Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	according_a	england_n	word_n	3,495	5	3.6207	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34672	A coppy of a letter of Mr. Cotton of Boston, in New England, sent in answer of certaine objections made against their discipline and orders there, directed to a friend vvith the questions propounded to such as are admitted to the church-fellowship and the covenant it selfe.; Way of the churches of Christ in New-England	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1641 (1641)	Wing C6422; ESTC R11464	3,103	8

A COPPY OF A LETTER of Mr. COTTON of Boston in New ENGLAND sent in answer of certaine Objections made against their Discipline and Orders there directed to a FRIEND VVith the Questions propounded to such as are admitted to the Church-fellowship and the COVENANT it SELFE Printed in the yeare 1641. A COPPY Of a LETTER of Mr. COTTON of Boston in an Answer of certaine Objections made against their Discipline and Orders there directed to a FRIEND With the Questions put to such as are Admitted to the Church Fellowship and the COVENANT it selfe THere have been things as it seemeth reported unto you First that we receive none into our Church-fellowship untill they first disclaime their Churches in England as no Churches but as limbs of the devill now I answer God forbid God forbid It is true one Sheba of ●ukry blew a Trumpet of such a ●●●●tious Separation I meane one Mr. Williams late T●●c●●r of Salem but himselfe and others that followed ●●st●●y in that way who were all excommunicated out of the Church and banished out of the Common-wealth for men in that way and of such a spirit are wont not onely to renounce the Churches of England but ours also because we held communion with them in England in the things which are of God see therefore how unjustly wee are slandered for renouncing communion with you as is mentioned and for it they themselves are punished in our Common wealth censures in our Churches for such Antichristian exorbit●res by this you may see the Objection clearely answered The second Calumny is that our members must professe their repentance for all former communion with the Churches among you Now for the answer wee professe no such things but onely in generall so farre as we have polluted our selves with any corruptions or inventions of men or defiled Gods Ordinances with any corruption of their owne whereby you may gather answer from the second Calumny The third Calumny is that we enter into covenant solemnly never to have communion with the present Churches of England whereas in truth we never have such words or meaning in any part of our Covenant but that we professe to walke in all the Ordinances of the Lord according to his will revealed in his Word Of the fourth report you mention there is some ground for it our practise power indeed is given among us to the people to chuse their Ministers so likewise to receive any member unto the Church fellowship and to joyne in the excommunication of such as grow scandalous which yet is very rare Among us through the goodnesse of God scarce two or three have beene excommunicated out of our Churches which is more for rejecting communion with the Churches than for any other crime It is true also that we allow any members of the Church to complaine of an offence given him by any brother if a private way of Admonition according to the rule have not reformed him Matth. 18. 17. but that hath fallen out very seldome since I came hither for ought I have heard either in our owne or other Churches they much wrong both you and us who told you that Master Wilson was suspended from his Ministry for his Journey into England or for any Communion he had with the Churches there nor to my remembrance did any of the Brethren question him about it till of himselfe he began to give some account of his journey to the Church and then indeede two or three grave and godly men desired him to cleare a passage or two first how he could leave the whole Congregation above twelve moneths together without their consent and how he could leave his wife as I remember without her consent to both which he gave a satisfactory answer and was not at all suspended by the Church but of himselfe he forbare one day or at the least halfe a day till hee had declared both the particulars that which you adde of grace and gifts of Christ or of his presence in the Ministry of his servants among you we willingly thankefully acknowledge and do professe that the hope which most of us have obtained of the common salvation wee received from the preaching of Gods faithfull Ministers among you wee cannot we dare not deny to Blesse the Wombe which bare us and the Paps which gave us sucke and long may these Lights shine among you with all peace purity and power Amen What you speake of Separatists and Brownists wee generally here doe consent with you that the bitternesse of Separation whereby men doe not onely cut themselves from the inventions of men but also from the Ordinances of God and fellowship of his servants for who so have done they never were blessed with peace As for those scruples you pray me to weigh without prejudice we here doe consent with you therein only there is a passage or two which I crave leave to explaine my self in first that you say our Pastor M. Wilson affirmes among you that wee did not follow Calvins platforme as an Episcopall he saith he doth not remember any such word to have fallen from him onely thus much he confesseth as we doe all here that wee doe not transact all things so reservedly in a consistory but though wee bee prebestary doe prepare all things for the Church yet wee transact no publique act but in their presence and with their consents unlesse any of their brethren can give a reason from the Scripture to the contrary or some better intelligence of his owne which latter sometimes falls out secondly what you speake of prophesying I neede not say much of it it is very warily used here unlesse it be in absence and weakenesse of Ministers and for any abuse herein allow it not but dislike it as you doe Now you have shewed so much for to inquire the truth of these matters I pray you informe others also what answer you have received which will be a further testimony of your love pray for us as we doe for you so taking leave I rest Your unworthy weake Brother in Christ IOHN COTTON Questions put to such as are admitted to the Church-Fellowship HOw it pleased God to worke in them to bring them home to Christ whether the law have convinced them of sinne how the Lord hath wonne them to deny themselves and their owne righteousnesse and to rely on the righteousnesse of Christ then they make a briefe confession or else an answer to a few questions about the maine fundamentall points of Religion that it may appeare indeed whether they be competently endued with the knowledge of the truth and sound in the faith and about the Godhead the Trinity the worke our first estate of innocency the fall our redemption Christ his Natures his Offices Faith the Sacraments the Church the Resurrection the last judgement such as every Christian man is bound to learne and give account of we refuse none for weakenesse either knowledge or grace if the whole be in them and that any of the Church can give testimony of their Christian and sincere affections and then the Church consenting to their admission one of the Elders propounded to the party the covenant that hee must enter into with God and the Church whereunto the party expresly covenants then is reciprocally received the Churches covenant backe againe by the voyce of the elder This is all the secret we have among us neither have we any more secret carriage than this which no godly man that ever came over to us have ever disliked you come not more willingly to have communion with us then we receive you upon no harder termes then have been declared The COVENANT it selfe SInce it hath pleased God to move you brethren to hold forth the right hand of fellowship It is your part and that which I am to require of you in the name of the Lord and of his Church before you can be admitted there unto whether you be willing to enter a holy Covenant with God and with them and by the grace and helpe of Christ be willing to deny your selfe and all your former polutions and corruptions wherein in any sort you have walked and so to give up your selfe to the Lord Iesus making him your onely priest and attonement your onely profit your onely guide and King and Lawgiver and to walke before him in all professed subjections unto all his holy Ordinance according to the rule of the Gospell and to walke together with his Church and the members thereof in brotherly love and mutuall edification and succor according to God then doe I also promise unto you in the name of this Church that by the helpe of Christ we likewise will walke towards you in all brotherly love and holy watchfulnesse to the mutuall building up one of another in the fellowship of the Lord Iesus Amen Amen FINIS