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	faith_n	1,854	5	5.2308	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

yet for all this did this man continue in his vntrue speaking a long time after this saying that they vvere the most part separated and vvhen hee vvas asked vvhy hee did not then excepte against Mr. Iacobe vvhen hee appealled to him for vvitnesse and being observed that your silence vvas a consent as in such causes it is offtentimes to the vvhich hee ansvvered that it did not follovv that because hee ansvvered not that therfore it vvas so and yet behold besides M. Iacobes testimony vvee sence haue other vvitnesse of 〈◊〉 men vvhich vvas at the Couenant making that none of them 〈◊〉 separated and this is vnder ther ovvne hands ratified and in one o●… their testimonies vvhich vvas don by their eldere hee is blamed 〈◊〉 as follovveth vvhosoeuer shall say that they vvere separated may vvel take shame vnto themselues yea though it should bee M. S. himselfe and vnto this vvriting is the hands of Three more vvhich testifye that all of them vvent to hearing in the Church of England after the Couenant making to ther knovvledge and novv seing that these things are so in the vvhich this man hath gone beyond himselfe in the speciall ground from vvhence all these our troubles did arise hovv should hee feare himselfe even in his errour and to take heed hovv hee goeth one in his procedings least the Lord leaue him vnto hardnes of harte and to blindnes of eyes as a just recompence for striuen against the truth or to lay a snar in Mizpach to insnare the soules of men or to doe as Balaam did which taught Balac to put a stumbling blocke before the Children of Israell which this man hath done and doth in the maintaining of that Samaritanesh Couenant as through the helpe of the Lord I shall proue in due time And none to retourne to Mr. S. Preface againe hee calleth vs vnmercyfull spirits vvho vnder pretence of godly zeale and hatred against sinne vngodly massacre the true and living members of Christ body First I answer that if I should follow him in all his clamours and insinuations also his taking vp of mens weaknesse let fall in reasoning and dispute which hee vseth to hide his ovvne faultes and transgressions then I say vvee might haue vvorke enough to doe and increase vnprofitable writtings But let him knovv that all men of vvisdome vvill thinke it apo●…re shifte to helpe himselfe with mens sinnes or infirmityes to couer his ovvne sinnes so to auoide the maine matter in difference therfore fit it is seing hee would not rest in his errour in peace that novv hee should Both justifie his errour and his vnrestynes in his errour which vvas the cause of his casting out or else to fall vnder it and to retourne with repentance but seing hee hath vvritten vntru●… ths I shall make a briefe ansvver vnto them But first vvher hee saith vvee are furious vnmercifull vvith other reprochfull termes before named hee should haue stayed himselfe in these things vntill such time as hee had made good his cause in question for vvho is not just in ther ovvne cause in their conceite which be in contention as hee is and therfore the euill of his reproches and all the hinderances vnto the truth which hee speaketh of must lye vpon himselfe except hee could make his errour truth and his vnrestynes with seeking to se●… to be good and lavvful which I knovv is more then hee is abell to doe And for his quoting of Scriptures hovv largly and fitly might they all be applyed vpon himselfe as 1. Thess. 4. 1. might be applyed to him to show his busines before hee came to vs and vvhill hee vvas vvith vs and since hee vvas cast out being a raiser vp of contention so breaking those Scriptures Galat. ●… 15. and 1. Cor. 11. 16. also for Rom. 16. 17. Hovv euidently doth that Scripture reproue his factious action for the vvhich hee vvas cast out But I leaue the manifesting of it vnto his propre place And for the other whom hee saith are thrust out of the Church vvhich vvitnesse for them I hope all men of vnderstanding may consider that men that haue euill causes for the most part they lack not some partaker to assist them And for them vvere they not as forvvard as any to cast out these tvvo opposites yea more forvvard then many and I am suer more forward then my selfe and vvhat hath chāged theire mindes they say the meeting of the brethren aftervvards to be spoken of vvhich I may say is lese then affige leaue to couer there shame and therefore may it not bee well feared that respects haue stollen awaye ther affectiō seing theire reason of change is of so little vvaight and for this I can show reasons but at this time I spare because that some although justly touched yet vvould bee to much moued and although I could say more yet I stay here knovving that such things doth but tend to vaine ●…anglinge But this man hath administred the cause to speake this And wheras hee saith vvee reject the vvord of God all vvholsome counsell for our amendement countrary to the very letter of the 38. article and why did hee not shevv vvherin also was it not because hee might doubt of the truth of his affirmation and suer if it be layd vpon him for an vntruth I see 〈◊〉 hovv hee can shifte it for our article speaketh of the communion that all Churches haue for counsell and helpe in all needfull things in the common faith and this did wee practise in that our letter to the Church at London in the vvhich this man did so much oppose vs and hath made all this troubell and also vvee practise that article as wee haue just occasion But doth hee meane wee breake this article because wee doe not at his pleasure his will or the willes of such as h●… stoureth vp to bring other Churches to bee judges whether hee bee rightly cast out or not if all that are cast out should haue that righte as I know not why hee should haue more right then others then t●… Churchs should haue worke enough to doe to looke to others businesses to neglect their owne But wee must learne to put a differance betweene that which concearneth the common faith and the proper power that euery seuerall Church hath in it selfe as for example in Reu. 2. and 3. chap. euery particular Church hath theire commandation or reprofe as they deserved and as the Church of Pergamus was reproued for suffering of such as taught the Doctrine of Balaam so needed they not to aske another church whether they should restraine them that so taught or vvhether they should cast them out if they vvould not be restrained or vvhen they had cast out anie to call for other Churches to knovv vvhether they had done vvel or not in so doing especially to such Churches as vvere corrupted vvith the same errour and hear obserue that vvhen vvee did