Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	ecclesiastical_a	king_n	supreme_a	3,134	5	8.5794	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85046	The doctrine of schism fully opened and applied to gathered churches. Occasioned by a book entituled, Sacrilegious dissertion of the holy ministery rebuked; and tolerated preaching of the Gospel vindicated. / By The author of Toleration not to be abused by the Presbyterians.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.	1672 (1672)	Wing F2501A; ESTC R177345	75,715	184

or Congregations and who knows not too well what is to be understood by Gathering-Churches by the former practices of the Independents but more especially by these Presbyterians since the Indulgence But to talk of gathering Churches and yet of holding Communion with us is a Juggle unworthy our Author who either doth or should know that it is protestatio contra factum questionem I mean 't is generally so I have as you cannot but see both in the Question as proposed and as stated and as prosecuted set gathering of Churches in opposition to our Parochial Congregations And what you say to any thing else is not to the point And the general practice of Church-gatherers too well satisfies the world what they intend and also that the Question was rightly propounded and clearly stated to any unbyassed and unprejudiced Reader what ever you say to confound it and with your wonted Elaborateness to render it unintelligible p. 40. and then complain that it is so But the Learning of some men is not ill compared to a Pedlars Pack though not so much for that there are many things that are difficult to be found but rather because if they look for any thing every thing comes to hand But this be far from our Author to whom we must now hearken dilligently He first sets down my Question verey honestly and intirely p. 26 27. then he nibles a little at it and at length bites and tells the World that I joyn two questions in one which we must look to have distinctly Answered But what those two questions are and where they are distinctly answered I have look't and find not Would he not speak distinctly to them because he hates Divisions or was it his prudence to leave out Conscience for he hath told us p. 21. that to decide this case is a work of meer Christian Prudence but where is Conscience then Excluded by what Law that shall be tried anon For I shall now address my self in earnest to review the whole Question not in two only but in the several Cases depending upon it A just examin whereof will give me occasion sufficient to consider all that he hath said to the purpose against me as I find it scattered up and down his Book CHAP. VII Gathering-Churches charged with Schism from the Church of England and proved to be so from the Definition of this Church Wherein he is told what the Church of England and Schism from it is THe General Question betwixt us is this Whether it be Lawful for the Presbyterians to refuse Communion with our Parish Churches and to gather themselves into Distinct and Separate Churches And upon a Serious review of it and Consideration of all that the Answerer hath said against me and my Discours upon it I do renew my Charge and possitively affirm that it is Vnlawful and as it is generally practised 't is a great and dangerous Schism both against the Church of England and Particular Churches 't is a Schism in its own nature and sinful in it Self 'T is a Schism in the Judgment of the old Nonconformists called Puritans and also in the Judgment of the Presbyterians before 1660. and lastly that both in Conscience and Prudence it ought at present to be avoided or deserted by all such especially as are called Presbyterians And all this in in its several parts and in their order as here set down I undertake to make good 1. Thus to Separate and to Gather Churches is a Schism with respect to the Church of England Now as Divines speak of a Schism in a Church and a Shism from a Church so in a diverse respect this practice is guilty of both For if you consider the Church of England as particular Organized Church 't is a Schism from but if as part of the Vniversal Visibe Church only as the Nonconformists use to term it then 't is Schism in it It is a Shism from the Church of England as such by dividing from its Governours Members Worship and Assemblies as I more than Intimated in my Book p. 8. and this ought to have been distinctly observed at least by my Answerer but instead thereof how he stumbles and blunders looking carefully and making great Outcries after that which I laid just before him You charge us saith he p. 37. with Schism from the Church of England Again p. 38. Tell us what you mean by Schism from the Church of England Again p. 35. We are told of Schism from the Church of England as if it were a Monstrous and unheard of thing and then puzzles pittyfully puzzles himself and his Reader in an impertinent pursuit of the Head of the Church of England as if without a certain and infallible knowledge of that there could be no such thing as a Church of England or Schism from it Wearying himself for five or six pages at his old game of nothing to the purpose But methinks he labours with a very vehement desire after this great truth and could he be sure to have it he will not say how much Money as well as Pains he would give for it yea he roundly offers me how consistent with his gravity I do not observe but he roundly offers me all the Money in his Purse to make him understand but what the Church of England is p. 35. Well if you will promise me to be humble and teachable and that you are not too old to learn though I have no mind to your money I will shew my readiness and charity at least to relieve you in so great a Streight though my Judgment may fail and my Definition be as despicable as my silly Arguments The Church of England is a Community Consisting of professed Christians Vnited in the same Government Doctrine and Worship according to the 39. Articles and Homilies Her Liturgy and Canons and Laws and divided into Parochial Assemblies for the more convenient Worshipping of God Might such a Notion of the Church of England have superceded all his Finesses of Wit and Distinctions about the Constitutive Ecclesiastical Head as he speaks how learnedly I leave to his Friend Mr. Bagshaw I think his labour might have been well enough spared For he may Consider we are Vnited in the same Government and the Pars Regens is the only part he himself requires to be added to the Pars Subdita to Constitute a Church Organiz'd in a proper political sence p. 38. Now you will not deny either of these parts and consequently you have found the whole of the Church of England as you say Organiz'd in a proper political Sence And it hence follows that 't is material to our point to determine certainly what is the Ecclesiastical Head of this Church whether we that are Members of it are all united in the King as Persona mixta cum Sacerdote and not meerly a Civil head as you insinuate he being Supream in all Causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil Or whether

so far forth as they are inhibited Ought not to Preach Neither are particular and private men much less the parties inhibited to Judge of the Cause of the inhibition whether it be just or unjust but as they who are appointed by the present Government to Ordain Ministers are to judg of their fitness thereunto so likewise of their unfitness I have thought hitherto that distinction of the Office and of the exercise of that Office had gone uncontroled among Presbyterians and that though the Ministers of Christ depend not even upon the Christian Magistrate for their Office and he cannot degrade them yet quoad Exercitium as to the Exercise of it within his Dominions they did and that he had power to Silence such as he Judged unmeet to Preach Mr. Baxter doth much encourage me to persist in the same Opinion more than once The Authority of the King and lawful 2d Admon to Bag. 117 Magistrates saith Mr. Baxter is more about the Circumstantials of Worship as whether Abiathar shall be High Priest c. then the False Teachers were about that Doctrine He more than Intimates that the Magistrates Power extends to the Appointing who shall be High Priest and who doubt but that he hath equal power to appoint who shall be Pastor of Covent-Garden Again hear Mr. Baxter what he saith more largly upon the Point Disput 223. Doubtless the Magistrate himself hath so much Authority in Ecclesiastical Affairs that if he Command a qualified person to Preach the Gospel and Command the People to receive him I see not how either of them can be allowed to disobey him though yet the Party ought to have recourse also to Pastors for Ordination and People for Consent where it may be done And Grotius commendeth the saying of Musculus That he would have no Minister question his Call that being quallified hath the Christian Magistrates Commission And though this Assertion need some limitation yet it is apparent that the Magistrates Power is great about the Offices of the Church For Solomon put out Abiathar from the Priest-hood and put Zadock in his place 1 King 2. 27 35. David and the Captains of the Host Seperated to Gods Service those of the Sons of Asaph and of Heman and Jeduther who should Prophesie with Harps c. 1 Chron. 16. 4. And so did Solomon 2 Chron. 8. 14 15. They were for the Service of the House of God according to the Kings Order 1 Chron. 25. 1 6. And methinks those those men should acknowledge this that were wont to stile the King in all Causes and over all Persons the Supream Head and Governor So far He. And indeed I durst almost challenge this Answerer or any man to prove that ever any learned Protestant in this Church whether Episcopal or Presbyterian did make it a question I mean before the Kings happy Return whether Solomon had not sufficient Authority to put out Abiathar from the Priest-hood and put Zadock in his place Or whether any might modestly say such must Preach and that those were Schismaticks and Vsurpers that did exercise their Offices according to Law in the places of such as were removed by the Vertue of an Act of Parliament of unquestionable Authority and we must Preach though the Law forbids us As for Dr. Gunnings Dr. Wilds preaching fourteen or fifteen years ago which you so often hint at it is sufficiently known it was in such a time when the Case was far otherwise both with the Church and State in many Notorious Circumstances both as to Persons Law Government and Worship and they could easily answer their so doing if it be not a matter too much below the Eminency both of their Persons and Places We must proceed CHAP. XI Provision for the proof of the Assumption by four Propositions THat Schism is a Causeless Seperation from a True Church and what Seperation from a True Church is and when it is Causeless hath at large appeared And there seems nothing left to prevent or remove the charge of Schism from the Practices we oppose but to plead either that our Churches are no true Churches or that you are not of them and ow them no Communion or that you do not Seperate from them or if you do you have Cause sufficient and your Seperation is not Rash or Groundless That the Contrary to all these is the very Truth I am now to manifest The Propositions accordingly are these four Pro. 1. That our Parochial Congregations are true Churches 2. That the people of England are or ought to be members of our Parochial Congregations 3. That the present practice of gathering Churches out of them is Seperation 4. That such Seperation is Rash and without just grounds And all these shall be proved not only from the Nature of the things and the judgment or others but from the Publique judgement of the former Non-Conformists and Presbyterians and then I hope my bold undertaking will be found excusable CHAP. XII Parochial Congregations true Churches His Exceptions esp●cially about parish bounds examined FIrst I affirm that our Parochial Congregations are true Churches They have the matter of true Churches Professed Christians Baptized They have the f●rm of true Churches being Societies of such as Ames saith in order to the worship of God and these fix'd and Stated and ordinarily assembling actually together for that end According to our Author they have generally both the Essential and constituent parts of true Churches Pastors to govern and people to be govern'd by them in order to Gods glory and their Salvation And as their end so the means and their work in their publick Assemblies is such as is proper and peculiar unto and true and undoubted indications and notes of true Churches the Ordinances of God and their ordinary attendance thereupon in known publique and fixed places consecrated and set a part for that end Wherein also there is nothing practic'd much less allow'd that is contrary to these means or doth pervert that end or with any pretence or colour of reason can be thought to destroy their being or their truth as Churches of God For this we have abundant Suffrage voluntarily given by Non-Conformity it self from time to time and that not only in the acknowledgement but even in the defence of them against their enemies of the Separation and what need more If Mr. Ball Mr. Hildersham of old and Mr. Bagshaw and his friend the Answerer be heard for the rest Mr. Ball is express for himself and his Brethren The Non-Conformists saith he can not only acknowledg but prove the Religion and worship of the Church of England to be of God not by petty reasons and colourable Ans to Can. part 2. p 3. shews which they leave to them which maintain a bad Cause but by pregnant evidence from the word of Truth even by plain Texts of Scripture and sound re●son deduced therefrom against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail Mr. Hildersham comes not a