Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	church_n	earth_n	militant_a	5,036	5	12.4963	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80164	Vindiciæ ministerii evangelici revindicatæ: or The preacher (pretendedly) sent, sent back again, to bring a better account who sent him, and learn his errand: by way of reply, to a late book (in the defence of gifted brethrens preaching) published by Mr. John Martin of Edgefield in Norfolk, Mr. Samuel Petto of Sandcroft in Suffolk, Mr. Frederick Woodale of Woodbridge in Suffolk: so far as any thing in their book pretends to answer a book published, 1651. called Vindiciæ ministerii evangelici; with a reply also to the epistle prefixed to the said book, called, The preacher sent. By John Collinges B.D. and pastor of the church in Stephens parish in Norwich.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1658 (1658)	Wing C5348; Thomason E946_4; ESTC R207611	103,260	172

thing Notatio saepe est inadaequata modo latior modo angusti●r saith the Logician But 2. Except our Brethren will have their major understood universally viz. All the titles and all the names we conceive their Argument very faulty for because the name of the Mayor is a relate only to the Aldermen and City it doth not follow but that his title of Justice of the Peace hath the keeping of the Peace and the Statutes concerning Justices for the Correlate or but that his title as the Deputy Lieutenant to the chief Magistrate intimates him to have the supreme Magistrate as his Correlate 3. If our Brethren do say that all their titles have the Church only as their Correlate we shall desire by the next to know whether their title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Criers or Preachers in the following Texts have the Church only for their Correlate 1 Tim. 2.7 2 Tim. 1.11 2 Pet. 2 5. Rom. 10.14 Philip. 1.15 Nor will it serve our Brethrens turn to say that if the Question be asked To whom are they Officers the answer must be to the Church * 1. For first the answer may be most properly to Jesus Christ 2. Suppose the question be asked what is their office for what work is the office ordained The answer must be for the Preaching of the Gospel for the work of the Ministry The truth is The work is objectum quod the Church is objectum cui Both the Church and the imployment are the Correlates to this Relation the Church are the Correlated persons the work of the Ministry is the Correlated thing So that our Brethren do but fancy a contradiction in our Reverend Brethren of London for both the Church and the Employment are Correlates Nay under favour not the Church alone but every rational sublunary creature is the Correlate of the office of the Ministry as to Preaching The office of the Ministry was instituted as well for the gathering of the Saints as for the edifying of them as well for the perfecting of their number as for the perfecting of their graces Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God c. Eph. 4.11 12 13. We can never believe that when the Church sends out one to Preach the Gospel to heathens that person Preacheth only as a gifted Brother but as an officer of the Gospel Nay more God himself is the Correlate to this office and therefore they are called the Ministers of God the Ministers of Christ not Elders of the Church only or Ministers of the Church they are Gods Ministers in the Church and the Ministers of the Gospel in and for the Church and world too Let our Brethren shew us but one Scripture where a Preaching Minister is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Minister of the Church We can shew them many where they are called the Ministers of Christ of righteousness of the Gospel of Christ Now it is a rule Relata reciprocantur a Father is called the Father of such a Son and the Son is called the Son of such a Father But I say our Brethren speak no Scripture phrase when they call Ministers i. e. Preaching Ministers Ministers of such a Church they are the Ministers of God and his Gospel in such a Church and they have some relation to the Church but not a more relation than they have to the work they are call'd Ministers of the Gospel and the Gospel is called their Gospel My Gospel saith Paul twice here is a plain reciprocation let them shew us the like if they can for their assertion otherwise we hope our Christian friends will hardly be induced by such kind of argumentation as this is to believe the office of the Ministry is not related to the work of the Ministry but only to the persons whom the ministation doth concern And I earnestly beseech our Brethren that they would not indeavour to abuse simple soules with these wofull fallacies which have not as you see the least foundation either in Scripture reason or usage of any approved Authors In the mean time we will grant them that there is a relation betwixt the office of the Ministry and the Church in which they execute their office But if we would grant our Brethren that the office of the Ministry is a Correlate not to the work but to the Church I perceive this would not give them satisfaction unless we would also yield them that it is a Correlate only to a particular Church In opposition not only to the Church Catholick invisible viz. the whole number of the Elect scattered abroad But to the Church Catholick visible in any notion The Preacher sent chap. 2. This they now come to assert Chap. 2. This indeed is the great Diana-Notion but we can by no meanes bow down unto it And therefore that 's the next thing we must bring to trial Only before we do it Give me leave to inform our Brethren in our notion of a Church though I shall better do it when I shall return to answer their Epistle The word which we translate Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coetus evocatus voce praeconis of which our Brethren can make no advantage either from the Etymologie or from the usage of it in Scripture according to the first it signifies no more than a company called out it is both used by the Seventy interpreters to express the congregation of evil doers Psal 26.5 And by the Evangelist Luke to express a rout neither lawfully assembled nor yet united Acts 19.32 This word in it self as unhallowed as any other the penmen of Scripture have indeed used to express the numbers company or Companies of those whom God hath either called out of this world to heaven Heb. 12 23. Or out of the Paganish world to the profession of his gospel Eph. 4.11 12. Or out of a state of darkness into a marvelous light Hence the Church in a sacred sense is usually distinguished into Invisible Visible The invisible Church is either Triumphant in heaven or Militant here upon the Earth The Visible Church is either Universal or Particular By the Church universal quatenus visible we mean The whole number of people over the face of the Earth called out of the Paganish world to the owning of the gospel of Christ which being an integral Body cons sting of homogeneous members or parts each part beareth the denomination of the whole hence that part of this body which is in a Nation Province parish c. is properly called the Church of God in such a Region Nation Province parish c. Thus Paul is said to persecute the Church Acts. 8.3 Gal. 1.13 that is all that ownned the gospel whether in Jerusalem or in Damascus or the strange Cities Acts 8. chap. 9. chap 26.11 all that called on Christs name whom

gifts though every one had not more than one yet some might as Paul had the word of knowledge and wisdom and tongues and miracles and interpretation of tongues So I see nothing to hinder but he that had the special gift of prophecie might besides have the word of wisdom and knowledge 3. Supposing prophecie to have been a gift of foretelling things to come or explication of Scripture by an infallible Spirit without use of means yet they might speak edification exhortation and comfort which is all mentioned 1 Cor. 14.3 the Prophets of old Isaiah Jeremiah c. did all but the nature of their gift and the specifical difference of it did not lye in the thing spoken or the End but in the principle enabling them so to speak 4. Our Brethren therefore shall never prove that exhortation c. was the distinctive act of the Prophet as they would insinuate for they themselves must grant that common to Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Teachers with them and this is an answer to their third thing For what they say before that prophecie Rom. 12.6 7 8. is distinguished from exhortation it signifies nothing because exhortation was not the act of Prophets as Prophets It was told our Brethren that 1 Cor. 13.8 the Apostle saith Whether there be prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge that shall vanish away Our Brethren answer ver 9 10. it shall be Page 114. when that which is in part is done away 2. Not till the ceasing of knowledge in part 1. We may as well maintain tongues not to be ceased for they also are mentioned ver 8. as things which should fail and we know they are failed and so we judge are prophecies too nor will it help our Brethren which they say that ver 9. it is not said tongues are in part for the reason is because they were perfect in their kinde and so need not be done away when that which is perfect should come but if we take perfect in a true sense for a perfection of the Saints in glory then indeed they were imperfect things serving only as means in order to that end Neither doth the Apostle speak of the coming of that which is perfect as the moving cause or reason of that ceasing of things that were in part he doth not say that which is in part shall be done away by the coming of that which is perfect but he speaks of it as a consequent The true sense is this Both ordinary and extraordinary gifts and offices in the Church shall cease when we come in heaven we conceive by tongues and prophecy he means gifts extraordinary By knowledge ordinary gifts and offices these shall all fail at that day but some of these shall fail before others We lay no great stress upon this Text I have only said thus much to prevent our Brethrens using of it as they here do though without any just ground for the truth is it will serve neither party It was told our Brethren that prophecying 1 Cor. 14. is said not to serve for those that believed not and therefore our Brethren must keep their Gifted men to their Churches If any thing can be clear in Scripture surely this is from that Text 1 Cor. 14.22 To this our Brethren Answer 1. That it will warrant their preaching in Church Assemblies 2. That the Apostles intent seemeth to be but to deny prophecy to be a sign to unbelievers and to serve onely for Believers to edifie them but they say the Apostle acknowledgeth it to be usefull to unbelievers to convert them To which I answer 1. If there were any Prophets indeed this would warrant the exercise of their gifts to Church Assemblies but our Brethren cannot prove any such Prophets now existent But Secondly It is well our Brethren say no more than this seemeth to be the Apostles intent for the Letter of Scripture is express against them in these words Wherefore tongues are for a sign 1 Cor. 14.22 not to them that believe but to them that believe not but prophecying not for them that believe not but for them that believe Our Brethren would make us believe that the sense is only that prophecie was not for a sign to them that believed not but for their conversion it might be Let any indifferent Reader weigh this a little and judge betwixt us 1. It is plain that if prophecying were for any sign it must be for unbelievers for believers needed no sign they had already received the Gospel but the Apostle plainly says it was not for unbelievers 2. Let any Reader judge whether those words But prophecying not for those who believe not do not plainly exclude the Ordinance from any relation to unbelievers if it were a sign at all it must be for them who believed not but say our Brethren it is denied to be a sign for them and the words are plain enough it is not for them Object Oh! But though it be not a sign for them yet it might be to convert them Answ Signs were to help forward the unbelievers convetsion now that prophecy should be for their conversion and not a sign for it seems very harsh considering that the world had no greater sign of the truth of the Gospel than Prophecies For what our Brethren say that ver 25 26. prove that prophecy is usefull for the conversion of unbelievers We grant it but it is When the unbeliever comes in to the Church Assembly not when the Prophet goes out to them ver 23. If therefore the whole Church be come together into one place and ver 24. There come in one that believeth not or is unlearned he is convinced or reproved of all i. e. those that prophesie he is judged of all c. Mark the Prophet is tied up to the Assembly of the Church in one place If our Brethrens Brethren be of this sort of Prophets what do they travelling up and down Countreys whom they think unbelievers or intruding upon Congregations that are vacant where there is no Assembly our Brethren will own as a Church these Prophets were not by vertue of this Text to be sent out of the Church only to be heard in it This is all our Brethren say about these Prophets and although I really think their Argument from this Text the most probable of any they have yet I hope an equitable Reader will from what I have said judge it not conclusive in the case I wonder at the reverend opinion our Brethren express of their other Arguments in comparison of this But let the Reader judge Only led me add one text more to prove this prophecying an extraordinary gift not ordinary it is that Acts 19.6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied Let any indifferent Reader weigh this Text and con●ider whether that the Gospel-prophesying were not one