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	word_n	write_a	3,648	5	10.7659	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

seuding them a strong Reserve of the Magistratical power duly dispensed * We have likewise ground to hope that the followers of Truth in this season also may obtain a favourable success against the recruits which that old enemy hath rallied again under new Colours Yet dare we not limit our General Christ in the time or manner of relieving us Possibly our hour of Temptation is not yet over we may haply undergo yet longer the contradictions of many sinners as our former Worthies did in their opposing the Romish Invasions Our incouragement is that Truth will prevail to Gods honour and to the shame of errour It becomes therefore all Christians to be more zealous and faithfull in their several places for Truth against Errour Magistrates and Ministers being Officers of note under the Lord of Hoasts should be most forward therein as becomes their several Functions that Satans suggestions may be hindred and the vain imaginations of mens hearts That darkness may be expelled thence and light set is stead thereof That great God who hath promised to bring this about eminently in the later daies by the powerfull Word of his holy Spirit that the Purchase of his Son may be compleatly applied to all his Elect according to the eternal purpose of his glorious grace hath also promised to bless the labours of his servants in subordination thereto within their several capacities Blessed are those servants of his whether Superiour or inferiours whom their Master coming shall find so doing It concerns every one to begin at our own hearts that Satans suggestions may not be yielded to but that Christ may garrison them effectually against all the black Regiments of hell We must look therefore more watchfully to the suppressing of those vain imaginations in our hearts which are still acting against the Crown of Christ by corresponding treacherously with the common enemy We are naturally darkness and retain too much of it at the best the more need have we to attend the light of his Truth and Grace that we being made light in the Lord may walk as children of light The sensible experience of that gracious work will render us more capable of furthering it in others To effect such a cure all impediments must be removed former causes prevented and sutable means used as in Ecclesiasticall so in Political relations by the Lords peculiar servants appointed to that work If Seducers be active for evil we have much more cause to be active for good Up therefore and be doing for this work will be rewarded The Lord teach and enable our Magistrates thereto who are entrusted with so much of Christs interest in these three Nations that their comfort in the blessed issue may be answerable to their trust All mountains shall casily become plain before our Zerubbabels when their hearts heads and hands do harmoniously concur in this great enterprize Let 's pray and beleeve wait and labour for it and the Lord shall be with the good Postscript IN the close of our Querists Paper we meet with a Postscript written with another hand which was thought fit to be inserted here that they might not miss of their own nor complain of suppressing any part It runs thus The main end of the Proposer in these modest Questions is to assert Christ to be the sole Lord and Ruler in and over the Conscience who obtained the same by vertue of his Death and Resurrection for to this end saith the Scripture Christ died rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living and that every one might give an account unto God and Christ alone as their own Master unto whom they stand or fall in judgement and are not in these things to be oppressed and brought before the Judgement seats of men for why shouldst thou set at naught thy brother in matters of his faith and Conscience and herein intrude into the proper Office of Christ since we are all to stand before the Judgement seat of Christ whether Governours or governed and with his Decision only are capable of being declared either in the right or in the wrong This specious Conclusion deserves a few Animadversions 1. He would insinuate thereby whoever be the Author that all this labour tends to the Vindication and advance of Christs Prerogative whereas their desire if obtained would prove most destructive thereto as we have demonstrated sufficiently in the preceding Answers 2. He proposes his desires so generally for Universal Toleration in all matters of Worship that the vilest Blasphemies the grossest Idloatry and most desperate Heresies are not to be excluded from it 3. He would perswade that the Scripture is altogether for it whereas it 's as diametrally opposite thereto as heaven is to hell as hath been cleared 4. He strives to strip the Magistrate of the best Jewel of his Crown and the chiefest part of his Authority wherewith he is entrusted by Christ in his stead the preservation and promoting of his Worship according to his own written Word 5. He opens a gap thereby to the greatest flood of Infidelity and wickedness that ever can be imagined to the swift and desperate overwhelming of Truth and Peace both in Church and State 6. He sweetens this poysoned Cup with a handfull of Scripture quotations and plausible expressions of Gods Word but miserably wrested and misapplied as will appear to the Judicious peruser thereof for instance the words of Scripture he uses we find them in Pauls Epistle to the Corinthians whereas as its most clear by comparing them with the context and scope of that Chapter that there is no discourse of the Magistrates power there sufficiently cleared elsewhere but of every Christians liberty in indifferent circumstantials and particularly about Jewish meats drinks and daies wherein he would not have them to offend nor take offence by rashness of judging nor remain unsetled in their conscience about the same shewing that the Kingdom of God consists not in meats drinks or any such externals but in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost That therefore they should use Christian wisdom tenderness and diligence towards each other for their mutual edification There was then a special ground moving thereto because the Jewish Worship having been so long in force and being but lately removed many of the Christian converts the Jews especially thought themselves bound still to the observance thereof which offended others who were better informed Therefore the Apostle who became all things to all in such indifferent matters did use much compllance and forbearance in this case towards weak Christians pressing others to do the like as in other places also yea himself made use sometimes of those Jewish Ceremonials having circumcised Timothy shaven his head made vows c. to win the more upon the Jews his Countrymen who were so desperatly incensed against him for his leaving their way Thus the Ceremonial Rites were gradually to

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

that juncture of affairs required It will be the joy of all Gods friends to see more of the like among us Their success mentioned so remarkably in the context will not be far from us whilst we keep close to God in their way But how farre are our Querists friends from following that good example Do they labour still to disgrace and discourage faithfull Magistrates and Ministers from promoting it Is it not their business day and night every where to obstruct and disturb it what they can If they seem of late to be grown more mild and reserved we may thank the care of such Magistrates who have given them cause to fear the deserved lash Their poyson is but refined by this change and made more taking Ans. 3. He answers again The Kings of Israel had extraordinary Prophets to direct them infallibly Our Kings and Governours have none such to direct them Reply We reply Though many of them had such yet even then the Standard of all Doctrine and Worship was the Law and the Testimony thereby all spirits and pretended Prophets were to be tried The like have we now in Gospel-daies even a more sure word of Prophesie a word surer than the greatest Revelations mentioned in that context of Peter a word sufficient every way to compleat the man of God in the knowledge and doing of his will This is our Doctrinal foundation our infallible Judge whereby all spirits and Doctrines are to be tried If any teach otherwise though he should be an Angel from heaven he is accursed We need then no infallible Prophets or Apostles seeing we have that sure word of theirs which the Spirit of Truth spoke and writ by them confirmed by their miracles and hath infallibly made the perfect rule of our faith and life all differing interpretations thereof may and must be reconciled by the light of that unerring spirit which is inseparable from his Word Though fallible men mistake often yet the sense of Christs Spirit in his Word is clear and sure still Though blind eyes see not at all and sore eyes see but dimly though blood-shot eyes will see amiss the light of that Sun is alwaies clear and sure Though some expressions may seem obscure yet the rest duly compared will sufficiently clear them Though the self-conceited and proud will wrest and mistake it yet the humble will God teach Though a corrupt mind will extract poyson as a spider out of flowers errour out of truth by poysoning it yet Christs Spirit will lead his people thereby into all Truth needfull for them to know Though the carnal heart will still be ignorant yet the teachable heart by that anointing from above will be taught all things gradually proportionably and seasonably so that he shall not need to be taught by any Sect master or Pharisaical Teacher or infallible Pope as too many have been and are still Though this Gospel be hid to them that perish whose eyes are blinded by sin and Satan yet is it plain to him that understands and is tractable in the School of Christ Though it may prove a savour of death to reprobate consciences yet is it still the sweet savour of Christ to his Disciples Though worldly spirits will slight and abuse the simplicity thereof yet spiritual hearts will admire and improve still the Majesty of it Though the perverse minde will account it a self-contradicting word yet the rational Christian will find it still most harmonious in its whole composure Though a vain soul will finde it to be a killing letter yet the wise heart will finde it experimentally to have a most quickning Spirit Though the superficial Reader will finde its shell and bark to be hard and knotty yet the studious Christian will tast the sweetness and tenderness of its kernell and marrow Though deluded Impostors will pervert it still to the taking off the Magistrate from his duty about the first Table yet the Lords servants shall finde every part thereof to be an eminent motive to quicken direct and enable all Superiours to the faithfull preserving and vindicating of it Ans. 4. He answers fourthly The Kings and Rulers of Israel did not imprison Schismaticks Pharisees Herodians Reply 1. The Law of God directed his servants then to dispense all censures in a way proportionable to the nature of the offence and condition of the offender which faithfull Magistrates observed as hundred instances might demonstrate The King to that end was commanded to have a Copy of the Law by him to direct him still daily Reply 2. As there were divers sorts of Hereticks which the Lords Word bound over to just penalties so was there variety of Schismaticks raised up by Satan to rend the Church as the Hereticks work was to poyson it for a just execution on the spirits of such as had not received the Truth in the love thereof that they might be saved God gave them up to strong delusions to beleeve lies as he doth daily Because they voluntarily separated from God and his Truth to give up themselves to the service of sinne and Satan he justly gave them up to a perverse spirit to break them into fractions and factions both in Church and State even as he doth now by sad experience Because they would not be separated from the evil of men he permitted them to follow those seducers that drove on their own interest by separating from good men Doth he not so still Because they wilfully chose heaps of Teachers self-called to serve their fansies and lusts God also chose their delusions to give them up to the efficaciousness of deceit Is it not so still Because they refused and abused the lights of his own setting up was it not just with him to leave them in darkness to abuse themselves and others even as it 's now Thus Gods refusals are still the devils choice and they that forsake his waies cannot escape the devils crooked paths Whilst Authority kept all in their places close to the Word and Waies of God Jerusalem the Metropolis of Church and State was a glorious and harmonious City But as fast as they declined in their zeal of Gods house towards worldly Politicks they ushered in as fast all sorts of discords and discontents Civil and Ecclesiastical Josephus their Historian and many others compared with Scripture Records will fully demonstrate this to the judicious Reader As before their Babylonian Captivity so after it they gradually lost Purity then Peace inclining still towards Errour and Discord Thence the direfull separations of Pharez and Sadock the Ringleaders of so many Myriads into Pharisaism and Sadducism followed close by the Monkish Essens and the Politick Herodians those State separatists The like befell the Christian Churches in the very Apostles daies and successively more and more The sinfull separations of the Novatians Acesians Donatists c. with