Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	call_v	place_n	2,419	5	4.2706	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42884	A true and lively character of a right communicating church-member briefely laid down in eighteen severall arguments: proving an absolute necessity of separating, not only, from all that are openly prophane, but from such also, who have not some visible, that is to say, probable worke of the sanctifying spirit upon them. By Iohn Gobert Master of Arts, and minister of the Gospel.	Gobert, John.	1650 (1650)	Wing G904B; ESTC R217419	24,327	70

can follow him ergo to gather a Church of such as are not visible Saints is not lawfull The major proposition is apparent because wee are bound to become followers of him as deare children Ephes 5. 1. Paul that great Archi●●ct of the Churches of the Gentiles would have the Corinthians follow him as he followed Christ 1 Cor. 1. 11. And he h●th l●ft us an example that we should follow his steps 1 P●t 2 21. And in this as in other practices for two causes First 'T is the duty of such as are Church-gatherers to separate the pretious from the vile Secondly Because the Apostles did in this particular work exactly follow Christs example 1 P●t 2. 5. 1 Cor. 1 2 9. 2 Cor. 6. 15 16. Acts 2. 41 42. If it be excepted against in answer to the major proposition that 't is not f●ll and sufficient that Christs example is not though imitable yet in this cause at all binding the Churches in gathering their members and the reason they will alledge is that so Prelacy and Presbytery may come in for a jus d●vinum in matter of Church-government for that they also can fetch examples from the Scripture to warrant their cause against all opponents to which is againe replyed negando wee deny that there is any such example as this in all the Scripture to warrant a jus divinum either for Presbytery or Prelacy because we are to distinguish betweene Christs a●● the Apostles examples such as may be called occasion all arising onely from circumstance of time perfers and places not simply binding but are to the present Church as arbitrary and prudentiall wayes to use and refuse as they see cause and examples of this kinde are nothing materiall for a jus divinum though they be derived from Scripture A second sort of examples are such as may be called morall such as hold forth duties and graces which ought to be in Christians of this nature is the subject matter we now speak of and are binding to all who desire to keepe faith and a good conscience so that the major prop●si●ion will stand valid against all opposers For the proofe of the minor we need goe no further then to Christs 12. Apostles an exact pattern of all Churches which ought to be under the New Testament when all were Saints to the eye of others J●das not once suspected by any of the eleven Secondly We argue from the severall ends of gathering Churches which are 1. That God may be glorified in his Saints 2. That such as be gathered may be further edified and built up 3. That others may be daily added to the Churches alread gathered that an unqualified Church gathering of such as have been hitherto for the most part in this Nation is repugnant to all these ends will be abundantly proved And first an argument in generall viz. as a gatherig of Church-members not visibly holy is repugnant to all these ends thus Whatsoever is opposite and repugnant to those ends for which Churches are to be gather●d is not in the gathering of them to be admitted or practised but to gather Church-members other then of visible Saints i● repugnant to the ends for which Churches are to be gathered therefore to gather Churches of members not visibly holy is not to be practised The major proposi●ion will be granted by all parties The minor remaineth to be proved by parts First That any other gathering then such as are visibly holy is repugnant to Gods honou● thus Whosoever are not inabled by the Spirit in some measure to shew forth the vertues which God hath given them all such are most unfit to be gathered into Church-fellowship for the proofe hereof see 1 Pet. 2. 9. But men either openly scandalous or meerely civill and meerly civill we call not only such as have no principle of Religion in them but such also as are barely taught of men by way of catechizing I say such canno● shew forth their vertues therefore they are not to be gathered into Church fellowship If any will except against the d●scription of a civ●ll honest man a●●● who hath in him and is able ●o answer to the grounds of Religion 〈…〉 z how such a man can be c●l●d one meerly civill W 〈…〉 very well because the Scripture will no where warrant any middle betweene a civill man and a Saint 1 Cor. Chap. 1. to verse 9. is a men sed proofe of this if a man be call●d to be a Saint we or not to understand of an outward call but such as call as wher●b● they are pro●a●ly at least sanct●fied in Christ Jesus and therefore the Apostle putteth these two together s●nctified in Christ Jesus and Saints by calling to sh●w that none are to goe for Saints or be counted Church members which have not b●side the bare knowledge of the grounds of Religion some worke of the Spirit on them see for this in John 17 20 21. whence we may briefly thus argue All that professeth Christ ought to be one among themselves as Christ is one with the Father but such kind● of members viz. men mee●ly civill or openly scandalous cannot 〈…〉 one with the Saints as Christ is one with the Father therefore suc●●●e not to be taken in for Church-members As to the proposition there will be no other evasion for answer then to say that the place forecited is to be understood of Saints invisibly holy such as may be endued with holinesse though not gathered into Church-fellowship to which thus First in this answer is a fallacy we call a peti●io principii or begging of the question for it runs upon this supposall that there is such a Church-creature as a civill wel-catechized honest man and to make way for such a creature all Scriptures now which doe in their nature exclude are by supposing such an one to be brought by the opponent to uphold him but this remaineth yet to be prove● Secondly Against such an answer we urge the words of the Text and that in two respects 1. In respect of the nature of the union which the words hol● forth John 17. 21. That they may be all one as thou Father art in mee and I in thee that they may be also one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And vers 23. I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me hast loved them as thou hast loved me whence wee first argue Whatsoever union in the Church doe not hold a strict and a speciall or specificall if I may so speake resemblance to that most blessed and sacred union which is between the Father and the Son that is not the union commended or intended by our Saviour in this Scripture but to say that Christ in holding forth an union which ought to be in the Church understood it only of an internall or spirituall union and not also of an externall doth

this viz. it urgeth such an union as cannot hold resemblance to that most sacred union which is between the Father and the Sonne therefore the internall union only is not the union intended by our Saviour Both propositions are sufficiently manifest from the words if we rightly observe because the condition and perfection of union in the Church ought to be in this world as is the perfection of unity which is between the Father and the Sonne Now this union is most perfect and that also whereby the Father and the Sonne doe enjoy each the other mutually actually most bless●dly and immediarely where one hath a reall influence into the other for which cause the Son as God is said to live by the Father John 6. 57. Such must be the fruition as far as is imitable by a creature in a Church-member they ought to be where this union can be had each to other and in a spirituall and convenient way as is the Father to the Son or the Sonne to the Father but in members scattered abroad as the Scripture speaketh there cannot be that resemblance of perfection of unity as is between the Father and the Sonne because that sort of Members are often distressed for want of fellowship with their fellow Saints as was Esiah who desired to live no longer for want of it And in times of persecution for want of this Church-fellowship the Saints of God have complained that they are as an owle in the desert or as a Sparrow on the House top therefore the 17 chapter of St. John and the like places must be understood of the Saints actuall enjoying one another not onely by an internall but also by an externall Church-fellowship I say againe what so hath been and is de facto yet de jure it ought to be and shall be at Christs second coming in spite of the Devill and all his Malignant Instruments Secondly We argue from the end of the union intended by our Saviour in these words That the world may believe that thou hast sent mee Whence briefly thus Whatsoever does keep men from believing that Christ is sent of the Father That in gathering of a Church is not to be practised but to admit of any for Church members which doe not visibly at least resemble the holinesse and unity of God and Christ is to keepe men from believing that Christ is sent of the Father therefore to gather into Church-fellowship such as are not visibly holy is not to be practised The minor is thus proved Whatsoever is held forth as a fit sole and sufficient means to gaine men to believe and is not so ordained by God this cannot gather men unto Christ and consequently keepeth them from believing because our Saviour saith Whosoever gathereth no● with me scattereth but to think that the preaching of the word is this fit sole and sufficient meanes to bring men to Christ is to think otherwise then God hath ordained therefore such as come no better furnished to gather believers doe so far keep men from believing that Christ is sent of the Father The major I suppose will be denyed by none The minor is as manifest from the Scripture for though it cannot be denyed that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word Rom. 10. 17. So that the word received by faith i● as the plowed ground sowen but I demand then how can men plough their ground without a plough All the Scriptures will testifie even from Gen. to the end of the Revel that either miracles ●r the Church rightly ordered or rightly gathered comming in place have been ever as the plough to the d●ctrine of the Gospell we shall find 3. things requisite to gaine the world to become believers 1. Men must preach purely that in point of Doct●i●e they may resemble the Sun 2. The potentiall or materiall members to be gathered must in their conversation be faire as the Moone 3. This is not all neither Preachers and Professers for all this will be esteemed of as a company of imper●inent and light-headed or vain-glorious men therefore a third thing required she must be terrible either by miracles or by all right done here as an Armie with banners 3. We argue from that 17. of John explained by the Apostle Eph. 4. 4. 5. One body one spirit one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father c. whence briefly thus None are to be taken into the body or externall fellowship of the faithfull but as such are of on faith and one spirit with them 't is evident for if it were otherwise there must be either 2. bodies or 2 spirits But civill honest men or men barely catechised have not one spirit that is are not endued with spirituall graces as the faithfull are Ergo they are not to be received into Church fellowship with them both propositions must be assented unto by such as wil take Scripture for their rule 3. We argue from the third end of gathering churches which is that members already gathered may be further built up thus Whatsoever doth of its own nature threaten the destruction or at least retard the growth of the whole body that in gathering of a church is not to be suffered but to admit of a member not visibly holy is either to destroy the whole that is to threaten with destruction because the true members of Chr●st cannot be uterly that is to say spiritually destroyed or to hinder and retard the growth of other members therefore a mixture of Church members or taking into Church-fellowship such as are not visibly holy is not to be suffered The major will be easily granted because whatsoever is done in a Church must be done to the edification of all When one sins all are scandalized 1 Cor. 5. 3. Moreover severall members in a Church are and must be to that Church whereof they are members as the members in a naturall body whereof all even the weakest must serve to and be active for the whole body as is plainely taught 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 12. 5. All the members of a Church should at least visibly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say be what the forwardest professe they are because all are acted by the same spirit of grace and live the same life of faith they all draw essence and growth from one mysticall head even as the naturall head doth compleat and actuate all it's members 1 Cor. 2. Therefore now if any mysticall member want that supply of spirituall nourishment as the Apostle further teacheth Ephes 4. 15. It must necessa●ily at least retard and keep back the growth of the whole body neither can this be understood of one that outwardly is good and inwardly unsound because such hurt none but themselves The minor proposition is proved sufficiently from the Church of the Jews where the coldness of morallists whom the Apostle calleth Abrahams carnall ●eed did much hinder the growth and scandalize the graces of the truly godly among them