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	particular_a	unite_v	2,692	5	10.4857	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26951	The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb. 11, 1, formerly preached before His Majesty, and published by his command, with another added for the fuller application : the second is instructions for confirming believers in the Christian faith : the third is directions how to live by faith, or how to exercise it upon all occasions / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1670 (1670)	Wing B1301; ESTC R5103	494,148	660

is called a Duty in relation to God the efficient Law-giver first and it is a Means next in relation to God the end whose work is done and whose will is pleased by it And we must alwaies respect it in both these notions inseparably No Duty is not a Means and no true Means is not a Duty but many seem to man to have the aptitude of a Means which are no duty but a sin because we see not all things and therefore are apt to think that fit which is pernicious 37. Therefore nothing must be thought a true Means to any good end which God forbiddeth For God knoweth better than we 38. But we must see that the negative or prohibition be universal or indeed extendeth to our particular case and then and not else you may say that negatives bind to all times 39. Nothing which is certainly destructive to the end and contrary to the nature of a Means is to be taken for a Duty For it is certain that Gods Commands are for edification and not for destruction for good and not for evil 40. Yet that may tend to present inferiour hurt which ultimately tendeth to the greatest good Therefore it is not some present or inferiour incommodity that must cause us to reject such a means of greater future good 41. Whatsoever we are certain God commandeth we may be certain is a proper Means though we see not the aptitude or may think it to be destructive because God knoweth better than we But then we must indeed be sure that it is commanded hic nunc in this case and place and time and circumstances 42. It is one of the most needful things to our innocency to have Christian wisdom to compare the various accidents of those duties and sins which are such by accident and to judge which accidents do preponderate For indeed the actions are very few which are absolutely and simply duties or sins in themselves considered without those accidents which qualifie them to be such Accidental duties and sins are the most numerous by far And in many cases the difficulty of comparing the various accidents and contrary motives is not small 43. Therefore it is that as in Physick and Law Cases c. the common people have greatest need of the advice of skilful Artists to help them to judge of particular Cases taking in all the circumstances which their narrow understandings cannot comprehend which is more of the use of Physicians and Lawyers than to read a publick Lecture of Physick or of Law so the Office of the Church-Guides or Bishops is of so great necessity to the people in every particular Church And that not only for publick Preaching but also to be at hand to help the people who have recourse unto them in all such cases to know in particular what is duty and what is sin 44. And therefore it is besides other reasons that the Office of the Bishops or Pastors of the Churches must in all the proper parts of it be done only by themselves or men in that Office and not per alios by men of another Office And therefore it is that bare titles or authority will not serve the turn without proportionable or necessary abilities or gifts because the work is done by personal fitness and cases and difficulties can no more be resolved nor safe counsel given for the soul in matters of Morality by men unable than for the body or estate in points of Physick or of Law As the Lord Verulam in his Considerations of Ecclesiastical Government hath well observed 45. In such cases where duty or sin must be judged of by compared accidents the nature of a Means or the interest of the End is the principal thing to be considered And that which will evidently do more harm than good is not to be judged a duty in those circumstances but a sin as if the question were whether Preaching be at this time in this place to this number to these individuals a duty If it appear to true Christian prudence that it would be like to do more hurt than good it is a sin at that time and not a duty and yet Preaching in due season as great a duty still So if the question were whether secret prayer be at this hour or day a duty If true reason tell you that it is like to hinder either family-prayer or any other greater good it is not at that time a duty Or if the question be whether reproof or personal exhortation of a sinner be now a duty If true reason tell me that it is like to do more harm than good it is not a duty then but accidentally a sin For we must not cast pearls before Swine nor give that which is holy unto Dogs lest they tread it under foot or turn again and all to rend us And there is a time when Preachers that are persecuted in one City must fly to another and when they must shake off the dust of their feet for a witness against the disobedient and turn away from them The imprudent people can easily discern this when it is their own case but not when it is the Preachers case so powerful is self-love and partiality Mat. 7.6 7. Mat. 10.14 23.34 10.23 The reason of all this is 1. Because God appointeth all Means for the End 2. And because the Law by which in such cases we must be ruled is only general as Let all things be done to edification as if he should say Fit all your actions which I have not given you a particular peremptory Law for to that good which is their proper end 1 Cor. 14.5 12.3 26.17 2 Cor. 10.8 12.19 13.10 1 Cor. 10.23 Ephes 4.12 16 29. 1 Tim. 1.4 Rom. 15.2 1 Cor. 12.7 46. Publick Duties ordinarily must be preferred before private And that which is for the good of many before that which is for the good of one only 47. Yet when the private necessity is more pressing and the publick may be omitted at that time with less detriment the case doth alter As also when that one that we do good to is more worth than the many in order to the honour of God or the more publick good of the whole society or when it is one that by special precept we are obliged to prefer in our beneficence 48. Civil Power is to be obeyed before Ecclesiastical in things belonging to the Office of the Magistrate and Ecclesiastical before the Civil in things proper to the Ecclesiastical Gvoernours only And Family Power before both in things proper to their cognizance only But what it is that is proper to each power I shall tell them when I think they are willing to know and it will do more good than harm to tell it them 49. The supreme Magistrate is ever to be obeyed before his Inferiours because they have no power but from him and therefore have none against him unless he so give it them 50. No Humane Authority

these things and to expound all these Solemnities Laws and Ceremonies to them so that the frame of Church and State and Families was a preservative hereof 5. But to pass by all the rest in the Old Testament the Incarnation of Christ was such a work of Omnipotent Love as ca●not by us be comprehended That God should be united to humanity in person that humanity should thus be advanced into union with the Deity and Man be set above the Angels that a Virgin should conceive that men from the East should be led thither to worship an Infant by the conduct of a Star which Caesarius thinketh was one of those Angels or Spirits which are called a flame of fire Psal 104.4 That Angels from Heaven should declare his nativity to the Shepherds and celebrate it with their praises that John Baptist should be so called to be his forerunner and Elizabeth Zachary Simeon and Anna should so prophesie of him That the Spirit should be seen descending on him at his Baptism and the voice be heard from Heaven which owned him that he should fast forty daies and nights and that he should be transfigured before his three Disciples on the Mount and Moses and Elias seen with him in that glory and the voice from Heaven again bear witness to him These and many such like were the attestations of Divine Omnipotency to the truth of Christ 6. To these may be next joyned the whole course of miracles performed by Christ in healing the sick and raising the dead and in many other miraculous acts which are most of the substance of the Gospel-history and which I have recited together in my Reasons of the Christian Religion see Heb. 2.2 3 4. 7. And to these may be added the Power which was given over all the creatures to Christ our Mediatour All power in Heaven and Earth was given him Joh. 17.2 13.3 Mat. 28.19 Rom. 14.9 Ephes 1.22 23. He was made Head over all things to the Church and all principalities and powers were put under him And this was not barely asserted by him but demonstrated He shewed his power over the Devils in casting them out and his power over Angels by their attendance and his power of life and death by raising the dead and his power over all diseases by healing them and his power over the winds and waters by appeasing them and his power over our food and natures by turning water into wine and by feeding many thousands miraculously yea and his power over them into whose hands he was resolved to yield himself by restraining them till his hour was come and by making them all fall to the ground at his name and his power over Sun and Heaven and Earth by the darkening of the Sun and the trembling of the Earth and the rending of the Rocks and of the Vail of the Temple Mat. 27.45 51. And his power over the dead by the rising of the bodies of many Mat. 27.52 And his power over the Saints in Heaven by the attendance of Moses and Elias and his power to forgive sins by taking away the penal maladies and his power to change hearts and save souls by causing his Disciples to leave all and follow him at a word and Zacheus to receive him and believe and the thief on the cross to be converted and to enter that day into Paradise 8. And his own Resurrection is an undoubted attestation of Divine Omnipotency If God gave him such a victory over death and raised him to life when men had killed him and rolled a stone upon his Sepulchre and sealed and guarded it there needeth no further evidence of the Power of God impressing and attesting the Christian Religion than that which ascertaineth to us the truth of Christs Resurrection For he was declared to be the Son of God by POWER by resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 9. And his bodily appearance to his congregated Disciples when the doors were shut his miracle at their fishing his walking on the Sea his vanishing out of their sight Luke 24. when he had discoursed with the two Disciples his opening their hearts to understand his Word c. do all shew this part of Gods Image on our Religion even his Power 10. And so doth his bodily ascending into Heaven before the face of his Disciples Acts 1. 11. But especially the sending down the Holy Ghost upon his Disciples according as he promised To cause them that were before so low in knowledge to be suddenly inspired with languages and with the full understanding of his own will and with unanimity and concord herein this made his Disciples the living monuments and effects of his own Omnipotency Acts 2. 12. And accordingly all the miracles which they did by this power recorded partly in the Acts of the Apostles or rather the Acts of Paul by Luke who was his companion which you may there read and no doubt but other Apostles in their measures did the like as Paul though they are not recorded for they had all the same Promise and Spirit This is another impression of POWER 13. Whereto must be added the great and wonderful gifts of communicating the same Spirit or doing that upon which God would give it to those converted Believers on whom they laid their hands which Simon Magus would fain have bought with money Acts 8. To enable them to speak with tongues to heal diseases to prophesie c. as they themselves had done which is a great attestation of Omnipotency 14. And the lamentable destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans foretold by Christ was an attestation of Gods POWER in the revenge or punishment of their unbelief and putting Christ to death 15. And so was the great fortitude and constancy of Believers who underwent all persecutions so joyfully as they did for the sake of Christ which was the effect of the corroborating Power of the Almighty 16. And so was the Power which the Apostles had to execute present judgements upon the enemies of the Gospel as Elimas and Simon Magus and on the abusers of Religion as Ananias and Saphyra and on many whom they excommunicated and delivered up to Satan 17. The same evidence is found in Christs Legislation as an universal Soveraign making Laws for heart and life for all the world Taking down the Laws of the Jewish Polity and Ceremonies which God by Moses had for a time set up Commanding his Ministers to proclaim his Laws to all the world and Princes and people to obey them And by these Laws conferring on Believers no less than forgiveness and salvation and binding over the impenitent to everlasting punishment 18. But the great and continued impress of Gods Power is that which together with his Wisdom and Love is made and shewed in the conve●sion of mens souls to God by Christ You may here first consider the numbers which were suddenly converted by the preaching of the Apostles at the first And in how little time there were Churches planted