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	ecclesiastical_a	emperor_n	1,585	5	7.0600	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33722	Liberty of conscience, asserted and vindicated by a learned country-gentleman ...	Care, George.	1689 (1689)	Wing C503; ESTC R21541	21,512	30

there is no trusting to their Words Promises or Oaths VII My Seventh and last Argument shall be taken ab Authoritate Ecclesiae affirmativè from the Authority of Christians both ancient and modern the Antient Christians generally denied the Persecution of Hereticks for at least well nigh the first 400 years for which there are well-known Testimonies cited out of Tertullian Lactantius c. that Faith is to be perswaded not forced St. Austin is very express contra Cresconium Gra 〈…〉 maticum l. 3. c. 50. Nullis bonis in Catholicâ hoc placet 〈◊〉 usque ad mortem in quenquam licet haereticum saeviatur It pleaseth no good Men in the Catholick Church that Hereticks should be put to Death This Testimony sheweth not his private Opinion but the Judgment of the Univers●l Church which no Man knew better than he and strongly proves that the Papists are neither the Catholick Church nor good Men for he saith Nullis bonis hoc placet in Catholicâ but it is no wonder for Apostates to alledg the whole Primitive Church as for them when it is all against them This place is quoted by Bishop Jewel Apol. c. 32. Div. 1. p. 431. who cites also Chrysostom Homil 19. in Matth. Num Ovis persequitur Lupum Christianus haereticum c. Doth the Sheep persecute the Wolf No but the Wolf doth persecute the Sheep Doth the Christian persecute the Heretick No but the Heretick doth persecute the Christian And again Whomsoever you see rej●icing in the Blood of Persecution he is the Wolf and wisheth that God would kill the Heretick with spiritual Darts and the two-edged Sword of the Spirit Eusebius relates in Vitâ Constantini that Constantine decreed that they which erred should have equal fruition of Peace and Quiet with the Faithful and that we may know Constantine was in earnest he puts it into his Prayer l. 2. c. 55. It is true he banished Arius but he banished likewise Athanasius and neither of them for their Opinions which he accounted trifling and Bp. Jewel saith in Apol. c. 3. Div. 2. p. 524. was thought to encline in his own Opinion rather to Arius but for other Causes and Immoralities and unchristian Contentions not to be reconciled by the Emperours Tears Letters and the Mediation of his Legate Hosius Bishop of Corduba This is certain that Athanasians Arians and Novatians were all suffered in the same Cities to have Churches and Bishops of their own whose Successions are delivered in Ecclesiastical History till Pope Celestine banished the Novatians out of Rome deprived them of their Churches and constrained Rusticula their Bishop to raise private Conventicles anno 425. Socrates Schol. l. 7. c. 11. For now he and Cyril of Alexandria were grown ●reat having gone beyond the Bounds of Priesthood and gotten the temporal Sword. He that would see more of Antiquity may consult Mr. Daillé of the right use of the Fathers and read the Comments of the Fathers upon the Parable of the Tares c. Ye know not what Spirit ye are of I shall add some modern Testimonies of our own Country-men The Apology of the Church of England set out by Authority p. 431. mihi As for us we run not to the Fire as these Mens Guise is but we run to the Scriptures neither do we reason with the Sword but with the Word of God. Indeed the Writ de Haeretico comburendo is now out of Doors and I hope his Fellow de Excommunicato capiendo will follow him ere long See Dr. Hammond in his Defence of my Lord Falkland who writes very fully to this Purpose but especially see his last Words about Paedobaptism in his six Queries His Words are And God forbid we that desire to reduce Dissenters should ever think of damning killing or persecuting any that dissent in this or any other particular And I think it but Duty to pray against that treacherous Prosperity which should be able to infuse any greater Degree of Unkindness or Roughness into the Minds of Men whether Sons or Fathers of the Church than what I here avow to be strict Duty in every Christian Dr. Taylour since Bishop of Down and Conner wrote a whole Book de Libertate Prophetandi the like hath been done by several Conformists in their Pleas for Nonconformists Mr. Hudson who rode with King Charles the first in Disguise in his Treatise of Monarchy c. dedicated to the King asserts Liberty of Conscience boldly and perhaps too boldly but that it was Mr. Hudson who carried his Life in his Hand and at last lost it in the King's Cause See what Dr. More in his Appendix to his Antidote against Idolatry saith p. 55. of Nadab and Abihu's offering strange Fire before the Lord Lev. 10. 1. where he compares it with Luke 9. 54. John 16. 2. and saith Whether Protestants or Papists that kill one the other for conscientious Difference in Religion as thinking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make an Oblation of Divine Worship to God thereby do turn the living God of the Christians who is Love it self into the foulest Idols of the Heathens who used to be worshipped with the bloody sacrificing of Men. This holds good in Proportion against Religious Robbery by Fines or Confiscation of Goods Mr. Day on Isa 1. 21. saith that to take away Mens Livelihood is there called Murther Lastly To name no more Dr. Burnet hath written very learnedly and solidly in Defence of Liberty of Conscience in his Preface to the History of the persecuting Emperours Now from what hath been said appears the Vanity of those Men who are content to give a private Liberty but no● to assemble which signifies little to many Men who think themselves bound to do so from Heb. 10. 25. and not to live like Atheists Others will give Men Liberty if they will hold their Tongues and distinguish betwixt the outward Exercise or Profession of Faith and the internal Acts of Faith which they say are not to be forced thank them for nothing did the primitive Church only tolerate the Thoughts of Hereticks and who can think any sober Man should dispute of Mens private Thoughts which as such no Man can know or if they be declared and punished yet cannot a Man certainly say that they are forced viz. that his Thoughts are altered for that may be dissembled but all Men have hitherto supposed that Mens Consciences are capable of being forced that is punished taking the inward and outward Acts together as they ought in this Question some I see would give such a Liberty as Antichrist never denied Now it may be fit to answer the principal Arguments which are produced by the Adversaries 1. From Rom. 13. where Magistrates are said to be a Terror to evil-Doers c. I answer that Text only authorizeth the Magistrate to punish civil Injuries and moral Evils He may punish Treason Rebellion Murther c. Such Heresies are Works of the Flesh and against the Light of Nature such