Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
kingdom_n key_n open_v shut_v 2,164 5 9.3630 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A53681 A discourse concerning evangelical love, church-peace and unity with the occasions and reasons of present differences and divisions about things sacred and religious, written in the vindication of the principles and practise of some ministers and others. Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1672 (1672) Wing O735; ESTC R13316 129,318 262

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

who make that refusal Other groundless Accusations and Charges we value not for this is but Mans Day the Judgment whereof we neither stand nor fall unto Yea we esteem our selves obliged in all peaceableness and sobriety to bear witness against such impositions and unto that Liberty wherewith the Lord Christ hath made his Churches and Disciples free And if once things were come unto that state that men would assign no other Terms of Church Communion than what Christ hath appointed it would quickly appear where the guilt of our Divisions would remain if any such Divisions would yet remain But so long as there is a desire to make the Wills and Wisdomes of some men fallible even as others the Rule and measure of obedidience in spiritual things an end of strife and contention among Christians will be expected in vain And this we say with hearts in some measure sensible and pained to see the Body of Christ torn in pieces by the lusts passions and carnal interests of men Could we contribute any thing to the healing of the Wounds and Ruptures that are amongst Christians provided it may have a consistency with the mind of Christ aud the Duty we owe unto him as indeed nothing else will really contribute any thing thereunto we should with all readiness and faithfulness give up our best endeavours therein And where we can do nothing else we hope we shall bear with Patience those disdainful Reproaches which the Pride of men blown up by a confluence of secular perishing advantages prompts them to pour out upon us for our non-compliance with their Impositions Secondly By the Conformity required of us we must consent unto the Omission of sundry Duties which are made so unto us by the Command and Appointment of Jesus Christ. If we are at any time hindred in the discharge of any necessary Duty by others we have somwhat to plead in our own excuse But if we our selves voluntarily consent to the neglect or omission of them we cannot avoyd the guilt of sin And the worst way whereby such a consent may be expressed is by compact and agreement with others as though it were in our Power to bargain with other men what Duties we will observe a●d what we will omit in the Worship of God Now in the Conformity required of us we are to give this consent and that as it were by Compact and Agreement which deprives us of all pretence of excuse in our omissions It is no time afterward to plead that we would discharge such Duties were we not hindred or forbidden We have our selves antecedently and voluntarily renounced a concern in such forbidden Duties For no man can honestly conform but it is with a declared Resolution to accept of all the Terms and Consequents of it with an Approbation of them Under this Notion it is that we look on Conformity and what others apprehend thereby or understand therein who seem to press men to conform unto what they do not approve we know not If then there be any omission of known Duties inseparably accompanying our Conformity that thereby we solemnly consent unto This therefore we are obliged to refuse because without sin in the voluntary neglect and omission of Duty we cannot comply with it which therefore can be no Schism in us nor what might in any way render us blameable The Lord Christ hath prescribed no such Law of Vnity and Peace unto his Churches as that his Disciples should be bound constantly to neglect any known Duty which they owe to himself for their sakes Nor do his Institutions interfere that the observance of any one should exclude a due attendance unto another Neither doth he by his commands bring any one into a necessity of doing that which is evil or of omitting any thing that is required of him in the way of Duty However therefore we value Church-Peace and Union we dare not purchase it by an Abrenunciation of any Duty we owe to Jesus Christ nor would an Agreement procured on such Terms be of any use unto us or of advantage to the Church its self Wherefore that complyance in Church communion which would be obstructive of any necessary Dutyes is not by the Lord Christ enjoyned us and therefore its omission cannot be culpable in us but it would its self be our sin Especially would it be thus where the Duties so to be omitted are such as are incumbent on us by virtue of especial Office wherein we are peculiarly required to be faithful It remaineth therefore only that we declare wherein we should by conformity engage unto the omission of such Duties as are indispensibly required of us And this we shall do in some few Instances 1 Every Minister of the Gospel hath by the Appointment of Jesus Christ the whole immediate Care of the Flock whereof he is Overseer committed unto him That no part hereof which belongs unto their Edification is exempted from him the Charge that is given unto him and the Account which will be expected from him do sufficiently evidence For as Ministers are called Overseers Rulers Guides Pastors and the like so are they commanded to feed the Flock to take the Oversight of it and to Rule the House of God a discharge of all which must come into their Account Nor is there any word spoken in the whole Scripture relating to the Rule and Government of the Church which is not spoken principally with respect unto them Nor is there the least Intimation of an Exemption of any Part of the Discipline of the Gospel from their Office or Care If it be pretended that there is let the Places be produced wherein such an Exemption is made or any Instances of it among the first Churches and they shall be considered for hitherto no such thing hath been attempted that we know of Nor is it at all concluded from the Plea that some are appointed unto a Superior Degree above others in the Rule of the Church For a man may have the whole Rule of his Flock committed unto him although he should be obliged to give an Account unto others of his Discharge thereof It is therefore the Duty of all Ministers of the Gospel not only to to Teach Instruct and Preach to their Flocks but to go before them also in Rule and Government and in the Exercise of the Spiritual Discipline appointed in the Gospel in the Order wherein it is appointed for their Edification The keys of the Kingdome of Heaven are committed unto them or they are not If they are not by what Authority do they take upon them to open and shut in the House of God in Ministerial teaching and authoritative Administration of sacred Ordinances For these things belong unto the Authority which is given by Christ under the Metaphorical Expression of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven the Reason of the Allusion and its Application being obvious And if these are not received by any they are Usurpers if they