Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	believe_v	faith_n	scripture_n	10,448	5	6.7135	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95316	A True state of the case of liberty of conscience in the common-wealth of England. Together with a true narrative of the cause, and manner, of Mr. John Biddle's sufferings.		1655 (1655)	Wing T3113; Thomason E848_12; ESTC R202157; ESTC R207322	7,600	15

A TRUE STATE OF THE CASE OF Liberty of Conscience in the Common-wealth of ENGLAND Together with a true NARRATIVE OF The Cause and Manner of Mr. John Biddle's Sufferings London Printed in the year 1655. A true State of the Case c. THough it is to be confessed as his Highness saith in his first Speech to the last Parliament That Liberty of Conscience and Liberty of Subjects are oftentimes abused for the patronizing of Villanies yet let it be said also as he in the same place That these two are as glorious things as can be contended for and that whosoever abuseth Liberty as in the Epistle to the Reader prefixt to the Speech of the Counsellor to the King of Scots James 5. which his Highness caused to be printed turning it into Licentiousnes shall bear his own shame as he that sins because Grace abounds True Liberty nor Grace are the less so because abused nor the more to be stumbled at And because Liberty of Conscience is pleaded in opposition somtimes to Civil Government and for the shelter of wicked and dissolute persons that yet there may not be a Case and that in such a case it may not be lawful to plead and that such pleadings should not enter into the hearts of all those that have any true affection to Liberty it doth not at all follow And if in the Case here presented to thy view this Liberty be not rightly pleaded as being highly violated we shall utterly despair of ever finding any Certainly we do but delude and deceive men if while we cry out for Liberty of Conscience we only intend Liberty to others to profess that whereof we are at present doubtful and not that which we maturely believe to be absolutely Erronious Provided that the persons so erring either in Doctrine Discipline or Worship do profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ and abuse not the Liberty to the Civil injury of others and to the actual disturbance of the publick peace on their parts nor profess and exercise Popery and Prelacy nor under the profession of Christ hold forth and practise licentionsness These things premised we proceed to the Case A Member of that Society whereof Mr. John Griffin is Teacher differing from the said Mr. Griffin in some Opinions touching the Deity of Jesus Christ the Son of the most high God viz. Doubting or Denying that he was indeed that most high God of whom he is the Son And having some Discourse about the same with Mr. Griffin in the said Society being threatned with a Warrant from his Highness and the Constable being sent for to suppress him at last Mr. Griffin thinking his Victory would not be great in overcoming this yong man and that it would tend more to the establishing the Truth of what he maintained if he should in a publick Dispute vanquish by Argument Mr. John Biddle whom he accompted the chief and ablest Oppugner of the supream Divinity of Jesus Christ He Challengeth to Dispute at Pauls in the Stone-Chappel with Mr. John Biddle and gives notice to the Congregation accordingly Whereupon notice was given to Mr. Biddle who knowing the unlearnedness and unskilfulness of his Opponent was very unwilling to Answer him but the second Challenge being urged by the yong man and other friend Mr. Biddle promised a Meeting which came to pass accordingly on Thursday the 28 of June last at the place aforesaid where the two Disputants being placed one against the other the Question was stated in these terms Whether Jesus Christ be the most High or Almighty GOD Which Question being stated Mr. Griffin undertook to prove the Affirmative but required first to know if any man did deny it which with how much ingenuity it was done on his part considering that was the very business they came about and the denial thereof was of so great danger and damage as by the sequel appears let sober men judge whereupon Mr. Biddle according to the manner of a Disputant did openly Deny We are not here to give an accompt of that Dispute only in the Conclusion Mr. Griffin being weary the further Dispute of this Question was referred to the Thursday following but before that time to wit on Wednesday last the Marshal of the City with the Constable were sent with a Warrant for Mr. Biddle which follows in these words or to this purpose By an Order of the Council dated July the 3d. You are forthwith to apprehend the body of John Biddle and to carry him before some Justice of Peace to Answer to such matters as shall be objected by one Mr. Brookbank c. Signed by Ch. P. L. M. of the City of London c. Whereupon forthwith Mr. Biddle was carried before Alderman Andrews who without any Examination or Mittimus save a verbal one Commanded Mr. Biddle to the Poultry-Compter-Prison where he now abides In the evening of the day this Commitment being done at 10 of the Clock in the morning about 9 at night comes a Mittimus from the Lord Major A Copy whereof followeth London ss THese are in pursuance of an Order of the Council of the 3 of July instant to require you to Receive and retain in your Custody the body of John Biddle until further Order and this shall be your Warrant C. P. M. Dated the 4th day of July 1655. To the Keeper of the Poultry-Compter London Here in the first place you have a man committed to prison by the bare word of a Justice of Peace Secondly You have him detain'd by vertue of an Order that expresseth no Crime there is indeed mention made of an Order of the Council but what that is who knows or whether that Order extend to the imprisoning of Mr. Biddle or only to the suppressing of the intended Dispute which might have been done with a word However Mr. Biddle continues a prisoner and cannot be Bayl'd yea it is intended as was intimated by the Lord Major to bring him to Trial at the next Sessions upon the Ordinance made in 1648 against Blasphemy and Heresie Having given thus a very short account of Mr. Biddle's imprisonment and suffering it will now be necessary to say something concerning the man himself his faith and practice that it may appear whether he be a subject capable of the Liberty promised in the Instrument of Government First for his Faith we may refer the Reader to the Catechism set forth under his Name wherein he Asserts the plain Scripture without any Exposition save what appears by the Questions wherein though you finde many things contrary to the Opinions of the present Ministers yet that doth not prove his Opinions to be Erronious any more than the Opinions of Luther a single person against the Judgement of so many thousands of the Learned Clergie that condemned him And indeed the authority of Scripture is of so great account with him that however he may be traduc'd for one that will not believe any more than his shallow reason can comprehend

yet we are assured that he doth constantly profess That it is sufficient to him for Faith if it be either in plain words asserted in Scripture or deduc'd thence by good and necessary consequence indeed he hath for many yeers given himself to the diligent reading and study of the Scriptures with Prayer to God through Christ for direction and guidance therein yet he cannot see sufficient ground to assent to many Consequences that are generally received and reputed Orthodox Thus though with Paul Acts 24.14 15. he worships God and believes according to the way which some men call Heresies yet our consciences can bear him witness that he confesseth with his mouth and his conversation testifies to us that he believes in his heart the Lord Jesus to be his Lord and his God Joh. 20.28 his Saviour Act. 5.31 and by him doth believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory 1 Pet. 1.21 having set him at his right hand angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him and that he is made unto us of God wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 3.30 That he is the onely begotten Son of God and to be honoured as the Father Joh. 5.23 That it is he which is ordained of God to be Judge of quick and dead Acts 10.42 That he is the author of eternal life to all those that obey him That there is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved That his blood is the blood of the new Covenant that is shed for many for remission of sins Matth. 26.28 That he is perfectly able to save them that come unto God by him And however his opinion concerning the holy Ghost hath been apprehended it is yet most certain that he doth not deny him to be the third Person of the sacred Trinity nor his mighty power and gifts appearing in signes and miracles bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel and the Ministers thereof Heb. 2.3 4. but beleiveth the same and that the Holy Scriptures are the dictates and inspirations of that blessed Spirit according to which he tryes all Doctrines and would have others to do the same Contrary to these things he teacheth not therefore can by no means be guilty of not believing in God through Jesus Christ or of bringing in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought him As for his Conversation we have had intimate knowledg thereof for some yeers but we think he needs not us but may appeal even to his enemies for his vindication therein Let those that knew him at Oxford for the space of 7 or 8 yeers those that knew him at Gloucester about 3 yeers those that knew him at London these 8 or 9 yeers most of which time he hath been a prisoner speak what they know of unrighteousness uncleanness unpeaceableness malice pride profaness drunkenness or any the like iniquity which they can accuse him of Or hath he as the maner of Hereticks is 2 Pet. 2.3 through covetousness with feigned words made merchandise of any Hath he not herein walked upon such true grounds of Christian Self-denial that none in the world can stand more clear and blameless herein also he having shun'd to make any of those Advantages which are easily made in the world by men of his Parts and Breeding Languages and Learning that if any known to us he may truly say as the Apostle I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparel yea ye your selves know that these hands have ministred to my necessities he ever accompting it a more blessed thing to give than receive And that he should in holding or publishing any Opinions in Religion wilfully sin doing the same against his own Conscience and Judgement and so should fall under that Character of an Heretick to be condemned of himself Tit. 3.10 11. we cannot imagine that his most zealous enemies do suppose much less charge him with such gross wickedness However for our selves that know him we crave leave upon knowledge to affirm that he lives constantly in such a filial fear of God with so much watchfulness over his wayes and lays so great a wait upon wilful sin that it is impossible he can be guilty of so abhorrid an evil being so far from self-condemning that we are perswaded he would not hold or publish any Opinion or Doctrine which to his understanding he did not judge to have cleer grounds in holy Scripture though thereby he might gain the whole world Such confidence have those that know him of his cleerness in those particulars of wilful sinning or self-condemning And indeed since he hath found cause to differ in his Judgement from the multitude he hath not only diligently examined the Scriptures himself but also hath desired and sought the Knowledge and Discourse of any Learned and good man he could hear of for his further information But though he hath Discoursed with many yet never received he an Admonition from any to change his Judgement or Opinion So that these things well weighed in the true balance of Scripture truth and true Christian charity we hope it will appear though he may erre in some part of his Judgement yet can he not by any means be esteemed less than a Believer in God through Jesus Christ and one that exerciseth himself to have alwayes a good Conscience void of offence toward God and men having hope of the Resurrection both of the just and unjust and so not an Heretick the Characters of such an one not at all appearing in him and much less a Blasphemer having never been known to be either a Curser or Swearer or Rayler against acknowledged Truths Insomuch that were he in a true un-erring Church of Christ they could not so much as excommunicate him out of their fellowship as an Heretick much less persecute him to imprisonment or other punishment it cleerly appearing that if he be mistaken in any thing as who in some measure is not it is necessarily from the intanglement of his understanding and not in the least of wilfulness Nor could we ever perceive but that even in those things wherein he most differed from the stream of interpreters in those high points of Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity that he contended therein out of curiosity or vain-glory but conscientiously and to the cleering of the Truth to him so appearing and vindication of the honor of God therein which we believe to be the supream end of all his endeavors And though he should somewhat mistake the way yet doubtles God who often accepteth the will for the deed will look upon it as an Error of his zeal and love and receive him to his mercy And we trust all well-minded people will receive much satisfaction herein And as we have undertaken as being moved in Conscience thereto to vindicate Mr. Biddle from any Heresie in Faith or licentiousness in Practice that might render him justly uncapable of Liberty of Conscience