Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35047	Reformation not separation, or, Mr. Crofton's plea for communion with the church ... in a letter, written July 20, 1661 ... / by the said R.S. to whom it was written ; unto which, is added the copy of another letter, written on the same occasion and subject.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.; P. E., Reverend.; R. S.	1662 (1662)	Wing C7000; ESTC R12168	52,912	78

most zealous Reformers did often and openly and with much authority rebuke and resist the disorder of the Churches and corrupt administration of Gods worship yet were so farre from approving or advising separation that they have branded the subjects thereof with these and the like odious epithites they were not of us John 2.19 Jude 19. Heb 10.25 and therefore went out from us these are they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit and taxeth the voluntary non-communicants with a defect forsake not the assembling of your selves as the manner of some is I cannot without trembling consider the circumcised Sects in the Church of Colosse are charged to have left the head Coll 2.19 by leaving the body in which all the joynts are knit together to the nourishment of the whole I cannot but assent to that maxim as most true ex Ecclesia nulla salus the Church is Gods Arke of salvation out of which none but mad men will leap or leave it on pretence of purging it or putting out of it unclean birds and beasts in this case of contest for Reformation and communion with the Church under many and great corruptions I must say as our Saviour of the lesser and more weighty matters of the Law Luke 11.42 these things ye ought to have done and not leave the other undone for Superstition and Separation are extreams equally odious and ominous to Reformation is it not obvious to every wise observer that the Devil and wicked men do make the one the advantage of the other and cast the odium and direct the force of each as the turn cometh and opportunity serveth against such who steering by Scripture Compasse desire according to their capacity to guide Gods Church and themselves in her between these two dangerous Rocks into the Haven of rest and holinesse Whilest poor despicable I in our late years in my place and Calling withstood our Church-wasting separation many professing piety and pursuing purity in Gods House and Ordinances were prejudiced unto an high and open persecution of me by their own fancy that I asserted and advanced the superstitions and disorders of our Church by the return whereof God hath convinced them of their rashnesse and constrained them to correct their mistake of his unworthy reproached servant and now God blessed be his name having animated me with zeal for perfect and compleat Reformation and acted me in my place and sphere as a Minister of the Gospel to debate the obligations thereunto beyond my mean abilities or the logical reply of the adversaries thereof who bear away the victory by a thou liest Bellarmine and have confuted me argumento baculino enforced by the severe moderation of authority incensed by the suggestion of Treason and Sedition secretly whispered and generally charged against me whose loyalty is most legible by both active and passive characters and who have in all the writings which bear my name declared my abhorrency of Sedition and popular tumults and having blessed me with an heart and opportunity to withstand and witnesse against the deluge of Superstition and Corruptions which breaking over and bearing down sacred banks doth to our s●… and shame again overflow our Church and Nation how many do now dream I will indulge and embrace Separation or at least by my voluntary non-communion the first act thereof give some countenance unto it as if between these there were no medium but that the corruption of the one must necessarily generate the other give me therefore leave to tell you and by you to tell others in me concerned I cannot but withstand the one with abhorrency of the other and keep my distance from separation whilst I desire and endeavour to stave off Superstition lest I Shipwrack my self or others on either rock Superstition and separation strengthen each other I have observed and our Church hath experienced the same that as Superstition Corruptions and disorder in Gods house and worship do and therefore call for the zeal and rebukes of Gods Ministers and carefull Remedy by his Majesties Prelates by him entrusted with the Ecclesiasticall good of his Subjects very much harden men of strong affections and weak Judgements to separate furnishing them with a clamourous accusation who discerne not the proper and genuine cause of their sinfull Shisme but readily father 1 Cor. 3.3 4. Gal. 5.19.20.21 what the Apostle hath determined to be the brat of their own lust on any thing which beareth relation thereunto though but a remote and accidentall occasion thereof so non communion and separation is the grand Removal and most Plain ruin to reformation that ever could be devised Subverting the house on pretence and instead of sweeping it as if an house forsaken and pulled asunder one running away with a post another with a beam to patch up their own self-founded fabricks were ever like to be purged and preserved from uncleaness and disorder my good friend take notice of this God determined and his people deserved the destruction of the ten tribes of Israel before those who feared God fled from among them or forsooke them Babylon is fallen she is fallen was the voice uttered by the Angel before Come ye out of her my people was sounded to the Saints which follow the Lamb Conservation is the end of burdensome Communion Ier. 13.2.7 and carefull Reformation but dissolution is the most certain sequell of desertion It is Gods and mush be his peoples last work to depart from and forsake his Sanctuary he stayes long with a grieved striving Spirit and stands on the very threshold with a wooing expostulation Be thou instructed O Jerusalem Ier. 6.8 least my Soul depart from thee and I make thee desolate the very issue of departure let it be seriously resolved did not Corah in his separating from the Camp of Israel gathering a Congregation out of the Congregation and the Circumcised Sectaries among the primitive Christians strike at the foundations and seek to subvert the very societies from whence they separated and do not the practices and some principles of the semi-separating as they would be deemed selfe constituting Independents of our age determine a non-entity by the non-formality of a Church in England and ra●e the very foundation thereof and so condemn the very generation of the just who have lived and dyed members thereof yea Martyrs to the truths of ●esus Christ against Papall as well as Pagan power and errors The Anabaptists in Germany have not been more odious and obstructive to Luthers reformation then the Church gathering separatists of all Sects have been retarding unto a retrogradation of that in England in that the odium of their schisms seconded with seditien and centred in Rebellion un o Regicide with the confusion and subversion of our Church and Kingdom is most sadly and shamefully though unjustly imputed to all who with humble and peaceable spirits des●e and endeavour the casting out corruption and disorder from Gods house

REFORMATION NOT SEPARATION OR Mr. CROFTON'S Plea for Communion with the CHURCH under those Corruptions and by that disorderly Ministration to which he cannot Conform nor by it Administer IN A LETTER Written JVLY 20. 1661. In and from the TOWER of LONDON to R. S. To satisfie the Weak and silence the Wicked who insulted in or were offended at his endeavoured and clamorously reported as obtained attendance on Gods PUBLICK WORSHIP in that Place during his Confinement NOW PUBLISHED To silence Censures and Calumnies satisfie such who would walk uprightly in this houre of Temptation By the said R. S. to whom it was written Unto which is added the Copy of another LETTER Written on the same Occasion and Subject Printed in the YEAR M.DC.LXII TO THE READER READER IT is more than a Year since it was clamoured Mr. CROFTON goeth to the Church and heareth Common-Prayer in the Tower of LONDON Whereupon he was not little Censured by some whose Profession of Religion and Relation to him required much more Charity Mr. CROFTON did then write unto me this ensuing LETTER with Advice to Communicate the same for the Satisfaction of the Weak who stumbled to their own wounding and Silencing of the Wicked who insulted to the Grief of him and Gods Church In Observation of this Instruction I did to save the labour of the Pen and make this Paper more profitable to the Church put it into the Press where some good Friends did seize and for present stisle it choosing rather to Communicate the written Copy as they could This Copy was imparted to many Christian Friends and Ministers who seemed to be in this matter otherwise perswaded in special Those of the Congregational way who seemed most concerned in the same these were all requested to Correct Mr. CROFTON'S Errour and Rectifie his Judgment but none would or did undertake the work though assured he had an hearing Ear Horresco referens though he hath been most bitterly Censured he never received any the least Admonition concerning this matter one excepted a Copy whereof with his Answer thereunto being come to my hands I have presumed to annex unto this LETTER I presume without Mr. CROFTON'S knowledge First To make these Papers publick to evidence the little Cause men have to represent Mr. CROFTON'S Non-conforming Communion to be a Defection from the Cause of Reformation and Result of his Temptation Secondly To let men see on what Grounds Mr. CROFTON hath satisfied himself in his solitary Estate when he could neither Confer with Men and Books that so if they appear weak some serious man may by word or letter whilst the Press will not be allowed to speak help him to Conviction I cannot but determine it unchristian to condemn without Fraternal Correption or an Essay for Conviction those Censures do reflect with Violence on the Censurers which are retorted with a what doth your arguing reprove Thirdly To help others to discover that Point of Piety which is proper for their places and capacities under the present Providences of God in and towards his Church in these Nations What lately was Mr. CROFTON'S Case is now our own we must either withdraw from the Prayers and Publick Worship of God in this Church or attend it by this disguised Ministerial Mode and Order and with Grief I speak it we are in the dark and we are left in the dark our Prophets are gone who should tell us and before their going have not told us how in this Case Christianity doth require us to carry Some general Cautions we indeed received in their last Councels but no clear Directions in reference to the special Case and Condition into which we are resol●ed I well know most Presbyterian Divines to be in Judgment the same with Mr. CROFTON but their Prudence doth prohibit the Publication thereof to us or at least in a particular Specification of our present Condition I will not say Mr. CROFTON by his Act or Apology appeareth any very wise Pilate I leave those to whom it doth belong to judge his skill in the Compass but I cannot but say he seemeth to be most Simply Faithful in fufilling his Ministry proposing himself a pattern and perswading his friends and people to walk in the Exactness of Truth against all Extreams though his worldly and carnal Interest lieth on either hand and might easily induce him to advance or at least by his silence to abett the same I cannot but observe this is not the first time Mr. CROFTON hath divided from the Policies of them who could not disown his Principles or Scripturally determine against his Practice And truly I wish men may consider whether the Serpent do not out-stretch and over-reach the Dove in those Policies which make Religion unto its reproach a matter of Faction and study to save and recover Reformation by the appearance of a Bulky Party for Separation I cannot but let thee know I am thus far clear of Mr. CROFTON'S mind Unwarrantable Non-communion may not be allowed no not for a day though to saving Reformation for we may not do Evil that Good may come thereof and I cannot be perswaded I am disbanded from Christs Army so soon as I am superseded to my Conduct I must march under his Banner when I may not be permitted to march at the Head of a Company And sure I am it is more easie to fall into either Extream than to walk between both uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel Reader I will stay thee no longer only know That this Season of Publication of this LETTER is by me chosen or rather constrained by the over-prudent Supersedeas before mentioned and silence our over-general Cautions of our pious Ministers in this Case and houre of Temptation which is come upon us If any Minister be hereby provoked to beat out the Truth which must guide the Churches Practice If any Christian do hereby receive Direction to dispel his Doubts and steer his Conversation Or if any rashly censorious Saint be hereby convinced of their uncharitable unchristian Censures and bitter words by which they have wounded themselves and grieved him whom God hath smitten be hereby convinced of their fault so as to give Glory to God and with Jobs Comforters confess their Guilts I have obtained mine End and hope it shall not much displease my Pastor on whom I confess I have herein too much presumed I am thine in Union with the Church And Simplicity of the Gospel R. S. Sept. 1. 1662. REFORMATION no SEPARATION OR Zachary Croftons Plea for Communion with the Church of England In a Letter to a Christian Friend Christian Friend COnsidering we live in an Age exceeding scrupulous and the actions of a Prisoner are subject to Observation and Censure without the least enquiry into the reasons end and inducements thereof And well knowing my unhappy self to be a man much mistaken and misrepresented obnoxious to and afflicted with the groundless calumnies of the wicked and censures of the weak