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
A81177	A sermon preached before the worshipful mayor of Bridgewater, and several other members of that ancient corporation, in the county of Somerset At a lecture design'd for reformation of manners. By John Cumming M.A. minister of the gospel in Shepton-Mallet, in the same county.	Cumming, John, minister of the gospel in Shepton-Mallet.	1699 (1699)	Wing C7583; ESTC R230231	19,904	41

Tythe of Mint Anise and Cummin and yet in the mean time pass over the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy Faith and the love of God Mat. 23.23 Luke 11.42 While Men contend for the shadow the substance is lost Some alas see no need of Reformation all their Cry is Schism Schism And all because there is not a constant Communion externally even in the most unnecessary and needless irksome and troublesome if not sinful things They that harp so much upon this string consider not how secretly they wound and reflect upon our Rulers that would establish or allow which you please a Schism by Law the Spiritual Fathers the right Reverend Bishops also concurring and not so much as bearing their Testimony to the contrary But such restless Spirits would do well to goe yet to School and learn the right and true Notion of Schism If they will not learn from the Scriptures to which they have been so rationally and frequently referred yet methinks they being of the Communion of the Church of England should regard the Judgement of some of the greatest Men and Lights of that Body in this Point The Men I shall name and the most learned and valuable Doctors are of their mind are such as they cannot reasonably except against and by the evidence of two Witnesses instead of many that might be produced they may see an end put to the Strife The first is the Learned and Reverend Chilling worth In his Preface to the Author of Charity maintained his Words are these Neither is it always of necessity Schismatical to separate from the External Communion of a Church tho' wanting nothing necessary For if this Church supposing to want nothing necessary require me to profess against my Conscience that I believe some Error tho' never so small and Innocent which I do not Believe and will not allow me her Communion but upon this condition in this case the Church for requiring this condition is Schismatical and not I for separating from the Church To this let me add the Conclusion of his Preface Let all Men saith he believe the Scripture and that only and endeavour to believe it in the true sense and require no more of others And they shall sind this not only a better but the only means to suppress Heresie and restore Unity For he that believes the Scripture sincerely and endeavours to believe it in the true sense cannot possibly be a Heretick And if no more than this were required of any Man to make him capable of the Churches Communion then all Men so quallified tho' they were different in opinion and I add consequently worshiped in different places and postures yet notwithstanding any such difference must be of necessity one in Communion So far this Learned Man who had a true Notion of Schism The other is the very learned Dr. Stilling fleet late Bishop of Worcester his cool and unbyassed thoughts you have Iren. chap. 6. pag. 117. Where any Church saith he retaining Purity of Doctrine requires the owning of conformity to any unlawful or suspected practice mark that Men may lawfully deny Conformity to and Communion with that Church in such things without incurring the guilt of Schism read pag. 119. to the same purpose And that this was the Drs. settled Judgement not in his younger years only appears from many other places of his learned Writings Discourse of Idol of Rome pag. 7. We are sure saith he that wilful Ignorance or choosing a worse Church before a better is a damnable sin unrepented of destroys Salvation Again pag. 39. That Church is to be judged purest that hath the best grounds and consequently it is of necessity to Salvation to embrace the Communion thereof And in his rational Account of the Prot. Relig. p. 291. Lesser Societies cannot in Justice make the necessary Conditions of Communion narrower than those which belong to the Catholick Church i. e. Those things which declare Men Christians ought to capacitate them for Communion with Christians Again ibid. The main End of the Christian Society being the Promotion of God's Honour and Salvation of Mens Souls the primary Obligation of Men entring into it is the Advancement of these ends to join in all Acts of it so far as they tend to these Ends But if any thing come to be required directly repugnant to these Ends those Men of whom such things are required are bound not to communicate in those lesser Societies where such things are imposed but to preserve their Communion with the Catholick Society of Christians Again pag. 331. He that separates only from particular Churches as to such things as concern not their Being is only separated from the Communion of those Churches and not the Catholick And therefore supposing that all particular Churches have some Errours and Corruptions in them tho' I should separate from them all that is no doubt from those Errours and Corruptions in them I do not separate from the Communion of the whole Church c. And the reason he subjoyns I declare the grounds of my separation to be such Errours and Corruptions which are crept into the Communion of the Churches and imposed on me in order to it I withal declare my readiness to joyn again if those Errours and Corruptions be left out So much and I think enough from our learned Dr. and Bishop O that Ministers would discover their zeal for God in contending not for the shadow but the substance not for silver Shrines and delusory Trifles but for the Faith once delivered to the Saints as Jude ver 3. Then they would no longer sow Pillars under Mens Armholes nor make the Hearts of the righteous sad nor strengthen the Hands of Sinners but spend and be spent to carry on a happy reformation to the glory of God that is they would no longer bear them which are evil III. Once more a Word to all Christians as such in their respective places and relations Be exhorted Christians to put to your helping hand as you have any Zeal for God or Love to religion to advance the reformation of a sinful and degenerate Age. Let Parents teach and inspect their Children and Masters of Families their Servants And let all consider one another to provoke to love and good Works Heb. 10.24 There is a great Emphasis in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that Text or word translated Provoking It signifies a provoking with fervour and zeal smartness and sharpness Now Christians be thus zealous for God and valiant for the Truth throw water on the Fire wherever it breaks out round about you You must not mind your own things only but those also of others and more especially what the Honour and Glory of God are most concerned in You must not only Pray Praise Love and Fear God your Selves but you ought to pity Sinners that hasten not only their own Ruin but a common Calamity And in order hereunto if you cannot by your zealous Endeavours pluck these Brands out of the Fire or prevail with them to consider the evil and fatal consequences of their ways you are called in the next place highly to Value and zealously to Encourage all reforming Magistrates and facilitate their Work to them and all Officers of Justice under them and to prize a Powerful Faithful Laborious Ministry These means God usually blesseth to convert and doe good to Souls if Christians were thankful for them and conscientious to improve them to the best advantage how much good might be done What shall I say Christians let every one in his place be valiant for the Truth Lovers of such as love and fear God and Haters of all that hate him in his Laws and Kingdom Them that honour God he will honour and they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 Thrice blessed are and shall they be of whom the Searcher of Hearts shall approve in this Life in Death or Judgment in the words of the Text I know how you cannot bear them which are evil Now to our High Holy and Jealous God who deserves our zealous Appearance for him and will reward the Love and Labours of his Servants to the Father Son and Holy Ghost be all Glory and the Kingdom for ever Amen J. C. FINIS