Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	body_n	church_n	fullness_n	4,230	5	10.3232	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85050	Vindiciæ mediorum & mediatoris. or, the present reigning errour arraigned, at the barr of Scripture and reason. Wherein is discovered the falshood and danger of that late borne opinion, that pretends to an immediate enjoyment and call of the Spirit of God, both above and against its owne fffects, [sic] cause, word, ministry, and witness, in all respects. Occasioned by a pamphlet, intituled, The saints travell to the land of Canaan, or a discovery of seventeen false rests, &c. By one R. Wilkinson, a preacher of this errour about Totnes in the West. In the treatise following, the reader shall finde, most of the maine fundamentall doctrinall truths that this age doth controvert, faithfully vindicated, cleared, confirmed. By F. Fullwood, minister of the Gospell at Staple Fitzpane in the county of Somerset.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.	1651 (1651)	Wing F2521; Thomason E1281_1; ESTC R202060	131,348	337

be occasioned by that Godly Jealousy wherewith you are jealous over your flock Ever since I left you I have travelled for you yet not for you but yours or if for you in yours that I might bring forth this word of warning for them Whreunto I have labored till now as the other my manifold occasions left me opportunity and according to his working that worketh in me Sir My Request to you is only this that this poor Issue of my faithfull labours might have the honour and advantage of being delivered by your hand For as that will be an honorable so a certain convey and gain it imbracement with better welcome at least if not effect This done worthy Sir I must take my leave of you and turn to your people And I have but a few things for you deer Christians which if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any Pil. 2. 1. fellowship of the spirit if any bowells and mercies receive and fulfill ye my joy therein The great and main word of warning which I think may most seasonably be commended to you I finde in Coll. 2. 18. 19. Take heed of being so vainly puft up in your fleshly minde as not to hold the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Hold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Robur strength t is not only barely to hold but Firmiter teneo hold fast hold hard with all your might and strength as if Satan and his Instruments were plucking and tugging at you to wrest you away from your head So we finde it construed in Apo. 3. 11. Hold fast what you have hold your hold in Christ Secondly Hold the head hold Christ as a head in subordination and union i. Not as the Pope and too too many among us also that set up themselves Check by Jole with Christ their head yea and exalt themselves above him If the Body be not under and subordinate to the head how can it receive influence from it when the Body suffers not the head to be the head for eminence it rejects the same as a head for influence Secondly Hold Christ as your head i. be united keep neer and close to Christ least his influences should loose their heat or abate of their strength before they reach you Take heed of not holding the head in these respects if we once cut our selves off from Christ we cut our selvs off from al growth Col. 1. 18 19. Eph. 3. 19. and nourishment It pleased the Father that in him alone should all fulnesse dwell and he is the head of the body the Church Do you ever think to be filled with all the fulnesse of God and not through Christ to increase with the increase of God and not by keeping your selves subordinately united to Christ be not deceived Col. 2. 9 10. deer Christians for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head Bodily and ye alone can be compleat in him 2. Take heed of such a corrupt minde as 2 Tim. 3. 18. to be reprobate concerning the Faith or as in the Margin of your Bibles of no Judgment concerning the Faith of no judgment i. indifferently inexpert unsetled ignorant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Experience Hetrodox in judgment concerning the Faith If you take Faith here in a strict and speciall sense as one of those bands betwixt Christ and the Soul the Instrument of its union with its head surely not so light slight or indifferent a thing as that we may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning it as our redemption Psa 49. 8. 1 Pet 2. 7. 2 Pet. 1. 1. is precious our Christ is precious so is Faith precious also herby we hold the head by holding the head we have nourishment ministred to make us increase with the increasing of God Therefore the Holy Ghost hath so honored Faith by ascribing unto it mighty acheivements we are justified by Ro. 3. 28. faith faith purifies the heart yea by Grace we are saved through faith Secondly Take Ephes 2. 8 Faith in a larger sense for the beleefe or profession of the Gospell and Faith as it beleeves the word receives the truth as taken in the place now quoted surely Faith is no indifferent but a most necessary thing Take heed of holding the beleef of the Scriptures a thing indifferent as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so this also resists the truth this is the fruit of the corruption of our Minde cheifly and is of most dangerous consequence If we hold Christ we must hold his Word also we beleeve in Christ alone as in his word we are knit to Christ the head by this Band his Word alone Therefore Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word the Joh. 1. 1. World hath in it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that may be known of God but the word alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that may be knowne of Christ Therefore saith our Saviour Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me yea they are they which testifie of me As if nothing else but the Scriptures did witnesse to Christ But the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. through Faith which is in Christ Jesus 3. Despise not prophesyings This is another Thes 5. 20 speciall Band whereby we receive nourishment and growth from Christ by his spirit Therefore it is immediately prefixed quench not the spirit i. by dispising prophesyings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despise comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil it is the vanity and folly of our age Pro nihilo Habere to account the Ministry as nothing worth a needless fruitless thing But the able Ministers of the new Testament are the Ministration of the spirit and in Effect the Ministration of Righteousnesse and life Now doth not this exceed in Glory this 2 Cor 3. 6. 6. and 9. and 11 is the Ministry that remaineth and shall remaine for the word of the Ministry the edifying of the Body of Christ untill the top stone of this building is laid without the help of these Builders according to the revealed will we shall never be built up to perfection Therefore they must work in this house till we all come not a few but till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man Ephes 4. 12 13. Therefore let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Misteries of God to dispence the misteries and fulnesse of Christ to all his Members But though it be a very small matter to be judged of you or mans judgment 1 Cor. 4. 1 3 5. yet judge nothing of the Ministry much lesse condemn it before the time untill the Lord come and the

ministeriall Kingdome be given up to the Father As you prize the vertue and influence of Christ your head despise not prophesyings And as you prize the fulnes of God despise not the vertue and influence of the head Christ By Faith we are united to the head and by holding the head we receive all spirituall nourishment and growth and who is Paul who Apollo but Ministers by whom ye beleeve By Faith Rom. 10. 17. 14. in Christ we are justified sanctified saved and Faith cometh by hearing and how shall we hear without a Preacher Be not deceived by any means whatever to sleight your Saviour and his salvation thus by sleighting his Ministry your Minister who hath been and is in labours more abundant among you Lastly Pray evermore in every thing 1 Thes 5. 17. Eph. 4. 6. by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your Request be made known unto God God hath indeed promised all things to his People yet unto them as a praying People Eze. 36. 37. Notwithstanding all the promises before mentioned thus saith the Lord I will yet for this be Joh. 1. 12. 16. Vers compared inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Faith indeed is that vitall spirit by which but yet prayer is the Organ through which we receive from the fulness of our head and grace for grace Faith is the Bucket but prayer is the rope whereby we let down the Bucket of Faith and draw water out of the wells of Salvation whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Rom. 10. 13. shall be saved In this verse both ends of a Golden Chain are lincked together Here is Salvation promised to Prayer but shall every one that saith Lord Lord enter in no verily Salvation is promised to such a Prayer alone as proceeds from Faith How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleeved but as Salvation is promised to prayer and all true prayer proceeds from Faith so Faith comes by hearing How shall they beleeve on him on whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher Faith comes by hearing by Faith comes prayer and by prayer Salvation Cast away prayer and you have denied the Faith refused your own mercies yea neglected your own Salvation And the heighth and depth the length and bredth of this word Salvation the Epitomy and Center of all and every mercy the sum and all of every promise Salvation And yet whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved You cannot loose the Benefit of Christ but you loose Salvation you cannot loose the use of Faith but you loose the benefit of Christ and lastly you cannot loose the use of the word and prayer but ye loose the use of Faith He that neglects Christ Faith Word or Prayer neglects Salvation O then take heed for how shall we escape Heb. 2. 3. if we neglect so great Salvation But least my Porch should be too large for the Temple I have but a word or two of caution more by way of reflection for you and I speedily conclude 1. First Then beware of such in generall as teach otherwise that fight against teaching with teaching against ordinances with the use of Ordinances and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness such are proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifs of words whereof come perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth 2. But especially take heed of such who concerning the Faith have erred saying 2 Tim. 2. 18. that the resurrection is past already take heed of such because of their prevelancy and danger for the first Their word doth eat as doth a Canker For the second It overthrows ver 17. the faith of them that receiveth it and seems not compttible with truth of ver 18. grace neverthelesse the foundation of God standeth sure having the Seal the Lord ver 19. knoweth them that are his Now for these great ends dear Christians I make bold to offer you this small means this little Treatise which indeed was compiled though as in Publick it commend it self to all especially for your and your Neighbours sakes you having occasion to be acquainted more then others and I fear then enough with my Antagonist Now the Lord manifest his strength in weakness and make this my small indeavour to be greatly effectuall at least for prevention if not the subversion of this errour among you I therefore commend you to the Act 20. 32 ver 29. word of his grace which notwithstanding all greivous wolves which spare not the flock if you watch is able to build you up ver 31. and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified and subscribe my my self as truly I am your Christian Brother That loveth you with all Christian brotherly love FR FVLLWOOD The Analysis This Errour is considered here 1. Generally where we have two things 1. It s Definition 2. Its Grounds 2. Specially where it is handled two wayes 1. Absolutely or in its Doctrine about which two things 1. It s Division i. into five sorts It opposeth the spirit against its owne 1. Effects 2. Cause 3. Word 4. Ministry 5. Witnesse 2. Its Parts i. All its particular propositions and of them five things usually 1. Whither reduced 2. What they are 3. Whence they are 4. Their Grounds 5. Their confutation this twofold 1. Mediate answering their Arguments 2. Immediate confuting the Errour 2. Respectively or in its use where are shewed two things 1. It s End namely to be cheifly a Rest and Evidence 2. It s Falsenesse and weaknesse as to that End THE TRUTHS THAT are maintained in this Treatise in order are First concerning Evidences and are these 1. THE word of Grace or gracious qualifications are sufficient good evidences of Gods favour 2. The spirit of Christ doth not with its own immediate light discover it self to the Soul Secondly concerning Christ 1 The person of Christ is not a Form Type and shadow onely or a bare representation of his spirit 2. The Person of Christ is the Object or Medium of Faith Thirdly concerning scripture as first absolute 1. The visible scripture is more then a bare Allegory 2. VVe are bound to beleeve more of Gods words then the spirit hath cleerd and perswaded to us Secondly respective to our use thus both in the whole 1. The Scriptures are to be the rule of Faith 2. The Scriptures are to be the triall of spirits Thus also in many parts especially The Scripture is profitable in its Doctrine for instruction in its commands for obedience in its promises for comfort and consolation Fourthly concerning the Ministry 1. Communion of Saints is the way of God 2. The Ministry of the word and prayer are yet abiding Ordinances in the Church of Christ Lastly concerning Experiences That