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	word_n	1,745	5	4.0513	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66765	Paralellogrammation an epistle to the three nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, whereby their sins being parallel'd with those of Judah and Israel, they are forewarned, and exhorted to a timely repentance, lest they incur the like condempation : to render it the more effectual, some considerable notions are therein expressed touching ceremonies, and things indifferent, the Lords supper, the civil government, the taking of oaths, the mark of the beast, the library of conscience, the great Sabbath, and the two witnesses, with other particulars of concernment interwoven / written by Geo. Wither.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1662 (1662)	Wing W3176; ESTC R11575	78,735	140

pleased for prevention thereof to take notice of a Triple Memorandum which coming suddenly into my thoughts I shall here inssert as necessary for us all to take heed of at this time though I know it will disadvantage me in the opinion of many The First branch of it is pertinent to GOD's Glory The Second to the Civil Government and Governors whereto he hath subjected us And the Third pertains to all those whom he hath put under their subjection Observe it well O ye Brittish Nations and repent of your sins in General and Particular both against GOD and Men especially of your intrenchments against GOD's Prerogative and your temporal and spiritual oppressing the members of his Son Jesus Christ by the dishonoring of him in his chief Attributes and by the breach of your Publick Faith plighted to Him and his People against whom very many of us have in my Judgment much exceeded the Parallel afore-mentioned and all that I find recorded against any other Nation If we expect a Reconciliation to GOD by a pardon for that and our other manifold Transgressions let us acknowlédge our sinfulness against the infinit extent of GOD's Mercy intended to all Mankind in general which is the first branch of my Memorandums and not limiting it as many do suppose they glorifie him in so doing whereas it is apparantly to his dishonour and will be to the inflaming of his Wrath when there will be most need of his Fatherly Compassion For I will be bold to aver though some probably will be offended at it by whose Charity I have been here in part relieved that the brotherly Love and true Repentance whereto I would perswade will never be effectually attained unto by them who knowingly premeditately and wilfully persevere in denying the Universal Redemption of Mankind by Jesus Christ seeing thereon depends GOD's most glorious Attribute and in regard it is that for which we are much more obliged unto him than all the rest of his Creatures he cannot but be highly displeased with all those who confine the extent of that Mercy I know many in these times some of them in other respects very good and learned men who think Universal Redemption to be a new Doctrine terming it Arminianism and Popery but it is neither new nor repugnant as is pretended to the Orthodox Doctrine of Election Predestination and the Free-Grace of GOD nor ascribes ought more to Nature by the Consequences thereof than tends to our justifying of GOD and to our self-condemnation if that which he hath given us be not husbanded according as he hath and doth enable The holy Scriptures evidence it to all who rightly understand them So far is it also from being a Novelty as ignorant hearers are made believe that it was received and professed for a necessary Truth by the Churches of GOD in all Ages since Christ's birth and contradicted by very few in the first times of Christianity Yea it was believed many hundreds of years before Arminius was born or Popery had a being in the world and will be professed when the Opposers and Traducers of that Verity shall be quite rooted out of the Evangelical Kingdom It is I confess a Doctrine imbraced by many in the Church of Rome but that makes it not erroneous If we renounce all things approved of by Hereticks and which Antichrist and his Confederates imbrace and profess we shall more disadvantage the Kingdom of Christ thereby than they have done by all their Heresies Idolatries and Superstitions For they acknowledge the holy Scriptures and all the Articles of our Creed and hold though in unrighteousness a great part both of Moral and Evangelical Truths by a verbal profession and with a mixture of humane Traditions because if they did not so juggle they could never have been hopefull to effect what is intended by their Mystery of Iniquity It is the well counterfeiting of Truth and Holiness which must compleat the Designs of Antichrist and there is not any one single Heresie or Wickedness which doth so secretly and so mischievously supplant Christ it undermines the Foundation of that Structure which open Blasphemies above ground cannot endanger and hath already sprung such a Mine to the dividing of Lutherans and Calvinists as they are now termed that they will hardly be reconciled until all Controversies are at an end Let us therefore consider well what depends upon it how much it concerns the Glory of GOD how much he is dishonoured by a contrary belief and how much it detracts from our own Priviledges and Consolations GOD's Mercy is above all his Works It is the Crown and Dignity of the KING of Kings and the Highest of all High-Treasons to clip it A professed denial of the Universality of humane Redemption seems to me a cursed Counter-callol made and sung by Devils in opposition to that blessed Nativity-Song which was sung by Angels at the Birth of CHRIST Glory be to GOD on high on Earth Peace and Good will to Men. For how was GOD likely to be glorified Peace to be upon the Earth or his Good-will manifested to Men by the incarnation of his Son if Man's Redemption had not been Universal but so narrowed that it extended to a very few and those few also left without assurance they were of that small number whatsoever they should endeavour if there should be an Exception from that Act of Grace as many fancy Doubtless if it had been so it would have given occasion rather of howling than of singing and been rather sad than glad tydings in regard of that great terrour which might have seized upon all Mankind and caused an Universal Lamentation when they considered how many millions of millions were certainly exposed to Everlasting Damnation how small a number in possibility to be saved and how few of their dearly beloved Parents Children and Friends might be of those few for whom Christ took upon him the humane Nature Oh! horrible and unparallel'd Blasphemy But blessed be GOD's Name it is not so When the Children of Israel were redeemed from their Egyptian Bondage which was a type of our Universal Redemption there was not one soul no not a hoof left behind them Nor was one soul absolutely excluded from the benefit of Christs Incarnation and Passion but they only who by their own default and unrepented sin should fall away as they did who perished in the Wilderness For GOD hath many times upon several occasions passed his Word to ascertain the Universality of his Love to Man without personal respects where personal sins without repentance have not first made the person unacceptable nay our incredulity hath put him to his Oath to assure every sinner and if nevertheless we still distrust him continue in our misbelief of his Word and Oath and labour to draw others into the same crime It cannot be an ordinary Judgement which GOD will at last inflict for so extraordinary and so high an affront it being a sin more heinous than Murder

be otherwhile added by us though many who do therein as it were Tithe Mint and Annis are offended at such additions ignorantly supposing them to be Oaths Nevertheless I am so tender of offending their Consciences who scruple at such Niceties that I deny my self liberty even in many such indifferent things except I causually slip into them through inadvertency and I judge not uncharitably of those who dare not Swear at all because they have a written Word inducing them to be of that Judgment James 5. 12. where it is said Above all things Swear not neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay which seems to be a Caution against all Oaths whatsoever in the understanding of some but not in mine nor do I think this Scripture is to be limitted as some have thought to Promissary Oaths in regard there is no word in the Text or Context to warrant such an Interpretation Perhaps that which is offensive in Oaths consists more in the Circumstances or Formalities than in what is by them essentially intended I think therefore it would be a Provision worthy a Christian Government and would be more satisfactory to those whom it concerns than the Testimony of a Peer upon his Honour Conscientious men deserving at least as much Credit and Priviledge upon their bare word as the other by an empty Title if for an Expedient in this case a Law were enacted whereby the Testimony of those Persons who are Conscientiously afraid of Swearing may be taken for a legal witnessing of the Truth by an attestation upon their word only evidenced by some such action as the lifting up of the Hand without the usual Formalities of an Oath upon the same Penalties which our Laws inflict on persur'd Persons who deserve at least the same Pains or Mulcts which may befall to other men by their Falshood This I suppose will displease no reasonable or conscientious man in regard none ought to think that they are not in conscience oblig'd to Assert the Truth in Controversies between man and man or in matters relating to publick Justice or common Safety when it tends not to an Accusing of themselves And I have this charitable belief of the greatest number of them who make Conscience of Swearing as aforesaid out of meer Conscientiousness that they will be more trusty in their Assertions and more Loyal to the Supream Power though it favour'd them not upon their bare verbal Engagements than the greatest part of them will be who voluntarily take or impose Oaths by Compulsion on other men I am assured also that GOD will not hold them guiltless who by Threatnings or by Oaths or by Imprisonments or Tortures enforce men to act against their Consciences or to accuse themselves or other Innocents in their distempers and torments St. Agustine in his City of God inveighs against it as an abominable oppressive Cruelty practised till then by none but Heathenish Tyrants and afterward by the Beast who sprung from them to enforce Innocents against the Laws of GOD and Nature unjustly to accuse themselves and those whom they intended to destroy whereas both Divine and Humane Justice directs to other means of discovering Truths and vindicating of suspected Persons The Holy Ghost wills that every man before he suffers should be tryed and Convicted by the mouth of two or three Witnesses upon which Precept the Law of our Nation called the Great Charter is founded And as it is exemplified in the Case of Achan wherein the safety of a whole Nation was concerned and indangered by his private sin no man is to be interrogated as touching things which may tend to the accusing of himself until there be either an Accuser produced or a previous probability in some degree evidencing that he is guilty as Achan appeared to be upon a providential discovery first made out by five Lots before it came to a personal Examination and even then Joshua proceeded not rigorously or by menacings but meekly and by a Fatherly compellatur said unto him My Son give I pray thee glory to the GOD of Israel and tell me what hast thou done Whereupon he Conscientiously confessed his Crime In this temper of Spirit it becometh all Christians to search out doubtful matters and not by a tyrannous violence in what hazard soever the Publick may appear by the concealment thereof This is my Judgment whereto I will add what shall deserve to be well heeded at this time to wit That not only those Confessions or Accusations which are extorted by threatnings or tortures are no proofs at all of what is Confessed against themselves or others but that all these Informations and Accusations likewise which Condemned or Guilty men are allured tempted or bribed unto by hopes or fears promises of pardon favour or reward and not conscientiously declared ought not to be regarded as a valid Evidence further than they concur with other Circumstances and unquestionable proofs For they who are corrupted or distempered by covetousness hopes fears enforced necessities or long and hard durance will for the most part say any thing to escape a present misery as by sad experiments it hath been often seen Even at this day as I am credibly informed there is a man living who being thought murdered a poor innocent man was hanged lately in chains as principal in the fact and his Mother and Brother executed as Accessaries upon the said man's Confession when he was distempered to a degree of distraction by hard durance by the threatnings of the Prosecutors and by his own fears and frailties which were perhaps thought to be effects and evidences of his guiltiness But who can help this or how or when will it be better whilst Oaths are forcibly imposed and whilst they who have no conscience are more indulged than the most conscientious men I would to GOD that our Publick and Private Peace and Safety were no more endangered by false Witnesses Suborners of Perjury Trapanners Ignorant or corrupt Jurors and by some of them who impose Oaths against men's Consciences than by them who make Conscience of Swearing I may seem perhaps to make tedious Digressions impertinent to my first Design but they are not such if well considered for I being like a Beggar who is never out of his way might add much more collatrally at least tending to my first purpose which I omit partly because it cannot now be born partly for that I am not in such a capacity to express it as assures me it is part of my work at this present Therefore I will proceed with what I am certain so to be lest I be prevented as aforesaid by what I expect may shortly happen to the depriving me of those Tools and Opportunities which I have at this time and place in my fruition And I conceive that what I purpose next to treat of will be so necessary toward the performance of those duties for promoting

so multiplied our sins and sorrows I mean not that Schism which the prophane and superstitious Enemies of Truth confederating with Antichrist in his Mystery of Iniquity chargeth us withall because we separate from them for that Schism or Separation denominates us to be Saints the word SAINT in the first acceptation is one separated from the world from the Enemies of GOD's Truth from communicating with them in their Errors Impieties and Superstitions and sanctified for his Service That therefore which I reprove is that Schism which many of us have made in the seamless Robe of Christ by a malicious separating from each other by such contentions and wickednesses as proceed out of self-conceit self-will pride and lusts with a seeming respect to indifferent things as essential to GOD's Worship or to our own Eternal Happiness whereas they being but temporary advantages or disadvantages do incline the heart to an uncharitable censuring hating and persecuting those who dissent though it proceeds from weakness or ignorance only or else from their belief that until they be unquestionably convinced in their understandings to the contrary they are obliged to profess and act according to their own faith and knowledge rather than to the faith and knowledge of other men of whose wisdom and integrity they are not certain whatsoever good opinion the world hath of them or they of themselves especially when they perceive it warranted in the Word of GOD by such clauses as this Rom. 14. 23. He that doubteth and acteth otherwise than he believeth he ought to do is condemned For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Happy is he who condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth or disalloweth On rhe contrary Unhappy are they who are seduced by their Authority and Power who denying evident Truths in some cases and being unrighteous also in their conversations have made it justly dubious that the things which they would inforce on them are not according to GOD's Will What conscientious person can suppose himself obliged to renounce his own Judgment of things which he believerh have their foundation in the Divine Word to be guided by them who practise not in their deeds what they profess in words Who can confide in them who neither entered into their Function or the Sheep-fold by the door nor are of such a conversation being entred as becomes the place they execute but are apparantly vicious ambitious proud covetous and cruel imposers of heavy burdens upon their Brethren not only in things indifferent as being absolutely necessary though GOD hath left them at liberty to be used or not to be used as occasion should require but inforcing some such also as are evidently contrary to GOD's Commands and other things which are so far from having been practised or approved of by the Churches of Christ as is pretended that they are manifest appurtenances to the Mystery of Iniquity or to the Kingdoms of this World rather than to his Kingdom as they are also for the most part who impose them by constraint If the heart be so deceitful that it deserves not to be trusted with what it is conscientiously perswaded belongs to the furtherance of its own happiness how can it justly or why should it be compelled to trust upon what other mens consciences perswade it to believe seeing he himself and not another must suffer what may thereby succeed If we must depend upon the faith and knowledge of other men and be obliged to such a Canonical obedience as is imposed upon many what need we trouble our selves to search further than to our Parish Priest be he never so ignorant or prophane since he is thought sufficiently qualified for the information of all those who are committed to his charge If there be not a degree of Reason and a proportion of sanctifying Light set up in every man whereby he may see what he ought to do and in what condition he is What is then meant by the hidden Manna which Christ promised or to what use is the white Stone with a New Name thereon written which no man knows but he to whom it is given Verily mens hearts are more deceitful to other men than to themselves and therefore GOD hath not left us to depend wholly upon other men nor would we should so hear them as to adhere to their Judgments and neglect our own But expects that we as the noble Bereans did should examine all Doctrines and Disciplines by the holy Scriptures and trust other men no further than they teach agreeably thereto And GOD having according to what was in them prophesied ingraven so his Laws in the heart that we may reade them there we are not to despise the dictates of our own hearts which Solomon tells us are better than many Counsellors as doubtless they are when grounded upon divine Precepts and Promises A time is near at hand wherein Orthodox Teachers will not so abound as Impostors and therefore I skrew into this Epistle as much as conveniently I can to prepare for such a day by encouraging men to preserve their Consciences from being vitiated by those Mountebanks which will arise Be wary of such and take heed also lest that which you think to be a conscientious perswasion be but an impression of Opinions begotten by delusions or setled by meer custom and breeding only or by an over-high esteem of their Knowledg and Sanctity by whom you have been taught which hath prepossessed many with a superstitious credulity to their great disadvantage as it hath fared with some who having in their Childehood heard foolish Tales of Cats being Witches or of Witches assuming the shape of Cats thereupon admitted and cherished by degrees such an Antipathy in themselves against those necessary Creatures that they are distemper'd to swooning when a Cat cometh accidentally into their presence and could never be freed from that infirmity whilst they lived That which may truly be called Conscience hath no such causual or phanatick beginnings nor terminates in ought which is dishonourable to GOD injurious to our Neighbours or harmful to the Soul of him who cherishes it though it may bring troubles upon the Flesh which if it do those troubles being patiently and meekly sustained will evidence it to be a good Conscience rightly grounded and improve the Sufferings which it occasioneth into Consolations whereas it is impossible that an ignorant or pretended Conscience should endure much hardship or long-sufferings Let us therefore well examine and try our Consciences and then not be afraid for any outward respect whatsoever to profess unto others when just occasions are offered that whereof we truly make Conscience seeing by that means if we be rightly informed we may help rectifie the Consciences of our erring Brethren or be an occasion of our own better information if we have erred in the mean time it will be a tryal and exercise likewise of each others Meekness Love and Humility And he whose Conscience thus inclines him can never be

agreeable to the Word of GOD in my understanding in obedience to him without wilful or factious disobedience to the Civil Power or giving just occasion of offence to the Elders or Members of the Church of England or of any particular Congregation within these Islands but what I cannot believe warranted I cannot practise or profess whatsoever penalty I incur I conceive not the Church of England or any other Church to be so properly called the Mother as the Nurse of those who are in them begotten and regenerated Nor was I by Covenant at my Baptism or at any time since to my knowledge made a Son or Member of any Prelatical National or Congregational Society but of the Catholick Church only If I thought otherwise and were not conscientiously perswaded that it would be uncomely or somewhat worse to go back again to the door for an Initiation after I have been openly admitted to communicate at the LORD's Table I would be rebaptized therefore I will conform to no Personal National or Congregation Judgement or Practise further than I know it to be Catholick and warranted to quadrate with necessary decency and good order by GOD's Word and the Light which is in me sanctifying through his Grace the talents of Nature How other men ought to demean themselves the same Light in them assisted as aforesaid will also direct and of their actings in things controverted there can be no other competent Judge but GOD. For there is a Latitude by him vouchsafed to the Consciences of some persons in some cases to vary otherwhile from General Rules as to the Children of Israel in forbearing Circumcision whilst they were in the Wilderness to Paul in Circumcising Timothy as also touching some outward Conformities in respect of the Civil Power even in things injurious to their own personal Right according to Christ's example who paid tribute to Caesar the usurper of his Kingdom In great straits and necessities that which is not lawful may be expedient and therefore tolerated It was unlawful for any to eat of the Shewbread but the Priests yet Mercy being better than Sacrifice David and his followers did eat thereof rather than perish by hunger and Reason of State excuses not Saul from being a Murderer in slaying those who gave it unto them in that necessity though by the Arbitrary Laws of earthly Monarchs it was adjudged Treason Moreover that Toleration which was desired by Naaman appears to me approvable though I was once of another Judgment That Assyrian Lord being cured of his Leprosie humbly desired in respect of his nigh Relation to the King of Assyria his Master who had sent him to be cured that God would pardon him when only to do his service to the King he went with him to the house of Rimmon if whilst his Master there leaned upon him he bowed down without intending any Adoration to the Idol which I conceive was implyed In answer to this request the Prophet said Go in Peace which if it had not amounted unto a toleration according to his Petition the Prophet in my Judgment had neither dealt faithfully nor charitably to send away one so likely to be a true Proselyte without plenary satisfaction and instruction concerning his duty I can neither excuse those who Magisterially burthen the People of GOD with indifferent things as being necessary to his divine service whilst they on whom they are imposed conceive them to be superstitious an infringment of their Christian Liberty nor blame those who shall humbly peaceably and orderly plead to be delivered from their bondage and obey in suffering For though they may Authoritativly say as the Jews did when they crucified Christ We have a Law by which he ought to suffer they may answer and be bold to say GOD and Nature have Laws by which it ought to be otherwise The benefit of those Laws I do modestly not factiously endeavour to vindicate and will be as wary as I can not to hazard Substances for Circumstances or Accidents nor be afraid to glorifie GOD and confess Christ in the same good words which are formally used by wicked or prophane men though I will not joyn with them in their intentions but knowing that Truths and pious Words are sometimes used to deceive will so far only conform to other mens Words and Actions as they are good in themselves and as they may be turned to the Truths advantage in my understanding Much less then will I make scruple to joyn with Christian men in pious Expressions and in indifferent Actings though there may be a sinister intention in them unknown to me who am in charity to judge the best where evil is not apparent And because I may possibly thereby take occasion sometimes to make that which was impertinently or superstitiously intended both a means to frustrate that ill intention and to improve a righteous purpose as GOD doth to glorifie his Justice and Mercy by our prevarications Therefore as to advance the Glory of GOD and preserve their own internal quiet I exhort all men to be watchful that they neither act or omit the doing of any thing but as they are conscientiously perswaded until they shall be convinced to the contrary So I desire them for preservation of their outward peace to be as wary neither wilfully or factiously or for sinister ends to refuse Conformity to the Ordinances of men in such particulars as come within the extent of things decent orderly and well-spoken of by good men and may conduce to Edification in Piety or of Civil Concernments which clash not with Divine Constitutions Be not afraid or ashamed to conform if you have no better ground of dissent than your temporary advantage or disadvantage or because you have heretofore acted and professed to the contrary especially in such cases as may make it more obstructive to the Gospel of Christ and to the improvement of Christian Amity than by giving offence to some Brethren when as many of another Judgment will be offended also of whom you ought to be as conscientiously tender in which case there will be need of much sanctified discretion I likewise humbly beseech all those to whom GOD hath committed the managing of Civil Powers to be careful if they would have men conscientiously obedient to their Civil Constitutions and Commands that they intrench not upon GOD's Prerogatives and positive Ordinances to the provoking of his wrath by imposing on his People unjust or unnecessary burthens in Concernments Divine or Civil or by giving those power to domineer over the LORD's Heritage who pretend to be Pastors of Christ's Flocks under them and may multiply by their assistance impertinent and superstitious Traditions and Ceremonies till at last they leaving nothing indifferent bring the most part of Civil Causes into their Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions and be destructive as well to the Supream Civil Magistrates as to the Estates Persons and Consciences of their faithful Subjects by depriving them of their natural and