Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	covenant_n	sacrament_n	seal_n	4,627	5	9.5821	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30189	An answer to two treatises of Mr. Iohn Can, the leader of the English Brownists in Amsterdam the former called, A necessitie of separation from the Church of England, proved by the Nonconformists principles : the other, A stay against straying : wherein in opposition to M. Iohn Robinson, he undertakes to prove the unlawfulnesse of hearing the ministers of the Church of England ... / by the late learned, laborious and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ, John Ball.	Ball, John, 1585-1640.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.	1642 (1642)	Wing B558; ESTC R3127	281,779	264

the ordinances of prescribed Worship though they must take heed to their soules M●● 15.16 M●● 5.20 that they be not deceived by them The Scribes and Pharisees were blinde guides who did neither teach the way of life nor walke therein and yet our Saviour forbad not the faithfull to heare or communicate with them in the Worship of God He charged his Disciples to beware of their leaven M●●th 16.12 23.16 Luk. 12.1 Amsw in Song cap. 1. v. 6. and let them alone because they were blinde leaders of the blinde but so long as they preached the truth and woshipped God aright he never prohibited them to heare and communicate in the ordinances To beware of false Prophets then is not evermore in body to separate from them A Deo ●ocati itque constitutt sunt ut leg●●n Moses in Sy●●gugis populo prae●●gant c. Quale ●unque 〈◊〉 sunt 〈◊〉 est recipl●●a● si ve●o 〈…〉 cons●n a●●● i●●●●lenda 〈…〉 Pise it in Matth. 23.2 3. Aug. in Ioh. 〈◊〉 46. 〈…〉 ●●cr● nolite aud●●c ●olite faec●e span● que 〈…〉 Visin de L●●● Baptarg desen pag. 1691. P●●● 5.3.7 Aug. cp 2●● 〈…〉 vo●abub 〈◊〉 distern●t quotidiana 〈…〉 quodest inimicumnom ni Christi 〈…〉 cons●●cure Ly●● expounds this place of the false Church T●nt 2. p. 314. CAN S●y §. 4. p. 61. but not to receive their doctrine or hearken to the devises of their owne hearts For of false prophets that teach corrupt things and mangle the Word of life some have standing in the house of God and doe performe the office of teachers and dispencers of holy mysteries whose devises we must so reject as that we depart not from the ordinances nor cast off that which is of God Others set up a strange worship which is not of God teach their owne dreames and not the Truth of God be set apart for reall idolatry or have no standing at all in the Church of God and with these we are not to communicate because these things are not of God nor to be performed by any calling or authoritie from God whatsoever But whiles you speake of false Prophets without any distinction you faine a new forme of speech and bring in a new doctrine Solomon exhorteth to attend unto wisedome and keep understanding because otherwise he may be deceived by the lips of the a dulterous woman which drop as the hony combe But with what face or conscience can this be applyed to them who preach the faith of Christ intirely and administer the seale of the Covenant for substance according to the pleasure of the Institutor Or to them that be not rightly qualified who yet are set apart to teach the truth read the Scriptures dispence the Sacraments in societies professing the true faith and doctrine of salvation It will be said False teachers are Adulteresses In some resemblance and similitude they may be so called but Metaphoricall speeches must not be over-retched And who are those false Teachers Not every man who is not rightly qualified for the Ministery enters disorderly Ainsw in S●ng c. 2.15 The taking of these Foxes is the discovering and refuting of ●●eir errours ●●e judging censuring and c●sting them out of the Church 1 Tim. 1.3.18 19 20. or wording them if th● be none of the Church 2 Ioh. 10. Qui 〈…〉 de●que improvat● atque dammat● ●●●coquc●● posti 〈…〉 est Rolioc in 1 Theol. 5.21 C●fehill ●re●t of one Cross● pag. 25. Stay against Sect. 1. p. 2. Pl. pag. 22. Hen. Amsw First Ansvv c p. 26. Now seeing such vveeds flourished shortly after in the garden of th● Lord is it not more Life for us thinke you to keep that foundation of the Apostles and Prophets on which Christs Church is builded th●n to build upon the boggs 〈…〉 executeth his office remissely nor every one that now and then mingles his owne devises with the Truth of God For any one or all these may be found in him who supplieth the place and standeth in the roome of a true Teacher with whom the people of God may and ought to communicate not in his sin but in the true Worship of God Sufficient hath been said of this matter before from the example of the Priests Scribes and Pharisees To which this one thing may be added That if all must goe for such false Prophets and Adulteresses with whom it is not lawfull to communicate against whom any exception may be taken in respect of entrance execution doctrine and administration I feare there will scarce be found a Church or Ministerie since the Apostles times wherewith the Faithfull might lawfully hold Communion It is well knowne many errours and superstitions crept into the Church immediately after the Apostles death and the Pastors had their hands deep in the maintenance of them What one saith of Chrysostome as you cite him may be said of others before and after him He was not without his faults His golden mouth wherein he passed others sometime had leaden words which yeelded to the errour and abuse of others I am not ignorant that in his daies many evill customes were crept into the Church which in his workes he reproveth not And so much the aforesaid Author had expressed a little before There is not any of them saith hee that the world doth most wonder at but have had their affections nor I thinke that you adversaries to us and to the Truth will in every respect admit all that any one of the Fathers wrote My selfe were able from the very first after the Apostles times to run them over all and straitly examining their words and assertions finde imperfections in all and thus farre the Authour What then must the Faithfull disclaime them all as false Prophets and Adulteresses and shun all Communion and fellowship with them in the worship of God If boysterous zeal did not blinde mens eyes I should wonder if you be not astonished at your abuse of Scripture in this matter And when you cite Scripture allegorically in this manner you may doe well to call to remembrance what your selfe have noted out of Mr. CAN. Stay §. 15. p. 135. Knewstubs against the Heresies of N. N. pag. 61. To uphold the heresies of N. N. this is one speciall and principall practice that the historie and native sense of the Word of God is altogether neglected of him and in stead thereof is entertained an allegoricall and bastardly construction foolish and fond distinctions which thing utterly defaceth the certaintie of the sacred Scripture and maketh no other thing of it than a nose of waxe The Apostle giveth charge to beware of dogs Phil 32. Deodat Ital. Bible That is profane and impure thus he calleth false Prophets who taught that the righteousnesse and salvation of man did consist in part in the works of the Law and imposed a necessi●●e to observe the Mosaicall ceremonies Act. 15.1 Zanch. in Ph. 3.2 Sect. de Ca●e●dis falsis Doctor Bern. sup Cant. serm

time a 〈◊〉 in the La●●d with whom they 〈◊〉 not have 〈◊〉 covenant it is probable if they had beene grosse Idolaters without all knownledge of the true religion 〈◊〉 King of 〈…〉 his fault carried himself 〈…〉 businesse of Abraham as a man not altogether destitute of the true stare of God That the true Religion was maintained in the family of Sh●● is acknowledged by all sorts but in that family it was greatly corrupted for the Scripture testifieth that 〈◊〉 the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor and Abraham himself before his calling served other Gods J●sh 24.2 The Church of God did spread in the family of Abraham to whom God gave Circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faith but the members thereof were as well they that were bought with his money as they that were borne in his house For so we reade that God commanded and Abraham tooke Ismael his sonne and all that were borne in his house and all that were bought with his money that is every man childe among the men of Abrahams house and he circumcised the foreskin of their flesh Not onely Abraham and his seede but all that lawfully appertained unto him and were in his power did partake of the seale of the covenant as such as formerly had been or now were received into covenant And by analogie we may gather that not onely the children of beleeving parents but of Infidels if they come lawfully into the power and hand of Christians to be trained and brought up by them in the Christian faith ought to be admitted into Baptisme Now in what sense Ismael and some others in Abrahams family might be esteemed holy 〈◊〉 others judge Esau was a member of Isaacs family which was the visible Church of God in those times Gen. 25.31 32 33. Heb. 12.19 after that he had sold sold his birth right for a ●esse of pottage and many other wayes had discovered himselfe so to walke as a man could hardly judge him to be truely holy Gen. 35.22 49.3 4 5 6 7. 34.25 38.25 26. The family of Jacob was received into covenant according to the pleasure and dispensation of God and all his sonnes were members of the visible Church when foule offences were amongst them unrepented of Gen. ●7 2 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 detr●●● eos crimine malo Not to mention the facts of Ruben Simon and Levi and J●dah it is noted of the sonnes of Zilpah and ●ilkah that they runne into slander whereof we cannot thinke they repeated suddenly Joseph his Brethren conceived such hatred against him that they first conspired to kill him but changing their minds therein they sold him unto the Is●elites The whole body of Israel was a peculiar people Lev. 20.24 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom every one was by the word of God separated into the covenant of mercy and if the whole Nation was the people of God every particular person in that Nation did stand under the same relation But what the state and condition of that people was when they were admitted into Church covenant wee may learne from the holy Scripture When I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud Ezek. 16.6.8 and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud Thou shalt live even when thou wast in thy bloud I said unto thee Thou shalt live Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was as the time of love and I spread my skirts over thee and covered thy filthinesse yea I sware unto thee and entred into covenant with thee 1 Reg. 8.53 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Lord God and thou be●amest 〈◊〉 When God brought Israel out of Aegypt by the hand of Moses his servant he separated them to himselfe from among all the people of the earth Act. 7.38 for an inheritance and every singular person in that huge multitude was a visible member of that Church Exod. 32.8 9.22 Deut. 4.3 9.7 8. Psal 106.7.13 14.19 2● 28 Num. 14.22 Act. 7.39 40 41 42. Amos. 5.25 26. Josh 5.7 8 9. Deut. 29.4 and all of them by profession Saints or holy the flock of God But oftentimes they sinned and rebelled against the Lord being a stubborne and stiffe-necked people uncircumcised in heart unbeleeving forgetfull of Gods workes despising his covenant idolatrous which had neither eyes to see nor eares to heare nor an heart to under stand And what probabilitie is there that this whole people was truely holy in the judgement of charitie or so fa●re as man can judge or that they ceased to be the Church of God when they had grossely corrupted their wayes If the true Church be gathered of Saines onely externally and so 〈◊〉 as man 〈◊〉 judge and of them alone framed at of the subject 〈◊〉 which is onely true whilest it 〈…〉 such and false when it degenerate● from this disposition● and so as 〈◊〉 and p●●trified stuffe to 〈◊〉 cast out of the 〈◊〉 let it be considered how the Congregation in the Wildernesse could be the true Church of God which so oft 〈◊〉 Act. 7.38 and in many particular sinned against the Lord. It is more true Exod. 24.3.7 the Church and every member thereof outred into Covenant either expresly or implicitely to take God for their God and to keepe the words of the Covenant and doe them to seeke the Lord with all their hearts and to walke before him in truth and uprightnesse Deut. 29.4 But Moses saith of them that entred into Covenant that they had not eyes to see nor eares to heare nor an heart to understand and with many of them God was displeased because they obeyed not his v●●y●e Deut. 29.10 11 12. Yee stard this day all of you saith Moses before the Lord your God your Captaines of Tribes your El●●ers and your Officers with all the men of Israell your little ones your ●ives and thy stranger that is in thy Ca●p from the 〈◊〉 of thy wo●d to the 〈◊〉 of thy water That thou should 〈◊〉 ●nto the Covetant 〈◊〉 the Lord thy God c. But he testifieth against them also Deut. 32.5 6.15 16. that they had corrupted themselves that their spot was not the spot of his children that they were a froward and perverse generation a foolish people and ●●wis● who forso●ke God that 〈◊〉 them and regarded not the strong God of their salvation Iosh 5.5 6 7. Joshua circumcised all the people which were borne in the Wildernesse for all that time that Sacrament was neglected and his fact is approved But we reade not of any inquiry that was made of all that great multitude what worke of grace God had wrought in every mans soule and it is very improbable that there was not one who did not give good hope of sound and true cleaving unto the Lord with all his heart Psal 78.55 56 57. When God had

cast out the Heathen before them and caused them to fall to the lot of his inheritance and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tabernacles they tempted and provoked the most high God and kept not his testimonies but turned backe and dealt falsly like their Fathers they turned like a deceitfull Bow Israel then was a chosen people an holy nation Deut. 14.23 29 10 11 12. Rom. 3.2 9.4 Act. 3.25 Deut. 32.5 6. Isa 1.1 2 3 4.10 the peculiar people of God his treasure of delight or choice jewells a people in Covenant the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant and yet a stiffenecked people corrupters set on mischiefe foolish and unwise The Lord protesteth that Israel did rebell against him that they did not understand but were a most sinfull Nation ye● 〈…〉 and Gomor●ah yet he calleth them his people and 〈…〉 passing Socleome in iniquitie Ezek. 16.47 48 49.51 Lam. 4.6.22 Isa 5.1 2 3.5 Iere. 2.21 Ios 24.1.14 15.23 24 25. Iudg. 2.8.11 3.9.15 6.7 10.10.16.17 1 Sam. 7.2 3 4. 1 Chron. 13.2 c. 2 Chron. 15.12 2 Reg. 11.17 2 Chron. 25.16 2 Reg. 23.3 2 Chron. 34.31 Neh. 10.29 30. and yet the daughter of his people and the daughter of Zion his pleasans plant and a noble Vine We reade oftentimes that Israel after some grievous fall and requit renewed their covenant to walke with God and serve him onely and to obey his ●oyce 〈…〉 the dayes of Joshu● Judges Samuel David Aso Ju●sh Josiah Nehemi●h c. But herein particular scrutin●e was not made what worke of grace God had wrought in the hearts of particular persons 〈◊〉 the confession of finne and profession of obedience was renewed And if the looke into the state of 〈…〉 all ages of that Church and particularly under these religio●s and godly Princes by whose authoritie the Covenant was renewed it will easily appeare many did but flatter with their ●ips neither was their heart stedfast in the covenant The Prophets every where cry out against the great iniquitie of the Princes Priests and people their idolatry injustice oppression contempt of the Word impenitency st●bornnesse so that it is superfluous diligence to referre to the severall passages which mention these things When John the Baptist began to preach the Gospell Matth. 3.5 6. and gather a new people for Christ he admitted none to Baptisme but upon confession of their sinnes which was both a renouncing of them and a promising of amendment of life But we finde not that he repulsed any that voluntarily submitted themselves nor tooke time for tryall whether they made nonfession in truth of heart or no. It appeareth many wayes that when the Apostles planted Churches Act. 2.38 8.37 19 17 18 19. the people whom they received did enter into Covenant with God But it is diligehtly to be observed whom they did receive upon confession of sinnes and profession of faith and whom they suffered after they were received Simon Mag●s beleeved and was baptized Act. 8.13 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3. 15.10.11 c. Gal. 3.1 Phil. 2.21 Iude 12 verse Iac. 2.1 2 3. Rev. 2.14.20 c. who not long after offered money that he might obtaine the gifts of the holy Ghost In Corinth Galatina and other Churches many were admitted into the societie who in short time turned aside both in practice and opinion as to deny the resurrection and joyn the ceremonies of the Law with Christ in the point of justification and many other abuses which is a great presumption they gave no sure testimony of any sound worke of grace in their soules when first entertained into fellowship And though the Apostles required a confession of faith and profession of obedience of them that joyned in Christian societie yet they tollerated great abuses in private persons which they could not redresse For without question they condemned the having of many wives at once in all men but when that custome at least secret and indirect 1 Tim. 3.2.12 Tit. 1.6 Calvin in 1 Tim. 3.2 prevailed among the Jewes and Gentiles both in those times they give no p Dan. in loc Rivet cathol orthod tract 2. qu. 24. sect 6.7 Chrysost in epist 1. ad Tim. hom 10. in epist ad Tit. hom 2. Hieron in epist 1. ad Tim. ca. 3. cathar cathol advers error Cajet err 99. Jewel def of apel par 2. cap. 8. Div. 1. pag. 179. 1 Tim. 1.20 1 Cor. 5.7.13 Rev. 2.5.16 3.16 Commandement that each beleever having two wives should be cast out of the societie but onely that he should not be chosen into the place of a Bishop or Deacon Great and manifold abuses crept into the Churches even whilest the Apostles lived and shortly after they were planted and some of those were reprehended onely calling the Churches to reformation and amendment the grosse obstinate and most abhominable transgressors either they gave up to Satan or gave commandement to the Churches that they should cast them out but evermore with such mildnesse and moderation as it is most evident they forbore to plucke up the tares least they should plucke up the good corne also It is also manifest they threaten some Churches with Gods displeasure as that he would remove his Candlestick cast them into the bed of sicknesse spew them out of his mouth unlesse they repent but they dischurch them not because of the disorders committed by some tolerated by others nor yet did they command or counsell the godly in those societies to separate from the ordinances of Religion but to keep themselves pure The History of the Gospel in the New Testament containeth but a short time viz. from the time wherin John the Baptist began to preach to the end of the acts and writings of the Apostles which is not full fourscore yeares so that we cannot shew the repetition of the Covenant from time to time or what patience was shewed in tolerating abuses or when men were adjudged obstinate or what repentance and profession was required in generall abuses or revolts but by that which is said we may discerne who in phrase of Scripture are called Saints and holy faithfull and called and chosen even all and every member of the common-wealth of Israel and Christian Churches untill they were cut off or cast out though they lived not according to their profession but were stiffe-necked scandalous prophane The practice of the Church according to the example of the Apostles in q Concil Laodicen 14.46 Hilar. ad constant lib. 2. imperf I cannot receive any man but him that is willing I cannot give care but to him that entreateth a I cannot signe any but him that professeth Raban de instit cleric lib. 1. cap. 25.27 Justine Martyr apol 2. receiving Heathens and them that were without into societie was this First They were taught in the principles of Religion and then the doctrine of Christ being received profession made with promise