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church_n	bind_v	earth_n	loose_v	5,255	5	10.5190	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62285	A serious inquiry into the means of an happy union, or, What reformation is necessary to prevent popery and to avert God's judgments from the nation written upon the occasion of the fast, and humbly offered to the consideration of the Parliament by William Saywell.	Saywell, William, 1643-1701.	1681 (1681)	Wing S805; ESTC R25119	28,144	52

Judgments upon our Nation CHAP. IV. NOW for Schism Papists Presbyterians aend Independents Schismaticks Numb 16. that is a sin of that magnitude and heinous nature that God did open the earth and swallow up men alive for it and sent a miraculous Fire to consume the first Beginners of Schismatical Worship And of the Samaritans that worshipped God in Schism our Lord says Ye know not what ye worship John 4.22 Now this Schism was in opposing the lawful Officers which God had appointed to minister about holy things and venturing upon the Sacred Function without any orderly warrant to do it And 't is as plain a case that Christ has appinted Officers and Governours in his Church and committed all the World to their Government in their respective Capacities in things relating to his Worship John 20. As my Father sent me that is to appoint Officers and with Authority to rule and govern my Church all over the World so send I you not Peter onely to do the like Again Matth. 28. Go make disciples in all nations and lo I am with you to the end of the world Further Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned So all the World were bound by the command of our Saviour to receive the Apostles and such as they sent to preach the Gospel for they could not speak to all men personally and be ruled by them according to the Gospel or else they were to be damned These Apostles gave in charge also to the Bishops and Pastors to rule and govern the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.28 Over which the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops They are to exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise them Titus 2.15 They are to receive Accusations and examine Witnesses 1 Tim. 5.19 and therefore must have a Summoner to cite the Offender and a Register to write down the Informations and Depositions They are to rebuke before all that others may fear 1 Tim. 5.20 The People are commanded likewise to obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves for they watch for their souls as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 They are to know them that labour among them and are over them in the Lord and admonish them and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake not for their Birth or Parts or natural Accomplishments but as Ministers of Christ for their works sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. They are in case of offence given to receive them with fear and trembling 2 Cor. 7.15 And lest any should despise this Authority which our Lord has given he has said Matth. 18.18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And John 20.23 Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Here is abundantly enough to demonstrate that Christ has appointed Governours in his Church and commanded all men to obey them And therefore to despise their Office to contemn their Authority and withdraw from their Communion and to invade their Charges is a crying sin that will bring Gods Judgment upon a Nation But the Question is still Who are the Governours that must be thus obeyed and who are to send and appoint them Now 't is plain that this Authority is from Christ and where he gave it he gave the Holy Ghost also with it John 20. Receive the Holy Ghost And 't is plain the Apostles having received the Holy Ghost did convey it to other Pastors who were ordained by them Acts 20. Govern the Church over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops And When Anamas told a Lie to S. Peter he says Acts 5. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie against the Holy Ghost So that those that derive Authority in an orderly way by Succession from those who have power given them to give the Holy Ghost for the work of a Bishop Luther tom 2. ep fol. 41. Tu ex mea parte explores an vocationem suam possint probare Neque enim Deus unquam aliquem misit nisi vel per hominem vocatum vel per signa declaratum ne ipsum quidem filium those are such Governours to whom we must yield obedience and in opposing of them we shall oppose Christ If any pretend to this Authority and cannot shew they had it from them who were enabled to bestow the Holy Ghost they must shew miracles to prove it For 't is not Knowledge alone or the Choice of the People or the Appointment of the Magistrate that can give the Holy Ghost that must come from Christ or some of those that received that power by Succession from him And this is the Opinion of all Protestant Churches in their Confessions when it may be had and has been the constant Tradition of the whole Church and all the Catholick Writers in all Ages The Augustane Confession Art 14. Concerning the Ecclesiastical Order we teach that none ought publickly to teach or administer the Sacraments unless he be rightly called as Paul does give in charge to Titus that he should appoint Elders in every City The French Confession Art 21. We believe that the true Church of Christ ought to be governed by that Polity or Discipline which our Lord Jesus Christ established that there should be in it Pastors Presbyters or Elders and Deacons Art 31. We believe it is not lawful for any one to invade the government of the Church by his own Authority We believe that this rule ought to be followed that all Pastors Elders and Deacons ought to have a testimony of their calling Matth. 28.10 16. Mark 16.15 John 15.16 Acts 1.21 Rom. 10.15 Tit. 1.5 Gal. 1.15 1 Tim. 3.7 8. Art 32. We believe that those that are chosen Governours of any Church should take care amongst themselves how the whole body may be most conveniently governed yet so as they do not depart in any thing from the Institution of our Lord Jesus Christ But this does not hinder but that there may be a peculiar Institution in all places as shall seem most convenient Acts 14.23 15. 25.28 1 Cor. 14.40 1 Pet. 5. The Dutch Confession Art 31. We believe that Ministers Elders and Deacons ought to be called to their Functions and promoted by the lawful election of the Church with serious prayer to God for that purpose and in that order and manner which is prescribed in the Word of God The Bohemian Confession Art 19. They teach that the Ministers of the Church to whom the Administration of the Word and Sacraments is committed ought to be rightly instituted according to the Prescription given by our Lord and his Apostles Wherefore prayer being made by the Elders

evil learn to do well If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land but if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the sword Is a. 1. CHAP. IX Comprehension the certain way to greater Division HAving seen the Causes of our Distractions we are to inquire after the means of an Happy Uninion which all ought to wish and pray for yet how to expect it I do not see but by requiring strict Conformity to the Religion of the Church of England as it is now established wherein ten thousand Clergy-men and most of the Nobility and Gentry are agreed For the Independents Anabaptists and Quakers desire no Union with us neither will their Principles admit any unless the Church will perfectly go over to them which can never be done As for the Presbyterians they never did nor never will like the Common Prayer as long as they can be flattered by Enthusiastick Preachers in Conventicles though they can and often do joyn with it after their careless manner So that all the Union that can be hoped for by changing of the present Laws of Subscription Declaration and the like will be to bring in forty or fifty of these Enthusiastick Preachers into the Church and then besides the Schisms without amongst the Fanaticks they will breed a Division also within the Church amongst those that will call themselves the Conformable Clergy for their Enthusiastical way will be onely admired by the Vulgar and all the sober judicious Divines will be slighted as unprofitable Preachers Besides having stood out twenty years in defiance of all Subscriptions and Declarations to testifie their Approbation of the Common Prayer and willingness to uphold the Government in Church and State as it is now established they will upon the taking away these Obligations not onely think themselves at liberty but bound in honour and duty to endeavour the extirpation of both at best will keep men up and further them in contempt of the publick Prayers and Orders of the Church and so spoil all serious Devotion That neglect and contempt they have brought already upon the publick Prayers and Sacraments has been no small profanation of Gods Name and the great ground of all other Profaneness so that if they gain this point to be taken into the Church upon their own terms after they have cast such contempt upon it they can readily then tell the people what good effect their resolution and clamours have had and encourage them to persist in their demands and there is no doubt but they shall be able to take the whole Constitution of the Church away And if they cannot effect that yet what a miserable case will it be when the publick Prayers and Sacraments Fasts and Feasts shall be thought by these that will call themselves the Godly Party the Misery and Grievance of the Nation Those that daily see and hear how Gods publick Worship is contemned by that Party cannot but with bleeding hearts and sorrowful groans lament for the sad condition of the Nation and fear greater evils yet from that they call Comprehension But these matters must be left to your Wisdom to consider of and in all former Ages it was the custom to advise with the Bishops and Clergy in their Synods about settling Religion Thus did the pious Roman Caesars in their times and our Kings and Parliaments hitherto and we cannot doubt the like from you who by fasting and prayer do seek to God for direction However this must never be forgotten when we endeavour after a Union we must not separate from the whole Church of God nor hope to keep out Popery by upholding Ignorance and Profaneness But if ever we expect Gods blessing and an Happy Union it must be by settling sound Religion and true Piety in the Nation for while Heresie and Schism Ignorance and Profaneness are suffered without controul we must look for Plots and Conspiracies Miseries and Confusions to attend us Having therefore shewed by plain matter of fact from the Confessions of Protestant Churches and also by the Tradition and Decrees of the Catholick Church that the Quakers and Anabaptists do teach manifest and condemned Heresie and that the Papists Presbyterians and Independents that keep Conventicles are undoubted Schismaticks and that Heresie and Schism are heinous offences in the sight of God the first step to publick Reformation and a Happy Union is effectually to take away all their Conventicles and at least make them all rest satisfied with a private Worship in their own Families And because under their shelter abundance of ignorant and profane persons have grown up amongst us at the same time the utmost endeavour must be used to compell all the ignorant sort at least to hear sober Instruction and by severe penalties to restrain Blasphemy Swearing Drunkenness Uncleanness and all manner of Vice and Wickedness And if these things be carefully provided against as far as is possible by publick Authority men that are not reformed by such means shall perish for their own sins but God will accept our humiliation and hearken unto our prayers and not onely deliver our Nation from the great danger of Popery but from all other publick evils and calamities But if Quakers and Anabaptists be still permitted to propagate their Heresies and Presbyterians and Independents to uphold their Schismatical Conventicles Papists will lurk among them Ignorance and Profaneness will more and more increase and so God will retain his displeasure and be more provoked against us and what can we expect then from an angry God and a sinful People but Popery Misery and Desolation POSTSCRIPT SInce the writing of these Papers the Reverend and Learned Dean of S. Pauls has published a great and elaborate Book where he does largly prove and further confirm what I could but briefly mention in this short Inquiry and in pag. 45. he says Pref. p. 45. My judgment being that a causless breaking the peace of the Church we live in is really as great and as dangerous a sin as Murder and in some respects aggravated beyond it And herein having the concurrence of the Divines of the greatest reputation both ancient and modern Would they have me represent that as no sin which I think to be so great a one or those as not guilty whom in my conscience I thought to be guilty of it Would they have had me suffered this sin to have lain upon them and not reproved it Would they have had me found all the soft and palliating considerations to have lessened their sense of it No I had seen too much of this already and a mighty prejudice done thereby to men otherwise scrupulous and conscientious that seem to have lost all sense of this sin And then after he had more seriously weighed and examined all their reasons to justifie themselves from this Guilt he concludes his Book thus Although I make no such Appeals to the Day of Judgment as others do yet I cannot but