Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	apostle_n	church_n	corinth_n	1,463	5	10.8722	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04211	Anno Domini 1616. A confession and protestation of the faith of certaine Christians in England holding it necessary to observe, & keepe all Christes true substantiall ordinances for his church visible and politicall (that is, indued with power of outward spirituall government) under the gospel; though the same doe differ from the common order of the land. Published for the clearing of the said Christian from the slaunder of schisme, and noveltie, and also of separation, & undutifullness to the magistrate, which their rash adversaries doe falsely cast upon them. Also, an humble petition to the K. Majestie for toleration therein.	Jacob, Henry, 1563-1624.	1616 (1616)	STC 14330; ESTC S120216	22,778	71

And to be short by experience wee see too oft most evidently they breed both an idle Pastor an ignorant secure people Therefore to follow herein the Christian liberty and discretion of the Churches in the Apostles times we hold it to be farr the best Of Holy dayes so called 22. Wee believe that under the Gospell there is not any holy day besides the Lords day nor any fasting day or dayes constant ordinary and on certaine seasons or times of the yeare continually to be observed All such observing of dayes we believe is against Gods word not onely as being religious ordinances † Math. 15.9.13 instituted by men neverthought on by Christ nor his Apostles in all their time who yet had the Holy Ghost leading them into ‡ Joh 4.25 14 26. 6.13 all truth meete for Christian people and had more reason to institute them then wee but also as being directly forbidden in the 4. Commandement where God saying to man | Exod. 20.9 Six dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe he sayth there also but rest the Seaventh for so did God himselfe after the 6. dayes creation whose example herein do thou follow Now this Divine appointmēt of a Seventh day onely to be kept holy wee plainely see to be for the equity proportion which is the substance therof avery Commandment of God unto us still and therefore of all men to be perpetually observed Howbeit if God or the Apostles had ordeyned beside a 7. day any other holy dayes particularly in the Gospell as God and his Prophets else where in the Law did ordeyne some besides the Sabbath then notwithstanding this Commandement we would never refuse such holy dayes now over and besides the Lords day But that in the Gospell was not done the Gospell no where sheweth any such matter Therefore we believe it not we cannot now but refuse it And yet againe Dayes of thanksgiving or fasting which by men are appointed upon some speciall occasion and are to be used accordingly that is for the sayd speciall and particular occasions sake and onely for a season convenient and fitting thereunto but in no wise constantly and continuingly as is afore noted such dayes I say we approve and allow as having warrant from the Spirit of God both in the Law and in the Gospell But other then these we neyther believe nor allow any Of Mariage Burying Churching as it is called 23. Concerning making of mariage and burying the dead we believe that they are no actions of a Church Minister because they are no actions spirituall but civill Neither are Ministers called to any such busines Neither is there so much as one example of any such practise in the whole book of God either under the Law or under the Gospell without which warrant we believe it to be unlawfull whatsoever any Minister doth attempt at any time or in any place especially as a part of his ministeriall office and function Wherefore we professe and protest that we earnestly desire that the Solemnization of holy Mariage might be performed by some Civill Magistrate assigned by highest authoritie thereunto And when Ministers doe in the Congregations solemnize Mariage we testify that we believe that they doe nothing therein neither can but blesse this ordinance of God as likewise they doe some time the initiation of a Magistrate they doe not essentially constitute either of them And for Churching of women likewise we know no ground for it in Scripture nor good reason at all specially to make it a necessary part of the Ministers office in the publike divine service Of Ministers made also Magistrates by the State 24. Wee believe that the joyning of Pastorall ministery and Magistracy together in one person under the Gospell is simply unlawfull and contrary to the Text of the new Testament which sayeth It shall not be so among you Ma. 20.25 Luke 22.26 And. Let him that teacheth waite on teaching abide therein Rō 12.17 Of the gifts and offerings of the faithfull 25. Wee believe that there is a holy Cōmunion of the whole Church in communicating of their substance together by gifts and offerings These gifts and offerings are given Numb 28.2.18.8 Malach. 3.8.9 to God they are Gods properly and specially belonging to God he taketh them for his also they are given to that particular Church of God for which the givers doe intend them They are not meere almes but first evident signes of true love to God then they are necessary meanes and duties required by God for the supportation maintenance and upholding of the sayd Church and of the sincere worship of God therein These gifts and offering are meerely free and voluntary yea every time the giver commeth to God with them These gifts and offerings are ‡ Prov. 3.9 2 Sam. 24.24 1 Chrō 16.29 reall sacrifices to God and partes of his holy ‡ worship and service Also after they are given and received they are holy and consecrated things not goods for | Levit. 27.26.29 Exod 13.13 Deut. 15.19 common secular use These gifts are some ordinary some extraordinary The time of offering these ordinary giftes is every Lords day The most fitt and comely season and place for it is in the holy Assembly then when the Churches use is to performe it Neverthelesse they who are on just occasion any such day absent ought allwayes to lay aside for God and for his service their portion or rather Gods parte and portion and in due time to bring or send it Which is no lesse sanctifyed to the foresayd holy use and acceptable to God then if the givers then had been present These gifts though they be free and voluntary in the givers touching the particular quantitie yet that they doe thus give offer every Lords day somewhat either more or lesse is † 1 Cor. 16.2 1 Cor. 9.14 a very commandment of God and a fruit of necessary obedience in man The quantitie is thus farre pointed at in the Scripture viz. According as the Lord hath prospered every one And some are in high grace with God who give to God out of their penurie The persons who are to give these holy giftes are all and every member of the Church except onely those that receive maintenance therefrom at the hand of the Church So that all the Churches members are givers or receivers They that receive are the Poore and the Ministers of the Church Extraordinary offerings and giftes which some out of speciall Zeale to Gods glory doe offer besides the ordinary are for the place time kinde and quantitie such as each giver seeth God may be the more honoured thereby The ordinary offerings in the assembly are to be received by the Deacons committed into the hands of the | Act. 11.30 Numb 18.8.14 Elders and with their direction to be disposed of by the Deacons The Cōmandment of the Apostle to the Church of Corinth 1

Cor. 16.1.2 Cōcerning the gathering for the Saincts as he ordeyned in the Churches of Galatia also viz. Every first day of the weeke let every one put aside by himself and lay up as God hath prospered him This shewing what the Apostle then required of thē for an occasionall reliefe of other brethren farr off from them doth shew more that he requireth them thus to doe for their owne constant ordinary and necessary supportation maintenance Of Tithes the Pastors fittest and due and necessary maintenance 26. Wee believe that Tithes for the Pastors maintenance under the Gospell are not the just and due meanes thereof Howbeit yet we doe not think these Tithes absolutely unlawfull if they remaine voluntary but when they are made necessary we think them not so lawfull The same doe we judge also of whatsoever other set maintenance for ministers of the Gospell established by temporall Lawes We graunt for the Ministers security such established maintenāce is best but for preserving due freedome in the Congregation sincerity in Religion and sanctity in the whole flock the Congregations voluntary conscionable contribution for their Pastors sustenance and maintenance is doubtless the safest and most approved nay it seemeth the onely way wherewith the Apostles caused their times to be content neither did they take care for other order herein which certainely they would and should have done if other order had been better Onely they are carefull and that very religiously commanding all Churches of conscience and duety to God to give not sparingly but liberally and not as almes but as duety for the upholding advancing and countenancing of the holy worship and service of God which is either much strengthened or weakened much honoured or abased amongst men according as the Pastors maintenance is To this end tendeth that which is written † 1 Cor. 9.7.9.11.14 Who goeth a warfare at any time on his owne cost Thou shalt not muzzel the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne If wee have sowne unto you spirituall things is it a great thing is wee reap your carnal things God hath ordeyned that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospel or else a people herein negligent * Mal. 3.8.9 robbeth spoileth their God will a man spoile his God Wherefore † Prov. 3.9 honour the Lord with your substance and with the first fruites of all your increase and | Gal. 6.6 let him that is taught in the word make him that taught him partaker of all his goods Also every one as hee soweth † v. 7. so hee shall reape And ‡ Deut. 16.16 none may appeare before the Lord emptie By all which it is manifest that Almighty God commandeth the people to mainteyn with their goods their ministers And in the Gospell their maintenance to be free yet honest liberall and plentifull that * 2 Chrō 31.4 they may be incouraged in the way of the Lord. Of the civil Magistrates duety and charge to oversee and order his Churches in spirituall matters 27. Wee believe that we and all true visible Churches ought to be overseene and kept in good order and peace ought to be governed under Christ both supreamely and also subordinately by the Civill Magistrate yea in causes of religion when need is By which rightfull power of his he ought to cherish preferre the godly and religious and to punish as truth and right shall require the untractable and unreasonable Howbeit yet alwayes but Civilly And therefore we from our hart most humblie doe desire that our gracious soveraigne King would himselfe so farr as he seeth good and further by some fubstituted † Supplicat for Tolerat p. 8.12 civill Magistrate under him in clemency take this speciall oversight and government of us to whose ordering and protection wee most humbly commit our selves acknowledging that because we want the use of this divine ordinance That therefore most greate and infinite evills both to us and even to the whole kingdome doth ensue and also because of the spirituall Lords their governmēt over us And notwithstāding the spirituall Lords ‡ Ibid. pag. 12. doe think it injury and wrong to themselves not small if the King should substitute civill Magistrates to this busines yet as it is sayd that is Gods owne ordinance and to doe otherwise namely to commit either spirituall or civill government viz. Diocesan or provinciall to Ministers of the word is evill and as we believe a direct transgression of the text of the Gospell above rehearsed in Artic. 4.10.24 Touching the necessity that lyeth upon us to obey Christ rather then man in our using of the true and in refusing the contrary ecclesiasticall ordinances above specified 28. Wee believe that by the word of God all Christians are bound each one for his own part to keepe observe actually and perpetually the Affirmative ecclesiasticall Commandements and ordinances in the Gospell as well as the Negative That is so farre as one person sufficeth to performe the same singly by himselfe he ought so to doe where some number are required are ready for the observing of any such Commandement there each christian which can be present with other standeth bound to give his consent to make one with them therein Alwayes after the bestorder they can and namely that maine order which is in the Gospell notwithstanding whatsoever mans forbidding or whatsoever affliction in the world should followe upon it But that touching the use of Christs visible politicall Church under the Gospell viz. A free independēt c̄ogregatiō prescribed in Mat. 18.17 is such an Affirmative Cōmandmēt Ordinance Mat. 18.17 and it agreeth to that order afore named as wee see in the Scriptures alleaged for the 2. point in the 4. Article Therefore every Christian is bound by Gods word to keepe and observe the same perpetually so as is before declared And namely this all are commanded occasiō requiring viz. to tell such a Church and to heare such a Church Therefore all are commanded and stand bound by Gods word so as before is declared perpetually to have such a Church and to be members of it first Further all simply are cōmanded * Mat. 28.20 to doe whatsoever Christ commanded the Apostles and to † 1 Thes 5.21 try all things and to hold fast that which is good And to ‡ 1 Joh. 4.1 try the spirites whether they be of God And | Rom. 16.17 brethren marke them diligently which cause dessentions and offences besides the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them These duties we may very well doe according to that true order above noted if we enjoy such a visible Church a free Congregation as is before described But wanting such a Church it is not possible for us to doe them which any good order as is shewed Therefore we all are simply commanded to enjoy and use an independent Church exercising spirituall