Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	according_a	law_n	word_n	609	5	4.0879	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09885	A refutation of an epistle apologeticall written by a puritan-papist to perswade the permission of the promiscuous vse and profession of all sects and heresies wherein the vnlawfulnesse and danger of such wicked licence is fully declared by auctoritie of Scriptures, canons, councels, fathers, lawes of Christian emperours, and iudgement of reason. Together with the punishment of heretiques and idolaters.	Powel, Gabriel, 1576-1611.	1605 (1605)	STC 20149; ESTC S114980	80,389	128

other and the Nobilitie of Scotland of the which 5 Two or three among ad the Nobles of Scotland the Libelles reckons no small number But indeede this libelling Papist se emes to be melancholique that imagins all the world to be his no small number incline that way would come with vs to the pure light of the Gospell and to our reformed Churches You remember the Profession of Faith which to this intent and purpose we procured to be set foorth in Print at his Maiesties first ingresse into this Realme but it preuailed not and had it not been the respect was borne his Maiestie it had beene controuled as it was misliked both by the 6 Here all Protestantes are included within the number of one or two Protestant and Papist And since that to further and aduance our cause and to proceede in the same purpose we haue in peaceable manner done what in vs lyeth Let vs hold on the same moderate course and striue to preuaile not by the temporall sword of his Maiesties power but endeuour to ouercome by the eternall sword of Gods holy word Which though it be sweets and not violent yet is it a two edged sword a that cutteth on euery side and pierceth Fol 3 more deepely to winne the hart of man and alter his vnderstanding for planting the Gospell then any humane force whatsoeuer I agree further with you that as it is a point of good husbandry to weede the Corne-fielde before the weedes haue ouergrowen the corne so likewise 7 Note the Libellers Andabatismus For all this is against himselfe may his Maiestie employ his temporall sword that no Cockle be sowen or rise in the field of the Lords Church vnder his protection and that such as begin to spring vp may betimes be cut off In matutino interficiebam omnes peccatores terrae So did that holy King Dauid and pleased God highly therewith Thus much your arguments do prooue sufficiently For in this sense the King beareth the sword to destroy all sinne and sinners in matutino that is to say betimes while sinne and sinfull errours are newly budding and may be cut off without hurt and dammage to the state of the good and faithfull And it is our part to be watchfull to discouer them betimes least if we 8 The Parable be alludeth vnto is expounded afterwards in his due place sleepe too long they spring so high and spreade so farre that whosoeuer should then attempt to pull them vp should destroy much corne b withall and doe more harme than good This then is the point wherein we iarre You thinke it needfull that the Kings Maiestie proceede to authorize establish our Religion by the 9 To compell obstinate Heretikes and Idolaters to the outward discipline is not is establish Religion by the sward sword to represse al other sects by seueritie of Lawes such as were practized in the daies of the late Queene against vs and against the Papists And I contrariwise am of opinion that such lawes and seueritie are in our case vnprofitable and will-hurt rather then helpe the aduancement of our case and I 10 A manifest mistaking take this my aduise to be 11 He speaketh all by contraries better grounded then yours in the written word to approach neerer to the wisedome and course of Gods diuine prouidence to be more conformable to Christian humanitie to beseeme better our Prince for the assurance of his estate and the aduancement of his noble issue and finally to agree best with true ciuill policie for the sweet peace rest and repose of this our Republike increase thereof as shall appeare by the experience we haue seene with our owne eyes and in these our daies as well in his Maiesties Dominions as in all Nations round about vs. Fol. 4 a That we haue 12 Lucianicall scorning and Sardoicall laughter of the Libeller slept too long all writers agree and that for many hundred yeares for who of vs doth not see that the weedes haue ouergrowen the good corne taken so deepe roote and so farre spred that amongst his Maiesties subiects there are two for one of a contrary Faith and opposite to ours and that not in ceremonies onely for then we neede not sturre so much as we haue done but in 13 And yet this fellow would be thought to be no Papist But he lyeth stoutly like a Papist and an Asse may be discerned by his cares substantiall points of Faith yea as we esteeme in damnable errours which we haue notified in our bookes as well against D. Whitguift and other Protestants as against the Papists To destroy 14 It were hard indeed to destroy all but the wise Magistrate knoweth that there are diuers sorts of Offendours some weake others wilfull c. all these that are in faith opposite vnto vs were ouermuch crueltie to compell them to an externall worship against their conscience were no lesse 15 Nothing lesse then dangerous dangerous and damnable for vs then for them to impouerish them by statute lawes were to impouerish our selues being so linked to them as many waies we are yea it were a greate 16 The disabling of Papists is rather a great strengthening of the state weakening to the whole body of the estate to the detriment of our soueraigne Prince and of the Common wealth for the wealth of the 17 True of the loyall and obedient subiect but not of the contrary subiect is the treasure b of the king and the multitude of his people is his strength and glorie Gloria Regis multitudo populorum These be the grounds that haue moued me to approue and perswade a more temperat course in matters of Religion of which opinion though I haue 18 It is shamefull and ignominious indeed to change from better to worse as the Libeller did Augustine changed his opinion in the same question but quite contrary to the Libeller His wordes are these I was once so munded that I thought no man ought to be forced to Christian vnity but that we should deale by perswading striue by disputing conquere by reasoning least they proued dissembling Catholiques whom we knew professed Heretiques But this my opinion was ouercome not by wordes of contradiction but by euidence of demonstration For amongst many examples and instances my owne City was brought against me which being altogether of Donatus his part was conuerted to Catholique vnitie by the rigour and terrour of Imperiall lawes whom now we see so to detest the perniciousnes of your animositie he speaketh to Vincentius the Donatist as if it had neuer receiued and professed the same So also many others were shewed vnto me by name that out of the things themselues I might acknowledge that euen in this case that which is written might be vnderstood Prou. 9. Giue occasion vnto the wise man and he wil be wiser Thus farre Augustine In Epist 48. ad Vincens not alwaies beene and you

of Scripture without any meanes rule or limitation to the analogie of faith which because it is but a giddie speach of a malicious Machiauelist and lying Papist to disgrace Religion it needeth no further refutation then a bare deniall The Later is of triall by conference concerning which because the Libeller proposeth the same againe a little after I will forbeare to speake any thing vntill we come to that place Then he produceth an argument to proue how fruitlesse a thing it is how preiudiciall to the King and State to cause men to shew themselues outwardly to be of another profession then in heart they are which he laboureth to proue by the example of Constantius the father of Constantine the Greate who would admit none to be about him that were vnfaithfull in their religion towards God If this be true then would he neuer admit Papistes whose perfidiousnesse towards God in iustling Christ out of his throne in denying him to be our perfect and alone Sauiour in adulterating his word and mangling Religion is notoriously knowne Obedience to God the ground of obedience to the Magistrate And indeed obedience and fidelitie towards the Prince must needs flow and proceed from conscience in Religion towards God grounded vpon the written word But Papistes that embrace a Religion patched like a Beggers cloake and compiled of all Heresies and preferre their owne deuises and traditions before the will of God reuealed in his word cannot possibly carry themselues faithfully towards any Prince which thing also is euidently seene by their daily practise their obedience and faithfulnesse being pinned vpon the Popes sleeue to be disposed where he listeth The Princes securitie and greatest force lyeth in the faithfull harts of his subiects and the hart or affection of man is neuer wonne by violence and if we will bring all to the course of the Primitiue Church we must note that then no 1 But heresies were 1. strained by seueritie of lawes euen in the Primitiue Church violence was vsed to establish the Gospell The Scriptures were searched but the 2 The foolish Libeller knoweth not what interpretation signifieth otherwise he can not be ignorant that in the place he quoteth all interpretations were limited according to the analogie faith interpretations were not restrained as b you may see 1 Cor. 14. and shall we now stop mens mouthes and tye them with statute lawes to the iudgement of a fewe and make their opinions as a Popish Decree and that too before due examination and triall In the Primitiue Church there arose a controuersie whether the Law of Moises were still to be obserued together with the Law of Christ for appeasing whereof the Iewes tooke one way not much vnlike to yours the Apostles an other way such as I now perswade The course of the Apostles was conuenerunt Apostoli seniores the learned in both Lawes held a councell and conference and resolued the question to the contentment of all the Christians which were before of different opinion in the matter This course was then taken and 3 A sound Popish Consequence Christ promised to be there where two or three should be assembled together in his name Ergo Councels cannot erre because Christ promised to be where Christians in his name should thus assemble and conferre together to finde out the truth the Christians from that time in like case haue taken the same course Pastors and Bishops of the whole world were called together in the first councell of Nice where that blasphemous Arrius who denied Christ to be God was a yet inuited to the triall of his Doctrine Fol. 12 and was heard what he could say for defence thereof and so from age to age as heresies haue risen in the Church like course of conference hath beene taken to confirme the faithfull and conuert the misbeleeuers euen vntill these late daies as appeareth by those conferences which haue beene in Germanie not onely among the 4 But what likenesse is there betweene the Popish conuenticles and the anncient Councels Papists but also among the followers of those notable reformers M. Luther and M. Caluin by reason of the diuersities of their opinions in matters of 5 The Libeller is very industrious to note this Faith The Iewes thought by whippes and threatnings to stop the mouths of Christs Disciples that they should not perswade nor speake in the name of Iesus but the more they were forbid the more they spake as it hath also fallen out among vs of late yeares in 6 As if the Papists in England spake in the name of Iesus and not in the name of the Pope England Such Constitutions therefore in my opinion are not conuenient and as for my selfe as I doe not misdoubt the truth of my beleefe or 7 No doubt the Libeller hath more courage then strength feare any conference or disputation with any contrarie sect so am I not wedded in such sort to mine owne sense that I altogether 8 Popish pretence disdaine other mens iudgements in the true meaning of the Scriptures especially of b those most auncient and therefore most reuerend assemblies from all coastes of the earth where Christians liued which being neere to the time of the Apostles could not but giue great light what doctrine the Apostles had taught in those Countreyes and in what sense the Scriptures were deliuered In this sort did M. Iuell openly at Pauls Crosse confidently challendge the Papists and in case that they should disagree from him in the sense and interpretation of the Scriptures he was content to referre himselfe to the vniforme Faith of the Fathers in the first sixe hundred yeares For it was not likely that 9 Who of vs euer affirmed that Gods Church was ouerthrowen we know the Gates of hell cannot preuaile against it Gods Church was in so fewe yeares ouerthrowen or that any but the Apostles could haue that priuiledge to plant Christian doctrine in all nations of the earth as noteth Tertullian lib. de praescriptionibus This Challenge of M. Iuells was accepted by his aduersaries and many a good Soule that had care of saluation and desire of the truth was much edified thereby hoping that by this meanes the truth would come to light and which were the primitiue faith and doctrine of the Apostles be easily discerned And a when some violent heades perswaded that M. Iuells challendge should proceede no further Fol. 13 but that the answeares of his aduersaries should be 10 This was done because the wise Magistrates saw that the Papistes were solemnely sworne that they would neither reade not heare B. Iewels booke read but greedily embraced the poysoned writings of his Aduersaries by Proclamation repressed many began to stagger and thinke that the truth was rather on their side for otherwise said they why should not the answeres be seene and read especially where M. Iuells replies were rife in euery mans hands For most certaine it is