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	know_v	2,755	5	4.1178	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26754	Unity stated the only means to it assign'd and argu'd, together with the motives pressing it : in a sermon before the worshipful Company of Salters, Lond. in St. Swithin's Church, Sept. 1683 / by William Basset ...	Basset, William, 1644-1695.	1683 (1683)	Wing B1054; ESTC R14462	24,167	42

Scribes and Pharisees had made the word of God of none effect by their Traditions Austin's season to preach against Drunkenness was when and as long as the men of Hippo lived Drunkards And to appear against Separation when and as long as the Donatist's Schism prevailed in the Christian World Luther's season to express his zeal against the German Anabaptists and Libertines was when they exposed his Reformation to reproach Ball Hildersham Hind Nicols and other Nonconformist's season to speak and write against Separation was when the Brownist's Non-communion became the reproach of their Non-conformity If these may not guide me lend me your Watches if they go not false I will set mine by them In answer to this charge of missing the season of Truth and Duty I have many years since appealed to Presbyters Whether men wisely serving God's Providence and studious to do God and his Church proper and apt service must not judg the time of witnessing corruptions circa cultum publicum will not warrant Non-communion and Separation from a true Church to be then when that is acted on this ground and reason Till that be argued and over-rul'd I will plead no more to this Inditement and that I expect not to be till Christ do come to Judgment Secondly But you will be ready to complain That I am too rigid too severe and bitter against the Independent Congregationalist's who undoubtedly are very good men To this I say 1. The Goodness of the men be to themselves But remember The Goodness of the men is the common bait which hideth the Hook of Imposture and Seduction by which the simple are beguiled Angels of Light Men like the Apostles of Christ Pious Pelagius Devout and Holy Novatius have been the perverters of Truth and subverters of the Churches Peace and Order And be the men never so good the severe reproof of their vile Opinions and sinful Practices must not be superseded by that Goodness which is in them 2. Be the men as good as they will if by their fruits we may know them we must be free to affirm they have been no good Plants in the Lord's Garden To pass by the Narrative of their Practices beyond the Seas collected by the Anti-apologist and improved by Mr. Robert Baylie beyond the possibility of denial or contradiction Should we but declare their Paganizing all England the Confusions in Church and Commotions in Commonwealth which our Eyes have seen acted by and this present Age must attest to have been the unhappy horrid Generation-work of these good men you must needs say The severest rebuke of them must needs be too gentle But I will forbear to recite the Acts which all of this Age must needs remember Yet when I consider the sinfulness of Schism the speciality of their Schism exceeding that of the rigid Brownists unchurching not only England but all the Reformed Churches at one blow meritoriously by their Apostacy and legally by the Law of their rejection And remember their precipitancy if I must not say perfidy in falling into it when the pretended occasions of stumbling were out of their way and they were solemnly engaged against Schism and this very Schism I cannot but see much reason to maintain a constant and severe zeal against them and the rather for that we have observed it we know the verity of it the sobriety moderation and indulgent silence of their soft and over-mild Brethren hath been the nourishment guard and advantage of their Schism They as their Progenitors the Donatists did at first study nothing more than by the cry of Moderation Moderation towards Brethren and Good men to charm the Zeal and Duty of those who ought to have discovered this Panther's Face before they had broken in and made havock of the Church of God as at this day they do necessitating more loud cryes and severe reproofs against them than ever for that they have prevailed so far as to seduce Multitudes and confound endeavours for Reformation with their groundless Separation and with the Donatists want nothing but opportunity to make their Schism domineer through the World beyond the power of Magistratical cohibition The simple Godly have a long time been deluded with a pretence That there is no great difference between them and their angry Brethren it is but a matter of Discipline there is nothing in their Practice fundamentally erroneous or inconsistent with salvation And scarce any man is found so faithful as to detect the falsehood of this Plea Let me tell you wherein the Controversie only concerneth matters of Discipline I have often said it and now say it aloud Though I know the Discipline they pretend to to be confused disorderly and mischievous to the Church neither found in Scripture nor right Reason or Polity yet let them own the being and truth of the Church the salvability of Ministration in it and in union with the Church in any particular orderly distributed Assembly make their Discipline practicable if they can they shall not be by me disturbed till they have experienced the evill thereof in its Effects But be ye not deceived there is more cause of controversie than matters of Discipline only I have often under my hand asserted what with the leave of my more moderate Brethren I will persist in and undertake to demonstrate to the conviction of them who deny it at least to the undeceiving of the weak who are seduced by them That if 1. Groundless or causeless Separation from true Churches 2. Self-constitution of new Churches 3. Self-consecration of a new Ministry be as none can deny they be fundamental errors and Practices inconsistent with a state of salvation then the Way or Practice of the Independent-Congregationalists among us is fundamentally erroneous and inconsistent with Salvation For that they have groundlesly separated from true Churches constituted new Churches and consecrated a new Ministry insomuch that they who were lawfully ordained have renounced their Ordination and received their Ministry in their new Way let any who have seen their course and considered their Writings deny if they can Although I have charity to believe many a sincere heart towards God may simply communicate with Gods Ordinances among them and not be sensible of their Schism nor design so great an evil no way obvious to the weak yet their Way being in it self so evil requireth all that will be found faithful as Jerome and Austin against the Donatists to animate each other to discover so great an evil and withstand so grievous Schism growing to so great an height as to confound yea nullifie the Church of God among us Bravely offered What to prove that our private Meeters who break off from the Church and set up Conventicles of their own cannot be in a Salvable State That their Leaders for interest sake dare not reprove the Schism That these practices caused the late Rebellion and Murthers and have paganiz'd almost all England And dare none of these Men accept the