Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	3,965	5	8.0680	4	false

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

ΕΠΙΔΙΩΡΘΟΣΙΣ 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 TIT. 1.5 For this cause left I thee at Crete that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee LONDON Printed by R. W. for Nathaniel Ekins at the Gun in Pauls Church-yard and for Stephen Lincoln in Leicester 1659. To all that wish well to SION Brethren IT being no less necessary to circumstantiate than it is to substantiate our Duty As the Word of God is assistant to us in the one so the works of God are in the other By vertue of this Constellation many have discovered most glorious things How it hath illuminated our English Orb is obvious to every eye It is long since by this means some saw that it was high time for Reformation to be in fashion And the spirits of Gods people have been working this way many a year but the largest contributions towards this work have issued out of the Treasury of those laborious Bees that have returned richly laden from the Wars These have laid us a right foundation and shewed us the Pattern of a compleat Superstructure It s our Interest to build accordingly though many do not Here 's my Mite which I must confess is but very little more than a Breviat of other mens voluminous Essaies but paradventure it may be accepted if not blessed by the Lord and not prejudicial if not beneficial unto you It aims if heart deceive not at his Glory and your good My desire is that it may hit the white If moreover it be as sharp arrows in the heart of the Kings enemies I intreat them not to be offended for corruption had better be let out than gangrenate No more at present but that I am An unworthy servant of Christs for your sakes THOMAS BOYER Επιδιορθωσις OR A modest Enquiry into the Nature and State of Churches in Order to their Through-Reformation Qu. WHat condition is England visibly in Resp England is visibly in a state of Lukewarmness She is neither hot nor cold She so partakes of both that she cannot be said to be either She is both Gradu remisso and neither Gradu intenso We are a little Christian and a little Heathen or worse a little Protestant and a little Papist or Mahometan Our hearts are stil divided we give God something and our lusts something We fear the Lord and serve our Idols so that our fear of God is equivalent to none at all We are still like Redwald King of the East Saxons the first Prince of this Nation that was baptized In the same place we worship God and set up an Altar Our spirits lie like that Haven Acts 27.12 towards the Southwest and Northwest two opposite points We are half good half bad or Mungrels and Hermaphrodites in Religion There is so much of Luke-warmness in the Nation and almost in every Town and Family if ex ungue leonem that it may thence receive its denomination The spirit of England is not so much a spirit of Opposition to as of Obstruction of the work of Reformation through the deadness unweldiness thereof It s grown so stiff that its much ado to get it go any further on in the work though its pitty hot love should be so soon and sadly cold but usually men when they have compassed their own ends are willing to give themselves a Quietus est and a Writ of ease and to have the infinite Mercies of God totally unanswered and his Glory to himself to vindicate It would rejoyce all our hearts to see any of us mend our pace in Religion and make it appear that we are not guilty of this sinfull distemper It would speak fair for our admission into Churchship in the quality of adult members of the visible Church of Christ Quest Whether is Lukewarmness a state to be rested in or no Resp Lukewarmness is not a state to be rested in Rat. 1. For 1. To halt between two opinions is a very unreasonable thing No Apology can be made for it at the last day 1 Reg. 18.21 2. To be Lukewarm is opposite to Christs express command Rev. 3.19 3. A divided heart is a barren and an empty heart Hos 10.1 2. 4. Professors of a divided and lukewarm temper are severely threatned by God both in the Old and New Testament Hos 10.2 Rev. 3.16 5. Men of that frame can have no Communion with God in Church-Ordinances 1 Cor. 10.21 22. 6. Such a state is opposite to exactness in Religion Through-Reformation and giving up our selves wholly to God and his Truth 7. A Lukewarm-heart cannot let out it self holily to any thing in the world Divided affections cannot run out upon any thing in subordination to the Glory of God nor aim singly at the honor of Christ c. Quest What is England to do in this Condition Resp It s Englands duty in this condition to lay aside all carnal considerations and in an orderly Scriptural way to attempt a Through-Reformation Personal Civil and Ecclesiastical For a divine Correspondency is the best Policy Quest What is Reformation Resp Reformation in the general is a working up of a thing to its regular state and condition or to the very mind of the Owner to what he would have it in his best conception to be Leu. 26.23 Isa 1.25 26 27. Amos 9.11 Mal. 3.2 3. Acts 1.5.16 2 Tim. 3.16 Titus 1.5 Heb 9.10 Quest What is Personal Reformation Resp Personal Reformation is the working up of a person to the regular state of a Reformed Saint Quest What is Civil Reformation Resp Civil Reformation is the working up of a people to the regular state of a Common-wealth Quest What is Ecclesiastical Reformation Resp Ecclesiastical Reformation is the working up of Reformed Saints to the regular state of a Reformed Church Quest What is a Church Resp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Church amongst the ancient Greeks especially the Athenians from whom it is taken denoted three things 1. And most properly a Civil Society in Court or a company of great ones gathered together by a lawfull Authority or the Command of the Supream Magistrate for a Politique end or the good of the Common-wealth Act. 19.39 thus a Parliament or Councel of State is a Church 2. It denotes a Company of people called and met together by whom and for what cause soever though the Gatherer have no Authority and the gathered as little knowledge c. Act. 19.32 Thus a company of the most covetous and ignorant Mechanicks are a Church 3. It signifies a Company met together for wicked ends Act. 19.40 thus a company of Riotors are a Church Resp 2. Secondly During the Raign of Anti-Christ four things have been abusively called a Church 1. A Company of people joyned together by the Power of Anti-Christ to give obedience to his Traditions