent Council may not be called or if called by some onely they have the less opportunity of doing good and are in the more danger of doing hurt Nor can it be said that there is no example nor ground of stated and permanent Councils in the holy Scriptures seeing the Apostles and Evangelists were so and more unto the Primitive Churches Hence also it was enough to give us one pâ—…tern of an ordinary Council there was no need for the continuation thereof whilst the Apostles and Evangelists did survive Object But doth not this strengthen the Argument for Bishops and such like Superintendents over the Churches for so they a gue Ans. Were there a like example in an ordinary way set down in Scripture for this work to be done by any one Man not extraordinarily called as there is for a Council then their Argument would have force with it but such â—… pattern or precept for it is not to be found And the way of Councils which is clearly instituted is sufficient to attain the end as we have found by pracious and pienteous experience though we are still defective in that we have not our Councils stated and we do finde great inconvenience by reason of that defect XII These Councils in the time of their duration may multiply or cut short their Sessions as need may require according as the business of the Churches and affairs of Christ may be more or less pressing and urgent XIII There be two sorts of their Meetings Staâ—…ed Occasional The