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
A78217	Ichnographia. Or A model of the primitive congregational way: wherein satisfaction is offered, by unfolding (according to the Scriptures) what the right order of the Gospel, and way of the saints in the visible worshipping of God is, in the dayes of the New Testament. And how the saints in these dayes may walk up to it, notwithstanding their present hindrances. Together with the maine points in controversie, touching the right visible church-state Christ hath instituted under the Gospel, with the extent of church-officers, and power of particular visible churches, and continuance of divine ordinances and institutions under the defection and apostasie of Antichrist. By W. Bartlet, Minister of the Gospel, at Wapping.	Bartlet, William, 1609 or 10-1682.	1647 (1647)	Wing B986; Thomason E381_17; ESTC R201418	140,788	175

and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence Which place clearly speaks out to us not only the truth of this visible Church-state under the Gospell Calv. Maesc Oecolamp alii quamplurimi in loc but the excellent and glorious priviledges also that attend it alluding to Gods carefull protection over his Church in his going before them and carrying them through the waste and howling wildernes Deut. 32.9.10 4. That of Esay 9.6 7. And the government shall be upon his shoulders c. of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end Vpon the throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth even forever By all which can be meant no other then the power of Iesus Christ extending it selfe both to internals and externals By the first he rules internally in the soules of men by grace and holines And by the second he rules externally the outward man with the inward in his visible worship and ordinances 5. That of Ezech. * Adnuncietur igitur his qui in Babylone sub Antichristo quanta futura gloria in Christi templo quā nos gloriam expectamus quam caput multitudinis templum quam illustratum luce quam fundatum in petra quam ornatum doctoribus turribus quanta varietas auditorum qui tamen omnes ad cognitionem Dei contendent Oecolamp in loc 43.10 11. And if they be ashamed of all they have done shew them the forme of the house and the fashion thereof and the goings out thereof and the commings in thereof and all the formes thereof and all the ordinances thereof and all the lawes thereof and write it in their sight that they may keepe the whole forme thereof and all the ordinances thereof and doe them Which Scripture looks to the times of the * Vid. Gl●ss Philog Sac. vol. 3. p. 563 564. Gospell and dayes of Christ by whom the glory of the new Temple or spirituall Church of God should be erected and set up as Interpreters for the most part agree 6. Lastly though many more might be added take only that of the Prophet Zachary chap. 6.13 Even he speaking of Jesus Christ shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall beare tbe glory and he shall sit and rule upon his throne Now it must of necessity be granted that the Prophet here understands the * Fu●t quidem Ch●istus ipse Templis quoad corpus quia in eo habitavit plenitudo divinitatis sed aedificatur Templum Deo Patri dum erexit ubique purum cultum superstitionibus in nibilum redactis dum nos consecravit etiam in regale sacerdotium Calv. in loc Church-work which the honour of was fit for none but Christ himselfe because none but Iesus Christ could bring to passe as I shall abundantly prove from the next particular 2. Come wee in the next place to the new Testament and there we shall find plentifull testimonies to this purpose I shall referre all for method sake to two heads 1. To what we find from Christ himselfe 2. To what we find to this purpose from his Apostles that succeeded him 1. Those Scriptures that respect Christ himselfe are of two sorts 1. Before his death as Math. 16 18 19. And I say unto thee that thou art Peter upon this rock will I build my Church the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it and I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Now this must be understood of the visible Church-state and order we are speaking to which the Saints enjoy here on earth because Christ did not give any power to Peter to bind in the world for the Kingdome of Christ is not of the world Ioh. 18.36 But by binding and loosing on earth must needs be understood the executing of the censures and ordinances of the visible Church of Christ on earth which is distinct from that Kingdome of glory in heaven So that of Math. 18.17 18. And if he shall neglect to heare them tell it to the Church But if he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall c. Which place though there be some difference between the Classicall and Congregationall Divines whether by Die Ecclesiae be meant the classicall Presbytery or the Congregationall yet they both and all of all sorts agree in this that it is meant of the visible Church-state under the New Testament which is s●fficient for us in this place to have granted because it answers the end for which it is alleadged 2. After Christs resurrection when he had made a glorious conquest over all the powers of darknes and as the true Sampson the mighty one had carried away the gates i. e. all the powers of death and hell on his shoulders then by his own mouth he declares this truth as in Math. 28.18.19.20 And Iesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and so I am with you alway even to the end of the world This is so plain to the busines in hand that there needs no explaining of it And that of Act. 1.3 speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God In the next place we come to what we find delivered by the Apostles of Christ to whom he gave order to see his Will in this as well as other things fulfilled and whom he qualified in an extraordinary manner for the very purpose that it might be put into execution Now the Scriptures that hold this forth from the Apostles may be referred to two heads 1. To their own practise 2. To their declaring it to others 1. Their own practise as will appeare throughout the history of the Acts of the Apostles chap. 1. and chap. 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship viz. Church fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers and ver 46.47 so chapters 4 5 6 11 14 15 c. 2. Their declaring it to others wheresoever they went to gather and plant Churches and this I shall make out foure wayes 1. By instructing them in it Rom. 12.1 2 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 12. Heb. 3.1 2 3 6. and 7.12 and 10.1 2. By pressing them to it as 1 Cor. 14. per totum Col. 2.6 7 8. and 2 Thes 2.15 and 3.4 6. 3. By praysing and commending them for it as 1 Cor. 11.2 Col. 2.5 4. By admonishing them

and tremble Impediment 3. Another impediment is this That they have as learned and godly a Ministery over them as any to this day in the world Now for the removing of this let these few things be seriously considered 1. That it cannot be denyed but divers of those Parish churche have those over them that are both learned and godly though withall it must also be granted that there are in the Kingdome a farre greater number of such as have neither learning nor godlines that go for Ministers of the Church of England and are setled in those Parish Churches such as are not only the shame and blot of this ● Whites ●tury of ●isters Nation but have already endangered the welfare of it and are like to do it the second time if the Lord from heaven prevent it not 2. For many of those that have learning it s much to be feared if it were brought to the Test it would prove rather to be from beneath then from above not that of the Spirit by which men are taught of God and enabled to speake a word in due season to the weary soule as Christ and his servants were Esay 50.4 but only that which is naturall and from men and they have attained in Natures Schoole which naturall parts and acquired learning not meeting with a sanctifyed heart and a true principle of grace doth oftentimes through the corruption of pride and selfe-co●ceite that attends it render men blind in the things of God and leade them aside from the truth and commonly as we see by experience such men trust chiefly to other mens workes and judgements looking no further for the Sence and meaning of what Scriptures they preach upon and produce then what this or that Father this or that Commentator speaks of it not daring to swerve from their interpretation and the common received opinion of the Church though oftentimes quite besides the purpose and mind of Christ and the holy Ghost 3. As learned and godly as the most and best of the Ministers are in the Church of England yet with griefe of heart let it be spoken very few of them have learned to this very day to disclaime and renounce the evill and errour of the way of their comming into the Ministery I meane their Antichristian ordination which they received from the Prelates but allow of it to this day which cannot but much provoke the Lord and hinder his blessing of their endeavours for the future to the People the charge of whose soules they take upon them For if the allowing of our selves in the least sinne may justly put a stop in the way of Gods prospering his people cause him to withdraw his presence from them then much more doubtlesse such an evill as this for those that beare the vessels of the Lord are to be cleane Jer. 52.11 and that cleannesse respects freedome from Babylonish and Antichristian pollution And doubtlesse the Lord lookes much to his vessel-bearers that they be clean and holy and not contaminated with these or any other kind of pollutions as we may see in his exemplary punishment on Nadah and Abihu that perished in their wil-worship and false zeale the great Idol of the world to this day Obj. But you will say what need this renouncing our Antichristian ordination by the Prelates seeing the Parliament hath removed and disclaimed the whole Episcopall government root and branch Ans There is great need as may appeare in these foure things 1. Because personall sinnes must have personall repentance and humiliation the Parliaments Act is Nationall and doth not exclude but rather intimates and leads to the practise of the other Now each Ministers sinne being particular and personall so ought their Repentance also 2. Because such Ministers especially here about London have lately covenanted to cast off whatso●ver belonged to and was an appurtenance of that Antichristian Hierarchy they were formerly under Now their ordination was not the least but a chiefe part of that power of the Prelates wherein they so much gloryed 3. Because the Lords detestation of Antichrist is so great that he will not endure his people should touch with the least of her abominations as I shewed before and as he would not of old so much as take a stone for a corner nor for a foundation of his Church from heathen Babylon Jer. 51.26 So neither will he now make use of any thing of Antichristian Babylon in his Church of the New Testament 4. Lastly because God hath required that his people should be humbled and ashamed of all their old sinnes in this way before he will shew them the right and true pattern of his Gospell worship Ezek. 43.10 11. And who knowes but for want of this amongst those that go for Ministers in the church of England it is that God suffers them to be so darke as they are even to this day in the midst of so much glorious light in the matters of his house and worship A man may come into 40. places where they are preaching and praying even upon dayes of humiliation and yet never heare them bewaile among multitude of other sinnes they confesse this particular evill of their Antichristian ordination Obj. But some are so farre from seeing a necessity of this that they rather plead for what they have done and justify themselves in their condition saying that though they received their ordination so the office of their Ministery from the hands of Antichristian Bishops as they are now acknowledged since the Parliaments voting them so yet they lookt on them as Elders and Presbyters and no otherwise Ans To this I answer 1. That it may be some did though I suppose it will be graneed that thousands did not not so much as enquiring or making scruple out of conscience but as the blind man swallowes all so have they done and their sinne may be lesser then those that have had more light 2. But secondly it s well known to those that have their eyes but halfe open that the Bishops did not act in their ordaining of Priests as they were Presbyters but as they were a degree above them to wit Bishops which was allowed them in those dayes by the Ministers of the church of England and what preaching Elder was there by himselfe or with a few other of his bretheren and Colleagues that could then as now without a Bishop make a Minister Now then those Bishops being Antichristian their ordination also must needs be so according to that known Philosophicall maxime Quicquid est agit secundum quod est the effect must needs have resemblance with the cause vid. Whites Answer to Prynne pag. 20. read the Queries about the ordination of Ministers lately published 4. I Answer in the last place that t is not meere learning no nor learning with godlines that makes any man a true Minister of the Church of Christ in these dayes of the Gospell though neither of these is to be excluded