Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	catholic_n	church_n	creed_n	5,623	5	10.8449	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42782	The temple re-built. A discourse on Zachary 6.13. Preached at a generall meeting of the associated ministers of the county of Cumberland at Keswick, May 19. By Richard Gilpin, pastor of the church at Graistock in Cumberland.	Gilpin, Richard, 1625-1700.	1658 (1658)	Wing G778; ESTC R201007	33,134	48

the glory and finishing of Christs designe shall be brought about and established by the power of Government and Ordinances it shall proceed from between them both For the avoiding of further trouble I shall gather the Doct. summe of the words into this one Doctrine Christ when he ariseth to build his Church will so establish the peace thereof by the power of Government and Ordinances that the honour of that glorious work shall be chiefly his Before I come to the application I shall explain these four particulars in the Doctrine 1. That Christ will certainly repair the desolations of his Church 2. That this work when ever it is done will be a glorious work 3. That whoever be the agents the honour will be chiefly Christs 4. That this work shall then be done when peace shall possess the Church by the power of Government and Ordinances 1. First Branch of the Doctrine That Christ will certainly repair the desolations of his Church It is a known truth that the Church cannot totally fail though the bush may be in the fire and some of the outmost branches here and there may possibly be scorched and consumed yet it cannot be wholly raked up in ashes The gates of hell shall not prevail against it saith Christ in that famous place of Matth. 16.18 Where whatever the contest be amongst interpreters Vid. Godwin Moses and Aaron lib. 5 p. 211 this conclusion is beyond all dispute That the Magazine and councel-boord of hell I suppose I need not insist upon the known allusion in the word Gates to the customs of the Jews shall never be able wholly to destroy and overturn the Church This is also an article of the Creed I believe the holy Catholick Church not that we are hereby engaged to believe as the Church believes by an implicit Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. it is not I believe in the Church but I believe the Church to be Catholick temporum personarum locorum ratione in respect of time persons and place viz. Asted Theol. Cate. p. 352. I believe that there alwaies was is and shall be a Church upon earth c. I might from hence prove the certain recovery of the Church from outward and inward spiritual desolations but I shall wave this and yet evidence this truth from these particulars Reason 1 1. Christ is eminently engaged for his Churches rebuilding and he cannot go back so that we find these very engagements do work upon him when other things will not move him this is much insisted upon by God Ezek. 20.9 14 22. he layes it down as the great motive that turned the scales even when he was upon the point of destroying Israel in Egypt and in the Wilderness for their rebellions I said I will pour out my fury upon them but I wrought for my Names sake c. The earnestness of the expressions and the repetitions of them shew that God would have them take notice that this was the very thing that stood betwixt them and ruine He is more plain in Eze. 36.22 I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel but for my holy Names sake Joshua knew the weight of this when he made it the main argument of his prayer for the people And what wilt thou do for thy great name Josh 7.9 Samuel also had encouragement for them upon the same ground 1 Sam. 12.22 The Lord will not forsake his people for his great Names sake And no wonder if we consider what these engagements are it is a six-fold cord He is engaged 1. 6. Engagements on God for repairing the Church By his Covenant and Oath he hath lifted up his hand to Heaven and sworn his truth and faithfulness lies at the stake when then we have these two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we cannot want consolation and assurance of this thing Gods Promise and Oath make the thing promised to become * Dominus ipse fecit se debitorem non accipiendo sed promittendo Aug. confes lib. 1. cap 4. debt though not so much to us as to (a) Non creaturae sed sibi ipsi Daven Jus habit actual p. 640. himself and the non-payment of this debt is altogether inconsistent with the divine nature We can then humbly challenge it upon the score of justice and righteousness and God himself hath put this plea into our mouths when he tells us that we obtain our faith and eternal life called therefore a crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 from his righteousness and justice in fulfilling promises 2 Pet. 1.1 We read indeed that God doth dispence sometime with his precepts but not with absolute nor yet with conditional promises if the conditions be performed and indeed he cannot except he should cease to be God viz. Holy Just and True c. Hence the School-men conclude that such precepts are * Praetepta indispensabilia sunt quae versantur circa 〈◊〉 habentes emanantem ex imagine Dei. indispensable as well as promises whose objects are things that have an intrinsecal goodness in them flowing from the Image of God because if he should dispense with these he should deny his own Image and himself which is impossible if oaths are such sacred obligations in the very (a) Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud Suidam Judgement of the Heathens that they thought God a special observer and an avenger of their violation can it be thought that God should forget or not perform what his own lips have attered * Quid est Dei veri veracisque juratio nisi promissi confirmario infidelium quaedam increpatio Aug. civit Dei lib. 16. cap. 32 His oath is enough to establish our cou●●●●ence to check our unbelief 2. By the special interest which he hath in his Church as Creator of all things all the world is his but his own people are his by a more peculiar title the wicked belong to him as the lumber of his house as the wastes of his demain as his vessels of dishonour his Church is his not as a mans goods are his 2 Tim. 2.20 but as a mans wife or child is his He calls it his sealed fountain His enclosed garden Cant. 4.12 His chosen people His people known of all the families of the earth Amos 3.2 His portion and the lot or cord of his inheritance as the Hebrew hath it Deut. 32.9 as if he should say I have divided the world by lot and measured it by a cord and out of all I have onely chosen my Church as the garden wherein I will walk the house wherein I will dwell the spouse with whom I will delight my self All interests have not an engaging force though every post-head about our house or every stake or thorn in our hedge be ours yet we do not find our selves moved with pitty or inclined to rescue them from breaking or burning God himself