Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	doctrine_n	error_n	4,723	5	7.2521	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62273	A speech of the Right Honourable William Lord Viscount Say and Seale, one of His Majesties most honourable privy councell, spoken in Parliament in answer to the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterburies last speech, and concerning the liturgie of the Church of England.	Saye and Sele, William Fiennes, Viscount, 1582-1662.	1641 (1641)	Wing S792A; ESTC R25796	4,814	8

would the Service have been abomination if men should have taken authority to have injoyned all to bring no other but Turtles or young Pigeons because some were not able to doe more In one case there might be a tollerable and lawfull use of that which otherwise used especially if generally injoyned would have been most unlawfull God will be worshipped with the fat and the best of the inwards the best of mens gifts and abilities which he that worships or officiates in worshiping is to doe at his own perill And if it be left free unto him the worship may be lawfull to him that joyneth with him therein in it selfe though performed in a negligent and so in a sinfull manner by the Minister but if that maner be injoyned the Service itselfe is to be refused Now in the time of the Gospell God hath appointed the foolishnesse of preaching for so the world accompts it to be the meanes whereby he will save those that believe I conceive where there are no gifts inabling men to preach there might be a lawfull and profitable use of reading of printed Sermons and Homilies and in such case they might very lawfully be heard But if some men upon pretence to prevent extravagant preaching should take upon them to set forth a booke of publike or common Sermons fit for all times and occasions and should injoyne Ministers to conforme to those and use no other preaching at all but the reading of these common Sermons or Homilies so devised for publike worship this would make it utterly unlawfull and to be professed against as that which were the bringing in of a humane device and injunction in the place and in stead of Gods ordinance to the exclusion thereof as the Pharises to establish traditions of their owne made voide the commandements of God let it bee considered what difference there can be found betweene these but onely this Use and Custome hath enured us to that of Prayer not so in this of Preaching and therefore the evill of it would easily appeare unto us if so injoyned My Lords let me presume upon your patience so farre further as to give me leave to speake to the other imputation laid upon me that I am a Separatist and the greatest in England and first I shall say of this word Separatist as that learned man Master Hales of Eaton saith in a little Manuscript of his which I have seene That where it may be rightly fixed and deservedly charged it is certainely a great offence But in common use now amongst us it is no other then a Theologicall scar-crow wherewith the potent and prevalent party useth to fright and enforce those who are not of their opinions to subscribe to their dictates without daring to question them or bring them to any rule or examination either of Scripture or reason And he observeth that this was too usuall even in ancient times as well as now Secondly I say that there is a twofold separation one from the Universall or Catholike Church which can no otherwise bee made but by denying the faith for Faith and Love are the Requisites unto that communion the other is a separation from this or that particular Church or congregation and that not in respect of difference with them in matter of faith or love but in dislike onely of such corruptions in their externall worships and Liturgies as they doe admit of would injoyne upon others This is a separation not from their persons as they are Christians but from their corruptions in matter of worship as they are therewith defiled And this separation every man that will keepe himselfe pure from other mens sins and not sin against his owne conscience must make And I will ingenuously confesse that there are many things in many Churches or congregations in England practised and injoyned upon all to bee practised and suffered which I cannot practise nor admit of except I should sin against the light of my conscience untill I may out of the word of God be convinced of the lawfulnesse of them which hitherto I could never see sufficient ground for But my Lords this is so farre from making me the greatest separatist in England that it cannot argue me to be any at all for my Lords the Bishops doe know that those whom they usually apply this terme unto are the Brownists as they call them by another name and they know their tenents The truth is they differ with us in no fundamentall point of doctrine or saving truth as I know Their failing is in this they hold that there is no true Church in England no true Ministery no true worship which depend the one upon the other they say all is Antichristian here is their errour they distinguish not betweene the bene esse or purity of a true Church and the esse or true being of it though with many defects and grosse corruptions But conclude that because such things are wanting which are indeed necessary to the well being of a true Church and to be desired therefore there is none at all in being I hold no such opinion but do beleeve to the contrary That there are in England many true Churches and a true Ministery which I doe heare and with which Churches I could joyne in communion were those yokes of bondage which are laid upon them taken off and those corruptions removed which they doe contrary as I thinke to their duty yeeld unto and admit of and this I am sure no separatist in England holdeth that deserveth that name Therefore I hope your Lordships will in that respect let me stand right in your opinions I shall now end with two requests The one that your Lordships will please to pardon me for troubling you with so long a discourse concerning my selfe I have not used it heretofore and I am not like to offend againe in the same kind it is but once and your Lordships will consider the occasion The second is humbly to intreat of you that where you know there is one the same God worshipped one and the same faith imbraced one and the same spirit working love and causing an unblameable conversation without any offence to the State in your brethren that in all these concurre with you you will not suffer them for Ceremonies and things to you indifferent but not to them but burthens which without offence to the State or prejudice to the Churches you may take off if you will to bee thrust out of the Land and cut off from their native Countrey for if you thus shall wound the consciences of your brethren you will certainly offend and sinne against Christ FINIS