Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	commandment_n	day_n	week_n	1,142	5	10.2086	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61104	Chrysomeson, a golden meane, or, A middle way for Christians to walk by wherein all seekers of truth and shakers in the faith may find the true religion independing upon mans invention, and be established therein : intended as a key to Christianity, as a touchstone for a traveller, as a probe for a Protestant, as a sea-mark for a sailor : in a Christian dialogue between Philalethes and his friend Mathetes, seeking satisfaction / by Benjamin Spencer ...; Way to everlasting happinesse	Spencer, Benjamin, b. 1595?	1659 (1659)	Wing S4944; ESTC R13439	363,024	312

which the ungodly have no propriety of estate By which doctrin the people are filled with mad zeale and coveting of rich mens estates and marking them out for destruction by fire and sword God keep his people from becomming their prey Mathe. What are our Antisabbatarians Phila. Such as are against the keeping of any Sabbath whether the Jewish Sabbath or the Christians Lords day Of which opinion was one Hetherington a Box-maker who said not only the Jewes Sabbath day was of no force since Christs time and the Apostles but also taught that every day was a Sabbath as much as the Lords day But he recanted his error at Pauls Crosse God be praised And good reason for though the Jewish Sabbath being but a shadow of Christ be now abolished and we are not to be judged by the keeping of it Col. 2.16 yet the morality of that Commandement is observed in keeping still one day in seven holy to the Lord for delivering us from the bondage of sin by Christs resurrection as the Jewes kept theirs in remembrance of their freedome from the bondage of Egypt Deut. 5.15 And thus the Law by the Christians observing the first day of the week Rom. 3.31 is not made void but established It is true that there is no precept for the changing of it because there was no need for the morall intent of the Law commanded only that one day in seven be kept so that if the Patriarchs before the Law was given by Moses kept a seventh day in respect to the creation and the Jewes kept a seventh in respect of their liberation from Egypt and the Christians keep their seventh day in relation to Christs redemption that Commandement is fulfilled so far as it requireth an holy seventh day And though we have no precept for changing yet we have their practice and examples who had the mind of Christ For the first day of the week called since Christs time the Lords day was first kept at Jerusalem Acts 2.1 upon which the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles Then again at Troas Acts 20.7 in which verse is declared that it was their usuall meeting day And the holy Fathers have alwaies observed it Epist ad Magnes and urged the keeping of it as Ignatius scholler to St Iohn the Apostle his auditor about thirty years the second Bishop of Antioch and a Martyr but 107 years after Christ in the raign of the Emperour Trajan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith let every one that loveth Christ instead of the Sabbath celebrate the Lords day And Basil saith that when all daies prescribed by the Law are abolished yet there remains one great day of the Lord which shall never be abolished Of this opinion for the seventh day Jewish Sabbath and against the celebration of the Lords day Traskilus was one Iohn Trask and Theophilus Brabourn but both recanted their errors for which glory be to God Trask preached against eating of blood and unclean creatures upon mistake of the injunction of the first Councill of the Apostles to the Gentiles Acts 15.2 where blood and things strangled do not relate to such things prepared for meat but to the barbarous or canibal eating of things halfe alive and halfe dead in their blood or eating any thing that was torn from a living creature therefore Paul saith that every creature of God is good Mathe. What are your Soule-sleepers Phila. Those that revive that Sect in the time of Origen Soul-sleepers in the third centurie of years after Christ who held the soule did sleep in the dust with the body after death because God said to Adam Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return not perceiving this was spoken of the body only not of the soule which came not from thence Gen. 2.7 And also because Solomon saith Eccle. 3.10 that man and beast all return to one place yet they might have considered that he saith also the spirit of a beast goeth downward and the spirit of a man goeth upward even to God that gave it Eccles 12. and that the soules of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord Wisd 3. In the sight of the unwise they seem to die but they are in peace Mathe. What are your seekers Phila. Surely people that have so long contended about truth and the Church Seekers that they have quite lost it and therefore they say there is no true Church nor Minister nor Ordinances yet they expect and seek with Loe here it is and then there it is and catch at every thing but hold nothing like one that leaps out of a boat into the water and then catches at every rush and flag to save himself Mathe. What are your Divorcers Phila. Another sprout of the Anabaptists Divorcers who like the Jewes would put away their wives for a small cause under pretence that he finds her not an help meet for him But this is contrary to Christs rule Mat. 5.31 and c. 19.9 that no man should put away his wife but for whoredome lest he cause her to commit adulterie or another man to marry her and so he commit adultery Mathe. Is there any more such weeds in the Churches field Phila. Yes surely for I hear of some that account the Scriptures a thing of nought both the holy books of the Old and New Testament such were put to death under Moses Law Heb. 5.28 But we live in greater times of liberty I may say Libertinisme The Lord hold the reine which Magistrates let too slack lest these unruly creatures hurry both the Church chariot and the horsemen of Israel to destruction Mathe. I pray what are the Shakers Phila. A kind of people that pretend to have the spirit by fits But what spirit it is that casts them into these seeming or swooning extasies I know not but I doubt much whether it be the spirit of God or of Satan or of dissembling I have read of the spirit of Apollo that used such feats upon the bodies of those whom he had possessed namely of shaking and quaking which being past they have spoken some words which have been received for his Oracles So I have read and heard of Nuns pretended to be possessed by evill spirits beyond the seas which the Friers can expell at their pleasure But I never knew nor ever read in any credible author that the spirit of God doth or hath entred the body of men in any such manner but hath enlightned the mind with sober knowledge and sound repentance and comfortable faith and well grounded speeches that are unreprovable and lead them in a life unblameable But these Quakers their speeches are confused and yet perverse and peremptorie Their lives erroneous not knowing or refusing to use the creature of God as lawfully they may I find them people of no sound knowledge yet despising learning and rejecting Gods Ministers and Ordinances by which they may be better instructed They dare not use their

them learned by the gifts of the Holy Ghost which he hath not done these So he imploied Paul the learned and Luke the Physitian So the Lord allowed schools for the Prophets as we do Academies to be as medicines for the rude manners of the people If these men had more learning they would see they wanted more but having none they find none they want But however let them prove they have the spirit without learning the able minister shall prove he hath the spirit by learning as one may shew his faith by his works more evidently then another can shew faith without them Mathe. But why do you advise me to the publike meeting places as Churches rather than to chambers and conventicles surely one is as holy as the other is it not Phila. Yes in respect of any inherent holinesse in them for neither hath any but the Church hath the holinesse of dedication and separation from all other use as the Jewes Temple had till the abomination that maketh desolate was set there i. the Roman souldier And therefore God looketh it should be used with discrimination for holinesse becommeth his house for ever and sure a decent handsomnesse and behaviour doth not mis-become it But I do advise you to Churches the rather then chambers because Christ hath forewarned you of seeking him in the private chambers Mat. 24.26 Mathe. But I see as much disorder in Gods service there as in the chambers both in service and at the Communion by divers gestures Phila. The more pitty for they that pretend to sanctifie Gods name ought to make an holy discrination between those things that are called by his name and other things that are not As Gods word and Gods house and the Lords table I confesse in some things people may be borne withall as not kneeling at praiers when the Church and seats are so full that they cannot do it So at the Communion every Church have thought fit to have one gesture by themselves because people come to the Communion with one faith to feed upon one Christ and in one love and charity So some Churches beyond the seas stand some walk some sit the English Church was wont to kneele Now since our discipline is dissolved all these forrein gestures are crept into our Church and being there is no power to reduce them to their pristine gestures ministers can do no more then to instruct them to be well satisfied in their own minds and to have a charitable opinion of them For it may be they that receive it standing look on it in relation to the Passeover a type thereof which was eaten standing They that take it walking conceive it as a viaticum or a refreshment in their journie towards the land of eternall rest They that take it sitting look upon it as a spirituall banquet set before them to feed upon by faith They that kneel conceive it as a pardon sealed and delivered to them of God and so think good to take it kneeling By this charitable construction one Church or Christian shall not condemn another for a thing indifferent Mathe. But the Sabbath is not a thing indifferent yet some allow none or at least not the Lords day but Saturday the Jewes Sabbath Phila. They that will allow none deny the fourth Commandement which requires a morall Sabbath They that will not have the Lords day understand not the sense of that Commandement which bindeth not all men to the seventh which the Jewes kept but to a seventh For the Jewes themselves seem to me to have the seventh day from the creation altered as well as the beginning of the year at the Passeover of which Moses gives a reason Deut. 5.15 in repetition of the Commandement saying because God delivered thee out of Egypt therefore he commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day Nor do we find a Sabbath day kept till the reigning of Manna but that they marched one day as well as another yet if the day from the creation was altered by a new designation of a day yet the law was not broken which only intended a seventh day rest from six daies labor whensoever God should prescribe or fix the day to begin Neither is the law broken by Christians because the day is altered for the intent of the law is kept which bindeth to keep holy one in seven only the day is altered upon good ground for as the Jewes kept their day in remembrance of Gods delivering them from Pharaoh so the Christians keep one in seven i. the first day of the week in remembrance of Christs deliverance of them by his resurrection from satan sin and death and so hath performed indeed to us what was but typed forth to the Jewes by whose Holy daies and Sabbaths we are not now to be judged Col. 11.16 17. Mathe. But what need we keep a day in remembrance of Christs resurrection if we shall have no benefit by it if some say true that there is neither heaven nor hell Phila. These men shall find their error to their griefe at the resurrection which shall be procured by Christs resurrection who is the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. Concerning hell I have already shewed you That there must be a resurrection there needs no proofe since the wicked must be punished and the just rewarded which commonly falleth out contrary in this world and that many things may be revealed which yet lie hid as well sacred mysteries as mysteries of iniquity Rom. 2.16 And for heaven no doubt it is the place of felicity where Gods elect shall enjoy eternall life whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place for them the happinesse of which place is called by St Paul our house from heaven and the excellency of the inheritance is set down by the name of crowns and kingcomes and an eternall weight of glory of which unbeleevers must look for no part but such as have fought a good fight against corruptions and kept the faith in a pure conscience which God of his mercy give you and I grace to do through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom I commend you and so take leave for this time because important occasion cals me away Mathe. Gods peace be with you Phila. And Gods grace be with you Amen FINIS The Table of the Contents OF mans happiness p. 1 Of mans propagation p. 3 Of Christs humanity p. 9 Of principles leading to felicity p. 12 How man came to wander from it p. 13 That there is a God proved by reason p. 15 How men came to worship false deities p. 16 When came in false gods p. 17 Of Atheisme p. 19 No true God but one p. 20 Christians worship that God ibid. Persons in the Godhead three and no more p. 21 The means to know God p. 25 The Scriptures are Gods Word p. 26 Canonicall books p. 29 The Jewes have not corrupted the Text of the Old Testament p. 30 No contradiction in the Scriptures p.

by those souldiers being witnesses that he rose in spight of all their power and policy So his lying in the grave three daies was to answer to Ionas his type in the whales belly and to make good the prophecie of Hosea 6.2 after two daies he will revive us and the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his sight But you will say he did not lie in the grave three whole daies and nights yet according to the Jewish account he might be said so to do for a day is reckoned by evening and morning Now the former evening and Good Friday on which he was buried made the first day then Friday evening and the Sabbath following made the second day and the Sabbath evening and the next morning of his Resurrection was the third day It may be you may think it strange that Christ would lie in the grave on the Sabbath day but this he did to shew the work of redemption was finished and therefore he rested the seventh day as God was said to do after the six daies work of creation Also to shew that with him was buried the ceremoniall part of the Sabbath namely the seventh day formerly appointed And surely the first Christians so understood it and therefore they kept their holy meeting afterward upon the first day of the week Rev. 1. which St Iohn called the Lords day Now in all this time Christs body corrupted not First because he was without sin which is the cause of corruption and therefore he was preserved by the power of God Psal 16.10 Beside men that die violent deaths are not so apt to corrupt as those that die of diseases by which they are partly corrupted before they are dead otherwise a dead body may possibly be without corruption sixty hours and upwards and Christ was dead not much above forty and so might justly be said not to see corruption By all which he gave us a pledge of an eternall sabbath of rest and that our bodies after death should rise incorruptible And this doctrin of Christs buriall is full of comfort and instruction Of comfort because that now this storm of Gods anger is allaied by our Jonas being cast into this whales belly of the grave which by his body is fanctified for us It teacheth us also to bury our sins with Christ Rom. 6.4 and there let them lie as dead carcasses separated from us for ever and grow loathsome and at last wear out of memory in respect of either by affection or practice and we may live to newnesse of life by vertue of Christs resurrection Mathe. But before I enquire of you the mystery of Christs resurrection I pray resolve me what you think of Christs descending into hell which is an Article of that Creed commonly called the Apostles and in that of Athanasius but not in the Nicene Creed nor in any other that I know Phila. You put a Question of great controversie yet of more then needs if the phrase of hell were rightly understood For in the Old Testament it hath two names given to it namely 1. The congregation of the dead Pro. 21.16 according to which translation it may be understood for the grave and if it be translated word for word with the Hebrew then it may be taken for the depths of water In caetu Riphaim or Gigantum in which the rebell giants of the old world were drowned which Job calleth Sheol infernus or the low place Job 26.7 and so doth David Sheol Psal 16.10 which is translated the grave Afterward about the captivity it is called Tophet or Gehinnom Gebenna which are only words borrowed from that execrable place in the vallie of Hinnom where the Jews burned their children in sacrifice to Moloch i. the devill to expresse hell which they beleeved to be a place of torment This term or word held long among the Jewes and Christ used it as the vulgar expression in his time Mat. 5.22 yet Luke 16.23 he useth another word as it is in the Greek text namely Hades which there signifieth hell for it is said Hades the rich man was in hell in torments But it is taken oftner for the grave and the condition of men deceased as Gen. 42.38 Iob 7.9 Psal ●● ● Pro. 23.14 Acts 2.31 1 Cor. 15.55 and most plainly Rev. 20.13 death and Hades i. the grave shall be cast into the lake of fire Now see how Christ may be said to descend into these for into the grave he had descended and therefore it need not be said again in relation thereunto that he descended into hell If taken for the waters what should he do there 1 Pet. 3.19 except you will suppose that he went to preach to the rebellious spirits that were there imprisoned for their disobedience in the daies of Noah But how he went and when and wherefore how whether in soule or body or both then in what time whether before he rose or afterward and why whether to preach for their conversion or to confirm their damnation would be resolved or whether he went thither to suffer any thing or to triumph surely not to suffer for us for on the crosse all his sufferings were finished nor to triumph for that he did upon his crosse Col. 2.14 15. Beside we are to consider where Hell should be if Christ descended locally thither for we conceive it to be a place ordained for the devill and his angels and wicked men Now if the Devill and his be not yet confined thither what should Christ descend thither for either to confirm damnation or to triumph over them that were not there Now that they are not yet confined to the place appointed is plain because St Paul calleth him the Prince that ruleth in the aire because yet they have great liberty in tempting men Also because the devill besought Christ not to torment him before the time And because both St Peter 2 Pet. 2.4 and St Iude ver 6. say that they are as yet only reserved in chains of darknesse to the judgement of the great day Just Mart. Iren. l. 5. c. 26. Hieron in 6. cap. Ephes Drusius Aug. lib. de civit dei l. 8. c. 22 23. And so held the fathers of the first 400. yeers after Christ St Peter in his second Epistle the second chapter the ninth and seventeenth verses saith so of wicked people Therefore some writers of great account have said that from the earth to the firmament is not a meer empty space but full of spirits which were cast down from the high heavens into these lower parts of the aire as into a prison till the last judgement together with other wicked of their society Now descension cannot properly be applied to the aire but rather ascention Therefore by Christs descending into hell we may as I judge safely understand those inward sorrowes which he suffered in his agony in the garden and on the crosse which pressed him to

31 Confutation of those that reject Scriptures p. 32 Of Scriptures translation p. 33 The judge of Scriptures sense p. 34 How the Scripturesets out God to us p. 35 Of Gods attributes p. 36 How God is to be considered of before the Creation p. 37 Of Angels their degrees p. 38 46 Their fall and sin p. 47 Of Gods operations in himselfe and to us-ward p. 39 Of predestination p. 40 Of Gods externall works p. 45 The world not eternall nor made by it selfe p. 45 46 The place of evill Angels p. 49 What use of the stars p. 53 Why Christians retain the names of Planets on their week daies as did the heathen p. 54 Of the Creation of man p. 55 Of the souls immortality p. 59 Of mans fall p. 61 How the hope of felicity was given and continued to man p. 63 Of the types of Christ p. 64 Of their analogy with the New Testament p. 65 Of the promises and prophecies of Christs Nativity Death Resurrection and Ascension p. 84 Of the departure of the Scepter from Judah p. 85 The necessity of Christs birth by a Virgin p. 86 Of the spirituall relations that Christs Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension hath to us p. 89 How Christs conception is applied to the Holy Ghost ibid. The effects of that conception upon us p. 90 Of the blessed Virgins conception of Christ p. 92 The spirituall effects of Christs birth upon us p. 95 No sin cleaving to Christs conception p. 93 How Christ suffered being God and man p. 96 How could he being just be put justly to death for the unjust p. 98 Of Christs carriage before Pilate and Herod p. 101 The meaning and end of his sufferings p. 103 The testimony of his Godhead in his sufferings p. 106 The necessity of his death p. 107 Whether Christ died in his nature or his person ibid. How Christ was slain from the beginning of the world and yet toward the end p. 108 The mystery of his bones not broken and his side pierced p. 108 Of his burial p. 109 Of his descending into hell p. 111 The honor he got by his resurrection p. 112 Of reverence due to his name p. 113 The benefits ue have by his resurrection p. 114 By his ascension p. 115 By his session in heaven ibid. And by his comming to judgement p. 116 The necessity of the last judgement and of that day p. 117 Of the signs of it p. 118 Of the trial of men then p. 119 The second part beginning next to 119. but figured by 115. Why the Jewes beleeved not in Christ p. 115 Their punishment p. 116 The transferring of the Gospell to the Gentiles p. 117 Association of Christians p. 119 Their first meeting places of Christians for worship p. 120 Their first Churches p. 121 Their persecutions by the Jewes and some others p. 123 Their persecutions by some Emperors p. 123 Persecutions by Hereticks and some others p. 131 Persecution from the Western Church p. 133 Of the growth of Popedome ibid. Popish succession p. 134 How came in the Protestant Religion p. 145 Of heresie and Hereticks before Corstantine p. 128 Persecutions by Arrians p. 131 And by Eutychians p. 132 A view of ancient heresies and modern p. 146 By whom Protestant doctrines were held before Luther p. 148 How the Protestant Religion came into England p. 156 How the Pope got authority in England p. 157 How Christian Religion was first corrupted in England p. 159 How reformation in Religion went on after H. 8 p. 160 How it thrived in England and in forreign parts p. 161 How the English Church was troubled after reformation p. 169 Of the old and new Anabap. p. 171 Baptisme of Infants p. 178 Rebaptization p. 180 Of Litourgie p. 181 Calvins Church government p. 183 Parity of Clergy and Laity p. 185 Of oaths ibid. Sects troubling the Protestant Church p. 187 Gods punishments on divers Sectaries p. 207 Of Bishops and Presbyters p. 208 Forms of governing in all ages by superiours p. 212 Bishops accounted superiour and Presbyters second p. 221 Of election of Pastours p. 225 Government of Churches by Bishops p. 228 How Bishops derived from Rome or otherwise p. 229 Why some are enemies to Bishops p. 230 Of Litourgies and Ceremonies p. 231 Of requisites in a setled Church p. 239 Of the Holy Ghost and his operations on Church people p. 240 Of the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 242 Of the Church p. 244 Of Abrahams faith p. 250 The marks of a true Christian p. 252 Advancement of sanctification p. 256 Of repentance p. 257 Of the Catholike Church p. 261 Of the Church militant p. 264 Of the Churches head p. 265 Of Antichrist p. 267 Why St Paul so covertly describeth the Antichrist p. 272 Whether hereticks and schismaticks be of the body of the Church militant p. 273 Of the Churches visibility p. 275 Of the notes of a true visible Church p. 276 What Church hath those notes p. 278 The good of a nationall Councill p. 279 Of the Communion of Saints ibid. The reason of two Sacraments p. 280 That parents may with confidence bring children to baptisme p. 280 That men may receive the Lords Supper with a mixed assembly p. 281 Of a fit Communicant p. 282 How Christ is to be remembred in the Sacrament p. 285 What congregation is best to associate ones selfe withall and what Church is the safest p. 286 Of the holiness of the Church or place of Gods worship p. 287 Of the Lords day p. 288 FINIS