Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	ordination_n	3,731	5	10.1296	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95973	The impostures of seducing teachers discovered; in a sermon before the Right Honorable the Lord Major and court of Aldermen of the city of London, at their anniversary meeting on Tuesday in Easter weeke, April 23, 1644. at Christ-Church. By Richard Vines, minister of Gods word at Weddington in the county of Warwick, and a member of the Assembly of Divines. Imprimatur, Charles Herle.	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.	1644 (1644)	Wing V557; Thomason E48_2; ESTC R11333	24,964	44

sense of Scripture because it makes most against the Calvinists and there are who falling upon some novell opinion doe honestate it with the name of a new light and conceive themselves the greatest illuminates as having two eyes and all the world besides but one I deny it not but that every man in his Regeneration hath a new light which is a part of the new creature for the new creation begins in a fiat lux Nor doe I deny but that in the Church there may be a clearer and further demonstration of and insight into many things in the Scriptures which have lien in the bottome of the pit and may be brought neerer day than aforetime for the neerer to the end the more glory and light as it s said Dan. 12. 4. Shut up the words and seale the book even to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased But this light though new to us yet it is not new to the word to the Sun light is not new though it be to the Moon as the Apostle cals strange doctrines Heb. 13. 9. not such as are new to us but such as are forreine to the word so we call that strange light rather then new which the word of God ownes not as the off-spring thereof and therefore I exhort you to consider 1. Whether this light come from the Word or rather doe not shine from a glo-worme in your own fancies Is not this vision of yours extra mittendo by beames going out of your owne eyes to the object doe you not first conceive and then goe forth to seek a father for your child as the Sadduces that first denie the Resurrection and then think that they can make their heresie good out of a case in Moses law Matth. 22. ●4 2. Whether it doe nourish those graces in you in which the Kingdome of God consists or whether doth not this new light starve you doth not this sun-shine put out your fire for whether it be that the intention of the minde upon the vaine theory of opinions doth divert the streame and leaves as I may say practicke godlinesse dry or whether God withdraw his influences from them that lay themselves out in toyes or whatsoever the cause be experience sheweth that after this vertigo takes men in the head many of them decay in the vitals of Religion and turne either Polititians to erect a party or grow very leane in practicke godlinesse and draw loose in their geeres if indeed they become not loose in their lives and wayes 2. This point may give us just occasion to inquire into the reason why we are so tossed to and fro and carried about and crumbled into divisions for who is a stranger in Israel that he should not know these things The heavens are filled with fixed stars without number but the Planets are no more than seven if the proportion was cast up amongst us our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Iude cals them ver 13. doe hold a greater proportion to our fixed starres Is not our Church called to the barre to answer not so much for her purity or chastitie in all Administrations as for her very being and life what children are these that will unmother her before God her husband have divorced and unwifed her that will throw Babylon in her face and then justifie their secession and departure by Flee out of Babylon which will not serve their turne except they can find also a Goe out of Ephesus out of Pergamus out of Sardis out of Laodicea c. Our Sacraments are also called to the barre The Lords Supper under the reason of a mixt Communion by which as I conceive is not meant that unbeleevers or unregenerate persons doe partake rem sacramenti the kernell of this ordinance for in that respect they have no Communion with the faithfull but that the Company of Communicants in the outward seale is mixt of regenerate and unregenerate Saints and hypocrites unto which we say that though the doore ought to be more narrow than to let in dogs and swine yet the presence and profession of intruders doth not evacuate that Communion which the faithfull have with Christ and among themselves for the Master of the great Feast as He observed Matth. 22. 12. doth not say to them that had the wedding garment how came you in hither with such a man but Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment Our Baptisme is said to be a vanity a nullity as being dispensed to infants and that because we want example for it but so we doe for womens receiving the Lords Supper and if the reason and equity of the rule will carry it for women as well as men then also we shall joyne issue in that point and make it good upon that ground for children of beleeving parents as for the parents themselves for are not such See a learned Treatise called The Birth priviledge infants foederati confederates and in the Covenant though they cannot actually restipulate yea surely as well as those which were circumcised The morall Law is questioned whether it be obligatory to and directory of a beleever in Christ for because he hath another bridle of restraint of him from sin and another spurre incentive of him unto obedience therefore he hath not the same rule which is but a confounding of the principle whereby and of the rule according to which a Christian is acted these men are much mistaken in that place whereupon they seeme to ground their opinion Rom. 7. 6. That we should serve in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Where they oppose these two as a rule and principle taking away the rule called say they the oldnesse of the letter by the principle which is the newnesse of the Spirit now there is nothing more cleere then that the Apostle opposes not the rule to the principle of obedience but duo principia or rather duos serviendi modos two manners of serving in the one of which they were bond-men in the other free-men Our Ministery is arraigned also as the Papists because the Ministers of many Reformed Churches have not Imposition of the hands of a Bishop deny their ordination to be legitimate so is ours denied because we had We are between two milstones what Ministers will they find in the Churches of Christ for many hundred yeares if this be good against ordination I cannot conceive but God owned some of them for his witnesses prophesying in sackcloth Rev. 11. 3. And finally to the nullity of these the Church the Sacraments the Morall Law the Ministery is added the Mortality of the soule which if reason cannot confute let a man consult conscience if that cannot Scripture will had it not been a strange mistake in our blessed Saviour to have but in a Parable supposed a rich man after his death in torment and Lazarus in Abrahams bosome if the soule be not

every wind of doctrine which is a sentence as every eye may see carried on in metaphors and figurative expressions only some criticks might haply aske what decorum of speech there is in children tossed to and fro and carried about with winds for had it not been more congruity to have said waves tossed to and fro or cloudes carried about than children but we must not teach the Spirit of God to speake the sence is obvious and proper for the better rendering whereof we may consider 1. By what name unstable people are called children 2. How their instability is expressed Tossed to and fro and carried about 3. What cause there is of it Every wind of doctrine 1. For the first They are children d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are synonymi●s 1 Cor. 14. ●0 with Heb. 5. 13. alibi so called not in respect of age but of knowledge and understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. be not children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in understanding but be men Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect and ripe And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in veteri Testamento Isa 3. 4. Prov. 19. ●5 Ec●l●s 10. ●8 alibi men of knowledge are opposed to children that is ungrounded and unskilfull ones unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe Heb. 5. 13. Such babes the Apostle calls carnall though they be in Christ 1 Cor. 3 1 2 3. and opposeth them to spirirituall that is perfect or ripe of knowledge and judgement and you may see that such men that are shallow and unballast with knowledge are easily carried into envying strife factions one crying up Paul another Apollo ver 4. yea they become the certaine prey of Sectaries and seducers made prize of by them as the e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 8. word signifies Col 2. 8. 2. For the second their instability is expressed in two f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 metaphors tossed to and fro and carried about the former is drawn from a wave of the sea for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a wave and so it denotes an uncertaine man that fluctuates in opinion and is explained to the full Iames 1. 6. a wavering man is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed The latter from a light cloud swimming in the ayre carried about in a circle having no weight in it and may well be expounded by that of Iude ver 12. clouds without water carried about Nor wave nor cloud have any consistence but are alwayes in motion if any wind be stirring you shall in vaine look to find them anon where you see them now 3. For the third The cause of this instability is every wind of doctrine there are winds of persecution that overthrow the house upon the sand and there are winds of doctrine that tosse to and fro these children Scripture mentions chaffe and stubble driven with wind the reed shaken with the wind the wave the cloud tossed and carried by the wind It is because we have no weight in our selves nor solid principles that the wind hath power over us they are light things and moveable that are at the command of every wind when the Apostle saith wind of doctrine he implies that there is no solidity and when he saith every wind he implies that there may be contrariety in those doctrins to one another and yet every one tosses some waves to and fro and carries some cloudes about nay the very same cloud that is now carried one way is anon carried another and what a miserable passe is he at whose Religion consists in some empty opinion and is but thereof tenant at curtesie to the next wind that blowes being carried about with every g Heinsiu● exer●●●● ●●u●● doctrina ●●d●es ●●ta●ilis change or novelty of doctrine There are others that are unstable not for want of principles and knowledge but rather want of a good by as of sincerity for God being carried about too but it is by their Interests and ends whereby they are off and on up and downe as the sent lies and as the game which they hunt doth lead them with these I have not much to doe at this time Having thus opened the words of the first part I shall now sum them up together into this point Doct. Children that is ungrounded people who have no sound bottome of knowledge are apt to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine 1. Children is a word denoting relation or imperfection relation and so ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ Gal. 3. 26. Imperfection so in that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 11. When I was a child I spake as a child c. There are many of this denomination in the Church for as in a Schoole there are divers formes and commonly the most Schollers are in the lower so is it in the Church of God there are abcedaries babes that are to be taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their letters Heb. 5. 13 the first elements of the oracles of God and to be fed with the spoone or as the Apostle calls it milke He did not thinke himselfe too high to feed with milke 1 Cor. 3. 2. Therefore let no Minister be he never so learned scorne to be an Usher under Christ to teach his petties their a. b. c. If the people had not pleaded their rotten charters of age and marriage against Catechisme and the Minister had not thought himselfe too good to teach them their letters and first elements we had not seen so many children carried about with winds of doctrine Pride I feare hath made both ashamed of the duty the one to teach the other to be taught and I would that both were now humble enough to acknowledge the fruit of that neglect Now children are so called by reason of the imperfection of their knowledge either in respect of the measure of it or of their ungroundednesse in it and its lying loose in them without rooting 1. In respect of the measure of knowledge which is low and meane though themselves be stedfast in it and unshaken It is not a swimming but an anchoring and centering knowledge and stakes them down from fluctuancy and tossing and this is by having the savour virtue and sweetnesse of that they know He that hath a little knowledge well tryed by the touchstone of the word and tryed in his own experience to be humbling quickning and comforting he loves the truth and love will establish him in it upon that reason which Peter gave to Christ Joh. 6. 68. Whither should we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life The Apostles while under Christs owne ministery and wing were but very raw in knowledge and thereby we learne that no doctrinall teaching or ministery though of Christ himselfe on earth can make way into the heart of man untill the Spirit come yet so much they found in the words of Christ that