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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	church_n	true_a	2,752	5	4.8734	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53999	Jerub-baal, or, The pleader impleaded being an answer to Mr. Croftons (lately published) plea for communion with the Church under her present corruptions, &c., entituled Reformation not separation by way of humble remonstrance thereunto : shewing, that non-communion with the Church of England in her liturgy and common-prayer, in those that (yet) joyn with her in the substantial ordinances and instituted worship of Christ, is no schism, and that such are unjustly called separatists : in a letter / written by T.P. for the private satisfaction of a friend, and by him published for common benefit.	T. P.	1662 (1662)	Wing P112; ESTC R7299	36,119	58

being preached by him as Prophet John 4.21 Insomuch that Two or Three wheresoever met in his Name have the Solemn promise of his presence now Mat. 18.20 whereas if the Solemnity of his worship were tied to any one place his presence and the Concomitant blessing of his worship should be tied to that place also Who would have thought that * Vid. lib. 3. De Cultu Sanctorum Bellarmine that great Light of the Romish Firmament the chief Atlas of that Orbe should have been so much in the dark as to think that Prayer or any other part of worship performed in a Material Church c. is of more Efficacy then if it were celebrated elsewhere as if Stone and Timber did contribure vertue to our devotion or Prayers Efficacy depended on Locality I wish there be not many Bellarmines in this respect foolish Superstionaries that cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord Jer. 7.4 c. like their silly blind Pharisaical Progenitors But Sir You and I are taught of God assured by Holy Record that Prayer or any other part of Divine Worship in what place soever performed will be accepted of God through Christ so he be but worshipped according to his own Canon viz. In Spirit and in Truth John 4.24 Let none then presently conclude from a necessary declension of Local Society in a Publique place a breach of Real Community in True Solemn Publique Worship which may indeed be maintained in any place indifferently Yet 3. The Church of England while she holds the Head Christ and professeth the True Religion being a True Church a Part of the Church Catholick-Visible as is acknowledged and a Publique Place being dictated by the light of nature and judged by men to whose Prudential Determination the Conveniency or Inconveniency of Place of worship as a Natural Circumstance is left though it be a meer matter of Indifferency under the Gospel and in it self to be fittest for Publique Joynt-Communion and therefore though not sanctified yet prudentially sequestred and devoted thereunto I must needs own my self called to communicate and in answer to that call I do communicate with her and that in the Place of Publique Assembly in all the Parts of Real-Solemn Divine Worship wherein I may without either let or sin And thus Sir 't is my known Practice which you are no stranger to to joyn with the present Assemblies in Prayer though not their Common-Prayer Praise or Singing of Psalms Hearing of the Word all which are Substantial parts of True Solemn Divine Worship what and yet a Separatist Judge how little I deserve that name while this is my practice and I exhort you and others to the like Onely give me leave to tell you that what was Reverend Beda's advice to him that should chance to read the Books of that Heretical Bishop Julian I desire and it may be so will you to improve in the hearing of ours Ita carpat botrum ut spinane caveat Take of the Cluster but beware of Prickles be sure they be of Canaans Grapes I would not willingly be starved but God keep me from being poysoned Take heed of Choaking chew before you swallow a Proselyting Romanist a Seminary Priest will tell you otherwise once swallow his Churches Infallibility and any thing will go down then there is no room left for dispute more no need of the true Ballance of the Sanctuary But I have not as yet laid finger upon the soar therefore consider 4. That the Church of Englands Liturgy or Common-Prayer the great apple of strife c. is a Part of this Real-Solemn worship of God and that Communion with her therein the thing urged is therefore a Positive Indispensable duty I must take leave at least till I see more cogent Arguments for it then have as yet been pleaded by the best that ever undertook the patronage of it utterly to deny This I know would seem strange to many what a Convocation-Master-piece the Summum quod sic of the Wit of men and Angels the Monopoly of Divine Service the Prayers of the Church c. and yet no Part of True Solemn Worship but that it is written for private satisfaction and by way of private Apology Sir 't is a fixed Principle with me which I should not fear to publish to the world had my tongue the liberty of mine Accusers in the case viz. That there is no True Divine Worship whereof God is not the Author as well as the Object the Alpha as well as the Omega What is not Instituted Worship is none of His Worship but meer Will-Worship for God will be worshipped Desuo his Soul loathing all that Service though possibly nick-named Divine wherein there is more of the Creature than of Himselfe more of Man than of God What Reason either from Scripture or Common Light can perswade me otherwise Now can Mr. Crofton say Bona fide 't is not a matter to be dallied withal that Liturgies or stinted Set-Forms of Prayer were ever Instituted by Christ Practised by the Apostles Intended in the Gospel or observed by the Primitive Christian Church in the best and purest ages after Christ whose Practice in the case was to be a Leading Case and an Imitable Example to all succeeding Churches In a word Can he prove Englands Common-Prayer part of Christs Instituted Worship Let him produce Authentick either Precept or President for it which will be a hard matter for him to do else surcease his censure for what other can it be then a meer Humane Ordinance Super-erogatory Worship Arbitrary Service even Scripture-bitten Will-Worship one of the justly condemned Commandements and Ordinances of men Col. 2.22 23. What is Will-Worship if this be not Yea but the Matter of it is good this is the ordinary plea but so is a great part of the Popish Missal with which it so much symbolizeth especially their Letany the first Edition of ours and so of the Turkish Alcoran But will that prove it a Divine Constitution Now the Question is not whether it be Divine Matter or not but whether a Divine Constitution or not and therefore I joyne Matter and Constitution together The Matter proves not its Legitimacy unless such a Frame Method Composure and Constitution of VVorship can be proved Jure Divino to be Christs Own Prayer is Christs own Institution I communicate with them in that but here is my Crime I joyne not with them in Prayer in such a Dresse or Form which though I neither question the Wisdome that composed it nor the Authority that imposed it yet I professedly declare is in my weak judgment meerly Humane and therefore I do not a little wonder that such a man as Mr. Crofton should become its Mecoenas and Advocate who cannot be ignorant of the unhappy occasion of the first introduction of such man-devised Forms and Frames into the Christian Church administred by the prevailing Arrian and Pelagian heresies above three hundred years after

Church of England in her Liturgy or Common-Prayer commonly called Divine Service is Communion with the Church-Visible in Solemn and Publique Worship and then the Conclusion must be Therefore Communion with the Church of England in her Liturgy and Common-Prayer is an Essential part of the sanctification of the Sabbath or Lords day and a positive indispensable duty c. and by consequence Non-Communion c. must be a breach of duty and therefore a sin viz SCHISM REMONS Honoured Friend My Answer to this shall be threefold Viz 1. By way of Concession 2. By way of Distinction 3. By way of Retortion 1. By way of Concession That the Church of England That is the Community of Christians in this Nation concorporated by Baptism professing the true God and Jesus Christ and subjected to the Word and Sacraments c. is a true Church cannot in justice be denyed Her Primitive Constitution being by History Times Index and our best Intelligencer touching Antiquity known to have been Apostolical administers to me no occasion of doubt in the thing But whoever were the Seminary Founders thereof whether Simon Zelotes or Joseph of Arimathea Christs Immediate Emissaries or Aristobolus or Augustine the Monk 't is no matter of Faith only let none despise-his Birth-right as Esau did his O what a happinesse is it that our Native Land should be a thus Consecrated Soil and that we should be by birth in this respect Sons of the Church Visible Church Members The Inroades of Popery into this Iland since the Sun of Righteousnesse first rose herein have been both various and violent and what they may further be God knows but God hath safe-kept his English-Ark in the midst of that Deluge the Rock of Ages hath hitherto been her Ararat By no Antichristian Inundations was she ever as yet totally overwhelmed Popery spoiled her Beauty but did not destroy her Being Mr. Crofton turning Confessor hath acknowledged this Churches present Corruptions as well in Things viz Worship and Ordinances therein administrable by as in Persons both Ministers and People Visible Members the Integral Parts thereof But a True Church is one thing a Pure Church another Here is the New-Creature Hereafter onely the Pure-Creature Now the question is not about Church-purity alas Adulterate Mixtures and Innovations in the Worship of God are a too too plain confutation of this now but Church-Entity the Truth and Being of the Church which our English Donatists Mr. Crofton may know whom I mean having formerly well nigh confounded did like their Progenitors most sacriledgiously monopolize the Church of Christ in this Nation confining the Formality and therefore the Truth and very Essence of a Church within the narrow compasse of their Confederate Members as if it had not been possible for their Ark to contain a Cham or for Tares to grow within their Inclosure God will I hope humble them for it Truth we must needs ascribe to the Church of England while She professedly owns the Faith of Christ and the True Religion For the Truth of Religion proves the Entity or Being as the Power of Religion the Purity of a Church while She owns the Head she must not be disowned for a Part of the Body the Church Catholick-Visible while She separates not from Christ we have no warrant totally and positively to separate from Her She may be Christs Spouse viz Visibly and Professedly though not a Chast-Virgin-Spouse a Wife though an Adulteresse retaining her Affinity though not her Virginity Corruptions in the Church are either 1. Personal or 2. Real Real again either or 1. Substantial and Intrinsecal 2. Circumstantial and Extrinsecal The latter is Mr. Croftons own distinction though possibly he and I may differ in the application of it Personal Corruptions in Scandalous Professors or Visible Church Members Ministers as well as others the Hophnie's and Phinehas's of our age defile a Church Corruptions Objective and Real though onely Circumstantial and Extrinsecal in Outward Rites and Ceremonies or corrupt Modes and Methods of Administration as the Antiquated Jewish Vestments Crosse in Baptisme Kneeling at the Supper c. adulterate a Church Corruptions Substantial and Intrinsecal which are Church-wasting Corruptions the very Vitals and Intrinsecals of Religion being by them destroyed do ipso facto actually divorce a Church from Christ those are the steps of Church-Apostacy when the Wife becomes a Lewd-Woman Single Fornication in the first Adultery in the second A Bill of Divorce in the last The Church of England is too truly chargeable with the two first but not with the last as is the Church of Rome she having not as yet I pray God she never may with her degenerated from a Christian Church into an Antichristian See nor her Members with hers from Professors to Persecutors of the Faith not holding the True Head but setting up ANOTHER NAME being in Doctrine damnably Heretical in Worship grossely Idolatrous in both Antichristian The Essentials Constitutive of a True Church are 1. the Head 2. the Body 3. the Vnion that is between them which three concurring in the Church of England Christ being her professed Head she being Christs professed Body and the Catholick-Faith being the Vnion-Bond whereby they are coupled together She cannot in justice be denyed to be a True though the Lord knows far from a Pure Church Vid. Jun. lib. de Ecclesia Herein I agree with Mr. Crofton 2. By way of Distinction Two things are here to be distinguished viz. 1. Communion with the Church-Visible 2. Solemn and Publick Worship 1. There is a twofold Communion viz. One by Profession Another by Participation 1. Church-Communion by way of Common Profession of the same true Religion Faith Doctrine and institured worship of Christ by vertue whereof all the Members of the Church Catholick Visible throughout the World are concorporated and embodyed one with another and all of them with Christ as a Publick Head Catholick Faith being the ground of Catholick Communion the main Ligament of the great Body Mystical is not only a Duty but a Priviledge too indispensably necessary to salvation Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is a severe Maxim not more known then true no Salvation ordinarily without the Churches Line of Communication The Church is Gods Inclosure Cant. 9.12 his Nursery planted with the Trees of Righteousnesse without whose Pale and Boundaries all that die doe perish Ah my Dear Friend Let me rather be a Myrtle in the Vineyard then a Cedar in the Forrest 'T were better England should be unpeopled then unchurched A Church-lesse People is a Christ-lesse People and if Christ-lesse then Hope-lesse Ephes 2.12 Christ is the Head of the Body the Church Coll. 1.18 No Vnion with this Head without Communion with this Body Christ must be professed or else never possessed no Saint-State without a Church-State no Call by the Spirit without a Call by the Word first so that no Word no Life Rom. 10.13 14. Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord

Christ nor of the approved Testimonies of Justine Martyr Tertullian c. witnessing the immunity and freedome of the Church in their dayes from such impositions alleadged by his SMECTYMNVAN Brethren But the grounds of my doubts herein shall be disclosed in the next answer however you may judge from what hath already been said how unjustly Non-Communion with the Church of England in her Liturgy and Common-Prayer is interpreted sinful Separation it being a necessary declension of meer Will-Worship 5. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is indeed a Substantial Part of Real-Solemn Divine Worship being one of Christs Fundamental Institutions but the knowne Violence of Imposition the Will-Worship and Superstition which attends the celebration thereof in the Church of England so that I cannot communicate with her therein without sinne does warrant and necessitate my present Non-Communion and Withdrawment this being clearly Mr. Croftons alleadged case of Real Inevitable Necessity Thus then Though the Church of England be a true Church so that a Total Separation from her is unwarrantable and therefore Communion with her in all the parts of Real-Solemn Divine Worship wherein I may joyn with her without either let or sin be a Duty yet her Liturgy and Common-Prayer appearing to be no part of Real-Solemne Divine Worship but a meer humane Constitution and the Supper though a Substantial Part of Real-Solemn-Divine VVorship yet being by corrupt Mixtures and Appurtenances much adulterated so that I cannot communicate therein without sin my present Non-Communion with her in both the one and the other which is a Partial Separation is so far from being a breach of Duty that it is a Duty therefore no Schism the thing charged which is a Causless Separation c. This may acquit me and all men in my Capacity from Mr. Croftons Nick-name of Separatist in the Case But I refer you Sir to my next answer for further satisfaction in both 3. By way of Retortion Communion with the Church of England may be superseded in case of Real-inevitable Necessity ex Concessis by Mr. Croftons own Doctrine and Assertion but mine that I may put in for a Supersedeas is a case of Real inevitable Necessity therefore by Mr. Croftons own Acquittance my Non-Communion c. is no sin no Schism There be two things wherein I cannot communicate with the Church of England viz. 1. Her Liturgy and Common-Prayer 2. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper under her present method of administration for Non-Communion in both which I alledge a Real-Inevitable Necessity 1. The Necessity of my Non-Communion in the Liturgy and Common-Prayer is grounded on Invincible doubts about the very Lawfulnesse of such a Constitution and those upon three Maxims shall I call them or Principles which Mr. Crofton possibly would term Schismatical as well as my Practice Viz 1. Ecclesiastical Constitutions that are not Vseful are Vnlawful 2. Ecclesiastical Constitutions that are not Needful are Vnlawful 3. That Constitution of Worship which is not commanded is forbidden Which though they may seem to be very Paradoxes and strange Positions in this age yet I professe to you without any censorious reflection upon either the Principles or Practises of others they hamper me The Assumption peculiar to each of those Propositions containeth my doubt But the Liturgy or Common-Prayer of the Church of England is an Ecclesiastical Constitution which is neither 1. Vseful nor much less 2. Needful nor 3. Commanded Ergo c. 1. That Ecclesiastical Constitutions which are not Vseful are not Lawful which are Vnprofitable are Vnwarrantable where by that which is unprofitable I understand that which is un-edifying is a Truth bottomed upon a great Canon Apostolick in respect of which all Church-Constitutions ought to be Acts of True Canonical Obedience viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things be done unto edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edification according to the language of the Holy Ghost is not only 1. a Freedom from positive dammage nor 2. a Single but 3. a Successive and gradual Benefit For Confirmation hereof I might produce the Joynt-determination and Vote of a whole Jury of the Orthodox-Learned Calvin Junius Tilenus Alstedius Hospinian Beza Pareus Prof. Leidens Jus Canonicum Perkins c. who unanimously conclude the same whose several Testimonies I should here insert but that I must shun prolixity 'T is observable what is left upon everlasting Record namely That the Ceremonial Law of Moses was disanulled because of its weaknesse and unprofitablenesse Heb. 7.18 that which may be urged in my mind invincibly against the retention of Jewish Ceremonies in the Christian Church whence I argue If a Divine Law one of Gods own making must be reversed disanulled and abolished the Holy Ghost himself being Judge because unprofitable as the Ceremonial was Christ the Substance being exhibited then surely A fortiori all Humane Laws those of Mens making especially Ecclesiastical which are unprofitable are hoc ipso unwarrantable I should not fear to assert this in the face of the world Now That the Liturgy or Common-Prayer is a Constitution unprofitable which is the Assumption will need no great labour to prove 'T is hurtfull and is that usefull who cannot witness the unhappy Consequences Mischiefs and Inconveniencies attending it I should say but little if as some call Ignorance the Mother of Devotion so I should call it The Nursery of Ignorance Nay what greater Schismatick this day in England what hath more divided between Faithful Pastors their dear People the Service hath stopt the Prophets mouths pad-lock't those lips which should preserve knowledg alas those are but few amongst the many thousand Malignant Influences of this Convocation-Wildfire And yet There is no hurt in it say some that 's strangel but admit there were not doth it any good the Negative will prove it an Illegitimate brood yes may some Commoner say and so may I say of the Popish Missal it may accidentally profit me but neither will Collateral nor single Benefit prove the Legitimacy either of the one or of the other Further Is it an Edifying Constitution if not cashier it for Apocryphal 't is an Adulterate piece The waters of the Sanctuary must rise higher and higher now what influence hath it in building of a man a Church-member up in his most holy Faith were this to Edifie In a word It must * Instit lib. 4. c. 10. Sect. 32. Manifestam utilitatem prae se ferre according to Calvins Rule It must conduce to the neanifest advantage of the Church of God to her growth and gradual Prosiciency since the riper she is for age the riper she should be for knowledge c. to the perfecting of this Mystical Building Ephes 4.11 12. else beleeve it it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if un-edifying then unwarrantable Now how little our Liturgy or Common-Prayer is contributary hereunto let the Impartial judge 2. That Ecclesiastical Constitutions which are Vnnecessary are also Vnlawfull