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	jurisdiction_n	power_n	1,683	5	4.9363	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52316	The project of peace, or, Unity of faith and government, the only expedient to procure peace, both foreign and domestique and to preserve these nations from the danger of popery and arbitrary tyranny by the author of the countermine.	Nalson, John, 1638?-1686.	1678 (1678)	Wing N113; ESTC R3879	154,518	354

pure heart and good Conscience which commands Peace and forbids all Disorder and Disobedience which are destructive of it in the Church of God BUT to make this apparent so as that no Evasion may be found let us consider that Vnity of Faith is not sufficient to maintain Charity in a National Church unless there be also Vnity in point of Government for where men Live together imbodied in one political Society and are therefore daily conversant together it is impossible but they will discourse about the Modes as well as the Essence of Religion and supposing that all People had free Liberty to chuse after what manner they would serve and Worship God no doubt is to be made but every man would prefer his own choice both of Opinion and Practice before that of others and Esteem it most agreable to the Will of God and most conducive to the great Design of all Religion the Eternal Salvation of Mens Souls This undue preference of their own Way as it would naturally incline them to make as many Proselytes as possibly they could a Duty they would judge themselves necessarily and indispensably obliged to perform so would it necessarily put them not only upon defending and maintaining their own Way but of lessening and it may be debasing and vilifying all others in comparison of it Nor would others be less eager in searching out and Exposing their Errors and Defects thereby to Establish themselves and their Way of Worship in the good Opinion of their Followers to which Revenge for affront and indignity offer'd to what they Esteem most Sacred would contribute not a little so that all Religion would come to consist in frivolous and endless Disputes and Differences what kind of Breath what Tones Words Habits Gestures or Postures God Almighty is best pleased with and instead of that Charity which covers a multiude of Faults that would be the best which had the least and was best able to discover the Infirmities of all others and would seem to consist not so much in its own Excellencies or Perfections as by discovering the defects of those who did oppose it Nor would these foolish differences terminate in meer Words and Wrangles but proceed by degrees to the highest Animosities and Extremities of Hatred and such a hatred as inspires Men with the devilish Principles of indeavouring to Extirpate Root and Branch with Fire and Sword all those who differ from them it may be but in the Punctillo's of outward Ceremonies and they who shall appear most Zealous in Executing this blind and furious Rage shall be accounted most godly and Religious Murder shall be called Justice Wrong Violence and Oppression Punishments justly inflicted upon the Wicked Sacriledge shall pass for Piety and the most horrid and slagitious Enormities shall be dedicated to the Glory of God and be reputed acceptable service to him being done or however pretended with the design of propagating the Gospel rooting out Superstition False Doctrine and Heresie O meek and blessed Jesus thou innocent Lamb of God who takest away the Sins of the World is this the Religion which with thy precious blood was planted in the World and watred with the blood of so many of thy holy Saints and Martyrs Assuredly God is not in such terrible Hurricanes Whirlwinds and Earthquakes Tempests or Fires as rend the Mountains 1 Kings 19.11 12. and break the Rocks in pieces as shake and put all the Foundations of the World out of Course and consume all before them No no it is in the small still voice the calm and soft voice of Peace and Meekness that God and true Religion are to be found Alas it is not in this mans pompous breath nor that mans Eloquent Harangue that God is delighted it is not the rude and undecent Religion of him who despises all Ceremonies in the Worship of God who will not bend his knee or uncover his head for fear of he knows not what Idolatry Nor is it the over superstitious and courtly service of him who makes all his Religion groan under the Load of splendid Ceremonies that God is pleased with he has no more satisfaction in these Exterior demeanors than as the Psalmist says Psal 147.10 11. in the strength of an horse or in the legs of a man but the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy And all these outward Demonstrations of our Worship are only valuable according to their inward intention of promoting the main Design for which he intended them which is Peace Unity and Concord among the Sons of Men. NOW this blessed Peace this happy Vnity and this Christian Concord are not to be hoped for in any National Church but by submitting to such common Expedients in the Celebration of the Publique Worship of Almighty God as by putting an End to these Differences may lay asleep all these occasions of Divisions Disputes and vain janglings and may therefore cut off the root and occasion of Quarrels about the How God shall be served And this Power must either be granted to be in the Governors of the Church and Nation or otherways all falls to Confusion For if it be not in the Church then have not any Dissenters that Power over their Churches and therefore they go about an unlawful Action and are bold Usurpers over the Christian Liberty of their Brethren whilest they go about to Establish any Government in their Congregations if it be in the Church then either that Authority is in the Church of England or She is not a true Church Let them prove that and we will fairly and quietly yield them the Cause But if the Church of England be a true Church and a true Church have such a Power then ought all who are in that Community and Nation to be obedient to her Determinations because they are within the Verge of her Jurisdiction and they who are disobedient are guilty of the breach of Vnity and Charity and Enemies to Peace and if the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews be of any Credit they who do not follow Peace with all Men as well as Holyness and much more then with that Church which brought them forth and has nurst them in her tender Arms shall never see God And into what a desperate condition then have they reduced themselves who for want of this Charity Peace and Unity run themselves and their Disciples into the danger of being Excluded notwithstanding all their Holyness from the Glorious presence of God which in plain English is Eternal Damnation AH poor Church of England how justly mayest thou take up the Mournful complaint of God Almighty by his Prophet Isaiah Hear ô Heavens Esay 1.2 and give ear ô Earth I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me O miserable and deceived People How vainly do you Establish your hopes of Eternal Happiness upon principles of Dissention Who are made believe no way so secure to

Laws of God and Man just as they suit his Interest and his Inclination to make the Scriptures a Nose of Wax and the King and Church meer Heads of Wood and since the reason of Obedience is because we think it truth which is Commanded and that they who Command are better able to Judge for us than we our selves as being by God appointed over us for that Design should they be mistaken in what they Command yet the Judge of all the Earth who cannot do wrong would be so far from punishing that he would reward such Obedience because done according to his Command Nor shall the other for Commanding because they did it with a good Design provided when it does appear to them to be of ill consequence they cease to impose it any longer which is the true reason why many things in the service of God have been altered and abolished upon several Occasions THIRDLY It will be objected That by this Rule all the Gallicane German and other Protestant Churches who live under a Government which owns and Commands the Romish Discipline and Church will hereby be made Schismaticks to those several National Churches of which they are Members and that hereby a necessity is laid upon us to return to the Obedience of the Church of Rome for if those Churches may dissent from their National Churches and yet hold the true Faith why may not we why should their Disobedience be Lawful and ours Damnable To this I answer First That the Difference between those Churches and the National Church in which they are does not consist in Matters of Circumstance or Ceremony but in Matters of Faith and though I will neither undertake the Defence of those Churches either in Doctrine or Discipline yet I suppose they separate from the Roman Communion upon the account of the Impositions of that Church in Points of Faith such as are the Popes Supremacy never owned in France even by the Catholiques the Doctrines of Infallibility the real Presence by Transubstantiation Merit of Works and Supererogation Invocation of Saints Purgatory Adoration of Images c. and the Roman Church who imposes these as Articles of Faith is her self Schismatical if not Heretical from the Catholique Apolique Church of all Ages and therefore to depart from her where she departs from Truth is no more Heresie or Schism than it would be to depart from the Law of Moses or the Jewish Communion in Circumcision c. or of Mahomet if those were imposed as Matters of Faith by that or any other Church for the Apostles Rule holds good to the End of the World for all Christians in Matters of Faith and Manners Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 And would the Romish Church Impose no more upon Christians as necessary to Salvation than is contained in those three famous Creeds of the Apostles Nice and St. Athanasius and what is clearly contained in Scripture which have ever been the Standards of the Catholique Faith I think every good Christian over whom they may challenge a Lawful Jurisdiction ought to joyn with them in Communion of Government and even those over whom they can rightly challenge none ought yet to agree with them in the Communion of Faith Nay should they command many Ceremonies in the Service of God more than they do yet those who live in the Jurisdiction of that Church ought to submit to them for the maintaining of Unity Peace and Charity and I doubt not but the Foreign Protestants at least in Charity I hope so if there were no other matters of Difference between them would easily be perswaded to submit to all the Points of Government Ceremony and much more I remember what a Famous French Minister said to this Purpose when he was told that some of the English Nonconformists refused Communion with the Church of England because they were Enjoyned to wear the Surplice and other Vestments I wish says he that the King of France would command me to perform my Function in a Fools Coat so little did he think the outside and dress of Religion to be of the Essence of it and so necessary did he judge Obedience as well as true Faith to the Peace Unity and Happiness of the Church BUT Secondly Many of those Protestants have Licence and Tolleration given them to Celebrate the Worship and Service of God according to their own Way and by that Dispensation they are free from the guilt of Disobedience to the Civil Magistrate and for the Obedience they owe to the Church of Rome I presume they are willing to give it with all their hearts if Rome Exacted no more in matters of Faith than God Almighty requires as necessary to Salvation BUT the Case is clearly different betwixt our Dissenters and the Foreign Protestants for our Differences are or at least are pretended to be about matters of Polity and the Manner of performance of the Offices of Religion and let the Nonconformists prove us but Guilty of destroying one Article of Faith or imposing any thing to be believed or done contrary to the Scriptures and let them dissent from us in Gods Name and till they can do that their Separation will be a horrid Schism and their Nonconformity a manifest Disobedience to the Laws of God and Men. And should the Foreign Churches refuse the Communion of the Church of Rome and disobey the Princes whose Subjects they are commanding them if there were no greater Differences than Matters of Ceremony and Circumstance I doubt not but their Separation and Disobedience would deserve the same Character BUT supposing the Supreme Power of those Countries should absolutely prohibit the Protestants the exercise of their Religion I think they ought to obey and fall to the Old Arms of the Primitive Christians Prayers and Tears and not to the new Methods of Manaces making Parties and endeavouring by force of Arms to obtain that from Authority by Violence and Compulsion which they cannot by Perswasion A Practice shameful to the Protestant Cause and for any thing I can see if they Judg of all by the Example of our Dissenters more likely to perswade all Princes to Extirpate them out of their Dominions for Seditious Schismaticks and Dangerous Rebells than to Tollerate them as Innocent and Religious Christians THIS was the Custom of the Ancient Christians who Conquered more by the Cross than the Persecutors by all their Cruelty who overcame by Suffering and not by Rebelling A remarkable Instance of which we have in the Army of Julian the Apostate who were obedient to him as their Temporal Soveraign so long as he liv'd but after he had jested out his impious Soul with a Vicistî Galilaee and that Jovinianus was chosen Emperor which he refused as being a Christian and thinking the whole Army Pagans they all cried out Et nos sumus Christiani We are all of us also Christians Here were men in Arms a Powerful Number of Veterane and Victorious Legions