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
A89754	Considerations tending to remove the present differences, and to settle vnity, peace, and piety for the present and future. Written from the Sommer Islands by R. Norvvood. And sent over to further the reconciliation of his native country.	Norwood, Richard, 1590?-1675.	1646 (1646)	Wing N1378; Thomason E366_5; ESTC R201257	8,470	12

in Christian States it is otherwise 11. And here by the way we may observe the great Wisdom and Providence of God who is not the Author of dissention and confusion but of peace and order and his Ordinances do not thwart or hinder one another but rather help and perfect one another as in ordaining this Magisterial power of Excommunication to supply the defect of an ordinary cours of Magistracy he doth it so as that it should no ways thwart interfere or hinder it nor give any the least just offence against it or against Magistrates And the like care for peace and order ought Christians always to observe that when there is no necessity of both or that both cannot wel stand together the one namely Excommunication must be laid aside and give place to the ordinary cours of Magistracy But whil'st some would perswade that God hath set up two kinds of Magistracy not subordinate one to the other and so two kinds of Magistrates as Princes and their officers for the one and Clergymen and their officers for the other they have given occasion of infinite troubles and discords in the Church from time to time and this seems to be the principal ground and occasion of the continuance of our present troubles and dangers 12. Besides if this power of Excommunication were necessarily to be continued in its full vigor yet it no where appears to belong to Clergymen For as all Magisterial power ariseth Originally from the multitude or people over which it is set and until Magistrates be set up it remaineth in the people so this power of Excommunication is attributed or given to the multitude or whole congregation under the name of the Church and so it was most apt for those times and occasions for which it was ordained and if it were to be confined into the hands of a few surely then it ought to be confined into the hands of the Magistrates not of the Ministers or Clergy because it is as we have shewed a Magisterial power 13. Thus then I say that when there was no Christian Magistrates nor ordinary Magisterial power was or could be in the Church our Saviour and his Apostles did ordain Excomunication to be instead thereof giving that power to each Church to excomunicate gross and scandalous offenders especially when admonition reproof ebuke private and publick would not reclaim them which might sufficiently for the time supply the want of an ordinary Magisterial power Not intending thereby to abolish the ordinary Magisterial power in government nor to subjugate it to this extraordinary nor to set up two Magisterial powers in the Church for Magistracy or Magisterial power as the Law inclines to bondage the Church is not to be most in bondage of alother societies but rather more free but rather to supply the want of ordinary Magisterial power until it might take place whe whole nations should embrace the Christian faith and submit themselves to be ruled by christian Laws Magistrates and then the ordinary Magisterial power being more generally effectual for peace and unity and the conservation of great societies as whole Kingdoms c. should take ful place Neither then it may be was Excommunication to be wholy abolished but to be exercised with fit limitations upon some special and extraordinary occasions for example sake c. but no ways to the prejudice of the civil government no more then it was in the first institution as we have before observed 14. Yet we deny not that God hath ordained in the world and in his Church especially a twofold rule or power or authority or government and so also two kinds of Rulers or Governors Even as the means of grace is twofold namely Legal and Evangelical and the Legal helps to fit and prepare a man for the Evangelical So in the Church there is a twofold Rule or Government namely Magisterial and Prophetical and the Magisterial helps to fit and prepare a man for the Prophetical I say againe as the nature of man is twofold namely spirituall and corporall or of soul and body or of the outward or inward man So GOD hath ordained in nature but especially in his Church a twofold rule or government suitable to each of those namely Prophetical and Magisterial both jointly serve for regulating and perfecting the whole man but the Prophetical especially for the inner man and the Magisterial for the outer The actions of the inner man as to understand to wil to beleeve c. cannot be wrought by a Magisterial power therefore the Lord hath ordained Instruction for the Understanding but especially in the Church the preaching of the Word to enlighten the understanding to beget faith through the operation of his Spirit and so to work a free conformity or obedience of the whole man from inward principles Again the outward man cannot directly and immediately be wrought upon by the preaching of the Word therefore the Lord hath ordained a Magisterial power which by outward principles as by rewards and punishments may work it at least to an outward conformity or obedience And to one of these all rule and government and all Rulers and Governors are referred namely as they are either Propherical or Magisterial And these do no ways interfere thwart on prejudice the one the other even when they are both extended to the utmost And both these in a Church or Christian Commonwealth are to be exercised for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ in the settling and propagation of true Christian Religion as their principal scope and end 15. So that Ministers are Rulers or Governors in the Church as well as Magistrates yea they seem to have the more excellent Rule and Government as more immediately in a more excellent subject yet their power is not coercive as that of the Magistrates but perswasive Prophetical suitable to the subject upon which they work and so it is the most eminent work that is done amongst the sons of men working from inward principles through the operation of the Spirit of God a free and voluntary subjection and obedience to God The Rule of Magistrates also tends to work subjection and obedience to God but not so immediately nor cannot of it self effect so much 16. Yet it follows not that Ministers are to be preferred in honor before all Magistrates whose power may extend much further namely over a greater number of men then that of the Ministers which extends only to that Congregation over which he is whereas the Magistrates may be over a whole City or a whole Kingdom It is said also God hath given honor to that part which wanted namely more external honor to the Magistracy but if that also be added to the honor of the Ministry it wil soon overtop all other honor among men So that whereas the Apostle saith The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honor especially those that labor in the Word Doctrine It seems to be understood That