Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	epistle_n	paul_n	timothy_n	2,910	5	10.4803	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86561	Diatribē peri paido-baptismoū, or, A consideration of infant baptism: wherein the grounds of it are laid down, and the validity of them discussed, and many things of Mr Tombes about it scanned and answered. Propounded to the consideration of the Church of God, and judgment of the truly religious and understanding therein. Together with a digression, in answer to Mr Kendall; from pag. 143. to the end. By J.H. an unworthy servant of Jesus Christ, and preacher of the Gospel to the congregation at Lin Alhallows.	Horn, John, 1614-1676.	1654 (1654)	Wing H2798; Thomason E729_3; ESTC R17948	148,371	168

Gods foundation 1 Cor. 3.11 with Ephes 2 19 20. which is not Election as he vainly interprets 2 Tim. 2.19 by a private interpretation that is not attested by any other Scripture but the Apostles Doctrine and Jesus Christ himself as laid therein and corner-stone for Christ only in the bosom of the Father knows and hath revealed him but no man receives his testimony but gives more heed by much to his vain reasonings and to Philosophy the Deceits of man And surely for this viz. the throwing by the word of God and subordinating it to Philosophical Dictates more then for any thing will the Wrath of God come upon the Universities and Students therein if they persist in so doing Migh I advise them I would wish them to study the Word of God more and learn to give the obedience of faith to it and subject all their studies and conversations thereto and captivate all their Philosophy and Metaphysical Notions to the obedience thereof and not measure and snip it by them so shall they find the sufficiency of the Scriptures and the blessing of God and bring more souls to Heaven then now they are like to do yea such as now they hinder from entering by rejecting the word of the Lord and exalting their Philosophical Actions above his Revelations so should they also avoid those heavy judgements threatned Isai 29 9 10 11 12 13 14. Jer. 8.5 6 7 8 9 13. c. 1 Cor. 1.18 19.20 and 3.17 19 20. And were I â Secretis with Master Goodwin I would desire him to let go his Metaphysical weapons and keep him closer to the smooth stones of the Brooks the sure testimonies of Gods word so would these Goliah's fall before him and he should have less trouble from them They might happily do with him as Master Owen with me who and I am well pleased with it either like that great Goliah looks upon me and my small furniture as an Impar congressus too little and despicable for his greatness or else hath got some stone in his forehead some conviction from some of the Scripture Arguments and Answers produced and is willing to say nothing But I have done desiring pardon for this too long Digression I shall here put a period to this Disquisition about Infants Baptism And I heartily desire that God will please to cause his truth in this point to shine out more clearly to the dispelling of all mists and clouds that darken any of our understandings there-about and subdue our hearts to the through cleaving thereto And that such pious and judicious Readers as this my Disquisition shall come unto would seriously weigh it And if God have given more full light as I question not but he may to any of them in these matters I desire that they would neither put it under a Bed of sloath nor under a Bushel to scant its appearance to those only of their own Family Society or Congregation but set it on a Candlestick whither it justifie or reprove any thing there written that it may give light to all that come into the House even to Gods whole Church and Congregation Ten Arguments modestly propounded tending to prove That the study of Philosophy though lawful to be known and in some points useful for yet is not necessary to the Preachers and preaching of the Gospel not the key of Knowledg without which men cannot understand or profitably hold forth the Truths of Christ to others Arg. 1 IF Philosophy Physicks Metaphysicks c. had been needful for furnishing men to the Gospel then Christ our Saviour who came to teach us the mind of God and to set on foot the preaching of the Gospel would have delivered those Sciences to us at least a more perfect form of them then the Philosophers did or could But he did not so As Mr Kendal says neither he nor his Apostles ever preacht us any Metaphysical Lectures about the simplicity of God c. Ergo. Arg. 2. If they had been necessary as above then would Christ have chosen the wise and prudent Scribes and Pharisees Philosophers and Princes of the world for knowledg in such Sciences to have been the Gospel-Preachers or else have furnished those he did chuse with such knowledg in them but he did neither Not the first Mat. 11.25 26. 1 Cor. 1.26 Nor the second for he only gave them his Spirit to open to them the mysteries of Salvation contained in the Scriptures Ergo. Arg. 3. They are of diverse nature from the Gospel that being a Revelation of a Redemption and way to Salvation for fallen man Philosophy but a purblind speculation about the nature of creatures their qualities and conditions as creatures and of God as he stands in relation of a Creator or Governor to them and therefore can be no more necessary to the understanding or preaching of the Gospel in its simplicity then a candle-light to shew the Sun Arg. 4. The Law or Doctrine of the Lord is perfect both for converting Souls to God and building up the converted to the inheritance Psal 19.7 Acts 29.32 which is the whole business of the Gospel Ministry Therefore there is not need of Philosophical Sciences which are but the Observations of a purblind mind and the Inferences and Deductions of a corrupted perverted Reason Arg. 5. If the said Heathenish or Humane Sciences be necessary as before then are we not compleat in Christ nor are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg necessary for our Salvation and the carrying on of his Work hid or couched in him and his mystery but the contrary is affirmed Col. 2 2 3 10. Christ must be beholden to humane Philosophy to compleat him and the mystery of him if they be necessary but that 's false and derogatory to the glory of Christ the one thing needful and leads to distraction about many things Arg. 6. If we are to beware of Philosophy lest we be spoyled by it then is it not necessary to teach and preserve us But the former is true for the Apostle bids us beware lest any spoyl us with Philosophy calling it the vain deceit of man though man usually counts and calls it wisdom Col. 2.8 Nor may we think that the Apostle calls such Sophistry only by that name as the wisest Philosophers called Sophistry and not Philosophy but that which those wisest Philosophers called and accounted Philosophy it being the Apostles drift to assert the fulness of Christ and the mystery of the Gospel and to debase all other things that were of highest esteem with men Arg. 7. The Apostle implies that the setting up such wisdom in the Church of God is to defile the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 17 18. diligently compared which is all one as to say To exalt it as needful and necessary to the work of Christ is to make it an Idol it being but part of the name of a man which is upon the Beast Ergo. Arg 8. If the coming with the Gospel in such a Philosophical way that is a holding it forth with and in the exercise of wisdom of words and Arguments after the manner of the wise Philosophers of the world be your way to obscure the power of the Cross of Christ which is the main thing of the Gospel and to make mens faith of the Gospel but to stand on a humane bottom then is it not necessary to be furnisht therewith for preaching the Gospel but the premises are held forth by Paul 1 Cor. 1.17 2.4 5. and therefore Christ gave him no commission but a prohibition rather of so coming to preach the Truth and he forbore both excellency of speech such as that that Lactantius calls Rational or wordy Philosophy that part that consists in teaching men to speak eloquently and excellency of wisdom such as the higher kinds of Philosophy as their Metaphysicks teaches Cor. 2.1 Arg. 9. Paul writing two Epistles to Timothy and one to Titus about their profitable carriage in the Church of God and giving Instructions about the choyce and qualities of Bishops never mentions that for one that they should be well learned in Philosophical Sciences but rather warns them of them as unnecessary and too often as they are apt to be used dangerous 1 Tim. 6.20 21. Arg. 10. Nay the same Apostle in those directions asserts the sufficiency of the Scriptures being studyed beleeved and minded not only to Salvation but to all the works of a Minister or man of God in his Ministry 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16 17. nor intimates he that other Sciences were needful to give them understanding into them but if they be sufficient to perfect a man of God then other writings not necessary the best way to understand the Scripture is by the Scripture Some lesser usefulness and curiosities some Sciences may afford as the Mathematicks to find out the bigness of the Ark the measures of the Temple c. Astronomy to tell us what Arcturus and Orion and Pleiades are History and Chronology may seem to help to understand the passages of the Monarchies and Visions of Daniel c. and yet there is so great incertainty in them too as to what is Heathen that they rather trouble then help therefore Mr Cushion was fain to throw those Calculations by in his late Clavis Rediviva The Tongues have their more usefulness because the Scripture was writ in other Languages but they are distinct things from Philosophy FINIS

both especially too seeing he bids them or affirms of them whom upon examination he admits unto that ordinance that they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 annunciare declare or shew forth the Lords death when they participate and it s expresly forbidden women in the same Epistle Chap. 14.34 35. to speak in the Church or Congregation And whereas it may be said again that the Epistle was writ to all the Saints in Corinth and all that call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus it might easily be replyed and truly too that all things in the Epistle are not therefore applicable to every one of them its writ to as that in chap. 1.8 That they were inriched with every thing in Christ in all utterance and knowledge and came behind in no gift seeing he says in chap. 8. All have not this knowledge and chap. 15. Some of them had not the knowledge of God Yea its plain that some things ●n it concern women and not men as about silence in the Churches and covering their heads cap. 11. 14. And other things men and not women as in the same Chapters however its evident that here is no express commandement nor practise of the Churches related in which there is express mention of womens partaking of the Supper and I think all Churches agree about it that its lawfull and good that they partake of it So that the bare want of express command in so many words or of the like express mentioning a thing as practised by the Apostles is no sufficient ground to conclude a practise sinfull they that make that their rule in approving or condemning practises might make as great disturbances in other things that are warrantable enough as well as in Infant Baptism For 3. It s to be considered further that Christ is not so circumstantiall in his precepts or injunctions of outward meer positive Ordinances as Moses was Moses or rather God to and by Moses sets down to every pin and peg in the Tabernacle how it must be made and delivers more circumstantially the commands of Circumcision and Passover as the age and time in which they were to be done how often and in what form but so doth not Christ he hath not by himself or by his Apostles set down at what certain age a man should be Baptized or eate the Supper nor in what Form whether all the body or some part of it must be dipt or washed in Baptism how often and upon what times of the year the Supper is to be taken nor in what gesture He hath not bounded the Church thus in the circumstances of his Ordinances Nay he hath not as we noted before said any where ye may or ye may not in terminis Baptise Infants or ye must not Baptise men till they have first beleeved Now whereas its commonly objected Object that this is to make Christ a less perfect and faithfull mediator and dispenser of the things of God then Moses in my minde it s ignorantly spoken and they that so object consider not in what the faithfulness and perfection of Christs ministration above Moses standeth For 1. Sure his faithfulness stands in this Sol. That he discharge al that Office that his Father hath imposed upon him be it what it will Now if his Father no where injoyned him to such circumstantiateness in his Ordinances he is not chargeable with unfaithfulness if he do not so circumstantiate them 2. Moses was a servant and amongst servants and his Law was a ministration of servitude and though to sons also yet to sons under age and nothing different from servants in respect of tutelage even the most beleeving of them Gal. 4.1 2. Heb. 3.2 5. But Christ is the Son in his house in which are sons also not under that or the like tutelage yea his people are to him in the capacity of a wife or Spouse Now whether is greater perfection to lead to and leave at more liberty in externall matters not morrall or to bind up to more servitude and with more charges Servants and Schollers may have every part of their work set them with more formality or exact mention of every punctilio especially while under none age but a wife or son more grown may be left more to liberty and their discretion and not so bound and tyed up with outward formall precepts Nor follows it thence that then we have greater liberty to sin Rom. 4.15 for where no Law is there is no transgression there is no sin in those things but whyt stands in crossing a positive Law or binding upon men that as a Law that he hath left at liberty and not bound us to these things being applyed onely to things of externall Form and Ordinance not to the things of the inside and Spirit and what flows from thence of morall practise such as the love of God and man with the branches of it which are due from us though God should not expresly by word injoyn them to us there being a Law of Nature and Grace too to injoyn us thereunto 3. But to come more up to the business In the Law was a less discovery of love and more of service in carnal things shadowing out those spiritual things in which the love of God was more brightly to be evidenced In the Gospel is more discovery of Love and therefore more spirit and less carnal service As the Sun growing higher the shadows shorten So the Gospel being now more clear the shadows of external Ceremonies or Documents are less insisted on 4. The time of the Law being as the time of Infancy and less growth in understanding and the time of the Gospel as the time of riper years as men grown can take hints of things and perceive the Speakers mind in them when little children need to be told plainly every circumstance So then the Ministration fitted to those times needed to be more circumstantial whereas now having the light and help of those former Documents some hints in Scripture may declare the Will of Christ to our understanding where there are no such exact express mentionings of it So that that Objection vanishes It 's so far from being Antichristianism and a denying of Christ come in the flesh as some would have it to say that Christ is less exact in the matters of external Forms rhat it 's rather Antichristianism and a tacit denyal of him come in the flesh to make him so exact in Forms And yet something of Form he hath left us too we being not yet come to full age to perfection in knowledg and fulness of Spirit but much carnal yet And I acknowledg and beleeve that what Ordinances he left us we are not proudly to despise slight alter and change as if needless to us or matters to be ordered meerly by our wills but it becomes us to wait upon him in them not setting up our Posts by his Posts nor yet being more holy then God and Christ Ezeck