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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	church_n	member_n	mystical_a	3,558	5	10.4248	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65752	The troubles of Jerusalems restauration, or, The churches reformation represented in a sermon preached before the Right Honorable House of Lords, in the Abby Church Westminster, Novemb. 26, 1645 / by John White ...	White, John, 1575-1648.	1646 (1646)	Wing W1784; ESTC R186492	39,612	69

Observe Gods Church must be united into a well compacted body furnished with needfull helps both for safety and order That the building of cities aims both at safety and orderly government I conceive cannot be denied The first builder of a city left upon record was Cain as is supposed for his own security being cast out of Gods protection Gen. 4.14.17 And Solomon to expresse what confidence worldlings put in their riches tells us they account it their strong Citie Prov. 10.15 Implying that Cities are accounted places of great strength and security Secondly it is evident both by reason and experience that Bodies neerly compacted are more easily and better governed and kept in order then a people scattered and dispersed abroad Now that the Lord himselfe had these ends before him in uniting his Church into a body is cleare enough to those that will understand When hee plants his vineyard the House of Israel he means Isai 5.7 the first thing which hee doth is the fencing of it vers 2. And Cantic 4.12 The Church is therefore resembled by a Garden inclosed or barred as it is in the original that is strongly fortified to keep out all that might break in to spoyle or destroy This wall of the Churches defence is the power of the Magistrate for whom we are to pray that under him we may lead a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 that is that being by his power preserved in peace we may serve the Lord without disturbance in holinesse the sword being put into the Magistrates hand for the terror of the wicked and for the praise of them that doe well Rom. 13.3.4 Wherefore the Lord promised that in the erecting of Christs Kingdome Princes shall be unto his Church a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest Isa 32.2 so that none shall hurt or destroy in his holy mountain Isa 65.25 There is besides the Magistrates sword an inner wall Ecclesiasticall discipline by which the little Foxes as they are termed Cant. 2.15 are taken or kept out such as speak perverse things to draw Disciples after them of whom the Apostle gives the Elders of Ephesus a speciall charge to take care Acts 20.30 31. And commands Titus to proceed against them by Ecclesiasticall censure Admonition and Rejection Tit. 3.10 And by the same Discipline Christs Ordinances are preserved pure as the Temple was preserved from pollution by the Priests who were to teach the people the difference between the clean and unclean and to give judgement accordingly Ezek. 44.23 24. These are indeed the true Rails about the Lords Table to keep out Dogges and Swine as Christ terms them Matth. 7.6 from polluting and profaning holy things and these are Jerusalems walls The second thing that God will build in Jerusalem is her streets both for Order and Beauty If the body were a grosse lump as some say Bears whelps are when they are newly fallen not distinguished by parts and members it were both uncomly and unserviceable 1 Cor. 12.18 19 20. There must therefore be streets in Jerusalem distinction of Offices and Functions and distributions of the people into Tribes Cities and Daughters of Cities as the Scripture terms them Villages and particular Congregations without which there can be no orderly government as Jethro tels Moses Exod. 18.18 21. That resemblance of the Church to an Army terrible with Banners Cant. 6.4 may perhaps upon the by under the type of an Army consisting of severall Troops and Companies marshalled under their severall Standards and Banners and yet making up but the entire body of one Army shadow out these divisions of the Church into her several members making up together the body of one Church which by this unitie and order growes and increaseth not as Cities doe in outward wealth but in those durable Riches as Solomon terms them Prov. 8.18 of faith love and other spiritual graces as the Apostle testifies Eph. 4.16 and as experience made it manifest in the Church newly gathered in the Apostles time which having some time of rest and opportunity thereby to joyn in fellowship not only increased in numbers but besides thrived in grace being edified and walking in the feare of the Lord Acts 9.31 which was furthered by those Ordinances which they enjoyed in common called living waters streams from Lebanon Cant. 4.13 conveighing that oyle of grace which like the oyntment powred on Aarons head and running down to the hem of his garments Psalm 133.2 flowes from Christ our head full of grace and truth of whose fulnesse we all receive grace for grace John 1.14 16. These are the advantages that the Citie of God and Church hath by uniting into a well compacted body fenced with Civill and Ecclesiasticall power and in an orderly manner divided into streets or congregations according to Gods appointment Why God will have it so there may be given these reason First God is One and his Name One wherefore the Apostle setting out the unity of the Church in One Body one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptisme shuts up all in one God and Father of all Eph. 4 4 5 6. implying that this unity of the Church flowes from him who is One Whence also but Saviour prayes for the Church that the members thereof may be all one as he and the Father are one John 17.21 22. And indeed seeing the Church is united to Christ as the Head thereof it must needs be one Body Now from this spirituall union of the mysticall body of the Church ariseth a kinde of necessity of uniting the members of the Church visible as much as may be Secondly this unity of the Church and order thereby credits Religion It is a good and delightfull thing for brethren to dwel together in unity Psa 133.1 Unity begets Order which proceeds ab uno and diverts ad unum and Order follows Decency which moves the Apostle to joyn them together 1 Cor. 14.40 Both these Unity and Order thereby so grace and commend the Church that many are thereby moved to joyn unto that Society When the Church was magnified of the people many were joyned unto it Acts 5.13 14. A third reason of the necessity of the Churches unity and order is her preservation A Kingdome a Citie an House divided against it selfe cannot stand saith our Saviour Matth. 12.25 26. This care of the Churches preservation is the more needful because it is but a little Flock Luke 12.32 And which is more dangerous a flock of Sheep amongst Wolves Matth. 10.16 which moves Saint Paul to warn the Elders of Ephesus to look to themselves and their Flock because grievous wolves shall enter in amongst them after his departure Acts. 20.29 Vse The Use of this poynt being manifold that I may not hold you ever-long I shall for the present apply it onely by way of Exhortation to that duty in the performance whereof Gods honour and the Churches good are so much interessed wherein if wee

have failed hitherto as it appeares wee have too much let our own hearts smite us in secret having in bitternes of spirit bewailed before God our former neglects engage our selves by renewed promises strengthened with firme resolutions after Davids example Psalm 132.3 4. to make this great work which God hath called us unto our first and chiefest care which wee would certainly doe if the zeal of Gods house had eaten us up with David Psal 69.9 That the fencing and ordering of the Church is a work that God will bring to passe I have shewed already And that it is our dutie to joyn with him therein no man will deny lest the curse of Meroz fall upon us Judg. 5.23 Thirdly that the greatest weight of this work lies upon the hands of the Princes and Rulers appears by Gods message sent unto Zerubbabel Hag. 1.2 By Davids charge to his son Solomon and all the Princes of Israel 1 Chron. 22.6 17 18 19. and by the examples of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.8 9 Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.3 4.5.11 and Josiah 2 Chron. 34. commended and set before us as patterns for their zeale in establishing and reforming the Church of God And lastly that this is the time wherein you are called upon to bring forth the head stone of this work as your selves cannot deny so God himself makes it evident by the course of his dispensations towards us for the farther we proceed in this work the neerer God drawes unto us in wayes of mercy scattering our enemies and crowning us with such successes as exceed our own hopes and expectations Let me therefore speak unto you in Davids words to his son Solomon 1 Chro. 22.16 Arise Right Honourable and be doing and the Lord be with you or a little more fully in the Nobles words to Ezra chap. 10.4 Arise for this matter appertaineth to you we also will be with you be of good courage and do it Not only the Ministers and people of the Land but of all the reformed Churches abroad assist you with their prayers as Moses Aaron and Hur did Joshua fighting with the Amalekites Exod. 17.10 12. till this work be carried on to perfection Besides the honourable name which you shall leave behind you to all posterity to be called The Repairers of the breaches and Restorers of paths to dwell in Isai 58.12 your labour will not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 and will be found upon your account at the last day To descend to the particulars of the duty required of you in this great work of the Churches reformation Let us I beseech you have the help of that power that God hath entrusted you with to protect us that the Boar out of the wood waste us not nor the wild beast of the field devoure us Psal 80.13 that enjoying abundance of peace under you our souls may be redeemed from deceit and violence Psal 72.7.14 which must be done either by cutting off wicked doers from the city of the Lord Psal 101.8 or by breaking their jaws and plucking the prey out of their mouth Job 29.17 or so discountenancing their wayes that they may be the scorn of the world and men may cry after them as after a thiefe Job 30.5 In the next place let me humbly desire that the building of the inner wall of the Church may be hastened with all possible speed I mean that Ecclesiasticall Discipline may be established First that Dogs and Swine prophane persons may no longer pollute the holy things of God that such as want wedding garments may be kept out from the Lords feasts Mat. 22.11.13 For the removing of that block of offence from such as upon that pretence separate themselves from our Assemblies as polluted by the leaven as the Apostle terms it 1 Cor. 5.6 of such unclean persons who being mixt with us and admitted by us to partake of our holy things leaven the whole lump Something you have assaid to do that way already my prayer is that you may do and I hope the Lord will stir up your spirits to do yet much more Perhaps ye fear to commit too much power to Ministers lest the undiseneet abusing it liberty may thereby suffer prejudice Let me answer with the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.2 If the world shall be judged by you are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters If Christ have committed to the Minister alone the highest power of the keys to bind over some to wrath and judgment and to loose others and acquit them from that dreadfull sentence in the dispensation of the Word as you must needs acknowledge promising to ratifie in heaven what they do on earth Mat. 16.19 Do you think it much to commit unto them assisted with the whole Presbyterie matters of far lesse moment the suspending of men for a while from the use of some outward ordinances But my hope is you purpose to try them in a little first which if they manage well you intend to trust them with more hereafter as the Master dealt with his servants Mat. 25.21.23 Secondly for the preventing or repressing of such as make divisions amongst us Rom. 16.17 speaking and teaching perverse things to draw disciples after them Acts 20.30 That divisions and drawing into parties are the most destructive wayes to Christian societie besides the grounds of reason the constant practice of Satan who both knowes and pursues his own advantages in making use of this dangerous Engine to undermine the Church makes it evident to the world Thus he laboured to trouble the Church in the Apostles own times as both the histories of the Acts and their own Epistles testifie The like practice he used in all succeeding times as is witnessed by all Ecclesiasticall Records And in this last age when Luther began the work of Reformation he raised up first the Anabaptists in great multitudes in Germany to disturb the peace and to hinder the growth of the Church and afterwards by dividing the Lutherans from the Calvinists hath made that wide breach between the Reformists that will hardly be closed up and in the mean time gives daily infinite advantages to that man of Sin to work the Churches utter ruine No marvell then that the Apostle adjures the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.10 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and the same judgement And afterwards useth that vehement obtestation Phil. 2.12 If we have any consolation in Christ any comfort of love any fellowship of the Spirit any bowels and mercy to be of one accord and of one minde That in all things men should be of one minde we must suppose them to be one man while we are divers men we shall have divers mindes in many things which yet need not hinder us from walking by the same rule and minding the same thing in our aim and scope Gods honour and our salvation by Christ whereunto if we be guided by the same rule the Law and Word