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
A90686	A scripture-rale to the Lords Table; or, Observations upon M. Humphreys his treatise, intituled, An humble vindication of free admission to the Lords Supper. Tending to discover the loose and prophane principles therein suggested. Published for the undeceiving the weak, and removing offences occasioned by it in the practice of reformation. Being the result of the discourses of some preachers in the county of Gloucester near Stow on the Wold, at their weekly meetings. / Digested by Anthony Palmer pastor of the Church of Christ at Bourton on the Water.	Palmer, Anthony, 1618?-1679.	1654 (1654)	Wing P218; Thomason E1496_2; ESTC R208631	72,178	194

and none shall let it Isa 43.13 The good Lord pardon us if we are not cleansed according to the purifying of the Sanctuary We shall yet for further satisfaction briefly give an answer to the most common objections to and misunderstandings of our practice It is enquired in what relation do we conceive our selves to stand unto the rest and how doe we esteem of them 1. As to the weak but not obstinate that have not strength enough to come up to this practice we conceive it the Ministers duty to labour their convincement in publick and private and the united Brethren to do their duty by praying for them and to labour to draw them on to them by all good wayes and means and not to neglect them 2. To such as peremptorily deny to subject to Christs Discipline upon indeed a profane account they doe virtually excommunicate themselves at least from that particular Church for being called upon to walk with them in the subjection and fellowship of the Gospel they utterly refuse so to do but will continue in that loose estate and though they were baptized yet by their refusing to subject to Christ they are as Vrsin speaks Deficientes à suo Baptismo Cap. de discip excom such as for the present make void the fruit of their Baptism though if they are after called we do not assert a necessity of renewing it and to admit such to the Lords Supper were as that acute Author justly saith and is evident from the Word to confound and make one the Church of Christ and the Kingdom of the devil as we shall God willing demonstrate in this Discourse and though they pretend to professe and know God yet factis negant foedus Dei they deny him and his Covenant in their works and lives Tit. 1.16 and so ought not to be admitted to the Seals of it So that such persons refusing to own the Covenant of God into which they were tendered in Baptism Jesus Christ in his Offices and Discipline and the fellowship of that particular Church whereof he pretends to be a Member being called thereunto or by their ignorance and profanenesse not fit to be received what need any formal act of Excommunication passe upon them Specially first Since there was never any such former orderly receiving them into the compleat Communion of the Church upon their professed faith and obedience before the Church nor did ever give their consents to submit to Discipline Secondly Neither is there any way how they should be rightly excommunicated for that the major part of the Church is corrupt which we may well suppose in most of the mixt Parothial Congregations in England and so will not excommunicate nor are fit to do so nor fit to choose Officers to do it Besides as we have formerly hinted we never heard that either the Presbyterian or Congregational Brethren do excommunicate such as submit not and therefore we rather wonder the more why this should be kept up as a note of difference between them when practice confutes it 3. It is objected that we propose a Covenant we answer for the satisfaction of any that we propose the Covenant establisht in Christ Jesus The professing to enter into which we insist upon in order to a persons partaking the seal of it and those who require profession of repentance and faith in Christ before the Presbytery do in substance the same thing for Knowledge Faith and Obedience are the graces of the Covenant 1. It is most evident that Faith and Repentance in Christs and the Apostles time were expected and required to be professed from the person to be baptized 2. 'T is manifest that backsliders from this profession were not to be admitted to further Communion as Simon Magus And that those who brake bread Act. 2.42 continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship It is also evident that in the purest times the Sacrament of Baptism was administred to the party entring into Covenant Credis Credo Abrenuncias Abrenuncio Dost thou beleeve I beleeve Dost thou renounce I renounce Plainly it will then follow that it is the duty of those who are baptized in Infancy after they have gladly heard and received the Word to own profess and enter into the Covenant of God into which they were tendred in Baptism and to joyn themselves by a free expressed consent to the Communion of the Church that so they may continue in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread c. This was appointed to be the practice of the Church of England and other Reformed Churches to require this and so none to be esteemed in the compleat Communion of the Church without it and therefore not to be admitted to the Lords Supper till such a covenanting submitting and joyning We finde holy Bucer much lamenting the want of this practice in an Epistle to Calvin Vtinam ficut istud foedus civile hìc aliquando redintegrassemus sanxissemus foedus vitae aeternae quomodo vos conati soli praestitistis Calvin epist fol. p. 509. Further Martyrum Ecclesiae severa Disciplinae religione erant conjunctae c. Speaking further of the Churches there Nisi Christo Domino sunt penitus insiti ejus quoque Disciplinam inter se restituant de ipsis miserè metuo Non desunt in omnibus ordinibus qui restitutioni solidae communionis Disciplinae Christi adversantur Which we english for the weakest that they may observe the concurring judgements of holy men as to our own practice Oh that we had renew'd and establisht the Covenant of eternal life as we have done a civil Covenant The Churches of the Martyrs were joyned together by the severe Religion of Discipline I miserably fear what may become of our Churches unless they are more closely graffed into Christ and that they restore Discipline among themselves There are some of all orders who are against the restoring of solid fellowship and Discipline Now as that which is styl'd a Church-Covenant so much debated among the godly we take it to be no more then such a mutual agreement and joyning together mention'd that solid fellowship and Discipline may be set up else how can there be an unity and fellow-membership in a particular Church Say such even who dispute against this practice This is imply'd in the very principles of Christianity We then apprehend it is not unlawfully but indeed necessary expresly to profess what flows from the principles of it specially in this case where 't is a mans own free act that constitutes him a member of a particular Church Such a Profession and express consent to walk in fellowship and to submit to Discipline we call for and we believe without it it will hardly be set up unless a catechistical answer or two of a person examin'd though never so dead-hearted and a close enemy to the power of godliness shall be thought enough which will be to settle again where we were in old