Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	book_n	church_n	tradition_n	5,140	5	9.1021	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34020	Gospel order revived being an answer to a book lately set forth by ... Increase Mather ... entituled, The order of the gospel, &c ... / by sundry ministers of the gospel in New England.	Colman, Benjamin, 1673-1747.; Pemberton, Ebenezer, 1672-1717.; Woodbridge, Timothy, 1656-1732.; Bradstreet, Simon, 1671-1741.	1700 (1700)	Wing C5399; ESTC W13238	38,537	52

Arguments In the fore-going Chapter when he would prove there ought to be a tryal of Persons he tells us of the Porters that were set ut the gates of the Temple 2 Chron. 23. 19 but those Porters were Officers 1 Coron ●6 1. so he Instances in the Twelve Angels at the Gates of the Mystic 〈…〉 Jerusalem which tho' it may imply that the G●●es were kept yet not that the fraternity were the keepers He instances also in Phillip and John the Baptist which if it argues any thing is applicable only to the Officers and not in the Brother-hood But to examine his strength in this Chapter what he calls argument may more truly be stiled dogmatical affirming or a more mean begging the Question Till pag. 24 25. he quotes a cripture or two in proof of his assertions ●●i● 1 Corinth 5. 12. 2 Cor. 2. 6. in both which places the Apostle is writing to the Church at Corinth about excommunicating the l●cestuou● Person to h●●●●n and the restoring him again upon his Repentance And w 〈…〉 t the Reverend Author to the same holy Aposti● for an ●●swer 〈…〉 t is that known place 1 Corinth 1● chap. where he compares the Church to a mans Body and shows the distinct offices and operations of the respective Members as the Eye and Ear the Hand and Foot And to render the allusion the more intelligible he names the Officers God had set over his Church as more immediately referred to v. 28. God has set some in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers and in the close of the 14. chap. he adds Let all things be done decently and in order The result of all is this The Apostle would have every one to keep his proper place and sphere and do his own work soil in the Censure of the faulty Person the Eldership were to do theirs the Brotherhood not to usu 〈…〉 or arrogate any thing above their Province For as the Apostle queries v. 19 are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers i. e. in a govern'd Body we cannot expect all should be Governors vid. Pool's Annot. There is another Text also produced to prove the power of the Brethren scil Mat. 18. 17. and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it to the Church This Text has been often brought on this account and sometimes on other accounts and as often answered yet here brought again but it will not answer the end The Context supposes an Offender and the wronged party proceeding against him and here are three steps the dissatisfied Person is directed to take in order to heal the wound given 1. To tell the Offender his fault in private 2 To tell him before 2 or 3 witnesses and if the end be not obtained 3. To tell it to the Church Suppose now a Person acting according to this Rule as we could give instances if need were when the first step did not gain his Brother nor the second answer the end at last the dissatisfied Person carried the case to the Pastor and now he reckened he had told it to the Church The Pastor sending so the Offendor presently convinced him brought him to Repentance and to give satisfaction and the thing was issued Here the Rule was attended the Church told the offendor healed the wronged Person satisfied and the matter issued when the Brotherhood all this while knew nothing of it It is evident from the next verse that by the Church must be meant those who had Power to bind and loose which Power Christ had given to the Apostles Moreover let the sense be that the Offence is to be told to the Rulers first and then by then to the multitude not for the multitude to judge of it but for their warning and example for their prayers for the offendor and their approbacion of the Elders Censure and that they might take care to avoid the familiarity of such an insectious sinner vid. Pools Annot. But if Scripture will not prove the Power of the Brethren possibly some venerable Maxim may do the feat Quod ●angie omnes debet ab omnibus approbari But alas this Maxim gives so much to the Sisters as to the Brethren Surely it is no divine Oracle it neither came from Heaven nor is it according to the manners of men upon Earth If a master of a family take in a so●ou●nor or a servant all are concerned but their vote is not asked If a Captain list a Souldier all the Company is concerned but it is done by his Authority without asking their leave And pray carry this m●x●m to the Colledge and see if the President and fellows will stand by it in their admissions If it be objected that even in all these cases if there be any sufficient reasons presented by those concerned a prudent Ruler will yield to it we easily grant it and therefore it s not unfit that men be proposed to the Congregation if there be any thing to object against their lives c. Another argument for the Brethrens Power in admission is lest the whole Power should sometimes reside in the hands of a single Minister and that this is unreasonable we have a Speech quoted from the Presbiterian Ministers in London But it is strangely perverted from their true meanning as appears not only from the whole series and scope of the Book but also from what is expressed in the page quoted p. 71. where they say That the Power cannot be placed in the whole Church collectively taken The Scripture makes an exact distinction between Rulers and ruled They only plead that there should be more Rulers in a Church then one or that when there are more then the Power belongs to the whole meaning the ruling Elders as well as the Teaching And what is that to the Power of the Brethren One officer has Power in plain cases to act in the Kings name Indeed our Saviour did frequently send forth his Disciples two and two But yet Phillip was sent alone to baptize the Ethiopian Eunuc 〈…〉 It will not excuse a Minister in the neglect of Christs work because he has no fellow labourers with him But the strongest argument comes last The way to keep Popery our of the World saith our Author is for the fraternity to assert and maintain that Power which does of right belong to them In answer to which we need only blot out the word fraternity and in its room write the word Ela●rship An excellent argument that will equally prove either way and by the change of a word serve also to answer Doctor Owens long Speech which ends that Chapter In short all Power is firstly in Christs ●a●ds and our Reverend Author produces no commission or order from Christ for the ●rethren ●● ma 〈…〉 ge the affairs o● his House in his name for he has appointed Officers of his own to that end Q. 4. Whether is it necessary t●at Persons at their admission into the Church should make a publick

enough to set us down resolved against any such thing if we can say there is a silence about it in the Scripture that God has no where commanded it in his word either expresly or by just and necessary consequence it s no Order of his devising Scripture silence about any Tradition gives a full condemnation what ever ●leas men may bring for it as That it is profitable many have been edified by it it is a prudent way to secure the Interest of Religion many wise holy learned Men have pleaded for it and practised it that there is much of decency in it and the thing it self is no waye harm●u● A●l this is fully answered with that one word God has spoke nothing about it Heb. 7. 4. It never entered into his h●art to enjoyn it Jer. 7. 31. Thus he This being publickly practised and printed so long a go by so eminent a Minister and never since contradicted we take it for granted that none have any thing to say against it And we are thankful to him for furnishing us with a Doctrine so fully laid down to bear off the Institutions Traditions and Impositions that men would lay upon us But it is high time now to consider the Questions which the Reverend Author propounds and the Answer he gives to each of them In which attempt we shall offer no other Apology for our brevity save that our Author himself 〈…〉 ight have been as brief and yet full as clear and 〈…〉 iv● Gospel Order Revived c. THe two first Questions might have been wholy spared yet may serve as a good Introduction to others of a●● ill aspect Quest 1. Whether particular Churches ought to consist of Saints and true Believers in Christ It is granted that the matter of a particular Church for the Question is not stated with reference to the Catholick is visible Saints And tho' the Answer is not given in the words yet we would charitably hope his sense is the same with the united Ministers in London That none shall be admitted as members in order to Communion in all the special Ordinances of the Gospel but such as are knowing and sound in the fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion without scandal in their Lives and to a judgment regulated by the word of God are Persons of visible Godliness and honesty credibly professing cordial subjection to Jesus Christ Had our Reverend Author only said thus much and indeed more is needless he had saved us the labour of any Reflections on this part of his Essay But there is one passage in p. 15 which we cannot but except against A Scripture saith he which has respect in the times of the Gospel severely rebukes those Ministers which shall bring men that are uncircumcised in bear● unregenerate persons into the sanctuary into the Church of God to eat the Bread and drink the Blood which 〈…〉 y that are there partake o● Ezek. 44. 7 9. A hard saying and w●o can ●ear it The Text is here mangled and the principal things left out What God has joyned our Reverend Author has seperated to drive on his design The Text saith Uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh but here we have it only uncircumcise in hea●t interpreted unregenerate persons What a rebuke is this to the best of Ministers because forsooth they are not heart searchers and dare not invade the prerogative of God Did the Reverend Author or the Church with him never admit any un 〈…〉 ●erate Person to communion with them He will not dare to pretend to it and therefore the rebuke is to himself We know our Lord Jesus Christ admitted Judas uncircumcised in heart an unregenerate Person to holy things and in the purest Ages of the Church there were Hypocrites crept in many of whom turned Apostates Nay our Author is so sensible of this that p. 19. he quotes the opinion of the Reverend M. Co●ton That its better to admit diverse Hypocrites than to keep out one sincere Child of God It is obvious then that Hypocrites may be admitted and yet the Minister incur neither the rebukes of Conscience or of this Scripture nay he may be approved of God as doing his Duty though Hypocrisie may too well consist with sufficient Knowledge found belief a blameless Life a credible Profession c. To conclude It s very observeable the Reverend Author closes this first Enquiry by saying That the Churches here are free to admit those into their communion who are thus qualified We marvel then his Zeal is not stirred to rebuke them afresh But what will the Reader think if we should make an Apology after all for the Reverend Author and assure him he means no more than that Ministers ought not to admit known Infidels or Prophane for for his part he pretends not to know mens hearts We only can intreat the Reader not to rebuke the Author too severely for his inconsistency for he may mean well and all parties are agreed Unless he should imagine himself attacqued by the Reverend Author of the Doctrine of instituted Churches Q 2. Whether there ought not to be a Tryal of Persons concerning their qualifications and fitness for Church communion before they are admitted thereunto We shall not here examine the force of the Authors arguments whether they unresistably conclude or not and whether the consequence is good from the tryal of the Apostles the Porters at the Temple or the 12 Angels at the Gates of the Mystical Jerusalem to the tryal of Church Members It suffices that the Reverend Author has modestly stated this Truth and cited us to a merciful Bar the judgment seat of a rational Charity where the Judge avoids severity and the tryal is managed with abundant tenderness the bruised Reed is not broken nor the smoaking flax quenched the tender Lambs find the kind Shepherds Arms to fold them and a gentle carriage in his bosom This is indeed the part of the good shepherd and we could now gladly commit our selves to the Reverend Authors Pastoral care So many good words remove all jealousie of a rigid Tryal But alas the Clouds return upon us and a black doubt is started as follows Q 3 Whether are not the Brethren and not the Elders of the Church only to judge concerning the qualifications and fitness of those who art admitted into their Communion The Reverend Author allows there may be a difference of apprehension as to this point and yet no breach of Union We think so too and therefore as we continue to honour the Person though we expose his opinion so we ●o●● the negative will not dele●ve the popular cry Oh Apostacy Apostacy The difference as the Reverend Author tells us is between the Brethren of the Presbyterian and the Congregational way the former giving this power only to the Eldership the latter joyning the fraternity with them He takes up for the latter but whether he proves it the world may see when we have considered his