Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	congregation_n	visible_a	1,646	5	9.0789	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85545	A defence of Christian liberty to the Lords table; except in case of excommunication and suspension. Wherein many arguments, queres, suppositions, and objections are answered by plain texts, and consent of scriptures. As also some positions answered by way of a short conference which the author hath had with divers, both in citie and countrey. All which are profitable to inform to truth, and lawfull obedience to authoritie. / By John Graunt, who beareth witnesse to the faith. Published according to order.	Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.	1646 (1646)	Wing G1591; Thomason E330_22; ESTC R200727	25,078	32

anothers being not comitted into his hands presumes of himself and is an intruder but this is not proved to be the case of a beleever that is baptized to communicate in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper therefore the instance fails for your purpose Now to put an end to all further disputes upon these two points that Judas did communicate or pa●ticipate in the Lords Supper with the rest of the Apostles and that the Sacrament is of a teaching use and operation as strengthening and confirming I state both the questions affirmatively and negatively the affirmative of both questions that Judas was present at the institution and distribution of the Lords Supper and that the externall elements are of teaching use is proved plainly by these two Scriptures Luke 22. 4. 21. 1 Cor. 11. 26. But I challenge the whole world to prove the negative that the elements of the Lords Supper do not teach and that Judas was not present at the institution And by the way take notice that no absurdity can possibly be a consequence of truth but erring and mistaking admits of little else For if the ordinance of the Lords Supper have not a teaching and informing quality then it is uselesse to all the unregenerate yea to all the elect before reg●neration which is such an absurdity to affirme that Gods outward and common ordinances are of no use but unprofitable And that God ordained any thing in vain this is so grosse that it crosses all Scriptures for they generally affirm that all that God hath made or ordained shew forth teach his glory Psa. 75. 1. Again if none but the regenerate should communicate of the Supper of the Lord the paucity is such as the Scriptures witnesse that there is but one of a Citie and two of a Tribe yea it will also follow that he that blesseth and distributeth the bread and wine must know the receivers conversion or else he sinnes in communicating it these and an hundred more absurdities will follow that a wise man will blush to think of For if this be so then the same things that shew forth Christ under the Gospel shall not be so usefull to beleevers as the shadowes under the Law And this were to turn the day into night the light into darknesse The last thing I intended now to publish are some few short conferences I have met with in Citie and Countrey and all may be reduced into these two positions The first Position That selected congregations are Churches rightly ordained and truly constituted And that each congregation are free and independent either from other My defence to the first Position In this first Position we must consider foure things First that the gatherers and avouchers of selected congregations are Christians in profession not in authority but under Christian authority and members of Christian congregations in communion in all Gods externall ordinances and in all these respects are those also that they gather to themselves Secondly what is meant by congregations for asmuch as there are three sorts of them that is first authorized congregations secondly selected or covenanted congregations in opposition to authority and thirdly spirituall or voluntary congregation the communion of Saints And the last part of the posi●ion is what is meant by congregationall Independency In the first place therefore we must consider that all select●d congregations in England teachers and people are Christians in profession and already in communion and fellowship in the ordinances of the Gospel being all under Christian Authority And notwithstanding all this they doe take up and assume authority to themselves so to select and congregate as they doe in opposition to anthority to which they are subjected of God And for proofe of this their practise they alledge the example of John the Baptist Mat. 3. 1 2 5. our Saviour Christ Mark 1. 14 15 16. and the Apostles Acts 2. 37 38 41 42. Acts 11. 20 21 22. Now I deny that any of these Scriptures come home to prove the state of your question or warrant your practice For John our Lord and the Apostles taught the doctrine of the Gospel that Jesus was the Christ the Messiah prophesied of to such Jewes as were not beleevers but opposers of it and them And such by their Ministery converted to the faith which faith is beleeved and confessed by such Christians as you select to your selves And secondly the Greeks that were converted Acts 11. 20. were so converted from heathenisme to Christianisme but this is not your case nor practice for you pervert Christians from sound and wholsome doctrines to vain janglings about words that edifie not And from those Assembles assigned by Christian authority to such as are of your own ordaining devising and constituting the matter and form thereof is not to be found in Gods word Now if any of you all could shew me a people that you have gained from among the Jewes and from among the Heathens to the acknowledgement and confession of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and that by your Ministery that they have not onely beleeved the truth but obeyed it in the power of it to the effecting in them repentance and remission of sinnes then I would speak and change my discourse to another sense but in regard you assume that which you are not I will onely testifie unto you that that which you doe is not warrantable by Scripture but it is your own carnall fancy and imagination Now the second thing in the Position is what is meant by Congregation and in the threefold distinction the first is Authorized congregations which are usually called Parishes and that is to say so many Families assigned by authority to make a congregation to communicate in Gods ordinances for the salvation of the people And to that end authority hath ordained a way that their teachers or teacher sh●uld be a man approved of for able gifts that a time or times in the week is appointed that men should dispense with neglect and lay aside their worldly imployments and affairs and meet together in the communion and participution of Gods ordinances to that end have appointed a place for prayer reading and expounding the Scriptures for doctrine exhortation and preaching as also for communion in baptisme and the Lords Supper And are not all these things in themselves good and lawfull And if they be so what ground have you then for dislike and separation Nay have we not ground by the word of God to give thanks for such governors that are in authority over us And are not their Ordinances and Rules such without which wee cannot communicate in the outward ordinances of God Wherefore let us acknowledge their authority and obey their rules But in the next place the selected congregations alledge 2 Cor. 6. 17. and Rev. 18. 4. for their separation and selection for as much as the holy Ghost saith Come out from amongst them meaning corrupt Christian congregations and be yee

A DEFENCE OF Christian Liberty To the LORDS Table Except in case of Excommunication and Suspension Wherein many Arguments Queres Suppositions and Objections are answered by plain Texts and consent of Scriptures As also some Positions answered by way of a short Conference which the Author hath had with divers both in Citie and Countrey All which are profitable to inform to truth and lawfull obedience to Authoritie By John Graunt who beareth witnesse to the Faith Jerem. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of Man is not in himselfe it is not in Man that walketh to direct his steps 1 John 2. 26. These things have I written unto you concerning them which seduce you 2 Tim. 3. 13. But evill men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Published according to Order London Printed for Humphrey Robinson and are to be sold at the three Pigeons in Pauls Church-yard 1646. THE PREFACE TO THE READER OUR Lord once asked a question of his Disciples Are yee able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the Baptisme that I am baptized with In the answer he agrees with his servants that it should be so with them Mat. 20. 22. 23. And as this was the case of James and John so it was Peters and all the faithfuls also and is now and ever was Gods servants case and condition to suffer with him as truly as they shall reigne with him For as the shadow followes the naturall body so afflictions follow the Church the children of Truth his mysticall Body And as there is an universall daily proofe of this truth so in particular at Woolchurch Anno 1645. for a modest and privat testimony of the the Witnesses of sound Doctrine the testifier thereof was testified against with contempt and reproach which for the truths sake he hath patiently born not rendring evill for evill or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that the Lord calls his servants thereunto that they may inherit a blessing And notwithstanding the Parishioners his suffering he being not thereby discouraged went on in discovery of the truth and in opposition of the mistakes so that the questions were brought to publication in a small short Treatise called Christian liberty to the Lords Table against which authorized Tract I have received divers exceptions from severall friends yea friends which doth the more take my affection And the said exceptions under differing notions as below are mentioned All which with my defensive answers to each I again present with open face to the world And in conclusion a briefe recitall of some short Discourses I have had in my journey in the Countries with such as are opposite to the present government And because since the time my small Taper was lighted there hath risen a man of much eminency a burning glory a starre of great shining holding forth with Scripture Learning and Arts the subject and matter of my meditations yet the manner being different and my phrase stile and knowledge like my selfe low and mean I therefore commend my thoughts to such of my own capacity casting my mite into the Lords Treasury and thrusting in my weake and mean Sickle of plain workmanship into the Lords great harvest praying that all that read it with the same affection that I write it may gain the like benefit A Defence of Christian Liberty to the LORDS Table THE first thing I received by way of opposition to my book were six Arguments My first Argument against your Treatise saith my friend called Christian liberty to the Lords Table is this Because the Scripture doth not testifie of any particular man converted by the Sacrament alone Therefore it is a reason to me to beleeve the Sacrament doth not convert My Defence to your first Argument Friend by your first Argument you seem to divide between the Scriptures and the Sacrament in these words By the Sacrament alone which is a mistaking the point in hand For my book is intituled Christian liberty to the Lords Table the Title thereof shewing and preaching the quite contrary for there can bee neither Christians so called nor Sacraments so instituted where there is no Scriptures And that this might have been understood by you consider the Texts of the Old and New Testament alledged for proofe with the place Preacher and hearers instanced at Woolchurch in London Secondly there is no example that the reading the Scriptures doe convert should any man beleeve therefore the Lord doth not many times convert by reading We have no expresse Scripture to testifie that Peter James and John with the rest of the Apostles by name were outwardly baptized shall we therefore not beleeve it We doe not read that the Apostles Evangelists or Disciples of Christ did once or ever use the Lord prayer although he commanded it Luke 11. 2. is it therefore un●awfull to use it And that the Supper of the Lord is a teaching Ordinance as it is a confirming ordinance we shall have many times occasion to cleare in making my defence His second Argument I doe not read in Scripture that the Sacrament was administred to any Christian Assembly till some of that Assembly were begotten to God by the word of truth which makes me beleeve that it was for the Saints sakes onely when it was instituted and administred and so to confirm and not to convert but to commemorate and strengthen My defence to your second Argument I doe not read in all the Scriptures that the participation of the Lords Supper was denied any common beleever for want of speciall faith and not being a spirituall Christian for although God did in a speciall sense institute and ordain all his ordinances for his elects sake for their regeneration and confirmation their spirituall communion with God in Christ yet I affirm that among these faithfull the outward and common Christians did in the Apostles times may now communicate in the outward common things of the word Sacraments for they that gladly received the word were baptized and continued in the Doctrine Sacraments and Prayer Acts 2. 41 42. And as it was thus at Jerusalem so it was at Samaria Acts 8. Corinth Ephesus Colosse and in all the Churches of the Saints And therefore the outward signes of the Sacraments were not ordained for the Saints onely but it is with Christians in our time as it was with Abraham and his seed that is the elect in these words Gen. 17. 7. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed but the outward signes of the covenant belonged to all his seed ingenerall and to the seed of all others that came to acknowledge the truth and beleeve the Scriptures His third Argument Because the right use of the Sacrament is onely and alone with the faithfull they onely have spirituall communion with the Lord in whose remembrance it was instituted My defence to your third Argument In my defence to your

for the Word and Covenant of life is manifested and declared by preaching Tit. 1. 3. Now the way of preaching that was committed to S. Paul was the Scriptures yet he himself proves to the Romans that the same covenant of life and word of grace which he taught by the Scriptures is taught to the Gentiles which have not the Scriptures by the creatures as Rom. 10. 8. compared with v. 18 19 20 21. and Psal. 19. which is confest and acknowledged before in my opposites arguments but because this is beyond the question in hand which is to cleare the teaching use of the Sacraments by Scriptures I will therefore here wave the point of the creatures teaching without the Scriptures and prove it clearly by arguments drawn from the Scriptures that the Lord Supper hath a teaching operation for the strengthening or confirming use no man questions My first Argument Whatsoever doth declare or shew forth Christ to a Christian doth teach Christ But the Supper of the Lord doth declare and shew forth his death from the tree of his ignominy to the throne of his glory Therefore the Supper of the Lord declareth and teacheth Christ so often as it is communicated even untill his second coming And ths Argument I thus prove 1 Cor. 11. 26. For as often saith the Apostle as yee eat this Bread and drink this Cup yee doe show the Lords death till he come Agreeing to which is that of the Prophet when he spake to King Darius I will shew thee the truth said he Did not he therein declare and teach to him the truth So also our Lord signifying and shewing the truth to the Apostle John Revel. 1. 1. what was it but preaching and manifesting the truth to him My second Argument Whatsoever is ordained of Christ to commemorate call to mind or keep in remembrance himselfe or his death that preaches Christ and the benefit of his death But the communicating in the signes of the Lords body and bloud calls him to mind and keeps his death in remembrance to Christians Therefore the celebration of the Lords Supper teacheth or preacheth the benefit of his death And this Argument our Lord himselfe proveth whose testimony is beyond all Luke 22. 19 20. This is my Body which was given for you doe this in remembrance of me This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud which was shed for you I beseech you mark two things in these few words for the proving the Argument that is first that the Lords Supper the participation of the Elements they being set apart by blessing according to our Lords example and the Apostles practice the doing thereof is a remembrance of Christs death And secondly that thereby is made known and taught the Covenant of life and salvation in these words This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud then which nothing can be thought of to prove clearer the teaching use of the Sacrament And that whatsoever calleth to remembrance the truth preacheth the truth is plain and apparent For Peters putting the Saints alwayes in remembrance of the truth thereby preached unto them the truth 2 Pet. 1. 12 13 14 15. Your third Quere Whether the act of Christ in admitting of Judas be exemplary My defence to your third Quere If the Lord did admit of wicked Judas unto the Apostleship and so to the participation of Baptisme the Word Prayer and to the breaking of bread as hereafter shall bee particularly proved then such Ministers that teach that all unregenerate men are to bee kept from the Sacrament assume that to themselves which neither Gods law nor mans law gives them For the exception in the law of God is the case of excommunication the exception in mans ordinance is ignorance and scandall Your fourth Quere Whether there be like reasons of the Sacrament and the Passeover If there be the like reason then it followes not that the Lord did approve of every one that came to the Passeover 2 Chron. 30. they were to prepare themselves before they came My defence to your fourth Quere You both forget your selves to ask me a reason of Gods ordinances for to give a reason of them is peculiar to God alone that made them But this I say that there is the same use and meaning of the Lords Supper as of the Passeover in the common fellowship of all beleevers that is Christ typified and signified by both Christs death shewed forth and called to remembrance by both the beleevers informed to grace and confirmed in grace by both and the spiritual and truly faithful eat Christs flesh and drink his bloud by both they being both sacramentall for that purpose And as under the law they were to put away the leaven out of their houses and prepare and sanctifie themselves so under the Gospel Christians are to examine themselves repent c. For to keep the Feast and holy day the Apostle speaks of 1 Cor. 5. 8. is to keep it with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth as I have briefly declared in my Admonition in Christians liberty to the Lords Table p. 18. Your fifth Quere Whether can a naturall man or a man indued with the common gifts of the Spirit so try examine and judge himselfe as to come worthily as the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 28. doth drive at My defence to your fifth Quere I answer An inward or spirituall Christian as an inward and an outward common Christian as an outward Christian may either of them discerne the Lords body to participate worthily or profitably according to their different gifts received the high way stony and thorny grounds may discern the Lords body and all the elect Christians unregenerate by the visible signes thereof in the Sacrament that therein Christ Jesus is manifested giving himselfe to death for mankind and that he is the bread of life declared and preached first by the words of consecration and prayer with admonitions then made by the Minister And secondly by seeing the wine powred out the resemblance of the shedding his bloud and then seeing the bread broken the resemblance of his death and passion with the consideration of all other circumstances the violence the Grape suffers in the Wine-presse and the cruelty offered to the Corn both in the Mill and in the insufferable hot Oven And as thus the eye affects the heart so doth the sweet comfortable refreshing nourishing delectable relishing taste also which are all evident sensible in-lets to the soule of the mercy and goodnesse of God And because the Christian hath received no other but common gifts it is but information to him to the speciall grace but the good ground the spiri●uall Christian his communion is sustentation and confirmation in grace to eternall life according to his speciall faith and grace received of God he spiritually eats Christs flesh and drinks his bloud and is hereby more and more inoculated and rooted in the true Vine Jesus Christ And in this differing consideration both may

separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you This Scripture you say proves the state of the question on your part for you say the Apostles here speake of the Antichristian church of Rome whose filthy unclean doctrines were such that notwithstanding they were Christians in profession yet Gods people could not communicate with them but they must there was no avoyding it by reason of their abominable canons be defiled with them And therefore you say these texts of Scriptures are a sufficient ground to separate from Christian congregations I answer they are a ground to separate from such Antichristian congregations as the Apostles speak of but I require of you to prove the abomination the unclean thing in the authorized congregations in England and then you say something but till that be proved this Scripture is not for your purpose For the Church of England by the Parliaments of reformation in King Edward the sixt and Queen Elizabeths dayes separated from the fals doctrines and unclean practices of the church of Rome and then made acts lawes and ordinances against the abominable tenets and false devised imagined religion their Priests Sacrifices and back't their decrees with the penalty of death yet notwithstanding in processe of time the Prelaticall clergy brought in many corrupt innovations tending to act again the old uncleannesses under new pretences yet this honorable Parliament hath rooted up and extirpated the Prelaticall Hierarchy root and branch and still sit spending their wits spirits and pains for the reforming of Doctrine and Discipline that all congregations may bee regulated in and by the neerest way agreeable to the word of God Now considering all these things we enjoy under this happy authority that is over us your condition being under this authority and so placed of God take heed therefore nay how will you avoid it but that your resisting this authority you doe therein resist the Ordinance of God and her in walk contrary to Gods word Rom. 13. 1 2. Nay do you not fulfil the Prophesie of the Scriptures in presumption and selfe-willednesse to despise such Governors and speak evill of such digniti●s as the Apostle foretold 2 Pet. 2. 10. How can you possibly cleare your way from the gainsaying of Core Jude v. 11. Nay is there not a plain parallell between him and his companies gainsaying and you and your companies gainsayings Num. 16. Did not they which were under authority usurp authority and in striving against Moses Aaron those that God had set over them did they not strive against the Lord Numb. 26. 9. I will forbeare the consequence the Lord give you grace to repent of your striving resistance and gainsaying and murmure no longer against them in saying they impose will-worship upon your consciences in requiring many things there is not a plain word for if it be not against the word but agreeing with the sense and meaning of the word submit your selves to their rules And if you conceive you know better then the Parliament your way is to petition and not to make resistance The next consideration is the Spirituall or voluntary congregation the communion of Saints The Prophet David calls them the Assembly of Saints the Congr●gation of Saints Psal. 89. 5. 7. The house of Aaron his Saint the house of Israel his chosen one the house of Levi his Priest Psa. 136. and the Apostle the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. the houshold of God Eph. 6. 19. the house and Church of the living God 1 Tim. 3. 15. This church is called The Lords body Col. 1. 18. 24. because it is made living by the life that is in him spirituall by his spirit for they are all begotten and born of the Spirit and that which is born of the spirit is spirit John 3. 6. as that which is born of the flesh is flesh This communion and whole congregation by the Spirit of God are all baptized into one body and have been made all to drink into one spirit 1 Corinth 12. 13. These are all the children of wisdome all sonnes of God and heires of the promises these all by regeneration are as Peter was made living stones and are built of God a spirituall house a chosen generation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. These are the little flock of sheep lambs of Christ to whom the Father hath given the Kingdome who by faith have both the earnest and the abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ having fellowship with God their Father the Son their Saviour the holy Ghost their comforter and with each other in joying and sorrowing comforting and lamenting beleeving and hoping suffering and expecting with a mutuall affection the morning and day of salvation 1 John 1. 3. 7. chap. 3. 2. These are they that fear the Lord that receive him and his and often speak and confer one with another that are alwayes mindful of his covenant in whose heart is his Law These are the Lords Priests with whom he hath made a covenant of life and peace who have alwayes the Lord in their thoughts Mal. 2. and 3. chapters These onely have received an unction from the holy One that teacheth them all things 1 John 2. 20. These according to the command of their Lord give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are Gods Mark 12. 17. they love the Lord with all their heart and their neighbour as themselves they are all spiritual and so is their communion and fellowship and none but such as are spirituall are of this congregation this communion of Saints But a Minister in the North countrey told me the Independent congregations were this communion of Saints which is the last particular in the first Position To whom I answered His expression was very strange to me for I did not find any such name expressing creatures written in the book of life And I am sure all the Saints names are written there Wherefore said I hee that gives that name to any people and those that take that name unto themselves are both alike to be blamed for there is no one nor very many creatures can be said to be Independent but God alone the great creator I am the first and the last saith the Lord and besides mee there is no God Isaiah 44. 6. And thou even thou art Lord alone Nehem 9. 6. There is not a Saint nor congregation of holy ones can say one to another I have no need of thee for they are all members one of another and every one the members of Christ Ephes. 4. 25. chap. 5. 30. 1 Cor. 12. I wonder that so many learned that professe that way and own the name Independent I wonder I say that their learning doth not afford them a more proper terme for as much as under this notion they aim at liberty of conscience Were they not better to expresse themselves under the names of Religious