N00027:150
The heart of N-England rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. Or a…
The heart of N-England rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. Or a brief tractate concerning the doctrine of the Quakers, demonstrating the destructive nature thereof, to religion, the churches, and the state, with consideration of the remedy against it. Occasional satisfaction to objections, and confirmation of the contrary trueth. / By John Norton, teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston. Who was appointed thereunto by the order of the General Court. ; [Four lines from Revelation]
printed by Samuel Green, 1659
Chapter 3 › Their Opposition to Civil Order, is thus evinced.
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.
Pastors & Teachers are to continue to the end of the world:
Therefore, Church-Officers are to continue unto the end of the world.
The Apostle Ephe. 4. 11 12. having instructed us, concerning the institution & use of Pastors & Teachers, proceeds verse 13. to inform us concerning their duration: where; unto that question how long are Pastors & Teachers to continue? He hath prepared an answer long since, in those words; till we all come in the Unity of Faith, & of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We have in the text presented before us▪ the duration of these Officers, described from two periodical, and indubitable notes. First, the meeting of all the elect in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Secondly; the attaining of all believers unto a perfect man, or he full […] Christ. By the first, understand the effectual calling, together with the perfect agreement of all the Elect in the faith. By the second, the perfection of Christ mystical. The head and members, Christ & all believer, make one mystical person▪ or one mystical-body. The perfection whereof is •e e•held forth, by a metaphor taken from the full stature of the body natural, after which there is no augmentation. Now the perfection nor full stature of the body mystically after which it receiveth no augmentation, ⟨p. 34⟩imports two things: First, that no member shall then be wanting secondly, that every member shall be perfect. From the premises' it being manifest, that these two periodical notes shall not be until the end of the world: therefore as man felt it is, that Pastors and Teachers being to continue until then, they are to continue unto the ends of the world. Those three verses are as Aaron's rod, an argument (were it alone) sufficient quite to take away the murmurings of the people. Yet, for the further satisfaction of the Reader, touching the Gospel-ministry, two things may here not unseasonably be spoken to.