Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	civil_a	discipline_n	great_a	350	4	2.1332	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56155	Diotrephes catechised, or, Sixteen important questions touching the ecclesiastical jurisdiction and censures (contradistinct to civill) now eagerly pretended to and challenged by a divine right, by some over-rigid Presbyterians and Independents propounded to both these dissenting parties for the further discovery of truth, the preservation of the civil Christian magistrates interest, and speedier comprimising [sic] of our present unhappy controversies touching church-government ... / proposed, published by W. Prynne ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1646 (1646)	Wing P3945; ESTC R31935	18,373	18

suspention of all kinds of scandalous persons from the Sacrament though they externally pretend and professe their sincere repentance in generall Or any certaine rules prescribed them in the Gospell and in what particular Texts fo●… the due execution of this jurisdiction in * all cases or scandalls that may happen If not whether it can probably bee imagined that Christ in his wisdome would erect institute and vest an Ecclesiasticall Government in Church officers without prescribing them any certain rules wherby to manage it in all particulars and leave them to proceed in an arbitrary way according to their mee●… pleasur●… contrary to Mat. 28 19. 20. If yea then produce these texts to us for our satisfaction 8ly What rules or presidents are there in Scripture to relieve parties grieved by unjust Ecclesiasticall censures either by appeales or other wayes and to what superior Tribunals If no such rules or presidents appea●…e therin admitting Presbyteries or Congregations Ecclesiasticall jurisdictions censures to be Jure divino then 〈◊〉 by Go●…s own Law wch pro●…ides them no re●…iefe the parties injured must not remain remediles when most injuriously sentenced by any private Presbitery Classis congregation without any help or benefit of Appeale to Provinciall Nationall Synods Parliaments or the Civill Magistràte And if so whether this wil not introduce as many absolute tyrannies and arbitrary Tribunals against which we have so much contested of late as there are Presbyteries or Congregations especially if we grant them a generall power of all things they themselves shall judge to be scandals without confining them to particulars or establish their jurisdictions by a divine right which no meer humane power or i●…stitution can controll Ninthly whither if Christ hath instituted or left any exact Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction discipline or power of censures to his Church distinct from the civill Magistracy and censures this pretended jurisdiction discipline or power be so absolute and sufficient of it self alone as to be fully able to correct redresse reforme all abuses scandalls corruptions and suppresse all Heresies Schismes Errors Vices arising in every Church If ●…ot then we may justly suspect it is no reall jurisdiction nor discipline instituted by Christ who would (r) institute and bequeath no incompleate nor imperfect jurisdiction judicatory or discipline to his best-Beloved Spouse the Church If yea whither is that jurisdiction now contended for by Presoyterians or Independents such If so then it is compleate and every way selfe-sufficient without the concurrence or assistance of the Christian Magistrate or any temporall authority to assist maintaine it or supply its defects But this none can truly assert nor affirme For First no Pres●…ytery Classis or Independent Congregation hath yet challenged nor can claim by divine right any coercive power by way of attachment imprisonment or fine to bring any party or witnes sommoned so much as to appeare before them in case of wilfull neglect or refusall to appeare or bee examined to prepare any cause ●…or sentence Secondly In case any Ecclesiasticall Censure of Excommunication or Suspention be inflicted by them upon scandalous persons after full hearing if they absolutely contemne the same or refuse to conforme themselves or by open violence intrude into the Congregation Church or force the Minister to give the Sacrament to them though excommunicated or suspended Thirdly In case any Hereticke Schismaticke or prophane person shall wilsu'ly separate from our Congregations as thousands now doe refufing to communicate with us in any Ordinances proclaming us to bee no Churches and passe a schismaticall sentence of Non-Communion with us by reason of some unjust exceptions or pretences against our Orthodox Doctrine di●…cipline or forme of Government and thereupon refuse to appeare before our Presbyteries Congregations or to submit unto their jurisdictions or censures in all these and such like cases the pretended divine Ecclesiasticall power censures of Presbyteries Classes or Independent Congregations are at a Nonplus so defective invalid of themselves 〈◊〉 enforce obedience to such contumatious or reduce reclaime such here●…icall schismaticall or prophane persons from their obstinacy Heresies Schismes and neglect of publike Ordinances that they are enforced to pray in ayde from the Civill Magistrate by Capias excommunicatums imprisonments fines or other such civill compulsory means the only effectuall course by way of censure used in all ages to suppresse reform (*) Heresies Schismes and the only way to suppresse redresse them now without which all their Ecclesiasticall censures are both contemptible ineffectuall and altogether insufficient to reforme abuses So that if the Magistrates be Infidels Hereticks or Schismaticks who will not or prophane negligent timorous or licentious persons who care not or dare not to assist the Presoyteries Classes or Congregations in forcing submission to their Church processes censures they are so defective and ineffectuall of themselves that none can justly call or infallibly prove them to be the Kingdome Scepter Government descip●…ine and censures of Christ whereby his Church must onely bee governed purged reformed as some now pretend them to be 10ly Whither Matth. 18. 15. 16 17. if meant of Christian Presbyteries or Church-officers as is pretended not of the civill Magistracy or Jewish Sanhedrim gives any authority to them to proceed ex officio against notorious scandalous sinnes as Idolatry Blasphemy swearing drunkennesse c. since it speakes not of any publike scandalous offences against God and the Church but only of private personall * trespasses between man and man to bee proceeded against only upon the voluntary complaint of the party offended after previous private admonitions and then reproofes before witnesses yea of such offences which upon private satisfaction we are to forgive 77. times without any publike complaint or censure Luke 17. 3. 4. Therefore not meant of meer publike scandalls which no private man can remit nor no Church or Presbyterie will grant that they ought to bee 77. times remitted one after another without the least suspension or excommunication upon meer externall shewes of Repentance And whether thou hast gained thy brother in this Text be meant properly of gaining him to God by true Repentance or only unto him who gaines him by way of reconciliation and renewing friendship as the phrase it selfe compared with Prov. 18. 19. intimates 11ly Whether Acts 15. 1. to 36. where a Synod of Apostles Elders and Brethren met together at Jerusalem to debate and resolve a dubious point of doctrine onely about circumcision without exercising any act of discipline or Ecclesiasticall censure on any scandalous per●…son be a sound divine Authority to evidence to any mans conscience the Divine Right of Presbyteries Classes or Independent Congregations to inflict Ecclesiasticall censures upon scandalous Delinquents or to examine witnesses upon Oath against them of which there is not one sillable in that Text 12ly Whether the precept of Paul 1 Cor. 5. 13. for putting away from among them the incestuous person written to this particular Church in

this one case of Incest onely against which heinous scandalous sinne being then under Heathen Magistrates they could not safely complaine to them of it without great scandall nor go to Law before them for ordinary just civil things without great offence as appeares by the very next words 1 Cor. 6. 1. to 9. when as by the Law of God had the Magistrates there beene Jewes or Christians this sinne of Incest was to bee punished by them not with excommunication or suspention from the Church but death it selfe Leviticus 18. 8. c. 20. 11. 12. Be any satisfactory or infallible argument for the continuance and exercise of Excommunication or Suspention from the Sacrament in all Churches of Christ in all succeeding ages in all other cases of sin or scandal though the Magistrates in them be christian and may yea ought to punish those sinnes with death or other temporall censures if complained of VVhether those that presse this text may not as well conclude from the very next words 1 Cor. 6. 1. to 9. that it is unlawfull for Christians to go to Law before any Christian Iudges now and that they must sue only before Presbiteries or Congregations for meer temporall matters because Paul then commanded the Corinthians not to goe to Law before heathen Iudges to prevent scandall but only in the Church before the Saints or such Iudges as the Church should appoint them As inferre that all Scandalous persons must be excommunicated and suspended from the Sacrament by Classes Presbyteryes and censured only by them now not by the Christian Majestrate because the incestuous Corinthian was then Ordered to be put away and pun●…hed by the Church and Saints of Corinth for want of a Christian Majestrate to punish him with death or corporall censures Yea whether they may not as Logically and Theologically argue from the very next chapter 1 Cor. 7. 27. where Paul writes thus I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distresse or necessity for a man not to touch a Woman or marry Ergo it is lawfull yea necessary for Christian men or Women in all ages Churches of Christ to vow perpetuall Virginity and not to mary at all as the Papists thence inferre in defence of their Monks Nons and u●…married Clergy As reason from this text That Paul in regard of the Corinthians present distresse and necessity for want of Christian Majestrates to punish this incestuous person with death and civill Censures adviseth the Church of Corinth To put away from AMONG THEMSELVES that wicked person or thing as some read it Ergo all Ministers Presbyteries and particular congregations of Christ have a divine inherent Ecclesiasticall right and power in them to punish not only incestuous persons but all other scandalous sinners with Excommunication suspention from the Sacrament other Church-censures even when where there is no such necessity nor defect of Christian Magistrates but sufficient s●…ore of them both able and willing to punish such with civill punishments answerable to their crimes and scandalls This is all that can be extracted from this text whereon they most realy Which must needs bee a grosse inconsequent because no Apostolicall advice to any one particular Church upon a private extraordinary occasion and necessity onely can or ought to bee a generall binding Law or Institution of Christ to oblige all other Churches whatsoever in the like or any other cases where there is no such extraordinary occasion or necessity As is cleare by one pregnant evidence in the 16. chap. of this very Epistle c. 1. 2. concerning the Collection then advised to be made for the Saints by the Corinthians every first day of the weeke or weekely which being but a particular advice and direction to this Church for tha●… one Collection is * no binding Law or Rule to all other Churches of Christ strictly to imitate in all their ensuing Collections as is evident by Acts 13. 28 29 30. 2 Cor. 8. 1. to 21. c. 9. 1. to 15. R●…m 13. 25 26. Phil. 4. 14. to 20. Else no Church could since appoint any publike monethly Collections on weeke dayes but onely weekely Collections on the Lords-Day under paine of transgressing the institustitution of Christ and this Apostle which none dare averre However since the Apostle writes not here to any Classis Presbytery or Presbyt●…r but to the whole Church at Corinth TO PUT AWAY FROM AMONG THEMSELVES that wicked person that is to seclude him wholly from their Congregation Church company and not so much as to eat with him at their Tables or keepe any company with him at all as is evident by ver. 7. 9. 11. not to suspend him onely from the Lords Supper of which there is not one syllable in this Chap. nor of any such suspention in the 10. 11 chap. where he purposely treates of this Sacrament we may very well question whether it makes not more against Presbyteries and Classes divine power of Excommunication and a bare suspention of scandalous persons from the Lords Supper only without secluding them from all other Ordinances and Church Assemblies as well as it then for them it being contrary to the very difinition practise of excommunication hitherto knowne and used in the Church to Excommunicate a notorious scandalous person from the Lord supper only once a Moneth a quarter a yeare for feare of infecting others and yet to admit him daily or weekly to joy ne with the Church in all other Ordinances but it alone when all a Schoolmen (b) Canonists resolve t●…at excommunication especially that they call Major Excommunication excludes men not only from the Sacrament but likewise from entring into the Church the society of men prayers of the faithfull and those who wittingly keepe company buy or sell with such are to be ipso facto excommunicated Whereas many now pretend it should seclude men from the Lords Supper only but not from any other Ordinance contrary to thi●… to c other Texts and all sound Antiquity 13ly Whether there be any ground or example at all in Scripture to enjoyne the Civill Christian Majestrate in cases of obstinacy contumacy against Church censures inflicted by Presbyteries or Congregations to become a meere servant and executioner to Presbyteries Congregations or Church-Officers as the Pope and Prelates anciently made them to enforce obedience to their censures by imprisonment or other coercive meanes without any particular examination of the merits of the cause or justice of the procedings Whether such Ministeriall executions of their censures if admitted do not necessarily subject the people to a double jurisdiction vexation for one the selfesame scandalous crime which may prove more intollerably oppressive to them then the most exo●…bitant country Committees or Prelats consistories if not exactly bounded subordinat the Majestracy to the Ministery Presbytery and particular Congregations in point of Authority which if obliged by any divine Law to see Church censures executed and enforce obedience to

them then certainly Christian Majestrates as such must either be Church Offic●…rs as well as Ministers or Lay-Elders the rather because all Precepts given to Majestrates themselves in Scripture are given only to such * Godly or Christian Majestrates who beleive embrace the Scriptures and are Members of a visible Church or Christian state as such not to any infidells or Heathen Majestrates as heathenish or meere Majestrates out of the Church as some grosly mistake else they were not obliged by Gods Law to see Church censures executed obeyed submitted too if no Church officers 14ly Whether it be not more agreeable to the word of God the Rules of Justice and more conducing to the Churches Peace for the Civill M●…jestrate juditially to examine punish all pretended scandalous persons with temporall cen●…ures and then if they still continue impenitent to certifie the proofs taken before him to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Congregation upon their request ●…or their conviction t●…ere to ground an ●…xcommunication or suspention upon if there b●…e cause then to ●…ive them immediatpower to examine all scandalls themselves upon Oath without first acquainting the Civill Majest●…ate with it or desiring his 〈◊〉 examination of the scandalls of purpose to subject them to Church censures Since wee read of no such Examinations upon Oath practised by Presbyteries Church-Officers or particular Congregations among the Jewes or Christians in Scripture which if taken in writing and recorded as they ought to be that so they may be produced scanned upon Appeales there must then be a particular examiner or Register at least appointed in every Presbyterie Classis and Provinciall Synod to record them for which they will expect a constant Fee from the Church or State or an answerable recompence from the parties accusing or accused which cannot be setled without Act or Ordinauce of Parliament being new Fees and Offices and so it will draw a very great unnecessary charge farre greater then that of Bishops and their Officialls upon the people which they wil very unwillingly beare In which regard it is fitest the civill Majestrates or Justices of Peace should only take the Examinations of scandalls as they do in cases of Felony and other crimes and certify them to the Presbyteries or Classis as there shall be need 15ly Whether it be not both unjust and unreasonable to presse the Parliament to settle any kinde of Church-government as prescribed Iure divino before it be clearely demonstrated or manifested to their Iudgements consciences to be so by perspicuous undenyable proofes from Scripture Or to importune them to grant any unlimited arbitrary power to Classes Presbiteries or Congregations to judge of unknowne contingent scandals never yet thus censured from Adams or Christs dayes til now before they can so much as conjecture what they are or where ever they will bee perpetrated in our Churches since offences always use to h preceed Laws made to punish them and ex malis moribus optimae oriuntur leges as all Polititians have resolved Whether the demanding of such an unlimited power to be now established be not as bad yea more unreasonable then the late Prelates c. Oath most justly damned declaimed against and savors not more of wilfullnes then Conscience of the spirit of i Diotrephes then of Christ of whose Kingdome some pretend it to bee a most necessary and inseperable Branch And whether any Prophet Apostle Godly Presbyter privat Congregation or Classis in the primitive Church ever sollicited their Princes or Parliaments for such an exorbitant unlimited power 16. Whether Christian Princes and Majestrates k indulging of over-much power Honour and Ecclesiasticall Authority in point of Iurisdiction Church Censures and Excommunication in former ages to the Clergy under this apprehention perswasion that they were most pious conscientious holy moderat just and humble persons who would exercise it for Gods Glory only and the Churches good hath not beene the true Originall cause of all that Antichristian Tyranny Persecution exorbitances of Popish Prelates and Clergymen which have over-spred corrupted infested the Church and people of God And whether former examples of this kinde may not justly lesson us to beware of the like Error for the present though our Ministers who claime this Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction now contested for by a Divine Right be never so Godly upright discreet humble conscientious since we know not what many of our Ministers Elders who must exercise it in the Country are for the present or what the best of them all or their successors at least may prove for the l future m ambition being mans first sinne and most pleasing to our corrupt Natures as we see by the example of [u] Christs owne Apostles and daily experiences every where especially when they have engrossed more Ecclesiasticall power into their hands by pretext of a Divine Right then ever the expresse Law of God or Christ Himselfe in his Gospell hath delegated to them It is very observable that while the o Popes claimed their Papacy and Superiority over other Churches by grants and donations from the Christian Emperors of Rome they were very humble loyall and obsequious to them But after the long enjoyment of their transcendent jurisdiction by imperiall donations had so far puffed them up with pride as by degrees to desert their true ancient claime and challenge both their Papacy and Supremacy by a divine Right from Christ Himselfe by wresting divers Scriptures to their purpose and some of those among others which our Divines now principally insist upon they presently cast off both their subjection Loyalty to the Emperours at once so prosecuted them with Excommunications Interdicts suspentions rebellions force of Armes and parties raysed against them in their owne Empires that at last they quite trampled them under their feete disposing of their Crownes at pleasure making them sweare solemne homage to them as their Vassalls and to hold their Imperiall Crownes from them alone who formetly did homage to and held their Bishoprickes with all the Papall Jurisdiction they enjoyed onely from them Yea if our Presbyteries Classes or Independent Congregations shall be admitted to hold and enjoy all the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction they now pretend to by a Divine Right and the Parliament their power authority only by a meet humane Institution and not by as cleare a Divine Right as theirs the next consequence I feare will be and we see it already maintained in some (x) Presbyterians and more (y) Independents printed Bookes That our Parliaments Kings and temporall Majestrates must have nothing at all to do with Church Officers or Church Government by way of direction correction or appeale but meerly as their subordinate Ministers to ratifie their determinations and enforce obedience to their censures which if they neglect or refuse to doe or stop their proceedings by any Prohibitions or legall course for ought I know when their Divine pretended Authority is setled to their mindes the next thing

Diotrephes Catechised OR Sixteen IMPORTANT QUESTIONS Touching the ECCLESIASTICAL Jurisdiction and Censures contradistinct to Civill now eagerly pretended to and challenged by a DIVINE Right by some Over-rigid Presbyterians and Independents Propounded to both these Dissenting Parties for the further Discovery of Truth the Preservation of the Civill Christian Magistrates Interest and speedier comprimising of our present unhappy Controversies touching CHURCH-Government On which many now so over-dote as to place the Whole Kingdome of Christ and substance of Religion therein to repute all our former Reformation a meere Nothing the Church of Christ undone and the exercise of their Ministry not onely fruitlesse but unlawfull so as they cannot with good Conscience continue but threaten to relinquish it in case they cannot obtain their demands of such an Exorbitant power by Divine Institution which Christ and his Apostles never claimed exercised nor themselves nor Predecessors ever formerly enioyed petitioned for or pretended to in any age but this Proposed published by W. Prynne a Well-wisher to Verity and Vnity The Second Edition with some Enlargements Lu. 22 24. 25. 26. Math. 20. 25. 26. 27. And there was a strife among them which of them should be accounted the Greatest But Iesus called them unto him and said ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles Exercise Lordship or Dominion over them and they that are great exercise Authority upon them But it shall not be so among you But whosoever will be Great among you let him be your Servant Even as the Sonne of man came not to be Ministred unto but to Minister 1 Pet. 5. 2 3 5. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight or care thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy luchre but of a ready mind Neither as over-ruling or being Lords over Gods Heritage but being ensamples to the flock Yea all of you be ye subject one to another and be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the humble LONDON Printed For Michael Sparkes Anno Dom. 1646. Sixteene Important Questions touching the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction and Censures Contradistinct to Civill now challenged by a Divine Right THe serious consideration of the importunate Claimes of a new kinde of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction by a pretended Divine Right by those very men who of late so eagerly declaymed against the Old as Antichristian and Papall when challenged by our Prelats upon the selfe-same grounds and Title hath induced me to propound these few Important Questions to the over-●…asger prosecutors of this supposed Divine Authority at leastwise to moderate if not extomgio●… those unseasonable deplorable late kindled flames of Contention which if not timely prevented may prove more fatall to our Churches Kingdomes then all the former Dissentions and break forth into a new Civill Warre betweene our selves when we have totally vanquished the Common Enemy The Prelates deserting of their undoubted Jus hum inum and unadvised challenge of a Ius Divinum to advance perpetuate their Iurisdictions and sweating men to this their Title by a new c. Oath was the immediate forerunner yea principall meanes of the utter subversion both of their Hierarchy and Authority And wee have cause to feare that some over-ridged Presbyterians in considerate zeale in waving the Presbyteriall Authority vested in them by an unquestionable Ordinance of Parliament to their full contents as most men deemed and resorting to a more dubious disputable pretended Ius Divinum formerly laid aside by both houses of Parliament and the Assembly though now resumed revived the more highly to advance and firmely settle it in ou●… Churches may produce the like contrary unexpected effects and either revive the old exploded Luciferian Episcopacy or introduce that more feared Anarchicall Hydra or Bable of Independenc y which they most endeavour to suppresse or at leastwise revolve the censorius or corrective power of all scandalous sinnes and sinners into the Civill Majestrates hands the farre safest of the three on whose be●…e I shall with the spirit of Peace and Meeknesse propose these following Queries both to my Presbyterian and Independent Brethren desiring their acquiescens in or serious answers to them after sound deliberation laying aside all private Interests and designes whatsoever which may misguide their Judgements for the sifting out of that one Golden medium of sacred Truth which can only reconcile and ●…ordially re-unite us in the Bonds of Love 1. Whether all scandalous Sins and Offences now pretended by Presbyteri●…s or 〈◊〉 to be of Eccle●…sticall cognisance be not by Gods own Institution and Command as well before as undet the Law and through out the Old Testament inquirable examinable and to be determined In ged only by the temporall Majestrates or Civil powers and punished only with temporall or corporall punishments not by any Ecclesiasticall Persons Officers or Church-Censures only distinct from civill since we read that the severall scandalous sinnes of (a) Idolatry (b) Cursing Blaspheming (c) Sabbath-breaking (d) Disobedience to Parents natural or civill (e) Whoredome Adultery (f) Incest Rape Sodomy Buggery (g) Murther (h) Witchcraft Sorcery with sundry other sinnes were by Gods owne precept to be inquired after censured punished by the Temporall Majestra'e civill Congregation powers People and only with civill punishments alone as putting or stoning to death burning i hanging (k) fines stripes and the like but never enjoyned to be examined censured by Ecclesiasticall Persons Officers or to be punished by them with Church-censures as Excommunication Suspention from the Passeover Circumcision Sacrifices Festivalls or any publike Ordinances then in use or exclusion from the Temple or Synagogues as the marginall texts demonstrat And more especially Ezra 7. 25. 26. where King Artaxerxes sending Ezra the Priest descended linially from the High-Priests before him as is evident by v. 1. to 6 up to Ierusalem with a speciall Commission to repaire the City Temple restore the service of God therein and settle the Government of that place according to the Law of God gives him this command And thou Ezra after the wisdome of thy God that is in thine hand set Majestrates and Iudges that may judge ALL THE PEOPLE that are beyond the River all such as know the LA●… OF THY GOD and teach yee them that know them not AND WHOSOEVER WILL NOT DO THE LAW OF THY GOD and the Law of the King let Iudgement be executed speedily against him not by Ezra the Priest or any Ecclesiasticall Consistory or Presbytery of Priests with meere Ecclesiasticall Censures of Excommunication or suspention from the Temple or publike Ordinances of God no such Church-Officers punishments being then known or instituted by Gods Law but by the Majestrates and Judges appointed who were to punish them only with temporall Censures as the following words thus resolve Whether it be unto DEATH or to BANISHMENT or to CONFISCATION OF GOODS or to IMPRISONMENT the only punishments censures then inflicted