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	kingdom_n	visible_a	4,215	5	9.6422	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45133	An humble vindication of a free admission unto the Lords-Supper published for the ease, support, and satisfaction of tender consciences (otherwise remediless) in our mixt congregations / as it was delivered at two sermons upon the occasion of this solemnity in the weekly labours of Iohn Humfrey ...	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1652 (1652)	Wing H3682; ESTC R43272	34,741	95

that wee keepe within the state of our question and observe the generall rule of decency and order 1 Cor. 14.40 which text forbids all confusion as to receive before one is baptized and disorder all comming unworthily in Gods Ordinances but not the Ordinances themselves for some mens disorderlines in them otherwise there must be no ordinance at all allowed in this world My second Reason I draw from the nature of the visible Church The visible Church is a number of such as make profession of Iesus Christ and so are Saints by calling whatsoever they are in truth the essentiall marks whereof whereby it subsits us visible is the Preaching of the Word and Administration of the Sacraments now unlesse Men will be so bold to divest our mixt Congregations and so consequently all England formerly of the name of the visible Church they cannot take from us one of its essentiall notes in the free use of this Ordinance This Reason may have invincible support from Christs own doctrine and example First His doctrine in those parables of the little and great fishes in one net The good and bad called to one feast as before The Chaffe and Wheat in one Barne Especially the Tares and Corne in one Feild Mat. 13. The Kingdome of Heaven is compared to that Field and the Field sayes Christ is the World that is the Kingdom of Heaven in the world or the visible Church cleerly in its Ordinances consisting of two sorts of professors the Hypocrite and the true beleever which must grow together without separation even when the Servants discerning the Tares come and tell their Lord of them untill the day of Iudgment now who dare go to anticipate that day and enter upon the Throne of Christ Lord is it thy mind we should make the separation between these Tares and the Wheat at one of thy Ordinances I can never beleeve then thou wouldest have left this parable so undoubtedly set forth in the Gospell Secondly His example not only in the frequent converse with Publicans and Sinners but even in this very thing we find him at the Passover and his own Supper with Iudas The three first Evangelists bring him in expresse with the rest at Table and as for Iohn who wrote after the other the truth is which many do not or will not know he finding this Supper fully set forth by them already as in other things he sayes nothing of it St Luke is most evident 22. ver 21 where we read after the delivery Christ says Yet behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is at the Table Yet as if he should say Alas though this Iudas partakes with us in this very supper yet wil he go and betray me So that a the same time when he openly declares what a reprobate or Devill he was that this may not be poorely shifted off with his being a close hypocrite he not only washt his feet with the rest at a Supper a little before which Iohn only mentions but here communicates with him both of the Passeover and of this Supper The evidence of which fact has ever appeared so fully to the Church that this alone has been ground sufficient to deduce their right of free Admission and what need more indeed be urged but that men when they are willing not to see will let any hand put over their eyes be enough to blind them My third Reason I take from the nature of Christian Communion and Church-fellowship which ought to be in Charity in humility without judgeing every one esteeming others better than themselves with the like in many places especially in the Minister who is to be gentle to all suffering the evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to win them by this free way to Repentance 2 Tim. 2.24.25 And how impossible is this if we must go to censuring of mens worthiness unworthiness preferring our selves rejecting others the ready way to nothing but heart-burnings and divisions as we have too sad experience already in most Congregation To Give weight to this remember three passages of our Saviours First That of the Pharisee and Publican Luke 18. I need not relate it only I beseech you lay it to heart whether there be not something at least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.22 of the Pharisees I thank God I am not like this Publican in the turning away poor sinners from this Ordinance There is a proud Pharisaisme I will not accuse any of this the very latchets of whose holy desires erring after a likenesse here to the Church in Heaven I may not be worthy and there is a strict Pharisaisme as the Iews that were so rigid in their Sabbath Christ was fain to rebuke and moderate them in it Of such a rigidness as this I cannot but most sorrowfully complayn in those that will not allow a free Communion O my Saviour rebuke the humour of these times that is amisse and moderate the zeal of all such men least by their placing a peculiar and superstitious holinesse on this Ordinance they quite invert the charitable use of it and withhold the legacy thou hast left thy people Secondly That passage in Luke 6. When they murmured at him for eating with sinners the whole sayes he need not the Physitian but the sick I come not to call the righteouss but sinners to repentance O sweet Jesus did'st thou alive offer thy self and company to the veryest Publicans and never castedst out any that came to the and shall we take stomach that thou art now thus offered at this Sacrament The third place is in Jo. 8. When some severe Iews had brought a woman taken in Adultry accusing her by the law of Moses that she should be stoned Iesus said unto them Let him that is without sin himself cast the first stone at her My Brethren so say I let a man examine his own heart and if he does not find himself conscious of the same corruptions let him have a censure to cast out others for my part I must professe the serious acknowledgement of mine own vilenesse makes me afraid at heart to turne away others but I have learnt with Christ Heb. 5.2 to pitty them as a fellow sinner by my own infirmity My fourth Reason will arise from the vanity formality impossibility of selecting people to this Ordinance Look up but to the heart of all these separations they come to nothing For put the case you will have a gathered company I pray who do you account indeed to be fit and worthy receivers If not all that make profession as we do mixtly then those only that have an interest in Christ and are true believers Well but how will you be able to know them The heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can know it And if we can hardly discover our own hearts how shall we ever discerne others So that all will come but to those that have the fayrest shew those that seeme such and you cannot