Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	christian_a	church_n	communion_n	1,593	5	9.3126	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77494	The araignment of the present schism of new separation in old England. Together vvith a serious recommendation of church-unity and uniformity. As it was lately presented to the church of God at great Yarmouth, / by John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1646 (1646)	Wing B4707; Thomason E335_10; ESTC R200782	79,884	81

enemies but stood as neutral regarding more their own private then the publike interest And possibly they were divided amongst themselves distracted with several opinions what they should do Some would joyn others would not Now these Divisions they were great thoughts of heart working many strange impressions in the mindes both of themselves and others of very sad consequence to all the Tribes of Israel And truely such are Divisions in the Church of God specially when they are boy led up to compleat and perfect Schisms as it is in the case of Separation specially when it comes to the setting up of Churches against Churches O these are sad thoughts of heart to the Israel of God causing greif to the particular Members of the Church and great disquiet and disturbance to the whole Body Oft-times breeding those Feaverish distempers those un-Christian heats of hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions envyings I and murthers too as the Apostle puts them together Gal. 5. These all these are the fruits of Schism by reason whereof there cannot but follow a dreadful combustion in the Body of the Church tending to the great trouble and disquietment of it 4. As the Church is hereby disquieted so hindered As disquieted in the peace so hindered in the edification of it We know what it was which hindered the building of Babel even a Schism in their Tongues Division of Languages What do we think a Schism in their hands would have done if one should have saln to pulling down what the other built up And surely there is no one thing that can more hinder the building of Jerusalem the edification of the Church then this when Christians shall be divided in their heads hearts tongues hands in their judgements affections language practise How should the work of the Lord now go on Even as it is in Civil Wars whilest the parties are contending the Common-Wealth suffers So is it in Church-divisons whilest the parties are contending the Church suffers As it is with a Ship brought to the back-staies one Say● bears the one way and another an other in the mean time the Ship stands still The Wall and Temple of Jerusalem went slowly on in troublous times So will Church Work do where ever Schisms and Factions break it 5. Again in the fifth place as the Church is disquieted and hindered so indangered by it As disquieted in the peace of it and hindered in the edification of it so endangered in the state of it The cutting off of one member from the body is dangerous to the whole What is the dismembring of a Church The withdrawing of communion with it the breaking off of all fellowship and communion with it by an actual and posi●ive Separation Certainly this cannot but endanger the state of that Church from which this separation is made Which if it live and continue no thanks to them who have thus withdrawn themselves who by their separation have done what in them lieth to destroy it Thus is Schism injurious to the Church of God To these I might adde It is also of dangerous consequence to the persons who are involved in it who by dividing themselves from the body are in a dangerous way to divide themselves from the head So our judicious Casuist layeth it down Schism maketh way to Heresie and so to Separation from Christ So Jerome observed it in his time Nullum Schisma c. There is no Schism saith he but ordinarily in processe of time it inventeth and broacheth some Heresie that so the Separation may seem to be the more justifiable And Aquinas seconds him Sicut amissio charitatis c. Even as the losing of Charity saith he maketh way for the losing of Faith pardon the error in that supposition so doth Schism make way for Heresie A truth sufficiently experimented in those ancient Schismaticks the Novatians and Donatists who from Schism fell to be the Authors or Defenders of Heretical Opinions and those some of them most dangerous But we shall not need to look so far back We have a late and dreadful instance for it in those pernicious Schismaticks in New England who falling foul with the Churches and despising the Ministery there fell afterwards into most desperate and damnable Heresies and those so many and so foul as I think no place or age could ever paralel them Neither shall we need to travel so far for instances Would to God we had not some even amongst our selves who from Schism are already advanced very far that way even as far as may be on this side Hell nay if it were possible a step beyond it even to the jearing at God himself But I forbear to proceed any further You now see some of the streams which fall into this Ocean some of the Evils which contribute their malignity to the making up of the sinfulnesse of this great Evil Concerning which yet I may say that Lo the one half is not told you But let this suffice for Explication Confirmation Illust●ation That which remains is the Application Which I shall direct in Saint Pauls way and words Beseeching nay adjuring you in the Name of the Lord Jesus that there be no divisions no Schisms among you in this place Quest Why but are there any such Such there were in the Church of Corinth But are there any such among us that should give ground to such an Adjuration Answ. Yes That there are say our Adversaries of Rome You are all involved in a Schism and that far more dangerous then any were to be sound in the Church of Corinth In as much as you have departed from the unity of the Church Catholike the Donatists Schism You have broken off and separated your selves both from the head and body in withdrawing due subjection to the visible Ministerial head of the Church the Vicar of Christ and renouncing communion with the body the Roman Catholike Church Reply In reply to this I sh●ll not waste much time it having been already done by many more able Tongues and Pens A departure we acknowledge and a separation but not a Schism However not such a Schism as they charge us with a sinful Schism a Schism properly so called Which that it may appear give me leave yet a little more clearly and distinctly to show you what such a Schism a compleat and formal Schism is Will you have a Definition at least a Description of it Take it thus It is A voluntary and unwarrantable separation from a true Church Wherein you may take notice of four ingredients to make up this compound There must be first a Separation secondly a separation from a true Church thirdly a voluntary and fourthly an unwarrantable Separation 1. A Separation So much the word as I told you imports Schism from the Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or the Latin scindere both signifying one and the same thing to cut to rend to tear

lesse the true Church not so a true Church but that shee is also a false Church an Hereticall Apostaticall Antichristian Synagogue Being so here is now warrant enough for what wee have done in separating from that Church or rather from the errours and corruptions of it from the Papacie in it as the learned Junius and Pareus and others of our Divines rightly distinguish in so doing we have not separated from a true Church 2. Nor yet in the second place can it be truely said that this our separation was voluntary but necessitated nay enforced 1. Necessitated through their obstinacie in their errours which notwithstanding the discovery of them and that so cleer as that some of their owne have been enforced to an acknowledgement of them and all wayes and meanes used for their reformation they still persist in so as wee may well conclude their wound incurable and themselves incorrigible What then remains but a cutting off So saith the Prophet concerning Babylon Wee would have healed Babylon but shee is not healed What then followeth Forsake her and let us goe every one to his owne Countrey A warrant sufficient not onely for a negative secession but for a positive separation from mysticall Babylon Wee would have healed her but shee is not healed no wayes no means that could be thought of have been neglected for her cure How many Physicians have had her in hand Luther and Zuinglius and Calvin and the rest of our learned and pious Reformers a whole Colledge of Physicians but all to no purpose shee is not shee will not be cured What then remaines but that wee should withdraw and forsake her which cannot be construed as a voluntary but a necessitated separation Nay 2. Inforced and that through her violence exercised upon all those who will not hold communion with her in her corruptions not permitting any to trade to buy or sell to have either Religio●s or Civill communion with her except they receive her marke in their hands or foreheads But on the other hand Anathematizing them thundring out Excommunications against them which for feare they should be forgotten are solemnly renewed every yeer upon their Holy Thursday as they call it withall prosecuting them with fire and sword to confiscation of estates losse of libertie and life it selfe These things considered let God and the world judge betwixt us and them whether our separation from them be voluntary or no 3. However in the third place whether voluntary or no sure we are it is not unwarrantable being neither unjust nor rash 1. Not unjust Being warranted both by authoritie of Scripture not onely allowing but commanding this Separation and that under a dreadfull penaltie Come out of her my people so saith the the voice from heaven concerning mysticall Babylon Revel. 18. As also by the ground and cause of this separation which is not some light and tolerable errours but Heresies Idolatries Errours in doctrine and these if not directly yet by consequence and that immediate consequence fundamentall Corruptions in worship both foule and grosse and that such as those which hold communion with her cannot but partake in Now whether this be not a warrantable ground for separation from her let the same voice from heaven speak Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues No unjust separation then 2. Nor yet Rash There having as I said all the means been used for her Reformation and cure that possibly could be thought of but all to no purpose So as after this what remains but a positive secession and separation Now put these together and see whether this our departure from the Church of Rome deserves to be stigmatized and branded as by them it is with the name of Schism or no or yet to be drawn in and made use of by any as by some it is for the patronage or countenance of any of the Schisms of the times If this be a Schism it is a good and a warrantable Schism Qu. But are there any amongst us which are not so Answ. Here I wish I could make answer with the like cleernesse and freenesse as before But alas What meaneth the lowing of the oxen and the bleating of the sheep I mean the confused noise of our lesser and greater divisions which ring so loud in the ears of the whole Christian world at this day Scarce any part of the Kingdome free from some kinde or other of them The Church therein following the temper of the State as the soule oft-times doth of the body Divisions both Doctrinall and Practicall The Text confines me to the later Of those how many every-where And that not onely such as these in the Church of Corinth were divisions without separation sects and sactions but divisions of an higher nature amounting to no lesse then direct separation and that not barely to a negative but to a positive separation to the setting up of Altars against Altars Churches against Churches That it is so de facto I think it will not it cannot be denyed Would to God the Church of God in this Kingdome and in this place did not feel the smart of it Qu. But is this New separation a Schism in earnest or no There is the question In the answering whereof I shall deal as tenderly as I may only so as I may not betray the truth and cause of God or the peace of this place wherein God hath made me one of his though unworthy Ministers having an unfained respect to the persons of many who are ingaged in this unhappy cause Answ. For Resolution I shall deale with this as I dealt with the former bring it to the same balance weigh it at the same beame What Schism and Schism properly so called is you have heard and I think the description will not be excepted against viz. A voluntary unwarrantable separation from a true Church Now whether this practise be such a schisme or no let it be enquired of in the particulars 1. Where the first enquirie will bee touching the Church from which this departure is made whether it be a true Church or no Here it is not my purpose to multiplie Controversies which I rather desire if it were possible might be brought to a unity And therefore I shall wholy wave the dispute about a Nationall Church Whether the Church of England be a true Church or no Letting that goe let the Question be about particular Congregations Parochiall Churches as wee call them Whether these I dare not say all but some of them suppose that wherein wee now are and the like be true Churches or no True Churches and that not only Physically but Morally such Not only Truly Churches which is granted to the Church of Rome but True Churches Now as for this me thinks I might well spare the labour of proving it and