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	visible_a	4,689	5	9.3932	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88695	The persecuted minister, in defence of the ministerie, the great ordinance of Jesus Christ. Setting forth the severall names of Apostles, prophets, &c. [brace] 1. That there is a ministerial office. 2. That the sacrament of baptisme by a lay-person is invalid. 3. That necessity is no plea. 4. That the long omission of the Lords Supper is unwarrantable. With many other things, plainly and methodically handled / by William Langley late of S. Maryes in the city of Lichfield, minister ...	Langley, William, b. 1609 or 10.	1656 (1656)	Wing L408; Thomason E860_4; ESTC R202682	143,990	208

before they be Conduits in the Countrey they have an ordinary mission or calling according to the rules and Canons of the Scripture and not to dream of the extraordinary mission of the Apostles which was but temporary during the Churches infancy accompanied with miracles whereunto an end was put in the primitive times of the Evangelical Church But it may be objected Object Was not the calling of Huss Whitcliffe and Luther and some others of that Age in that general defection extraordinary I answer Answ their calling if we take the order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the common manner and use was ordinary for they were Pastors from the institution of the Church of Rome but when the filthinesse of that Church was wiped away it was also lawfull although extraordinary for they had the gifts of true wisdome and knowledge of that heavenly doctrine which lay obscured 2. They had the gift of powerful teaching whereby many thousands were converted 3. The gift of undanted resolution and constancy 4. Gods unexpected and marvellous blessing of their labours to the astonishment of their adversaries so that it may without offence be affirmed that the calling of the Reformers of the Church was partly extraordinary and withstood the ordinary corruptions wicked and suspitious forms of an ordinary calling A calling may be expressly and formally corrupt Ruth due right of Presb. Ex intentione ordinantis operantis in respect of the particular intention of the Ordainers as Luthers calling to be Monk was a corrupt calling and in that respect he could not give a calling to others But it was virtually good and lawfull ex intentione operis ordinationis ipsius in respect of the intention of the Catholick Church being called to preach the Word of God which obliged him and not the Roman faith intended by the Ordainers And the same Author concludes that he sees no inconvenience to say Rutherf of the calling of the Reformers Com 1. ad Rom. Art 31. that Luther was extraordinarily called of God to go to other Churches as well as that of Wittenberg It was not properly extraordinary but a middle calling between a mediate and immediate as Parreus To this purpose is the Confession of the French Church it is said that somtimes as it fell out also in our daies the state of the Church being disturbed it was necessary that some should be raised up of the Lord extraordinarily which should repair the ruines of the decayed Church Prophets Propheta comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 res futur as enunciare to tell things to come of these some were Legal some Evangelical some of the Old and some of the New Testament he is defined to be a person called of God to declare to men his will whether of things present or things to come of such we read Heb. 1.1 In the New Testament the name Prophet is taken Generally or Specially Specially for such an one as declares things to come as Paul 2 Thes 2.3 and Peter 2 Pet. 3.3 and Agabus Acts 11.28 Generally For every one that hath the gift of prophesying that is of understanding and unfolding the Scripture for the use and edification of the Church 2 Cor 14.3.4.5.29 so Mat. 23.24 Behold I send you Prophets that is Preachers such as interpret the Scripture of the Prophets So Rom. 12.6 1 Cor. 13. We know in part Dr. Boys third Sunday in Advent we prophesie in part such Prophets God hath given to his Church till the consummation of all things There are 3 kindes of Prophets according to the threefold distinction of times some write of things past as Moses some of things to come so Christ was foretold by the mouth of his holy Prophets some of things present as Zachary Evangelists The name signifieth Publishers of glad tydings and this consists either In Writing or In Preaching In Writing Clem. Alexan. firomat lib. 1. interpret Gentiano and so Matthew Mark Luke and John are called Evangelists The Gospel is preached as well by writing as by speaking as well by pen as by tongue The word spoken for the time is most piercing but the letter written is of most continuance In Preaching and so Saint Paul exhorteth Timothy to doe the work of an Evangelist to preach the glad tydings of salvation the Evangelists were subsidiary and certain secundary Apostles who had power and authority to set Pastors and Orders in particular Churches to which they were sent and that untill such time as they were recalled by the Apostles of this sort were Timothy Aretius de Offic Eccl. loc 62. Calv in Eph. 4. Titus Sylas and others they were Apostolis proximi officio dignitate tamen inferiores saith Aretius and Calvin next to the Apostles in office inferior in dignity Gradus officiorum in primitiva Ecclesia saith Aretius for all are not Apostles Rom. 12.9 The Apostles planted Churches and layd foundations of faith the Evangelists watered those Churches and built on these their foundation So Buc. 42. pla of the Ministerie preaching the Gospel sometimes in one sometimes in another place as it were subsidiary and certain secondary Apostles not in one onely but in many Churches Pastors and Teachers Some have made a difference about the words Rutherf Due right of Presb. pag. 141. but I see not any inconvenience why they may not meet in one person He that is gifted for both may attend both saith Rutherford and yet they differ saith he for the Word of God doth difference them 2. We know that many have gifts to teach Ibid. pag. 158. who are but dull and weak to perswade and work upon the affections as is observed amongst the Fathers Augustine excelled in teaching and disputing Chrysostome in exhorting Salmeron observeth that there Thomas Aquinas was eminent in informing the understanding and Bonaventure excellent for moving the affections and many are fitted to work on the affections as Pastors who are not able to teach as Doctors in the Schools Pastors saith Zanchy are Qui alicujus certi gregis dominici curam gerunt Zanch. in Eph. 4. placed over a certain Cure and Doctors or Teachers are such Qui vocati tantum sunt ad docendum quae sit vera religionis Christianae doctrina ad refellendum haereticos c. To teach the true doctrine of Christian Religion to confute false to give the plain interpretation of the Scriptures and to rule Ecclesiasticall Schools such as Origen in the Church of Alexandria Clemens and the like The same saith Aretius of Pastors Aretius de effic Eccles loc 62. Anselme Beza Confes Christ fidei de Eccles Cap. 5.26 And that Teachers are Catechists and Instructors of Babes in the School Pastors are such as feed Christs sheep Teachers are such as feed his lambs Pastors saith Beza are such Qui in suis conscionibus doctrinam verbi applicent Ecclesiae usibus privatim ac publicè precando exhortando c. who in their preaching

Ordinance must not be neglected much more dangerous is the wilfull neglect of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper of greater price and estimation worth and excellency not a Legall but Evangelicall Ordinance Will you have the Minister to give it to all indifferently Object 3 and not hinder Drunkards Adulterers or other notorious sinners from prophaning of the Seals what a grand abuse is this to admit all that come though never so wicked and sinfull First Answ 1 that in a constituted Church where there is a setled government and persons that have power to suspend and excommunicate upon just and legall proof of Witnesses such persons so convicted and adjudged guilty ought not to be admitted till repentance and publick confession make way for their admission all sinners quatenus sinners are not to be exempted The Law must take First Cognizance of them they must be legally tried and adjudged Secundum allegata probata Secondly It belongs not to every Minister to debarre from the Sacrament because the partie is known to him or to another to be scandalous unlesse the said partie be convicted as aforesaid and then and not before is he to be thought unfit to receive the Lords Supper If the Judge saw with his eyes the guilty commit a fact yet he cannot by Gods Laws condemn him but upon the testimony of Witnesses and those two at least Deut. 19.15 Mat. 18.16 1 Tim. 5.19 for otherwise God seeth what confusion and tyranny will follow if one might be both Judex Actor Testis the Judge Accuser and Witnesse What a world of tyranny will it introduce into the Church if every Minister have power of suspension from the Sacrament either for supposed crimes which will upon proof vanish into nothing or else for reall crimes without legall triall and proof of Witnesses If this open not a gap to tyranny what doth The Minister singly by himself hath no power or authority to hinder and keep back scandalous persons he hath the power of order but not of sole jurisdiction Thirdly take notice that it belongs to the Governours of the Church upon legall triall and proof of Witnesses to take cognizance of scandall Ruth due right of Presbytery As Nature hath given Hands to a Man to defend himselfe from injuries and violence and Horns to Oxen to hold off violence so hath Christ given the power of Excommunication to his Church as spirituall armour to ward off and defend the contagion of wicked fellowship Chap 30.4 The Officers of the Church are to proceed by admonition suspension c. say the Assembly of Divines and who these are they tell us To these Officers the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven are committed We will consider here what is meant by Keyes and to whom they are given Musc in Is 22.22 Calv. Com. Ibidem Jun. Aug. in Mat. Lib. de fide ad Pet. Hom. 55. in Mat. Tom 2. cont 4. cap. 5. By Keyes are meant the power and authority of Governours so Musculus and Calvin They hold out a full government Plenam administrationem saith Junius The power of Ministers saith Beza and Augustine de civit Dei lib. 20. cap. 9. Hierom The Key that is the power of Excellency and Eminency The power of Binding and Loosing saith Fulgentius Great power saith Chrysostome A power of Office given to some not all saith Whittaker Christ speaks of Peters publick Office Of his Apostleship saith Calvin Bullinger Erasmus Zuing. But. 43. Com. pl. of the auth of the Church and Marlorat Not to Peter alone but to the faithfull Pastors of all Ages Now this power is given onely to the Ministers of the Gospel and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Who are to open the doors and behave themselves aright in Gods house 1 Tim. 3.16 This warrant and officiall authority of binding and loosing Christ gives onely to Peter as representing Apostles Teachers and Elders I will give thee the Keyes that is the power to binde and loose there is the exercise and this was given to Peter as carrying the person of Apostles Pastors and Church-Guides But lest the power of binding and loosing which is by publick Pastoral teaching to remit and retain sins doe not fully hold this out The power of Government belongs only to those to whom the Keyes are given they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.17 Over the people in the Lord which word the Apostle borrowed from the Septuagint so styling the Rulers not because of their place of preaching onely but of governing also given unto Kings 1 Pet. 2.14 Ministers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops Watchmen not onely for Preaching but for Government also Phil. 11.1 1 Tim. Zanch. de Eccl. Milit. Guber 34. 3.2 Acts 20.28 We are assuredly perswaded as we learn by the holy Scriptures and by continual experience that the Church cannot rightly be governed unlesse at known times there be meetings of Ministers c. And he addeth further How shall this discipline have any place there Ibid. 39 where the Ministers doe never meet together to know what is amisse in the Church Ibidem c This discipline saith Bucanus hath 3 parts Increpation or Common faction Suspension and Excommunication which power belongs to the Governors of the Church For saith the same Author the power of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction was in their power which were called the chief Rulers of the Synagogue who did also manage the affairs of particular Churches Let none imagine my intention by what hath been spoken is to eradicate Lay-Eldership it is an Herculean labour too difficult for me my purpose is to shew that discipline belongeth to the Governours of the Church who are to take notice of scandall and those I conceive are the Ministers of the Gospel It is fit the Minister should have Assistants call them if you please Lay-Elders but a power of Coordination of equality I see no footsteps of it and besides it is likely to produce sad consequents and engender too much confusion I know none fitter to rule the Church than the Ministers of the Church Fourthly by way of Answer to the Objection All that are baptized instructed in the faith of Christ and make publick profession as members of the visible Church wanting neither ripenesse of age nor use of reason nor knowledge of the doctrine of godlinesse nor legally accused and convicted of scandall should be admitted to the Lords Supper if none of these hinder and render them uncapable they ought not to be denied the benefit of approach to the Table of the Lord. There are 5 sorts of people ought to be debarred First Children that know not the nature use and end of the Sacrament Secondly Madmen and such as want the use of reason Thirdly all ignorant persons that doe not discern the Lords body that have not the knowledge of God of themselves and the doctrine of the Sacraments and other necessary points of Religion Fourthly all Atheists

own beauty and judge your selves the fairst and refinedst stuffe you must be ownd forsooth as the GODLY PARTIE Oh! it is an injury not to give you that title you give your selves forth to be The Temple of the Lord Th Temple of the Lord and if reproved presently cry We are Abrahams children of all men you are the hardest to be cured for why should Physick be administred to those that are perfectly sound I must take the liberty to tell you That you forget to build up the Cedar-work of piety and learn onely to paint over with Vermilion to borrow the words of a worthy Divine Men think you Saints you think your selves Angels Flatterers make you Gods and GOD knows you are Devils and will smite such painted walls and rotten gilded posts It is not amisse to give some Characters of you that you may be known and avoided 1. The best things published with the best intent scape not the lash of your censure he that doth not dance after your pipe shall be sure to be scoured and scourged 2. Malice and Envy are seated in your looks and you let slip no advantage that may accomplish your own ends though to the ruine of your neighbours 3. You are tender of no mans Reputation if be crosse your humours his name fame and credit shall be shipwrackt and all the scandals and contumelies that can be imagined shall be layd to his charge to render him vile and odious 4. Before you want matter for persecution bare information shall serve your turn contrary to the Law of God or man 5. You are knowne by your lofty lookes envenomed tongues cruell hands surly salutations and imperious commands 6. Perfoetorem oris By your stinking breath which proceeds either from some hot distemper of your mouth rotten humours in the stomach or ulceration of the lungs If Mr. M. and his crew finde fault with my tartnesse let them know half is not told Emendate vitam ego emendabo verba Mend your waies and I will mend my words Cessate perversè agere Cease from doing evil and I will cease to reprove and rebuke I pray God give you sober judgments peaceable spirits devotion with profession Zeale without envy love without partiality and Religion with Gospel charity for were you guided by this as they that will be Judges of other mens actions ought to be you would forbear to censure or condemn but if my prayers prove ineffectuall and that your flinty hearts cannot be broken know that your sharp frosts and nipping blasts shall not marre the beauty or enervate the vertue of my flourishing tree which God assisting shall stand unshaken in your greatest storms My Saviour came once with Pax vobis Peace be unto you at another time with Vae vobis Woe be unto you The searching wine of Reprehension to eat out the dead flesh is for you more necessary than the oyle of Consolation Woe unto them that prophesie to such as you are smooth things and deceits Isa 30.10 11. Yet if any be so bold as to bring sowre grapes and the sharp wine of reproofs and you once come to be fretted with the just Reprehension of your Hypocrisie then farewell Pastor expect expulsion from thy poor Vineyard thou shalt finde these fiery Serpents wheresoever thou goest with their venemous and burning stings wounding thy person doctrine name fame and whatsoever is dearest to thee I conclude you men of ill temper'd constitutions all earth in your hearts all water in your stomachs all aire in your brains and all fire in your tongues your hearts heavy your stomachs surfeited and watry your brains light and aërie your tongues flaming and fiery you never are at rest but like the troubled Sea cast up myre and dirt Lord deliver me from unreasonable men for all men have not Faith Farewell The persecuted MINISTER In defence of the MINISTERIE The great Ordinance of JESUS CHRIST THE SECOND PART HAving begun a Discourse of severall things touching the Ministerie as in the First Part of this Book the heads of which are layd down in the Title Page I intend by Gods assistance to treat 1. Of the continuance of the Ministerie 2. What is required to the constituting of Gospel-Ministers 3. The excellency and dignity of their calling 4. What respect they ought to bee of amongst Christians 5. That the contempt of them is a great and grievous sin CHAP. I. Ephes 4.13 Of the continuance of the Ministerie till the end of the world and that as long as there is a Church there will be Pastors and Teachers FOr the continuance of the Ministerial Office it is not temporary but lasting and must remain unto the end of the world Ephes 4.13 untill we all come to the unity of the faith and of c. This Unity in the Text hath a double relation 1. To Faith 2. To Knowledge And the object of both is Christ Faith is taken passively Adams The Saints meeting or actively either for that whereby a man believeth or for that which a man believeth either for the instrument that apprehendeth or for the object that is apprehended Now if we take it for the form there is an Unity of Faith Ratione objecti non ratione subjecti One in respect of the object on which it rests not one in respect of the subject in which it remaineth every man hath his proper faith and every faith hath Christ for its object he that seeth must see with his own eyes he that feeleth must feel with his own hands he that entreth into the mansion of glory must have oyle ready in his own lamp the just shall live by his own faith and we shall all meet in the unity of one holy Catholick faith Now if we take it in the other sense for Christ in whom we have believed we shall meet undoubtedly in the unity of those joyes and comforts which we have long expected and all Believers since the Creation till the worlds Dissolution shall meet in the unity of faith Secondly there shall be Unity of Knowledge at the last day though the manner of knowing ceaseth yet the matter remaineth all our knowledge in this life is through the spectacles of faith in the glasse of the Scriptures we see in part we know imperfectly we behold Christ through the lattesse Cant. 2.9 darkly through a glasse 1 Cor. 13.12 but in heaven we shall know him face to face we shall live by sight not by faith faith and hope shall vanish there shall be onely fruition in heaven and in this we shall all meet 1 Joh. 3.2 To a perfect man full perfection is reserved for heaven when our reunited bodies and soules shall possesse perfect glory and reign with our Saviour for ever We are said here to be one body whose head is Christ 1 Cor. 12.27 but there one perfect man and in truth the expression is very patheticall for the Saints in glory cannot be called a body for a body receives augmentation