Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ancient_a	church_n	doctrine_n	1,896	5	6.2759	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13299	A Christian reprofe against contention Wherin is declared and manifested a just defence of the Church against such slanderes and reproches which Sabine Staresmore hath layd vpon vs in his two bookes, the first being 16 questions, called a louing tender. The second is his preface and postscript befor and behind Mr. Answorths last sermon, and making a pretence by that to sett it out as a loue token, hee breetheth out his malice against vs: and lastly her is an answer to a letter written by Mr. Robinson, and sent to vs with the consent of his Church, which now Mr. Staresmore hath published to the world. To these things an answer is giuen by A.T.	A. T., fl. 1631.; Thatcher, Anthony, attributed name.	1631 (1631)	STC 23605; ESTC S103240	40,101	48

haue had communion with vs but hee seeing himselfe to haue resistance heare after this hee vvent to Leyden and creept into that Church and so made of them a bridge to git in vnto vs. 4. The Samaritanes in their corrupt estat fathered themselues vpon the ancient Patriarches of the Church Iohn 4. 12. 20. and contended with the true Church as hauing the trueth with them So likewise these account their mixed estat to be the true vvay of God and condemne vs for vvholly separating from the false Church and contend vvith vs for it 5. Although these Samaritanes vvere thus corrupt in their estat yet had they attained vnto the chiefe pointes of faith concerning the Messias as may appeare by the speech of the Woman Iohn 4. 25. vvhich vvas one not stricke in life vers 18. conuersation I say if shee vvhich vvas but a Woman could say so much what may wee thinke was amongst the other Samaritanes and also wee may see how redily they receiued Christ as vers 39. 42. showeth and yet for all those points of Doctrine which they had receiued notwithstanding they were condemned by our Sauiour Christ Iohn 4. 22. as worshipping they knew not what which teacheth vs how to judge and esteeme of such mixed religions And now these Couenantmakers allthough they agree with vs in the chiefe pointes of faith yet seeing they continue in their corrupt estat being vnseparated from the false Church wee are taught of Christ how to esteeme of them and so leaue them to be the successors of the Samaritanes and their right heires Now this is the Couenant which Mr. S. maintaineth and for the which hee so bestored himselfe when it was condemned and doth not hee lay afar ground to keepe men in the way of desemblation and so to remaine in the false Church by the maintaining of this Couenant yee to be a snare to such as haue left them if once they be possessed with this errour and let vs take himselfe for an example for although hee had left the Church of England both as it was a nationall Church and also the Parishes holding both to be false and being come so far reason should haue taught him neuer to haue to doe with such a Samaritanesh people againe in Church communion seeing they remain●… as they did vnseparated yet since hee was cast out from vs hee went and had communion with them and baptized his child with them also and vvhy went hee not rather to the assemblies seeing that that is their most proper Church estat they being yet vnseparated and for that their priuat meetings it is but a schisme in Babell in that their doing they make a breach in both estats both in their antichristian estat and in their pretended seruing of the Lord 2. Kings 17. 33. 34. as the Holy Ghost testifieth of their predecessor And further I say to him concerning ●…is clamours who of our Church hath tourned their backe vpon vs excepte those which hee is the cause of about these troubles in question vvhich hee through much labouring and others with him hath inticed but if hee meaneth those of the Church of Leyden which hath declined or apostated is it not more probabell or rather to plane that they haue taken their ground from Mr. Ro. their Pastour which hath opened so many pathe wayes for them first in setting out a book for priuat communion vvith the members of the false Church 2. in the maintining of hearing in the assemblies to be no communion 3. in the maintaining of this Samaritanesh Couenant 4. in that booke called Apologie hee doth not only vvith smoth vvords darken the trueth vvhich formarly hee maintained But also hee saith plainly speaking of the Church of England in the 58. page and hee speaketh it in the name of the Church of whom hee is Pastor that their faith doth not consist in the cōdemning of others wiping their names out of the bead roull of Churches And a little after hee saith neither requier vvee of any ours in the confession of their faith that they either renounce or in one vvord contest vvith the Church of England in this it appeareth that hee is ashamed and runeth from separation and of this his alteration hath the aduersaries of the trueth taken nottise of long before this last book came out so as I. P. saith speaking of his book called the justification of separation Which hee sett out in the defence of the trueth it being a good vvorke yet thus hee speaketh of Mr. Rob. concerning it that hee openly pluckes out some of the bowells therof vvith his owne hands and now seeing this is so why doth this man indeuour to lay the fault vpon vs which withstand these errours and therfore wee are of him and them euill spoken of but as it is vsually seen that such as run from their masters do speake euill of them so such as decline do speake euill of them that oppose them therfore lett none merueill that wee are euill spoken of by Mr. S. and by those that assist him for it hath bin thus allwayes with the Lords people in former times yea euen the Apostells of our Lord Jesus hath thus bin dealth withall and now to these opposites I speak wheras one of them twoo hertofor hath spoken to this effect that if the Couenant could be desproued that then they ought to acknowledge their euill in the things for the vvhich they were cast out and although but one of them speake it yet seing hee speak the trueth and as it ought to be therfor I wish them both to consider it and for vs if the Lord giue repentances vnto them wee shall be glad and hould our armes open to receiue them but alas vvhat hope is their of it seeing this man hath so many times imitated the practise of Absolom vvhich vvent in to his fathers concubins that so all should haue no hope of reconciliation between them so the third time hath hee printed his contention to the world as if hee did meane to continue an adversary and therfore by these hee bideth battell but if his cause were better then it is yet great is the euill hee doth therin in causing the name of the Lord to be scandelled Another pathe way which hee maketh for libertines is in the maintaining of his refusing to answer which is before spoken of by vvhich president of his wee see the euill effect that hath followed for suerly by his example the lo●…se ones of the Church and such as are corrupted begin to oppose that diligent watch as ought to be keept in the Lords house and with his example and his bussie writing and printing and priuate corrupting of mens minds labouring to corrupt all that hee thinketh hee can worke vpon as by experiance wee haue seene and in deed not keeping to the things as they are as I haue showed before Therefore that his sin in this point may the better appeare I

A CHRISTIAN REPROFE AGAINST CONTENTION Wherin is declared and manifested a just defence of the Church against such slanderes and reproches which Sabine Staresmore hath layd vpon vs in his two bookes the first being 16. Questions called A louing tender The second is his Preface and Postscript befor and behind Mr. Answorths last Sermon and making a pretence by that to sett it out as a loue token hee breatheth out his malice against vs and lastly her is an Answer to a Letter written by Mr. Robinson and sent to vs with the consent of his Church which now Mr. Staresmore hath published to the world To these things an Answer is giuen by A. T. 〈◊〉 us the foxes the little foxes which destroy the vines for our vines haue smale grapes Songes 2. 15. How long halt yee betweene two opinions if the Lord bee God follow him but if Baals bee hee then go after him 1. Kings 18. 21. He that is first in his owne cause is just then commeth his neighbor and maketh inquirie of him Prou. 18. 17. Imprinted in the yeare M. DC XXXI To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader I giue thee to vnderstand Wee haue not been forward to publish to the world these our co●…trouersies and this thou maist take knowledge of because the first of these our opposites books hath been in print so many yeares being printed in the yeare 1623 being 16. Questions of their owne forming in the which wee haue great wronge done vnto vs yet haue wee patiently borne both that and also that which they have printed the last yeare against vs vntell such time wee heard by many witnesses that our long silence hath turned to the hinderance of the trueth and also our owne discredit for diners haue been perswaded through our long silence that wee are most in fault or else wee would haue answered before this time therfore for the trueth sake our owne defence we though it need full to sett o●… this Christian Reprofe vnto these our opposites in the which thou maist see the great injury they doe vnto the trueth and also vnto vs by their vnjust imputations and slanderes which they haue layd vpon vs and althought for our selues wee could haue born these injuries in silence yet for the trueth sake and that none that haue a loue vnto the trueth should be hindered or stomble thereat therefore needfull it is that they should bee informed of the trueth of things as they are in these our troubles which by this short Answer thou mayst take knowledge of And although it consisteth of cōtrouersy which it not so profitable as some more heauenly meditations are yet not withstanding the Lord doth suffer such things to arise for the approuing of such as are faithfull 1. Cor. 11. 18. 19 that the people of God should not ly vpon the b●…d of security Songes the 5. 5. but keepe their Christian watch knowing that Satan seeketh too surprise vs by many meanes wayes 1. Peter 5. 8. Act. 20. 31. for when he can not retaine vs in the broad wayes of the world then will he send out the s●…oods of his persecutions to see if hee can swallow vs vp in it Reu. 12. 15. but when hee is restrained frō his purpose by the Lord then will hee seek to ouerthrow vs by his ministers whom hee seduceth euen in the Church of God so turne thē into shape as if they were the ministers of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 15. Act. 20. 29. 30. And of these things gentle Reader haue wee had our portion diuers of vs hauing been persecuted by inprisonment and many till death did insue others banneshed some loosing their right inheiritāce and must leaue it and be exsiled yet these troubles are not so dangerous nor yet so greuious vnto a sincere conscience as seducers which a●…se in the true Church and many that haue gone through persecutions yet haue been ouertaken by seducers drawne away frō the true way of God yet this is no new thing as thou mayst see by those Scripturs before alledged and as it was with the Churches of God of old so is it at this present time with vs for wee hauing gone through many persecutions so haue wee had our part of trialls by decliners seducers and these our opposites hath greatly troubled vs with their errour some they hath corrupted their with others they haue so incumbered their mindes that they dayly trouble vs with Contention and to bring their porposes about they came most Lords dayes diuers years troubled vs with great desturbance many haue been the prouocations which they haue vsed towards vs to prouoke vs so that wee may truely say that as Paule had fought with beast at Ephesus so haue wee at Amsterdam fought with men of a beast-like conditiō 1. Cor. 15. 32. although I could say mor in these things yet for the present I spare to see if the Lord will worke vpō their hearts by this Christian Reprofe which if it take not effect but that they goe on to striue against the trueth the Lord can giue a fit opportunity that their deedes may be fully layd open cōcerning these things in question And now Christian Reader take thou heed that thou stomble not at these things to forsake the trueth for these things ought not to bee strange vnto thee seeing the Apostells of Christ hath fortolde of these things Act. 20. 29. 30. 2. Pet. 2. 1. 2. 3. yea themselues were troubled with such trialles whilles they were with the Churches Actes 15. 2. Gal. 2. 4. 5. and som preaching Christ through enuie strife supposing to adde more affliction too the Apostells bandes Phil. 1. 16. And hath not the Apostell told vs that in these last dayes shall come perillous times and that all sortes of sinnes shall abound 2. Tim. 3. 1. 2. 3. which should teach vs to bee more watchfull and to judge wisly of things and not too bee offended at the trueth or any part thereof for it is the trueth that maketh vs free Iohn 8. 31. 32. yet when the Lord of glory was vpon the earth which taught the trueth more excellent then euer did any yet his owne Disciples went backe walked no more with him stombling at his heauenly doctrine seeing it is thus that our corrupt nature is so soone caried a syde how should wee desier of God to haue the spirit of discerning of sincerity to walke in the trueth wheras wee haue been euill spoken of too be cōtentious and of fierry spirits with many such like reproches But what is the cause that wee are thus reproched is it not because wee withstand errour and sinne and suerly although wee are weake men yet hearin wee follow the examples of the Prophetes of God Was not Moyses the meekest man vpon the earth yet was hee stored vp many times to great anger because of the sinnes of the people and who is more redy to carpe