Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	act_n	church_n	communion_n	1,604	5	9.1682	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89779	The temple measured: or, A brief survey of the temple mystical, which is the instituted church of Christ. Wherein are solidly and modestly discussed, most of the material questions touching the constitution and government of the visible church militant here on earth. Together with the solution of all sorts of objections which are usually framed against the model and platform of ecclesiastical polity, which is here asserted and maintained. In particular here are debated, the points of so much controversie, touching the unity of the church, the members of the church, the form of the church, and church covenant, the power of the church, the officers of the church, and their power in church-government, the power of magistrates about the church, and some church acts, as admission of members, and other things set down in the table before the book. / By James Noyes teacher of the church at Newbery in New England.	Noyes, James, 1608-1656.	1646 (1646)	Wing N1460; Thomason E359_12; ESTC R201171	85,622	104

in every Citie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not exclude villages as it appeareth by Matth. 10.10 Cenchrea was but answerable to a village and yet it is said to have a Church Rom. 16. One Province contained many Churches 1 Cor. 16.1 19. Gal. 1.2 21. Rev. 1.2 The Churches of Galatia were Churches of one Province not one Provincial Church 4. There was no ordinary Officers instituted by Christ for any other then congregational Churches The Elders of every congregation have the same power both intensive and extensive there are no Archbishops or Archdeacons instituted by the Lord. 5. All congregations have the same Titles the same Power the same Ordinances compleatly Nature giveth the same name to similar parts every drop of water is water it hath the same name and the same nature Paris in parem non est pocestus The lamb of the Passeover was to be eaten onely by so many together as might enjoy a festival communion together at one Table Exod. 2. Ancient Canons did prohibite the ordaining of a Presbyter to more then one Title but as the Church did degenerate there came in Non-residence Pluralities Commendaes universal and perpetual Commendaes for term of life or for term of life a distinction of Benefices compatible an incompatible and Canons all these were added to Diocesan Episcopacie and Prelacie The Church in respect of its integrality Pro. 3. may consist but of two or three Noah and his wife and children were a Church Abrahem and Sarah were fundamentally the whole Church of the Jews Adam and Eve were actually the whole Church upon earth The Churches indeed in the Apostles time seem to be somewhat grown before they erected Presbyters yet they were Churches when they were not so numerous and there was the lesse need of ordinary Presbyters because there were extraordintry Two or three cannot be a compleat Church organically Those two or three in Matth. 18. do refer to the Presbytery as may be proved hereafter The family or domestick Churches preceding the Levitical Priesthood do correspond to the congregational Churches constituted by the coming of Jesus Christ and the state of the Church then in point of unity and universality doth confirm the unity and universality of the Church at present The Masters of families with their fathers were Priests in their childrens family as well as in their own houses Melchizedek by vertue of a natural precedency in age as may be supposed was a Priest to Abrahams family as well as in his own Adam if sin had not degraded him had been naturally a Priest for ever unto the whole world If Officers and Discipline strictly taken are not necessary to the being of a Church then a number of Seven or such a number as may afford Officers and exercise Discipline according to the rule Matth. 18 is not necessary And suppose such qualifications in members as are necessary to Officers unnecessary in members to the being of a Church it will follow that such a number as is necessary to the constituting of Officers is unnecessary to the being of a Church Concerning the Form of the Church EXplicite and particular covenants are not necessary to the constitution of Churches Pro. 1. Heb. 10. Acts 19.9 1. Christians fell into fellowship without any such form in Primitive days The Ordinances brotherly relation cohabitation were natural motives the directions and exhortations of the Apostles and Elders did concur Acts 19.9 Paul is said to separate the brethren in Ephesus 2. Elders were ordained without any explicite covenants both before and since the time of the Gospel we read of a charge but not one syllable of a covenant Now if Officers were ordained without any covenant May not members by proportion be admitted without any explicite covenant 3. One ground may be the unity of the Church in general we must not so close with a particular Church which is but a part of the Church as to break relations with the whole Church universal in confining members strictly to one particular Church 4. Another ground may be this Fellowship in a particular Church is conditional and transient and a duty of no greater moment then many other which are not to be instanced in unto admission 5. In the Acts there is no appearance of explicite covenanting with the Church in particular or general There was an explicite profession of faith and repentance and a cleaving unto the Lord Acts 2.8 No shew of covenanting to cleave to each other in Church-fellowship no shew I say of any such explicite covenanting Christians counted themselves next brethren one and the same houshold and were exhorted to maintain the unity of the Spirit as one body at one table as much as might be for edification The mystical Church in the Temple was represented by twelve cakes on the table called The bread of faces because all Saints sit there together face to face feeding on the Lord Jesus in way of communion The visible Church or Church of the outward court is also called to one and the same table mystical as far as all may sit together 6. We finde no explicite covenanting in Israel but with God and Israels covenanting with God was solemnized and attended as occasion did urge in collapsed times There is not any evidence of their covenanting conjoyntly with God at their first constitution there may be granted an explicite covenant of reformation but not of constitution of confirmation or reformation not of admission Object It is recorded in Neh. 10.29 that they clave to their brethren Answ It is explicated in the same verse how they clave to their brethren namely to covenant with God They did not covenant to cleave to their brethren but they clave to their brethren to covenant with God Besides some duties that concerned the House of God and the Officers of the House of God are there particularized but Church-fellowship is made no part of the covenant For an explicite covenant of reformation we have Nehemiah Hezekiah Jehoiada c. authentick examples but for an explicite covenant of constitution we have authentick examples to the contrary the Apostles themselves such as it must needs be presumption in us to oppose In the Old Testament it is usual to speak of a covenant of conversion and reformation but neither in the Old or New can we finde an explicite covenant of constitution of Churches and admission of members A people professing faith a resolution to embrace the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ together is a Church before there be any explicite covenanting together there is an implicite covenant in such a profession Pro. 2. When a company of Christians are called to dwell together where there is no foundation of a Church there is need of some explicite conjunction or consent Such are to make known their desire and faith to one another either by testimony or by their profession And where Elders of some neighbouring Church may be procured it is

they feared persecution upon admission Answ Persecution was not universally feared till Nero's days 2. Hypocrites needed not to fear persecution because they could evade it at their pleasure 3. The fear of persecution did make admission the more difficult so far was it from facilitating it Paul had not been shaved but for fear of persecution not for fear of pollution It may be then retorted that there is less need of searching now then in those days because we do not fear persecution by false Brethren as they did 4. All Hypocrites might have more cause all things considered to joyn themselves in those times in respect of danger then now they have because they could then revolt at their pleasure both safely and honorably in respect of the multitude which now is impossible And there were alluring invitations of gain maintenance wonderful gifts the society of the Apostles men admired If the Apostles had made tryal of Converts before admission it had been more considerable yet the adventure of persecution is common to Turks Papists Familists all Heretiques it is ordinary for men to precipitate themselves upon death even for colourable novelties But if there was less gain acquired in those days there was more loss adventured and gain enough to occasion much suspition of Converts and much inquisition in admission if it had been allowed And what though Joel Prophesieth of great conversions in Primitive days He did not Prophesie that all or most that should desire fellowship should be sincere Converts Object James requireth good Works to the demonstration of a living Faith Good works may benecessary to prove falvatiō yet not admission Answ The Apostles scope is to demonstrate the necessity of all kindes of good Works in their seasons both of Charity and Piety both external and internal in all grown Christians but not before admission nor in respect of admission but in respect of salvation Object It doth good to men to be debarred of communion Ans A Magistrate may do an innocent person good in correcting him it might make him a better member by Gods over-ruling providence both in Church and State but it is not therefore lawful for a Magistrate so to do I might in many respects deny the Assumption but I need not insist on so weak an Objection Object It was difficult for Paul to abstain fellowship Ans The difficulty was not for Conscience sake in respect of pollution but for fear of persecution 2. Are we to condemn Paul in requesting fellowship or the Brethren in denying it One would think that Paul did know what he did better then the Brethren They had not respect to the rule of admission but to the rule of natural or common prudence to prevent persecution Object The Worshippers in the Temple must be measured Answ The reed is the word conversion or vocation is the measuring Christians are measured as converted not as admitted The measuring here is appropriated to the Church in respect of its invisible state The visible Church represented by the outward Court is not measured under that consideration as visible 2. It evidently signifieth the secret act of conversion by the reed of the Gospel not a visible Church act of admission 3. It is to be granted that there are measures for Members as visible the question is not touching the being or existence but touching the nature essence or difference of the measures in the Visible Church The materials of the Visible Church may be mean compared with the materials of the Invisible All the Members of the Visible Church are not Saphirs and Diamonds they are not of the beaten Gold of the Candlestick or of the Golden Cherubims The Invisible Members are but dark Saphirs and invisible in comparison Those heavenly representations shew rather how transparent we shall be in heaven then what we have already obtained The measure of the outward Court is not the exact measure of the Temple of God Object The Servants are blamed for sleeping in the Parable of the Tares Answ The servants are not blamed at all 2. They are distinguished from men it is said Whilest men slept to note the season of Satans seed time 3. It doth not hold out Church-state the field is the Region of the Church not Church-state 4. If they had been rashly admitted they might have been consideratly excluded The petition is that all sins might be cast out of the Region of the Church this is denied but Christ doth not deny his people to purge sinners out of Church state The equity of the Parable forbids us to be so violent in purging out the Tares out of Church state as to cast out wholly any wheat in so doing Saints must not be cast out of the Church-State in toto or wholly Beza speaketh as strictly as any of the first Reformers and yet I cannot finde him opposite to our Proposition Bucer requires that children should be dutiful to their Parents that they should be found to pray creberè ultro that they should seem to have a sense and fear of sin that they should hold forth some signs of Regeneration before they are admitted to the Lords Supper all this doth well consist with the rule of admission in the Proposition It is a rule that holdeth forth the highest degree of an incompleat or comparative probability But it is in a rule of absolute probability that must perswade always concerning the sincerity of the greater part of those which are admitted Concerning Imposition of hands IMposition of hands seems not to be warranted in ordination by Imposition of hands upon the Levites 1. Arg. 1. Israel imposed hands on the Levites to signifie that they were to bear their sins their burthens and to make atonement for them Exod. 29. they imposed hands on the head of the Sacrifices in like maner 2. Aaron and his Sons were to ordain the Levites and not to stand by while the common Members of Israel did use this sacred Rite for Ordination The common Members may not now Ordain their Elders standing by 3. It hath been proved that common Members may not Ordain when they are destitute of Officers or by themselves without Officers 4. The Levites were Ordained by the Priests in all other particulars Numb 8. 5. This was a Jewish Ceremony and why should this all other being abrogated be only reserved 6. Imposition of hands by the Congregation was proper to the Ceremonial offering of the Levites as a Sacrifice to God not to our Moral offering of Ministers in Ordination Calv. Inst 4.3.16 That act of the Congregation did contain something of Election rather then of Ordination 2. Arg. 2. Heb. 6. doth not hold it forth in point of Ordination but is a Fundamental principle of Religion used figuratively for the gift of the holy Ghost which is signified and conferred 1. The Apostles discourse concerned such principles as were necessary to the Institution or Initiation of Converts 2. Doctrine is added to

Jesus Christ who sitteth in the Assembly of the Elders unto the end of the world Mat. 18. The great Synedrion doth signifie Synods and Councels in respect of the successive state of the Church the great Presbytery of the Apostles in respect of the first and extraordinary state of the Church Object The Synagogues and Synedrions in common cities had not compleat power within themselves as congregations in the christian Church Ans 1. Types and similies may not be quadrate in all particulars 2. They had compleat power in respect of parts though not in respect of degrees a divided power though not an independent power The Synagogues had power of Excommunication John 9. they had a compleat power in suo genere in respect of all Ordinances of Iurisdiction Object It is the perfection of a congregation to be independent Ans It is better to be dependent then independent while we are impotent A particular congregation needs the protection of other congregations Independency in point of Iurisdiction upon earth is but Temporal and it hindreth Humility and Love in particular Churches which are perfections eternal It is no perfection to be so independent as to become insolent and impotent Object Councels and Synods may have a preceptive power or a consultative power and yet not power of Iurisdiction Ans Pastors are Rulers as well as Prophets and therefore if there be granted a consultative or Doctrinal power vi officii to Synods and Councels it must be also granted for the same reason that there is a corrective power in Synods and Councels Authority destitute of a corrective power in particular Presbyteries is not adequate to its end Gods Ordinance in Israel both in Church and State invested such as were Governors with corrective power as well as with preceptive power It is most strange to see Supreme Authority such as is the Authority of the whole Church naked in point of corrective power Object This patern of the Iewish Church speaketh for a Classique Presbytery as well as for Synods and Councels Ans 1. The great and standing Presbytery of Jernsalem speaketh directly only for the great Presbytery of Apostles and Elders extaordinary at the first constitution of the christian Church they only were catholike Elders such as were indued with unlimitted power But the frame of policy in Israel put aside that great Sanhedrin or Presbytery of Seventy Elders speaks most effectually for Synods and Councels and it is more evidently natural for a greater part of Members to have power over a lesser in a Democracy and for the greater part of Elders to have power over the lesser in an Aristocracy Classical Presbyteries as they may stand do seem to impeach and diminish the just power of congregational Presbyteries which have allowed them by the Apostolical Ordinance a compleat power in respect of parts of Worship and Jurisdiction a divided power though not an independent power but against a Classical Presbytery modified and qualified by the just rule of Prudence and Scripture I have nothing to oppose Object Excommunication is no more in effect then the Non-communication of Churches Ans Gods Ordinance of Excommunication in particular Churches argueth that the one is more effectual then the other Non-communicatiō is a defensive Excommunication with such as formerly enjoyed communion 2. As a sin against Authority is a greater sin so an evil inflicted by Authority is a greater evil 3. Is it not reasonable that if one Church hath power to Discipline all all should have a more effectual power to Discipline one This must needs be yielded it being presupposed that all Churches are but one universal Church and combination Object A Presbyter is onely a Presbyter over his particular Flock Ans A Presbyter is a Presbyter for lesse ordinary execution and nuitivè over the whole universal Church a Presbyter hath an united power though not a divided power over all Churches One Elder hath not power to act in anothers congregation absolutely because he is but a subordinate Pastor to the Jurisdiction of other congregations in respect of his solitary and divided power An Elder may Preach as a Paster out of his own congregation and yet he must ask leave because he is subordinate to the Jurisdiction of other congregations Elders have not power to act distributivè in all congregations but they have power to act collectivè unitivè and therefore the Elders of two Churches have power to act in and over one Church and one Elder in the name of a Presbytery may act in and over any Church subordinate to that Presbytery though it be not his own proper sphaere In an Aristocracy the greater part of Rulers have a judicial superiority in respect of a lesser part Reformed Churches have generally consented to some fixed form of consociation Genova hath governed by a combination of twenty Parishes is one Presbytery If in this kinde of Government there be a commoderation so that it may not prejudice the speedy current and due power of congregational Presbyteries it is but sutable to the set Synods in ancient time and to the present exigents of the Churches Ve omnia inter so mombra consentiunt quia singula servari totim inter est ita homines singulis parcent quia ad cortum geniti sumus Salve enim esse societas nisi amore custodia partium non potest Seneca Concerning the Power of Magistrates with reference to the Churches of Christ THe acts of Magistracy are not only civil Laws Precepts Punishments Rewards but also spiritual Loves Precepts Prayers Blessings Iustructions Admonitions These spiritual acts do danominate Magistratical power to be spiritual power though not Ecclesiastical Church power is spiritual generically in respect of acts which are spiritualin common but by way of specialty it is spiritual as it is Ecclesiastical Magistratical power is both civil and spiritual yet not Ecclesiastical or civil as it is opposed to Ecclesiastical power not as opposed to Spiritual 5. The next ends of Magistratical acts are Spiritual and acts are distinguished by their ends or immediate objects The Spiritual good of men is both intended and acquired in Magistratical acts as primarily as the Temporal good of men A Magistrate doth Instruct Pray c. to the end he might confer some Spiritual good and the act it self doth as naturally and immediatly produce such an effect as if it were the act of an Ecclesiastical person and such an act is supposed to be the act of a Magistrate as he is a Magistrate not only as he is a Christian And if the Magistrate be prophane and should not intend any Spiritual good as it was said of one that he was bonns Rox but malus homo it is sufficient that the act it self doth 2. The spiritual good of men and the glory of God are primary ends of the coustitution of Magistracy in nature A Throne of Magistracy is crected and ought to be in the intention of men as directly for Religion as