Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	catholic_n	communion_n	sound_a	2,706	5	9.7321	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59578	Separation convicted of profanation, oppression, persecution, [brace] rebellion, self-destruction, and antichristianism being a further evidence of the mischief of separation, as asserted by the most learned and pious Dr. Edw. Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Pauls / by Lewes Sharpe, rector of Moreton-Hampstead in Devon.	Sharpe, Lewes.	1681 (1681)	Wing S3006A; ESTC R37382	32,652	45

Covenant to maintain her in her Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government and to endeavour a Reformation according to her Pattern but good men they cannot understand for their hearts what this Church of England should be One would think that a National Church in England might as easily be defined as a National Church in Scotland All the odds is the National Church of England is not now so likely to serve their turns as the National Church of Scotland then so termed was Let us but pull down the Bishops and set up a General Assembly of Presbyters and 't will be as easie to understand what the National Church of England is as what the National Church of Scotland was Sect. 37. Let us reason the case a little with these men Why may not the English Nation become a National Church as well as the Jewish What is there wanting which the Jews had that is essential to the constitution of a National Church May not that be as much from God and have as great approbation and as many Blessings from him which is effected in an ordinary way as that which is effected in an extraordinary way What they were by immediate we are by mediate divine Constitution Were they converted from dead Idols to the living God so are we Were they united in the profession of the same true faith so are we Were they bound to the same rules and modes of Worship so are we What is it which makes a Church but Gods Call to a People and their Answer to his Call Now you shall finde that this is to extend to whole Nations of the Gentiles under the Gospel as well as it did to the whole Nation of the Jews under the Law Isai 55.5 Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knewest not and Nations which knew not thee shall run unto thee Zech. 2.11 Many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that day and shall be my people So Mich. 4.2 Many Nations shall come and say Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths And Psal 72.11 12. All King shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him all Nations shall call him blessed And Christ tells the Jews Mat. 21.43 That the kingdom of God that is the Church-state shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof And 't is no more than what Moses foretold them Deut. 32.21 I will move them to jealousie with those that are not a people I will provoke them to anger by a foolish Nation Which the Apostle expresly applieth to the rejection of the Jews and calling of the Gentiles Rom. 10.19 which plainly evinceth that God would convert whole Nations as well as particular Congregations out of them and bring them to a Church-state such for substance as the Jews enjoyed And why may not an whole Nation incorporate into one Body Ecclesiastick as well as into one Body Politick There may be as universal agreement in divine matters as in civil the Members of a National Church may be as useful to one another in that relation as the Members of a Civil State and as governable in the one capacity as in the other So that they which forsake and gather themselves into distinct religious Societies from that Society of Christians here in England which are united by National Laws Political and Ecclesiastical in the profession of the same Faith and observation of the same rules of Worship and Discipline are faulty Separatists and set their Altar beside the Altar of the Lord their God Sect. 38. To make this yet a little plainer to you I shall apply it to a Separation made from our Parochial Churches which are of the same constitution with the National and differ onely as parts from the whole Though Parochial or Congregational Churches are no more of immediate divine Institution than the Jewish Congregation in their Synagogues were but a meer prudential distribution of the whole into parts for the more convenient and orderly Community in a publick confession of Faith and participation of publick Ordinances and no Christian considered simply as a Member of the Church Catholick is any more bound to the Communion of one part of the Church than of another but ought indifferently as he hath opportunity to joyn himself to any one sound part of it as well as to another yet our Parochial Churches being homageneal or similar parts of the National as well as Catholick Church essentially considered they who from Vicinity of Neighbourhood and Cohabitation have or ought to have joyned themselves to them as Christian Assemblies fitly accommodated for publick Worship common Order and Edification and best subserving the duties of a Church-relation if they separate from our Assemblies as acting in a way of Communion with the National Church and set up Assemblies of a different and disagreeing constitution They do not walk as God hath called them 1 Cor. 1.17 pitching every man by his own standard Numb 2.2 according to order 1 Cor. 14.40 Do not go forth by the footsteps of Gods flock nor feed where God maketh his flock to rest at noon Cant. 1.7 8. but set up an Altar beside the Altar of the Lord. Sect. 39. Moreover whatever the Original Constitution of our Parish-churches was or whatever their relation to the National Church is or suppose there were no National Church at all yet 't is evident that our Parish-churches consist of visible Saints such as profess Christianity and have been baptized into the Body of Christ they are the pillars and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 that is they do preach and proclaim Gods Will as revealed in the Gospel which is the Word of Truth as those Pillars which have the Edicts of Princes affixed to them proclaim their Will and Pleasure the true Sacraments which are the Symbols and Seals of Gods Covenant which is the Bond of all Amity and Commerce with God are administred in them they by mutual consent joyn themselves together as Pastor and People and assemble themselves together to partake of the Ordinances of Christ and therefore they are most certainly true Churches and they which live in an orderly Communion with them keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace abide where they were called with God keep their ranks and places where right Reason and Religion hath fixed them and maintain publick Charity and Order and consequently they which have been once joyn'd to them as all the Separatists in England have been or ought to be for such an Existence as Parish-churches now have they for the main had long before the oldest Separatist in England was born to separate from them they carry it like Mutineers in an Armie violate all the bonds of Love Peace and Order and by setting up distinct and separate Societies for Worship and Discpline from them rebel against God and against us Sect. 40. I. Such

they do or can commit For 't is most directly contrary to the designe of God the Father in sending Christ into the world which was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children Luke 1.17 and to gather together in one all things in Christ Eph. 1.10 And as contrary to the redeeming work of God the Son which was to gather together in one the children of God which are scattered abroad John 11.52 And as contrary to the sanctifying Operations of the Spirit by which we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.12 And consequently as contrary to all those Ordinances and means of Grace by which they all derive the effluxes of their Grace Love and Goodness unto the Souls of men which are all purposely designed to accomplish the Churches unity E. g. When we are baptized we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 and what is the communion of the body and blood of Christ for but to minde us that though we are many members yet we are all but one body 1 Cor. 10.16 17. And what are all the Officers of the Church and their respective Ministrations for but to bring us to the unity of the Faith and to speak the truth in love that we may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth the body increaseth to the edification of it self in love Eph. 4.13 14 15 16. And Divisions and Separations being so directly contrary and destructive to the designe of Christianity how unreasonable a thing is it for the Dividers of and Separators from our Church in which nothing as some among themselves acknowledge is to be done and approved of which is unlawful to assume to themselves the denomination of the Godly Party Whereas we can justly appeal and call Heaven and Earth to record that for so doing they are Rebels against God and against us I shall conclude my Discourse with a serious and earnest Admonition and Charge to you to remember with great thoughtfulness of heart That the Church of Christ which is the Body of Christ was is and ever will be One and that when you were initiated into a profession of Christianity you were baptized into this one body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. So that here a departure from Vnity is a Nullity He that is of a New and not of the Old Church is of no Church And this is the reason why the Sentence of Excommunication rightly executed is so terrible because it cuts off from Christ's Body which Sentence every Schismatick very desperately executes upon himself and that too in the most effectual and tremendous manner that can be for the Governors of the Church may through some mistake or prejudice sentence such as ought not to be sentenced and then the Sentence is reversed and made void by a superiour Tribunal But whosoever wilfully separates from the Christian Church or any sound part of it for a reason common to the whole most certainly separates himself from Christ too who is the Saviour onely of his Body Eph. 5.23 The Church is compared to the Ark because out of it there is no Salvation and he that wilfully leaps out of it is rather more than less desperately guilty of Self-destruction than he that is deservedly and judicially cast out 'T is a most fearful Curse for a Church to pronounce against an Obstinate Sinner The Devil take him and yet this Curse every man very resolutely executes upon himself when he wilfully forsakes Gods Church for he doth in effect say I will forsake God and the Devil take me A thing so full of terrour and astonishment I even tremble to speak and you to hear and from which Good Lord deliver us for thy Christs and our Jesus his sake Amen FINIS