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	know_v	pillar_n	2,997	5	10.3098	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94773	Truth vindicated from the unjust accusations of the Independent Society, in the city of Norvvich. Wherein is proved, 1. That the Church of England is a true church of Christ. 2. That it is a sin to seperate from the true church. 3. That the Independent Society in the city of Norwich is no true church of Christ. 4. Divers reasons and arguments used to perswade men not to seperate from the Church of England and joyne to their Society, shewing the sinfulnesse of so doing. / By S.T. Imprimatur, Ia. Cranford. Aug. 10. 1646.	Townsend, Sampson.	1646 (1646)	Wing T1987; Thomason E351_4; ESTC R201063	12,843	21

Apostle proves the Ephesians to be the true Church or houshold of God Ephe. 2.19.20.21 now therefore yee are no more strangers and foraigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the corner stone c. whence I frame this argument 3. They that build upon the Apostles and Prophets making Christ the corner stone are no strangers but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Church or houshold of God but the Church of England is sound in Doctrine building upon the Apostles and Prophets making Christ Jesus the corner stone Therefore it is the true Church of God A fourth argument may be gathered from that text 1 Tim. 3.15 But if I tary long that thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the piller and ground of truth by which text it appears that truth is the signe whereby the Church of God is knowne and from whence I thus reason 4. Every Church that as on a piller hold forth the truth of God is the house of God the Church of the living God But the Church of England doe hold forth the word of truth Iohn 17.17 which is the Gospel of Christ that bringeth salvation Rom. 1.16 Therefore the Church of England is the true Church of God I take these arguments for granted and therefore I doe not prove all these things to be found in the Church of England because they are so cleerly manifest that I thinke none will deny them but if any should I desire to know it and I doubt not but to satisfie them therein There is one objection made by them that deny the Church of England to be a true Church which I desire to answer It is this the true Church of Christ consist of none but visible Saints but the Church of England is a mixt company of ignorant wicked and prophane persons Therefore they are not the true Church of God To which I answer That the true Church of Christ ought to consist of none but visible Saints for the well being thereof is a truth But that a Church ceases to be a true Church because they are not all visible Saints but some are ignorant wicked and prophane persons this is false The Church of Corinth was a true Church yet some of them were ignorant and had not the knowledge of God 1 Cor. 15.34 some denyed the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.12 some were wicked and prophane for they were drunke when they came to the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.21 Therefore not all visible Saints yet a true Church In the Church of Galatia some erred in the great point of justification against which errour Saint Paul opposed his Epistle written to them and yet they were a true Church In the Church in Pergamos some held the doctrine of Balam and of the Nicholaitans teaching to eate things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication Rev. 2.14 surely therefore not all visible Saints and yet a true Church of God In the Church there are vessels of wood and earth as well as of gold and silver 2 Tim. 2.20 And thus it appeares that notwithstanding there are ignorant wicked and prophane persons in the Church of England yet it is the true Church of God And so I come to the second proposition 2. That it is a sin to seperate from the true Church We ought not to depart from a Church in which God dwels and abides lest we be found departers from God But God walketh in the midst of his Church Revel 2.1 yea he desireth to dwell there Psal 132.13 14. and he promiseth to walke amongst them Levit. 26.12 therefore it cannot but be a sin to seperate and walke from them Our Saviour Christ did not seperate from the Church of the Jews although it was exceedingly corrupted in worship doctrine and discipline they saying well but doing ill yet he was circumcised Luke 2.21 and baptised in it Luke 3.21 holding communion with it In the Apologeticall Narration pag. 6. they professe before God and all the world that multitudes of the Assemblies and parochiall Congregations of the Church of England are the true Church and body of Christ and the Ministery thereof a true Ministery And when the Churches of England were the most either actually overspread with desilements or in the greatest danger thereof they then both did and would hold a communion with them as the Churches of Christ If this was their judgement then certainely now that wee are cleansed from those defilements and a further Reformation is dayly intended and endeavoured they cannot but acknowledge it to be a great sin to seperate from our parochiall Churches renouncing them as false Churches and utterly denying to hold communion with them I shall not need further to cleere this All acknowledge it to be a sin to seperate from the true Church They in the Apologeticall Narration do acknowledge our parochiall Churches to bee the true Churches and body of Christ Therefore I proceed to the third thing propounded 3. That the Independent Society in the City of Norwich is no true Church of Christ I shall do it by these following arguments the first is this They that seperate from the true Church of Christ are Schismaticks And a company of Schismaticks being joyned in society together make a society of Schismaticks but not a true Church of Christ But the Independent Society doe seperate from the Church of England which as hath beene proved is the true Church of Christ Therefore the Independent Society is no true Church of Christ The Major proposition is cleered to mee by that text in 1 Iohn 2.19 where it appeares that they that seperate from the Church cannot be members of the Church Doctor Ames in his fourth book of Conscience pag. 141. In his answer to this question Whether or no Schismaticks are members of the true Church saith If an obstinate seperation be made from all true Churches or from any one for a case common to all then such Schismaticks although it may be retaining the faith they continue members of the Church Catholike they cannot be esteemed as visible members of the Church And for the Minor proposition themselves cannot deny but they were converted in the Church of England And it is a strange Paradox to me that they should be converted in a false Church and so made fit members for a true Church Certainely that Church in which they had their spirituall fathers to beget them to God that Church is their spirituall Mother The Apostle saith the Church of Corinth had ten thousand instructors in Christ yet not many fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 but blessed be God in the Church of England there are and have beene many spirituall fathers who through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ have and doe daily beget many to Christ and they are the Ministers of God by