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A78093 Temple-defilers defiled, vvherein a true visible Church of Christ is described. The evils and pernicious errours, especially appertaining to schisme, anabaptisme, and libertinisme, that infest our Church, are discovered. And directions to preserve from the sin and punishment of temple-defiling, delivered in two sermons preached at the lecture in Kingston upon Thames, Feb. 20. & 27. 1644. out of I Cor. 3.17. / By Richard Byfield pastor in Long-Ditton, Surrey. Byfield, Richard, 1598?-1664. 1645 (1645) Wing B6394; Thomason E278_20; ESTC R200019 46,454 48

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This from the word Temple in the sense here used 2. Doct. Many there are yea many within the visible Church that are defilers and Violaters of this Temple of God 3. Doct. God will certainly punish every and all the defilers and violaters of this his Temple with punishments proportionable to their sin in violating and defiling the same For the first of these Note the difference I put between a Professor of the true Faith and a true professor of that true Faith One may professe the truth and not truly professe it he may be a hypocrite in his profession A Professor is visible and profession of the Faith may be discerned by men from profession of falshood but a true Professor and the truth of his profession is to be desired and prayed for but is not so easily discerned God onely that searches the heart can infallibly judge of this Again I use the word Society as the Genus of a Church not an Assembly for a Church is no lesse a Church when the Assembly is dismissed then when they are Assembled in the use of any Ordinance of God Nor a Congregation that word is too narrow it agreeth not to all the kindes but the word Society that agrees to a particular visible Church and to the whole visible Church to the Church in a house the Church in a Village of one Congregation the Church in a City consisting of many Congregations as the Church of Ierusalem of Ephesus of Corinth the Church in a Kingdom or Nation committed to the profession of the Faith of Christ the Church in the whole world the Church in her Officers gathered together to hear complaints the Church in her Members assembled to worship and serve the Lord according to the Gospel of Christ It is weak and a poor quarrell my opinion is it is so to deny a National Church under the New Testament for under the old its beyond all question and to plead there is no other visible Church then Congregationall The Church at Ierusalem was not Congregationall in that sense that is it did not consist of one Congregation that could meet in one place all the Members of it have one Pastor preach to them at one time and use other Ordinances of Worship as the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Baptisme Publique Prayer and fellowship together twelve Apostles were not able to discharge to them the duty that belonged to the word and Prayer without the help of seven Deacons to take off them the care of distributing of the Church-Almes Act. 6. 1 2 3 4. It is hard to make clear proof that the word Church in all the History of the New Testament is given to a Congregation I desire to see it And why may not a Nation professing the Faith be called a Church as well as all the world of Professors be called a Church Why not now as well as under the Old Testament The word Church is applicable to every Society of men that professe the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ We read of Churches in the New-Testament because we have severall Societies and Nations of men converted and become the people of God And whereas I hear of some that say did ye ever hear of Nations converted in the Scripture those be strange conversions the conversions of whole Nations I answer did you ever read the Scripture and yet passe by those famous prophesies concerning the Church under the New Testament All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord And shall glorifie thy name Psa 86. 9. Again In the last dayes the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains c. Isa 2. 2 3 4. And all nations shall fl●w unto it and many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up c. And he shall judge among the Nations And again Zac. 8. 20 21 22. There shall come people and the inhabitants of many Cities and the inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also Yea many people and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord and pray before him It is a strange thing you say The Lord speaks of it indeed as a strange work Who hath heard such a thing Who hath seen such things Shall a Nation be born at once Esa 66. 81. Yet Zion doth so To what purpose were that command Go teach all Nations and Baptize if a Nation might not receive the Gospel and Baptisme or can any doubt of such an effect of Preaching the Gospel when Christ hath promised to his Ministers preaching to Nations that He will be with them to the end of the world Who can deny whole Nations imbracing the Gospel that have not lost their senses the Nation of England at this day and the Nation of Scotland professe the truth of Christ and now in their representative bodies are all for Reformation for the power of godlinesse for the rooting out of Popery Heresie Schisme Prelacy Prophanenesse and in this work count not their lives and livelyhoods dear unto them Moreover since I am upon this point let me propose this Argument for a Nationall Church He that hath all power given to him of God in Heaven and earth and out of the fulnesse of that power saith Teach all Nations and Baptize them and promiseth his presence to the World and to make the Nations obedient to the Faith and to receive the Gospel and Baptisme doth in so doing set up properly one Church of all the Nations in the world that receive the Gospel and Baptisme and make Nationall Churches of the severall Nations that receive the Gospel and Baptisme But Jesus Christ hath all power given him of God in Heaven and Earth and out of the fulnesse of that power saith Teach all Nations and Baptize them and promiseth his presence to the worlds end to make the Nations obedient and to receive the Gospel and Baptisme Therefore IESVS CHRIST doth in so doing set up one Church of all Nations that receive the Gospel and Baptisme and make Nationall Churches of the severall Nations that receive the Gospel and Baptisme I have degressed somewhat but let it passe Whether there be a Nationall or Congregationall Church or no this is sure every Society of Christians professing the true Faith is a Church and the Temple of God which now we come to prove for that is requisite that both branches of the first Doctrine be made good by clear Scripture The fi●st that every Christian professing the true Faith especially the true Professor is Gods Temple read the 16. verse of this Chapter and chap. 6. 6. 19. Where the Apostle saith Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God What know you not this Every Christian profession answereth our outward call is called to this honour to be Gods Temple this is the dignity to which ye are
the head of that Apostasie and of the Popish Apostaticall Synagogue farre from the Apostolicall Church of which Christ is head 3. In spirituall fornication and adultery which is Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship thus the Popish Synagogue is the Whore of Babylon 4. In lyes taught in Hypocrisie and doctrines of Devills 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. 5. They defile and destroy Gods Temple that by pernicious errours destroy and ever either of the two great ordinances of God the Magistracy and the Ministery the Authors the fautors cherishers or nurses ●he receivers abettors or applauders of such errours these strike the very Pillars of the Temple 1. For Magistracy those that erroneously teach that Magistrates have nothing to doe in the first but only in the second Table of the Law that they are to preserve the Peace and judge about meum and tuum mine and thine but for Religion and Gods Worship and Doctrine they have not to doe with their power in those But God saith I will give Kings to be thy nursing fathers Esa 49. 23. as speaking of the Church under the New Testament David saith Psal 122. 9. because of the house of the Lord I will seeke to doe thee good And againe Psa 101. 8. I will betimes cut off evill doers ●rom the City of God Restauration of the true Worship and Religion and the demolishing and extirpation of the false were the chiefe praises of godly Princes Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiah and of Nehemiah the renowned reformer Neh. 13. Obj. That 's the Old Testament Sol. What are the Damned Manichees again raised from Hell Shall we againe be haunted with the Ghosts of the old Heresies sentenced to the bottomlesse Pit one thousand four hundred yeares agoe for rejecting the Old Testament 2. Doe you ●old the New Testament to be in force you must then receive the Old The New Testament is not to be received but as it agrees with the Old Christ bids Search the Scripture Ioh. 5. 39. 46. meaning the Old Testament which then was only written he saith Had yee believed Moses yee would have believed me He that refuseth the Old Testament where his lust serves him will doe as much for the New The Evangelists writing of Christ that we might believe on him runs thus this was done that it might be fulfilled which was written The Apostles in their Epistles confirme all they say in matters of faith and holy life out of the Old Testament as to instance in two or three places for all the great point of faith in 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6 7. the great point of holinesse of life in 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. the great duty of obedience to Parents in Ephes 6. 1 2 3. read the Texts The Scripture of the Old Testament will furnish a Minister of the New Testament the man of God and make him absolute 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. It is for every Christian a more sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. 21. than voyces from Heaven it is a light that shineth in the dark untill Christ the Day-starre dawn in the heart of him that takes heed to it 3. But let us come to the New Testament Rom. 13. 4. 3. Magistracy is the Ordinance of God set up for the punishment of evill-doers when Blasphemy and Idolatry false worship Heresie Prophanesse and cursed Oathes are not evill-doing then let the Magistrate have nothing to doe with the first Table it is Gods Ordinance for the praise of them that doe well when the seeking of the Lord Iehovah the use of Christs holy Institutions the profession of his holy Name and Faith the sanctification of his Holy Day ' and in a word when Piety ceaseth to be well-doing then let the power of Magistracy cease about matters of the first Table the Magistrate is the Minister of God for thy good O Christian as thou art a Christian he is to thee for good 1 Tim. 2. 2. 5 6. Out of this Text note to stop the mouthes of all Cavaliers 1. The end of Magistracy is not only that thou maist who art a Christian lead a peaceable and quiet life but the end of that end that thou maist lead it in all godlinesse and honesty 2. For the better attaining to this end thou art bound to pray all manner of Prayer for Kings and all in Authority this duty he cannot doe that holds this errour 3. The reasons on which this rule and exhortation is grounded doe reach out all their strength to this that the Magistrate may being converted to the Truth not only looke to that part of his duty to be the father of the Country and Common-wealth but the Nu●sing-father to the Church not only to see the Peace be kept but to see that Piety flourish all Godlinesse the Reasons are these 1. God will have all men i. e. all sorts of men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Pray for them that coming to the knowledge of the truth they may the better use the Sword to maintaine the truth and restraine and debellate falshood 2. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour that your prayers should be the meanes to bring in Kings and Parliaments States and all in Authority to uphold Godlinesse out of an heart truely inlightened and inflamed with the love of Godlinesse you please not Christ if you pray not for them out of such a principle and to such an end 3. There is but one God both of Kings and Magistrates that are yet without and abuse their power against all true godlinesse and of you why should yee doubt but that he will heare your Prayers and at your Prayers give you Magistrates that shall make it their honour to use their power for God to attaine his main end that is your Godly life as well as your peaceable and honest life as they received it from God who hath ordained Magistracy for the attaining of that main end 4. There is but one Mediator between God and men who gave himselfe a ransome for all that testimony in proper seasons Christ mediates for Magistrates is a ransome for Magistrates is that testimony which is as well testified to Magistrates as any other and if any say we have prayed long and prevailed little you must know there are proper seasons full seasons for this testimony to be dispensed and to make that dispensation effectuall therefore pray pray all manner of Prayers for their thorough conversion that they may glory more to see their Dominions all Godly under that one God through that one Mediator by that one Gospell that witnesseth of this Grace by one Faith one common Faith in that only ransome of Christ in one way of his true Worship then to see their Dominions rich and peaceable Why under this one God and this one Christ feeding among you may you not raise up to you seven Shepheards and eight Princes of men say all yea by Prayer of faith we shall doe it 2. For