Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	case_n	corruption_n	transcend_v	12	3	15.8553	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35047	Reformation not separation, or, Mr. Crofton's plea for communion with the church ... in a letter, written July 20, 1661 ... / by the said R.S. to whom it was written ; unto which, is added the copy of another letter, written on the same occasion and subject.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.; P. E., Reverend.; R. S.	1662 (1662)	Wing C7000; ESTC R12168	52,912	78

vessel doth quench the thirst and these are either some matter superadded not intermingled with or destructive to Gods Ordinances such as were the high places posts by Gods posts thresholds by his thresholds Altar by his Altar in Israel unto the very Image of Jealousie set up in Gods house which yet remained his and as such was continued preserved and acknowledged The Lord Jesus found the Temple his Fathers house of Prayer though made a Den of theeves and such is our Crosse in Baptism though seemingly sacramental yet distinct from Gods imitating Seal of the Covenant and such is a Roman linnen vesture in ministration of Gods worship by a lawfull Minister or some corrupt rude and unsutable ministerial method and order which is the vessel and only instrument of conveiance though unclean of administration such was the violent and unfitting snatching of the Priests part of the Sacrifice by the sons of Eli the confused acclamations of the Church of Corinth speaking all at once different matters in different tongues and our imposed method disorderly method of publick Prayer by Versicles Responds abruptions abreviations and popular acclamations with artificial singing by boyes and base fellows thereunto appointed under all which Gods Ordinances abide a subject compleat truly and formerly existent and distinct from these superadded corruptions operative unto salvation and therefore may not be declined or disowned Corruptions intrinsecal are indeed such as do not only warrant but necessitate non-communion yea separation of the highest nature as a duty indispensable In sence hereof all those in Israel who feared God and set their hearts to seek the Lord prayed for and according to divine directions departed from Dan and Bersheba forsook the solemn Assemblies Jeroboam had constituted and followed the Tribe of Levi Gods only Ministers unto Jerusalem Gods only place of publick solemn worship and our Saviour resolved the woman of Samaria her enquiry concerning the place of worship with a ye know not what ye worship for salvation is of the Jews This is the very ground of the Reformed Churches departure and non-communion with Rome who though she be by original constitution the Temple of God is become the very seat of Antichrist and by the same so vitiated that her Ministrations are the cup of abomination by which she hath made the Nations drunk having by her intercessions of and to Saints the Popes infallibility divine power and properties and by her expiatory Sacrifices disowned and nullified as much as in her lieth Christs mediatory offices and by dividing the elements destroying the outward signe essential to a Sacrament and on a fancied transubstanciation turning it into a Sacrifice for quick and dead nullified Christs Ordinances and by many other intrinsecal evils poysoned Gods whole worship and rendred it directly destructive to salvation and is therefore presented to us under the Appellation Babylon in the very abstract spiritual Sodom and Egypt and so the object of our departure advised with a lest ye partake of her sins which were and are so universally diffused and hath so farre vitiated the subject that a guilt will be contracted by meer Communion Corruptions extrinsecal may Extrinsecal corruptions warrant no separation and must grieve the spirits of Gods people occasion their loud complaints his Ministers most zealous reproofs and the stud●ous endeavours of all to prevent and remove them because scandals to the Church prejudicial though not directly destructive to salvation dishonourable to Religion and the God whose prerogative it is to prescribe every pin and the very snuffers to be used in his House 1 King 11 3● and is therefore highly displeasing to God provoking him to rend a Kingdom from the house of David to loath and at least to leave his holy place and remove his Candlestick from such as will not fear him in the simplicity of his own institutions without the vain and needlesse Appendants of their own inventions But yet these cannot warrant separation or voluntary non-communion because the Church abideth related to God as his Spouse his worship and Ordinances remain for matter and essential form entire and exactly his own notwithstanding the concomitancy of some super-added matter or the unfit ministerial method and order by which they are dispensed and Gods presence is to them continued though with a grieved striving spirit threatning his departure and thereby we are under a possibility of salvation though engaged to more care and industry this was the case of the Prophets our Saviour and his Disciples the Church of the Jews and Primitive Christians under the many parallel yea transcending to ours corruptions before mentioned without any prescript or practice of Separation or Non-Communion Christian Friend it is too evident That many and great Corruptions are to our sin and shame retained The Case of England under corruption and to the aggravation thereof with an high hand and defiance of the God of Jealousie returned after a Solemn and Sacred Expulsion into our Church but yet they are extrinsecal and not of the substance of Gods Worship which for Matter and essential Form remaineth entire and properly his own though not so acceptable under as well as without them and will not therefore warrant my Separation or Non-Communion so far as to lie at Home or loyter in the Church-yard until the Common-Prayer whereby God is truly though not orderly invocated and worshipped wherein I as a Member of that Church am interested and unto which as it is Publick Solemn Prayer though in an unsutable Method my Amen is an indispensable Duty being ended The Administrations of Gods Worship among us are indeed nauseous and unhealthful but not void or venemous our waters are bitter and pudled but not poysonous our Pastures are trodden down and the proud of the Flock do push us with Horn Ezek. 34.18 19 20 21. and with Hoof but we are not yet driven out of Christs Fold not dare not we say our Pasture is quite taken from us To be plain Under all our Corruptions we must not we cannot we dare not deny the Matter and essential Form of Gods Ordinances and Worship is continued to us though some superstitious Rites are unto them annexed which are apparent Appendants redundant to and separable from and not vitiating destructive or annihilating to their Subject and are therefore pretended and professed by the Canons appropriated to this Church to be Acts of Order and Ornament rather than of Worship and Adoration to God and they are such wherein the people are generally passive not active Baptism is fully and formally Gods Ordinance though the Cross be needlesly and superstitiously added thereunto and the Parent by virtue of whose interest in Gods Covenant the Child receiveth the Seal is unjustly excluded and a deputation of Godfathers and Godmothers is groundlesly imposed The Word of God is not excluded though now and then a piece of Apocripha is unwarrantably read in the publick Assembly nor doth it cease to be

Why is my now attendance on solemn publick worship branded to be renewed communion with you know not whom if you mean this of persons individual truly as to the most I know not whom nor can I think you judge it necessary I cannot in my first communion know it in any Congregation is Church gathering become a Presbyterial principle is it the work of every age is seven not seventy years an age is non knowledge of Members a cause of non communion would not common charity make me know them to be a society of Christians worshippers of the true God in Jesus Christ and are they not hereby members of the Church Catholick visible particularly divided by local circumscription or have we renounced this principle is not the Liberty of the Tower a particular Church in a Presbyterial sence as well as Christ Church or Alhallows Breads street If I communicate in these must I not communicate with I know not whom may I not hear the Gospel preached and in calling on God in the name of Christ for things agreeable to his will communicate with I know not whom But why is my communion r●newed I never denied I never ceased from I never was cut off from communion with the English Reformed Church and its particular Assemblies must Independents be verified in the false reproach viz. Presbyterial Churches w●re gathered Churches Presbytery interrupted was the Church dissolved and Communion abandoned Cave We have disowned denied determined sin and danger in these Notions I have more charity than to think my self out of Communion because violently debarred from Convention with the particular Assemblies of the Reformed English Church God having at length opened me a door of liberty to attend his solemn publick worship in this place with this Assemb●y why is my acceptance and use thereof clamorously condemned as an act not only impoliti k but impious do not you know this is the execution of a resolution neither new nor rash not new for I thus determined and thus practised in my youth when piety was reproached by profane men as Puritanism and by the Brownists as corrupt Communion I thus determined and declared in my publick Ministery and preaching for Reformation I thus determined in all my late disputes and writings whilest I was at liberty I thus practised on accidental occasions I herein convinced and hereof perswaded prayed the liberty I now enjoy the first day I was committed prisoner to this place and have ever since petitioned to enjoy it this act you know is not rash but the result of mature and deliberate thoughts besides what hath passed between God and mine own soul I have heard and weighed the objections of separating as well as reforming brethren and after many expostulations I have you know it stated my Case of Conscience drawn up my reasons communicated them to Brethren and Christian Friends craved a Confutation from more than one prayed fraternal Correption by solid and serious Argumentation and professed a readiness to hear and obey Conviction I wonder after all this and Nine Months time to have corrected convinced my Judgment I shall be censured for bringing it to Act and you should now call for an Apology Dear Brother How long shall I complain when shall I be known and dealt with as a Brother Is it fair Play to revile and not reprove To condemn and not confute Will you neither convince my Conscience nor be content without Censures to see me obey it Are you angry to be imposed on and yet expect I should live by an implicite Faith and forbear what is to me a positive Duty on this bare Reason The Brethren will be displeased Let me say it without Prophaneness or Levity Be not wise overmuch The Offence of Brethren hath its place and weight in my Soul but must be well grounded before it counterpoize Conscience of positive indispensable Duty I well understand not the Epithites which vilifie my present Act because they are general and without Reason That it is Impolitick I may not deny I have ever been estranged to and at enmity with the Brethrens Policies and Fancy If they had in some things been as foolish as silly I God might have had more Glory Truth more Strength the Church more Purity and Order my self more Liberty their Comforts I know not nor will adventure to judge What Policies this Act must relate unto I know not unless it be the strengthning and so justifying those Schisms which supplanted subverted our Reformation by those Seditions Rebellions Treasons which have made it Odious and scandalized the endeavours thereof that the most Upright and Innocent among us are pressed under it If Brethren were sensible That my Zeal for Reformation is reproached repelled and my self thus oppressed by these Schisms they would not sure think it Policy to strike hands with them or Impolitick to appear really as well as verbally against them God knoweth I may not long speak let me speak freely Truly Brother foolish I think it aque and aequaliter politick for serious sober Reformers to unite with Non-communicating Separating Congregational Brethren in the Church-confounding nullifying principles and practises As for our late King-Killers to cry up the COVENANT and confound the Quarrel of the Parliament with the Good Old Cause Confound 62. with 52. and you may reconcile 48. to 43. and soon return to 48. again Agree these in Ecclesiasticks and divide them in Civils if you can I wish I could not scent some Brethren offended at my Act as tainted already in their Civils But I am a Fool be it so yet a Fools Bolt is soon shot If Presbyters will wisely serve Gods providence and do his Church proper Service Now it is their Time and Business to witness Corruptions circa cultum publicum will not warrant Non-communion with secession or separation from a true Church and such I yet deem England Correct this folly and I may become wise till then I will through Grace joy in my folly I have observed indeed Gods and the Kings Fools were never many But truly foolish I could never judge it good Policy That Non-communion Separation and the Sectarian Spawn should shroud themselves and be sheltered by Non-conformity and Reformation Hath not our dear-bought Experience taught us That the Repute of being the Parent of these hath been the Remora and Retroversion of that Can we forget how these when in Power did divide divert and destroy Reformation Paganize all England and plant One hundred and twenty gathered Churches and thereby proclaim Entity not Purity of the Churches was their Quarrel And shall we not now be so wise as to disown and deny them as a Bastard brood Now they are taken as Vagrants and whip't up to Non-conformists as their reputed Parents Can we ever witness Relation more than by these affectionate embraces in this day of Discrimination O! that my Brethrens Policy were so wise as to consider the Duty and Necessity of differing Reformation and

Separation and thath they would ponder the Honour and Benefit of Non-conformity protesting and practising against Non-communion in this day when its Enemy doth confound and destroy this for the sake and under the name of that But whither am I gone I must come back like a Fool and tell you I could never beat it into my Brains That it was good Policy to run out of an unclean disordered House under pretence of cleansing and regulating the same My little will led me to abide in it and by a Scrub Beesom of a reproving M●nistry such as I can get to bring the Dust about mine Ears I judge it prudent filth which hangs on my Cloaths in a regular endeavour to get it out of my House I am mistaken if ever my House will cleanse it self if I run and call all others out of it Once more and all my wit is wasted I am an Irish man and never yet was so wise to lie in the Field open to cold and wet because the Beasts not only stood but unhandsomly dung d in my lodging Chamber I have been used to Impoliticks but am unwilling to be better advised Impolitick That is nothing Fools may go to Heaven but my Act is impious This cannot be endured without good Evidence it is an high Charge I pray wherein lies its impiety This seemeth contrary to the general nature of the Act for that is a Religious Attendance on the Solemn Publick Worship of the true God in Jesus Christ Irregularity and Disorder may be an iniqui●y in the Administrator but that the Attendance on Gods Worship disorderly dispensed is impious in Gods People my Bible doth not teach lend me yours for I will not persist in any thing that writeth impiety on my Soul my Charity will not allow me to charge them with impiety who voluntarily attend this Service only because they do so misguided Zeal is not alwayes impious I dare not charge our first R formers and Marian Martyrs to have gone to the Stake under the Guilt and in the very Act of impiety and yet many of them went embracing commending chanting and concluding their last Devotion and Breath in the Words and Order of the Common-Prayer Gradual Defect will not acquit their Act from impiety if it now be it then was an Act impious to serve God by the Common-Prayer Our measure of increased light and many Obligations may aggravate our persistance in it but wi●l not alter the nature of the Act in it self impi●us Conscience bindeth me to be present in the Solemn Convocation and personally attend his Publick Worship the which when I come to it is by the impious Administrator dispensed in a rude disorderly irreverend Mode which maketh it my burden and my Soul to loath what I dare not leave because it is for Matter and essential Form the Lords Ordinance Is this an Act impious Let Brethrens Piety work by Charity to evince the Impiety I will give Glory to God and return till then let me proceed without Censure You specifie some Sequels of this mine attendance on Solemn Publick Worship in this Mode and Order but they are such as will not convince the same of impiety you say I hereby weaken Friends and strengthen Enemies I pray you how and wherein The Friends and Enemies of Non-Communion and Separation from the English Reformed Church never came into the Calender of my Friends or Enemies nor were they ever owned by sober Non-conformists contesting for gradual Reformation If such be hereby strengthned and weakned I bless God that I have done my Duty and that my practice doth edifie whilst I am not permitted to preach I must confess it is one end of my Action I account it mine Honour really to witness against Non-communion in my very Conflicts for Reformation But if Friends and Enemies to that Gradual Reformation incumbent on our age and hands be weakned or strengthned it may be mine Affl ction it is not mine Impiety for this Event is by accident not naturall and genuine the result of weakness in the one and wickedness in the other who consider not that Non-conforming Communion is an indispensable Duty and essential to Church-Reformation I must keep in my house if I will cleanse it though the filth in it is mine Annoyance Circumstantial Defects Redundant Appendants and Disorders will not warrantably discharge mine attendance on the substantial and truly existing worship of God In this Case give me leave to say to stumbling Friends and Brethren you have Zeal but not according to knowledge I must by Union with the Church seek Purity of Ordinances and none but wilful Fools or mad Men will run to the Channel to drink because men at Sea are glad to drink stinking water or deny to wash the Vessel or force all for ever to drink in such unclean Vessels because some through necessity can and do drink in such And yet Brother I cannot but tell you I have the comfort of my own Endeavours to anticipate this accidental Event by those Papers which I passed into the City with an intent to have passed them into the World in which you have my Apology for this Act And in Answer to this Objection I pray God they who stopped their Publication when they might have done it may seriously consider the service they have done the Church of God I could do no more to make even paths to weak feet if those who should would not pave it I cannot help it I am innocent of the blood of all men who stumble at this Act in it self lawful and indispensably necessary because of those accidents which I have done my part to anticipate But you say I hereby undo my good Testimony and give away the Cause in which I appeared This beareth indeed an Aspect of Impiety an Apostate is odious to God and men I have ever resolved and may ere long prove it to dye rather than do this my Conscience beareth me witness All this is come upon me yet have I not dealt falsly in the Covenant Had this been objected by men who knew not Mr. Crofton who never read the Writings for which he suffered it had been a tolerable mistake well may others when my Familiars and Brethren so much mistake my Testimony and misread my Cause well might Thomas Tomkins confound me with our late Usurping Traytors when my Fellow-Presbyters confound me with Separatists I observe you grant my Testimony given is good I wish it had been owned with less fear and shame I had been then more encouraged in it But I pray Brother what was it Was it the Cause of separation from or Non-communion with the English Reformed Church because corrupt or Backslider in its Reformation Have I been all this time a Martyr for Independency nothing less Zachary Crofton a Separatist from or Non-communicant with a backsliding corrupt disordered Church is as great as clear a Contradiction as Zachary Crofton a Traytor to King Charles the Second Which of