Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
earth_n great_a heaven_n saint_n 5,831 5 5.8038 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A77174 Epidiorthōsis or a modest enquiry into the nature and state of churches. In order to their through-reformation. By Thomas Boyer minister at Rempston in Nottinghamshire. Boyer, Thomas, b. 1627 or 8. 1659 (1659) Wing B3920; Thomason E1929_2; ESTC R209993 18,874 81

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

He hath given them vast instruction how to do it And 4. What do they import save Reformation 3. As it is the great glory of God to Institute and plant Churches for the Edification of his people that his special presence may be amongst them before their apostacy c. So it is the greatest glory of Christ to reform his Churches that his Presence may continue amongst them after their apostacy and defection c. For 1. Herein he delivers them from the great removeable evils that are on earth And 2. Gives them the most glorious things that are on earth communicable de quibus infra 4. It is the most incomparable state of man on earth In a Thoughly-Reformed state after Christian Apostacy the Saints and Churches of Christ are in the greatest glory that ever they will be in on earth When this Dispensation is ended that in Heaven will immediatly succeed it and continue for ever Quest But who is it that makes such a Preservation the end of his Reformation Resp If we may Judge of mens ends by their actings men of such a spirit are very rare 2. The grand enquiry is not about mens ends but Gods 3. God doth not make mans life his Law 4. In the Reformation of Christian Churches its evident that he aymes at their Preservation inclusively whether men do or not 5. Men ought to use Gods means for Gods ends It s both their duty honour and safety 6. It proceeds from want of Grace in those that do not and is not commendable in the least 7. It concerns us to take heed of being led by ungodly guides Object There be other means to preserve the Churches of Christ Resp 1. Whatever our ends be Gods way to them is the best 2. God hath prescribed Reformation as the way to the Preservation of Churches Leviticus 26.23 c. 3. The Experience of all Ages testifies and convinceth that it is so and the only soveraign Antidote against desolation 4. It s compounded of all the saving Spirituals that are in the World 5. Those other wayes and means are but of humane Invention 6. They are used by Worldly Wise men or carnal Polititians 7. It is not to be expected by Christians that Christ will by them secure his Churches from ruin and desolation but that 8. Where Christian Reformation is not practised mens Ecclesiastical and Spiritual if not their civil and temporal estates and Interests will languish and come to nothing notwithstanding Leviticus 26. c. Wherefore 9. Prudens O tale Caveto Object I see no necessity at all of preserving of Christian Churches Resp 1. The Instituted Churches of Christ are scituated directly in our way to the full fruition of God in Heaven according to Scriptures 2. The continuance of them is absolutely necessary for all those that travel thither 3. They that are travelling to Heaven do discover this necessity 4. The Gospel is hid from all the rest 2 Corin. 4.3 5. The Objection savours very strongly of Atheism and Antiscripturism unbelief and Antichristianism and therefore 6. Those whose spirits appear to be fraught with it must be left to the Judgement of God For 1. Contra negantem principia non est disputandum 2. The Apostle Paul desires the Church to pray for himself and his assistants and successors that they may be delivered from men of such a spirit 2 Thessal 1.1.3.1 2. 3. He commands his Successors in the Ministry 1. To withdraw from such 1 Timothy 6.5 2. To rebuke them sharply Titus 1.13 3. To reject such an one Titus 3.10 4. To turn away from such 2. Tim. 3.5 4. He charges the Churches 1. To let them be anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 2. To avoid them Romans 16.17 3. To let them be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. 5. He himself did actually Excommunicate such 1 Timothy 1. 19 20. 6. The Apostle John adviseth the Saints 1. That they receive not such an one into their houses 2. That they bid him not God-speed 2 John 10. 7. Le ts not trust our own hearts in the Gospel Quest What difference is there betwixt the Properties of Reformed Churches and the Properties of the first planted Churches under the Gospel Resp 1. In general Properties properly are beings that are not of but follow or flow from the essences of their first and next Subjects 2. All Properties are Proportionable to the Essences from which they flow 3. In particular 1. The Churches of God are Essentially the most glorious things in the world and therefore 2. They have the most glorious Properties that are in the world Yet 3. The Essentials of the Churches of God having been sometimes more sometimes less glorious the Properties of them have accordingly been sometimes more sometimes less glorious 4. More particularly 1. The Churches Work and necessity being very various And 2. Greater in times of Reformation than at the first Plantation of Churches God communicated himself to them accordingly So that 5. The Essences of Reformed Churches being more glorious than the Essences of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel The Properties of Reformed Churches are also more glorious than the Properties of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel to instance 1. The members of the first Planted Churches could give much but the members of Reformed Churches can give more for a visible Interest in God They can give more glorious Evidences of their saving conversion and Union with Christ 1. They can make a more express profession of their assent to the truth of the Gospel in general 2. They can extend that profession more particulary to the grand Fundamentals of the Gospel The Messiah is come by owning of it distinctly in the parts thereof 3. They can exert more Acts of Faith and Repentance 4. They can engage themselves more gloriously to continue therein and to walk in all other things also according to the Scriptures and not otherwise 2. The first Planted Churches under the Gospel could walk according to Gospel Rules of Church-Communion but Reformed Churches can conform to them more compleatly and exactly 1. They can glorifie God more 2. They can edifie one another more And 3. They can contribute more towards the Salvation of those that are without Whether they be Infidels Heathen Or Christian Scattered Saints Unreformed Churches or Sauable Apostates 1. By the Doctrinal and practical holding forth of the Word of Life 2. By defending of it And 3. By offending the enemies thereof Such Power is most properly proper to Reformed Churches under the Gospel Quest What difference is there betwixt the practises of the Reformed Churches and the practises of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel Resp As all Properties are proportionable to the Essences so all practises are proportionable to the Properties from which they flow and therefore 1. The Practises of Reformed Churches are the most glorious practises in the World 2 In particular 1. The Members of the Reformed Churches of Christ give most for a visible
Through-Reformation it self is but little practised Old England it self is too little acquainted with it When this is the other will be both better known to us and entertained by us all which God grant But 2. Had it never been used by any yet right reason must have preheminence before any custom especially before such an one as this though it have not been or is not yet it ought to be generally used by Christians in this generation for mans neglect cannot invalidate Gods Law But 3. It hath been and is used by many in this and the last century and those none of the meanest in the Churches of Christ 4. It s high time for all the rest to follow 5. None need to be ashamed of it 6. It s an honour to those that use it 7. It s well if this cavilling against the Form come not from an Antipathy to the matter of a Church-covenant for man is extreamly in love with elbow-room in a carnal selfish course and cannot abide a Bill of Divorce Object But Baptism is the form of a visible Church of Christ and of the members thereof Resp 1. In what sense it is so Restat explicandum 2. That any outward washing of the body or of any part thereof or that the exhibiting signifying and sealing of that which is exhibited signified and sealed by Lawfull Baptism is the essential constitutive form of a visible Church of Christ or gives Essence and Being to a Church and Membership c. Restat probandum 3. Against it see precious Mr. Sydenham in the 20th Chapter of his Exercitation about Baptism 4. This Principle is a great Plunder to Prophaness and a Bar to the Power of Godliness Quest What difference is there betwixt the end of a Reformed Church and the end of the first planted Churches under the Gospel Resp The End is that for which a thing is 2. God is the great Governor of the whole world He set all the Creatures their work He directs and leads them to their proper ends Psalm 29.10 3. The great end of all things is the Glory of God This is his grand intendment and this all the Creatures bring him in 4. The end of Churches is the special Glory of God 5. This is the end of all the Churches of God Divine perfection is most eminently manifested in them In them God most shews his Glory to man on earth and man most ownes the Glory of the God of Heaven Here are the highest actings of the purest love betwixt God and man on earth Here is God edifying man and man is glorifying God Act. 9.31 It s only in the Church of God that man makes returns proportionable to his Receipts by owning the whole of God For here man ownes 1. The absolute soveraignty and supream Authority of God 1. In submitting to his Institutions 2. To his Dispensations 2. In obeying of his Commands 2. The riches of Gods Free-Grace 1. In praying to him for all good things 2. In praysing of him for all good things 3. In not fainting under the greatest burdens 3. The infinite Wisdom and Knowledge of God 1. In spiritual Worship 2. In heart searching 3. In close walking with him in private 4. The Justice and Power of God 1. In expecting his dealing with the wicked according to his Word 2. In fearing his fatherly correcting of themselves 5. The infinite purity of God is also most really acknowledged in the Churches of God 1. In their cleansing of themselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit 2. In their pressing after Holiness and the perfection thereof 2 Cor. 7.1 Finally In the Churches of God God glorifies himself most by owning of man most and man glorifies God most by owning of him most and this is the first and last end of all the militant Churches of God In regard God is most gloriously glorified by giving and receiving what he hath given to his Churches But Resp 6. Though God in order to his greatest Glory on earth in his Institution of his Churches aims 1. At the most glorious communication of himself And 2. At the most glorious returns of that which he Communicates 1. To himself c. 2. To his Saints Isa 43 7. Yet he hath different ends therein suitable to the different conditions of his people 7. Upon this Account there is a difference betwixt the end of Reformed Churches and the end of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel For 1. The Exigencies of Gods people under the Gospel are very narrow 2. Gods regard unto them is accordingly very gracious 3. In his Planting and Reforming of Churches he aims at the supplying of those different wants which his people lie under 1. By causing them spiritually to exercise different and spiritual acts of Church-communion and that 1. towards himself and 2. towards one another And 2. By exercising different and suitable acts of communion towards them But 4. His people are in a more desperate condition in times of Church-Reformation than they are in times of Church-Plantation In regard they have sinned 1. Against greater Light And 2. Against greater Love and therefore 5. God out of a gracious respect unto them layes out himself and causeth them to lay out themselves more gloriously for their salvation in times of Reformation than in times of Plantation of Churches and so 6. The end of Reformed Churches is more glorious than the end of the first Planted Churches under the Gospel More particularly and briefly 1. The proper want of Gods people at the first Plantation of Churches was edification and this God intended and communicated by gathering and planting of them together 2. Their proper want in times of Reformation is preservation from utter ruine and desolation and this God intends and communicates by gathering and Reforming of them For 1. To vote with the Gospel in a distinguishing way Edification is the working or building up of Christians towards the highest pitch or the best and compleatest state and being of a Church of Christ at any time before its extream Apostacy and Reformation is the working or re-building up of Christians towards that condition after their extream Apostacy or the rallying of the spiritual Forces of Christ after they have fought with the Devil and his Angels and been extreamly shattered divided and scattered by the power and pollicy of the man of sin though they have conquered him And 2. As corruption is the way to annihilation so Reformation is the way to preservation in general and 3. In particular 1. All strengthening is properly in Order to preservation And 1. The strongest Union is in Order to the greatest strengthening And 3. Here is the strongest Union 1. In regard of the persons United And 2. In regard of the manner of their Uniting de quibus Supra Again 1. It s Christs grand interest to preserve his Church on earth Mat. 16.18 And 2. He hath entrusted his Embassadors with the management of this great affair And 3.