Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	3,670	5	9.2967	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45163	Union pursued, in a letter to Mr. Baxter, concerning his late book of national churches published for a fuller disquisition about this subject, by the sober and composed of all sides, in order to comprehension which hath been forming, and a larger constitution of the church to be formed, when that Day of Concord comes, which the gentle aspect of Heaven in God's appointment (and the King's) of so many choice moderate bishops together at this time does presage to the nation, that the Presbyterians and Independants, that have united within themselves, may both be united also with the Church of England / by a lover of Him, and follower of peace.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1691 (1691)	Wing H3716; ESTC R15748	28,717	40

it the Paper mentioned look'd again over and improved to that end And I pray God to direct your Thoughts and Labours still that you may so prove all things as to hold fast that which is good The Draught WHereas there are several Parties of Christians in the Nation who must and will ever differ in their Opinions about the Church and Discipline of it in the Question which is of Christ's Institution it is not our Disputes about the Church as particular which are rather to be mutually forborn and every party left herein to their own Perswasion but a common Agreement in what we can agree and that is in the Church as National must heal our Breaches The Catholicks are for one Universal Organical Church throughout the World whereof the Pope is Head according to some and the Bishops conven'd in a General Council according to others That there is a Catholick Church visible on Earth as well as invisible whereof Christ is Head who was on Earth and is now visible in Heaven is received also by Protestants But that this Church is per integrum Organical and under the Government either of a Monarchy by the Pope or of an Aristocracy by a General Council it seems a thing not possible in Nature because neither can an Oecumenical Council ever be called nor any one man be sufficient to take on him the Concernments of the World A Political Church is a Community of Christians brought into an Order of Superiority and Inferiority by an Head and Members organiz'd for the Exercise of that Government which is proper to it But the whole Earth is not capable of any such Order And Councils therefore which are gathered out of several Countries or of Bishops belonging to more Dominions than of one Supreme Power may be had for mutual Advice and Concord but not for Government A Nation Empire or Kingdom which consists of one Supreme Magistrate and People who are generally Christians are capable of such an Ecclesiastical Polity and a National Church Political in England is to be asserted and maintained The Church of England then is a Political Society of all the Christians Conforming or Tolerated in the Land united in the King as Head and organized by the Bishops for the executing those Laws or Government which he chuses for their Spiritual Good and Publick Peace There is this difference between a Church National the Church Catholick and Particular Churches The two latter are of Divine Right and Essential Consideration but the former is of Human Institution for it is manifestly Accidental to the Church of Christ that the whole People should be Christian Not but it is the duty of all Nations Kings and People to become Christians Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them and that Christian Kingdoms therefore as they consist of People that do meet in Particular Congregations for the worship of the True God and Jesus Christ and do exercise that Government which the Pastor hath over his flock by vertue of his Office from Christ and no other than that are of Divine appointment But the Combination of these Churches or the Pastors thereof in an Order of Superiority and Inferiority for the Exercise of a Regiment that is National over the whole body of the Kingdom by setting Bishop in a Diocess and an Archbishop in a Province and then proceeding no farther as to a Patriarchat and General Council but making a stop here and Constituting the Nation thereby one Governing Church independent on any other from aboard this appears of no Divine or Canonical Right but must derive its Authority from an Act of Parliament Distinguish we here of the Government of the Church as Internal belonging to the Spirit and External which belongs to Men And of the External Regiment thereof which is either Formal belonging to the Ministers or Officers of Christ or Objective belonging to the Magistrate so call'd because the matters of the Church in this respect are the Object of his Civil Power Whether the Community now of Christians in England may be united into a National Church under a pure Formal Government we leave to others to dispute that will But that the main Body of the Nation are or may be constituted a proper Political Church National under that Mix'd Regiment which is both Formal and Objective and so exercised by the Bishops as the proper Organs thereof under the King with Authority as Bishops as Ministers without Force is what we hold indisputable and would lay as a Foundation-stone of Peace in the Matter of Religion between all Persons in the Kingdom capable of it The Government of this Church is by Bishops and if their Authority be not received and owned so far as that the generality of the Nation the Nonconformists as well as others yield to it there can be no Union Now when the Government of the Land is a Mixt Government as Politicians tell us on another account why may not the Government of the Church be Mixt too upon this account to wit in that as the King must be a Mixed Person to be Head the Bishops must be Mixt Persons too to be his Officers Mixt Persons in regard to the exercise of both this Objective and Formal Regiment deriving the one from the King as over other Ministers and the other from Christ as Fellows with them that so those that scruple their Submission to them upon one account may be satisfied upon another which by and by will be explained Let the Parliament therefore we have or any other be heartily for the Publick Good and Thriving of England which must be by an entire Liberty of Conscience in opposition to the narrow Spirit of any single Party or Faction and when such a Parliament shall sit about the Business of Union to purpose the Bill should be brought in entituled An Act for declaring the Constitution of our Church of England A Parliament is the Representative of the whole Nation and no doubt but by Consent and Agreement they might upon the account mentioned Make a new Constitution and much more may they Declare the Constitution of it It should be declared then in such a Bill or Act That the Church of England consists of the King as the Head or Pars imperans who in his Legislative Capacity as incorporated with his Lords and Commons is to give Laws thereto and all the several Assemblies of Christians which he shall tolerate as the pars subdita or Body Some Discrimination between the Tolerable and Intolerable is indeed never to be gainsaid by any wise and good man unto whom there is no Liberty can be desireable which is not consistent with these three things the Articles of our Creed a Good Life and the Fundamental Government of the Kingdom It is not for any private Persons but a Parliament with a Convocation to prescribe the Terms of National Communion but we would have all our Assemblies that are tolerable to be declared Legal by such an Act and thereby

Union Pursued IN A Letter to Mr. Baxter Concerning his Late Book of National Churches PUBLISHED For a fuller Disquisition about this Subject by the Sober and Composed of all Sides in order to Comprehension which hath been Forming and a Larger Constitution of the Church to be Formed when that Day of Concord comes which the gentle Aspect of Heaven in GOD's Appointment and the King's of so many Choice Moderate Bishops together at this Time does presage to the Nation That the Presbyterians and Independants that have United within themselves may Both be United also with the Church of England By a Lover of Him and Follower of Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for Rich. Baldwin 1691. A Letter to Mr. Baxter Concerning his Late BOOK of National Churches Reverend Sir HAving read your Sheets of National Churches which Subject I am much pleased with and concern'd in Regard to the Publick I cannot but desire you who have a more distinct Knowledge of these things than I to endeavour to clear to me this Matter a little farther than you have Your Notion of a National Church to be all one with a Christian Kingdom and to be of Divine Institution is New as I take it That it is the Duty of Nations Magistrate and People to become Christians and that King and People should meet in fit Assemblies for the Worship of the True God and His Son and live as Christians there is no body can doubt But that all such Particular Congregations should combine into one Polity or be Unified in a National Church this is as I think another Business There are two things belong to a Polity the Constitution and the Administration A Polity must be first Constituted that is An Order of Superiority and Subjection agreed upon by a Community which implies a Union for Government before it be Governed according to that Order which is the Administration A Community is with Politick Writers but the Matter disposed for the receiving a Form of Government and a Kingdom turn'd Christian Head and Body are in the first moment of Consideration no other than a Community There must be a Constitution then made by that Community a Constitution agreed upon by Magistrate and People for the Common Good before they be a National Church The State and Church are always distinguished and the placing the Supreme Power of a Common-wealth in a King or in the Nobles or in the People or in a Government that is Mixt does not specifie the Constitution of the Church The Supreme Legislative and Judicial Power of the One and the Other does not lye in the same Subject I pray consider if it do if it does then must a Christian Kingdom and National Church be the same indeed but if it do not then must it be otherwise according to the best of my Apprehension which I desire to be rectified where it is amiss and shall not therefore enlarge and be petulant on this Argument You seem to place the Being of a National Church onely in the having a King and People to be Christian but I am apt to place it mainly as to the Polity thereof in that Combination of King and People in such an Order as is conducive to the Exercise of a Government Ecclesiastical which is proper to it which Order of Superiority and Inferiority being diverse in diverse Nations cannot be of Divine Appointment because the Polity then ought to be the same in every Country That which is of God's Appointment cannot be varyed by Man I am of the Opinion That in Scotland they may do well in setting up the Presbyterian Government and in England the Episcopal and both Nations do for the best Both be True National Churches and acceptable to Christ Now I cannot tell how to make so much Charity good but by reckoning that Polity which is set up in Churches as National to be left to the Liberty of Christian Governours and consequently to be of Human Institution Suppose a Nation should be converted to Christianity by some Independents and they set up their Independent Churches throughout the Land without other Government Suppose the King be of the same mind and so joyns himself to one of these Congregations as a Member and believes that he is to leave all Ecclesiastical Government to such Pastors and meddle not with it I ask you whether such a Kingdom be a National Church or a National Ecclesiastical Polity where there is no Order of Superiority and Inferiority for the exercise of any Government proper to it I ask Whether the very Quod sit or that there ought to be a Political National Government in every such Kingdom by vertue of any Precept or Institution of Jesus Christ can be made good It is I say a Question at least in regard to Independents Whether every King and People are bound to combine and agree upon the setting up any National Ecclesiastical Government at all but rather leave the People to their particular Congregations and Pastors independent on any Higher Power for any other Ecclesiastical Government of Man over them than that Does the Scripture require farther than this I ask on Suppose the Quod sit What shall we do about the Quid sit The Scots are for the Presbyterian Government the English for the Episcopal I cannot abide you should condemn either How will you allow both but by making a National Constitution indifferent And how can it be indifferent if it were not of Human Agreement What may be granted to the one and what to the other and yet Christ's Command of National Churches if there be any be not transgressed I must ask you as an harder Task Again I must ask you about the Catholick Church This is either Mystical the Government whereof is only Spiritual and I have no Question to ask about that Or Visible as they call it the Government whereof is External The Catholick Church Visible consists of Christ as the Head and all Professors as the Body These Professors make up Particular Congregations these Congregations or their Pastors being confederated into Classes or under Diocesans till they come to a general Assembly or a Convocation arise into a National Church independent on any foreign Jurisdiction Now I must ask That forasmuch as all the Churches on Earth cannot be combined under any General Officers for the exercise of an Oecumenical Government whether the Catholick Church on Earth be a Church Political That is Forasmuch as there is no Confederation of Churches National as there is or may be of Parochial Diocesan and Provincial for Government upon which account you do readily disown a Pope and General Council I ask How can you make out a Polity Oecumenical I know you say it is a Church Political because there is Head and Body But How can any Oecumenical Polity Ecclesiastical or Civil be possible to Man Can a Society be Political before it be Organical And Can the Catholick Church be so being even quite

Articles of Faith in the three Creeds and the same Rule of Manners in the Decalogue There is one Body one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism They cannot indeed have all Communion in the same External Worship but they can have it in the Internal Adoration of the same Blessed Trinity and in one Hope of our calling unto Eternal Life through Christ Jesus They must separate into several Congregations but there shall be no Schism in the Body by this means for all that For as while the Supreme Power allowed only Parochial Meetings as established by Law it hath been accounted Schism to go to separate Assemblies So the Scene being altered and these separate Congregations also made Legal this Schism or Mens being called Schismaticks in that Fegard must vanish and be at an end Indeed these diverse Congregations will accuse one another as guilty of Sin and Schism before God for each separating from the others Communion and threaten His Judgment But so long as there is no separating from the Church whereof the King is Head while he tolerates the Meetings of both and makes them Parts of it as National there shall be no Prosecution of Law against any but all quiet as Fellow-Members upon that account Only as to the Catholicks as they call themselves we must consider there are many of them that have received such Principles as that they cannot swear to the Supremacy of the King and so are uncapable of this National Order with others it being an inconsistent thing to disown the Head and yet be of the Body and these are to be accounted therefore as without that is out of the Church who yet as the Jews do may live in the Land And there are many it is like that can swear to the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy it being rational to think they may do that now which in Henry the Eight's Reign they one did and will submit too to every thing else required to the rendring them tolerable and these are to be dealt with as within who yet are not to imagin for all that that a Protestant King and Parliament should allow of their Mafs in Publick as they do the Service-Book This were not to tolerate the Papists but to set up Popery whereas the determining what is to be permitted to one Party and what to another so as no Detriment may be brought to the Church or State and no Sin or Guilt upon the Nation by that Permission is a nicer thing and requires the weighty Debate of a Convocation if not more than one before it be handed to a Parliament There is one Motion farther should be added and that is for another Bill also to be brought in for the preventing and taking away two things which are the Pests of the Conforming Clergy the one is Simony and to be done effectually by the imposing only the Simoniacal Oath on the Patrons of all Benefices as well as on the Incumbents The other is Pluralities we mean both of Livings and Dignities impartially to this end that the King may have wherewithal to engage those he receives into the Church thus enlarged and consequently restores to their Labours by this Accommodation for that is a thing will make the Favour indeed significant to such persons We will conclude with one Argument for what we have proposed There is no Power given upon Earth for any man to command that which he in his Conscience does judge to be Sin Non datur potest as ad malum But to Conform in all things to the present Church according to Law is Sin in the Judgment of Dissenters Catholicks and others and the late King was a Dissenter of one sort himself The King therefore that was so lately could not really put the Roman Catholicks upon Conformity and if he would appear equal to all People he could not put any other Dissenters on it neither for the same cause That which the Law requires was both in his Conscience and in theirs a thing prohibited of God He could not therefore put the Laws in execution being against God And if he could not do it acting only but as an honest man that abides by his Principles we have no reason to apprehend that the King and Queen we have now should be ever brought to do it maugre all the Enticements of the Church of England or Frowns of the Church of Rome FINIS