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	part_n	1,403	5	4.4637	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44486	A tract concerning schism and schismaticks wherein is briefly discovered the original causes of all schism / by the ever-memorable Mr. John Hales ...	Hales, John, 1584-1656.	1700 (1700)	Wing H279; ESTC R174	9,812	17

A TRACT CONCERNING SCHISM AND Schismaticks Wherein is briefly Discovered The Original Causes of all Schism By the Ever-memorable Mr. JOHN HALES Of Eaton College c. LONDON Printed in the Year MDCC A Tract concerning Schism HEresie and Schism as they are commonly used are two Theological Scare-crows with which they who use to uphold a Party in Religion use to fright away such as making Inquiry into it are ready to relinquish and oppose it if it appear either erroneous and suspicious for as Plutarch reports of a Painter who having unskilfully painted a Cock chased away all Cocks and Hens that so the Imperfection of his Art might not appear by Comparison with Nature so Men willing for Ends to admit of no Fancy but their own endeavour to hinder an Inquiry into it by way of Comparison with somewhat with it peradventure truer that so the Deformity of their own might not appear But howsoever in the common Manage Heresie and Schism are but ridiculous Terms yet the Things in themselves are of very considerable Moment the one offending against Truth the other against Charity and therefore both deadly when they are not by Imputation but indeed It is then a Matter of no small Importance truly to descry the Nature of them and they on the contrary strengthen themselves who through the Iniquity of Men and Times are injuriously charged with them Schism for of Heresie we shall not now treat except it be by Accident and that by occasion of a general Mistake spread through all the Writings of the Ancients in which their Names are familiarly confounded Schism I say upon the very Sound of the Word imports Division Division is not but where Communion is or ought to be Now Communion is the Strength and Ground of all Society whether Sacred or Civil whosoever therefore they be that offend against the common Society and Friendliness of Men if it be in Civil Occasions are guilty of Sedition and Rebellion If it be by reason of Ecclesiastical Difference they are guilty of Schism So that Schism is an Ecclesiastical Sedition as Sedition is a Lay Schism Yet the great Benefits of Communion notwithstanding in regard of divers Distempers Men are subject to Dissention and Disunion are often necessary For when either false or uncertain Conclusions are obtruded for Truth and Acts either unlawful or ministring just Scruple are required of us to be perform'd in these Cases Consent were Conspiracy and open Contestation is not Faction or Schism but due Christian Animosity For the opening therefore of the Nature of Schism something may be added by way of Difference to distinguish it from necessary Separation and that is that the Cause upon which Division is attempted proceed not from Passion or from Distemper or from Ambition or Avarice or such other Ends as Humane Folly is apt to pursue but from well weighed and necessary Reasons and that when all other Means having been tried nothing will serve to save us from guilt of Conscience but open Separation so that Schism if we would define it is nothing else but an unnecessary Separation of Christians from that part of the visible Church of which they were once Members Now As in Mutinies and Civil Dissentions there are two Attendants in Ordinary belonging unto them one the Choice of one Elector or Guide in place of the general or ordinary Governor to rule and guide the other the appointing of some publick Place or Rendezvous where publick Meetings must be celebrated So in Church-dissentions and Quarrels two Appurtenances there are which serve to make Schism compleat First in the Choice of a Bishop in opposition to the former a thing very frequent amongst the Ancients and which many times was the Cause and Effect of Schism Secondly The erecting of a new Church and Oratory for the dividing parts to meet in publickly For till this be done the Schism is but yet in the Womb. In that late famous Controversie in Holland De Praedestinatione auxiliis as long as the disagreeing Parties went no farther than Disputes and Pen-combats the Schism was all that while unhatch'd but as soon as one Party swept an old Cloyster and by a pretty Art suddenly made it a Church by putting a now Pulpit in it for the separating Party there to meet now what before was a Controversie became a formal Schism To know no more than this if you take it to be true had been enough to direct you how you are to judge and what to think of Schism and Schismaticks yet because of the Ancients by whom many are more affrighted than hurt much is said and many fearful Dooms pronounced in this Case We will descend a little to consider of Schism as it were by way of Story and that partly farther to open that which we have said in General by instancing in Particulars and partly to disabuse those who reverencing Antiquity more than needs have suffer'd themselves to be scar'd with Imputation of Schism above due measure for what the Ancients spake by way of Censure of Schism in General is most true for they saw and it is no great matter to see so much that unadvised and open Fancy to break the Knot of Union betwixt Man and Man especially amongst Christians upon whom above all other kind of Men the Tye of Love and Communion doth most especially rest was a Crime hardly pardonable and that nothing absolves Men from the Guilt of it but true and unpretended Conscience Yet when they came to pronounce of Schism in Particular whether it was because of their own Interest or that they saw not the Truth or for what other cause God only doth know their Judgments many times to speak most gently were justly to be suspected Which that you may see we will range all Schism into two Ranks First is a Schism in which only one Party is the Schismatick for where Cause of Schism is necessary there not he that separates but he that is the cause of separation is the Schismatick Secondly There is a Schism in which both Parties are the Schismaticks for where the occasion of separation is unnecessary neither side can be excused from the Guilt of Schism But you will ask Who shall be the Judge what is necessary Indeed it is a Question which hath been often made but I think scarcely ever truly answered not because it is a Point of great depth and difficulty truly to assoil it but because the true Solution of it carries sire in the tail of it for it bringeth with it a piece of Doctrine which is seldom pleasing to Superiors to you for the present this shall suffice If so be you be anima defaecato if you have cleared your self from Froath and Growns if neither Sloth nor Fear nor Ambition nor any tempting Spirit of that nature abuse you for these and such as these are the true Impediments why both that and other Questions of the like danger are not truly answer'd if all this be