Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	according_a	church_n	tradition_n	2,646	5	9.0706	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54125	The continued cry of the oppressed for justice being a farther account of the late unjust and cruel proceedings of unreasonable men against the persons and estates of many of the people call'd Quakers, only for their peaceable meetings to worship God : presented to the serious consideration of the King and both Houses of Parliament : with a postscript of the nature, difference and limits of civil and ecclesiastical authority, and the inconsistency of such severities with both, recommended and submitted to the perusal of Cæsar's true friends / by the author of England's present interest, &c.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1675 (1675)	Wing P1270; ESTC R18856	19,683	36

would entreat Caesar to consider the sad Conseq●ence of Imp●sition and remember both that God did never ask Man Leave to Introduce Truth or make further Discoveries of ●is Mind to the World and that it hath been a wof●l Snare to those Governments that have been drawn to employ their Power against his Work and People 10thly This Way of Proceedure endeavours to stiffle or else to punish Sincerity for Fear or Hopes Frowns or Favour prevail only with base Minds So●ls degenerated to the third and fourth Generation every Spark of Integrity must be extinguisht where Conscience is sacrificed to Worldly Saf●ty and Preferment so that t●is Net holds no Temporizers Honest Men are all the Fish it catches but one would t●ink they should make but an ill Treat to such as reckon themselves generous Men and what is more Christians too but that which renders the Matter more unjustifiable is the Temptation such Severity puts upon Men not hardy enough to suffer for Conscience yet strongly perswaded they have Truth on their Side to desert their Principles and smo●her their Convictions which in plain Terms is to make of sincere Men Hypocrites whereas it is one great End of Government by all laudable Means to pre●erve Sincerity for without it there can be no Faith or Truth in Civ●l Society nor is this all for it is a Maxim worthy of Caesar's Notice NEVER TO THINK HIM TRUE TO CAESAR THAT IS FALSE TO HIS OWN CONSCIENCE besides raped Consciences treasure up Revenge and such Persons are not likely to be longer Friends to Caesar then he hath Preferm●●ts to a●lure them or Power to deter them from being his most implacable Enemies 11thly There is not so ready a Way to 〈…〉 eism as this of extinguishing the Sense of Conscience for Worldly Ends destroy that Internal Rule of Faith Worship and Pract 〈…〉 t●wards God and the Reason of my Religion will be Civil Injunctions and not Divine Convictions consequently I am to be of as many Religions as the Civil Authority shall impose however untrue or contradictory this Sacred Tye of Conscience thus broken farewell to all ●eavenly Obligations in the Soul Scripture-Authority and ancient Protesta●t Principles Christ may at this Rate become what the Jews would have had him and his Apostles be reputed Turners of the World upside down as their Enemies represented them and the godly Martyrs of all Ages so many Self-Murderers for they might justly be esteemed Resisters of Worldly Authority so far as that Authority concerns it self with the Imposition of Religion because they refused the Conformity commanded even to Death And it may not be unworthy of Caesar's Consideration if from these Proceedings People are tempted to infer there is nothing in Religion but Worldly Aims and Ends because so much Power is abus'd under the Name of Religion to vex and destroy Men for being of another Religion that he hazards the best Hold and Obligation he hath to Obedience which is Conscience for where they are taught to obey for Interest Duty and Conviction are out of Doors By all Means let Conscience be sacred and Virtue and Integrity the under dissenting Principles cherisht Charity is more powerful then Severity Perswasion then Penal Laws Lastly To the Reproach of this Course with wise Men it hath never yet obtain'd the End desired for instead of Compliance the Difference is widened the Sufferers are pitied by Spectators which only helps to increase the Number of Dissenters for whoever is in the wrong few think the Persecutor in the Right This in all Ages having been the Issue of severe Prosecution of Dissenters for Matters of Religion what a Cruel Troublesom Thankless Succesless Office is it for Caesar to be employed in may he take better Measure of his Authority and use his Power to the Encouragement of all the Virtuous and Industrious and Just Punishment of the Lazy and Vicious in all Perswasions so shall the Kingdom Florish and the Government Prosper For Ecclesiastical Authori●y or in plainer English Church-Power which makes up the other Pa●t of this Postscript it will be requisite to consult Holy Scripture wh●re we shall be informed of the Institution and Practice of it among the Ancient Ch●istians and by that Canon all People professing Christianity pretend a Willingness to be concluded CHurch-Power supposeth a Church first It will not be improper therefore to examine first What a Scripture-New-Testament-Church is and next what is the Scripture Power belonging to such a Church A scripture-Scripture-Church is a Company or Society of People believing professing and practising according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ Jesus and his Apostles and not according to the Scribes Pharisees that taught for Doctrine the Traditions of Men They are such as are Meek in Heart Lowly in Spirit Chast in Life Virtuous in all Conversation full of Self-Denyal Long-Suffering and Patience not only for giving but loving their very Enemies a People so effectually redeemed from the Impieties and Vanities of the World he that thought it no Robbery to be equal with God thought it no Disparagement to be Head to and account as his own Body It was upon a Society thus qualified that the Holy Ghost bestows these excellent Names Disciples and Friends of Christ Heirs and 〈◊〉 with Christ Christ's Brethren and Ki●d●●● A peculiar People The p●r 〈…〉 as most p●●ci●us Blood the Redeemed from 〈◊〉 Earth A Royal Priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nation The Church of the First Born Christ's Body and the Lamb's Brid which answers but Christ's own Character of himself Religion and Kingdom which is the most apt Distinction that ever can be given of the Nature of his Church and her Authority viz MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD which well connects with Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar 's and unto God the things that are God 's It was an Answer to a very suspitious Question for it was familiarly bruited that he was a King and came to poss●ss his Kingdom and was by some called the King of the Jews The Jews being then subjected to the Roman Empire it concerned Pilate Caesar's Deputy to understand his pretentions which upon better information he found to center in this My Kingdome is not of this World else would my Subjects fight for me As if he had said these Reports are a meer perversion of my Peaceable and Self-denying Intentions an Infamy invented by malicious Scribes and Pharisees that they might the better prevaile with Caesar to sacrifice me to their hatred and revenge I am Caesar's Friend I seek none of his Kingdom from him nor will I sow Sedition plot or conspire his Ruin no let all Men render unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar 's that 's my Doctrine for I am come to erect a Kingdom of another Nature then that of this World to wit a Spiritual Kingdom to be set up

Hundred and Sixteen Pounds Fifteen Shillings and Ten Pence in Kine and Horses which the Justice keeps to his Own Use and Work as his own also Corn Brass Pewter Bedding and such like Goods William Hall of Congleton Shoemaker was fined Twenty Pounds by Will. Knight Mayor and two Justices for having a Meeting at his House for which his Mare was distrained when his Wife was riding on her And some time after they seized on his Shoes in his Shop And another time in his Absence with Mathooks brake open the Doors of his Dwelling House and took away Two Cart-Loads of Goods whereupon William tendered an Appeal but the said Magistrates denyed it Sometime after the Mare of her own accord came Home in his Absence his Wife let her in now notwithstanding that upon their Crying the Mare he went with two of his Neighbours and acquainted the Chief Magistrate that he had the Mare and she was in the Field without any Lock to hinder them from her and if they had more Right to her then he they might fetch her otherwise if they pleased he would joyn Issue with them to try whose the Mare was which they refused and committed him to the Goal and Arraigned him for his Life as a Fellon but was acquitted by the Judge and Jury Taken from several in and about Nantwich by Warrant from Justice Manwaring for Eighty Seven Pound in Fines Goods to the Value of One Hundred and One Pounds in Kine Bacon Bedding Brass Pewter Corn Cloth Shoes and Cheese And from one Man was taken the very Beds they lay on to the Dunghil which they also carryed away Some of the Sufferers appealing the Jury acquitted them but the Justices would not receive their Verdict but at the next Sessions the Justices gave Judgment for the Informers and not contented with this they gave them TREBLE Cost Note the Cheif Informer in these Sufferings was one John Widdowbury of Hanklow called an Esquire who did it to be revenged on Thomas Braisey one of the Meeting for demanding Forty Pounds of him which he owed unto Thomas Braisey upon Bond which that he might as appears defraud the said Thomas Braisey of he hath since by reviving an old Excommunication sent him to Prison and swears he will send his Wife after him from her four SMALL Children Witnesses Henry Fletcher Jonathan Fletcher Samuel Ellis York-Shire HAving in a former Narrative acquainted you that Goods to the Value of Two Thousand Three Hundred Eighty one Pounds Ten Shillings by the late Act against Conventicles have been taken from us with some other of our heavy Pressures and Sufferings in the County of York for the Exercise of our Consciences towards God and having yet obtained no Redress but rather an Increase of our Sufferings One having since dyed in Prison at York where Twenty four yet remain Prisoners and some Hundreds of Families like to be ruin'd by Prosecutions both in Temporal and Ecclesiastical Courts because for Conscience sake we cannot conform to the Religion and Worship imposed on us nor deny the Religion and Worship which we have been taught by the Spirit of God according to the Holy Scriptures and our constant adhering to the Religion and Worship in Spirit which we believe God requires of us can injure no Man but the Denyal of it would greatly injure us because every Man must give an Account to God for himself Oh why then should we by Law be exposed to Ruin and Destruction for the Exercise of our Consciences towards God since by our Ruines none are like to be raised unless it be a few Informers Paritors and other inferior Officers in the said Courts but the Dammage that may come to the King and the whole Nation by Discouraging Persecuting or Ruining an industrious innocent People is like to be very great Therefore we desire that you would be pleased to put a Stop to the vexatious Proceedings of the said Informers and Courts and confirm to us your selves and Posterities the Liberty of our Consciences towards God that we all may worship and serve him as we believe he requires us so shall we be accepted of him and receive his Blessing and Peace and Tranquility in the whole Nation Witnesses John Whitehead John Hall In divers other Counties in this Nation there are many more Instances both of great Havock and Spoil of Goods impoverishing and ruining many innocent Families in their Trades and Livelihoods which for Brevity sake is at present here omitted A Postscript Wherein The CIVIL and ECCLESIASTICAL AVTHORITY is briefly considered in their Natures Difference and Extents not Vnseasonably to the present Posture of Affairs OUR Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did long since distinguish the Things of Caesar from the Things of God in his plain and notable Answer unto that ensnaring Question of the Jews about paying Tribute to Caesar Render saith he unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar 's and to God the Things that are God's that is Divine Worship and all Things relating to it belong unto God Civil Obedience to Caesar God can only be the Author of right Acts of Worship in the Mind this is granted by all therefore it is not in the Power of any Man or Men in the World to sway or compel the Mind in Matters of Worship to God where this is attempted God's Prerogative is invaded and Caesar by which VVord I understand the Civil Government hath all for he doth not only take his own Things but the Things appertaining to God also If any should ask me What are the Things properly belonging to Caesar I answer in Scripture-Language To love Justice as Judgment relieve the Oppressed right the Fatherless be a Terror unto Evil-doers and a Praise to them that do well for this is the great End of Magistracy but perhaps my Answer shall be reckoned too general and ambiguous and a fresh Question started Who are the Evil-doers to whom the Civil Authority ought to be terrible But this ought in my Judgment to be no Question with Men that understand the Nature of Civil Authority for those are the Evil-Doers that violate those Laws which are necessary to the Preservation of Civil Society as Thieves Murderers Adulterers Traytors Drunkards Cheats Vagabonds and the like mischievous and dissolute Persons Men void of Virtue Truth and Sincerity the Foundation of all good Government and only firm Bond of human Society whoever denies me this must at the same Time say that Virtue is less necessary to Government then Opinion and that the most Vitiated Men professing but Caesar's Religion are the best Subjects to Caesar's Authority consequently that other Men living never so honestly and industriously having else as good a Claim to Civil Protection and Preferment shall meerly for their Dissent from that Religion a Thing they can't help for Faith is the Gift of God be reputed the worst of Evil-doers which is followed with exposing their Names to Obloquie their Estates