Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	gospel_n	heaven_n	lord_n	2,159	5	3.5651	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10620	An animadversion to Mr Richard Clyftons advertisement Who under pretense of answering Chr. Lawnes book, hath published an other mans private letter, with Mr Francis Iohnsons answer therto. Which letter is here justified; the answer therto refuted: and the true causes of the lamentable breach that hath lately fallen out in the English exiled Church at Amsterdam, manifested, by Henry Ainsworth.	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1613 (1613)	STC 209; ESTC S118900	140,504	148

sayd let al the congregation stone him and al the Congregation brought him without the host and stoned him Now by M. Iohnsons own grant they whom the Iudges condemned did dye by the hands of the people who is it then that cannot see the Congregation here to mean both Elders and people So in the other place Num. 27.2 when they stood before Moses and Eleazar the preist and before the Princes and al the Congregation this distribution of the persons togither with the place the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation may shew that the Elders onely were not meant besides in the same chapter Iosua being there ordeyned over the Congregation c. it cannot with any colour be gathered that the Elders onely were the congregation Num. 27.16.17.19.20 c. Wherfore when one scripture mentioneth the Elders Jos. 20.4 and an other the Congregation Num 32.12 Jos. 20.6 we should not restreyn it to the lesser but let the scripture have the largest sense unless apparant reason doo urge a restreynt which is not here but the contrary For if they were to dye by the hands of the people conscience required the people to hear their cause tryed also seing the law charged every one thou shalt not slay the innocent and the righteous and it was not safe for them to trust their Iudges which so often and so many wayes corrupted judgment as al the prophets doo complayn It is therfore an evil argument to say in Israel by one scripture men were sent to the Elders by an other to the Congregation therfore it was the congregation of Elders and not of the people also For by such wrested reasons one might prove that the Elders onely were bound to keep the passover because in one place it is sayd speak to all the Congregation of Israel that every man take to him a Lamb Exod. 12 3. and in an other place it is sayd Moses caled al the Elders of Israel saying chuse out take for every of your howsholds a Lamb Exod. 12 21. therfore it was meant of the Congregation of Elders and so the other people were not bound to this service Agayn it was cōmanded Exod 19 3 5. tel the children of Jsrael if ye wil hear my voice and keep my covenant ye shal be my chief treasure c. afterwards it is sayd Moses caled for the Elders of the people and proposed unto them al these things shal we now conclude therfore the covenant was made with the Elders onely Who seeth not the weaknes of such consequents and that it is usual in scripture to name but the principal of a company and yet to include others with them Notwithstanding between Israel and us there were two mayn differences the one that Church ministers now have not such ecclesiastical authoritie over the people as is proportionable to the Magistrates autoritie then for this is forbidden Mat. 20 25. vvher Christ sayth the rulers of the nations have domination over them and they that are great exercise authoritie over them but it shal not be so among you And 1. Pet. 5.2 3. Feed the flock of God c. not as having domination over his heritage The other is that they vvere a national Church the Magistrats in the gates of Ierusalem the Preists in the Temple being for the whole Realm it could not be that al the people should be present at the dayly judgements of the Magistrates or sacrifices of the Preists And therfore it vvas not required so of them as novv it is of us vvho are but particular Churches to be present at al publik administration of Christs kingdom and preisthood Yea even in their most solemn assemblies they could not doo as vve ar bound to doo For they did eat the passeover in their private hovvses because al the thovvsands of Israel could not eat it in one room but vve are bound to eat the passover now I mean the Lords supper in the publik Church and not otherwhere Wheras therfore they next except that the people were 600. thowsand men and would we have them to think that they came togither to hear examine and judge the cases of syn c. I answer no neyther al the Elders For I have before shevved there were divers officers for several causes And Boaz took but ten of the Elders of Bethlehē to hear his cause The Elders also did meet by themselves as ther was occasion and so are they to doo now Secondly for this exception of so many thowsands in the wildernes that could not come to hear and judge they should mind how the same lyeth against the execution When God sayd of the blasphemer let all the Congregation stone him wil they say six hundred thowsand men came together to doo it yet themselves grant this vvas to be doon by the people It vvas as easy for them to come to hear his cause tryed as to come and stone him and care of equity taught them to doo the first as vvel as the last as before is shevved Next they except against our expounding the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18.1 c. to be the church under the gospel since Christ this they say is not sound because the same phrase is spoken of the church of the Jewes Mat. 22.2 c. I answer this their reason is unsufficient for I could so except against the exposition almost of any scripture by shewing a diverse use and meaning of the words When th'Apostle proveth Christs excellencie above the Angels because of his name the Son of God the Iewes might allege that the Angels are also caled Sonns of God yea holy men have the like title but were this a sufficient answer Wel I wil not st●ive with them about the phrase although in some places they may see the Kingdom of Heaven opposed to the state of the Iewes church as Mat. 11.11 but as the prophets tel us of new heavens under the Gospel so wil I distinguish and cal the Iewish church the old heaven as that which is shaken and removed and the Christian church the new heaven of which the Gospel usually speaketh as Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 4.17 Now vvhen the disciples asked Iesus who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven ther might be reason of their demand touching the Christian church then to be planted but to ask such a thing about the Ievvish church I see litle reason They knevv already the state of it and vvho vvas cheif therin Secondly Christs ansvver leadeth us hereto for ther being great expectation of that Kingdom and an erroneous persuasion that it should be a glorious vvorldly state Christ tells them the contrary that it vvas for the converted and humble sovvles to enter into that many scandals and offenses should arise herein both from the vvorld and from mens corruption in them selves and from

Secondly in that place of their Treatise on Mat. 18. they quote Mat. 2● 20 as alleged for a ground yet they give not any answer to that scripture but stil call upon us to answer their questions write more Wheras Christ there encōmendeth to his disciples of all nations to the worlds end the observing of all things whatsoever he cōmanded th'Apostles And excommunication was one of those things commanded Mat. 18. 1. Cor. 5. Therfore to be observed by a Christian people though they want officers unless these men can shew some prohibition Christ requireth to observ al things these men say nay not excommunication it lyeth now on them to shew wher Christ or his Apostles have excepted excommunication But from that place and by the very same reasons doo the Anabaptists deny baptisme of Children caling for scripture example precept ground to warrant it as these doo now in this case 3. Thirdly besides al things heretofore written they have a ground in the article it self which they neyther doo nor can take away which is the power that the church alwayes hath to receiv in members and therfore consequently to cast them out agayn if they deserv it Which ground if they deny they in effect deny that ther can be any church without Elders contrary to the express scripture Act. 14.23 1. Cor. 12.28 Tit. 1.5 Yea or that ther can be any visible Christians without Elders for how can they be Christians without union with Christ And if men cannot be united with his members and body because ther wanteth Elders how should they be united with him the head 4. They have it proved a point of false doctrine by Mr Iohnson himsef to teach that the Church of Christ hath not alwayes power to receive in and to cast out by the keyes of the kingdom Answer to M. Iakob pag. 159.160 2. They secondly allege sundry examples grounds that it hath been doon by the Lord himself and by his officers c. This we never doubted of but a Church having officers may excōmunicate Though yet the proof for the Elders wil be excepted against by the Prelates and such like For th'examples of Abraham of Paul of Titus of Timothee and of the Preist judging a leper make rather in show for one Bishop then for a Church of Elders and so are alleged by Papists for the Prelacie The other scriptures doo none of them shew the Elders power to excōmunicate but to watch take heed reprove admonish c al which the Prelates grant to their inferiour Preists whom yet they wil not suffer to excommunicate with out the Bishop or his Official as these wil not the Church without an Eldership The examples of excommunicating by the Rulers of Israel I wil turn against them thus If the Magistrates and people of Israel might not onely punish civilly with death but also execute a spiritual censure of excommunication upon the consciences of evil doers though they had wanted ministers of the Temple and synagogues then a Christian magistrate and people may doo so now though they want ministers ecclesiastical And if the Church may excommunicate having a magistrate it may also do it wanting one seing the power of spiritual censure dependeth not upon the civil magistracie as the state of the Churches in the Apostles dayes sheweth 3 Thirdly they wil have us to consider how a people can chalenge the ministration of excommunication more then of the sacraments c. This we have considered and find that if the reason be good the ruling Elders may not excommunicate any more then minister the sacraments which whither they hold or no let them tel us in their next For they know wel the Prelates object these things against the ruling Elders as themselves doo now against the people 4. Fourthly they say they cannot find in scripture but when the church is caled the body of Christ or compared to a body howse city or kingdom it is spoken eyther of particular Churches having officers or of the catholik church in respect of Christ the head c. I answer it appeareth then plainly they have lost that which they had found and let them take heed least for not keeping it God deprive them of finding it any more But I wil help them if it may be by their own writing where this same author sayth A company of faithful people though considered a part by themselves they be privat men yet being gathered togither in the name of Christ and joyned togither in fellowship of his gospel they are a publick body a church a citie a kingdom and that of Jesus Christ who is present among them to guide bless and confirm what they doo on earth in his name and by his power So that like as in a city the citizens considered a part are commonly privat members yet jointly togither are the corporation and publick body of that town so is it also in the church of Christ whither it consist of moe or of fewer yea though they be but 2. or 3. so as they be joyned togither in the communion of the gospel and gathered togither in the name of Jesus Christ as before is sayd These things they have acknowledged though now it seemeth they have forgot them or which is worse doo dissemble them Vnto these I wil add th'Apostles testimonie concerning a howse Christ is the chief corner stone and Christians that come unto him as lively stones are made a spiritual howse an holy Preisthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices Men come unto Christ by beleef and are joyned unto him and one to another by mutual covenant The ministers of Christ are as builders of this howse by preaching the gospel laying first the foundation Christ then upon him Christian people Gods building But if as often cometh to pass the builders doo refuse yet the Lord without them putteth Christ for head of the corner and causeth the faithful to come unto him and maketh them his spiritual howse to dwel in them whose howse they continew to be not by having officers alway among them but by holding fast their confidence and rejoycing of hope unto the end Wherfore these men that can find no howse of God without Elders must prove that men can not come unto no● continew in Christ unless it be by ecclesiastical officers which they shal never be able to manifest or al may see how they are beguiled with errour that they can not find things so apparant and heretofore acknowledged by themselves Ther opinion is injurious not onely to Christians but to Christ himself whiles they wil not grant him being the corner stone the head the king and the faithful the living stones his mēbers and subjects to make a howse body or kingdom if the Elders want or refuse though he as is written walketh among his Churches and is with them al dayes to the worlds end 5. Fiftly they

himself wrote heretofore against M. Iakob J would know of yow sayth he who are so deep a clerk how Antichrists church and religion should justly be accounted a mysterie of iniquitie and truly be sayd to speak lyes in hypocrisie also privily to bring in damnable heresies and to have a shew of Godlynes if they did so absolutely and wholly depart from the faith and not onely from some points therof c. Fourthly they allege Rev. 18.4 Goe out of her my people c. which words they say imply the covenant of God continued among them I answer these very words are taken from Jer. 51.45 My people goe out of the midds of her where by my people the Church of Babylon is not meant but the Israelites Gods lost sheep scattred there upon the mountains and hills whom first the King of Ashur had devoured lastly Nebuchadnezar King of Babel had broken their bones having burned Ierusalem and the Temple with fyre broken down the citie walls imprisoned their King in Babylon captived the Princes people and caried the vessels of the Lords house into Babylon so that now Israel was without Temple without kingdom without politie or cōmon wealth of their own onely the Lord himself was a Sanctuarie or Temple to the faithful there dispersed and their holy vessels were caried into the Temple and treasurie of Nebuchadnezars God And these Israelites figuring Gods elect are caled out of Babylon which God would utterly destroy make desolate for ever And thus from Antichrists church which is Babylon Aegypt Sodom are Gods elect caled out a most evident proof that she is none of Gods church what soever she pretendeth any more than the idolatrous hethens whom she matcheth in filthines of whordoms and multitude of abominations Gods covenant of grace is not therfore with her at al for she is appointed to damnation but the elect that obey Gods voice caling them out of her them he wil receiv into covenant he wil be a Father unto them and they shal be his sonns and daughters as he hath promised Fiftly they add And so Jsrael is often caled the Lords people in the time of their Apostasie 2. King 9.6 13.23 2. Chron. 30.6 9. c· I answer they prove not the Question for first the Antichristian church is Babylon and out of her that is Babylon are Gods people caled Now to prove her Gods church they flee to Israel wheras the Gentiles were her true types as elswhere I have manifested though al the wickednes hypocrisie of Apostate Israel is also found in this Romish Babel 2. Neyther yet is their argument for Israel good to say they are caled the Lords people therfore they are his true church I deny the consequent For things are named in scripture sometime as they have been before though they be not so stil as Abigail is caled the wife of Nabal though he were then dead and she maried to David Solomon was begotten of Vriahs wife wheras she was then Davids so Iesus was in the howse of Simon the Leper so named because he had been a leper Thus Israel were caled Gods people for that he had been their first husband though in their apostasie they were not his people nor his wife Secondly they were so caled in respect of their profession that they would be so esteemed and named though in deed they were without the true God As ô thou that art named the howse of Jaakob c. but he that was yesterday my people is risen up for an enemye Thirdly they were caled Gods people in respect of their calling again unto him and his covenant afterward though for the present they were none of his as In that day J wil marrie thee Israel unto me for ever J wil even marry thee unto mee in faith and thou shalt know the Lord and J wil have pitty on her that was not pittied and wil say to them which were not my people thou art my people and they shal say thou art my God And thus the Gentiles were caled Christs sheep because they should after be brought into his fold Joh. 10 16. God had much people in Corinth a heathenish citie Act. 18.10 1. Cor. 12 2. and the Iewes to this day are Gods people beloved not for their present state which is cursed but for the promise that they shal hereafter be graffed agayn into Christ. Rom. 11 11 20.23 25 26. 9.4 with Jsa 59 20 21. Ezek. 34 23. 30. Hos. 3 5. As for this false church and state of Israel which compassed the Lord with lyes and with deceyt it also may shew vs how to vnderstand that Temple of God forespoken of wherin Antichrist should sitt as God For was there any true Temple any where but in Ierusalem yet when Israel forgat his maker he builded Temples These howsoever they pretended the God that brought them out of Aegypt yet were in deed built for the worship of Divils to whom they sacrificed and not to God Therfore the Lord by names distinguisheth these two churches caling Samaria Aholah that is Her own Tabernacle Ierusalem Aholibah that is My-tabernacle in her but if Gods tabernacle had been also in Samaria the difference had not been such The Idol temples then which Ieroboam and his successors builded were none of Gods temples otherweise then by lying pretenses much less then was Bels temple in Babylon Gods temple and if the figure were not his neyther can the figured thing be his I mean this spiritual Babylon the mother of whores the habitation of Divils For as Christ surmounteth in grace and holynes al types figures that went before of him so Antichrist surpasseth in wickednes al the types and figures of him Therfore the holy Ghost contenteth not himself with one name but caleth Antichrists church Babylon and Sodom Aegypt and where our Lord was crucified meaning hethenish Rome by whose policie Christ was kylled when he was delivered to Pilat the Roman deputie and to the Gentiles the Roman souldjers to be mocked scourged crucified So that look what idolatrie fornication persecution and wickednes hath been read of among those hethen peoples the same may be proved upon the synagogue of Antichrist though mixed with profession of the name of Christ the more easily to deceive as whensoever any wil bring them to be compared shal soon be manifested 6. But they proceed and plead that this clause partake not in her synns Rev. 18 4. sheweth what we are to leav and renounce namely their synns and not whatsoever is had or reteyned by them I answer first the text sayth Goe out of her meaning this whore this Babylon that is this Church and so from the golden cup in her hand as wel as frō the