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	ground_n	live_a	1,680	5	9.4884	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28659	A doore of hope, also holy and loyall activity two treatises delivered in severall sermons, in Excester / by Iohn Bond ...; Doore of hope	Bond, John, 1612-1676.	1641 (1641)	Wing B3569; ESTC R23253	104,423	165

which then had happened in Jerusalem Lu. 14.17 18. What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walke c. And Cleophas said unto him Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and hast not knowne the things which are come to passe there in those dayes ve● 19 20. c. He checks him for his ignorance of the publike affaires of the Church and afterward relates unto him the newest newes that was going But how many are there amongst us which are persons of quality and yet are grosely ignorant of the things which have come to passe here of late dayes Phil. 2.21 Thus every one careth for his owne things but how few doe care for the things that are for God To all such I conclude with the threatning of the Psalmist Ps 28.5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up That to the Carelesse 2. Reproofe to such as are active the quite contrary way If every true member ought to bestir c. in such a time then what members may we account them who are so farre from this that they doe the quite contrary Bestirre themselves they doe 't is true yea and for a thing which they call a Church too but indeed it is an Anti-church rather a Diana of their owne making the Priest he makes the Church and that Church it makes the Priests againe As the Romane Priests they make their breaden god and that god doth fill both their panches and their purses A Church in these mens definition what is it else but the greater number of such Clergy as are most richly Beneficed yea though loose in life and in opinion and practise fomenting a bundle of politike heresies and dangerous formalities 1 Tim 3.15 But Saint Pauls definition of a Church is farre different he saith The Church of the living God the pillar and ground of Truth A pillar saith one Non more Architectionico not in the Masons language to build upon as infallible and unerring but More forensi in the Lawyers phrase that is as the pillar or publike poste of a Guild-Hall or Market-house upon which the Word and Sacraments are so held out as we use to hang up a Proclamation to be read of all But these mens Church is little better then a signe-Poste with a ballet pasted against it Brethren we have had strange definitions of a Church of late yeers some make it little different in structure from that of Rome which resolves it selfe into a consistory of Cardinals and the Pope their Supreame and unerring Determiner But blessed be God they have shewed lately by their unlawfull decrees that such a Church may erre Let us examine that former definition of a Church a little further if the greatest number of richest Clergy and most dignified doe make a Church may we not say that Baals ●rophets and their adherents 1 Kin. 18.19 20 were the Church of Israel in Elijahs time Suppose those foure hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal and those other foure hundred Prophets of the Groves suppose those 850. all false Prophets had met in Convocation surely they were then both the most and greatest Clergy of Israel by farr and would have carried any decree before them smoothly but had not this bin a tite Church One Orthodox Elijah weighed them all up 1 Kin. 18.40 and did afterward destroy them all Or suppose once more those other foure hundred flattering Prophets that perswaded King Ahab to goe up to warre against Ramoth Gilead 1 Kin. 22.6 suppose that all those together with their little Pope over them I meane Zed●kiah the sonne of Chenaanah ver 7. that forward Prophet that made himselfe hornes of yron to push the Syrians to confusion Suppose I say all those to have decreed that warre and to have given an Ecclesiasticall contribution towards it was this the Church then and had such a Canon bin binding under penalty of a box on the check No no ver 24. ye know that one honest Micaiah that disswaded from the warre was better then all that rabble so called a Church And yet Brethren to drive home this Reproofe we have amongst us many hundreds of those which do bestir themselves to the uttermost even for such a Church 1. One he preacheth for it foolishly or falsly I am sure confusedly enough The Church the Church ô the Church and the pillars therof goe to the ground it is rent and torne on every side c. And perhaps the quotient and truth of all this noy se is that some Fox is caught in a ginne some Woolfe or other is fast in a trap where they are like to pay for all their old bloud-sucking and woorying 2. Another of the faction complaineth of strange proceedings and blesseth himselfe to heare of such turning of things upside downe in the Church Q. And what is the cause of all his chattering too A. Why surely the nest is found the nest of Cormorants and Cockatrises and so all their Eggs are likely to be blowne upon or bruised to pieces In a word strange it is but too true that there are many amongst us both of the Clergy and Laity which spare not the uttermost labours and abilities of their hands heads hearts and tongues for an Anti-church I had almost said an Antichrist in this Land Let me say unto all this Tribe of transgressours as Joash to the men of his City Judg. 6. v. 31. Will ye plead for Baal will yee save him he that will plead for him let him be put to death whilest it is yet morning If he be a god let him plead for himselfe because one hath cast downe his Altar So say I will ye plead for I dolatrous unlawfull innovating things persons and acts if the faction be innocent let them plead for themselves because their Priests Images and Altars with all the rest of their trumpery is like to be cast into the mire Nay higher yet let all such sticklers know that they sinne directly against God 2 Chro. 19.2 the King and this truth of God in my Doctrine For they helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Isa 5. v. 23. Therefore is their wrath upon them from before the Lord. They justifie the wicked for reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him ver 24. therefore as fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so their root shall be rot tennesse and their blossome shall goe up as dust c. In a word ye opposites are guilty of two great sins in so doing 1. Hainous and horrible Ingratitude for great and wonderfull mercies and Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris 2. Of Jewish and abhominable murmurings instead of thanks ye returne repinings against the Lord his choyce servants and your best friends My prayer and wish is this that