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	word_n	2,678	5	4.0797	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63266	An apology for the non-conformists shewing their reasons, both for their not conforming, and for their preaching publickly, though forbidden by law : with an answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's sermon, and his defence of it, so much as concerneth the non-conformists preaching / by John Troughton ...	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1681 (1681)	Wing T2312; ESTC R1706	102,506	125

2. But instead of amending any thing amiss or disliked in the Liturgy some things were added to make it more offensive viz Sundays are more expresly reckoned as Church-Feasts than in the former book the new book saith thus a Table of all the Feasts that are to be observed in the Church of England through the year all Sundays in the year The former book thus these holy days to be observed and no other all Sundays in the year The word Holy-day which was somewhat suspicious is now changed to Feast-day and Sundays put in the number of Feast-days without any distinction which makes it more evident that they are accounted but Church Festivals The 29 of September in the old book is appointed a Festival to Michael the Arch-Angel the new book adds and to all Angels so that this is a Festival in the honour of all the Angels as the First of Novemb. is in honour of all the Saints also two new Holy-days are added never before enjoyned by the former book viz St Pauls Conversion and St Barnabas Moreover in the book of Consecration several passages are added declaring Bishops to be a distinct order from the Presbyters and the 36th Artic. is appointed to be understood of this book herein they contradict the Law and the Judgment of all our first Reformers in K. Edw. and Q. Eliz. days and the very book of Consecration it self 3. Nevertheless all Ministers are to approve this book and that by a publick declaration in the Congregation when they first enter upon their Ministry in these words and no other I vid. Act. of unif Ann. 14 Can. 2. A B do here declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the book entituled the book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter of Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishops Priest and Deacons It is said in excuse of this imposition that it is only a consent to the use not an approbation of the truth and goodness of all contained in the book because the words immediate foregoing are that Ministers should declare their unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things in that book contained and prescribed Be it so and that the words Assent and Consent signifie the same things after the manner of Lawyers though some doubt it and those words to the use c. are not expressed in the form of a Declaration which they ought to have been yet we must observe First That this was a further alteration of the Case of Conformity to make it more intollerable Q. Eliz. Act of Uniformity only required that Ministers should be bound to read the book of Common Prayer and no other Liturgies or forms of prayer in publick The Canons went further and did require they should subscribe at their Ordination before the Bishop that the book of Common Prayer and of Ordination hath nothing in it contrary to the word of God that it may be lawfully used and that he himself will use that and no other but this new Declaration is to be made publickly before the Congregation on forfeiture of their Ministry and place that so there may be no favour shewed to any Also it requireth unfeigned Assent and Consent which cannot mean less then an hearty approbation of the use of what is enjoyned which is much more then barely to judge that nothing is contrary to Gods word and that they may be Lawfully used This Assent and Consent is to be made to all and every thing contained in and prescribed by the book of Common Prayer c. and then the particulars are specified viz the Prayers the Administration of Sacraments and of other Rites and Ceremonies and the book of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons and the Psalter or Psalms of David as they use to be said in the Church of England Here is nothing omitted of all those things the Non-Conformists used to object against some as unlawfull and others as inconvenient and not for edification yet now they must from their hearts allow the use of them each one in particular not omitting the corrupt translation of the Pslams contradicted by our own allowed Bibles which how they could do who long contended that many of these things ought to be reformed let all that have Conscience judg The Non-Conformists think no form of words could have been contrived more spitefully either to keep them from conforming or to make them lay wast their Consciences if they did conform besides that they know from the mouths of the compilers that they did design it for these ends that they might either root out every branch of Conformity out of mens judgments or every Non-Conformist out of the Church 4. The Act requires this Assent and Consent not only of all that should hereafter enter the Ministry but of all those likewise that were already Ministers and were either Pastours or Lecturers in any Congregation and this Declaration to be made together with the subscription hereafter to be mentioned by a certain day viz before the 24th of August Anno 1662 whereas it is generally known that the book of Common Prayer came not out of the press abroad till within two or three days of that said 24th of August so that it was impossible that it should be seen much more that it should be considered by half the Ministers in England before that day and those that were resolved to keep their Places did a great part of them subscribe before they had read the book which practise doth manifest a further design to root out all that made any Conscience of what they said or subscribed seeing they must doe it without consideration or loose their places however to devise and impose new Terms of Communion upon men that are in the quiet possession and practice of their ministry is very unjust and contrary to all peace and by this practise men shall never be at quiet for though they have conform'd to all things enjoyned they know not how soon a prevailing faction will enjoyn them more nor what that will be especially the things enjoyned in the Declaration and Subscription being such as was known before hand many of the Ministers in place could not subscribe to with safe Consciences It is apparent that their design was not the peace of the Church but to remove them out of the Church 5. It is further required that all should have Episcopal Ordination who should in any sort exercise the Ministry had this concerned only those that should thereafter come to be ordained it had been more tolerable though it would have been contrary to Q. Eliz. moderation and reflecting upon all other reformed Churches An. Eliz. 13. who have not Episcopal Ordination

the world to come leaving the management of worldly things to other societies or combinations of men under other Governours and other Laws The Kingdom of Christ is not of this World i. e. as Mediatour and Head of the Church this Kingdom cometh not with observation but is within us Luke 17.20 21. Hence it follows that Christ doth not cannot delegate this Power to any other neither in whole nor in part and who shall presume without his appointment to usurp h●s dominion he call's the Church to himself immediately and not to men and they give themselves immiedately to him and not to deputies they first gave themselves to the hLord and unto us by the will of God 2 Cor. 8. ver 5. And as Christ is the only Head of the Church so he only gives Laws to it whereby it shall be governed and by his Spirit procureth and maintaineth love and obedience to himself and to his Laws It followeth also that all other Governments and their Laws with the designs and ends of them are extrinsecal to the Church as such and must not intermeddle in the spiritual peculiar ends and government thereof they may joyn their persons to the Church by giving up themselves to Christ the King thereof for the Spiritual ends of his Kingdom but they may not mix or interweave the interest and ends of their Kingdoms or governments with those of Christs in his Church for so it would become a Kingdom of this world and the concerns of this world would greatly hinder if not swallow up those of the World to come which the Church is designed for Moreover the Church consists of Members called indifferently out of all Nations Kindreds Sexes Ages diversities of worldly interests through the succession of all Generations from the beginning to the end of the World whereof one part is in Heaven already the Church of the first born which are written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 for they yet wait for the coming up of their Brethren till when they do not receive the compleat benefit of their association and union to Christ and each other the other part is yet on Earth pursuing the same general design of their Common-Wealth the Glory of their King and their own Happiness yea among these some are yet Infaunts and Children capable only of the immediate influence government and protection of their Heavenly King without being able to do any thing for themselves and others there are yet unborn who though they are not actuall Members of this society yet are known to the King of it and their names contained in his Role and he will not reckon his Kingdom compleat or the ends of it accomplished till these also are brought into it even to the last man John 10.16 what then are the Intrests and designs of this world or the Princes of this world or the Laws Methods and Instruments by which they pursue those designs to this Kingdom of Christ they are diverse in every age this is one throughout all ages they are contrary to and do subvert each other and one succeeds another this is one uniform most consistant government they are temporary but for the present for the short lives of Governours or for the uncertain continuance of their Families and then they pass to others perhaps their enemies but the dominion of Christ is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdom an overlasting Kingdome Dan. 2.24 Thus we have the true definition of the Church of Christ which is but one in Heaven and Earth dispersed throughout all Countreys and Ages from the beginning to the end of the world Ruled by his Laws contained in the Scripture influenced by his Spirit according to those Laws and protected by his power against all their enemies to this we must reduce all Discourses and Notions of a Church and examine them by it as by the first truth in that kind the Rule and standard of the rest Wee are next to consider the distributions or several sorts of Churches And First the Church is distinguished into Triumphant and Militant as a whole into integral parts the Church Triumphant is that part of the Church of Christ which is already in Heaven having got the victory over sin and Satan yet not fully Triumphant because it waits for deliverance from Death or the Redemption of the Body the Church Militant is that other part which is yet on Earth contesting with all her Spiritual Enemies both these make up the Catholick Church which we profess in the Creed and is immediately subject to Christ and immediately govern'd by his Word and Spirit and all the Members of it as Members of this Church are equal none having authority over others being all equally and immediately united to Christ and guided by him to the proper ends of this Society Secondly The Church Militant is Vniversal or Catholick on earth sc all the Christian Members of the Catholick Church that live on Earth dispersed through all Countreys mixed with all societies of Civil Government with whom also are mixed many persons who profess Christ but are not really united to him by consent and real subjection of the heart and therefore are not living Members of the Church but accidental accessions to it as Forreigners that live in any state or Common-Wealth in some general things conformable to their Laws seem to be Members of that Society but indeed have their Relation and Union to another Or else this Church is particular as 't is distributed into several lesser societies for their convenience and edification now these are not distinct Churches but distinct Considerations of the Church on Earth either as collectively considered as one Company united by the same Bond to Christ the Governour of all though divided and dispersed in place or distributively in respect of place only being divided into several lesser Companies these also thus considered have all an equall Relation to Christ as their Governour to his Law as their Rule to his Spirit as there Internal Living Guide and to each other as Brethren without any authority over each other Thirdly These particular Churches if they be considered only in respect of place and vicinity may be and are by some distinguished into National viz all the Christians that live in one Nation or under one constitution or form of civil government or provincial viz the Christians that live in one Province or County or City Churches those that live in one City or Parish Churches viz the Christians that live in a lesser Neighbourhood yea thus Churches may be distinguished or divided into as many sorts as there be societies of men any way divided or distinguished from each other but all these divisions are but accidentall and extrinsecall differences of the several parts of the same Church thus divided into diverse lesser parts which are all equally Churches and that upon no other account then their Relation to Christ and to the universal Common-Wealth to which he is Head From hence we infer 3