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
A81501	The Discipline and order of particular churches, no novelty. Proved from Scripture, reason, autiquity, and the most eminent modern divines. Or, A discourse of the church, in a scripture notion, with her extent, power and practice, tending to moderate the minds of men, toward dissenters in matters ecclesiastical, and to acquit such from the charge of innovation, faction, separation, schism, and breach of union and peace in the church, who cannot conform in many things to the rules, canons, and practices of others. / By a Lover of truth, peace, unity, and order.	Lover of truth, peace, unity, and order.	1675 (1675)	Wing D1558A; ESTC R174652	61,995	98

of the Churches were chosen by the Churches or else how in any tolerable sense can they be said to be the Church in either of the two first Descriptions And then surely it will follow That all the Power that by the Scripture is placed in the Church of God as such as to the Execution thereof is derived upon the particular Churches Societies or Congregations for the management of Church-matters within themselves as to Meeting the Ordering of Circumstances of Worship casting out of Offenders choosing Officers Ordering things indifferent c. according to the Laws of Christ given us in Precept or Example of Scripture and practice of purest times and the determination of these things is given to each Church the same Power by the same Rule The Magdeburg Divines Singulae Ecclesiae parem habebant c. Cent. 2. Cap. 7. Col. 134 135. Says That every Church hath a like Power of Teaching Gods Word Administring Sacraments Excommunicating and absolving Sinners of calling and choosing her Ministers and for just cause again to depose them to Exercise the Ceremonies received from the Apostles and also for the cause of Edification appoint New ones this they prove by many Authors And Bishop Jewel in his Epistle to the Council of Trent agrees to this in these words We know saith he there that the Spirit of God is not tyed to places nor to numbers of Men tell it to the Church saith Christ not to the whole Church spread over the whole Earth saith the Bishop but to a particular Church which may easily meet in one place Wheresoever saith Christ two or three are gathered together in my Name Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament p. 166. agrees this there I am in the midst of them When Paul saith the Bishop would Reform the Church of Corinth and the Galatians he did not command them to expect a general Council but only wrote to them That what error soever or Vice was amongst them themselves should presently cut it off Hist Concil Trident. p. 860. English Translation And in the same Council it was alledged against Episcopal Assemblies Naz. ad Procop. Epist 42. out of Gregory Nazianz. That Contention hath been always increased by Episcopal Assemblies The same Hist Lib. 7. p. 706. That these particular Churches or Societies were made up of Professing Believers Voluntarily joyning themselves together and that it was each Believers Liberty to joyn himself to what Society Church or Number of Christians he pleased or was most convenient for him And that it was the Churches power to admit such who desired so to joyn unto them And that this Liberty continued to particular Churches and Christians many hundred years See Justice Hubbard in the Case between Colt and the Bish of Coventry and Litchfield we think none can deny if they do let them shew a President Authoritative against it Thus it was in the beginning The Disciples were all together in Solomons Porch and of the rest durst no man to joyn himself to them but the People magnified them Acts 5.12 13. So Acts 9.26 Saul assayed to joyn himself with the Church in Jerusalem who being satisfied about him received him Nothing of any Law of God or the Church in those days nor in some Ages after to confine Men to joyn themselves to or continue with this or that particular Church or Society or to this or that Church so and so formed and Governed No nor can we find any such Law made by any of the first Christian Emperors but still left free It was thus alledged at the Council of Trent That the Division of Parishes was first made by the People when a certain number of Inhabitants having received the Faith built a Temple for the Exercise of their Religion hired a Priest and did constitute a Church which by the Neighbours was called a Parish and when the Numbers were increased if one Church and Priest were not sufficient those who were most remote did build a Church beside and fit themselves better Hist Conc. Trident. Lib. 6. p. 498. And Mr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicum affirms That Men are not bound by the Law of Nature to associate themselves with any but whom they shall think fit And that every one entring into a Society should consent and submit unto the Rules of it which saith he at mens first entring into the Society of a Church was requisite to be done by the express and explicite consent of the parties themselves being capable c. And for Children he saith That it is highly rational that when they come to Age they should explicitly declare their own voluntary consent to submit to the Laws of Christ and conform themselves to the Profession of Christianity which saith he might be a probable way and certainly most agreeable both to Reason and Scripture to advance the Credit of Christianity once more in the World c. That one great cause of the flourishing of Religion in the Primitive times was certainly the strictness used by them in their admission of Members into their Church-Societies These are Mr. Stillingfleets own words see them in p. 132. 134. And as to the Churches admittance of Members and of such as joyn themselves the same Stillingfleet saith in the same Book p. 134 135. That none were admitted but such into whose Lives and Carriages they had enquired to discern their seriousness in their professions of Christianity and find true Repentance and Reformation of Life a profession of Faith and answerable Life to the Gospel without which it was not Lawful to admit them and this he proves there by Origen Justin Martyr c. And as to an explicit Covenant by such he saith That if by an Explicit Covenant be meant a real consideration between those who joyn themselves together in Gospel-Ordinances in Order to their being a Church he koweth none will question it that knoweth what it is that maketh a Society to be so which is such a real consideration with one another Again That though every Christian be bound to joyn with some Society or Church yet not being determined by Scripture to what particular Church they should joyn therefore saith he for Christians better understanding what their mutual Duty is one to another who is their Pastor to whom they owe the Relation of Members That there should be some significant Declaration either by their Words or Actions of their willingness to joyn with such a particular Society in Gospel-Ordinances Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament p. 322 323 324. This he grants to be necessary too And further That when Churches are over-run with Looseness Ignorance and Prophaneness this is useful saith he if not necessary Yea that at all times it seems the most likely way to advance the Practice Power and Purity of Religion See it more at large p. 138. 140. If it be Objected That though the Law of God or Nature hath not yet that there are Laws of Men that do determine the

doctrine And we find the seven Churches in As●● acting thus and not one blamed for the neglect 〈◊〉 another in this matter nor one commended for th● good in another but each Church for it self Perg●mus blamed for having such amongst them that he● the doctrine of Balaam Thyatira for suffering th● woman Jezebel to teach and seduce c. The Churc● of Ephesus commended for trying the false Ap●stles Magdib Cent 1. l. 2. cap 7. Col. 522. Rev. 2.2.14 15 20. which clearly shewe● that these Churches had no dependency one of an●ther but each had power both to try false teacher and to have cast them out not to have suffered the● amongst them and the not doing it or the d●ing of it accordingly is taken notice of by th● Lord Jesus Christ as a neglect or a work of ea●● Church as particularly and alone concerned and 〈◊〉 the whole body of each Church as is evident 〈◊〉 those places and these words there used in th● close of what was written to each Church He● what the Spirit saith to the Churches not to th● Officers or particular Persons offending or Bishop but the whole and they blamed for suffering su●● Persons amongst them That those Churches we● but particular Societies or single Congregation● and the things spoken are spoken to the whole bod● of each Church Ambrosius Ausbertius Perkin● and Brightman affirm And also Dr. Tulke Tydal and the Old Translators call them seven Co●gregations Ephesus one and that said to be b● one Flock Acts 20. For at this time were m●titudes of Jews and Heathens in this City Ye● ●en Polycarp their Bishop was called out to suffer ●●re were but few Christians in that City as Eu●ius History tells us The Presbyterian Divines ●ree this See Smect p. 40 41 43. Tertul. also tells us That in these Congregati●s these things were done In these Assemblies ●●ith he we make Exhortations and Threatnings 〈◊〉 Divine Censures that banisheth Sinners and ex●deth them from our Communion We Judge ●●m saith he with very great Circumspection ●cause we know that God is in the midst of us ●d knows what we do Apol. Cap. 39. p. 137. 〈◊〉 this the Magdeburg Century Writers fully ●ree And also sets forth the manner how the Con●egations did it Cent. 1. Lib. 1. Cap. 4. col 158. ●b 2. Cap. 4. Col. 358 359. Cap. 6. Col. 498. ●●d again they prove this from Augustine Cent. ● Cap. 4. Col. 380 381 382 383 384. And ●ain they say from Ambrose ad Valentinianum ●peratorem That those Churches had this Pow● and none else and this ought to be done openly the Congregation the People being present Cent. ● cap. 7. col 500 501. And that in the Epistle the Roman Presbyters to Cyprian it is affirmed at the Presbyters Deacons and Lay-People ●re wont to be together in Councel and to speak ●d confer their own sence and mind in these things those days Cent. 3. cap. 7. col 176.152 153. ●●d that Cyprian himself saith That as the Peo●e and whole Church hath Power to choose their ●●n Ministers So if the Bishops did fall into He●ie they were deposed by the Clergy and Peo●e and they appoint another And that it was ●t Lawful for the Bishop to do any thing herein ●thout the Peoples Councels Cent. 3. cap. 7. col 173 174 175 176. And again they say that Origen did rebuke the Pride of some Priests those days who did despise the Counsels of t● Inferior Priests and Lay-Men Cent. 3. cap. 7. c● 151 152 153. Many more Testimonies might 〈◊〉 offered for the proof hereof in those days no● denying it or practising otherwise for many Ag● And Mr. Stillingfleet Mr. Vines upon the Sacrament P. 129 173 194 195 196. agrees all this f●lly And also saith That God gave this great Charter to the Church not the Emperor and that God gave it to them as a Church in the same Irenicum p. 4● saith as to a Power arising from mutual compa● and consent of Parties he acknowledgeth a Pow● to bind all included under that Compact Not 〈◊〉 virtue of any supreme binding Power in them b● from the free consent of the Parties submitting sai● he which he saith there is most agreeable to th● Nature of Church-Power being not Coersive b● Directive and then he avers That such was t● Confederate Discipline of the Primitive Church b●fore they had any Christian Magistrate From whic● words of his may be gathered That there was 〈◊〉 Agreement amongst Christians of each Society 〈◊〉 Congregation to submit to the Laws of Christ f●● he saith none can be bound but those that consen● and it canno tbe supposed that such a confederatio● or Agreement can be well made amongst more tha● can conveniently meet in one place as a Churc● that all are bound who do thus Confederate or joy themselves together in a Society and that this Society and Church by virtue of this Confederatio● as a Church hath Power in this case to deal wi●● as many as do come amongst them and consen● Especially since he hath in the same Book p. 13● agreed that a real confederation ought to be b●tween those who joyn themselvas together in Go●pel-Ordinances in Order to their being a Church and saith that none will deny this who know what it is that makes a Society to be so which is ●●ch a real confederation with one another And ●●terwards p. 148 149. to the matters in hand more ●xpresly he saith these things That the Jews being ●●e Church of God secluded Men from their So●eties which saith he may be looked upon not 〈◊〉 a civil but a Sacred Action and that they had ●●is Power of Excommunication and for the Chri●●ian Church he saith the practice of Discipline ●pon Offenders was never questioned c. That ●ence saith he we gather in that it hath been the ●ractice of Societies constituted for the Worship ●f God to call Offenders to an account for their Of●ences and if upon Examination they are found ●uilty to exclude them their Societies and that it 〈◊〉 the dictate of the Law of Nature That every Offender against the Laws of a Societie must give ●n account of his actions to the Rulers of the So●iety and submit to the censures inflicted on him ●rom all which sayings of his this will follow That every particular Church or Society joyning ●ogether by a Confederation amongst themselves ●ave this Power within themselves to call Offenders ●o an account and to seclude them their Society if ●here be just cause found Yet take one place more ●f him and then we shall leave this as undenyable it is in p. 228 229. where he saith It must in rea●on be supposed that all Matters of the Nature of ●candal to the Church must be decided there Mat. ●8 And there he Argues the Lawfulness of Ex●ommunication in Christian Churches and adds ●his For if every Person saith he might with●raw from the Society of such a one as continued ●efractory in