Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	admit_v	church_n	visible_a	1,210	5	9.2185	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96167	An answer to W.R. his narration of the opinions and practises of the churches lately erected in Nevv-England. Vindicating those Godly and orthodoxall churches, from more then an hundred imputations fathered on them and their church way, by the said W.R. in his booke. Wherein is plainely proved, 1. That the grounds of his narration are sandie and insufficient. 2. That the maner of his handling it, unloving and irregular. 3. That the matter of it, ful of grosse mistakes & divers contradictions. 4. That the quotations extremely wrested, and out of measure abused. 5. That his marginall notes impertinent and injurious. / By Thomas Welde, Pastour of the Church of Roxborough in Nevv-England. This is licensed and entred according to order.	Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662.	1644 (1644)	Wing W1262; Thomason E3_18; ESTC R2769	70,175	76

and not all integralls into the definition for suppose the Officers of a Church be taken away by death 〈◊〉 it yet I hope he will not say that in the vacancy the Church ceaseth to be Officers are not simply for the being but the well being of a Church See how he adulterates his quotation in two or three Articles of this Chapter 1. He saith his Author assumes Answ to q. p. 10. we hold there is no visible Church but a particular But his Author saith no visible Church properly so called but a particular so W. R. leaves out the middle words just as in Mat. 4.6 whereby the sense is exceedingly altered sith a Church improperly so called is yet a church 2. He saith we currently hold this but his Author speaks modestly in these words we know not any c. Ans to 32. q. pag. 9. Ans to 9. Pos 66. 3. He saith we hold there is no universall visible Church in any sense but his Author saith only we know no such visible Catholike Church wherein the seales are to be dispensed Ans to 9. Pos 66. A man with halfe an eye may discerne this is not square dealing Answer to CHAP. III. THis Chapter is spent in laying downe what qualifications the Churches of New-England require in persons of age that are admitted Members He tells us to name but the heads in briefe That they must be reall Saints sincere Beleevers men of meeke and humble spirit● and sincere ends and that the Church in admitting of them doth make exact triall 1. by letters of recommendation 2. or testimony of Members 3. experience of their conversation 4. by examination of their knowledge and the worke of grace first in private then in publique 5. that they be such which he saith is much desired as can cleave together in opinion and affection 6. that they cohabite as neere as may be for the better mutuall watchfulnesse 7. that they be such as know what belong to Church Covenant approve it and seeke ●● I pray W. R. speake now as a Christian and as a man of God ● there any thing in all this you have said that you can blame in our practise 1. for desiring to have all our members if it might be of such a spirituall stampe and character as this and 2. for endeavouring by tryall what lies in us to find out such as say that they are Jewes and are not but doe lye 3. and having discovered such for keeping them from polluting the holy seales and other Ordinances of God to his dishonour and their own ruine 4. or if we as far as our light and line reaches for wee have no spirit of infallability Find them sound in the faith for receiving encouraging comforting them what hurt is in all this I tell you W. R. if your selfe and some others did take more exact pains in the tryall of your people and fitting them for the enjoyment of Church-Priviledges it would never repent you Now although these particulars recited doe justifie us and our proceedings yet marke his dealing first in his Articles then in the Margent of his chapter He tells the world Art 2. That we require in persons to be admitted not only to be common bu● choyce Christians ●ns It by ch●y● he me●n●s eminent Christians it 's very false for we accept Christians of the lowest forme and never reject any for want of parts or eminency of grace i● we can discerne in them an heart smitten with sense of sin and need of Christ joyned with a blamelesse conversation though very weake in knowledge and faith c. we dare not refuse but embosome them in the Lord. And h●mselfe when he will speake the naked truth confesseth as much Art 8 tells us what great indulgence we use in the admitting members Let the Reader take notice that upon perusall of his Authors quoted he sh●ll not find any one sentence or word tending to justifie his saying her●in Hee would make men beleeve in Article the second that wee hold if any be admitted that is not a reall Saint he is false matter of the visible Church ●nswer This he boldly affirmes but not one word of proofe nor truth We hold no such thing for a visible Saint may be true matter of a visible Church when admitted a member upon his profession of godlines and taking the Covenant as Achan Iudas Ananias Saphira were all true matter of the visible though not of the invisible Church else they had never beene admitted into the Churches And that our Churches in New-Eng hold so vid. 1. 2. Ans to 32 9. 50. Discourse of the Covenant pag 5. Hence now what will become of all his long Margent to Article 12. where hee keepes a great stirre in confuting us by foure tedious arguments of an error we never held but it 's one of his owne framing So all his labour therein is lost and some dishonour gained he said in his preface he would bring proofe for every materiall thing not proved before yet he breakes his word because he had a minde to have it true that it might reflect upon us He reports That every one that is admitted is brought before the whole Church though never so many to make their Declarations in publike wonders in his margent that we should be so harsh in our dealing as not to betrust the Elders and some private men with their examinations Art 6. He is againe besides the truth Answer for in the Churches where we have lived many yeares we have seene such a tender respect had to the weaker sex who are usually more fearefull bashfull that we commit their triall to the Elders some few others in private who upon their testimony are admitted into the Church without any more adoe And so shew more indulgence to them then W. R. doth to us As for that question in his margent Why may not the Officers be trusted with their examinations c. Ans So they are frequently according to your wish In the same Article he saith That in the publique their Declarations must be to the conviction and satisfaction of all before they can be admitted It 's not so for though some few be unsatisfied Answer they use to submit to the rest and sit downe in their votes unlesse their reasons be such as may convince the Church For his Quotations cited to prove both these last mentioned good Reader doe us the favour but to search Answer to 32 quest pag. 23. 24. and Answ to 9 quest 62. 70. and you shall finde them to justifie him so farre as not to afford him any one word or so much as a shew and countenance All I say to W. R. is this How can this stand with simplicity and truth He would make men beleeve Art 8. that SOMETIMES we goe contrary to our former rigour by using great indulgence in our admitting members as if we were not consistent to our selves and principles through