Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n
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A67257
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Of faith necessary to salvation and of the necessary ground of faith salvifical whether this, alway, in every man, must be infallibility.
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Walker, Obadiah, 1616-1699.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing W404B; ESTC R17217
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209,667
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252
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thereof especially for what concerns the publick and solemn worship of God. Consider the Article of our Creed of which Creed we pretend a constant and publick confession that we believe one Church Catholick and Apostolical i. e. one external visible communion upon earth that always is and shall be such but how is this sufficiently attested and professed by any who forbears to joyn himself openly unto it Such denying of the body of Christ before men seems to be next to the crime of denying before men the Head himself But chiefly there where this Church the Spouse of Christ happens to be under any disgrace or persecution our taking up the cross with her may be much more acceptable to God than the conversion of souls and the doxology of confessing him and her beyond our other best service See particularly that command of the Apostle Heb. 10. 25. Now if it be said that some of these texts fore-named are not to be understood as strict precepts always for avoiding sin but counsels only for attaining perfection yet thus also every generous Christian will think them prescribed for his practice Again consider that as both many Divine and Ecclesiastical commands from which I see no just authority any one hath to exempt himself at pleasure cannot be observed in our adherences to another communion so neither can they in our absence from the true Church For how then do we observe the publick intercessions commanded 1 Tim. 2. 1. publick teaching and exhortations c recommended by the Apostle Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 14. 23 24. Col. 3. 16. frequenting of the Sacraments 1 Cor. 11. 17 24. Confession and Absolution as need requires For the necessity of which Christ hath substituted some officers to be made use of from time to time for heinous sins committed after Baptism in his stead Jo. 20. 21 23. as likewise to guide and govern in all Spiritual matters those who pretend to be his sheep to withdraw our selves from whom is to withdraw our selves from Christ in a subordination to whom all must live Eph. 4. 5 11 12. Heb. 13. 17. and God tolerates no Anarchical persons in religion Add to this the benefits of the publick prayers and intercessions and oblations of the Church which such a one acknowledging himself a member thereof seems to his great loss to be deprived of As for that internal communion with the Church which some excluded from the external may nevertheless enjoy or the security in the actual want of participation of the Sacraments that such may have they seem no way appliable to such a person as this who is not by force hindred of her communion but invited to it voluntarily depriveth himself tho the reasons he hath in the doing thereof seem to himself never so plausible To partake the Sacraments in voto signifies nothing where de facto we may have them and de facto refuse them and where in case of necessity votum signifies something yet t is probable that to such a one necessitated the actual reception of them would have bin more beneficial could he have obtained it There seems to be no small danger in a silly sheep's staying out of the fold when invited and offered to be taken in and that without leave of the shepheard tho upon a to-himself seeming good design But yet supposing such leave indulged to any I see not at last what advantage can be made thereof but that all the scandals all the jealousies all the secular inconveniences or also disappointments of Spiritual designs that can happen to one actually reconciled to the orthodox communion will happen to one after absenting himself wholly from a false From which sequestring himself the ordinary jealousie that useth to be in religion will conclude that he who is not with them especially where many secular advantages accompany it is against them And whereas our conjunction with the true Church may be done with much privacy this desertion of theirs is the thing most liable to discovery Lastly since he that now is of no external communion at all was before a member of an unlawful one and perhaps there not only seduced but also a seducer of others or at least culpable of many misbehaviors toward the Church so much the more cause he hath with what speed he can to fly into the bosom thereof both because so he may procure his own safety and pardon and by an open subscription to truth and unity make an amends for his former error and division if he have bin any way consenting thereto and also because the truth c will receive a greater testimony and honour from one that publickly converts to it after educated first in error than from many that from the benefit of their first institution and breeding continue in it to some of whom a right opinion may be rather their good fortune than their choice The summe of all is The case of one's stay after such full conviction in the external communion where he is or of his staying out of the other who stretcheth forth her arms to receive him tho upon never so pious pretences is doubtful his reconciliation safe therefore this rather to be chosen and as for the good he hoped to produce God is able and either will otherwise by lawful means effect it or is not willing it should be effected and mean-while will rather accept of our obedience than of much sacrifice Note that in this discours I speak of a Church certainly Schismatical and of men after all convenient means of information diligently used fully convinced thereof and amongst these chiefly of such as in purposing some good ends to themselves intend to continue always or for any long space of time either in their former communion or out of the orthodox not of such as convicted are removing all impediments as fast as they can to unite themselves to the Church But 1. first concerning Churches schismatical I apprehend not Schism to be of such a latitude as that there cannot be any difference especially between Churches wherein are divers Apostolical Successions suppose the Eastern and Western the Grecian and Asian and the Roman Church before a General Council hath decided it without such a crime of Schism and violated unity of the Church on one side that all good men therein are presently obliged to render themselves of the opposit communion And 2ly concerning conviction I think men ought to take heed of being any way hasty which may proceed from a natural ficklenes of mind and over-valuation of things not tried to desert that Church wherein God's providence hath given them their education and which hath taught them the word of God and first made them Christian and which as t is said in the Law concerning possession Quia prior est tempore potior est jure i. e. caeteris paribus to desert the Church I say without much conference with the learned much weighing of reasons much study of Theological