Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	heathen_a	let_v	publican_n	2,742	5	10.9981	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42920	The holy arbor, containing a body of divinity, or, The sum and substance of Christian religion collected from many orthodox laborers in the Lords vineyard, for the benefit and delight of such as thirst after righteousness / ... by John Godolphin ... vvherein also are fully resolved the questions of whatsoever points of moment have been, or are, now controverted in divinity : together with a large and full alphabetical table of such matters as are therein contained ...	Godolphin, John, 1617-1678.	1651 (1651)	Wing G943; ESTC R9148	471,915	454

and being exhorted will not hear being admonished will not obey being reproved will not repent As for them that are without the Lord will judge them the Church hath nothing to do with them 1 Cor. 5.12 13. For those that were never of the Church cannot be cast out of it being never of the number of the Faithful And here also know That one person may not be Excommunicated for another but onely the party offending Now if any man be truly ingrafted into Christ indued with Faith in Christ and Repentance from dead works being a Member of his Body in Deed and in Truth Excommunication shall hurt him nothing at all in regard of that Spiritual Union or Communion forasmuch as the Sentence so given is in that particular void and frustrate And though a man justly deserveth to be Excommunicated through his sin and to be separated from the Communion of Saints yet Excommunication is not the first and chief cause thereof but his own sin and the continuance in it seeing it doth not sever him from God but declareth him to be severed through his impenitency as the Priests under the Law putting out the Leprous did not defile them with the Leprosie but pronounced them to be defiled or like the sentence of the Law which is but declared onely by the Judge upon the Malefactor So it is impenitency obstinacy and perseverancy in sin that separates a sinner from the Church Excommunication is onely the Declarative sentence thereof Ecclesiastical Discipline is the Order in the Church instituted by God especially for these two ends viz. 1. That the Ministery of God may be preserved and that all things may be done in the Church decently and in order 2. That the Conversation of every one may be looked into that such as have given offences may be amended and according to the degrees prescribed by Christ The order which the Church doth use in the exercise of her power may be comprehended in these three Verses of the eighteenth Chapter of Matthew viz. 1. If thy Brother trespass go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he hear thee thou hast won thy Brother Matth. 18.15 2. If he hearken not unto thee let him be again privately admonished by thee taking one or two others with thee Mat. 18.16 3. If he will not vouchsafe to hear them tell it unto the Church if he refuse to hear the Church also let him be unto thee as a Heathen man and a Publican Matth. 18.17 In Excommunication there are three Judgements to be considered viz. 1. Of God when he doth hold any obstinate Sinner guilty of his offence and so guilty of condemnation 2. Of the Church after that God hath holden him guilty for the Church is onely to pronounce and to declare him so to be not absolutely but with condition of Repentance 3. Of God again whereby he ratifies that in Heaven which the Church hath done on earth The Power of Ecclesiastical Discipline is very necessary in several respects viz. 1. In respect of the Commandment of God 1 Cor. 5.5 2. In respect of Gods glory which would be much impeached if without difference the wicked and blasphemers go in the number of Gods children 3. Lest the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be prophaned by the wicked and that be given them in the Supper which is denied them in the Word 4. For the safety of the Church which shall be punished if she permit willingly the prophanation of Christs Ordinance 5. For avoiding offence in the Church that others be not corrupted 1 Cor. 5.6 6. For the safety of sinners that they being often admonished may return to Repentance and be received again into the Church 7. For avoiding of offence among those that are without and that the Name of God may not be blasphemed nor evil spoken of nor they who are not as yet Members of the Church kept from coming into it nor the Covenant of God despised nor reproached 8. That from the sinners themselves punishments may be averted because the wicked approaching to the Lords Table eat their own damnation The difference between Church-Discipline and State-Government viz. 1. The power committed unto the Church dependeth on Gods Word the Civil power is armed with the Sword 2. In the Church Judgement proceedeth according to Gods Laws in the Civil State according to Civil Laws 3. The Church punisheth the obstinate with the Word of God yet so as it pierceth unto their Consciences The Civil State punisheth the obstinate onely with corporal punishments 4. Oftentimes the Discipline of the Church hath place where there is none for Civil Judgement and the Civil Government oftentimes hath place where there is none for Church Discipline 5. The Judgement of the Church hath degrees of Admonition before it comes to punish but the Civil Judgement proceedeth to punishment without it 6. The Church does often reverse and retract her Judgement and Punishment if there come Repentance but it is otherwise with the Civil Magistrate Touching Excommunication observe these four things from Matth. 7.6 viz. 1. The Foundation thereof it is an Ordinance of God for all obstinate enemies of God by Christs Commandment must be kept from holy things A man living in the Church may be worse in practice then an open enemy and such an one was Ishmael who for mocking Isaac the Son of the Promise was cast out of Abrahams Family that is out of the Church of God Gen. 21.10 11. For Abrahams Family at that time was Gods visible Church 2. The End thereof which is to preserve the holy things of God from pollution contempt and prophanation even the Word Prayer and Sacraments which wilful Enemies would trample upon as Swine upon Pearls And herein we may see the abuse of this Ordinance when it is made for Politique and Civil Respects 3. Who must execute this Censure of the Church namely they to whom the disposing and keeping of the holy things of God is committed that is The lawful Ministers of the Word and Sacraments but without the Exercise of this Censure which God hath given unto the Church they cannot keep those holy things pure which God hath committed unto them 4. How far this Censure of the Church reacheth and extendeth against obstinate and wilful Enemies namely to the debarring of them from the use of the Saints Communion in Prayer and Sacraments Indeed if the party be excommunicated for some particular Crime and there be hope of his Repentance because he doth not maliciously persist by wilful obstinacy in his sin and contempt of the Church then although he be excluded from Communion with them in the Sacraments and Prayer yet he may be admitted to the hearing of the Word because that is a means to humble him for his sin and to bring him to Repentance which is the end of all Ecclesiastical Censures The Censures of the Church are of three sorts all of them having their proper time and place and use and