Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	bind_v	church_n	loose_v	6,945	5	10.4606	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26897	Church concord containing I. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing B1223; ESTC R14982	99,086	94

but bound in lawful things to consent for Unity and Communion And Mr. Cotton granteth for ought I see as much if not more than this comes to and Mr. T. Goodwin and Mr. Nye I think as much in their Preface to his Book saith Mr. Cotton p. 53. A fourth Corollary touching the Independency of Churches is That a Church fallen into any offence whether it be the whole Church or a strong Party in it is not Independent in the exercise of Church Power but is subject both to the admonition of any other Church and to the Determination and Iudicial Sentence of a Synod for Direction into a way of Truth and Peace For saith he Ecclesia litigans non ligat that is if Christ hath not given to a particular Church a Promise to bind and loose in Heaven what they bind and loose on Earth unless they agree together and agree in his Name then such a Church is not Independent in their Proceedings as do fail in either For all the Independency that can be claimed is founded upon that Promise What ye bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven c. The fifth Corollary affirmeth that Though the Church of a particular Congregation consisting of Elders and Brethren and walking with a right foot in the Truth and Peace of the Gospel be the first subject of all Church Power needful to be exercised within it self and consequently be Independent from any other Church or Synod in the use of it Yet it is a safe and wholesom and holy Ordinance of Christ for such particular Churches to joyn together in holy Covenant or Communion and Consolation Consociation or Consultation it should be amongst themselves to administer all their Church Affairs which are of weighty and difficult and common concernment not without common Consultation and Consent of other Churches about them Now Church Affairs of weighty and difficult and common concernment we account to be the Election and Ordination of Elders Excommunication of an Elder or any person of Publick Note and Employment the translation of an Elder from one Church to another or the like In which case we conceive it safe and wholesom and an Holy Ordinance to proceed with common consultation and consent And so he proceedeth distinctly to prove this 1. Safe 2. Wholsom 3. An Ordinance adding this Caution which we accept To see that this Consociation of Churches be not perverted either to the oppression or diminution of the just Liberty and Authority of each particular Church within it self who being well supplied with a faithful and expert Presbytery of their own do walk in their integrity according to the Truth and Peace of the Gospel Let Synods have their just Authority in all Churches how pure soever in determining such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are requisite for the Edification of all Christ's Churches according to God But in the Election and Ordination of Officers and censure of Offenders let it suffice the Churches consociate to assist one another with their counsel and right han●… of fellowship when they see a particular Church to use their Liberty an●… Power aright But let them not put forth the Power of their Community●… either to take such Church Acts out of their hands or to hinder them in the●… lawful course unless they see them through ignorance or weakness to abu●… their Liberty or Authority in the Gospel They may indeed prevent the abu●… of their Liberties and direct in the lawful use of them but not take the●… away though themselves should be willing So also before Pag. 47. he sai●… 4th Propos. In case a particular Church be disturbed with Errour or Scanda●… and the same maintained by a Faction amongst them Now a Synod 〈◊〉 Churches or of their Messengers is the first Subject of that Power and A●thority whereby Errour is judicially convinced and condemned the trut●… searched out and determined and the way of Truth and Peace declared an●… Imposed upon the Churches which he proceeds to prove And Dr. Goodwin and Mr. Nye in their Preface approving of this sayin●… that these Synods have a due measure of Power committed to them suite and proportioned to those and are furnished not only with ability to giv●… counsel and advice but further upon such occasions with a Ministerial Pow●… and Authority to determine declare and enjoyn such things as may tend to th●… reducing such Congregations to right order and peace And whereas they put it in as a caution that yet Synods may not Exco●municate I answer that as long as they grant that they may renounce Communion with such a Church and Doctrinally apply to them their Portion an●… Doctrinally enjoyn the people to avoid the impenitent Offenders by applyin●… the Scriptures to them that enjoyn it we have no mind to disagree wit●… them about the rest I conclude therefore that we are Dogmatically agreed in this great Poin●… as far as is necessary to our Loving Communion Let us in our Consociation●… either keep our Principles to our selves of the degree of a Synods Power 〈◊〉 else let all have Liberty to write them down in the Register Book of the Syno●… and so to proceed in Concordant Practice Perhaps some may be found th●… think Synods are the proper Superiour Governours of the Pastors of particul●… Churches yea and their Ordinary Governours Others may think that the●… are not necessary nor any Ordinance of God but yet a lawful thing that ma● for Peace be used And others that I think are in the truth may think th●… Synods are not the direct Governours of the particular Pastors but are God●… Ordinance for the Communion of Churches and so indirectly bind in lawf●… Agreements both as our own Consents oblige us and as God's general Co●mand of doing all things in Unity and Peace and Concord doth animate the●… Agreements Let us impose none of our Principles here on others but Agr●… to hold Communion in Synods for mutual Edification and Corroboration a●… such like ends of Communion as Mr. Cotton mentioneth and to be accou●… table to the Brethren in cases of offence so far as to tender them due satisfactio● and hear their Brotherly Admonitions In a word let us but maintain th● necessary Communion of Churches which the Ends and Nature of the Church require and we shall press no more Obj. But being free why should we desire to be bound in Associations Answ. You are not free from brotherly Charity the Communion of Saints and the Concordant doing the Works of God of common Concernment Nor do we desire you to bind your selves to any thing but what is antecedently your Duty and you 're already bound to by God Object But perhaps if we associate with you you will be rigid for your own ways and be the Major part and then if we displease you our Communion shall be rejected to our disgrace Ans. 1. The Churches can pass as disgraceful a Sentence on you if you come not near them as if you joyned