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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	communion_n	separation_n	2,767	5	10.7643	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B02273	An additional word to The body of divinity, or Confession of faith; being the substance of Christianity. Added on special occasion, tending further to confirm some truths therein. With a further discourse about the doctrine of election, universal, and special grace, &c. All which were touched in the said Confession of faith, but in this more plainy and fully (though briefly) discoursed and designed for the good of all. Whereunto is annexed a seasonable word of advice, being an essay for peace and union among all the sons and daughters of peace. / Written by Thomas Collier.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.; Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691. Body of divinity.	1676 (1676)	Wing C5267AB; ESTC R174082	85,720	108

Baptism of Christ walking according thereunto from Fellowship in all the Ordinances and Priviledges of the Church And truly I do fear that it hath been the great sin and miscarriage of Christians to make other things as their own private Opinions too much the Ground of their church-Church-Communion which hath been one cause of many Breaches among Christians and Churches And hence it comes to pass that almost so many Opinions so many Churches which gives occasion of stumbling to some and to others to triumph and say A-hah so would we have it A wonderful sin and shame it is And as these are the Grounds so they are the Bounds of gospel-church-Gospel-Church-Communion I see not how we may by the Gospel-Law go without these Bounds in Gospel-Church-Fellowship and Communion in the Church-Ordinances and Priviledges of Jesus Christ CHAP. II. Of Laying on of Hands on all Baptized Believers I Shall now come to speak something to those several Persons and Churches separated and distinguished according to their several Opinions that may tend to moderate in this matter As for Baptism it being almost generally granted to be an indispensible Ordinance of Christ in order to Visible-Church-Communion or a Visible giving up our selves to God after Believing I shall therefore take it for granted that all who own Jesus Christ to be their Saviour and Lord do own Baptism in Water to be his holy Ordinance and none will deny it to follow Faith according to the Law of Christ though too many practise the contrary as to the Subjects viz. Take Infants instead of Believers The first I shall speak unto are those who practise Imposition of Hands on all Baptized Believers as the Law of Christ and on this Ground separate from all who in Conscience cannot so act with them And for such I have seen several of their Writings and had some Converse with some of them some more moderate and some more rigid some making it a ground of Separation and some not The Grounds I find on which that Practice is stated are that of Heb. 6. 1 2. and the Practice of the Apostles Act. 8. 17 and 19. 6. I shall endeavour to discourse this Matter with all the Clearness and Moderation I can to the intent that all gracious Souls may at least see the little ground there is to make Breaches and Separations about it though I do exceedingly own tenderness of Conscience to God-ward in all His Will 1. As for Heb. 6. 1 2. from whence I suppose are several Mistakes urged in this Matter As first supposing it to be the only Design of the Apostle here-in to state the Grounds and Bounds of Church-Communion though it is so that most of the things here-mentitioned are the great matters of Faith and Practice yet it 's evident that it is rather letting the Church to know That if they drew back and fell away there was no renewing of them to those things again And therefore though they were very much degenerated as is apparent Chap. 5. 12. the Apostle would leave these Things and not teach them anew but go on to Perfection that is Go on to teach them further Gospel-Truths as vers 3 4 5 6. Chap. 5 10 11. 8 7. to the end of the Epistle doth Demonstrate The second Mistake is in so frequently calling those things Foundations and Foundation-Principles to be all alike practised in all Ages of the Church whereas Jesus Christ is the alone Foundation 1 Cor. 3. 11. And this is clear in the Text It saith not Repentance Faith and Baptism c. which is the Foundation But not Laying again the Foundation of these Things that is Christ Jesus He is the Foundation of Repentance c. For without Him there is no ground for any of these nor for our Acceptation therein It 's all Founded in Him Therefore the Scripture saith not Laying of these things as the Foundation But not Laying again the Foundation of these Things which is Christ Jesus And by reason of this Mistake Men perswade themselves and others that not to come up fully and practically in all these beginning-Words is to take away the Foundations of the Building by reason of which it must needs Fall A third mistake is That the beginning-things the Apostles did are indispensibly to be practised in the Church through-out all Ages and from hence because the Apostles practised this of Imposition of hands it must continue as an Ordinance in the Church of the same Authority and continuance as Baptism and hence separate from those who in their notions come not to the same Faith and Practice Now that this is a mere mistake and that there are Beginning-things practised by the Apostles of which this is one as will in its place appear which are not practicable by us is most evident for if it were not so it would set all a-seeking and not find to instance The Apostles did many miracles and some of them were by Imposition of hands Act. 9. 17 18. 28. 8. If we hence reason as some do that there are now no true Ministers but such as can do such miracles there would be no Ministry at all and so no Church and we might all go a-seeking and not find In the beginning of the Gospel-ministration there was such varieties of Gifts in the Church as now is not 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. And if it be necessary that these gifts be in the Church at all times then now there can be no Church and they that so affirm are justified But we are to understand that the Gospel-Church intends one and the same Church-state from first to last as the state of the Jewish Church was and was sometimes more and sometimes less glorious from varieties and occasions so that the Apostles and Gifts and Miracles were for us as well as them and are as truly ours as theirs being the same Church-state so that there is no more need for those first Miracles and Gifts to continue and to be repeated over in every Age relative to the Church than was of Moses in Person and those amazing miracles from Mount Sinai to be repeated over in every Generation after by all which it appears that all the beginning-Words and Works of Christ and his Apostles are not essential to the Church-state in every Generation but some of them only to be believed but not practised because it cannot be of which this will appear to be one A fourth mistake is in so positively affirming that the Imposition of hands in this Scripture is and must be intended 1. Of that on all Believers as such being Baptized 2. To be done as an Ordinance of Christ of constant and universal practice as is Baptism to these several conscionable doubts may be made As 1. Whether Imposition of hands on Believers as such be at all intended in this Scripture and that 1. Because we do not find laying on of hands on Believers as such at all practised in that Church and for us to conclude that

the good of All yea of the whole Creation according to the Design thereof Without it we cannot heartily Preach the Gospel to all but must have Restriction in our Minds to a few yea a very few Nor 2. can we according to Scripture Exhortation pray for All which is a Commanded-Duty 1 Tim. 2. 1. on weighty Grounds 1. Because it is good and acceptable in the sight of God v 3. 2. Because He would have all to be saved v. 4. Because Jesus Christ gave Himself a Ransom for All v. 6. These are weighty Grounds to encourage us to pray for All and it 's impossible that men should thus pray who limit the Design of Salvation to so few 2dly Let us own the Spirit 's Work in the Gospel and pray for it It 's the Glory thereof The Gospel is the Ministration of the Spirit and ministers the Spirit which is the great help to Gospel-Faith and Obedience Therefore leave not out the Spirit of the Gospel if you do you leave out the Life and Glory thereof You cannot pray that God will bless your Ministery nor praise God for what is wrought in and by you if you believe not the Spirit 's Work in the Gospel Be humble therefore and give all Glory to God 3dly Study Things which make for Peace Away with the proud Spirit of Contention and Division and put on the Gospel-Spirit of Peace and Charity Love all as Christians in whom the Life of Christ is manifest though they differ from you in some things that are of weighty Concern For such I take to be good Christians who believe love and obey the Gospel to the best of their Understanding though among such may be Differing Apprehensions in many things But this I shall forbear to prosecute any further because I have annexed here-unto An Essay for more of Gospel-Love and Peace among all true Christians 4th Exhortation is 1. To Sinners to accept of Gospel-Grace and Life by Jesus It 's freely tendered and you may have it on the holy honourable-Terms of the Gospel if you will He did not only dye for you but cryeth to you Ho! every one that Thirsteth Come take of the Waters of Life freely All ye that are Weary come to Me If any Man Thirst let him come to Me and Drink Whoever will let him Come Let him Believe and Obey the Doctrine of the Gospel and he shall live O let not your Lusts and Sins and Love of the World retain you any longer from Believing and Obeying the Gospel that you may be Saved and know it shall be no Plea for you Want of Power No No! It 's want of Will The Aversness of your own VVills That will prove your Ruine Joh 5 40. The Power shall not be wanting If there be a willing Mind there is nor shall be nothing wanting on God's Part for your good O be not like the Fool that hath a Price in his Hand to get Wisdom but hath not a Heart to it And know That if you reject or neglect this great Salvation it will be to your own Condemnation 2d Exhortation is to the Saints to persevere in the way of Well-doing Remember it 's Sincerity and Perseverance that shall wear the Crown Take heed therefore of an Vnbelieving Heart to depart from the Living God Take heed and beware of Sin Let not your Lusts and the VVorld captivate you Rom 6. 16. Take heed and beware of Covetousness Of Pride of Oppression of Malice Envy and Evil-speakings Abstain from all Appearance of Evil. And know That you may be in the Holy-Profession of the Gospel with unholy Hearts and unholy Lives and so be far enough from the Grace of Life For if you Live after the Flesh you must Dye notwithstanding your Holy-Profession Rom 8. 13. And look to the Lord for his Assisting preserving Grace who will keep you through Faith unto Salvation But do not deceive your selves For God will not be Mocked You may Deceive your selves Jam. 1. 22. but you cannot Deceive God Therefore my beloved Brethren be yestedfast unmovable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your Labour shall not be in Vain in the Lord 1 Cor 15. 58. FINIS A Healing Word OR AN Humble Hearty and Earnest Endeavour FOR PEACE and UNITY AMONG The Children of Peace and all Men HUMBLY Presented for common Use and Benefit of all the true Lovers of Truth and Peace Written by Thomas Collier Zach. 8. 19. Love the Truth and Peace Prov. 12. 20. Deceit is in the heart of them that Imagine Evil but to the Counsellers of Peace is Joy LONDON Printed for the Author 1676. THE PREFACE or EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader HAving observed to my grief the Differences among Christians about matters of Faith and Worship notwithstanding we have all Grounds to fear that we are All in some things in the Dark being but coming out of the Mystical Babylon and Apostacy And What Person or Church can say They are in all things delivered from the Desilement of that Estate but rather are travelling from Babylon to Zion And O that we could go together in more Vnity going and weeping to seek the Lord our God and asking the Way to Zion with our Faces thither-ward Jer. 50. 4 5. Not judging and censuring one another because all have not attained alike Apprehension in and about the Way Some think they have gotten a step beyond their Fellows And hence they despise or too much undervalue those they think to come short of them And those who may probably come short of others in some Principles of Truth judge those who it may be are gotten beyond them And thus it 's to be feared that Christians have sinned much in their Contestings Reproachings Judgings Dividings and Separating one from another even to the utmost Extent the Scripture warrants a Separation from the World and Babylon I have here endeavonred to put my poor Helping-hand for Healing if 't may be the Wounds and binding up the Breaches and Controversies of Zion of the Church And O that it may be of Healing Vse and as a Medicine fitly applyed It 's not a Scriptureless Peace I plead for but a just and lawful Peace a Christian Peace Not to throw Churches into Confusion but that they may not Confound each other that they may not bite and devour each other I have endeavoured an Answer to the most special things in use at this Day on which Separations among Churches and Christians are built My reason here-in is not in the least to provoke but to moderate that so my designed End herein might be accomplished viz. That those who break on those Grounds might at least unde●stand that there are Matters of weight that sway with Judgment and Conscience with those who cannot act in some-things as they do Which may tend to moderate their Spirits in the matter and may come to see more cause to learn to bear with and forbear their Brethren in Love that if their

Faith continue in such things they may have it to themselves and not impose it on their Brethren on terms of Separation I hope the sober-spirited will come to see the little Grounds they have to make Breaches with their Brethren about these matters I heartily desire it may prove a Healing-Word to All through the Blessing of Him that hath dwelt in the burning Bush so as that it is not yet consumed I shall here give no further account of the Matter or Method of the following Discourse It 's very brief and hath waited an opportunity of coming into Publick for some Years but for some Reasons hath layn in silence till this time hoping that the preceding Discourse may tend to add something to this Essay for Peace I commit it All to the God of Peace praying His Blessing of Peace may attend it to all the Sons and Daughters of Peace Amen T. C. A Healing Word Or A Humble Hearty and Earnest Endeavour for Peace and Vnity c. CHAP. I. Of the Grounds and Bounds of Church-Communion MY Method in that which follows shall be 1. To state the Grounds and so the Bounds of Church-Communion according to the Gospel which is the alone Rule both of Faith and Practice The Grounds of Church-Fellow-ship or those Principles on which the Church or Churches of Christ should Ground and bound their Communion are most clearly stated in Eph. 4. 4 5 6. The reason why I especially fix on this Scripture is because it seems to be stated not only as an Argument to engage to the Unity exhorted to vers 3. but is likewise a Description wherein this Unity doth consist 1. Of the Unity of the Church it self There is one Body i. e. one Church which is the Body of Christ and of whom He is the true and lawful Head Lord and Law-giver 1 Cor. 12. 13. Which Church containes all true Believers in all Nations This is the Visible Church of Christ in the Visible Profession of the Faith of Christ according to the best of their Understanding and Knowledg of the Will of Christ their Head and Lord in His Word Though in this Church as thus considered some may miscarry and by their own Default come short of the Glory promised This Universal Church is thus described in the Text last mentioned and in vers 27 and in Eph. 1. 22 23. Col. 1. 18. Though this Church is gathered into many Churches and is in many Nations and it may be through Ignorance Pride Frowardness and misguided-Zeal separated into more Churches than need or ought to be and it may be some part thereof in Babylon still Rev. 18. 4. and others build Tabernacles before they are half way out yet the Church is but one Body in Christ the Head There is but one true Universal Gospel-Church in the World which is the Body of Christ and of this Church it is I do profess my self a Member And this Church is or should be gathered into particular Churches or Congregations walking according to the Rules and Laws of Christ their Head and Lord Holding Communion with Christ their Head one with another and with all Churches in the same Faith and Obedience of the Gospel And as for the great matters of Faith wherein the Churche's Unity consisteth it here followeth 1. In one Spirit There is one Holy Spirit that is one holy Spirit of the Father and of the Son by which this one Body the Church is Regenerated by the Word of the Gospel and united unto Christ the Head thereof Joh. 3. 3 1 Cor. 12. 13. and 6. 17. 2dly All are called in one hope of their Calling That is All hope for one thing to wit an Interest in the Grace and Glory of the New-Covenant Rom. 5. 2. Tit. 1. 2. Ch. 3. 7. And in 2 Thes 2. 16. it 's called Good Hope through Grace In which Hope it behoves them to be constant and stedfast to the End 1 Pet 1. 13. 3dly One Lord that is One Lord Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour of this Body the Church 1 Cor. 8. 6. and 12. 13. who purchased it with His own Blood Act. 20. 28. and to whom the Church is to be subject in all things as to Her lawful Head and Lord. Eph. 5. 24. 4thly One Faith that is That one Faith of and in the Gospel of which it 's necessary for all the Members of the Body to be principled in and includes all things necessary to be believed in order to Eternal Life with a suitable VValking thereunto 5thly One Baptism that is either 1. One of a kind One of VVater one of the Spirit and one of Afflictions Or 2. one of VVater unto Regeneration Act. 22. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 21. 1 Joh. 5. 6. which I take to be the one Baptism most probably here intended 1. Because-that Baptism in Water was commanded to be done after Believing and was alwayes so done according to that Rule Mar. 16. 15 16. Act. 2. 38. and 8. 12. 37. and so it 's stated in this place one Faith one Baptism 2dly Because the other Baptism i. e. of the Spirit and of Afflictions are so called Metaphorically and not properly Properly Water-Baptism is so the others are so called by way of allusion or likeness 3dly Because the Baptism of Afflictions may or may not be it 's no Duty or Ordinance for any man to throw himself into it but a Duty when lawfully called to it and esteemed as a Mercy to be delivered from it But as there is but one Baptism of Water so a Union herein is necessary to a right Church-Communion without which there cannot be in the Body of the Church one sort of Members ●nd so the Body cannot be one in the Head 6thly One God and Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All. Now where there is a Unity in these principal Things viz. One Spirit uniting this one Body one Hope one Lord Jesus one Baptism one God and Father of All c. there is a Ground for Church-Communion in all the things of Jesus Christ if other matters of Scandal in Conversation do not justly prevent Eph. 5. 5 to 12. Our Lord sums up the Fundamentals necessary to Salvation in a narrow Compass Joh. 17. 3. And this is Life Eternal that they know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent which doubtless includes the Whole of Faith and Practice necessary unto Life Eternal And Mar. 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved that is He that Believeth and Obeyeth the Lord in the Gospel shall be Saved of which Obedience Baptism is the first and an Usher to all other Parts of Obedience and that which by the Gospel-Law puts Persons under the Promise of Salvation and gives them a right to orderly Church-Communion So that I infer from the Premises That according to the Rule of Scripture and Law of Christ nothing should prevent those that are united in the Faith and