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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	church_n	doctrine_n	word_n	1,599	5	4.2670	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79892	Golden apples. Or Seaonable and serious counsel from the sanctuary to the rulers of the earth, held forth in the resolution of sundry questions, and cases of conscience about divisions, schisms, heresies, and the tolleration of them. Collected out of the writings of the most orthodox, and judicious divines, both Presbyterians, and Independents. / By Sa. Clarke, pastor in Bennet Fink.	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.; Anthony, Burgess, d. 1644.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4518; Thomason E1881_3; ESTC R209888	84,688	239

little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Answ Answ Profane persons leaven a Church Physically not by their presence simply because they are there For then the presence of an hypoctite being in Church fellowship would leaven all if bare presence did it but morally by his impurity he being suffered without censure for so great an offence doth embolden and harden others in sin whereby the whole Congregation might in time be soured with such leaven The presence of an uncleane person cannot hurt you further then you make his uncleanness yours by not doing your duty against it Obj. But the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.17 Object You being many are one bread Answ Answ If an unworthy person coming to Gods Ordinances and enjoying communion with the Saints therein doth obtain this advantage so as by profession to seeme one bread and one body with them yet this doth not imply that the Saints are therefore made one with him in his wickednesse If an unclean person challenge more then is due to him this doth not devest the Saints of what is their due and their priviledge nor must it hinder them from performing that service that they owe to Christ being called to it they must remember Christ and his death though others forget him and their duty towards him Obj. Object But I cannot do those duties expressed Matth. 18.15 c. remaining in communion with such a particular Church may I not then separate Answ Answ 1 First in this case a man had need be clearly satisfied that such duties of admonishing c. there mentioned be his duty pro hic nunc in such and such circumstances Affirmative precepts though they do binde semper yet not ad emper they do not binde me to act in every juncture of things Secondly a man likewise before he separate from a Church because he cannot do his duty therein he had need be sure that his not being in a capacity to do his duty to the full be a sufficient ground of separation the order Mat. 18. is to cast off an Offender if he heare not the Church not to cast off the Church if she censure not him Quest Quest But may we not desire communion with the purest Churches Answ You may Answ yet withal observe how it may be obtained with the peace order and edification of the Churches It s possible to remove to another Church without separation from your owne only let such as think of separating remember these two things First try to promote purity in your own Church and to separate all impurity from it before you separate or gather Churches out of Churches Endeavour to separate the dross from amongst you before you separate your selves from the true gold Secondly if at last you will needs separate do not uncharitably condemne the true Church that you leave when Saints do separate let it be 1. A prudent separation from evil not from good from the vile not from the precious Rom. 12.9 Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good 2. A pious separation from evil unto good not from one evil to another not from Tyranny to Anarchy not from prelatical usurpation to popular licentiousness 3. A peaceable separation Separate from the unclean without a Schisme not rashly condemning all that come not up to your height not as one affecting a proud singularity but as one necessitated to withdraw out of pure tendernesse of conscience and as one who labours to please his neighbour for good to edification Rom. 15.1 2. 4. A loving separation though thou canst not concurre in some opinions and practices wherein the Scripture allows a latitude yet continue united in affection though in divers Churches still striving together for the Faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Dr. Hills good separation Quest Quest What is Schism Answ Answ The word imports a rent or division of things that were or should be undivided and as it s taken in the matters of Religion it signifies a rupture in the communion or from the communion of the Church upon unnecessary and unwarrantable causes and grounds Society and communion are of great importance and the evil of Schism is answerable to the good of communion and if Schisme be made upon a cause not warranted by the word of God it s a sinne of an high nature the formality of Schism consists in the rupture or departing though the coalition or joyning in new bodies which was called setting up Altar against Altar may make it more pernicious So that Schisme simply and nakedly is a breaking off from the communion of the Church upon such grounds as are not warranted by Gods Word as namely when the same Faith and doctrine in the substantials is held yet through passions or private ends and fancies there is offence taken at lesser matters of fact or order and so a divorce is made for such faults in the yoke-fellow as are far short of adultery As if the members of any of those seven Asian Churches should have separated because of some drosse in those golden Candlesticks the Donatists who separated upon that principle that there was no true Church where good and bad are mixed and that the chaffe in the floor made the wheat unclean was an open Schisme both in breaking off from the Churches of Christ and in assuming liberty to erect new Churches which they affirmed to be the only true Churches of Christ Mr. Ri. Vines Parl. Serm. Quest Quest May we not separate from a visible Church for the corruptions in it though they be not in fundamentals Answ Answ No we read not of any of the Prophets in the Old Testament that left the Church but in most corrupt times continued in it reproving and threatning praying and mourning for them but not separating from them St. Austine observes that Ezek. 9.4 they were marked that mourned for the sins of the times not that separated themselves from the Church In the New Testament neither Christ nor his Apostles forsook the Church but continued in it though marvellous corrupt teaching reproving and mourning for it The six Asian Churches are blamed for their corruptions but none bid to separate for them To this purpose is that Heb. 10.24 25 38 39. Quest Quest What reasons may be rendred for this Answ First Answ 1 None ought to separate from a true Church of Christ Now such is an assembly professing the true faith notwithstanding other corruptions Secondly Separation and Excommunication from a true Church is the most heavy and greatest censure of the Church which as no man should incur by his evil behaviour so no man ought to inflict upon himself for the corruptions of others who happily deserve to be separated themselves St. Austin told Petilian that he did not well to leave Christs heap of corn because some chaff was still in it till the great winnowing day and that he shewed himself to be lighter chaff driven out by the wind of tentation that flew out before the coming

Kingdom and if Satan were divided against Satan his Kingdom could not stand Quest Quest What other means may we use for procuring Unity and Peace Answ Answ First Let us all labor to make our peace with God and God will make us at peace one with another Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia If God be at peace with us he will make the very stones in the street to be at peace with us If our wayes please the Lord he will make our very enemies to be at peace with us Prov. 16.7 But when by sin we provoke God he hath threatned to dash us one against another Jer. 13.13 Secondly Take heed of that Socinian opinion mentioned before of an unbounded toleration of all Religions which will certainly bring confusion and at the same door that all Religions come in the true Religion will go out Thirdly be cloathed with humility and that 1. With humility of judgement to think that others may know the truth as well as our selves to have a low esteeme of our own understanding For he that thinks he knowes any thing knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 and if any man teach otherwise c. he is proud knowing nothing c. 1 Tim. 6.3 9. Let us not therefore be wise in our own eyes nor lean to our own understanding Prov. 3.5 2. With humility of heart An humble heart is a quiet peaceable heart and it will not distract or destroy the peace of a Nation by unnecessary disputations Fourthly labour for contempt of the world and all worldly things Divisions oft arise out of base covetousness the love of the world divided Demas from Paul Fifthly pray for the spirit of meeknesse patience long-suffering and for mortified affections For an angry mans stirreth up strife c. Prov. 29.22 Hence Mark 9.50 Have salt in your selves i. e. the salt of mortification and have peace one with another Sixthly let all thy private aimes be swallowed up in the publick good Let the cause of Christ and his Church be dearer to thee then thy own life and this frame of spirit will exceedingly incline thee to all lawful ways of peace and unity Seventhly Nip divisions in the bud and quench the fire of contention at the beginning Eighthly yeeld one to another for peace sake As Abraham who yeelded his right up to Lot for peace-sake Gen. 13.9 Ninthly take heed of groundless suspitions and jealousies one of another This is a great cause of many distempers amongst us Tenthly to heal our Divisions we must make conscience to silence all our private opinions and differences Rom. 14.22 Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God Disturb not the Church with thy private faith Indeed if it be absolutely necessary to salvation its charity to acquaint the Church of God with it but if we can be saved without it this is not a fit time to broach any new opinions Quest Quest Whether may Magistrates tyrannize over mens consciences Answ By no means Answ Yet it s the duty of Magistrates to restraine men from infecting their subjects with soul-destroying errours Magistrates are bound to keep such from spreading their infections to the undoing of the souls of their subjects as appears 2 Chron. 15.13 and 34.32 Ezra 10.8 Deut. 13.5 6. 2 Kings 23.1 they are Gods Ministers for this end Rom. 13.4 1 Pet. 2.19 they are not onely keepers but vindices utriusque tabulae punishers of those that transgress either of the Tables Indeed Magistrates are wisely to distinguish between persons and persons and between errours and errours Some persons are pious and peaceable others turbulent and furious Some errors are such as subvert the Faith and destroy the power of godlinesse Others are of a lesser nature which may consist with godlinesse and with an unity in the Faith and if it be lawful for them to shut up a man that hath the plague on his body that he may not infect others surely they may restrain a man that hath the plague of Heresie upon his soul that he may not destroy the souls of thousands For such Heresies do eat as a Canker Mr. Calam. Parl. Ser. Decem. 25. 1644 Quest Quest How may Schisme be distinguished A. Answ Cameron makes a twofold Schism First negative which consists in a personal forbearing of any thing which will undoubtedly pollute us and this is a good separation Secondly Positive when there is not only a denying of communion with others but a sudden consociating of themselves into distinct bodies into little Independent Congregations by themselves for the worship and service of God and this will not so easily as some imagine be justified to hold consistency with the peace and order which is so desirable in the Churches of Christ Quest Quest What conclusions may be laid down about separation Answ First Answ 1 that there must no separation be made from Fellowship with the Catholick Church for this would rend the very body of Christ himselfe He calls the Church his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 It would dis-joynt that sweete harmony which is the beauty and strength of that body Ephes 4.16 In this our pilgrimage we must still be coming to this Church but never separating from it because in coming hither we come to Jesus the authour of the New Covenant Hebr. 12.22 23 24. Secondly we may not make a separation from a particular Church because there are some defects found in it For if defects binde us to separation to what particular Church shall we associate our selves wherein some defects will not be found Only the Church triumphant is absolutely perfect weeds will be springing up in all Gods gardens here upon earth Quest Quest But what if some wicked persons continue in Church society doth not that give occasion of separation to others A. Answ Tollerating of some wicked persons in a Church is not a sufficient ground for others presently to separate from it For 1. That tollerating may be only an errour and infirmity in the Church wherein we are to bear with it and not thereupon to separate from it So Ames in his cases of conscience l. 4. c. 24. Sect. 15. 2. Patience is to be used to a particular brother when he is overtaken with a fault Gal. 6.1 much more must we express it to a Church 3. The sudden separating of the godly is not a likely way to cure a sick Church but rather puts it into a more desperate condition Quest Quest Doth not fellowship with wicked men in the Ordinances make them ineffectual Answ Answ Their wickednesse makes them ineffectual to themselves yet not to such others whom the Lord inviteth and for whom he hath prepared these Gospel dainties Will a loving Father deny his children bread because some dogges are crept under the Table Hence 1 Corinth 11.28 Let a man examine himselfe He saith not Let him examine all others that come Object But 1 Cor. 5.6 Object the Apostle saith that a

them like the Elephant to muddy the pure waters of Truth that their uggliness may not appear as the Pharisees did the Law by their foolish glosses Mat. 5.21 c. They love darkness more then light because their works are evil John 3.19 They make their lusts their Law and therefore lie open to be seduced by such who bait their hook with what is proportionable to those lusts in them 2 Pet. 3.18 Sixthly Because the time and season much conduceth to help forward this evil It s a time of liberty wherein the reins of Government are laid too loosly upon the peoples neck Nay perhaps the garb and fashion that is in most request is Heresie which finding patronage from persons of no mean rank and power no marvel though it spread apace and flourish weeds appear not till the Summers-Sun revive them So errors if they receive not some gleams of countenance from some in a superior orb would soon wither and quickly vanish Mr. Tho. Hodges Parl. Sermon Mar. 10. 1646. Quest How will Errors and Heresies Quest further appear to be so dangerous Answ Answ 1 First Because the Scripture doth flatly charge sin and perniciousness and damnation upon them Heresie is made a work of the flesh that excludes men from the kingdom of Heaven Gal. 5.20 21. Peter calls them pernicious and damnable that bring swift destruction and saith of the Authors of them that their damnation slumbers not 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. Secondly Let us consider unto what dangerous things Heresies and Errors are compared in Scripture by what dangerous Creatures Hereticks and false Teachers are expressed As 1. Heresies are compared to a Gangrene or Canker 2 Tim. 2.17 which corrupts one part after another till at length it eats out the very heart and life Sometimes to a Shipwrack 1 Tim. 1.19 20. In what a miserable condition are passengers when their ship is split under them Christ calls them Leaven Paul calls them a bewitching Learned Writers call them a Leprosie Poison Fire a Tempest a flood c. 2. Hereticks are sometimes stiled Foxes Cant. 2.15 Dogs rending Dogs Phil. 3.2 Wolves grievous Wolves which devour the flock Act. 20.29 Sometimes in effect they are called Mountebanks Cheaters and such as beguile unstable souls 3. Christ and his Apostles give special charges and caveats against them which they would not have done had they not been very dangerous Mar. 8.15 Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees Mat. 7.15 Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many Phil. 3.2 Beware of dogs c. 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest being led aside by the error of the wicked ye fall from your own stedfastness Thirdly The danger of them is very great Heresies are the greatest and highest of dangers to the Church of Christ worse then the sword prison exile spoiling torments yea and the cruellest death For the Church alwayes gained by these grew more in Purity in Unity in Zeal and Courage not so by Heresies which are a flood cast out of the mouth of the Serpent Rev. 12.15 For 1. They are a corrupting and defiling flood they defile the pure waters spoil the ground leave filth and mud behind them and coming out of the mouth of the Serpent they are poisonous waters and there are four precious things which Heresies corrupt and defile 1. Souls of men which is the noblest and choiest thing in man of more value then all the world Damnable Heresies makes us deny the Lord that bought us 2 Pet. 2.1 2. The leading faculty of the soul It casts poison into the spring Heresies corrupt the Judgement which moves all the other faculties of the soul If the light which is in you be darkness how great is that darkness If the Judgement be infected how dangerous is that infection In how desperate a condition is the whole soul of such an one If it recover not out of its Errors it dies for it 3. The most active faculty of the soul they defile and corrupt the Conscience Now this is amazingly dangerous A wicked Error is blinding when it is in the Judgement only but it s binding also when it is in the Conscience For whatsoever engages Conscience the same engageth all and the utmost of our all If Conscience be made a party against the Truth now all that a man hath all that he can do will be made out against the truth too Such an one with Paul will grow mad and desperate against Christ Pauls erroneous conscience made him consent to Stevens death yea could he in that condition have met with Christ himself he would have done the like against him 4. The Conversations of men Heresie is seldom or never divided from impiety Such make Shipwrack of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 whom Paul calls Dogs he calls also Evil-workers Phil. 3.2 and Tit. 1.15 16. speaking of some whose minds were defiled he adds that they were reprobate to every good work And Christ speaking of false Prophets saith You may know them by their fruits The Doctrine of faith is a Doctrine of Holiness and a Doctrine of lies is a Doctrine of prophaness too He that falls from truth to falshood will quickly fall from piety to wickedness Sleiden in his story of the Anabaptists writes that Errors began in their Judgements but ended with wicked practises Cyprian writing of Novatus saith that he was one who itched after new notions and was beyond measure covetous intolerably proud no man so prying no man so treacherous he would commend you to your face and cut your throat behind your back as false a person as lived a very fire-brand and turned the world up side down that he might carry on his opinion c. 2. Heresies are a drowning and overflowing flood Now there are three things that Heresies overwhelm 1. The glory of all glories the glorious name of God the glorious name of Christ the glorious name of the Holy Spirit the glorious name of divine truths Heresie turns the glory into a lie It gives God Christ and the Holy Ghost the lye Truth the lye the Scripture the lye and he that makes the word of God a Lyer makes God himself a Lyer 2. The Glory of Religion Religion is darkened It grows base and beggerly when it s patched with Errors All Religion is by so much the more excellent by how much the more of truth it hath but when once its adulterated and leavened with damnable Errors now the silver is become dross c. 3. Not only the dignity but the very vital entity of a Church Truth is the soul of that body and Error is the death of it Schism doth much hurt but false Doctrines more Schisms do rent the coat but Heresies do rent the heart those pluck up the fence but these pluck down the building those do scratch but these do kill Thirdly Here●es are a suddenly rising floud and herein lies the greatnesse of the