Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	communion_n	part_n	schism_n	2,933	5	9.7737	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85427	An apologeticall narration, humbly submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament. By Tho: Goodwin, Philip Nye, Sidrach Simpson, Jer: Burroughes, William Bridge.	Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1643 (1643)	Wing G1225; Thomason E80_7	16,409	36

father Abraham out of his own countrey and his seed after him a transplanting themselves many thousand miles distance and that by sea into a Wildernes meerly to worship God more purely whither to allure them there could be no other invitement And yet we still stood as unengaged spectators free to examine and consider what truth is to be found in and amongst all these all which we look upon as Reformed Churches and this nakedly according to the word We resolved not to take up our Religion by or from any partie and yet to approve and hold fast whatsoever is good in any though never so much differing from us yea opposite unto us And for our own congregations we meane of England in which thorough the grace of Christ we were converted and exercised our Ministeries long to the conversion of many others We have this sincere profession to make before God and all the world that all that conscience of the defilements we conceived to cleave to the true worship of God in them or of the unwarranted power in Church Governours exercised therein did never work in any of us any other thought much lesse opinion but that multitudes of the assemblies and parochiall congregations thereof were the true Churches and Body of Christ and the Ministery thereof a true Ministery Much lesse did it ever enter into our hearts to judge them Antichristian we saw and cannot but see that by the same reason the Churches abroad in Scotland Holland c. though more reformed yet for their mixture must be in like manner judged no Churches also which to imagine or conceive is and hath ever been an horrour to our thoughts Yea we alwayes have professed that in these times when the Churches of England were the most either actually overspread with defilements or in the greatest danger thereof and when our selves had least yea no hopes of ever so much as visiting our own land again in peace and safety to our persons that we both did and would hold a communion with them as the Churches of Christ And besides this profession as a reall testimony thereof some of us after we actually were in this way of communion baptized our children in Parishionall congregations and as we had occasion did offer to receive into the communion of the Lords Supper with us some whom we knew godly that come to visit us when we were in our exile upon that relation fellowship and commembership they held in their parish Churches in England they professing themselves to be members thereof and belonging thereunto What we have since our returne publiquely and avowedly made declaration of to this purpose many hundreds can witnesse and some of our brethren in their printed bookes candidly do testify for us And as we alwayes held this respect unto our own Churches in this Kingdome so we received and were entertained with the like from those reformed Churches abroad among whom we were cast to live we both mutually gave and received the right hand of fellowship which they on their parts abundantly manifested by the very same characters and testimonies of difference which are proper to their own Orthodoxe Churches and whereby they use to distinguish them from all those sects which they tollerate but not own and all the assemblies of them which yet now we are here some would needs ranke us with granting to some of us their own Churches or publique places for worship to assemble in where themselves met for the worship of God at differing houres the same day As likewise the priviledge of ringing a publique Bell to call unto our meetings which we mention because it is amongst them made the great signall of difference between their own allowed Churches and all other assemblies unto whom it is strictly prohibited and forbidden as Guiciardine hath long since observed And others of us found such acceptance with them that in testimony thereof they allowed a full and liberall maintenance annually for our Ministers yea and constantly also Wine for our Communions And then we again on our parts not onely held all brotherly correspondency with their Divines but received also some of the members of their Churches who desired to communicate with us unto communion in the Sacraments and other ordinances by virtue of their relation of membership retained in those Churches Now for the way practices of our Churches we give this briefe and generall account Our publique worship was made up of no other parts then the worship of all other reformed Churches doth consist of As publique and solemne prayers for Kings and all in authority c. the reading the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Exposition of them as occasion was and constant preaching of the word the administration of the two Sacraments Baptisme to infants and the Lords Supper singing of Psalmes collections for the poor c. every Lords day For Officers and publique Rulers in the Church we set up no other but the very same which the reformed Churches judge necessary and sufficient and as instituted by Christ and his Apostles for the perpetuall government of his Church that is Pastors Teachers Ruling Elders with us not lay but Ecclesiastique persons separated to that service and Deacons And for the matter of government and censures of the Church we had nor executed any other but what all acknowledge namely Admonition and Excommunication upon obstinacie and impenitencie which we blesse God we never exercised This latter we judged should be put in execution for no other kind of sins then may evidently be presumed to be perpetrated against the parties known light as whether it be a sin in manners and conversation such as is committed against the light of nature or the common received practices of Christianity professed in all the Churches of Christ or if in opinions then such as are likewise contrary to the received principles of Christianity and the power of godlinesse professed by the party himselfe and universally acknowledged in all the rest of the churches and no other sins to be the subject of that dreadful sentence And for our directions in these or what ever else requisite to the manage of them we had these three Principles more especially in our eye to guide and steere our practice by First the supreame rule without us was the Primitive patterne and example of the churches erected by the Apostles Our consciences were possessed with that reverence and adoration of the fulnesse of the Scriptures that there is therein a compleat sufficiencie as to make the man of God perfect so also to make the Churches of God perfect meere circumstances we except or what rules the law of nature doth in common dictate if the directions and examples therein delivered were fully known and followed And although we cannot professe that sufficiency of knowledge as to be able to lay forth all those rules therein which may meet with all cases and emergencies that may or sometimes did fal out amongst

at least in each congregation whom we were subject to yet not clayming to our selves an independent power in every congregation to give account or be subject to none others but onely a ful and entire power compleat within our selves until we should be challenged to erre grosly such as Corporations enjoy who have the power and priviledge to passe sentence for life death within themselves and yet are accountable to the State they live in But that it should be the institution of Christ or his Apostles that the combination of the Elders of many Churches should be the first compleat and entire seat of Church power over each congregation so combined or that they could challenge and assume that authority over those Churches they feed and teach not ordinarily by virtue of those fore-mentioned Apostolicall precepts was to us a question and judged to be an additament unto the other which therefore rested on those that allowed us what we practised over and above to make evident and demonstrate and certainly of all other the challenge of all spiritual power from Christ had need have a cleare pattent to shew for it Yea wee appeale further unto them that have read bookes whether untill those latter wrytings of the two reverend and learned Divines of Scotland set forth after our return nor much more then two yeeres since and others of no elder date from Holland and one of our own Divines more lately written with much learning and ingenuity there hath been much settly and directly or with strength insisted on to prove that governement and although assert and inculcate it they do as their opinions yet the full strength and streame of our Non-conformists wrytings and others are spent rather in arguments against for the overthrowing the Episcopall government and the corruptions that cleave to our worship and in maintayning those severall Officers in Churches which Christ hath instituted in stead thereof in which we fully agree with them then in the proofe of a combined classicall Presbyteriall government as it is authoritatively practised in the most reformed Churches And whereas the common prejudice and exception laid into all mens thoughts against us and our opinions is that in such a congregationall governement thus entire within it self there is no allowed sufficient remedy for miscarriages though never so grosse no reliefe for wrongful sentences or persons injured thereby no roome for complaints no powerful or effectual means to reduce a Church or Churches that fal into heresie schisme c. but every one is left and may take liberty without controule to do what is good in their own eyes we have through the good providence of God upon us from the avowed declarations of our judgements among our Churches mutually during our exile and that also confirmed by the most solemne instance of our practice wherewith to vindicate our selves and way in this particular which upon no other occasion we should ever have made thus publique God so ordered it that a scandall and offence fell out between those very Churches whilst living in this banishment whereof we our selves that write these things were then the Ministers one of our Churches having unhappily deposed one of their Ministers the other judged it not onely as too suddaine an act having proceeded in a matter of so great moment without consulting their sister Churches as was publiquely professed we should have done in such cases of concernement but also in the proceedings thereof as too severe and not managed according to the rules laid down in the word In this case our Churches did mutually and universally acknowledge and submit to this as a sacred and undoubted principle and supreame law to be observed among all Churches that as by virtue of that Apostolical command Churches as wel as particular men are bound to give no offence neither to Iew nor Gentile nor the Churches of God they live amongst So that in all cases of such offence or difference by the obligation of the cōmon law of cōmunion of Churches for the vindication of the glory of Christ which in cōmon they hold forth the church or churches chalenged to offend or differ are to submit themselves upon the challenge of the offence or complaint of the person wronged to the most full open tryall examination by other neighbour Churches offended there at of what ever hath given the offence And further that by the virtue of the same and like law of not partaking in other mens sins the Churches offended may ought upon the impenitency of those Churches persisting in their errour and miscarriage to pronounce that heavy sentence against them of with-drawing and renouncing all Christian communion with them until they do repent And further to declare and protest this with the causes thereof to all other Churches of Christ that they may do the like And what further authority or proceedings purely Ecclesiasticall of one or many sister Churches towards another whole Church or Churches offending either the Scriptures doe hold forth or can rationally be put in execution without the Magistrates interposing a power of another nature unto which we upon his particular cognisance and examination of such causes professe ever to submit and also to be most vvilling to have recourse unto for our parts vve savv not then nor do yet see And likewise we did then suppose and doe yet that this principle of submission of Churches that miscarry unto other Churches offended together with this other that it is a command from Christ enjoyned to Churches that are finally offended to denounce such a sentence of non-Non-communion and withdrawing from them whilst impenitent as unworthy to hold forth the name of Christ these principles being received and generally acknowledged by the Churches of Christ to be a mutuall duty as strictly enjoyned them by Christ as any other that these would be as effectuall means through the blessing of Christ to awe and preserve Churches and their Elders in their duties as that other of claime to an authoritative power Ecclesiastical to Excommunicate other Churches or their Elders offending For if the one be compared with the other in a meere Ecclesiastial notion That of Excommunication pretended hath but this more in it That it is a delivering of whole Churches and their Elders offending unto Satan for which we know no warrant in the Scriptures that Churches should have such a power over other Churches And then as for the binding obligation both of the one way the other it can be supposed to lye but in these 2. things First in a warrant and injunction given by Christ to his Churches to put either the one or the other into execution and 2. that mens consciences be accordingly taken therewith so as to subject themselves whether unto the one way or the other For suppose that other principle of an authoritative power in the greater part of Churches combined to excommunicate other Churches c. to be the ordinance of God yet

unlesse it doe take hold of mens consciences and be received amongst all Churches the offending Churches will sleight all such Excommunications as much as they may be supposed to doe our way of protestation and sentence of Non-communion On the other side let this way of ours be but as strongly entertained as that which is the way and command of Christ and upon all occasions be heedfully put in execution it will awe mens consciences as much and produce the same effects And if the Magistrates power to which we give as much and as we think more then the principles of the Presbiteriall government will suffer them to yeeld doe but assist and back the sentence of other Churches denouncing this non-Non-communion against Churches miscarrying according to the nature of the crime as they judge meet and as they would the sentence of Churches excommunicating other Churches in such cases upon their own particular judgement of the cause then without all controversie this our way of Church proceeding wil be every way as effectuall as their other can be supposed to be and we are sure more brotherly and more suited to that liberty and equality Christ hath endowed his Churches with But without the Magistrates interposing their authority their way of proceeding will be as ineffectuall as ours and more lyable to contempt by how much it is pretended to be more authoritative and to inflict a more dreadful punishment which carnall spirits are seldome sensible of This for our judgements And for a reall evidence and demonstration both that this was then our judgements as likewise for an instance of the effectuall successe of such a course held by Churches in such cases our own practice and the blessing of God thereon may plead and testifie for us to all the world The manage of this transaction in briefe was this That Church which with others was most scandalized did by letters declare their offence requiring of the Church supposed to be offending in the name and for the vindication of the honour of Christ and the releeving the party wronged to yeeld a full and publique hearing before all the Churches of our Nation or any other whomsoever offended of what they could give in charge against their proceedings in that deposition of their Minister and to subject themselves to an open tryall and review of all those forepassed carriages that concerned that particular which they most cheerfully and readily according to the fore-mentioned principles submitted unto in a place and state where no outward violence or any other externall authority either civil or ecclesiasticall would have enforced them thereunto And accordingly the Ministers of the Church offended with other two Gentlemen of much worth wisdom and piety members thereof were sent as Messengers from that Church and at the introduction and entrance into that solemne assembly the solemnity of which hath left as deep an impression upon our hearts of Christs dreadfull presence as ever any we have been present at it was openly and publiquely professed in a speech that was the preface to that discussion to this effect That it was the most to be abhorred maxime that any Religion hath ever made profession of and therefore of all other the most contradictory and dishonourable unto that of Christianity that a single and particular society of men professing the name of Christ and pretending to be endowed with a power from Christ to judge them that are of the same body and society within themselves should further arrogate unto themselves an exemption from giving account or being censurable by any other either Christian Magistrate above them or neighbour Churches about them So far were our judgements from that independent liberty that is imputed to us then when we had least dependency on this kingdom or so much as hopes ever to abide therein in peace And for the issue and successe of this agitation after there had been for many dayes as judiciary and full a charge tryall and deposition of witnesses openly afore all commers of all sorts as can be expected in any Court where Authority enjoyns it that Church which had offended did as publiquely acknowledge their sinfull aberration in it restored their Minister to his place again and ordered a solemn day of fasting to humble themselves afore God and men for their sinfull carriage in it and the party also which had been deposed did acknowledge to that Church wherein he had likewise sinned Thus we have rendred some smal account of those the saddest days of our pilgrimage on earth wherein although we enjoyed God yet besides many other miseries the companions of banishment we lost some friends and companions our fellow labourers in the Gospel as precious men as this earth beares any through the distemper of the place and our selves came hardly off that service with our healths yea lives When it pleased God to bring us his poor Exiles back again in these revolutions of the times as also of the condition of this kingdom into our own land the pouring forth of manifold prayers and teares for the prosperity whereof had been no small part of that publique worship we offered up to God in a strange land we found the judgement of many of our godly learned brethren in the Ministery that desired a general reformation to differ from ours in some things wherein we do professedly judge the Calvinian Reformed Churches of the first reformation from out of Popery to stand in need of a further reformation themselves And it may without prejudice to them or the imputation of Schisme in us from them be thought that they comming new out of Popery as well as England and the founders of that reformation not having Apostolique infallibility might not be fully perfect the first day Yea and it may hopefully be conceived that God in his secret yet wise and gratious dispensation had left England more unreformed as touching the outward form both of worship Church government then the neighbour Churches were having yet powerfully continued a constant conflict and contention for a further Reformation for these fourescore yeers during which time he had likewise in stead thereof blessed them with the spiritual light and that encreasing of the power of Religion in the Practique part of it shining brighter and clearer then in the neighbour Churches as having in his infinke mercy on purpose reserved and provided some better thing for this Nation when it should come to be reformed that the other Churches might not be made perfect without it as the Apostle speaks We found also which was as great an affliction to us as our former troubles and banishment our opinions and wayes wherein we might seem to differ environed about with a cloud of mistakes and misapprehensions and our persons with reproaches Besides other calumnies as of schisme c. which yet must either relate to a differing from the former Ecclesiastical Government of this Church established and then who is not involved in it as well

us or that may give satisfaction unto all Queres possible to be put unto us yet we found principles enough not onely fundamentall and essential to the being of a Church but superstructory also for the wel-being of it and those to us cleare and certaine and such as might well serve to preserve our Churches in peace and from offence and would comfortably guide us to heaven in a safe way And the observation of so many of those particulars to be laid forth in the Word became to us a more certaine evidence and cleare confirmation that there were the like rules and ruled cases for all occasions whatsoever if we were able to discerne them And for all such cases wherein we saw not a cleare resolution from Scripture example or direction wee stil professedly suspended untill God should give us further light not daring to eeke out what was defective in our light in matters Divine with humane prudence the fatall errour to Reformation lest by sowing any piece of the old garment unto the new we should make the rent worse we having this promise of grace for our encouragement in this which in our publique Assemblies was often for our comfort mentioned that in thus doing the will of God we should know more A second Principle we carryed along with us in all our resolutions was Not to make our present judgement and practice a binding law unto our selves for the future which we in like manner made continuall profession of upon all occasions We had too great an instance of our own frailty in the former way of our conformity and therefore in a jealousie of our selves we kept this reserve which we made open and constant professions of to alter and retract though not lightly what ever should be discovered to be taken up out of a mis-understanding of the rule Which Principle wee wish were next to that most supreame namely to be in all things guided by the perfect wil of God enacted as the most sacred law of all other in the midst of all other Laws and Canons Ecclesiastical in Christian States and Churches throughout the world Thirdly we are able to hold forth this true and just Apologie unto the world That in the matters of greatest moment and controversie we stil chose to practice safely and so as we had reason to judge that all sorts or the most of all the Churches did acknowledge warrantable although they make additaments thereunto For instance Whereas one great controversie of these times is about the qualification of the Members of Churches and the promiscuous receiving and mixture of good and bad Therein we chose the better part and to be sure received in none but such as all the Churches in the world would by the balance of the Sanctuary acknowledge faithful And yet in this we are able to make this true and just profession also That the Rules which we gave up our judgements unto to judge those vve received in amongst us by vvere of that latitude as would take in any member of Christ the meanest in whom there may be supposed to be the least of Christ and indeed such and no other as all the godly in this Kingdome carry in their bosomes to judge others by We took measure of no mans holinesse by his opinion whether concurring with us or adverse unto us And Churches made up of such we were sure no Protestant could but approve of as touching the members of it to be a true Church with which communion might be held Againe concerning the great ordinance of Publique Prayer and the Lyturgie of the Church whereas there is this great controversie upon it about the lawfulnesse of set formes prescribed we practiced without condemning others what all sides doe allow and themselves doe practice also that the publique Prayers in our Assemblies should be framed by the meditations and study of our own Ministers out of their own gifts the fruits of Christs Ascension as well as their Sermons use to be This vve vvere sure all allowed of though they superadded the other So likewise for the government and discipline in the Churches however the practice of the Reformed Churches is in greater matters to govern each particular congregation by a combined Presbyterie of the Elders of several congregations united in one for government yet so as in their judgements they allow especially in some cases a particular congregation an entire and compleat power of jurisdiction to be exercised by the Elders thereof within it selfe Yea and our own Master Cartwright holy Baynes and other old Non-conformists place the power of Excommunication in the Elde●ship of each particular Church with the consent of the Church untill they do miscarry and then indeed they subject them to such Presbyterial and Provincial Assemblies as the proper refuge for appeales and for compounding of differences amongst Churches which combination of Churches others of them therefore call Ecclesiae ortae but particular congregations Ecclesiae primae as wherein firstly the power and priviledg of a Church is to be exercised And vvithall vve could not but imagine that the first Churches planted by the Apostles were ordinarily of no more in one city at first then might make up one entire congregation ruled by their own Elders that also preached to them for that in every city where they came the number of converts did or should arise to such a multitude as to make several and sundry congregations or that the Apostles should stay the setting up of any Churches at all until they rose to such a numerous multiplication as might make such a Presbyterial combination we did not imagine We found also those Non conformists that wrote against the Episcopal Government in their Answer to the Arguments used for Episcopal Government over many Churches brought from the instances of the multitude of Beleevers at Jerusalem and other places and cities mentioned in the New Testament to assert that it could not be infallibly proved that any of those vve reade of in the Acts and elsewhere vvere yet so numerous as necessarily to exceed the limits of one particular congregation in those first times We found it also granted by them all that there should be several Elders in every congregation who had power over them in the Lord and we judged that all those precepts obey your Elders and them that are over you were to be sure and all grant it meant of the Pastours and Teachers and other Elders that were set over them in each particular congregation respectively and to be as certainly the intendment of the holy Ghost as in those like commands Wives obey your owne husbands Servants your own governours to be meant of their several Families respectively We could not therefore but judge it a safe and an allowed way to retaine the government of our severall congregations for matter of discipline within themselves to be exercised by their own Elders whereof we had for the most part of the time we were abroad three