Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	doctrine_n	worship_n	3,910	5	7.2192	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67182	The beauty of unity in a sermon preached at Preston in Lancashire at the opening of the Guide-merchant held there, September 4, 1682 / by Richard Wroe ...	Wroe, Richard, 1641-1717.	1682 (1682)	Wing W3726; ESTC R31851	15,914	42

dwell together in Unity The Words being an Argument for Unity it may seem less proper to divide them and my design being to set out the excellency and advantages of this Divine Grace I shall pursue it in the Characters here given in the Psalmists Description of it 't is both good and pleasant Which two are prevailing Arguments and the most forcible perswasives to engage our love and affections to any thing recommended to us for these two generally sway mens choice and all their pursuits are after what they apprehend as good or pleasant But before I press the Motives to Unity it seems necessary to know what it is since it is so rare to be met with that it seems to be little understood though indeed it is generally better unstood than practised Unity however single in it self yet is diversified by its Object and so is as various as the respects in which men may be united but I instance only in three sorts both as most comprehensive and chiefly to be endeavoured after 1. An Unity in Faith and Profession 2. In Worship and Practice 3. In Mind and Affection 1. Unity in Faith and Profession which is so named by the Apostle Eph. 4. 13. Which is absolutely necessary to the being of a Christian who by Faith is incorporated into the body of Christ and by Unity of the Faith is conjoyned to the members of that Body which are all united under one head For the Faith was once delivered says St. Jude and being but once delivered can be but One and as there is no way to be saved but by Faith so there is but one Faith to be saved by and therefore they that hope to receive the end of their Faith the salvation of their Souls must maintain the Unity of the Faith which is lost if divided and is no Faith if not the same that was once delivered In this respect we make it part of our Christian Profession to believe One Catholick Church because all agreeing in the same Faith though the Members be many yet the Church is but one because the Faith is but one for there is but one Lord and one Faith Eph. 4. 5. One Lord as the Foundation of all and one Faith whereby we assent to those truths which were received from Christ by the Apostles and by them delivered to Believers who are therefore all Members of one and the same Church because they profess one and the same Faith Now as we cannot be Christians without Faith so we cannot be of that One Catholick Church without the Unity of it and therefore as St. Jude exhorts ought to contend earnestly for that Faith once delivered that as St. Paul presses it we may keep the Unity of it in the bond of Peace For we may contend earnestly in this Case without breach of Peace or Charity since the end of this holy contention is an happy Unity namely of Faith and Profession 2. There is an Unity in Worship and Practice Which is consequent on the former when they that agree in the same Profession wear the same Badg and Livery and are known by the same signs and symbols of Worship and Communion This is that Unity of the Spirit Eph. 4. 3. or Spiritual Unity both as an effect of the Spirit and a sign of Spirituality when we manifest our Unity in the Faith by the correspondence of our Practice whether in the same Rites of Worship or the expressions of our Christian Communion thus we are made one by Worshipping the same God in one and the same manner We become one by Baptism the Sacrament of our Initiation which being as the Apostle says but one they which are admitted to it in receiving it are one and we are made one by participating of the same Supper of the Lord who commanded Eat ye all of this and drink ye all of this and so by communicating of one become as to that Communication one according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 7. We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread So that when we list our selves under the same Banner as we do in our Baptism and engage in the same Warfare against the Devil the World and the Flesh whose Friendship we renounce and declare enmity against them when we all participate of the same Body whereof we are all Members and like the Israelites all eat the same spiritual meat and all drink the same spiritual drink when with the first Apostolick Church we continue in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer when we are unanimous in the Worship of God and the holy Offices of Religion then do we hold fast the Bond of Unity and maintain the Communion of the faithful 3. Unity of Mind and Affection Which is the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace that great badg of Christianity the new Commandment that the Son of God prescrib'd to his followers that dying Legacy which he bequeathed to his Disciples that they should love one another that Unity which the Apostles so frequently and pathetically press in their Epistles St. Paul to the Corinthians 2 Epist 13. 11 Be of one mind and live in Peace to the Philippians 2. 2 That ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind St. Peter to the dispersed Christians 1 Ep. 3. 8. Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as Brethren be pittiful be courteous This is the peculiar Badg of our Profession which in its Nature and Design is a Religion of Love and Unity and nothing unites more strictly than kindness and affection For as in the Body Natural the Members however different in shape and distant in site from one another yet being all animated by the same Soul become one Body so the collective Body of Christians however distant in Place or differing in Language yet being all of one mind and affection make up one Body the Church of Christ On which account we offer up our Prayers to God for the preservation and protection of the Church Catholick to testifie our Unity with all the Members of that Body and express our hearty wishes for their welfare and prosperity and though the Gospel has extended our Charity and made it universal yet we are to have a more peculiar regard and love to them that are of the houshold of Faith Christians are all Brethren and thereby obliged to all the endearments of Brotherly Kindness and Affection and when their Unity in the Faith and Agreement in Worship is compleated by the Concord of their Mind and Affections there needs nothing more to make that perfect harmony which was once beheld in the Primitive Church when the whole multitude of Believers were all of one heart and of one soul Acts 4. 32. a joyful prospect to behold and lovely to look upon that which raised envy in their Enemies yet astonishment withal

Peace as busie as ever to embroil us And the same Engins employed to undermine our Foundations By the Papists we are still condemn'd for Hereticks and Schismaticks and how are they combin'd by Oaths and Promises by Vows and Obligations to extirpate Heresie and if we look that way may we not see the Edomites and the Ishmaelites the Moabites and Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines and them of Tyre all gnashing their teeth at us and gaping to devour us Neither does all our danger blow from that Quarter For have we not Traytors within our own Walls that are no less sedulous to betray us and as unanimous in their Hatred and Opposition to us Have not Dissenters of all sorts united against us who were never at one either among themselves or with any Church of Christ Have not Arts been used to get them own'd for Protestants who were never yet Christians rather than want a Party to carry on the Designs of Schism and Faction Are not they who formerly entred into a Solemn League and Covenant against our established Church Projecting a new but more wicked and dangerous Association And is it not then high time for them to unite who wish well to the Government both of Church and State Certainly we may learn Wisdom from our Enemies that since they are so diligent to Confederate together for our ruin we may frustrate their Attempts by the same Methods of Unity and Agreement Especially when we consider 2. That there is no other apparent means of safety Our Saviour said A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand When our Divisions are so many what can heal our Breaches but Unity 'T is well known how fatal the Divisions of Christians have been to the Peace of Christendom The Turk had never enlarged his Territories so far had not the Dissensions of those that should have opposed him made way for him Nor can any thing so soon put a stop to his growing Greatness as the Peace and Union of Christian Princes and nothing has more endangered the Protestant Religion since the happy Reformation of it than the Divisions of Protestants among themselves The Pope and his Conclave know it too well and fear nothing so much as the Union of Protestants nor envy any reformed Church so much as ours and therefore use all their Arts and Emissaries to embroyl us and divide us into Factions and Parties thereby at once weakning our Interest and strengthning their own 'T is strange indeed that men of sense and reason should not discern the Jesuite in the Dissenters Disguise when he has so long frequented and so frequently Preach'd in most separate Meetings 'T is more strange that they that pretend so much Zeal against Popery should oppose that Church which is the only regular Bulwark and Defence against it 'T is most of all strange that the most active true Protestants as they call themselves should be the Jesuites chiefest Engine and best Friends to Rome Yet plain it is that men may go to Rome by Geneva and many that seem to Travel to the latter are posting directly to the former 'T is to be feared 't is no unfrequented path and is found the securest way to pass unsuspected He knows little that sees not how like to each other they are both in Principles and Practice that the Dissenter sharpens his Weapons at the forge of the Romish Philistines and that the Covenanter and Associator act but what the Jesuite Teaches And however some men measure their Zeal to the Reformed Religion by their Opposition to that of Rome and ground all their Cavils against our establish'd Church on pretended fears and suspicions yet I think no wise man needs to doubt but to widen our breaches is the readiest way to let in Popery God at last open their eyes that they may see their danger and discover their mistake and in his mercy turn their hearts as David once bowed the hearts of the men of Judah as one man 2 Sam. 19. 14. That they may be faithful in their Allegiance to the King and hearty in the Religion of our Church and then we need not fear the craft of the Conclave nor the Designs of the Consistory Were all men but truly sensible of the advantages of Unity they would endeavour after it Were we so united we should be happy And that we may every one in our several Capacities contribute our hearty endeavours hereto I shall close up the Exhortation with a twofold Direction of the Apostle both suitable to our Meeting both highly conducing to the ends of Union and Peace 1. The first is his advice to the Thessalonians 1 Ep. 4. 11 Study to be quiet and to do your own business Would men do their own business they would find work enough at home would they study to be quiet they would not busie themselves in other mens matters And never more need of this advice than in this Pragmatical Age wherein men study to be unquiet and make it their Employment to meddle in other mens Concerns Almost every man sets up for a Politician or Reformer of Religion and shall pretend to dictate to his Superiors how to manage affairs of State and compose differences in the Church Every Club of idle and talkative Persons are become as Censorious and Dogmatical as if they were as wise as a Council-Table and as Judicious in Religion as a Convocation God knows 't is the fault of the Age and God grant it prove not fatal to our Peace and Happiness For alass we have already almost talk'd the State into Confusion and Religion into Atheism or Indifferency which is little better The best on 't is such Busie-bodies are usually catch'd in their own snares and it has oft been found dangerous to intrude into another mans Office or Employment Uzzah would needs put forth his hand to hold the Ark and was struck dead because he medled with that which was none of his business 2 Sam. 6. 6 7. Uzziah invaded the Priests Office and would burn Incense but while the Censer was in his hand his sin was writ on his forehead he was struck with a Leprosie and cut off from the House of the Lord 2 Chron. 26. 16. Dathan and Abiram were Associating against Moses and Aaron and the Earth swallowed them up Sheba blew a Trumpet of Sedition and soon after his head was thrown over the wall Absolom was too busie with the Kings affairs and would needs sit in the Tribunal but was hanged in the Oak as a fitter place for him and we may easily call to mind some very lately among our selves that have talk'd themselves into an Halter and found how fatal it is to be too trayterously sawcy and medling Better far for us to do our own business with quietness and leave other men to do theirs and in so doing we shall find no difficulty from our selves nor discouragement from others Let us resolve to be faithful to our own business and