Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	know_v	scripture_n	1,728	5	6.3627	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97113	A vvord more to Mr. Thomas Edwards minister, by William VValwyn marchant. Concerning the nationall covenant.	Walwyn, William, 1600-1681.	1646 (1646)	Wing W696; Thomason E328_20; ESTC R200680	4,675	9

protect us in the peaceable practice of our consciences against all kinds of molestation And how strange soever this may seem to you unto me it seemeth most equal because otherwise a consciencious man that of all men is the most precious in the sight of God and should be so in the judgement of law and authority of all men would be the least free and most liable to disturbance for allow unto such a one all the comforts that this world can afford and but abridge him of his liberty of worshipping God according to his Conscience his life in an instant becomes burthen some to him his other contentments are of no esteeme and you bring his gray hairs with extreame sorrow to the grave for of all liberty liberty of Conscience is the greatest and where that is not a true Christian findeth none In the second Article I bound my selfe to endeavour the extirpation of heresie schisme and whatsoever shal be found contrary to sound doctrine c. Whereby it is supposed and urged that I am expressely bound against liberty of Conscience but as I said before judge not according to appearance but judge righteous judgement by heresie you understand all doctrines that are not agreeable unto yours though you are not infallible by schisme you understand the declining or forsaking the Presbyterian Government or congregations in which sence you were a schisme from the Prelaticall Church but I entreat you speedily to explain by grounds of scripture what heresie is and what schisme is to which you will stand Most commonly by heresiy in the covenant you understand heretick and by schisme schismatick and where in the covenant the word extirpation is applyed to heresie and schism you apply it to the rooting up of hereticks and shismaticks but in all this I conceive you are extreamly mistaken However when J tooke the Covenant I considered what heresie was and I found that heresie is not but where a man forsakes an infallible and knowne truth and professeth the contrarie for vile and worldy respects as may appear by the words of the Apostle to Titus chap. 3. v. 10. 11 A man that is an heretick after the first or second admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe so as if I should know that you in the Bishops time did understand and beleeve upon sure grounds of scripture that libertie of Conscience was due to every Christian and in respect unto the truth thereof did plead and suffer for the same and yet after that by the justice of this Parliament you were delivered from that oppression and molestation for conscience sake and stated in freedom if after this to gain honour profit or preferment you shall be so subverted as to practice the same oppression towards others that differ with you in judgement or way of worship as was injuriously inflicted upon you and strongly and clamourously importune for power to suppresse consciencious people this scripture as I conceive judges you an heretick one that sinneth and is subverted and condemned of himselfe if your conscience condemne you God you know is greater then your Conscience and will not acquit you I dare not peremptorily take upon me to judge you in this sad condition but that error in judgement or blindnes in understanding though very erronious and grosse is heresie I do not beleeve but do rather coceive it an invention of some corrupt Clergy-men to cause hatred among the people about opinions thereby to divide them in affection it being their maxim as well as other polititians divide and master them and to have some colour of enforcing their interpretation of scripture as a rule upon all men and to punish all opposers And truly you shal do a good office if you shall open the eies o your friends in this particular and not suffer them any longer to judge according to the rule of corrupt prelats and persecuting bishops nor continue so violent against such as differ from them in judgment but to judge others to bee consciencious as well as themselves and beare with others as they would be born withall themselves being ever mindfull that none are now infallible And as concerning schism I judge it not to be but where an unpeaceable and violent perversnesse appeareth a disposition imposible to hold fellowship withall and hee onely a schismatick that is such and not an honest quiet spirited person that out of conscience and difference in iudgement cannot walk in Church fellowship with me this being also another invention as I beleeve of corrupt prelats and persecuting bishops to find occasion against Consciencious people and by vexing them to make them draw in their yoak wherein also you shall doe well to open the eies of your friends and help them to distinguish rightly of heresie and schisme that so they may know what they have covenanted to extirpate and what not And though I should find such heresies and schismes and am bound by my Covenant to extirpate them I must doe it in a way that is iustifiable I must not as you seem to iudge endeavour to root out the hereticks and schismaticks by banishment imprisonment or death but by gentle and christian means that is by perswasion admonition and information endeavour to reclaime them and when that availeth not I am only to reiect them or to hold no familiar society with them According to this sence I took these two articles of our Nationall Coveeant and so did divers others that I know nor do I discerne that I strained the naturall or genuine sence thereof in a tittle If I am mistaken I shall thank you or any other by grounds of scripiure to shew me my error but if this sence be good you had need to warne your friends to take heed what they heare for strange inferences are made from those two articles in the covenant but I hope what I have said will satisfie all considerate consciences and suffice to acquit me from breach of covenant though I earnestly endeavour for liberty of conscience wherein I am fully perswaded the glory and truth of God and good of all mankind is really involved otherwise I would never have moved my tongue or pen in this argument And if I shall be so happy by what I have done as to bee an instrument to reduce you into a charitable demeanor towards tender Consciences I shall rejoyce more then to see a miracle for J still remaine most earnestly desirous of your reformation and eternall happinesse William Walwyn FINIS