Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,019	5	6.0761	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55028	The necessity and encouragement, of utmost venturing for the churches help together with the sin, folly, and mischief of self-idolizing applyed by a representation of 1. some of the most notorious nationall sins endangering us, 2. the heavy weight of wrath manifested in our present calamities, yet withall, grounds of 3. confidence, that our church shall obtain deliverance in the issue, 4. hopes that the present Parliament shall be still imployed in the working of it : all set forth in a sermon, preached to the honorable House of Commons, on the day of the monethly solemn fast, 28. June, 1643 / by Herbert Palmer ...	Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647.	1643 (1643)	Wing P243; ESTC R21704	67,757	76

virtuall promise to England 3 3. But I take it for a much stronger ground and more undoubted That the word of God in the Story and in the threatnings together hath an epitome of all that God will do to his Church planted in my Nation And that God will never deal more severely with any Nationall Church then his Word which is every way most perfect relates or threatens Therefore if it cannot be found in the Scripture that God did ever bring destruction upon his Church planted in a Nation or transplant his Church wholly out of such a Land while they were in such a condition as ours is then will he not do it now But contrarily if he hath alwayes in such a case as ours is now afforded his Church deliverance this I beleeve to be a very strong promise that he will afford us the like now Logicians say that even one example of a thing and no instance to the contrary is a sufficient argument And if it hold not in Scripture examples when none of a divers kinde can be produced I know not what use can be made of the greatest examples of mercy as meer examples which yet were all written for our learning as all Scriptures are that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. 4 4. In speciall If God did never destroy a Reforming Nation never wholly transplant a Reforming Church then will he not do so to us because we are such And for this there is speciall Reason whether we consider the Reformation to be the speciall work of God and little of the Nation in it as in Josiahs time God wrought it by a speciall work upon the King who saw all done himself and the people shewed little concurrence in it yet God would and did carry it through Because he that loved the people so wel being yet corrupted as to begin to reform them in a manner himself when he had begun it once would make somewhat of it and not let it altogether come to nothing OF whether God though he ever be the Author and finisher of all good yet act the reformation much by the peoples hands as it was in Hezekiahs Reformation 2 Chron. 30. 1. Here again the same reason holds He who loved the Nation so well as to put such a beginning of grace into them would not let that fail suddenly But he made the work prosper in their hands and no enemie hindred them And now to apply this to our selves 1 If ever a Nation or Church in affliction and danger were a reforming Church and Nation we are such and that in all the parts of Reformation 1. For purity and clearnesse of truth of Doctrine 2. Purity of Worship freed from all superstitions and mans devices and compleat in all the Ordinances of God 3. Purity of Church government and discipline according to the word and rule of Christ 4. Purity of life and conversation 5. Particularly the Sabbaths sanctification the greatest pledge of mercy to a Nation and to ours experimentally in speciall according to Esay 58. 13 14. All this Reformation we apparently labour for in our Church and so are doubtlesse a reforming Church and Nation and shall not be destroyed at this time 2 2. All this is striven for not simply for the liberty of private persons that they may be free from persecution but for the glory of God and the saving of others souls throughout the Nation Which disposition of his servants being much above all self-respects God doth highly esteem and so will blesse it with prosperous successe in the issue 3 3. This Reformation Gods servants have striven for and panted after Ministers and people eighty years together more or lesse and have appeared for it in a considerable party though not joyned and associated as now by the happy advantage of this Parliament and have been much persecuted even for it And therefore now when God hath given them to attempt further and with more hopes and greater beginnings then ever before He will not now at this time give them wholly over to enemies to ruin all utterly 4 4. The rather because the enmity of the enemies is specially provoked even by the desire and attempt of Reformation some in one point some in another They pretend as was noted before to fight for the true reformed Protestant Religion But except some ease about Ceremonies and the like to tender consciences they evidently oppose any further reformation then was in Queen Elizabeths time and reproach the Parliament as intending to alter Religion because they professe to purpose an endeavour of a through reformation Therefore God will not take his enemies part against his people but his peoples against his enemies in the issue at least in giving them the Reformation contended for 5 5. He hath shewed a greater spirtuall love to this Nation for eighty years and more together thou to any in the Christian world in raising up so many excellant Lights for powerfull preaching and for holinesse of life above all other Churches and given us above all others also the Doctrine and practise of his holy Sabbath And all this notwithstanding our Nationall grievous provocations fore-mentioned Therefore when now the Nation is working into the best way of being generally better he will not suffer them to become now irrecoverably for continuance worse But at least this time try the whole Nation with a generall Reformation 6 6. Himself hath mainly and manifestly given the first hopes of this and raised up not the desires onely but the expectation of his servants by wayes farre beyond their contrivances and wonderfully beyond their very thoughts ordered by himself And namely marvellous much by his very enemies plots and counsels turned upon themselves As 1. Their attempt against Religion and Liberties both together whereas if they had undertaken either alone they never in likelihood had had any considerable party appearing against them as now is by uniting the patriots and zealots both in one and shewing to either the necessity of such union 2. In their attempt against the two Nations at once England and Scotland so grasping at both they could hold neither 3. Yet beginning first with Scotland to impose Popish practises upon them the more manifestly who were more impatient of Popery then our Nation was and so provoking them to stand upon their guard link themselves suddenly in a Nationall Covenant against them which also much weakned their attempts upon us 4. Breaking the first Pacification with Scotland which forced them to prevent their being invaded with comming with a powerfull Army into this Kingdom and to refuse to be satisfied without an English Parliament our onely remedy too under God did ratifie the peace with them 5. Their frequence breakings of Parliaments rendring them justly suspected that they meant so by this as soon as the Peace was made counselled to

hazard for the Object loved So ought we to do because we ought to love the Church and professe we do love it So Saint Paul Col. 1 24. I now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behinde of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church Here is another great Example not onely of this Duty acknowledged but practised and that with joy and as a debt to Christ and his Church A strong Reason also insinuated All Christs Members must suffer after His example even for the Churches good not meritoriously or satisfactorily which was onely proper to him the Head but by way of conformity to Him and testimony to them to seal hereby the truth of the Doctrin of Christianity of faith and holinesse and proclaim it worth suffering for and to propagate it while any opportunity is afforded in despight of sufferings Moses also of old ventures and forfeits all his greatnesse in the Court of Aegypt being the reputed and adopted son of Pharaohs daughter for his brethrens sake the children of Israel under oppression even for the rescue of one of them tyrannically abused Exod. 2. And so Aaron Numb. 16. Even though his people but the day before were in rebellion against him and would have thrust him out of his Office and at the present had again renewed their mutiny against him and Moses crying out Ye have killed the people of the Lord when it was Gods own immediate vengeance that struck them and for this murmuring he now strikes them so heavily as 14700. of them died of the plague in a quarter of an houre or lesse Into the middest of which multitude with extreame danger Aaron to save them ventures himselfe and runnes in with his censer and incense between the living and the dead to make an atonement for them Here was an admirable charity indeed typifying Christs our great high Priests both dying and praying for his very enemies and crucifyers And David when his people were in danger of the destroying Angel offers himselfe to his sword his owne life to the Pestilence that they might be spared 2 Sam. 24. 17. Finally even Joab though a man of bloud and when his turne came to die unwilling enough 1 Kings 2. yet can encourage himselfe and his brother too to venture themselves to the utmost for their people the cities of their God even though not certain of the successe which he therefore wholly referres to God Let the Lord doe that which seemes him good 2 Sam. 10. 11 12. And great reason for all this whether we consider God or the Church our selves or the enemies or friends of the Church or By-standers 1. All Gods professed People Owe themselves Certainly to Him to Doe all things Venture Lose Suffer all things at His Bidding and for His Sake If then He Appoint to Doe any of this or all this for the Churches sake we Owe it as a Duty Vnquestionably What say You to this Brethren what think you of St. Pauls saying You are not your owne 1 Cor. 6. 19. What have you which is not His by Creation by Preservation special Providence and gift And may He not call for all that is His at any time or any way Are not you His by Redemption too You are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirits which are Gods 1 Cor. 6. 20. Satan had you once his slaves and you did his worke fulfilled his lusts with body and soule and all that you had and all that was Dishonour to God exceedingly Now God hath bought you with a price such a price as the precious bloud of His own Son can you chuse but owe your selves wholly to Him at His pleasure Once more are you not His altogether by covenant A right He hath in you even that way as much as it is possibly for you to pretend or imagine your selves ever to have been your own What is the covenant of Christianity plainly but for Him to be our God and we His people Jer. 31. 33. and every where and Heb. 8. 10. to deny our selves take up our crosse daily and follow Him Luke 9. 23. to sell all Mat. 13. 44 45 46. forsake all hate all Luke 14. 26. 33. or else we are told by the Truth it selfe we are no Christians we cannot be his Disciples Now doth not all this amount to all endeavour and the Venture of the utmost hazard What can any one except against this or except out of this Thou hast an estate who gave it thee but God Riches and honour are of thee c. ● Chron. 29. 12. or rather lent it thee made thee steward of it He appoints thee to lay out so much for such an use gives the Church a Letter of Atturney Is it not thy due to yeeld it upon demand Thou hast honour and dignity who promoted thee Psal. 75. 7. God is the Judge He puts down one and sets up another If He will have thee lay it down and give over thy office maist thou say I am not bound to yeeld to it Thou hast friends who made them friends and able to shew themselves friendly but God who rules all hearts If He will thee to sleight their friendship in this or that case canst thou say thou owest Him no such respect Thou art a Freeman in bondage to none who made thee free spiritually but Christ made thee be borne a freeman temporally not a slave as in some countries but God if he call thee to venture lying in a dungeon as a prisoner a captive or come into bonds and debts to doe Him necessary service wilt thou say thou owest Him no such service In a word thy lims sense life whence hadst thou them or hast them first and last may He not then command them all Owest thou not all of them to Him and so thy selfe in all respects to Him and accordingly to His Church at His wil Remember this as the first main Reason upon which all the rest depend They are divers but of each of them more briefly For 2ly God hath made the Church his receiver of all his rents and dues so far as her need requires Plainly God every where expresses that He counts that done or not done to Him which is done or not done to His Church Christ we know expresses this as the stile of His sentences at the great day of Judgement even referring to particular members helped or neglected You did it to me You did it not to me Mat. 25. Where note also the very Reprobates and now doomed to damnation dare not deny but they owed all respect to Christ and speak as though they would not have neglected it if they had lookt at it as reaching to Him so that He would have taken it to heart But they might have known we may from so many expressions in His word that in reference to the Churches necessities