Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	faith_n	hold_v	3,740	5	6.0925	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77507	The sacred and soveraigne church-remedie: or, The primitive and apostolicall way of composing ecclesiasticall differences, and establishing the churches of Christ. Wherein the authority and utility of lawfull councels and synods is asserted and vindicated, and divers of the sad controversies of the times modestly debated; first preached in the parish church of great Yarmouth, and now published for a preservative against the poyson of anti-synodall suggestions, and a preparative to the receiving of what mercy God shall please to convey unto his Church in this kingdome, through the hands of the present reverend Assembly of Divines. / By John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing B4725; Thomason E269_27; ESTC R212361	64,670	94

can be nothing more prejudiciall to the gr●wth of them and of religion in them Their union settlement establishment maketh much for the encrease of both Applic. And doth it so Then let every of us be put in minde to seek this great blessing for the Church or Churches wherein we live Taking heed of being any wayes accessory to the unsetling hereof whether by hatching or brooding any new opinions or setting up any new wayes which have not cleare light and warrant from the word In these cases let that of the Apostle take place with us Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe Hast thou a strong apprehension and firm perswasion touching something which is not so fully and clearly revealed in Scripture as that others may see it have this faith to thy selfe enjoy thine own opinion and conscience but let it not break forth to the offence and scandall of others much lesse to the trouble and disquietment of the Church the settlement whereof ought to be exceeding precious in our eyes And so let it be Every of us seek it Seek it by Prayer Ye that are the Lords Remembrancers keep not silence give him no rest untill he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Seek it by all holy endeavours every one in our places private persons in theirs and publike persons in theirs all of us willingly embracing and carefully improving what ever advantages or opportunities God shall put into any of our hands for the effecting the furthering of so great so good a work So doth the Apostle here in the Text He receiveth the Decrees from the Councell and receiving them delivereth them whereever he commeth And what was his aime therein why that the Churches might be setled might be established Quest But what establishment was it that Paul here principally eyed and looked at A. The next word resolves it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} So were the Churches established in Faith i. e. in the Doctrine of Faith the true Religion of God So the word is frequently used in Scripture Faith put for the whole Religion of God Calvin gives a reason for it viz. because Faith in Christ is the foundation and ground-work of all And this it was that Pauls eye was here mainly upon not so much the setling of an externall Order in the Churches This indeed he endeavoured but as Calvin saith of it this was but veluti parergon acc●ss●●ium a thing which he undertook by the by as being conducible and subservient to his maine design which was the Establishment of the Churches in the Faith As for Externall Order indeed it is a thing of great concernment to the Churches without which they will never be throughly established Thence is it the Prophet Esay puts these two together Isa. 9. 7. To Order and to establish speaking of the Church But the Kingdome of God is above it Regnum Dei externo ordine altius est ac praestantius The Kingdom of God saith Calvin which con●isteth in the doctrine and practice o Faith and Holinesse it is a thing of a more transcendent and excellent nature then externall Order is Superioregradu loca●ur religio pietas So he goeth on Religion and true piety are to be looked on as things in a higher sphear to be far preferred before Order Discipline Reason And great Reason they should be so in as much as the one maketh only for the bene esse the other for the esse the one for the well-being the other for the being of the Church There may be a Church an Ecclesiasticall Church I and an Integrall one too without Order but not without Faith the Doctrine and Profession of the Faith wherein lyeth the Essentiall State of a Church Not to dwell upon it Applic. Learne we hence how to look upon these two faith and order viz. upon the one as the Mistresse the other as the hand-maid so they are and so let us account of them giving to each that respect which is due unto them not preferring the hand-maid before the Mistrisse not standing so much upon Order as that in the mean time we should seem to neglect the faith True it is both are to be stood upon and contended for but not with a like heate As for the faith we have an expresse warrant for that That yee contend earnestly for the faith Jud. 3. I do not finde the like for Order However take heed lest our over-eager contestations about the one which is but the accessory prove prejudiciall and detrimentall to the other which is the Principall Let our first and maine care be for the faith so was Pauls here in the Text he delivereth these Decrees for the regulating of the Churches in these externall observances wherefore why that they might be established in the faith this was the pearle in his eye the main thing which he aimed at The other was only in order in a way of subserviency unto this A pattern in speciall to the Ministers of the Gospell shewing them what should be their maine designe in the course of their Ministery viz. to propagate the faith to set up the true Religion of God true piety and godlinesse faith and holinesse in the hearts and lives of their people As for matters of order having just occasion they may and ought to deale with them that so they may approve themselves faithfull Stewards not detayning any part of the truth not s●unning to declare unto their people the whole Councell of God as Paul saith of himself Act. 20. But their maine and principall worke should be the establishing of the Churches in the faith this is the maine end of our Ministery so saith Paul of his Apostleship Rom. 1. 5. We have received grace and Apostleship i. e. the grace or gift of Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all Nations i. e. that by his Ministery the Gentiles might be brought to imbrace the faith the Doctrine of the Gospell The best service that the Ministers of Christ can do for their Lord and Master hereby is his name exalted hereby is his Scepter and Kingdome advanced hereby is he set up●n the Throne It is a mistake but too common in the times to think that the Kingdome of Christ should consist either wholly or chiefly in the Externall Politie and Government of the Church No our Saviour himself Lack 17. teacheth the Pharisees to entertaine higher thoughts and more sublime conceptions touching his Kingdome telling them first that the Kingdome of God commeth not with observation vers. 20. i. e. saith Beza it a ut observari possit so as it may be observed and taken notice of by any outward garbe that it hath or as others it doth not consist in externall observation Then that it is aliquid intus The Kingdome of God is within you i. e. as it is commonly expounded in your hearts and souls which

exposition whether it be proper for that place or no I will not now contend But this I am sure to be a truth the Kingdome of God and of Christ is chiefly spirituall and inward a Government exercised in the hearts and souls of men where Christ setteth up his throne his scepter ruling there by his word and spirit subduing rebellious lusts bringing them under and keeping them under bringing every thought into obedience to the obedience of faith As for the externall Order and Discipline of the Church if it do belong properly to the Kingly Office of Christ yet it is one of the least parts of it So let Ministers And so let the people look upon is not spending all or the chief of their time about matters of Church-government Discipline studying this discoursing of nothing but this as if this were the Cardinall businesse the maine hinge upon which all Religion turned nor yet so overzealously affecting this that for want of what herein they would have they should renounce Church-Communion and distaste all other the Ordinances of God even those soul-saving Ordinances wherein the Doctrine of faith is held forth with power and efficacy Word and Sacraments No let your maine care my brethren be for the faith the Gospell of life and salvation that you may established in that growing up in that Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ saith St. Peter in the speculative and experimentall knowledge of Jesus Christ This is the knowledge which must and wilestablish you be yee therefore established in it that you may be as the same Apostle exhorts {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} steadfast in the faith not like children a● St. Paul pr●sseth i● upon his Ephesians tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse of them which lye in waite to deceive Thus is it with multitudes of well meaning souls at this day who being unstable ungrounded in the faith are carried away some with the Anabaptist others with the Antinomian a third with the F●●ilist c. That it may not be so with us labour we to be confirmed and established in the faith which we have received growing up in it Observ. This we are to do at all times but specially then when God affordeth us more speciall means of growth and establishment when God as it were soliciteth us hereunto by the labours and endeavours of his servants It is an observation hinted to me by Master Calvin upon the words upon Paul and Silas comming to the Churches and bestowing their labours upon them Now were they established in the faith where means of confirmation are wanting there weaknesse and unsetlednesse are the more pardonable rather to be pittyed then censured but where God doth send his servants able faithfull instruments who do put forth themselves in the use of all possible endeavours for the setling and establishing of a people in the faith here God expecteth from them growth and increase answerable Applic. Take this truth home to your selves and make Application of it as you shall see occasion I shall 〈…〉 to the second particular the second fruit of the Apostles ind●avo●●s and that is the Churches Augmentation And so were the Churches increased in number daily In 〈◊〉 it may be understood two waies with reference either to Persons 〈◊〉 Churches the number of persons was increased or the number of Churches was increased Each a good hearing so is the latter To hear that the number of Churches is increased But understand it rightly viz. If this increase be by way of addition not of division the latter is of sad consequence To heare of Churches multiplyed after the same manner as the leaves and fishes in the Gospell are said to have been 〈◊〉 frangendum multiplyed by breaking by dividing one Church broken into many ●nd that through Schismes and Divisions this is a sad multiplication The Lord keep his Churches from such increases True it is where a Church is grown over numerous or some of the members of it are upon occasion to be transplanted in this case Ed●●●r● Co●●ni●m to 〈◊〉 forth a Colonie a Congregation one or more to plant elsewhere as probably it was in the Church of Jerusalem it may be both war●antable and necessary But to multiply Churches by breakings by divisions this I say is a sad multiplication But having only touched this I leave it leave it to the Donatist and Separatist the first and last Authors of it The Text as I conceive confines me to the former They were increased in number i. e. the Churches already planted and constituted they were increased in number of members in number of persons joyning themselves to their Communion So the originall carries it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Exuberabant saith Beza Abundabant saith the vulgar they abounded in number like a tree which putteth forth young shootes and branches abundantly So was it with the Churches now even as it was with the Church of Jerusalem before the Church of the believing Jewes to which God made daily new additions and those some of them wonderfull ones The Lord added to the Church daily such a● should be saved Act. 2. The number of the Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly Acts 6. So was it now with the Churches of the Gentiles Upon Pauls comming to them they also were multiplyed and increased in number daily Observ. A good and a blessed hearing to heare of such a m●ltiplication such an increase It was the first blessing which God pronounced upon mankinde Cres●ite 〈◊〉 Increase and multiply a barren wombe in it self is a curse a fruitfull one a blessing and so is it with a barren and a fruitfull Church Where God giveth to a Church as the Prophet threatens that he would do to Israel a miscarrying or barren ●ombe and dry breasts so as there is no increase this is a sad and omino●● judgement whereas on the other hand to see the Churches fruitfull like the Sheep in the Ganticles whereof every one is said to beare twins and none to be barren amongst them all bringing forth children unto God encreasing in number daily it is one of the greatest blessings that Earth can receive from Heaven Applic. And is it so why then let all of us do what in us lyeth to further this increase taking heed of being any occasions of bl●dering it whether by our scandalls or divisions both which oft times cause the Churches wombe to miscarry by bringing an evill report upon the good waies of God discouraging others from adventuring upon them who it may be had some eye towards them Taking heed of this of being any waies accessary to the Churches barrennesse do what we may to further her increase every one in our places Minister● in their places endeavouring as spirituall fathers to beget sons and

fashion it is a gracefull prospect So is it in the Churches To see them not onely worshipping the same God but worshipping him after the same manner all worshipping before one Altvr as Hezekiah commanded all Judah and Jerusalem to doe And that not onely enjoyning the same Ordinances for substance but as much as may be the same administrations for circumstance certainly there is a beauty in this uniformity It was not for nothing that the ten bases in the temple the supporters to the great lavatorie the molten Sea were all alike all of them had one measure and one casting and one size This made them the more comly And so is it with the Ordinances of God when they are as it were cast into the same mould dispenced after the same manner it addeth an externall grace and beauty to them To these two I might yet adde two more and I shall not need to go far to seek for them I finde them both in the close of the Text This maketh much for the establishment and augmentation of the Churches 3. For their establishment And so were the Churches established viz. by and through the means of that unity and uniformity which were procured by the making and delivering of these Decrees 4. For their augmentation and increase So were the Churches increased A fruit saith Chrysostome cited by Lorinus upon the Text of Pauls condescention and compliance in circumcizing Timothy of which you reade in the verses foregoing This did he for the preserving of unity and concord to which end also he delivered these Decrees And behold the issue and fruit of both And so were the Churches increased Concordia res parvae Things small in their beginnings by concord and agreement rise oft-times to an envied height So it is with States and so it is with Churches And is it so why then let not any of us be backward or unwilling with what may be so advantagious to the Churches of God in these Kingdoms Surely it is not without reason that other Churches have had such an eye hereupon The Churches in France Low-Countries elsewhere none more then the Churches in New-England where we may see all the Churches within one and the same jurisdiction precisely put into the same posture the same way as for Doctrine and Worship so for Discipline and Government O let it be the joynt desire and endeavour of us and of all the Lords people amongst us that it may be so with the Churches of God in this and if it may be in the neighbour Kingdoms To set on this motion let me take up and make use of a double motive The former taken from the promise of God Gods promises are or ought to be our Directions and Encouragements shewing us both what we are to seek and what successe we may expect in seeking Now this is one thing amongst many which God hath promised to his people to his Churches under the Gospell a branch of the New-covenant that he will give them one heart and one way So you have it Jer. 32. 39. I will give them one Heart and one Way i. e. as the Geneva Glosse explains it one Consent and one Religion or Vnity and Vniformity Unity in Judgements and Affections I will give them one Heart Uniformity in Worship and haply in Discipline I will give them one way This promise for my own part I look upon as not yet having had the full accomplishment Certainly both these will God doe for his Church and that not only in the triumphant state of it in Heaven where there is and ever shall be a perfect Vnity and a perfect Vniformity No difference in Judgement no jar in Affections there Luther and Zwinglius agree well enough no difference in worship or practice All worship the same God after the same manner Nothing but a perfect harmonie but also in the militant or rather triumphant state of it upon earth Such a state I verily beleeve there shall be when the Church shall triumph over her conquered enemies G●g and Magog And then shall there be a blessed harmony amongst the people of God themselves Then shall the wolfe dwell with the lambe and the leopard lye downe with the kid c. Christians though naturally of different tempers and dispositions yet their spirits shall close together There shall be no more such differences as now there are They shall think and speak one and the same thing there shall be but one lip and they shall walk in the same way As for those odious and opprobrious nicknames which have been and yet are not without some unkinde and unchristian heat cast in the faces one of another by such as professe the Name of Christ they shall then be taken away and forgotten There shall be no more mention of those differing and distinguishing titles whereby the severall opinions or wayes of the Churches are notified and signified unto us as of Lutheran Calvinian Diocesan Presbyterian Classicall Congregationall Independent c. Certainly there is a grave a digging for all these wherein they shall be buried in everlasting forgetfulnesse never to rise again which shall be after the destruction of Antichrist Then shall there be a sweet and heavenly consort and harmony amongst those who have overcome the beast They shall then all sing the same song even the song of Moses and song of the Lamb as you have it Rev. 15. 3. O blessed times which methinks all the Lords people should look at in some measure as Abraham is said to have done at the day of Christ the day of his Incarnation John 8. with desire and exultation or as the creatures are said to look at the time when the sons of God shall be manifested which some refer to the times I am now speaking of with an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} an earnest expectation and looking out for earnestly desiring and longing to see what we beleeve that if it be the will of God we may yet reap some of the first fruits of the accomplishment of this promise even in our dayes Hereunto let all of us be stirred up to contribute as our prayers so our joint endeavours for the effecting of this great work this blessed unity and uniformity amongst the Churches particularly and specially among the Churches of God in this and the neighbour Kingdoms To which let this be a second motive we are bound by a speciall ingagement viz. by the late solemne Nationall Vow and Covenant wherein amongst other things we have promised this for one viz. to endeavour the bringing of all the Churches in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion confession of faith forme of Church-Government c. This is our Vow a solemn Vow from the obligation whereof no power under Heaven can absolve and discharge us In the feare of God then remember our Vow and set our selves to pay it In the meane time

been so long a time enquiring after his pleasure which being made known unto us resolve in what we may to submit and obey So did the Churches here to whom Paul and Sylas delivered these Decrees they delivered them to be kept by them and so they were For as it followeth in the next words And so were the Churches established viz. upon the delivering and observing of these Decrees Quest But what then are we to shew the like respect to all Ecclesiasticall Decrees now as the Churches did to these Answ. I answer as before where they are like unto these pious and profitable Ordinances grounded upon the Word immediately or mediately not imposed upon conscience not enjoying any thing as necessary not obtruding any thing as a part or meanes of worship but what the Word hath made so now they challenge a like respect as these Decrees did Quest But what then must we yeeld a blinde obedience submitting without discussing So it seemeth the Churches here did Answ. Neither so nor so as for the Churches they indeed received these Decrees and kept them accordingly as they were delivered But to imagine that either the Apostle in delivering or they in receiving required or yeelded a blinde obedience is fouly injurious to both Surely if Pauls Doctrine might be examined as it was by the Bereans and they highly commended for it much more might these Decrees be scanned by the Churches to whom they were brought they being not the immediate issues of an extraordinary inspiration as the other was as I have already shewn you and so may it and ought it to be with all Decrees of the like nature To think of yeelding a blinde obedience to them were as great a wrong and injury to them as to our selves Decrees being such as they ought to be they ever bring light with them whereby they may be discerned and discovered to be as they are And by this light Christians both may and ought to judge of them viz. judicio discretionis so it be done modestly and humbly bringing them to the Touch-stone to the Rule the rule of the Word and the rule of rectified and sanctified Reason This is the old way and it is an everlasting way To the Law an to the Testimony if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Shall we finde any Decrees of men to be uche not agreeable to the Word to the particular or generall rules of it but clearly contrary to it now the case is ruled It is better and safer to obey God then men Better now modestly and quietly not to obey men then presumptuously and knowingly to disobey God But finding them to be such as are not contrary to this word but consonant thereunto now look upon our pattern and doe likewise As they went through the Cities they delivered them the Decrees for to keep which accordingly they did So much appeares as I told you from the event and successe of this undertaking which is the fifth and last particular in the Text to which I now hasten VERSE 5. And so were the Churches established in the faith and increased in number daily SEE here the successe of this first Councell so managed so prosecuted as you have heard Successelesse it was not All Councells then are not so If any of them at any time prove so let it not be imputed to the Ordinance but to some accidentall personall miscarriage Otherwise the Ordinance it selfe is very promising very usefull and hopefull very profitable and advantagious to the Church So was this first Councell this Pattern of Councells the successe and event whereof as the Text informes us was double Hereupon there accrued unto the Churches a double blessing The one of Confirmation the other of Augmentation Confirmation they were established in the faith Augmentation they were increased in number daily Upon these two I shall look two wayes first severally and simply then joyntly and relatively viz. as they both stand in a joynt reference to that first particle in the verse So So were the Churches established and so were the Churches increased c. A word of each Beginning with the former the Churches Confirmation And so were the Churches established in the faith They were established and they were established in the faith so I break them in two 1. They were established {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} confirmabontur they were confirmed setled Setling presupposeth an unsetling And surely such was the state of these Churches before Paul brought these Decrees unto them they were unsetled shaken Behold the proper fruit of Divisions and Dissensions where they take place they unsettle they shake unsettle a State unsettle a Church shake both This David found true by experience in his Kingdome Heale the breaches thereof for it shaketh Psal. 60. Both Church and State were unsetled by reason of those Civill broyles those home-bred divisions in his Kingdome And I shall not need to tell you that wee have found the like in this Kingdome Was ever State was ever Church more unsetled then ours at this day And whence is this why this have our home-bred divisions dissensions done To hold to the Text the unsetling of the Church This will Divisions doe Divisions in judgement I and those sometimes sleight ones Such were at least some of those which had broke in upon these Churches sleight differences one would think whether they should eat such or such meates blood things strangled c. yet even these had an influence upon the Churches for the unsetling of them Appl. Let not sleight differences then be sleighted of us much lesse pertinaciously and obstinately maintained by us But do what we may all of us for the healing for the composing even of them So long as these continue and break forth there is little hope of the Churches establishment which is a thing that all the Lords people ought seriously both to desire and endeavour let that be a second Observation Church-establishment is a thing much to be desired and sought after It is the Lords promise to his Church under the Gospel Is 2. repeated Mic. 4. The mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountains A blessing much to be desired for all particular Churches that they may be established setled in a quiet and steady way put into a solid and constant frame and temper as the word in the Text signifieth Such a frame and temper I shall not need to tell you what a blessing it is in the naturall body it is no lesse in the mysticall Reas. Not to use many Arguments and Reasons about it I finde one insinuated in the text Church-confirmation maketh much for Church-augmentation Mark the connexion of these two together So were the Churches established and increased The latter depends much upon the former Church-encrease upon Church-establishment where Church●s are divided distracted unsetled there