Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	heart_n	spirit_n	worship_v	4,411	5	8.9748	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40709	The general assembly, or, The necessity of receiving the communion in our publick congregations evinced from the nature of the church, the Word of God, and presbyterian principles, in a sermon / lately preached in the Cathedral Church of Exeter by Francis Fullwood.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.	1667 (1667)	Wing F2504; ESTC R35476	18,644	34

Judge of all Such is the happiness of our Christian State and I pray God that none of us failing of the grace of God by the springing up of any root of bitterness in us should Vers 15 c. ● 1. seem to come or fall short of it Now you know your Calling brethren ye are come that is ye are and stand admitted to ye are and continue members of ye profess and enjoy fellowship with the Church of Christ described here by its Nature 't is an Assembly by it's quantity 't is general by it's dignity 't is the Church of the first-born and by it's security 't is written or inrolled in heaven Ye are come to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born which is written or inrolled in heaven And hither we come and shall proceed in Order first considering the Church in the Nature of it as it is an Assembly THe word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is supposed by some to admit The Nature o● the Church eleven different significations in Scripture yet they all consent in this one General expression of an Assembly it therefore affords us the common and not the special or distinguishing nature of the Church Yet though we might reckon many more sorts of Churches or assemblies differenc'd by their Author Subjects qualities ends c. Yet I conceive they may be all reduced as to our present discourse to these three 1. There is an Assembly that is sinful called by the Psalmist a Congregation of evil doers the Divels Chappel Psal 26. 5. and the Synagogue of Satan 2. There is an Assembly Civil or a Church of man gathered together for Act. 19 v 32. Publick and Civil occasions 3. Lastly there is a Sacred Church a Holy Convocation the Church of God Such 1 Cor. 1. 1. is the Assembly in the Text. 1. Here we may Note 't is an Assembly not a Rabble a confused and turbulent meeting of ungovern'd persons upon their own heads but an Assembly that is a Congregation that is also a Convocation Warranted by a just and a Regular Calling Ecclesia saith S. Augustine ex vocatione appellata est It were easie to make it evident that profain Authours as well as Sacred and Ecclesiastical do place this call in the very definition of the Church propriè Coetum aliquem à superiori aliquo Convocatum in finem politicum vel Ecclesiasticum deno●at Yea the Church and the called are Synonimous terms generally in Scripture Let all Assemblies look to their Calling and if the Magistrate allows them not let them be sure of the word of God otherwise we fear who will claim them 2. It is an Assembly that is Habitually not always Actually so much less altogether in one and the same place the root of the Hebrew indeed signifies Congregare and the Church well enough is termed a Congregation but we must necessarily understand it to be so in the first act only not the Second 'T is so in its first constitution preparation disposition not alwayes in the exercise of Actual Fellowship and Communion Indeed the Nature of the Church is rather a SOCIETY or a COMMUNITY than a Communion 'T is a Community in order to Actual Communion but Actual Communion is rather the formal Action than the true Nature of the Church for if it were not so there would be no Church when there is no actual Assembling together and the dismissing the Congregation would be the dissolving and the destruction of the Church Besides the General Assembly or the Holy Catholick Church which cannot thus actually meet together would be no Church at all Yet we must note that the very Nature of the Church supposeth fellowship and Communion of Saints and consequently expects and requires it as occasion offers from all that profess themselves Members of it 3. Lastly This Assembly as it is an habitual so it is a set and fixed Society of Christians not a stolen or snatcht or occasional meeting but a set and fix'd Society whereby it is rendered visible and known to the world Hereby it was known what St. Paul meant when he wrote his Epistles to the Churches of Rome Corinth Ephesus Galatia c. Because they were fix'd and constant and open in the profession of Christianity in the same establish't Assembly It is the shame of our Churches especially in Cities that our Congregations are certain only in our Parishes and our Churches distinguish'd only by our Houses and Cohabitation Our Congregations being as fluent as Rivers as unconstant as water and as water mingling and confounding themselves one with another where indeed we have the same place but seldome or never the same company Many persons when they go out of their Houses they are scarce resolved to what Church they shall go but are easily disposed to be carried by the winde of Novelty or Party to any other Congregation rather than their own Now if we reflect upon what hath been observed of the Nature of the Church we may gather something of the definition of it It is as you heard a fix'd Society of persons called Supply the terms of this Call viz. from what and to what these persons are called and the Definition of the Church of Christ may be this The Church of Christ is a fix'd Society of persons called out of the world to the worship of the true God The D●finition s●●e Chu●ch Again by distinguishing these terms the World and the Worship of God the World as the world of Infidelity and the world of Impiety The Worship of God as external by Ordinances and internal by Graces you have the Church in its usual distinction as visible and invisible For The visible Church is nothing else but a company Disti●ct●●n called out or severed from the world of Infidels to worship God in his external Ordinances and the Church invisible is a company called out or severed from the world of wicked and impious men to worship God in spirit and truth But seeing those that worship God in spirit and truth do also worship him with external worship and those that believe with the heart do also confess with the Rom 10. mouth the Church invisible is found in the Church visible as a part in the whole and this distinction is justly Imperfect rejected at least concluded imperfect and improper by very judicious and learned Divines However it cannot be found in this Text where doubtless both the Members of it are held and signified by this Assembly especially as General and the General Assembly which consideration of the Church now offers it self HAving spoken somewhat of the Nature of the Ch●●ch ●s Catholick Church as it 's an Assembly we crave your patience to take some measure of the quantity of it from the word GENERAL The Church is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnis Caetus the whole Company or General Assembly upon which I conceive we may safely ground our belief of