Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	catholic_n	church_n	unity_n	4,815	5	9.7580	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69762	A perswasive to an ingenuous tryal of opinions in religion	Clagett, Nicholas, 1654-1727.	1685 (1685)	Wing C4370; ESTC R927	37,500	66

do this good office and that because God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth This was that which our Lord said to Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren and if those who are not thoroughly confirmed in the Truth are to be farther instructed there is the same reason for endeavouring to recover those that are quite out of the way Therefore if any of our Friends and Acquaintance or others whom at any time we have a good opportunity of instructing remain under those errours that we have forsaken and have discerned good cause to forsake we must remember that though it was chiefly by the grace and disposal of God that we came to a right understanding yet it was also by humane means by conversing with others or by reading their Books And therefore we should take our selves to be fit Instruments under God for the reducing of them by desiring them earnestly either to hear what we have learned from others or to read those Books by which we have been convinced And we should be the more earnestly engaged in this charity because those whom we may prevail withal will thereby be engaged to help others also and by this means our diligence and charity will be blessed with the good success of propagating the knowledge of Truth so far that we shall not be able to see to the end of it If therefore thou art convinced that thy former Perswasions were erroneous and thy Practices grounded upon them unjustifiable be not ashamed to confess thy mistake but shew thy self glad that thou art now better informed and go to thy Friend and tell him that thou art fully perswaded thy was has been wrong all this while and shew him these Arguments that have set thee right that he as well as thy self may rejoyce in the discovery of the Truth and have the same reason to bless God that thou hast Now when we are thus resolved let us by no means forget in what manner we are to apply our selves to our mistaken Brother for his information i. e. in meekness of wisdom in the spirit of meekness without railing and bitterness though we should meet with unhandsome opposition remembring that we our selves not long since were under the same mistakes and had the like fondness for those erroneous Opinions which we would now rescue our Brother from If he does not take information and receive instruction as fast as we did we must not presently grow into passion for some mens prejudices are greater and stronger than others and all men have not the same capacity of understanding and quickness of apprehension and therefore more time is to be allowed and more patience is to be used for the recovery of one man than may be needful in the case of another And because nothing puts a slow or a prejudiced man more backward than rough and bitter discourse therefore more meekness and gentleness and patience is requisite in dealing with him than if we had to do with one of better wit or less prejudice When we would bring a man to the Truth we must avoid all things that will be sure to drive him at a farther distance from it as clamour fierceness and railing will certainly do For this carriage does but harden the obstinate and confound the simple 3. When we are convinced of the Truth as we must not be ashamed so neither must we be afraid to own it but constantly adhere to it by professing it and practising according to it whatever we lose or suffer for so doing For otherwise we are convinced to no other purpose than the increasing of our guilt for he that knows his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes If therefore thou hast hitherto been a Papist but art now convinced of the impious Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome or a Dissenter but art now satisfied that there is no just ground for separation from the Church of England be not afraid of the Reproaches and Accusations of those whose errours thou hast left no not though your dependance be in a great measure upon them or your expectations of worldly advantage from them be never so great Consider that thy salvation lies at stake and that the question is whether Gods love is not to be preferred before their favour and that you are now to shew that you do not love the praise of men more than the praise of God Tell them that you will be still glad of their friendship but that you cannot purchase it at so dear a rate as to sin against God for it either by renouncing that which you are throughly convinced is Gods Truth or by going contrary to a Conscience well informed of your duty Let them know that you have been at a great deal of pains to discover the truth in these matters and more than they have been at that you value that knowledge of your duty to which the Grace and Providence of God hath led you at a more just rate than to sacrifice it to every worldly interest and that the industry you have used to inform your self aright would turn to a very evil account if after all you should play the Hypocrite When we have the Truth our loins must be girt about with it we must love it heartily profess it sincerely and contend for it earnestly and practise it honestly When we have bought the Truth by diligent and impartial enquiry we we must not sell it for the gain of worldly Wealth or Honour or any other secular advantage no not for the safety of our lives The sum of all is this Prove all things hold fast that which is good FINIS A Catalogue of several Tracts written by some Divines in and about the City of London for the satisfaction of the Protestant Dissenters 1. A Perswasive to Communion with the Church of England 2. A Resolution of some Cases of Conscience which respect Church-Communion 3. A Letter to Anonymus in answer to his three Letters to Dr. Sherlock about Church-Communion 4. The Case of Lay-Communion 5. The Case of mixt Communion Whether it be Lawful to Separate from a Church upon the account of promiscuous Congregations and mixt Communions 6. The Case of Indifferent things used in the Worship of God proposed and Stated 7. A Vindication of it 8. A Discourse of Conscience 9. A Discourse about a Scrupulous Conscience 10. Some Considerations about the Case of Scandal or giving Offence to Weak Brethren 11. Certain Cases of Conscience resolved concerning the Lawfulness of joyning with Forms of Prayer in Publick Worship In two Parts 12. An Answer to the Dissenters Objections against the Common Prayers and some other parts of Divine Service prescribed in the Liturgy of the Church of England 13. The Resolution of this Case of Conscience Whether the Church of Englands Symbolizing so far as it doth with the Church of Rome makes it unlawful to hold Communion with the Church of England 14. A Defence of it 15. The Case of Infant-Baptism in Five Questions 16. The Case of the Cross in Baptism 17. A Perswasive to frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper 18. The Case of Kneeling at the Holy Sacrament stated and resolved In two Parts 29. A Discourse about Edification 20. A Discourse of Profiting by Sermons and of going to hear where men think they can profit most 21. An Argument to Union taken from the true Interest of those Dissenters in England who profess and call themselves Protestants 22. A serious Exhortation with some important Advices relating to the late Cases about Conformity recommended to the present Dissenters from the Church of England Against Popery these 1. A Discourse about the charge of Novelty upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before Luther 2. Discourse about Tradition shewing what is meant by it and what Tradition is to be received and what Tradition is to be rejected 3. The difference of the Case between the Separation of Protestants from the Church of Rome and the Separation of Dissenters from the Church of England 4. The Protestant Resolution of Faith 5. A Discourse concerning a Guide in matters of Faith 6. A Discourse concerning Invocation of Saints 7. A Discourse concerning the Unity of the Catholick Church maintained in the Church of England 8. A Discourse of Auricular Confession 9. A Discourse against Transubstantiation A Catalogue of some Books printed for T. BASSET SPeed's Maps and Geography of Great Britain and Ireland and of foreign parts Hooker's Ecclesiastical Politie Guillim's Heraldry Bishop Sanderson's Sermons Mezaray's History of France Dr. Howell's History of the World In 2 Vol. Dr. Littleton's Dictionary Compleat Clerk Dr. Sherlock's Sermon on the Discovery of the Plot. Medicina Curiosa Miege's French Dictionary Willis's London Tract of Physick Bishop Wilkin's Sermons Principle and duty of Natural Religion Bishop Land's Devotions ☞ All the Works newly printed of Doctor JOHN LIGHTFOOT in two Volumes in folio Illustrated with Maps and several Tables to the Whole with some things never before printed Phil. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 24. 1 Cor 4. 7. Rom. 12. 2. Discourse about Tradition shewing c. Abridgment of Christian Doctrine printed at Doway

led to a Practice where there is danger of such a complicated sin 3. I am to consider that differences in Religion and Worship do dangerously affect the Peace of Kingdoms and all other Societies especially where the interests of Church and State are so mixed and interwoven together as they are in England They that agree in Religion are the most likely to be at peace and to agree together in other things But it seldom happens that they maintain hearty correspondence in any thing who are of opposite Communions in the service of God When the Unity of the Church is broken there is a foundation laid of those uncharitable censures and animosities which for the most part end in violence and bloudshed very often to the dissolation of Kingdoms and Nations It were easie to put this out of question by several instances of the sad experience which Christendom hath had of it But the late and sad Example hereof at home is enough to make all others needless for our conviction The Rebellion here was supported by nothing more than by difference about Religion This was the principal cause that brought together so many People against the King and that inslamed them with anger and resolution to venture all till they had secured the King and enslaved the Kingdom I need not say for sure every body must be sensible of that how diversity of Religions weaken the Government and render a People unable to do well for themselves to oppose foreign Enemies and to use the most likely opportunities for the common safety and prosperity Therefore in love to our Country and for the sake of Peace at home and of success in all just Enterprizes abroad we should be very backward to violate the present Constitution of the Church and to unsettle the state of Religion and never separate from the establish'd Communion till we find our selves forced to it by Reasons so plain and weighty that there is no avoiding of it if we would keep our selves honest men and good Christians 4. The setting of a bad example to others should in this case be most considered For if where a necessary Reformation in things of Religion is made by just Authority or a lawful separation made by private persons from a Communion polluted with unlawful conditions it is yet very hard to keep the Example from being abused by others in reforming or separating without any such cause and will still be of worse consequence to set an example of wanton and unjustifiable separation for this is so plain a contempt of Authority Order and Unity that others will be afraid to subdivide into more Parties as Self-conceit Ambition or Revenge or the like evil dispositions shall prompt them 5. If separation should not be made but with very great caution for fear of incurring the guilt of Schism by a causeless and unlawful departure from the Assemblies of the Church and setting up other Assemblies in opposition to them This in the judgment of the ancient Christians was no less than for a man to cut himself off from the Catholick Church of Christ and if the body of Christ be but one as the Scripture plainly tells us he that divides himself from any particular Church that is a Member of this Body divides himself from the whole Body And therefore Schismaticks were not accounted by the Ancients to be within the Church although they retained the profession of the Common Faith And surely a man would well advise with himself about an action whereby he may be in danger of putting himself into that condition The Vnity of Christians in one Body and Communion was instituted by our Lord for very great and weighty reasons and particularly for the securing of Brotherly kindness amongst his Disciples who being Members of the Body of Christ should therefore love and care for one another more than other men are wont to do and for the retaining of Professors within the Rules of a true Christian life from which if they should break away by any scandalous practice they were to be punished for it by the shame of being turned out of the Communion of the Church and by the loss of the great advantages thereof But it is evident that they who are guilty of dividing the Communion of Christians and setting up one Communion in opposition to another without necessary cause do what in them lies to render this provision for the maintenance of Charity and purity of Manners amongst Believers altogether ineffectual And we see by experience that hatred and ill will and looseness of life gains ground more by the Schisms that are amongst Christians than by any thing else and no wonder since men that are of different and opposite Communions do not use to love one another and vicious persons do not value the Communion of a true Church nor care if for their ill manners they be turned out of it when they can take Sanctuary in a pretended Church of another Communion that makes as loud a claim to all the Priviledges of a Chruch-Society as that Church can do from which they have divided themselves Which things being considered we are not to wonder that in St. Cyprian's time Schism was accounted no less but rather a greater fault than to sacrifice to Idols for the avoiding of persecution For though Idolatry simply considered be in it self worse yet Schism in its consequences is more pernicious He that is the Head of a Schism does more mischief to the Church than if he turned a Pagan or a Mahometan The conclusion from hence is this That it concerns every man that separates himself from an established Church it concerns him I say as much as his Soul is worth to look to it that the cause of his separation be just and necessary and such as will throw the guilt of Schism upon that Church from which he separates But alas how few are they that examine the reasons upon which they have broken away from the Church of England How many that when they are pressed in good earnest can say no more for themselves than that they have better preaching and more spiritual praying elsewhere than in our Parish-Churches How will they abuse our Prayers and call them Porridge and such other vile names who never in all their lives so much as read them and are not ashamed to own that they have not They call the Bishops Antichristian and the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Idolatrous or Superstitious who yet never well considered what Antichrist means what is Idolatry or Superstition who have little or nothing to say if they be asked what evil is in Bishops in Liturgies and in the Rites of our Worship How many others are there who read the Books written to defend the separation but will not vouchsafe so much as to look upon any one that is published in behalf of the Communion of our Church God of his mercy give a better Spirit to such people and Repentance to those that