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
A92864	Scripture a perfect rule for church-government delivered in a sermon at Margarets Westminster, before sundry of the House of Commons. By William Seigwich [sic] minister in Farnham in Essex. Published according to order.	Sedgwick, William, 1609 or 10-1669?	1643 (1643)	Wing S2388; Thomason E79_21; ESTC R12112	29,267	42

Rome but by pulling downe this bridge of humane impositions and superstructions yet standing But a man may deale with them upon their owne claime They have hitherto stood as things convenient things in themselves mutable and changeable and as taken up upon good ground so to be laid downe againe except prescription be a better they never yet had any other title And if they be added by the same power and upon the same reason if they be found inconvenient and hurtfull they may be removed Therefore if they be found inconvenient I hope all men will yeeld them up and that they are so appeares in that They are much distasted by some and that by the best witnesse the generall Petitions that come to your hands from all parts for their removall By them and your owne experience you see they doe as the sin of Elies sons cause the Lords Sacrifice to be abhorred they trouble and offend the consciences of many And however others cruell Butchers of soules are pitilesse to mens consciences you have learn'd with Paul the high price of soules for which Christ died and cannot but count one of those thousands of soules that are offended of more worth then all that trash They are as much ador'd by some as distasted by others made very Idols never were there grosser Idols in Rome then these things as they are used by some and what is abused to superstition ought not to be retained The brasen Serpent though Gods owne institution when made an Idoll that could not warrant his standing They that are zealous of Gods glory will burne up what ever doth rob God of his honour Crosses and Crucifixes not more abused by Papists then some things now standing are abused by popishly affected Protestants Upon these different affections what divisions will necessarily arise if not prevented yea what persecutions We have felt the heat of their rage already the bondwoman and her seed have persecuted the free woman and her seed and worse ●ill be if they be not prevented But if we should take away all we should cast a blemish upon antiquity and despise our Ancestours holy Martyrs that liv'd and died in a love and liking of those things we oppose Sol. We injure them not but give them all honour due to their learning and piety To looke no further then the reformers of our Church we say that what might be then tolerable may be now superstitious and idolatrous Paul circumcised Timothy and yet after opposed it And they that did at first tolerate these things had they lived to see them abused and the power of Religion thrust out by them they would themselves have throwne the first stone at them Beside they have left their marke upon them that they did but admit them for the present and accounted the reformation imperfect because of them But suppose they counted them good yet the Apostle teacheth us to save the men and destroy their worke 1 Cor. 3.12 if it be hay or stubble and will not indure the fire And we may without arrogance thinke the Gospel hath gotten something in these fourescore yeeres there is some more cleare light They lived in the dawning of the day we enjoy more light that which succeeds us will be greater and therefore it is no dishonour to them for us to proceed in a further reformation Object But corruptions flow not from the things themselves but from persons abuse of them the things may be good if you teach men to use them well Sol. The things themselves are a corruption All humane inventions have a malignity in them and smell of the fountaine from whence they come The wisdome of the flesh is enmity and they cannot be otherwise that come of it They will doe mischiefe secretly or openly i● not as Lions yet as Foxes many Lawes will not prevent evill to be done by them one will make them sure if it abolish them better a Devill be cast out then tied up Object Another government may degenerate Sol. Christs government hath no corruption in it no hidden things of dishonesty 2 Cor. 4.2 no false end● no deceitfull 〈◊〉 come it is sound Men may swarve much under it but hardly fundamentally decay till government be neglected It is the pattern of wholsome words it hath an active sanity in it 2 Tim. 1.13 and if men decline they will not endure it There is a great difference betweene humane Lawes and divi●●mans Lawes must be kept the Magistrate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Gods Lawes will keepe the men Object To remove all not commanded would indanger the shaking of the whole frame of Religion Sol. Feare not that those things that are to be removed Religion will stand the surer without them they have little Religion in them they are onely riotous branches growne out of the abundance of worldly policy and carnall affection the Church may spare them as well as the body ill humours They are heterogeneous to the truth and like the clay in the feete of Nebuchadnezzars image it would not cleave to the iron The spirit of judgement and burning that the Lord hath given to you will separate the drosse without dammage to the gold Object But we shall shake our owne Lawes by it and make a great breach in them Sol. It is good to maintaine humane right but much more Gods The Apostle argues so Gal. 3.15 if a man may not adde to a mans Testament much lesse to Gods It is good to maintaine our Lawes against all but God who must keep us and our Lawes too The best way to keep a State is to purge it from sacriledge if there be any thing of Gods wound up with them it may justly cause God to pick a quarrell with the whole Keep Gods Lawes and God will keepe yours Observe this all arguments for them are politicall and they are but weake in divine things therefore let them not move you to retaine any thing against Christs institution Vse 3 If there be a cure to be wrought on the Church heare another reasonable motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist polis to cure according to the principles of Art the word Methinks Christians should make no doubt of this Search the Scriptures is alway necessary but then especially when we are at a losse and want truth which is our condition Here all good reformations have begun Hezekiah's Joseah's Nehemiah's Send to the Priests and Levites and let them produce the Law Therefore if you want a rule we send you to the Law and Testimonies Now we are to enquire Isa 8. non quid aliitante nos sed quid ●aelestia testimonia quae a●te omnes The Pharisees will flie to traditions Cyp●ian the Samaritans to their Fathers but the voice of God is to the Scriptures When the Church of Corinth was corrupted Joh. 4. Paul leads them to the institution of Christ The Churches of Asia were lapsed 1 Cor. 11. they have no