Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	authority_n	church_n	person_n	1,479	5	5.0691	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54417	Samaritanism, or, A treatise of comprehending, compounding and tolerating several religions in one church demonstrating the equity, and necessity of the act and late vote of Parliament against non-conformists, from reason, the ancient church, and the opinions and practice of papists and Puritans now plotting and pleading for toleration.	Perrinchief, Richard, 1623?-1673.	1664 (1664)	Wing P1604; ESTC R36671	69,567	82

do those things which the Jews were bound to do Hence it follows that were it so that the Jewish Church was tyed up so strictly which I do not believe that it could not act any thing circumstantiating the service of God but what was directly required yet Evangelical Liberty being as well of a far more ample as noble condition doth permit such things contrary to the superstition of late Pastors Another Mistake is concerning the proper seat or subject of Evangelical Liberty For divers there are that suppose that such Liberty we now treat of for I know there are divers other sorts of far more excellent nature but not concerning us at present belongeth immediately and entirely to each single good Christian which is far from truth and sobriety to conceive For Christ gave this Donative primarily and immediately to his Church and the Administrators thereof that they according to Christ's Charter should have liberty to institute abrogate order and dispose matters such Rites and Observances as shall seem to them most conducible to the Faith and Worship of God under the Gospel yet with such limitations both for number and nature that none be introduced contrary to the tenor thereof or Analogy of Faith or tend to the burying of any integral part or practise thereof under such rubbish yet are not presently all private Christians allowed to preside over their Superiors to the determining what is of evil consequence and what not against publick judgment For Instance To have power to determine the eating of Flesh on Friday or not is undoubtedly a Liberty Evangelical but 't is not immediately posited in every particular Christian but the Church Representative and private persons have no liberty but as it is dispensed by publick Authority When I call this a Liberty Evangelical I mean not as too many do as if such an indifferency must properly belong to Christians for it doth not For Infidels and Heathen have that liberty as fully as Christ's Church and they in Authority amongst them may as well grant or deny this Liberty as Christians and no question but such as are subject to them should offend if they perversly refused to comply with their Superiors orders Does therefore think we Christian Religion and Liberty exempt us from that kind of obedience which is naturally due For my part that I hold a double obligation rather of Christians to submit and that I can rather pitty than help such as are of the contrary Opinion is all that I shall say at this time Yet we see that too common amongst us which Calvin himself end eavoured to scoff men out of in these Words Calvin Iastitut Lib. 3. cap. 9. Videas quosdam quibus sua libertas non videtur consistere nisi per esum carnium die Veneris in ejus possessionem venerint i.e. You may see some who suppose their Liberty cannot hold unless they take Possession of it by eating Flesh on Fridays To conclude then It is directly repugnant to Christian Liberty to deny the Church hath power to appoint the use or dis●use of things Indifferent and 't is absolutly inconsistent with Evangelical Piety and the power of Godliness which consist much in denying our own Wills and Appetites to glory how easily we Contemn such Lawful Orders I had thought to have said somewhat against the bold Charge of Antichristianism laid to our Church and a reason why men that cannot Rule us must not obey it But I perceive the Feavour of our late Reformers to be somewhat abated and like men newly come out of Calentures they begin to come to their senses to see they were monstrously out though not so much to their Reason as to make satisfaction for such Phrantick Miscarriages by a sober retractation and disabusing of Men as in Conscience they are bound from that and such like Extravagancies But for Peace-sake and to prevent a Schism we ought to condescend to our Brethren who to use their own Phrase which they best know what it means can come up to us in many things But what means this great and suddain Change in these men Are not they the very same who formerly made it Criminal yea Capital to Preach Peace and propound Reconciliation Yes sure but Times not Manners are altered Surely somewhat extraordinary is at the bottom of all this They Act not according to Nature but outward necessity and such a Peace is not worth the having which can never be held any longer than men shall be able to break it or work their ends by Insinuations and fair Promises open force failing them Like as it is seen with an impure Assailant of Virginity the party being Rescued by an extraordinary Providence out of his wicked Hands he turns to her again and tempts her to his Lust by promises of Marriage but having obtained his ends despises whom he hath undone Or as the Lyon and the mans Daughter in the Apologue The Lyon sought the Fathers consent for his Daughter Very willingly said the man upon condition that you will suffer your Claws to be pared close and your Teeth taken out lest you hurt my tender Daughter The Lyons extream love caused him to do so and then demainding his Spouse was not only denied her but not being able to help himself was knock't ' o th' head for his kind Condescentions When the Church of England hath spoiled it self of its proper and natural Guards then will the fair Discipline be monstrously kind to it and the event every man sees But what at length do they intend by their aenigmatical speech of Coming up to us Will they Renounce one branch of their Covenant Will they for ever lay aside one of the Cords of their Whip with six strings I have seriously asked and urged some of them and could not get any lasting Concession any longer than they shall be enabled to exact the whole And do we admire they should until that time seem at least satisfied with part Let them name one thing that for Peace-sake for these Hundred years they would give to us more than we had before But very many Relaxations have been make already and are we awhit the nearer Or is it not then time to make a stop of Dispensations when the Dispensation for a time shall be alledged against the Law and Canon it self And it is no kindness at all in their opinions that such Mitigations and Connivance have been but Extremity Tyranny Injustice Uncharitableness to restore the Pristine force and vigour to Ecclesiastical Laws Upon these and the like Considerations I conclude with Tullie to Antonie Cic. Philip Quaeris quare pacem nolo Quia turpis Quia periculosa Quia esse non potest Would ye know why I will have no peace Because it is dishonest because it is dangerous and because it cannot be It must needs be dishonest and dishonourable because of the conditions required For they having extreamly separated themselves from us and standing at that distance

under Persecution and moving pitty and compassion in those that would hear them Et maximè Episcopi Clerici horrenda dura perpessi quae commemorare longum est quando quorundam oculi extincti c Augustin Epist 5. Vide Epistol 166. of their hard measure and of the unreasonableness of the Civil Powers interposing in such matters which ought to be free were themselves most Cruel and Violent against others and especially the Bishops and Clergy men suffered horrible things which were tedious to rehearse putting out the Eyes of some and they cutt off the Hand and Tongue of one Bishop and some they slew right-out I say nothing of the cruel Slaughters saith he and Plundring of Houses by Nightinvasions and Burnings and that not only of Private Houses but Churches also into which Flames there wanted not some who cast in the Books of God Do not these words of Austine come somewhat near a description of our late furious and wicked zeal And what Possidonius in the Life of St. Austine Possidonius in vita August ca 9. Vide ca. 10. etiam addeth of this nature against that Holy Bishop calleth to our minds afresh the Perfecution of the Tongue against our Bishops The Donatists saith he railed at Austine called him Seducer of Souls both Publickly and Privately and said That he ought to be slain as a Wolfe to their Flock and that without doubt all their Sins should be forgiven them Augustin Epistol 68. who could bring this to pass And in another Epistle of St. Augustine is the Inhumanity of those pure Zelots the Circumcellians a branch of the Donatists against such as differed in Opinion from them described concluding In quibus omnibus illi non deponunt facta Latronum honorem sibi exigunt Matyrum i. e In all which they cease not to act the parts of Assasins and yet require the honour of Martyrs And so infinitely Devillish and Malicious was their humour that when they could not destroy the Orthodox by Butchering them they would needs terrifie them by Murthering themselves and so as Austin hath Quidam eorum miserabili instinctu Deo Homiuibus ingrati si suis caedibus nos vastare non ●ossunt ●uo nos exitio terrere credunt aut laetitiam suam quarentes de mortibus nostris aut tristitiam nostram de mortibus suis August Epist 61. either Solacing themselves in the destruction of us or sadding us by their own Deaths And such in some degree do our daies afford who because they cannot have their Will-worship will put themselves into such an untractable and brutish posture that if you let them alone they have their ends if you attempt to bring them to Justice they will create great hatred to their Adversaries by parting with their Lives rather than stir upon fair or necessary means or motives To conclude Legimus vidimus quotid● éque comprobamus Quando persecutio contra Ecclesiam oritur multo pejores persecutores Judaeos Haereticos quàm Ethnicos Hieronymus in Obad. v. 10. It is the observation of St. Hierome We have read we have seen we have daily found it true that when ever Persecution hath arose in the Church the Jewes and Hereticks were alwaies more grievous Persecutors of the Christians than were the Gentiles CHAP. V. A Continuation of the former Subject and particularly of putting Hereticks and Schismaticks to Death IN man may be said to be a Twofold Life Natural and Civil The First is an Union of the Natural parts of a man which being dissevered death follows understanding here the principal which are either simply Essential as the Soul and Body or such as are therefore called Vital because being corrupted or taken away a separation of the more Essential parts do immediately follow Mans Civil Life is that wereby he being a member of the Civil Body separated from that as all Integral parts of a Body Natural lofe that life of common Influence and Protection Hence it is that some Civil Lawyers do interpret Capital Punishment so often denounced against Hereticks in the Civil Law of the later Death as doth Huckleman and some others The Imperial Constitutions which absolutely inflict Capital Punishment on Hereticks Constitutiones Imp. Simplici●er capitis poenam instigen●es Haereticis non de Naturali sed de Civili Capite asserit Wessembeck in Vara. num 6. Huckelmanus Illustr Difput 34. Thes 14. lit 6. God li. 1. T it 5. God li. 1 Ti● 5 Sect. 4. Volumus esse publicum crimen c. are not to be understood of Natural but Civil Death as Transportation and such like But I make no doubt but this is too favourable and forced an Exposition as he that shall observe the Practice the best comment on the Law must confess For when the Code saith Manichaei undique expelluntur capite puniuntur And immediately before Manichaeo in loco Romano degere deprehenso caput ampuatur i. e. The Manichees are to be expell'd and punisht Capitally The Manichee that shall be found in the Roman Territory shall have his Head cut off cannot be meant of Civil Head I confess the most common punishments are such as we read in the same Title against the Manichees and Donatists made by Honortus and Theodosius Emperors viz. 1. We decree it a Publick Offence because an Offence against Divine Religion is an injurie to all wherefore we Persecute such with the Confiscation of all their Goods 2. We will likewise that they be Defeated of all Liberality and Succession coming to them by any Title whatever 3. Furthermore we leave such no Power to give or buy or sell or make bargains being convict 4. Inquiry ought to be made at his Death For if it be Lawful in matters of Treason to tax the memory of the dead not undeservedly ought there here also to pass a judgment 5. Therfore his last Writing is to be Null whether by Will or Codicil or any other way he hath made his Testament if found to be a Manichee 6. Neither do we suffer his Sons to Inherit unless they forsake their Fathers Errours For we allow Pardon to the Penitent 7. We like well that they feel the sting of our Authority who shall entertain them in their Houses by a culpable providing for them 8. And we Will that their Servants be faultless if avoiding such Sacrilegious Masters they pass into the Catholick Church by a more Faithful Service Thus far the Imperial Edict of Theodosius whereby we may easily discern how severe the Ancients were in chastising Hereticks and the several kinds of Punishments devised against them But the great question is Whether it be just to punish Hereticks with Corporal Death according to the Judgment of the Ancient Church The first instance of such severity is that of Priscillianus who was put to Death for his Heresie about which I find the Fathers themselves divided Hierome against Ctesiphon seems not only to approve of

it himself but to say that the whole Christian Church consented thereto Hierom. Advers 〈◊〉 Ctesiphon Quid loquar saith he de Priscilliano qui Seculi gladio totius Orbis authoritate damnatus est Why should I speak of Priscillianus who was Condemned by the Secular Sword and the Authority of the whole World But Severus Sulpitius liked not this Fact as appears by his words Severus Sulpit Sacrae Hist. Lib. Priscillianus cum soclis Capite plectuntur pessimo exemplo necati Priscillianus with his complices were beheaded being killed with a very ill precedent And Theognostus condemned Idacius or Ithacius Clarus an eminent Bishop of Spain Isidor Hisp DeViris Illustr ca 2. as witnesseth Isidorus Hispalensis because he procured the death of Priscillian as did also other Catholick Bishops as a bloody man yet by a Council held at Triers about the year 386. Vide Baron An 386 nu 25 he was absolved by the favour and intercession of the Emperor Maximus by whose Authority it was done August Epi. 48. St. Augustine is known to have been of an opinion once that Hereticks ought not at all to be Compelled to the true Faith but afterward his judgment altered and that as he saith from the experience he had of the excellent effect such coercion had and especially in that divers who at first took upon them the profession upon compulsion afterward embraced it sincerely and freely And in the same Epistle answereth the allegation of Pedro Paolo above mention'd which the Donatists likewise urged against the Catholicks persecuting them viz No example is to be found either in the Evangelists or Apostles writings whereby any thing was begged of Earthly Kings in behalf of the Church against the Churches Enemies Augustin Epistol 48. Quis negat non inveniri saith he Sed nondum implebatur illa prophetia Et nunc Reges intelligite c. Psal 2. i. e. Who denies that for as yet that Prophesie was not Fulfilled And now understand ye Kings c. Id Epistol 50 Yet do I not find that this Father approved of killing Hereticks but in another Epistle proceeds in a milder and middle way that is Neither to Tolerate the Heresie nor Condemn the Heretick to Death because that were to cut off all possibility of Repentance and Reconciliation to God and the Church which is very hard to deny any man before God doth And that God doth no man can say so long as he granteth him life And to me it seemeth not very difficult to answer Thomas his Arguments and Bellarmines who are for the death of Hereticks Thus then argues Thomas Thom. 22. qu. 11 Art 3. If he may be burnt who counterfeits money Why should not he that Forges and Publishes false Doctrine If he that counterfeits the Kings Letters deserveth death What doth he that counterfeits that falsifies the Scriptures and the Divine Letters of the Lord A woman that breaks the Conjugal Faith made to her Husband ought to die and not much more he who keeps not his Faith with God And he that takes away the Life of another unlawfully suffers the loss of his own for it shall not he therefore who destroys his own and neighbours Soul To these prety Analogies and colourable arguments for the Death of Hereticks we readily answer by granting all that the arguments crave which is that Hereticks deserve to suffer as much and more if you please than such notorious offenders against the Commonwealth and Civil Justice But must therefore this punishment be necessarily corporal and outward as the other whose cause is Civil this by Thomas his good leave follows not But rather the contrary That their Punishment should be Proportionable to their offence Their offence was Spiritual and their sufferings must be such too their offence was greater and so shall their punishment be in Soul by eternal Death Bellarm. De Laicis li. 3. ca. 21.5 Probatur c. And this answers Bellarmines six arguments to prove that Hereticks ought to suffer such Capital Punishment First because as all confess Hereticks may be Excommunicated lawfully therefore they may be kill'd The Consequence is thus drove Because Excommunication is greater punishment than temporal Death To which I answer That therefore it should have a greater death but that that death must be of the same kind doth not follow that is temporal Secondly he saith Experience teacheth that there is no other remedie But I deny any such experience For I make no doubt but the punishments mentioned even now in the Code will in a short time extirpate Hereticks and perhaps sooner considering what a pride some Hereticks take in suffering even death for their errors Thirdly His Third is that with Thomas his viz. Hereticks are Cheats and Counterfeits And so is his Fourth taken from a Womans falseness to her Husband The Fifth is because All the reasons that Galen alledged against Malefactors hold here Answ First That they should be punished they do Secondly that they would be punished with death also but not necessarily with Natural death but Civil death may suffice here and Eternal death hereafter Sixthly Lastly he saith It is a kindness to take obstinate Hereticks out of this life for the longer they live the more Errours they devise and increase greater damnation to themselves Ans We must distinguish between temporary and perpetual obstinacy And between that which may be and is certainly known to Judges for to be Judges must proceed according to the Evidence of the Fact not the probability But no man can certainly know that how ever a person be Actually obstinate he will persist in the same to his Death But notwithstanding there be no more than we have heard in Reason or Religion for their putting to death and not many examples are to be found in Antiquity yet for the last Five hundred years since Christ hath it been but too much put in practice under Roman-Tyranny For that Hot-spur Genebrard whose design it was to give us an account of the Churche's Practice speaking in defence of that cruelty shewed against the Kathari or Puritans who were burnt at Colen in the year of our Lord 1163. Genebrard Chronol An 1163. meerly for Religion and that none of the worse and endeavouring to justifie that Fact from ancient Precedents of the Church could it should seem find none much above 60. years older than that and that was of that Arch-haeretick Basilius a Physitian who in the last year of Christ 1102 was by the Command of the Emperor Alexius burnt at Constantinople for his Heresie But after-Ages abound with so many sad Instances of that nature that it were superfluous and tedious to rehearse them From all which I only inferr thus much That they who generally approved and practised such extream rigour could not but much more commend such more moderate means of reducing restraining and extinguishing them And I presume if I can shew what much more severe

both imposing hands upon their Pastor among Independents if the Ordination of these be condemned by Presbyterians the Presbyterians Ordination may altogether be of no account among us After this Mr. Edwards proceeds to prove particularly Edwards ibid. That Toleration is not to be allowed And First from the Vanity and Impertinency of the texts of Scripture brought to prove it For though saith he the Scripture speaks much for Tolerating and bearing one with another in many things both in matters of Opinion and Practise as these places tel●ifie Rom. 14. 1 2 3 5 13 14 v. Rom. 15.1 2 7. Ephes 4 23. Philip. 3. v. 15 16. Yet when differences come either to Heresie or Schism and Points to be maintaind by men so as to trouble and disturb the Church then the Scriptures are express against their Toleration and sufferance requiring them who have Power to hinder it as may be seen Revel 2.20 Titus 1. v. 10. Tit. 3.10 Galat. 5. v. 10 12. and so on And are not the differences now among us come already to Schismatical and Seditious Divisions amongst us are they then any longer to be Tolerated Or were these and the following Reasons only intended for the use of Presbytery but must lose all their vertue and validity when that is the Case against which they make directly Secondly he at the same time answers a Principal argument now in great use and confirms his Thesis thus The Toleration desired will not help to heal the Schisms and Rents of this Church but will much foment and encrease them For whilest some Congregations and they accounted of note both for Ministers and People will not submit to the Reformation and Government setled by Law this will breed in the Peoples minds many thoughts ex natura rei that this Church is not setled according to the word of God and is unlawful c. Reasons hereof follow 3. This Toleration will not only breed Divisions and Schisms disturbing the Peace of Churches and Towns by setting them who are of different Families and more remote Relations one against another but it will undoubtedly cause much Disturbance Discontents and Divisions between the nearest Relations of Husbands and Wives Fathers and Children Brothers and Sisters Masters and Servants the Husband being of one Church and the Wise of another c. 4. There will be great danger of continual Divisions Distractions and Disputes among us not only from the Different Form of Government and Worship in their Churches and ours but from other Doctrines and Practises held by some of them for the present 5. The most eminent Ministers of this Kingdom for grace parts and labours can have little assurance of the continuance of their Flocks to them if such a Toleration be granted For they will draw away their People and admit them into their Churches and even gather and encrease their Churches out of the labours of the best Ministers c. 6. It will be undoubtedly a means and way of their infinite Multiplication and Encrease even to encrease them thirty Fold 7. The prime and Fundamental Principles of this Independent and likewise Presbyterian way upon which they erect their Church-way are very prejudicial and dangerous and unsufferable to this Kingdom 8. These Independents and much more Presbyterian men where they have power would not give a Toleration for any other Ecclesiastical Government or Churches but in their own way They would not suffer men of other Opinions in Doctrine and Government to live within the ●ounds of their Patent though at the farthest bounds but have Banished them c. 9. A Toleration may be demanded upon the same grounds for all the rigid Brownists of the Kingdom and for all Anabaptists Familists and other Sectaries who profess 't is Conscience in them And thus you have the Heads of the Presbyterian Reasons in the Words of Mr. Edwards which if they may not be more strongly turned against themselves now moving for Toleration I must profess my self to understand neither Them nor their Logick nor the English Tongue And if men will still persist in their unseasonable unreasonable and unconscionable demands against all these so irrefragable Arguments to the contrary we have nothing left but our Prayers Tears and Confusion which our notorious Flagrant Sins have brought upon us And if Authority deserts us with such advantages on our sides as nothing on Earth can minister greater nor any siqual Judg require better we shall easily see from whence this Judgment comes and why not for any wrong in this Case done to our Antagonists viz. because we have sinned and are come down wonderfully I might here conclude all but that as I have disputed against them out of their own mouths and books so I judg it not Impertinent to show the insufficiency of their reasons from their answers or such as they are not wont to question unless when they are to express And having by the way answered some already one or two may suffice to be here touched CHAP. VIII Certain Exceptions which may be made by Puritans against what hath been delivered answered VVE have already prevented the vulgar and general Refuges made by ignorant and undiscerning men against the way of our Church and in behalf of their Discipline taken from the mis-understanding of Tyranny Extreams Moderation and Christian Liberty with which Notions Seducers are wont to make a great show amongst well-affected but ill-advised People We have likewise even now answered that which they offer to the People plausibly in most of their late books though heretoforewe could never wring a syllable from them to that purpose from the great benefit of the Peace of the Church out of Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Edwards And that Objection is likewise removed by Mr. Perkins most clearly which urges us that Conscience is Free and cannot be forced So that there appears not much to remain behind alledged by them deserving further answer Yet two or three things we shall add out of them to the former and so end And First I fore see it may be Excepted that our discourse generally runs against grievous Hereticks where we shew the Judgment and Practise of the ancient Church against them which will not hold against those of our days and Church who are no Hereticks To which I thus answer First That according to the sense of the Code the Laws made against Hereticks do comprehend Schismaticks and such as differ from the Church in lesser and lighter matters Haereticerum autem vocabulo continentur latis adversus eos sanctionibus succumbere debent qui vel levi argumento a judicio Catholicae Religionis tramite deetcti fuerint deviare i. e. Vnder the name of Hereticks are comprehended and ought to be punished by the Sanctions made aegainst them all such as are found to swerve in a light matter from the judgment and path of Catholick Religion Secondly They themselves as appears plainly by Mr. Edwards his Reasons will no more suffer