Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A41782
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The loyal Baptist, or, An apology for the baptized believers ... occasioned by the great and long continued sufferings of the baptized believers in this nation / by Thomas Grantham ...
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Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing G1540; ESTC R26748
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84,492
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109
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Disciples when such a Spirit appeared in them And have we not seen a refined Generation as they would be thought peeping forth with the Name of Blood or the smiting Principle written on their Forehead with direction to their Proselites to pray that God would destroy all Oppressior and Oppressors from off the face of the Earth Lord what is this The greatest part of Mankind peradventure are Oppressors in one thing or other and must a Christian pray for their Destruction or for their Conversion Sure the latter is the Duty of all Christians 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. They cannot desire such a woful Day but that Mercy may be extended knowing that themselves were sometimes foolish disobedient living in Malice hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. But alas do not these Men pray for their own Destruction Who sees not that such a Principle is pregnant with Oppression O let all Christians beware of it And let us pray for them that hate us persecute us and speak all manner of Evil against us falsly for his Names sake who hath called us not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Thus leaving all Men of bloody violent and treacherous Principles to consider what Spirit they are of how unlike our Lord Christ how different from the Primitive Christians how contrary to Humanity it self which teaches all to do to others not as they do but as we would they should do to us We shall proceed to the next Point of Doctrine grounded upon the second Direction in the Text Love the Brotherhood Doct. II. Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians This Brotherhood being not natural but spiritual and mystical admits of a twofold Consideration 1. In the largest Sence the Word and Use of it in Scripture will bear 2. In a more strict and special Sence In the first we must comprehend all that own the holy Scriptures for the Rule of Faith believing in the only true God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost for these three are one that Christ died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification that live soberly according to the general Rules of Christianity tho they may be diversly persuaded in the Methods of Christian Worship Or I could be content if the State of Christianity would bear it in these Days to express my self in this Case in the Words of St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 2. All that in every place call upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ among whom he found Diversities of Opinions as well as Disorders in practice of Ordinances Not that he allows either but labours to reform both yet so as he would preserve Amity among them as they were Brethren tho some of them were carnal 1 Cor. 3. others allowing themselves a very dangerous Liberty in religious Matters even to eat Things sacrificed to Idols some doubting of the Resurrection others very loose in their Devotion at the Lord's Table they were some tumultuous others otherwise vicious 2 Cor. 13. Now whether the Apostle in his Exhortations to Unity intends that notwithstanding these Errors they should hold ample Communion with the Erroneous or whether upon adhering to Reproof by him given and their obeying the Epistles which he sent to them he obliges them to maintain and uphold their Communion is the Business to be considered The first it is not like to be for then few Errors either in Doctrine or Life could break this brotherly Fellowship among Christians And then to what purpose are these Rules given Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Withdraw your selves from every Brother which walks disorderly c. 2 Thess 3. 6. Surely all that can be required as to Unity with these Christians is a brotherly Compassion to encourage what we can the Truth they hold or the Good they do to hold with them in the common Cause of Christianity against the common Enemy of it I conceive the latter to be the only safe way viz. That notwithstanding their great Carnality Weakness of Judgment or Frowardness in their erroneous Opinions c. if now they would receive the Counsel of the Lord's Messenger or which the Lord by his Messenger had sent unto them that then the Brotherhood once found among them should still continue tho they had too evidently forfeited their Privileges Thus to take the Apostle's meaning is to make him harmonize with himself 2 Thess 3. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But to take the Apostle in the first Sence would make him irreconcileable to or with himself So then Paul did not advise the Faithful at Corinth to hold ample Communion with those of ill Life and erroneous Principles in the necessary parts of Religion such as the Resurrection and Separation from Idolatry doubtless are for he that denies the first denies Christ to be risen makes the Apostles false Witnesses and the Faith of Christians vain 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3. And the second makes Men uncapable to serve God Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Idols or Devils 1 Cor. 1. 10. Let us then consider the second or more strict Sence of the Word Brotherhood in our Text. And here we must take it as it pertains to truly constituted and well-governed Societies of Christians For undoubtedly God intended to have the Christian Religion stated and maintained in all Nations according to the pristine Simplicity of the Gospel without the mixtures of Legal Ceremonies or humane Innovations For when Jesus gave commission to his Apostles to teach all Nations baptizing them and then to teach them to observe all Things whatsoever he commanded them Mat. 28. 19 20. and gave being to this Order to continue to the end of the World it must needs be highly rational on the part of all such as do piously stand to this Form of Doctrine as explicated and delivered to the Churches Rom. 6. 17. Heb. 6. 1 2. And consequently it must needs be very pleasing to God and commendable in the Church that his Institutes be kept with the greatest exactness as they were delivered at first 1 Cor. 11. 2. For if once Variations in either the Doctrinal or Practical Parts of the Christian Religion be admitted there can be no certain duration of any Truth A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump Gal. 5. 7. And this the Apostle speaks too with relation to the Imposition of some Legal Rites which once had a Divine Original and Use in the Church of God and yet now could not consist with obedience to the Truth Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth Hence Saint Paul would not give place to St. Peter himself when too much
symbolizing with legal Ceremonies Gal. 2. that so the Truth of the Gospel might continue in the Churches of Galatia plainly shewing that as Light and Darkness cannot dwell together so the Gospel is exclusive of legal Ceremonies and humane Innovations And seeing all must grant there has been a very great departure from the Truth of the Gospel both in Doctrine and Practice there cannot be a better Method I suppose thought on to amend what is amiss in the Christian World and thereby to restore true brotherly Fellowship than that used by our Lord Mat. 19. 8. to reform a Corruption among the Jews and such an Error too as had a shew of Scripture-Authority for it I mean the Case of Divorce yet our Saviour suppresseth that Custom by referring to the primitive Institution of Marriage From the Beginning it was not so And upon this Text how well does our Brethren I mean the Sober and Pious in the Church of England defend themselves against Popish Innovations both in Opinion and Practice One of them speaks thus As touching each of these Errors we can say with our Saviour in this present Correption of the Pharisees that from the Beginning it was not so and we care not whence they come unless they come from the Beginning This hath ever been saith he the Rule the warrantable Rule to reform a Church When Esdras was intent on building the Temple he sent not to Ephesus much less to Rome he did not enquire into the Rituals of Numa Pompilius but had recourse for a Temple to that of Solomon and for a Rite to that of Moses Indeed for Things meerly indifferent as he observes there must be preserved a Liberty in all Churches to consult and do for the best I dare not say as he To make Constitutions for that 's a great word but to manage her Affairs with Decency Order and Charity But to come more directly to our Doctrine which is Brotherly Fellowship Love and Vnity is carefully to be endeavoured and maintained by all Christians Certain it is that our Love as Christians may go much further than our actual Communion in all things Christian may do and yet this Love it self is a kind of Fellowship The Angels have Fellowship with us and acknowledg themselves our Fellow Servants Rev. 19. 10. and yet they do not partake with us in all our acts of Religion but only by approbation and corroboration in things which are well done Now the best or most orderly sort of Christians cannot conceive a greater disproportion between their Churches and the Churches of the most erring if but well-meaning Societies that conscientiously profess Love and Obedience to Christ And even hence we are obliged to hold as much Brotherly Fellowship with them as we can especially that of Love and Brotherly Compassion For when we consider that even some of all sorts of Christians will rather dye than basely deny their Lord and Master we cannot but have Fellowship with such in our Spirits whilst it is the same and not a feigned Christ to whom they shew their utmost testimony of Love And this Consideration alone may suffice to take away that imbitteredness which is too often found among Christians dissenting one from another Let their Appellations be what they will so that they believe in the true Christ and live well being also faithful to what they know And tho they be never so angry with me for opposing them in their Traditions or erring Notions otherwise yet I must have a Brotherly tenderness towards them all for the Truths sake which dwelleth in them But now for ample or full Communion I see not how that can be attained and maintained but where there is antecedent to it an Union both in Doctrine and Practice in things necessary to the true Constitution and Government of the Church of Christ And seeing also our Differences about these things are not small or trivial it cannot I think be better ordered than that a Friendly Distinction and Brotherly Forbearance be permitted as to ample Communion for that Men cannot comfortably nor peaceably join together till they be agreed in these things I see not that the difference betwixt Paul and Barnabas was so great as to the thing about which they differed as the things about which Christians differ in these days and yet its certain their Contention being great for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies provoking gauling and imbittered Speeches and Minds say the Learned it is certain they could not transact their Affairs in the Gospel together but apart And this was written perhaps to shew that a competent Unity in Judgment must precede our actual Communion and till that be attained among us there is a necessity in regard partly of human Frailty and partly in regard of some precious Truths to forbear one another without destroying the Truth to which we have attained respectively And this is the greatest Love we can extend to one another under these difficult Circumstances 1. To pity and heartily to pray one for another for the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all Men in Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 2. There must be all Patience exercised and Compassion shewed to the Ignorant and those that are out of the way especially where the scruple is tender and conscientious And in the mean time the faithful Minister of God must hold fast the form of sound Words he must teach the same Doctrine which was committed to his Trust by the Apostles He must warn others that they teach no other Doctrine He must not give place to Jewish or other Fables And the Church must so walk in Christ as they first received him rooted in the Foundation-Principles established and built up in him Not carried about with every Wind of Doctrine but speaking the Truth in Love must endeavour to grow up into Christ in all things In a word it is the Duty of this Brotherhood to stick close to the whole Councel of God and not to partake with other Mens Sins or Errors in Life or Religion which cannot be done where contrarieties in Doctrine and Practice about things necessary to the true State and Government of the Church of Christ are allowed in the same Fellowship or Community Love the Brotherhood This Fraternity are in a special manner to love one another 1. Because God himself hath loved them with a special kind of Love And if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 3. It is happy when the Love of Christians is founded upon this bottom viz. the Manifestation of God's Love to them and not upon any thing of human Excellency for this is to have Mens Persons in Admiration and not to admire this Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us 2. Because this is the sweetest Manifestation that we are the Children of God for in this is manifest the Children of God 1 John 3. 10. namely that they