Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	church_n	member_n	visible_a	3,184	5	9.3025	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93925	The church, the proper subject of the new covenant. Delivered first in three sermons at Rochester Afterwards contracted into two, and delivered againe at Gravesend. Together with a covenant to walke with God. By Will: Sandbrooke, LL:B:Ox. and Minister of Margarets Rochester.	Sandbrooke, William, d. 1658.	1646 (1646)	Wing S571A; ESTC R229760	9,881	72

be seasonable my improvidence left me in a snare I must acquaint you my resolution is to desist from the prosecution untill the wisedome of the State shall set up a way which is Vniforme and then I hope I may prosecute without disturbance In the interim because what hath beene delivered is snuffed at by some whom I scarce believe understood if heard it I shall therefore acquaint you with two things 1. The conclusions prosecuted already in this businesse 2. The conclusions remaining yet behind in the nature of a Church which I will only name These I will lay down as principles which must be as a firme basis to all deductive conclusions in the businesse of a Church so that 1. I shall adhere to them as of eternall verity 2. I shall yet willingly submitt to a full conviction of any error deduceable from them if cleared to me and humbly correct it These things being supposed by way of Appology I come now to my businesse EPHES. 1.22 23. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to bee the head over all things to the Church Which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all AFter a short Analycitall resolution of the body of the Text I inferred divers conclusions whereof the first was God the Father hath given to Christ by speciall donation Thes 1. priviledge and grants the power interest and propriety and in succession of time the Actuall possession of a Church This proposition I laid downe as leaving the rest to the expository way for forenoones in my exercise onely to cleare it I laid downe some concluosins which were the same in substance and run paralell to this in this forme 1. Isa 32.1 Psal 2.6 God the Father hath invested Christ in the propriety and possession of a Kingdome 2. Rom. 8.2 This kingdome in order to its subjects was endowed with 3. grand priviledges 1. Rom. 8.12 Exemption from the curse of any Law 2. From the Tyranny of any power to enthrall or engage them to obedience except of Christ 3. Col. 2.21 From observation of any ordinances in point of absolute subjection but what himselfe hath instituted to them Whence I called in to aide one cleare and confessed conclusion The Kingdome of Christ and the Church of Christ are in substance the same thing So that in issue if Christ hath beene enthroned and established in a kingdome ergo also in a Church But Christ hath beene enthroned and established in a Kingdome by the conclusions ergo the sequell is easie from the last conclusion thus the Kingdome of Christ and his Church are the same in substance ergo If Christ have a Kingdom he must have a Church also The maine quaeriethen to be examined thus What this Church of Christ is After examination of the Termes incident to this businesse in the old and new Testament I concluded A Church or the kingdom of Christ is a combination or confaederacy of faithfull persons meeting together in a joynt consent to walke with Christ and to enjoy communion with him and amongst themselves in all his ordinances I cannot see but this discription of a Church agreeth with the Nationall Provinciall Parochiall Church of England unlesse we suppose intended and studied hypocrisie in receiving the Gospell In this I observed these distinct conclusions fully to cleare the businesse The members of this combination are faithfull persons Concl. 1. or actuall beleevers by profession This was made cleare in reason thus Christ being a living head all that come to him are also quickned for the cause being put the effect must follow and we live by faith in Christ ergo The members of a Church are living members or beleevers Thus reason gave attestation fully clearly 19. Art of the church of Eng. Agni 3. q. 8. Ar. 3. ad 3. Bell. to 2 c. 2. p. 271. so Scripture also Esay 26.2.6 Acts. 2.40.41 This first conclusion made good the 2o. is 2. These beleeving persons joyne together in a mutuall combination or joynt consent to bee a Church The reason is from proportion a common wealth joynes together by consent under one head to make a body politique and the members of a naturall body by one Spirit of animation constitutes the whole But the Church is in proportion a naturall and politique bodie Bell. ibid. Act. 19. Ergo. Iere. 50.4 Acts. 11.21.22 Thus this 2. conclusion cleared the 3d. was 3. This voluntary and joynt combination of Beleevers is to give themselves up wholly to walke with Christ The reason I assigned was because in this combination they joyned themselves wholly to Christ and gave themselves totally to him Ergo. Live walke with him Iere. 50.5 Acts. 2 42. And here the starting of one doubt hath caused all this dust and made such a misconstrued interpretation of things Is this combination by joynt consent Quest so necessary to a Church that it is not sufficient for every particular beleeuer to give himselfe up to Christ to walke with him but a society must joyne in it Because herein the businesse did pinch give me leave to give you a a breife account of what propositions I laid down in the same words and then I le to the rest 1. Every beleever after calling is engaged to bring over his Spirit to an universall resolution and answerable execution of walking with Christ The reason was given because every member is or ought to be at the whole disposition of the head and subordinat to it But c. Ergo. 1 Cor. 6.20 Psal 119.106 This first particular conclusion the second was 2. This particular resignation of any beleever thus to Christ makes him an actuall member of the Catholike Church of Christ which is onely one The reason given in this case it made them of the bodie of Christ as by a speciall act of faith Rom. 12.5 1. Cor. 10.16 1. Cor. 10.12.17 The second particular proposition thus done 3. There followes after this an actuall vnion and visible combination of the same person with other members which collected bodie make up a visible society of beleevers This is properly joyning to a particular visible Church and the reason is from the very construction of the Termes and the manifold places of Scripture Acts. 9.28 5.13 20.17 And this is the same with our parishes or parochiall congregations and combinations to worship Christ and to walke with him Art 19. Prop. 2. Preface to the Catechisme in the Common-Prayer B. So that hence it will be safe I suppose to inferr 1. Such a collected body or congregation so vnited is a particular visible Church And from thence also I inferred as a second conclusion necessary to the businesse 2. 1 Cor. 1.2 Though the catholike Church of Christ be but one yet there are divers particular Churches as Parochiall Nationall Provinciall or the like 3. Act. 16. p. 2. Rom. 16.4 Gal. 1.2 Every person so joyning

himselfe to that combination is properly a member of that particular visible Church distinct from other Churches From whence the maine businesse wherein the difficulty seemed highest and caused the most violence was in a third maine conclusion 3. The members of a Church or a certaine number of Beleevers may further confaederat amongst themselves by a bond or covenant to a close walking with Christ And yet not breake fellowship or communion with the bodie congregation or particular parrish or Church whereof they are members This because I observed it offended both sides against my intention to either I did explaine it and deliuer the same thus SECT I. I Meane it thus It is a lawfull and in some sense a necessary act for beleevers of acquaintance or relation to joyne in a compact or agreement amongst thēselves by way of covenant to walke with Christ and to build up each other in a mutuall communication of their experience and guifts in the way of Christ Heb. 3.13 for mutuall consolation in the Gospell SECT 2. YET I added further to explaine my self that such confaederacie compact and agreement should not cause them to seperate or to breake fellowship with the whole congregation for indeed the whole congregation should joyne but hold a correspondency with the rest in the publique ordinances in such places as is appointed by authority for such assemble that so they may walke in order and peaceablenesse The reason of this my assertion was removing that which is the grand argument which caused the seperation and division A mixture of beleevers and unbeleevers say they in any ordinance pollutes the ordinance To this I then answered in sum to the argument 1 The vnfitnesse of any person in an ordinance doth not necessarily prejudice the same ordinance to a beleever 2. Nor doth it altogether detract the effectuall presence of Christ from beleevers I meane thus that for as much as that infallible Spirit of discerning doth not now abide in the Church who is positively anunbeleever that we may unreservedly conclude such a person though professing with his mouth to beleeve is yet in the truth and reality of things is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it doth not I say prejudice the ordinance to a beleever For indeed I grant where there is such an absolute inspection into and unreserved conjunction of the spirits of men that we know their hearts frame of their Spirits it were utterly unlawfull to hold fellowship with them that are unbeleevers But now where no such infallibility can be supposed as is our case I conceive the ordinance is not prejudised for in the former case of manifest conviction we are partakers of other mens sinnes in this not And I conceive the case of Alexander Hymeneus and Philetus cunning Hypocrites in an Apostolicall Church 2. Tim. 2.15 did not disband the congregation nor did Christ deny his Church to them So that however it be true that Christ walkes amongst the Seven Golden Candelsticks all of pure Gold yet even in those Churches there were Hereticall Doctrines unbeleevers yet the Church disbanded not but a command was given to the Angell in the name of the Church for an ejection Once more for Dependance upon the Congregation I conceive those Churches spoken of in severall houses to be but members of some full and compleate congregation or Church in Rome or else where My reason I laied downe thus forasmuch as 1. In so small a company as a family all the ordinances of Christ could not have a full course which is essentiall to a Church in the very resolution of Episcopall Presbyteriall and Congregationall Churches 2. Every officer could not have a compleate and entire place and power to execute that authority Christ had bequeathed to a Church So that in issue I did conclude in this from first to last in these two propositions 1 Though one or more Families or divers Persons may joyne in confederacy to walke with Christ 2. Yet their conjunction and fellowship with that congregation or Church into which they are admitted whether you 'le call it parochiall or congregationall ought to be inviolable where the ordinances of Christ have cheerefull latitude of extention This was the summe of what was then delivered in these things in which I did understand the exception did arise on both sides and now let wisemen judge The third conclusion in the desmition being dispatcht the Fourth followed thus 4. Con. 4. The end of this confederacie of beleevers into a Church in giving themselves entirely up to Christ SECT 1. TO enjoye a speciall and effectuall communion with Christ For for this purpose they give themselves up to him and are joyned with him now to what purpose is union and fellowship except it be for communion and participation see 1 Cor. 1.9 Now to this I added as a consectary and issue SECT II. THis fellowship and Communion was also a spirituall and reciprocall communion with the members of the Church amongst themselves The ground of this conclusion I told you was because 1. they every one sympathize in breathing as it were the same life of Christ and 2. they have the same spirit of Christ ergo spiritual communion must be sensibly raised in their spirits when each Act amongst them is nothing but a beam of the same glory of CHRIST dwelling in them Esay 44.5 Acts 2.46 Now as a medium by which all the efficacy of this communion should be poured out upon them and enjoy an effectuall and special energy in Christs communion with them I laid downe 3. This fellowship and Communion in its true spiritual vigour efficacy with Christ amongst themselves is in the exercise use and power of his owne holy Ordinances The reason is John 14.22 Cant. 1.7.8 he intending thus to manifest himself to them and not to the world sets out limits and bounds where he wil shew himselfe Isa 56.7 Acts 9.31 Isa 25.6 And thus was that fourth conclusion finished and with it the work of that time Ther was yet a fifth conclusion in this description of a Church which I did omit for want of time only naming of it and reserving its prosecution for this occasion But being prevented loving my own peace I shall only name it again 5. This communion that a Church enjoyeth with Christ and Beleevers amongst themselves in his Ordinances Is maintained by assembling themselves together to communicate in such ordinances as Christ will shew his glory upon them 1 Cor. 14.23 16.1.2 Art Ch. En. 19. And see now how it fel out in this very point rests all the difficulty as it must bee explained which in the generall is confest as true on all hands yet what my particular thoughts and judgement was I never yet spake word yet these men on both sides would needes tell mee what I would say when in truth I knew not fully my selfe Yet Brethren for quietnesse and peace sake I 'le lay down some things in generall