Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	body_n	church_n	mystical_a	1,148	5	10.4023	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70686	The lawfulnes of the oath of supremacy, and power of the King in ecclesiastical affairs with Queen Elizabeth's admonition, declaring the sence and interpretation of it, confirmed by an act of Parliament, in the 5th year of her reign : together with a vindication of dissenters, proving, that their particular congregations are not inconsistent with the King's supremacy in ecclesiastical affairs : with some account of the nature, constitution, and power of the ecclesiastical courts / by P. Nye ... ; in the epistle to the reader is inserted King James's vindication and explication of the oath of allegiance.; Lawfulnes of the oath of supremacy and power of the King in ecclesiastical affairs	Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1683 (1683)	Wing N1499; ESTC R22153	63,590	80

a Church within it self not an Assembly but a Society A Church as we are now to understand it is a Society that is a number of Men belonging to some Christian-Fellowship the Place and Limits whereof are certain having communion in the publick Exercise of such Duties as are mentioned Acts 2.47 As those of the Mystical Church by their inward Graces differ from all others which are not of the Body and those that are of the visible Body of the Church have the Notes of external Profession Even so these several Societies or Churches have Properties belonging to them as they are publick Christian Societies And of such Properties it may not be denied that one of the very chiefest is Ecclesiastical Policy We use the name of Policy rather than Government because Church-Policy containeth both Government and also whatsoever besides belongeth to the ordering of the publick Affairs of the Church of God In which words he asserts not each particular Church to have Government in it self but this Government as a Property or Propriety by which it 's distinguished from the Mystical as also the Catholick visible Church So that he doth not as some of late make the Catholick visible Church the first Subject of the Keys but each particular Society or Church supposing that great Body of Christians to be only and immediately under the Spiritual Government of Christ Jesus 2. Compleat and sufficient It is not to be understood of such a perfection as may not with much advantage receive help both from the Power of the Magistrate as I have shewed before as also from the Counsel and Advice of other Churches But I mean an essential Compleatness or Sufficiency not being deficient in any material requisite for Government This that learned Author expresseth in those last Words ' We use the Word Policy saith he rather than Government because Church-Policy containeth both Government and also whatever besides belongeth to the ordering of the Affairs of the Church of God Every particular Church Against Whitgist lib 3 pag. 147. saith Mr. Cartwright having an Eldership is a Catholick Church of Christ under whom Pastors Doctors and Elders are the ministerial and immediate Governors In which Words he intimateth a Compleatness in each particular Church for Government and Privileges as much as if the Catholick visible Church were Organical Rutherf Due Right or Presbyt pag. 307. and a governing Church The Power of Jurisdiction saith one is as perfect and compleat in one single Congregation as in a Provincial as in a National yea as in the Catholick visible Body All Things are yours saith Paul to a particular Church 2 Cor. 3. Parker's Polit. lib 3. cap. 13. To this purpose Mr. Parker Sicut non para c. As a particular Church is not a maimed or half but a whole and perfect Body so it is possessed with the whole and entire Church-Government and not with a part only This Oeconomick and Domestick Power is intrinsick and essential to a Family 2d Instance and is a Power derived immediatly from the Lord by the Light of Nature and hath not its original from any Power on Earth Families being much more ancient than Common-Wealths So Government or Discipline is intrinsick and inseparable from the very Essence of a Church received immediately from Christ and not the Grant or Constitution of any Secular Prince or State Jackson of the Church cap. 8. § 5. Churches are endued saith Dr. Jackson with a Judicature immediately derived from Christ and independent upon any Earthly Power or any Power whatsoever on Earth whether Spiritual or Temporal Bilson of Suprem p. 171. Bishop Bilson expresseth it thus The Things comprised in the Church and by God himself commanded to the Church these Things are specified in pag. 227. to be the Word Sacraments and Vse of the Keys or Ecclesiastical Power and Cure of Souls are subject to no mortal Creature Pope nor Prince And those of another Persuasion are to the same purpose The Church saith Mr. Rutherford hath the Keys from Christ Peaceable Plea p. 300. equally independent upon any mortal Man in Discipline as in Doctrine Due Right of Presbyt cap. 9. § 9. A Power and Right to Discipline saith the same Author is a Property essential to a Church and is not removed from it till God remove the Candlestick and the Church cease to be a visible Church Potestas ipsa de jure c. Power saith Dr. Ames is so much the Right of a Church Cas cen lib 4. cap. 24. p. 4. as it cannot be separated because necessary and immediatly floweth even from the Essence of each true Church There are Authorities enow to be produced from the Writings of the Learned for the confirmation of this particular All grant there is a Government jure divino I speak not of this or that Form and by the appointment of Jesus Christ It is denied by none but Erastus and those that follow him who may as well deny Praying Preaching or Sacraments jure divino It is as expresly ordained that Discipline be exercised in the Name of Christ as to preach pray or baptize in his Name There are certainly Things of God that are not the Things of Caesar And if those Things upon which Christ hath put his Name be not peculiarly his I know not where we shall find the Joint As we say there were Families so particular Churches before any Commonwealths were and Christian Churches and Discipline exercised many Years before any Emperors or Kings were Christian And therefore as Families have many Privileges so peculiar and by the Law of Nature so much theirs as are never touched or infringed by the Supreme Power of any Nation So likewise it is with Churches they have very many Privileges so evidently theirs from the Law of Christ and their spiritual Constitution as Christian Magistrates will do their utmost to preserve and cherish and not in the least infringe It is a part of Magna Charta Concessimus Deo hac presenti Charta confirmavimus 3 Hen. 3. cap. 1. pro nobis Heredibus nostris in perpetuum quòd Ecclesia Anglicana libera sit habeat omnia jura sua integra Libertates suas illaesas And it is mentioned in the Oath our Kings take at their Coronation that He shall keep and maintain the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Holy Church A third Particular 3d Instance or Instance of what we have supposed in the former Considerations is this The lesser Corporations Cities Families and the like have not Authority or Jurisdiction one over another It is the same with Churches each having the Fountain and Original of their own Power as before is shewed immediatly proceeding from Christ in themselves and not elsewhere or one from another cannot by any Art or Device of Man be made to rise up above it self as it doth if one Church exerciseth a Power or Jurisdiction over another There is

even to the Churches of Christ And although it should not be a good reasoning to argue from what Power the Princes of Israel exercised in respect of its Extent in Particulars a Chron. 8 14. many of them being Prophets as well as Princes yet the Benefit and Usefulness of such Power may be the same unto us as unto them both in respect of Terror to Evil-Doers and Praise to them that do well Though an Argument from Circumcision applied to Infants will not weigh with some because they deny Baptism to be a Sacrament of that Nature Yet this cannot be denied by them that if an Infant be capable of Benefit by an Ordinance it understands not Infants may as lawfully in that respect be baptised whille Infants as they were then circumcised The Arguments brought from Ecclesiastical Power exercised by Magistrates in the Jewish Government will argue at least that there is a Capacity in Men now to receive Benent and Good thereby even in spiritual Matters as they did then which is all that is aimed at 4. As it is the Duty of each Person Col 2. so of Churches to walk wisely towards them that are without that their Order may be looked upon not only with Rejoycing by Neighbour-Churches but such as may appear amiable and comely in the Eyes of all Men. There are many things common to all Societies which Nature and civil Customs instruct us in and are especially to be heeded by Churches For as the things Moral and Lovely in the Eyes of Men being neglected by Professors the Gospel will suffer so much more if by Churches The outward Beauty of these Christian Assemblies consists very much in what is requisite and comely in all human Societies as Unity Love Peace brotherly Forbearance c. Let all things saith the Apostle Phil. 2. be done without murmuring or disputing Paul charged the Church of Corinth with this that there were Debates Envyings Wrath Strifes Back-bitings Whisperings Swellings Tumults 2 Cor. 12.20 and the like amongst them There may be Wrongs and Oppressions in Churches as in other Assemblies Innocent Persons impeached and censured as Schismatiks Seditious and Disturbers of the Peace and no Remedy but from the Civil Magistrate Paul appeals from the Church to Caesar a Secular Prince expecting from him though a Heathen more Justice then from his Brethren being Parties and in their own Cause For where Parties are Judges the Sentence is passed before the Cause is heard As a Church may be offended so they may 1 Cor. 10 32. and oft-times do give Offence as well as single Persons It 's part of a Christian Magistrate's Care and as a Magistrate to punish open Offenderrs whither single Persons or Assemblies And the Truth is if such Assemblies that is Churches be not under the Magistrates Jurisdiction they are under none and will be at a loss in respect of all those Advantages before mentioned The Vsefulness of this Power being declared so fully it will not be difficult to evince the Necessity if it that is to the well-being of Churches For whatsoever thing is useful in Spiritual Affairs is in the same degree necessary I argue thus If the Ruling and Coercive Power in a Church extends it self no further than its own Members if one particular Church cannot suspend excommunicate or exercise any the like Jurisdiction over another it will then follow vvhatsoever benefit or advantage Churches or their Members are supposed to have and reap by being under any external Ruling Power here on Earth this may and ought to be expected from the Magistrates Ecclesiastical Power and no other His being the only Power that is of such an Extension and Compass as to be over all Persons and Societies without his Dominion For the further Explication and Confirming of what is asserted I shall lay down some Considerations and then answer Objections Purposely enlarging upon this Argument as tending much to a distinct understanding of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction both as it is in Church and Magistrate The Considerations are these Consid 1 There is no Power or Authority either in Church or Magistrate that doth directly and immediately compel or enforce the Soul Pains Penalties Restraints bodily Punishments or what comes nearer and is more spiritual as Admonition Suspension Excommunication or the like ' When Persons in any of these ways are judged and censured by the Church or Magistrate or both it hath its Fruit and effect in respect of Morals only in a more remote and circular way as by working upon the Judgment and Affections for there is no created Power can reach the Soul to put upon it any immediate Force or Restraint further than by applying such means discovered by the Scripture or Light of Reason as are apt and sutable to set the Soul and Conscience of a Man to work upon it self We term it Coercive in difference from what is only directive and perswasive for according as the Lord hath appointed means to this or that end accordingly he works and so we ought to judg and speak Now besides means appointed for Instruction and Perswasion God also hath added Discipline a means morally coercive which hath Pain and Shame it 's a Punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the Destruction of the Flesh therefore a means morally Compulsive and more than meerly perswasive the Rod and Reproof is more than a single Reproof 1 Cor. 4 21. Prov. 29.15 Prov. 29.19 it is a Correction which is compulsive a Servant will not be corrected with Words To make all but directive is to confound the Keys The Reverend Author should not judg or speak of an Ordinnce according to the Reception of a carnal Heart Mr. B. in his first Dispute p. 6. but according to what is designed by the Lord as his ordinary Drift and Scope in such an Appointment There is the Word read Gospel preached and visible Seals we are to judg a greater and more effectual Exhibition of Christ in the one than in the other yet all alike to a carnal and unbelieving Soul Consid 2 2. There are two great and Catholick Bodies or Kingdoms immediately and invifibly governed by the Lord and his Christ The World and the Church made up each of lesser Corporations as Cities Families particular Churches c. I say invibly and immediately for as God is invisible so what he acts immediately he acts invisibly As the Church is distinguished into visible and invisible so is the Power by which it is governed Invisible as in a secret and mysterious way and immediately from the Lord And thus are all Kingdoms Nations Tongues and Languages united as in one even the great bulk of Mankind as also the Catholick Church that great Body of Saints they are all thus governed by the Lord and by the Lord alone and not by Man Visible as where these great Bodies of Men and Christians come to be cantoned parcelled and formed into Political Bodies governed by Men

no Invention of Man that by contriving Pipes or any other Artifice can make Water freely and naturally run higher than the Spring-Head Tho that Jurisdiction which hath its rise in a particular Church be pumped up into a Classis or Synod it is but the same it was before Synods saith Parker out of Chamier Polit lib. 3. cap. 13 § 9. Disp de Polit. Eccles p. 5. nullam habeant Authoritatem c. They have no Authority but what is derived from particular Churches So Voetius There seems to be a great Emphasis in those Particles of Propriety Children obey your Parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to Servants 1 phes 6.1 And speaking of the Relation of Husbands and Wives by which is set forth our Obedience to Christ and his Officers it is more appropriate Ephes 5.24 As the Church is subject to Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriis viris not only theirs but their own Husbands It is said 1 Tim. 3.4 One that ruleth well his own House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So of Ministers Know them that labour among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are ever you in the Lord 1 Thess 5.12 and in Heb. 13.17 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duces vestri your Captains Officers in Churches being as exactly limited as in an Army There is no Power in a Superior to command where no Obligation upon the Inferior to obey And therefore the Lord seems by these Expressions to limit both Church and Family-Power within their own Walls This is the Judgment of the Learned of each Persuasion Bishop Davenant Nota est Jurisconsultorum regula c. It is a known Rule of Lawyers A Sentence given by him that is not his Judg is void in Law But particular Churches are not the Judges of private Persons that are of other Churches how much less then over the Churches themselves such Sentences were to be slighted and contemned as of a Judg that presumeth to make Laws out of the bounds of his own Jurisdiction Nec potest De judice cont cap. 16. p. 90. nec debet saith the same Author elsewhere particularis una Ecclesia judiciaria authoritate aliam sibi non subjectam a Catholica abscindere quaelibet enim Ecclesia filios suos ad consensionem in Doctrina publicè stabilita censuris adigit Sed fratres Ecclesiarum externarum monet pro officio charitatis non punit pro imperio potestatis Dr. Field Of the Church lib 5. as a common Resolution of Divines tells us That if a Bishop ventures to do any Act of Jurisdiction out of his own Diocess that is his particular Church so cap. 30. as to excommunicate or absolve or the like all such Acts are utterly void and of no force The same thing saith Dr. Crakanthorp cont Spal cap. 28. pag. 177. Jue divinum Regim p. 230. Every Congregation say our Brethren hath equal Power one as much as another according to the trite and known Axiom Par in parem non habet imperium An Equal hath no Power over an Equal Ecclesiae institutae parochiales integrae sunt Disp de Polit. Eccles p. 3. inter se collaterales potestate Ecclesiastica aequales saith Voetius Which you may English out of the English Puritanism thus Particular Churches are in all Matters equal and are entrusted by Christ with the same Ecclesiastical Power and Authority Cap. 2. § 3. Jewel Reynolds Whitaker and most of our Divines against the Papists are large in their Disputes for a parity of Churches and Mr. Parker hath written a whole Chapter de paritate Ecclesiarum De Polit lib 3. cap. 21. Some make a particular Church to be of larger Extension as a Diocess a Province c. but that altereth not the State of the Question A DIGRESSION 1. Of Independentism Name and Thing 2. It s consistency with the Kings Supremacy THis State of a particular Church namely their equality in respect of Jurisdiction or coercive Power one over another was wont to be expressed by INDEPENDENCY which though now it be a term of Raproach yet formerly made use of by good Authors as very fit and significant to set forth this Priviledge of each particular Church compleat and intire namely their not Dependency or Subjection to the Jurisdiction of another Church as their Head and Superior Dr. Jackson in his learned Treatise of the Church Cap. 15. Cap. 119. useth this term frequently Unity saith he in one place of Discipline or of INDEPENDENT Judicature is essential and necessary to the Church as visible Hence there be as many distinct visible Churches as there be INDEPENDENT Judicatures Ecclesiastick Dr. Sibbs thus Gospel-anointings pag. 94. Particular visible Churches are now God's Tabernacle The Church of the Jews was a National Church but now God hath erected particular Tabernacles Every particular Church under one Pastor is the Church of God a several Church INDEPENDENT The Church of England saith the same Author is called a particular Church from other Nations because it is under a Government Civil which is not dependent on any other Foreign Prince Each Church saith Voctius Desp Cau. Pap. lib. 3. § 3. c. 4. as it hath its proper Form of an Ecclesiastical Body or Society so it s endued with its proper Government and Jurisdiction which it exerciseth DEPENDENTLY upon Christ his Word and Spirit but INDEPENDENTLY in respect of all other Churches Mr. Bates One Company of Men assembled Treatise printed Anno 1613. hath no Authority to impose things upon many Churches 1. None now have Apostolick Authority 2. Each Congregation is a Body INDEPENDENT of any Ecclesiastical Power There is no Ordinance of God for this saith Mr. Banes that Churches within a circuit should be tyed to a certain Head-Church for Government pag. 8. and pag. 13. We affirm that no such Head-Church was ordained either vertually or actually but that all Churches were single Congregations equal INDEPENDENT each of other in regard of Subjection Every true Church saith one now is an INDEPENDENT Congregation A Collection of sundry matters Anno 1601. and in another place The Congregational Body Politick spiritually INDEPENDENT is Christ's Divine Ordinance in the Gospel One ordinary Congregation of Christians is a spiritual Body Politick INDEPENDENT That is it hath the Right and Power of spiritual Administration and Government in it self Confession of Faith p. Anno 1601. and over it self by the common and free consent of the People INDEPENDENTLY and immediately under Christ This was the Opinion generally of N. Conformists as is observed by one of themselves in the Name of the rest as also by B. Downam Sermon at Lambeth p. 5. They that is the N. C. say that every Parish by Right hath sufficient Authority within it self immediately derived from Christ for the Government of it self in all Causes Ecclesiastical To the Parishional Presbytery