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	word_n	1,785	5	4.1063	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03409	The Churches authority asserted in a sermon preached at Chelmsford, at the metropoliticall visitation of the most Reverend Father in God, VVilliam, Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Grace, &c. March 1. 1636. By Samuel Hoard B.D. and Parson of Morton in Essex.	Hoard, Samuel, 1599-1658.	1637 (1637)	STC 13533; ESTC S104116	44,865	76

moment for their matter or use as their holy kisses standing while they prayed on the Lords day the tasting of hony and milk by the persons to be baptised ad infantiae signifi cationem to signifie their infancy in Christ as S. Hierome saith alluding to that speech of S. Peter As new borne babes desire the sincere milk of Gods word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 2. Rites of very good use while their equity continued but yet fitted only to the present times Such an one was the abstinence from Idolothytes things strangled and blood imposed on the Gentiles by Apostolique authority Acts 15. For this as it was enjoyned only in favour of the peevish Jews who counted some meats uncleane and were kept off from Christ because those abominable meats as they thought them to be were eaten by the Christians so it was to live no longer than the scandall continued Of this nature was the custome of baptising people that were to be entred into the Church at the two great festivals of Easter and Whitsontide only except in case of present necessity and in the mother Churches of their severall countries and no where else This order was a very good one during those times both in respect of that Sacrament which hereby became the more reverend and sacred and of the persons to be baptized who had liberty by this to prepare the better for their journies to those mother Churches which sometimes were very far from their dwellings and to get themselves sufficiently catechized in the Christian religion that they might be able to give an account of their faith before they received their baptisme Nor was this custome prejudiciall to any of them because being for the most part men and women they were not subject to sudden death as tender infants are and if by sicknesse or any casualty they were brought into danger of death they found the favour to be baptized But the equity of this custome continued no longer than the conversion of Gentiles lasted and therefore extincta gentilitate when Paganisme was almost swallowed up of Christianity and the only persons to receive this badge were children borne in the Church who by reason of their tender infant age were uncapable of instruction and subject to manifold deaths and dangers and so might frequently have ended this life before they had received the Sacrament of another life should they have been deferred and put over to those two times this order began to expire 3. A third sort were such Rites as were chastly used at their first institution but afterward by the licentiousnesse of people did seeme to be accompanied with inseparable abuses of this sort were those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned Iude 12. feasts of charity and those meetings together in the night which they called vigills because they were wont to watch together in prayer even till midnight especially in the night before Easter All these the Church hath abolished though in a different way Some were suddenly and in an instant removed as the use of pictures in the Church by the a Elibert Counc Elibertine councill Ne quod colitur in parietibus depingeretur that that which was to be worshiped might not be painted upon walls and the threefold dipping by the fourth Toletane councill because abused by the Arrians Conc● Tolet. 4. c. 5. others were suffered like old buildings to run to ruine by degrees till they fell of themselves Some she hath clean cashiered others she hath only changed into somewhat else not unlike them as vigills into fasting dayes and live feasts into collections for the poore Now though the causes why these have been abrogated were particular yet the ground on which the Church did it and by which she must be justified in so doing was the nature and quality of those Rites being all humane constitutions and her authority over things of that nature either to make or marre as occasion serveth for the hand that gives them life may strike them dead Nor may the Church only alter and abolish old ceremonies but adde new either for the begetting of an honourable respect to Gods ordinances or the stirring up of our dead devotions in his service (b) So● eccl hist●l 6. c. 8. Socrates tells us that the custome of singing Anthems in the Church was brought in by S. Ignatius the Bishop of Antioch because having heard some Angels in a vision chanting out the praises of God with interchangeable notes hee thought it would be a good exercise for Gods earthly Angels in their publique assemblies which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heaven on earth And S. Ambrose because hee made account that singing had no small efficacy in it ad commovendum ad pictatem animum to move the minde to godlinesse saith S (c) Aug ep 1 ●9 Austin in one place and lest the people being heavily afflicted with the Arrian persecution Moeroris tadio contabesceret should pine away with too much sorow saith the same Father in another (d) Aug conses l. 9 c 7. place appointed singing to be used in the Oh of Milan And from these two Bishops drew that custome of singing in the Easterne and Westerne Churches its originall What was Ignatius and S. Ambrose if we look at their authority more than other Bishops of the Church that liberty therefore which they had to make new orders when they saw cause have all other Prelates in their Churches so far as the laws of the lands in which they are will permit It is an envious outcry therefore which is made among us that Popery is comming in Alteration of ceremonies no argument of Popery and Gods true religion going out because some seeming alterations are made in our ceremonies and some new ones are by the examples of Superiours commended to our use or rather some ancient customes which have been continued in our mother Churches revived in others A heavy charge it is and had need be well proved by them that thus clamour or else it is a foule slander and so indeed it is For what are ceremonies to doctrine What is the use of the Churches liberty in these things to Popery May not the apparrell alter and the body remaine the same May not ceremonies which are the clothing of the Spouse admit some changes and the doctrine remaine inviolate Must Antichrist needs peep in because our Bishops doe use the liberty which they ever had A rumour it is that argues either ignorance or envy or vain-glory In some perhaps but ignorance 1. Of the difference between substance and ceremony doctrine and discipline 2. Of the Churches power to adde withdraw and make a change in these things if cause be offered And I would wish all such to labour to be better instructed and till they be to hold their peace and neither trouble themselves nor others with things they understand not But Envy I am afraid and ill-affectednesse toward those that are above them in

the Church is the cause of this outcry in too many because their eyes are too weak to look upon the lustre of those Stars in the Church or their wills untaught to keep their laws or beare their censures therefore they dart their bitter and biting words upon them like those Salvages who shoot their arrows at the Sun because he scorcheth them with his beams Let such take heed lest while they resemble the devill in his sinne and maligne the happinesse of others they be not made like him in punishment and lose their owne If this envious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be no cause yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vainglory with which too many are inebriated may occasion these uncharitable reports Absalons ambitious traducing of his fathers blessed government to advance his owne doth plainly enough shew that the slandering of governours for the getting of a private name is a trick and peece of artifice as old at least as Absalon Who sees not that this is a ready way for men to get a great opinion among the people either of singular prudence that they are able to discerne Antichrist in his swadling clouts and descry him while he is but putting in his head at the doore or of admirable zeale and piety that they are such as cannot behold the declining of the Gospels purity and the sad approach of superstition without complaints and outcryes But let me tell them 1. That this odious rumour having no sufficient ground to stand upon is but a slander and which is worse Scandalum magnatum a blaspheming of dignities a sin which S. Peter attributeth to notorious presumption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they tremble not to speak evill of dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 2. That a slander is not the right way to true honour never was true zeale kindled at a kitchin fire nor ever sweet name built on the ruine of a private mans much lesse of a whole governments reputation Once Herostratus set fire on the glory of the world for a building Diana's magnificent Temple to get a name and a name he hath gotten but what name a name of obloquy and disgrace to the worlds end And such a name I beleeve wil be the portion of all those Qui ex incenso Dei Templo gloriam quaerunt as Calvin speakes who seek their owne glory by such seditious and incendiary slanders And so I come to the second Consectary 2. Consectary Churches are not tyed to the same orders Each Church hath her liberty either to take such as are made ready to her hand by others or to make new Canons of her owne for the government of her people And so our Church teacheth us to judge in her 34. (a) Art 34. Article It is not necessary saith the Article that ceremonies and traditions be in all places one or altogether alike for at all times they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversities of countries times and maners Seeing all Rites and ceremonies saith (b) Zanch. de Red l. 1. p. 764. Zanchy are instituted for the edification of the Church it is manifest that in these things liberty is to be left to Churches that every Church may so cary her selfe in these matters as she thinkes best for the good of her beleevers On these conclusions of our owne Church and that learned writer (a) Socr. l. 5. eccl hist c. 21. Socrates may serve for a comment for he reckons up many severall Churches all enjoying their severall orders The Greek Church gave the Communion in leavened bread the Latines in unleavened the Greeks kept their Easter quartâ decimâ lunâ on the fourteenth day of that moneth exactly fall when it would but the Latins alwayes on the first day of the week the resurrection day In Rome they fasted on Saturdaies in Milan not so in Rome their Lent was wont to begin but three weeks before Easter in Greece and Illyrium sixe weeks and in other Churches seven Among the Eastern Churches their fasting was a totall forbearing of all kinde of food till Sun set but in some Western Churches it stood onely in delectu ciborum in abstinence from flesh only and brake up at three first then at twelve a clock In Antioch the altar stood in the West part of the Church in others alwayes in the East In Hellas Ierusalem and Thessaly and among the Novatians also at Constantinople Evening prayer was read by candle light and S. (b) Hier. ep ad vigilant Hierome gives the reason Non ad fugandas tenebras sed ad signum laetitiae demonstrandum not to drive away darknesse for at those houres it was light enough but to represent the spirituall rejoycing of Christians but in other Churches it was read by day light At Alexandria they admitted Catechumenists to the office of reading and expounding the Scriptures in the Church in other places none were appointed to those functions till they were baptized In some Churches the Communion was celebrated every Sunday in others not so often Among some people it was given to children as well as to men and women as S. (c) Cypr. de lap num 89. Cyprian tells us and (d) Aug. Epist 107. ad Vitalem S. Augustine saith that there was such a custome in his time but this was not the maner of other Churches as (e) Pam. in loc cit Cypriani Pamelius observes in these words Quia apud alios authores rarissima fit illius mentio c. because there is but little mention made of that custome in other authors therefore I suspect that it was neither universall nor of any long continuance after S. Austins time In the African and Spanish Churches for a great while together they never granted the Churches peace to such as fell into the crimina majora the fouler sort of crimes after baptism but in other Churches they were more indulgent to offenders upon their true repentance as (f) Petav. in Epiphan Petavius hath noted We see by these examples that great was the variety of Church-customs and constitutions And yet for all this diversity the Churches held the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace none of them being either so proud as to prescribe to others nor so uncharitable as to wrangle among themselves about those differences Only once (g) Euseb Victor Bishop of Rome presumed to excommunicate all Asia for differing from the Latins in observing Easter But Irenaeus of Lions in France in the name of his fellow Bishops did sharply rebuke him for it alledging against him the examples of former Bishops and in particular of Polycarpus of Smyrua and Anicetus of Rome who notwithstanding they differed in this observation yet they held a friendly communion together (b) Calv. ep 18 ad Farel Calvin tells Farell that as for himselfe he was somewhat sparing of ceremonies Luther liberall Bucer indifferent yet they all maintained very good correspondency and judged those differences in