Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bishop_n	church_n	judge_n	1,391	5	7.0612	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45161	The two steps of a nonconformist minister made by him, in order to the obtaining his liberty of preaching in publick : together with an appendix about coming to church in respect to the people / published for a testimony in his generation by a lover of sincerity and peace.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1684 (1684)	Wing H3714; ESTC R32356	18,526	38

own Soul neither partaking with my Brethren in these Evils out of which I strive to bring them by my Example nor give occasion to the Conformist of any hardning who seeing in me a regard to Authority together with a care of my Conscience in my Explications he may come to be judged in his own Thoughts and being ready perhaps then to hearken to any ingenuous Admonition so long as it is tendred in such a way as is not affected or done with preference of my Understanding or Piety above his but with Humility and sense of my own failings at least in many other things wherein he so much excels me he may be brought the good Spirit of God graciously assisting to that Repentance which is meet towards God and that Reconciliation towards us which we seek with him And now if my Diocesan or Metropolitan which I would chuse rather or any other Bishop they refusing will vouchsafe me only this condescension in subscribing the Declaration to speak to their Register that in setting my name to his Book I may have leave to do it in these words According to a Paper delivered in by me to the Bishop I subscribe I see no reason but I may put my name to his Book as well as to this Paper and any other may do so too giving in the same or so much of it for all our Nonconformists have not their Exceptions alike as himself needs I would urge the Argument of Naamans Servants If the Nonconformists required some great thing of the Bishops for us to come in and unite with them especially under our common danger would not they do it and will they refuse us so small a matter If none of them for all that will be got to grant us this then must I commit the Cause of the Nonconformists to Almighty God to be Judg therein between them and us in this matter The Appendix BEING My Judgment about coming to Church and the Case of Private Meetings BEfore I leave my Province I think fit to reflect a little on what I have said in reference to my Brethren of the Nonconforming Party who will be apt many of them to be offended at me that I who am one of them should be so indifferent to either side as I appear which if it be a fault I confess it I am guilty of that impartiality or writing without respect of persons which I cannot help and if that fault will make the Episcopal Party bear with me more equally than my Brethren I think they deserve to be blamed Indeed I hope that as for the most part of the Dissenters it is out of the true Fear of God that they chuse the way wherein they go but though I think that Fear of God to be true I think it not pure and unmixt without Errour and without Imperfection They think I will suppose for I mean not as to all of them the going to Church unlawful and therefore set up Meetings As they do this then because they are afraid to sin it is the Fear of God but as there is Errour in this Fear doubting of that to be sin which is none this Fear turns to Superstition and Superstition can be no good ground for any thing a man does The evil they fear being no evil the cause for what they do is no cause and to separate from the Church without a cause I hold to be Schism For my own part I am persuaded in my Conscience that it is lawful to go to a Meeting and lawful to go to Church and I am sorry we have such a company of superstitious folks of both sides Men and Women of the Conformists that think it a sin to go to a Meeting and of the Nonconformist that thinks he sins if he go to Church when there is no Communion of Christians whatsoever where the Essentials of Christianity are but to separate from them without a cause whether on one side or other is Schism I say not that every Conformist therefore that goes to Church and never to a Meeting does incur this guilt because though he be locally never at a Meeting yet does he not mentally separate from the Meeters who holds them for all that to be true Christians and counts it no sin to joyn with them in Communion if he h●d reason Only he is himself well satisfied with the Service of the Church and he hath no reason for his going otherwhere It is not so on the part of the Nonconformist there is a Command of the Magistrate that he shall come to Church if he does not he must have some more prevailing reason or cause that will justifie his refusing it or else his Separation being causless I must still say cannot but be sin and consequently Schism If this please some it may be I shall displease them in what I say next and if it displease some I may next please them but I speak my Conscience A Person is set apart for the Office of the Ministry he being not able to conform is prohibited to Preach in Publick having a Call in Private he Preaches in a Meeting what is there in this which the Apostles own case does not justifie Whether it be meet to obey God or man judge ye I think moreover that the Commission of Christ which warrants a Ministers Preaching does also warrant the Hearers because Preaching and Hearing are Relata which will mutually draw one another I must add if some good men farther out of a sense of wrong to the Ejected do think themselves bound to come sometimes and hear such Ministers for acknowledging their Ministry and delivering their Souls from participation of the guilt of those that Ejected them especially if they were heretofore their own Pastors I take this to be so much more Christian and justifiable before God But if these Ministers and People do judg the Parish-Church no true Church or that it is a sin to go thither not having any Exception which is particular but what reaches all Parochial Congregations and upon that ground set up their Meetings I do not see this ground of theirs being a mistaken ground or this cause for their Separation being such as will not hold and consequently no cause how they can be justified from the aforesaid Imputation For the Minister to Preach I must inculcate upon the account of Christs Commission preferring his Masters Authority before Mans that is upon the plea of greater duty and for the People to come to hear by virtue of the same Commission upon the same plea still of farther or greater Edification as men go ordinarily to hear other Ministers than their own not in a way of Separation from the Publick Ministers or Parish-Churches but in Conjunction with them speaking still so far as concerns God's word I do maintain lawful But if any of my Brethren do offer another Plea that must draw with it a separation from the Parish Church whether it be that of holding such