Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	church_n	true_a	unity_n	401	5	9.8832	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59963	A hind let loose, or, An historical representation of the testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the interest of Christ with the true state thereof in all its periods : together with a vindication of the present testimonie, against the Popish, prelatical, & malignant enemies of that church ... : wherein several controversies of greatest consequence are enquired into, and in some measure cleared, concerning hearing of the curats, owning of the present tyrannie, taking of ensnaring oaths & bonds, frequenting of field meetings, defensive resistence of tyrannical violence ... / by a lover of true liberty.	Shields, Alexander, 1660?-1700.	1687 (1687)	Wing S3431; ESTC R24531	567,672	774

former Prelacy answered above Peri. 4. Pag. 54. 3. In a Constitute and settled case of the Church enjoying her Priviledges Judicatories corruptions may be ●oreborn and the offended are not to withdraw before recourse to the Judicatories for an orderly redress But in a broken disturbed State when there is no access to these Courts of Christ then people thô they must not usurp a power of Judicial Censuring these corruptions yet they may claim exercise a discretive power over their oun practice and by their withdrawing from such Ministers as are guilty of them signify their sense of the moral equity of these censures that have been legally enacted against these the equivalent corruptions and when they should be legally inflicted As we do upon this Ground withdraw from the Prelatick Curats and likewise from some of our Covenanted Brethren upon the account of their being chargable with such corruptions defections from our Reformation as we cannot but shew our dislike of This the Reverend Author of Rectius instruendum justifies Confut. 3. Dial. Chap. 1. Pag. 8. where he is shewing what separation is not sinful and gives this for one if we separate in that which a National Church hath commanded us as her Members to disoune by her standing Acts Authority while those from whom we separate oune that Corruption Which holds true of the Curats Indulged and Addressers and all that we withdraw from However it be certainly those are to be withdrawn from with whom we cannot communicate without submitting to the Lawes establishing them and taking on that Test badge of our incorporation with them and partaking of their sin in hazard of their judgment IV. Thô in some cases as we are warranted so are necessitated to withdraw yet neither do we allow it upon slight or slender grounds nor can any tender soul be forced to discountenance the Ministers of Christ I do not speak here of the Prelatick Curats without great reluctancy and grief of heart even when the grounds of it are solid valid and the necessity unavoidable Therefore we reject these as insufficient Grounds besides what are given already 1. We cannot withdraw from a Minister for his Infirmities or weaknesses Natural spiritual or Moral 2. Neither for Pers●nal faults escapes We expect a faithful but not a sinless Ministrie 3. Nor for every defect in faithfulness through Ignorance want of courage Misinformation or being byassed with affection for particular persons We do not hold that faults in Members or defects in Ministers do pollute the Oordinances and so necessitate a Separation but aggree with what Mr Durham sayes on Revel chap. 2. Lect. 6. Pag. 147. in 4 to Sincerity discovered will cover many faults 4. Nor for every discoverie of Hypocrisie thô we may have gro●nd to suspect a Mans principle Motive be not right yet if he be following duty unblameably and have a Lawfull Call What then notwithstanding every way whether in Pretence or in Truth Christ is Preached therein me may rejoyce Philip. 1. 18. 5. Nor yet for real Scandals not attended with obstinacy if Ministers will take reproof admonition and at least by Doctrinal Confessing and practicall for saking them satisfie the offended 6. Yea thô his Scandals be so gross that we must discountenance him when he persis●s in them yet that is not a disouning of his Ministrie `or a rejecting his Commission but a discountenancing for his disorders until they be removed But the Apologet. Rela● Sect. 14. Pag. 290 291. sayes 1 there may be Ministerial corruptions that cut the very throat of the Office and make one no Officer and it is past questioning such may be shunned without all hazard of Separation 2 when personal faults are very gross palpable open avowed such may be shuned without any hazard of Separation because the mans being an Officer coram Deo is much to be questioned and there is great probability that ipso facto he had forefaulted the same thô such should be the corruption in a Church that notwithstanding of all this he may be maintained 3 Separation is 〈◊〉 thing and not hearing such or such a man is a far other thing there may be many just grounds of exception against a particular person why people may refuse to countenance him without any hazard of separation or joining with separatists in their principles Separation is one thing and refusing to attend the Ministrie of such a man is another thing for a man may joine with Ordinances in another congregation and so testify that he hath no prejudice at the Ministrie but only against such a man in particular Whence it is an ignorant as wel as malicious calumnie to say that our withdrawing from the Curats and also from some Ministers whom otherwise we respect reverence as Godly Ministers for their offensive defections is a disouning al the Ministrie of Scotland Whereas we do profess indeed a disouning of the Curats Ministrie but for our Reverend Presbyterian Ministers thô we do discountenance many of them with sad hearts for their not keeping the Word of the Lords patience in this hour of tentation nor adhering to the principles constitutions of the Church of Scotland Yet this is not a disouning of their Ministrie but a Refusing to countenance them in their present administrations in this disturbed State till these offences be removed V. As to disoune the Ministrie were hateful Sectarianisme so to dissolve or break off Communion with a true Church whereof we are Members were an unnatural Schisme which is horrid sin But because among all the various Sufferings wherewith the poor tossed racked Remnant now Persecuted have been exercised this hath not been the lightest that they have been on all hands stigmatized as Schismaticks Separatists not only because they have maintained a resolved withdrawing from the Curats but also have discountenanced many Presbyterian Ministers with whom they have been offended for their declining Courses and Complyances with the Times Corruptions and forsaking in a great measure the duty of this day I shall distinguish some cases of Separation out of the Writings of our approven Authors which will j●●tify all their withdrawings 1. Mr Durham distinguishes these three Schisme separating from the Unity Communion of a true Church consisting not alway in diversity of Doctrine but in divided Practices according to that of Augustine Schismaticos facit not diversa fides sed disrupta communionis Societas Then separation either in whole from a Church as no Church or in part in some things wherein they cannot communicate with that corrupt Church which is Lawful if it exceed not its ground Then lastly Secession a local removing to a better Church The first of these cannot be imputed to the Persecuted Wanderers for they separate from no true Church whereof they were Members but these from whom they separate will be found to be the Schismaticks 2. The second of these to wit separation