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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	call_v	choose_v	confound_v	2,156	5	10.1042	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82320	The stumbling-stone, or, A discourse touching that offence which the world and worldly church do take against 1. Christ himself. 2. His true word. 3. His true worship. 4. His true church. 5. His true government. 6. His true ministry. Wherein the University is reproved by the Word of God. Delivered partly to the University-congregation in Cambridge, partly to another in the same town. Together with a brief touch in the epistle (for the present) on the late quarrelsom, weak, and erroneous Animadversions of one Mr. Chambers, called Doctor in Divinity, and Pastor of Pewsy in Wiltshire. By William Dell minister of the Gospel, and Master of Gonvil and Cains Colledge in Cambridge.	Dell, William, d. 1664.	1653 (1653)	Wing D930; Thomason E692_1; ESTC R206987	41,191	48

helped them And this is the chief and indeed the only true VVorship of the New-Testament For the Gospel hath taught us that Christ is the trueTemple wherein the Church of the New-Testament which is a Kingdom of Priests are all alike to Worship God without any difference or distinction of persons And also that Christ is our Rest aswell as our Righteousness and it is as great a sin to make another Rest then Christ as it is to make another Righteousness then Christ For in him alone we are compleat and furnished to all things that appertain to the Kingdom of God And stand in need of nothing out of him Wherefore it is said Heb. 4. 3. He which hath believed is entred into the rest that is into Christ and his Righteousness and so hath ceased from his own works as God did from his Now the World and worldly Church are greatly offended at this And because this Spiritual worship makes no great shew Spiritual Worship And that first because it makes no great shew nor presents no glorious outside to the World to win their favour and applause and so they despise it as a Notional or Melancholick thing And secondly because this is wholly out of the reach and Power of the Natural man and no man by his free will or Natural abilities And also is out of the reach of the Natural man can attain thereunto VVherefore they are offended at this kind of VVorship and would have a Worship in the dayes of the Gospel after the manner of the VVorship of the Law a Worship standing in outward works and Duties and Ceremonies and in Observation of Dayes Times Places Persons And are much scandalized at that Worship which stands only in Faith and Love and makes void all other things 4. They are offended at the true Church of Christ 4. At the true Church of Christ Because Christ under the New Testament hath set upon a New-Church which is not outward and visible as the Church of the Old Testament was Neither carries in it any worldly Pompe Power and Glory as the Church of Antichrist doth but it is wholly spiritual and invisible and as utterly unknown to the World as Christ himself The true Church under the New-Law is the Congregation of spiritual men gathered together not in one outward place but in What the true Church is one Faith Hope and Love in one Spirit in one Christ in one God It is the company of the faithful and elect which have Christ for their Head And this Church is not known by any outward Orders or Forms It is known only by the Word of faith or Ceremonies or manner of life but only by the Word of Faith seeing this true spiritual Church is conceived and formed is brought forth and brought up is fed and clothed is strengthned and adorned is protected and perfected by this word of faith alone Yea the whole Nature and life and being and action of this Church is in the word of faith 2. They are offended at this Church because it is the habitation of God and his very Kingdom wherein he himself is present is manifested 2. Because this Church is the Habitation of God speaks works reignes is glorified and is all in all in it And so it will not receive unto it self any thing of the Power Wisdom and Righteousness of Man They are much offended to hear that this Church is the Temple of the living God and that God hath said it himself that he will dwell in them and walk in them And that God is in them of a Truth and not by fancied habits of created grace And that they are filled with all the fulness of God And that they are living Stones in that Building wherein Christ himself is the chief corner Stone and that they are all built together by the Spirit to be the Habitation of God This doth so exceedingly offend them that is causeth them to Blasphem in crying out against this Doctrine of the Spirit of God as Blasphemy 3. They are offended at this New Church of the New Testament 3. Because it wil be the true Church alone because it will be the Church of God alone and will not acknowledge any to be of it but such as are born of God and have obtained like pretious faith with them And so will have no constant communion with any how skilful soever in the letter of the word and how eminent so ever in outward formes of Religion but only with such who have true fellowship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit 4. They are offended at this Church because usually God calls unto it not the Great and Honourable and Wise and Learned but 4. Because it consists of mean people mean plain and simple people according to that of Paul 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen Yea things that are not to bring to nought things that are So that this true Church consists of a smal company of Poor Mean Simple Base and despised men in the eyes of the World and worldly Church Yea of such who in their judgement deserve to have no place nor being in the World And who now out of their own choice would willingly joyn themselves to such a Congregation 5. The great and worldly wise people are much offended at this 5. Because of its outward afflicted condition Church because of its outward afflicted condition in the World it having fellowship with Christ in all his sufferings And so is alwayes Reproached Despised Slandered Torn Sp●t on Buffeted Crucified and Mocked And from all most or some of these sufferings the spiritual Church is never priviledged in the World And by reason of these things the visage of the true Church seems foul deformed and offensive in the eys of men whilst the national and carnal Church is highly favoured esteemed and preferred it self and hath its chief Teachers honoured with Scarlet and Furrs So that if Christ were on the earth again in his mean and plain condition He would be ashamed to own Them and They would be as much 5. At the true Government of the Church 1. Because Christ will force none but perswade all ashamed to own Him And thus much for their offence at the true Church 5. They are offended at the true Government of this Church Because Christ under the New Testament as he hath set up a New Church so also he hath set up a New Government of this Church and this also offends in many regards 1. In that Christ will have none brought to his Church by outward * In toto Novo

Testamento non sunt praecepta urgentia sed tantum exhortationes obsecrationes Nec Christus nec Apostoli quenquam unquam coegerunt Spiritus fanctus vocatur in hoc Spiritus Paracletus ut exhortetur Luth. 2. Responso ad libr. Amber Cathar 2. Because an Equality in his Kingdom violence and compulsion though he have all Power in Heaven and in Earth But in the day of his Power that is of the Gospel he only entertains the willing People and compells no body against their wills seeing he seeks not his own profit but ours Our Lord Jesus Christ gathers his true Church on Earth according to the Councel and Mind of his Father in Heaven and so will entertain none but whom his Father draws because he will have his Church not one jot larger then the Election of Grace 2. They are offended at his Government in that in his true Church he makes an equality between all Christians through Faith and will have none over one another but will have all to serve one another in Love And so he will have him that would be the greatest to be the least of all and him that would be the chief to be the servant of all as Himself came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransome for many And He was greater then all the children of God not through any worldly Greatness Lordliness or Dominion but through his teaching and instructing them and loving them and serving them and suffering and dying for them And besides this Greatness there is nothing but Equality in his Church 3. They are offended at his Government in that Christ doth 3. Because he doth all by his Word and Spirit only nothing in his Church by the Decrees or Constitutions of Ecclesiastical men or by the secular Arm and Power of the Magistrate but he doth all by his Word and Spirit and nothing else And these alone without the addition of any thing else are infinitely sufficient to do all that Christ would have done in his Kingdom 4. Because he will have us only to avoid hereticks and not to harm them 4. In that he will have Vs to love our Enemies and to do good to them that do evil to Vs and to pray for them that persecute Vs and despitefully use Vs He will not have us to be Enemies to any or to do evil to any or to persecute and use despite to any He will have us to beware of false Prophets but not to destroy them And to avoid Hereticks but not to kill them And will have neither of them burnt with any fire but the fire of * Igne Charitatis comburendi sunt haeretici quicunque impiè sapiunt docent Luth. Tom. 2. 5. Will have al done by the Law of Love only In Novo Testamento ostenduntur omnia quae facienda omittendaque sunt sed nemo cogitur omnibus permittitur ut vel pereant vel salvi fiant Luth. Respon ad Ambros Cathar 6 At his true Ministry This Ministry made only by the Unction of the Spirit Love 5. In that He will have all things in his Kingdom ordered and done only by the Law of Love and nothing by any Law of Violence or Compulsion Now this kind of Government of the true Church doth grievously offend the World and worldly Church and the Governors of both because They know no Government of the Church at all but that of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Power intermingled and if this be made void they can do nothing at all in the Government of the Church but think according to their unbelife all things presently will come to Confusion For they want Faith to commit the Government of Christs own Church to his own care by his Word and Spirit And thus they are offended at this true Government also 6. And Lastly for I will name no more particulars at this time They are offended at Christs true Ministry Because Christ under the New Testament hath erected and constituted a New Ministry not through any Ecclesiastical Ordination but meeerly through the Vnction of his Spirit without any Regard at all to a mans outward calling or condition in the World but whether as I said before a man be a Schollar or Clergy man or Gentleman or Tradesman if Christ call him and pour forth his Spirit on him that and that only makes him a true Minister of the New Testament And of this New and Offensive Ministry to the World and worldly Church Christ himself was the first For he was not of Christ himself the first of the New Testament Ministers the tribe of Levi as the Apostle saith Heb. 7. but of the tribe of Judah of which Moses speaks nothing touching Priesthood how then did Christ become the first and chief Minister of the New Testament The Spirit of Christ tells us by Isaiah chap. 61. and Christ himse tells us Luke 4. saying The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor to preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken-hearted c. So that our Lord Iesus Christ being according to the Dialect of Antichrist a Lay-man and having never learned Lettters nor been brought up a Scholar but being brought up with Joseph in the trade of a Carpenter and not ordained neitheir by the Church of the Jews nor allowed by them was yet the first and chief Minister of the New Testament through the Vnction of the Spirit only Now the worldly Church were extreamly offended at this very thing as you may see in the Gospel Mat. 13. ver 54. 55. Iesus came into his own country and taught them in the Synagogue insomuch that they were astonished for no man spake like him for he taught with Authority and not as the Scribes but they said whence hath this man this Mechanick man this wisdom and these mighty works is not this the Carpenters Son Is not his mother called Mary And are not his brethren and Sisters all with us and they were offended in him that such a man that had no Degrees nor Ordination should yet be a Minister And as Christ himself was the first Minister of this sort so he chose others in the same manner He chose Fishermen and Tent-makers He chose others like himself and Publicans plain men and of ordinary imployment in the world and only put his Spirit on them and this was their sufficient Vnction to the Ministry And thus it was foretold by Ioel chap. 2. ver 28. And it shall come to pass in the last dayes saith the Lord that I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesie There needs nothing to the Ministry of the New Testament but only Gods pouring out his Spirit Wherefore Christ bids his Disciples stay at Jerusalem till they should receive the promise of the Spirit and then they should go forth and Teach And so

after as Believers received the Spirit so they became Ministers of the New Testament as we see in the Acts of the Apostles and in the first 300. years after Christ For there is but one only Ministry of the New Testament which is common to all men alike who have received the Spirit of God and to none else though never so excellently qualified with Natural Abilities and Humane Learning For the things of the Gospel are altogether invisible things and The things of the Gospel cannot be known but by the teaching of the Spirit cannot be known but by the teaching of the Spirit though a man have all the Wisdom and Knowledge in the World as Paul declares 1 Cor. 2. ver 8 9 10. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor the Heart of man understood the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them to Vs believers by the Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the World which for its highest perfection hath only humane Wisdom and Knowledge but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Where we learn that the things of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of God are not known at all nor discerned in the least measure but by Gods Spirit which Spirit is given to all that believe and this Spirit alone is sufficient both to enable us to know clearly and certainly the things of God and also to publish them unto others and nothing of Man or the Creature can add to it Wherefore when Christ chose his Ministers according to his Fathers Councel he chose not the Wise and Learned but plain simple men that it might appear to all the World throughout all ages how infinitely able the Vnction of his Spirit alone is without any addition of any thing else for the Ministry of the New Testament and Christ upon the serious consideration of this strange choice of God by Him breaks forth into this Thanksgiving Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things that is the Word of Faith and Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father because it pleased thee And David admiring this wonderfull dispensation speaks thus in the joy of his heart Psal 8. ver 1 2. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the World who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens and then showing wherein this high Glory of God appears saith Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger God useth no other Instrument to overcome the greatest Enemies and Avengers that arise in the World and worldly Church then the strength he ordaines out of the mouths of babes and sucklings that is true believers who live only on the sincere milke of the Word The Lord had all the World before him to have chosen out of it whom he pleased to be the Instruments by whom he would hold forth his Word and Gospel to all Nations Yet in his infinite wisdom and gracious Councel and good Pleasure he would pass by the Wise and Learned men and great Philosophers and subtile Disputants as Paul affirms 1 Cor. 1. 19. that God hath said I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent God is so far from making use of Humane Wisdom and Prudence in the Gospel of his Son that he quite destroyes it and brings it to nothing Wherefore Paul adds v. 20. Where is the wise where is the learned or lettered man where is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe By the foolishness of preaching that is by the Word of Faith out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings which the World reckons foolishness by this alone doth God bring about the Salvation of the Elect. Now at these things how grievously are the Worldly wise and deep learned ones as they esteem themselves offended that Gods Spirit alone should be a sufficient Vnction for the Ministry of the New Testament and that God should on set purpose lay aside the Wise and Prudent men and choose babes and out of their mouth ordain his great strength to set up Christs Kingdom in the world and to destroy Antichrists Yea this Doctrine will chiefly offend the * University ●nd all in it of all Degrees Objection By the Univerty Vniversity For you will say If this be so What need is there then of our Philosophy and of our Arts and Sciences to the Ministry of the New Testament And what need is there of our Acts and Cle●ums And what need is there of our Scarlet and Tippets And what need is there of our Hoods and Caps c. If the Vnction of the Spirit alone be sufficient for the right Ministry and Christ do perfect his praise by the mouths of Babes and sucklings then what need is there of all these things I Answer No need at all as to Christs Kingdom and the Ministry Answer to it of that For it is one of the grossest errors that ever reigned under Antichrists Kingdom to affirm that Vniversities are the fountain of the Minsters of the Gospel which do only proceed out Quò indubiè taxat Academias in quibus tales homines creantur è quibus prodicrunt omnes in orbem praedicatores c. Totus enim orbis in hac sententia est hos fontes esse è quibus scaturiant qui docere populum debeant Hic est error horrendus abominandus ut nihil aeque aversandumulla ex re quam ex Academiis prodierit c. Luth. in loc Objection of Christs flock And because you will be greatly offended at me for speaking thus you shall hear what Luther saith to this matter on 2 Pet. 2. 1. upon these words but there were false Prophets among the people as there shall be false Teachers among you the word Peter uses here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false Doctors or false Masters and Luther saith it came to pass by the singular Councel of God that our Teachers should be called Doctors and Masters that it my appear to all whom Peter here means and he farther saith that Peter hereby doth undoubtedly tax the Vniversities in which such men are created and out of which have proceeded all the Preachers in the World so that

of the world as I am not of the world Wherefore every true Christian who speaks and professes the VVord of Faith the VVord which exalts Christ alone and his things and throws down all other things of the VVorld though in the highest esteem with men must needs meet with his enemies and avengers his Scribes and Pharisees his Herods and Pilates And now when the carnal Church which hath the favor and countenance of the State sees poor Christians for the VVords sake suffering all the hatred malice and rage of the world and worldly Church they are greatly offended at them and in being offended at them they are offended at Christ Himself for it is his cause in which they suffer and not their own and it is he who suffers in his cause more then they as is evident by that complaint of his Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I say as it is Christ that is and doth all in his true Saints so also it is he that suffers all in them and they who are offended at these Sufferings of Believers which they suffer in and for Christ are offended at Christ himself And in these three regards it doth plainly appear that many who pretend to honor the outward Name of Christ are yet indeed grievously offended at Him Vse 2 2. The second Vse is another Caution to warn all men to take heed as not to be offended themselves at Christ so also not to be Caution not to be offended through the offences of others by considering 1. That it is no new thing for men to be offended at Christ troubled nor offended with the offences of Others But when we see the whole world and worldly Church offended at Christ and his things let us take care that we be not therefore offended also but let us consider 1. That it is no new thing that Christ and his Gospel should be stumbled at and contradicted by the World and worldly Church For thus it was foretold by the Prophets and thus it hath been done ever since Christ was manifested in the flesh In the days of his Ministry his Doctrine was so contrary to carnal reason and the humane apprehensions of men in matters of Religion that many of his Disciples said This is a hard saying who can bear it Joh 6. Yea many of his Disciples murmured at his Doctrine and went back and walked no more with him And all along during Christs Ministry many were snared and stumbled and fell and were broken thereby and he that is troubled and offended at this must get him another Christ and another Gospel For the true Christ is set for a sign to be spoken against the true Gospel is set for a Word of contention and contradiction to the carnal Christians to the whole VVorld Wherefore when we see in our time the VVorld and worldly Church offended at Christ and his Gospel let us know that thus it hath been from the beginning and let u● know that as Christ and his Gospel are the same now as they were then so the VVorld and Antichrist and the Devil the Head of both are the same also and therefore it cannot be but Christ and his Gospel must suffer the same 2. Christ and his Word are not the worse for the offence of the World contradiction in our time as they have done in all former times 2. That we may not be offended with the common and general offence of others let us consider that Christ and his Gospel are never the worse for the offence which the World takes at them but Christ is still the Son of the living God and the Gospel is still the Power of God to Salvation to every one that believes and Christ and his Word do still remain a sure foundation for the true Church of God That Christ crucified which is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness is notwithstanding to them who believe Christ the Power of God and Christ the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. So that Christ is not the worse for the Worlds being offended at Him neither do the faithfull think him the worse Nay the more vile he is to others he is still the more precius to them 3. Let us consider that notwithstanding all the offence of men Christ and his Gospel still remain and continue what they are and 3. Christ still remains for al such offence cannot be prevailed against Men may be offended at Christ and his Word but they canot destroy and extinguish them but they still remain and do alwayes prevail against all things that oppose them Wherefore to deliver us from the scandal of all Mens being offended against Christ we are to consider that as all the World have been are and will be against Christ so Christ and his Kingdom shall rise up and increase against all the World and against all their thoughts and endeavours And all their Councels Contrivances and industrious Actings shall not be able to hinder the Kingdom of Christ from prospering and growing great But it shall arise and stand up in all its Glory out of the midst of all the offences and contradictions in the world Wherefore Christ and his Kingdom are called a Tried stone for he hath long ago indured whatever the World and worldly Church could do against Him and whatever the might and malice of men and Devils could do against him and yet hath overcome all All that have opposed Him have been dashed in pieces by him in the several Ages of the World and He and his Kingdom still remain and shall remain for ever For He is a sure tried stone And they in this Town and Vniversity who are the most grievously offended at the Word shall not by all their subtilty Malice Slanders evil speaking nor by any thing they can say or do design or undertake be able to prevail against it but they must shortly die and depart out of the World and in despite of them leave this Word of God behind them to live and flourish and overspread the World And these considerations if entertained by Faith may keep us from being offended at the offence of the whole World And this for the second Use Vse 3 3. In the third place I shall shew you how believers ought to Direction how to carry our selves in the midst of offences 1. To abide in Christ carry themselves in the midst of those offences that are taken against Christ and against themselves for Christs sake that is for his Life and Doctrines sake 1. First then We ought to be careful to abide in Christ and to walk in Christ To speak all our words and to do all our works and to live our whole life in Christ and in his Spirit that so the World may not be offended at Vs who are nothing and do nothing in our selves but at Christ in Us who is and doth all in us And then as we shall certainly be established and preserved in