Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	nourishment_n	virtue_n	wither_a	89	3	15.9397	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30895	An apology for the true Christian divinity, as the same is held forth, and preached by the people, called, in scorn, Quakers being a full explanation and vindication of their principles and doctrines, by many arguments, deduced from Scripture and right reason, and the testimony of famous authors, both ancient and modern, with a full answer to the strongest objections usually made against them, presented to the King / written and published in Latine, for the information of strangers, by Robert Barclay ; and now put into our own language, for the benefit of his country-men.; Theologiae verè Christianae apologia. English	Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690.	1678 (1678)	Wing B721; ESTC R1740	415,337	436

together increaseth with the increase of God Col. 2.19 But can such members such a gathering as we have demonstrated that Church and Members to be among whom they alledge their pretended authority to have been preserved and through which they derive their call can such I say be the body of Christ or members thereof or is Christ the head of such a corrupt dead dark abominable stinking carcase If so then might we not as well affirm against the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 That righteousness hath fellowship with unrighteousness that Light hath communion with Darkness that Christ hath concord with Belial that a Believer hath part with an Infidel and that the Temple of God hath agreement with Idols Moreover no man is called the Temple of God nor of the Holy Ghost but as his vessel is purified and so he fitted and prepared for God to dwell in and many thus fitted by Christ become his body in and among whom he dwells and walks according as it is written I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people It is therefore that we may become the Temple of Christ and people of God that the Apostle in the following verse exhorts saying out of the Prophet Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty But to what purpose all this exhortation and why should we separate from the unclean if a meer outward profession and name be enough to make the true Church and if the unclean and polluted were both the Church and lawful successors of the Apostles inheriting their authority and transmitting it to others Yea how can the Church be the Kingdom of the Son of God as contrary distinguished from the Kingdom and Power of darkness and what need yea what possibility of being translated out of the one into the other if those that make up the Kingdom and Power of darkness be real members of the true Church of Christ and not simple members only but the very Pastors and Teachers of it But how do they increase in the increase of God and receive Spiritual nourishment from Christ the Head that are enemies of him in their hearts by wicked works and openly go into perdition Verily as no metaphysical and nice distinctions that though they were practically as to their own private states enemies to God and Christ and so servants of Satan yet they were by vertue of their office members and ministers of the Church and so able to transmit the succession I say as such invented and frivolous distinctions will not please the Lord God neither will he be deluded by such nor make up the glorious body of his Church with such meer out-side hypocritical shews nor be beholden to such painted sepulchres for to be members of his body which is sound pure and undefiled and therefore he needs not such false and corrupt members to make up the defects of it so neither will such distinctions satisfie truly tender and Christian Consciences especially considering the Apostle is so far from desiring us to regard that as that we are expresly commanded to turn away from such as have a form of godliness but deny the power of it For we may well object against these as the poor man did against the proud Prelate that went about to cover his vain and unchristian-like sumptuousness by distinguishing that it was not as Bishop but as Prince he had all that splendor To which the poor rustick wisely is said to have answered When the Prince goeth to Hell what shall become of the Prelate And indeed this were to suppose the body of Christ to be defective and that to fill up these defective places he puts counterfeit and dead stuff instead of real living members like such as lose their eyes arms or legs make counterfeit ones of timber or glass instead of them But we cannot think so of Christ neither can we believe for the reasons above adduced that either we are to account or that Christ doth account any man or men a whit the more members of his body because though they be really wicked they hypocritically and deceitfully cloath themselves with his Name pretended to it for this is contrary to his own doctrine where he saith expresly Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6 c. that he is the Vine and his Disciples are the Branches that except they abide in him they cannot bear fruit and if they be unfruitful they shall be cast forth as a branch and wither Now I suppose these cut and withered branches are no more true branches nor members of the Vine they can draw no more sap nor nourishment from it after that they are cut off and so have no more vertue sap nor life What have they then to boast or glory of any authority seeing they want that life vertue and nourishment from which all authority comes So such members of Christ as are become dead to him through unrighteousness and so derive no more vertue nor life from him are cut off by their sins and wither and have no more any true or real authority and their boasting of any is but an aggravation of their iniquity by hypocrisie and deceit But further would not this make Christ's body a meer shadow and phantam Yea would it not make him the head of a lifeless rotten stinking carcase having only some little outward false shew while inwardly full of rottenness and dirt and what a monster would these men make of Christ's body by assigning it real pure living quick Head full of vertue and life and yet tied to such a dead lifeless body as we have already described these members to be which they alledge to have been the Church of Christ. Again the members of the Church of Christ are specified by this definition to wit as being the sanctified in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 1.2 But this notion of succession supposeth not only some unsanctified members to be of the Church of Christ but even the whole to consist of unsanctified members yea that such as were professed Necromancers and open servants of Satan were the true successors of the Apostles and in whom the Apostolick authority resided these being the vessels through whom this Succession is transmitted though many of them as all Protestants and also some Papists confess attained these offices in the so called Church not only by such means as Simon Magus sought it but by much worse even by witchcraft murther traditions money and treachery which Platina himself confesseth of divers Bishops of Rome § XI But such as object not this succession of the Church which yet most Protestants begin now to do distinguish in this matter affirming that in a great apostacy such as was that of the Church of Rome God may raise up some

raise up and move among them by the inward immediate operation of his own Spirit Ministers and Teachers to instruct and teach and watch over them who being thus called are manifest in the hearts of their Brethren and their call is thus verified in them who by the feeling of that life and power that passeth through them being inwardly builded up by them dayly in the most holy Faith become the Seals of their Apostleship and this is answerable to another saying of the same Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christs speaking in me which to you-wards is not weak but is mighty in you So this is that which gives a true substantial Call and title to a Minister whereby he is a real successor of the vertue life and power that was in the Apostles and not of the bare name and to such Ministers we think the outward Ceremony of Ordination or laying on of Hands not necessary neither can we see the use of it seeing our adversaries who use it acknowledge that the vertue and power of communicating the Holy Ghost by it is ceased among them And is it not then foolish and ridiculous for them by an apish imitation to keep up the shadow where the substance is wanting And may not they by the same rule where they see blind and lame men in imitation of Christ and his Apostles bid them see and walk yea is it not in them a mocking of God and men to put on their hands and bid men receive the Holy Ghost while they believe the thing impossible and confess that that Ceremony hath no real effect Having thus far spoken of the Call I shall proceed next to treat of the qualifications and work of a true Minister § XV. As I have placed the true call of a Minister in the motion of this Holy Spirit so is the power Life and vertue thereof and the pure Grace of God that comes therefrom the chief and most necessary qualification without which he can no ways perform his duty neither acceptably to God nor beneficially to men Our adversaries in this case affirm that three things go to the making up of a Minister viz. 1. Natural parts that he be not a fool 2. Acquired Parts that he be learned in the Languages in Philosophy and School-Divinity 3. The Grace of God The two first they reckon necessary to the being of a Minister so as a man cannot be one without them The third they say goeth to the well-being of one but not to the being so that a man may truly be a lawful Minister without it and ought to be heard and received as such But we supposing a natural capacity that one be not an idiot judge the grace of God indispensably necessary to the very being of a Minister as that without which any can neither be a true nor lawful nor good Minister As for letter-learning we judge it not so much necessary to the well-being of one though accidentally sometimes in certain respects it may concur but more frequently it is hurtful than helpful as appeared in the example of Taulerus who being a learned man and who could make an eloquent preaching needed nevertheless to be instructed in the way of the Lord by a poor Laick I shall first speak of the necessity of Grace and then proceed to say something of that Literature which they judge so needful First then as we said in the Call so may we much more here If the Grace of God be a necessary qualification to make one a true Christian it must be a qualification much more necessary to constitute a true Minister of Christianity That Grace is necessary to make up a true Christian I think will not be questioned since it is by Grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 it is the Grace of God that teacheth us to deny ungodliness and the lusts of this world and to live godlily and righteously Tit. 2.11 yea Christ saith expresly That without him we can do nothing Joh. 15.5 and the way whereby Christ helpeth assisteth and worketh with us is by his Grace Hence saith to Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee A Christian without Grace is indeed no Christian but an hypocrite and a false pretender Then I say If Grace be necessary to a private Christian far more to a teacher among Christians who must be as a Father and Instructor of others seeing this dignity is bestowed upon such as have attained a greater measure than their Brethren Even Nature it self may teach us that there is more required in a Teacher than in those that are taught and that the Master must be above and before the Scholar in that Art or Science which he teacheth others Since then Christianity cannot be truly enjoyed neither any man denominated a Christian without the true Grace of God therefore neither can any man be a true nor lawful teacher of Christianity without it Secondly No man can be a Minister of the Church of Christ Arg. which is his Body unless he be a member of the Body and receive of the vertue and life of the Head But he that hath not true Grace can neither be a member of the Body neither receive of that life and nourishment which comes from the Head Therefore far less can he be a Minister to edifie the Body That he cannot be a Minister who is not a Member is evident because who is not a member is shut out and cut off and hath no place in the Body whereas the Ministers are counted among the most eminent Members of the Body But no man can be a member unless he receive of the vertue life and nourishment of the Head For the members that receive not this life and nourishment decay and wither and then are cut off And that every true member doth thus receive nourishment and life from the Head the Apostle expresly affirmeth Eph. 4.16 From whom the whole body being fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part makes increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love Now this that thus is communicated and which thus uniteth the whole is no other than the Grace of God and therefore the Apostle in the same chapter ver 7. But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ and v. 11. he sheweth how that by this Grace and Gift both Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers are given for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the Body of Christ. And certainly then no man destitute of Grace is fit for this work seeing that all that Christ gives are so qualified and these that are not so qualified are not given nor sent of Christ are not to be heard nor received nor acknowledged as Ministers of the Gospel because his sheep neither ought nor will hear the voice of a stranger This is also clear from 1 Cor. 12.