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
A69972	The grounds of unity in religion, or, An expedient for a general conformity and pacification by George Ent ...	Ent, George, Sir, 1604-1689.	1679 (1679)	Wing E3137; ESTC R18634	4,674	10

THE Grounds of Unity IN RELIGION OR AN EXPEDIENT For a general CONFORMITY AND PACIFICATION By GEORGE ENT of the Middle Temple Esq Printed in the Year 1679. 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 One great foundation of Peace is the due submission of all parties as well Ecclesiastical as Civil to the temporal Prince as supream Governour in all causes and subject to none but God And this may be yielded and yet not a compleat satisfaction in the general for by a tolleration in Religion different Sects may possible submit for politick ends though this unites not but only palliates which yet is better than a worse evil 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 force but love and good opinion of it 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 but 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 applicable and comprehensive to all reasonable men For this is most 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 Preached 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 prevail'd that many Kings and Kingdomes in short time embraced the Christian Religion and strongly upheld it but after it grew to so much splendour and pomp 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 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 more 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 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 For there is nothing conduceth more to Unity and Peace than by taking off and reducing the general Factions of Religion which is done by enlarging the bosome of the Church and taking off things that are cavild at provided only they are Circumstantials as commonly they are and not the materials and Essentials of Religion so would both the cavils cease and Sectaries also and of course fall of themselves to the ground without more ado and incorporate to the same Church with us unavoydably 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 pieces 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 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 Ecclesiastical Regiment for some things will be alwayes proper at some times and some ages that is not proper in the other and so accordingly 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 And all people being now satisfied that the Church of England by Episcopacy is to be the standing Government being establisht by Parliament and alwayes owned so by his Majesty 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 some connivance but no legal Liberty for legal allowance will mak them impudent and endeavour to encrease whereas otherwise they will be humble and cautious Wherefore unite those two partyes and the Church is establisht and much better and stronger than ever this will not only oblige our Friends at home but all the Protestants beyond Seas and this may be done by the rule abovesaid without altering 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 concede yet very much more for the gaining of our friendship and being one with