Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	communion_n	separation_n	2,767	5	10.7643	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87934	A letter from a person of honour, reconciling the dissenting brethren, (commonly called Independents) and the Presbyterians, in matter of judgement, about the setling of the church. Sent to an eminent divine of the Assembly.	Person of honour.	1644 (1644)	Wing L1421; Thomason E22_17; ESTC R21554	10,569	18

that Communion are Faith and Love and this is a Seperation as fearfull and terrible as they would or can make Seperation to be The second consisteth in refusing to joine in the externall Communion of this or that particular Church as in their Liturgies publike Prayers participation of Sacraments and this Seperation upon due Cause may be made without any more danger or ill Consequences then there is in keeping our selves free from pertaking with other men in their sins and being made it neither seperates those men who made it from the Communion of the Catholike Church nor from internal Communion with the Saints of that particular visible Church as they are Saints and Members of the Catholike Church but only from the Corruptions of their Externall Communion which they hold in that visible Church whereof they are Luther made a seperation from the eternall communion of all the Churches in the world and hee with those that adhered to his doctrine in that seperation did constitute Churches more pure both in regard of their constitution and exercise of externall communion yet none but Papists or such in our times as linger after popery and would be glad of a Captain to lead them back again into Egypt will accuse him to have made a Schisme and brand him with the odious name of a Schismatick For he seperated not from believers as believers but from those corruptions which were universally spread over all in the externall communion that then was held in the Christian world And this hee was bound to doe and others with him who believed his doctrine if they would keepe themselves pure from the guilt of those common corruptions In the second place I answer that there is a necessity laid upon many and it is as I conceive the duty of all that have light to see it to seperate themselves from holding externall communion with many Churches here in England although acknowledged true Churches and that for these reasons First Because such things are required of them to bee performed if they will hold externall communion as they cannot practise without sin Secondly If they might be free for their own practise yet they cannot perform that duty which by Christs command lyeth upon them as members of a visible Church to performe and fulfil that they may not contract guilt and be leavened by the sinfull practises of fellow members For the first I wil instance in those things which being retained in these Churches and enjoyned upon all have been ever since the reformation of Religion opposed and witnessed against by the greatest Lights of this later age both strangers and of our own Nation yea and cast out by the purest if not by all other reformed Churches abjured as Antichristian by some only these which hang between heaven and earth and are still moving downwards towards the centre of their old superstitions doe not onely retain them but will suffer none to joyne in externall Communion with them except they will approve and practice what they do These are the usurping Hierarchie and the popish Ceremonies the devices of men the Ornaments and dresse of the Romish Whore thought decent and fittest for to adorn Gods worship not in my judgment at any time tolerabilis ineptiae in their use here as one calls the Ceremonies but at this time much lesse tolerable as they are maintained pressed the one not by Commission from the Magistrate but as a Superiour degree of Ministry by divine Institution not esteemed to be jure humano the other not as idle empty Ceremonies but serving to teach and expresse the inward affections of the heart The white Linnen what can that expresse but Angelicall puritie The Crosse hath its expression and what it teacheth is given unto it Constancie in Confession of the faith kneeling in the act of Receiving urged as a Gesture of more reverence and fitter for that Ordinance then that which our Saviour used and thought Congruous to it Unto these I will adde that Composition of a Divine publike worship by men which they call the Publike Prayers of the Church the Service book containing the divine Service White in his Epstle to the Archbishop of Canterbury before his book against the Sabbath stiles it the universall Sacrifice which amongst the Jews was the daily Offering the Morning and Evening Sacrifice This sheweth what apprehensions they have of it and in what sense they strictly enjoine that no part of it shall at any time be omitted that so the Divine Worship which the Church hath set apart and consecrated unto God may be fully observed and performed and then the Offering of God the daily Sacrifice wherein all have vote and interest is offered up see his own words in the place which is in the end of his Epistle Now this Consecrate thing more holy then the singlar and affected devotions of private Spirits because devoted to God by the Church and State for his publike service what is it but a device of man a new Cart taken up from the Papists as the Israelites in imitation of the Philistims heretofore did to case the Levits who ought to have carried the Arke upon their own shoulders and not suffered to be carried by beasts instead of men The same thing is done here Christ hath given gifts to men that those gifts may be the foundation of Offices for the Edification of his bodie He hath given Pastors and Teachers and therefore the Gift of Teaching the Word of Wisdom and the Word of Knowledge by the exercise of these gifts in the severall administrations whereto they serve he will be honoured and by an effectuall operation edific his bodie Those who are fitted for such Offices and called to them must therefore to these ends give themselves to prayer to the Ministerie of the Word In place hereof is brought in and enjoined to be used this new Cart which a boy of 12 yeeres old may drive even the meanest of the people if he will draw neer and fill his hand with this Service book may be a Scribe instructed sufficiently and furnished to bring forth what is here required so that instead of Christs way for his owne honour and his Churches edification here is mans way brought in instead of the Gifts which he giveth and furnisheth men with all to be exercised in the Ministerie here is a composure and frame of Divine Service pieced up together into a body by some men which must serve insteed of Gifts to all Men and for all Times and be enjoyned to be used without variation as comming from the publike spirit of the Church and thereby devoted Hereby they doe not only set their Posts by Gods Posts but they lay aside his and enjoine theirs only to be used as fitter for the building If it be said Men are not prohibited to exercise the gift of prayer nor preaching in their publike Ministerie I answer they are expresly enjoined to use no Praiers but these consecrated Praiers