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	pillar_n	3,742	5	10.1590	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08981	Christian advertisements and counsels of peace Also disswasions from the separatists schisme, commonly called Brownisme, which is set apart from such truths as they take from vs and other reformed churches, and is nakedly discouered, that so the falsitie thereof may better be discerned, and so iustly condemned and wisely auoided. Published, for the benefit of the humble and godlie louer of the trueth. By Richard Bernard, preacher of Gods word.	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1608 (1608)	STC 1927; ESTC S113766	84,709	210

exhortations dehortations reprehensions godly examples such like not to proue corruption or wants when good things imposed are not done and euill forbidden are not auoided but to prooue a falsitie which cannot be As for example the fift Commandement biddeth a childe to be obe●iēt to his parents and Christs example of obedience to his parents shewes that ●t so ought to be but shall we therfore conclude that hee which is not answe●able to the commandement and ex●mple of Christ is a false childe or ra●her that he is a disobedient and not a good childe and yet if you doe marke ●heir Scriptures they doe alleage much against vs and our Churches to this purpose which is an vtter abuse of thē III. In alleaging Scripture not to proue the thing for which to the simple ●t seemeth to bee alleaged but for that which they take for granted and is the matter in controuersie and often hardly fit for that As for example one of them saith that al the truth is not taught in our Church and to prooue this he citeth Act. 20. 21. where the Apostle saith hee kept nothing backe but shewed all the whole coūsell of God Ergo the Church of England doth not teach all the truth of God which is the matter in question and vnreproued this should rather haue been gathered that therefore euery Minister ought to hold nothing backe b● should teach the whole will of God and not because the Apostle did so therfore we do not so In their writing may be sound such quotations IV. By bringing in places setting See their book of the description of a visible Church and obserue the quoted places answered by Doctor Allison foorth the inuisible Church the excellencie and graces thereof and holinesse of the members to set foorth the visible Church by as being proper thereto as 1. Pet. 2. 9. 10. and such places * which is as much as to make the proper qualities of a mans soule to bee the qualitie● of the bodie properly And thus they deale with the Scripture to vphold their cause Another way and manner of defending Another deceiueable way which they entangle their followers by their course is by inferences as If that be true this must follow and therfore obiect to them their positions out of their own conceiued order they cannot confirme them by themselues with euident Scriptures but must first set euery one in their ranke and place and so deduce one thing out of another and by inferences and references a deceiueable practise the simple are intangled who cannot consider of antecedent and ●ecessarie consequence nor compare ●●ings together * Note this And a crooked way hath many win●●ngs but necessarie truthes of God to ●●luation as they hold their opinions to ●ee though one depend vpon another ●et may euidence of truth bee brought ●r euery one of them seuerally without ●●ch inferences and references ouer●helming the wits of the simple and o●er In what thing first to be informed to iudge rightly in this controuersie of better vnderstanding not being ●orowly acquainted with the cause ●nd with other grounds of the true do●●rine of the Church to discerne there●y the deceiueablenesse thereof and without which none shall euer be able 〈…〉 disallow or allow of our course or ●●eirs but generally and in confusion ●s most do It is therefore maruellous with me to ●onsider so many simple people to bee 〈…〉 peremptorie in the cause professing 〈…〉 soone to see the truth so euidently ●nd can so peartly champer against all ●f vs and condemne vs all for false Chri●●ians false Churches and so forth but would to God they yet were lesse con●eited and more humble for their own good and the welfare of Israel the people of God IV. Likelihood is that they haue not the IV. Likelihood See M. Junius three godly and learned letters to thē of Amsterdam and a petition made to the G●●ours by the other English Church See more for this in the end of the booke approbation of any of the reformed Churches for their course They haue written to some learned beyond the seas and haue published their confession but without allowance and yet do all reformed Churches giue vs the right hād of fellowship as a true Church of God whom these condemne as Antichristian and false now it is an especiall property of the true visible Church to be able to discerne of true visible members thereto belonging else who are they of mankind to whom God hath reuealed this necessarie truth The spirituall man discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2. 15. euen the Word and the true Teachers of the Word how much more the Church visible by the Word V. The condemnation of this way by V. Likelihood our owne Diuines both liuing and dead against whom either for godlinesse of life or truth of doctrine otherwise then for being their opposites they can take no exception vnlesse they will be Barrow-like in euery point Doctor Whitaker the Regius Professor Docter Whitakers lib. de Eccles in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge calleth them new Schismatikes and he spake not as a man rash fierie or ignorant but iudiciously as learned and in the spirit of sobriety and meeknesse being a man farre from violence of passion M. Perkins on the Creede Master Perkins a famous man saith they are excommunicators of themselues Bredwell against Browne calleth their Bredwel course a by-path Touching their reasons maintaining their assertions Doctor Willet saith they Doctor Willet are ridiculous more worthie to bee laughed at then answered And Master Perkins calleth them paper shotte The spirit wherewith Barrow and Greenwood were led is iudged by many Diuines setting downe ioyntly their iudgement thereof to bee the spirit of lying railing scoffing and as another saith of pride and insolencie How true they speake of the forenamed men shall appeare by that which followes and how farre the succeeding sort are from the same let such as by experiēce know speake If they amend herein it shall be taken notice of and the sinnes of other yet partaked in not bee laid to their charge It seemeth Master Perkins iudged In a Treatise 〈…〉 applie the Word to the consciēce as hee found in some of them who calleth them an indiscreete and Schismaticall company full of pride in perswasion of knowledge euill speakers of the blessed seruants of God affirming that the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes Touching the causes of their out-breake one a godly man in the Epistle before his booke called the true watch doth propound two questions to them and withall shewes how it commeth to passe that they so leaue vs. A conceit None of these guides of the latter sort did fall to this course before they were in trouble and could not enioy their libertie as they desired VI. Likelihood saith hee of their owne perfection discontentment withall and vncharitablenesse hath caused this grieuous rend What M. Doctor Allison M.

this trueth The second Propertie and the sacraments as banners displayed against the enemie Reu. 3. 8. Whence it is that the Church is called the pillar and ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15. And this propertie ariseth necessarily from the forme and is an essentiall marke for when men doe vtterly leaue their open profession and partaking hereof they cease to be visible members for they haue reiected the visible marks of Gods presence and visible communion with him Now this marke also is in our Church for we doe hold out an open profession of the true word which is the word written in the holy scriptures not Popish vnwritten imagined veritie and also the true sacraments and none other and wheresoeuer these two be there are vndoubted markes of a true visible Church though no other properties be apparent and where these are wanting there is no true visible Church of God Thus we see how farre from all truth it is that they hold euerie of our congregations to be false Churches when it is manifest that with vs there are particular congregations which haue true matter true forme and true properties as euidently hath been declared from the word and is apparent by our profession and practise herein There is a third propertie which is The third Properti● care for the welfare of all and euerie one for the whole and each for other 1. Cor. 12. 25. And this property ariseth also from the forme through the vnion of all the members together making but one bodie Rom. 12. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 12. which propertie is very necessarie both for the present welfare and also for continuance of the bodie in good estate This care is either corporall for the maintenance of the bodie which is shewed in almes deeds and by which note also the Apostolicall Church is set forth Acts 2. 42. or spirituall touching the soule which standeth in admonition and exhortatiō so forth to the edifying one of another practised of the Thessalonians Epist 1. Cap. 5. verse 11. I say this is verie necessarie for the well being of the Church which also wee haue and If this third property were in a great part wanting yet might we be a true Church shew by practise but yet if this propertie were almost wholly wanting the Church could not therefore bee iudged a false Church Is a household hauing t●●e matter and forme and essential properties a false household because the familie ceaseth to care as they ought one for another Is a man consisting of true matter forme and essentiall properties of a man a false man because through follie or madnesse or wilfulnes he neglects the welfare of his bodie or any of the members thereof I hope no man will bee so senselesse to auouch it Why should any then cōdemne that congregation or Church for a false Church which hath true matter true forme and true essential properties of a true church because it wants some what or for that it is very defectiue in a thing necessarie for the wel being thereof This is an vndeniable trueth that the Discipline is not of the essence of the Church so as yet without it the same cannot be a true visible Church care for the welfare of the Church which containeth the censures also and the power of excommunication termed by the name of discipline cannot bee proued by euidence of Gods word to be such a propertie as is of the essence of the Churches being without which the Church must needes be a false Church the vtmost that can be made of it is that that Church is a defectiue Church a maimed Church by which it is also corrupt and may come to ruine but that a necessarie defect can make it either no Church or a false Church cannot iustly be maintained It is a necessarie propertie of a man to speake it is for his welfare to see to go but yet if hee can neither see go nor speake he is not therefore a false man This distinction of true false applied to our Church is altogether friuolous and vaine yet is it vpheld by them as we see against both Scripture reason and common sense To conclude then if a necessarie propertie may be in part actually wanting to a true Church yet such a want not make that a false Church which wāteth it then cannot the supply of it howsoeuer make that a false Church From all that hath been said we may obserue 1. That it is an error to make discipline so essentiall a propertie as the Church without it is no true but a false Church 2. To make our Church a false Church because discipline is so exercised with vs as it is contrarie to their new found popular Gouernment IX All our Ministers say they an IX Error false Ministers This also is as erroneous as the former Answere frō whence it ariseth If the Church bee a false Church the Ministers say they are false Ministers but we see that our Church is not false and therefore not the Ministers without exception They are true Ministers that are sent of Christ according to his ordinance in his Church and are not false Ministers for it is belonging to Christ to send Ministers Ioh. 20. 21. Matth. 28. 18. 19. therefore are they called Ambassadours of Christ 2. Cor. 5. 20. But such Ministers haue we as is manifest by this that they are qualified with good gifts they are called by the Church and such also as doe diligently and faithfully preach and so preach Christ as many thereby doe heare and beleeue euen confirming their calling by the blessed successe effect of their labours Rom. 10. 14. 15. 1. Corinth 9. 2. Conser these Scriptures with these quoted places 2. Cor. 3. 1. 2. 3. 13. 3. 5. And therefore the Apostle that is one sent proueth this sending by the seale of his Ministerie and it cannot be proued that Iesus Christ workes by false meanes it is their grant in their owne confession pag. 31. Priuate persons may conuert and therefore Obiection conuersion of soules proues not a lawfull ministerie I. The Apostle so proueth himselfe Answere an Apostle and why is it not a forcible reason for an ordinarie ministerie Neither can the deuice of some stand who imagine that by worke 1. Cor. 9. 1. should be meant an outward constitution of a Church which externally the Apostle planted but by worke is meant that worke which the Lord wrought by him euen their conuersion from idolatrie to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell by faith as Interpreters expound it and 2. Cor. 3. 1 2 3. doth confirme the same II. For priuate mens conuerting as an ordinarie meanes to saluation cannot be proued by Scripture albeit that Iohn 4. 39. bee obiected where onely their dociblenes is called beleeuing which was not faith indeed But grant that she did conuert it must surely bee held extraordinarie that one priuate that also a woman preaching Christ

although we affirme not as he there slandereth vs that some part of the Scripture is more holy more authenticall or more true then other yet doubt we not to say that some parts are of more vse and more necessarie for men to know then other some Else why doth the holie Ghost giue speciall commendation to some parts more then he doth to other as a Song of Songs Why Cant. 1. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 11. Titus 3. 8. doth hee vse speciall Art in setting downe some parts rather then in other as Psalm 111. and 112. and 119 Why doth he as it were make proclamations and solemne Oyesses before some and not before other as Mark 4. 3. 1. Tim. 1. 15. and 4. 9. And although we doe not hold as they falseslie charge vs Still false accusations in the forenamed pages of their Discouerie that some parts of the holy Scripture are of small moment superficiall needlesse and of no necessitie and such as may be altered and violated without any preiudice and danger to the soule and much lesse that a man who hath obstinately continued in the transgression of some parts and openly taught the same vnto others may be vndoubtedly saued though hee die without repentance But on the contrarie we beleeue and teach that there is no part of holie Scripture which euery Christian is not necessarily bound to seeke and desire the knowledge of so farre foorth as in him lieth yet dare wee not call euery truth fundamentall that is such as if it be not knowne and obeyed the whole religion and faith of the Church must needes fall to the ground For we make no question but that both the penitent Theefe that was crucified with Christ and the Eunuch euen then when hee was baptised by Philip were in the state of saluation though they could not chuse but be ignorant of many truths in religion The only fundamentall truth in religion is this That Iesus Christ the sonne of God who took our nature of the Virgine Mary is our onely and all sufficient Sauiour For first they that receiue this truth are the people of God and in the state of saluation they that receiue it not cannot possibly be saued Matth. 16. 18. Mark 16. 16. 1. Ioh. 4. 2. Coll. 2. 7. Secondly there is no other point of religion necessarie otherwise then as it tendeth necessarily to the bringing vs vnto or confirming vs in the assurance of this one trueth Ioh. 20. 31. Ephes 2. 20. Hebr. 13. 8. 1. Cor. 2. 2. And therefore when the Apostle saith Ephe. 2. 19. 21. that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles his meaning is not to call euery thing contained in their writings the foundation of the Church but that this foundation which we haue spokē of is there to bee found and hath witnesse from thence and that all the writings and doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets doe bend vnto stay and rest vpon this one truth as the walles in the building doe vpon the chiefe corner stone Lastly al the knowne Churches in the All reformed Churches giue testimonie vnto vs. world acknowledge our Church for their sister and giue vnto vs the right hand of fellowship This H. Barrow and Iohn Greenwood denie in the 14. page of their Refutation but they name not any one Church that maketh question of vs. Indeed some of them affirme that we want some parts of the discipline which we haue not yet as they thinke so thoroughly receiued as wee should haue done but whether wee were the true Church or no neuer was there yet any reformed Church that made question Yet are they well acquainted by our bookes by the report of such as haue trauelled from hence and sundrie other waies with our doctrine and Liturgi●● Neither doe they only forbeare to shew their dislike to vs or are content to preserue societie with vs which happily through humane infirmitie they might doe vpon sinister respects though they approued not of vs in their iudgement but they doe also hold and teach that what people soeuer hath so much as we haue is the true Church though their wants be as great as ours are iudged to be Now when we alleadge for our selues Which strongly argueth that we be the true Church the testimonie of the Churches we doe not thereby as these men fondly conclude in that 14. page of their Refutation make the words of men the foundation of our Church nor doe we vse this as our only or chief defence whereby we seek to approue our selues either vnto the Lord or to the consciences of his people but such an argument wee hold this to be as in the due place hath much force in it and as God himselfe hath sanctified for a principall helpe in the deciding of controuersies in this kinde The Apostles vse to alleage it as a matter of comfort to thē whom they write vnto that the Churches of Christ do salute thē Rom. 16. 16. 1. Pet. 5. 13. that they were famous and had the testimonie and good report of the Churches Rom. 16. 19. 1. Thes 1. 7. 8. 3. Ioh. 6. 2. Cor. 8. 18. 19. 23. 24. S. Paul though hee receiued not his calling either from men or by men Gal. 1. 1. nor was any whit inferiour to the chiefe Apostles 2. Cor. 11. 5. yet doth hee alleage for the credit of his ministerie that three chiefe Apostles approued him and gaue to him the right hand of fellowshippe Gal. 2. 9. yea hee sought also their approbation and feared that without it hee should haue runne in vaine Gal. 2. 2. And which is yet more hee seeketh to winne commendation and credit euen to those orders which hee by his Apostolicall authoritie might haue established by the example and iudgement of other Churches 1. Cor. 7. 17. and 11. 15. and 14. 33. 16. 1. If these Churches that were planted by the Apostles themselues might take comfort in the good opinion that other Churches had of them may not wee much more If the ministerie of Paul and the orders hee prescribed to the Church receiued further credit with the people of God by the approbation of other Churches shall not the testimonie of all other reformed Churches giue some credit to the ministerie and orders of the Church now The doctrine word of God though to speake properly it receiueth authoritie only from it selfe and the Spirit of God yet hath it euer been the rather receiued by men for the testimonie that the Church hath giuen vnto it So our Sauiour saith that Wisedome is iustified of her children Mat. 11. 19. And although he affirmeth that he receiueth not the record of man Ioh. 5. 34. yet in respect of the saluation and good of men hee iudged it necessarie that Iohn Baptist should giue testimonie vnto him Ioh. 1. 7. 8. and 5. 33. 34. Now if this one thing furthered the damnation of the vnbeleeuing Iewes that they would not heare nor receiue

as we call them Sermons and interpretatiōs of the Scriptures that the people might vnderstand what was read vnto them and this was also as vsuall as reading in euery Synagogue vpon euerie Sabbath day Act. 15. 21. Nehem. 8. 8. Luk. 24. 17. 21. 22. 31. Act. 13. 15. 16. VI. In the end they had a generall prayer for the Church and State and a blessing pronounced vpon them when they departed Num. 6. 23. 27. This was done in euery of their Synagogues which were as our parish Churches whereunto the people resorted and out of which they were for offences excommunicated Ioh. 9. 34. and 12. 42. As the cities were more or lesse populous so was the number of these In Ierusalem there were 500. as the Rabbines do reckon and they were called Bethi Medrashoth houses for congregations Sermons and expositions And thus we see the order of their seruice Now let vs see how the Apostles and The holy seruice and worship of God in the open assemblie in the Apostles time holy men of God did practise as the times would serue for though the order of ordinarie seruice be not set downe in the new Testament euidently together yet there bee places to confirme the establishing of such things And as for the order it should be as may best serue to edification as the Apostle saith Let al things be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. 40. Of these things wee doe reade that they all met together in one place 1. Cor. 11. 17. and 14. 23. And that vpon the first day of the weeke Acts 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. That they vsed prayer more speciall and more generall Act. 20. 36. 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. That they had the word read Col. 4. 16. That it was preached Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 14. 23. 31. And men commanded not to despise it 1. Thes 5. 20. They receiued also the Sacrament Act. 20. 7. and 1. Cor. 11. 18. 20. Sung Psalmes Matth. 26. 30. Ephes 5. 18. 19. Col. 3. and made collections and gaue alines to the poore 1. Cor. 16. 2. Act. 2. 42. The well ordering whereof was established by the holy Apostles 1. Cor. 11. 34. and the keeping of order herein is that which the Apostle so much reioyceth in to see and behold it in the Philippians Phil. 1. 2. 5. and not discipline which cannot properly be called order but is a preseruatiue of order and appointed for the holy preseruation of order in these things and the religious vse of the same obserued in euery person orderlie To see the practise of the Church afterward herein reade Iustinus Martyr Apologie the second where all these things are fully set downe touching the publike seruice of God at that time Thus then wee see concerning the substantiall order of our seruice it hath approbation both before vnder the Law and after in the time also of the Apostles and Apostolicall men Diuers other opinions they hold Diuers other opinions of the Separatours which I will also set downe to acquaint you therwith that do desire to see more fully their way but not to spend time in confutation of them because that these former errors being confuted whereupon the other arise they also are confuted and also for that the absurditie and falsehood of them is euen sufficient to make them to bee reiected as soone as they bee read and they bee these I. That our congregations as they stand are all and euery of them vncapable before God to chuse them Ministers though they desire the meanes of saluation Thus say they against vs and yet if onely two or three of them bee gathered together they haue the whole power of Christ not only to giue their consent but euen to make a Minister This would they proue by long consequences and farre fetched conclusiōs from vnsound premises and farre from plaine euidence of the Scripture or any practise of the Church of God these thousands of yeeres II. That God in our best assemblies is worshipped after a false manner This can they not prooue and that which is added to the end hereof confuteth the same III. That Baptisme is not administred into the faith of Christ simply but into the faith of Bishops and Church of England All their diuinitie cannot maintain this and they herein doe exceedingly abuse the Church of God with vs. IV. That our faith and repentance is a false faith and a false repentance And yet Reader the properties of Saints set out by Master Amsworth their Doctor may be found amongst vs being in number twentie and that by visible tokens V. That our Ministers conuerting men to God here doe it not as Pastors but as Teachers A distinction without a distinction as betweene the beard of Aaron and Aarons beard VI. That our Church standeth in an adulterous estate A strange assertion what Idol worship we VII That they cannot say certainly M. Smith by any warrant of Gods word that any of vs hath either faith or feare of God These men herein haue lost the feeling of former grace and all true charitie VII That none of our Ministers may be heard And this they hold so great a sinne as they censure men for it and if they will needes heare they excommunicate such therefore But such a practise is farre from the warrant of the Word and where no law is there is no transgression Who euer heard that to heare the word of God should bee a sinne and to deserue censure and excommunication especially for hearing the word of Christ which hath made aliue the dead Ioh. 5. vers 25. and by which Christ Iesus hath wrought effectually to the conuersion of many yea euen their conuersion if yet they bee conuerted No word of God inhibiteth from hearing such as preach Christ Iesus and his trueth to which Christ giueth witnesse by his blessing In the Scripture it is set out as a marke of Gods child to heare the word Ioh. 10. 27. and not a marke of one deseruing excommunication and to bee deliuered vp to the diuell In the Word wee are exhorted to heare the word to seeke it Ioh. 6. 27. and men pronounced blessed that heare it Luk. 11. 28. Reue. 1. 3. yea no inhibiting by Christ for any to heare the Scribes and Pharisees who peruerted the Scripture Matth. 23. yea the Apostle reioiced that Christ that is the truth was preached though it was done of contention and with an intent to increase his afflictions Now if he reioyced at their preaching such as it was surely he held not the people worthie to be censured that heard such as so preached The Apostle warneth to auoid an obstinate Heretike therfore except we be Heretikes and obstinate Heretikes we must be heard If this their speech opinions and euils be obserued we may better maintaine that none of vs should We are not to heare them heare any of them as Iere. 23. 16. They speake as Brownists their owne fantasies and visions of