Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	aaron_n	abraham_n	moses_n	19	3	5.7912	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38090	Antapologia, or, A full answer to the Apologeticall narration of Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Nye, Mr. Sympson, Mr. Burroughs, Mr. Bridge, members of the Assembly of Divines wherein is handled many of the controversies of these times, viz. ... : humbly also submitted to the honourable Houses of Parliament / by Thomas Edwards ...	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.	1644 (1644)	Wing E223; ESTC R1672	272,405	322

with his being deceived for a time in the businesse of M Wheelwright and Mistris Hutchinson and some of those opinions about Sanctification evidencing Justification and to some other manuscripts and printed things about the Church-way where there are many things of wit and fancie more then of deep judgement The third part of your praise rises so high as 't is hardly to be paralel'd The sinceritie of them of New-England in their way restisi'd before all the world and will be to all generations to come by the greatest undertaking but that of our father Abraham out of his owne Country and his seed after him a transplanting themselves many thousand miles distance and that by sea into a wildernesse c. Certainly some Independents then must write their Chronicle or else their sincerity will not be so testified to all the world neither will they be so famous to all succeeding generations It is well that in this high praise of them who went to New-England there was some exception and that Abraham their father was excepted how ever in the instance you presently give of their undertaking you secretly preferre the men of New-England before Abraham for Abraham went by land and not by sea and not many thousand miles distance nor into a wildernesse But I am not satisfied in the truth of this undertaking for New-England but am of the mind there both have been and are greater undertakings besides Abraham and his seed after him namely that of Moses and Aaron carrying the people out of Egypt and leading them through the wildernesse to Canaan of Nehemiah and Zerubbabel in building of the Temple besides the present undertaking of the Parliament for Reformation in Church-government and worship against the Papists Prelates and Malignants which you had seen when you writ this Apologie was farre greater and is testified before the world and will be to all generations to come farre beyond that of New-England 'T is strange to me you should thus forget your selves to make the undertaking of New-England to be the greatest that ever was in the world but that of Abrahams But thus partiall we see good men are apt to be for their own party and even starke blind in their own cause And as I am no whit satisfied in this third particular of your praise of New-England so nor in the truth of the thing that you affirme they went to New-England for namely meerely to worship God more purely whether to allure them there could be no other invitement For that which was first held out and most spoken of in the beginning of that Plantation in New-England was the hopes of converting the poore Indians There were some Ministers of note and others who dealt first in that businesse and were prime actors in it that propounded that and really intended it as Mr White of Dorchester Mr Humphreys and I am forgetfull if I have not read some things printed to that purpose As for the worshipping God more purely if your words could bare that sense or you understood them of being freed of the Ceremonies and of Episcopall government that was some part of the designe and ayme though not meerely that but if by worshipping God more purely be meant the worshipping God in the Church-way and the Church-government pleaded for in this Apology it was not in the thoughts of them who were the first movers in it or of the Ministers who were sent over in the beginning as is apparent by a Letter of Mr Cottons sent to Mr Skelton a Minister upon his falling into the Church-way after he came over wherein Mr Cotton writes to him that he went from England of another judgement and tells him how this came about namely from them of New-Plymouth who were Mr Robinsons people and further unto many who went over to New-England after the first and second yeare there were other invitements then meerely worshipping God more purely some of them concluding peremptorily this Kingdome would be destroyed and there would be a hiding place as also the great commendations of the Countrey and Land for subsistence many being low in their estates here led many into a fooles parad●…ce who finding all things so contrary to the high reports given out and their expectations have had leisure enough to repent since And some of you who to my knowledge intended for New-England yet when you came to understand better what a hard Countrey it was would not be of the number of them whose sincerity should be testified before all the world and unto all generations to come by going to New-England to worship God more purely when to allure you thither there was no other invitement And now after all this large narration of your falling off from the dark part and of your inquiring into the light part and the story of your impartial looking upon the word of Christ and of your consulting with reformed Churches and looking upon the old Non-conformists and observing the Separatists together with the examples of New-England you plainely come in the close of this Section to declare that for which all this was written namely to possesse the Reader of your freedome and un-ingagement notwithstanding all this to take that way or every thing in each way that was truth whereas you would insinuate that other men who differ from you were not so free nor un-engaged But how likely this is and how un-ingaged and free you were I desire the Reader to remember what presumption if not proofes I have already brought to proove the contrary As for those two Parenthesis brought in of the way of New-England namely those improved to a better Edition and greater refinement by all the fore-montioned helps and that all which we looke upon as reformed Churches To the first of these I say 1. It is a high confidence and presumption to judge the wayes and practises of a few in New-England to be better and more refined then of all the reformed Churches in Christendome 2. What ever the Edition and refinement of New-England is they made little use of all the forementioned helps named by you to attaine unto it few of them consulted with reverence the reformed Churches c. But the maine ground of their improvement to this new Edition and great refinement as you terme it was their consultation with them of New-Plymouth as appeares both by Mr Cottons Letter and by other relations To the second I can judge no other reason of inserting it here nor of calling the way of New-England in that first Parenthesis a better Edition and greater refinement then of any of the reformed Churches but onely that we may understand in what sense you took that part of the Covenant to be brought to agreement with the best reformed Churches that you meant and accounted New-England the best reformed Churches and so satisfie your consciences in taking that branch of the Covenant whereas we looke upon the reformed Churches those of France Scotland Holland c. who are

books of others or in counselling and consenting to the printing of them especially some books from out of New-England and particularly of Mr Cottons 3. Neither I nor many other Ministers are not satisfied of the truth of those words That you have not acted for your selves and way which words as here brought in by you must be understood of acting as distinct from preaching and printing that is as you have not published your opinions by preaching so you have not by other wayes and meanes acted for your selves or way as in making friends or in mooving any Parliament men or in consulting together what to doe about your way no alas good men you have kept your houses close and followed your studies hard and seldome gone to Westminster but have left the businesse of Independencie and the Church-way to God wholly leaving him to take care of his own way and cause Brethren how dare you write thus if you have not acted for your selves and way since your returnes into England and improoved your time well too most who know you are much deceived in you and strangely mistaken And suffer me to deale plainely with you I am perswaded that setting aside the Jesuites acting for themselves and way you Five have acted for your selves and way both by your selves and by your instruments both upon the stage and behind the curtaine considering circumstances and laying all things together more then any five men have done in so short a time this 60 yeares and if it be not so whence have come all the swarmes and troopes of Independents in Ministery Armies City Countrey Gentry and amongst the common people of all sorts men women servants children have not you five had the greatest influence to cause this who have wrought so many Ministers Gentlemen and people to your way can it be in Reason thought all this is come about without your acting for your selves and way is the peoples golden Calfe of Independencie and Democracie come out of it selfe without Aarons making it And whether you five have not acted for your selves way since this Parliament I desire you to answer these questions and then according to the truth of those questions let your consciences judge of the truth of these words 1. Whether came not you over into England and left your Churches in Holland with their leave or rather being sent as Messengers to negotiate for your way and for a Toleration of some Churches to enjoy Independent government that is a full entire compleate power within your selves 2. When you were come over did you not in the first yeare of the Parliaments sitting consult together and debate about a Petition and was there not one drawne to be presented to the House of Commons for a Toleration of some Congregations to enjoy a Congregationall government 3. Have you not beene all along from your first comming over into England to the writing of this present Apologie intent and watchfull upon every thing in agitation or about to passe in matters of Religion that might make though but remotely for Presbyteriall government and might though but by a remote consequence and at a distance touch upon or prejudice your Church way As for instance about the time of passing a Bill in the House of Commons against Episcopacy and of consultation and debate what should be in the interim till another Government could be setled were not you zealous and active against that advice and counsell of a certaine number of grave Ministers in each County to be substituted for the time out of your feare of having but a shadow of Presbyterian governement though but pro tempore and how much you worked in that with some of place and what the issue of that was you may remember So upon thoughts and consultations since this warre of entring into a Covenant and some Ministers being advised with whether did not some of you stand for a clause to be inserted in the Covenant for liberty to tender consciences and for want of such a clause that being opposed by some how long it was layed aside c. I desire you to remember Againe about the beginning of the Assembly in the review and examination of of some of the Articles of Religion and in the propounding but some orders to have been agreed on about the way of managing the Disputes and Debates in the Assembly how tender have you been of any thing tending but to Presbytery and that might though but indirectly reflect upon any of your Principles 4. Have not some of you though may be not all acted for your selves and way by constant Church meetings on the Lords day in private houses preaching the word and administring the Sacraments even in the times of the publike Assemblies where besides your own Church members have resorted to your meetings many other persons some members of Churches in New-England and others belonging to the Church of England and whereas Mr Simpson was a Minister of a Church at Rotterdam which Church is still there hath not Mr Simpson since his returne well acted for himselfe and his way in getting such a rich and numerous Church consisting of so many Gentlemen and Gentlewomen rich Citizens rich Virgins c. and hath not Mr Goodwin acted for himself and way and at least in the least attempted to encrease a party when besides those of his Church at Arnheim that came over from thence there are others here in London have gone to his Church meetings and there are some if not actually members the ceremony may be being forborne that it may be said he hath added none to his Church yet are Competentes Candidati Probationers members in fieri with their faces to Zion and reputed members actually by them of nearest Relations and Co-habitations as I am credibly enformed but must name none to prevent differences in neere Relations 5. Have not some of you if not all of you acted for your selves and way in actually speaking and moving some Parliament men to stand for you and for a Toleration of your Church way and have you not been answered shew us your grounds let us know what you hold and what you would have and then you shall see that shall be done which is sitting and out of zeale of acting for your selves and way have not some of you suggested in private to Parliament men the prejudice of their Parliamentary power if they should admit of the Government of the Church of Scotland pleading also for a necessity of a Toleration and in particular I aske Mr Nye if he remember no such discourses and that at Hull too 6. Whether have not some of you if not all out of acting for your selves and way hindred all that ●…lay in you the sending for our brethren of Scotland to come to our help and whether have not some of you much pleaded against sending for them in and objected as the Malignants doe of the danger of their comming in c and whether