Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	christian_a	church_n	communion_n	1,593	5	9.3126	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85986	The libertine school'd, or A vindication of the magistrates power in religious matters. In ansvver to some fallacious quæries scattered about the city of Limrick, by a nameless author, about the 15th of December, 1656. And for detection of those mysterious designs so vigorously fomented, if not begun among us, by romish engineers, and Jesuitick emissaries, under notionall disguises ... (politicæ uti & ecclesiasticæ. axiom. Arabic.) Published, by Claudus Gilbert, B.D. and minister of the Gospel at Limrick in Ireland.	Gilbert, Claudius, d. 1696?	1657 (1657)	Wing G702; Thomason E923_4; ESTC R202210	61,982	75

Babylonian Captivity The Kingdom of the ten Tribes often called Israel Ephraim Samaria c. by way of distinction revolted from Gods worship under Jeroboam and his successors corrupting the same perverting the Ministry advancing the lowest of the people to the Priesthood joining Idolatry of severall kindes thereto c. yet were they still owned and called the people and spouse of God and communion with them kept by the Prophets till their Captivity So when the Kingdom of the two Tribes called Judah and Benjamin did gradually apostatize from the purity of Gods worship joining often Idolatry and gross evils thereto yet were they still honoured with the Name of Gods people his Portion and Church Jerem. 50. 7. Jerem. 51. 5. Thus in former ages though corruption did increase apace in the Christian Churches beginning in the Apostles daies and successively spreading till the Man of Sin got into Christs Seat being ascended to his Meridian of Supream Power infallible in Ecclesiasticals and temporals yet were the Lords servants in all their vigilant and zealous Vindications of his Truth very carefull still to maintain the Vnity and Peace of the Church to the utmost till the Whore of Rome by separating from Christian Fundamentals had necessitated them to separate utterly from her Communion Truth and Peace are so dear friends to Christ that his friends cannot but be friendly to them both as farre as their power reaches Those faithfull defenders of the Truth who were driven away into the wilderness of America by a turbulent party visibly then complying with the Roman Antichrist did still testifie their care of preserving that Christian unity in all their contentions for verity and purity Though they desired much and prayed earnestly for further Reformation in the Parish Churches of England yet did they still own their Church state and Communion therewith Thus sober Christians will still be manifesting their love to Christian peace in their hottest pursuits after Truth whether in their own or others societies The fire of Christian zeal is of singular use when it keeps within its proper place and season But when it 's scattered and gets into the thatch the mischief thereof is unexpressible What dreadfull Convulsions and Inflammations hath not such a rash zeal caused among us both in Church and State When Christians cannot discover and mend faults without unchristian separations from the Church and unchurching of it it must needs prove the ground of many sad effects It did so in the primitive daies it hath done so in ours In stead of an amicable debate of things controverted bitter contests and wofull ruptures have attended such courses In stead of amending one fault more are created afresh in stead of recovering one Truth many errours are easily let in Romish Engineers are alwaies at hand to blow the bellows and widen differences taking part now with one new with the other under a disguise that their designes may be carried on They fish best in all such troubled waters and improve the opportunities of gaining by our losses This hath been one main cause of so many out-cries for generall tolerations under the fair colours of Liberty of Conscience that every one might follow his own list The Magistrates power hath been so often cried down and exclaimed against lest errour and sinne should be any way curbed or checked in their unlimited unruly power Some well-minded Christians have been that way so extravagant through mis-applications and mis-interpretations of divers Scriptures that they have too often pleaded the devils cause in thinking to plead the godlies interest Some would give too much to the Magistrate and others too little Some would destroy Ecclesiasticall Government by advancing the Civil Others would destroy the Civill by exalting the Ecclesiasticall These two powers which God hath appointed for the Churches good in their respective capacities and motions some would confound others would destroy and others would make them to destroy each other Thus varieties of peccant humours breed still varieties of diseases in all sublunary subjects when they break their bounds limited to them by the Supream Disposer of all To avoid all extreams in this affair we finde our selves obliged by Scripture and reason to own a Magistraticall power authorized by Gods Word to act officially about sacred things in a civil manner either in commanding forbidding or punishing the externall man according to Gods revealed Word for the Lords honour and mans good A power we say authorized not a private charitative act Magistraticall not Ministeriall acting officially not indifferently about sacred things of the first Table in a Civil manner not by Ecclesiasticall censures concerning the externall man expressed in words or deeds not the internall expressed by thoughts according to Gods revealed Word not his own fansie or any mans will for Gods honour and the publique good not for any selfish ends Thus we have the subject and matter the Author and form the manner and Rule the object and end of this Magistraticall power so needfull so usefull How much is said for demonstration hereof by the reason of God and of man is touched at in the following Tract having been fully made out by the Learned in all Ages All godly Princes Jewish and Christian have been rendred famous more or less according as they more or less tendred Gods interest in this eminent charge If any object that the Jewish Princes were Types of Christ therein We answer The Scripture expresses two sorts of Types Some properly for adumbration or representation thus the High priest and Sacrifices typed out Christ Heb. 10. 1 2. Others for imitation and direction thus Gods dealings with Israel were Types {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or examples 1 Cor. 10. 6 11. The former Types were to expire the latter to endure Now that power used by Jewish Magistrates had nothing of a shadow but much for example being so commanded and commended of God therein in performing a Morall not Ceremoniall duty If any object It was part of the Judiciall Law We answer 1. Let it be proved wherein it was peculiar to the state 2. If that were granted yet the equity of those Judicials is still in force and imitable now as occasion serves it s not now unlawfull though all Judicials be not alwaies expedient Gods Law is the best Rule of our Judicials as King Lucius the first Christian Monarch of Brittain learned of Gods Word confirmed to him by Letters from Eleutherius and others in the second age from Christ which he also followed as did Alfred the mirror of Princes and other successors of their valour and vertue As for Christian Emperours History is full of their noble Acts in this way for Christ approved and applauded by all wise Christians in their Synods and Councils Provinciall Nationall and Vniversall The Greek and Latine Fathers agree in this thing very harmoniously The very light of nature taught all sober Heathens to observe this

by Inspirations Dreams Visions Oracles Paternall Traditions c. and from Moses time saw it fit to give it in writing for a sure Record to all Ages by inspiring and inditing the same upon the Spirits and by the Pens of his holy Prophets and Apostles successively in an immediate infallible and extraordinary manner Thence are we said to be built upon their doctrinal or Scriptural foundation holding forth Christ as we are properly on Christ himself the personal foundation held forth by them These Writings are called the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament containing all things needfull to the salvation of Gods Elect and the common good of man called therefore his Laws and Statutes Ordinances and Precepts Testimonies and Judgements c. being the perfect Rule of Truth and Grace faith and obedience Gods mercy and mans duty requiring from man truth mental oral and actual i. e. a due conformity of every thought word and work to that truth of God declared III. The Actual Truth of God is manifested in all his Works of Creation and Providence carrying on a constant perfect conformity to Gods intentional Truth as also to his verbal in order to his supream End his own glory by the seasonable and admirable dispensations of all his Attributes especially mercy and justice towards men and Angels in the most wise holy and powerfull preserving of all his creatures and all their actions as they were all created of nothing by the Word of his power in the space of six daies and all very good Errour then being a crooked deviation of mans judgement from the truth of God revealed will admit of several degrees and considerations according to the varieties and imports of that truth and mans deviating from it Some truth is natural some moral some spiritual about external internal and eternal things Some are Fundamental of salvation some supra fundamentall or juxta others more circumstantial and superficial Errours in Fundamentals about the perfection of God the Trinity of Divine Persons Christ the Mediatour God-man the fall of man his forlorn state his absolute need of regeneration faith repentance obedience as also of the sufficiency of Scripture of mans eternal state c. are properly called Heresies which if obstinately persisted in after due means used of reclaiming such render men unfit for Christian communion Supra-fundamental Truths are the next built on them which admit of various debates among the Learned Errours against them are dangerous but not so pernicious as the former especially if the person erring be humble and teachable Such are many points of worship discipline c. Circumstantial Truths are more external about place and time order and manner c. expressed in that usuall Verse Quis quid ubi quibus anxiliis cur quomodo quando Errours against these are bad but nothing like the former This needful explication will clear and answer to the Query The punishment for errour is not to exceed the nature of that errour and the manner of holding it whether Ecclesiastically by the Church or Civilly by the Magistrate The truth of God gives a rule for all such cases either in express words or in clear consequence to be exactly studied and observed by all persons concerned so that the ends of that punishment be attended viz. Gods honour and the publick good with the parties also as farre as may be The Church meddles not with Civil censures such as imprisoning having its proper way of Admonition Suspension Excommunication c. for its offending members Imprisonment and other corporal punishments for errours require a sufficient cause as in case of herefie endangering mens souls disturbing Gods service and the publick peace c. A godly Magistrate will be heartily glad never to meet with such occasions but when he doth as he cannot but be often forced to in this revolting age it concerns him to attend those forementioned ends with zeal and prudence lest foolish pity spoil the City and lest seeming gentleness prove real cruelty to many Destructive errours specially blasphemous ones are the malignant humours of mens consciences which endanger them and thousands besides in their eternal state Such persons especially if obstinate are the very plagues of the body Politick endangering the whole What mischiefs may not such Pests procure if without restraint as sad experience shew'd in the Familists crue whereof Henry Nichols was leader followed by Hacket Coppinger and Arthington till Hackets execution and Arthingtons recantation had repressed the fury thereof in Q Elizabeths time The Grundletonians in Yorkshire acted divers such mad pranks as Valentinus Basilides and the Carpocratians of old were wont Out of the North have we had the like Impostors of late to confirm the Proverb Omne malum ab Aquilone Such phrenetick persons had need be closely kept and look'd to for their own and others good Such mad folks cannot be kept from hurt but by being kept from company If restraint may seem to endanger their bodies they must thank themselves so long as care is taken for sutable accommodations It were to be wished that fair means might prevent that rigor but if the Patient by his folly necessitate his Chirurgion to bind and wound him who must be blamed If such belong to God he will bless that very dressing to the humbling and healing of them whether in the seventh or eleventh hour he best knows how to order it to the fulfilling of his eternal purpose on such vessels of mercy to be prepared for glory through grace Thus Manasseh that bloody wretch was changed in his prison and not till then His heart was there broken and cured wonderfully The hammer of that weighty punishment drave home to the head into his heart the many instructions of Gods Word which he had so long heard and despised being guided by the hand of Christs Spirit Thus the believing thief repented at his execution The prodigall child came not to himself till his misery justly procured was sanctified of God to the opening of his eyes England hath had experience of some late Quakers horriby blaspemous much reclaimed by the prison and lash and Ireland knows others of that tribe who are come back again to sobriety by the sense of that poverty whereinto their idle courses and ill companions had reduced them But if any such grow worse still as is the usual lot of such seducers by a dreadfull judgement of heaven it will fall on their own heads and that penalty will do others much good if it do them but little It may deter many from the like excess so that paena ad paucos proves terror ad omnes It keeps them from doing more mischief and from increasing their sins and eternal sufferings thereby Though Lions and Bears nature be not changed by their chains yet is their