Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	church_n	ground_n	pillar_n	2,625	5	10.3132	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47561	The gospel minister's maintenance vindicated Wherein, a regular ministry in the churches, is first asserted, and the objections against a Gospel maintenance for ministers, answered. Also, the dignity, necessity, difficulty, use and excellency of the ministry of Christ is opened. Likewise, the nature and vveghtiness of that sacred vvork and office clearly evinc'd. Recommended to the baptized congregations, by several elders in and about the City of London.	Knollys, Hanserd, 1599?-1691.	1689 (1689)	Wing K711A; ESTC R213604	49,141	150

actual Investiture in our Nature of a●… Power in Heaven and Earth Mat● 28.18.19.20 And Jesus came an● spake unto them saying All Power 〈◊〉 given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore Teach all Nations ●… And lo I am with you always even 〈◊〉 the End of the World. Amen Also after His Blessed and Glorious Ascention and Sitting on the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8. ● Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3. 22. Did by His Apostles give Commandment and Direction for the continuance hereof to the end of the World and his Second Coming without Sin unto Salvation Heb. 9.28 As Acts 14.21,22,23 After they had by their Ministry been blest with the Conversion of many Souls they took care to direct them into the Duty of Church Communion and by their Suffrages Ordained them Elders in every Church So the Apostle gives this as the Reason Why he left Titus in Creete he not having opportunity after Preaching the Gospel to them to put things into due Order Tit. 1.5 That he should set in Order the things that were wanting or left undone by the Apostle and Or ●…e Elders in every City that is Church in euery City as before Acts 14. who are called Elders Bishops or Pastors and Teachers Names significative of the●… Authority Office and Work. 2. Christ being now in Heaven and an extraordinary Call being ceased the Scriptures being a perfect and standing Rule to the Church through all Ages he has committed this Care to her self according to the Power given to Her who is the Pillar and Ground of Truth to provide Ministers for her own Edification in Obedience to his Commands and Rules given in his word as he shall see good to Bless her with Spiritual Gifts and Abilities in order to the fitting them for this Work the Father also has Covenanted to give his Spirit in the Gifts and Graces of it and promised that the Words he has put into Christs Mouth and the spirit that is upon him shall never depart from him nor his seeds seed for ever Likewise has according to the Circumstances of time the Church hath been under blest her as with his Grace so with all needful Spiritual Gifts Eph. 4.7.11 For the perfecting the saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying the Body of Christ So that whilst there is a Church Millitant Saints on this side Perfection any of the Members of Christ Mystical Body on Earth those Spiritual Gifts needfull to their present State shall be given and be amongst them for the Support of the great Ordinance of the Ministry and for the good of the Church 3. And as its the Churches Duty to Seek these Spiritual Abilities and improve them when they are given to these great and Holy Ends so she must walk regularly herein in obedience to the Rules given by Christ in this Case who hath laid down the qualifications both Negative and Positive of all such as ought to be called to this great work and Trust of Ministring by Office 1 Tim. 3.1 to 9. Tit. 1.6.9 we have no warrant to put any into the Ministry otherwise save such as are here discribed and competently fitted for it For as it was a sin of Old in the Church to put any into the Ministry but those whom God appointed by the Rules given to them so it can be no less Evil for the Church now to call any forth into Office but such who are qualified as God's Word directs and now as Christ hath made this grant of Power to the Church of choosing her own Officers for her Edification so he hath left Rules for her who and how to chose as we said before So likewise he has laid down those special Duties of the Officers in the Church who are to take the oversight Feed Govern Go in and out before them Acts 20.17,18 1. Pet. 5. and 2. 4. When the Church has had a Tryal of the meetness and Abilities of any Person or Persons for this work and service they are by Election and Choice solemnly to set him or them a part by Prayer and Laying on of Hands Acts 14.21,22,23 Acts 6. By which a new relation ariseth of an Elder and a Church a Pastor and a Flock This must be therefore by the mutual voluntary acts of each other by which the Duties of each relation becomes binding upon them according to the Laws of Christ It is the Pastors Duty now to Watch Feed and Govern the Flock and to give himself up to it It is the Churches Duty to submit themselves to Him in the Lord to Love Reverence and Administer freely to him 1 Pet. 5.1,2,3,4,5 Heb. 13.7.17 How greatly then must those Churches be to blame that unconcernedly live in the neglect of so great a Duty upon which the Edification of the Church and her Well-being so much depends as well as Gospel Order For although the Essence and Being of a Church depends upon its Institution in respect both of Matter and Form A competent number of Believers may by mutual agreement lay the Foundation of the Being of a Gospel Church but they cannot be a Church Organical without Officers which the Lord hath placed there for the orderly Exercis●… of his Authority committed to her To neglect this is to despise the Wisdom of Christ who best knows wha● is for the good of His Church and for Her Edification in this State. 2 To slight His Goodness in so useful and beneficial an Institution 3 It s a contempt put upon his Authority as King of Saints who has in his Soveraign Right in and over the Church Ordained it so to be for the Churches Good and Well-being Secondly As there should not be a neglect of this Duty so there should be great care taken that we answer the Will of God herein wherein His Name and Honour is so much concerned in Respect of his Love to and Care of his Church therefore the greaest diligence should be taken that the Rules He has given be duly observed and Applications made of the Qualifications laid down in respect of all such that are called unto Office The outward Call is an Act of the Church the acceptation of the Person so called is an Obediential Act of him to the Will of God but neither of these can be regular where there is not at previous indication of the Mind of God in bestowing those Spiritual Gifts and Qualifications as may render him competently fit to the Discharge of his Office and Work. Now in a Churches undue proceeding herein they discover their own weakness if not Ignorance in respect of the Rule it self and injure the Person so called in laying the weight of so great a Work upon him who is not furnished with Spiritual Abilities to discharge it thereby expose the Honour of Christ and Reputation of His Gospel in the World which should be dear unto us And we have reason to

c. Who goeth a Warfa●… at any time at his own Charge Wh●… Planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the Fruit thereof Or who Feedeth 〈◊〉 Flock and eateth not of the Milk of th●… Flock None that Lists an Army expects that his Souldiers should maintain themselves without Pay The Ministry is a Spiritual Warfare undertaken at the Command of Christ and by the Call of the Church for the service of their Souls and 't is as reasonable that Ministers should receive a supply of outward things from them as that a Soldier should receive Pay from his Captain at the charge of th● Common-wealth for whose Good and Safety he enters upon that Military Employment Again the Apostle argues the equitableness of it further Shall a Man Plant a Vineyard an not Eat of the Fruit thereof The Preaching the Gospel is like a man planting ● Vineyard the Church is compared thereto in Scripture Isa 5.1.2 Th● Plants are the Lords but he useth Ministers Hands in the Planting of them and none planteth a Vineyard but 〈◊〉 expectation of some Fruit from thenc●… none Imployeth his Servant to Plant but he doth and 't is but lust he should uphold him with Food and Raiment he doing his Work. The Church also as the Apostle intimates is compared to a Flock And now who Feedeth a Flock either personally or by his Servants but he eateth or alloweth his Servant to eat of the Milk of the Flock which it is his VVork to keep and feed By these three Instances commonly known to Men the Apostle sheweth the reasonableness that the Ministers of the Gospel should be maintained by the People to whom they Minister he plainly intimating that it is inconsistent with common Justice to deprive a man of the Fruit of that Vineyard which is planted and manured by his own Labour And such is the case between a Minister and his People it is not as one well observes your Charity that we ask for them but Justice and Right which the very Light of Nature as well as God's Word clearly sheweth They are Imployed in your Service and do that Business for you in which your Eternal Happiness is concerned they take care to provide Bread for your Souls and of right therefore should live upon your charge and you ought to see that neither they nor their Families want Bread nor any thing necessary for their Bodies Nay and since they Sow or Import unto you Spiritual Things Is it a great thing if they shall reap your carnal things Have you not as if the Apostle should say better things from them than they partake of from you St. Paul as our Annotators note argueth the reasonableness of Ministers maintenance from their People they giving them quid pro quo a just Compensation for such allowance yea that which is of much more value for there is a great disproportion between things Spiritual and things Carnal the former much excelling the latter so that the People have the advantage they receiving things far more excellent from Christ's Ministers than his Ministers receive of them They communicate Gold and precious Stones and Pearl and do receive from the People that which comparatively is bu● as Brass or Copper And yet shall this seem a great thing Will you as if the Apostle should say Grudge them a due portion of your Temporals when you receive so plentifully from them of choice Heavenly or Spiritual things How unreasonable a thing is this Obj. But some may be will Object the things they communicate viz. those Spiritual Things are not their own but the Lords and imparted to them to hand out for the good of others And therefore the Case is different Answer It is against the Apostle you raise this Objection But will you see how you are mistaken Pray what more Right or Property have you to your Carnal Things than they have to their Spirituals Are not their Spiritual Things their own as much as your Carnal Things are your own Hath the Lord made you any other than Stewards of your worldly Things And must not you be Accountable to him for them if you do not lay them out as he hath Commanded you For the good of others come your Carnal Things even your Wooll and your Flax. Hos 2.9 is as much the Lords as the Ministers Knowledg and other Spiritual Gifts are the Lords and it doth as much behove you to see that you Communicate to others of your VVorldly or Carnal Things VVe mean to the Poor Saints and Ministers of the Gospel as it behoveth them to Preach or Communicate Spiritual Things to you and therefore the Case is not different Besides you forget how your poor Ministers oft times wast their strength and consume their Bodies being brought to utter Weakness in their outward Man in their painful Studies and Labours in Preaching the Word thereby Communicating Spiritual Things to you And is not that we mean health c. more in worth and their own too than all you have or can Communicate to them Sure their strength and the health of their Bodies together with the expence of their Time you will say is as much their own as any thing you can call yours And is 〈◊〉 then a great thing they should be supplyed from you with all things necessary for this Life Besides in point o● Equity our Saviour as well as the Apostle calls Ministers Labourers and you all will readily say The Labourer is worthy of his Hire How then is it tha● any should seek ways and excuses to avoid their Duty herein to their Spiritual Harvest Men we must tell yo● again t is Jesus Christ who saith t is thei● due and that they are worthy of it and He hath Ordained that they should have it so that you cannot with h●… it from them without Sin nay such ●… Sin that is not only against the Law and Light of Nature but the express Law of Jesus Christ And we must tel● you That if the keeping back or defrauding the Hire of your Labourers who have Reaped down your Corn Fields be so great an Evil that their Cry enters into the Ears of the Lord of Sabbaths and doth provoke and stir up the justice of God to a severe Vengeance for their daring Boldness and cruel Oppression of the poor VVhat think you will be the Effects of the Cry of Christs painful Spiritual Harvest-men who Labour to gather in his Divine Corn should you withhold from them their just Right upon this Account by which means they may be exposed especially some of them to Heart Disquieting and Soul Afflicting Snares in the World and their poor Families want such things as are necessary for them when it is in the power of the Peoples hands plentifully to supply them We must in discharge of our Duty at this time be plain with every Man that we may deliver our own Souls and theirs too from so great a Sin as such an neglect as that is does appear to us