Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	antichristian_a	call_v	office_n	1,001	5	10.0637	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36444	Martyrion Christianon, or, A Christian and sober testimony against sinfull complyance wherein the unlawfulness of hearing the present ministers of England is clearly demonstrated, severall weighty queries proposed, objections impartially weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary and found wanting / by Christophilus Antichristomachus.	Douglas, Thomas, fl. 1661.	1664 (1664)	Wing D2039; ESTC R26734	81,925	102

vertue of any Authority derived to them from him are not Ministers of the Gospel but Thieves and Robbers Joh. 10. 1. from whom 't is the property of the Sheep to flee ver 4. But the present Ministers of England come not in by the Door Therefore That they come not in by the Door viz. by vertue of any Authority derived to them from Christ is evident If they have received any such Authority or Commission from him they have received it either mediately or immediately the latter will not be asserted nor without the working of Miracles should it so be would it to the world's end be made good 'T is the former must be fixt upon viz. That they have received their Authority or Commission mediately from Christ but to as little purpose for those that receive Authority to preach the Gospel mediately from Christ have it from some particular instituted Church of Christ to whom power is soley delegated for the electing of their own Officers according to the tenour of the ensuing Scriptures Acts 6. 5. 14. 23. These men as it 's known have no such Authority pretend not to it have it in derision come barely with a Presentation from a Patron and Ordination Institution and Induction from a Lord-Bishop things forreign to the Scripture and impose themselves upon the people whether they will or no. 2. 'T is not lawful to hear them as Gifted-Brethren 1. The most of them are not gifted nor 2. Brethren being Canonical-Drunkards Swearers Gamsters c. 3. The best of them cannot by Saints in respect of Gospel-communion be so accounted for 1. There was never any giving up of our selves each to other according to the will of God and primitive Example whence such a Brotherhood doth result 2. We cannot as things stand perform the duties of Brethren to them according to Mat. 18. nor will they or can they in the state in which they stand to us 3. If we acknowledge the best of them for such we must also acknowledge the worst of them for 1. They are all Members of the same Church 2. Profess themselves to be one Brotherhood so sayes their Rime upon the Lord's Prayer Our Father which in Heaven art And mak'st us all one Brotherhood c. Nay 3. we cannot so acknowledge them but we must also acknowledge the Bishops for our Reverend Fathers for theirs they are which how abhorring it is to any tender enlightned soul may easily be conjectured But to hear this Plea speak its uttermost let it be granted they are Brethren and may be so esteemed They are Brethren that walk disorderly or they do not That they walk disorderly cannot be denied by such as pretend to Reformation If submitting to Ordination or Re-ordination by a Lord Bishop covenanting and protesting with detestation against a Reformation according to the Scripture and the best Reformed Churches to own as consonant to Scripture a Lyturgy or stinted Forms of Prayer in the Church and read them to wear the Surplice c. be disorderly walking they are the very best of them beyond contradiction to be reputed in the number of disorderly walkers And so after due admonition according to the Scripture and a perseverance in their sin to be separated from by vertue of positive and express Precepts of Christ Mat. 18. 2 Thess 3. 6. Now we command you Brethren in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition he received of us With what vehemency authority and holy earnestness doth the Apostle press separation from Brethren that walk disorderly We command you and we command you in the Name of the Lord Jesus and we command you Brethren by vertue of our relation to each other and that love and endearment that is betwixt us as Brethren that you withdraw your selves c. I scarce know any one thing pressed by the Apostle with greater vehemency than what is here instanc'd in wherein we have also an undeniable convincing Argument that the persons of whom we are treating walk disorderly Those that walk not after the tradition received from the Apostles we may adde and the Primitive Church for above three hundred years after Christ but according to the traditions of the old Bawd and Strumpet of Rome are such as walk disorderly But the present Ministers of England walk not after the Tradition received from the Apostles but after the Traditions of the Whorish-Church of Rome Therefore they are such as walk disorderly What Apostolical Tradition have we for stinted Forms of Prayer or Lyturgies in the Church did they frame any those that are ascribed to some of them are all spurious as hath been over and over proved for Surplice crossing in Baptism and many other gewgaws used by them if they have any Apostolical written tradition for these things let them produce it and we shall lay our mouths in the dust and for ever be silent as to a charge of this nature If they have not as there is nothing more certain they are disorderly walkers if the Apostles Argument be valid We command you to withdraw from such as walk disorderly But who I pray are these disorderly walkers how shall we know them they are sayes the Apostle such as walk not after the tradition received from us CHAP. III. A third Argument proving the unlawfulness of hearing the present Ministers of England produced That they act by vertue of an Antichristian Office and Calling proved Their perfect agreement with the Popish Priests in seventeen Particulars demonstrated That the Office of Lord Bishops is Antichristian proved The Testimonies of the Ancients produced Whence the Antichristianism of the Office of the Ministers of England is evinced An Objection answered Argument 3. THose that act in the holy things of God by vertue of an Antichristian Power Office or Calling are not to be heard but to be separated from but the present Ministers of England act in the Holy Things of God by vertue of an Antichristian Power Office or Calling Therefore The Major is evident For 1. The Power Office and Calling of Antichrist is opposite and contrary unto the Power Office and Calling of Christ Not to separate from such as act by vertue of such an Office-Power is to stand by and plead for Antichrist against Christ 2. It s unlawful to attend upon the teachings of Antichrist therefore upon the teachings of such as act by vertue of a Power derived from him 3. Christ calls and solemnly charges his upon the penalty of most dreadful Judgments to separate from every thing of Antichrist Rev. 18. 4. and 14. 9 10 11. 4. There is not a command in the Scripture enjoyning Saints to take heed of being deceived to try the spirits because many Antichrists are gone abroad into the World but is an abundant demonstration of the truth of this Assertion 5. The institution of Officers of his own by Christ to be continued in the

Benefices and betake themselves to some other of greater value A symmetrie with them herein is visible by the frequent practise of the Ministers of England 13. The Popish Priests though ordained to preach must have special Licence from the Prelates so to do So must the Priests of England 14. The Popish Priests are subject to be silenced suspended deprived and degraded by the Prelates as are the present Ministers of England 15. The Popish Priests are not of like and equal Power Degree and Authority amongst themselves but are some of them inferior to others herein as Parsons to Archdeacons Archdeacons to Lord Bishops Lord-Bishops to Archbishops So the Priests of England 16. The Popish Priests must be distinguished from other People by their Vestments as Surplice Tippet c. So must the Priests of England 17. The Popish Priests are tyed to a Book of stinted Prayers and a prescript Order devised by man for their Worship and Ministration So are the Ministers of England and that to such an one as is taken out of the Popes Portuis as hath been proved by divers That the Common-Prayer-Book in Edward the 6ths time was so you have his with his Councils Testimony for it thus they write As for the Service in the English Tongue it hath manifest Reasons for it and yet perchance it seemeth to you a New Service and indeed is no other but the Old the same words in English which were in Latine If the Service of the Church were good in Latine it is good in English How little different the Common-Prayer-Book now in use is thereunto they that wil take pains to compare the one with the other may be satisfied To these parallel particulars might be added sundry more wherein there is an exact symmetry betwixt the Popish Priests and the present Ministers of England but Ex ungue Leonem The sum of what we have been offering in this matter is this First Those Ministers that in their Names Offices admission into their Offices are not to be found in the Scripture are not Ministers of Christ act not by vertue of an Authority Office Power Calling received from him Secondly Those Minsters that in their Names Office admission into their Office are at a perfect agreement with the Ministers of Antichrist such are the Popish Priests acknowledged to be by those with whom we have to do are not the Ministers of Christ have not received any Power Office or Calling from him to act in the holy things of God But such as hath been abundantly demonstrated are the present Ministers of England Therefore these have received no Power Office or Calling from Christ and so are Antichristian Quod erat demonstrandum Secondly Those that receive their Power Office and Calling from a Lord-Bishop and act in the holy things of God by vertue of that Power Office or Calling act in the holy things of God by vertue of an Antichristian Power Office and Calling But the present Ministers of England receive their Power Office and Calling from a Lord-Bishop and act in the Holy Things of God by vertue of that Power Office and Calling Therefore The consequence of the major or first Proposition is manifest the Office of Lord-Bishops is Antichristian therefore those that act by vertue of a Power Office or Calling received from them act by vertue of an Antichristian Power Office or Calling That the Office of Lord-Bishops is Antichristian one would wonder should be denied in such a day as this after so full a demonstration thereof by many Witnesses of Christ who have wrote so cleerly in this matter as if they carried the Sun beams in their right hand especially that it should be denied by persons of Presbyterian and Congregational Principles if indeed any of them do deny it To prosecute this matter to the uttermost is not our present intendment the intelligent Reader knows where to find it done already to our hand and if after all that hath been said any through self-love or fear of persecution will herein be ignorant we might say Let them be ignorant But we shall propose briefly a word or two in this matter 1. That Office that is not to be found in the Scriptures of the institution of Christ but is contrary to express precepts and commands of his is Antichristian But the Office of Lord-Bishops is not to be found in the Scriptures is contrary to express Precepts Therefore The minor Proposition consists of two parts 1. That the Office of Lord Bishops is not to be found in the Scripture of the institution of Christ He gave indeed Apostles Prophets Pastors and Teachers Ephes 4. 11. of Pastors and Teachers we reade Rom. 12. 7 8. Eph. 4. 8. Bishops also and Deacons without the interposition of any other order we find 1 Tim. 3. 12. Deacons we have appointed Acts 7. Elders Acts 14. 23. those who are Bishops we find called Presbyters Tit. 1. 5 7. and those who are Presbyters we find termed Bishops Acts 20. 28. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishops but where the Office of Lord-Bishops was instituted by Christ we are yet to seek indeed some appearances of a spirit striving to ascend into this Chair of wickedness was seen in Diotrephes and others in the Apostles time but these were the Antichrists that were then gone abroad into the world The Scripture before mentioned Ephes 4. 11. speaks as fully to the Officers and Offices instituted by Christ as any we meet with Fail they in their deduction of their Office from hence and they will undoubtedly prove succesless in their attempts Let us then fix here a little mention we find here of Apostles Prophets Pastors and Teachers none at all either here or elsewhere of Lord-Bishops But perhaps their Office though they are called by another name is comprized in some one or other of these let that then be considered Are they Prophets that in the sence of the Spirit in this place they will not pretend to Are they Pastors or Teachers this is too great a debasement of their Lordships their Parochial Priests over whom they preside are supposed to be Officers in that degree What then are they Apostles Their Successors they do indeed boast themselves to be and are so accounted by their Abbettors and so doth the Pope himself but how prove they their Succession from them if they derive it through the Papacy who sees not the invalidity thereof How lubricous and uncertain is that their Succession how do they therein proclaim their shame and yield the matter in controversie what clearer Argument that they are Antichristian if the Pope be the Antichristian Head over many Countries as is by the generality of Protestants believed and will not by themselves be gainsayed But in what sence do they pretend to be the Apostles Successors do they succeed them as Christians that is not the thing in question they stand or fall in respect thereof to their own Master herein we have no controversie with them as

Brethren did formerly decry and at least seemingly abominate they judge they have just ground of Offence given to them Nor can it be denied but it is indeed so If it be yet further said Object 2. But if I do not go to hear the Preachers of this day many truly godly and sober Christians will be offended at my forbearance so that whether I hear or whether I forbear I shall offend To this I answer 1. That granting the case to be as is suggested though perhaps somewhat else upon a serious and strict search may be found to lye at the bottom of our Conformity beyond what is here pleaded I am very apt to believe were but a toleration granted 't is not the fear of offending any would cause our Conforming-Brethren to attend upon the Ministry of the present Priests of England Yet supposing it to be as is intimated we ask 1. Do you look upon your going to hear as your duty or meerly as your liberty if the first let it be proved from any positive precept of Christ and we are satisfied If the second you are bound by many solemn injunctions which are at least reduceable to the Moral Law not to use your liberty to Scandalize your Brethren Secondly Let both parties be weighed in an upright Ballance such as you judge to be offended with you for not hearing and such as are offended thereat I am bold to say That the last mentioned for Number Holiness Spirituallity and Tenderness do far surmount the former who will really be Scandalized at your forbearance Thirdly Let also the grounds of the offence on both sides be weighed the one are offended at you That you build not up in practise in a day of trouble and cause thereby the Enemies of the Lord to tryumph and blaspheme what in a day of liberty you did in your preaching and practise pull down and destroy The other because of your disobedience to what they are satisfied and you your selves once were God is calling you to viz. to have nothing to do with separate from this generation of men But Fourthly That 't is your duty especially if in a Church-Relation to meet together as a People called and picked by the Lord out of the Nations of the World in a way of distinction from them cannot be denied the neglect of which is charged by the Lord as the first step to Apostacy Heb. 10. 25. Be you in the practise of this duty and see what Spiritual Saint will be offended at you if any should you might have peace therein you doing your duty no just cause of Scandal is given Yet further Fifthly Consider on which side the Cross lies which the Flesh and fleshly interest is most opposite to whether in going or forbearing to go to hear these men and let that be chosen Usually that is the way of God that hath most of the Cross in it and the flesh is most strugling and contesting against But thus much of the seventh Argument Argument 8. That which Saints cannot do without being guilty of partaking with others in their sin is utterly unlawful for them to do But the Saints cannot attend upon the Ministry of England without being guilty of partaking with them in their sin Therefore The Major Proposition is clearly bottomed upon Scripture Psal 50. 18. Ephes 5. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 22. 2 John 11. Rev. 18. 4. which might be abundantly demonstrated were it needful Sure that God who commands me to abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. never enjoyned expects not that I should be found in the practice of what without sin cannot be performed by me The Minor Proposition viz. That the Saints cannot attend upon the present Ministry of England without being partakers with them in their sin will admit of a speedy dispatch Two things are briefly to be enquired into 1. What that or those sins are we suppose the Ministers of England to be guilty of 2. How it will appear that any person 's attending upon their Ministry renders him guilty of partaking with them therein Of the former we have already treated and proved beyond what any are able to say to the contrary That they are guilty of the sins of worshipping God in a way that is not of his appointment of acting in the Holy things of God by vertue of an Antichristian Power Office or Calling of opposing really the Prophetical and Kingly Office of Christ of using and conforming to Modes and Rites in Worship not appointed by the Lord that have been abused to Idolatry c. Nor is it denied by our Conforming-Brethren but with some of these things the present Ministers of England may be justly charged That they worship God after the way of the Common-Prayer-Book with Modes and Rites used in the Papacy cannot be denied Nor can their undue administration of that great Ordinance of our Lord Jesus of breaking Bread to all according to the form therein prescribed That they are Ordained and some of them Re-ordained by the Episcopacy is also known I ask are these things the sin and evil of these men or are they not If they are not why did not our preaching-Brethren receive the Ordination from the Bishops these received Yea why do not our half-conforming-Brethren attend upon the reading of the Service used joyn with them in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as administred by them Doth not their absenting themselves herefrom abundantly demonstrate that they in their consciences are perswaded that 't is the sin and evil of the present Priests of England thus to act and from such a Mission in the Worship of the Lord As for the second That the hearing of the present Ministers of England is that which renders a man guilty of being partaker with them in their sin the consideration of the several wayes persons may justly be charged with being guilty of partaking with others in their sin will abundantly demonstrate the truth thereof To instance in a few particulars Then may persons justly be charged as guilty hereof 1. When they are found any way consenting with them in their sin Psal 50. 18. When thou sawest a Theif then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with Adulterers 'T is not the doing of the act that was done by these wicked persons that is here called partaking with them but a secret consenting with them therein 2. When they do that which hath a real tendency to encourage persons in their sin 2 John 11. Receive them not into your houses bid them not Godspeed for he that biddeth them God speed is partaker of their evil deeds 3. When they neglect the doing of those duties which the Lord requires at their hands for the reclaiming of them from their sin such are Watching over Rebuking Admonishing first privately then by two and in case of obstinacy and perseverance therein telling it to the Church which are duties eminently comprized in the ensuing Scriptures 1 Thes 5. 14. Heb. 3.