Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	call_v	church_n	congregation_n	1,735	5	9.2238	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41779	A friendly epistle to the bishops and ministers of the Church of England for plain truth and sound peace between the pious Protestants of the Church of England and those of the baptised believers written with the advice of divers pastors and brethren of the baptised congregations, by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1680 (1680)	Wing G1534; ESTC R10561	15,630	42

which Faith only can proceed that Confession with the Mouth which is to Salvation That therefore it may be firmly agreed that humane force or violence is not the means ordain'd of God to propagate the Church of Christ But that preaching the Gospel and walking holily in Charity towards all Men are the true and proper means to encrease the Church according to the Will and Commandment of the everlasting God made known to all Nations in that behalf III. Concerning Regeneration and Baptism 1. That as Conversion or Regeneration is necessary to the Christian-state of every Sinner so it may be joyntly held and professed that the Baptism of Repentance for Remission of Sins is an Ordinance of Christ and necessary to the Admission of all Men to the Priviledges of his Church and that the things required of all that are to be baptized are Repentance whereby they forsake Sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the Promises of God made to them in that Sacrament 2. That as it is granted on all hands that Immersion in Water agrees best with the Word baptize and was the primitive way of baptizing so this Ordinance may therein be restored to its purity according to its primitive Institution And that to this end there may be Baptisterions or fit Places to baptize in appointed for the Solemn Performance of this Ordinance IV. Concerning Infants or Little-Children 1. That all Infants of Christians be solemnly devoted to Christ by Prayer and Blessing and that the Ministers of Christ be assistant in this Work not forbidding them this Blessing Mat. 19. 13 14. 2. That every Minister of Christ residing in any Country-Village be obliged in Consideration of convenient maintenance to teach all the Children in his precincts to read the Holy Scriptures and to instruct them in the Principles of the Christian Religion Heb. 6. 1 2. and that they may be baptized when they shall profess Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ And that the like care be used in Cities and great Towns in such manner as may be most convenient 5. Concerning laying on of Hands 1. That the fourth Principle of Christ's Doctrine called Laying on of Hands be restored 〈◊〉 its due use and purity in the Church namely tha● when any Converts are Baptised then Praye●● with the Laying on of Hands be speedily made t● God for them that they may receive the Promi●● of the Spirit by Faith and that it may retain i● ancient Titles given it by the Holy Ghost viz. Laying on of Hands or a Principle of the Doctrine 〈◊〉 Christ 2. To the end this service of God be not neglecte● that it may be allowed that all faithful Oversee● of particular Congregations may perfor● this Service upon the newly Baptised speciall● in the absence of such a Minister as has a mo●● general charge be he called the Angel or Messenger of the Churches And that care be take● that the Christians who have not known th● Principle of Christ's Doctrine be deliberately instructed concerning it before they be made comformable to it 6. Concerning publick Prayers and the manner 〈◊〉 singing the Praises of God in the Churches An● of the removal of such Ceremonies as 〈◊〉 not to Edification 1. Seeing the Prayers contain'd in holy Scrip●ure and especially the Lords Prayer are suf●icient to direct the Man of God in that duty of Prayer in the Church that therefore the Book of Common Prayer be not imposed and that ●t may be in the liberty of the Minister to pray ●n the Church according to the ability which God hath given him that so the Spirit of Prayer as well as the Order of it may be preser●ed 2. That it be joyntly agreed that singing the Praises of God in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual ●ongs is a holy Ordinance of God and that ●he order and Spirit of that Duty be restored God assisting according to 1 Cor. 14. and other Rules contain'd in the Holy Scripture And that Musical Instruments bowing to the Altar the ●ign of the Cross the Surplice or any other unne●essary Ceremony be prudently removed out of ●he Service of God in all Churches 7. Concerning Church-Discipline 1. That the Exercise of Discipline be restored in 〈◊〉 Churches according to the Scriptures and 〈◊〉 Doctrine of the Church of England fore●●cited in this Epistle 2. To the intent that no Sinner be indulged in ●is Iniquity for Money that it may not be p●r●itted that any Officer concern'd in the Execution of Discipline take any manner of Fees o● the Offenders or any other Person for them And that such Ministers be entrusted with th● Exercise of Discipline as are Men of know Integrity Holiness and self-Denial And th●● holy Discipline be executed in or near the plac● where the Offences are committed accordin● to the Order of the primitive Churches 8. Concerning Ordination and Preaching the Word 1. That the Election and Ordination of Min●sters of what Rank soever be restored wher●in it shall appear to have been neglected in 〈◊〉 most solemn manner that may be accordi●● to the Scriptures And that such Ministe●● among the Baptized Believers as shall be fou●● to have been so elected and ordained be ●●lowed to preach the Gospel to edifie the Pe●ple and to dispense the holy Ordinances 2. That the primitive liberty of prophesyi●● to Edification Exhortation and Comfort be 〈◊〉 stored to the Church i. e. as it shall please 〈◊〉 to give Men the Gift of Teaching Exhorta●●on c. they may be permitted with Prude●● to edifie the People by the modest Exercise●● their Gifts in the Churches 9. Concerning the M●intenance of Christ's Ministers and the Relief of poor Christiant 1. That it be agreed that the Relief of the Poor 〈◊〉 that those who preach the Gospel should 〈◊〉 of the Gospel are God's Ordinances and 〈◊〉 be performed with all Faithfulness by all ●hristians according to their Ability But that 〈◊〉 Methods for performance of them are ●●ythes for the one or Assessment for the other 〈◊〉 only jure humano and that therefore the same ●●wer Magistratical which gave being to these ●ethods may lawfully alter the same to the ●tter when they please 2. And that therefore it be further agreed and ●●clared that the way asfign'd in holy Scripture 〈◊〉 the support of Christ's Ministers and the ●●lief of Poor Christians is by a free Contribu●●on to be constantly upheld in the Churches ●●cording to every ones Ability and the Mo●●y so collected to be entrusted in the Hands 〈◊〉 the Deacons of the Church and by them to 〈◊〉 faithfully distributed as occasion requires ●nd that therefore such as will stand to Christ's ●●lowance and for his Name-sake minister the ●ospel freely to the Gentiles may be still had in ●eputation and sent forth by the Church 〈◊〉 restore Christianity where it is corrupted 〈◊〉 to plant the Gospel where it is not known 10. Concerning Separation 1. It 's here propounded as greatly necessary to a tru● Christian state that some

Your Wisdoms know very well who hath said A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump and that every Plant which the heavenly Father hath not planted must be rooted up and how vain the Worship even of the true God is esteemed by Christ which is taught by the Precepts of Men All which crys aloud that Religion be restored to its primitive Purity that so Men may give unto God the things that are God's and cease to serve him with their own inventions What we shall here propose to these holy Ends is no more than what at present we conceive to be very needful Howbeit we may not prescribe to you but only offer an occasion to your Wisdoms to consider us as Christians not as Enemies For it is evident that those Coercive ways which some encline to and under which we have bin and still are exercised are not like to effect Christian Amity and Unity but rather to make the Breach much wider That then it may please God even the God of Peace to direct your Wisdoms to those wholsome Methods which may be natural to procure and continue a lasting Peace between us in the Truth of the Gospel shall be our Prayer to him for you and in whose fear we humbly make these following Proposals And first I. Concerning the 39 Articles c. As we have already hinted that in our judgment some things in the 39 Articles of the Church do admit of some amendment We shall therefore humbly propose our Doubts in that case that the Fundamentals being secur'd other things may the more easily be reconciled 1. Our first scruple concerns the third Article where it requires Belief that Christ went down into Hell besides his being in the state of the Dead and buried in the Sepulchre Now this Passage is so dubious as that even Mr. Rogers who wrote a Book in defence of the 39 Articles doth confess that the native and undoubted Sence of this Article is not known so that we conceive it ought not to be required as an Article necessary to the Christian Faith 2. In the 8th Article all things contain'd in the three Creeds are required throughly to be believed in some of which is the said clause of Christ's Descension into Hell the meaning whereof is doubtful And some terms in the Creed of Athanasius are so hard to be understood that we think they ought not to be imposed as necessary We humbly conceive the Modesty of Hillary more safe than some os the Zealous Speeches of Athanasius who tells us That whatsoever is used more than the Father Son and Holy Ghost is beyond the compass of Speech the reach of of Sence and the capacity of Understanding And though he had used the Words Three Hypostasis yet he confesses This is to do things unlawful to speak that which ought not to be spoken to attempt things not licensed to put things in peril of the Speech of Men which ought to be kept in the Religiousness of minds And Austin confesses that it ought not to be spoken How the Father Son and Holy Spirit are three A Holy Trinity there is but how it subsisteth God only knoweth And here both the Modesty and Caution of Mr. Calvin also is worth our Consideration who speaking of the Titles or Expressions viz. A Trinity of Persons in the Vnity of the Godhead saith If the Names have not been without cause invented we ought to take heed that in rejecting them we be not justly blamed of proud Presumptuousness I would to God saith he they where buried indeed so that THIS FAITH WERE AGREED OF ALL MEN That the Father Son and Holy Ghost are ONE GOD and yet that the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Ghost the Son but distinct by certain Properties Instit l. 1. c. 1. Sect. 5. 3. The 13th Article would have it believed that no Works done without Faith in Jesus Christ are pleasant to God c. Which we think is doubtful considering how it is said that the Prayers and Alms of Cornelius were come up for a Memorial before God Act. 10. 1 2 3. yet 't is certain he did not then know Jesus Christ 4. The 18th Article seems doubtful where it teacheth that none can be saved who diligently frame their life according to the Light or Law of Nature c. Whereas if God have given them no other Law or Light to walk by we conceive it more safe for us to leave them to the Lord who will not gather where he hath not strewed than thus to censure them 5. The second Paragraph of the 27th Article may well be omited seeing it is granted by learned Protestants that there is no plain Scripture for Infant Baptism Instead of which Paragraph it may safely be inserted that the Infants of Christians should be devoted to God by Prayer and Blessing which may be justified by the Law of Nature and specially by the Words of Christ Mat. 19. 6. 6. The 36 Article not necessary to be imposed as an Article of the Christian Faith seeing that Book of Consecration of Archbishops Bishops ordering of Priests and Deacons is not of Divine Authority and it must needs be more safe to refer the business of Consecrating or ordaining Christ's Ministers of what rank soever to the Rules given in the holy Scripture And hence we do further conceive it is very needful that those severe Sentences of Excommunication contain'd in the Book of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical specially these two contain'd in Can. 5. 9. be recalled For seeing they themselves that composed the 39 Articles were but Men though pious Men and therefore as themselves teach Art 21. might possibly err even in things pertaining to God Therefore as they further say things ordained by them have neither Strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of the Word of God Nor ought the Church to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of Salvation which is either against or besides the Word of God as they also teach Article 20. Thus much of the 39 Articles II. Concerning the visible Church of Christ 1. As it is rightly acknowledged by Christians generally and particularly by the Church of England Article 19. That the Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Men in which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things which of necessity are requisite to the same So it may be as truly observed that none be admitted Members of this Visible Church or Mystical Body of Christ till they give evidence that they are faithful at least by their personal Profession of the Faith of Christ and Willingness to walk in newness of Life according to the Principles or general Rules of the Christian Religion contain'd in the holy Scriptures the Rule of Faith 2. And seeing it is the Work of God through which Man with the Heart believeth unto Righteousness from