Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	church_n	congregation_n	elder_n	2,807	5	10.1144	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78622	A raging wave foming out his own shame. Or, An answer to a book lately published by Richard Hains (a person withdrawn from) entituled, A protestation against usurpation. Wherein appears such a measure of envies bitterness heaped up, pressed down, and running over, as the like in some ages hath not appeared, by his many false accusations, and malicious insinuations, thereby to provoke (if possible) both the chief magistrate, and all men of what degree soever, to have suspicious thoughts of the innocent, easily proved to have no other fouudation [sic] but his own evil imaginations. : Wherein also the church of Southwater by him contemptuously rendered papistical in their act of withdrawment from him, is vindicated and cleared, first, by apostolical authority, secondly, by Rich. Haynes his own pen. / Written by Matthew Caffyn ...	Caffyn, Matthew, 1628-1714.	1675 (1675)	Wing C207A; ESTC R173317	24,862	30

confesseth that the congregation did excommunicate him for crimes in their account thus publick or would he have the reader believe that the congregation did excommunicate him for those things which they never accused him of as for his saying that he knows not his accuser as they were weak brethren thereby suggesting another party more strong not offended with him and so not accusing him upon the aforesaid account my answer is that there was no such distinguished party for him to know as the Churches account of their proceeding greatly desired by him and accordingly sent unto him sufficiently sheweth as touching others not under the notion of brethren that did accuse him whose names he saith he was not suffered to know if thereby he intends to insinuate into the Readers understanding that we either knew of none or very few that spoke disdainfully of his proceedings I do not suppose that he can possibly in these parts at least wise proselite many if any one into that belief nor hath he whatever his intent may be any occasion to our remembrance thus to speak save only the person having given an instance in the meeting how R.H. his name was blasted in the market upon the aforesaid account with such reflections upon the congregation as was greatly to the shame of some that heard it did forbear to mention the said persons name so speaking to prevent some evill that supposedly might follow the publication of his name His second Objection is that he was not suffered to treat with the Congregation in order to the satisfying the offended by reason of my continuall interruptions Reply when R.H. appeared at our Church-meeting after some words in order to the right stating of the case he was desired to speak what he could in vindication of his practise if still he deemed it lawful it being upon our parts fairly to treat with him thereabouts he contrary to our expectations and contrary to what himself for many years had allowed when offenders have been treated with yea and as I am much perswaded contrary to the allowed and reasonable practise of all Churches under what name soever he I say did not only require my silence in the debate of the matter but also did notwithstanding the Congregations declared dislike to his usurping requirement continue his resolution to stop my mouth not allowing me the priviledge of other members yet nevertheless it being upon our hearts at that time to endeavour his conviction did permit him to reason with several persons but when at any time I perceived occasion and opportunity to offer and accordingly did something to the matter in hand as well as others being also desired by the congregation so to do he while groundlesly suggesting usurpation and Lordliness in others did really after a Lordly manner usurp a power the proper right of no member much less of one called to the assembly as an offender and withstood me pressing still for my silence whereby the liberty of reasoning intended him he partly deprived himself of so that in substance my endeavours with the rest of the members and this too by consent of the Congregation at that time is deemed by him and now published as sinful interruptions on my part the truth of this above-said account we the Congregation do hereby testifie and may it not be thought fit that for any Church to sacrifice up that power and those priviledges that God hath given them and their elders for their preservation to the envious wills and selfish ends of offenders would be not only a reason-less scripture-less but also a very injurious if it may not be said also ridiculous practise and president for that thereby a wide door would be opened to all deceivers and Apostats when at any time they shall and surely were such a thing granted at all times they would be ready and bold to make attempts in Congregations of what profession soever there to divide and to devour if when so they do it may be declared lawful for them to command the elders and ministers silence and if them consequently any other that they shall think are able to discover the error of their principles and that the several Congregations are bound in duty to gratifie such deceivers or Apostates by their suffering it But if R. H. should for I know not that he doth intend interruptions of another kinde through too much earnestness or quickness of spirit though occasioned through his haughtiness and perversness yet to what degree soever any thing of that nature shall be evidenced he may be assured that none of us shall be ashamed to confess the same As touching his exceptions in the third place wherein he declareth our proceedings to be both sinful as to our selves and injurious to him we answer that the intent of Christ in giving forth and the designe of Christians in their prosecuting the ordinance of excommunication was that transgressors might again be restored when the Churches counsel and advice did not effect it therefore if R.H. be injured by it 't is through his abuse of Christ his ordinance and his condition is the more to be lamented as to its being sinful to our selves we know no such thing but rather the performance of our duty towards God and him as for letting in all kinde of usurpation and subverting the Churches priviledges suggested also by him we conceive it only his vain immaginations for how it should so do he declares not as for our practise being seandalous to the better and the more sober and judicious sort as he also insinuateth the contrary to us is most evident and we doubt not but that many from their own experience will be able with us to testifie his mistake herein though they may by their so doing be excluded by this spirit of envie from the number of sober and judicious persons and counted amongst the baser sort of men yet is it not to us a matter incredible that such if there be any to be found that have so large a faith to believe all that he suggesteth against us to be true that such persons we say should render such manner of proceedings with offenders to be scandalous for our selves do thereby declare them to be so as touching his malicious suggestion that our practise tends to the infringing the lawfull power of the supreme Magistrate easily appears both illegall and irrational upon the aforesaid account that there being no positive law requiring R.H. that he must have his patent there could be no such transgression in us perswading him from it and more especially may our innocency herein and his insolency appear in the consideration that so great a number of other persons bearing their testimony not only as well but much more then we against his Patent are notwithstanding by R. H. justified from any such contempt of authority our meaning is those many persons from several Towns and Parishes as well persons of quality as others that by their hands subscribed

speaking that Christians should both in their families and in their closets not only be frequent but more fervent more sensible and serious in the performance of their duties therein as touching the discouraging his servants whereof also he speaketh none surely can reasonably think that we who have conscionably refused to communicate with him can in conscience encourage any to joyn in communion with him who hath thus heaped up sin upon sin to so great a degree Again what besides R. H. his continued wrath against me which faith the Apostle worketh not the righteousness of God could move him elsewhere pag. 6. to declare that I condemned Patents in general whereas he hath lying by him these words of mine under my hand namely that for persons to have Patents in several cases as they may be circumstanced is both legal and reasonable let the Reader judge In the next place the reader may understand that as to the matter for which and the manner in which he was proceeded against he hath abused us so also that he no less extravagantly proceeds to abuse us but more especially my self pag. 3. as a person that will not come to the light lest my deeds should be reproved as if I were conscious to my self of irregularity in our proceedings and so have withstood his appeal to others Concerning which all may understand that he had according to the custome of our Churches free liberty to make his appeal to any of the many Churches in the Counties adjacent though commonly some neighbour-Church has been the persons appealed unto but to use his own words elsewhere he utterly refused so to do and why because faith he further to use his own words most of them were inferiour and that I was adored as he is pleased to term it and esteemed by many of them so that it seems such as have esteem for me are not judged by R. H. suitable persons to hear and determine this controversie and yet doth he and oh that he would consider how envy hath confounded him talk much of impartial justice Furthermore all may know that if R. H. had notwithstanding his appeal to some one of those many Churches aforesaid remained dissatisfied or if otherwise no determination should have been made he then might have freely made his appeal to our quarterly meetings consisting of diverse elders and brethren from several congregations nor is this all the liberty which he might freely have had but upon his remaining dissatisfaction might also have freely made this appeal to the general Assembly at London nor yet is this all but when at the first general Meeting his appeal for some cause hereafter to be mentioned could not be then received I then did freely offer the truth whereof R. H. surely will not oppose that if the present Assembly would choose out six men or more I should be willing that they with the Quarterly meeting in the Countrey should be the only Judges of the matter depending betwixt us and that I and the Congregation would not be concerned save only to give evidence but he as before utterly refused it nor yet is this all the liberty or ways of condescention that was allowed R.H. for when at the next general meeting he appeared with urgency not common for a hearing of the matter they being such as himself made choice of and had esteem for 't was declared to him after some debate that they would condescend ●o his motion though so to do crossed the method of proceedings that formerly they had upon good grounds agreed upon and which for the sake of some others was not granted and so the matter was examined judged and determined to the utmost of their present capacity and their result recorded as himself confesseth pag. 10. the which when R.H. had perused he in the face of the Assembly told them that he contemned what they had done the which is confessed by him p 10. but in better words he presents it to the Reader saying that he signified his dislike of their result with his reasons for it now in the consideration of such our constant freedom that he should make his appeal not to this or that Church of our choosing but to what particular Church himself should make choice of among the many Churches in several Counties being by him utterly refused together with the consideration of such his insolent contempt of the result drawn up by the general assembly consisting as he may well know of the Messengers Elders and brethren the Representatives of the Churches both in the City and Countrey one would think that were there an absolute death of Christianity in him and but humanity only remaining he would not have thus abusively published me or any others as persons refusing to have the case heard or tried as frequently he suggesteth And whereas he is pleased to say pag. 11. that he doth not perfectly understand the result of the General Assembly though as far as he did understand it the effect of it was that we should reverse the sentence of excommunication the reader may observe how extreamly unwilling he is that it should be understood that the general assemblie did at all favour us to prevent which he plungeth himself into confusion and self-contradiction and so 't is happened unto him according to what is written where envying is there is confusion and every evil work for in the page just before he tells the Reader that he signified his dislike of their result and his reasons for it whereby 't is evident that he not only understood it but also well knew that the effect thereof was not that we should reverse it unless he would have the Reader understand that he shewed his dislike to the Assemblies result because they had justified him and condemned us As touching that conference we had first about it in a Coffee-house while represented by him a meeting of some great authority in truth 't was only intended as signified to me by letter a private conference about the matter with a few persons not any particular Church nor any particular persons chosen by the Churches nor the Church of South-water who excommunicated R. H. so much as sent unto to be present there whereupon as in truth they could not so in truth they did not pretend to any power to determine the matter but plainly and publickely declared the contrary nor was R. H. himself willing to refer the matter to them while he blames me upon that account unless his declared resolutions to stand by what end thereof others should make according to the unerring rule in his judgment may properly be called the referring it Yet is it true that this conference intended with a few only being known in the city several others unconcerned came and contrary to rule and expectation R. H. engageth one to be there that did not belong to any of the baptized congregations in communion with us whom I suppose he conceived sufficiently averse to me who