Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	apostle_n	church_n	key_n	2,057	5	9.6217	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52371	No popery, or, A catechism against popery wherein the heretical doctrins, idolatrous worship, and superstitious practices of the Roman Church are briefly yet plainly refuted, and the Protestant principles proved by testimonies of Holy Scripture, and evidence of reason / by a minister of the Gospell.	Minister of the Gospell.	1682 (1682)	Wing N1187; ESTC R19866	57,846	152

Schism but that which is the cause of Separation now our Separation being upon a just account cannot be called Schism for the Errors and Superstitions of the Roman Church made our Separation necessary for God having discovered them to us by his Word we could not without bringing guilt upon our selves neglect that Commandment of God Revel 18.4 to come out of Babylon that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues besides it doth not become them to reproach us with our Separation and to accuse us of Schism since they first thrust us from amongst them by their Excommunications and all sorts of violence and we may much more justly call them Schismaticks they having so unworthily separated from Jesus Christ and his Apostles and from the purity of his Doctrine by so many Heresies which they teach Q. Yet could you not for peace sake have dissembled and contented your selves with distasting them in your heart A. No For God vomits out of his Mouth those that are luke warm Revel 3.16 and would have us to glorifie him as well in our bodies as in our spirits which are his 1 Cor. 6.20 and that as we believe with the Heart unto Righteousness we should with our own mouth make Confession unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 SECT X. Of the Head of the Church Quest WHo is the Head of the Church A. Jesus Christ only for St. Paul says Ephes 4.5 There is one Lord and one Faith and Chap. 1.22 he says that God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is his Body Now as Jesus Christ hath but one mystical Body viz. his Church also this Body can have but one Head Q. But hath not Jesus Christ established under him one here upon Earth to be the visible Head of the Church A. No for the Word of God hath made no mention thereof and Ephes 4.11 St. Paul rekoning up the Offices in the Church says He gave some Apostles and some Pastors and Teachers but says nothing of this pretended Head which should have been the first And Jesus Christ forbids all Superiority of Authority amongst his Disciples Luke 22.25 26. The Kings of the earth exercise Lordship over them but ye shall not be so and Matth. 23.8 Be not ye called Rabby for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are brethren Q. It would seem that Jesus Christ looked on St. Peter as a Head Ordinarily he is first named in the Gospel and Matth. 16.18 Jesus Christ says to him Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church A. His being named first doth not import any Superiority of Authority or Jurisdiction but of Honour and Order because of his Age or Gifts and when Jesus Christ says upon this Rock will I build my Church he had not regard to the person of St. Peter but to his Doctrine and the Confession he had made in the name of the other Apostles saying Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and on this consideration not only Peter but the rest of the Apostles are called the Foundation of the Church as we are taught by St. Paul Ephes 2.20 And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself beeing the chief corner stone Q. But Jesus Christ in the same place promises to give him the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and that whosoever he shall bind on Earth shall he bound in Heaven A. In those words he gives no Authority to St. Peter which he gives not to the other Apostles to whom also he hath given the Keys and the power of binding and loosing and of remitting and retaining sins John 20.21 As my Father hath sent me so send I you verse 23. Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted But supposing it were as true as it is false that Jesus Christ did in this passage Establish Peter Visible Head of the Church it would not follow that the Bishops of Rome are his Successors in that Office since we see no warrant for it in the Scripture neither hath the other Apostles had any Successors in their Offices as Apostles Q. But since the death of Jesus Christ and his Ascension did not the Apostles acknowledge St. Peter for their Head A. No on the contrary Acts 8.14 the Apostles send him with John to Preach the Gospel in Samaria and St. Paul says 2 Cor. 11.5 That he esteemeth not himself a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles and Gal. 2.9 Naming James before Peter he says James Peter and John gave him the right hand of Fellowship and proves at length in the same place that he was not called to be an Apostle by any but by Jesus Christ alone and 1 Cor. 1.12.13 He reproves those amongst the Corinthians that did choose to themselves any other Head or Patron but Jesus Christ every one of you says I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Is Christ divided Was Paul Crucified for you Or were you Baptized in the name of Paul To acknowlege then another Head than Christ is to divide Christ Neither can we acknowlege any other Head but he who was Crucified for us and in whose Name we are Baptized St. Peter himself takes no other Title in his Epistles but that of Apostle and Elder and speaks to the Pastors of the Church not as having Authority over them but as their comparison in service 1 Pet. 5.1 The Elders that are among you I exhort who am also an Elder SECT XI Of the Invocation of Saints Quest MVst we pray to Saints A. No Because we have neither Command nor Example in the Word of God for it and when the Apostles desired Jesus Christ to teach them to Pray he injoyns them to pray to God only Luke 11.2 When you Pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Now that which is without the Word of God is without Faith Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God It is then a sin to Pray unto Saints since it is to Pray without Faith which is required in Prayer James 1.6 Let him ask in Faith nothing wavering Q. But is not Praying to Saints expresly forbidden in the Word of God A. Yes For God hath commanded us to Adore and Serve him only Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve now praying is one of the chief and principal Acts of Religious Worship and Service and St. Paul teaches us that we cannot call on those we do not believe in Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed then we are not to Pray to Saints since it is not lawful to put our confidence in them for God declares them cursed that put their trust in man Jerem. 17.5 Cursed be the the man that trusteth in man Q. It is true we are to serve God

only with the service of Latria but may we not serve the Saints with the service of Dulia A. The word of God admits not of this distinction and Gal. 4.8 St. Paul condemns the Pagans that they gave service of Dulia to those which by Nature were no Gods Now however excellent the Saints are yet they are not by Nature Gods Q. But why may we not as well pray to the Saints in Heaven as we desire the Prayers of Believers here on Earth A. Because we cannot Pray to Saints which are at such a great distance from us and have not Ears to hear our Voice but we must acknowledge them to be searchers of our Hearts and to know the intended thoughts of our Souls which is to attribute to the creature that which is only due to the Creator 2. Chron. 6.30 For thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men Q. It is true there is none but God that can immediately know the hearts of men but Saints may know them when God reveals them to them as he did to Elisha what his servant Gehazi did to Nahaman 2 Kings 5.26 A. I grant God can do it but it is not sufficient to Pray in Faith that we be assured of the power of God but likewise of his Will but we are so far from having ground to believe that God will reveal the Prayers of men here below to the Saints in Heaven that on the contrary the Scripture tells Eccles 9.5.6 That they have no more portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sun and therefore Elijah bids Elisha ask what he would before he was taken away 2 Kings 2.9 Presupposing that it would be in vain to ask him any thing after and God having extraordinarily made a Revelation of this kind to one of his Prophets to give Authority to his Ministery cannot be drawn into a general consequence for all Saints Q. Nevertheless it would seem that seeing God who knoweth all things they should see all things in God as in a Glass A. That doth not follow for the Angels who see the Face of God know not the time of the day of Judgment Matth. 24.36 And if they who see God should see all that God seeth and knoweth they would become Gods seeing that they would have infinite knowledge Saints see nothing in God but what is necessary to make them happy Q. Yet Jesus Christ says Luke 15.7 That there is great joy in Heaven over a sinner that repenteth then Saints must know the repentance of sinners and consequently their thoughts and inclinations A. Jesus Christ speaks not of Saints but of Angels as he explains himself verse 10. saying There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteh Now we need not wonder that the Angels have some knowledge of mens repentance since they are sent hither for that end as the Apostle tells us Hebr. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Q. But what say you of the Letter Elija writ to Joram after he was taken up into Heaven 2 Chron. 21.12 A. That Elija writ not that Letter after he was taken up but before having writ it by a Spirit of Prophesie and left it on the Earth and so was given afterwards to Joram by some Prophets to whom Elijah had committed it Q. Nevertheless glorified Saints must have some knowlege of the condition af Believers here on Earth since they take care for their Salvation and St. Peter promises to Believers 2 Epist 1.15 That after his death he would endeavour that they might remember the things that he had taught them A. This passage is not well and rightly translated so for St. Peter says not that he will endeavour after his death that Believers should remember those things but that they should remember them after his death Q. At least it is lawful to Serve and Pray to Angels which assist us and are near to us A. Not at all for Revel 22.9 and 19.10 St. John was going to Worship the Angel and the Angel rebuked him and took him up saying See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant worship God and St. Paul rejects Worshipping of Angels as superstitions Col. 2.18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen Q. Yet we see that under the Old Testament Believers have often worshipped Angels and Prayed to them Abraham bowed himself towards the ground before them and a little after Lott Gen. 18. and 19. A. I answer Abraham and Lott did not think they were Angels but men that were strangers for whom they make ready Meat therefore this homage was only Civil and acccording to the Eastern custom when they meet one another but when they knew one of them was the Lord they Worshipped him and Prayed to him likewise as God Q. What think you of this passage in Gen. 48.16 Where Jacob dying blesses after this manner the children of Joseph The Angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the Lads and let my name be named on them and the names of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac for it would seem that in this passage Jacob prays to an Angel and that he would have the children of Joseph pray to Abraham and Isaac A. I answer this was no Created Angel but Jesus Christ whom Malachie calls the Angel of the Covenant Chap. 3.1 And one of those that appeared to Abraham and Lott who is oft times in the 18. and 19. Ch. of Genesis called the Lord and he with whom Jacob Wrestled Hosea 12.3 4. the Prophet says Jacob by his strength had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed and Jacob's desiring that his name and the names of his Fathers should be named on the Children of Joseph is not that he would have them to Pray to him and his Fathers but that the Children of Joseph to wit Ephraim and Manasseh should be called by his name as Children of Jacob and be partakers with them as two different Tribes which was observed when the Land of Canaan was divided but besides this it is in vain for the Doctors of the Roman Church to alledge passages out of the Old Testament for the Invocation of Saints since they think that the Saints were shut up in the Limboes of the Fathers and did not then see the Face of God which is the principal ground they have for their Invocation of Saints SECT XII Of the Intercession of Saints Quest WE being miserable sinners how can we draw near to the Divine Majesty if we do not imploy some of Gods friends for Mediators as when we will speak to the King we adress our selves to some of his Favorites A I grant we dare not approach to God but by a Mediator but we need not for that end employ Saints for if we have sinned