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
A76080	Independency not Gods ordinance: or A treatise concerning church-government, occasioned by the distractions of these times. Wherein is evidently proved, that the Presbyterian government dependent is Gods ordinance, and not the Presbyterian government independent. To vvhich is annexed a postscript, discovering the uncharitable dealing of the independents towards their Christian brethren, and the fraud and jugglings of many of their pastors and ministers, to the misleading of the poor people, not only to their own detriment, but the hurt of church and state; with the danger of all novelties in religion. / By John Bastvvick, Dr in Physick.; Independency not Gods ordinance. Part 1	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1063; Thomason E285_2; ESTC R200066	144,017	171

God bringing salvation hath appeared to all men for this very end that they should deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works I say I have been ever taught by Gods holy Word to beleeve that those Ministers that instruct the people to do al these things and where the people by faith imbrace and receive this doctrine are the true Ministers of Jesus Christ those congregations under them the church of Jesus Christ and of his sheepfold and that Christ in all such congregations is set up as King in his Throne as who rules in the hearts of his people and the which are swayed and guided by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit and deserve none of those contumelious languages the brethren asperse both Ministers and people with Of the ministers they thus speak and print That they deny disclaime and preach against Christs Kingly government over mens consciences and Churches so that such a conversion as is wrought by them comes not home to whole Christ and such with their converters doe deny Christs kingly government or at least and best they are converted but in part and that maine thing is wanting to wit Christs Kingly office and of all the people and Christian beleevers through the Kingdome that are not in their Congregations and new-gathered Assemblies they speak and print thus We say the brethren the independent ministers exhort them to set up Christ King in their hearts We exhort them to become and professe to be those Saints of whom Christ is King for he is King of Saints Rev. 15.3 but they will not beleeve us say they they will not depend upon Christ as the onely law-giver and King over their consciences Now what would you have us to doe in this case say they baptize the infants of such parents as will not in this respect professe nor confesse Christ to be their King Why doe you not know say they that no Infants have any title to baptisme that are not within the covenant visibly and how are they within the covenant visibly but by vertue of their parents faith outwardly professed and what outward profession of faith is there in the parents that refuse Christ for their onely King that are ashamed or afraid to professe to be in covenant with Christ as their King if therefore the parents professe not yea refuse thus to be in visible covenant can the children be said to be in visible covenant so to have a right in baptisme the externall seal of the covenant here is an obex a barre put These are their owne words which I have set downe at large the summe of them briefly is this that all the Ministers of the Church of England that are not of their fraternity doe deny disclaime and preach against Christs Kingly government over mens consciences and churches and that all the people under their Ministery are men unconverted or at least converted but in part wanting the main thing to wit Christs Kingly office men visibly out of the covenant of grace who have not so much as an outward profession of faith who deny Christ to be their King to whose persons and infants the very sacraments and seals of grace with all church communion may and ought to be denied Another of the Independents amongst many of the contumelious and disgracefull speeches he uttereth out aganst the Ministers of the church of England calling them the blackcoats in the Synod who he is afraid will prove more cruell Taskmasters than their Fathers the Bishops who cowardly sit at home and in his apprehension for no other end but to breed faction and devision amongst the wel affected to the Parliament promoting their own interest which saith he is lazinesse pride covetousnesse and domination and amongst many such expressions as these he proclaimes them the sworne enemies of Jesus Christ and desiring that the Parliament may be put in mind of their covenant for he thinks they have sworn to root out popery he tels them they have established Tythes the very root and support of popery which he doth humbly conceive is a contradiction to their covenant and which will be a greater snare than the Common-Prayer to many of the precious consciences of Gods people whose duty it is in his judgement to dye in a prison before they act or stoop unto so dishonourable a thing as this is to their Lord and Master as to maintaine the black-coats with tythes whom they look upon as the professed enemies of their anointed Christ c. These are some of his formall expressions I leave the comment of these severall passages to others neither doe I rehearse innumerable such like sentences as are daily vented to the intolerable disgrace both of all the Ministers of the Church of England of all those beleeving christians that are under their several charges that in every pamphlet in the which they proclaim all the Ministers to be the sworne and professed enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ and such as deny disclaime and preach against Christs kingly government over mens consciences and Churches and for the people and beleevers in England they proclaime them to be men unconverted or at least converted but in part wanting the maine thing Christs Kingly office men visibly out of the covenant of grace who have not so much as an outward profession of the faith who deny Christ to be their King to whose persons and Infants the very Sacraments and seales of grace with all church-communion may and ought to be denied c. By the which words they not onely unchurch all the congregations of England Scotland Ireland but indeed all the reformed churches and unchristian all christians but those that are in their owne independent assemblies and account them as aliens and strangers from the common-wealth of the Saints and make Christ to be no King over them or to have any Kingdome in or amongst them but onely amongst themselves in their new congregations wheras Christ ever had a church or Kingdome upon earth in all ages before they were and hath without all controversie a true Kingdome in many churches in these our dayes where they are not Had I not seen their expressions in print and the book in which they are uttered set forth by authority with approbation I should not have beleeved that they had all of them bin so uncharitable but finding that book not only printed by license but generally applauded by them all and much magnified as the frequent edititions of it doe manifest I gather it is the universall opinion of them all Than the which what could be more uncharitably and unchristianly spoken what comfort can any of the Ministers of the church

of Engand have in the society of these men who whatsoever outward seeming favour they shew to them in their hearts conceive of them as the sworne enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and as men unworthy to live and who count it a dishonorable thing to their Lord Master to maintain those black-coats with tythes whom they look on as the professed enemies of their anointed Christ can I say any Ministers with joy and alacrity converse with these men no surely what reall comfort can any poore christian beleevers through the Kingdome either expect or look for at these mens hands if they were in their power whom they declare and that in print and in their Pulpits to be men unconverted or converted but in part wanting the main thing Christs Kingly office men visibly out of the covenant of grace who have not so much as an outward profession of faith who deny Christ to be their King to whose persons and Infants the very Sacraments and seals of grace with all church-communion may and ought to be denied can any true christians be reall friends to the enemies of Christ He saith Saint Paul 1 cor chap. 16. v. 22 that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathama Maranatha will any true Christians blesse those that God hath curst David said I hate them that hate thee yea I hate them with a perfect hatred And surely those that are true friends to Christ hate all his enemies now they looke upon our Ministers as the profest enemies of Christ and upon all the people under their ministery as enemies of his Kingdome and as men to whose persons and infants the very Sacraments and seales of grace with all church-communion may and ought to be denied they are their owne words can they therefore expect any reall friendship from them whatsoever outward curtesie they seem to shew them no doubtlesse how can any poore christian have any delight to come amongst these men or so much as to be in their society whom they account of as the enemies of Christ his Kingdom For my owne particular I would not willingly come in any mans company or be familiar with any that I thought a profest enemy of Christ and his Kingdome neither should I ever beleeve I could have any reall esteem from such as think me an enemie of Christ and his Kingdome It was the greatest calamity to the poore sufferers under the Prelats tyranny and to all those distressed christians that were haled into the High-commission court or into the Star-chamber or before the Counsell table for matter of Religion and conscience which was the lot of many thousands through the whole Kingdome that commonly their greatest enemies were those of their owne house their parents their brethren and fisters would be the chiefest calumniators reproachers of them and that in word and deed would most despightfully persecute them denying them the common humanity of hospitality and would not so much as look on them except it were to revile them and insult over them and would ordinarily joyne with their enemies both privately and publikely and desert them in their greatest streights as all of them can generally witnesse which not onely encouraged their enemies against them but added credit to their false accusations and calumnies for they would usually say ye may see what manner of men these are whose nighest friends are not onely ashamed of but thus speake of them which was a greater affliction unto them than all the other miseries and sufferings they underwent for had they been their professed enemies as David said they could easily have endured it and there would lesse credit and regard have been given to their words but they were their parents brethren sisters and familiars and therefore it added more sharply to their affliction So had they been our professed enemies as Papists Socinians Arminians or those of the Prelaticall faction that should have proclaimed us enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and had they denyed unto us and out children the seals of grace with all church communion it would not have troubled us but tu Brute that brethren that fellow-sufferers in affliction that had gone up to the house of God together and had taken sweet counsell together that they should now proclaime us the enemies of Jesus Christ and deny communion with us oh let not this be spoken in Gath and Ashkelon This is that that grieves and fads the hearts of their brethren more then all their former afflictions and gives a great advantage to the common enemy and scandalizes the Gospell and exposes both themselves and us to the scorne of the Malignants who ordinarily jeere and say see those holy Brethren that lost their cares together are now together by the eares and count one of another as a company of Infidels and disclaime all holy communion one with another and will not so much as admit of their children to baptisme or suffer them to receive the Sacraments with them But this is that that makes all men wonder to hear them proclaime all the Ministers of the Church of England to be such as deny disclaime and preach against Christs Kingly government when it is apparently evident both by all their preachings and writings and all their practices that they ever advance Christs Kingly government as really as any of those that oppose them who in preaching up the Kingly office of Christ and setting Christ upon his Throne are inferiour to none of them in this work For we are taught out of Gods Word that those Ministers set up Christ in his Throne that open the eyes of the blind and turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they might receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ and that teach men to repent and turne to God and doe works meet for repentance and when the people that heare them give themselves first to the Lord and unto his Ministers by the will of God and after denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts live soberly righteously and godly in this present world And this the Word of God teach●● us is to set up Christ upon his Throne and those Ministers that teach all these things set up Christ upon his Throne and those people that embrace this doctrine make Christ their King as we may see 2 Cor. chap. ● ver 5. Tit. 2. ver 12. For Christ sits as King upon his Throne when he is beleeved in to be that horne of salvation that was raised up for us in the house of David that has saved and delivered all that beleeve in him out of the hands of all their enemies both spirituall and bodily that they may serve him without feare and when Christ rules in all their hearts by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit and when they owne him as their onely law-giver and acknowledge him to be the onely King in his

Brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gifts of the holy Ghost c. Act. 2.37 38. then they that gladly received the word were baptized and the same day were added unto them about three thousand soules Here we may observe these two things The first that the Apostles by themselvs alone without the multitude or Church admitted the people into the society company of beleevers Secondly that in the execution of their commission they did nothing but according to their warrant and according to their injunction that was given unto them by Christ they propounded no other condition or termes for their making all and every one of them members of the Church but baptisme and repentance the which when the people had accepted of they were forthwith admitted and that upon their owne word and testimony without any more adoe or further inquiry Concerning the soundnesse of their repentance without any witnesse from others of their conversation and without the voyce allowance or approbation of the people or the multitude of beleevers in Jerusalem much lesse of the whole Church who were never joyned with the Apostles in their comission or consulted with by them whether they should be admitted or no into the fellowship of the faithfull or demanded or asked by the people whether it were not fit that they should take some time of further consideration that they might walke with them to the end that they might behold their conversation and by their owne experience might further be confirmed that their conversion was sound and well Neither did any call for at their hands that they should make a publike confession of their faith to the Church and give in evidences to the Congregation that they were converted really or that they should take a private covenant or enter into the church by way of a peculiar covenant nothing of all this is specified But it is onely related that the people upon their being pricked in their hearts applied themselves unto the Apostles and that the Apostles by their owne authority and that power that was delegated unto them without reference to the church or people admitted them into the number of beleevers We further may take notice that when the Angell appeared unto Cornelius in the tenth of the Acts he sent him unto Joppa to call for one Simon whose surname was Peter he did not send him unto the Church in Joppa And it is related that when Peter came to Cornelius and that he had recited unto him the manner of the vision and that he was commanded by the Angell to send for him it is further also declared what Peter there did and that he said of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him And after a Sermon made unto Cornelius and all that were assembly there with him It is said that the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word and that all the beleevers that came with Peter were astonished at it for they heard them speake with divers tongues and magnified God Then answered Peter can any man forbid water that these men should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Here we see first that Peter was sent unto and not the Church Secondly that he admitted Cornelius and those that were with him into the number of beleevers and into the fellowship of the Church by his owne authority and never consulted with the Church to aske their leave or voyce but concludes the businesse with an interrogation which hath a greater force of binding that no man ought to hinder any beleever from comming into the society of the Church and communion of Saints in whom the graces of God spirit evidently appeare as in these so that if either the Ministers come into their houses or they goe into the Ministers and make sufficient testimony by themselves of their faith and that they feare God of what nation soever they be they are by the Ministers to be admitted the congregation hath nothing to doe to hinder any such nay they may not it is more than belongs unto them neither did those that came with Peter intermeddle in that businesse or require a covenant at their hand or a publike confession of faith Againe when the Lord of his infinite mercy was purposed to reveale himself unto the Eunuch in the 8 of the Acts he sendeth Phillip the Evangelist unto him whom he found reading in his Chariot the prophesie of Isaiah and after that he had interpreted unto him that prophesie and preached unto him Jesus and Baptisme in his name it is related that when they came unto acertaine water the Eunuch said unto him what doth hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou beleevest with all thine heart thou mayest And he answered and said I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God and he commanded the Chariot to stand still and they went downe both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him Here we see that Philip and not the Church was sent unto the Eunuch and that Philip by his owne authority and upon the Eunuch his owne testimony without any reference unto the Church or without consulting with the Congregation admits him into the number of beleevers and makes him a member of the Church and here was neither a publik confession required of him by any of the Church or any covenant exacted by the people and so when Saul in the 9. of the Acts was fallen downe out of astonishment and afterwards was converted as the story there fully declareth the whole manner of it the Lord sent one Ananias a Disciple and Minister unto him he did not send the Church unto him neither did Ananias when he came to Saul say unto him I will consult with the Church to see whether they will admit thee to be a member for thou hast greatly wasted the Church and made havock of the Saints and therefore I will have their approbation and consent and I will have thee first walk with the Church some time that they may behold thy conversation and then thou shalt make a confession of thy faith publikely before the Congregation and give in thy evidences of the truth of thy conversion and enter in a private and solemne covenant and so be received and admitted But without all this adoe he baptizes Paul and admitteth him into the number of beleevers and makes him a member of the Church and that by his sole authority and he was received immediately among the Disciples at Damascus without any reluctation or so much as any scruple and strait-way he preached Christ in the Sinagogue that he was the Son

When therefore the Ministers of the church of England follow Christs and his Apostles way and method in their teaching and for the converting of men and heare onely the voyce of Christ their King and the christian beleevers through the Kngdome under their ministries doe all faithfully cleave unto the written Word and square both their faith and obedience according to that rule there is no just cause why the Independents should proclaime them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and such as oppose his royalty and preach up themselves and their congregations as the onely people of God and his Saints and account all those that dissent from them as opposers of Christs government telling the people in their Sermons that they come over from beyond the seas thinking that they would have set up Christ upon his Throne and that they would have embraced him for their King and would have established his government and have gone on in a church-way and have set up the wayes of God but they find it otherwise that they deny and disclaime and preach against Christs Kingly government and persecute the wayes of the Lord Christ so that they can find more favour from moderate Papists and common Protestants than from them by which their dealing say the brethren they have so taken off the edge of Gods peoples affection from them that the Saints and servants of God cannot pray for them proclaiming themselves the Saints and people of God as if all the other beleevers through the Kingdome dissenting from them in their opinions were no Saints nor people of God Nay they affirme it in their Pulpits and in every Pamphlet that both Ministers and people are enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome and all such as will not joyne with them in their new wayes And one of them not long since affirmed unto me that the church of England was a Strumpet an arrant Whore and that shee being once a Whore could never be presented unto Christ as a chaste Spouse which was an expression not onely uncivill and unbeseeming a christian but untrue also for grant shee had been so shee is now come out of Babylon and has entred into a publike covenant against her and we read of Juda and Samaria howsoever they had defiled themselves and played the Harlots yet upon their unfained repentance and true faith in Jesus Christ and renewing their covenant publikely of new obedience were presented unto Christ as a chaste Spouse so that what is impossible with man is possible with God But this is the generall opinion of the brethren and howsoever they will not all of them speak it out in plaine words as some of them doe yet they preach and practice a separation from all our assemblies and congregations as from a people not to be communicated with and declare that by their deedes which they will not as yet publish in their writings nor expresse words as he did And one of the Independent Ministers not long since denouncing Gods judgements against all those that would not assent unto their new wayes nor light their candles at their new lights nor embrace their new-borne truths told them that by their standing out against the wayes of God for so they suppose these are and by their unkind usage of the Saints and persecuting of them they would at last drive from amongst them the praying people meaning themselves as if no other prayed but they onely and then they might look that the judgements of God would speedily come downe upon them as it happened to the Lutherans in Maydenburge in Germany who thrust out all the Calvanists out of their Towne a praying people and immediatly after the enemy came upon them with fire and sword and destroyed them all With these and such like expressions are their preachments stuffed and to say the truth of many of their Sermons they are like Taylors cushions consisting of a hundred severall shreds of various colours all independent making a fine shew but comely no where but in a Taylors shop and surely such kind of expressions as these are may beseem their Pulpits but no grave and learned honest mens for they have no just cause to complaine of persecution amongst us it is a calumny neither deale they christianly with us to accuse us that we oppose the wayes of God for we doe not so we onely contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints and against the wayes of men and such as were brought into the Church by the cunning craftinesse of some and thrust upon the people as the Lawes and Ordinances and wayes of God when they are but their owne inventions and tend to no edification but to the trouble and disturbance of Church and State and such as already have brought a confusion upon us all and if the Lord doth not speedily from Heaven send his helping hand we can expect nothing but desolation and all from these devisions that their new wayes have brought in and therefore it is high time for all good christians and such as love the peace of Sion more exactly to examine all these new wayes and to put them upon the proofe of them But that the brethren should complain of persecution amongst us and of evill usage it is against all reason and humanity and sheweth little gratitude in them to all the christians both thorow city and country for if they remember when they came over though they had deserted the cause when they had most need of them they were more honoured then any of those famous and learned Ministers that had undergone the labour and heat of the day and they were preferred before them all and setled in the prime Lectures of the Kingdome and had more honourable maintainance than was usually given to any Lectures before them and therefore they deale not brotherly in none of all their proceedings nor humanely so to asperse them as they ordinarily doe both publikely and privately I am confident there is not such a president in the world of humanity as that shewed here to them it is well known and their books and practices declare it that they preach new wayes new-borne truthes and set up new lights Now where was it ever heard of either in the Christian or Pagan world that it was ever permitted unto any Ministers or Preachers to have all the Pulpits in any nation to preach a divers doctrine to that which is set up by authority and such as tends to make a faction and devision amongst the people I doe most assuredly beleeve that there cannot the like president be produced Amongst the Heathen the Jewish Religion in many countries was tolerated but they were confined to their owne Sinagogues they might not come in the Heathens Pulpits to preach up the Jewish worship amongst them or to set up another service contrary to the custome of the Nation It was an abomination to the Egyptians that the Jewes should sacrifice in their land they would not have