Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	great_a	speak_v	2,174	5	4.1269	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43271	A treatise concerning schism and schismaticks wherein the chief grounds & principles of a late separation from the Church of England, are considered and answered / by Henry Hellier ...	Hellier, Henry, 1662?-1697.	1697 (1697)	Wing H1381; ESTC R20518	24,128	62

make Reflections on any one Party more than another but only to consider the nature of this Sin indifferently to whomsoever it may belong St. Paul who as I observed before useth Heresy and Schism promiscuously as did also the Primitive Christians for some time after him Gal. 5.20 1 Cor. 3.3 4 reckons it among the works of the Flesh Whereby he signifies that it is not commonly on a bare Mistake or Misapprehension of Things nor out of Zeal for Religion but upon some worldly Designs and Interests that Men do become guilty of it But whatever the Design may be a very dangerous and pernicious thing it is Unity is the Strength of all Societies Division the Weakness and Infirmity of them There is no readier way to destroy a Church then to divide it Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to Desolation and a House divided against a House falleth Wherefore Schism lays the Axe to the root of that Church wherein it is bred and tends to the utter Ruin and Subversion first of it next if it be in a Protestant Church of the Protestant Religion which it hereby lays open to powerful Adversaries and last of all of Christianity it self Every particular Schism in some sort reacheth the Universal Church as I have already shewn So it is against the Gospel and against Christ Vide. Gregor Tholos Syntag jur Universi lib. 33. cap. 11. § 1. and is therefore Crimen laesae Majestatis Divinae as some do stile it It is against the design of our Saviour's coming into the World who came to make Peace not only between God and Man but also amongst Men. He gave the strictest Commands about it He contrived the firmest Bands to maintain it Schism violates these Precepts frustrates this Design breaketh these Bands makes our Saviour's Passion vain and the Cross of Christ to be of none effect It makes the Evangelical Writings vain for the Gospel was written to that intent which the Schismatick disappointeth St. John says 1 John 1.3 That which we have heard and seen declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ A good Shepherd gathers the Sheep together the Schismatick makes it his business to scatter them It gives Scandal to those that are without The Divisions of Christians in general do give offence unto the Jews and Pagans and make the name of God Blasphem'd among the Gentiles and the Divisions among Protestants to make our Reformation Blasphemed amongst the Papists It causeth Atheism and Infidelity when each part says there is no Salvation to be had in the contrary Part dissolute Persons perswade themselves that there is none in either And while some Men are crying Lo here is Christ and others Lo he is there such as might otherwise have a Mind to enter into the Church know not whither to come It makes all Virtues in general not to thrive so well in that Church where there are Divisions it disturbeth that Joy and Peace which are the Fruites of the Holy Spirit of God it takes off much from that comfort in Christ which should be the lot of every Pious and devout Christian Whence there is not only great Vehemence of Passion but admirable soundness of Reason in that earnest Exhortation of the Apostle to Unity Phil. 2.1 2. If there be any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies fulfil ye my Joy that ye be like minded having the same Love being of one Accord of one Mind Whence * St. Augustine and S. Cyprian in divers places some have called it Sacrilege not only because it is a Violation of Divine Ordinances and Usurpation of Sacred Offices but because it seems to be far greater robbery to deprive the Church of the benefit of all these things then to take the Silver or Gold out of the Temple It shews want of Charity or Love as of God so also of our Brethren on such easy terms to divide our selves from them too hardly to Judge them too highly to Esteem our selves too little to bear with them to be too ready to grieve them not to have compassion on their Necessities and Wants in Spiritual matters not to be willing to give them our assistance as Members of the same Body should do to one another Wherefore the Apostle after having Described the Nature of Schism in the First Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 12. spends one whole Chapter more in praise of Charity and setting forth its Adjuncts and Properties doth touch upon those things which seem in the Schismatick to be more especially wanting 1 Cor. 13 v. 4 5 6 7. Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envieth not Charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no Evil rejoyceth not in Iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things But the Schismatick is not only Uncharitable and thereby injurious to his Neighbour but bringeth many and great Inconveniences upon himself by cutting himself off from the Church of God whence he is Condemned of himself as the Apostle speaketh Jude v. 19. and Separating themselves they have not the Spirit saith St. Jude They have not the kind Influences of the Holy Spirit whereby the Church is governed Whence not only all their Gifts but all their good works are utterly spoiled and come to nothing As a Part cannot retain its Sense and Life when it is cut off from the Body as the Branch cannot bear Fruit except it abide in the Vine John 15.4 as a Rivulet is soon dried up when separated from the Fountain as a Ray cannot subsist when taken away from the Sun St. Cyprian de unitate Ecclesiae So neither can a Schismatick Reap any profit from his gifts or good works when Separated from the rest of the Church of Christ The Apostle speaketh as to both of them in the beginning of the forementioned Chapter concerning Gifts Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels though I have the gift of Prophesy and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and though I have Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have not Charity I am nothing Again concerning good Works Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and though I give my Body to be Burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Some are not sensible that it is any great harm to go amongst them to pray with them or to hear the Gospel Preached But to joyn with them in those otherwise Holy Offices is the way to become partakers of their Sins Hos 9.4 Their Sacrifices shall be unto them as the Bread of Mourning all that eat thereof shall be Polluted Where two or three indeed are gathered together in Christ's Name Mat. 18.20 there is He in the midst of them but not when they are gathered against his Name and against the other Members of the Church Such Mens Prayers are not only Ineffectual but Excrable The Communion of Christ is but one Among his Disciples there is Peace We must not Communicate with those who break that Peace least we become partakers of their evil Deeds and make the Breach wider by Encouraging of them They are without the Church and we must not be with them For we cannot be within and without at the same time Mat. 12.30 He that is not with me is against me and he that Gathereth not with me Scattereth saith our Saviour Their Prayers and Preaching and other parts of Divine Worship being performed in Opposition to the other Members of the Church are turned into Sin and they come together 1 Cor. 11.17 as did the Corinthians in a Division of theirs not for the better but for the worse Thus we see how Schism is a work of the Flesh against Christ's Kingdom against the Gospel against the Protestant Religion against Virtue in general against all the Apostolical Rules of Charity very pernicious to the Church very hurtful to the Schismatick himself and of dangerous Consequence to all that go after him All things therefore are to be endured before we make a Schism even Immoralities themselves where we are not made to concur with them when it doth not belong to our Office to Reform them when it doth not lye in our Power to Reform them without breaking in upon other Mens Rights and doing Immoral Actions our selves And then certainly we are much more obliged to lay aside private Advantages not to seek our own to let fall particular Quarrels for the sake of the Church of Christ And if our Governours should deal hardly by us and require difficult things of us in Divine Worship not frustrating the main end of the Worship it self if some Words are improper if some Ceremonies are uncouth yet not hindring us from serving God with a pure Heart we ought to bear with them Charity beareth all things It is a large Expression taking in all things that are tolerable Surely these indifferent things And in a latter Schism here among us Men seem to be hard put to it to find a Cause of Separation when Protestants are forced to take up old Confuted Popery to ground it upon If they had never so just a State-quarrel on the account of a Popish Prince one would think they should scarcely part with the Principles of their own Religion for the sake of him To conclude then with the Apostles Words Phil. 3.16 Let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Rom. 14.19 Let us follow after the things which make for Peace and thi●… wherewith one may Edifie another Eph. 4.2 3. With all Lowliness and Meekness with long Suffering forbearing one another in Love Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Rom. 16.17 And let us Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which We have Learned and avoid them FINIS