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	religion_n	true_a	7,548	5	5.1593	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42253	The Grounds of unity in religion, or, An expedient for a general conformity and pacification		1672 (1672)	Wing G2144; ESTC R4632	4,708	9

THE Grounds of Unity IN RELIGION OR AN Expedient For a General CONFORMITY AND PACIFICATION Printed in the Year 1672. The grounds of Unity IN RELIGION c. UNity and submission is desired of all Princes and Common-wealths as that which preserves peace and happiness in all societies for a Nation full of discontents and Factions is next door to Rebellion and consequently ruine 2. One great foundation of peace is the due submmission of all pa●tyes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil to the temporal Prince as supream Governour in all causes and subject to none but God 3. And this may be yielded and yet not a compleat satisfaction in the gene●al fo● by a tolleration in Religion different Sects may possible submit for pollitick ends though this unites not but only palliates which yet is better then a worse evil 4. But that which breeds the perfect concord and compleat union is this when the Ecclesiasticks and again the people agree to and embrace the publick establish'd Church-Discipline without murmuring not out of ●orce but love and good opinion of it 5. To which end and purpose it ought to be as rational and consonant to the law of nature as possible agreeing with the plain apprehensions of humanity and down right sincerity of the commons without specious circumstances or impertinencies which the people think are but amuzements and Sophistications in the worship of God bu● yet also compliant with the ends of prudence and order without affectation of Novelty on th' one hand or superstition on th' other and this will infallibly be of force for being founded in reason it will be aplicable and comprehensive to all reasonable men 6. For this is certain the Church was pure and plain at the beginning without ceremonies and circumstances and Christians met together humbly decently and religiously with hearty Prayers to God and hearing of the word fervently preach'd with such apprehensiveness and reason that they made the people willingly to resign their blind and superstitious opinions to such real and demonstrated truths pressing them to search the Scriptures and their own consciences whether those things they taught were so or no in this purity and sincerity were the primitive times with which their innocency and holiness of life so prevaild that many Kings and Kingdomes in short time embraced the Christian Religion and strongly upheld it but after it grew to so much splendor and pompe that Superstition Vanity and arrogance crept also by degrees into the Clergy that soon dimn'd the Luster and abated the true glory of Religion and was the cause of many divisions 7. For this is a rule in the discipline of the Church and worship of God that too much formality spoyls devotion and makes men cold in the searches after truth the mo●e plain and free from ceremonies and circumstantials it is provided it be decent the more pure and substantial it will prove and the more ground for a general union wherefore in all such cases much care should be taken that the great stumbling blocks of discontent be taken away for though they are of themselves indifferent yet when they bring much and considerable disturbance they then cease to be indifferent as to peace and quietness and so are better regulated or removed 8. Now doubtless though Episcopacy is the purest as well as the most antient discipline of the Church having obtained in all Christian Churches of the world of what sort or sect soever for 1500 years together after Christ and the Church of England at present is lookt upon to be the best regulated of all Episcopacy and yet if there can be any more advantages given to it for the farther improvement of Unity from antient prescription right reason or modern example doubtless it might be good to be put in practice for we should still ascend to improvement and perfection for the more comprehensive and generally acceptable it is the more firm and establisht it will be 9. For there is nothing conduceth more to unity and peace then by taking off and reducing the general Factions of Religion which is done by enlarging the bosom of the Church and taking off things that are cavild at provided only they are Circumstantialls as commonly they are and not the materials and Essentials of Religion so would both the cavils cease and Sectaryes also and of course fall of themselves to the ground without more ado and incorporate to the same Church with us unavoydably 10. For the true way of unity is such a composed mean of Church-Discipline as may render the major part and generality of rational people satisfied which may easily be done with us without altring the frame of government or taring things to peices but only by joyning the two great Parties of this Nation together viz. the Episcopal and Presbiterian which parties are at least nine parts in ten of the nation including all other Sects which may be done by a little regulation abating only some things and reforming others 11. For Episcopacy and the same discipline in general is well enough approved by the most but as in all times of civil government emendations and making Laws hath been for the better conveniency of the publick according to the emergencies of things and conjuncture of times and occasions so also is it convenient in the Ecclesiastic●l Regiment for some things will be alwayes proper at some times and s●me ages that is not proper in the other and so acco●dingly they must be remedied for in an age or some long tract of time mens manners and the constitutions of things alter extreamly and so must have corrections proportionably 12. And all people being now satisfied that the Church of England by Episcopacy is to be the standing Government being establisht by Parliament and owned so in his Majesties late Declaration for Liberty if there be once a further comprehension of the Presbiterians in and according to that Government all other parties will soon be quiet as too small to stand in computation on the one hand and on th' other hand the Church being thus regulated will bring in the rest dayly also so that some small regulation and abatement of the very same Church-discipline we have already will work the desired effect And as for the other dissenters they may have all the same loving connivance and indulgence they have at present but no legal liberty for legal allowance will make them impudent and endeavour to encrease whereas otherwise they will be humble and cautions 13. Wherefore unite those two partyes and the Church is establisht and much better and strong●r then ever this will not onely oblige our friends at home but all the Protestants beyond Seas and this may be done by the rule abovesaid without altring the mode of Government for we differ but in a few things in discipline and none in doctrine they have left of themselves the notion of Elders and if it were in their own choice would direct moderate Episcopacy and would