Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	ordination_n	presbyter_n	9,874	5	10.5221	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65886	A serious account in XXXV evident reasons (to all who desire satisfaction) why the people of the lord, called Quakers, cannot go to worship at those places called churches and chappels, and to inform the magistrates and ministers that such consciencious people (as are separated from these places) ought not to be compelled (from their peaceable meetings) to their worship and churches, so called, being a short discovery of the way, worship, and principles of the true ministers and persecuted people of God, in several exceptions against the practices, worship, and principles of the priests, both of the Presbyterians, and Episcopal-men, and others of the same affinity, in some of which principles the Presbyterians are the rather concerned, but in others of them, both are concerned in the general / by Geo. Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1661 (1661)	Wing W1956; ESTC R20306	27,063	42

A SERIOUS ACCOUNT In XXXV Evident Reasons To all who desire Satisfaction Why the People of the Lord called QUAKERS cannot go to Worship at those places called Churches and Chappels And to inform the Magistrates and Ministers That such Consciencious People as are separated from these places ought not to be compelled from their Peaceable Meetings to their Worship and Churches so called BEING A short DISCOVERY of the Way Worship and Principles of the true Ministers and persecuted People of God in several Exceptions against the Practices Worship and Principles of the Priests both of the Presbyterians and Episcopal-men and others of the same affinity in some of which Principles the Presbyterians are the rather concerned but in others of them both are concerned in the general By Geo. Whitehead London Printed for Robert Wilson at the Sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Wind-mill in Martins Le Grand 1661. THE CONTENTS Of the following REASONS 1. COncerning the true Worship and Meetings which God hath called us to and of what he hath called us from 2. Of the Education of the Priests 3. Of their humane Learning 4. Of Tythes and forced Maintenance 5. Of the Priests Unreasonableness in spoyling mens goods 6. Of their Persecuting and Compelling men 7. Of the manner of their Preaching 8. Of the manner of their Worship 9. Of their Sinning in their best Performances 10. Of the Trade of their Preaching Then the falshood of the Priests and Professors Principles 1. Concerning the Light 2. Their confusion about the Light 3. Of the Offer of Salvation 4. Of the Death of Christ. 5. Of Perfection 6. Of the Priests Exhorting to endeavour after it 7. Of Election and Reprobation 8. Of Original Sin 9. Of the Serpent and the forbidden Fruit. 10. Of Justification and of Sanctification 11. Of the Believer's Faith and its Work 12. Of the Priests meanings upon the Scripture 13. Of the Gospel 14. Of the Foundation and only Rule 15. Of Swearing 16. Of Revelation and Inspiration from Heaven 17. Of Sprinkling Infants 18. Of Bread and Wine which they call the Lords Supper 19. 20. Of the Church and Seal of the Covenant 21. Of Bishops and Presbyters 22. Of the Priests Ordination 23. Of the Common-prayer-Book 24. Of the Priests grosse Ignorance about their Publick Baptism 25. Of the true Church and its Head I. Concerning the true Worship and Meetings which God hath called us to and of what he hath called us from THe LORD GOD of Truth and Righteousness hath gathered us by his mighty Power out of the worlds Ways Worships and Traditions which were never set up by the Power of God and from the Priests and Teachers of the world which are made and set up by the Traditions and Wills of men who preach for filthy lucre and gain which thing was ever abhorred and denyed by all the true Ministers and holy People of the Lord who feared God and hated Covetousness in all Ages as also we are brought by the Power of the Lord God out of the Worlds Temples or Houses which are falsly called Churches and brought into the Worship of God which is in the Spirit and in the Truth Joh. 4. VVhich Worship Christ taught when he foretold the end of that Worship which was at Jerusalem in the Temple which once God commanded to the Jews under the Law which with the outward things that pertained to it and to the Priests and Worshippers in that Temple as outward Musick Instruments Singing Tythes Offerings were all to cease as Figures or Types when a more inward and mysterious Way and Worship in the Spirit was brought in and revealed by Christ to the Saints and Christians of the New Testament who as they grew in the power of God to enjoy the enduring Substance and end of Figures and Shadows they grew out of these outward things that were but as Figures into the knowledge of the glorious Gospel and the Mystery of its Fellowship which outshined and transcended all these shadows under the Law See Heb. 9. chap. 10. which Gospel and Mystery we are come to know and witness to the praise and glory of our God And to this Testimony did the holy Apostles and Ministers of Christ bear large Witness as did the Martyr Stephen when he preached Christ whom the people were to hear in all things and he that would not hear was to be cut off Deut. 18.18 Act. 7.37 and 3.23 and called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears who were in their blind zeal for the outward Temple and so witnessing to Christ the substance and end of the Temple He told them The most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands and for his Testimony he was stoned to death Act. 7.47 48 51. And so we being brought to hear and learn of Christ the Prophet whom the People were to hear in all things lest they were destroyed and being made a spiritual house Church and living Temples in which God dwells and walks according to his Promises 2 Cor. 6.16 who hath brought us out from the Idols Temples false Worships and Teachers we may not uphold nor joyn with that Worship that is upheld in these places which the world calls Churches and Chappels which God never commanded nor set up but the Papists and such as were apostatized from the Life of the Saints into men's Traditions and Inventions neither ought the Magistrate to compel us to these places of Worship against our Consciences but as it is the just duty of the Civil Magistrates to punish evil-doers and to be a praise to them that do well Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2 14. So they ought rather to protect than hinder our peaceable Meetings which are in the Worship into which God hath called us by his Spirit And whether our Meetings be in houses or fields we being brought to meet together in the Name and Power of Christ we meet according to the Example of the People of God and true Christians in the primitive times when they were brought both from the Jews Temple and from the Gentiles Temples and Worships and sometimes met in houses sometimes abroad in the Fields and upon Mountains sometimes by the Sea-side c. as many examples might be mentioned See Matth. 5.1 Joh. 20.19 Act. 10.27 chap. 12.12 and 16.13 and 20.8.20 and 28.30 Heb. 10.25 Mal. 3.16 So would it have been just or righteous to have persecuted these Christians for meeting in houses and to have termed their Meetings Conventicles or to have made any Laws against them for the breaking of their Meetings and for imprisoning them for meeting in houses as many of the People of God have been dealt with for no other cause but for being in their Example and Life And it is as much against our Consciences and the Law of God in us to deny to meet together in the Name of Christ wherein we have long and often met as it was against Peter and John's Consciences to deny to speak in the

subject to Ordinances c. Touch not tast not handle not which are all to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Col. 2. Eph. 2.15 So Christ through suffering made way for a further dispensation of the Mystery of Life than was in the Shadows or Figures and they who were come into this Mystery were come to witness that the Bread which they brake was the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of the Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 and Christ the living Bread is in the Saints 2 Cor. 13.5 and we are come to sup with him and he with us and so are come to his Table and his Supper which Drunkards Covetous Worldlings and Earth-worms who can receive the Priests Sacrament so called cannot eat nor drink at and by the knowledge of the Mystery which is CHRIST WITHIN are we come to see beyond the Shadows and Figures and beyond the Traditions and Inventions of men which the world are doting about And we may not turn back again from the Substance into the Shadows nor into the Traditions of men like the world nor yet eat with them in their Idol-Temples or Popish Mass-houses contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine 1 Cor. 8.10 2 Cor. 6.17 XIX Of the Church ANd the Priests in calling a Steeple-house or Popish-Masse-house a Church do erre contrary to the Scriptures for the Church is the Body of Christ and the Church is in God built up of living stones Eph. 1.22 23. 1 Thess. 1.1 but so are not the Popish Masse-houses which the Priests do falsly call Churches XX. Of the Seal of the Covenant AS also they do erre in counting that they are the Church of Christ from their Infant Baptism which is Popish as imagining themselves thereby to be baptized into the Church and calling that the Seal of the Covenant when as the Saints were baptized by one Spirit into one Body which was the Church and they were sealed with the Spirit of Promise unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 1 Cor. 12.13 XXI Of Bishops and Presbyters ANd all that go under the names of Bishops and Presbyters and Elders who are out of the Spirit that the holy men of God were in who gave forth the Scriptures and are ordained or instituted and set up by the wills of men who are neither truly called ordained nor qualified according to God's Will They have gotten the names but are out of the true nature which the Saints and Elders in the true Church were in for covetous proud lordly men and Persecutors who would lord it over God's Heritage and over men's Consciences and Faith such are out of the life and state of the true Ministers and so are of Antichrist for the true Elders and Bishops were such as were endued with the Power and Gift of God which brought them into the blameless Life and to shew forth a good Example to others and so made them apt to teach others And these Bishops were not given to Wine nor strikers nor greedy of filthy Lucre nor Brawlers nor Covetous nor lifted up with Pride but patient 2 Tim. 3. And the Apostle Peter who was a true Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and a partaker of the Glory that was to be revealed he exhorted the Elders to feed the Flock of God taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock and such were to receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5. and such were instrumental in the hand of God to gain and convert others to the Truth but where we find Ministers of a contrary spirit and in contrary practices though they go under the same names that the other had we cannot own them And therefore these lordly proud envious covetous and persecuting Ministers are to be denyed whether they go under the names of Bishops Elders Pastors or Teachers for it is not the names that make men true Ministers but it is the gift of God which brings into the true nature and life of Righteousness yet we read not in Scripture of arch-Arch-Bishops and Lord Bishops that were set up in the true Church nor of Deans Arch-Deacons Prebends Chapters Curates c. nor that the Ministers of Christ as Peter Paul Timothy Titus or any others of them did wear Surplices in their Worship nor that they kept a company of Singing-Boys or Queristers in the true Church to sing in Surplices in a Popish House or to repeat an invented form one after another but these things were invented and set up in the night of Apostacy when men were degenerated from the Life and Worship of the true Christians and fallen into Antichristianism and Popery XXII Of the Priests Ordination ANd when the Priests could not prove their Education and fitting to their Ministry at Schools and Colledges by natural Learning to be according to the Scriptures and practices of the true Ministers then have they fled to that of 1 Tim. 4.14 to prove their Ordination by the laying on of hands to be right where Paul said to Timothy Neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery or Company of Eldership and this have the Presbyterian Priests brought to prove themselves true Ministers and yet these Priests have told us That immediate Teaching Revelation and Prophesying is ceased and so they have overthrown themselves and shewed themselves to be neither truly called nor ordained neither are they fit to ordain others and the Scriptures they bring for themselves are against them for Timothy and the Elders in the true Church were truly qualified and made Ministers by the Gift of God and the Revelation of Christ in them which Gift was given them by Prophecy and that they were not to neglect so they did not say that Prophesying Revelation and immediate Inspiration were ceased as the Priests do but the true Elders in the laying on of Hands which they did in the Power of God and not in man's will approved of such for the Ministry whom they knew were fitted for the work of it by the Gift of God in them And Peter and John were Elders in the true Church 1 Pet. 5.2 2 Joh. 1. 3 Joh. 1. but they were not brought up at Schools and Colledges to their Ministry neither did they say that Revelation and Prophecying was ceased like the Priests but were Fishermen who through following Christ and his Revelation of Life and Power came to be fishers of men and true Ministers so that such as are out of their Doctrine Life and Spirit as the hireling Priests are who are set up and ordained by the wills of men as corrupt as themselves are neither fit to ordain others nor to minister to others And such as do hate and persecute men for their