Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	unity_n	1,522	5	9.2638	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13014	A forme of wholsome words, or, An introduction to the body of divinity in three sermons on 2 Timothy, I.13 / preached by John Stoughton ...	Stoughton, John, 1593-1639.; Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1640 (1640)	STC 23307.5; STC 23307A_PARTIAL; ESTC S100140	52,852	122

vertues to rule the heart and affections Secondly vertues regulating a mans words and actions Wee must seeke how to governe these in a way of duty and vertue But then againe for our severall conditions I shall name two more which will comprehend all that I desire First vertues to regulate every age and sex the particulars are men and women young and old every sex and age Secondly vertues for the ordering of every state and condition rich or poore learned or unlearned and in proportion to order us in every severall state and condition in affliction and prosperitie And these are the second branch of the first of those specials that are recommended two speciall vertues required in respect of our severall conditions as there were two before in respect of our severall parts But now in regard of our severall states and relations in which men are there be foure more The first two of which are to order us in a more private way The second two to regulate us in a more publique way As wee are single persons living in a solitary life there are morall ethicall vertues which must order our conversation suitable to the rule of dutie And then as we are publique persons in a family these are oeconomicall vertues to order families in the particular relations thereof husband wife parents children masters servants guests and hoasts There be ethicall vertues and oeconomicall vertues for the ordering of a more private way And when we come more publique to bee parts of a greater community there must bee vertues for that Now there may bee a double community which we may live in and in which we should have vertues to carry our selves as we ought to doe in such places There is a community Ecclesiasticall a Church society and body And there is a community Politicall and Civill and there are suitable vertues required to carry our selves as members of these bodies either Ecclesiasticall or Politicall There remaines now only the second branch of things to be done and practised viz. the helpes We have gone through the duties generall and particular I shall in a word recommend in the last place those things that I comprehended under the name of helps to the performance of duty And they are either More generall and publique or More particular and private The more publique helpes are the due and conscientious use of the ordinances of God appointed as First hearing of the word And second receiving of the sacrament And the due observation of times instituted by God and constituted by him First the observation of the Lords day in its continuall course Secondly of Fasts in a Christian way These are the more publique helpes and yet there may be some relation to privatenesse in these But now more privately as a mans face is towards God or As a mans face is towards the world there are helpes for those duties As we must labour to converse with God or as we must converse with men which way soever we turne our faces there may be and are helps for the ordering of our life in both Now the helpe in private in regard of a mans converse with God are First diligent reading and meditation upon the Word of God and divine truths Secondly another part of our communion with God is the continuall exercise of prayer and thanksgiving Then as wee stand in relation towards the world and are conversant in the world there be two other helpes First the conscientious use and improvement of the communion of Saints Second our fidelity and conscientious cariage in our particular vocations where there will be many other things But in all those the maine will be how all these may be done that they may be most usefull in the advancing of a most christian course in the use of the Word and Sacrament and Sabbaths and fastings and reading and meditation and prayer and thanksgiving and the communion of Saints and the conscientiousnesse in a mans vocation I say how wee may doe all these so as they may be most usefull to further us in the way of duty These are the more generall helps There are some more particular according to the particular cases of men I will propound but foure maine cases to which I will reduce all the rest First some things to helpe a man in the ingresse into the way of Religion I am faine to make a word or two for memories sake Secondly in the aggresse Thirdly in the congresse Fourthly in the progresse You shall see more plainly what I meane by and by There be helpes to bring a man that is not yet in a way of godlinesse to come into it Wherein the principall thing will be the due examination of what is the right way and a mans owne estate whether he be in that way or no and that being made cleare we must consider the helps that will put a man on to resolve on the entry into that way and to use the helpes that may set him upon it to enter it which is the ingresse or entrance Secondly in the aggresse or setting upon a Christian course there will come in helpes and directions how to lead a holy life and dye a holy death how to order a mans time and mannage his dayes and houres in Christian and holy courses so that he may both in life and death carry himselfe as becomes a Christian and be in such a state as a Christian may be that is for the aggresse or setting upon the worke Then thirdly in the congresse wherein is to be treated of our spirituall warfare helps to direct us to carry our selves in time of distresse of conscience and in matter of Satans temptations which every Christian more or lesse will have and meet withall Lastly in the progresse helpe for perseverance how to hold out in daily proficiency and perpetuall perseverance to the end These are all the heads whereof There are foure in the porch and frontispice and foure times twelve in the pile and edifice the rest of the building Twelve generals concerning things to bee knowne and beleeved of God and man in generall And twelve concerning God and man in particular according to their particular states And twelve for matters of life duties to be performed And twelve helps that are to be used to help us in the performance of those duties And thus you have the whole building and according to the words of our text an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or a forme of sound and wholsome words FINIS SER. I. Doctrine The Object Generally propounded Words Sound and wholsome Words For the Substance of matter Soundnesse of Vse Soundnesse of manner A form of sound words The matter intirely collected Method aptly digested The speciall circumscription of the Object Divine truths Fundamentall truths The summe of them is Christ The parts are faith and love Summe of all is Christ Parts are Faith apprehensive Love active SERM. II. Act Have them The copy of them Written Printed The originall laid up in the Understanding Memory Affection Keepe them Patronize thē with Best abilities couragiously Authority cautiously Practise them sincerely fruitfully and constantly Propagate them seriously by planting watering Manner as A sacred Depositum A choice treasure The Persons Paul Timothy Every Christian Proofe By Scripture Examples Testimonies Reason Necessity Utility A Band of Verity Vnity Vnanimity Heresie To crontroversies A key of understanding A locke of memory A helpe of use to Profit by others To be profitable to others Application Generall Iustification of observers of this rule Persons whether Paul Timothy or the Church Manner whetherby Publik Creeds Confessions Private writings for Vnlearned in Catechismes Learned in a Body of Divinity Reprehension of Perfidiousnesse Negligence Folly Exhortation to The Church To take care For learners Children Youngmen Fathers Caution Let it be Choyce Close Charitable Changeable Ministers to Expound Expectation Dogmaticall Historicall truths Private Christians Force to duty Fear no difficulty SER. III Premise Generalls Nothing Perfect For matter Or Method But in away Prudentially Any forme is Tolerable though Indifferent this is Different Comprehensive Not pleasant Frontispice Happinesse True Religion True Church Scriptures Edifice Things to be knowne and beleeved Concerning God His nature Unity of essence Trinity of persons Works of God Kindes and species of them Creation Providence Objects of them Reasonable creature Angels Good Bad. Man Immortality of soule Conscience Things fundamentally premised Covenant Seales of them Law Sanctions Things formally considered Principles of human actions Grace of God· Our free will The fruits that grow from these Good workes Sins or evill workes Things particularly to be knowne concerning God and man In regard of the different states of men Substantially different State of innocency Of the fall Circumstantially different State of grace Under the old Testament Under the new Severall acts of God Perfecting our salvation From the state of sin to grace by acts Fundamentall by purpose Predestination Reprobation Redemption By purchase Formall Vocation effectuall Iustification actuall From grace to glory Incoate Sanctification priviledges Gubernation exercises Consummate Resurrection Iudgement Glorification Condemnation Life to be done and practised Duties to be performed by the strength of grace Generall Primary and predominant in duties to God and man Vertues Theologicall Philadelphicall Secondary and concomitant vertues Cardinall Circumstantiall Speciall Regulating our lives in the Parts Heart Affections Words Actions Conditions in respect of Sex Age Estate Condition States and relations More private In a single and solitary life Vertuess Ethicall More publique in a family Oeconomicall In a greater community Ecclesiasticall Politicall Helps to be used in Universall conversation Publique meanes Hearing the word Receiving the Sacrament Times Sabbath Fasting Private towards God Contemplative Reading Meditation Prayer Thanksgiving Towards man Active Communion of Saints Particular vocation Particular condition In the ingresse Examination Resolution Aggresse Holy life Death Congresse Spirituall warfare Progresse Perseverance

is committed to the Church of God than those divine truths that God hath been pleased to reveal and commit unto us they are such as the glory of God depends on them and the salvation of a man depends on them two of the most important things the Church nay that the World hath and therefore we should keep them as we have respect to the glory of God or as we tender our own salvation which is more than our lives I I say Gods glory and our salvation which is much more than our lives is committed to our trust when those Divine truths are deposited with us 4. The Persons that are obliged that is the last thing to be explained whom this injunction concernes Here is but one directly expressed and that is Timothy but yet we may extend it and that with good analogy and upon good ground and reason further as 1. Paul he must have a care of it of keeping of it himself and committing it to the care of others and stirring up and provoking others It concernes Paul they that are highest and most principall in the Church it concernes them principally and originally that they should have a care of them they should be the the first wheels the primum mobile that set all the others on work and have a grand care of keeping this depositum 2. All Timothies all the ministers of Gods Word who are Gods {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} his dispencers his stewards and whom God hath reposed speciall trust in It is committed to their care in an especiall manner and they should looke to it 3. The whole Church of God and every Christian as this is a depositum though committed personally to some yet not meerly for their personall good but for a publique and an universall good Divine truths and the integrity and purity and soundnesse of them is a thing that concernes not only though chiefly the Ministers but it concernes the whole Church of God and all Gods people that they should be preserved without violation without contamination being given for a publique good and the publique good of all and every one in particular depending on it so that it concerns all and every one in their places Thus of the explication 2. The Proofe I shall come now briefly so farre as the point will extend and the thing bee requisite and convenient to demonstrate and prove the truth of it and then to descend to the application as farre as will concerne my present scope First of all premising this that I shall not endeavour no not so much as meddle with the proofe of every particular or presse the confirmation of every particular contained in the explication as being not so requisite but to carry the maine summe of the point We see this to be a cleere and a divine truth that it is the duty of all especially Ministers whom God hath especially intrusted to look to the preservation of the purity of a forme of sound doctrine of sound and wholsome words we may see it I say 1. By Scripture and 2. By ground of reason 1. Out of Scripture besides this place wherein it is punctually and fully expressed and no wonder because the injunction belongs in a more especial manner unto Ministers and there being not in many places this charge committed and particularly directed to them but in this Epistle of Paul to Timothy wherein it is principally set downe but yet it is divers times repeated in Scripture And I shall give some other places which warrant the same thing 1. The Apostles recommend this to us by their owne example I will give but one generall instance in that kinde and one particular The generall instance of the duty is this you shall finde that almost every Epistle of Paul and in some proportion it is observable in all the rest of the Epistles I say almost in every Epistle there is an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. there is a delineating a drawing of a platforme of wholsome words according to the substance that is here mentioned and according to this object faith and love For all matters of religion are matters of faith or matters of love in the practice and exercise of faith and this is commended to us in all the Epistles the former part and the greater part of all the Epistles is to deliver matters of faith to rectifie mens judgements and season them rightly with the knowledge of divine truths necessary to salvation and the latter part of the Epistles is to descend to practicall duties to the fruits of faith in the matters of love which is the compasse of all Christian duty And amongst others that first Epistle of all is to this purpose which was not placed first for order of time because first written nor so much for the order of dignity because the Romanes were the principall people in the world it is not therefore I say placed first of all the Epistles but because it containes this more fully and expresseth a form of sound and wholsome words there doctrines of faith and duties of life that issue and flow from faith as fruits of it are more cleerly distinguished and more fully expressed than in any other although it is in some sort in all Now besides this generall instance I shall give but one particular instance and that is in Hebr. 6.1 Therefore leaving the doctrine of the beginning or principles of the doctrine of Christ let us be led forward to perfection not laying againe the foundation of repentance unto dead workes and of faith towards God There is expressed both what the principles are and what that same forme of sound or wholsome words is the doctrine of Baptisme as in the next verse laying on of hands resurrection from the dead There are some few heads repeated which are as milke for babes the forme of sound words which are at least for beginners in the first beginnings and rudiments of Christianity and those that are the first points in religion The Apostle gives for babes a form of catechising a forme of sound and wholsome words And there is intimated in that place that as there is a shorter and briefer forme of sound and wholsome words for a manuduction or entrance to beginners so there must bee a larger fuller forme and more compleat that did extend farther and comprehend more in the knowledge of Religion and the things that belong to it for those that are come to more perfection and ripenesse of yeares 2. But besides these examples there be divers testimonies which seeme to ayme at the same thing I will mention two or three In Rom. 12.6 the Apostle there begins to direct every one for the discharge of their duties in their severall places in the Church according to the right manner and among the rest the rule that is given for those that are Ministers called there in a generall sense of the