Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	believe_v	scripture_n	1,612	5	5.8214	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61437	Popish policies and practices represented in the histories of the Parisian massacre, gun-powder treason, conspiracies against Queen Elizabeth, and persecutions of the Protestants in France / translated and collected out of the famous Thuanus and other writers of the Roman communion ; with a discourse concerning the original of the powder-plot.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1674 (1674)	Wing S5435; ESTC R34603	233,712	312

Nor is the thing it self more apparent than the reasons of it But I shall not here trace it to its first and original causes but only shew it in its next and immediate causes which are Surpize Impotence and Presumption From Surpize there is certainly no man whose care and caution can always secure him that he may not sometimes through the heat of passion or suddenness of a tentation be * Gal. 6.1 overtaken This we may all observe in our selves and in most we familiarly converse with Nay our very caution it self in many things makes us apt to be surprized by fear and thereupon to do those things we otherwise would not or neglect what we would otherwise do And though there be not a like Impotence in all yet is there more or less in every one whence men often do themselves contrary to what they would advise their children or dearest friends We daily see those who doubt not the directions of their Physitians to be good and necessary to be observed yet frequently overcome to transgress them to the hazard of their health and life it self nay Physitians themselves do the same whereof I could give a late notable instance in one of the most famous of his time Nor are we to think great Statesmen Polititians and learned men more exempt from all impotence than others are It is sufficient that they be well qualified for the places they hold to which their very impotence in some respects may sometime be a special qualification and they who are not easily overcome by one passion or affection may yet be perfectly enslaved to another What is wanting to these two causes is frequently made up by Presumption whether upon God's mercy in general and hope of pardon upon an intended repentance afterward or upon the priviledg of being within the pale of the Church by profession of Christianity or being members of the Catholick Church or zealous for the party they espouse that is as the Prophet saith Trusting in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord Jer. 7.3 The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord a Presumption so powerful heretofore that notwithstanding that reproof and after a notable experience of the vanity of it we find it in our Saviour's days still continued and again reproved by John Baptist Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father c. Mat. 3.9 And yet after all this as experience sheweth still prevalent in our days and very common among the Romanists and the Disciples of the Jesuites especially their new Proselytes who seem to hope for indulgence in their sinful courses or to expiate the same by their zeal for the Church whereunto great occasion is given by their abominable abuse of Absolution Commutation of Penance Indulgences and complying Conduct 2. These actions may proceed from error in the understanding and ignorance or mistake about some particular Christian Doctrine through an erronious Conscience thinking that to be lawful or a Christian duty which is absolutely unlawful So our Saviour telleth his Disciples that they who should kill them would think they do God service Jo. 16.2 and Saul thought that he ought to persecute the Christians Act. 26.9 and this may be consistent with a firm belief of the Christian Doctrine in general And this I take to be in truth the case of the Romanists and that they are given up to believe a lye through strong delusions wherein they do not more deceive their disciples than they are themselves deceived for do but admit me one or two of their Principles and there is nothing so monstrous in their actions but I think I can easily prove it lawful I had therefore intended to have shewed from what Principles those actions have proceeded that those Principles are mistaken and are no Christian but rather Antichristian Doctrines what hath been the cause occasion and progress of that mistake and lastly that this defection from the Christian Doctrine and Manners hath been foretold by the first Propagators of the Christian Faith in that manner as I think would not only do much to the removing of the scandal but moreover afford no inconsiderable evidence to the truth of Christianity it self but that I see would be too long for this place and time but I am well assured of the truth of what I say and doubt not but ere long it will be made manifest 3. There is one cause more from whence men may act contrary to Christianity and that in the highest degree and yet without the disbelief of the Truth of it in general or of any particular Doctrine of it and that is through desperation the case of some who believe and tremble Ja. 2.19 When men by frequency and long continuance in sin against the light and cheeks of conscience have sinned themselves into this desperation this is often an occasion to them to a further progress in wickedness even to the height of the most enormous sins though they neither d● nor can doubt of the truth of the Christian Religion no more than do the Devils who believe and tremble for there is no sin which is not consistent with a full perswasion of it in such as are once become desperate indeed Even scoffing at and abuse of Religion to evil ends are no certain arguments of unbelief in such as use them There may be and are false Professors of Atheism and Infidelity as well as of Religion it self There is more or less of humane frailty in all Too many sin against knowledg and some thereby sin themselves into despair and then run on into all wickedness against that Belief which they would fain cast off if they could And there are so many causes and occasions of sins besides unbelief that they cannot in reason be attributed to it alone 4. And lastly considering the strange wild fancies which we often see men learned men and otherwise sober men fall into considering the great force prevalence that the will affections have to byass blind and corrupt the judgment considering the power and malice and subtilty that according to the Scriptures the God of this World hath to blind mens minds that they should not believe the Gospel of Truth it is not to be doubted but such there are who do not believe it but then the very same reasons may satisfy us what little credit there is to be given to the opinions of such men without better reason and yet I know and have found by experience that some professors of Infidelity have no better reasons than this they are like men in a panick fear where every one is afraid but none knoweth the cause only he supposeth the rest do and is so much the more afraid by how much the more in number they are whom he supposeth to be in the same passion with himself so many who have no reason at all for their unbelief yet suppose others have and would fain be thought as wise as they This I thought necessary to add as an Antidote against that poison which some might suck from those scandalous Practices and Actions which have been here related FINIS

have hitherto escaped those delusions that they beware that they be not again entangled therein For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment 2. That they be careful that they do not hold the truth in unrighteousness Atrocius sub sancti nominis professione peccatur but walk worthy of their vocation c. worthy of God who hath called them to his Kingdom and Glory out of darkness into his marvellous light as children of the light and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them and as becometh the Gospel of Christ and that while they separate from the scandals of others they themselves do not administer occasion of scandal to others 3. That they who are in authority whether in Church or State be careful both by their example and authority as much as in them lieth to discourage and suppress all manner of vice and debauchery and to encourage and promote all manner of virtue and particularly piety and devotion in Religion For as vice and debauchery and even coldness and ind●fference in matters of Religion in any man makes him the more obnoxious to the delusions of the Papists so they well perceiving so much by experience are not without reason be●ieved to endeavour first the debauching of the Nation that the people being thereby the better prepared and disposed to receive their impressions they may the more easily compass their design as Physitians who cannot immediately cure the present distemper of their Patient are fain many times by art to divert it into some other disease which they hope more easily to cure Nor do the Papists look upon debauchery as a more dangerous disease than that they call heresy This is such a means as is of natural efficacy to obviate and obstruct the endeavors of the Papists but of all most likely to be effectual by the blessing of God upon it whereas the neglect of it doth both naturally expose the people to their delusions and is most likely to provoke the judgment of God to give them up to be deluded by them Nor need Governors to fear that their people will prove less morigerous and governable by being more devotely affected to Religion but may well hope the contrary provided they will require nothing of them that may be thought contrary to Religion which certainly they need not Christianity containing nothing inconsistent with any solid principle of policy 4. That they be careful to walk worthy of their vocation particularly in that wherein the Apostle doth particularly instance and which he earnestly urgeth endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doing according to the truth in Charity Eph. 4.1 3 15. for it must be remembred that separation and division among Christians is like homicide generally unlawful and though the one as well as the other in certain special cases and under certain circumstances may be not only lawful but an indispensible duty which the Romanists cannot with any reason deny since it hath been the judgment and frequent indeed too frequent practice of that Church both anciently and of later ages as is apparent in their excommunications of whole Churches even all or most of the Eastern Churches and in the last age many of the Western for no other cause but the reformation of many scandalous abuses which the Church or Bishops of Rome by their Agents had transfused into them whereby they do unanswerably justify our separation from them were not themselves the authors of it for just and necessary causes yet ought not this to be done but with great caution and mature deliberation and under such conditions as these 1. That it be just and necessary for just and necessary causes 2. That it be done with Charity and with intention and desire to return to communion again as soon as the causes of the separation are removed and reformed 3. And therefore that it be done with Sobriety not widening the difference or quarrelling at such things as may be or ought to be tolerated such as being in their own nature indifferent are left to the prudent ordering and disposition of each particular National or Provincial Church Unaquaeque Provincia abundet in suo sensu c. H●er ep 28. v. can ult Concilii Ephesin so as may be best for order decency and edification that it proceed no further than for just and necessary causes it ought lest if we measure truth as for example in this case by its distance from Rome we not only with many errors and abuses cast off some truths and useful matter of decency but also become guilty of breach of Charity while not insisting only upon what is just matter of exception we contend about that which is capable of a charitable construction That these conditions are necessary to be observed to make breach of communion between several Churches justifiable in either I think no Christian will deny And therefore as those Churches which shall contrary to these conditions make a separation from others do thereby transgress the Law of Charity and become guilty of Schism so much more do they who shall so separate from their own particular Church to which their habitation and abode doth subject them as special members and besides to their Schism and breach of Charity add also the guilt of disobedience and which ought well to be considered among us do thereby though contrary to their intention effectually cooperate with the Romish Agents in the promotion of their grand design one of whose principal methods for the subversion of the Reformed and restauration of the Popish Religion as might plainly be demonstrated is the raising and promoting of Sects Factions and Divisions among us which were there no other obligation upon us ought in reason to make us very wary how we do that which gives so great advantage to the common adversary 5. That they who are of chief authority in the Church be very cautious not to administer unnecessary occasion of separation to the weakness of their brethren which may be and frequently is done by these two means especially 1. By rigorous pressing of things in their own nature indifferent For though these things be left to the prudent ordering of each particular National or Provincial Church yet when through the weakness and scrupulosity of many they become matter of offence and scandal to them and so occasions of separation in that circumstance they cease to be indifferent and it would be no less contrary to Prudence than to Charity to impose or longer strictly to require them and is plainly contrary to both the Doctrine and the Practice of the Apostle v. Rom. 14 15. 1 Cor. 8. 9.20 21 22. 10.22 and 2 Kin. 18.4 especially in so dangerous a circumstance as this when it gives so great advantage to such an