Biographia Ecclesiastica; Or, the Lives of the Most Eminent Fathers of the Christian Church, Who Flourish'd in the First Four Centuries [By R. Allen].

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1704. Excerpt: ... Curiosity than Reason, and therefore to be abandoned as Heathenish Observances. But however the Customs and Ceremonies then us'd in some Churches might be rejected by others, yet Charity was still maintain'd, and all were left to the Liberty of observing such Rites as they thought most convenient, which occasion'd a great variety of them, as we have already noted..CHAP. X. Of the Discipline of the Primitive Church. AS all Communities must necessarily have ofthege-some Laws, and Penalties annex'd to ralNa-deter from the Violation of 'em, for pre-turndeJc-serving a due Order and Decorum among the chrifliM Members thereof, so it is likewise in the Discipline. Church of Christ. But herein is the diffe-rence between Civil and Ecclesiastical Go-vernment; that whereas the Laws and Pe-nalties of the former are worldly and carnal, those of the latter are wholly spiritual, see-ing, as Tertullian observes, 'rw not any Proper-Ad Sca ty of Religion to use force in religious matters, p. 447.' which ought to be willingly received, and not by Constraint. The Weapons whereby the an-tient Church preferv'd herself, and govern-ed her Members, were spiritual, consisting of Admonitions, Excommunications, and such like Methods of dealing with 'em. This is the Discipline, with the Encomiums of which the Books of the Fathers so greatly abound, R r 4. and.% and concerning which Cyprkn in particular De Habit, speaks after the following manner: Discipline Virg. §. ujqtbe Preserver os Hope, the Support os Faith, the Leader in the way os Salvation, the Fewef, and Nutriment of a gQod Disposition., the Mistress of Virtue, that makes us always abide in Christ, and perpetually live to God, and which will bring us to the Celestial and Divine Promises, £4ow that we may distinctly ...