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	person_n	supremacy_n	1,601	5	10.6973	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34539	The nonconformist's plea for lay-communion with the Church of England together with a modest defence of ministerial nonconformity, and the exercise of their ministry / by Mr. John Corbet ...	Corbet, John, 1620-1680.	1683 (1683)	Wing C6259; ESTC R2132	20,263	32

but divers Churches distinguished by their several places of Assembling as one Parish-church from another and by diversity of External Order as the allowed Congregations of Foreigners in London from the Parish churches The same true Religion for the substance thereof is exercised and the same holy ends are pursued in the one and the other And there will be no opposition between them but what an unchristian Enmity proceeding from Worldly lusts and interests will produce If any object the inconveniencies that may follow the permitting of Church-Assemblies besides those of the established Order I have this to reply 1. Our Rulers may so provide if the Clergy would ●ot gainsay that few may stand in need of that permission in comparison of those that now do and the way is to fix the terms of Church-communion and Ministerial Liberty so as to comprehend all sober Protestants and this is done by requiring no more as necessary to the one or the other than what Christ hath made necessary thereunto 2. After such Comprehension setled the Toleration of all tolerable Dissenters within such limits as will secure publick peace and safety is more agreeable to the wisdom and clemency of Rulers and the charity of Christians than the Rigorous constraining of the said Dissenters to what they cannot bear and the restraining of them from the liberty of serving God according to their eonsciences 3. But if the present state of things must continue the inconveniences that may follow the present practise of the Protestant Nonconformists are far less than what will follow the deserting of their Ministry and the neglect of fouls in so great a need of their help The considerations aforegoing I submit to the judgment of impartial Readers in reference to the case of Protestant Nonconformists of whom I am Moreover I judg it necessary to give some account of my own principles and practice I have not wilfully forsaken my Ministerial station in the established Order but am driven from it I am ready to make Oath before any that have power to administer it to me That my conscience is not satisfied that it is lawful to observe all the terms that are imposed Let it be noted That I do not affirm the unlawfulness of the terms but that they are unlawful to me in regard of my conscience and I am ready to render Reasons of my dissatisfaction It hath been alledged That so much hath been written for Conformity as may satisfie any that have a mind to be satisfied But I profess in his sight who knows my heart That I have a mind to be satisfied if I knew how I set up no Faction or severed Party against the common interest of Religion but according to my mean ability I seek the edification peace and concord of all Christians of all persuasions and the encrease of true godliness among them all I renounce not Parochial Churches as no true Churches I have not forsaken the communion of such Churches nor encouraged others to forsake them but have communicated with them in the Worship of God and so shall do and this my principle and practice I am not sparing to declare to my friends that are of another mind in this particular Nevertheless where a Parish Minister is utterly unmeet for the charge of souls I cannot encourage any to commit the charge of their souls to him But as for all conscientious and faithful Conformists I highly prize them for their works sake and seek to promote their Reputation and the success of their Labours I will thankfully accept the liberty of Ministeral imployment in the said Churches when it shall be granted me And for the obtaining of my liberty I am ready to submit not only to whatsoever is in specie or particularly injoined in Gods word but to whatsoever is necessary in genere and left in specie to humane determination if it be determined according to the general Rules of Gods Word I have given an account of my self according to the latitude of my own principles but I have not done it to the prejudice of others that are of sound faith and good life but of narrower principles touching Church-government for by the considerations here propounded their due liberty is provided for § 5. That I do not violate the Authority of the Civil Magistrate I AM licensed by the King to be a Teacher and to teach in any place licensed and allowed by him His Majesty hath declared the same to be grounded on his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs In the last Law against Conventicles it is provided That neither that Act nor any thing contained therein shall extend to invalidate or avoid his Majesty's Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs Of my License granted by his Majesty there hath been no Revocation that I know of If upon Reasons of State it hath seemed good to hi● Majesty to grant no more Licenses since such a time I do not see that it follows thereupon that he hath made void the Licenses that he hath granted His Majesty hath graciously declared That he had seen better effects of one years Indulgence than of many years severity before that time Tho the Parliament were dissatisfied in the way of the Kings granting the Indulgence yet they approved the thing it self and accordingly passed a Bill for the grant of it tho by occasion of their speedy Recess it passed not into a Law It appears that the Parliament hath the matter of Indulgence or Liberty to Dissenters still under consideration by the Bill of Comprehension which at their last meeting was voted in the House of Lords with the concurrence of divers Bishops but their Prorogation hindered the compleating thereof Now when this is the sense both of King and Parliament about this matter I humbly hope that our Superiors will take it into their prudent consideration and be favourable to honest and peaceable people under their Jurisdiction But supposing tho not granting that my License is not in force I proceed to some other considerations I acknowledg the Kings Supremacy in all causes and over all persons Civil and Ecclesiastical As the power given to Spiritual Pastors is declared in Scripture to be given for edification and not for destruction so the power given to the Civil Magistrate in matters Ecclesiastical is given to the same intent As in Naturals the inferior subordinate causes have no power of acting against the efficacy of the Superior so in Morals the inferior Ruler hath no authority against the Superior Therefore if Magistrates being all of them subordinate to God shall command any thing contrary to his Law such their command cannot beget an obligation on the subj●ct to fulfil it tho the subject must not Resist their power The Civil Magistrate notwithstanding his Authority in Ectlesi●sticks cannot discharge any Minister of the Gospel from the exercise of his Ministry in those circumstances wherein Christ commands him to exercise it The Civil Magistrate is to judg what laws are fit for him to enact and execute about Ecclesiastical matters and the Ministers of the Gospel have a right of discerning which is called a judgment of discretion about their own pastoral acts what they ought and what they ought not to do according to Gods word otherwise they must be held obliged to a Blind Popish Brutish Obedience But whatsoever the Ministers discern to be their duty to do they ought to do the same only in such ways as are consistent with their Loyalty to God and the King The Bishop hath no external jurisdiction in his publick Courts but what is derived from the King as Supream and the Ecclesiastical Laws by which the Bishop is to proceed are the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws Consequently no Minister that lives under any Bishops Jurisdiction which is but derived can be obliged to obey the Bishop proceeding in his Court any further than he is obliged to obey the King who hath the supreme jurisdiction under God and Christ and that is no further than is consistent with obedience to God I Presented this clear and open defence with desire and expectation of his Lordships answer in writing according to his promise as I apprehended but he refused to receive it I trust through the grace of God that I am ready to renounce any error whereof I shall be convicted and to receive any truth that shall be made manifest to me And I give this account before men in the sense of that great account which I must give to the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of Souls who searcheth the hearts and reins and will give unto every one according to his works FINIS Several Tracts not yet Printed prepared for the Press and left under Mr. John Corbet's own hand-writing intended shortly to be published are as follows 1. THE true State of the Ancient Episcopacy 2. The present Ecclesiastical Government compared with the Ancient Episcopacy 3. A Consideration of the present State of Conformity in the Church of England 4. A Discourse of the Church and of the Ministry thereof 5. A Tract of Certainty and Infallibility 6. Of divine Worship in three parts 1. Of the Nature Kinds Parts and Adjuncts of Divine Worship 2. Of Idolatry 3. Of Superstition less than Idolatry 7. Matrimonial Purity Those already lately Printed of Mr. John Corbet's are 1. Kingdom of God among men with a A Discourse of Church-Unity and Schism 80. 2. Self-Imployment in secret 3. An Account given of the Principles and Practises of several Nonconformists 4. An humble endeavour of some plain and brief Explication of the Decrees and Operations of God about the free Actions of Men. More especially of the Operations of Divine Grace