Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A45497
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Teleiosis, or, An exercitation upon confirmation the ancient way of completeing church-members ... : to which are annexed some directions for the putting of it into practice ... / by Jonathan Hanmer ...
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Hanmer, Jonathan, 1606-1687.
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1657
(1657)
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Wing H653; ESTC R19567
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114,268
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234
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brought to and tryed by the Touch-stone of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplar 2 Tim 1.13 Index sui obliqui the standard of Truth that so what is found agreeable thereunto may be approved as sound it being the pattern of sound words And what appears dissonant therefrom may be rejected as reprobate silver and counterfeit coin Isa 8.20 2 Cor. 4.4 1 Tim. 6.3 4 forged by the Prince of darkness improving that dismal darkness wherewith the minds of men naturally are veiled and covered Discipline and Order ought to be scanned by those general rules in the Word that refer to it and by the example of the Apostles the best Interpreters whereof are the general consent of the Churches of Christ De Baptis cont Donat. l. 2. c. 7 according to Augustines rule Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate Apostolicâ traditum rectissimè creditur and the practice of those who next succeeded them The water being purer the nearer it is to the Spring and those who lived lest remote from them being presumed to be best acquainted with their manner of proceeding as having better opportunity then others to know their way in matter of Fact which is one of the principal uses to be made of the writings of the antients and for which they justly deserve our due esteem and diligent perusal As for the former of these viz. Doctrines those Worthies whom the Lord in those latter daies wherein Antichrist was to be consumed by the spirit of his mouth in the ministry of his servants was pleased to raise up and imploy for the rescue and release of captiv'd Truth and the refining of it from Antichristian mixtures by having recourse to the Word and examining those Doctrines that were commonly taught and received as the truths of God By this straight rule they through the assistance of the Spirit of truth soon came to see and seeing to discover the obliquity of them and by the blessing of the Lord made a happy progress to doctrinal reformation The more to be admired and the goodness of the Lord therein magnified if we consider what Anakims and Goliahs they had to contend withall in regard of the temporal power siding with and seconding them the stream of the multitudes violently running with them for all the world wondred after the Beast and in regard of the deep roo◠that those errours by reason of their long continuance Rev. 13.3 had taken in the mindes of men custom with them having the force of a Law Yet so clearly did the Lord enable them to discern the truth from errour and so wel-groundedly confident were they of the soundness of what they held and sandyness of what they oppugned that they feared not to grapple with the adversary notwithstanding all his advantages putting to flight the armies of the Aliens each encounter proving a conquest with their Rams-horns have they batterd and made such breaches in the wals of Jericho as shall never again be repaired yea to that height of skill and courage did they attain that like champions having beaten him from the Scriptures they durst challenge the adversary at his own Weapon and to assault him in that his supposed strong hold of antiquity which he had betaken himself unto for shelter A challenge not more boldly made as far as to 600. years after Christ the only time worth the name of Antiquity then wisely managed and stoutly maintained by that rare Jewel of his time Dr. Humphred in vitâ Iuelli so great is the truth and will prevail As for the things that concern Discipline and Order those choice Spirits might haply the lesse heed them as respecting only the beauty and wel-being of the Church having enough to do in dealing with those more weighty and necessary things whereupon the very being at least the soundness of it as to substantials did depend Hence it came to pass that so much rubbish still remained in our administrations after all the pains they had taken in purging so that though the languishing Church were well recovered in respect of the danger her vitals were in yet even to this day could she never attain unto her native colour and comliness A task which seems to belong unto us and which the Lord hath reserved for this period of time wherein the work of Reformation is to be carried on to greater perfection In order hereunto and as making way for it we have seen the Divine providence bringing strange things to pass such as we yet scarce looked for nor could conceive how they should be brought about What Mountains have been leveld and removed out of the way what an heap of humane inventions that had invaded the Worship Ordinances of Christ and tyrannical usurpations in the Discipline of the Church have been cast out and abolished though so riveted and of such continuance that for their pretended Right they could plead Prescription and Possession time out of mind This was the Lords doing and deservedly marvelous in our eyes Moreover what a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication hath the Lord poured out upon his people in reference to this thing How hath he set it on upon their hearts as the proper work of their day What enquiring hath there been after a right way discussing of what 's dubious and uncertain discoveries of what was dark and obscure and to what a height have the hopes and expectations of the Saints been raised of the accomplishment of what hath been foretold and promised concerning Sions recovery of her Greatnesse and Glory and her being made a praise in the earth All which call loudly upon us each in our places and according to what we have received to put to our helping hand and to afford our utmost assistance for the promoting of this blessed work and the rather because they are so few whose hearts have been made willing to set about and undertake it and the difficulties therein are so many and great partly through the multiplicity of corruptions that have been mingled with and even incorporated into Church-administrations not easily to be severed from them partly from the violence of such as stand for Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas Erroris est Cyprian Epist ad Pompeium §. 12. and strive to maintain them by arguments drawn from their pretended Antiquity though when they have done all they are found to be no other then old errours and from the prudential necessity of them in reference unto decency and order Whereunto may be added the pertinacious humour of the generality among us crying up their great Diana and eagerly opposing and frustrating what they can the endevours of those that would remove them and desire to reduce things to the Primitive pattern True Antiquity being through ignorance decryed by the multitude under the name of Novelty and what is but of yesterday and a later birth fondly imagined to be
THe Admission of persons baptized in their infancy without due Tryal of their Faith and growth in Christ when grown in years to a full participation of all Church-Priviledges and Ordinances hath caused great confusion in the Administration of holy things And therefore I conceive the Learned Author of this Elaborate Exercitation hath deserved well of the Churches by clearing the way of those Admissions from Scripture-grounds and the concurrent Testimonies of many both Antient and Modern writers As also by discovering and removing those Popish additions and pollutions which by several steps and degrees have crept into it And if what he hath offered in this Essay come not up to the Judgment and Practice of the best constituted Churches yet this ingenuous and pious overture holds out more then most Churches have hitherto attained and may provoke the zeal of many to hold out what they have attained as more commodious for and perfective of the much desired and longed for restauration of the Churches to their primitive purity both in separating the pretious from the vile and in uniting the pretious into a more beautiful and beneficial Order among themselves These considerations have confirmed me in giving not only License to the publishing but thanks to the Publisher of this discourse of Confirmation The 24th of the 6th Moneth 1657 Joseph Caryl ΤΕΛΕΙΩΣΙΣ OR An EXERCITATION UPON CONFIRMATION The Antient way of Completeing CHURCH-MEMBERS Wherein is indevoured its Recovery from the Corruptions of Preceding Ages under which it hath lain so long Buried and the Restitution of it to its Primitive USE and END To which are Annexed some Directions for the putting of it into Practice Together with Sundry Encouragements thereunto Published as an Help for the Reducing of our Churches into Gospel-Form and Order and as an Expedient to promote Peace and Unity among Brethren By Jonathan Hanmer Minister of the Gospel JER 6.16 Ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein Tertul. advers Praxeam Id verum quodcunque primum LONDON Printed by A. Maxey for John Rothwell at the Fountain in Goldsmiths-Row Cheap-Side 1657. TO The Right Worshipful Sr JOHN CHICHESTER KNIGHT The Worshipful JOHN FOWELL ESQUIRE And the rest of the Inhabitants of TAWTON-BISHOP in the County of DEVON HAving been prevailed with to Publish this small Treatise which was conceived might prove of some Use to the Churche of Christ I have made choice to commend it unto you who defire may especially share in and injoy the benefit of it Which I have done as a Testimony of that great Respect and Love which I owe and bear unto you For though I be an unworthy Ambassador of Christ unto others yet doubtlesse I am chiefly so unto you being that part of the Lords Vmeyard wherein particularly he hath set me to labour And the searcher of of hearts knoweth how much I long after your Spiritual Welsare the prosperity of whose Souls would exceedingly rejoyce me When the Lord shall graciously vouch safe opportunity of putting these things in practice among you I hope and not without some ground that you will be found a ready and willing people to receive and submit unto them so far as they shall appear to be agreeable unto the mind of Christ and to make for his glory And in so doing you will both Facilitate and further the Work and greatly encourage the Workman Now that the Father of Lights would fill you with the knowledg of his Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding and enable you to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the Knowledg of God That the God of all Grace would stablish strengthen and settle you in his Truth and Wayes in these-evil dayes wherein so many unsound and unstable souls turn aside from the truth giving ear to deceivers that with fair words and pretences corrupt the minds of the simple to the dishonour of God the grief of his Messengers the offence of his People and the hurt and hazard of their own Souls Finally That the very God of peace would sanctifie you throughout and preserve your whole Spirit Soul and Body blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the hearty prayer of Your Servant for Jesus sake J.H. Aug. 28.1657 To the Christian READER THe Histories of all Ages do make it manifest how prone the sinful hearts of men are to deprave and corrupt the sincere Doctrines and pure Institutions of the Gospel The Apostles haveing received it from Christ and being inspired by his Spirit delivered and left behind them unto the Churches a perfect Rule and Pattern for their Direction and Imitation which they ought to have followed and kept close unto As in some sort it seems they did for some short space of time as may be gathered from those words of Egesippus an antient Historian Vicinus Apostolorum temporum Hieronym in Catalog Bellar. de Scrip. Eccles an 177 lib. 3. cap. 29 who liv'd near the Apostles times and was contemporary with Justin Martyr and Athenagoras mention'd by Eusebius Ad ea usque tempora virgo pura incorrupta mansit Ecclesia c. Unto those times viz. of the Apostles and that generation of men which by special favour had heard with their ears the heavenly Wisdom of the Son of God the Church remained a pure and uncorrupted Virgin But corruptions grew on apace SceMagd Cent. as the time of the revelation of Antichrist drew near who by degrees so deformed the beautiful face of Christianity through his alterations and additions that at length it looked almost quite like another thing than it was at the first The mutations in the Church being not much unlike those in the Jewish state whereof Esay thus complaineth Isa 1.28 Thy silver is become dross thy wine mixed with water In this deplorable condition did the first Reformers find the state thereof the weeds having so far over-topt the good grain that it was a hard matter to discern the one from the other which yet through Divine assistance they did in some measure both shewing and going before us in the way of Reformation And indeed much they did herein that have preceded us for whom we have cause to blesse the Lord in this regard having handed down Religion to us by much more pure then they received it from those that went before them But yet is there much of this work remaining the carrying on whereof unto further perfection seems to be the proper task of this generation which therefore ought accordingly to be vigorously intended and attempted Now the best way to Reform and bring things right when through Tract of time they have degenerated and grown crooked is to have recourse to the first and purest Ages and to reduce them to the Primitive pattern and practice Tertul lib. de Praescript Omne genus ad originem suam censeatur necesse est Doctrines therefore are to be