item: #1 of 12 id: A26211 author: Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. title: The judgment of the learned and pious St. Augustine concerning penal lavves against conventicles : and for vnity in religion : deliver'd in his 48th epistle to Vincentius. date: 1670 words: 5050 flesch: 61 summary: Others say , We were Affrighted by false Rumours from entring into the Church , which we should never have known to be false , if we had not come to Church ; and , we should never have come to Church , if we had not been compell'd : God be thanked , who hath cast out this Fear , by the fear of the Law , and taught us , by experience , to see what foolish and vain stories , LYING FAME Casts out upon the CHURCH . But , that which is most Considerable , is His great Experience of the Happy Success of those LAWS , ( made in His Time , ) by Christian Princes , against CONVENTICLES and FACTIOUS ASSEMBLIES ; whereby whole Cities were reduced to the True Christian Faith and Unity : Which happy experience made Him Recant His Former Erronious Opinion , namely , That Christians were not to be urged by Penalties in such Cases , but onely by Arguments ; and Confirm'd Him in this Judgment , that Kings cannot serve God better , then by making Strict Lawes for the Profession , and Exercise of Christian Religion , in the Unity and Communion of the CHURCH , as you may see in the ensuing Discourse . keywords: christ; church; evil; god; good; man; tcp; text; truth cache: A26211.xml plain text: A26211.txt item: #2 of 12 id: A26754 author: Basset, William, 1644-1695. title: Unity stated the only means to it assign'd and argu'd, together with the motives pressing it : in a sermon before the worshipful Company of Salters, Lond. in St. Swithin's Church, Sept. 1683 / by William Basset ... date: 1683 words: 13054 flesch: 61 summary: 2. 19. for her works , and charity , and service , and faith , and patience — but yet , Ver. 20. I have a few things against thee ; and why ? because thou sufferest that Woman Jezebel , which calls herself a Prophetess , to teach and seduce my Servants — Whence that Church had a Power ( and it was her Sin she did not use it ) of obliging her Members to such a rule that might have been effectual for the excluding these , and by parity of reason , all like Errors . Whereas Variance and Divisions , like boding Owls and Ravens , have ever proved unlucky both to Church and State. keywords: church; conscience; duty; god; good; hath; man; men; reason; religion; rule; scripture; self; things; unity; way; world cache: A26754.xml plain text: A26754.txt item: #3 of 12 id: A26885 author: Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. title: Catholick vnity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one religion by Rich. Baxter. date: 1660 words: 63385 flesch: 72 summary: W● th●●ght i● re●●l●ss ; our h●arts w●r●●g●inst it , we pr●ferr●d 〈…〉 , an● pr●fits , and cre●it , 〈…〉 ●f the worl● b●f●re it an● 〈…〉 ●ustly do w● p●rish in ●ur 〈…〉 lie in yo●der ●urnin● 〈◊〉 ▪ and be separated as far as H●●l is ●●om H●●ven , fr●m th●se that we willfully ●epar●t●● f●om on ●arth . ] ●eloved hearers , I were not a Believer , if I did n●t foresee this d●e●d●ul day : and I were n●t a man , if I did not desire that you might escape this misery ; and therefore I could do no less then warn you , as you love your selves , and would not be separated from them for ever , that you would presently be United to the Godly , and live in the true Communion of the Saints , and withdraw your selves from the wayes of the ungodly , lest you be found among them , and perish with them . You may as well think else to Unite fire and water , or to build in the air , or to incorpo●●●● fire and Gun-powder ; or to reconcile men and serp●nts , and ma●ry the dog and the bear together Sirs , these ●hings are meer imposs●bilities . keywords: agreement; christ; christian; church; communion; day; differences; divisions; god; godly; h ●; hath; heaven; holiness; holy; law; life; love; man; men; o ●; peace; profession; religion; saints; selves; set; sin; spirit; th ●; things; truth; turn; unity; use; way; world; ● d; ● e; ● n; ● r; ● s; ● t; ● ● cache: A26885.xml plain text: A26885.txt item: #4 of 12 id: A26897 author: Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. title: 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. date: 1691 words: 49777 flesch: 61 summary: O what a Mercy is it to me , and the poor Flock that Christ hath committed to my Charge ; what a help to my Labours and to their Souls , that we have not Minister against Minister , nor Church against Ch 〈…〉 any separating Parties to ensnare men ; but that we Serve the Lord ●●● , to ●● Heart and Soul , one Mind and Mouth . And he never gave Power to the Children and Servants to Rule the Master of the Family ; nor to the People to rule the Pastor or Church , nor to the People to Rule the Iustices or Iudges , &c. God made Governours so early , as prevented the Peoples making them in the essential part of the office . keywords: brethren; case; christ; christians; church; church communion; church members; churches; communion; concord; consent; difference; discipline; duty; faith; god; good; government; hath; holy; liberty; love; man; members; men; ministers; office; pastors; peace; people; persons; power; profession; publick; rule; self; sin; things; way; work; worship; ● ● cache: A26897.xml plain text: A26897.txt item: #5 of 12 id: A26942 author: Associated Ministers of Worcester-shire. Assembly (1658 : Worcester, Worcestershire) title: The judgment and advice of the Assembly of the Associated Ministers of VVorcester-shire held at Worcester, Aug. 6th 1658 concerning the endeavours of ecclesiasticall peace, and the waies and meanes of Christian unity, which Mr. John Durey doth present, sent unto him in the name, and by the appointment of the aforesaid Assembly / by Richard Baxter ... date: 1658 words: 4843 flesch: 62 summary: The great cause of our uncharitable censures and divisions , hath been our departing from the Antient simplicity of Faith , and also from the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures to be the Rule and Test of our Faith : And till we return to this Scripture sufficiency , and antient simplicity , there is no hope of the antient Christian Unity and Charity , while proud men must thrust their own Opinions into the Churches Creed , or un-Church all that hold not such Opinions ; our peace with them must be by calming them , and bringing them to themselves , and bearing as far as may be with their Infirmity , but not by doing as they do , in lacerating the Churches . [ Whether we are true Christians , and Churches of Christ , ] which nothing but lamentable darkness , or frowardness can cause Brethren to deny . keywords: assembly; christ; churches; faith; peace; scripture; text; work cache: A26942.xml plain text: A26942.txt item: #6 of 12 id: A30343 author: Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715. title: An exhortation to peace and union in a sermon preached at St. Lawrence-Jury, on Tuesday the 26th of Novemb. 1689 / by ... Gilbert, Lord Bishop of Sarum. date: 1689 words: 10318 flesch: 55 summary: Parallel'd and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 to be practi●… under the present 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 A Se●…mon Preached at the A●…zes at 〈◊〉 July 8. 1689. To crown all ; We have still one reason to persuade us to reflect a little more frequently on our being Brethren , since we know our Enemies do it to purpose ; their Bottom is on Absolute Authority and Infallibility , that are maintained by Implicit Faith , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which gives them indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ou●… Principles do not allow us ; yet it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ccountable piece of the pervers●…ness of human nature , that false Persuasions should have so great an Influence , when certain Truths are so feeble ; and when all the weight that our Saviour has laid on mutual Love and Charity , shall have so little force , while some False Notions work more certainly . keywords: brethren; common; god; liberty; love; men; present; selves; spirit; tcp; text; things; world cache: A30343.xml plain text: A30343.txt item: #7 of 12 id: A37176 author: Davenant, John, ca. 1572-1641. title: Good counsells for the peace of reformed churches by some reverend and learned bishops and other divines ; translated out of Latine. date: 1641 words: 25595 flesch: 54 summary: For you , Mr Dury , who have hitherto with such zeale , such unwearied paines , so many dangers , so great charges , prosecuted this Designe so well pleasing to God , his Angells , and men ; truly you have deserved so well of the whole Church , as that all good men must acknowledge themselves much indebted to you . For there bee some Opinions of those men who differ about Religion , which overthrow the very foundation of our Salvation , & destroy either that Piety or that Charity which wee are commanded by God's word to practise towards God and men : such are the erroneous Doctrines of Romanists , who will have that religious worship given to creatures , which God hath reserved peculiar to himselfe ; who make our Faith to rely upon the judgement and authority of men ; who severall waies overthrow the Preistly office of Jesus Christ ; in a word , who have with their own inventions so stained and deformed the whole Christian Religion , that they have left no one part in it sound and untainted . keywords: body; christ; christian; churches; communion; controversies; divines; doe; faith; farre; fundamentall; god; good; hath; himselfe; let; lord; man; manner; men; non; opinion; peace; points; salvation; sides; thing; way; wee cache: A37176.xml plain text: A37176.txt item: #8 of 12 id: A41779 author: Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692. title: A friendly epistle to the bishops and ministers of the Church of England for plain truth and sound peace between the pious Protestants of the Church of England and those of the baptised believers written with the advice of divers pastors and brethren of the baptised congregations, by Tho. Grantham. date: 1680 words: 8667 flesch: 62 summary: 1. That the Election and Ordination of Min●sters , of what Rank soever , be restored ( wher●in it shall appear to have been neglected ) in 〈◊〉 most solemn manner that may be , accordi●● to the Scriptures : 1. It 's here propounded , as greatly necessary to a tru● Christian state , that some effectual Course be resolve● upon , to keep ( as far as may be consistent with Trut● and Charity ) a holy and just Distinction , between thos● who lead wicked and Scandalous Lives , and them tha● live holily , according to the general Rules of Christianity , without respect of Persons . keywords: christ; christian; church; england; god; holy; men; things; thy; truth; ● ● cache: A41779.xml plain text: A41779.txt item: #9 of 12 id: A43196 author: Friend to the virgin daughter of Zion. title: Healing queries for sick churches that is, some seasonable thing begun, whereby the present breaches in churches may be repaired, future rents and divisions prevented, and so all the Lords people have communion not in darknesse but light / published, by a friend to the virgin daughter of Zion. date: 1658 words: 4623 flesch: 86 summary: Healing queries for sick churches that is, some seasonable thing begun, whereby the present breaches in churches may be repaired, future rents and divisions prevented, and so all the Lords people have communion not in darknesse but light / published, by a friend to the virgin daughter of Zion. Friend to the virgin daughter of Zion. Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 741:25) Healing queries for sick churches that is, some seasonable thing begun, whereby the present breaches in churches may be repaired, future rents and divisions prevented, and so all the Lords people have communion not in darknesse but light / published, by a friend to the virgin daughter of Zion. Friend to the virgin daughter of Zion. keywords: church; churches; god; members; people; quest; text cache: A43196.xml plain text: A43196.txt item: #10 of 12 id: A50417 author: Mayne, Jasper, 1604-1672. title: A sermon concerning unity & agreement preached at Carfax Church in Oxford, August 9, 1646 / by Iasper Maine ... date: 1647 words: 19014 flesch: 54 summary: I doe not meane when men speake divers tongues of severall dialects , and significations , ( as when they at the building of Babell spoke some of them Hebrew perhaps , some of them Greek ) but my meaning is , that nothing more directly tends to the division of a State , or Church , then for severall companies of men to distinguish , and divide and separate themselves from one another by certaine words and names of marke and difference , especially if they be words of disgrace , and scandall , and reproach , mutually imposed , and stuck upon each other ; Or words of faction , and combination , assumed and taken by themselves . The Apostles taught but one Faith , one Baptisme , one Christ , one plaine , open way of salvation to men ; yet they were mis-understood by some , as if they had preached many : Or as if the numbers of their severall Doctrines , had equalled the number of their severall persons , and they had ( every one where he went ) scattered a severall Gospell . keywords: apostles; brethren; christ; church; doe; ghost; god; gospell; hath; hee; himselfe; holy; man; men; minds; non; paul; people; scripture; sermon; spirit; teachers; text; things; words; world cache: A50417.xml plain text: A50417.txt item: #11 of 12 id: A57166 author: Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676. title: The staves of beauty & bands opened in a sermon preached at Yarmovth, August 23, 1663 / by Edward, Lord Bishop of Norwich. date: 1663 words: 18695 flesch: 82 summary: Love is the Vehiculum of all that help and service which one Christian man deriveth upon another ; hereby we x serve one another , and y edifie one another ; we bear with the infirmities , sustain the burdens , and rejoyce in the comforts , mourn in the sorrows , distribute to the necessities , pray for the souls of one another ; By this means the graces of the Church are more bright and resplendent , as the flame which ariseth out of united fewel , is much greater then that which each stick alone by it self doth render ; and hence it is that the servants of God do z love the habitation of his house , and the place where his honor dwelleth , a assembling themselves there together with one accord , because he hath promised b that in every place where he recordeth his name , he will come unto them , and bless them : and by this means there were added to the Church daily such as should be saved . 1. Light and Luster ; for as a great part of the Corporal Beauty is in the life and vigour of the eye , so of spiritual Beauty in the clarity and brightness of the mind ; when the Lord , a who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness , shineth in our Hearts , to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ; as the Sun is the greatest Beauty of the visible world , so Christ , as a b Sun of Righteousness , by the c Excellency of his knowledge , is the glory and beauty of the invisible . keywords: apostle; beauty; body; christ; church; cor; god; hath; isa; joh; lord; love; man; peace; psal; rom; spirit; unto cache: A57166.xml plain text: A57166.txt item: #12 of 12 id: A57167 author: Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676. title: The substance of two sermons one touching composing of controversies, another touching unity of judgement and love amongst brethren : preached in two honourable conventions of parliament : the former, Jan. 27, 1657, the other, Feb. 4, 1658 / by Edward Reynolds ... date: 1659 words: 11879 flesch: 76 summary: Let not the perfect despise the weak , Let not the weake judge the perfect , but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , in these fundamentall articles wherein we all agree in that common salvation unto which we all contend , let the piety of our lives in walking by the same rule of Faith and love , the unity of our judgment , the concord of our affections , the concurrence of our ends , our consent and delight in the same truth ( all which are intimated in the words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ) Let all this declare to the Church of God and to our own Consciences , that in our differences , Christ notwithstanding is not divided , but that amidst the variety of our Opinions , the purity , piety , and peace of the Church is still preserved , and let these things likewise predispose and qualifie our hearts to admit of the revelation of further truth out of the word , and so make way to the reconciling of those differences which are yet amongst us . {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Thou savourest not the things that be of God , Rom. 8. 5 , 6. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , &c. They that are after the flesh , doe mind the things of the flesh ; and they that are after the Spirit , the things of the Spirit ; for to be carnally minded is death , but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace , Col. 3. 2. keywords: brethren; christ; church; differences; god; hath; love; men; non; spirit; things; truth; word cache: A57167.xml plain text: A57167.txt