Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	church_n	mean_v	visible_a	1,880	5	9.1411	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41500	Prelatique preachers none of Christ's teachers, or, A Disswasive unto the people of God from attending the ministry (so called) of those, who preach by verture of an (Apocryphal) ordination, received from an order of men, commonly stiled Lord Bishops wherein arguments are tendered to their serious considerations, by way of motive against that practice ... .	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1663 (1663)	Wing G1192; ESTC R33795	80,325	88

doubtless he had highly provoked God neither would his own Countrey Kinred or Father's house have been the same unto him in comfort and peace which formerly they had been In like manner though an honest and upright soul may be in the love and favour of God and thrive competently in its spiritual estate under a Prelatical Ministry and haply in Babylon it self whilest it remains ignorant of the mind and will of God concerning its removal and wanteth light to discern the evil of such standings yet if it shall chuse and resolve to keep these postures or standings after that God shall have called unto it to forsake them they are not like to yield any of their former accommodations unto it nor is God like to take the same delight in or rather to shew the same compassion on this soul which he did before but according to the observation and saying of David He turneth a fruitful Land into barrenness for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 107. 34. If it be demanded but when or how doth God call any soul or person from under a Prelatical Ministry or out of Babylon I answer when by a clear light he discovers the sinfulness or which is the same in effect the danger or threatning consequence of a mans abiding under the former or in the latter Conviction of any thing sinful or unlawful in any of our wayes is a loud call from God unto repentance and reformation And as Abrahams obedience unto the call of God when he called him out from his own Country Kinred and Fathers house is commended by this that he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11. 8. but sped never the worse for this So when God shall call us from under an unlawful Ministry it is not Christian-like to make any such allegation or plea as this against our ready and cheerful submission to his call we know not where we shall mend our selves or find the like spiritual provisions we are like to be losers by the change c. It would be much more worthy a Son or Daughter of God in this case to consider and work upon that which David immediately subjoyneth to the passage lately cited from him He turneth the WILDERNESSE into a standing water and dry ground into water springs and there he maketh the hungry to dwell that they may prepare a City for habitation c. Psal 107. 35 36 37 38. They who shall forsake a polluted Ministry though otherwise plausible and in all points besides lively resembling the true Ministry of Christ upon divine conviction of the pollutedness of it need not fear that they shall be losers in their spiritual estates hereby or suffer in their inner man The woman cloathed with the Sun Rev. 12. when she fled from the City into the wilderness being as it appears admonished by God so to do had a place here prepared for her by God where she was fed and nourished with a more wholesome diet doubtless then she should have been in the City for many years 3. Although for argument sake and in part I confess for probability sake and likelihood of truth it hath been granted that some have been truly and savingly converted to the faith and some edified by a Prelatical Ministry yet I believe it will sorely rack the parts and learning of the greatest Patrons of it to make any demonstrative proof of either especially of the former It was a right and useful observation of Aristotle that to take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which follows in time for the effect of that which goeth before is a common mistake amongst men Those that have been converted after or upon the hearing of a Sermon possibly might not be converted by it Again it is well known unto those that are but competently versed in Ecclesiastical Records as well of ancient as of latter times that great numbers both of men and women have been savingly wrought upon by other means and dispensations of God and not by hearing Ministers of a Prelatical creation Not to insist upon particulars in this kind as either the conversion of Constantine by reading the Sibylline Oracles as some of these records report or of Augustine begotten unto God as himself in his Confession giveth the Christian world to understand between a miracle or the miraculous voice of Tolle et Lege take up and read heard by him in a Garden oft repeated as with a singing tone and the reading of those Texts of Scripture Rom. 13. 13 14. or of Victormus Antonius and several others mentioned by him in these writings as brought off from Heathenisme unto God by the like or not much unlike means or of others that might without number be collected out of other Authors Baronius reports that three whole Nations the Franks the Goths the Longobards were converted from Paganisme and many impious errours unto the Christian Faith by three women the Franks in Gallia by Chrotildis a Burgundian the Goths in Spain by Ingundes a Frank the Longobards in Italy by Theodolinda a Bavarian Besides the Woman cloathed with the Sun c. of whom we lately spake and by whom we signified according to the concurrent testimony of all Expositors that I have seen or heard of is meant the true Church of Christ consisting of real and true Believers during the whole term of the grandure of the Beast and whilest the world went wondering after him that is whilest the Great Body or Bulk of visible Professors throughout the Christian world round about him owned his spiritual and consequently his temporal Jurisdiction also over them fled as we likewise heard into the wilderness namely from the Dragon who had now slily and undiscernably to the greatest part of professing Christians conveyed and wound himself into the said two-horn'd Beast here by the gracious interposure of God to be fed and nourished Now this Woman the true Church was not barren but brought forth children Sons and Daughters unto God during her abode in the wilderness from first to last but she brought not forth these children by the knowledge of a Prelatical Ministry the Ministers of this Order exercising their Ministry in the City I mean openly and in places prepared and allowed for such purposes by the Civil Magistrate and so had no occasion to flee into the Wilderness or to seek solitary and private places for the employment of their talent in this kind Unless we shall conceive that the Woman we speak of was all along supplyed with children out of the City by the publique Ministry here God secretly admonishing and perswading those Sons and Daughters of his that were begotten by such illegitimate Fathers as soon as or not long after they were spiritually born to with-draw themselves from under the hand of such Fathers and to joyn themselves unto his true Church and People in the Wilderness here to be fed and nourished that is to be built up in their most Holy Faith and prepared for their

co-ordinate power with his in and over his Churches which is a broad incroachment upon the most sacred and high Prerogative of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords But though this compliance in the Ministers we speak of with the said Adversaries of Christ be adjudged by us and this according to the Truth a sin very enormous and of sad consequence to the Saints and Gospel yet we who stand charged by our Great Lord and Master to love our enemies ought not to strengthen the hand or to harden the heart of these men in their evil way or to do any thing which is likely to be a snare unto them to put the good day of Repentance and consequently Salvation far from them but rather unfeignedly to endeavour with the best of our understandings to convert them from the error of their way and to save their soul Now as the Apostle Paul as we formerly observed prescribeth the withdrawing of our selves from a Brother that walketh inordinately as a christian and proper means to make him ashamed of his sinful course 2 Thess 3. 6. 14. and so to move him to abandon and forsake it So on the contrary to give the right hand of fellowship unto or to frequent the company of a person engaged in any sinful way especially when or whilst he is actually walking in this way must needs be a direct means of encouragement unto him to persist in his way and to hide Repentance from his eyes Therefore they who customarily wait at the door 〈◊〉 the lips of an ill-procured Ministry and frequent the Assemblies where such a Ministry is exercised if they be persons of any note for the knowledge and fear of God or for a christian and worthy conversation cannot but stand in his light who officiates unto them in the way of this Ministry so that he cannot see the error and danger of his way For who is like to suspect much less to be throughly convinced that such a practice or course is evil especially being likewise commodious to the flesh which receiveth such a weighty testimony that it is lawful and good as the approbation of persons of great esteem both for light and heat in matters appertaining unto God and this testified by their constant at least frequent correspondings with it CONSIDERATION XV. Yea such of the Saints and Servants of God being in any degree considerable in their Generation who by the practice so frequently put to rebuke in these Papers shall give countenance credit and contentment to the present Generation of a Prelatical Clergy hereby become generative of a succession of birds of the same feather and threaten Christians yet unborn that they also shall be served with no better then a spurious illegitimate Ministry For when those young ones who intend to serve at the Altar and separate themselves for the office and work of the Ministry shall see and understand that men sent forth into the Christian world by Prelatical Order and Authority find favour and acceptance in the eyes of good and discerning Christians as well as those that are set over the Churches of the Saints by the holy Ghost himself how shall not their consciences be hereby emboldned to accept without scruple of a Prelatical mission and through the temptation strongly to imagine when they clim'd up and got in at the window that they came in by the right door Yea upon the same account how shall not the Prelates themselves though at present abundantly satisfied in their affections at least touching not the lawfulness onely but even the necessity of their needless though not harmless Office and Function in the Church be made two-fold more the Sons of confidence that they are the Stars of the first magnitude in the hand of Christ and that the Axle-tree of the universal Church turns upon their shoulders But somewhat to this effect in a former Consideration CONSIDERATION XVI The Holy Ghost taketh notice that such Teachers unto whom the world that is carnal and worldly persons professing Christianity are wont to resort in the exercise of their Ministry taking pleasure and contentment therein are no true Ministers of Christ insinuating withal that sincere Christians and persons spiritually-minded more generally at least decline them and deny them their presence at their teachings The beloved Apostle John speaking of false Teachers giveth these three characters of them amongst some others first That they are of the world that is members of the fraternity or brother-hood of worldly men or lovers of this present world secondly That they speak of the world or as it might well and more significantly I conceive be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the world meaning that they are wont first to make enquiry into the world about them and to inform themselves what humours and practices what principles notions and opinions are most predominant and of best resentment amongst both the great men of the world and the generality likewise of the People although these commonly are at too good an agreement in such matters and again what Doctrines and Tenents will be well enough born and endured by both without any disgust of him that shall teach them and on the contrary what are like either to bring him into trouble or to cast him out of favour c. and when they have satisfied themselves and well understood the World in these particulars they model and mould the tenour of their Ministry and Preaching accordingly waving those Truths be they never so importantly necessary to be made known the preaching or owning of which they understand is like to shake and weaken if not wholly to annihilate or destroy their interest in the World and withall cunningly wresting and perverting the Word of God in such passages which truly understood rise up with great evidence and power against those Doctrines by which they oblige and insure the World unto them Upon some such account as this they are or may be said to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of or out of the World This is a second character of them Thirdly The third and last is that the World heareth them meaning that carnal and earthly-minded Professors of the Gospel for Professors either of Judaism or of Paganism cannot be here meant resort unto their Ministry are their setled and accustomed hearers and well apaid and satisfied with their teachings 1 Joh. 4. 5. Whereunto the Apostle immediately subjoyns We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us that is relisheth our Ministry and with diligence and delight attendeth on it he that is not of God heareth not us c. clearly implying that such Teachers unto whose Ministry carnal Professors and loose Christians ordinarily and in great numbers are wont to gather themselves sitting from time to time with contentment and satisfaction under it are not Teachers of that kind or of that spirit with whose Ministry spiritual and sound Christians can long rest satisfied or care to attend upon These

Heavenly Glory So that one of these two Propositions must needs be yielded either that conversion for many ages by-past hath been wrought by other means and by another Ministry than that of a Prelatical descent and so not necessarily by this or in case this Ministry hath converted any that these upon their conversion have been required by God not to remain or sit still under it but to seek their edification amongst their Brethren in Assemblies of a beter complexion and from a Ministry of a more honourable and lawful extraction The former of these granted confirmeth the Argument in hand the latter the main cause we have undertaken 4. and lastly Concerning that great good Service in the cause of Religion which is pleaded to have been done in former dayes by the Ministry so much decried by us in this our Nation I confess that our great High Priest who is more able than Priests taken from among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently to compassionate the ignorant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those that are led out of the way Heb. 5. 2. did so far shew mercy unto some who in the simplicity and uprightness of their heart suspecting no evil in such an action comported I might say compounded with the Prelates for their Ministerial functions that he kept them faithful unto him in his work and vouchsafed them the great honour of co-operating with them to the bringing home of souls unto God But 1. The number of these was but small scarce exceeding the proportion of one of a City and two of a Tribe Out of the great Cloud of Prelatical Priests for their Ordination baptizeth them by that name nor are they offended at it Sathan rained upon the people Snares of Idolatrous and Superstitious conceits and practises without end and in these snares of death the feet of the greater part of the poor ignorant souls in the Nation are taken and held fast to this day Nor is it any breach of charity to conceive and think that for the greatest part of these Ministers were in their course of preaching more zealously bent to beget Sons and Daughters to the Church of England in their notion than unto God although possibly to allay all seeming hardness in the saying they might suppose that men and women being made the true Sons and Daughters of the Church of England were hereby made the true Sons and Daughters of God also For what may not Ignorance and Interest conspiring together suppose Doth not the Apostle speaking of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth say that they supposed gain to be godliness admonishing Timothy to with-draw himself from men of such importune and unreasonable suppositions 1 Tim. 6. 5. But for the Church of England who shall live when either of her Sons or Fathers will be able to declare her Generation or satifie the world who or what kind of creature she is 2. Those few Ministers of the Prelatical Sanction whom Christ was pleased to separate from their fellows in blessing their labours to the begetting of Sons and Daughters unto God in the Nation were smoak in their noses and as thorns in the eyes of those who had intrusted them with a Ministerial employment being by them looked upon as a spurious and illegitimate brood of children and as walking contrary to the Interest both of the Spiritual Lords their Fathers and of the Lady the Church of England their mysterious Mother Yea for their laboriousness zeal and faithfulness unto God and men in the work of their Ministry which by reason of the success that God gave unto them in the hearts and affections of the people their Ghostly Fathers were not able or rather not willing to distinguish from Schism Faction Popularity c. they were evil entreated injuriously handled vexed with Summoners and Apparitors cited into their Courts where they must at their peril appear at the day and hour appointed how long and wearisome how unseasonable or expersive how tempestuous or dangerous soever their journey hither should be here to be falsely charged to be vilified and reproached before all that are present by Chancelors Commissaries c. persons who many times know not their right hand from their left in things appertaining unto God as meet to fit in judgement upon a learned and godly Minister as in the Greek proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an Asse is to play upon a Harp and after all this were sometimes silenced or suspended deprived degraded imprisoned yea constrained through an experimental sence of the implacableness of these bloody avengers to commit themselves unto the Seas how inconvenient or dangerous soever either through age tenderness or weakness of constitution present indisposition of body or otherwise such journying were like to prove unto them and to seek for a Sanctuary in strange Lands So that the Ministers that with greatest zeal and faithfulness planted the saving knowledge of God and promoted the Interest of true Godliness in the Nation though being led out of the way by the false light of those times they owned the Prelates in their Usurpations by accepting their Office of Ministry from their unhallowed hands yet the Prelates soon after namely as soon as they saw or heard that they held a straight course in preaching the Gospel disowned them and took from them at least from many of them and their will was the same towards them all but that prudentials hindered the sameness of execution upon some by silencing and suspending them the exercise of that Ministry and so in effect the Ministry it self which they had conferr'd upon them So that by this time if we respect the reality of things rather than the rigour or formality of words the Ministers we now speak of were no Ministers of a Prelatical investure for they who had invested them devested them again Adde hereunto that which we may not only in charity but according to the guidance of reason it self suppose their conscienciousness and loyalty unto God in all other their wayes and actings considered that had they known or once suspected the great evil of putting their heads under Prelatical hands to receive an Evangelical function from them they would rather have suffered them to be taken from their shoulders as John Baptist's head was by the hands of the common Executioner This being so they were but in a very deminutive sense Ministers of a Prelatical Ordination nor ought they in reason to be simply or absolutely termed such For when the mind and will of a man are really set and bent against the doing of any thing whatsoever that is sinful in case he shall through ignorance or mistake do any thing which is sinful this action is imputable unto him onely in the letter not in the spirit of it For so far as his will stood against it and was not consenting to it that is or as far as it was sinful it was not properly or in a moral and equitable consideration