Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	true_a	visible_a	5,222	5	9.4598	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85950	Vindiciæ voti. Or a vindication of the true sense of the nationall covenant, in a briefe and moderate answere to the Protestation Protested discovering the unsoundnesse of that interpretation of the covenant, and the weaknesse of the grounds there suggested for separate and independant churches. By Iohn Geree, master of arts, and preacher of Gods word in Tewkesbury. Published by the authority of the House of Commons.	Geree, John, 1601?-1649.	1641 (1641)	Wing G605; ESTC R230274	21,085	38

Sacraments and that the Preaching of the word be generally corrupted then it wants a third marke of a Visible Church for answere I conceive a distinction suggested by the assertor of the Scotch Discipline to be very true and here pertinent P. 196. A Visible Church may be considered either Metaphysically or politically It is one thing to consider men as living Creatures indued with reason another thing to consider them as Magistrates Masters Fathers servants c. So it is one thing to consider a Visible Church in her essentialls as a Society of men and women separated from the blind world by divine vocation and professing together the Gospell of Iesus Christ another thing to consider it as a compleate politicall body in which the power of Spirituall government and jurisdiction is exercised som governing some governed Now a Church that wants government or hath one that is corrupt may be a true Church in the former sense though not in the latter being a tru Church in the former sense her mēbers may communicat together in these holy things which fall under the power of order which may be called Sacra mystica as word prayer Sacraments though not insuch things as are under the power of jurisdiction For his objections about Sacraments the first I hope hath received already sufficient answere For his second objection of Pell mell admission to the Sacrament if he dispute against the Church of England in generall he must consider what her Lawes are not what the practise of some is It s true the Law enjoynes all to come but it s as true that the same Law forbids those that are in contention or are otherwise offensive to the Congregation to be admitted till satisfaction given So the command is generall that men may not be let alone in prophanenes and the admission is restrained that men may not be suffered to be prophaners And for his Third The Preaching of the word generally corrupted that shewes a mind to cavill rather then any cause seeing that corrupting of the Word was against the Churches Lawes by particular persons and all such decrees against Laws are declared invalid But in this he hath an if at the ministery which he further proposeth in his Fourth particular in these words And to these Curates consideration I refer it whether they be able truely out of good premisses to conclude themselves the Ministers of Christ lawfully called when all of them doe immediatly derive their Ministry from the Antichristian Hierarchy as the sole foundation thereof and under the name of Curates he comprehends all the Godly and learned Pastors in the Church and dare he say that the sole foundation of their Ministry is the Antichristian Hierarchy Are the precious guifts and graces that Christ Jesus hath bestowed upon them and blessed and honoured with the conversion of many soules no part of the foundation of their Ministry Is the free choice of their people desiring them to take the oversight of them no part of the foundation of their Calling Will not these in some mens judgments and it may be of this disputers serve the turne without any thing else Have they any thing from the Bishops but as it were an externall authorising to exercise their guifts in a publique way amongst their people which if it be in som respects corrupt shall this corrupt complement make void the call of God of the people God forbid undoubtedly Christ would never so ordinarily worke by them as he doth were they not his Ministers but Antichrists Besides I beleeve this disputer knowes that by Law the Bishop ought to have divers grave Presbyters with him and then the imposition of hands is by the Presbytery as was Timothies not of Episcopacy only But having answered his Objections Printed its needfull I answere some others occasioned by him Object Oh but say some if these things be not included in the Protestation of what use then is the Protestation Ans Very great Is it not a great matter to fulfill that great charge laid upon the Church of Thyatira Rev. 14. Hold fast that which thou hast God hath given this Church some light whereby almost all the erroneous Doctrines and superstitions of Popery are removed which light by the audaciousnesse and corruption of some Innovators hath beene greatly obscured our Churches Doctrine in matter of Iustification Free-will Free Grace Gods eternall decrees c. hath beene almost utterly overthrowne Altars Images c. brought in and the adversaries were as great as nought and had proceeded far to worke disturbance in the present proceedings whereupon it pleased God to move our wise and Religious Parliament ever blessed be his name for it to make this Protestation to maintaine the truths and purity by Law established which was an excellent meanes to hold fast that they had and prevent apostacy give me leave to illustrate this by an homely comparison When men are lifting up a thing of great weight or Horses are drawing some great burthen up a steep hill when either are at a stand wisdome teacheth them to under-prop the burthen and stay it where it is till breath is taken or more help added to raise it to a desired pitch So was it with our worthy Reformers they were tugging to heave an heavy weight and were at a dead lift This Protestation to defend our Doctrine that is pure was an underpropping that things might not goe backwards till they could add more strength to raise things higher which God be blest they are busily indeavoring and if men will but waite I hope they shall see the Reformation raised as high as the Doctrines of Scriptures which ought to be the only rule and I doubt not but is theirs Q. But if they were in the Protestation ought we not with violence to pull them downe and so deale with all superstitious Pictures c. A. To the consideration of the matters Protested against we must joyne the manner how we protest to oppose them and that is lawfully This Protestation gives men no leave to breake their Ranks it puts not a sword of authority into every private mans hand but every thing is to be don in a lawfull way without breach of that order that God hath appointed in the world or our Laws have ordered in our Land To answere this then distinctly Things Protested against are either private things or publique as for instance some Crucifixes and other inperstitious Pictures are our owne at our own full dispose some are in publique places and as it were of publique interest things that are private in a private mans power this Protestation doth bind him to a present Reformation of without further leave from any But for things that are publique private persons are to make their addresse to Magistracy and intreat them to proceed and then the private persons may follow as Assistants Againe Some corruptions are in our owne persons as our owne bowing to or before the Altar some are in

others that in our owne we are presently to Reforme but if another continue corrupt practises we may admonish them Protest against them but not lay violent hands on them but detect them to the Magistrate who by his Protestation will be bound to punish and Reforme them thus Gods worke will be done in Gods way with more beauty safety and certainty and suteable to the mature Iudgments of the wise Compilers of this usefull Vow After he hath done thus with the Protestation he proceedes to other objections to overthrow all subordination in the particular Churches of a Nation not only to one another which was never dreamt of but to any generall government by Officers gathered out of all and so set over all and so he laies a ground for independant Separate Churches which he desires may be erected in this Nation but this taske of his is undertaken and performed with better order and strength by another Author in the Presbyteriall Government Examined And yet that hath received a solid Answere by the Assertor of the Scotch Government and that not only in the generall by the grounds there layd downe but by a particular view and answere to the Arguments of the examiner and therefore thither I shal remit the Reader that wil-take paines for satisfaction in those points The full discussing of these things is also besides my purpose who do only undertake the Answere of it in reference to what is sayd touching the misinterpretation of the Covenants as impeaching the Doctrine that in the preceding Sermons I desired to publish yet because I perceive many are much unsettled and that even of those to whom I have some relation with the things that are scattered in this discourse I will indeavor briefly to run over the things here that are materiall especially such as have not a full answere in the aboue-mentioned Treatise In this Authors Answers to his owne Quaery what shall be substituted instead of Prelacy Liturgy and Ceremonies many things deserve examination First whereas he saith considering the Church of England to be none other then a National Church its uncapable of constitution This word Nationall Church I finde often used and much put upon it and yet neither is it a Scripture phrase nor do any give us a certaine exposition of it if by it they understand a Church that hath some common Nationall Worship by some common Pastor at some common place as all the Jewes had the same High Priest and Temple and all the Males were to meete thrice a yeare at the place which God should choose In which respect I conceive the Church of the Iewes was properly termed a Nationall Church in this sense Christians have no Nationall Churches But he seemes to make a National Church to be when an whole Nation is taken into a Visible Church or Churches having all of them the outward profession of Religion which he saith is impossible now because particular Visible Churches consist of none but Visible living members and visible Saints under Christ the King of Saints But here I would faine know the reason why it is necessary that the members in a particular Church should be of better mettall then the members of a Nationall Church doth not God require by his precepts as much of a Nationall Church and say as much of them as of a particular Church See Exodus 19.4 5 6 7 8. how often is that Priest on the Nationall Church of the Iewes Be yee holy or Saints for I am holy The very same charge that is prest on Christians 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16. where no more is required of the members of Christian particular Churches then of the members of the Iewish Nationall Church and are not the members of the Iewish Nationall Church called holy or Saints aswell as be commanded to be so How often is this reason given by the Lord for you are an holy people See Deut. 7.6 14● 21 26 19. And many otherglorious things are spoken of the church of the Iewes Ie. 2 5. Ps 135 4. And was not Christ their King Psa 44 4. If he were slayne from before the Foundation of the world and the Redeemer of the Church under the Law was he not their King too What difference then doth Scriptures make betweene the members of a Nationall and particular Church and who dares distinguish where the Scripture doth not If they Answere that the Nationall Church of the Iewes were holy in Profession or are called holy in regard of some that were so indeed the denomination being from the better part will not nay must not that answere serve us were all the members of the Apostolicall Churches Visible Saints otherwise then by profession what those that were carnal in Corinth Cap. 3. and defrauders and scandalous contenders too C. 6. Those that were drunk whē they came to the Sacrament too Those that denyed the Resurrection too 1 Cor. 15 12. and those that had not repented of their uncleannesse fornication and Lasciviousnesse too 2 Cor. 12 21. And those that traduced the Apostle too Cap. 11. Then what shall deny the visibility of a Saint or a living member So I might aske touching some in the Ancient holy Church of Rome Romans 16 17 18. And the like of some in the Church of Philippi Cap. 3.18.19 So likewise in the Church of Sardis Revel 3 1 4. and Laodicea Revel 3 16 c. Can these be sayd to consist of Saints or holy people any more then the Iewes must they not have the Title of Saints in regard of their Profession or the denomination from the better part Can Sardis in any other respect have the name of a Colden Candlestick And then I would know againe for what reason it should be more dishonorable to Christ to be the head of a Congregation that are not all Visible Saints further then by profession and outward conformity then to be the head of a Nation where all are not Visible Saints or why Christians should be in more danger for being one by Profession in a Congregationall body then Christ and Prophets for being one with such as were not Visible Saints in a Nationall body these I confesse are Riddles to mee Nay I conceive that though all that doe professe holynesse and life should in-duty be so yet Christ in the parable of the Tares and wheate showes it will not be so and a generall seperation is not to be attempted till the end of the world for the Tares signifie the workers of Iniquitie that grow are to be gathered out of the Kingdome of him who is stiled the King of Saints and out of what Kingdome but the Kingdome parabolized The Kingdome of Heaven Math. 13 24 41. and these Tares were not secret Hypocrits for the Servants did discerne them and tell the Master of them and not the Master the Servants nor doth it any way crosse us that the field is interpreted the world as though the wicked and Godly should be