Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	conscience_n	faith_n	unfeigned_a	2,594	5	11.1136	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89681	An apology for the discipline of the ancient Church: intended especially for that of our mother the Church of England: in answer to the Admonitory letter lately published. By William Nicolson, archdeacon of Brecon.	Nicholson, William, 1591-1672.	1658 (1658)	Wing N1110; Thomason E959_1; ESTC R203021	282,928	259

whole Gospel In a word the condition required of us is faith hope charity self-denial repentance a careful and industrious husbanding of Gods grace daily prayer for daily encrease and attending diligently to the means of grace To strengthen the faith of Abraham and his seed in the assurance of what was promised and for a memorial of what was to be performed it pleased God to have a seal set in his flesh and in the flesh of his seed for that time which was circumcision To this seal all the males of the Jews had a right and this seal was cut into them yea and as many Proselytes also who were content to become proselytae foederis Proselytes of the Covenant The other whom they call'd the Proselytes of their gates they entred them into the Covenant and bound them to the observation of the seven Commandments of Noah by a kinde of purification by water and the blood of oblation in the same kinde as they admitted their women The Covenant is the self-same under the Gospel that then God made with Abraham on the same conditions of the same extent only it hath another seal theirs was circumcision and ours baptisme the cutting of the flesh gave entrance to them the washing by water gives an entrance and admission to us And about this the question is whether it be to be with-held from the children of any who bear the name of Christians And it is observable how this question fi●st grew and what progresse it had At first some good-minded men set it on foot being occasioned by the children of professed Pahists living among them whom they conceived to be Idolatrous and consequently out of Covenant this caused Farel to write to Calvin about it Calvin Ep. 149. whose answer to him is this but not sound Where both the parents are Popish we think it an absurd thing for us to baptize them which are not members of our body and sith Papists children are such we see not how it should be lawful for us to administer Baptisme unto them But sounder by much is that answer of the Ecclesiastical Colledge of Geneva unto Knox who scrupled at the same and grew more rigid and wrote to them that he held it not only unlawful to baptize the children of Idolaters but even Bastards Ep. 283. and excommunicate persons till reconciled to the Church To whom they returned this sentence that wheresoever the profession of Christianity hath not utterly perished and been extinct Ep. 285. infants are beguiled of their right if the common seal be denied them which conclusion as I will by and by prove is sound But I go on for the mistake staid not here for when it came to Mr. Cartwright Anvil he beat it broader for he asserted that none might receive the Sacrament of Baptisme but they whose Parents at least the one of them are by the soundnesse of their Religion and by their vertuous demeanours known to be men of God Hook lib. 5. pag. 155. and by this rule the children of those they called Hereticks Misbelievers and Profane livers also came to be excluded Next the Brownist took it up and conveyed it over to you of the Combinational Church both imparting Baptisme to very few infants Burtons vindication pag. 62. viz. to those alone whose immediate Parents are members of their Congregation Out of you arise the Anabaptists and they peremptorily deny the Baptisme of all infants born to the members of the Combination or to any other till they are able to give an accompt of their faith and enter into a Church Covenant for themselves At last the Shaker comes upon the Stage and gives out of his Cup of trembling a vomit to all Ordinances these are outward Rites Baptisme the Eucharist needlesse seals to any old or young since he and his company are inwardly sealed by the Spirit This was the stratageme of that old Serpent for had he presented this bewitching position to the world at fi●st in the last ugly shape it now appears he knew that all men would have with honour heard it therefore he insinuated it and caused it to be taken down by certain gulps steps and degrees that the potion might be swallowed and the poyson not at all perceived Now this errour that I call it no worse in some hath been nourished in that they have not fully weighed the purport of this distinction of the mystical and visible body of Christ This is but one and we usually call it the Church which contains in it two sorts of people either outward Professours or true inward believers These last belong to the mystical body of Christ which therefore is called mystical because the mystery of their conjunction is altogether removed from sense in these their love is sound and sincere and comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned and they no doubt do and shall obtain whatsoever was made over by the second Covenant Those outward professours who either before Christs coming or since his appearing in the flesh have been called by the name of Christians we call the visible body because being Jews or Gentiles they are incorporated into one body have but one Lord whose servants they professe themselves to be have one faith which they all acknowledge one Baptisme by which they are all initiated For although we know the Christian Faith and allow it we are then but entring entred we are not into this visible Church till our admittance by the dore of Baptisme and who they are that enter that way is very well known even to the eye whence we usually call these the visible Church which is not so to be understood as if those of the invisible Church were not visible Christians also For both moleties whether mystical or visible as touching their profession are the object of the eye easie it is for any man to say this man is a Christian that man a Heathen But this distinction ariseth from the sincerity or unsincerity of the professours because we are never able to see and discern who they are that sincerely professe the Truth therefore we call these invisible but because we are easily able to judge of the men who enter by Baptisme therefore the whole is called a visible Church In whomsoever therefore is found the profession of one Lord one Faith one Baptisme those the Church doth acknowledge for her children and all those none of hers in whom they are not found as Jews Turks Heathens c. Others for their external profession are Christians and are of the visible Church of Christ And among these there are some who professe the Truth but not wholly and entirely and these are Hereticks some that professe the whole saving Truth but not in unity and these are Schismaticks some that professe the whole saving Truth in unity but not in sincerity and sanctity and these are hypocrites and profane persons others that professe the whole saving Truth in unity

Sacrament For this act was a right significant to the communicants of their table-honour and fellowship with Christ also that the Minister at the Celebration must be uncovered and that in signe of his service to the Communicants as the Lords much honoured children sitting covered when they eat of their fathers meat This irreverence with the reason of it if you disclaim as I hope you do it lyes upon you to shew me a reason why a man may be irreverent at any other part of Gods worship which I interpret the covering of the head out of contempt and obstinacy to be which guilt you may unadvisedly draw upon your self when you impute to us in a scoffe bare-heads 2. These you say should be utterly rejected from being my spiritual Over-seers again What will you cast us aside with the shavelings of Rome not rejected but utterly rejected rejected for a poor Ceremony that we were bare-headed in Gods service never to be made spiritual Over-seers again meerly for this This were a very harsh sentence but you lenifie it with two exceptions that of inward and an outward calling 3. Afore they were inwardly qualified by Christs sinne-crucifying and soul-quickning Spirit in a cleansed conscience This your qualification is exceedingly to be desired O how happy were the Church if all the Overseers were quickned by that Spirit which would effectually work in them a crucifying of sinne and a new life that their conscience were cleansed by the blood of Christ and a pure faith that her Nazarites were purer than snow whiter than milke that they were more ruddy in body than rubies and that their polishing was as saphire But this is rather to be wished than hoped for while this world stands Saul will be among the Prophets and Judas among the Disciples So then you have here put an impossible talk upon your self and all others to be assured of an Over-seer before you receive him that he is inwardly qualified by Christs sinne-crucifi d and soul-quickning Spirit in a cleansed conscience For this requires a great deal of more ability in the Rulers of the Church than ever can be found in any mortal man For not to speak of the impossibility of a grounded and certain perswasion of true grace in the heart of an hypocrite who hath no grace at all how is it possible to attain to any grounded certainty of true grace in the heart of another man conjectures we may make and in charity judge it is so but this is no evidence of assurance For the hid man of the heart and the new name are not certainly known to any man but he that hath them You must then abate very much of this proposition before any wise man will be of your judgment And if men must not be admitted for Over-seers till you know them to be thus inwardly qualifyed nor you nor we shall ever admit any Over-seers Gifts I graunt they all ought to have before they be admitted into that order but such as men may judge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abilities in learning outward evidences of grace witnessed by a holy life but whether they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratias gratum facientes that must be left to the searcher of all hearts To us a Bristol stone may glister like a Diamond and till we know the contrary it were folly to reject it 4. And also outwardly and ord rly called by Christs Covenant-servants in a cleansed Combinational Church This is your second restriction by which you would reject the Parish Over-seers as you call them the old Ministers But now see how farre it will take hold of those among your selves 1. For first if this outward calling be necessary then what will become of your Itinerants who never pleaded this outward call but their gifts only Secondly For those old Ministers that turn unto you and for gaine dance after your pipe they then must renounce their old orders and be newly ordained by you which were as if a man that had received his commission from his Prince should slight that and take up another from the people that I say not it justifies that old exploded maxime laid upon Wickleive Praelatus in mortali peccato existens desinit esse Praelatus Thirdly Here you would fasten upon us again the old Sophisme that there is no outward and orderly calling but by Christs Covenant-servants in a cleansed Combinational Church which you shall make good ad Graecas Calendas Fourthly You say that this outward and orderly calling must be had in a cleansed Combinational Church So that if the Combinational Church be not purifyed and cleansed what assurance can any man have of his outward calling Are the Anabaptist Churches clean Are the Antinomians clean Are the Millenaries clean Are the Quakers clean yet all these are Combinational and they ordain their Ministers It seems then that unclean Combinational Churches both outwardly and orderly call'd or else all these have no Pastours But I proceed with your words 5. If there were an unanimous voting down of all double-reading I mean that babling reading of two Chapters which is not seconded with the opening and expounding of the same being that it cannot but be confessed that it was such a course as is quite contrary to what is commanded and commended in the Scriptures of Truth as all do well know that are acquainted with what is written Ezek. 33.2 Nehemiah 8.8 Luke 4.16 Acts 13.15 1 Cor. 14.23 24. The Reply 1. Reading the Scripture publickly was of great use in the Primitive Church and to that purpose they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or publick Readers officiated even Julian before he became an Apostate was such a one in the Church of Nicomedia Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol 2. Tertull. Apol. cap. 39. lib. 2. ad uxorem Chrys hom 3. de Lazaro It was one part of their Liturgy as you may read in Justin Martyr and in Tertullian Commentaria Apostolorum aut scripta Apostolorum leguntur We meet together and there is Divinarum Scripturarum Commemoratio and that you be not mistaken in Tertullians meaning Ibi fomenta fidei de Scripturarum interlectione And here also is double-reading at lest for you for it was interlectio And therefore Chrysostome wisheth the people to get them Bibles and diligently to read them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in their Temples observe that They therefore used not to call the giving forth a Text and preaching upon it the reading of the Scripture Now that reading is preaching that is proclaiming the will of God is evident Moses had in old time in every City those that preach him since be is read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Dives brethren are sent to Moses and the Prophets and to what end but to read them Acts 15.21 Luke 16. for they were dead and vivâ voce could not preach and had not the reading of them been a sufficient Sermon to reclaime them