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	speak_v	word_n	5,582	5	4.1899	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90786	The way to the peace and settlement of these nations, fully discovered in two letters, delivered to his late Highnesse, and one to the present Parliament, as also one to his Highnesse Richard Lord Protector, of England, Scotland, and Ireland, &c. Wherein the liberty of speaking ... is opposed against Antichrist, for the procuring of his downfall, who will not grant the same to others; and now published to awaken the publick spirits in England, and to raise up an universal magistrate in Christendome, that will suffer all sorts of people, (of what religion soever they are) in any one countrey, as God (the great magistrate) suffers the same in all countreys of the world. By Peter Cornelius, Van Zurick-Zee, a lover of truth and peace.	Plockhoy, Pieter Corneliszoon, fl. 1659.; Cromwell, Oliver, 1599-1658.; Cromwell, Richard, 1626-1712.	1659 (1659)	Wing P2581E; Thomason E972_6; ESTC R203156	15,982	32

evidently then formerly and the more because the common assembling place may be instituted for drawing of the people from the Ministers in all places without compulsion of any man bringing all Sects without giving wages to any as brethren to equal priviledges But if those that are of one and the same opinion will have particular Congregations and Set-Ministers let themselves pay them as a Master doth his servant For it s no reason that a man should help to maintain anothers servants especially if they be such as in his judgement are soul-destroyers who being in his senses would assist such enemies as do countermine him Is it not to be wondred at that the Ministers who would be esteemed more then the Magistrates should to the shame of their Church or Congregations desire wages of them for whom they have not laboured Neither is it the mark of a true Church where the Members thereof are so covetous and unmercifull that they will not maintain or provide for their own Ministers and the Teachers loving the wages of unrighteousnesse do contrary to the 10th Commandement covet the goods of others whereof the Apostles and their Congregations would have been ashamed to think much lesse would do it Yet I hope that once the Conscience-burthening-law of constraining to pay Tithes to the Ministers who seek rather after Lucre then the Truth for the rest of these Nations will be made null and void Some course being taken to supply the necessities of the Ministers who by such Act that none shall be forced to pay Tithes to them may be brought to a want of a subsistance and yet that this may be so done only for those that are now made destitute but no encouragement for any others in time to come And by this the Magistrates while every Sect maintain their own Ministers will be freed from laying such intollerable burthens on their Subjects having to provide for none else but those who are appointed in the generall Assemblies or meeting-places to read the holy Scriptures and keep the people in order to shew that they are no maintainers of Sects but of the Christian Religion being as Fathers and Mediators to bring the good together out of all Sects to unite under the name of Jesus to the end that his Kingdome and Government may be enlarged for an example to Holland Denmark Sweden France and other Kingdomes who seeing there is no force nor constraint used will easily be brought to a firm bond of Unity This being the only means by forsaking all Men and human-Forms to be blessed by Christ whose honour only is sought against the Antichrist contrary to the way of other Kings and Princes who being separated from Popery have made themselves unworthy of the blessing of Christ by giving honour to the bare name of Luther Calvin and others instead of giving it to Christ having been deceived by the little Antichrists their followers who as well as the great one seek their own glory ease and idlenesse and as if they had no fellowship with the great Antichrist have put the holy Scriptures into the common peoples hands which was before was prohibited to be read only seeking that we should agree with them in their Forms applying and fitting themselves such is their subtilties to the temper of the times as a Fowler gives scope to a Bird he hath already in a string that so at length it may be content to live in a Cage Now against these little Antichrists who under the name of giving liberty would bind the people to their opinions the Magistrates being taught by experience should as wel counter-work as against the great that they may come to the very root bringing the holy Scripture which was formerly prohibited to be read with great Triumph into the generall Assembly or meeting-place and set it on high to the end that the found or report of this to wit that Christ alone must rule by his word in the hearts of men among all Nations according to the great work done in England may be heard giving liberty to every one after the reading of the Scripture contrary to the little Antichrist who wil have it understood only according to their own Forms and Expositions to set forth his own apprehension without being bound to any ones opinion That spirituall matters being applyed to spiritual Antichrist may be stormed with two Armies viz. the Truth against Error and the materiall sword against oppressors who by their arrogating disposition and exclusion of others do seek to restrain the liberty of speaking which discovers the errors of the understanding for the cure thereof Whereas by stopping the mouths of people as heretofore they make men incureable Now to further this that the weaknesse or Ignorance of some may be remedied by the knowledge of others without disturbance or Confusion it will be necessary that the Authority of the Magistrate interpose in this generall Assemby or meeting-place that every one may speak in their order staying their time and those that break order may after due warning be ejected till they are better disposed without oppressing them by Imprisonment or otherwise This would be glad tiding yea a true year of Jubilee for those that lye in prison only for asserting their opinions in matters of Religion that now they may together with others bring in their understandings into this generall Assembly to receive or give light And to the end that Antichrist or he that exalts himself above others may be continually shut out it is exactly to be observed that no preheminence or sole priviledge be granted to any of offering any thing or of speaking first that so every one being at liberty and unhindered may bring forth that which is most conducing to the Common welfare according to the words of Paul 1 Cor. 14.16 All of them sitting still so long after the reading of the Scriptures as being swift to hear and slow to speak till any one think it fit in his judicious and humble mind to propose somewhat for mutuall edification endeavouring withall to make his discourse short that another may have his turn likewise contrary to the custome of the common Teachers who only or solely speaking do lengthen out their discourse to the wearinesse of their Auditory for which end the Moderators who ought to be meek and understanding men are to observe that there be due order kept This seeing no Forms or Articles are made in it besides the holy Scripture will be a Councel and Synod standing alwayes open to all rational people without imposing any mans conclusions contrary to the former Assemblies who have excluded all Nations and Posterity by their self conceitednesse dividing people as by a wall of separation one from another by their Forms whereupon great estrangement hath ensued as if they were different Nations And the better to set up their Antichristian Kingdom and dominion have so contrived their Catechismes that they have bound up and so spoiled the understandings of their

soon attempted to hold forth the authority of the Scriptures according to their own sense upon which when they have introduced matters contrary to reason and people have refused to receive them for authentick they have by their acquired authority kindred the people from so much as to speak or whisper against it constraining them to believe what they say and also to rely upon them and their absolution and to take away all scruple from the people have given out that they will answer for them at the day of judgement Yea moreover which is far more terrible will undertake to pawn their souls for theirs By which perswasions the people being in anxiety fal into their bosomes as in former times in their grosse darkness oppugning the holy Scriptures and the consciences of some with greater earnestnesse are resisted and rejected Yet these men being driven out by Tyranny and seperated from Popery have commonly something of that sower-leaven remaining in them to bind others to their opinions making as a foundation of their fellowship new forms over and besides the holy Scriptures whereby they have not exalted Christ but themselves they have not held close to that only name which was given for men to be saved by but many names as heads of parties according to the different forms they have brought into the world Whence great strangenesse making of parties yea sometimes war and horrible blood-sheddings have ensued which have been managed not for the sake of the holy Scriptures which they all held for truth but to keep up their own opinions till again some more understanding men perceiving the various differences of the forms and wayes and the mischief and wicked disturbance which this strife and variance in writings of disputations and controversie hath produced have justly rejected all names and rules besides the name and rule of Jesus Christ living among them as men full of love and forbearance whose understandings and life clash not against the holy Scriptures and found reason although they differ among themselves in apprehensions upon some places of the Scripture but do continue in brotherly love and unity by which forbearance they do not only set others in the right way so farre as they are in the truth but are also by others brought out of the way wherein they themselves did erre a thing which ought to bear sway with all men according to the words of Christ As you would that men should do unto you so do you unto them also that they should bear with one anothers opinions and conceptions as they would themselves be born withall in theirs For it hath more the resemblance and appearance of compelling the Consciences and of Tyranny then of Reason to press any one to come up to anothers apprehension as necessary before he can apprehend it with his own understanding to be good and necessary This hath been in former ages the policy of Persecutors and makers of Sects and Schismes who not only have cast out by their power such whose understanding they could not bring to agree with theirs but being unable to do it have made great broils rents and divisions in the world whereas every one since God is so long suffering ought with constant persevering love without despairing in the work to labour according to their power to enlighten others that are in darknesse For if those that have the light reject others or depart from them then the blind having no good leaders must needs go astray and being led by the blind fall into a deep abysse of Ignorance On the contrary all true lovers of the common good do labour not only to take out of the world Factions but also all humane inventions as much as in them lieth that so the Lord Jesus may alone remain Lord and Master whose sayings they bear great honour and respect unto although they possibly cannot understand the meaning of some particulars yet being confirmed by signes and wonders do hold the same for good and true In which thing as to the salvation of man they will put no trust or affiance in any besides Jesus Christ nor yet receive any thing as truth but that which they themselves can apprehend to be good and agreeable to his doctrine therefore do they themselves not set up or own any authority whereby men should rely upon it nor yet should give any others Authority whereby to draw men into their party but should bind all men unto Jesus Christ whom they acknowledge only for Head and Saviour We desire from the bottome of our hearts that all men might be gathered together under that one name and that your Highness from whom almost every one expects some speciall work will help to cleanse the Christian Religion and worship of God from all prevailing exorbitances and to that end would institute as an eternall memoriall and example to all Dominions and Governments in the world in every City and in every County throughout England Scotland and Ireland one generall Christian assembling or meeting-place in such a form that all people may see one another round-about by the help of seats rising by steps having before them convenient leaning-places to read and write upon also one desk aloft on one side or end to hear the holy Scriptures read at a set time giving freedome after that reading to all people orderly to confer together concerning the Doctrine and Instruction of their Lord and Master Christ That all Lording over Consciences being prevented all people might come together without receiving any obstruction by any human forms or contrivances even as the Jews being divided into several Sects as Pharisees Saduces Esseens and Herodians c. met together in one Temple so we would not deny any particular Congregations of their freedome of peaceable meeting among themselves about the Ordinances of Jesus Christ as the Orders or Synagogues of the Jews were not at all infringed nor bereave the Ministers or Teachers of their benefit which they receive of their own people for their maintainance for they having a fit opportunity may the better bring in their sense with others into this generall Church-meeting That so the truth getting enlargement the honest party may be resolved into unity and the bad that cannot indure the light may be discovered and made known who only seeking Dominion and rule should not by any means be imployed in high places in matters civil or spiritual that so the seat of Government may not be usurped by their Adherents when things go contrary to their minds being cruell Wolves who in seeking of their advantage wil not spare the flock over which the Rulers who should be placed to keep the people in order ought especially to take care that they do not hinder them from the liberty of speaking freely as it happeneth commonly in particular assemblies or congregations contrary to the laudable practice of the Jews Acts 13.15 who themselves after the reading of the Scriptures did invite and stir up Paul and Barnabas