Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	gospel_n	2,434	5	6.1451	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54249	The true primitive state of civill and ecclesiasticall government discussed and cleared also a vvay briefly propounded to reconcile the saints, by what names (now) soever distinguished, in unity of doctrine and discipline, according to our covenant in a government neerest to the word of God.	D. P.	1649 (1649)	Wing P14; ESTC R35085	22,555	32

discourse as a second branch of the last particular First sum up all that hath been said touching this Primitive Ecclesiasticall constitution of government in a compendious form as it was then held forth And then secondly the grounds and reasons of the first defection and Apostacle from the same And lastly propound some means to re-estate the same in its former pureness As for the first I thinke I cannot doe better then only word for word to circumscribe what that Author hath set down touching the same in the Shrill cry where after he had shewed that the Covenant did not require conformity to a Nationall Church because the word of God acknowledgeth no other but that one visible Catholike Church which is in all Nations dispersed into congregations and families that Congregation then saith he or family wheresoever it is that in matter form doctrine or disciplin shal conform to theprimitive institution that must needs be the purest Church which we are bound by Covenant to hold forth in these Nations and that is conceived to be this when at the first by the preaching the sincere word of the Gospel so many as heard it that were convinced of their lost estate by reason of sin were incited therby publickly to professe repentance from dead works and faith towards God through the Lord Jesus desiring thereupon to bee baptized into the visible Church and under his Government to obey both in doctrine and discipline what they shall clearly be perswaded to bee his will and for that end frequently to meete in their severall Assemblies and there orderly and decently exercise each others gifts for the edification one of another in their most holy faith that so upon very good experience had upon such gifts they might out of themselves and for themselves successively choose as they stood in need Pastors and other Officers as they conceived necessary to the well-being and governing those who had voluntarily submitted themselves therunto So that then doubtles this constitution would have continued as a patterne to all succeeding Congregations Those extraordinary Messengers only excepted that by their Miracles shewed their authority from God to lay this foundation and prescribe the forme for this spirituall building Thus far the Shrill Cry But for the second touching the first grounds of apostacy its evident that from those very times this defection began the Apostle John testifying that there was then many Antichrists which by their carriages doctrines and cunning practices did deny the comming of Christ in the flesh which was in truth no lesse then to deny both the Father and the Son for he that doth deny the end of Christs comming which was to redeem inlighten fanctifie rule and governe his Church after his own mind doth in effect deny his very comming as also both father and son and is a very Antichrist To this also the Apostle Paul gives testimony that then this mistery of iniquity began to worke which first appeared in the defection and apostacy of some of those instruments that were first intrusted and furnished with ability to preach the word which afterward through a Satanicall pride and corruption in judgement began to fall off from the true Apostles usurping authority not onely over them but to reigne as Kings over the consciences of the Brethren whom then they did in the next place Secondly seduce from the sincerity of the Gospell pretending yet to be the Apostles of Christ which Paul calls notwithstanding false Apostles Ministers of Sathan transformed into the appearance of Angels of light because indeed they had a zeale for God after the righteousnesse of the law but not according to knowledge in that they could not distinguish between that active and passive righteousnesse of the Law and Gospell the one requiring and exacting obedience when it gives no power to performe the other freely giving a power to performe more than it at all times requires an exact performance to Besides from the womb of this error proceeded many more for as in the Law so in the Gospell there is such a concatination of Gospel truths that an error in one foundation truth causeth the like in others So that by falling off to the Law though they did professe faith in Christ They had no benefit thereby through the neglect of the Gospel either of an effectuall vocation justification true Sanctification or glorificaon which was only in this as Gods way to be found The Apostle to the Gallatians testifying that notwithstanding their profession of faith in Christ in that they preferred mans righteousnesse before Gods they were yet in their sins Christs death was in vaine to them And that all his benefits should profit them nothing which is as was said all one to them as if they had denyed Christs comming in the flesh And then thirdly having lost the purity of the Gospell they fell also from the forme and discipline of the same preferring circumcision before baptisme not assembling themselves as formerly refusing communion and fellowship with those purer Churches dispising and contemning those Sacraments which presented the benefits of Christs body and blood insomuch as the Apostle said in way of reproofe that if a temporall death followed the breach of one of Moses Laws how much shall he bee guilty of a sorer punishement which by the neglect of Gospell truths and Ordinances trample under foot the blood of the Sonne of God Finally After this corruption in doctrine there was so great a departure from the faith that ther followed as universal a corruption in manners and then the man of Sinne the Antichrist not long after came indeed to be revealed whose onely worke was to set himself against and above Christ in all his gospell-ministrations confounding all primitive order and forme both of doctrine and discipline admitting none but himselfe and his corrupt Clergy to be sole Judges in matters of faith which did assume to themselves onely the name of the holy Church that so he might the better sit in the consciences of those hee calls the Laiety as if it belonged not to them either to know or receive any benefit by Christ through a faith of their own over which he did so lord it that he compelled them contrary to their owne light implicitly to beleeve and obey many times those things that were both contrary to nature Law and Gospel Which together with many more horrid abominations that for brevity sake is here remitted So then by this such a thick and close darknes covered the eyes of the people that very few had in those dayes any true understanding in the mistery of the Gospell the Gospell then being turned into the Law and other humane traditions And when that darkenesse began a little to be expeld about Luthers time yet by and by after there was againe such a confused mixture of the Law and Gospell that it was hard to say which was either Which * Luther indeed prophetically foretold should come to passe through

the ignorance of Ministers after his time which since by woefull experience wee have found too true that covering Cherub of Antichristian darknesse still in a great part remaining Thus having shewed in the second place the rise groweth and cause of continuance of this first defection It remains now that some meanes bee propounded according to the third particular for the re-instating the same unto its primitive purenesse which now might more generally and easily be effected if God shall be pleased to give first to our Magistrates and then more generally to others a heart to follow the councel of our Lord and head Christ Jesus given to the Church of Ephesus in another case which consisteth in three things First to remember from whence we are fallen that is to say from the primitive constitution Secondly to repent of all contrary wayes and abominable apostacies Thirdly to doe our first workes that is to conforme in all things to the mind of Christ which was from the beginning for we ought in this Ecclesiasticall Government as in the other to make Gods aime and end in such a spirituall constitution our own which if we would doe we must subscribe to his wisdome accounting it ours to follow his direction in the same We read that Moses in building the Tabernacle a figure of the Jewish Church he should doe all things according to the patterne Even so now if we would build this spirituall Tabernacle that is fallen down so as that the residue of men might seek after God It must be according to the plat-forme laid down by Christ and his Apostles who was faithfull in all things as a Sonne over his owne house and truely it were well if after the same manner and way of defection and apostacy we so hastily declined downwards we might now more liesurely step by step ascend up again into this holy Mountaine And here then is first to be considered according to that which hath been formerly hinted that is to say the foundation being laid and confirmed by miracles there was afterwards no need of a succession of extraordinary Messengers or Miracles which was at first to confirme the truth of the Gospell among Heathens and Infidels that then which was to continne to posterity unto which if we will conforme it is necessary First that all distinctions brought in by Antichrist of persons in reference to humane learning so as to make an imparity touching the office of the Ministery be laid aside renounced and repented of As also that custome of laying on of hands for the formall constitution of any Gospel Minister as if he were therby better inabled to preach the truth be also omited since the Apostles in their laying on of hands did convey not ordinary but extraordinary gifts Secondly That in regard of our late confusion there might be appointed a certaine number that for their abilities in the knowledge of the mystery of the Gospell as also reputed to be of an holy and unblamable conversation every way quallified according to the rule of the Apostle Thirdly that these with the assistance of Godly Magistrates and other Christians might make choice in all parts without respect of persons so many as they have good experience of their abilities agreeing not only in doctrine and discipline but with boldnesse and other parts for an Intelligible utterance that they might be sent forth into all places where there is need to preach the sincere word of the Gospel and to perform other offices of the Ministery without the intermedling with the civill Government Fourthly that all Christians which shall live within the compasse of their Ministery being convinced of the truth of Baptisme might by initiation be first congregated into a Church fellowship And then that all others as the Ministery of the Gospel shall be made effectuall might after profession of repentance c. be still added to each particular visible Congregation according to the severall divisions either of Parishes or places equally devided by authority of Magistracy All others without such a profession and way of admittance to be accounted as without Fiftly that besides the publike Directory for worship and ordinance of publike preaching for converting of men some other day might be permitted or weekly allowed answerable to the first practice for the meeting of the Saints in the participation of Ordinances as also for an orderly and decent exercise of each others gifts that so by frequent custome their wits through exercise might discern things that differ that so upon very good experience had of the manifold wisedom of God seen in the Saints they might not hastily as they doe now in some Churches otherwise commendable choose out their Officers especially the Pastors publikely to preach which might successively supply the place of those that should decease or otherwise be imployed Sixtly that all doubtful points about the Trinity or others might by fair and meek disputes especially writing be endeavoured to be cleared to vulgar understandings as things not to be i●posed without a clear conviction for writing is more advantagious in that many times for want of boldnesse quickness of wit strength of memory distempered passions or present assistance the truth hath been suspended and the contrary error retained when by writing such defaults in nature by deliberation may be prevented and as for inforcing it ought not to be for these reasons in that all Intelects are not created of one size all have not one and the same outward means not the same exercise not the same impediments to hinder not the same internall divine Assistance not alike in darknesse through negligence prejudice willfulnesse Lastly all are not by reason therof given up to ajudiciary * blindnesse Seventhly that such Ministers that are imployed for the publication of the Gospel out of some publike Stock might have an equall and considerable allowance that so they may give themselves wholly to the work of t●e ministry These and other things seriously pondred and put in practice it would I beleeve suddenly put an end to all our differences whether Civill or Ecclesiasticall it being according to our Covenant a government indeed the neerest to the word of God and the best Reformed Churches wherein all the faithfull by what nicknames soever distinguished ought thereunto unanimously to accord and as for all those persons that hold Tenents destructive to known principles or a common profession of faith that in every thing should be cleer not doubtful are not at first in any Congregation to be admitted or if corrupted after by Excommunication cast out where they remain til manifestation of repentance as Heathens and Publicans which yet still had a propriety in what was theirs in outward things but if any such persons shal yet pertinaciously maintain such opinions contrary to the light of nature reason and the plaine letter of the Scripture to the disturbance of the publike peace they are under the power of the Magistrate to punish But to