Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95679	Gainsayer convinced: or, An answer to a certain scandalous paper, subscribed and sent by certain seduced and seditious people to a minister in the countrey: in which the calling of the ministry of the Church of England, the nature of a visible church, the power of the magistrate under the gospel, the right of tithes, with many other points now in controversie, are briefly, fully and plainly cleared, to the satisfaction of those that are wavering; also much of the spirit and many of the errours of the Anabaptists of these daies (who call themselves saints) discovered and confuted. / By T.T. Preacher of the word at Kemble in Wiltshire.	Thache, Thomas, b. 1616 or 17.	1649 (1649)	Wing T827; Thomason E568_1; ESTC R206240	79,821	83

mistake and your mistakes are very foule ones such that every understanding man cannot but wonder at that they should come from such men as you who pretend so to light But it appeares plainly that the new light which hath lately shune about you t is as that extraordinary light that did shine about Saul at his conversion if I may make such a comparison it hath struck you quite blinde at present and the light that is in you appears to be darknes and how great must that darknes be as our Saviour saith Matth. 6. 23. The Lord in mercy to your Souls hasten the time wherein the Scales may fall from your eyes I shall indeavour to pluck off some of them at present Paper We have you say our call from the Bishops and they from the Pope and this if you mistake not is our call to the Ministry Ans First in that you say our Bishops are from the Pope do you meane in their Names or Functions These are both from Scripture from the Apostle See 1. Tim. 1. 3. If any man desire the Office of a Bishop he desires a good work Againe 20. Acts 18. Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops so the word is in the originall Or 2ly do you meane that they are Popish in their opinion and religion if some have been so you cannot condemne them all for that no your ignorance and your malice would then shame you to all the world for the contrary hath been witnessed by the blood of many famous Martyrs eminent in the Prelacy which in fresh Records you shall reade hath been shed for God against the Harlot of Rome and by the excellent labours of Bp. Hall Apolog against Brownists others and those late Bishops of this Church whose learned Pens have puld downe more of the Walls of Rome then all the Corner-Creeping Brownists and Separatists will be able to do while the World stands Or 3ly Do you meane that they are from the Pope in their Superintendency superiority and Lordlines if in any thing it must be in this Now to this I answer That we received our Ordination from them as they were Bishops and Elders of the Church not as they were Lords and if they were Lords for their externall dignity yet they were not Lords of of our faith and if we looked upon them in any thing of their Superiority it was as they were our Elders and Fathers not our Masters Farther yet I shall desire you to take notice that in the making any man a true Minister of the Gospell there are some things required which are essentiall to the Ministery without which a man is not a true Gospell Minister Againe there are some other things which are but circumstantiall or Accidentall which a man may have or may not have and yet be a true Gospell Minister Now if I may make it appeare to you that we have all the Essentiall requisites of Gospell Ministers I hope you may be convinct that we are Ministers and Ministers of the Gospell how opprobriously soever you censure our calling or else you must make the contrary appear to us Now then if God hath made us able to teach if he hath inclined our hearts to the office of the Ministry and hath made us desirous to teach if he hath separated us for this cause to the worke if our People have had a lawfull Election if we have been admitted upon due tryall both of Ministers and People if we have been ordained by imposition of the hands of the Eldership and prayer if I say we have had all these things which appeares to all the World and yet be no true Ministers pray let me know from you what is further required to the substance of a Gospell Ministry If we have all this and yet have our calling from the Pope let me know I say from you what is a Gospell calling and if this be not according to the will of Christ and his Apostles in the Scriptures but Popish shew me what is A little farther yet in this point if God upon this call hath commited a charge to us if he hath followed our Ministry with power and blest our labours with gracious successe if I say God hath done this for us and by us with what face dare you challenge our Ministry as Popish and Antichristian I am sure you cannot but grant the Ministry in generall to be the ou●ward means by which God gives grace and increases inward grace Now then that Ministry by which God hath given grace increast it that ministry is of Gods appointment now whether God hath not given grace and increast it by our Ministry some of your owne hearts and consciences if ever you had grace which you will be loath to deny shall be our witnesses I am able to make it good to some of you and that by your own confessions that God hath followed our Ministery with power and blest our labours with gracious successe even in some of your hearts whose tongues are now so busie to call in question and to deny the truth of our Calling Lastly If Episcopall Ordination be a Popish and Antichristian rite as you say t is I desire to learne from you what was the Christian for me or manner of admitting men into holy places for 1500. yeers after the Apostles time can you shew me any other Ordination that was heard of at least approved of for the space of 1500 yeers during which time it there were no lawfull Calling there were no Pastors feeding and governing the flocks and if no lawfull Pastors then no visible Churches Now pray tell me if they were not a true Church in those severall Centuries and ages while they lived under Bishops where had Christ a visible Church upon earth since the Apostles times Certainly if the Calling of their Pastors and Teachers were not at least for substance sufficient though perhaps not perfect Christ never had any in his Church since the Apostles left the earth And having thus given you an account of ours I pray tell me seriously seeing you have separated from ours as abominable as you speak afterward in your Paper whence is that office of the Ministery which you now follow I dare say not from Christ nor his Apostles nor their successors what Church ever in the world can be produced unlesse in case of extremitie for one turn whose conspiring multitudes made themselves Ministers at their pleasure what ●ule of Christ prescribes it what reformed Church ever did or doth practice it what example warrants it where or when have the inferiors layed hands on their superiors what Congregation in Christendome affords you a pattern The Apostle indeed tels us that the time should come when men should not indure sound doctrine but after their own lusts should heap to themselves teachers having itching ears And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned