Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	faith_n	word_n	write_a	3,171	5	10.6412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30925	The faithful and wise servant discovered in a sermon preached to the Parliament of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, at their late private fast in the Parliament House, Jan. 9, 1656 / by Matthew Barker ...	Barker, Matthew, 1619-1698.	1657 (1657)	Wing B773; ESTC R20191	33,385	52

disturbances Yea if the people will not come to hear it preached but be spending their time in drinking and revelling and the like when they should be attending upon it he may command them to give their attendance upon it at least in one place or another especially such as own the Christian profession as we do generally in this Nation 3. He is not only to remove obstructions but he ought to countenance and encourage the true Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel in their preaching and the Professors of the Gospel in their profession He is to take them under the wing of his Government and to protect them in their just Liberties against all opposers and to furnish them with convenient places for their meetings and publique Worship and to provide what maintenance may be necessary for the furtherance of the preaching the Gospel and spreading of it as Constantine did in his time And all this he is to do because of that Supream Right that the Gospel hath from him that is the King of the Earth to be published in the world 4. But lastly He may also upon the same account inhibite the divulging and propagating of any principles opinions or religion so called which will directly tend to the undermining and subverting of this Gospel For it is only the true Gospel that hath a right to be propagated and received in the world So that the Magistrate is under no ingagement to any Religion but the true Religion any Gospel but the true Gospel any profession but the true profession for that only hath a right as I said to be propagated and entertained So that if any man will come and preach another Gospel then what the Apostles had a commission from Christ to preach and will preach such Doctrine as will tend to the undermining of it The Magistrate is under no ingagement to give to that liberty much lesse countenance but rather to restrain it because it is not that Gospel and that true revelation of the mind of God which he hath decreed to be entertained of men If a man will come and preach up Paganisme Turcisme Judaisme Papisme yea and to go farther Pelagianisme Socinianisme or Arminianisme in the grosser points of it and claim liberty and protection from the Magistrate in so doing let him shew by what right he would claim this liberty for where can he shew that ever any man had a commission from Christ to preach up these religions or opinions in the world I would be understood to speak only of those opinions that do undermine the true Gospel and that way of truth which God hath revealed for the salvation of the world and which may be accounted in the number of those Heresies that are damnable and not of lesser mistakes either in point of Doctrine or Discipline wherein the godly both have and may differ for in things that are doubtful or not fully certain there ought to be a forbearance least the truth be restrained in stead of errour Neither have I pleaded for the punishing of any mans person meerly because he holds this or that opinion what I have said is that the Magistrate is under no ingagement to errour as errour or to give liberty to the spreading of those opinions that rase the Foundation of our Christian Religion Object 1. But there are such c●ntroversies in religion that we know not how to be sure what is a truth or what is errour and so we may oppose truth in stead of errour and make way to errour in stead of truth Answer Are we not sure that the Christian Religion is the true Religion if we are not sure of that we leave our soules in a desperate hazard and lie sadly open to the snares and temptations of the Devil and of men Cunning to deceive But if you say you are sure the Christian Religion is the true Religion may you not then be sure also of those great truths which are as the pillars upon which it stands May we not be sure that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah and that he was really in the nature of man and that in that nature he suffered death for the Redemption of the world May we not be sure that he is risen from the dead and lives for ever making intercession in that nature wherein he died and that he will come again to judg the world May we not be sure that the Scrip●ures are the written word of God and the rule of our Faith and obedience by which all light in the hearts or Doctrines of men is to be examined Again may we not be sure that we are justified by Faith and not by the works of the Law May not we be sure that there shall be a Resurrection of mens bodies at the last day and that some shall rise to eternal life and others to go into everlasting fire c. If we cannot be sure of such things as these my preaching may be vain and your Faith also vain Object But the Magistrate is not to determine what is truth and what is errour Answ 1. I do not say he is ●o determine yet I say he is to be instructed as the Text speaks and to know which is the true Religion and the great truths upon which it is built and when he knows them he is to give freedom countenance and what furtherance he may to them And if some Magistrates have through ignorance or prejudice turned their power against the truth yet it was their duty to have improved their power for it in those wayes and upon that ground that I before mentioned His ignorance and inability to discharge his duty doth not at all exempt him from it Thus I have shewn briefly and I hope clearly wherein the Magistrate may befriend the Gospel and the true Religion and so upon that account be serving the Lord. There are other things also of another nature wherein he may serve the Lord As in suppressing open vice and wickedness putting down those houses that are the nourishers and maintainers of them I mean disorderly Ale-houses and Taverns whereof we have yet too too great a store every where Something I perceive hath been done upon that account in the Countries and I could wish they were a little more narrowly lookt after in the City God had a sad controversie with Eli though a good man that when his Sons did wickedly he restraind them not He 1 Sam. 3. 13. was a Magistrate and though he could not change their hearts yet he might have restraind their practise And I think this will somewhat befriend the Gospel and the passage of it among us And then as for other things wherein you may serve the Lord as Enacting righteous Laws doing justice and judgment relieving the opprest establishing the Liberties of the Nation so far as may consist with the just liberties of the people of God and the security of that cause wherein the godly of the Nation have been and yet are