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	particular_a	union_n	3,907	5	9.8315	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50206	The first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptisme & communion of churches : collected partly out of the printed books, but chiefly out of the original manuscripts of the first and chiefe fathers in the New-English churches : with the judgment of sundry learned divines of the congregational way in England, concerning the said questions : published for the benefit of those who are of the rising generation in New-England / by Increase Mather ...	Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.; Mitchel, Jonathan, 1624-1668.	1675 (1675)	Wing M1211; ESTC W35680	45,581	56

Christian but an Heathen People Let me add this farther Consideration all Disciples or Acts 11.26 Christians are by Christ enjoyned to be baptized Math 28.19 Acts 11.26 states it upon the●e people that are called named or counted Christians I know these are that arrogate to themselves the Name of Christians who are manifest Anti-Christians as Papist Athiests c. these may be excluded but those who in regard both of their belief and practice do justly and rightly retain the Reputation of Christians as they that are described in our fifth Proposition and the Generality of the People in this Country cannot be denyed to do surely Christs Injunction doth include them We may observe that Congregational men in England are not without thoughts and studies for enlargement of Baptisme Doctor Owen in his late Catechisme is plainly with us in the main Substance of the Cause viz. the baptizing of those we plead for though it seems be would have them baptized in another Notion For when as in Question 38 he makes the proper Subject of Baptisme to be professing Believers and their Infant Seed it is plain he intends Baptisme to many who according to his Platform are not in full Communion or may not come to the Lords Table nay are not with him so much as joyned members of a particular or instituted Church but are only professors of the Faith Compare Question 19 39 47 49. And I suppose there are Expressions to that purpose in other writings of his which I have not now by me The same thing may be Contained under the Expression at the meeting of the Savoy in their Confession of Faith Chap. 29. Thes 4. the Infants of one or both believing Parents are to be baptized using therein the words of the Assemblies Confession and we know in how large a Sense they take the word believing when as they say in Chap. 26. Thes 2. The whole body of men throughout the world professing the Faith of the Gospel and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it not destroying their own Profession by any errors everting the Foundation or unholiness of Conversation are and may be called the visible Catholick Church of Christ. How plain is it that the persons whose Children we would have baptized are professing Believers according to Doctor Owens Expressions believing Parents in the Assemblies Sense and such Professors of the Faith of the Gospel and of obedience to God as do not otherwise destroy that Profession all which say the Savoy meeting are of the visible Catholick Church of Christ And I suppose they would not have any part of Christs visible Church left unbaptized 'T is true they say this visible Catholick Church of Christ as such is not intrusted with the Administration of any Ordinance but they may mean as many do expressly hold that the p●●●on A●ministring Baptisme must be an Officer in a particular Chur●h though the Subjects baptized may be of the Catholick Church However such Catholick Profess●●s as they here describe are qualified for Baptisme If taking hold of the Covenant in a particular Church be in their mind further needful ours do that You may hereby perceive that you stand almost alone while you are against the baptizing of such as are described in ou● fifth Proposition Whether they should be baptized as in a Catholick or in a particular Church state is another Question and I Confess my self not altogether so peremptory in this Latter as I am in the thing it self viz. that they ought to be baptized yet still I think that when all Stones are turned it will come to this that all the baptized are and ought to be under Discipline in particular Churches your self and those few in the Minist●y here that diss●nt do bear a greater weight then it may be you are aware of For the People in the Country have in a manner no Arguments to object but this some of your selves some of the Ministers are against it I have lately in Course of Exposition gone over Exod. 4 24. as formerly over Gen 17 9 14. And the more I look into such Tex●s as those the more awful they are to me to make me fear lest we should be wanting to do the will of God in this particular and lest the Lord should be thereby displeased And I am afraid that we do not our duty while we let a matter of so great moment and of such publick and Practical Concernment as this is lye by from year to year without using more means to bring it to an Issue and to come to some settlement therein Thus you see with what Freedom I have opened somewhat of my heart to you about this matter had I not been Confident of your Candid Acceptation thereof I sh●uld not have done it I do affectionately thank you for your Remembronce of me before the Lord and desire a Continued Share therein hoping that I am not and shall not be in my poor measure u●●nindful of you whom I have a real respect for and do heartily love in the Lord. I am not without hope that we may be yet of one mind before we dye And I am ready to think that we had been so e're this if you had been pleased to attend and pursue a free Candid and through Debate of matters veybally and happily if some such Course were yet ●●ken amongst us that live here about it might effect an accord But however I hope we shall meet there ubi Luthero cum zuinglio optimè jam convenit The Lord direct all our paths for us that we may be found walking in the wayes of Truth and Peace to his Glory the good of others and rejoycing of our own Souls in the day of Christ In whom I am Yours unfainedly Jonathan Mitchel Cambridg December 26. 1667. FINIS

Spirit of meckness and Love there doth grow dissention in any Church as did in the Church of Antioch about Circumsision The Church so divided shall do wisely and safely not to proceed to determine the Case by a Major V●te to the unsatisfaction and offence of a Considerable part among themselves or the offence of other Churches But ought rather to bring the matter to the hearing and Judgement of other Elders and Brethren of other Churches who being desired ought readily to meet together and seriously as in the fear of God to enquire into the Case search out by the word what is the mind of Christ therein by themselves if present or otherwise by Letters and Messengers to declare to the Church what they judge to be the Rule of Christ which they should walk by which Judgement ought to be received with all due respect according to God Acts 15. Proposition VIII As there is a Brotherhood of members in the same Church so there is a Brotherhood of Churches being all Fellow members of Christ Jesus and so bound to have a m●utal Care one of another Cant. 8 8. It is therefore meet and requiste that in Case any Church shall fall into any scandalous error or offence in doctrine or practice then the Neighbour Church or Churches should Advertize Convince and admonish such a Church thereof according to the Rule of the Gospel And if after due Conviction by a Neighbour Church and again by more Churches the offending Church as the nature of the offence and the respect due to a Church of Christ may require may at length withdraw the Church with sufficient partience will not yet hearken to their Brethren then withdraw from that Church or at least that part of it which refuse to be healed such Brotherly Communion and the fruits thereof as otherwise Churches usually do afford to each other Proposition IX In Case any member shall be laid under Censure in a Church by the Major part with the offence of a Considerable part thereof or when any whole Church shall seem to have Consented corruptly to such a Censure upon Complaint of the grieved part attested by the dusenting Brethren or in the other Case by other credible persons it is free yea requisite that other Church or Churches in the Spirit of meckness desire to know the Reason or their Censure which if the Church shall clear up to be just then the other Church or Churches ought to bear witness to their proceedings and to perswade the Censured and dissenting part of the submit and give satisfaction But if the Church shall refuse to give an account of the Reasons of their procceedings or not finally clear up the Justice thereof nor ease the grieved party it will then be equal for any other Church to receive the Censured part to their Covenant or Communion For so Christ received the blind man after he was unjustly Cast out of the Synogogue Iob● 9. The unjust acts of any Church cannot appear to be done in the name of Christ out rather in the abuse of his name and power and therefore do not bind in Heaven Clavis errans uon Ligat Proposition X. As it is the practise of Godly Christians in the Churches without any Scruple and with much Edification and increase of Love to meet together in Covenient numbers or Families at Set times house by house to exercise that Christian Communion which the moral Rules of the Gospel call for 1 Thes 5.11 Col. 3.16 Heb. 3 13. and so 24. so also upon the same grounds besides others it would by the blessing of God conduce much to the increase of brotherly Love and Unity the spiritual Edification of many by mutual Faith of each other to the strengthening of the hearts and hands of one another in the work of the Lord If the Elders and brethren of the Churches did meet together Church by Church in Convenient numbers at set times not to exercise any Jurisdiction over any but to enjoy and practice Church Communion by prayer together hearing the word preached and Conference about such Gases and Questions of Conscience as shall be found useful or needful for the edification and Comfort and peace of every Church or any of the Brethren thereof and this Course might tend much to satisfy the Spirits of divers godly Brethren who have thought that we so much mind the distinction of particular Churches and the duties of fellow members in the same that we loose much of the Comfort of Love and the Fellowship of the Spirit which we might enjoy and that we fall short in some brotherly Love which we owe mutually to our dear Brethren of several Churches For the better Improvement of such a Conference 1. It is fit that the Number of Churches so to meet be regulated according to the nearness or distance of Churches and as other Conveniences or Inconveniences shall require 2. For the times of meeting it may seem best to leave it to the wisdome of each Society of Churches to meet more frequently or seldom as they shall see Cause 3. Concerning their Exercises it is meet that the Elders of each Church where the Conference is to be held should choose with Consent of the Church some other Elder as they see best whom they may intreat to preach at their meeting and also to desire some to moderate in the Conference and agree upon such Questions as they see fit three or four and send them to the Elders of other Churches at least fourteen dayes before the time of their Assembly 4. For the ordering of the Time it may be fit that the Sermon should end at Eleven a Clock and after it the Conference follow and continue so long as shall be found meet and seasonable Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself who is the Counsellour the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace grant unto all his Churches truth and Peace alwayes and ●y all means and He counsel and guide the hearts of his people to discern and embrace all such wayes as himself hath sanctified to those holy Ends. Amen Thus farr Mr. Cotton And that this is according to Congregational Principles is evident from other Testimonies For the Messengers of an hundred and twenty Congregational Churches who met at the Savoy in London Anno 1658. do in their declaration of the order appointed in the Churches of Christ Thesis 26. thus declare In Case of difficulties or differences either in point of doctrine or in Administrations wherein either the Churches in general are concerned or any one Church in their Peace Vnion and Edification or any member or members of any Church are injured in or by any proceeding in Censures not agreeable to Truth and Order It is according to the mind of Christ that many Churches holding Communion together do by their Messengers meet in a Synod or Council to Consider and give their Advice in or about the matter in difference c. And Doctor Owen who was a great part of