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
A57150	The peace of Jerusalem a sermon preached in the Parliament House, Jan. 9, 1656 : being a day of private humiliation kept by the members thereof / by Edward Reynolds.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1659 (1659)	Wing R1271; ESTC R22215	20,052	40

case of the captivity of Iudah was their despising of the Messengers of God 2 Chron. 36.16.2 Because such sins do more exceedingly divide and unty the bonds of love and amity which Christian truth doth preserve then other more civil differences and so loosen the hearts of men from one another Lastly This Doctrine hath been m by our learned Writers maintained against n Doctors of the Roman Church for they are the men who to maintain Papal Supremacy and to keep all Ecclesiastical power within themselves have shut out the civil Magistrate from it which I onely name that you may consider what hands they are that sow such Doctrines amongst us with a purpose no doubt to make use of a boundless licence to instill corrupt doctrines into as many as they finde fit tinder to catch that fire Since therefore such a charge doth evidently lye upon Magistrates to use their power for the Peace and prosperity of the Church the Lord doth accordingly expect from them the discharge thereof Where he gives talents he will call for accompt But it may be objected Is not this to abridge and annul that liberty which ought to be indulged to the consciences of men I answer First in general and by way of concession God forbid that any should assume dominion over the consciences of men The Apostle himself said We are not Lords over your faith we are but helpers of your joy 2 Cor. 1.24 It would be a high and withall a vain attempt An high attempt for no man can give Law further then he can reward and punish accuse and convince But no man can either search or reward or punish the conscience therefore no man can give Law unto it And upon the same reason it would be a vain attempt for none but a divine eye can see the conscience therefore none but a divine Law can bind it If such words or such writings be blasphemous and subversive to Church or State or both and highly derogatory to the honor of Christ civil restraint can reach them But thoughts it cannot reach they are unsearchable by an humane eye and therefore unreducible to a humane power And again God forbid we should straighten liberty which Christ hath purchased for us Let every man stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free whom Christ hath made free cursed be that man who shall go about to intangle him in any such yoke of bondage as is contrary to that freedom Secondly In particular we say 1. Where men agree in the main fundamental Doctrines of truth and godliness in the Substantials of Faith Worship and obedience there ought to be a mutual love toleration and forbearance of one another in differences which are not subversive unto Faith godliness So long as we walk by the same rule and mind the same things wherein in other things we differ we are to wait upon God to reveal even the same unto us Phil. 3.15 2. We say Christ did never either purchase or permit to any man professing himself a Christian a liberty to subvert or endeavour to subvert by blasphemous heretical idolatrous or irreligious and impious Doctrine the foundations of Faith Worship and holy obedience which he hath laid in his Church or to remove if I may so speak the ancient Land-marks of Christian Religion The great Truths of God the great interests of the Gospel ought to be dearer to us then the liberty of any blasphemous or impious tongue or pen 3. Magistrates are wisely and cautelously to didistinguish between weak brethren and wicked malicious disturbers of the doctrines of salvation and peace of the Church as the Apostle doth between the bewitched Galatians and those that bewitched them concerning whom he saith I would they were even cut off that trouble you Gal. 5.12 Which imprecation he would not sure have uttered against them if in sowing their false Doctrines they had onely made use of a lawful liberty o 4. With the word such a lenity and moderation is to be used as first to reprove rebuke exhort them with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.2 to admonish them once and again and when they are found unreclaimable then to reject them Tit. 3.10 5. We are to distinguish between the conscience of the Seducer and the spreading and infection of his Doctrine p It belongeth unto the care of the Magistrate to endeavour the converting and reclaiming of him which though it cannot be effected yet further and principal care must be used to prevent the spreading of infection This was done in the Apostles time by rejecting an heretick refusing to have brotherly communion and society with him So an effectual means may be used to keep the leaven from the lump use what mercy and lenity you judge most consonant unto Christian meekness towards the persons themselves but above all things be zealous for the purity and peace of the Church wherein divisions and subdivisions exceedingly tend to weaken to distract to betray it We have to do with wise and vigilant with subtle and sedulous Enemies who formerly were and no doubt still are intent upon their design to shake this Nation from the true Protestant Religion wherein as the Duke of Roan gravely observed the interest thereof did stand And I believe if the new things which are broached were duly examined you would find in most of them if not legible characters as in the doctrines which deny or diminish Original sin and affirm free Will yet a secret aspect and tendency towards Rome They cry down our Ministers as no Ministers of Christ and so did Champney and Kellison and the Romanists heretofore They cry down our Ordinances as polluted and impure and not to be joyned in and so the Pope forbad the English Papists in Queen Elizabeths time to joyn in the same Worship and Ordinance with Protestants they cry down Learning and Schools of Prophets and what greater advantage can a learned Papist have then to have none but unlearned Adversaries to dispute withall They teach Adoration of Christ in a sinful man at his feet a plain manuduction to adoration of Christ in an hoast They tell you they dare not limit Christs body to Heaven an handsome step towards corporal presence in the Sacrament by Transubstantiation They press to follow a light within secretly intimating imperfection in the Scripture unto which why may not as well Ecclesiastical Traditions be added as an imagininary light They say we must follow the commands of that light a shrewd preparation to any desperate attempt when season and advantage calls for it The Lord give you wisdom to foresee evils they are better prevented then suppressed And for that purpose be pleased To encourage Orthodox godly and learned Ministers and the Schooles of learning vindicate and protect them from reproch and contempt When Alexander the Great sent Ambassadors unto Athens requiring them to deliver up their Orators into his hands Demosthenes in