Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	holy_a	scripture_n	word_n	2,805	5	4.1192	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41335	Weighty questions discussed I. Whether imposition of hands in separating a person to the work of the ministry be necessry?, II. Whether it be essential to the right constitution of a particular church, that the teaching elders and the members meet alwayes in one place? : whereunto is added a prediction of Mr. Daniel Rogers, minister in Essex, long before the beheading King Charles I and Arch-Bishop Laud, foretelling that they should not dye a natural death / by Giles Firmin ...	Firmin, Giles, 1614-1697.; D. R. (Daniel Rogers), 1573-1652.	1692 (1692)	Wing F969; ESTC R31512	41,078	37

them to Ordain without Imposition of Hands One of them undertook it a Person whose Gifts and Graces I honour For Scriptures he gave me none Whether his Reasons be Cogent the sequel shall declare That Diminishing from the Word is as great a Sin as Addition to the Word none can deny the Text is expresly against them both Deut. 12.32 and ch 4.2 both offer an Affront to the Wisdom of the ●aw-giver Addition charges him with Defect Diminishing charges him with superfluity appointing things needless and vain Grant it that Imposition of Hands in Ordination be but a Ceremony yet it is God's Ceremony appointed first by his express Command Numb 8.10 14. Not to conferr Gifts as some would have it but to Separate to Office If you then could deny Communion with the Church of England because of their Addition of Humane Doctrinal Ceremonies to the Worship of God I doubt not but this was one Cause among others may we not then question our Communion with you in your Administring of the Holy things for throwing out God's Ceremony It is one thing to hold Communion with a Person as a Christian which I can do with all my Soul another thing to hold Communion with the same Person as a Minister dispensing the Holy things of God For when as in Separation to Office God's Ceremony expressed in five or six Scriptures is left out have you not given us just Cause setting by the Authority of God in those Scriptures to question the lawfulness of your Ministry O why do our Brethren lay such Blocks in our way to hinder that which the Lord hath so Commanded and we so earnestly desire and seek after Unity I have spoken with some Ordained thus and they told me they would have been Ordained with Imposition of Hands and expected it but they who did it refused it the more trouble have they made in the Church They who come into the Gospel-Ministry must come in according to Gospel-Order God stands upon his Order 1 Chron. 15.13 God made a Breach upon us for that we sought him not after Due Order How severe was the Holy Law-giver then but there was not Due Order nor is here Due Ordination God is the same God still the God of Order as well as then The Scriptures are plain in this Point why are not we as plain what need have we of other words them what we find in the Scriptures If Imposition of Hands were but an indifferent thing or but a circumstance of the Action I could Answer my self But it will appear to be that in which Separation to Office is principally made and in which only it is seen That godly and learned Men may err as well by Diminishing from the Word as such have done in Adding to the Word I know nothing against it they are but Men But these Men who as I judge diminish from the Word would not therefore Vnite and hold Communion with them in Worship where these Additions were because they were godly and learned Men. We have our Rule to look to not Men further than they walk according to that Rule If the Reader meet with the Word Independent I desire him not to be offended for this Discourse between my Brother and my self was before the Agreement of the Vnited Brethren came forth yet the word may be used sano sensu well enough For I doubt not a particular Church duely ●●ganized walking regularly may Execute all the Power of the Keys within it self without dependency upon any other Churches As to the End of my publishing this Treatise my Conscience bears me Witness before the Lord I aim but at these two things 1. To remove that Block if I could which hinders our hearty Union I know it offends many of our Brethren besides it gives advantage to them who observe our Practices to speak against us and that justly 2. To keep up the Authority of the Scriptures which are so plain in this Case that if we will own Ordination without Imposition of Hands to be Due Ordination then the Authority of five or six Scriptures is set by I know no other ground of our Sufferings but our maintaining of the Authority of the Scriptures while Men would be Imposing upon us such things in the House and Worship of God which if the Questions were truly stated which they never did have no footing or ground in the Holy Scriptures but were their Addition to them as if the Wisdom of God in the Scriptures were defective If we suffered then for the Authority of the Scriptures while Men added to them we will not give away their Authority now while men diminish from them Where shall we End if this be the Practice As to the Second Question I seek Light 1. To have but one Pastor or Teaching Elder in a Church agrees neither with the Holy Scripture nor sound Reason Good Mr. Faldo was troubled about it I understand by his Letter to me 2. The Poverty of the Churches generally is such that very few can maintain One then not more 3. Complaints have been made by some Members of Churches that their Pastors have not proceeded rightly against them and they had no help 4. If then the Holy Scriptures have not declared that the Officers and Members of a Church must meet alwayes in One Place then all Church-work may be carried on which as now we stand cannot be I begg of the Father of Lights to Guide Vs The Unworthiest of the United Brethren GILES FIRMIN The Prediction of Mr. Daniel Rogers Minister in Wethersfield in Essex concerning King Charles the first and Arch-Bishop Laud. IF you ask me who this Mr. Daniel Rogers was he was the Son of Mr. Richard Rogers a Man eminent in Holiness whom God honoured to make him his Instrument in bringing home many Souls to Christ If you ask what he was for Grace himself His Brother Mr. Nathanael Ward use to say of him My Brother Rogers hath Grace enough for two men but not half enough for himself His Natural Constitution was no Advantage to Grace If you ask what he was for a Divine his Works Answer for him If you ask what he was for a Scholar two things declared him to be a Scholar one was this When Arch-Bishop Land Visited Mr. Rogers was Summoned to appear and did so whether Mr. Rogers did grapple with the Arch-Bishop I cannot tell but one that lived in the Town where I now do being then present at the Court heard the Arch-Bishop say to him Mr. Rogers I acknowledge you to be a better Scholar than my self but I will make you know your place And silenced him A second thing was this which I had from a Kinsman of mine who was of Clare-Hall at the same time if not the same Year with Mr. Rogers the Man was a very moderate Episcopal Man he told me this The Arch-Bishop sends down a Coryphaus this was the Word he used to the University of Cambridge to Challenge the

not to a Deacon Whom We may appoint over this B●sitess Acts 6.3 say the Apostles It was not their Election that did Constitute them Deacons but the Apostles Authoritatively kppointing them over this Busin●●s We appoint not Y●● appoint As Pharaoh appointed Joseph Governour over Egypt Acts 7.10 the same Word the Act of Authority 3. A Man whom God hath qualified may be Ordained to the Work of the Ministry tho' there he no People to Elect him As if one having gotten the Language of some Heathens he may go and Preach among them and if God bless his Ministry he may Baptize them if there be lent one or two at one time as Philip did the Eunuch and as the Aposles Paul and Bounabas who were Ordained before they were sent sorth to the Gentiles of which we see no need as I said before they carrying their Credentials with them the Power of Miracles but that Man cannot Baptize unless he be Ordained he is not in Authority before he be Ordained So that true Qualisication and Fitness for the Ministry and Authoritative Separation to the Ministry makes A Minister Election of the People makes him their Minister 4. Tho' I deny Election to give the Essence yet suppose Election to be an Ingredient into it where two things meet together to the Constitution of an Officer Subjection and Authority certainly Authority gives the Essence more than Sabmission thus Dr. Owen the People Electing Sabmit themselves and Dr. Ames * Bellar. enera to 2. p. 87. before him answering Bellarmin who made it strange that Sheep should choose their Shepherd Yes saith Dr. Ames rational Sheep may choose their Shepherd not by Jurisdiction but by Sabjection 5. The Scriptures which are for Ordination by Imposition of Hands are more in number and far more clear than those for Election the first Text which they bring for Election Acts 1.15 this differs much from curs for our Election is with Subjection to him whom the People Elect But this was not so Did Peter the Pope will be angry if you tell him so and the other Apostles sabject themselves to him whom they Chose 2ly It was choosing one of their own Order not one above them so does not Popular Election 3ly Tho' Peter did speak to all present yet it does not appear that all present did choose but the Apostles for they could tell best who had accompanied them all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among them V. 21 22. Surely all that were present could not tell who those were as the Apostles 4ly They gave forth their Lotts V. 26. 5ly They Prayed to the Lord to shew whether of these two Thou hast chosen 24. Is this Text clear for Popular Election The 6 Acts 3. is the clearest for Election but not of a Pastor The 14 Acts 23. is much Controverted and these are all I meet with for Popular Election But for the other we have First God's own Institution Secondly We have five Scriptures more in the New Testament which are plain for it which makes me wonder how it came about that any Men of Learning should put so much upon Election that it should give the Essence to a Minister 6. The Peoples Election gives the Essence to a Minister What without his Ac●●ptation No sure If ten Churches choose a Man he may resuse them every one he may have Reasons for it Where then is the Essence their Election gives my Acceptation is every whit as essential to my being a Minister as their Election why then is the Causality given to their Election To be a Minister to them that they may demand of me and I be bound to administer all Ordinances to them by way of Office I grant here their Election and my Acceptation are essential But to be A Minister hath other Causes where Popular Election hath no Cansality That a People must subject themselves to a Minister and persorm all the Duties the Word of Go I require to a Minister and yet not choose him is Tyranny fit for Rome not for the Church of Christ This Notion of Popular Election giving the Essence to a Minister is the ground of that Witty Distinction of a Minister's Preaching if he Preach to his People that Chose him then he Preaches as a Minisler but if in another Church then as a Cisted Brother And hence they must not Administer the Sacraments in another Church tho' there be need and the Church desire he must not Act as a Minister beyond them who gave him the Essence of a Minister And this they would prove or illustrate from a Mayor of a Corporation who out of his Corporation hath no Power Ans 1. In a Kingdom or Corporation 't is sufficient there be a People first of whom neither the King nor the Mayor are Causes in the least in the Church 't is not sufficient there be a People but such a People viz. Visible Saints of whom God hath Ordained the Ministry to be in his Hand the Instrument to make them such So that the Ministry is first and an Instrumental Cause to make them a People as such 2. The Work of a Mayor is to Govern only A Minister hath other Work to feed with Word and Sacraments which they may do when called to it where they cannot Govern as I shew'd before 3. The Catholick visible Church made up of particular visible Churches is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.4 1 Cor. 12.12 and we are all Members of that one Body and the Members are bound to help one another else 't is contrary to the Light of Nature 1 Cor. 12.25 But where do you read that all Corporations and Kingdoms make one Body of Christ 4. I think Pastors and Teachers are Ministers the Apostle calls himself and others so Ministers 1 Cor. 3.5 The Apostles were Catholick Pastors to the Catholick Church * 2 Cor. 11.28 The Care of all the Churches Actu primo secundo depended upon the Call of no Church to Act in that Church al. Acts of Power yet Ministers Hence we say the Ministry † 1 Tim. 1.12 2 Tim. 4.5 Col. 4.17 not ●he Pastorship I then a Man be a Pastor of such a Church both Actu primo secundo yet he is a Minister and doth habitually actu primo bear a respect to the Catholick Church and may perform the Acts of a Minister to another Church that is in want and cannot at present help themselves and call upon him to help for as he is a Minister that Church which Called him was no Cause of that What disserence is there between the Acts of a Pastor and a Minister because I read one saying He may Preath as a Minister which is better than a Gisted Brother but not as a Pastor This giving the Keye to the Fraternity as the first Subject of them hath brought in that Sin which Mr. Whan that Emitrent Servant of Christ and my former Pastor calls Koraism * See