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	holy_a	scripture_n	2,400	5	5.5262	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76085	The second part of that book call'd Independency not Gods ordinance: or the post-script, discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their Christian brethren, with the jugglings of many of their pastors and ministers, to the misleading of the poor people to the detriment of their own souls, and the hurt both of church and state, with the danger of novelties in religion; proving that Independency, is one of the most dangerous sects, that ever appeared in the world, since mortality inhabited the earth. In the which also there is a satisfactory answer given to the principall cavils of him that writ that railing pamphlet, stil'd The falshood of Mr Will. Prynnes Triumphing in the antiquity of popish princes and parliaments. With Doctor Bastvvicks just defence against some calumnies in way of preface. / By John Bastvvick, Dr in Physick.; Independency not Gods ordinance. Part 2	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1069; Thomason E287_9; ESTC R200091	93,218	111

banished they come to the knowledge of the truth and errour and so to shun the one and love the other And now I come to the sixth and last It is impossible for a man saith he to hold fast truth or be fully perswaded in his own heart of what he does or what Religion he makes choice of unlesse after he hath searched the Scriptures and tryed the Spirits whether they be of God or no it be lawfull for him to reject that which shall appear to him as evill and adhear to that which seemes good in his own judgement In a word by this mans Divinity without there be a tolleration of all Religions and that it be left arbitrary for every man to take and choose what Religion he pleaseth it is impossible to hold fast the truth for this is his meaning now if this be good doctrine then the devill is a good teacher for this came from hell but because this his Position hath the greatest appearance of reason of all the rest with the simple people who much conside in the strength of it it will not be amisse to say something to it although with any rationall men if it be well considered and weighed it can never infer a necessity of a tolleration of all Religions an opinion so hetrogeniall to the holy Scripture and so contrary to piety for the Word of God which must be the rule of our faith in diverse places declares Gods dislike of all strange opinions and doctrines commanding all ministers and people to cleave unto the Law and to the Testimony Esa 8. And that they should teach no other doctrine 1 Tim. 1.3 And that they should take heed of fables c. vers 4. That is of mens inventions And that they should hold fast the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 And if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse that they should withdraw themselves from such 1 Tim. 6.3.5 And that they should hold fast the faithfull Word as they have been taught Tit. 1.9 And that they should rebuke men sharply that they may be sound in the faith not giving heed to Jewish fables and the Commandements of men that turn from the truth ver 13.14 And that they should not be wise above that which is written 1 Cor. 4.6 And that whosoever teacheth a contrary doctrine tending to seduction should be put to death Deut. 13. All this the holy Scripture teacheth in numberlesse places Now then when Christians know the good will and pleasure of God and are likewise taught out of the Word of God as Deut. 6. and Deut. 11. And in divers other places that it is their duty that they should bring up their children and families in the nurture and fear of the Lord and instruct them in the knowledge of his Commandements that is that they should educate them according to the Will of God and in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures as Timothies grand-mother and mother did him from his child-hood I say when all Christian Parents bring up their children and indoctrinate their families after this rule and manner they may hold fast the truth very well and be fully perswaded of it in their own hearts although they never so much as hear of any Heresie or of any strange opinion For as our Saviour saith Matth. 22. Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures c. So that the knowledge of the Scripture it self is able to keep all men from error as teaching the way the truth and the life c. And as all wilfull ignorance of the Scripture is both sinfull and blame-worthy amongst all good men so there is a learned nescience which is as commendable as the other is vituperable and that is when men desire not to be wise above that which is written for so they are commanded so that the understanding of that which is written in the Book of God and to know God to be the only true God and him who he hath sent Jesus Christ which is life eternall Iohn 17. This is the only knowledge necessary to salvation and all this a man may learn and attaine to without a tolleration of all Religions which they call liberty of conscience which is a most irreligious opinion and no way beseeming a Christian for as Saint Paul saith Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from evill 2 Tim. 2.19 Now tolleration of all Religions is such an evill as there cannot be a greater and more displeasing to God for it is a very fighting against God And for that liberty of conscience the Scripture speaketh of it is no other then that all Christians are now freed from the yoak of all legall Ceremonies and traditions and inventions of men and from the curse and rigour of the Law but from that liberty to infer a tolleration of all Religions is most impious and absurd and it is as wicked to conclude that we are not tyed to the obedience of the Law both Morall and Evangelicall for this is against all the tenure of the holy Scriptures and against all sound reason as will by by appear And therefore all Christian parents ought to instruct their children and housholds in the Law and Gospell as they will answer it before God at his dreadfull Tribunall And if their children will not by kindness be induced and brought to that that is good they are to be forced to it by the Rod and correction for Solomon so instructeth all Parents in diverse places of the Proverbs And it was the sinne of old Ely in 1 Sam. 2. that he did not chastize his children and severely punish them for their wickednesse and force them to obey the commands of God and this was the cause of the Lords displeasure against him that he cast off his Family from being Priests and removed the place of his worship from Shilo to teach all Christians to take heed by his example saying I will honour them that honour me and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed of So that to see sinne and errors in children and to connive at them and not to punish them for it is to despise God And therefore they ought to force them to obedience unto that religion God hath appointed and if they will yet persevere and continue to be rebellious against God and their Parents they are to be cut off by the Law of God Conscience here must be forced the Will of God must be obeyed there is no dispensation given to transgression or to commit evill though good might come of it and that Will and good pleasure of God we have set downe clearly and evidently in the holy Scriptures Psal 19. The knowledge of which is enjoyned to all Christians as necessary to salvation But for all vaine opinions and new Doctrines and traditions and inventions of men under the name of New-lights if a

excellentest means of upholding piety and godlinesse as in his doctrine so in his example he went before all the people in a strict observing of that day imploying it only in the duties of piety and charity alwayes either in praying or preaching or catichizing or repeating of his Sermons or in meditation or in visiting the sick or relieving the necessitated And in this faith I was instructed and in this through the grace of God I now stand firme and in the which by Divine assistance I shall ever persevere to the last period of my life never as yet having swarved from those principles notwithstanding all opposition And from under this reverend mans ministery and preaching I went to Cambridge where by his means Dr. Chudderton the Master of Emanuel Colledge in which I was a Studient a man of fame for piety in his generation took me into his own tutering and pleased to make me his companion an honour that many of my betters enjoyed not and he also had as great a care to further me in those principles of Religion I had formerly been indoctrinated in as any man living could have And from him I went into the Low-countries where I lived four years and a halfe in the Universities of Leiden and Franeker and halfe that time in the house of reverend Doctor Amise who pleased so highly to honour me as he likewise made me his companion and was a most painfull Tutor unto me and added greatly by his learned Lectures and private communication to the confirming and strengthning of me in all those orthodox truths I had formerly been instructed in And from thence I went to Geneva where there were as learned and orthodox Ministers save only in the point of the Sabbath in which I shall ever dissent from them as any in the world Now I never have deserted my Generall the King of Saints and King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ and Julian-like apostated from my Captaine or from my Christian religion nor never have swarved from any opinion in doctrine that is imbraced or believed in the Reformed Churches or taught by the orthodox and learned Ministers of the Church of England or from any opinion that I made publick profession of or ever pleaded for or perswaded others to imbrace the God of Heaven and my conscience bearing me witnesse and as all that know me can testifie as many that are now Independents have done And therefore they deale most injuriously with me and unchristianly to call me an Apostate and only because I oppose their Independency Now whereas they say that I have forgot that I was a sufferer and remember not the former kindnesses shewed unto me by the godly of the Land and that I am now turned a persecutor they do me in this also a great deale of wrong for I have never forgotten any kindnesse shewed me by any as the following discourse will sufficiently shew Neither have I forgot that I was a sufferer or am now a persecutor of the Saints as they calumniate me though I shall ever oppose all Heresies and novelties in Religion in the very Saints as Paul opposed Petes error Gal. 2. when he temporized and did not walk uprightly and desire all Christian Magistrates and Ministers and Parents and Masters of families and all good people to do the same because I have been a sufferer for the Truth But it seemeth strange to me that the Independents should use such an Argument to me That I should not oppose all Heresies and novelties in Religion and exhort all other good Christians to do the same because I have been a sufferer for the Truth One would think that this should rather be a motive and incitement to put me on to oppose all error because I have suffered for the Truth before for if that be a good reason to deter men from defending of the Truth against Errors and Innovations in Religion because they themselves have been sufferers for Religion then Elias Esaiah Jeremiah and all the holy Prophets should have been deterred to oppose all Errors because they had been persecuted for the Truth and suffered at wicked and ungodly mens hands for it and yet they notwithstanding were the more encouraged to inveigh against all the false Prophets and Teachers of their times as all the Scripture of the Old Testament witnesseth and Christ also and John Baptist and all the blessed Apostles who suffered grievous persecutions some of which were whipped in every good Towne they came in and were stigmatiz'd and gloried that they carried the marks of the Lord Jesus about them And all these therefore by this Argument of the Brethren should have been afraid and discouraged to oppose the Errors Heresies and novelties in Religion in their dayes whereas on the contrary we finde that Christ and Iohn the Baptist and all the Apostles ever opposed the Errors Schismes and Heresies of their times with all the false Teachers calling them A generation of Vipers Wolves in Sheeps clothing ravinous Wolves Children of the Devill Enemies of the crosse of Christ Dogs evill workers them of the Concision Hereticks and wisht that they were cut off and give them such odious names as there can be no more reproachfull utter'd The same did all the holy Prophets and yet all these were sufferers The same did Luther Calvin Zwinglius Bullinger against all the Sects of their times and yet they were all persecuted by the Papists And therefore it is not a dishonour but a praise to all those that love the Truth and have suffered for it ever to oppose all Errors in Religion yea it would argue great cowardize and basenesse in any Christian or at least that he were now very cold in Religion that would not so much as open his mouth in defence of that Truth he had formerly suffer'd for for feare of offending men And if this Argument be of any power to disswade any man from opposing errors in Religion because they have been sufferers for it then the Independents themselves should not so bitterly inveigh against those Tenents they count Errors for they brag much of their sufferings also cry out daily of Persecution when notwithstanding no man troubles them howsoever they with all reviling speeches daily persecute their brethren under the name of Presbyterians But I say if this Argument will make any thing against me to disswade me from defending of the truth and exhorting all good Christians to oppose all Heresies and Innovations in Religion why then do the Independents in all their Pulpits and in all their scurrilous and blasphemous writings oppose the Truth it selfe and why doe they for the setting up of their New-lights and for the bringing in of their own Traditions and Novelties persecute their brethren with all injurious languages worse then ever Ishmael used towards Isaac or Esau towards Iacob and proclaim them all enemies of Jesus Christ and his kingdome and persecutors for they also have been sufferers and that eminent ones

and have undergone great persecution for Religigion as they publish to the world in their writings If it be tolerable therefore and praise-worthy in the Independents to oppose the Truth notwithstanding they have been sufferers will any rationall man count it an intolerable thing in me to oppose the errors and novelties of the Independents which they would impose upon the people of God as his lawes when they are but their own inventions and as things necessary to salvation And will any reasonable creature call this a persecution in any if in his own person to the uttermost of his abilities he labours to defend the truth and convince error and exhort all those that fear God to do the same because he hath been a sufferer I conceive upon deliberation he will have a more charitable opinion of such an one And if this be a crime in such as have suffered for Religion to resist Error the Independents are guilty of the same as deeply as any other for they also should remember they have bin sufferers yet they maintain their Novelties for truths and exhort all their followers to do the same and to oppose all gain-sayers which they do to the uttermost of their power in words and deeds and count this their honour and a great virtue yea valour and yet blame it in me and in all the Presbyterians and I know no reason why I or any Presbyterian should not be as valiant for truth as others should be for the upholding of their errours and Innovations especialiy when they fly so high in their Expressions as to make them the onely way to heaven and that whosoever is not in that their way they are in the broad street to perdition and exclaim against all such as oppose their opinions as persecutors of the wayes of God for this is their usuall dialect yea their ordinary language and custome to call all writing and preaching against the Errors and Heresies of the time Persecution in all the faithfull Ministers and people which duty notwithstanding they are bound unto by Christ and all the holy Prophets and Apostles who are by them commanded to lift up their voyces like a Trumpet to oppose and rebuke all gainesayers and to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints And this is the language of that Author that writ the Arainment of Persecution and he that writ that malicious Pamphlet against M. Prynne who calls him and all the Presbyterians Persecutors whose wicked and vaine Cavils by which he laboureth to prove the necessity of a tolleration of all Religions are these following His words are these Six impossibilities which do necessarily accompany Persecution for cause of conscience 1. It is impossible that the Gospell should come to be preached unto all Nations if men may be questioned for matters of conscience 2. It is impossible that such as know but in part should grow in knowledge or from one measure and degree of Faith unto another 3. It is impossible that in a rationall way there should be a firme secure peace throughout the World nay not in a Province City or Towne so long as men may make a point of conscience to compell one another to their opinions 4. It is impossible to prescribe such a way for suppressing new and different opinions whatsoever which to any State or Church may seem Hereticall but there will still be left a gap a possibility of fighting against God even when such State or Church think they fight for him most of all 5. It is impossible that either the weak Believers mis-believers or unbelievers can be wonne by our godly conversation as is required 1 Pet. 2.12 and 3.1 2. and 1 Cor. 7.12.16 so long as we will not suffer them to live amongst us 6. It is impossble for a man to hold fast the truth or be fully perswaded in his owne heart of what he does of what Religion he makes choise of unlesse after he hath searched the Scriptures and tryed the spirits whether they be of God or no it be lawfull for him to reject that which shall appear to him as evill and adhere to that which seems good in his own judgement and apprehension These are the formall words of the Author that writ that Pamphlet by which he endeavours to maintaine that hellish opinion The tolleration of all Religions To the which I shall briefly answer after I have set down some testimonies out of holy Scripture concerning Persecution Yet before I go any further I desire all men by the way to take notice that whiles I labour to shew the vanity and invalidity of this Cavillers assertions I animate no man to persecute the truth For I know that persecution of the true Religion is the greatest sin in the world one only excepted and therefore that all men should ever be carefull to offend in this kinde lest they bring speedy distruction upon themselves by it but they must also be as diligent to take heed lest whiles they would shew a vice they neglect not their duty and decline a vertue which is to oppose all errors and falsehood in Religion for that is as great a sin on the other side But now I will produce some testimonies out of holy Scripture and reasons from thence to shew that to be questioned for matters of conscience or persecution as they call it for cause of conscience imposes not an impossibility as they would infer that the Gospel by this meanes should be preached unto all Nations nor hinders not the growth of grace in Christians nor the measure and degrees of faith in them which is the first and second of these Propositions and the which to speak the truth are the main and chiefest of all the Independents Arguments by which they labour to evince the necessity of a tolleration of all Religions that prodigious Tenent lest forsooth otherwise the course of the Gospel and the increase of grace in the Saints should be hindred if men should as they pretend be persecuted for cause of conscience which is no better then whiles they seeme to dispute to blaspheme and to give Christ and the Spirit of God the lye who teach the contrary and to fight against the holy Scripture and truth it self as will by and by appear First therefore I shall desire that Christs own words may be heard and then what the holy Apostles have spoken concerning these points Christ in Matth. 10.17 18 19 c. speaking to his Disciples saith Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels and will scourge you in their Synagogues and ye shall be brought to the Governours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles but when ye are delivered take no thought how and what ye shall speake c. For the Brother shall betray the Brother to death and the Father the Sonne and the Children shall rise up against their Parents and shall cause them to dye and yee shall be