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	schism_n	separation_n	6,688	5	9.9679	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45123	An answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's sermon, by some nonconformists, being the peaceable design renewed wherein the imputation of schism wherewith the doctor hath charged the nonconformists meetings, is removed, their nonconformity justified, and materials for union drawn up together, which will heal both parties.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.; Lobb, Stephen, d. 1699.	1680 (1680)	Wing H3668; ESTC R22261	36,018	45

our Parish-Church for the sake of unity for which we have still other seasons And which is the greater evil to have the people of a Parish only divided into several places to hear the Ministers of both perswasions preach to them when this too shall not hinder them being parts still or Members of the same Parochial Society or that all the Preachers and Ministers in the Nation but those only who Conform should have their mouths stopt and Talents buryed How when there are so many of them So many of them truly serious and painful Labourers So many of them that actually do so much good and the everlasting welfare of thousands of mens souls depend upon it What is Parochial Vnion in comparison We will appeal to the Consciences of every upright equal person whether Conformist or Nonconformist that fears God to give Judgment The preaching of the Gospel and particular Assemblies are of Divine Parochial Churches are of Human Institution That which is of Divine is undeniably to be prefer'd before that which is of Human appointment For the great Charge then against us of Schism we answer Schism is a Causeless breach of the Churches Vnion a causeless separation from her Communion the Communion of a Church whereof we are members or should be Let either of these learned men or any that hath read any thing about Schism tell us if we do not define it right by a separation that is causeless for if there be a cause the separation will be justified as it is between us and the Church of Rome Now when the case between the Conformists and us is so open and in the face of the Sun that unless we set and keep up these honest Conventicles the whole Generation of these Nonconformist Ministers must be laid aside from the Exercise of their Office for ought we see as long as these men do hold whatsoever in the mean while becomes of the Souls of so many multitudes What Apology Defence or Account shall we here need more than this only Is there not a cause But stay Do we Ministers go about here to justifie our selves in our Preaching and leave the People in Schism God forbid We do apprehend that Hearing and Preaching are Relata which do mutually put and destroy one another That consequently the Peoples meeting is Authorized by our Commission We suppose them not indeed to come out of any Principles of Separation we do not need to do so We suppose them rather to stand only on the Plea we offer them Occasional Greater Edification That is the same Plea still with ours the Plea of Greater Duty It is not in contempt to the Government that they come nor out of neglect of their own Minister with scandal to their Neighbours They come not to any end inconsistent with the Rule of Charity and Concord But they are convinced in their Consciences that they do Edifie more by Hearing the plain Nonconformist and so seek entirely only the Greater Profit of their Souls by these means In London now it is manifest that the Churches will not there hold their People and the Assemblies of Presbyterians are there upon this account nothing else but so many Additions Helps or Supplies to the Parish defect And what hurt can there be more in it than for one man to have under him two or three Curates In some places there are Nonconformists who have been Ministers formerly in the place or thereabouts where they live and when both the People and they do own themselves in some measure still under the same Relation here is something more to be said as to them for their Justification However if nothing of this be there is yet some Universal impression on the hearts of most honest people which makes them tenderly sensible of the wrong that we have suffered in being turn'd out of the Vineyard for our consciences And what if any do think themselves bound hereupon in the sight of God for the delivering their own souls from the participation of their sins that have ejected us to come sometimes to hear us by the way of acknowledging our Ministry and to give respect to those they think worthy that by this countenance of theirs toward us they may both bear their Testimony against the iniquity and offer so much as lies in their Sphere toward our Restitution who can say but they have Reason Who shall hinder them from taking into their mouths what we have said before and are ready to say again Is there not a Cause They are words of David to his surly Elder Brethren who are offended for his being about the Business he was sent And David said what have I done is there not a Cause To this Apology we know it will be said by the Episcopal Party for nothing else that we know can be said to any purpose But you may conform If so we must then desire of one or both of these learned moderate and judicious Doctors to contribute but this one thing toward it that is to answer our ensuing Objections and those especially which concern the Political part of Conformity about the Oxford Oath and Subscription If there be but one Particular imposed on us as a condition of Conformity which we prove to be sinful and they cannot refel it there is no man this Doctor knows well hath been more forward than himself to let us know out of Hales That it is not the Refuser but the Imposer is guilty of the Schism Let us proceed therefore to the second part of our Task though since our first Impression which was Anno 1675. this is done more fully by another There are Three things enjoyned in the Act of Uniformity Re-ordination The Declaration The Subscription We begin with the Threshold Re-ordination It must be acknowledg'd by both Parties That Re-ordination is an uncouth thing quite against the hair of the literate World whether Fathers Counsels Schoolmen or Modern Divines Protestants and Papists and put usually into the same predicament and more especially by Austin with Re-baptization If the present Bishops therefore in the imposing of it would have stood by it and maintained the Lawfulness of it as being neither against the Law of Nature nor Positive Institution but as having rather the Example of the Apostles and of Paul and Barnabas more particularly for it with what else by some is urged against the stream barely of human Authority This would perhaps have looked handsome and the ingenuity of it would have been notable But when they would generally have it imposed and yet disown it and be ashamed of it in so much as though there be few or none ordained by Presbyters but believe the validity of that Ordination they would have our former Ministry to be null and make us contented in effect to be held but Usurpers of holy things Sacrilegious persons and all our Ministerial Acts void as the Acts of meer Laicks before it is really so intollerable we cannot bear them It

their own Expressions And this expedient we gather from the Lord Coke who hath providently as it were against such a season laid in this Observation The Form of the Subscription set down in the Canons ratified by King James was not expressed in the Act of the thirteenth of Elizabeth Inst purt 4. c. 74. And consequently if the Clergy enjoyed this freedom until then in reference to the Particulars therein contained what hinders why they might not have the same restored in reference also to others It is true that it may seem hard to many in this Parliament to undo any thing themselves have done in a former But though this be no rule for Christians who are sometimes to repent as well as to believe if they be loath to Repeal any thing what if they shall only Interpret or Explain Let us suppose then some clause in this Bill or some new Act for Explanations If any Nonconformist cannot come up to the full meaning and intent of these injunctions rightly explained let him remain in statu quo under the state only of Indulgence without benefit of Comprehension for so long as those who are not Comprehended may yet enjoy that case as to be Indulged in some equal measure answerable to His Majesties Decloration that was whether Comprehension be large or narrow such terms as we obtain are pure advantage and such as we obtain not are no loss But if any does and can honestly agree to that whole sense which the Parliament intends in such Impositions why should there be any obstruction for such a Man though he deliver himself in his own words to be received into the Establish'd order with others unless Men will look on these Injunctions only to be contriv'd for Engines of Battery to destroy the Non-conformists and not as Instruments of Vnity to edifie the Church of God We will not leave our Congregational Brethren neither so long as we have something more that may be said for them not ordinarily considered by any It is this That though indeed they are not and cannot seek to be of our Churches as they are Parochial under the Diocess or Super-intendency of the Bishops Yet do they not refuse but seek to be comprehended within the Church as National under His Majesty We will explain our selves The Church may be considered as Vniversal and so Christ alone is the Head of it and we receive our Laws from him Or as Particular and so the Pastors are Heads Guides or Bishops over their respective Flocks who are commanded therefore to obey them in the Lord Or as National which is an accidental and external respect to the Church of God wherein the King is to be acknowledged the Supream Head of it ansd as we judge no otherwise For thus also runs the Statute That our Sovereign Lord shall be taken and reputed the only Supream Head in Earth of the Church of England called Ecclesia Anglicana Now if it should please the King and Parliament to allow and approve those separate Meetings and stated places for Worship by a Law as His Majesty did by His Declaration we must porfess that as such Assemblies by this means must be constituted immediately Integral parts of the Church as National no less than our Parish Congregations So would the Congregate Churches at least those that understand themselves own the King for Head over them in the same sence as we own him Head over ours that is as much as to say for the Supreme Goercive Governour of all in this accidental regard both to keep every several Congregation to that Gospel-order themselves profess and to supervise their Constitutions in things indifferent that nothing be done but in subordination to the Peace of the Kingdom Well let us suppose then a liberty for these separate Assemblies under the visitation of His Majesty and His Justices and not the Bishops or under them as his substitutes that is exercising an Authority formerly secular and objectively only Ecclesiastical and no otherwise We would fain know what were the evil you can find in them If it lie in any thing it must be in that you call Schisme Separation then let us know in it self simply considered is nothing neither good nor evil There may be reason to divide or separate some Christians from others out of prudence as the Catechumeni of old from the fully instructed for their greater edification and as a Chappel or two is added to a parish Church When the people else were too big a Congregation It is not all division then or separation is Schism but sinful division Now the Supream Authority as National Head having appointed the Parochial Meetings and required all the Subjects of the Land to frequent them and them alone for the acknowledging glorifying or National serving and worshipping the one only true God and His Son whom we have generally received and this Worship or Service in the nature of it being intrinsically good and the External order such as that of Time and Place and the like-Cirumstances being properly under his Jurisdiction it hath seemed to us hitherto that unless there was something in that order and way prescribed which is sinful and that required too as a Condition of that Commonion there is no man could refuse his attendance universally on these Pariotchial Assemblies without the sin of disobedience And consequently his separation thereby becoming sinful proves Schism But if the Scene be alter'd and those separate Assembles made legal the Schism in reference to the National Church upon the same account does vanish Schism is a separation from that Church whereof we ought or are bound to be Members If the Supream Authority then loose our obligation to the Parish Meeting so that we are bound no longer the iniquty we say upon this account is not to be found and the Schism gone Lo here a way opened for the Parliament if they please to rid the trouble and scruple of Schism at once out of the Land If they please not yet is there something to be thought on for the Separatist in a way of Forbearance that the innocent Christian at least as it was in the time of Trajan may not be sought out unto punishment Especiallly when such a Tolleration only is desired as is consistent with the Articles of Faith i. e. the Creed a Good life and the Government of the Nation But what shall we say then to the Papists which is the Objection hit still in their Teeth that plead for Mederation Why we will not baulk the delivery of our opinion There are Two parts we profess of that favour or condescension we seek from the Higher Powers The one consisting of a Composition with those whose Principles are fit and capable of it And the other consisting of Forbearance towards those whose Principles will allow them no more The Papist is one whose worship to us is Idolatry and we cannot therefore allow them the liberty of publick Assembling themselves as others of the