Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	catholic_n	church_n	communion_n	5,870	5	9.6775	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31349	Catholicon, the expediency of an explicit stipulation betwixt the parochial ministers and their congregations, or, An essay to prove that the intervention of solemn mutual promises betwixt the parochial ministers and their people (faithfully to discharge their relative duties to one another) would be useful and expedient for these ends to promote in clergy-men regularity of life, and diligence in their ministerial function, to increase in the lay parishioners, Christian knowledge, sincere godliness, with a free and friendly conversation, to give a stop to separation, and reduct dissenters to the communion of the church without using secular compulsion, to secure the peace of the nation, to inlarge trade, and make provision for the poor, and that all may be effected without the least innovation, or alteration of the present legal establishment of the Church of England humbly tendred to the consideration of all English Protestants / by a parochial minister.	Parochial minister.	1674 (1674)	Wing C1498; ESTC R17127	21,417	32

to discharge the Offices of Churchwardens and Sidesmen and not suffer these Offices to go by House-row and be laid upon the shoulders of those who know neither the importance of their Office nor the nature or sense of the Oaths they are required to take CHAP. III. The Expediency of the Parochial Stipulation to reduce Dissenters to the Vnity of the Church and secure those who at present do Conform from falling away IF there be any consolations in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and mercies Those Christians most taste of the sweetness thereof who strive to preserve the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and rejoyce over all impartially that own the fear of God and the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ and who can according to the dictates of Catholick Charity and Evangelical Love truly so called freely joyn in all acts of holy Communion with any Christians amongst whom their lot is cast to be where the Communion is not clogged with urged compliance to sinful things and who do not obstruct others coming into Communion with themselves by any sinful or unnecessary requirements And it is no difficulty to prove that this propensity to Catholick Communion is the healing temper under which alone the Christian world may hope to obtain again that peace and unit the blessed warmth whereof made the Primitive Churches to flourish And it is no less easily evinced that Catholick Recusancy of Communion with others is that narrow engine wherewith the Devil hath cramped and tormented the Churches of Christ in these later ages and that from thence came Fire and Faggot Sequestrations Proscriptions civil broils and the rest of the mischiefs which have made Christian Kingdoms miserable through the several Sects pursuance of their Religious differences with more bitterness than they would have done Mahumetism it self On which account we can justly arraign several amongst us for as very Catholick Recusants or which is all one for as Universal Refusers of Communion with other Christians as any Papists yea or Russes But it is evident to all impartially observant that a more humble and charitable Spirit acted the Church of England at her Primitive Reformation And I hope that this Explicit Combination in her Parochial Assemblies pleaded for will not make any suspect that a less inlarged temper is hereby designed to be promoted seeing the first part of promise is of holding Communion with all Christians And we all protest to take all for Brethren who hold Christ as the foundation and walk by the rule of the New Creature and we pray for peace on them and on the Israel of God But alas this Candor of ours is made ineffectual to keep even all our flocks in their folds through a late complotment of some who though not intentionally yet will be found I fear eventually to play the Pioneers and plane the way for the reentrance of the most notorious sort of Catholick Recusancy For it is easie to observe that the great allurement of our members to turn aside to the Tents of our Companions is that such seem through their mutual ingagements to take those that unite to them under a more special care for both their temporal and spiritual concernments Will it then be imprudent to use some of the Viper in our Antidote or to cleave the Wood with a Wedge of its own When therefore it shall appear that we with no less solemnity or sincerity oblige our selves so to take care for all of ours yea and still to let our Fountain of Brotherly Love run over and be dispersed in the streets to all others that are Christians I am apt to think and it may be most of my unprejudiced Readers will be of my mind that it will be a more effectual course to reduce Dissenters than all disputes though evincing with the clearest evidence the sinfulness of Separation have been able to do and as Moses's Rod eat up the Rods of the Magicians the Combination of the Catholick members of the Church of England in the Parochial Assemblies thereof would do little less to most other unwarranted Combinations amongst us For when once the Sober and Conscientious Dissenters shall be convinced that all prudent and saithful care is taken to purge out all leaven of malice and wickedness out of our Parochial Congregations and that they may in those Assemblies have green pastures and still waters also and that Ministers are ingaged and excited to pursue the edification of their people in faith and holiness then and not till then it may be hoped that many pious and humble persons amongst them will in a small time fall in with publick Order But suppose that none of those who are departed from our Church should be reduced to the fold again yet if this Parochial Covenant were setled it would at least secure to us those that at present do hold Communion with us and bind them up so close and compact that no more could drop out We are not ignorant that when God hath so far prospered our Ministry and Labours in diligent Catechising and Preaching and other faithful endeavours That any inconsiderate and ignorant persons have been awakened by us to search and try their hearts and waies and turn unto the Lord as soon I say as such are observed to be grown serious in the frame of their Spirits and regular in their Coaversation presently they are assaulted by some Seducer to make one turn further And he suggests to them that it is not enough that they have taken God for their God and Christ for their Saviour by serious and resolved choice and purpose of heart that they have an universal charity for all men and special Brotherly-Love unto the Brethren for all this they were brought to by our Ministry but as if these were the primar and rudiments of Christianity they are tempted to remove from under our Ministry who called them into the grace of God unto another Gospel But the Parochial Stipulation would be an excellent fence against these Seducers because our people then would let us know that they are tempted and would think themselves bound to do so having taken us for their Guides by Explicit Contract Whereas now alas many are turned Renegado's from the Church beyond recovery and the Minister it may be is the last man in the Parish that hears of it Moreover it is not to be doubted but that some or other of their honest Neighbours combined in the same Promises with them would take the Alarm and think themselves obliged to step in betimes and endeavour to prevent their falling away by applying the best arguments and counsel they could use and would also timely inform the Minister and Congregation of the danger of one of the Flock Besides our arguments that then we should use for their confirmation in the Unity of the Church would be seriously and impartially considered whereas now they either do not regard