Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	church_n	pastor_n	teacher_n	2,892	5	9.1963	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04844	The case considered & resolved: whether Mr. Brooks his pills to purge malignants were prescribed from ignorance, malice, or both, or, (Mr Tho. Brooks his inside turn'd outward). Wherein all godly, humble, and ingenious Christians, whether in a congregational way or other, are concerned, to inquire into the truth ... presented in generall to the inhabitants of Margarets New Fish-street, but more particularly for the consideration of himself, and those of his congregation ... also friendly advice to an unfriendly neighbour, desiring him for the time to come to abstain from reviling such persons as he never spake word to, nor they to him. / By Richard Parham, a parishoner of the said parish.	Parham, Richard.	1653 (1653)	Wing P356B; ESTC R187021	27,320	39

in a wicked way but certainly if the infinite love and mercy of God be not the way to bring in ignorant prophane and scandalous persons to obedience and conformity to the wayes of Christ I would gladly learn what is meant by the Commission Christ gave to his Apostles Mark ult and 15. and he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the Gospell to every creature c. Now if the Gospel be the declaration of glad tidings of salvation and that it must be preached to every creature by the expresse command and Commission of Christ himself I wonder how any dare be such Traytors to the Lord Jesus if he hath appointed them to preach the Gospell as to conceal the glad tiding of the Gospel of grace and mercy and to thunder out the curses and thre atnings of the Law in the room of it against them who they call ignorant and prophane sinners We find upon the birth of Christ Luke 1.10 the Angell who was the messenger to declare Christs coming into the world what said he but this Be not afraid for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy that shall be to all people c. And in the 13. when the heavenly souldiers sung a Halelujah to the highest was it any thing but glory to God on high peace on earth and good will towards men Friends the consideration of the Gospell as it is made knowne in the Scriptures is a thing so large admirable and excellent that in this difcourse I have neither time nor oportunity to treat of it and befides some famous men have excellently and are at present writing on that subject I should have made bold to have unravelled the Quaeries piece by piece and have seen how agreeable they are in all particulars to the mind of Christ in the Gospell But I have given you this but as a tast of what I intend if ever it please God I shall speak to it again yet in this small glasse I hope the gentleman may see of how far different and strange a countenance he is of from a true Minister of the Gospel by the matter contained in his late book and also I desire an answer to this Quaery Whether the tender of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus for remission of sins faith and salvation be to be made to them in a Church-fellowship or those without That I may be brief I desire you seriously to consider one Scripture because the gent leman pretends to so many heavenly enjoyments gifts of the Spirit and the bird in the bosome that makes a heaven of joy in his heart for 't is possible he may be deceived as much if not more then that people which God ownes to be a true Church and it is that which God himselfe speaks to the Church of Laodicea Rev. 5.17 For thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I think he may upon ferious considerations of his Ministery say as Job did 39 37. I will lay my hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but will answer no more In the next place the gentleman tells us of his qualifications and because he saith further that the understandings of ignorant prophane and secandalous persons are not a fit rule or standard to try the abilities or qualifications of such Ministers as are not Ministers of the letter but of the Spirit Quaeries propounded to be debated in Publique FOr the triall of his gifts and qualifications I here propound that which I hope is equall just and reasonable that we may in a friendly loving and free manner make an enquiry into the Scriptures and see what they hold forth to be the characters and qualifications of a true Minister of the Gospel and to that end that he would save a labour of writing and charge of printing and give the Parishioers and some other friends a publike meeting once a week in the Parish Church where freedome of speech may be to all that desire it they speaking to the Question and one at a time and to spend two hours in an evening in the inquiry of the characters and qualifications of a Minister of the Spirit and in this I hope he will grant the Scripture to be a right rule and equall standard In order whereunto I shall insert a few Quaeries as fit matter to be inquired into In the 4. of the Ephesians 8.11 12. we find what Ministers Christ gave to the Church at his Ascension in these words and when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ c. In this Scripture we find two things chiefly contained First what Ministers Christ gave Secondly what end he gave them for Now we may find in Scripture the severall qualifications that belong to every one of these Officers and distinguishing characters to know thew one from another And that it is so I shall set downe the distinguishing characters which the Scriptures afford us to know an Apostle by And leave the Gentleman because he saith he is a Minister of the Spirit to give the like of the others according to the Scripture that we may know under which of those Qualifications and distinguishing Characters he comes for a Pastor is not an Evangelist nor an Evangelist a Prophet c. The first distinguishing Character that we finde of an Apostle in Scripture is that he is a chosen witnesse of the Resurrection Act. 1.22 3.15 4.33 10.39.41 Luk 24.48 2. An Apostle is one sent forth to preach the Gospel to all the world Mat. 28.19 20. Mar. 16.14 to the end 3. The office of an Apostle did comprehend in it all the other offices of the Ministery Act. 6.2.3 4. An Apostle was one endued with all the gifts of the Spirit 2 Cor. 12.12 Act. 13.9 5. An Apostle was able to communicate these gifts by the laying on of their hands Act. 19.6 17. 2. Querie Whether the office of Apostles was to cease in the persons of those to whom the Commission was at first given And to this end I pray consider how long the Promise lasted which is Lo I am with you alway untill the end of the world Christ could not be with their Persons for we finde in Scripture that most of them were martyred in a few yeares after his Ascension and yet the Commission of an Apostle was to teach and baptize all Nations teaching them to abserve all things whatsoever Christ had commanded them And in the 4. of the Ephesians we finde that upon the Ascension of Christ they were the first and chiefe Officers of the Church verse 12. that were given for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministry for the Edifying