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	place_n	1,819	5	4.5081	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44476	A tract concerning schism and schismatiqves wherein is briefly discovered the originall causes of all schisme / written by a learned and judicious divine ; together with certain animadversions upon some passages thereof.	Hales, John, 1584-1656.; Page, William, 1590-1663.	1642 (1642)	Wing H278; ESTC R2860	21,883	35

A TRACT CONCERNING SCHISME AND SCHISMATIQVES WHEREIN Is briefly discovered the originall causes of all Schisme Written by a Learned and Judicious Divine TOGETHER With certain Animadversions upon some Passages thereof OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD for Edward Forrest 1642. A TRACT CONCERNING SCHISME HEresie and Schisme as they are commonly used are two Theologicall scar crows with which they who uphold a party in Religion vse to fright away such as making enquiry into it are ready to relinquish and oppose it if it appeare either erronious or suspitious 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 appeare by comparison with Nature so men willing for ends to admit of no fancy but their own endeavour to hinder all enquiry into it by way of comparison of somewhat with it peradventure truer that so the deformity of their own might not appeare but howsoever in the common manage Heresie and Schisme are but ridiculous tearmes 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 in deed It is then a matter of no small importance truely to descry the nature of them that so they may feare who are guilty of them and they on the contrary strengthen themselves who through the iniquity of men and times are injuriously charged with them Schisme for of Heresie we shall not now treat except it be by accident and that by occasion of a generall mistake spread through all the writings of the Ancients in which their names are familiarly confounded Schisme 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 Civill whosoever therefore they be that offend against this Common society and friendlinesse of men if it be in civill occasions are guilty of Sedition or Rebellion if it be by reason of Ecclesiasticall difference they are guilty of Schisme So that Schisme is an Ecclesiasticall sedition as Sedition is a lay Schisme yet the great benefit 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 unlawfull 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 Schisme but due Christian animosity For the opening therefore of the nature of Schisme something must 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 Avatice 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 tryed nothing will serve to save us from guilt of Conscience but open separation so that Schisme 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 civill dissentions there are two attendants in ordinary belonging unto them one the Choyse of an Elector or Guide in place of the Generall or Ordinary Governor to rule and guide the other the appointing of some publique place or Randevous where publike meetings must be celebrated So in Church dissentions and quarrells two appurtenances there are which serve to make Schisme compleat First in the choyce 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 Schisme Secondly the erecting of a new Church and Oratory for the dividing parts to meet in publiquely For till this be done the Schisme is but yet in the wombe In that late famous Controversy in Holland De Pradestinatione auxiliis as long as the disagreeing parties went no farther then Disputes and Pen-Combats the Schisme was all that while unhatched but as soon as one party swept an old Cloyster and by a pretty Art suddenly made it a Church by putting a new Pulpit in it for the separating party there to meet now what before was a Controversy became a formall Schisme To know no more then this if you take it to be true had been enough to direct how you are to judge and what to think of Schisme and Schismatiques yet because of the Ancients by whom many are more affrighted then hurt much is said and many fearefull doomes are pronounced in this case we will descend a little to consider of Schisme as it were by way of story and that partly farther to open that which we have said in generall by instancing in particulars and partly to disabuse those who reverencing Antiquity more then needs have suffered themselves to be scared with imputation of Schisme above due measure for what the Ancients speake by way of censure of Schisme in generall 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 Schisme 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 judgements many times to speak most gently are justly to be suspected which that you may see we will range all Schisme into two rankes First there is a Schisme in which only one party is the Schismatique for where cause of Schisme is necessary there not he that separates but he that is the cause of separation is the Schismatique Secondly there is a Schisme in which both parties are the Schismatiques for where the occasion of separation is unnecessary neither side can be excused from guilt of Schisme But you will aske who shall be 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 or difficulty truly to assoyle it but because the true solution of it carries fire in the taile of it for it bringeth with it a piece of doctrine which is seldome pleasing to Superiors To you for the present this shall suffice If so be you be animo defaecato if you have cleared your selfe from froath and grownes if neither sloath nor feare nor ambition nor any tempting spirit of that nature abuse you for these and such as these are the