Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	communion_n	hold_v	schism_n	2,955	5	9.8292	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42553	Philadelphia, or, a treatise of brotherly-love Shewing, that we must love all men: love the wicked in general: love our enemies: that the godly must especially love another: and the reasons of each particular love. The manner of our mutual love; the dignity, necessity, excellenc, and usefulness of brotherly-love. That the want of love, where love is due, is hatred, shewed in divers particulars. The greatness of the sin of malice and hatred; with the reasons why wicked men hate the saints: together with cautions against those sins that break the bond of love. Many weighty questions discussed, and divers cases cleared. By William Gearing, minister of the word.	Gearing, William.	1670 (1670)	Wing G436C; ESTC R223669	92,727	215

Doubtless such men would hate Christ if he were living among them as they do the Saints 6. Because where the special Good is upon that must our special Love be bestowed It is the rule of the School-men ut simpliciter ad simpliciter sic magis ad magis et maximè ad maximeè that is If that which is simply good be to be loved then that which is better is to have more Love and that which is the best good is to have the best Love What is the best thing in man if Grace be not will ye say Riches is better than Grace then a rich Man because rich is to be preferred and loved above a Godly Man Will ye say Beauty is better than Grace then a fair Face is to be esteemed above the Beauty of Holiness Will ye say the endowments of Natural Parts is better than Grace then an Heathen Philosopher may be loved better than a Child of God Is moral Honesty better than Grace then a dunghil covered with Snow is better than an House of Marble full of Gold What are the things men love most take a survey of them all and ye shall find Gods Image in the Saints is best What doth God regard in men do you think he regardeth a rich Nabal for his Riches an exalted Haman for his Honours a voluptuous Esau for his Pleasures or an indiscreet Woman for her Beauty Do ye think he looketh upon Greatness in any respect These things are not the good he loveth but Grace only Grace is Gods own Nature and shall he turn his eyes from himself Grace is Spiritual Riches Spiritual Beauty Spiritual Honour it is all excellency in a Spiritual way therefore chiefly to be beloved Did ye see an Angel in his Glory you would say indeed he is a very lovely Creature it is Gods Image that makes him so and it is the same for Substance in a Saint on Earth Want of Love to the Saints is our own blindness because we do not conceive the worth and excellency of Grace in the Saints Swine trample upon Pearl because they know not the worth of it So wicked men slight the Godly not perceiving the worth of Grace in them 7. Because our Love to the Saints manifesteth that we are of the Communion of Saints Love is the Soul and Life of the Communion of Saints it is the bond of perfection it bindeth the Saints up in one Body it is the Corner-Stone which holdeth the sides of the Wall together it is that which makes Christs Church like his Coat without Rent It was the opinion of some Philosophers That the whole world was but one Body and that there is one Soul of the World that holdeth the parts of the World so much more there is a Spirit of Communion which uniteth the Members of it with the Spirit of Love And as the members of a Mans Body will fall asunder were there not uniting parts in them as Sinews and Muscles joyning them together so the Communion of Saints is held and maintained by the bond of Love See how diversly the Scripture sets forth the Communion of Saints by such tearms as do call for special Love They are said to be Brethren must not one Brother love another above a stranger they are said to be Members of one Body must not one Member help another Member of the same Body before others of another Body They are all said to be one Spouse of Christ all the Saints together make up the Church which is the Wife of Christ So the Saints should love one another as if there were no Saints but themselves They are all said to be made partakers of one Divine Nature Who will not love his own Flesh his own Nature better than anothers In loving the Saints thou dost but love thy self They are said to be one Houshold the Church is called The Houshold of the Faithful As in a Family there is one Boord one Bread one Cup among neer Relatives So Christians should have one Heart one Mind one Affection and should hold and cleave together Such Love there was among Christians in the Primitive times that the Heathens observing it said Oh how do the Christians love one another 8. Because we are to live with them to Eternity therefore Saints should have our chiefest Love When all the wicked of the world shall be turned into Hell be they never so great or never so dear unto us ye that are Saints ye shall lye together in Abraham's Bosom dwell together in those Mansions which Christ your Head and your Saviour hath prepared for you in the highest Heavens enjoying God together following Jesus Christ the Lamb the Bridegroom together praising God together ye shall reign with Christ together be glorified together Are your Friends rich and mighty on Earth and are the Saints poor despicable and miserable in the World yet these poor Saints shall live in Heaven with you when the cruel Nimrods of the Earth shall be turned into Hell Is there not Reason that we should love them most that are Fellow-Heirs of one and the same Kingdom our Eternal Neighbours in Heaven fellow-Citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem It is a true Axiom of the Schools Societas fruitionis divinae est fundamentum charitatis ergo inter proximorum praecipua charitatis objecta sunt sancti homines i. e. The common participation of one and the same eternal Glory and Happiness is the main Foundation of Charity Therefore they infer truly that among our Neighbours the Saints are the cheifest Objects of our Love 9. Because indeed the Godly are the best men on the Earth whatsoever the World doth think of them David calleth them the excellent of the earth the Pillars of the Earth they are called Gods Jewels the Apple of Gods Eye Gods beloved Persons the more excellent they are the more to be beloved they are called the Temple of the Holy Ghost Look over the Book of the Canticles and see by what Names and Titles God calleth his Saints and then ye must needs confess they are Persons highly to be loved CHAP. XV. Sect. 1. I Come now to shew How we are to love one another The manner of our mutual-Love the Scripture sets down by two expressions 1. As thy self 2. As Christ loved us 1. In the first place Thou must love thy Neighbour as thy self 1. Who is there that wisheth not all the good that may be to himself Doth any sober man wish any harm to himself So must thou heartily desire the good of others Thus Moses wished That all the Lords people were Prophets he wished every man like unto himself So St. Paul desireth from his heart That all Israel might be saved Rom. 10.1 2. Who is not affected with his own Miseries and Afflictions So must thou when thou seest others in Misery Thou must weep with them that weep and make their Losses and Miseries to become thine own 3. Who doth not pray heartily for himself for Gods Blessing

PHILADELPHIA OR A TREATISE OF Brotherly-Love SHEWING That we must love all Men Love the Wicked in general Love our Enemies That the Godly must especially love another And the Reasons of each particular Love The manner of our Mutual Love the Dignity Necessity Excellency and Usefulness of Brotherly-Love That the want of Love where Love is due is Hatred shewed in divers particulars The greatness of the sin of Malice and Hatred With the Reasons why wicked Men hate the Saints Together with Cautions against the Sins that break the Bond of Love Many weighty Questions discussed and divers Cases cleared By William Gearing Minister of the Word Tanta vel in nobis utinam●is esset 〈◊〉 Quantus in hoc lacero tempore 〈…〉 Owen Epigr. L. 3. Ignis Amor Tussis certo sese indice 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible on London Bridg next the Gate To the Right Worshipful Sir John Banks of Ailesford in the County of Kent Baronet and to Richard Hampden of Hampden in the County of Buckingham Esquire and to the vertuous Ladies their Wives OVR Church is not now like Christs Coat without Seam but like Jeroboam's that was rent into twelve peices and the Northern and Southern Poles may as soon meet together as the wide differencies and diversities of Opinions that are among us be reconciled Many men are never at quiet themselves unless they are at strife with others Tumultuous Spirits have framed a Church like Pliny's Araphali all Body and no Head The seducing Romanists have built another like the Toad-stool all Head and no Body The Brains of many men are Forges for framing new fancies Schism is the Ship wherein many turbulent Spirits go the winds that drive it are violent passions wilfulness the Rudder obstinacy the Anchor Heretical opininions are like Monsters they begin with the figure of a man but end with the form and shape of a Beast of a Fish c. So these begin with God the true God but end with monstrous shapes of vain Imaginations Broiling Spirits do nothing but fling firebrands and heap on wood to set Kingdoms in a Combustion Catelina 〈◊〉 desire to fish b● troubled waters being as much afraid of peace as of the Plague like C●tiline when they cannot quench the fire begun in their own houses with water they will therefore pull them down and so quench it ipsâ ruina incendium extingere I ●ind the Pedigree of Contention thus decyphered There was a bastard begotten by Anger Quel Serm. 1. in 1 or 11. 16. nursed by Pride and maintained by wilful Contradiction and when th●y came to give him a name they bestowed upon him the name of Contention and as was the Name of the Child so was his Nature for as soon as he began to go he always went backward like the Sea-Crab Great pity it is that such a cross Companion should find harbour in any civil Society much less in the Church of God which ought to be compact together as a City at unity As the seed of the woman should be at enmity with the Serpent so should it be at unity with it self Oh how happy were it if the Schisms and Discords that make musick only for Hell might never be heard in the Church of God more but I fear as long as the Church of God consisteth of men and men are subject to divers pass●●ns there will be rents and divisions among us Have not we cause to think that the Lord hath a great controversie with our Nation which is so full of malicious controversies and contentions to the dishonour of God who is Love of his Gospel which is a Doctrine of Love and Peace and of that ancient Law and Message of Love which he sent unto us from heaven in the beginning and hath so often renued since the beginning If we look upon th● rents and breaches discords divisions quarrels contentions that are between men and that many tim s about triffles if we consider with what eagerness bitterness obstinacy these are followed might it not seem that there had never been a Doctrine of Love and Gospel of peace preached among us They that are full of carnal mirth care for none of these things as it was said of Gallio It is one special part of our obedience to the Law of Love that we should with much compassion m●urn for these things that if it be possible the wrath that is like to fall upon the Land may be prevented and withall let us mourn for the danger of many particular Souls who live without any spark of Christian Love to their Neighbours and Brethren without which they shall certainly perish and let us pray for them that their sins may be forgiven them and that their hearts may be purified in obeying the truth through Faith unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren Satan is an enemy to Vnion and Love and especially to the neerest and fastest union he is a most malicious Spirit and Murtherer and loveth to break the union of the Spirit and the bond of peace betwixt man and man Therefore the neerer any are united and joyned together in any bond of Love the more doth he labour to make a rent and division between them So he delighteth to rent the Church of Christ and to separate one member of it from another by Heresie and Schism to breed difference in judgment and the●eupon division of hearts between those that are the pr●fessed members of one mystical body of Christ How were Paul and Barnabas knit together in Love and how did they joyn together as one Soul in the work of the Lord whereunto they were separated by the Spirit from the rest of the faithful as appeareth in the holy Story yet upon a slight occasion Satan bred a sharp contention between them and a separation between these two holy men for a time So it is his delight to break the nearest and strongest bonds even the matrimonal tye betwixt man and wife which are one flesh between Brethren and Sisters that are of one blood between the Inhabitants of one Kingdom one City one House That which cannot endure heat can least of all endure the greatest heat Ice that is apt to dissolve at a little warmth can less endure heat in the highest degree bring it to the fire and it soon dissolveth So the Devil that hateth Love and Vnion in general doth most of all hate and work against the greatest neerest and strongest union So long as the Saints are not yet fully fitted and framed together no wonder though there be differences between them As stones so far as they are fitted together they joyn and close in one but if they be but yet in fitting and framing and the work be but done in part not in perfection they will not close in every point So when Christians are but in part fitly framed together in Christ they do but in part close and unite and there may be differences until that which is