Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	2,160	5	9.2231	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B15559	A practicall catechisme: or, A view of those principall truths according to godlinesse, which are contayned in the catechisme diuided into three parts: and seruing for the vse, (as of all, so) especially of those that first heard them. By D.R. B. of Divin, minister of the Gospell.	D. R. (Daniel Rogers), 1573-1652.	1632 (1632)	STC 21166; ESTC S116040	309,840	430

benefits It would helpe much to the vnderanding of the Scriptures with light and profit But those that thinke all time lost which is thus bestowed needes prooue very confuzed in their iudgemē●s read the word especially Pauls Epistles heare Sermons verie forgetfully and fruitlesly although I discourage none yet I reprooue those who refuze the helpe which God offers them Secondly it s for exhortation that we cease not to adore Vse 2 that most Diuine depth of wisedome and loue in God who when he might haue forsaken vs and cast vs off quite in our first fall was not onely content to restore vs to the same estate and make vs as good as we were but also tooke occasion as I sayd in the first Article by this ruine to settle vs in a better state then euer Adam knew not onely in the grace of perseuerance but in the gif● of eternal life in his heauenly presence This is one of the causes why the Che●ubins pryed into the Mercy-seate in the Holy of holyes as Pet●r Epis 1. Chap. 1. opens it of the desire of the Angels to see this mystery It was once sa●d by a captiue after he saw what preferment he came to I had perished if I had not perished Adams happines was as a perishing in comparison of CHRIST Paul neuer speakes of it without wondring Not as the gift of Creation was so was the gift of Redemption for the former was immortall life in the garden this is eternall life through Iesus Christ as Rom. 6. vlt. Therefore with Paul let vs wonder and magnifie the depth of this loue as 1 Tim. 1.17 so let vs say Now to the King Immortall Inuisible the onely Wise God bee Prayse for euer And Blessed bee God for this vnspeakable gift When men take occasion by the ruine of an house to set vp a better it s for their owne ends but this for our happinesse we fare the better for it Oh Lord what is man that thou so remembrest him to vnite thy Son to his fl●sh that thou mightst lift him vp with thy selfe to Glory See Heb. 1. Thou hast made him little inferior and in this aboue the Angels Thirdly it is exceeding consolation to all beleeuers For why The benefits which they receaue all at once by faith are a Nemo scit of price and plenty All we haue heere said doth argue that God in Christ is aboue all wee can aske or conceaue For who thinkes Christ to amount to such a summe at his first beleeuing Yet the Lord giues him all at once to a beleeuer As he that buyes a rich Lordship at a low rate doth not on the sudden equall his bargain in his thoughts till afterward he come to retaile the parcels buildings lands and royalties pertaining to it But when he sees he hath bought the Lordship and all belonging to it hee reioyces in his purchase So should wee little repent vs of our bargaine or thinke of selling it away if wee could duly meditate of the ingredients but we take small paines therein and so it growes stale with vs. To omit other points by one enlarge all thus When the Lord cals a lost sinner by the t●ouble of his conscience to come ●o Christ and in s●cking he findes him doth it enter into him to consider what a Christ he hath got Alas no he aimes at this that he may get forgiuenes of sinne and peace with God only Hee considers not what enemies what cōba●● dang●rs crosses ●e may meet with by Satans malice the crookednesse of his owne spirit the enmity of men But when he meets these and sees that All the promises in God are Yea and Amen that Christ hath also redeemed his soule out of all aduersity aswell as the horror of his conscience and that euen in troubles of ill marriage sicknesse pouerty imprisonment pursuit of men his Redeemer will saue him oh how precious is the comfort of it vnto his soule How much more then sweet is Christ in all his benefits Oh that our life might bee taken vp in the view of these particulars vnfolding of this fardell and knowing of our wealth If that of the heathen be true That Husbandmen were the happiest men if they knew it how much more Christians and beleeuers Blesse God that hath not onely verified that promise in Christ which we first sought for but more then euer we desired As the Queene of Sheba told Salomon The one halfe of that I find was not reported and yet a greater then Salomon is heere Let our whole life be filled with the meditation thanks and improouement of this our purchase And so much of this fifth Article The sixth Article Question NOw proceed to the sixth Article of this second part what is it A. This that the subiect contayning all or vpon which as a Treasury the Lord bestowes all these good things Christ and all his benefits is the Church of God I say the true Church of Christ is the equall and onely obiect o● them all Q. Before we proceed further open som● termes which will occurre in the discourse following viz. What is a Church constituted or vnconstituted What is the Church Visible or Inuisible What is a malignant corrupt and false Church and what a true What is a Church Militant or Triumphant A. First we call that a Church constituted which is so gathered together by the Word and professing of the same truth that it doth further enioy the free peaceable settled vse and administration of all essentials to saluation the Word Sacraments and outward Assemblies established by Christian authority as blessed bee God this Church doth in which we liue And contrary to this is that Church which consists onely in toleration and conniuence doubtfull and vnsettled A Church Visible is an assembly of such worshippers of God as enioying the liberty of the ordinances doe partake them visibly audibly and sensibly to the eye and obseruation of man so that visiblenesse doth not looke so much at constitution as at externalnesse of worship a constituted Church must needs bee visible but not contrà The Church Inuisible is that Communalty or fellowship of the Elect of GOD when or wheresoeuer throughout the World in all ages and times as being called to GOD and giuen to CHRIST become his Mysticall body and are built vp into one habitation by the Spirit She is called Inuisible not as if she consisted of such members as may not be seene and bodily conuersed with seeing that they do vsually reside in the Church Visible worshipping God with others externally but because that by which shee subsists is an Inuisible grace of the spirit not sensible to the eye of man but knowne to God alone and to others only by the iudgement of Charity more or lesse So that the next two termes of Militant and Triumphant are onely specials of this generall head Inuisible The Militant Church being that part of the Inuisible which heere vpon earth walketh and warreth with

and for God against all his and her enemies according to that vow and oath shee tooke in her baptisme or prest mony wherein shee couenanted to bee Gods faithfull souldier against World Deuill or Flesh and therefore she is that Brood of Trauellers mentioned in Psal 84 Psal 24. that thorow Baca go to Ierusalem The Church Triumphant is that Inuisible which hauing cast off her harne is after the Victory obtained abides in soule with God and triumphs there ouer all conquered enemies Both these although in diuers state are the same Church as shall appeare when both shall receaue their bodies after the Resurrection and make one Spouse of Christ wherein is neyther spot nor wrinkle Now lastly the Church corrupt or malignant is that speciall kind of a Church Visible which although it retaines Baptisme and some such truths as are of the essence yet hath degenerated in the most of her tenets from the truth of the Gospell and therefore howsoeuer her Baptisme cannot simply be denied yet for her essentiall corruptions in most points of the foundation especially her malignity against the true Church is to bee for euer separated from by that Church which still retaineth the purity of doctrine and integrity of life And what this Church is all may conceaue to wit That vnder the Papacy Q. I vnderstand you Now say which of these is that which is the equall and onely subiect of Christ and his Benefits A. The Church inuisible of which we say in the Creed I beleeue the Holy Catholique Church Onely with this difference that although the whole Church enioy all yet because the Triumphant differs from the Militant in the fulnesse and possession the one by sence the other vnder the assurance of Faith and Hope therefore heere we especially aime at the militant as it containes the whole army of the Souldiers the body of his members For as particular souldiers make a ranke and many rankes or companies a legion and many legions an army so heere And as many particular visible congregations make vp the body of the whole visible so many particular inuisible members and companies make the whole inuisible body of the Church Militant Yet note the soule of this body so imparteth it selfe to all that yet each member partakes his part in these benefits See texts Heb. 12.16 Eph. 4.15 1 Cor. 1.30 Q. Explaine your selfe more fully For yee seeme heereby to preiudice the visible Church What Hath not shee then any prerogatiue in this behalfe A. Yes euery way farre be it from vs to conceaue such a grosse error I may say as Paul Rom. 9.4 Hers is the Law the Adoption the Glory the Commandements the Worship the Promises Nay from her wombe came forth this Inuisible company and at her brests they sucked and besides secretly in her bosome still doe lye the rest of the elect as yet vngathered yet in due time to be brought to this Fold We ascribe as much honour to a Church constituted as can be and in some sort say of her Shee is the pillar of truth in point of holding forth all the named priuiledges howbeit in this respect of the spirituall participation of the benefits of Christ we may not say that as she is onely visible she can be called the subiect heereof We grant it s one of the greatest blessings in the world to bee partakers of such a blessing as a visible Church and Blessed is that people whose God is the Lord. Howbeit to say that the Scriptures which speake of these Benefits doe directly aime at the visible Church as when he saith The Gates of Hell shall not preuaile against her That she is the pillar of truth That Christ is made to her Righteousnesse Sanctification c. is very dangerous For neither to her properly nor necessarily do such promises belong First not properly because spirituall things cannot bee partaken but by spirituall receiuing and instruments but that which giueth the name to visible is onely externall administration the spirituall efficacy of Word and Sacraments concerneth the elect onely The Visible Church be it neuer so perfect being that of which those parables doe speake when the Kingdome of Heauen not the World is compared to a field of graine and of tares or weeds to the net that had good fish or the elect and hypocrites that is reffuse trash that heap which had good wheat and yet more chaffe It is true that in the Lords accompt the ordinances are giuen to the elect primarily and to the rest for their sake but in respect of the outward Polity of a Visible Church the dispensation concernes both equally Secondly I adde not necessarily for the Church Militant had lyen hid for a long time together as in the times of persecution and confusion when sh● was pursued so hard eyther by Pagans or the malignant Church that she could not enioy so much as the Scriptures in their owne tongue much lesse the ordinances saue by steal●h As the Lord tels Elia 1 King 19.18 I haue reserued 7000. to my selfe that haue not bowed the knee to Baal and Obadia hid the Prophets from Ahab and Iezabel by fifties in a caue All stories record what a Catalogue of witnesses the Lord hath had by those Martyrs Confessors and Beleeuers since the primitiue times till now how God not only still had this Number when visibil●ty fayled but vsed them to support the truth by blood or banishment when all pure visibility fayled as by those Worthies in the dayes of Queene Mary Was not that the Church of God of which we read Heb. 11.35 36 37 Yet not visible for they were tortured had triall of cruell mockings scourgings b nds and imprisonment sawne slaine with the S●ord wandred in sheeps skins and Goates skins destitute and afflicted Of whom the world was not worthy And the Apostle Rom. 9.27 saith Though Israel were as the sand of the Sea yet a remnant onely shall be saued Not all of Israel are Gods Israel He is not a Iew who is of the letter but of the Spirit whose prayse is of God not of man I conclude Although it be the greatest blessing heere to the Church of Christ that she enioy her visible ordinances with peace and constitution yet in this respect she is not the Depositary of these spirituall benefits but in respect of her vnuisible frame by vocation and vnion Q. I conceaue well what Church you meane now prooue that this Church is this Subiect of these benefits A. The Scriptures do prooue it in all these Titles Prayses and promises belonging to her She is called in the Scripture Christ the body of Christ his loue doue faire one spouse Beloued without spot or wrinkle the Daughter of God Sister of Christ Temple or habitation of the Spirit especially in Heb. 12.15 16. The City of God the Innumerable company of Angels the generall Assembly and Church of the first borne which are enrolled in Heauen She is stiled The Peculiar

of God the Cabinet of his rich Iewels the prayse of the Earth all glorious within Her promises are precious There he appointed life blessing for euer Psal 133.3 She hath all light defence here and in Heauen the Lambe himselfe shall be her Sunne and glory She shall bee ledde into all truth Her sayth shall not fayle Her enemies shall like the dust of her feete and come and worship before her she shall inherite the Earth preuaile against the gates of Her enemies so farre is it off that the gates of Hell can preuaile against her with a 1000 more All which shew the truth of this that as Christ was the Fathers Treasure of wisedome and grace so the Church in him her head for looke what is his is hers as in 2 Cor. 3.22 All things are yours and ye Christs and Christ gods Yea the promises made to Christ himselfe are applyed to her Compare Esay 49.8 with that in 2. Cor. 6.2 Q Now it is time to proceed to the vse what is it A. Very plentifull First its confutation of the vsurped and pretended title of the Pseudo catholique Popish Church who clayme to themselues this priuiledge to be the Treasury of all the benefits of Christ Theirs they say are the Scriptures the Word the Sacraments the ordination of Ministers all the glory is theirs they are the Ancient Generall Apostolical Church al succession of Bishops al miracles Counsels theirs the world is beholding to them for the truthes custody and they haue prospered when all other Churches haue perished But Oh ye vsurpers stay a while and consider whether it be granted ye to be a Church at all If it be yet sure a corrupt malignant one For what common visible administrations do abide with you what truth haue ye not defiled especially the maine one of the Satisfaction of Christ and free iustification of a sinner The Scriptures ye haue locked vp in a strange tongue The doctrine ye haue marr'd by your traditions the Ministry of Reconciliation ye turne into a preaching of fables or rayling against Protestants the Sacraments ye haue partly corrupted as Baptisme partly abandoned as the Supper by your Masse Sacrifice and partly oppressed with an heap of your owne If any Visiblenes be among you its visible worship of bread of a Rood of a Virgin aboue GOD himselfe of God in the shape of an old man of Saints more then God himselfe Your visible Idolatries crueltyes and bloodshed of Saints your visible Stewes your visible adulteries blasphemies vices argue ye the successors rather of those Priests Pharises and Sadduces in Christs time then of Christ and his Apostles Therefore as Peter whose chaire ye claime falsely sayd to Simon Magus so we to you in point of the Treasury of Christs benefits Ye haue no part or fellowship in these things And that Treasury of Saints merits ye dreame of the Church of God knowes not but sayth Wee haue not enough to sell lest wee should haue too little for our selues Gods treasure is not wanting in necessaryes yet not superfluous Therefore ye are a malignant Church and that whereof the Scripture speakes Come out of her my people and her sinnes lest ye taste of her plagues Ye are the subiect of the Plagues of God not the benefits of Christ and the Lord will shortly powre out his last viall vpon the Throne till yee sperish by the breath of his mouth till both the branch and rush head and taile of ye be destroyed Vse 2 Secondly terror to all malignant enemies of this Church of Christ If all his store bee laid in her lap Righteousnesse Redemption and the rest be afraid to pursue and oppose her A speech of one of their Popish champions was once this That when hee came to talke with one of our English Diuines and did but name the solemne word Church his face waxed pale But O yee enemies waxe ye pale at the name of this Church of Christ tremble I say and vanish for this Name shall one day make ye to be as Mica 7.17 Ye shall lick the dust like a Serpent and mooue out of your holes like wormes of the earth they shall be afraid because of thee And 10. She shall see it and shame shall couer her which said Where is your God she shall bee tred vnder feet as myre in the streets Little cause haue yee to reioyce ouer her for when shee is fallen shee shall rise and her rising shall bee your destruction Vse 3 Thirdly admonition to all that liue in the bosome of the visible Church not to rest there nor giue their eyelids sleep till thereby the Lord hath drawne them to the inuisible For out of this Arke is no saluation Stryue to be of that number of which ye heard Heb. 12. and doe not rest till ye be come to that Church which consist of the Spirits of iust men of Iesus the Mediator of the couenant and the blood of sprinkling that speakes better things then that of Abel Blesse God for those visible helpes which yee enioy of the Word and Sacraments but remember that in these the Lord conueyeth the benefits of Christ which none knoweth but the soule that hath them Reuel 2.17 Beware lest the contempt of these visible and audible ordinance one day so vexe ye that ye wish ye had neither seen nor heard them Your condition is best or worst best if ye beleeue these promises and cleaue to these prerogatiues If they bring ye to the hope of Christ for a better life but else most miserable See and apply that 1 Cor. 15.19 I say take heed least euen that ye haue be not quite remooued light and candlesticks Gospel and al for your Laodicean fulnes Empty your soules of their glut lest the Lord streighten his Spirit take away the power of his truths Remember these outward priuiledges serue to settle the inuisible vpon ye Boast not of the Temple the Temple that is holy but see that it hallow you also and that the Word preached and the seales of Grace added to it doe imprint vpon you the benefits of vnion with Christ iustification from sinne adoption of sons redemption from slauery to Satan your lusts and the error of the wicked These benefits none saue the elect can partake And consider yee may bee long vnder the one and yet bee led away from the other by the corrupt manners of the time the error of the wicked and custome of sinne and slights of the Deuill Take heed that the coldnesse of the age and abundance of iniquity cause ye not to fayle of that inuisible grace which the Gospel offers ye but know that one priuiledge conueies another Stop not the wels of saluation play not the hypocrites to whom these streames of the oyle and butter of the ordinances of Christ neuer flow vnto through your vnbeleefe Iob 20.57 But if ye obtaine vocation and vnion by them then blessed are your eyes for they haue seene and eares