Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	bishop_n	church_n	presbyter_n	1,645	5	10.1981	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43647	An apologetical vindication of the Church of England in answer to those who reproach her with the English heresies and schisms, or suspect her not to be a catholick-church, upon their account.	Hickes, George, 1642-1715.	1687 (1687)	Wing H1840; ESTC R20398	73,683	104

former Chapter how can they by their way of arguing maintain the Church of Antioch to have been Catholick in the Time of Paulus Samosatensis who revived the Heresie of Theodotus and taught that Christ by nature was no more then a meer man For this Reason he held Communion with the Followers of Artemon the Author of this damnable Heresie teaching that Christ was from the Earth and damning the Hymns which used to be sung in Churches to his honour as novel Composures and letting his Followers chant forth Hymns to his own praise in the Church and tell the People that he was an Angel sent from God. Was there ever such an heretical and blasphemous Archbishop in the Church of England since the Reformation as this But if there had been more then one such the Church of England nevertheless would have been a truly Catholick Church as this of Antioch then was in the judgement of the Council that deposed Paul. For in that excellent * Euseb H.E. l. 7. c 30. Epistle which the Council wrote to the Bishops and Presbyters of the whole Catholick Church under Heaven they tell them after a long recital of Paul's Impieties that they were necessitated to depose him and ordain another in his stead over the Catholick Church I might also ask them upon their way of treating the Church of England upon the score of the English Heresies and Schisms what they can say for the Church of Constantinople in the Time of Macedonius and Nestorius who were both Patriarchs of that Church and both fell into Heresie and Schism When a Bishop and much more a Patriarch leads the Flock into by-paths the Schism is more deplorable but yet it is not the Apostasie and Secession of one or two or more Bishops if that should happen that can destroy the Catholick and Apostolick nature of any Provincial Patriarchal or National Church For as I observed before it is not the number of Communicants but the cause or soundness of Communion that makes a true Church and therefore were there both for kind and number ten times as many more opposite Sects and Communions as there are in this Nation and Bishops at the Heads of them all yet upon supposition that the Church of England is sound and Apostolical in Doctrine Worship and Discipline that * Vna est pars in quâ sunt multi Episcopi sed ubi sunt multi illic sacra fides Christi violata est ubi verò paucissimi sunt fides Christi vindicatur Libell precum p 9 12 13. small number adhering to her Communion must be the true Church Nay if all the Bishops of England but one should fall away from the Church of England that † Non dubitandum est paucos Episcopos esle pretiosos merito consessionis inviolabilis sidei multos vero nullifieri merito haereseos in causâ religiouis sacrae fidei non numerus numero comparandus est sed pura illa Apostolica fides probata exiliis probata cruciatibus licet unlus Multorum infidelitatibus praeponenda est ibid. one Bishop and the Flock adhering to him would be the true Church of England and as true and Catholick a Church as if there were not one Dissenter in the Land. The learned Papists know this very well and therefore I wonder that men pretending to Letters and Ingenuity should argue against the Church of England from the English Heresies and Schisms Furthermore if this be a good way of arguing against Churches then the Church of the Jews was twice involved in the consequences of it once by the Schism of Corah and then by that of Jeroboam who set up a Priesthood and Altar a Bethel in opposition to that of Jerusalem and by the separation out off ten Tribes in twelve from the true Church of God. Nay if this modish way of arguing be true then the separation of th Church of England and other National Churches from that of Rome are as strong Arguments against it as the Sects and Schisms among us are against the Church of England There is no difference in the Case because they say that all the Protestant Churches are schismatical for falling off from them as we say the Congregational Churches are for falling off from ours and if ours indeed is not a Catholick Church but apparently under God's displeasure because forsooth they can tell us of the Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and Quakers then we may by just consequence say as much of theirs because we can tell them of the Waldenses Albigenses and Wiccliffians of old and of late of the Lutherans Calvinists and Church of England-men who are all Separatists from the Communion of Rome As those we repute Schismaticks sprang out of our Church and Communion so those whom they repute Schismaticks sprang out of theirs and therefore would not any man wonder that they should so far forget themselves as to use such Arguments against the Church of England and make such Reflections upon it as may be easily retorted upon themselves to overthrow their own Pretensions to Catholicism and weaken the Cause and Reputation of their Church The Church of Rome say they is the Catholick Church and the Church which Christ left upon Earth and the Church of England hath separated from it and therefore say we in their loose way of discoursing the separation of the Church of England is a good Argument against the Goodness and Reputation of that Church which Christ left upon Earth Nay say they Christ can have but one Church upon Earth and we believe none can be that Church but that which is called the Roman Catholick Church but then say we a world of Heresies and Schisms have been bred in that one Church the Catholick Church of Rome and therefore it is long since this one Church of Christ was one or a true and good Church Your Church say the two late Converts to us hath Vnity or not if not then she is not the Church of Christ if she hath why are there so many Sects and Schisms among you Now not to provoke such Gentlemen to * A Net for the Fishers of Men p. 111. paint and rip up the Sores of Protestancy your Church may a Turk say to them hath Unity or not if not then she is not the Church of Christ if she hath why are there so many Sects among you You say you are the one Catholick Church but what shall we do to find it in such and buddle of Dissenters as are in the Empire France Great Britain Sweden Denmark and other Northern Countreys and of * Ex to ordine scilicet Cardinalium sunt quatuor aut quinque quorum nomina possum proferre si vellem quibus reverâ probetur nostra doctrina saltem magna ex parte Romana exosa sit Sed vae illis cum filius Dei enunciaverit fore ut is qui nôrit voluntatem Domini non fec●…it vapulet pluribus quam qui non

p. 416. perverted all Phrygia Cappadocia and Cilicia and afterwards their corrupt Doctrine went Westward as far as Constantinople it self The Novatian Schism began in Rome it self and was so called from Novatus whom the Greek Writers confound with Novatianus a Presbyter of that Church He * Euseb l. 6. c. 43. taught that it was not lawful to admit those who had fallen in the Decian Persecution upon their repentance to communion with the Faithful and getting himself ordained Bishop in a sinister manner he drove many under that pretence from the Church and then there was Bishop against Bishop Church against Church and Altar against Altar even at Rome it self Neither Cartwright nor Travers nor any other Presbyter of the Church of England did ever do her so much mischief as Novatus did the Church of Rome The Schism which he raised lasted 200 years and had not Cornelius been well assisted by the Catholick Bishops not only in Italy but over all the Christian World this pestilent Schism under the pretence of greater Purity would soon have driven him out of Rome The Schism of the Donatists first began in Carthage and they were so called from Donatus Casensis the Head of the Party which first erected Altar against Altar in that metropolitical City setting up Majorinus against Cecilian who was rightfully ordained Bishop of that Church Of all the Schisms upon record this was one of the most unreasonable dishonourable stubborn impudent and bloudy as will appear from this short Account thereof First It was very unreasonable because it was made by a Party which had nothing to object against the Doctrine Discipline or Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of Carthage but only against the Canonical Incapacity of Cecilian to be Bishop of it as one who was a traditor and worshipper of Idols in the Dioclesian Persecution which notwithstanding appear'd upon many Tryals to have been a malicious Accusation nothing of this having been laid to his charge when he was elected and ordained Secondly It was a most dishonourable and shameful Schism as having been begun and carried on by a rich proud and insolent * Lucilla Woman who was obnoxious to the Rod of Cecilian and corrupted Secundus the Primate of Numidia and many other African Bishops into a Faction against him together with those sacrilegious Presbyters whom Cecilian had called to account for the Plate and other Goods of the Church which had been committed to their Trust in the time of the Persecution Thirdly It was a most stubborn and prevalent Schism which would not yield nor submit to the Autority of the Emperor the Sentence of two † Romanun Arelatense Councils the Determination of the Proconsul of Africa nor the Judgement of the universal Church On the contrary the more it was condemned it grew the more insolent and powerful and oppressed not only the Church of Carthage where it first began but made almost the whole Church of Africa revolt Fourthly It was a most impudent Schism the Schismaticks esteeming themselves as the only pure People of the World and the Catholicks as Pagans and Idolaters plundering their Churches burning their Altars as polluted and treading their holy Sacraments which they found upon them under their feet They also denied them Christian Burial and re-baptized and re-confirmed as many of them as revolted to them and truly so general was the Revolt in all Parts of Africa that the Catholick Communions looked more like Conventicles then the Catholick Church Lastly It was a most bloudy and cruel Schism as appears by the Feats of the * So called quod circum cellas vagantur August T. 7. p. 76. G. T. 8. p. 334. M. T. 8.335 D. E. Circellians or Circumcellians whom the Donatists called Agonistici because they fought for them and destroyed the Catholicks in a most barbarous manner For they were the † Habebant Donatistae per omnes penè Ecclesias suas perditum hominum genus perversum ac violentum velut sub professione continentium ambulantes qui Circumcelliones dicebantur erant ingenti numero à turbâ per omnes ferè Africanas regiones constituti qui malis imbuti doctoribus audacia superbiâ termeritate illicitâ nec suis nec alienis aliquando parcebant contra jus fasque in causis interdicentes hominibus nisi obedissent damnis gravissimis caedibus afficiebant armati diversis telis bacchantes per agros villasque ad sanguinis effusionem accedere non metuentes intoberabiles persecutiones unitati Ecclesie compacti faciebant ipsisque sacerdotibus Catholicis ministris aggressiones nocturnas atque diurnas direptionesque rerum omnium vi inserebant Nam multos dei servos caedibus debilitaverunt Possidonius in vit August Vid. August Ep. 48. 50. De Haeresibus ad Quod-vult-deum Ep. 68. Contra Crescon l. 3. Enarrat in Ps 10. Zealots of the Faction who thought they did God good service in making havock of the Catholicks nay they were such furious Enthusiasts that when they had none to kill as St. Aug. saith they would kill themselves They laid wait for the Catholicks in the ways and murdered both the Clergy and the People they took them out of their Houses by force to kill them they beat them to death with Clubs poured Lime and Vinegar into their Eyes plundered and burnt their Houses and murdered Bishops and Priests at the very Altar and marched about day and night doing these horrible Exploits under the conduct of Donatist Bishops and Priests Nay the whole Sect was all Cruelty and Pride for a Catholick no sooner turned Donatist but he alter'd his temper and became impatient furious haughty and contentious and indeed the many Massacres and Devastations the whole Party committed shews they delighted in Cruelty and Bloud Such was the Schism of the Donatists and it deserves to be well considered by those who are apt to make uncharitable Reflections upon the Church of England or have a mean opinion of her Communion upon the account of the English Schisms The Arian Schism first began in Alexandria and had its Name from Arius a Presbyter of that Church At the first broaching of his Heresie he was opposed by Alexander his Bishop and part of the Clergy and People adhering to the Bishop and part siding with Arius from this small spark saith * Lib. 1. c. 6. Socrates came such a fire as made a Conflagration in the universal Church First It enflamed the Churches of Aegypt Lybia and the upper Thebais and from thence was blown into all the other Churches when as † De vit Constant l. 2. c. 62. Eusebius writes one might have seen not only Bishops contending with one another but the People rent into Factions some inclining to this Party and some to that and when the Pagans also took advantage from those Divisions of the Christians to expose Christianity in their Theatres and turn it into ridicule This sad estate of the