Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	answer_v	faith_n	true_a	5,103	5	4.8933	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85461	Saltmarsh returned from the dead, in Amico Philalethe. Or, The resurrection of James the apostle, out of the grave of carnall glosses, for the correction of the universall apostacy, which cruelly buryed him who yet liveth. Appearing in the comely ornaments of his fifth chapter, in an exercise, June 4. 1654. Having laid by his grave clothes, in a despised village remote from England, but wishing well, and heartily desiring the true prosperity thereof.	Gorton, Samuel, 1592 or 3-1677.	1655 (1655)	Wing G1307; Thomason E836_1; ESTC R207426	178,733	220

also he cannot be my Disciple When did we hear of any of the Prophets or Apostles tyed unto wife children congregation or family who have spoken in the power and authority of the Son of God or what earthly relation was any of them tyed unto We read of Hosea marrying a wife of fornications for a sign unto the people and also of Peters wives mother which are but slender arguments to encourage men to sit downe and dwell by temporary relations and make them a sufficient fence and guard to put off all Gods calls and intimations to attend upon him in any other way if it make not for the support and supply of such engagements where is there a man that acknowledgeth a call from God if it make not for the promoting of himselfe in temporary things at the least in his expectation and if it prove contrary hee takes it up as a fore burden what ever becomes of the cause of God it must be subservant to these things no marvail though the world be voyd of the joyfull presence of God when wee rejoyce in nothing but what in effect the bruit beasts seek after Obj. But it will be said that how ever the Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe went on in the neglect of all temporary relations yet how carefull were the Patriarchs in the preservation and mayntaining of them Answ To which we answer that the Prophets Apostles and Christ himseife teach in their practice how we ought to stand affected with these earthly things and how to demean our selves towards them in this our pilgrimage through the world And the fathers of old teach us by their demeanor what care and respect we are to have in the conservation of such relations which are spirituall and abide for ever as they are constituted in Christ and conversant in the family and house of God Obj. It will be sayd that men uniting themselves to particular congregations as Pastor Teacher Elders Deacons and Members is of divine institution and ought to be mayntained and contended for according to the practice of the Apostles and those seven Churches with their 7. Angels or Messengers particularly described and set forth in the Revelations Answ To which we answer that such as the salvation and faith is which we contend for and maintain such is the Church but we contend for the common salvation and faith once delivered to the Saints and so we do for a universall Church and congregation of the first-born whose names are enrolled in heaven once and for ever constituted that doctrine and prayer which is of lesse comprehension that it reacheth not universally to involve the compleat mysticall body of Christ it is a private spirit and not consonant to the doctrine and intercession of Jesus Christ which hath a like respect to all the chosen of God and that in all times and ages And for those particular Churches mentioned in Scripture they are all represented unto us in those seven Churches in the Revelations which all vanish in the opening of heaven in the fourth Chapter and are never heard of againe which only set forth unto us in their severall vertues and seven-fold fulness and perfection therein the state of that Church governed by him only that sits on the Throne adorned with those 4. lively weights and four and twenty Elders furnished with that Angelicall and fulnesse of Ministery set forth by seven Angels seven Trumpets and seven Vialls inriched with all those excellencies declared throughout that whole booke and the perfection of this one only Church is signified unto us in the vertue of those seven as the excellency of one spirit of God is set forth unto us in that report of seven spirits of God being about the throne and this one Church is signified and set forth in that of Philadelphia which hath nothing but commendable things found in her and no reproof uncomelinesse or imperfection at all Againe those seven Churches teach unto us that one Congregation or Synagogue of Sathan wherein is contained that seven-fold wickednesse and fulnesse of sinne in that Babylon the great the mother of whoredoms and proper seate of wickednesse in the land of Shiner to which it is all conveyed and carryed in that Evah which the Prophet Zachariah speaks of and this is signified unto us in that one Church of Laodicea commended in nothing but condemned in all things according to just deserts having atracted all wickednesse from that Angelicall Ministry by turning the truth of God into a lye and this Church is ruled by the Dragon the beast and the false Prophet in all those abominable practises and filthinesses set forth therein to the end of that Book He therefore that sets himselfe as a Pastor over one particular people or congregation and yet it is not without reproof nor doth his exercise in the word and doctrine comprehend all the flock of God concerns the state of every Saint of God particularly that man will be found a feeder onely of the mother of harlots and as a Dragon to devour the man-child with Herod when he appears and not as that good shepheard who gives himselfe for the flock not having that spirit of the Apostle that the care of all the Churches is upon him as all in one and one in all as the true Spouse saith draw me we will run after thee A single eye hath respect to all Saints alike hath a like care of them and they are a like precious unto him the Son of God never directed the virtue of his death or labour of his love to some of his chosen before others but men in these dayes have framed a pastorall charge to be a fat pasture for themselves or else the call of God speaks not therein But a true Prophet is under the losse and in the departure from all these things and thereby is invested with the power and authority of the Son of God speaking in his name words of wonder and admiration and not as the Scribes And they do not onely suffer themselves to be dispossest of these things but they have long patience or under-abiding in this condition it alters not what change soever comes upon them in this world for they are not lesse jealous of that which the world counts prosperity then they are of that it calls adversity and are as watchfull under good reports as bad knowing a like snare in both Not as such as seem to suffer for a time and are zealous against the common practices of the world till they have gotten some high place amongst men and then they come to comply with the greatest worldling and conversant with worldly affaires that can put forth it selfe to be a consociate or suffragator unto them Note for conclusion of this point that a true Prophet knows his liberty how that all things are lawfull but all things are not expedient all things are lawfull but he is not brought under the power and dominion of any thing he

whole mysticall body of Jesus Christ otherwise it is not the word or Gospel of the kingdome nor the spirit of intercession which is by Jesus Christ Object But it will be sayd that these things crncern the invisible Church and not the visible for the true visible Church is otherwise to be considered Answ To which we answer that it is a work of as great curiosity to frame a visible Church of Christ as to frame and compose a visible body of Christ therefore the Apostle comparing the true Church to a body sayth For as the body being one hath many members and all the members of that body being many are but one body so also Christ And agayn hear what the spirit sayth by the Apostle John viz. As he is so are we even in this world where he speaks of the Son of God So that to frame and compose a visible Church and to frame and compose a visible Christ are of the same nature and of like ease and difficulty and are alike strange unto the world and of the same acceptation to bring into manifestation and appearance Yet we know that Christ in both respects for otherwise we know him not is truly apparent and visible as also secret and unseen For Moses by faith saw him meaning Christ who is invisible that is he saw him who is unseeable and both are really true in a diverse respect And they who frame a Christ visible in one age of the world and not in another they do by the same argument conclude the visible Church to appear and to be manifest only within the same confines and precincts of time wherein Christ appeared For the Church was never known to appeare but in the reall form of Gods righteousnesse and wisdome which is Christ for he is the wisdome of God and the righteousnesse of God by saith which is the reality of the Church and as for all imaginary Churches we skill not for they will vanish and come to nought together with the professors of them as they have done in all ages Again such as form a Christ unto themselves to appear visibly unto a carnall eye so as to accept and approve of that his way of appearance at the carnall and perfunctory worshippers of the Jewes did Know this that whensoever the true Christ appeareth he will receive at the hands of such the same measure which was measured out unto Jesus born of the Virgin by Herod Pontius Pilate Scribes Pharisees with the cry of all the people saying Crucifie him crucifie him away with him crucifie him Even so they that frame unto themselves a visible Church so as to appeare unto a carnall eye or understanding as being in a capacity to approve and like well of it at the least for a certaine season Whensoever the true Church makes it selfe visible it shall receive like measure at the hands of such persons to the utmost of their power and ability as Christ did when he appeared unto the Jewes For in such persons and in that spirit is the zeale of persecution properly founded in the visible and apparant exercise thereof Moreover they that form a visible Church as not having the invisible vertue alike efficatious in every part and member thereof they also form unto themselves a visible Christ to appear without aving the compleat vertue of the wisdome and power of God in all respects in him either in point of his being or in the order and manner of his being and this is that great Image of Nebuchadnezzar which hath beeen so long erected and set up in the world where the Scriptures are traditionally acknowledged and read w ch all must bow down unto at the noise of their instruments and institutions or else the fiery tryall must passe upon them that obey not Only this is our comfort that the Son of God will so appear with them or in them that so much as a smell of that zeal or fiery fume and wrath of the world shall not appeare upon them but serve only to the destruction of such as are zealous actors in such matters of the worlds melody The next point is the exercise of the Elders and the first is they pray over him or for him or without any wrong to the Text with him that is in communion and fellowship with him for there was never prayer of faith made unto God out of which any elect or chosen vessel was excluded the reason is because every acceptable prayer hath in it the vertue of the intercession of Christ otherwise it is not in his name and authority and the spirit of Christ neglects not any one that appertayns to his mysticall body for if it should that soule could never be inspired with the spirit of prayer without which there is no participation in the mediation of the Son of God and then no acceptation with the Father therefore prayer is communicative to all the Saints if it be as the prayer of faith it is as the life-blood running into all the veyns of the whole body for none can enter into the holy place but he that carries all the Tribes upon his heart it is not our temporary and private wants which can bring forth a faithfull prayer to God for as prophesie is not of any private spirit or interpretation but holy men speake as they are moved by the holy Ghost of like publique spirit is true prayer So that this sick party is in unity with the prayer here spoken of for the eldership of this Church or that eternized fellowship in the ancient of dayes never appears unto any in that miraculous vertue of healing but in way of unity with the party healed Therefore it is that Christ will have the stone rouled away from the Sepulchre that nothing interpose betwixt Lazarus and himselfe when he restores him from death to life Also Elisha will be shut up in the same roome with the widows sonne when hee rayseth him up from the dead and Paul the Apostle falls upon Eutichus and embraceth him when he brings his spirit into him agayn Furthermore where this true Eldership appears it ever communicates a like vertue to every individuall of the body for the spirit is not received by measure for that which in it selfe is emence cannot be received by measure they that go about to perswade men that some have a greater portion of the spirit and some have a lesse measure thereof they may upon as good grounds perswade men that some shall be saved and be happy and blessed a long time and some a shorter time for if the spirit of God in any poynt of our salvation be subject to measure in latitude it is as truly subject to be measured and bounded in longitude and then salvation is voyd which is the doctrine of the most of our Elders in these dayes but the spirit of glory and of God that rests upon the Saints through this sicknesse and suffering is neither given out nor received by measure

plucked out of the fire being found to be one of the flock of God once and for ever No marvell then though our Apostle saith Go too now unto the wicked and wealthy in point of Pharisaical excellencies for as the state of death and darknesse discovered by the Gospel doth sharpen and provoke the godly unto joy thankfulness for their deliverance and escape therefrom Even so doth the state of life and peace discovered in the Saints by the same Gospel sharpen provoke the wicked to enmity and despair which is the expelling of the spirit of God quenching the same in themselves Therefore he bids them weep howl for the misery that cometh upon them hereby and by weeping he signifies unto them the departure and loss of all good even that life of the Lord Jesus whom they crucifie afresh unto themselves and make a mock of him in whose life all goodnesse is treasured up and comprehended which unto them is vanished as a vapour therefore he bids them weepe for the losse of good causeth tears and by howling he minds them of that present wrath and torture which abides upon them and possesseth them which however it may lye as Dormant for a time yet this sin of killing Chrst in the Spirit is the same with that of Caines killing his brother and lies at the door as the proper and only in-let of the deluge of Gods wrath into the soule and indeed into the world For it cuts off the Sonne of God from being propagated and brought forth in the world according to the spirit and power proper to himselfe as that wicked act of Cain cut him off from being brought forth in his geneologie after the flesh in the way of Abel and so makes a nullity of Schin that makes all things and therefore must have all guilt in it which is the doore and in-let for execution of vengeance Therefore he adds for the misery that shall come upon you or as the word may be read in the present tense is come upon you For in these twain that is to say in the losse of all good and the possession of all evill perfect misery and wretchednesse doth consist The word translated Howle in the Hebrew is Shadad and signifies to destroy of which Zadai is derived a title given unto God signifying power or Almighty and here is an elegant allusion unto the etymologie of the originall phrase used by the Prophets signifying unto us that no less then Gods Almighty power is exercised and put forth to the utmost in the scattering and destruction of all such as stifle the Son of God in the breathings of his holy Spirit in themselves by preferring glorying in other things before it or as it is in others by vilifying contemning and persecuting it whereupon the next phrase is brought in viz. Vers 2. Your riches are corrupted and your garments are motheaten THat is all the substance they enjoy boast of and glory in is putrified and changed from that which otherwise and else-where it is for they adulterate the holy word of God unto themselves by subjecting and prostrating the same unto their owne lusts of pride cruelty and vain-glory as though such things were the naturall fruits of it they bring them forth and also nourish and foster them by it as a Harlot doth a child in an adulterous way that is after the way of the letter that kills and not in the way of the Spirit that gives out the life of the Lord Jesus Therefore it is that above he calls them adulterers and adulteresses telling them that the love of the world is enmity with God that is that which the world counts love in the height and top of affection is the proper malice and enmity of Caine whereby he kills and crucifies him who is not ashamed to call his Saints brethren being flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone And we must know that there is a unity in the Harlot as well as in the true Espousall For hee that is joyned unto an harlot is one flesh for two saith he shall be one flesh By twaine there is not meant creature and creature joyned together but God and the Creature are become one in that way of the harlot that is they are become one carnall corrupt and sinfull estate for there is as neere a unity between God and man in that man of Sin unto all unrighteousnesse in prophaning all the holy things of God unto destruction in which the holy one is cleare from being a proper actor or agent in any of them all as there is in Christ that man of God unto all righteousnesse and holinesse by setting sinfull man apart to all honour in salvation whereby being joyned unto the Lord is made one spirit with him that is they twayn are but one holy happy and righteous estate and condition wherein man is excluded from being any proper agent or actor as in any thing proper and naturall to the Creature So that man putrifies and corrupts the Son of God in himselfe through principles and aptitudes of mind proper to a Creature but not unto God subjecting the things of God to the law of the carnall Commandement naturally ingraffed and written in mans spirit which is the law of sin and death And God sanctifies and makes holy man in himselfe through principles and aptitudes proper to the Creator himselfe and not unto the Creature by subjecting it to the will of God according to his wisdome which is that state of righteousnesse and law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The proper riches and excellencies of the world then are corrupted and are become the proper mammon of iniquitie for however they may count upon truth to come within the compasse of their estates and reckonings to advance their excellencies thereby yet it is corrupted unto them for they have changed the truth of God into a lye Indeed they lay claime to Jesus as a Saviour on whom they hang all their vanishing carnall and Spider-web like hopes But he is corrupted and as a moth in them being become Shadad or Shedim a waster and destroyer They monopolize Churches and Congregations of God unto themselves but they are corrupted and are become Synagogues of Satan and an assembly of evill doers For they are no true Church of Christ or congregation of the first born of God whose names are recorded in heaven that so expound the word of God as they can but apply some one part thereof as their present ornament and furniture for they may as well as indeed they do lay aside some part of Christ for the present and so divide him and make a nullity of him as to lay aside some part of the word of God as not in present use in their dayes being a garment not holding proportion with their composed body But the true Church knowes that the end of the Law is Christ and can tell how to adorn it selfe in

received his Sonne as from the dead in his exercise of the Preists office in sacrificing and offering him up unto God This sicknesse therefore is as that of Lazarus whom Jesus loved for when his sister told Jesus that he was sick it is plaine by the record in computation of the time that he was then dead which Christ affirmes is not death but that way of the operation and manifestation of the glory of God which onely and for ever shineth and setteth forth it selfe through the death of the flesh that is the death of all humane and carnal reasonings resolutions and conclusions in point of the knowledge of Jesus Christ which sicknesse or death to all the legall and litteral services according to the carnall law is truly said to be not unto death because it is unto that eternall life of the Son of God and a sicknesse of this nature we are to understand in this place or else we carnallize the sicknesse as surely as Rome doth at this day the Eldership as also New-England more zealously then they and the reason is because the one is Hehetated with worldly pomp and the other is Persequentissimus but hath not yet attained thereunto And whereas it is said Is any sick among you or as the word may be read is any sick in you as speaking either of person or thing as the Psalmist hath a phrase help Lord for the fathfull faile that word faithfull is used in Scripture sometimes for a true or faithfull person and sometimes for a true thing as if he should say help Lord for trueths faile or fidelities faile So this word any may be taken for any person or any thing as if he had said is any thing in you sick or are you dead to any particular thing whatsoever which worldly men make their life and trade so that you cannot relish nor tast it no more then a sick or dead man can relish any food to quicken or enliven him be sure then to use the remedy prescribed unto you for your health and restoration and your dayes shall be renewed with Hezekiah and your life recovered with Lazarus and you shall be raised out of the grave of all sin and sorrow and that is to call for the Elders of the Church for they are the resurrection and the life in this point in which observe 1. What it is to call 2. Who these Elders be 3. What is the Church of which they are 1. Concerning the Call the same word is prefixed as before let him call it is of like Emphesis that is to say that through this sicknesse or death here spoken of it creates and gives being in that soule unto the life of the Son of God and that life is the light of men by vertue of which light he becomes a Seer for it hath the spirit of Prophesie in it whereby he discerns wherein true health doth consist and knows what the Eldership is and where to finde the true Church which is so controverted throughout the earth in all ages of this present world so that if this sick party had not perfect vision he might wander from mountaine to hill and from the flood to the worlds end before he could attaine the true knowledge thereof For some say lo here is Christ and some say lo there which we are not to beleive neither the one nor the other some say he is in the desert and some say he is in the mountain and some in the secret Chamber but as the lightning shineth from one end of heaven unto the other so is the coming of the Sonne of man that is to say all things that ever were or shall be proclaime his present abode in man-kinde either in point of his life or death in mercy or else in his severity and such are the confines of the Church it is not bounded within the circuit of time place or person no more then the Son of God is for his Spouse holds proportion with himselfe in all points therefore is she admired as one that looks forth as the morning faire as the moon clear as the Sun terrible as an Army with banners nay it is said to be his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all So that to form and fashion a Church of lesse comprehension then Christ will prove rather a Sinagogue of Satan or cage of unclean birds then the spouse of Christ so that our Chronologers deceive the world in framing a Christ onely by genealogie not knowing what the Prophet meaneth when he saith he was taken from prison from judgment and who shall declare his generation he was war cut off from the land of the living and made his grave with or in the wicked and in the rich in his death it seems Philip that man of war is not joyned to their Chariot as his name signifies And so they frame a Church not onely by seperation of themselves from others by some carnall and temporary ceremonies that they may say Stand by thy selfe I am holier then thou If these be their defences from the wicked they had need carry them along with them through death or else the fence being down they will go near to come over and feed with them in the same pasture But this is not all the seperation they make for they divide the word of God seperate it to form their Church saying that such portions of the word of God were for the form of the Church in such an age of the world for such people but now another portion of it gives the forme in our dayes as though the word of God were dead or falne asleep unto the world in some injunctions and promises but alive and awake in others whereas they may as wel change and alter the form and manner of the being of the Son of God as to change and alter the form and manner of being of the Church of God for the word of God in whatsoever it hath expressed is the will or law of God and the will of God cannot change and Christ is the end of the law so that if we fall short of him in any portion of the word of God as though he had been in it but now is passed over it or as though it intended him but yet hath not brought him forth we make it the word of man and not the word of God for mans reason is the proper word of man even as the wisdome of God in that wonderfull contriving of his Son is the word of God and therefore man is said to be made a living or a speaking soule or life of speech or reason whereby he transcends all other creatures excepting none for no Angel that is messenger or message was ever sent from God unto the world out of man-kinde It is true indeed that the word of God hath expressed it selfe as in divers Nations Jew and Gentile in differing generations or genealogies as Cain and Seth Abraham and Nahor