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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82010	A persuasive to full communion, with the churches of Christ in all Gospel-ordinances and priviledges Containing an essay for the conviction and reformation of such adult, or grown persons who live in the sinful neglect of baptism and the supper of the Lord. Together with an account of the manner of the transition of church-members from their infant to their adult-state, and regular admission to full communion. Written, for the help of such as need instruction in these spiritual concerns, 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be jews or gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. By the late reverend Mr. George Day, minister of the gospel in London-street in Ratcliff / 1697.	Day, George, d. 1697.	1698 (1698)	Wing D461; ESTC R232085	42,081	116

this Ordinance you have no Reason to despair of Mercy as if this did render your Sin unpardonable but your Duty is to renew your Repentance for it to pray for Pardon of it and Power against it and to stand more strictly on your Guard for Time to come Then you have Scripture ground to hope for Pardon 1 John 2.1 2. Psalm 32.5 6. Jer. 3.22 Read and Consider those Scriptures well 5. Beware that it be not a secret Love to some Sin or other and lothness to part with it that keeps you from this Ordinance what ever else may be pretended Be very Jealous of your own Heart for the Heart of Man is deceitful above all Things Examine your selves therefore very strictly least this should lye at the bottom but if you find you are indeed willing to part with every Sin and to obey every Command of Christ though you cannot live a sinless Life yet you have no just Cause to fear coming to this Ordinance Obj. 7. But there are so many different Opinions and Sects among Professors of Religion some saying their Church is the True Church and others saying theirs is so that we are at a loss and know not which to Joyn our selves to Ans 1. It is greatly to be lamented that there are such Differences and Divisions in Matters of Religion among us and Woe be to the Causers and Fomenters of them They will never be able to Answer it to our Lord Jesus in the Great Day for they lay a stumbling-block before the Blind as Lev. 19.14 Making them to wander out of the Way and thereby bring themselves under a Curse as Deut. 27.18 It s to be feared that these Differences may hinder some Persons from Joyning themselves with any particular Church in full Communion though this be the Fruit of their Ignorance Weakness or Prejudice These Differences being no just Cause of nor Plea for the neglect of their Duty For though there be such Divisions among us yet it is certain that some of these Societies of Christians at least 〈◊〉 ●●●ue Churches of Christ tho' some may be more Reformed Pure and Sound than others and it s the Duty of every Private Christian to Joyn himself to some Particular Church and where they have Liberty of Choice to those who are justly esteemed by Persons capable to Judge viz. by wise and Judicious Christians the purest and best or such as keep nearest to the Gospel-Rule both in Doctrine Worship and Discipline 2. Consider for Persons to refuse or neglect Joyning with any Church under pretence of fearing least they should not Joyn to a True Church this is to be Guilty of a certain Sin to avoid an uncertain One and therefore no Wise and Good Man would do thus 3. In what soever Society of Christians the essential Marks of a true gospel-Gospel-Church are to be found viz. The Pure Preaching of the Word of God and the due Administration of the Sacraments by a Minister Called Qualified and set a part according to the Rule of the Gospel That Society should be accounted a true gospel-Gospel-Church and will be owned by Christ as such Though it may differ from other Particular Churches in some Circumstantial and lesser Things And Private Christians ought not to refuse Joyning themselves to any such Society seeing Christ hath received them 4. It is evident to every Understanding and Impartial Eye That those of the moderate Episcopal Presbyterian and Congregational Persuasions have the Essence of true Gospel-Churches and own the same Doctrinal Articles of the Christian Faith though they differ in Discipline and Modes of Worship Therefore Private Christians may safely Joyn themselves to either of them according as they are persuaded in their own Minds And supposing you have heard the Ministers of each of these Persuasions where you have found the most spiritual Benefit There it is most advisable for you to Joyn if it may be Obj. 8. But says another I am Poor and Low in the World and have nothing to give toward the Maintenance of a Minister and should I seek to Joyn my Self to a Church they may be ready to think I do it only in hopes of a share in their Charity and Reject me for fear I should be burdensom to them this keeps me off Ans 1. This Objection savours of Pride and Uncharitableness which become not any Christians especially the poorer sort Humility and Charity or Love would teach you to think the best and to esteem others better than your selves and to hope that Ministers and Christians do better understand the Will of Christ and their own Duties than to be guilty of refusing Admission of any Person into their Communion meerly for their Poverty and you ought to think thus of them until you find the contrary 2. Were you sure before-hand that they would refuse you yet it is your Duty to offer your self and seek Admission and then if they unjustly refuse you the Sin will lye at their Doors and you will be Free But their Omission of their Duty will be no good excuse for your neglecting your own Duty 3. No faithful Minister of Christ dares to refuse the poorest Christian because he is Poor provided it appears to him that he hath a Gospel-Right to and fitness for Admission to this Ordinance seeing he could not Answer it to our Lord Jesus Christ who refuseth none that come to Him but inviteth all whether Rich or Poor as Mat. 11.28 and John 6.37 And requires his Ministers to do the same Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.15 16. Mat. 22.9 10. They know that not many Mighty not many Noble are called but that God hath chosen the Poor of this World Rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that Love him as 1 Cor. 1.26 and James 2.5 And whom God hath chosen and called they will not knowingly Refuse 4. You ought rather to be Jealous of your own Heart then Suspicious of others and see that you aim at higher and better Ends in seeking to Joyn your self to any Church of Christ than to obtain some worldly Support as knowing those that followed Christ only for the Loaves were justly blamed by Him John 6.26 If your Ends be Right and Good leave God to take care of your Esteem in the Hearts of other Christians Obj. 9. But say others we hope we may go to Heaven though we never Receive the Lords Supper God forbid that all who Dye without this Ordinance should perish Ans 1. Far be it from me to say or think that none go to Heaven but the Receivers of this Ordinance for I believe the contrary Yea I know that some of those who are Partakers of it will perish for want of a Saving Change upon their Hearts as Luke 13.26 27. I freely grant that neither the Participation of this nor any other Ordinance is absolutely necessary to Salvation seeing God doth nothing by Ordinances but what he can do without them if he please Yet 2.

this Day 't is not so much out of a dislike of or a Malignity against the work it self in many as for want of Ability to perform it and this Impediment can be no ways removed but by the Blessing of God on a diligent use of due Means for the obtaining such an Ability Therefore if you are indeed too Ignorant of the Will of God be ashamed of your Ignorance and Sloth but not ashamed to Learn though Late yet better late then never Secondly Having got a competent Measure of Knowledge your selves begin your Work of Teaching your Children betimes be dropping and instilling some of the plainest easiest and most necessary Truths into them as soon as you find them capable to Learn and to remember Be frequent at it to Impress them the more firmly on their Memories when they can Read put Catechisms into their Hands and require them to Learn them to Read the Holy Scriptures daily Hear Sermons and take Account of them what they Remember and Discourse with them about the Truths heard to help them to a clearer Understanding of them and labour to affect their Hearts with those Truths that chiefly concern them and Charge them especially to commit such to their Memories encouraging the Diligent by your Commendations and Rewards and quickening the Negligent by Reproofs and moderate Corrections Thirdly Be much in Prayer to God both for and with your Children begging a Blessing on your Instructions Pray your selves and teach them to Pray that God would second your endeavours and succeed all the Means used for their Instructions by the Inward and Effectual Teaching of his Holy Spirit to open their Understanding strengthen and sanctifie their Memories Write his Law in their Hearts and put his Truth into their Inward Parts that they may understand spiritual Truths spiritually and be made wise to Salvation Fourthly Set before your Children a good Example of Sobriety Righteousness and Holiness in your own Lives second your Godly Instructions with a Godly Conversation let them see by your own Obedience to the Will of God that you believe the Truths which you teach them and press no other Duties on them than what you make Conscience to perform your selves Then will your Instructions be most like to prove Effectual for your Children are naturally prone to imitate you in their Practice more apt to be led by the Eye then by the Ear and more inclinable to do as you do than as you say or Command Could you be perswaded to follow these plain and necessary Counsels your Children would have the Benefit you would have the Comfort the Church would be Enlarged and God would be Glorified And what should you not be willing to do within your Power for such desirable Ends as these But if any Christian Parents remain yet unperswadable by these Arguments to set about this Duty their sinful neglect will become the more inexcusable and themselves the more unworthy of that Honourable Name by which they are called Blessed be God there are yet some Pious Parents left among us who have a Sense of their Duty and endeavour to bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord and I hope the late unanimous Labours of the Ministers of Christ in and about this City pressing their respective Congregations to the Revival of Family-worship have been signally Blessed for the Increase of the Number of such and that this is one good presage of Gods continuing his Candlestick in the midst of us For Religious Families are the Seed-Plots of Piety and the Nurseries of the Church so that if these flourish which God grant the Church will from them be supplied and enlarged There are also some Adult Persons whom though their Parents wretchedly neglected their Souls in their Minority yet God is pleased to awaken and Inlighten Convince and Convert by the Publick Ministry and so are brought into Christ and joyn themselves for full Communion with the Particular Churches of Christ Though alas the Number of Converts in our Days is small in Comparison with what hath been in former Ages as Gospel-Ministers generally observe to their Grief and this proves us to be upon the decaying Hand And though it be the certain Duty of all Adult Persons that make a serious Profession of Christianity to joyn themselves to some Particular Church in Order to a Participation of all Gospel-Ordinances and Church-Priviledges yet the far greater Number live in the shameful neglect hereof some to thirty forty yea fifty Years of Age and yet never received the Lords-Supper These may properly be call'd Christians at large or loose Professors if not for the Looseness and Immoralities of their Lives yet for sitting so loose from the stricter Rules of Religion and for their backwardness to come wholly under the Yoke of Jesus Christ though it be really a far easier Yoke than that of Sin To such as these I would in the next Place make an Address attempting to Convince them of and dissuade them from their Sin and to instruct them in and persuade them to their Duty For your Conviction I offer you these following Considerations First Consider until you are Joyned to some Particular Church of Christ you come not under the special Care Guidance and Oversight of any Pastor and so lose the Spiritual Benefit of that Relation which may be a greater Dammage to your Souls then you are aware of for in divers Cases you will need their special help by Way of Councel Instruction Support or Comfort to Answer your Doubts Encourage you against your Fears Succour you under Temptations c. The want of a skilful and faithful Soul-friend in such Cases would be greatly Prejudicial to you Secondly Consider until you are thus Joyned you neglect one of the Holy Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ his Supper the last that he Instituted left as a standing Monument of his Matchless Love to his Church in Dying for it and as a means to Perpetuate the Memory thereof in all Future Ages and as another Sign and Seal of the Covenant of Grace An Ordinance wherein he proposeth himself as the spiritual Food of Believers to refresh and satisfie their Souls increase their Grace and nourish them to Life Eternal so that by the neglect of this Ordinance 1. You Contract the guilt of great Sin upon your Souls for it is a direct Disobedience to the express Command of Christ who saith Take Eat c. Drink ye all of it and Do this in Remembrance of me Therefore to neglect it is practically to forget Christ and if you forget him how can you Hope he will remember you 2. You lose the Spiritual Benefit and Comfort of this Ordinance the nourishment and strengthening of your Souls in Grace which you need as well as others and hereby give God just Cause to withhold his Blessing from other Ordinances And is this a loss that you can easily bear Is it much at one with you whether you Profit by the

of which Persons under the Christian Name are guilty in this Age and for which God hath a Controversie with us at this Day The neglect of those Sacred Ordinances of Christ Baptism and the Lord's Supper is one and not the least it being notoriously evident that many of Twenty or Thirty Years Old and some more have never been Baptized and these with Thousands more of Adult or grown Persons live also in the neglect of the Lord's Supper The Cause of which neglect in some is the Ignorance and Error of their Parents who if they were Quaker's wholly reject these Ordinances as useless Ceremonies and Dispute against them or if Anabaptist's neglect to bring their Children to Baptism in their Infancy and many of them being bred up in Ignorance are careless of their own Souls concerns and so Live and Dye without the Participation of these Ordinances Now though I dare not Judge such as to their Eternal State for to their own Master they stand or fall I freely acknowledge the Grace of God is not bound to external Ordinances and God doth nothing by them but what he can do without them if he please yet I know we are bound to the Use of Ordinances when we may have them by the express Command of God because they are his Institutions by which he doth usually work Grace in us And to neglect known Duties yea or to live in Ignorance of Duties under the means of Knowledge are Soul-damning Sins which I earnestly desire all that are thus guilty seriously to consider Upon the Observation of these sinful Omissions I cannot but conclude it to be the unquestionable Duty of all the Ministers of Christ that would be found faithful to him and to the precious Souls of Men not only to observe mourn over and reprove these Sins but to do their utmost also in their proper Stations and Relations for Reformation in this Particular The Sense of this Duty hath been so deeply impressed on my Spirit as to put me upon this well-meant though mean endeavour to contribute something toward this needful and desirable Work I am too Conscious of my own weakness to dictate to my Reverend Brethren acknowledging that I rather need and therefore desire their Light and Help herein yet hope I may without giveing Just Cause of Offence to any take leave to Confess that many of us have been very defective in our Duties herein and in this Confession I cast the first Stone at my Self The Good Lord Pardon us that we have manifested no greater concern of Spirit for the Holy Institutions of our Lord-Redeemer and help us that while we Reprehend our People for their sinful Omissions we may be duly humbled for our own and make it more visible in our Practice that we teach our Selves as well as Others A PERSUASIVE TO FULL Communion OF Baptizing Adult or Grown Persons I Shall then first apply my Self to such Adult or grown Persons who though they go under the Christian Name yet were never Baptized If this Paper comes to the Hands of any such I would propose some Considerations to convince you of your Sin and if the Lord shall bless them bring you to Repentance and then give you some Councels or Directions for a right performance of your Duty In Order to your Conviction be perswaded seriously to consider these seven Things First Consider That Baptism is as much an Ordinance of Christ as Preaching the Gospel is and to continue in use in the Christian Church as long as that as appears by Christ's own Command Mat. 28.18 19. viz. to the End of the World and so it is as much the Duty of all professed Christians to receive the Ordinance of Baptism as to attend on the Ordinance of Preaching For the same Authority that enjoyns the one enjoyns the other Therefore the neglect of it must be sinful And how dare you Live in any known Sin Secondly Consider That it is both the Duty of Christian Parents to bring their Children unto Christ and the Right and Priviledge of such Children to be so brought to receive his Blessing Mark 10.13 14 15 16. And this Seal of the Covenant of Grace under which they are as well as their Parents Gen. 17.7 And so must have a Gospel-right to this Ordinance as have been sufficiently proved by many Judicious Pens to which I must refer you for more Light in this Point if you need it because of my intended Brevity And if so it must be the Sin of your Parents that they brought you not to this Ordinance in your Infancy and by Consequence your Sin and loss to neglect it ever since you came to Years of Discretion and a Capacity to Covenant with God and present your selves to Baptism Thirdly Consider That your Parents sinful neglect of their Duty is no just Plea or Excuse for your neglect of this Ordinance since you came to Years of Understanding for then it became your Duty both to acquaint your selves with the Covenant of Grace and give your own Understanding and Hearty Consent to it and to testifie the same by receiving this Ordinance For Jews or Heathens when instructed in the Christian Religion if they make a serious Profession of Faith in Christ and Obedience to him ought to be Baptized much more may the Adult Children of Christians when they make the like Profession Acts 8.36 c. 4. Consider That it looks as if you were ashamed to own Christ and Christianity that you do not so much as wear the visible Badge of his Disciples and Followers i. e. Baptism For by this Ordinance Christians are distinguished from all the rest of Mankind and whilest you want this mark of Distinction and yet profess Christianity you deserve to be called Heathen-Christians or Christian Heathens owning only the Name of Christs Followers but seeming ashamed of his Livery And if you are indeed ashamed to own Christ or his Ordinances here before Men he will be ashamed to own you before his Father and the Angels hereafter Mat. 8.35 And how sad will their Condition be whom Christ will not own in the great Day Are you not loath to be found amongst such at last Fifthly Consider That though the neglect of Baptism may seem a small fault if any to ignorant and inconsiderate Persons yet it is indeed a great and hainous Sin being down-right disobedience to the Command of Christ and a virtual slighting and practical refusing of the Covenant of Grace of which this is the visible Sign and Seal therefore it must be very provoking in the Eyes of God We find God threatned that Parent who did not Circumcise his Son to cut him off from his People that is either to exclude him from the Church of God and all the Priviledges Promises and Blessings belonging to it or to cut him off by an untimely and violent Death for so the Learned understand that Text Gen. 17.14 Compared with Exod. 31.14 So that Moses himself was like to have