Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	bind_v	church_n	communion_n	1,436	5	9.0889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10620	An animadversion to Mr Richard Clyftons advertisement Who under pretense of answering Chr. Lawnes book, hath published an other mans private letter, with Mr Francis Iohnsons answer therto. Which letter is here justified; the answer therto refuted: and the true causes of the lamentable breach that hath lately fallen out in the English exiled Church at Amsterdam, manifested, by Henry Ainsworth.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1613 (1613)	STC 209; ESTC S118900	140,504	148

once had been onely in consideration and in their second letter as also appeareth they gave us certayn Reasons of their dislike Vnto which reasons of theirs we gave no answer as they both write before their parting And the causes were 1. For that they continued not long togither after they came to our hands 2. We had upon occasion of the motion made for a double practise propounded another course both more fit and warrantable as we thought then that for the bringing of things first to the Elders as appears in our letter Vnto which course though we do not bind our brethren yet may we safely say so farr as we remember that there never came complaynt of sin to the Church since we were officers but we took knowledge of it before eyther by mutual consent on both sides or at least by the party accused with whose christian modesty and wisdom we think it wel sorteth that being condemned by two or three brethrē he should not trouble the Church or hazzard a publique rebuke upon himself without counselling with them who ar set over him and who eyther are or should be best able to advise him Thirdly and which was the cheif cause we were without all hope of doing good when they once misliked the motion which made it Whilest they liked it we had hope though it were with hard measure to the other and so did further it to the utmost of our power but when they layd it down we knew all our labour would be lost in endeavoring their second listing of it Lastly where Mr Iohnson affirmeth that at the first treating of the matter we conceived that those by them dismissed should remayn at Leydē with us notwithstanding their want of meanes of living it may wel be as he sayth though we well remember it not And therin all men may see how we were even overcaryed with a vehement desire of peace with them and amongst themselves and how farr wee were from being partiall towards them with whom we agreed in the things in controversie Yea the truth is we were boldest with thē both because we would prevent all jealousy in the other and preserve in them all the interest we could for the common peace and also because we were wel assured of Mr Ainsworths great moderation upō whom the rest did much depend But howsoever we conceived at the first it is certayn that both they and we conceived otherwise in the agreement And therfore when one amongst them made exception that we should not dismisse thē back which came unto us to live a distinct congregation in the same city with them it was presently answered both by Mr Iohnson and Mr Studley that that concerned not them but that they would leave it unto us though that appeared afterwards to be the onely thing for which they broke off their purpose and promise And here the work of Gods providence is to be observed that they who would have no peace with their brethren abyding in the same city with them are about to leave it themselves and to settle their abode els where Which thing that it might well come to passe in short time they were by us put in mind of before hand if God gave them not agayne to reunite which by a peaceable parting might hav been furthered Which how much better had it been they had admitted of all things considered then thorough extreme streytnes in themselves not to medle with the mayn cause thus to have made their brethren their adversaries and themselves yea and us all a by-word to the whole world Iohn Robinson William Brewster This is the record of our brethren of Leyden touching our troubles Wheras our opposites object unto us that we refused to trie if by writing among our selves we could have come to better accord c. I answer first we had by a twelv moneths dispute tried if we could have come to accord but were further off in the end then at the beginning Secondly things were brought to that pass that the practise of their errours was established the truth in publik doctrines inveighed against the opposers of their errours compared to Korah Dathan and Abiram the Lords supper of a long time not administred among us occasions sought against sundry persons to cast them out of the Church peace by us offred by them refused peace by them selves propounded and confirmed and by them agayn broken open warr proclaymed against us as against men that refused disobeyed and spake evil of the way and truth of God c. was this an estate for us to continew in togither and goe to writing which would prove we knew not how many moneths or yeres work For loe to a letter of mine of 3. pages they have given an answer of 70. and if they continue thus to multiplie what volumes shal we have in the end and when shal vve have an end It is rather to be feared that vve suffred things to depend too long for vvhen the Apostles found Christians liberty to be indangered and bondage to be brought upon them though privily they gave not place by subjection for an howr that the truth of the Gospel might continew with them Gal. 2.4.5 Thirdly it vvas a vvay vvhich they alvvayes mislyked and in our former troubles vvhen heretofore M. Smyth and others having debated their causes in conference proffered vvritings then M. Iohnson himself vvith the rest vvithstood and refused that course But novv that vvhich they blamed in others they commend in themselves so partial are they in al things When they like of a thing it must be good vvhen they mislike it must be evil We vvish they vvould shevv more sinceritie And novv as vve desire the Christian reader not to be offended at the truth because of our infirmities who cannot walk in it as we ought nor to stumble for the troubles and dissentions which Satan rayseth among Gods people so wee desire these our opposite brethren to return into the right way from which they are estrayed and putting away al love of preeminence and of their own aberrations to receiv agayn the love of the truth and of brotherly concord that the name of God be no more evil spoken of by the wicked and that the harts which ar wounded by these dissentions may be healed and refreshed The Lord look upon the afflictions of Sion wipe away her tears forgive her iniquities take away her reproch restore her joy and comfort her according to the dayes that she hath seen evil Amen Finis Faults escaped in the printing Pag. 6. line 11. for that read than pag. 46. two lines before the end for uncirsed read uncircumcised pag. 70. line 23. for wholy read holy pag. 112. line 42. for wod read word * 3. Ioh. 9.10 † C. aper venerabilem Extrav qui sunt sil legit “ Hierarc l. 4. c. 3. l. 2. c. 3. * T. Dorm Proof of certayn articles denyed by M. Iewel fol. 7. * Heb. 10.

beat the path for al licenciousnes For although the scripture sayth he that committeth syn is of the Divil and we know that whosoever is borne of God synneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth him self and that wicked one toucheth him not notwithstāding men may be as prophane as Esau as filthy in life as Sodom as idolatrous and synful as the Aegyptians and Babylonians and yet if they wil but cal thēselves Christians and be outwardly baptised they may be blamed in words and separated from by men but yet justified as Gods true Church they and their seed in his covenant of grace sealed with baptisme which is to remission of synns and what need they care for more Who wil feare his estate or amend his life for the doctrine of such men as pul down with the left hand build up with the right Is not this rather to strengthen the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wickednes by promising him life Moreover this acknowledging al that profess Christ and are baptised to be true Churches having the true baptisme of God wil necessarily draw unto a general communion with al such societies wher men think actually no evil is committed as may fal out oftē in the sermons of Friers Iesuits and other false Prophets for with true visible Churches and members of Christ who may not communicate so it be not in euil And thus Christians may come to that vanity cōfusiō vvhich was among the Hethens of whom an ancient Doctor noteth that though they had infinite and contrary opinions about the Gods and their religion yet al of them kept communion togither in their Temples and sacrifices Wheras Mr. Ioh. referreth us to his first writings in answer to M. Iacob pag. 7. 13. and 47. as having then written somwhat tending this way which now he pleads for the Reader may see by comparing them how farr they differ There touching England he distinguisheth between their Church estate in respect wherof he is perswaded they cannot be judged true Christians and the personal estate of some considered apart from their Church constitution that they may wel be thought in regard of Gods election to be heyrs of salvation and in that respect true Christians so in pag. 13. 47. touching the Church of Rome and some Gods elect in it Although in pag. 146 he is perswaded whosoever lives dyes a Papist and member of that Church of Antichrist in the knowledge profession and maintenance of that religion in the parts therof can not of us be esteemed to live and dye in the estate of salvation Now what is that to his presēt plea for the Church baptisme of Rome but rather the contrary And for us we never disputed with any touching Gods elect which we leave unto himself who onely knovveth those that are his We deny not but ther may be of the elect in al false Churches even as Satan hath his reprobates in the true Churches I hold it presumption for any to limit God by how smal means or mesure of faith and knovvledge he vvil save a man Who dares deny but God had many elect among the Hethens after he had separated Israel from them Yea God expresly sayd vven he made Israel his peculiar people that yet al the earth was his vvhich are the vvords of the covenant generally Wherfore vve leave Gods secret counsels to himself as he vvilleth us and doe consider onely the visible state of Churches by the rules of Gods Lavv and promises Finally in that very book vvhich he mentioneth hovv sharply doth M. Iohns inveigh against his opposers and against M. Hooker that pleaded for the Church of Rome because of some truthes there reteyned saith that what by the Prelats and their Proctours on the one hand and the Pharis●ical dawbing reformists on the other all may justly fear least the end of that Church wil be to look back not onely in part but even wholly to the Romish Egipt and Sodom and to wollow agayn in the same myre from which they would seem al this time to have been washed When the Prelats and Reformists shal see what the same man now writeth himself for that Romish Egypt what wil they say but that even he also is come to dawb with them for company and fear a further fall Of their judgment of the Church of Rome translated out of M. Iunius To countenance their cause the more they set it out with the name and judgment of a learned man now deceassed Against whō themselves wrote heretofore when they would have been loath to stand to his judgment But what wil not men doo for help in time of need The thing borrowed from him is in deed his own judgment rather then proof of argument I shal therfore the more breifly touch it yet not medling with the author who I hope is at rest in the Lord but with these his translators The Church of Rome wherof they treat is properly they say the company which is at Rome as Paul wrote Rom. 1. abusively it is al the Churches on earth cleaving to it and the doctrine constitution therof They treat of the first but would have men by proportion understand the same of the later I answer A Church ther was at Rome in Pauls time beloved of God caled Saints whose faith was published through the whole world A Church or peece rather of a Church ther is at Rome now loathed of God caled Divils whose whordoms abominations are famous through al the earth In deed and truth ther is a great Citie spiritually caled Sodom Aegypt and Babylon Rev. 11.8 16.19 dispersed over the world under the name of a Christian Catholik Church whose cheif place throne is Rome As for the congregation of Saints that was there in Pauls time it is gone long since and the Man of syn with his worshipers come in the place Between these two ther is no just proportion for what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 The Church of Rome considered as a subiect they say hath 2. parts Pastours and the flock of Christ for which Church th'Apostle of old gave thanks to God Rom. 1 8. Neyther doo we deny this subiect to be at Rome evē at this day because we trust ther is God caling persons caled the caling it self yet in her which togither in one giveth being to a Church I answer First I deny that God is there caling as in his Church but the man of syn sitts there as God calling all to worship him and his calling is by the working of Satan and in al deceivablenes of unrighteousnes among them that perish and the persons caled are deluded to beleev lyes 2 Thes. 2.9 10 11. Al these togither give being to Antichrists church but not to Christs And we are sure God caleth out of her such