Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	answer_v	good_a	think_v	778	5	3.6818	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05190	The prophane schisme of the Brovvnists or separatists With the impietie, dissensions, levvd, and abhominable vices of that impure sect. Discouered by Christopher Lavvne, Iohn Fovvler, Clement Sanders, Robert Bulvvard. Lately returned from the companie of M. Iohnson, that wicked brother, into the bosome of the Church of England, their true mother.	Lawne, Christopher. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 15324; ESTC S121934	59,954	107

to cut off my selfe from that their schisme wherein I haue stood with them And though I cannot but expect much reproach and many hard sentences which they of the Separation will for this cause passe vpon me yet my hope is that the Lord which of his mercie hath giuen mee leaue to see my error and his truth will now also strengthen me by his grace to beare the euill speeches which in this case they vse to poure out vpon those that leaue them Surely I am readie to halt and my sorrow is euer before me When I declare my paine and am sorrie for my sinne Then mine enemies are aliue and are mightie and they that hate me wrongfully are many They also that reward euill for good are mine aduersaries because I follow goodnesse Forsake me not O Lord be not thou farre from me my God Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord my saluation WILL. GILGATE About a moneth or six weekes after this when by the mercie of God he was something recouered of his sicknesse he then by his practise confirmed further that which he had written before both by embracing the communion of the Churches which he refused before in hearing the Word and praying with them c. As also by going vnto M. Ainsworths Church with which he had ioyned himselfe before and there openly in the middest of their Congregation renounced his fellowship with them testifying that they were in Schisme and for further proofe hereof did afterwards giue vnto Master Ainsworth diuers Arguments in writing to proue them to be in manifold Schisme and so finally left them quite CHAP. VIII Letters that passed betwixt M. Ames and M. Robinson touching the bitternesse of the Separation ONe point of Schisme which M. Gilgate obiected vnto M. Ainsworth was for their separation in priuate from those particular persons which might be discerned to be true visible Christians euen by their owne confession This point because it is further discussed in diuers Arguments and Writings betwixt Master Ames and Master Robinson wee haue thought it meet to publish them as they came vnto our hands because they serue much for the declaration and manifestation of their Schisme herein G. M. and P. SIr I doe not desire to multiplie many Letters no● many words in this one Letter I will passe by therefore your censure Your manner of separation also I omit whether it be like or dislike to that of the first reformed Churches for you haue yrons ynow in the fire about that question Neither will I trouble you about my associates here whom you deeme euill of though they be vnknowne vnto you Onely that one point which containeth indeed the very bitternesse of Separation I would desire you againe to consider of as you doe me viz. Whether there be not a visible Communion euen out of a visible Church These reasons seeme to euince it 1 Whomsoeuer I can rightly discerne to haue communion with Iesus Christ with him may I haue visible communion the reason is because that from visible descrying of that inward communion doth necessarily follow externall communion Neither can other sufficient reason be giuen why we should communicate with visible Churches but only because wee visibly discerne that they haue communion with Christ Now quatenus ipsum de omni conuertuntur But we may discerne euen by your confession of some out of a visible Church that they haue communion with Christ Ergo 2 That which is lawfull for them to doe which are no members of a visible Church that is lawfull for others to ioyne with them in for that which is no sinne in the principall is none in the accessorie Cateris paribus And it cannot be simply vnlawfull to ioyne in any action that is lawfull Quatenus talis but it is lawfull for Christians conuerted euen before they ioyne in any Church perhaps wanting knowledge of the true Constitution perhaps oportunitie to worship God Therefore 3 It is necessarie that before the couenant making which you hold to be the forme of a Church they that are to make it should ioyne together in prayer for direction assistance and blessing yet they are not a Church vntill after Therefore it is not only lawfull but necessarie also that there be a communion out of a visible Church You may easily conceiue the forme and force of this Argument If you answere that they are a Church in desire that is to forsake your position for desire to be doth imply that as yet they are not A velle ad esse non sequitur ratio I will not be further tedious vnto you Fare you well Feb. 25. Your louing friend WILLIAM AMES Mercie and peace be with you Amen SIr because I doe vnderstand by many that you maruell I answer not your reasons hauing had your writing so long in mine hands I thought good to returne you a briefe answere Your reasons to prooue visible communion out of a visible Church follow Though that be not the question betweene you and mee But whether we which are or deeme our selues to be of a visible Church may lawfully communicate with such as be of no Church Reason 1 I deny that externall communion doth necessarily flowe from the discerning of inward communion with Christ which is your first reason for then I haue externall communion with the Angells and faithfull departed this life Externall communion is a matter of externall relation and order vnder which men out of the Church are not Acts 2.41,47 The order set by Christ and his Apostles is that such as receiue the word and are to be saued ioyne themselues foorthwith vnto the Church and a large remnant it is of the confusions which Antichrist hath brought into the worlde that men fearing God should remaine out of the true Church For the further cleering of these things If an innocent person in mine absence be excommunicated from the Church vpon the testimony of two or three yet will I for order sake and so am bound forbeare communion with him till I haue manifested his innocencie to the Church On the other side Though I know some great wickednesse by a brother which he denies and I can not prooue I must still for order sake keepe communion with him in the Church till God discouer him It is euident therfore that in cases I am both to forbeare communion with a godly man till we be orderly ioyned together and to keep communion with a wicked man till we be orderly dis-ioyned Adde vnto these things that vpon this ground I may also lawfully admit one out of the Church to the Lords Supper to the choise of Officers censuring of offendors And all other exercises of externall communion if by the iudgement of Charitie I deeme him holie in his person And how can I denie him one part of externall communion to whom I affoord an other but I make a schisme in the communion of Saints and this also may serue for answere to the latter part