Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	article_n	church_n	rejection_n	48	3	16.6277	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26897	Church concord containing I. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing B1223; ESTC R14982	99,086	94

shall further evince when I have given you the Concessions of the Independent Brethren which I shall do in Mr. Norton's words Englished Pag. 156 157 c. Cap. 16. A Believer may lawfully adjoyn himself into the Communion of that Church in which he cannot enjoy all God's Ordinances or in which some Corruption is tolerated in God's Publick Worship without due Reformation or when such are admitted to the participation of Sacraments that give no evident signs or works of Repentance and Faith but in many things hold forth the love of the World and if he joyn himself to such a Church he is not therefore involved in guilt and defiled with the impurities of others nor must he therefore depart that is separate from such a Church Schism is an unlawful Separation from the Communion of the Church it 's always a great Sin This he proveth Pag. 158 c. 1. In case of inculpable want of Ordinances 2. Of culpable want by Negligence 3. Of culpable want by refusal of God's Ordinances saith he In the Iewish Church God's Ordinances could not be enjoyed for the Priests and Elders rejected not only John but the Doctrine and Baptism of John and yet it was then lawful for men to joyn themselves to them Matth. 21. 25. The Scribes rejected John's Baptism Mark 11. 27. 31. and yet the Scribes sitting in Moses Chair are to be heard Mat. 23. 2 3. the hearing of whom such as is meant in that place importeth a Conjunction to the Iewish Church By comparing a Church that tolerateth the rejection of an Article of Faith with a Church rejecting an Ordinance of God A temporary rejection of an Article of Faith tolerated in a Church is a greater evil than the rejection of some Ordinance In the Church of Corinth many denyed and derided the Resurrection of the Dead and this Corruption is tolerated in the Church and yet in the Reformation of that Church the Apostle doth neither presently forbid Union with the Church nor Command Separation from the Church In the Churches of Galatia the rejection of the Doctrine of Iustification by Faith was tolerated at least there being such as judged that beside Faith Moral and Ceremonial Works were necessary to Salvation which other Doctrine he calls another Gospel Gal. 1. 6. But this was a greater evil than not to have granted the Enjoyment of some Ordinance and yet they did not therefore cease to be Churches And therefore it was yet lawful to be a Member in a Galatian much more in the Corinthian Church and consequently they were not bound under the guilt of Sin to present Separation but might with a good Conscience in their Station yet expect a Reformation And why might not a man in the same hope with a safe Conscience adjoyn himself either to the Galatian Churches or that at Corinth even in that time of their Defection especially if an opportunity of Communion with other Churches were shut up 2. We say that a Believer may lawfully adjoyn himself into the Communion of that Church in which some Corruption in God's Publick Worship is tolerated without due Reformation The Children of Israel going a Whoring Judg. 8. 27. after the Ephod set up by Gideon was a tolerated Corruption of worship The custom of Sacrificing in the high Places from the days of Solomon till the times of Hezekiah was a tolerated Corruption in Publick Worship The same is to be iudged of the Translation of the Passover to the following next Sabbath lest they should feast on two days together Which Translation appeareth in the Paschal Observation by Christ different from the Iews Observation The wrong Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses Chair was such a corruption for the Chair of Moses that is the office of publick teaching Moses Law and the Books of the Prophets in the Church was by God's institution ordinarily proper to the Priests and Levites yet Christ commandeth to hear them but not to separate from them To this may be added the observation of Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law after Christ's resurrection and with an opinion of necessity to Salvation Gal. 4. 21. 10. 5. 2. But all these were corruptions in God's publick Worship tolerated without due Reformation And who in those times did judge either the Churches Union to be Not-lawful or Non-separation to be unlawful To one bears witness the Pious Practice of so many Proselites coming to the Church and of the Church receiving them to the other the very state of the Godly remaining in the Church By comparing the Corruption in an Article of Faith with Corruption in Publick Worship c. Here he repeateth the Argument forecited adding P. 161. It is the Duty of every Believer to adjoyn himself to some Church By adjoyning our selves to the Church we adjoyn not our selves to the impurities of the Church A believer joyning himself to a Church not pure specially when he cannot enjoy a purer sinneth not The sin of the Church exempteth not a Believer from Duty which may be performed without sin or grievous incommodity As some corruption of the Communicants must not drive away from the Supper a Believer prepared worthily to Eat So neither must some corruption in the Church drive away the faithful from Union with that Church 3. Believers may joyn themselves lawfully into the Communion of that Church in which such are admitted to partake of the Sacraments that hold forth no evident Signs or Works of Repentance and Faith but shew in many things the love of the World 1. Whatever others do it is the Duty of every Member at Age to examine themselves and so to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. 2. The Sin of one cannot deprive another Brother that communicateth not in his Sin of his Benefit much less absolve him from his Duty 3. If trying our selves and coming worthily as much as in us lyeth we do in our Places endeavour by lawful means that the old leaven may be purged out and we may be a new lump the Communion is not defiled by other mens coming unworthily though our comfort be diminished The Church of Corinth was not pure in Worship Women spake that is taught in the Church It was corrupt in Doctrine many denied the Resurrection of the Dead Most corrupt in Manners when besides Fornication Sects and many other Vices some also shewed the love of the World whence strifes before Heathen Iudges about corporal things Yet the Apostle commands not the prepared to abstain from the Supper but he correcteth the abuses about the Supper commanding every man to examine himself and so to eat So he proceeds to other Proofs from the Church at Jerusalem where holy things were administred by Priests that were stark naught and very many arrant Knaves were present and yet Christ and his Apostles go into the same Temple for the Publick exercises of Religion they use the same Worship with the rest of the people neither the desperate