Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	cast_v	devil_n	fast_v	3,166	5	10.2336	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43727	Apokalypsis apokalypseos, or, The revelation revealed being a practical exposition on the revelation of St. John : whereunto is annexed a small essay, entituled Quinto-Monarchiæ, cum Quarto Omologia, or, A friendly complyance between Christ's monarchy, and the magistrates / by William Hicks ...	Hicks, William, 1621-1660.	1659 (1659)	Wing H1928; ESTC R20296	349,308	358

only indeed was temporary and necessary alone for the first plantation of the Christian faith it will as well follow that Pastors Teachers and Elders are defunct because some of their first primitive and extraordinary gifts are ceased also But secondly I am of opinion that what is necessarily essential to denominate an Apostle did not consist solely in being eye-witnesses of Christ's life death and resurrection or of power of miracles for others of the Disciples might be partakers in those gifts and were so equally with themselves and yet no Apostles and Paul that wanted much of the accomodation of witnessing unto the life death and resurrection of Christ though supplyed by a miraculous sight from heaven none can deny but was the great Apostle and light unto the Gentiles Lastly In the affirmative I assert the true essentials of an Apostle does consist in his Call and Commission to that work and function Christ calls the first twelve Matth. 10.1.5 which were only denominated Disciples and from their mission unto the lost sheep of Israel they were then first baptized into the name of Apostles and so having taken their names from their office as men sent it soon became their proper appellations Now I say it is a right mission and commission that gives a being and essentially unto an Apostle Christ he was the first author that commissionated unto this office in that of Matth. 10. his commission was more strict and of narrower jurisdiction but in Matth. 28.19 it was much enlarged for in the first they were only to go to the lost sheep of Israel and not in the way of the Gentiles but in the second they were commanded to go and Disciple all Nations and to preach the Gospel to every creature Now as they were sent on this great Embassie for Christ and by Christ so they send others to go on with the same work Matthias was the first we read of Acts 1. that they chose into the place of Judas After that Paul and Barnabas Acte 13.2 3. were chosen and separated unto this work and sent unto the Gentiles and so might be truly called the Apostles of the Gentiles They again with the rest of the Apostles in their several Provinces went about gathering and constituting churches and ordaining Elders and officers in every church and those political churches made up of Officers and Elders and Members were the true Delegates of the Apostles and the center of all just power and authority and they again from this delegated power commissionates others and sends them forth as the Apostles of Christ by vertue of that power committed unto them to disciple the Gentiles and unconverted Nations abroad in the world for this was the then practise unless we affirm that all churches were planted and all Nations converted by the Apostles themselves in their days that we read of in history were afterward converted to the faith and became famous churches The Apostles were men but of one generation and to ascribe to them that work were to make them eviternal Though their Doctrine continue yet their persons are translated and gone to their Fathers and this propagation of the faith and work of conversion must be carried on from generation to generation till all the Elect be called in and we all come to a perfect man and unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and this must necessarily be done by Apostolical men and officers For I would have the ingenious to consider that the offices of Elders Pastors Teachers Helps and Governments are but relative Functions and have their being only dependant and limited to their relations and churches they are neither Elders Pastors nor Governents without their own churches therefore it is very necessary that there must be other officers universally commissionated to preach the Gospel to the unconverted Gentiles and these are properly called Apostles of Christ authorized by the church of Christ unto this service Joseph of Arimethea as antiquity testifies was our English Apostle which was sent by the church unto our Nations conversion Dionisius Areopagita was the Apostle unto France James unto Spain Anthony unto Italy Thomas unto Italy and so others unto other Nations And when christianity was almost lost and obliterated here in England by the incursions of barbarous Nations Gregory the Bishop of Rome not yet Antichistianized some centuries of years after sent here Austin as an Apostle and a Restorer of their almost lost faith and christian profession So likewise when our churches send men to convert the Gentile Nations of America and elsewhere as private Disciples they cannot go for how can they preach unless they be sent as Officers to wit as Pastors Elders Teachers or Governents they cannot for they are relations only to their own churches therefore they must go as Apostles which is only sutable to so general and universal work And if it be objected That if the Apostolical offices must continue as necessary to do the full work of Christ and his church why not the gifts of healings miracles tongues c. I answer There is no necssity for it for they were only added because of unbelief and to confirm the truth of that doctrine which was first delivered unto the Saints Secondly I am not sensible what great inconveniencies will follow upon it if it were admitted that such gifts of miracles healings c. are still continued by Christ unto his church though not so clear and ordinary as in the first churches I have read of Tertullian and after him Cyprian about the second century who provokes their adversaries to the tryal of the truth of their profession by miracles by bringing persons possessed with divels into their assemblies which if they should not be effected and made to confess themselves to be divels and Christ to be the Son of God then they were content to suffer M. Baxter gives us a farther account out of Athanasi● Austin and many of the Fathers that there was a continuation of miracles in their days and attested to by so many and honest witnesses that they were credible to reason page 63. upon that question in his book of Infidelity and in that part of the book of the sin against the holy Ghost page 15. speaking of casting out divels Of which sort saith he some think that really they did so by the power of God as we may do now by fasting and prayer somtimes To this purpose consider what the prayers and appeals of God's people have strangely and miraculously perfected and produced at the hands of God of late and within our memories in divers examples which is now too long to rehearse Some have been restored to health and miraculously recovered when there was no hope others dispossessed of evil spirits that had palpably vexed and possessed them and that only by the prayers of faith of somg odly persons I shall only give one instance I heard it related by a faithful messenger of Christ in a publique

sacrificing the Saints which they term heretiques or schismatiques and troublers of their peace and union but when you meet such a fiery persecuting spirit in any that pretend to Christ judge of it whence it is by these Scriptures Gal. 5.20 Col. 3.12 13. So great hath been the malice of false Prophets and false Teachers ever against the true Saints that they have never rested till they have got their blood shed It was the Pope and his false Prelates and Priests that first filled all Europe with blood it was the same cursed progeny that brought so many precious souls to the stake and faggot in Queen Maries days otherwise of her self as History testifies of nature good enough Quere But it may here be queried for what things ought we to suffer with patience and constancy and not to faint under the burden thereof I have partly formerly answered this question in the ninth verse of the first chapter I shall here add one word more for the rectifying the judgment and keeping the conscience undefiled herein First Know that every soul is strictly obliged to observe all the Laws of God whether Moral Natural or Positive and to undergo all sufferings whatsoever rather then to dishonour God by the breach of the former or neglect his worship by the contempt of the latter We are not only bound under persecutors to keep the conscience undefiled in not committing gross sins as Idolatry c. but also we are obliged to perform all our positive christian duties though we suffer for it as we find that Daniel gave a testimony in this case though to the hazard of persecution to extremity and would not forbear his three times a day solemn prayers and that upon his knees in his chamber and his windows open towards Jerusalem though he knew his enemies might by that means surprize and accuse him and cause him to be cast into the Den of Lions yet did he hold himself bound daily to the Law of outward Worship though the looking to Jerusalem was but a ceremony ordained by God upon Solomon's prayer 1 Kings 8.9 Also the Macchabean Worthies did not think that persecution did or could discharge them from the strict observing even of the Ceremonial Law of not eating Swines flesh but for it endured all extremity of torments as the Story relates and for it are justly ranked among the Worthies of the old Testament who lived and died in faith Heb. 11. So jealous is God not only for the preservation of his Moral Laws but even of those Ceremonial and Ritual Laws that after he hath discovered his Will about them and commands them they forthwith become morally positive Laws and obligent until their repeals from the same authority are manifested and cleared Therefore by this Judge what a lax and loose Religion does Hobbs his Leviathan prescribe unto us to submit to any Religion that the chief or soveraign Magistrate shall dictate to us and that it is not christians duty to suffer for any Article but for that that Jesus Christ is the Messias so subjecting almost the whole will of God in morals and positives unto the will of man But as to this let us like true christians pray Libera Domine nos a malo Verse 4. Nevertheless I have somwhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love We have heard the vertues and graces of the Church of Ephesus and how she had a just and honourable approbation for them yet notwithstanding there is a tang in the end which shows some defection in her and after all her commendations there is a Nevertheless follows close in the heels thereof with somwhat to be said against her just as it is often said of the good Kings of Israel in the book of Kings That they walked and did uprightly in the sight of God as David the King but withal there is added a but But they departed not from the sins of Jeroboam that made Israel to sin Hence by the way Note Observ That the purest churches and the best christians are not altogether exempted from stains but have their spots and blemishes as well as resplendent graces It was the Spouse condition in Cant. 1.5 where she describes her self and saith I am black but comly O ye daughters of Jerusalem as the Tents of Kedar as the Curtains of Solomon Let us out survey the first churches and christians to elucidate and confirm this truth and seeing they stood neerest the light even the Sun of Truth and his Twelve illustrious radiating Signs his Apostles in my judgement they are to be reputed the soundest and the purest yet see whether we read not of their Maculae or spots as well as of their shining graces The church of Corinth was a famous church yet she had her failings contaminating the holy feasts and their Agapees with surfetting and drunkenness and besides the foul errors of false Apostles as denying the Resurrection c. The church of Galatia was not much inferiour in her wantonnizing after liveless ceremonial fancies and pressed them as necessary with Christ unto salvation and when Paul opposed them herein for whose sake they once were ready to pull out their eyes to do him good yet now for crossing their capricious whimsies is become their greatest adversary The churches of Ephesus Pergamus c. had their several encomiums for their graces yet there were some things chargeable on them for waxing cold in their first love for admitting the Doctrine of Balaam Nicolaitans Jezabel c. If we descend from bodies collective to individual persons we shall find the same lot befal unto all consider Noah Job David Peter c. but I desire not to rake up the faults of the Saints which are not left upon record to encourage to sin but to be presidents of the grace of God and as examples for encouragement unto repentant sinners Because thou hast left thy first love Some difficulty seems in these words whether by first love be intended Christ whom the church of Ephesus had left Or that first ardent affection and zeal which she bore to Christ at her first conversion The latter Interpretation to me is clear Because the church of Ephesus had not withdrawn her self from the faith of Christ as is evident by the two precedent verses for it was for Christ's sake and his truth that she had suffered much both from wicked persons and wicked teachers therefore as long as her faith was sound she could not be said to have left Christ as her first Love and taken a new love or new object of her faith But that for which she is charged as faulty is that she hath left her first love that is her first zeal and fervent affections which she bore to Christ and his Ordinances at her first conversion and this is plain from the next verse where she is commanded to repent and to do her first works From hence observe Observ That it is frequently seen that many true and faithful