Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	affection_n	love_n	love_v	1,790	5	6.3849	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89788	Beames of former light, discovering how evil it is to impose doubtfull and disputable formes or practises, upon ministers: especially under the penalty of ejection for non-conformity unto the same. As also something about catechizing.	Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1660 (1660)	Wing N1484; Thomason E1794_2	79,198	266

not been so troublesome and discouraging in any age so is this a season wherein the faithful Orthodox Labourers are few very few in comparison The age before this late Reformation was a very wasting age by reason of Episcopal tyranny many that were conscientious diverted their Studies of those that engaged in the Ministry multitudes were hunted out of this Nation into forein parts where half of them lost their last breath and not half of that half remaining are returned amongst us again It is also with us now as in the first reformation the Popish then so the Episcopal dis-affected Ministers now have necessarily been turned out of this imployment so that such is the scarcity of well-affected and able men to carry on this work that many Parishes throughout the Nation lye vacant and are as sheep without a Shepheard especially in the remoter parts And where it is otherwise and places better furnished the number is not sufficient no not in the City of London or the Universities to preserve their people to the intrest of the present work of Christ but are more and more prevailed upon and infected with the old Leaven of Popery and Superstition and the wretched Principles of the Episcopal malignant Party which daily increaseth every where And the reason of such Apostacy I conceive to be this Many superstitious and ill-affected still hold their places and Livings by the intrest of friends or having been wary and kept without the reach of the Ordinance and those more open who have been ejected creep into the empty and vacant places and having no legal maintenance are not nor are the people that receive and maintain them within the reach of any Law as yet established so that it is to be feared such persons upon one account or other are a greater number than the sound and godly and those that ingage thorowly in this work This being so the faithful and well-affected Ministers of the Gospel should not at such a time especially but for very great unworthiness be ejected and put out of their places There is too much ground to fear that some one such imposition as in THIS CASE and rigorously prosecuted upon such as cannot conform will give the Malignant party the day they look for and those that doe conform and keep their places will be so overtopped by Malignants and their followers as they will not bee able to do much in reforming of their people any where The common sort of men in all such changes being ordinarily found very brutishly to stick and hold to old Customs and then most of all and with most zeal when there is an endeavour by wholsome Laws and constitutions to direct and put them on to a more Gospel and Spiritual way of serving the Lord. §. 12. It is thought and said the differences and contest about Church-Government and the like matters that have unhappily faln out amongst those that are well-affected hath been a great advantage and strengthning to the other party And very likely it hath been so and therefore the more heed ought to be lest some new matter of controversie be started that may occasion further differences amongst the godly Our adversaries never have such advantage of the different opinions or practices that are amongst our selves as when for such differences wee drive one another out of the field Though differences are and have bin between Presbyterians and Independents yet each keeps his station and fights in different regiments it may bee against the same common Enemy But by such penalties of ejection and silencing we drive a considerable part of our own out from us when our common enemy is already too strong for the whole The Popish party had no such advantage by any differences amongst those that opposed them in the first reformation as when the brethren so differing came by the severity of Governours to bee distinguished by the sir-names of Conformists and Non-Conformists and the one upon that account cashiered and droven out of the field by the other And I have been very apt to conceive this to be the cause why that first reformation prospered no better we know that in near a hundred years it gained little upon Popery and superstition more than was gotten by the first assault nay it decayed and Popery grew under it so fast as at last wee were almost returned into the same condition that we were reformed from this I say may be the cause There was the like severe impositions and Lawes made as in this case upon occasion of differences amongst themselvs and then advantages were taken thereby and many put out of the Muster-roll for Non-Conformity who were of greatest courage and most faithful resolution against Popery and Superstition the then common enemy The silencing and ejection of Ministers in Q. Elizabeths days reformation being newly begun the enemies to it many the friends and those that faithfully engaged few was looked upon by the godly prudent of that age as very unseasonable yea though their crimes had deserved it because of the scarcity of Preachers at that time There is nothing more frequent in our suffering Brethrens writings that were then published against the Hierarchy than a bemoaning the great losse to the cause and people of God thereby I will mention but one Considering the season saith Mr. Parker though wee were worthy yet should wee least be deprived now when Popery Episcopacy and malignancy wee may adde riseth like the swellings of Jordan yea maketh invasion like an armed man when there are wanting many this is truly our sad case at present On the other side in many Parishes to stand up in the gap against it Doth not the Canon Law it self spare depriving for greater faults when there is PENVRIA sacerdotum quando utilitas eccelesiae exigit Park of the Crosse cap. 5. § 16. CHAP. VIII Schismes and Divisions amongst the people of God occasioned and continued thereby is another fruit See Pa. 101 120 or evil consequence of such penalties §. 1 SUch Impositions and Penalties are a means to fix and hold up the differences that are in mens judgements about the things of Christ and alienate affections in those that differ and so occasion Rents and Schisms amongst the people of God Love is the bond of perfection by it the members are Spiritually united to the body as they are by faith to the Head Christ Jesus Heresie divides from the head Schisme from the members it being a loosening or breach in that bond love hath its seat and foundation in TRUTH 2 John 1. Whom I love in the truth 2. For the truths sake which dwelleth in us and shall bee with us for ever As Saints and especially Churches have their love and compactnesse maintained in being of the same mind and judgment in Truths so Schisms usually begin from differences in that respect Rom. 16.17 §. 2. There are truths known and generally received there are also truths not or not so fully

known but doubtfully assented to Truths nourish love no further than mutually beleeved and agreed in hence ignorance weaknesse in judgement dubiousnesse and the like or what keeps us from a clear and full cloze with truth are very prejudicial to love and intirenesse amongst brethren Truths also are either about what is of necessity and a Christians duty or what is indifferent and a Christians liberty Where these are not held distinct and weight laid upon them accordingly but matters of duty in a liberty or indifferency or things left to our liberty held to and required in our practice as necessary Herein so farre as wee divide from truth in our apprehensions in like proportion we are disposed to divide one from another in our affections Ignorance Error mis-apprehensions alienation in affections these and the like dispose us to Schisme and Divisions Aquinas 2● 2● q. 39. yet Schisme is a sin distinct from each Wee must propria sponte intentione separare ab unitate quam CHARITAS facit before we become Schismaticks Knowingly and purposely to take up or impose that for duty which is not so or to make such things indifferent that are necessary To bee wilfully ignorant or through sluggishnesse and indisposednesse to search to take upon trust with a party and thereupon endeavour a wilfull separation and dividing from our brethren this whatsoever other thing besides it may justly bee termed Schisme And it is then most visibly and properly schism when it is a dividing where a more visible and professed union as in or from Churches as Sedition is most apparently such when it is a faction in a formed Common-wealth §. 3. These and the like Roots of Schisme lye many times secret and under ground our darknesse as well as our light may be under a bushel our infirmities and mis-apprehensions yea want of Love it self is sometimes covered with love so that differences break not forth to an open contest and professed disowning either of opinion practices of persons But when the matter of such differences falleth under an IMPOSITION Governours thinking to bring all into unity by an enforced uniformity These differences then that before were private or in a lesse compasse are scattered as it were and carried forth by the hand of these Lawes and injunctions become more publick and professed Yea what before was of infirmity and weaknesse grows up apace to wilfulnesse and stifnesse at least so judged by one of the other in the opinion of each party respectively In matters that are indifferent and granted to be so by the imposers or if necessary yet when not evidently so but doubtful and disputable let it be in Worship or Discipline there is no severity of the Civil Magistrate or Censure of the Church can reduce all no not all that are holy sober and judicious into an uniformity The experience of many years and the extremities and sufferings upon this account of many precious learned men doe sufficiently confirm it And if by such severity unity and uniformity bee not obtained divisions distractions and differences will from thence arise and grow more open and fixed by reason of such impositions And this cometh to passe many ways §. 4. ¶ I SUch matters though in themselves indifferent and arbitrary or if otherwise yet if not clearly but doubtfully so by an imposition of this nature are evidently held forth and as it were asserted to bee both clear and necessary and this hath ever been a foundation of great breaches 1 Necessary and a duty For what is imposed by wise and righteous Governours with such enforcements as if it bee not submitted unto the most necessary duties of the Ministerial Function as Preaching Sacraments c. Abridg. pag. 38. must bee omitted at least by the most tender and conscientious Ministers throughout the Nation it was so argued in the Case of Ceremonies questionlesse whatsoever shall bee so imposed Bradsh 12. Arg. arg 1 interprets it self thereby to be equally necessary with some or all these Ministerial duties And in my submission and practice in respect to such imposition I own them to be of the same necessity and there is no means to give testimony to the contrary and to what I judge the truth but by Non-Conformity and submitting rather to the penalty For where there is an opinion of necessity say our Brethren known to bee annexed unto that which in my Conscience is not so it is a part of that Confession which every Christian is bound to make of his Religion Abridgement pa. 38. to reject them and this reason for it is given by them The yeelding obedience in using such Forms or Ceremonies or what is of an indifferent nature in it self wherein others place holinesse or necessity is an occasion of confirming and hardning such Governours or others in their errours Again 2 Such a penalty as silencing or ejection implies these commands to have very clear evidence and undoubted warrant from the Scriptures at least in the opinion of the Governours that inflict it otherwise it were great injustice to require submission upon such terms He that cannot clearly know his Masters will should not be chastised with such stripes If we refuse to submit though it be out of tendernesse and fear to offend the Lord being doubtful yet such commands speaking these things not only necessary but evidently so Wee shall suffer under the reproches as our Brethren formerly did of persons that were proud Powel in his Consider wilful obstinate disobedient to Government disturbers of the Church Schismaticks and the like §. 5 Our differences being thus heightned by impositions and becoming greater by prejudice misinterpretation upon that account than what indeed they are in themselves The persons engaged are accordingly judged of and Censured and a distance kept as if they were guilty of wilful disobedience or neglect in some great and necessary matters of the Worship and Service of God and accordingly we hold off from one another and abate in affections When the foundation is removed when TRUTH hath changed its station LOVE that is built upon it must needs vary if not vanish quite away And that party which soever it is that from any consideration interprets up those lesser matters to such an odious height will bee judged by the other to be the first that declines in affection and that is the beginning of all breaches and schisms The load of that reproach was laid by the Episcopal Party on the Ministers that left their Charges who in Conscience were not able to conform Offer of Conf. p. 5 But with a great deal more reason our Brethren that suffered charged the Schisms and disturbances in the Church upon Episcopal severity and rigour of their power in keeping on and heightning penal impositions upon Ministers and taking advantage thereby to suspend some and weary others out of their places And if then such a decession of Ministers from their Churches were a Schisme the