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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	church_n	true_a	visible_a	4,507	5	9.4265	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08981	Christian advertisements and counsels of peace Also disswasions from the separatists schisme, commonly called Brownisme, which is set apart from such truths as they take from vs and other reformed churches, and is nakedly discouered, that so the falsitie thereof may better be discerned, and so iustly condemned and wisely auoided. Published, for the benefit of the humble and godlie louer of the trueth. By Richard Bernard, preacher of Gods word.	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1608 (1608)	STC 1927; ESTC S113766	84,709	210

Christ though testimonie were giuen vnto him by one whō they knew to be sent of God shall not this Great pride is it and obstinacie to d●spise the voice of all the Churches of God in the world further the condemnation of these men that they refuse to heare and receiue vs though we be commended to them by the testimonie of so many Churches Some cases there are wherein wee are commanded to seeke for the iudgement of other Churches and to account it as the iudgement of God Else why did the Church at Antioch in a questiō that could not be debated at home seeke to the Church at Ierusalem for helpe specially seeing they had two such excellent men with them as Paul and Barnabas whose iudgement they might safely haue trusted vnto Acts 15. 2. Saith our Sauiour to any particular congregation of the faithfull in our owne land that Whatsoeuer they binde on earth shall be bound in heauē Mat. 18. 18. and saith hee it not also to the Churches of other nations Shall he be accounted as a Heathen or Publicane that will not regard the iudgement and censure of that particular congregation whereof hee is a member and shall not they much more Matth. 18. 17. Those of the separation to be held of vs as Heathen and Publicans be so accounted that despise the iudgement of all the Churches Must the spirit of the Prophets be subiect to the Prophets amongst whom they liue 1. Cor. 14. 32. and must not both people and Prophets of a particular Church be subiect to the iudgement of all the Prophets and Churches in the world The abilitie to trie and discerne the spirits and doctrines of such Teachers as arise in the Church is such a gift as the true Church neuer wanted 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Reu. 2. 2. neither could it be the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 2. 15. if it should be ignorant of a truth so necessarie to the saluation of men as this is viz. What people is to bee accounted the true Church of God If God hath giuen his Church power to iudge and pronounce of a particular man that he is in the state of saluation and that so infallibly that hee hath promised to ratifie in heauen the iudgement which the Church in this case shall giue vpon earth Mat. 18. 18. hath hee not much more made his Church able to discerne and pronounce of a congregation or people that it is a true visible Church which is a matter of no such difficultie as the other So that to conclude though these men make so light account of the iudgment and testimony of other Churches as if the word of God had come out frō them or vnto them only 1. Cor. 14. 36. or as if they themselues were better able to iudge of vs then all the godlie learned in the world besides yet do we take much comfort and assurance from hence that wee are the true Church of God The first obiection against the whole body of our Church that it was not rightly constituted The first thing they obiect against the whole bodie of our Church and of our parish assemblies is this That it was not gathered by such meanes as God in his word hath ordained and sanctisted for the gathering of his Church For faith H. Barrow in the 10. page of his discouerie all this people were in one day with the blast of Queene Elizabeths trumpet of ignorant Papists and grosse idolaters made faithfull Christians and true professors And in the 3. page of that Epistle to the Reader which they haue prefixed to their refutation of M. Gyfford they haue these words Where such prophane multitudes were all immediately from publike idolatry at one instant receiued or rather compelled to be members of this Church in some parish or other without any due calling to the faith by the preaching of the Gospell going before or orderly ioyning together in the faith there being no voluntarie or particular confession of their owne faith and duties made or required of any who can say that these Churches were euer rightly gathered or built according to the rules of Christs Testament To all that they thus obiect against But this cannot warrant their separation our first gathering this answere wee giue First that we might lawfully bee accounted a true Church though it could Because the knowledge of this is not necessarilie required to be stood vpon not appeare that wee were at the first rightly gathered For euen as the Disciples might bee well assured of Christs bodily presence amongst them when they saw and felt him Ioh. 20. 19. 28. though they could not haue discerned which way or how hee could possiblie come in so may we esteeme them a true Church of whose present profession and faith we are well assured though wee cannot see by what meanes they were first gathered Else may wee still doubt whither Melchisedech and the families of Iob or Cornelius were true Churches and members of the Church because we cannot find how they were first gathered and conuerted neither indeede can wee see by what commandement in Gods word wee are required to examine how they were gathered and made a Church of whom wee are now certainly perswaded that they were a Church Nay we find good warrant in the Word to the contrarie For wee read of many who hauing by that they heard and saw perceiued euidently that a people was the Church of God did ioyne themselues willingly vnto them without inquiring how they were gathered and conuerted as Abraham to Melchisedech Rahab to Israel the Eunuch to Philip the Iaylor to Paul Silas Secondly wee might be rightly gathered Secondly because mē may be brought otherwise to the outward profession then by the meanes which are most ordinary to the societie and fellowship of the visible Church by other meanes thē by the preaching of the Gospell for proofe whereof wee alleage first their owne iudgement and opinion which how vnsound soeuer it be yet hath it force enough to stoppe their mouthes namely that men may be wonne to the true faith of Christ not only extraordinarily but euen ordinarily also by other meanes then the publike and ministeriall preaching of the Word For if seuerall members may bee conuerted without this meane may they not much rather without it bee gathered together and made an assembly Secondly admit there were no other meane whereby a man could bee soundly conuerted but only preaching yet it is euident that by some other meanes men may lawfullie bee brought to an outward profession and so be made a visible Church Many in the daies of Christ beleeued that is were prepared to heare and beleeue and did also so follow him and professe thēselues his Disciples that no man could without sinne haue denied them to bee members of the visible Church who yet were not all drawne by his word but some by his miracles Ioh. 2. 23. 25 some by the report they

Mordecaies time ●iding in Babylon IV. I aske whether Christs kingdome be not spirituall and inuisible a● so Ioh. 18. 33. and 10. 16. IV. That all not in their way are wit●out IV. Error and doe applie against vs 1. Cor. 5. 1● Ephes 2. 12. I. These places are meant of such ● Answere neuer made so much as an outward pr●fession of Christ Iesus at all II. They cannot proue by the Scri●ture that wee are a people without they will expound this scripture phra●● without by the scripture laying by t●● forgeries of their owne braines III. God almightie hath witness● God hath visible communion with vs and we with him allo that we are his people 1. By giuing vs his word Psal 1● 19. 20. and Sacraments 2. By his effectuall working the by Iere. 23. 22. therefore her● the voice of the Son of God Ioh 25. and the words of eternall 〈…〉 whither thē shall we go Ioh. 6 3. By his most strange and mir●●lous deliuerances of vs from the ●nemies of his Gospell a pro●● of God to his people Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. 7. Yet they regard not the mercie● ●●e Lord but maintaine so stiflie this They like it that we call them brethrē but they will not so account vs. ●rosse error as they hold not themselues ●ound to admonish vs as brethren but ●●ey may let vs alone as men without ●●cept it bee to get vs to them as they ●ould doe euen Turkes and Iewes and ●et they like well that wee should call ●●em brethren a strange imagination ●n they bee our brethren and wee not ●eirs What reason there is to like the ●e and to dislike the other I leaue to ●●l men of reason to iudge V. That onely Saints that is a people V. Error ●●rsaking all knowne sinne of which they ●ay bee conuinced doing all the knowne ●●ll of God increasing and abiding euer ●●erein are the onely matter of a visible ●●urch I. This is a proper description of the Answere ●●uisible members of Iesus Christ and ●●cludes euen hypocrites from being ●●e matter of the visible Church II. This makes that Dauid Iehosha●●at and the Church of God in their ●●ies were no true matter of a Church ●r there was marrying of many wiues ●ere was the continuance of the high ●●ces so plainly spoken against the sen Serpent vntill Hezekiahs daies w●● idolatrouslie worshipped Dauid f●● feare of Ioab did suffer blood all hi● daies to bee vnpunished contrarie t● Gods word and threatning Moses fo● the hardnesse of the peoples hearts di●● allow a bill of diuorcement against th● law of marriage If he had a dispensation from God for this so it is but is n●● manifest vnto vs else here were know● sinnes so Corinth being admonished yet did not amend 2. Cor. 12. 21. as al●● the Churches of Asia Reu. 2. 20. 21. III. The Scriptures which they d●● bring reader marke them are place speaking of inuisible mēbers properli●● of visible analogically or figuratiuel●● as they are iudged to be or in hope the● may bee or shewing what men ought be as the commandements exhorta●●ons admonitions dehortations and 〈…〉 proofes in Scripture declare but th● shew not what men are neither can th● be so alleaged for we cannot conclu●● from those places which teach how m● should be that therefore men are so 〈…〉 else not Gods people IV. Men are called Saints in Scri●ture not for soundnesse of knowledge for ●hen Christs disciples had bin no Saints who were ignorant of many things and ●o other mentioned Act. 19. 1. 2. Not for ●nternall pure affections for then S. Paul had been no Saint Rom. 7. 18. 21. Not for holie practise of their dutie alwaies Eccles 7. 22. An instance of this may be giuen in all the men of God in all ages But they are called Saints I. Because of their outward calling Why a mixt companie whereof the visible Church consisteth are called Saints ●o Christianitie as 1. Cor. 1. 1. which is ●olie and to an holie end 1. Thes 4. 7. Euen as a man rightlie called into the ●unction of the Ministerie of the Gos●ell though hee shew himselfe vnwor●hie thereof yet being therein is there●ore called a Minister so is it with men ●n the calling of Christianitie II. Because of the profession of faith ●n Christ who maketh all true beleeuers holy and Saints III. In respect of Baptisme by which externallie the partie baptised is to bee ●udged to haue put on Christ as Scrip●ure phrase is Gal. 3. 27. to haue remission of his sinnes Act. 2. 39. to be par●aker of Christs death Rom. 6. 3. 4. Collos 2. 12. and to haue assurance of saluation 1. Pet. 3. 21. IV. In respect of the better part though the fewer by many for thus the Scripture speakes ascribing to all that which is due properlie but to some Deut. 1. 23. 24. 1. Cor. 6. 11. compared with 5. 1. 2. Cor. 12. 21. So we speake calling a heape of chaffe and wheate wheate onely not naming the chaffe though the wheat cannot be well seene for the chaffe so lees and dregges of wine mixt with wine we call wine not mentioning the lees So doth God speak of the visible Church being as all Diuines by a generall consent hold a mixt companie both of good and bad V. In respect of the visible signes of Gods fauour and his presence who promiseth to bee with his Thus Exod. 3. 5 the ground was called holy ground not that it was in it selfe holie but for the presence of God there so Ierusalem was called the holy citie Mat. 4. 5. for that the Temple was there and his word and other signes of his presence albeit it was then an odious place containing Simoniacal high Priests Scribes and Pharises hypocrites and false teachers and indeede a bloodie citie murthering Gods Saints Matth. 23. 37. VI. In respect of Gods good pleasure who lookes not vpon his Church as the particular members thereof are but as he accepteth of them therfore is it said He saw no iniquity in Iacob nor transgression in Israel Numb 23. 21. and yet if when this was spoken Israel it selfe had been looked vnto it was an ignorant vnbeleeuing and a stiffenecked people Thus we see in what respect the visible The visible Church is a mixt companie Church is called Saints not as they doe hold in this erroneous position for the visible Church as I haue said is a mixt companie I. The parables in Matth. 13. so set it forth II. Euerie visible Church of God from the worlds beginning euen all of them consisting of good and bad do manifest the truth of the parables so expounded III. The iudgement of learned and godlie Diuines both with vs and beyond the seas doe so vniuersally interpret the same when went the Spirit of God from all Churches herein to them onely Wel it were that all were Saints but that is to looke for a heauen on earth To conclude euen their Church sheweth

Matth. 8. 17. is to be ●●pounded ●●d the rea●●ns why in authoritie were reproued for suffering holy things to bee abused Ezech. 22. 26. 1. Sam. 2. 27. 1. King 13. So in the new Testament Matth. 23. Reuel 2. 1. 8. 12. 18. 3. 1. 7. 14. No mention in these places is made of the people Therfore must that one place 1. Cor. 5. bee expounded by all these places and the whole course of Scripture and practise of Gods people from the worlds beginning and so Tell the Church Mat. 18. 17. must be vnderstood Tell the Gouernours the chiefe Officers of the Church and that it must be so expounded thus it is euident 1. Because Christ must herein be expounded either as the practise was thē or as he appointed it by giuing his cōmission to some afterwards else was hee not then vnderstood neither can now be and we reade not of any that did so practise after the letter but after this exexposition Now the authoritie was thē in the chiefe Gouernours and not in the bodie of the people as appeareth in Ioh. 9. 22. 12. 42. 16. 2. And the commission was giuen to certaine men I haue declared not to all and Cloes complaint is made to the chiefe Gouernour the Apostle and not to the bodie of the people 2. Cor. 1. 11. Therefore it is rightly thus expounded 2. Our Sauiour hauing spoken in the third person Tell the Church when hee commeth to ratifie the authoritie to be committed by him to his Apostles after for the benefit of the Church hee turneth his speech to the second person not saying what it shall binde c but what you shall binde and loose to wit for the good of it c. 3. Hee speakes also of a few two or three gathered together meaning therby the officers of the Church and not al the bodie of which he would haue spoken had hee by Church meant indeede the bodie of the congregation 4. In the 19. verse he establisheth the authoritie of a few for the good of many the officers for the Church for hee saith If two of you shall agree c. whatsoeuer they that is the Church shal desire it shall be giuen vnto them where is also a plaine difference in change of the person againe betweene the officers of the Church and the Church complaining to haue things reformed 5. It is necessarie to take it here figuratiuely 1. it doth agree to the practise of the Iewish Church from whence it is held that the manner of gouerning in the Church is fetched 2. For that as you haue heard it agreeth to Christs commission giuen 3. For the other reasons before going and the rest following 4. For order sake and to preuent confusion for as the prouerbe is That which is all mens is no mans whereupon ariseth great carelesnesse in seeing vnto such things as are all mens in publike as experience teacheth both in Church and Common-wealth yea by it pride and thereupon contention insueth 5. To auoide the absurdities which else would necessarily follow out of the text if the word Church should not be expounded figuratiuely First because then all the whole Church must speake to the partie offending for it is said if hee will not heare the Church by which it is plaine that there by Church is meant such as must speake to the partie how can hee else heare But the whole Church cannot speake ioyntly that were confusion contrarie to the commandement 1. Cor. 14. 40. nor seuerally one by one for then women must meddle in the Church censures speak in the congregation which is contrarie to 1. Cor. 14. 34 for they bee members of the Church and it is not the whole Church without thē and yong youths children and seruants and if these are not to bee vnderstood by the Church then necessitie compelleth to take the word figuratiuely the part for the whole and if one part may be left out why not another and so leaue out many vntill the principall and chiefe of the congregation be taken who are chosen by the rest and may well bee the mouth of the rest and stand for the whole Church Secondly for that in the 19. verse our Sauiour should then crosse himself who giueth to two or three that is to a few the authoritie which belongeth vnto all for it is not enough that two or three agree to a thing where all haue a right but that all or at the least most should yeeld their consent and approbation to the thing that is to be determined Sixtly if the word Church bee not taken here figuratiuely then it followes first that the Corinthians offended being al commanded to deale with the incestuous person 1. Cor. 5. 13. and yet but some of them did proceede against him 2. Cor. 2. 6. Secondly the Apostle S. Paul should offend who vpon the complaint of Cloes house did not waite for the Churches consent but of himselfe absent from them considered of the matter iudged of it and determined what to bee done for it is said I haue determined already vers 3. and commands his sentence to be executed there in the open congregation Thus we see the figuratiue speech good and warrantable Christian Reader with reason be satisfied Seuenthly this is the iudgement and the practise of all reformed Churches And let not men maruell that the officers should be called the Church for first it is no vnusuall speech to put the name of the Act. 15. 3. whole vpon the part and this to bee taken for the whole Secondly a companie no where is called in all the new Testament a Church Christian families excepted but then whē they haue their officers otherwise they are called beleeuers disciples but not a Church but Note this place Act. 15. 22. 23. only in Act. 14. 23. by anticipation as heauen and earth are so called before they were Gen. 1. 1. Therefore if the officers giue to a companie the denomination of a Church what great maruell is it that by Church may be meant the Officers or Gouernours Thus wee see the truth contrarie to their assertion plainly prooued which cannot be wrung from me but only by obiecting certain incōueniences which Certaine Ministers haue answered master Smith herein who hath their answere which he hath not answered againe as yet would follow hereupon to the hurt of the Church But such peremptorie assertions and of such consequents as they are now made euen the matter of saluation or damnation are not to be maintained with deceiueable conclusions so I call them for that men not warie may be easily mislead by them neither can an absurditie dissolue an argument nor inconueniences whatsoeuer ouerthrow the truth of God It is not for man to dreame of making better in any sort the way of the Lord which he hath set downe let the inconueniences and discommodities which man can imagine thereupon insue how many or of what sort soeuer but whilest these men doe