Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	christian_a	church_n	true_a	4,006	5	4.8519	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28276	A sermon preach'd at the Chappel of Brentwood in Essex, October the 7th, 1693, at the visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God, Henry, Lord Bishop of London ... by Ofsp. Blackall ...	Blackall, Offspring, 1654-1716.	1694 (1694)	Wing B3051; ESTC R5712	20,756	34

Separation of the Reformed Churches themselves from the Church of Rome with which they once held Communion is against that Church So that if there be any thing in this Argument it holds every whit as strong against them as against us But the truth of it is the Argument its self is of no force against either one or the other But in the Case of Separation the only point to be considered in order to the discerning where the blame lies is for what cause the Separation was made For if the ground of our separating from the Roman Church be as indeed it was because we could not communicate with her without Sin this justifies our Separation and is indeed a just Objection against that Church which enjoined such unlawful terms of Communion And on the other side if the Doctrine that we profess and teach be Pure and Orthodox and our Worship to say the least of it such as may in every part of it be lawfully joined in if even they who dissent from us cannot fix on any one thing in our Communion which they can prove is unlawful if consequently the ground of their Separation from us be either because they will not endure sound Doctrine or because they have itching Ears which nothing will please but Novelties they indeed are highly to blame who separate from us upon such trifling Accounts but it is no more a just Objection against our Church That there are some that separate from it than it was against that Church which was at first Assembled and governed by our Lord himself in Person that there were some who when they had listed themselves under him as his Disciples did afterwards upon an unreasonable and groundless disgust go back and walk no more with him 3 What may further be observed from hence in general is this That the Example of a Multitude is not a sufficient inducement to follow their practice any further than the same may be justified by reason For in the Text we are told that many of our Lords Disciples probably not fewer than 5000 went away from him at once and as far as appears by the History there were only 12 that remained with him a very small number in comparison with that great Multitude that went away and yet there can be no doubt but that these were the True Church and that they which went away were Schismaticks From whence therefore by the way we may observe how vain and trifling that Argument is which they of the Church of Rome do urge in behalf of their Church and to perswade us to return to it taken from the great Multitude of those that are of the Roman Communion in comparison with the Reformed Churches For granting that the Roman Church is of much greater extent than the Reformed nay if we should grant it to be of larger extent than all the Christian Churches besides that are not of her Communion which yet is certainly false this is but a very sorry Argument to prove her to be the True and only True Christian Church For if truth be always on the side of the greatest number Which was the True Church in Abraham's time when he was of a Religion by himself Was it in his small Family or amongst the Idolatrous Nations that dwelt round about him Or which was the True Church in all that long Tract of time from Moses to our Saviour Was it not confined to a very small spot of Land even when it was at its largest extent And that again contracted to a much less compass in Elijah's time when there were not in Ten of the Tribes of Israel above Seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal 1 Kings 19.18 Again if that be always the True Church which is the largest time was when the Arian Hereticks were the True Christian Church and the Orthodox Professors of Christianity who were but a very few in number in comparison with them were consequently miserably deluded and rank Hereticks And thus according to this Rule given by the Romanists for finding out the True Church truth and goodness are really nothing at all but vary according to the Fancies and Customs of Men and what is true and good now may in the next Age become very false and wicked But by what hath been said it appears that the true Worshippers of God have sometimes been but a very few and that the True Church of Christ hath in some Ages consisted but of a very small number and what has been once may be again So that tho we should grant that the Roman Church is larger than any one or even than all the Reformed Churches together yet still these may be the True Churches of Christ and that not for why may not the True Religion and the right Worship of God be confined to a narrow compass now as well as it hath been in former times The truth is number or fewness are both meerly accidental and extrinsecal things sometimes a multitude may be in the right and sometimes probably much oftner they are in the wrong and whether they be in the right or no is a thing to be inquired into not to be taken for granted For Truth and Goodness are always the same but the Fancies and Opinions of men are infinitely various and uncertain And therefore seeing God hath not left it to us to determine among our selves by most Votes which is the True Religion and the Right Worship of God but hath himself clearly stated and fully determined this matter in the Books of Scripture many hundred years ago that Determination of his is and will ever be most undoubtedly true 't is that therefore that we must stick to and abide by let the Crowd or the Multitude go which may it will And so much for the first thing Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him II. The second thing which I took notice of in the words was the occasion of this great Schism intimated in that Clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that time or as it may be rendred upon that occasion Many of his disciples went back Now what the occasion was we must learn from the foregoing part of the Chapter and it was in short this Our Saviour well knowing the Hypocrisy of that great Crowd that followed him and that all their pretended Zeal for him was really nothing else but Interest plainly tells them of it v 26. Verily verily I say unto you ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled and thereupon takes occasion to perswade them to withdraw their Hearts and Affections from this World and from their Temporal Interests and Concernments and to give themselves up to be instructed by him in the way and means of Salvation v. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the son of man shall

give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed And this Subject he prosecutes in the remaining part of the Chapter shewing by many Arguments that there was no way for them to attain the Blessedness of the other World but by receiving and believing his Doctrine and leading their Lives according to it And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon this occasion many of them went back and walked no more with him While he fed them with the Loaves and while they hoped he would be a Temporal King and that they as being the first that had declared for him should be preferr'd to great Places and Dignities under him so long he could not get rid of their Company tho he had endeavoured to do it but when once he came to tell them plainly of their faults and to disswade them from minding so much as they did the Interests of this World when he had acquainted them that his Kingdom was a Spiritual Kingdom and that the only way for them to be made Partakers of it was by carefully observing those strict Rules of Holiness and Virtue which he taught at this they were greatly offended and it was now as hard to keep them together as it was before to dismiss them Upon this occasion many went back and walked no more with him From whence we may observe and 't is the only thing I shall at present observe from hence That 't is the Duty of those who are Ministers of the Gospel boldly to speak the Truth and reprove Vice whatever offence may be taken at them for it In other things indeed it becomes them and it is a part of that prudence which it is their duty to exercise in their behaviour towards others to be as compliant and complaisant as they can 1 Cor. 9.22 and according to St. Paul's Example to be made all things to all men that they may by all means gain some But the Truth of the Gospel is not to be parted with upon any terms neither may they upon any consideration whatsoever sooth up their People in their Sins and cry peace peace when there is no peace Nay if they only wink at their faults if they only forbear to reprove them for their Sins and to acquaint them with the danger of continuing in them they are careless of their Charge and unfaithful to their Trust and while they seem tender of giving Offence do indeed give the greatest Offence at once exposing their Sacred Office to contempt and hazarding the Salvation of their own Souls For so we are plainly told Ezek. 33.7 I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked man from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand Here my Reverend Brethren we see our Duty and the strict Obligation that lies upon us to discharge it And this is what we are to look to to do our own Duty faithfully and leave the issue and event of all to God It may be that our boldness in the discharge of our Ministry may prove a Prejudice to our worldly Interest and many may account us their Enemies and use us as such only because we are their best Friends in telling them the truth but there is no worldly Interest whatsoever so great as to be fit to stand in competition with the Interest of our own and our Peoples Souls Or it may be if we will not hold our peace if we will needs be preaching up unpopular Truths and lashing the reigning Vices of the Age some will take offence at our freedom and now especially that they are as they think at liberty to profess any Religion or to be of none will forsake our Assemblies and either joyn themselves to some other Congregations where they hope they shall hear more comfortable Doctrine or perhaps will throw off at once all show and profession of Religion but be it so the fear or the probability of this will not justify us in neglecting our own Duty which is to be instant in season 2 Tim. 4.2 and out of season and to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine This is the Direction that St. Paul gives to Timothy and in him to all the Ministers of the Gospel and that too altho he foresaw that the consequence of it would sometimes be that such plain dealing would disoblige a great many and make them forsake the Assemblies of the Faithful for that he had this then in his mind seems highly probable from what he immediately adds in the very next words The time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine Verse 3. but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth 'T is true indeed we ought as the Apostle there directs to rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering i. e. to temper our reproofs with such Mildness and Gentleness and Prudence as that if it be possible we may give no offence to any but if it be the truth it self that gives the offence and not the imprudent manner of its delivery our business is not to please men but God and we must do our Duty and speak the Words which he hath put into our Mouth and rebuke with all Authority not regarding what may be the consequence of it We may think perhaps that in case our boldness in speaking the Truth and reproving Vice should drive away any from our Assemblies especially if they be Persons of Note and Authority in the place where they live this would be to the disadvantage of our Church and Religion But no such matter for of all those that separate from the Church upon such an account we may truly say as the Apostle St. John does of some Separatists in his time 1 Epist 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us Such are as much the Churches Enemies before their Separation as they can be afterwards and of the two she had better have them open Enemies than secret ones But as for all such as are of Honest minds and sincere and hearty in their Professions they will like us the better for that for which the others dislike us whereas on the contrary if we should be afraid to do our Duty if we should be meally-mouth'd and not dare to speak the Truth for fear of the displeasure of such men this would indeed be a great prejudice to our Cause as giving just offence to the best men and too great occasion to such as desire occasion to slight and despise our Office In fine What we can be only afraid of in this case is no more than what