Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	church_n	particular_a	visible_a	1,435	5	9.3227	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74998	Some baptismal abuses briefly discovered. Or A cordial endeavour to reduce the administration and use of baptism, to its primitive purity; in two parts. The first part, tending to disprove the lawfulness of infant baptism. The second part, tending to prove it necessary for persons to be baptized after they believe, their infant baptism, or any pre-profession of the Gospel notwithstanding. As also, discovering the disorder and irregularity that is in mixt communion of persons baptized, with such as are unbaptized, in church-fellowship. By William Allen.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1653 (1653)	Wing A1075; Thomason E702_12; ESTC R10531	105,249	135

of the Gospel in building a spiritual house unto God then was under the Law in those that were typical For as Christ is faithful in all his house i. e. in all things belonging to his house as was Moses Heb. 3.2 viz. in his directions how he would have it built and the affairs thereof ordered as he received of his Father so ought the servants of Christ to be as faithful also in following their Original pattern For that exactness under the Law served as an example or shadow of Heavenly things i. e. spiritual or Gospel things Heb. 8.5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee on the Mount 2. As it was a Doctrine of Christ delivered by the Apostles that Churches should be founded upon Baptism as well as other principles of the Doctrine of Christ that is that men should first be baptized and then associate themselves in Church Bodies so in the second place we shall find it to have been the practise of believers and such as subjected themselves to the Doctrine of the Gospel in the Apostles time The first Church that was erected by the Apostles I mean the Church at Jerusalem observed this method Acts 2.40 42. Those that gladly received his word were baptized and here upon the same day were added to them viz. to the Apostles and other Disciples about three thousand souls and then it follows that they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers 1. They gladly received the word 2. Were baptized 3. Were added to the Church 4. Continued in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers So that as their gladsom receiving the word preceded their baptism so did their baptism in respect of order precede their addition to that particular body of Christians and their communion and fellowship together in the Ordinances of the Gospel as breaking of bread and the like The Apostle gives thanks to God in the behalf of the believing Romans For that though they had been the servants of sin yet had obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine whereto they were delivered as it is in the Marginal reading i. e. unto the profession and practice of which they were delivered when they first turned Christians were baptized Rom. 6.17 For that now is evident that what ever this form of Doctrine was it was such doctrine as was first taught them first believed obeyed by them upon their becoming Christians For it was at that time in which they ceased to be any longer the servants of fin and did become the Servants of righteousness which must needs be the time of their conversion in which they are said to have obeyed that Form of Doctrine Now what reasonably can be imagined to be the forme of doctrine here spoken of which was subjected to at their first conversion but that which the Scripture elsewhere calls as we have already noted the beginning doctrine of Christ or the Principles of the Drctrine of Christ or that Systeme body or platform of doctrine which was made up of those six Principles wherein men were first instructed and which were laid as a foundation of what ever might be called a progress in Christianity afterwards Heb. 6.1 2. These believing Romans then did not only obey the doctrine of the Gospel simply considered and in the general but also in the formality of it or according to that method and order which does appertain to the laws precepts of it of which an account was before given That believers were baptized before their admittance into Church communion and in order to it is clear enough but that any were admitted to Church-Fellowship before Baptism in the Primitive times is a thing which to me no where appears from the Scripture but is a thing void of precept or example from Scripture in those that now practise it If then it was the practise of believers in the first times of the Gospel to associate themselves in Church-Fellowship with such only who were baptized a great inducement doubtless it ought to be to all Christians now to go and do likewise For the Scripture-injunction is To walk in the way of good men and to keep in the path of the righteous Prov. 2.20 To be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6.12 To mark them which walked as the Apostles walked as having them for an Ensample Philip. 3.17 1 Cor. 11.1 And it was the great praise of the Church of the Thessalonians that they made the Churches of Judea which were Churches of the first Plantation their pattern and example 1 Thess 2.14 For ye brethren became followers of the Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus c. and what was praise-worthy in that Church will be commendable to any Church now 3. None are in a due and regular capacity of holding Church-Communion with a particular Church in her appropriate priviledges who are not regularly visible members of the universal Church as no man is in a due capacity of being a member of a particular Corporation in a Nation who not being free-born is not first made a free Denizen of that Nation For particular Churches receive their respective beings from the Universal as particular Rivers receive theirs from the Sea That Baptism is the Ordinance of visible initiation or admission into the universal Church of Christ is a thing which generally hath been acknowledged and is by Pedobaptists themselves constantly asserted and is that which I have already proved in the former part of this Treatise from 1 Cor. 12.13 Rom. 6.3 and Gal. 3.27 to which I refer the Reader for satisfaction herein What persons are or may be in Gods account and acceptation upon account of their faith and repentance c. preceding their baptism is not the thing in question if it were I hope I should not be found too narrow and straight in my Christian allowance as unto that but the question is what they are visibly unto men when they make a judgement of them according to rule And if Baptism be the means of visible admission into the Church and of visible ingrafting into Christ then this end is not to be expected without this means where there is opportunity of making use of it God never being used to vouchsafe things in an extraordinary way when ordinary means are at hand and neglected and consequently that none are to be looked upon as regularly visible members no not of the Universal Church who are not baptized For men are not left to their own liberty herein but are tied up to a rule to judg by And indeed should there not be a certain standing rule such as Baptism is by which to determine when men are visibly of