Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	3,931	5	9.9167	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90658	A reply to a confutation of some grounds for infants baptisme: as also, concerning the form of a church, put forth against mee by one Thomas Lamb. Hereunto is added, a discourse of the verity and validity of infants baptisme, wherein I endeavour to clear it in it self: as also in the ministery administrating it, and the manner of administration, by sprinkling, and not dipping; with sundry other particulars handled herein. / By George Philips of Watertown in New England.	Phillips, George, 1593-1644.	1645 (1645)	Wing P2026; Thomason E287_4; ESTC R200088	141,673	168

much degenerate and be defiled in their doctrine and government desperately corrupted with error and sinfull practices as the Jews before Christ commonly and most of all in Christs dayes after Christ the churches of Corinth Galatia the churches of Asia Rev. 2. and 3. c. yet till Christ remove the candlestick and come himself and unchurch them they still abide churches of Christ and are so to be acknowledged of all Fifthly such as the state of the church is such is the state of the Ministry of that church and administration and so long as the true church remains a true church so long the ministry remains a true ministry and all the divine institutions authenticall administrations and truly the Lords ordinances notwithstanding the mixture of humane devices with them making the commandments of God of none effect through their traditions To cleer all these in each particular by the light of divine revelation would require a larger discourse then I intend and not so difficult as tedious I doubt not but any truly judicious considering the state of churches in the old and new Testament will yeeld without any other travell what is here set down and that the church ministry and administrations stand and fall together To come then to the question I affirm that if there be true churches in England then there is a lawfull ministry there and true authenticall administrations But there are true churches there Ergo there is a lawfull ministry there and authenticall administration The Consequent is cleer because it is the true being of a church that giveth being to the truth of ministry and ordinances and not the ordinances that give being to a church Lot any company set up preaching and administer the Sacraments I so call them for discourse sake that will not make that company to be a church but because they are not a church therefore they are not Gods ordinances The antecedent that there are true churches in England I prove thus If the true visible state of Christs Church be to abide from his time unto the end of the world as it must Dan. 7. Luke 1.33 Mat. 16.16 18.18.20 28.19 20. 1 Cor. 11. Heb. 12.29 c. then it is in England and places of like consideration that it hath continued in some other places of the world But it hath not continued in any other places of the world it will be gratefull to all that desire truth if any man can shew where also in England and places of like consideration hath Christs visible church continued Again if there be no other churches in the world nor have bin for many hundred yeers but those that are infected with Papisme that is the dominion of the Pope and traditional doctrine or reformed churches and England amongst others then either the churches infected with Papisme are the true visible churches of Christ or the reformed But there are no other churches in the world nor have been for many hundred yeers but those that are infected with Papisme or the reformed Ergo the one or the other must be the true visible churches of Christ But notwithstanding those that are infected with Papisme few grant it as now they stand Ergo the reformed and England amongst others Further if Antichrist must fit in the Temple of God 2 Thes 2.4 and the courts of the Temple be given unto the Antichristian Gentiles for a certain time Rev. 11.1 to 15. to tread under foot then there was a true church-estate where he sate and whilest he sate there and the true measured Temple whose courts he treads under foot nor can there be Antichrist unlesse there be the Temple and courts thereof where he is And if Antichrist ever sate in England then there was the Temple of God there before he sate in it and whilest he sate in it as also in other reformed churches The Temple or church is the subject wherein hee must sit The Antichristian seat is not the subject nor constitutes it but is an accident vitiating the subject the removing thereof Antichristianity doth not destroy the subject or make it cease to be but changeth it into a better state I shall adde this If ever there were true churches constituted in England then they remain so still or God hath by some manifest act unchurched them unlesse therefore they that deny true ministry in England and baptisme there can and do prove that churches were never constituted there or make good some manifest act of God unchurching them sutable to such acts of his in Scriptures in the like cases and whereby wee may cleerly discern the like effects all that can be said to disprove the lawfulnesse of ministry there or to prove the unlawfulnesse of administrations there so far as they are prescribed in the word will not be available And yet I shall be content to speak a little farther of the church-estate and ministry in England And concerning churches it is to be considered that a companny become or are a church either by conversion and initiall constitution or by continuance of the same constituted churches successively by propagation of members who all are born in the church-state and under the covenant of God and belong unto the church and are a church successively so long as God shall continue his begun dispensation even as well and as fully as the first and though in respect of the numericall members they are not the same yet truly they are the same in kinde Rom. 11.16 1 Cor. 7.14 Gal. 2.15 even as man continues the same in kind from the first man though not the same in number so the church-estate continued from Adams time till Abrahams in the world by succession of generations So the Jewes continued a church from Abrahams time till Christs Secondly the way to prove churches to have had true constitution is no way to be attained but either by Scriptures or humane testimony By Scriptures we may take notice of many churches planted in Judea Syria Galatia Achaia Macedonia c. and by name Rome Corinth Cenchrea Philip Coloss Thessal Ephes Smyrna c. of any other by name I know not That the Apostle preached from Jerusalem to Illyricum and that hee mentions his coming into Italy by Spain is evident but whether any churches were planted there or no divine records manifest not And as cleer it is that those churches mentioned in Scriptures are destroyed nor can wee by Scriptures prove the continuance of Christs visible Kingdome in the world for many hundred yeeres upward but in Rome which few will plead for to have any truth of church-estate and I see no need of proving any such thing in this case So that by Scripture testimony I know not where we may cast our eys to look upon any Church now or for many yeers past existent By humane testimony we may take notice of the Gospel preached in many places and amongst other in Britain by Apostolicall authority where the Word hath ever continued since

more or lesse and therefore it is false for Rome to challenge the conversion of the English nation and no lesse absurd and injurious for us to draw and derive our succession from them As the Gospel was received there so it hath not been without fruit as also in other places but under the tyrannie of Ethnick Emperors and apostafie of Antichristian Bishops many there have witnessed unto the truth of Christ and suffered for the testimony of Jesus nor hath it been at any time nor is now ineffectuall there but the Lord hath been pleased to blesse those means of his notwithstanding persecution or corruptions with conversion of many thousand soules from Satan to himself yea hee hath not only reserved successively even in England unto himself thousands that have not bowed their knees unto Baal but amongst others some of the most famous lights that he vouchsafed to raise up in the time of that horrid darknesse overspreading the world have been of English Christians as Mr. Wickliffe Pastor of Lutterworth though corruptly called in part in Lincolnshire It cannot be denyed that as in all other places of the Western world wheresoever Christianity setled the whole world went after the Beast and all churches I know not one excepted with that apostafie were corrupted and the courts of the Temple were not measured and the holy city was given to be troden under foot of the Gentiles Antichristian 42. moneths yet all this time the holy city remains a holy city and after too unlesse God himself rejecteth her In the same condition amongst others were the churches in England corrupted as the rest with false doctrine Idolatry c. and usurped upon by Antichrist against which God even there also had his two witnesses some few prophesying in sackcloth At last it pleased God more fully to cleer up the light and caused his truth to prevail so as many thousands were redeemed from amongst men Antichristian and they were the first fruits unto God and the Lamb nor was the church-estate altered essentially all this time nor are these first fruites unto God new constituted churches but members of some churches cleering themselves from corruption and by reformation recovering themselves out of a desperate diseased condition into a more healthfull and sound estate In which course the Lord went on mightily in many places especially after Luthers time yea even in England something by Henry the 8th more by Edward the 6th and Queen Elizabeth who did not constitute new churches but reformed the churches as Geneva Scotland c. in a further degree deeply degenerated from the first constitution and the pure state thereof as they did the like in the state of Judah often sometimes better and more fully and sometimes not so fully in the dayes of Judges David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah Ezra and Nehemiah To conclude this as I believe firmly Christs visible Church hath continued in the world from his time to this day though not alwayes in one estate nor ever in like purity So I know not how it may be better cleared in the generall or any thing more be said for any other church or churches then I have here set down for the continuance of the visible church-estate in England in particular if any can I think they shall do well and that which is necessary especially in these times and therefore as I said afore unlesse they that deny true ministry in England can shew that there never was church-estate in England nor constituted churches or that God hath given them a bill of divorce I shall desire all that will not be satisfied herewith that they will be content not to disquiet themselves with disturbance to others I come now to propound some things about the ministry there in particular To this purpose wee know all that no man can have a lawfull Calling but of God and that in one of these two wayes Immediately by himself without concurrence of man or mediately by men using them as instruments other way of calling I know not any according to the Word accounting all callings or way of calling not set down in the Word to be humane and Idolatrous Concerning the way of calling by men for of the other I know not any but the Apostles that ever were or are to be called two things I desire to speak to First who hath the power of applying a calling to a man Secondly how it is applyed 1. Who hath the power of applying a ministeriall calling to a man some say the Pope some stand for in mediate revelation both which I conceive to be alike contrary to the Word some say the Christian Magistrate quà Magistrate at least approbation but I see no warrant for this neither some say the Church but by Chuch they understand a Presbyterie or Classis a company of Presbyters of severall churches or Councell but of these wee have no cleer evidence in Scriptures to evince such a church or such a practice For though there be mention of laying on of the hands of Presbyters yet that was not the actuall calling of a man but a ceremony of confirmation as I shall shew afterward By church therefore I judge is meant a company of Saints joyned together in profession and successively standing up in the same estate and this company hath power to apply the office to such a man as may be according to Gods Word Thus I judge partly from Scriptures partly from reason the Scriptures are these in the old Testament the Jewes chose their own officers Deut. 1.13 16.18 In the new Testament Act. 1.26 The word signifies hee was incorporated into the societie of the eleven by common suffrages In the context I note two things First the whole company did choose two from out of themselves and set them before the Lord because the applying of that kinde of calling depended only on God yet they bring it thus far as to single out two Secondly God having chosen one of the two they subscribe to it by joynt suffrages nor did any other thing concur in that mans calling no imposition of hands which if it had been necessary certainly should have been especially there being eleven Apostles present and inferiour persons in a case imposed hands on Paul and Barnabas Acts 13. Again Acts 6.3 5. The multitude that is the church and it seems without the assistance of the Apostles did look out by examination and triall and choose seven men amongst themselves and then set them before the Apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them Acts 14.23 They set no Elders in every church by lifting up of hands that is they assisted the churches in ordaining Elders who were chosen by peoples suffrages manifested by their lifting up their hands and 2 Cor. 8.19 he whose praise is in the Gospel was chosen by the churches testifying their suffrages by lifting up their hands from which Scriptures I judge that the power of choosing and setting apart a person for

cap. 2. sect 6. the rather because he is quoted by one as affirming Tom. 1. p. 347. that immersion was changed into aspersion after the time of Gregory 1. which was about 500. years after Christ which if he did then it is cleare he altered his judgement afterward for thus in the place quoted by me he writeth Incertum quando immersio met at a fuit in aspersionem aut unde facto initio c. It is uncertain when dipping was changed into sprinkling or whence it had beginning unlesse it may seeme that 3000. could not be baptized of a few Apostles and that in our dayes if every one should be dipped nor was there sufficient water to douze the Jaylor in the prison if hee was baptized by dipping use sheweth sprinkling to be more meet both in regard of the incommodiousnesse of the season as also in respect of modesty for which cause it is manifest that Deaconesses were imployed in undressing of women nor is the nature of the sacrament thereby altered for seeing all the force of water is in signification by washing certainly it is not much to purpose how much one is washed as in the Supper of the Lord how much one eateth or drinketh for the washing of one part is of the same nature with washing the whole Thus farre he Nor doth the sprinkling of a few drops of water more tend to evacuate Christe death or to nourish this dangerous errour that any should bee hereby occasioned to think that a few drops of Christs blood shed for his people is sufficient to wash away their sins then the eating of a bit of bread and drinking a few drops of wine doth evacuate his death and tend to nourish the same errour and what river may not in this consideration be excepted against or what quantity must it bee limited unto Thus I have run out my thoughts concerning this rite of administring baptisme I come in the next place to consider the administration of baptisme in England and the authority by which baptisme was there administred And I beleeve it is necessary to be resolved that was done by a lawfull power and just authority For though an officer of State doe a thing by vertue of his office and according to law maketh the thing authenticall and of force civilly yet it will not follow that if any private man not in office shall doe the same thing in the same form of words and every way else without any difference that such an act is legall and will be allowed but rather it will expose the doer and for whom such a thing is done to danger of just penalty So in this case and therefore if the authority by which baptisme was there administred be not lawfull and of God I confesse I cannot see how the thing it selfe can be in force and justifiable I adde that all Antichristian power and administrations by it as Antichristian cannot be lawfull And being it selfe an Idoll and humane invention it cannot give being to an ordinance or adde any thing to it but corrupt it and make it rather worse then better The ordination of a Pope or Prelate the presentation of a Patron c. give not the Minister a calling nor are necessary at all to make a man a Minister they corrupt the calling and the purity of it but the essentiall of a caling is from some other power which is necessarily required to make the practise good and authenticall If Johns baptisme was of men certainly it was unlawfull but if of God so it was lawfull and so I say of ours To cleare my selfe here I shall premise these things and so come to the conclusion First a calling may be lawfull and of God and yet corrupted many wayes as first by unfitnesse of persons in regard of their qualifications for the Pharisees sate in Moses chaire Matth. 23. Malac. 2.8 Secondly by the manner of entrance into the calling so the high Priesthood administred by them who took upon them the Kingly dignity many of them also purchasing the Priesthood by mony given to the heathen Kings who often put out one and put in another and whereas the high Priest was to continue during his life yet Caiaphas was high Priest but a yeare Thirdly by their ungodly and wicked acts in it as Elies sonnes Aaron yeelded to the people to make a Calfe and kept a festivall day yet did not these things nullifie the calling of the Priest hood nor did their administrations prove null thereby and invalid In the new Testament the church of Thyatira had corrupted the Ministeriall calling grosly in suffering a woman under colour of a Prophetesse to teach yet did not this destroy the calling of Ministry in that Church but that the calling of Ministry in that Church was lawfull Secondly a Church becomes a Church or a company of men and women become a Church not by usurping the things of God of themselves nor by imitating others in their Church practices as the Edomites Ishmaelites c. or Manasseh the son in law of Sanballat who builded a Temple in mount Gerizim after the fashion of that in Jerusalem or Onias building one in Egypt and in both of them setting up such services as were in Jerusalem but by Gods dispensation and that performed by these two acts First on Gods part sending the word of his grace offering it unto a people thereby opening their eyes and turning them from darknesse to light and taketh hold of them by some effect of his power so that he turns them from Idols to God Secondly from that act he produceth another by that effect of his power whereby such people takes hold on Gods offer and taking him and his Christ to be theirs and submitting themselves unto Christ as their Lord and King yeeld themselves up together in joynt and publike visible profession according to his lawes and ordinances Thirdly such a church thus constituted is a true church and a reall Ecclesiasticall body polity or corporation in it self and so many companies as thus joyn together are so many churches of equall power rights priviledges and jurisdictions nor is any one a mother church unto others but all are sister churches and though civilly the people may be distinguished into many commonwealths and many may be subject unto one yet the severall churches of every subordinate commonwealth are not hereby subject unto the church of the common-wealth to which the rest are subordinate but they remain entirely equall among themselves and all equally subordinate unto Jesus Christ Fourthly such a church or churches so remain still true churches so long as God continues his dispensation towards them and no longer but when God forsakes them and gives them a bill of divorce then they leave off to be a church and not before nor is it in the power of any other church or churches to unchurch any one such church but Christ himself must do that This church or these churches notwithstanding may