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	society_n	1,435	5	9.0715	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66417	A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and aldermen of the city of London, at the Guild-hall chappel, October 12. 1679 by John Williams ...	Williams, John, 1636?-1709.	1679 (1679)	Wing W2724; ESTC R2997	16,163	36

Edwards Mayor Martis 14. die Octobris 1679. Annoque Regni Regis CAROLI Secundi Angliae c. xxxi THis COURT doth desire Mr. Williams to Print his Sermon Preached at the Guild-Hall Chappel on Sunday last before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of this City Wagstaffe A SERMON Preached before the RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Lord Mayor AND ALDERMEN of the City of LONDON AT THE GUILD-HALL Chappel October 12. 1679. BY JOHN WILLIAMS Rector of St. Mildreds Poultrey London LONDON Printed by M. Clark for R. Chiswel and W. Kettilby at the Rose and Crown and at the Bishops Head in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1679. To the Right Honourable Sir JAMES EDWARDS LORD MAYOR of LONDON And to the Court of ALDERMEN Right Honourable WHat the terms are upon which our Church hath stood with the Church of Rome since the Reformation and how well it hath acquitted it self in the matters disputed betwixt us is very well known to the World But notwithstanding the power of Truth and the success that hath aforetime attended the endeavours of such as have amongst us maintained it we have found by experience that we have of late gained little upon them by all our diligence What Political Reasons there are for it besides becomes not me to enquire but that our Divisions amongst our selves have been a principal one and given our Adversaries both the confidence to set upon us afresh and also an opportunity of so doing with greater security is what no one can be ignorant of This is one evident Cause of our present danger and what we can therefore never hope to avoid without uniting upon some common Principle and Foundation It is this that I have endeavoured to point and make out in the ensuing Discourse with what success I must leave others to judg but which I hope may be the better received as it had your Approbation and hath now your Order and desire to have it made more publick In obedience to which I have ventured it abroad that I may thereby publish how much I am Right Honourable Your humble servant John Williams A SERMON ON EPHES. iv 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love IN the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle doth exhort the Ephesians to the Christian duty of Charity and that he may come upon them with the greater advantage doth make use of several Arguments to inforce it v. 4 5 6. taken from the state they are in and the profession they are of that there is one Body of which they are members one Spirit by which they are quickned one Hope of Eternal Life by which they are excited one Lord whom they profess to obey one Faith and Form of belief that they imbrace one Baptism by which they are initiated into the Church and one God whom they do depend upon and from whom they do receive all Temporal and Spiritual gifts and blessings And whereas it may be thought that the variety of Gifts and Officers in the Church should minister to contention he adds that however they may be abused and the persons in those circumstances may happen to pervert them yet as they were primarily intended by Christ the dispenser and disposer of all for the order the safety and the Edification of the Church so they do make much for it v. 11 12 13 14. For it is from him that the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted c. maketh increase of the body c. In which words there is a comparison implyed betwixt the Natural body and the Christian Church called the body of Christ v. 12. that as the Natural body doth consist of several parts and those parts have a dependence upon the head and are so fitly compacted and united among themselves that there is a distribution of nourishment to all of them according to their measure and capacity So there is in the Church 1. a Supream power in Christ the Head 2. a due subordination of the several parts to the Head 3. a strict relation betwixt these several parts to the Head and to each other 4. a derivation of all necessary supply from the Head and from each communicated to the other according to their measure proportion and relation All that I shall at present take notice of from hence is 1. The firmness of the union that is to be amongst Christians they are joyned and compacted together not only as they are at large members of the Catholick Church called here the whole Body but also as they are more strictly combined according to the places of their residence in particular Societies and Churches having Officers to guide and minister unto them and Laws by which they regulate themselves in such Combinations This I take to be signified in this verse 1 in the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every joynt which I conceive hath respect to the Officers of the Church whether extraordinary as Apostles Prophets and Evangelists or ordinary as Pastors and Teachers v. 11. which the Apostle saith v. 12. were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the perfecting and compacting of the Saints and upon whom the gifts did primarily descend for the edifying of the body of Christ v. 12. These are as Ligaments and Joynts to the body that do move strengthen preserve and secure it 2. It 's further signified in the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every part by which I conceive is to be understood with respect to the limbs of a Natural body the particular Churches which Christians according to their convenience of abode and affairs were cast and distributed into And this I the rather think because I find particular Christians called often in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members of Christ 1 Cor. xii 26 27. But this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 part is never so applied to any particular person and when on other occasions it is made use of it constantly hath a respect to number and multitude as Acts xxiii 6. one part were Jews c. And this may further be presumed from what the Apostle saith Chap. ii 19 20. where after he had spoken of the Catholick Church of which all Christians are fellow-Citizens he proceeds to their particular union as a Christian Church in that place v. 22. In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit 2. Here is the advantage of such an union it maketh increase of the body and is for the preservation of it as ver 14. doth imply that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine c. which was to be prevented by the compacting the Saints together ver 12. From what hath been hitherto said I observe 1. That a constitution or fixed order in the Church doth make much for the increase and safety