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
A34955	The vanity of the dissenters plea for their separation from the Church of England a sermon preached before the King at Windsor, September the 10th. 1682 / by Robert Creyghton ...	Creighton, Robert, 1593-1672.	1682 (1682)	Wing C6876; ESTC R34843	9,456	30

Charity with the good Primitive Church These men may possibly mean well but they seem only to consider how to go far enough from Rome never consider to what we are in Charity bound to reduce our selves I mean to that State whence by degrees Rome fell away In truth our Controversies with the Romanists move most upon this hinge that we reject their Novelties which against them is one of our best Pleas. So that should we frame against them Arguments from such Topicks as our Schismaticks some of them would suggest we must tamely give up the Cause For if we maintain not our ground if we keep not to the first Ages and the four first General Councils if we secure not as far as may be our Conformity with the most Ancient Church we give them the greatest Advantage immaginable At our Reformation had we I condemn not other Churches had we I say renounced Episcopacy the Ancient model of Church-Government that bears date long before Infallibility Supremacy Transubstantiation c. were thought of what would the Romanists have said how could we have avoided the just imputation of a most Uncharitable Separation from the Ancient Church But now our Reformation may be an Object of the Romanists Envy because we did thereby as it were reconcile our selves to the most Ancient Church and our return is in truth to upbrayd them with Schism and the most honourable way to justisie our departure from them in points wherein we and they had so long departed from the Ancient Church which we should never be able to effect were not our constituted as now it is For let the model be any other not known to the Ancient Christians men of such Principles may rayl at Popery but the Arguments they must be forced to use will be such as will be scorn'd and make the Roman Catholicks but the more obstinate And therefore if under pretence of flying farther from Rome we Ruin this Church of England we shall have neither Arguments enough left us to defend our selves against Romes Novelties nor Loyalty enough left us I am sure to secure any Prince in his Throne Defender of the Faith But what do we talk of a Primitive Church away with this dull Old Way tell us Schismaticks something Brisk and New these Sons of the Church of England can tell us nothing new they say no more than Old Ignatius and Polycarp Ireneus Clement of Alexandria Tertullian and Cyprian they can Fight with nothing but old rusty Weapons of Antiquity we have Swords new burnished at Geneva and Francford nay we have Antiquity too on our side we have Donatists and Novatians and there we gain a point Yet Old Schismaticks were dull heavy phlegmatick Sots to ours They never durst attempt a Schism but they would set up a Bishop of their own making and remain in the state of their Separation right Episcopal however as to the Government of the Church never hoping to gain any Proselytes should they not pretend at least to Episcopacy But ours run down Episcopacy and then cry they have discovered new wonders to the world and found out better methods of Church-Government than their idle Predecessors Donatists and Novatians could ever dream of Indeed Epiphanius mentions a dear Friend of our Schismaticks one Aerius of precious memory who turn'd Leveller because he could not get a Bishoprick But I must tell them for his Credit he had but few Proselytes and they hooted at as the Owl by the more ingenious of his winged Brethren when he appears with his Gravity among the Airy Witts I am sorry for the sake of some of our Schismaticks who would fain be nibbling at this Story that Aerius was not a Leveller out of pure Conscience because then the Presbyterian Parity might claim some kindred with Antiquity Thus I have briefly discoursed of Liberty Tender Conscience Reformation the three fairest pretences of Schism Now if this one single Text prevail nothing if neither our great Apostles Frowns nor Charms nor his Excommunications nor his Embraces nor his Apostolical Authority nor the Passion of his Oratorie prevail with the Schismatick but he will tear the Church to pieces ungratefully rend the very Bowels of that Church that gave him Life whose Breasts he suck'd What Expedients for Unity further to propose I cannot imagine 'T is the Temper's Policy too to Divide that he may Rule to break the Churches Ranks and Files that he may Enter and Conquer with Ease Our Quarrels are his Conquests the Ruins of our Churches are his Trophies 't is only our Peace that he dreads Pax vestra bellum est illi said Tertullian In all the Apostles Writings there are not more Cautions against any one thing than against Schism For though Schism in it self consider'd does not directly destroy any one Article of the Faith yet by destroying the Churches Unity it will in time destroy the Faith Because 't is a false Phantastick Light hovering in the Air that will lead thousands after it into Errors over Bogs and Precipices and will have in time so fatal an influence upon the whole Body of the Catholick Church as not only to weaken that by drawing off great numbers from it but also put the Schismaticks themselves out of a Capacity of being at least Confirmed in the Truths they have received and so they will lie open to all the Temptations immaginable of being debauched in the very Principles of their Christian Faith For this seems one design at least of the first Plantations of Churches under such a model of Episcopacy as might unite Christians in larger Bodies and prevent the breaking of their numbers into little Junto's and Conventicles that so they might like great Armies United in Government and Order both secure their own Faith by their greater Union and also make more effectual Conquests upon the Unconverted Parts of the World to whom it must needs be one great motive to come in when they should see Christians so strongly knit together in so large Societies with so much Charity Order and Harmony Why then do our Schismaticks by going off from our Church from the common safe Path to say no more expose themselves to so great dangers did they not forsake us we might hope one day by calm reasoning to reform their judgement Why do they thus fight with us disengeniously and basely like Parthians who turning their backs scatter'd their Arrows from behind them Why do they thus scatter their envenom'd Arrows even bitter Words and never turn their faces either to survey our Strength or stay to hear what we can say for our seIves Why do they amuse us with Accusations of Popery like Atalantas Ball with Accusations back upon us that they might get the start in the Race and get to Rome first Is it Superstition they dread but have not they themselves some Tincture of that too at least while they I may venture to say superstitiously avoid it have we not known the time when they honour'd