Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	line_n	page_n	read_v	3,449	5	9.8327	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87934	A letter from a person of honour, reconciling the dissenting brethren, (commonly called Independents) and the Presbyterians, in matter of judgement, about the setling of the church. Sent to an eminent divine of the Assembly.	Person of honour.	1644 (1644)	Wing L1421; Thomason E22_17; ESTC R21554	10,569	18

obedience to be humbled and mourne for their Offences and Scandals given by parties offending and obstinate and for the Churches neglect to apply that Remedie that Christ hath enjoined to professe to the Church their owne readinesse to performe obedience to Christs command if the rest of the Church will join with them to protest against their disobedience if they refuse either through negligent securitie being puffed up with pride as the Church of Corinth or through the base feare of man I thinke it will be granted that if any particular Member in the Church of Corinth had done this in case of the Incestuous person he had bin free and no way involved in the guilt of that Church which the Apostle chargeth them all with For which the Apostle expresseth to have bin the dutie of all if any particular for his part had performed the same as far as lay in him made publike confession of that truth to the edification of the rest professing against their disobedience hee had not bin leavened for the leavening and corruptions in this case is not physicall as one man receiveth the infection of the Plague from another but onely morall by reason of neglect of dutie and the corrupting by ill example working upon the same ill Principles of our evill Nature is through the just judgment of God a consequence of such neglect of dutie which were it performed either in generall or in particular as it is appointed for a remedy so would it be a preservation And I thinke such a particular Member or Members in such case might as altogether unleavened keep the Feast in sinceritie and truth and with comfort and profit partake of the Ordinances notwithstanding the sin and obstinacie of other Men and the sin of that Church in neglecting to cast them out with which they are in Communion yet with these Cautions First that they be not otherwise pressed with Superstitions in the use of the Ordinances for their own practice Secondly that if they cannot prevaile with the Church by their dutie so performed to exercise that power that Christ hath given them for edification and to keep his Temple undefiled that the Members of Harlots may not still be held forth in profession to be the Members of Christ one bodie with the rest as partaking of one bread then that they leave such externall Communion which they hold with them if they can joyn in communion with a purer Church where they may bring more honour to the Lord Christ and more comfort and edification to themselves and others with whom they doe walke in communion This I was willing to expresse by the way because it is usuall for men to fall into long disputes and bring many arguments to prove that the Ordinances are not made lesse comfortable or the partaking in them made sinfull to one man because of the sins of other men who partake with them They set up a man of straw to contend with all and fight against what themselves have framed It is not the sins of other men as they are their personall acts that can cast guilt upon any but themselves but it is the suffering of these sins and sinners to passe without such censure as the Lord hath appointed to be pronounced against them by those whom hee hath invested with power to that end which makes these sins the sins of the whole body that so neglect their duty enjoyned them and hereby a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe So that they either deceive or are deceived that agitate with so much eagernesse this as they say strange opinion that another mans sins should hinder any from partaking comfoitably in the Ordinances It is not another mans sin that hindereth but their own as they that will see may perceive consisting in the neglect of what upon his sinning is there duty to doe and not in any act by him committed Now particular members are not suffered to discharge themselves by doing that duty which in such a case of the Churches This ●●scours ●as writ●●n some ●●ars since ●hen the ●●mes ●●ere peri●●us neglect doth ly upon them to performe or if they will performe it to their own acquitting and the Churches edifying whereof they are members they are no lesse certain to run upon ruine in * these times then to qrevail nothing at all with Churches so constituted and consisting of such mixed multitudes as the most are Not to make such publique profession as they thinke their duty obligeth them unto is to live in sin against conscience and that is against Christianity to doe it to no profit and with certain ruine when another way may be taken to prevent the sin and avoid the danger is against Christian wisdome therefore there is a necessity that doth ly upon many to disjoyne themselves from being members of divers Churches in this Kingdome that the obligation which by reason of such a relation wil ly upon their conscience may not presse them when they cannot discharge the same and to unite themselves in membership and communion where they may in doing and submitting themselves mutually unto all that Christ enjoyneth them for his honour and their edisication exercise a Communion in the use of all the Ordinances free from the mixture of humane inventions and antichristian usurpations Suppose a congregation in this Land some Towne or Parish to speak common road language wherein a company of godly men Saints all so far as man can judge had united themselves together by mutuall consent to walke in all the Ordinances and wayes of the Lord without admitting the Linsy-woolsie mixture of any humane invention and with resolution not to be the servants of men but to cast off their yoakes in things spirituall and exalt the Lord alone to rule and judge in them and by them according to the guidance of his word if finding this society and their course fully to answer the perswasion of my heart concerning the way af God I should change my habitation and take a house in that Town that I might thereby joine my selfe to this company in Church fellowship because this is your darke and ignorant way of falling into fellowship here in this Land there would be no complayning no out cry of seperation no whispering and muttering of forsaking the mother Church no writing up and down to intimate the great fear there was of seduction and seperation and the scandall that would arise from thence and yet I should come out thereby from holding externall Communion with one Congregation whose external communion I saw so many corruptions so weaved into that I could not hold it and be free from them and joine my selfe in communion with another who exercised a Communion between themselves free from such corruptions and bondage And should I or others do anie more but the same thing if in one street of a Towne we should joine our selves together in Communion for spiritual ends and seperate our selves from the externall communion which is held in another burthened with many superstitions and submitting themselves to beare the yoake of bondage imposed by men who Lord it over them in things spirituall and all this without breaking off from internal Communion Will any Saint amongst them consisting in the imbracing and holding the doctrine of the same true faith and obedience but seperating alone from their corruptions and continuance in disobedience Whereunto then serveth the raising of so much noise and clamour of seperation but to give up friends into the hands of enemies I have in my plain way endeavoured to express my judgement in these particulars desiring to be always ready to open mine eyes to receive further light from whomsoever it shall be shewed unto me in the mean time I must walke according to that I have accepting no mans person nor giving flattering titles to man as is said in Job I pretend not to so much Scholership that you should require of me exactnesse in Method or Expression therefore I pray you stick not upon some Expressions which you may conceive not so meet to winnow and fanne them by Scholastick wit Neither quarrell me for a loose discourse I rest satisfied with expressing my self to be understood But if there be any beg'd Principles or Grounds wanting proof or any thing inferd from Grounds too weak to maintain the same stay upon these and make that appear unto me and I shall either make them good and able to stand upon solid foundation at least to my apprehension or quit them Any other way of answer but this only will be received by mee as the fruit of an acute wit much exercised in Controversall writing and work no other effect I expect upon your answer to be put to make good these two First The Constitution of a visible Church under the Gospell Secondly the power thereof wherein will consist Card● Quaestionis all turning about upon the determination of these I shall make appear what I have said I hope not to be the fancie of M. Jacob as you please to say a learned man deserving not to be slighted nor of any man but the truth of God having ground in his Word and embraced for such not by Shrubs in Learning as some may be thought to be but by the strongest and tallest Cedars of Lebanon for Learning and Pietie FINIS Errata Page 4. line 30 for eternall read externall