Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	church_n	heaven_n	peter_n	4,199	5	7.9041	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61378	Sober singularity, or, An antidote against infection by the example of a multitude being practical meditations on Exod. 23, vers. 2 : wherein is opened the influence of the practise of a multitude, to draw men to sin, the special cases, wherein it concerns us to be most cautious, reasons why we must not follow them, together with the application of the whole : and therein, besides the general improvement of the point, an instance given of nineteen practises of the multitude to be avoided, seven of their grand principles to be rejc̈ted [sic] : sundry particulars concerning peace and unity, and the sanctification of the Lords Day, useful for these times / by R. Stedman ...	Stedman, Rowland, 1630?-1673.	1660 (1660)	Wing S5376; ESTC R38303	146,089	254

be the pen-men thereof that we might have a certain rule from which we must not recede For as the Apostle argueth in the case of justification If righteousness came by the moral Law then there was no need of the death of Christ the same will hold good in case of the rule of life If the traditions of our fathers were a sufficient guide then there was no need of the Scriptures And therefore you shall find that the Lord gave forth his statutes and testimonies as to supply the deficiency of the light of nature so to call men off from cleaving to the corruptions of their fathers Psal 78.5 6 7 8. For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children That they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments And might not be as their Fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation 3. Whereas people are apt to plead for the Religion of their forefathers and to be in love with it because of its antiquity that being the old way to which therefore they will adhaere You must observe That it is not every old way without limitation or exception that is to be approved but the old way of holiness and the fear of the Lord which ought to be regulated by the word of the Lord and which becometh vain and sinful when it is taught according to the traditions of men Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord stand ye in the wayes and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls Mark Sirs It is not every old way that will bring spiritual peace and lead you to everlasting rest but the good old way For most damnable corruptions may plead prescription of time and in some sort their antiquity There is the old way of sin and wickedness which leads directly to the chambers of death Job 22.15 16 17. Host thou not marked the old way which wicked men have trodden which were cut down out of time whose foundation was overflown with a flood Which said unto God Depart from us and what can the Almighty do for them There is the old way of ignorance and atheism and error and superstition and profaneness There is the old way of Popery with its palpable blindness blood-thirstiness and idolatry And indeed Sirs if you will hold to this principle To be of the Religion of your forefathers you must return to the vomit of Popery with all its abominations you must wallow in the mire of all their filthiness and blasphemies or else you must become Heathens and Infidels For as Joshua speaketh unto the Israelites Jos 24.2 Your father 's dwelt on the other side of the flood of old time even Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor and they served other gods The like may I say to you in this case Your fathers of old time were Idolaters they were drencht in the polluted waters of Popish darkness Idolatry and Superstition within the compass of two hundred years they worshipped God in a language they understood not they gave heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Daemons they gave adoration to Saints and Angels nay they worshipped bread and wine and dumb pictures and images Or if you will go some hundreds of years higher into old times then your fathers were downright Heathens without the knowledge of Christ or of God in Christ that worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator Which then is the good old way that we may walk therein Why It is the Scripture-way the high-way of holiness which God delivered unto his people in the writings of Moses and the Prophets those ancient records of the Church which are of greater antiquity than any profane Heathen writings whatsoever For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 The good old way is the way of the Saints in the primitive ages of the Church wherein they travailed towards the kingdom of heaven the way of Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and other the servants of the most-High And therefore when Peter calls them to the old times it was to the times of Abraham the father of the faithful 1 Pet. 3.5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own husbands Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham The good old way Sirs is the way of righteousness innocence and integrity obedience to the Law of the Lord and subjection to his will which can plead its antiquity beyond that of sin which is but a novel invention of the devil in comparison and proceedeth from the vain imagination of mans heart Eccl. 7.29 God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions 4. Are you resolved to be of the Religion of your fathers and to walk in their wayes whatever they have been Why Remember this was the very weapon with which the unbelieving Jews fought against the Gospel It was the very argument which they pressed against Christ and his disciples and the way to heaven which he preached So that if you had lived in the dayes of Christ you would have persecuted him as the Jews did and would have opposed the Apostles and sought to have rooted up the doctrines of life and salvation How was Paul principled when he was a persecutor Why he was zealous against any thing that opposed the traditions of his fathers And that blind zeal made him mad against the Church Gal. 1.14 Phil. 3.6 Act. 26.11 What had they to object against Stephen for which he was stoned Why the principal article of his charge was this that he had preached against their customs Act. 6.14 5. This doth mightily enhance and aggravate the sinfulness of a sin and tends to ripen the sinners for destruction when iniquity doth descend from one generation to another and persons continue to walk in those evil courses wherein their fathers have walked For we should take warning from them not to commit the like abominations Their evil actions should be our admonitions to keep free from the pollutions wherewith they were defiled As hereditary diseases which come in a blood and by descent from parents to their children are the most dangerous diseases so hereditary sins and transgressions are the most destructive Mark how Nehemiah pleads against Sabbath-breaking on this account Neh. 13.17 18. What evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath day Did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this City yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by

monstrous opinions under the protection and patronage of the Scriptures Sol. This is a trite objection much insisted on by them that are contentious and of an imposing spirit and are loath to be concluded and shut up in the exercise of their power within the limits and boundaries of the word of God And therefore deserves to be answered more largely than at present I can spare time to do All that I shall speak unto it which yet may sufficiently discover the vanity of this cavil I shall gather into five heads 1. There will be heresies maintained in the Church of Christ amongst people that call themselves his disciples and servants in all ages unto the end It is a matter that will fall out unavoidably and cannot be otherwise As there will be men of corrupt lives tares mingled with the wheat in the kingdom of the Son of man so there will be men of corrupt notions and doctrines that speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them 1 Cor. 11.19 For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you Mark It must be there is a necessity of it Not a necessity of precept God is a God of truth he requires truth in the judgment as well as integrity in the heart he calls for soundness of mind as well as fervour of affection But in respect of the event there is a necessity it will certainly be so and the Lord hath excellent ends to accomplish thereby and therefore will suffer errors to be vented and spread abroad But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 See also 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Act. 20.30.31 This is no excuse unto the Authors and broachers of any cursed opinions But it is an useful lesson or document for the servants of God that they may be quickned to get their judgments principled with sound knowledge and to beware lest they be led aside from the way by the errors of the wicked and so fall from their own stedfastness That is pertinent on this account which our Saviour speaketh as to scandals in general Mat. 18.7 Wo unto the world because of offences For it must needs be that offences heresies come but wo to that man by whom the offence heresie cometh 2. The people of God have no just cause to think ever a jot the worse of Religion and godliness because of the heresies that sometimes abound in the Church of Christ It should rather confirm us in the belief of the truth of the Gospel Our Saviour having foretold us that thus it will be and we seeing it verified before our eyes As the Apostle exhorts the Thessalonians that no man might be moved by his afflictions For saith he your selves know that we were appointed thereunto 1 Thes 3.3 And v. 4. For verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass and ye know So may I speak in the case of errors and heresies Let no man stumble or be offended at the wayes of Christ upon this account Let not your faith be weakened nor your progress in holiness retarded because of these corrupt opinions and heresies For your selves know that Christ by his Spirit hath foretold of these things that it must come to pass as it is in all ages And he hath therefore warned you of it before-hand lest you should be offended Joh. 16.1 2 3 4. 3. When we speak of unity in Christian fellowship and uniformity in the worship and service of God it must not be interpreted of union and combination with such as are hereticks It must not be taken as if it were meant that we must unite and go hand in hand with such persons Our Lord Christ hath left upon record sufficient directions in this case how to purge his Church of such vermine and to keep our selves free from the taint of their pollutions as well as in the case of those who are profane and disorderly in their conversations A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself Tit. 3.10 11. From such withdraw thy self 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed 2 John 10. See also Gal. 1.9 Rom. 16.17 Rev. 2.2 20 24 25. 4. But then as to sound and sober Christians let this be observed That the principles of the doctrine of Christ which may be a sufficient ground for their uniting in the worship and service of God are plainly delivered in the Scriptures and to be clearly and easily deduced from thence They are wrote in legible characters that he that runs may read them And why should not those things which will declare a man a sound believer capacitate him for communion with believers These things are written plainly as with the Pen of a diamond and inculcated frequently that they may be apprenended by the meanest of the Saints Isa 45.19 I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth The oracles of God are not delivered darkly and obscurely they are not folded and wrapt up in intricate and ambiguous sentences as the devils oracles the answers of false gods were wont to be delivered in caves and grotto's and corners under the ground The truths of God are set forth perspicuously They are all plain to him that understandeth and right to them that find knowledge Prov. 8.9 For this commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden neither is it far off It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thine heart that thou mayest do it Indeed prating fools as the holy Ghost calleth them will seek nodum in scirpo they will find matter to wrangle with the most undeniable principles But the foundation-truths of Christianity are fully proclaimed in the ears of all within the pale of the Church that will lend their ears attentively to the sound of the Gospel and will diligently study divine mysteries And the people of God are under precious promises of the Spirits instruction to guide them into the knowledge of all necessary points Joh. 16.13 1 Joh. 2.20 27. Psal 25.12 14. And why should not those who are under the conduct of the same truths in the way of holiness unto eternal life hereafter unamimously joyn together in the service of