Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	know_v	life_n	2,879	5	4.5653	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86000	A form for Church government and ordination of ministers, contained in CXI propositions, propounded to the late Generall Assembly at Edinburgh, 1647. Together with an Act concerning Erastianisme, independencie, and liberty of conscience. Published by authority.; CXI propositions concerning the ministerie and government of the Church.	Gillespie, George, 1613-1648.	1647 (1647)	Wing G749; Thomason E418_3; ESTC R202292	30,071	51

Christian love and prudence contained in the Word of God 55. 'T is true that about the same things the civill Power is occupied as touching the outward man or the outward disposing of divine things in this or that Dominion as was said not as they are Spirituall and Evangelicall Ordinances piercing into the conscience it selfe but the object of the Power ecclesiasticall is a thing meerly and purely spirituall and in so far as it is spirituall for even that jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall which is exercised in an outward court or judicatory and which inflict●● publike censures forbidden from the use of the holy Supper and excludeth from the society of the church doth properly concerne the inward man or the repentance and salvation of the soul 56. Surely the Faithfull and Godly Ministers although they could doe it unchallenged and uncontrolled and were therein allowed by the Magistrate as in the prelaticall times it was yet would not usurpe the power of life and death or judge and determine concerning mens honours goods inheritance division of Families or other civill businesses seeing they well know these things to bee heterogeneous to their office But as they ought not to entangle themselves with the judgeing of civill causes so if they should bee negligent and slothfull in their owne office they shall in that bee no lesse culpable 57. To the object also of Ecclesiasticall power belongeth the assembling of Synodes so far as they are spirituall Assemblies proper to the church and assembled in the holy Ghost for being so considered the governours of churches after the example of the Apostles and Presbyters Acts 15. in a manifest danger of the church ought to use their owne right of meeting together and conveening that the churches endangered may be relieved and supported 58. Thirdly Those powers are differences in respect of their formes and that three wayes For first the civill Power although in respect of God it bee Ministeriall yet in respect of the Subjects it is Lordly and Magisteriall Ecclesiasticall power is indeed furnished with authority yet that authority is liker the Fatherly then the Kingly authority Yea also t is purely Ministeriall much lesse can it be lawfull to Ministers of the Church to bear dominion over the flock 59. Emperors Kings and other Magistrats are indeed appointed fathers of they countrey but the are withall Lords of their People and Subjects Not as if it were permitted to them to bear rule and command at their owne will and as they list for they are the Ministers of God for the good and profit of the Subjects yet it belongs to their power truely and properly to exercise dominion to hold principality to proceed imperiously It is indeed the duety of Ministers and Rulers of the Church to oversee to feed as shepherds to correct and rectifie to bear the keyes to be Stewards in the house of Christ but in no wise to be Lords over the house or to governe as Lords or Lordlike to rule yea in brief this is the difference between the civill Magistrate and the Ecclesiasticall Ministery in respect of those that are committed to their trust that the lot of the former is to be served or ministred unto the lot of the latter to minister or serve 60. Now we have one onely Lord which governes our souls neither is it competent to man but to God alone to have power and authority over consciences But the Lord hath appointed his owne Stewards over his owne Family that according to his commandment they may give to every one their allowance or portion and to dispense his mysteries faithfully and to them hee hath delivered the keyes or power of letting in into his house or excluding out of his house those whom he himself will have let in or shut out Matth. 16. 19. and 18. 18. Luk. 12. 42. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Tit. 1. 7. 61. Next the civill power is indued with authority of compelling But it belongs not to the Ministery to compell the disobedient if any compulsion be in or about Eclesissticall matters t is adventitious from without to wit from the help and assistance of the Magistrate not from the nature of Ecclesiasticall power from which it is very heterogenous and therefore if any Suspended or Excommunicate persons should be found who shall be so stiffe-necked and so impudent that at once he cast off all shame and make no account at all of those censures but scorn or contemn the same or peradventure shall insolently or proudly engyre and obtrude himself upon the Sacrament or being also filled with divelish malice do more and more contradict and blaspheme the ecclesiasticall Ministry in such cases hath nothing more to do by way of jurisdiction But the Magistrate hath in readinesse a compelling jurisdiction and externall force whereby such stubborn rebellious and undaunted pride may be externally repressed 62. Last of all the power of the Magistrate worketh onely politically or civilly according to the nature of the Scepter or Sword maketh and guardeth civill Lawes which sometimes also hee changeth or repealeth and other things of that kinde hee eff●cteth with a secular power But the ecclesiasticall power dealeth spiritually and onely in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by authority entrusted or received from him alone neither is it exercised without prayer or calling on the Name of God nor lastly doth it use any other then spirituall weapons 63. The same sinne therefore in the same man may be punished one way by the civill another way by the ecclesiasticall Power By the civill Power under the formality of a crime with corporall or pecuniary punishment By the ecclesiasticall Power under the notion or nature of scandall with a spirituall censure even as also the same civill question is one way deliberate upon and handled by the Magistrate in the Senate or place of Judgement another way by the Minister of the Church in the Presbytery or Synod By the Magistrate so farre as it pertaineth to the Government of the Common-wealth by the Minister so far as it respects the conscience for the ecclesiastiall Ministery also is exercised about civil things spiritually in so far as it teacheth and admonisheth the Magistrate out of the Word of God what is best and most acceptable unto God or as it reproveth freely unjust judgements unjust wars and the like and out of the Scripture threatneth the wrath of God to be revealed against all unrighteousness of men So also is the Magistrate said to be occupied civilly about spiritual things 64. Therefore all the actions of the civill Magistrate even when he is imployed about Ecclesiasticall matters are of their own nature and essentially civill He punisheth externally Idolaters Blasphemers Sacrilegious persons Hereticks Prophaners of holy things and according to the nature and measure of the sin he condemneth to death or banishment forfeiture of goods or imprisonment he guardeth and underproppeth Ecclesiasticall Canons with civill authority giveth a place of habitation to the Church in

ordained and preferred of God that he should be a judg of matters and causes spirituall of which there is controversie in the Church Yet is he questionless judg of his own civill act about spirituall things namely of defending them in his own Dominions and of approving or tolerating the same and if in this business he judg and determine according to the wisdom of the flesh and not according to the wisdom which is from above he is to render an account thereof before the supream Tribunall 98. However the Ecclesiasticall Discipline according as it is ordained by Christ whether it be established and ratified by civill authority or not ought to be retained and exercised in the Society of the faithfull as long as it is free and safe for them to come together in holy Assemblies for the want of civil authority is unto the Church like a ceasing gain but not like Damage or loss ensuing as it superaddeth nothing more so it takes nothing away 99. If it further happen which God forbid that the Magistrate do so far abuse his authority that he doth straitly forbid what Christ hath ordained yet the constant and faithful servants of Christ will resolve and determine with themselves that any extremities are rather to be undergone then that they should obey such things and that we ought to obey God rather then men yea they will not leave off to perform all the parts of their office being ready in the mean time to render a reason of their practice to every one that demandeth it but specially unto the Magistrate as was said before 100. These things are not to that end and purpose proposed that these functions should be opposed one against another in a hostile posture or in terms of enmity then which nothing is more hurtful to the Church and Common-wealth nothing more execrable to them who are truly and sincerely zealous for the house of God for they have not so learned Christ but the aim is First and above all that unto the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ the only Monarch of the Church his own prerogative Royal of which also himself in the World was accused and for his witnessing a good confession thereof before Pontius Pilate was unjustly condemned to death may be fully maintained and defended 101. Next this debate also tendeth to this end that the power as well of Ecclesiasticall censure as of the civil sword being in force the licentiousness of carnal men which desire that there be too slack Ecclesiastical Discipline or none at all may be bridled and so men may sin less and may live more agreeably to the Gospel Another thing here intended is that errours on both sides being overthrown as well the errour of those who under a fair pretence of maintaining and defending the rights of Magistracy do leave to the Church either no power or that which is too weak as the errour of others who under the vail of a certain suppositious and imaginary Christian Liberty do turn off the yoke of the Magistrate both powers may enjoy their own Priviledges add hereto that both powers being circumscribed with their distinct borders and bounds and also the one underpropped and strengthned by the help of the other a holy concord between them may be nourished and they may mutually and friendly imbrace one another 102. Last of all seeing there are not wanting some unhappy men who cease not to pervert the right ways of the Lord and with all diligence go about to shake off the yoke of the Ecclesiastical Discipline where now t is about to be introduced yea also where it hath been long ago established and as yet happily remaineth in force it was necessary to obviate their most wicked purposes Which things being so let all which hath been said passe with the good leave and liking of those orthodox Churches in which the Discipline of Excommunication is not as yet in use neither can any offence easily arise to them from hence yea if the best conjecture do not deceive they cannot but rejoyce and congratulate at the defence and vindication of this Discipline 103. For those Churches do not deny but acknowledg and teach that the Discipline of Excommunication is most agreeable to the Word of God as also that it ought to be restored and exercised Which also heretofore the most learned Zachary Vrsi●● in the declaration of his judgment concerning Excommunication exhibited to Prince Frederick the third Count Elector Palatine the title whereof is Judicium de Disciplina Ecclesiastica Excommunicatione c. 104. For thus he In other Churches where either no Excommunication is in use or t is not lawfully administred and neverthelesse without all controversie it is confessed and openly taught that it ought justly to be received and be of force in the Church and a little after Lest also your Hignesse by this new opinion do sever your self and your Churches from all other Churches as well those which have not Excommunication as those which have it Forasmuch as all of them do unanimously confesse and alwayes confessed that there is reason why it ought to be in use 105. To the same purpose it tendeth which the highly esteemed Philip Melancthon in his Common places chap. of civil Magistrates doth affirm Before saith he I warned that civil Places and Powers are to be distinguished from the adhering confusions which arise from other causes partly from the malice of the devil partly from the malice of men partly from the common infirmity of men as it cometh to passe in other kinds of life and Government ordained of God No man doubteth that Ecclesiastical Government is ordained of God and yet how many and great disorders grow in it from other causes Where he mentioneth a Church Government distinct from the civil and that jure divino as a thing uncontroverted 106. Neither were the wishes of the chief Divines of Zurick and Berne wanting for the recalling and restoring of the discipline of Excommunication So Bullinger upon 1 Cor. 5. And hitherto saith he of the Ecclesiastical chastising of wickedness but here I would have the brethren diligently warned that they watch and with all diligence take care that this wholesom medicine thrown out of the true Church by occasion of the Popes avarice may be reduced that is that scandalous sins be punished for this is the very end of Excommunication that mens manners may be well ordered and the Saints flourish the prophane being restrained lest wicked men by their impudency and impiety increase and undo all It is our part ô brethren with greatest diligence to take care of these things for we see that Paul in this place doth stir up those that were negligent in this business 107. Aretius agreeth hereunto Problem Theolog. loc 33. Magistrates do not admit the yoke they are afraid for their honours they love licentiousnesse c. The common people is too dissolute the greatest part is most corrupt c.