Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	according_a	faith_n	work_n	1,745	5	6.1448	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26942	The judgment and advice of the Assembly of the Associated Ministers of VVorcester-shire held at Worcester, Aug. 6th 1658 concerning the endeavours of ecclesiasticall peace, and the waies and meanes of Christian unity, which Mr. John Durey doth present, sent unto him in the name, and by the appointment of the aforesaid Assembly / by Richard Baxter ...	Associated Ministers of Worcester-shire. Assembly (1658 : Worcester, Worcestershire); Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1288; ESTC R5355	8,546	8

of a single person which none are responsable for but himself but it must be the words of the Church it selfe which they condemn and it must not be from forced feigned or undiscernd consequences while the Church doth expresly assert those truths which the Accusers pretend they do by consequence subvert Such a connexion is there between· Theologicall Verities that if no man were a true believer that holdeth any thing consequentially inconsistent with an Article of Faith it would be hard to find a believer in the world Secondly They must in reason admonish the accused Church and hear them speak for themselves and not reject them till after the first and second Admonition ordinarily But if all the enemies of the Protestant Churches at Rome or Hell should bring forth their evidence to prove them void of the Christian Belief for we are loath to suppose that there are any such accusers among themselves they would all shame themselves and leave the Churches in possession of their Faith we can as easily prove that we are Christians as the Romanists can that they are Papists 2. And for our second work to procure mutuall Charity among the Churches This is the work of grace which we may and must perswade men to and leave the blessing to the Lord But we must needs say that one of the greatest causes of our divisions is the admitting of graceless unsanctified men into the Sacred Ministry who being meer Opinionists in Religion and void of that tender love to the Brethren which is the Character of true Christians are easily carried for the sake of their Opinions to condemn and vilifie their Brethren and tear and tread down the Churches of Christ Whereas if they had ever known themselves they would have been more compassionate to others and would be so jealous of their frail understandings as to be afraid least they condemn themselves by the terms on which they condemn their Brethren And if ever they had been possessed of the Spirit of Christ they would have been taught of God to love the Brethren and withall they would have understood that denying them to be Brethren will prove a poor excuse for their uncharitableness And for the third point of Externall manifestation of this charity we conceive that in these severall waies it s to be done First If persons of different Judgments in lesser Controversies do live neare together in the same Towns or Countries that they should lovingly joyn together in the same holy Assemblies for the worshiping of God Secondly That if any professing the substance of Christianity dare not joyn for fear of sin in the use of any Ceremony or Doctrine which they are against they should not thereupon be used uncharitably but have such liberty as is consistent with the Peace and Welfare of the Churches and Commonwealth where they live Thirdly That the Churches of severall Nations that have not oportunity of locall Communion do cheerfully acknowledg one another for the true Churches of Christ and profess Christian love to one another and a readiness to assist each other to their power in the common cause In some Deare Brother We conceive that the means most usefull for the expeditious atteynment of these ends are these two First That the Churches in every Nation do in their Synods recognize their own Confessions and also receive the Confessions of other Churches and having considered of both do send to those Churches whose Communion and friendship they desire a double message that is both an acknowledgment of the truth of those Churches with a profession of our Brotherly love to them c. And also our desire of the like Brotherly Charity from them to us To which end we send them the Confession of our Faith In order to this it were to be desired that our common Confessions be in generall the holy Scriptures and more particularly the Ancient Creeds of the Church if this satisfie not a fuller collection of all and only the Essentials and neer adjoyning points of Christianity and that as much as may be in the very words of Scripture if this cannot be done for want of time or concord then let the present Confession of such Churches be sent as it is but with this profession that only the Word of God is our Rule and if any thing in our Confession be found disagreeable to that rule we are ready when we understand so much to disown it and correct it If you get but the Churches thus to own each other and profess their Brotherly love and concord your work is done some such acknowledgment we should all Subscribe E.G. We the Servants of Jesus Christ representing the Churches of Christ in England in our Assembly at W. having considered of the Confession of the Churches of Christ in E.G. Saxonie and heard of their stability in the Christian Faith do heartily own them as the true Churches of Christ and love them as our dear Brethren in the Lord and take it for our duty to pray for them and praise God on their behalf and assist them in the common cause according to our severall capacities and opportunities and we earnestly desire the like Brotherly love and Communion from them having sent them our Confession of Faith and this profession of Brotherly love to that end This much of the work is with one side Actually or Virtually done already For we perceive by the Papers you sent us and by the frequent Professions of many Reformed Churches that they are generally resolved to own the Churches called Lutherans and for our parts we take it as a thing that Charity alloweth us not to question though in every point we be not of their mindes So that on one part the work is done already and nothing is wanting but a solemn manifestation of it and an invitation of them to the like Charity and Communion Secondly The second part of the work to be done is that those Churches which upon these Brotherly Invitations shall reject any neighbour Churches and refuse to own them as Brethren in Communion may be desired as we must do with particular Members to set down in terms out of their Confessions the Heresie or other sin that they charge them with as the cause of their rejection and hear them speak for themselves before they judge them which if they refuse we can proceed no further but commit our cause to God as we would do against the accusations of any unreasonable men But if they performe it we shall it is like correct some phrases that offend them and explaine others and give them satisfaction which one would think none should need when the question is not Whether we have any errors for so have the accusers and all men on earth but Whether we are true Christians and Churches of Christ which nothing but lamentable darkness or frowardness can cause Brethren to deny The two chiefest expedients to satisfie or silence all accusations would be First To reduce our