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	pillar_n	3,742	5	10.1590	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85043	The churches and ministery of England, true churches and true ministery. Cleared, and proved, in a sermon / preach'd the 4th of May at Wiviliscombe; before a numerous congregation assembled together to hear the opposition, which had been long threatned to be made that day, by Mr Collier and others of his party, who, with the greatest strength the West would afford them, were present at the sermon. Wherein were these five things undeniably proved: 1. That a mixture of prophane and scandalous persons with reall saints, is not inconsistent with the Church of God or a true church. ... 5. And then, they also must needs be guilty, who forsake true churches and a lawfull ministry, to follow and hear unsent preachers. By Francis Fullwood minister of the Gospel at Staple Fitzpane in the county of Somerset. Before it there is an epistle and preface, shewing the manner, and a narrative subjoyned shewing the substance of the dispute after the sermon, (both which lasted nine hours.) Set forth by the ministers that were at the dispute, and attested under their hands.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.; Darby, Charls.; Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1652 (1652)	Wing F2498; Thomason E671_2; ESTC R202166	72,915	100

also the door of the Church for persons though really converted by the preaching of the Gospel and the Children of Beleevers born in the Church are not though virtuall actuall members of the visible Church before Baptism which seems to be built upon the known Text Go disciple all Nations baptizing them that is disciple not by teaching only not by teaching properly but by baptism the participle using to signifie the manner of doing Go disciple but how must we disciple why as before by circumeising so now by baptizing and in this Commission in Matthew to the Apostles the Commission given to our Father Abraham is but enlarged 't is the same * The Sacraments of the Jewish Church in substance were one and the same with our Sacraments Heb. 13. 8. 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3. Joh. 8. 56. Joh. 6. 50 51. Col. 1. 11 12. 1 Cor. 5. 7. all say this except Papists Anabaptists Arminians and Socinians for substance though it differ in circumstance the work is the same to disciple and make up Churches though the matter is larger Abraham chiefly that one Nation to come out of his loines together with all that would joyn as proselytes and the Gospel Ministers must disciple all nations i. so far as they can and the nation will submit unto them Abraham was commanded to disciple by that initiating ordinance of Circumcision and the Gospel Ministers by this of Baptism indeed there is teaching prerequisite to prepare and fit men out of the Church for the ordinance of Baptism and so much was requisite to make men proselytes for Circumcision which thing makes it cleer that not only Abrahams naturall seed had right to this Ordinance or that his seed were circumcised as his seed but as they were capable of being members of the visible Church and therefore we finde that when heathen people were willing to become members of the Church they had the Ordinance of initiation Circumcision to enter them in and not them only but their children also which is a cleer pattern for the Ministers of the Gospel towards the Gentiles How shall we behave our selves to them why we have commission to disciple them But how why as the Ministers of Law did proselytes Gentiles before us by Circumcision so must we now by Baptism but whom among them why as they before us the prosely to Gentiles and their children too so must we also disciple by baptism the nations of the Gentiles and their children too so far as they submit themselves and their children to the Ordinance of Christ But I must return Baptism wee see is the door of the Church which further appears by Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born again of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God this Kingdom of God I conceive to be the Church for Christ is telling Nicodemus here of earthly things and you may conceive the Church invisible or visible if invisible here is a door to let you in the baptism of the spirit and regeneration reall if visible here is another door for that too the baptism of water a regeneration visible a man may be born again i become a new man two waies and accordingly may have place in the Church two waies he may be born again indeed by a reall work of the spirit within and thus becomes a member of the invisible Church or else a man may be born again in shew only from a visible member of the world and the divel discipled by baptism and made thereby a visible member of Christ and entered into the visible Kingdom of Heaven the visible Church which indeed is sometimes first according to the order of the words except a man be born again of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the visible or invisible Church the Kingdom of Heaven Now to end with this it cannot be denied upon a good ground but we in England are a discipled nation and are entered into the Kingdom of Heaven the visible Church being born again by water Neither have we the seal only for we have the writings 2. And word of it Church is built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets too not only a pledg or token of the bargain but the word of the Covenant also the Scriptures in purity and the Ordinances of them in power and fullness which is undeniable and therefore we have the Covenant Deut. 4. 13. Heb. 9. 4. also above all reasonable contradiction and therefore we are the Churches of God for full satisfaction To * Rom. 9. 4. the Jews belonged the Adoption glory and Covenants but how does it appear because to them belonged the giving of the Law and the service of God And what advantage had the Jew by being a Church above the Gentile that was none why much every way but chiefly because to them were committed * Rom. 3. 1 2. The walls of the Church have their foundation in the Names i doctrine of the twelve Apostles and is therefore the pillar and ground of truth Rev. 21. 14. the Oracles of God shewing that they were a peculiar priviledge to and a distinguishing character of the visible Church for God sheweth his word unto Jacob his Statutes and judgements unto Israel and hath not dealt so with any nation that is among the heathen that have no Church Psal 147. 19 20. compared with Cant. 1. 7 other nations doubtless might have the Bible among them as we at this day have the Turkish Alcoron but here lay the difference God did not shew promulge or preach his word to them it was not with them as the Oracles of God the word of the Covenant to them Gospel Ordinances are a great part of the outward administration Ubi est fides illic est Ecclesia ubi non est fides ibi non est ecclesia Chryso of Gospel Covenant where God is pleased to hold a visible communion with us and we with him as before and so long as we have these we are no doubt in covenant with God and then a Church of God And to make all sure we have the peculiar blessings of the 3. And the blessings of it covenant which God bestows on none but such as are in covenant with him his own Churches These are chiefly three the blessing of his spirit of his providence and of his people the first is inward the two later outward but all spirituall and all speciall and peculiar blessings but of them in order The first and inward blessing of the Covenant is the blessing 1. Conversion I mean not only the common convictions enlightenings with the knowledge of the Gospel which is indeed peculiar to the Church however but the speciall blessings of the Spirit of God accompanying his word for the work of conversion in the hearts of our hearers This I make an infallible Mark of the truth of our Churches Conversion ordinarily wrought in our Churches Conversion may be

are resolv'd and center'd in Christ but that is in Christ considered in Aggregato that is Christ consisting of head and members and which cannot be denied because else all the Covenant of grace and promises being Compare the Text with 1 Cor. 12. 12. centered in the pe●son of Christ as you would urge there should be none le●t for the body of Christ in the daies of the Gospel Now consider what can you gain by this Text the meaning is that the former Covenant of grace and promises made to Abraham are all centred in Christ that is in Christ both head and members in the daies of the Gospel as is better expla●●ed by the 14. ver of the same Chapter the blessing of Abraham is come upon the Gentiles through Christ Jesus that is the promises and priviledges of our Father Abraham the typicall head of the Jewish Church is come upon the Churches of the Gentiles by Jesus Christ the mystical head of the Gentile Church and were not the promises made to Abraham and his seed and did not the priviledge of being Church-members belong to Abraham and his seed and therefore the same promises and priviledges belong to professors of the Gentiles and their seed also Again were this Text for you at all it would onely serve to prove that Christs spirituall seed have the priviledge of being Church-members alone the contrary we have proved in the Sermon above shewing you that not only hypocrites but scandalous persons were members of the Church of God at Corinth against which you have nothing to say they being members of the visible Church are members of the visible body of Christ and by consequence have visible interest in the promises and priviledges which you say are centred in Christ I desire you M. Collier to shew us a better Text then this therefore for the repealing of Infants Church-membership Coll. But this is clear'd by the last verse of the same Chapter if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Full. This text is clearer against you then the former was what doth it say it saith that the Gentiles by becoming Christs or Christians they become thereby Abrahams seed that is by being united to Christ really they become Abrahams reall seed and by being united to Christ visibly we become Abrahams visible seed and then accordingly we are interested in the promises and priviledges of Abraham being heirs according to the promise Hadridge There is now neither Jew nor Gentile bond nor free male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Full. I thank you for that M. Hadridge a most clear Text to prove the partition wall is broken down betwixt the Jews and Gentiles and that the Gentile Churches being now made one with the Jewish not as Jewish but as a Church have a right to all the priviledges of the Jewish Church and among the rest also to Church-membership for themselves and children if you have ever a better Text I pray produce it for these will not doe Coll. I pray then consider Rom. 2. 28 29. He is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly c. Full. Alas this cannot be strictly and properly understood but by way of Comparison for a man cannot be a Jew and not a Jew that would be harsh the meaning is that he is not a Jew in Gods account that is such a one as shall have * Vers ult praise of God that is onely a member of the visible Church God looks chiefly to the heart or rather the Apostle is abolishing the Ordinance of Circumcision and winding up their hearts to the truth of it Circumcision that is of the heart not that in the dayes of the Gospel God doth so much regard the heart as that he appointed no outward Ordinances no visible Church nor visible worship or not members of the visible Church but such as are Circumcised in heart None of which you will offer to say and yet the Text taken your way offers to prove nothing else which I pray you consider But you must look for another Text this onely shewes that Circumcision it self is abolish't but the Covenant of Circumcision that abides as commanded upon Abraham and his seed both of Jewes and Gentiles for ever Gen. 17. 9. Col. But that Covenant was Circumcision ver 10. Full. Give the holy Ghost leave to interpret his own words and we read verse 11. That Circumcision was onely a token of the Covenant and though that sign is vanisht the thing remains unlesse you will make the substance of the Covenant in the time of the Law one thing and in the time of the Gospel another thing and so make two Covenants of Grace Col. I will not meddle with that now Full. But you must give us another Text or else we shall conclude That Children of Professors have the priviledge of being Church-members still Hadridge Matth. 3. Think not to say with your selves We have Abraham to our Father the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree which hath cut down all former priviledges Full. Alas have not all the other Scriptures which your selves have brought proved that we have Abraham to our Father stil and that we have no Promises or Priviledges at all but as we are Abrahams seed Had. But we must doe the works of Abraham that we may become Abrahams seed Full. True but as doing the works of Abraham indeed we become his reall seed and have a reall right unto his priviledges so by doing the works of Abraham in shew onely we become his seed in shew Which though it will not satisfie God who looks to the heart yet it gives them a title to outward priviledges from the hands of men who judge according to appearance The meaning of the place with the extent of it is plainly this That God requires more exactnesse and strictness in these dayes of the Gospel then he did in the times of ignorance under the Law not that the Gospel can any way possible deprive the Church of any Priviledge which made Grace to abound and not to diminish in this regard and therefore not this priviledge of having our Children Church-members with us Col. It is a Priviledge that our children are not Baptized and that in many respects Full. What are they I pray you Col 1. It is a priviledge for our Children to be in that condition that God would have them 2. Again Because when your Children are once Baptized you make it serve to make them secure telling them that now they are in a happy condition Full. Here are two priviledges for our Children not to be Baptized But to the first I say is it not a goodly priviledge for the Damned Devils to be in Hell yet that is the Condition God will have them in And for the second 't is a meer slander for as we