Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	apostle_n	church_n	primitive_a	4,139	5	9.1134	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86358	The right separation incouraged; in a sermon preached to the Right Honorable the House of Lords, in the Abbey-Church at Westminster, on Wednesday, Novem. 27. 1644. being the day of the monethly publick fast. By Thomas Hill, B.D. pastor of Tychmersh in Northamptonshire, and one of the members of the Assembly of Divines.	Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.	1645 (1645)	Wing H2026; Thomason E23_1; ESTC R369	31,606	44

man and with a furious man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his wayes and get a snare to thy Soule Angry men though they are very dangerous yet not the onely dangerous companion● All sinfull and unclean societies are infectious You should alwayes goe into bad company as a Physitian goes into Plague-houses Hee carries his Antidote with him to preserve himselfe and his prescripts for the health of others So should Saints fortifie their own Spirits against danger by praying and watching and by speaking healing speeches and expresse such exemplary actions as may helpe to cure the Soules of others When the Sower went forth to sow some seeds fell by the wayes side and the fowles came and devoured them up Mat. 13. 3 4. who are these fowles but the devill and his factors birds of this feather do build very often in Tavernes and Ale-houses the cages of unclean company they are the bushes which harbour them ordinarily you had need beware of such places The more Saints meet in any company the more of the Holy Ghost is there the more of Christ it is a little corner of Heaven The more unclean and wicked persons there are in any company the more of the devill is there who rules in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. Saints must turn away from such Thirdly Saints must separate even from the very appearance of uncleannesse 1 Thess. 5. 21. Abstain from the appearance of evill not onely from all kinde of sin as some render the Greek but from all appearance of sin they should avoyd the shews as well as realities and that both appearances of errours in Doctrine and appearances of exorbitancy in conversation This was Daniels care who was an Oracle for wisedome Ezek. 28. 3. In Chap. 1. 8. Hee purposed in his heart that bee would not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meate Some Expositors say some of the meates might bee prohibited to the Jewes others for feare of superstition the Babylonians meat being blessed by invocating their Idols another conceives hee did decline it to avoyd scandall hee would not fare so pompously whilest his Brethren suffered such hard things Learned Calvin apprehends Daniel might at best see an appearance of uncleannesse in it therefore useth twice that expression that hee might not defile himselfe This holy man suspected the Court delights might prove a snare to him hee might learn intemperance and so lose himselfe and forget his God There was to him such a shew and danger of uncleannesse in it hee would rather live with pulse then venture upon the Kings meat Hee well knew that any one may soone bee plunged into great sinnes who doth not shunne the very beginnings and appearances of the least and that hee scarce makes conscience of any evill who doth not make conscience of all It is true in separating from the appearance of uncleannesse the Saints should wisely consider whether the appearance of it bee Reall when there is an outward resultance of some inward pravity or whether it bee onely imaginary when for want of knowledge or of love or of both standers by conceive it hath a shew of evill in it To a mind not rightly informed to an heart not charitably affected good actions may sometimes bee mis-interpreted as if they had an appearance of uncleannesse in them In this case Christ himselfe did not forbeare to converse with sinners though some through ignorance or malice did reproach him as a friend to Publicans and sinners Luke 7. 34. For want of a wise consideration what is indeed an appearance of evill to bee avoyded many may bee as easily and as farre transported as the Jews who did ignorantly task themselves with needlesse observances and impose uncomfortable burdens upon others Where the Lord forbad them to eate or drinke things sacrificed to Idols they prohibited all drinking with Heathens because it is doubtfull whether it were offered to Idols or no The Lord commanding them in the time of the Passeover to put away leaven out of their houses they would not take the name into their mouthes all the time of the Feast But if there bee reall grounds to call any thing an appearance of evill this golden Rule of the Apostle Abstaine from the appearance of evill will extricate you in many puzzling cases of Conscience If one bee inquisitive about the lawfulnesse of Painting the face patching spotting carding dicing about many of your habits customes recreations you may resolve diverse such queries with this Aphorisme In all doubtfull cases take the safest way That is certainly the safest where there is no danger of sinne not so much as an appearance of evill If you doe such things it may prove a sin it may bee an appearance of uncleannesse there is not the least shew or shadow of uncleannesse in forbearing such habits such customes such sports as becommeth Saints Therefore resolve to separate not onely from unclean practises and unclean societie but also from whatsoever doth indeed appeare to bee unclean Fourthly Saints must separate from communion with a false Church being grown unclean and corrupt in the very substantials of Doctrine Worship and Government Learned and Godly Divines grant that the Saints may hold some fellowship with a Church which is much corrupted 1. Though it bee tainted with diverse grosse errors in opinion as Matth. 5. 20. to 43. 2. Though the publick worship bee stained with vile hypocrisie as Mark 7. 6. to 13. 3. Though the publick government become oppressive with tyranny and disorder as Joh. 9. 22. 4. Though Church members bee blinded with ignorance and carryed away with superstition as Matth. 15. 9. 14. Who knowes not that such distempers were found in the Church of Hierusalem yet the Apostles and primitive Christians as Christ himselfe had formerly done did joyn with them in the Ordinances of God Act. 3. 1. c. And when many weeds had over-grown the Church of Corinth in Doctrine Discipline and Conversation Paul seriously perswades them to a Reformation and not presently to a Separation among themselves but still ownes them with all their defects as the Church of God 2 Cor. 1. 1. And though the Church of Rome was very much degenerated yet for a long time the true Churches of Christ held communion with it Indeed when it was grown so abominably impure in the very vitals substantials of Christianity then God would send from Heaven to invite the Saints to make a Separation from it Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people that yee bee not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her Plagues I need not spend time to justifie the Separation of Luther and the Reformed Churches from Romish Babylon The Schisme began in Rome it selfe They were the Schismaticks who forced us to fly from them First There was Monstrous Heresie in Doctrine maintained Secondly Grosse Idolatry in worship practised Thirdly Intolerable Tyranny in