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A61439 A profession of faith comprizing the ancient forms of the Catholick Church with other articles relating to the terms of communion with the present church of Rome / by E.S., an English Catholick. E. S., English Catholick.; Stephens, Edward, d. 1706. 1700 (1700) Wing S5436; ESTC R13750 20,568 25

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for Christians as were any or all the Sacrifices of the Jews for them that therein is performed the most Solemn and Peculiar part of the true Christian Worship that accordingly it hath been held in great Veneration and much frequented with great Reverence and Devotion by a great Number of Saints and all the most Holy Christians in all Ages that the Opposition which hath been raised against both Name and Thing hath been raised through the Malice and by the subtile Energy or Operation of the Devil and that to deny the same is Heresie and to abolish out of the Publick Liturgy of any Church what doth import any thing of an unbloody Sacrifice Sacrilege and Anti-Christian Impiety v. Dan. 8.31 14. That the Commemoration of the Saints in the most Solemn Christian Worship is a common Practice of the whole Catholick Church of great Antiquity and immemorial Prescription without any known Beginning of very commendable Observation for the Communion of Saints which we profess to believe an Act of Charity Honour and Respect to them well-pleasing to God and beneficial ●● our selves in rendring Thanks to God for them with Prayers for our selves that we may follow their Example and have Communion Part and Society with them and a part in the Benefit of their Prayers and that to put that out of the Service savours of a Complication of very evil Humours as Superstition Arrogance Contempt of the Authority of the Catholick Church Affectation of Reformation Contention and malicious Reflection of Odium upon others and Separation from the Mystical Body of Christ of which they were most illustrious Members through the Delusion and Instigation of the wicked Anti-Christian Spirit who being overcome by them through Christ dwelling in them abhor all Acts of Affection and Respect to them and that their Triumphs should be celebrated to the Honour of Christ who is honoured in them and for whose Sake all is performed to them 15. Of this I have lately printed a Discourse dedicated to the Lord Chancellour and Judges That Prayers for the Dead departed in the Communion of the Church in this Solemn Worship is also a Practice of the whole Catholick Church of as great Evidence of Apostolical Authority as part of the Holy Scripture it self and other things believed and observed by those who oppose it Innocent Inoffensive Charitable Desirable opposed only upon the same Principles Motives Humours and Instigations with that last mentioned 16. That in the Holy Eucharist there is a Divine Change of the Elements from common Bread and common Wine by the Descent of the Holy Spirit at the Prayer of the Church whereby they are consecrated not by a meer Separation for a Sacred use but by an actual Sanctification and made the Body and Blood of Christ inriched with a Divine Power and Virtue for the Sanctification of the duly disposed Communicants But I cannot say a Transubstantiation because I find no Catholick Tradition for that in the vulgar Sense but rather the contrary as appears by that of Ireaeus duabus rebus constans coelesti terrena and the like in Theodoret and others nor doth it seem necessary or necessarily implyed in any words of our Saviour recorded in the Gospel tho' Cyril of Hierusalem Nyssen and some others may seem to favour it But if there be any proper Explication of it to a Sense truly Catholick I conceive it becomes not any private Person to contend with Authority about a Word only the vulgar sense of Transubstantiation I cannot subscribe to and doubt it is Scandalous and prejudicial to the Interest of the Kingdom of Christ especially to make it a Term of Communion 17. That for Communion in one kind in publick Assemblies and denial of the Cup to the Laity there is no Appearance of ●●y Catholick Authority but the quite contrary for above 1000 years even in the Latin Church and in all other Churches to this Day Nor was it introduced at first upon any good Deliberation and Consultation of the Clergy but as evil Customs and Abuses crep in insensibly That for any part of the Church to presume to impose it upon all National and Provincial Churches who have Authority to order such things as are lawful in themselves as they see most expedient for their own People seems to savour of great Arrogance unjust Usurpation and an Occasion of Disturbance in the Peaceful Kingdom of Christ Men of Wit and Parts may say much for any thing But in such matters it is good to consider whom we have to do with lest we betray our own Souls and the Church too which we pretend to serve by our Unfaithfulness to it as well as to our Lord to some Divine Judgment It is fit the Church it self should give Example to all if there be Occasion of Humiliation and giving Glory to God I can submit for Peace sake and out of respect to Authority to what I cannot approve but that will aggravate the Sin of those who abuse the Authority committed to them 18. That the Custom of attending at Mass without Communicating is not of any truly Catholick Usage or Authority but contrary to the most ancient Canons of the Church to the common Practice of the first Ages and to the earnest Exhortations of most Eminent Persons * It is very remarkable that the great Confusions in the Greek Churches and Decays of true Piety in the Latin soon issued after their Neglect of frequent Communion began as if by a special and appropriated Judgment of God To be prelent and not communicate was anciently one so●t of Penance both of the Greek and Latin Churches proceeded from Decays of Devotion at first and hath produced greater seems to savour of Disrespect to our Saviour and to be very prejudicial to his People being an implicit refusal of Communion and Confirmation of the Holy Covenant with him which is implicitly comprehended in the Act of Communion and an inconsiderate and ingrateful Neglect of a most Holy and effectual Means of Grace most graciously offered to them so that as by what was last mentioned they are deprived of part by this they are defrauded of the whole And in both the Subtilty of the Serpent is much to be suspected 19. Nothing seems more likely to have provoked so severe a Judgment of God upon this Church by Hen. 8. than the Severities before-exercised upon People for what was commended in and by the ancient Christians Reading and Teaching the Scriptures c. in a Language they understood That to keep the Publick Offices of the Church and the Holy Scriptures in a Language not understood by the People hath no Apostolical or true Catholick Authority but is directly contrary to both was at first the Effect of that Alteration of Languages which Wars and other Occurrences produced not only in the Latin but Greek Churches also and is still so continued in both and others besides which were it through Negligence seems hardly excusable much less
to be questioned disputed and so made doubtful and actually rejected in many Places and partly by such other Abuses Corruptions Miscarriages and Scandals as overspreading all moved great Complaints and Discontents and earnest Defires and Prayers for an Orderly Reformation and at last produced when nothing else could prevail by the special Providence of Almighty God one of the greatest Schisms all things considered that in the Western Church hath ever been known and lastly by requiring such Terms of Communion as are not necessary for the Service of our Lord but much to the Disservice of his Interest by hindring the Re-union of many well-disposed People and contrary to his Example Directions Will 25. That the Constitution of the Church of God and the Powers and Authorities settled in it are not to be altered or subject to Alteration by such Ways and Means as civil Constitutions Powers and Authorities usually are as by Forfeiture or voluntary Agreement so as to effect any Diminution of the Power or Authority of its Successor And therefore the present Bishop of Rome notwithstanding any Miscarriages of any of his Predecessours hath as much Power and Authority in the Catholick Church as any since St. Peter who had an Authority Superior to all Bishops in that Seat ever had unless there be any thing Personal against himself and in him the Power and Authority of that Seat ought to be acknowledged asserted and maintained by all Christians as the Power and Authority of Christ and for his Service and Interest that to reject that is impious Schismatical and Heretical but yet the Personal Miscarriages of those that are or shall be in that Seat may be judged censured and corrected by the Churches of the same Division or Patriarcate either in one general Council or in several National and Provincial Synods agreeing generally upon a mutual Communication of Votes in the same Sentence But this is a Matter which as it is of great Consequence so ought to be managed with great Circumspection and much Application by all to God for his Divine Conduct 26. That the Authority even of National and Provincial Councils duly assembled and proceeding regularly ought to be respected and treated with Reverence by all Christians and if their Acts be received with a general Approbation of many other such they become of equal Authority with a General Council of all those Churches But Acts of Councils call'd general if not regularly and unanimously passed in Council or not generally received and approved afterward but disapproved either by express Declaration by contrary Practice or notorious different Sentiments of the greatest or a very considerable part of the Catholick Church are of little Obligation yet ought not to be reproachfully or rudely opposed but rather decently buried in Silence or by a more authentick Determination 27. That every Provincial Synod under one Metropolitan is a compleat Representation or Model of the whole Catholick Church which consists and is compacted of many such Sacred Corporations and hath a compleat Authority of it self to order all matters of Religion Against this Noble and Compleat Authority of the Churches of Christ have many things been very injuriously and scandalously done both by Secular Powers and by Popes and Patriarchs The Sins of both and of such as have too easily yeilded to them are very great and will undoubt edly be severely punished hereafter as of Rebels and Traitors against the Supream Majesty if not prevented here and to correct and reform what is amiss within their own Territories according to the common Rules of the Catholick Church subject notwithstanding to the Judgment Censure and Correction of more general Councils in case they act any thing contrary to those Rules But in Matters whether of Belief or Practice not de●●rmined by Catholick Evidence of Apostolical Authority and which are therefore left at Liberty it may be dangerous to impose any thing but if any thing be thought necessary or expedient of that Nature it ought rather to be gently recommended than Majesterially imposed least Authority be unadvisedly exposed and Catholick Unity and Charity indangered 28. That in all Differences in the Church all Parties ought to be very careful for the Preservation of Vnity and Charity as Matters of the great●st Importance in the Kingdom of Christ the very Difference being a fair Warning and Admonition for Godly Jealousie and special Caution and Circumspection to all Parties for the Peace of the Church the Satisfaction of the differing Party and the Security of the Justice and Righteousness of their own Cause lest it either be ill or if good at first in it self it become ill through ill Management and therefore to proceed peaceably patiently and amicably * 2 Cor. 10.8 13.10 Superiors with Gentleness and Condescention as having their Authority for Edification not for Destruction and therefore not Lording it over their Subjects and Inferiors with Humility Modesty Respect and Submission that they resist not the Ordinance of God each as far as Duty and sincere Conscience will allow with hearty Desire and sincere Endeavour for Accommodation and Grief and Sorrow if it cannot be obtained and without any abatement of Charity notwithstanding but with Pity for the Faults of others 29. That tho' there was much need of a Reformation when the Work so called was begun yet was not that Work as it was managed any Work of God as ordered by Him but only as permitted by Him for a Judgment upon the Church which would not reform and executed by the Instigation of adverse Powers as may be observed in 1. the Qualities of the Persons who were the principal Leaders and Actors in it and 2. the Means used to effect it all merely Humane nothing truly Spiritual and Divine I intend not in this the Scriptures in themselves but the Use which was made of them I do no Demonstration of Spirit and Power in 3. the Manner with much Arrogance Insolence Malice Hatred Violence Injustice Oppression Sacrilege and Profanation of Sacred things Factions Tumults and hot Contentions among themselves all plain Indications of what Spirit they were and 4. in the Matter or Work effected * Hence the true Cause of the Contempt of the Clergy Ye have departed c. Therefore I also have made you Contemptible c. Mal. 2.7 8 9. destructive of the Government of the Worship of the Discipline and of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church of Christ all accommodated to recommend the Preachers to gratifie the natural Disposition of the People to raise Prejudice and Odium against the Church and to draw away Disciples after them but secretly tending to the Dissolution and Destruction of the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth with divers special Gratifications of those adverse Powers and lastly in 5. the Fruits and † is very remarkable That many of the most Learned amongst us both Conformists and Non-conformists are gone off from divers Doctrines of the first Reformers and confess the Papists