Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	apostle_n	false_a	teacher_n	2,669	5	9.2326	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90879	A voice from heaven: or, A testimony against the remainders of Antichrist yet in England: and in particular, the court of tryers for approbation of ministers. / Born by Gualter Postlethwait, pastor to a Church of Christ in Lewes in Sussex.	Postlethwaite, Walter, d. 1671.	1655 (1655)	Wing P3022; Thomason E1498_3; ESTC R208640	39,391	112

in the aforesaid Treatise pag. 371. This is altogether strange to Scripture for if we grant that single congregations with their Eldership be excluded from the power of Government and exercising Ecclesiastick discipline yet will it not appear from Scripture that there are any higher Elderships or larger combinations of Churches then those of the first form and of the first step from the single congregation yea the contrary apears in that the Churches of Asia grant them collective Churches Rev. 2. and 3 chapters do severally receive of Christ the praise of their good and blame of their evil carriage each single Church for her self without any reflection on superior combinations notwithstanding some of them lay situate within eight or ten miles of each other and those that were farthest distant not above 200 miles each from other as some have computed the Journeys between them This is strange if there were superior Combina●ions and if there should have been 't is much that Christ should not blame them after so long continuance of Christianity for not setting up his ordinances especially considering the defection of divers of the Churches to whose charge it might well have been laid as a thing wherein they were accessary to their own Apostacy that they had not set all up Gods meanes to preserve them If it be objected that we read of an higher Eldership exercising acts of rule over a Proportional combination of Churches viz a Synodical assembly Act. 15. To this I answer We read not of any combination of any such combination of the Churches there mentioned viz. of Hierusalem Antioch Syria and Cilicia whereby they should become Subject unto the rule of one superior Eldership in matters conceived to belong firstly to their cognizance or that may be referred unto them or in which there may be appeales made unto them nor when and how the said combination was made and established Secondly here was no Synod by which our adversaries understand an assembly of Officers resulting out of many inferiour Presbyteries I say here was no Synod in this sense For we read of no forreigners that came to this Synod if we must call it so but these that came from Antioch of whom we finde nothing that may import their concurrence in the decrees of it but these proceeded from the Apostles Elders and whole Church that must needs mean the Church at Hierusalem and when 't is said With the whole Church there is a reflection in the expression on the Apostles and Elders as related at least in their present residence and action which is all can be said of the Apostles being general officers unto that Church onely So that upon the whole the result is that the decrees here made were of the Church at Jerusalem and the officers of it onely Thirdly here was no appeale from the censure of the Church at Antioch For we read not of any Ecclesiasticall censure that the Church at Antioch had passed either concerning the persons disputing or the things disputed but onely of dissention and disputation had betwixt Paul and Barnabas and those that came from Judea Neither were there any refers made from Antioch unto Hierusalem as though the matter were too high for their Cognizance or beyond their abilitie to determine For the Churches of Antioch and Hierusalem were alike congregational I say more then Classical in that strict sense wherein the next to Congregational is meant our adversaries cannot say and furnished both with extraordinary Officers to which appeals and refers in the sense before recited cannot agree But the reason of sending from Antioch unto Hierusalem seemes to me most probably to be this viz. to take off the scandal that came to the Church of Antioch and at least might come to those of Syria and Cilicia also by these false teachers by whose comming out of Judea it may be also bragging of the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem that they taught the same doctrine to the brethren there yea moreover and it may be urging them to go and see if it Vid. Bez. in oc were not so by these meanes I say the Church of Antioch had as it is probable at least twice taken some offence and been staggered in their faith as though Paul and Barnabas had taught otherwise then the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem And so the errand of these Messengers from Antioch to Hierusalem was primarily to get satisfaction that there was the same doctrine taught at Hierusalem that was at Antioch for the establishing of such as might be staggered and preventing of farther danger by the pretences of these false teachers And this seemes to shine forth clearly in the returne of those at Hierusalem in the 23 24 25 26 27. verses Because some had gone out from them that had offended the brethren of Antioch c. therefore they send chosen men of their own company that might take off the offence by assuring them of the contrary judgement of the Apostles to what those false teachers taught Fourthly here was no rule exercised over the Churches to which they of Hierusalem wrote the result of their conference occasioned by the Messengers from Antioch wherein they throughly weighed the controverted point to give a sound resolve for the establishing of the staggering brethren There was no rule exercised I say for Paul is so embarqued with the Church of Antioch by his residence there and deepe hand in carrying on the controversie with the false teachers that I cannot see how without diminution of his Apostolical authority that the decrees of the Apostles should be more then materially binding viz. because Gods word onely How Paul that in the defence of this same point causes whomsoever should preach otherwise then he with the rest of his perswasion Gal. 1. 8 9. had preached how he I say should submit unto any Judicature on earth Authoritatively determining of his doctrine whether sound or not so as their decrees should be formally binding viz. as the decrees of such a court this I cannot conceive And again 't is a joynt act to make these Dec●ees a joynt act of the Apostles Elders and brethren the whole Church concurs to the making and sending of them and that under the same Notion vers 22 23. 25 28. It pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church It seemed good unto us being assembled with one accord It seemed good unto the holy Ghost and to us which us must be interpreted by Apostles Elders and brethren mentioned in the inscription of the letter Now it will not be granted that the brethren did joyne with the Apostles in an act of rule over another Church or Churches Neither will it helpe to say that the concurrence of the Apostles and Elders and of the brethren was of a different nature For the text is so full as to the involving them together in the same act under the same expressions even the highest with so much punctualness in signifying their joynt

A Voice from Heaven OR A TESTIMONY AGAINST The remainders of Antichrist Yet in ENGLAND And in particular the Court of Tryers For Approbation of MINISTERS Born by GUALTER POSTLETHWAIT Pastor to a Church of Christ in Lewes in Sussex LONDON Printed for Livewel Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-alley 1655. To the Saints and faithful brethren that are in England Scotland and Ireland especially to that little flock of God over which the holy Ghost hath made him overseer Gualter Postlethwaite wisheth grace mercy and peace from God our Father and from the Lord JESUS CHRIST Brethren and beloved SOme thoughts have of late more then formerly and more sadly visited my heart that I wish may prevaile more upon your hearts First the thought of the greatness the soveraignty and soveraigne perfection of God the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God is stronger then men He is the onely Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords and that in the most undoubted right that has made all things of nothing by the word of his mouth for himself Vaine man would be wise although he be borne like the wild asses colt he will provoke God to anger transgresse his Laws change his ordinances and breake the everlasting Covenant But who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him He that reproveth God let him answer it Do we provoke the Lord to anger are we stronger then he Adde not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar The world yea the hight of the people do languish because the earth is defilled by deniations from the laws ordinances and Covenants of God 'T is mans deformitie to walke according to his own invention in any thing will prove his own destruction Can God endure to be prescribed by creatures Shall Man coin Laws for Rules of acceptable walking with God in Spiritual Civil or Ecclesiastical things It would be and is horrible impudence for any to do it All the sin and misery in the world brake in at this door viz. by hearkning to Reason against Institution 'T was Israel's sin to do that was right in their own eyes in Civils Judg. 17. 6. much more in Ecclesiasticals The Apostle held a war with reasonings and thoughts of men 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. These are no competent judges of the doctrine of God in Christ but must be overthrown Secondly the thought of the fatal miscarriages of man managing any thing by his own wisdom and strength Eve became the mother of mischief to all living by trusting to carnal Sense and Reason in judging of the tree of knowledge of good and evil The sons of God brought the Deluge on the old world by taking such wives as they chose Israel provoked God to anger with their own Inventions not onely in point of Worship but in the matters of their Commonwealth when they followed their own fancies and the Customs of men but in determining what kinde of Government to set up in the Nation and were convinced of their mistake by a signe from heaven God thundering his displeasure against them from heaven and raining tokens of his wrath upon them and the tyranny that followed was as teaching of the same God giving them such recompence of their error as was meet Gedeon would have a new way of remembering the victory by a costly Ephod and Israel went a whoring after it which thing became a snare to Gedeon and to his house Alas 't is but a shew of wisdom that is in Will-worship Col. 2. 23. and by this means men are beguiled of their reward vers 18. and righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people Prov. 14. 34. We think by our own inventions to get us glory among the Nations whilst we conform our selves to the worldly glory of their government but our way were to keep to Gods statutes and judgments without adding or diminishing then the Nations would say Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people Deut. 4. 6. Thirdly the thought of the perfection of the Scriptures They are able to make us wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3 15. to teach us how to behave our selves in the Church 1 Tim. 3. 15. how to behave our selves in the Commonwealth David teaches the Church to pray Give the King thy judgements and thy righteousness unto the Kings Son Psal 72. 1. The Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished to all good works 2 Tim. 3. 16. Therefore my beloved brethren accept no Law-giver but Jesus Christ neither in Church nor Commonwealth Let this be your profession The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver he is our King And though other Lords besides him rule over us let us b● him onely make mention of his Name that will in due time save us from devilish government in the Church when he shall give the body of the Beast to the burning flame and cast the Beast and false Prophet into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone and from all worldly government in Commonweals when the Stone cut out of the mountain shall smite on the toes of the Image Then not onely the Clay but the Iron and the Brass and the Silver the Gold-government shall be broken to pieces and be carried away like dust by the wind and no more place shall be found for them no not for the goodliest Government that ever was invented by the wit of man And till that time change of Governments will be the disease of the world whilst Crowns and Diadems are transposed from one Man and from one People to another I must say it although I delight in it considered in it self as little as others that complain of the great cry of Overturnings wherewith the world is now Alarm'd There will be overturnings till he come whose right it is Oh the stupidity of men that apprehend not Gods displeasure against the Governments of this world by the often changes that are made 'T is to be feared that this is Judiciary that God may leave Europe and the wise Nations thereof unto themselves to walk in their own counsels because they trust in and leave nothing of their own doings nor of their stubborn way whilst he passes over to America and thence to the East-Indies to set up the government of Jesus Christ amongst the Barbarous Nations The Lords word brethren is to me to you Love the Truth and Peace Let us not of a fond affection to Peace and Ease lose Truth yet in our striving for Truth let us strive lawfully or else we shall not be crowned Wherein I would have every one be wary not with a carnal but spiritual wariness walk in your Warfare by a divine Rule act from a divine Spirit keep to a divine Frame of Spirit and stand every one in his place striving for Truth I hope in what