Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	church_n	infallible_a	12,577	5	10.4116	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85986	The libertine school'd, or A vindication of the magistrates power in religious matters. In ansvver to some fallacious quæries scattered about the city of Limrick, by a nameless author, about the 15th of December, 1656. And for detection of those mysterious designs so vigorously fomented, if not begun among us, by romish engineers, and Jesuitick emissaries, under notionall disguises ... (politicæ uti & ecclesiasticæ. axiom. Arabic.) Published, by Claudus Gilbert, B.D. and minister of the Gospel at Limrick in Ireland.	Gilbert, Claudius, d. 1696?	1657 (1657)	Wing G702; Thomason E923_4; ESTC R202210	61,982	75

quote them It was the commendation of Asa and his people 2 Chron. 14. 4 5. 2 Chron. 15. having been stirred up by the Prophet they acted further vers. 12 13 14 15 16 putting down the Idolatrous Queen-mother with her Idoll for which they were signally blessed Qu. 5. If a Father or Magistrate have not power to force a Virgin to marry one she cannot love whether they have power to force one where they cannot believe against the light and checks of their own consciences Ans. 1. The Discourse hitherto hath been concerning acts of the outward not of the inward man whereof Believing is one wherein the Magistrate hath no power nor authority neither {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nor {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as is confessed by all So that the question as worded is but captious and impertinent Yet if by Believing the Querist means profession of faith or practise of religious duties required of the outward man it 's answered That though a Father or Magistrate have no power to force a Virgin to marry one she cannot love yet hath the Magistrate power to force one where he cannot believe though against the light and check of his conscience Because 1. A Virgin before contract is not bound to any one person for a husband but every soul under Gospel-publication is bound to own Christ for a husband and his Word written for the Rule of their faith profession and practice 2. Though God allows Virgins to chuse their husbands yet doth he not allow men to chuse any Religion besides his own 3. As the Magistrate hath power to restrain forcibly all women from fornication and adultery and punish them for it so may and should he restrain all persons from spirituall fornication and adultery committed by the outward man and punish them for the same though the light and checks of their consciences should erroneously justifie them in their said fornication and adultery seeing no plea of conscience can be on any account a sanctuary to any sin or breach of Gods revealed will The Scriptures formerly named do sufficiently clear this truth We meet next with an Objection proposed by the Querist to be answered by himself drawn from Luke 14. 23. which being but a man of clouts for himself to skirmish withall and not so pertinent to the point in hand as more weakly asserting the Magistrates power we wave that we may come the sooner to more express matter for demonstration by this Querist cavilled at Qu. 6. Whether the servants of the Lord are not forbidden to strive but to be gentle towards all 2 Tim. 4. 2. Ans. 1. We readily grant it and that it was of force of old when transgressours of the first and second Table were most severely dealt withall 2. The Scripture quoted saith nothing for their purpose in that 1. It speaks not of Magistrates but of Ministers duty properly as appears by the whole context directed to Timothy a Minister of Christ as a directory for the Ministry 2. Though it should be applied to the Magistrate yet will it not exclude his civil Jurisdiction and power as it excludes not the Ministers the scope of the place signifying to us that none of the Lords servants should strive for any evil matter nor in an evil manner though for good but against evil in a good manner as Jud. 3. 4. Gal. 2. 11. Neh. 13. Rom. 13. 4 5 6. For this they are commended Rev. 2. 2 3. For the neglect thereof they are rebuked Rev. 2. 14. 20 21. Rev. 3. 13 16. To this duty they are also often stirred up both in their civil and spirituall relations It becometh not Christian Magistrates to be cowed in Christs Cause nor to betray the same by cowardliness or by respects Prov. 20. 8. Exod. 32. 20 26 27 28 29 30. Rom. 13. Zech. 13. 2 3 4 5. Rev. 17. 16. Qu. 7. Whether the Saints weapons against errors be carnall or no 2 Cor. 10. 4. or whether the semi-independents were of that minde in the Bishops daies Ans. 1. To the first part Ministers weapons of whom the text properly quoted speaks are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God of this minde were judicious Christians whether nick-named Independents or others in the Bishops daies as they are still 2. If we should grant it to include the Magistrates weapons we deny them to be sinfully carnall though we grant them to be civilly carnall and yet according to Gods Ordinance Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Qu. 8. Whether it be not in vain for us to have Bibles in English if even against our souls perswasions from the Scriptures we must beleeve as the Church or Parish beleeves Ans. 1. This Question is impertinently proposed to Protestants who deny either Church or Parish to be the Rule of their faith however it may be among the Papists and all Pharisaicall professours of implicite faith and blinde obedience 2. The Scripture must therefore be translated into all Vulgar tongues that every man may thereby learn to know and discern what the Church and we ought to beleeve and to conform his belief thereto Conscience is to be enlightned and quickned by Gods light in Scripture that our faith may not be pinned upon any mans sleeve but that all as the noble Beraeans may try all Doctrines by the Word bringing all to the Law and to the Testimony that thereby their dark mind may be gradually directed through that light which shines in the Ministry of Christ and the Church and their mistakes rectified Wherein their judgements may possibly differ they are to enquire soberly diligently and submissively till satisfaction be mutually given and received But this takes not off the Magistrates power in commanding the outward man about things clearly revealed in Scripture witness Peter Paul and all the Scriptures before quoted Qu. 9. Whether our Magistrates and Governours be not wronged to give them the Titles of Civil Magistrates only if their power be spirituall Ans. 1. The Magistrate is not wronged thereby seeing his Power is not spiritual but civil though sometimes imployed about spiritual things 2. Our Magistrates are truly called Civil because the means and manner of executing their Office their Laws and Arms their Proceedings and Courses their Rewards and Punishments are all Civil only and not Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall Though their object is sometimes spirituall as in things of the first Table So that it s their duty to reduce all to Gods honour and therefore to maintain and observe his will revealed being Custodes utriusque tabulae uti Vindices Keepers and Defenders of both Tables to regulate the externall man accordingly They act politically about Ecclesiasticall things as Constantine the Great said of himself and as becomes the Nursing-Fathers of Gods people Their charge is to be the Shepheards of Nations as that great Prince is styled in History Their

in their Inquisitory practises and whether so long as they are hardned and confirmed by us there be any likelihood that the Gospel should take footing in Spain or Italy Ans. Our Doctrine and practise are no encouragement to Spanish and Romish Inquisitions no more than the execution of Justice upon Malefactors may be called encouragement to the bloodiness of wicked men against honest righteous persons Let Justice be done what ever become of it said that famous Emperour upon good ground The great favour shewed to the Irish Papists against the Laws of God and man before the late unparallel'd Rebellion did no good but much hurt to all sorts The pampering of a foul body is no good way to the curing of it but effectuall physick diet and dressing Evil men will take advantage from and offence at the best things as good men will extract good out of the worst Spain and Italy were awed in Queen Elizabeths time when good Laws were vigorously prosecuted against perverters and pretenders of conscience who carried on hellish designes under specious disguises But the sinfull compliances of King James and King Charles Courts though from pretended depths of politick interest proved fatall to all as in these Nations so in foreign parts Thereby were very many thousands of Protestants betrayed and deserted in Bohemia and the Palatinate in France and Germany in Denmark and Hassia c. Thereby were these Nations almost enslaved under Romish and Spanish tyranny and the Reformed Religion brought to its last gasp if an extraordinary hand of heaven had not made way towards our hopes of recovery in the severall parts of Europe Spain and Italy have been the Mother and Nurse of Antichrist from his first rise hitherto which way soever you please to reckon it Some begin about Anno 396. at the division of the Roman Empire after the death of Theodosius the Great between his sons Honorius and Arcadius Others begin about Anno 408. when the Empire was torn into ten parts by the barbarous invasions of the Huns and Goths Vandals and Franks Heruls and Burgundians Alemans and Jepids c. which gave rise to that ten-horned Beast in Politicals and to that two horned Beast in Ecclesiasticals Others rather begin it about Anno 607. when Mahomet did rise in the East and Bonifacius the Romish Prelate in the West first obtained the Title of Universall Bishop from bloody Phocas who gave it him to gain a friend in the West who soon overtopp'd all Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome Bonifacius his Predecessor had declared a while before the Patriarch of Constantinople to be the fore-runner of Antichrist for usurping that Title of Universall Bishop The Italian and Spanish Churches did suck in apace the multiplicious Errors and Idolatrous Superstitions which did from time to time infest Christianity witness the many Councils and Synods of Rome Braga Toledo Sevill and of other Cities of Spain and Italy in their successive progress Since the setting up of the Austrian family first in the German Empire and in the Kingdom of Spain both Italy and Spain have been twisting into one Antichristian interest though some particular States and Princes of Italy sometimes be over-ruled by their own proper byas And the Jesuites of all Nations have learned to center all their designes in the advancement of the same for the framing of a new European Monarchy under an Austrian Head and the Popes guidance All their mysteries of State their Arcana Imperii move towards this Head-plot in every Nation They have knit so fast into mutuall intimacy that what the one gains shall help the other Thus were Navarre and France England and America given up to the Spaniard by the Popes bounty under pretence of executing his Holinesses decrees There is therefore little hopes of doing them any good or expecting converts there Their doom seems to have been signally foretold That they should not repent neither by fair nor foul means whilst the judiciall Vials of Gods wrath are pouring forth upon that Antichristian Sun the Austrian family and on Rome it self the Metropolitan Seat of that Antichristian Beast This our brave Queen Elizabeth with her wise Council did still well observe maintaining all in a flourishing state by keeping the Spaniard and Pope at the swords point They clearly discerned the interest of England to lie in uniting of all Protestants and keeping all close to the truth and waies of Christ against the renewed combinations of Spain and Rome Some few sprinklings of converts have indeed formerly been found in those places as Zanchius Peter Martyr the Noble Marquess Caracciolus of Vico c. But of late they have been much rarer since the desperate Inquisition the Spaniards right eye as he cals it hath been so exquisitely cruell and tyrannicall Thus the nearer they draw to their dregs the worse they prove It 's observable that the great Merchants of the Beast the Spanish and Italian Grandees are not amended by her ruine but only cast into despairing horrors and lamentations So that little hope is left us of doing them good upon any terms though we be still bound and ready to pray for them and further their good who may be found there to belong to God so farre as we may go without neglect of our duty and without breach of Gods Law which hath been sufficiently cleared as to the Magistrates charge in the preceding Discourse Qu. 13. Whether it be wisdom and safe to make such Judges in matters of Religion and to follow their dictates who are not infallible but as subject to errours as others Ans. In this our Querist begins more overtly to open his Romish pack and usher in a Popish infallibility from the triple Crown for supream Judge of all Controversies This insinuation would make Protestants believe that there is neither wisdom nor safety in their Religion and consequently that they must be looked for from that Church alone where they pretend that Judge to be found that is in their own Thus the Papist and Quaker do boast of that most whereto they are the greatest strangers viz. Perfection and Infallibility We indeed confess our selves at the best subject to errour and pretend not to be infallible Judges We would not seem wiser than Paul who knew but in part 1 Cor. 13. 12. or better than James and John who tell us that in many things we sin all both in opinion and practice But what then Who shall be Judge of the meaning of Scripture We answer 1. The Spirit of truth speaking in his Word is the supream infallible Judge 2. Where he seems to speak obscurely his words in the context scope and other places must be compared to clear his meaning to our shallow judgements 3. Much industry study and sobriety are required to attain thereto in sundry places yet the Fundamentals of Religion are plainly laid down for the meanest capacity The Lamb may