Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	call_v	church_n	pillar_n	6,253	5	10.5659	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47561	The gospel minister's maintenance vindicated Wherein, a regular ministry in the churches, is first asserted, and the objections against a Gospel maintenance for ministers, answered. Also, the dignity, necessity, difficulty, use and excellency of the ministry of Christ is opened. Likewise, the nature and vveghtiness of that sacred vvork and office clearly evinc'd. Recommended to the baptized congregations, by several elders in and about the City of London.	Knollys, Hanserd, 1599?-1691.	1689 (1689)	Wing K711A; ESTC R213604	49,141	150

actual Investiture in our Nature of a●… Power in Heaven and Earth Mat● 28.18.19.20 And Jesus came an● spake unto them saying All Power 〈◊〉 given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore Teach all Nations ●… And lo I am with you always even 〈◊〉 the End of the World. Amen Also after His Blessed and Glorious Ascention and Sitting on the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8. ● Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3. 22. Did by His Apostles give Commandment and Direction for the continuance hereof to the end of the World and his Second Coming without Sin unto Salvation Heb. 9.28 As Acts 14.21,22,23 After they had by their Ministry been blest with the Conversion of many Souls they took care to direct them into the Duty of Church Communion and by their Suffrages Ordained them Elders in every Church So the Apostle gives this as the Reason Why he left Titus in Creete he not having opportunity after Preaching the Gospel to them to put things into due Order Tit. 1.5 That he should set in Order the things that were wanting or left undone by the Apostle and Or ●…e Elders in every City that is Church in euery City as before Acts 14. who are called Elders Bishops or Pastors and Teachers Names significative of the●… Authority Office and Work. 2. Christ being now in Heaven and an extraordinary Call being ceased the Scriptures being a perfect and standing Rule to the Church through all Ages he has committed this Care to her self according to the Power given to Her who is the Pillar and Ground of Truth to provide Ministers for her own Edification in Obedience to his Commands and Rules given in his word as he shall see good to Bless her with Spiritual Gifts and Abilities in order to the fitting them for this Work the Father also has Covenanted to give his Spirit in the Gifts and Graces of it and promised that the Words he has put into Christs Mouth and the spirit that is upon him shall never depart from him nor his seeds seed for ever Likewise has according to the Circumstances of time the Church hath been under blest her as with his Grace so with all needful Spiritual Gifts Eph. 4.7.11 For the perfecting the saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying the Body of Christ So that whilst there is a Church Millitant Saints on this side Perfection any of the Members of Christ Mystical Body on Earth those Spiritual Gifts needfull to their present State shall be given and be amongst them for the Support of the great Ordinance of the Ministry and for the good of the Church 3. And as its the Churches Duty to Seek these Spiritual Abilities and improve them when they are given to these great and Holy Ends so she must walk regularly herein in obedience to the Rules given by Christ in this Case who hath laid down the qualifications both Negative and Positive of all such as ought to be called to this great work and Trust of Ministring by Office 1 Tim. 3.1 to 9. Tit. 1.6.9 we have no warrant to put any into the Ministry otherwise save such as are here discribed and competently fitted for it For as it was a sin of Old in the Church to put any into the Ministry but those whom God appointed by the Rules given to them so it can be no less Evil for the Church now to call any forth into Office but such who are qualified as God's Word directs and now as Christ hath made this grant of Power to the Church of choosing her own Officers for her Edification so he hath left Rules for her who and how to chose as we said before So likewise he has laid down those special Duties of the Officers in the Church who are to take the oversight Feed Govern Go in and out before them Acts 20.17,18 1. Pet. 5. and 2. 4. When the Church has had a Tryal of the meetness and Abilities of any Person or Persons for this work and service they are by Election and Choice solemnly to set him or them a part by Prayer and Laying on of Hands Acts 14.21,22,23 Acts 6. By which a new relation ariseth of an Elder and a Church a Pastor and a Flock This must be therefore by the mutual voluntary acts of each other by which the Duties of each relation becomes binding upon them according to the Laws of Christ It is the Pastors Duty now to Watch Feed and Govern the Flock and to give himself up to it It is the Churches Duty to submit themselves to Him in the Lord to Love Reverence and Administer freely to him 1 Pet. 5.1,2,3,4,5 Heb. 13.7.17 How greatly then must those Churches be to blame that unconcernedly live in the neglect of so great a Duty upon which the Edification of the Church and her Well-being so much depends as well as Gospel Order For although the Essence and Being of a Church depends upon its Institution in respect both of Matter and Form A competent number of Believers may by mutual agreement lay the Foundation of the Being of a Gospel Church but they cannot be a Church Organical without Officers which the Lord hath placed there for the orderly Exercis●… of his Authority committed to her To neglect this is to despise the Wisdom of Christ who best knows wha● is for the good of His Church and for Her Edification in this State. 2 To slight His Goodness in so useful and beneficial an Institution 3 It s a contempt put upon his Authority as King of Saints who has in his Soveraign Right in and over the Church Ordained it so to be for the Churches Good and Well-being Secondly As there should not be a neglect of this Duty so there should be great care taken that we answer the Will of God herein wherein His Name and Honour is so much concerned in Respect of his Love to and Care of his Church therefore the greaest diligence should be taken that the Rules He has given be duly observed and Applications made of the Qualifications laid down in respect of all such that are called unto Office The outward Call is an Act of the Church the acceptation of the Person so called is an Obediential Act of him to the Will of God but neither of these can be regular where there is not at previous indication of the Mind of God in bestowing those Spiritual Gifts and Qualifications as may render him competently fit to the Discharge of his Office and Work. Now in a Churches undue proceeding herein they discover their own weakness if not Ignorance in respect of the Rule it self and injure the Person so called in laying the weight of so great a Work upon him who is not furnished with Spiritual Abilities to discharge it thereby expose the Honour of Christ and Reputation of His Gospel in the World which should be dear unto us And we have reason to

you but in Love as fellow Servants may do to caution you pray remember you have the most sacred Interest and Matters of Jesus Christ committed to your Trust 't is the greatest Charge in the World and you and we must be cal●ed to an Account if Souls perish in their Sins and the Watchman gives not suitable warning the Blood of those Sinners God will require at the Watchman's Hands Zeck 3. Ministers ought to be the Light of the World they should shine therefore in Life and Doctrine to all round about where they live that the People may know they have a Noah a Preacher of Righteousness amongst them But 2. This grand fault may arise from the Peoples Remisness of Duty to their Ministers for hark do we not hear many worthy and faithful Pastors crying out Alas Brethren we are no more in the Lord's VVork no more in Preaching in Visiting c. Because our Families would suffer want and what is necessary for them we should gladly make the Gospel our whole Business and not only watch over and feed our own Flocks but Preach the Gospel up and down in Towns and Villages lying near us if we knew how our VVives and Children might be provided for for should we neglect that great Moral and indispensible Duty how would the Holy Name of God be reproached Alas our Souls are bowed down in us we must confess we have daily calls to Preach in this and that place where to this day there has hardly been any Meeting but we are not able to do it and therefore we are forc'd to send to London that some Ministers might come down into our Parts to Answer that great Call and Cry of Men and VVomen for want of the Bread of Life This is a hard Case indeed i. e. for the Servants of Christ to have the due sense of the greatness of their work upon their Hearts but cannot discharge it according as they see there is a Call and Occasion by Reason the People neglect their Duty to them But however do what you can and venture out God will provide for you and move upon the Hearts of such you Preach the Gospel to or some other way provide for you Improve this present Liberty and do not let the Lord's House lie waste Remember Necessity is laid upon you and wo be to you if you Preach not the Gospel be not Unbelieving but trust the Providence of God great things he expecteth from us who has so gloriously and graciously appeared for us and for the Land of our Nativity Nevertheless Let none mistake us we do not say 't is unlawful for Preachers to VVork or follow Callings but as Preaching doth not make VVorking unlawful neither should any VVorldly Business hinder Preaching therefore when working with our Hands will further the Gospel we may VVork we have a Call so to do which was once Paul's Case but when working at Trades and Callings does palpably tend to the hinderance of the Promulgation of the Gospel we must give over such VVorking and wholly give up our selves to Preaching c. 'T is but to make an Expediment if the People should fail you You know your Liberty he that Laboured with his Hands hath by that Example set the Consciences of Ministers at Liberty to provide for the Necessities of this Life by other Imployments when they cannot Live of the Gospel but this very thing Paul accounted amongst his Afflictions and certainly it must needs be a sore Grief and Exercise to any Godly Preacher in this Respect i. e. when he hears People calling him one Day to this Town to Preach and another Day to that and he finds he cannot Answer neither of their Calls through the Necessities of his Famly and the truth is all do readily grant that no positive Duty can Discharge a Man from the Obligations of that pure Moral and Universal Duty of providing for his Families Brethren you know when the Harvest proves catching and the Painful and Laborious Harvest-men are taken off of their Business then they may do a little VVork for themselves but when 't is good Harvest weather and the Harvest is great and the Labourers but few they must stick to it and Labour hard Even so when the late Storms of Persecution were upon us many of Christ's Spiritual Harvest-men were much hindred and taken off of their Work and did may be imploy themselves otherwise in their other Affairs few being willing to open their Doors to them but now the Providence of God has opened a great Door for the Gospel and sent us Blessed Harvest Weather and the Labourers alas being also very few though the Harvest is very great How ought we to stick to our Business There was never certainly such a Call to Ministers to Work for God as there is now therefore that Servant that will not do his best at such an Hour is like the Son that Solomon speaks of that Sleeps in Harvest and so causeth Shame And as a wise Husband-man will not neglect a fit opportunity of gathering in his Corn upon presumption of much fair Weather to come So ought not we to lose the present Season for gathering in Souls to Christ not knowing how soon Clouds may rise and another Storm overtake us when we cannot Work for God as now we may and if you have not such Incouragement as you ought to have from the People yet remember when Night comes the Lord Jesus will well reward you for all the pains you take in his Work yet since our Saviour saith the Labourer is worthy of his Hire we can't think any when they consider the Matter a little better will any way obstruct or hinder you in your Business through their neglect of Duty to you Object But doth not Christ tell his Disciples As they had freely received so they should freely give Answ We Believe this Text is not taken or understood according to the meaning of our Saviour for it cannot mean that Christ's Ministers should receive neither Money Meat or Clothes whilst they are imploy'd in his Work and Service because in the very next Verse he bids them Provide neither Gold nor Silver nor Brass in their Purses nor two Coats nor Scrip for their Journey because he plainly intimates all such things they were worthy of and might expect them from the People to whom they Preached Therefore 't is an horrible abuse put upon the Text to take the Words in that Sense as if our Blessed Master should forbid his Servants to receive a Maintenance from the People for then indeed they might have said Lord If we must Preach so freely as not to receive any thing it behoveth us to provide well for our Journey but since they were forbid to do so it is clear that could not be our Saviours meaning Besides such a Sence is directly opposite or repugnant to those other Precepts the Lord Jesus hath laid down by his Apostles in the Epistles wherein it is positively