Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	error_n	1,964	5	7.1034	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26895	The Christian religion expressed I, briefly in the ancient creeds, the Ten commandments, and the Lords prayer, and, II, more largely in a profession taken out of the Holy Scriptures, containing 1, the articles of the Christian belief, 2, our consent to the gospel covenant, 3, the sum of Christian duty, according to the primitive simplicity, purity, and practice, fitted to the right instruction of the ignorant, the promoting of holiness, and the charitable concord of all true believers ... / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1660 (1660)	Wing B1221; ESTC R25270	38,730	88

must be opend and the people excited to the exercise of the duties before mentioned Sin must be confessed and lamented and mercy implored and thankfully acknowledged and the goodness of God especially manifested in the work of our Redemption must with the greatest admiration alacrity and joy that we can attain to be magnified and praised till this unspeakable love of God in Christ hath drawn out our hearts in fervent love to him again And it will be most suitable to this Eucharistical Ordinance that the Church do sing some Psalm or Hymn of praise to God for the mercies of our Redemption 47. Those are to be invited to the Supper of the Lord that have these necessary qualifications in some degree and the rest to be acquainted with the danger of eating and drinking unworthily Those only are to be admitted to the Table of the Lord that have the use of reason and can examine themselves and are members of the Church and have made a personal credible profession of faith and holiness and are not justly for heresie or any scandalous sin removed from present communion with the Church 48. The using or not using of forms of prayer in the administration of this Sacrament is to be determined of as aforesaid in the other parts of worship according to the different abilities of Ministers and state of the several congregations and other accidents that should weigh in such indifferent things But as in the Administration of Baptism it is ordinarily meetest and most safe to use the express form of words which Christ hath directed us to and the Church hath still used viz. I Baptize thee in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost so in the Administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it is safest and meetest that we use the words that Christ by his example hath directed us to use As Matth. 26. 26 27 28. Luk. 22. 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. viz. Take ye eat ye this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me and This is the Blood of Christ even of the New Testament or this is the New Testament in the Blood of Christ which is shed for many for the remission of sins drink ye all of it in remembrance of him 49. As it is not unmeet for the Church at other times when they assemble to make a solemn profession of the Christian faith and of holy obedience to manifest their constancy therein and to declare what doctrine it is that we assemble to profess and to preserve it in the minds of all so is it more especially meet that at Baptism and the Lords Supper when we are solemnly to renew our Covenant with the Lord the Covenanters do renew this solemn Profession To which end it is most safe to make use of the ancient forms of Confession called The Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed and also to recite the Ten Commandments with a profession of our consent to the terms of the Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost To which if we at lest sometimes adjoyn some fuller Explication of the Creed and Decalogue such as is our Profession here before set down it will not be unprofitable or unmeet And in such manner it may all be managed and such signs or expressions of consent required as the Pastors shall judge meet for the attainment of the desired ends with liberty for such variations as are necessary to prevent a dead formality 50. At the dismission of the Assembly it is meet that the Pastor do solemnly bless them in the name of Christ to which he is authorized as an act of his Ministerial Office 51. Deacons are Church-Officers instituted by the Holy Ghost to be serviceable to the Pastors and the Church by the distribution of the Creatures dedicated to the Church-Communion and taking care for the supplying of the necessities of the poor out of the contributions or stock of the Church 52. The first day of the week is appointed or separated by the Holy Ghost for the holy Assemblies and publike worship of the Church and other holy exercises and is herein to be improved to the honour of God and the edification of our selves and others and all other imployments are therein to be avoided that any way hinder the holy duties of the day except such as become a greater duty upon the account of Piety Justice or Mercy That some stated time be separated to the publike service of God and the benefit of our souls is a thing that the law of Nature doth command that this stated time should be at least one day in seven the reason and equity at least of the fourth Commandment doth acquaint us that this day should be every first day of the week the Holy Ghost in the New Testament hath revealed to us acquainting us with Christs rising on that day which laid the foundation of the change and of the Assembling of his Disciples on that day and his owning their Assembly by his appearing to them and teaching them and blessing them and giving them their commission and the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 19 to 24. The same they did the next first day where he again appeared and owned their Assembly and revealed himself unto them Joh. 20. 26 27. And that this was the practice of the Apostles and the Primitive Christian Churches directed by them appeareth Act. 20. 7 8. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. so that it was called the Lords Day as the last day before was called the Sabbath Rev. 1. 10. And to put us out of all doubt of the matter of fact and consequently of the meaning of these texts of Scripture the certain Tradition and most Concordant history of the Church assureth us that ever since the days of the Apostles the universal Church in all parts of the world hath constantly observed the Lords Day in Commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ which it is not possible that they could have done without contradiction and rebukes from the Apostles themselves or some of the Churches which they planted if it had not been a certain truth Those therefore that will be against the holy observation of the Lords Day must either impudently deny the Testimony of all Church History and Tradition which with one consent assure us that it was observed universally in the Christian Churches from the Apostles daies as a thing by them established and practised or else they must imagine that all the dispersed Churches through the world conspired in the teaching and practising of such an error without any known rebuke wherein it had been most easie for any to have convicted them to be slanderers of the Apostles or the Ages that were before them Having therefore so much in Nature in the fourth Commandment in the New Testament and the Doctrine and Practice of the universal Church for our holy observation of this day it ill beseems any Christian to forsake all or any of these and think

quick and the dead At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire This is the Catholike faith which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved The ten Commandments Exod. 20. GOD spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt have no other gods before me Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattel nor the stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shat not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours The Lords Prayer Mat. 6. OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever Amen The PROFESSION of the CHRISTIAN Religion I. The Articles of the Christian Belief It is a Catechism if you prefix to every Article the Question What do you believe 1 THere is one only God a in three persons * the Father Son and Holy Ghost b Who is Infinite in Being Power Wisdom and Goodness c The Creator of all things d Our most absolute Lord most Righteous Governour and most gracious Father e 2 God made man for himself f in his own image g with Reason and freewill h endued with wisdom and holiness i and put under him the inferior creatures for his use k and bound him by the Law of Nature to adhere to God his Maker to Believe him fear him love him honour him and obey him with all his powers l Moreover forbidding him to eat of the tree of Knowledge upon pain of death m 3 Man being tempted by Satan did wilfully sin and so fell from God and Happiness under the wrath of God a the curse of his Law b and the power of the Devil c And hence we are all conceived in sin and prone to evil d and condemnation is passed upon all e and no meer creature is able to deliver us f 4 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be their Redeemer a who being God and One with the Father b did take our nature and become man being conceived by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mary and born of her and called Jesus Christ c and being free from sin he conquered the tempter fulfilled all righteousness d revealed the Gospel and confirmed it by Miracles e and gave himself a sacrifice for our sins and a ransome for us in suffering death on the cross to reconcile us unto God f and was buried and went among the dead g * and Rose again the third day having conquered death h and afterward ascended into Heaven i where he remaineth God and Man in one person k and is Lord of all in glory with the Father l the chief Priest and Prophet and King of his Church m interceding for us and teaching and ruling us by his Spirit Ministers and Word n 5 The Lord Jesus Christ hath ordained in his Testament that all they that receive him by a true effectual faith and by true Repentance do turn from the flesh the world and the Devil unto God shall freely receive the pardon of their sins a and shall become the Sons of God and heirs of everlasting Life b the Spirit of Christ shall dwell within them c and all that overcome and persevere to the death shall live with Christ in endless glory d But the Unbelievers impenitent and unholy shall be condemned to everlasting fire e And this he hath commanded his Ministers to preach to all the world f And hath told us that All that are given him of the Father shall come to him and that he will in no wise cast them out nor shall any pluck them out of his hands g 6 The Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son did inspire and guide the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists that they might truly and fully reveal the doctrine of Christ and deliver it in Scripture to the Church as the rule of our faith and life a and by abundance of Evident uncontrouled Miracles and wonderfull gifts to be the great witness of Christ and of the truth of his holy word b 7 Where the Gospel is made known the Holy Ghost by it doth enlighten the minds of all that shall be saved and opening and softening their hearts doth draw them to believe in Christ a and turneth them from the power of Satan unto God b Whereupon they are joyned to Christ the Head and into one holy Catholick Church which is his Body consisting of all true believers c and are freely Justified and made the Sons of God d and a sanctified peculiar people unto him e and do Love him above all and serve him sincerely in holiness and righteousness f Loving and desiring the Communion of the Saints g Overcoming the Flesh the World and the Devil h and Hoping for Christs second coming and for

by the death and long absence of the Pastors through so many hundred and thousand miles travail and so long attending which the state and work of proper Universal Councils will require Yea the said distance with the age and weakness of the Pastors and the different languages and the poverty of many disabling them from such tedious voyages and journies and the dissent of the Princes many of them Heathens Infidels Mahometans under whose Government they live or through whose dominions they must pass these with many the like Impediments do make a true Universal Council like an Universal Parliament or Senate to be so far from necessary or desirable as to be Morally Impossible or next to Impossible as to the very Being of it The way that God hath appointed for Church-Government and deciding controversies is 1. That Princes and Magistrates govern by the sword or force and judge who are fit to be Punished by the sword And though most Princes on the earth by Infidelity have made themselves uncapable of this part of the work of their Office yet cannot that disoblige them from the Commands of God or free them from his punishments for not performing them nor make the Office of Magistrates another thing nor disable Christian Princes and Magistrates or disoblige them who have not made themselves uncapable 2. That these Princes and Governors of several Nations do hold a Loving Christian Correspondency for the management of their affairs and Government of the Churches under them so as may be most to the advantage of the Cause of Christ and the union strength and defence of Christians The General Rules and Ends of their Trust and Power do oblige them to hold such Assemblies by their Messengers as are needful for their Agreement and the Unity and Safety of the Churches under them as well as they oblige Pastors to such necessary correspondencies 3. That the Pastors of particular Churches be the Governors of those Churches by the word and holy Discipline not having the power of the sword or violence and that they Judge who is fit or unfit for Communion with that Church which each or any of them over-see and who is to be thence Excommunicated or there Absolved 4. That these Bishops Pastors or Elders of particular Churches should hold Communion among themselves with all their Brethren of other Churches as far as their natural capacity will allow and the need or benefit of the Churches require it and that they handle in common the causes that belong to all in common and settle and maintain Agreements for the Unity and Communion of the Churches And they are Judges as Associate who is to be received into their Associate Communion and who to be excluded from it and what Pastors or Churches they should hold such Communion with as they are capable of and which they should admonish or renounce 5. The Christian people have allowed them a Judgement of Discretion by which they must prove all things and hold fast that which is good and must discern and obey the Lawfull commands and directions of their Magistrates and Pastors 6. And as Men have thus their several shares alloted them in Government Judgement and decisions limitedly and not Absolutely judging even to the Execution which belongs to their several Judicatures So the Finall Absolute Judgement and Decision of all Controversies and Causes is reserved to the dreadfull Tribunal of the Lord to which we may make our last Appeal where all the world shall be judged in Righteousness and all the Judgements of men be themselves Judged and Truth and Error Good and Evil Right and Wrong will be more perfectly manifested unto all and it shall be irreversibly determined by Jesus Christ who shall go into Life Everlasting and who to everlasting punishment Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Novemb. 16. 1658. THE Author thought it not unfit here to annex the Description of that Order and Discipline which is exercised by him with his Assistant fellow-Pastors in the Parish-Church of Kederminster in Association with many Pastors of those parts who have Agreed to exercise so much of the Ministerial Office as by the consent of the Episcopal Presbyterian and Congregationall belongeth to them Which being published 1. May prevent mens injurious mis-reports of our Associations and Discipline which they may be drawn to by fallacious fame 2. And may be an example for those Churches that by the Magistrates are left at liberty to worship God in that Communion and Order which they judge most agreeable to the Word of God and the Vniversal Consent and Practice of the Primitive Church The Order and Discipline of this Church agreeable to the Word of God I. WE are willing to Teach all in our Parish the doctrine of Life that are willing to learn And desire them all to hear the Word publikely preached and to come to us to be Catechized or Instructed II. We own all those as visible Christians and members of the Universal Church that make a credible Profession of Christianity and destroy it not by Heresie or ungodly lives III. So many of these as also Consent to hold Communion with this Church as members of it submitting to the Ministers and Discipline of Christ we shall esteem our flock and special charge and faithfully perform the duties of our Office for their good as we are able IV. We desire that all the Youth of the Parish will learn the principles of the Christian Religion and as soon as they understand it and are heartily resolved to give up themselves to God in Christ through the spirit and to lead a holy life that they will come and acquaint us with their Faith and Resolution and before the Church will make a solemn Profession thereof and give up themselves to God in the personal owning their Baptismal Covenant either reciting the fore-going Creed or Profession or if they are unfit for publike speaking by Consenting when we propound it to them or by any other fit expressions That so we may publikely pray for their confirmation and if they Consent also to hold Communion with this Church we may know them as our Charge and Register their names V. Those Parishoners that desire us to Baptize their children or to be themselves admitted to the Lords Supper and are not members of this Church because they will not we desire to come to us some dayes before that so we may be satisfied of their Faith and Life And if they seem true Christians and either bring a Certificate that they are members of any other Church with which we are to hold Communion or shew that it is not from ungodliness that they refuse to live under Order and Discipline we shall Baptize their children and occasionally admit them to our Communion But if they are scandalous we shall require them first to Profess their serious Repentance And if they return to scandal we shall after stay till we see their Reformation or of one of the parents in case of