Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	authority_n	church_n	truth_n	2,214	5	6.2511	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97108	Tolleration iustified, and persecution condemn'd. In an answer or examination, of the London-ministers letter whereof, many of them are of the synod, and yet framed this letter at Sion-Colledge; to be sent among others, to themselves at the Assembly: in behalf of reformation and church-government, 2 Corinth. II. vers. 14. 15. And no marvail, for Sathan himself is transformed into an angell of light. Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transform themselves, as though they were ministers of righteousnesse; whose end shall be according to their works.	Walwyn, William, 1600-1681.	1646 (1646)	Wing W692A; Thomason E319_15; ESTC R200561	14,731	18

to the State But you will say that by such a toleration blasphemy will be broached and such strange and horrid opinions as would make the eares of every godly and christian man to tingle what must this also be tolerated I answer it cannot be just to set bounds or limitations to toleration any further then the safety of the people requires the more horrid and blasphemous the opinion is the easier supprest by reason and argument because it must necessarily be that the weaker the arguments are on one side the stronger they are on the other the grosser the errour is the more advantage hath truth over it the lesse colour likewise and pretence there is for imposing it upon the people I am consident that there is much more danger inn small but speciously formed error that hath a likenesse and similitude to truth then in a grosse and palpable untruth Besides can it in reason be judged the meetest way to draw a man out of his ●●ror by imprisonment bonds or other punishment You may as well be angry 〈…〉 ●●ripes or bonds to recover his sight how pr●posterous would this 〈◊〉 Your ho●per ●nd mee● way ●u●e is to apply things 〈◊〉 to his cute And so likewise to a man whose understanding is cloud●d 〈…〉 and imperfect whose mind is so far mis-informed as to 〈…〉 or the Scripture● for we instance in the worst of errors ●a● B●●lam or the Fleet reduce such a one N● certainly it was ever found by all experience that su●● rough 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 the error not remove i● nothing can doe that but the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 power of found reason and argument which 〈◊〉 to b● doubted they are 〈◊〉 furnisht withall that use other weapons Hence have I observ d that the most weak passionate men the most unable to defend truth or their own● opinion are the most violent for persecution Whereas those whose minds are establisht and whose opinions are built upon firm and 〈◊〉 grou●d ●eare no● what winds blow● fear not to grapple with any e●ror because they bo●●d ●n● they 〈◊〉 overthrow it 3. Independency is a Schisme and therefore not to be tollerated The principall argument brought to prove it is this Because they d●part from the Presbyter Churches which are true Churches and so confost to ●o 〈◊〉 by ●he I●depend●nt● I answer that this Argument only concerns the 〈◊〉 because they only acknowledge them to be true Churches Whether they are still of that opinion o● no I know not 't is to be doubted they are not especially 〈◊〉 they have discern'd the spirit of enforcement and compul●ion to ●aig● in that C●ur●h the tr●est mark of a false C●urch I believe the Independents have ●●●ng'd their 〈◊〉 ● es●eially those of them whose Pastors r●●●ive their Office ●nd Mi●is●try 〈◊〉 the election of the people or congregation and are not engag'd to allow so much 〈◊〉 the Presbyters because of their own interest as deriving their calling from the Bis●ops and Pope for the making up a supposed succession from the Apostles who se● their own sakes are enforc'd to acknowledge the Presbyter for ● true Church 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 are necessitated to allow the Episcopall and Papist Church true o● valid fo● the substance as they confesse in the ordinance for Ordination because they have receiv'd their Ministery therefrom without which absurdity they cannot maintain their succession from the Apostles But that the Independents are not a schism they have and will I believe upon all●occa●ions sufficiently justifi● I shall not the●e●or● ●ince it concerns them in particular 〈◊〉 thereupon 〈…〉 to the supposed mischiefs which the Ministers say will ●nevitably fo●low upon th●● toll●r●tion both to the Church and Commonwea the First to the Church 1. Causelesse ●nd unjust revol●s from our Ministery and Congreg●tions To this I say that i● argues an abundance of distrust the Ministers have in thei● own abilities and the doctrines they pr●●ch to suppose their ●uditors will for●●k● them if other men have liberty to speak 'T is authority it seems ●ust 〈◊〉 thei● Churches and not the truth and eff●a●cy of their doctr●nes I j●dge it ●or my pa●●●●ufficient ground to suspect that for gold that can't abide a triall It seems our Ministers doctrines and Religion are like Dagon of the P●ilistins that will fall to pie●●s at the appearance of the Ark Truth sure would be more confident in hope to app●●● 〈…〉 glorious being set off by falshood And therefore I do adjure the Ministers from ●hat lovelinesse and potency that necessarily must be in Truth and Righteousnesse if ●hey think they do professe it that they would procure the opening of every mans mouth in confidence that truth in whomsoever she is will prove victorious and ●ike the Suns glorious lustre darken all errors and vain imaginations of mans heart But I fear the consequence sticks more in their stomacks the emptying of their Churches being the eclipsing of their reputations and the diminishing of their profits if it be otherwise le● it appear by an equall allowing of that to others which they have labour'd so much for to be allowed to themselves 2. Our peoples minds will be troubled and in danger to be subuerted Acts 15. 24. A. The place of Scripture may concern themselves and may as well be urg'd upon them by the Separation o● Independents as it is urg'd by them upon the Separation and Independen●s namely that they trouble the peoples mindes and lay injunctions upon them they were never commanded to lay And 't is very observable the most of those Scriptures they urge against the Separation do most properly belong unto themselves 3. Bitter heart-bur●ings a●ong brethren will be foment●d and perpetuated to all posterity I answer Not by but fo● want of a Tolleration Because the State is not equall in its protection but allows one sort of men to trample upon another from hence must necessarily ●rise heart-burnings which as they have ever been so they will ever be perpetuated to posterity unlesse the State wisely prevent them by taking away the distinction that foments them namely the particular indulgency of one party and neglect of the other by a just and equall tolleration In that family strife and heart-burnings are commonly multiplied where one son is more cockered and indu●g'd then ●nother the way to foster love and amity as well in a family as in a State being ●n equall respect from those that are in author●●y 4. They say the Godly painfull and orthodo● Ministers will bee discouraged und d●spis●d Answ. Upou how slight foundation is their reputation supported that fear being despised unlesse Author●●y forces all to Church to them Since they have confidence to vou●h themselves godly painfull and orthodot me thinks they should uot doubt an ●udience The Apostles could empty the C●urches and Jewish Synagogues and by the prevalency of their doctrine convert 3000 at a Sermon and doe our Ministers f●are that have the opportunity of a Church and the