Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	church_n	sense_n	true_a	17,425	5	5.5218	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00307	An Epistle, or apologie of a true, and charitable brother of the Reformed Church in fauoure of Protestantes, papistes, & those of the Reformatio[n] for a more moderat course of proceeding in matters of religion by searchinge the Scriptures, & examining theire spirits for the sense, and true meaninge of them by a peaceable conference, & such easy meanes as weare practised in the apostolicall, and primitiue church for plantinge the faith, and rooting out of errour tending to vnitie of religion, loyaltie to the Kings Maiestie, increase of honoure to him & his posteritie, & good of the Commonwealth.		1605 (1605)	STC 10431.5; ESTC S2111	18,209	49

AN EPISTLE OR APOLOGIE OF A TRVE AND CHARITABLE brother of the Reformed Church in fauours of Protestantes Papistes those of the Reformatiō for a more moderat course of proceeding in matters of Religion by searchinge the scriptures examining theire Spirits for the sense and true meaninge of them by a peaceable conference such easy meanes as weare practised in the Apostolicall and Primitiue Church for plantinge the faith and rooting out of errour tending to vnitie of Religion loyaltie to the kings Maiestie increase of honoure to him his posteritie good of the Commonwealth VVOrshipfull and my louing brother in the lord I haue receiued your louing aduertisements by writinge and I honoure you the more as well for that I see theareby your sinceare affection continued towards me 〈◊〉 also for your singular zeale euer to maintaine the gospell In which respects 〈◊〉 take in good parte your seuere reprehension and distast of the aduise I lately 〈◊〉 for a milder course in matters of Religion then hath bene for many yeares in this Realme folowed Wheareas you protest to remaine still my frend notwithstanding our difference in opinion touching this pointe therein appeareth your well grounded affection loue towards me and I could wish that all our brethren would keepe the same course of charitie towards all men howsoeuer they differ from vs in sense or opinion So should we beare the marke of true Religion and by this badge be knowen to be Christs disciples if we loue our Enimies Christ commaunded vs to loue our neighboure and declared as you knowe that the Samaritan was neighboure to the Iewe and thearefore not to be excluded from his loue howebeit otherwise he could not communicat with him in diuine affaires Your zeale is commendable in that you say with Paule Vtinam abscindantur qui v●● conturbant for with him you may so pray that they which withstand hinder the course of the gospell weare cutt of and rooted out But in that you wish them to be cutt of by the sword and I contrary wise by the force of gods word in this our opinions are different Wherefore my drift is in this Apoligie and defence first to set doune plainely my opinion and then to lay open the reasons that moued me theareto And so to come to the matter I wish with you and pray as Christe himself did that all the Kings Maiesties subiects may be made one in Christe to acknowledge all one god to embrace all one faith to liue vnder the rules of one lawe and so to agree if it may be in will and affection that we may be all Cor vnum anima vna One hart and one soule and this we both agree to be best not only in reguard of the soules health and eternal saluation but also for the ciuill policie and temporall gouernement of his Maiesties Dominions For whosoeuer would wish or seeke to nourish diuision in any sorte as he cannot be of god so is he not to be accompted a good gouernour or right politician In our last assembly at London it was our praier as you may well remember that the Kings Maiestie exalted to so greate a Monarchie and gouernment of so many kingdomes diversly sorted and affected in religion might haue that gracious vertue of the Adamant stone to drawe vnto him and winne to vnity in faith the people of diuers nations so committed to his charge For who of vs al doth not desire from his hart that the Protestants and Papists of England which are many in number the Papistes of Ireland where there are fewe or none other and the Nobility of Scotland of the which no small number inclyne that way would come with vs to the pure light of the gospell 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 bene the respect was borne his Maiestie it had bene controuled as it was misliked both by the protestant papist And since that to further aduance our cause and to proceede in the same purpose we haue in peaceable manner donne what in vs lieth Let vs holde on the same moderat course and striue to preuaile not by the temporall sword of his Maiesties power but endeuoure to ouercome by the eternall sword of gods holly word Which though it be sweete and not violent yet is it a two edged svvord that cutteth on euery side and pierceth more dieply 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 pointe of good husbandrie to weede the Corne-fielde before the weedes haue ouergrowen the corne so likewise may his Maiestie emploie his temporal 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 be times be cutt of In matutino interficiebam omnes peccatores terrae So did that holly king Dauid pleased god highly theare with Thus much your arguments doe proue sufficiently For in this sense the kinge beareth the sworde to destroy all sinne sinners in matutino that is to say betimes while sinne sinfull erroures are newly budding may be cutt of without hurte and damage to the state of the good and faithfull And it is our part to be watchfull to discouer them betimes least if we sleepe too long they spring soe high and spreade so far that whosoeuer shoulde then attempt to pull them vp should destroy much corne withall doe more harme then good This then is the pointe whearein we iarre You thinke it needefull that the k. Maiestie proceede to authorize and establish our religion by the sworde to represse all other sects by seueritie of lawes such as weare 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 cause and I take this my aduise to be better grounded then yours in the written worde 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 yssue and finally to agree best with true ciuill policie for the sweete peace rest and repose of this our Republique and increase thereof as shall appeare by the experience we haue seene with our owne eyes in these our daies as well in his Maiesties Dominions as in all Nations round about vs. That we haue slept too long all writers agree 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 soldiours did sacrifice to the Idolls others standing constant in the faith wherein they were baptized woulde neither chaing in hart nor yet in outward showe seeme other then true faithfull Christianes The wisedome of this Constantius though then a Pagan was such as he iudged those Christians that denied theire faith by this outwarde acte of Idolatry most vnworthy to serue him who of abase seruile feare had forsaken the god they serued but cherished and highly honoured the other as men that by theire Religion had learned to be faithfull to whomsoeuer they had giuen theire trothe This pointe of so deepe consideration in a Pagan seemeth admirable as it is exceeding comfortable to vs all to see howe the lord hath giuen the like me asure of vnder standing to our king who amoung many instructions giuen the Prince his sonne obserued the same ground for triall of his subiects confessed himself that he neuer found any more faithfull to him in all his distresses then such as had bene faithfull to the Queene his mother who were not all you knowe of his Religion Howe certaine a triall this is to discerne loyall harts he will easily perceiue that looketh into the state of our dayes wheerein as we see more sects and more inconstancie in beliefe then in any other age since Christe so withall we finde lesse fidelitie in frendes lesse trust in seruants more dissembling in all states then euer heeretofore was heard or practized In the later daies saith Christe many shall fall a way from the faith and thinke you that in those daies he shall finde faith fidelitie of one man to an other In the same measure that faith is broken toward god in heauen it will breake faile assuredly towards man in earth In matter of faith saieth Paul the hart and tōngue shoulde agree togeither Corde creditur ad iusticiam ore autem confessio fit ad salutem And shall we aduise our Prince who hath bene so vvell brought vp in the schoole of gods vvorde to vse such meanes vvith his subiects in matters of theire faith as may seperate theire outward behauioure from theire inward conscience or teach them to be disloyall to himself by forceinge them to be false to god in theire Religion By violence of lawes he may make many dissemble theire faith with repining hart grudge of minde to theire assured damnation because therein they sinne against theire owne cōsciences yet sure it is that as no man can alter his opinion as he list or at his pleasure so force can neuer chainge his faith vntill his groundes argumētes shall be by better reasons conuinced The Princes securitie greatest force lieth in the faithfull hartes of his subiectes the hart or affection of man is neuer wonne by violence if we will bring all to the course of the Primitiue Church we must note that then no violence was vsed to establish the gospell The scriptures vveare searched but the interpretations vvere not restrained as you may see 1. Cor. 14. shall we nowe stop mens mouthes and tye them with statute lawes to the iudgement of afeawe and make theire opinions as a Popish Decree that too before due examination triall In the Primitiue Church the are arose a controuersie whether the lawe of Moises were still to be obserued togeither with the lawe of Christe for appeasing whereof the Iewes tooke one way not much vnlike to yours the Apostles an other way such as I nowe persuade The course of the Apostles was conuenerunt Apostols 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 because Christe promised to be where Christians in his name should thus assemble conferre togeither to finde out the truth the Christians from that time in like case haue taken the same course Pastors and Bushops of the whole worlde were called togeither in the first councell of Nice where that blasphemous Arrius who denied Christe to be god vvas yet inuited to the triall of his doctrine and vvas heard vvhat he could say for defence thereof so from age to age as heresies haue risen in the Churche like course of conference hath bene taken to confirmethe faithfull conuerte the misbeleeuers euen vntill these late daies as appeareth by those conferences vvhich haue bene in Germanie not only amoung the Papistes but also amoung the follovvers of those notable reformers M. Luther M. Caluin by reason of the diuersities of theire opinions in matters of faith The Ievves thought by vvhippes threatninges to stop the mouths of Christes disciples that they should not persvvade nor speake in the name of lesus but the more they vvere forbid the more they spake as it hath also fallen out amoung vs of late yeares in England Such Conslitutions therefore in my opinion are not conuenient as for my selfe as I doe not misdoubt the truth of my beleefe or feare any conference or disputation vvith any contrarie secte so am I not vvedded in such sorte to myne owne sense that I altogeither disdaigne other mens iudgements in the true meaninge of the scriptures especially of those most auncient therefore most reuerend assemblies from all coastes of the earth vvhere Christians liued which being neere to the time of the Apostles coulde not but giue great light what doctrine the Apostles had taught in those contreyes and in what sense the scriptures were deliuered In this sorte did M. Iuell Openly at Paules Crosse confidently challenge the Papistes in case that they should disagree from him in the sense interpretation of the scriptures he was content to referre himselfe to the vniforme faith of the fathers in the firste six hundred yeares For it was not likely ouerthrowen or that any but the Apostles coulde haue that priuiledge to plant Christian doctrine in all nationes of the earth as noteth Tertullian lib. de prascriptionibus This Challenge of M. Iuells vvas accepted by his aduersaries and many a good soule that had care of saluation and desire of the truth vvas much edified thereby hoping that by this meanes the truth vvoulde come to light and vvhich vvere the primatiue faith and doctrine of the Apostles be easily discerned And vvhen some violent heades persuaded that M. Iuells challenge shoulde proceede no further but that the ansvveares of his aduersaries should be be proclamation repressed many began to stagger and thinke that the truth was rather on theire side for othervvise sayd they vvhy should not the aunsvveares be seene and read especially vvheare M. Iuells replies vvere rife in euery mans hands For most certaine it is that the truth feareth no triall flieth not the open pulpits and publique disputations The learned vvriters tooke it then for a disgrace to theire writings to be quitte by proclamation vvhich thing once my selfe