Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	catholic_n	church_n	universal_a	1,773	5	9.0565	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47309	The practical believer, or, The articles of the Apostles Creed drawn out to form a true Christian's heart and practice in two parts.	Kettlewell, John, 1653-1695.	1688 (1688)	Wing K380_VARIANT; ESTC R36226	263,804	566

and exacted more than can possibly or at least ordinarily be performed Or labour under some other cloudy and afflicting Error or distemper of mind which hinders a most comfortable Religion and peaceful Piety from creating any Joy or Comfort in them Quest. But when there are none of these intrinsick impediments to interpose betwixt his Joy and them doth not he sometimes Arbitrarily and without any provocation withdraw himself and hide his Face as if he were displeased with them Which withdrawing is oft given as the cause of many Good mens Grief and Dejection and is what some call Spiritual Desertion Answ. At this rate indeed all Spiritual Comfort must needs be most variable and uncertain as depending not on any Constancy of good and comfortable Dispositions in themselves but on the Arbitrariness of such unprovoked withdrawings to try Experiments upon Men. But this I think is all humane invention the Scripture on the contrary teaching us that when Sinners purify their hearts and draw nigh to him God doth not withdraw himself and shrink away but draws nigh to them Jam. 4. 8. It is an imputation on this good Spirit not at all agreeing with his inclination which is to be an immutable lover of goodness and of good men to be unalterably pleased with them whilst they do what is pleasing to him and to delight in having them take pleasure and joy in him It seems very opposite to his Office and Undertaking For his Work and Office as I have shewn is to engender Peace and Comfort as well as Goodness in the hearts of his Servants And since that is his business he will be as constant in pursuing it and no more withdraw his Comforts than he doth his Graces from them without being justly provoked thereto by some act of their own Nay on the contrary when their own melancholly humours or mispersuasions have intercepted his joyful presence from good men he is ready with the light of his Countenance to break thro' that darkness and in great pity very often restores that Comfort to their minds which their own errour or distemper had driven from it So that these arbitrary and unprovoked desertions whether in Grace or Comforts as they have no foundation in Scripture but there meet with opposition so are they not suitable to the Holy and good Spirit 's natural Genius or his Undertaking and Office He always loves and delights in good men and never voluntarily withdraws himself but is always driven from them CHAP. IX Of the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints The Contents No assurance of Salvation by Christ but in his Church This Church Holy. And Catholick Admission into it by Baptism when regularly perform'd in any one valid in all Churches Excommunication is so too This Church is one Body by external visible unity Of the Communion of Saints in this Church Of their visible union in Faith or Doctrine And in Pray●rs and Devotion Of communicating in Publick Prayers A Sin to separate without just cause Imposing Sins or Errours as Conditions of Communion is a just cause Not Lawful to separate for Things indifferent Nor for better means of edification Just to separate from a Church that doth not impose her Corruptions when her Errors in Faith overthrow the Foundation That is when she ceases to own the one true God. Or denys Jesus to be the Christ or Salvation by his Merits and Mediation Owning Jesus to be the Christ implies owning the Articles of the Apostles Creed which contains all Fundamentals Whilst any Churches hold to this Creed which is the Foundation Errors in other things do not unchurch them But such Erroneous are in a worse state than Orthodox Christians Nor is her Communion to be deserted meerly for such Errors tho' very gross if she doth not impose them Just to separate from a Church of a corrupt Worship when sinful things pollute her Publick Offices Or when good Devotions are put up in a strange Language Not for Rites and Customs about indifferent Matters Nor just to separate for scandalous Members where a Churches constitution is faultless Nor tho' it neglect Discipline which should reform them Of keeping Fellowship with the Apostles by submitting to our lawful Bishops their Successors Christians to communicate in Affections in Alms and Temporal good Things Quest. WHat is the Ninth Article in the Creed Answ. The Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints Quest. Is there no assurance of Salvation by Christ but in his Church Answ. No for Baptism whereby we are made members of the Church is compared to Noah's Ark whereinto all were to enter that would not perish with the World 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. Christ is represented to us as the Head of his Church and the Saviour of the body Eph. 5. 23. And God daily added to the Church such as should be saved saith St. Luke Act. 2. 47. In the Church all good men have a sure claim to God's favour by Promises and Compacts which ingage him in Faithfulness But out of it they stand to courtesie and can build at best only on presumptions and uncovenanted mercies the Covenant which God seals with us respecting his Church and being proposed and ratified in the Word which it preaches and in the Sacraments which it dispences Quest. Must not this make all careful to be Members of this Body and keep in Comm●nion with Christ's Church who profess Christianity Answ. Most certainly as without which by their Religion there is not only a want of the set means and opportunities but also of all express Contracts and Promises of Salvation Our Saviour Christ has appointed not only the Christian Religion which all are to believe and practise but the Christian Church too wherein they are to profess that Faith and Communicate as Members And the same Baptism that lists us Professors of his Religion makes us Members of his Church also Quest. Why is the Church called Holy Answ. Because it is a Body of men that is Holy that is separated from the rest of the World and dedicated to A●mighty God. Ye are a chosen Generation an Holy Nation a Peculiar People 1 Pet. 2. 9. And because whatever they prove in reality their Religion is a Profession of Holiness as their Baptismal Vow which is made at their entrance on Christianity sufficiently declares To the Church at Corinth called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1. 2. Quest. Why is it called Catholick Answ. To shew its Universality and that it is not confined to one Nation or Place as the Jewish Church was And the Catholick Church notes the whole Body of Christians diffused through all places and enduring through all times The Church is also call'd Catholick in relation to the Faith it holds which ought to be the same in all Places And in this sense particular Churches are sometimes stiled Catholick meaning thereby that they are Orthodox and live in the Faith and Communion of the Catholick Church not of any Heretical Combinations Quest. The Church is Catholick as containing all Places and Persons but it is not universal as

to some Acts which being done any where are valid and equally bind every where Answ. Yes it is Catholick in the Admission into its Baptism which being duly administred in one Church makes a man free of the whole Christian Society and gives him a Right to all Christian Priviledges in all other Churches So that go where he will every Church shall own him for a Christian and admit him to Communion without requiring him to be Baptised over again Quest. So that a true member of Christ who is allow'd to Pray and receive the Sacrament in one Church ought to be allowed the same in every Church Answ. Yes and so they were in ancient times when upon producing their Certificates and Commendatory Letters from their own Churches Strangers and Travellers were owned as Brethren and admitted to Communion in the remotest Places Quest. And is it not fit they should seek this Communion wheresoever they pass Answ. Yes very fit to shew themselves true Catholicks and that they own the Christians of all other places as Brethren and Fellow-members But this must be only where they may be admitted to Communion upon lawful terms For when Churches will suffer none to Pray or Communicate with them without professing some Errors or joyning in some forbidden Practice there is no seeking to associate with such Assemblies Quest. Can you shew this Catholick efficacy in other Acts Answ. Yes not to insist on others secondly in excluding Persons out of the Church by Excommunication For if a man is justly excommunicated in one Place the Church as I shall shew being but one that is valid and ought to stand till he is duly loosed and reconciled again in all places He is cast out by Christ who for any unchristian Practices is regularly and justly bound or excommunicated by the Church of Christ for whatsoever you bind or retain on Earth saith he shall be bound and retain'd in Heaven Joh. 20. 23. and Mat. 18. 18. And whilst Christ himself rejects 't is not for any other Church of Christ to receive him And thus it was in the Ancient Church where if any for Heretical stubbornness or lewd Lives were cut off from Christ by their own Church no other Churches would admit them 'till they had made their peace again And to prevent any over-sight and unwary Communion with an Excommunicate Person when any Strangers and Travellers especially whom they had ground to suspect came to them from Foreign parts they would not admit them to joyn in their Church-Offices till they produced their Communicatory Letters to certifie their being in Communion with their own Churches And this must make all good Christians extreamly careful by all innocent ways to keep the peace of their own Church and never contumaciously provoke or proudly slight it presuming if it casts them out they may do as well by being let in and harboured by others Which if all Christ's Members really believed Church Discipline would not be so precarious a thing nor would any think as I fear too many do that a Church is beholding to them for sticking to her and keeping in her Communion Quest. What is it to Believe the Holy Catholick Church Answ. Not only to believe there is such a Church but also agreeable to that belief in all those Acts which declare our Union with it to adhere to it as its Members against all Factious Innovators and Dividers Quest. Is this Church but one Body Answ. No. For we are call'd to peace in one Body Col. 3. 15. and there is but one Body as one Spirit one Lord one Baptism Eph 4. 4 5. Quest. And is it to be one by an External Visible Unity Answ. Yes for an external Union in the common Offices and Advantages of the Society must shew it to be what the Sripture calls it one Body It must have such an Union as may be taken notice of by Men and from whence they will say Christians are all of one Religion I pray not for these alone but for all that shall believe on me through their word That they may all be one and that so visibly that the World may see it and thereby know and believe that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Joh. 17. 20 21 22 23. And this visible union is their maintaining one Communion and Church-Fellowship i. e. their readiness to Pray and Communicate together and join in all Acts of Christian Worship Faith and Charity with each other By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if ye love one another If ye Love one another i. e. if ye love so as to unite not only in Faith and Affection but in Worship too and pray and communicate together For a readiness to worship God together must shew as much as any thing their unity in Discipleship and that they are all Servants of one and the same Lord and Master Joh. 13. 35. And accordingly Prayers and Sacraments are set down among the Bonds of Union which compact together the Members of this one Church Of the Eucharist says St. Paul we being many are made one Body by being all partakers of that one Bread 1 Cor. 10. 17. And of Baptism we are all Baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and as many as have been Baptized into Christ are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 27 28. And among those various ways whereby the Church becomes one Body he lays down as one Faith which they all Profess So one Baptism whereof they all partake one God and Father of all whom they all invocate with one Hope and one Lord whom they all serve and worship Eph. 4. 4 5 6. Quest. Doth this visible union imply a profest subjection of the whole Church to one visible Head the Bishop of Rome Answ. No that is a Title too haughty to be assumed and a Power too extensive to be managed by any one Person Besides in Scripture there is not the least mention of this universal Headship No not in the Lists of Church-Powers and Ministrations where this which is the highest of all others could not be left out Nor in Silencing any Heresies or deciding any Controversies and Disputes of which there was great number then in the Church and for determination whereof as it ought to have been used so 't is not conceivable had it then been owned but the Apostles would have directed and sent men to it or the Litigants themselves would have appeal'd to its sentence Among the Apostles our Blessed Lord precludes all pretence to such Power telling the Twelve when they were at Strife who should be highest in Empire and Lordship that one of them should not bear Rule and exercise Authority over the rest Luke 22. 24 25 26. And as for St. Peter in particular he set up no claim of Power over the other Apostles but bore