A23636:225
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession…
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pennsylvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pensilvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Introduction › Reflections on Cap. 9th of the Visible Church.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sect. 3. Men that talk of two things, may thwart one another strangely, but we thought he had been discoursing of the visible Church: and if so, then he is deceived when he saith, that every member of Christ is a living member▪ Christ hath said otherwise, see Joh. 15.2. & how in Christ but by profession? their being fruitless proves them dead: and they might be taken away, which they could not be if they were not first in him: and he did well to instance in the Church of Corinth, 1. Cor. 3.6. there was the old Leaven in this Church which was to be purged out; there were fearful divisions, there were that would eat in the Idols Temples, that horridly profaned the Lord's Table, that denied the resurrection of the body, &c. Such a mixture there was in this Church, & yet see what a glorious Encomium Paul gives them, on the account o• their being a visible Church cap. 1. begin.
His finding fault with us for using an Hourglass, ⟨p. 133⟩to know how the time spends, and a Bell to gather our Assemblies together orderly, is worse than ridiculous: That God's people should have their Meetings to worship GOD, is undeniable, to neglect it is a sin, Heb. 10.25. as for his inward spiritual Bell (which he calls the Gospel-bell, ringing in their hearts) serving for such a use, it is a Fancy more fabulous than any thing in Aesop: as if the Light-within were a Clock to tell the hour of the day. Besides, it is certain that God's people in all ages have had a known time of meeting, and some civil sign to give notice, that they might meet together, as in one place, so at one Time: and he knows that we place no holiness in Bells: yea, the very Scripture which he abuseth, to prove a Gospel bell, is directly against him,