Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	lord_n	people_n	word_n	3,192	5	4.1497	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86000	A form for Church government and ordination of ministers, contained in CXI propositions, propounded to the late Generall Assembly at Edinburgh, 1647. Together with an Act concerning Erastianisme, independencie, and liberty of conscience. Published by authority.; CXI propositions concerning the ministerie and government of the Church.	Gillespie, George, 1613-1648.	1647 (1647)	Wing G749; Thomason E418_3; ESTC R202292	30,071	51

pollution of all Hence it was that as the society of the leprous was shunned by the cleare so the company of murtherers by good men was most religiously avoided Lament. 4. 13 14 15. The same thing is witnessed by Ananias the high Preist 〈◊〉 Josephus of the Jewish warre 4. Book Chap. 5. where hee saith that those false Zelots of that time bloody men ought to have been restrained from accesse to the Temple by reason of the pollution of murther Yea as Philo the Jew witnesseth in his book of the Officers of Sacrifices Whosoever were found unworthy and wicked were by edict forbidden to approach the holy thresholds 22. Neither must that be past by which was noted by Zonaras Book 4. of his Annals whereof see also Scaliger agreeing with him in Elench Triberes Nicferrar Cap. 28 namely that the Essenes were forbidden the holy Place as being hainous and piacular transgressors and such as held other opinions and did otherwise teach concerning Sacrifices then according to the Law and observed not the ordinances of Moses whence it proceeded that they Sacrificed privately Yea and also the Essenes them selves did thrust away from their Congregations those that were wicked Whereof see Drusius of the three sects of Jews Lib. 4. cap. 22. 23. God verily would not have his Temple to be made open to unworthy and uncleane worshippers nor was it free for such men to enter into the Temple See Nazianzen Orat. 21. The same thing is witnessed and declared by divers late writers such as have been and are more acquainted with the Jewish antiquities Consult the Anotations of Vatablus and of Ainsworth an English writer upon Psal. 118. 19 20. also Constantius L'empereur Annotat. in Cod. Middoth Cap. 2. Pag. 44 45. Cornelius Bertramus of the Common-wealth of the Hebrews Cap. 7. Henrie Vorstius Animadvers. in Pirk Rab. Eliezer Pag. 169. The same may be proved out of Ezech. 33. 38 29. Jer. 7. 9 10 11 12. whence also it was that the solemne and publike Society in the Temple had the name of the Assembly of the Righteous and Congregation of Saints Psal. 89. 5 7. Psal. 111. 1. Psal. 147. 1. Hence also is that Psal. 118. 19 20. of the gates of righteousnesse by which the righteous enter 24. That which is now driven at is not that all wicked and unclean persons should be utterly excluded from our Ecclesiasticall Societies and so from all hearing of Gods Word Yea there is nothing lesse intended for the Word of God is the instrument as well of conversion as of confirmation and therefore is to be Preached as well to the not converted as to the converted as well to the repenting as the unrepenting The Temple indeed of Jerusalem had speciall promises as it were pointing out with the finger a Communion with God through Christ 1 King 8. 30 48. Dan. 6. 10. 2 Chron. 6. 16. and 7. 15 16. But 't is far otherwise with our Temples or places of Church Assemblies because our Temples contain nothing Sacramentall in them such as the Tabernacle and Temple contained as the most learned Professors of Leyden said rightly in Synops Pur. Theologiae Disput. 48. Thes. 47. 25. Wherefore the point to be here considered as that which is now aimed at is this that howsoever even under the New Testament the uncleannesse of those to whom the Word of God is preached be tolerated yet all such of what estate or condition soever in the Church as are defiled with manifest and grievous scandals and doe thereby witnesse themselves to be without the inward and spirituall Commnnion with Christ and the faithfull may and are to be altogether discharged from the Communion of the Lords Supper untill they repent and change their manners 26. Besides even those to whom it was not permitted to goe into the holy Courts of Israel and to ingyre themselves into Ecclesiasticall Communion and who did stand between the Court of Israel and the utter wall were not therefore to be kept back from hearing the word for in Solomons Porch and so in the intermurale or Court of the Gentiles the Gospel was preached both by Christ John 10. 23. and also by the Apostles Acts 3. 11. and 5. 12. and that of purpose because of the reason brought by Pineda of the things of Solomon Book 5. Chap. 19. because a more frequent multitude was there and somewhat larger opportunity of sowing the Gospel Wherefore to any whomsoever even heathen people meeting there the Lord would have the Word to be preached who notwithstanding purging the Temple did not onely overthrow the tables of Money-changers and chairs of those that sold Doves but also cast forth the buyers and sellers themselves Matth. 21. 12. for he could not endure either such things or such persons in the Temple 27. Although then the Gospel is to be preached to every creature the Lord in expresse words commanding the same Mark 16. 15. yet not to every one is set open an accesse to the holy Supper 'T is granted that Hypocrites do lurk in the Church who hardly can be convicted and discovered much lesse repelled from the Lords Supper Such therefore are to be suffered till by the fan of judgement the grain be separate from the chaffe But those whose wicked deeds or words are known and made manifest are altogether to be debarred from partaking those symboles of the Covenant of the Gospel left that the Name of God be greatly disgraced whilest sins are permitted to spread abroad in the Church unpunished or lest the Stewards of Christ by imparting the signes of the Grace of God to such as are continuing in the state of impurity and scandall be partakers of their sins Hitherto of Suspension 28. Excommunication ought not to be procceded unto except when extreme necessity constraineth But whensoever the soul of the sinner cannot otherwise be healed and that the safety of the Church requireth the cutting off of this or that Member it behoveth to use this last remedy In the Church of Rome indeed Excommunication hath been turned into greatest injustice and tyranny as the Pharisees abused the casting out of the Synagogues which was their Excommunication to the fulfilling of the lust of their own mindes Yet the Ordinance of Christ is not therefore by any of the Reformed Religion to be utterly thrust away and wholly rejected What Protestant knows not that the vassals of Antichrist have drawn the Lords Supper into the worst and most pernicious abuses as also the Ordination of Ministers and other Ordinances of the Gospel Yet who will say that things necessary whether the necessity be that of command or that of the 〈◊〉 or end are to be taken away because of the abuse 29. They therefore who with an high hand do persevere in their wickednesse after foregoing admonitions stubbornly despised or carelesly neglected are justly by Excommunication in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ cut off and cast out from the society of the faithfull and are pronounced

In the mean while I willingly confesse that we are not to despair but the age following will peradventure yeeld more tractable spirits more mild hearts then our times have See also Lavater agreeing in this Homil. 52. on Nehem. Because the Popes of Rome have abused Excommunication for the establishing of their own tyranny it cometh to pass that almost no just Discipline can be any more settled in the Church but unlesse the wicked be restrained all things must of necessity run into the worst condition See besides the opinion of Fabritius upon Psal. 149. 6 7 8 9. of spirituall corrections which he groundeth upon that Text compared with Matth. 16. 19. and 18. 18. Iohn 20. 23. 108. It can hardly be doubted or called in question but besides these other learned and Godly Divines of those Churches were and are of the same mind herein with those now cited and indeed the very Confession of Faith of the Churches of Helvetia Chap. 18. may be an evidence hereof But there ought to be in the mean time a just Discipline amongst Ministers for the doctrine and life of Ministers is diligently to be enquired of in Synods Those that sin are to be rebuked of the Elders and to be brought again into the way if they be curable or to be deposed and like wolves driven away from the floek of the Lord if they be incurable That this manner of Synodical censure namely of deposing Ministers from their office for some great scandal is used in the republike of Zurick Lavater is witness in his book of the Rites and Ordinances of the Church of Zurick Chap. 23. Surely they could not be of that mind that Ecclesiastical Discipline ought to be exercised upon Delinquent Ministers only and not also upon other rotten Members of the Church 109 Yea the Helvetian Confession in the place now cited doth so tax the inordinate zeal of the Donatists and Anabaptists which are so bent upon the rooting out of the tares out of the Lords field that they take not heed of the danger of plucking up the wheat that withall it doth not obscurely commend the Ecclesiastical Forensical Discipline as distinct from the civil Power and seeing say they ttis altogether necessary that there be in the Church a Discipline and among the Ancients in times past Excommunication hath been usual and Ecclesiastical Courts have been among the People of God among whom this Discipline was exercised by prudent and goods men It belongeth also to Ministers according to the case of the times the publick estate and necessity to moderate this Discipline Where this rule is ever to be held that all ought to be done to edification decently honestly without tyranny and sedition The Apostle also witnesseth 2 Cor. 13. that to himself was given of God a Power unto edification and not unto destruction 110. And now what resteth but that God be intreated with continual and ardent Prayers both that he would put into the hearts of all Magistrates zeal and care to cherish defend and guard the Ecclesiastick Discipline together with the rest of Christs Ordinances and to stop their eares against the importunate suits of whatsoever claw-backs which would stir them up against the Church and that also all Governours and Rulers of Churches being every where furnished and helped with the strength of the holy Spirit may diligently and faithfully execute this part also of their function as it becommeth the trusty servants of Christ which study to please their own Lord and Master more then men 111. Finally all those who are more averse from Ecclesiastick Discipline or ill affected against it are to be admonished and intreated through our Lord Jesus Christ that they be no longer entangled and enveagled with carnall prejudice to give place in this thing to humane affections and to measure by their own corrupt reason spirituall Discipline but that they do seriously think with themselves and consider in their minds how much better it were that the lusts of the flesh were as with a bridle tamed and that the repentance amendment and gaining of vicious men unto salvation may be sought then that sinners be left to their own disposition and be permitted to follow their own lusts without controulment and by their evil example to draw others headlong into ruin with themselves and seeing either the keys of Discipline must take no rust or the manners of Christians will certainly contract much rust what is here to be chosen and what is to be shunned let the Wise and Godly who alone take to heart the safety of the Church judg FINIS