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
A81703	The cleere antithesis, or, diametrall [sic] opposition betweene presbytery and prelacy wherein is apparently demonstrated, whither government be most consonant and agreeable to the word of God.; Appeale to every impartiall, judicious, and godly reader.	Downing, Calybute, 1606-1644.	1644 (1644)	Wing D2099; Thomason E17_7; ESTC R23496	8,758	30

of well-doers and without chargeable expences to the Delinquents XXIII The second is The Presbyteriall or Classicall meeting which consists of particular Pastors of particular Churches in a certain circuit much like to our severall Deanaries and as with us there be many Deanaries so are there to be many Presbyteries Here an Elder of every Parish appointed by the particular Session thereof doth come and meet with the Ministers and with these others also intending the Ministry who here exercise their gifts This meeting of theirs is somewhere once a weeke but it may be once a fortnight or at farthest once in a moneth This hath the power of Jurisdiction and Ordination Deprivation Visitation tryall of Processe of Excommunication from the Parochiall Session and direction to the Minister of the Parish to excommunicate if need be Here the life and doctrine the diligence of Ministers within the Presbyterie is look'd into and so the lives and behaviours of their Elders and the disobedience of any one to the Session is with authority censured This is begun and ended with Prayer as religious meetings should ever be XXIV The third is called A Provinciall Synod there be many such with us as Diocesses This consists of all such Presbyteries within such a circuit as may be like our Diocesses and every Synod is kept twice a yeare Hitherto come all the Ministers and one Elder from every Parish It 's begun with Prayers and Preaching by a Moderator of a former Synod who is ever here chosen and when he hath done another is chosen for the present Then they proceed to try all the Presbyteries how they have ordered themselves in their meetings and faithfully discharged the power and authority committed to them and this tryall is by the records presented to the Synod by the Clarke of every Presbytery In the end they conclude with Prayer Here is no calling for Procurations nor purchasing of Licenses no paying of money to an Apparitor nor to a Register to shew letters of Orders for better and not for such base ends is this pious Synod kept XXV The fourth and last meeting is The Generall and Nationall Assembly the highest Ecclesiasticall Judicatory and kept commonly once a yeare at the place appointed This consists of Ministers and Elders from every Presbytery where are also present persons of highest place and of the Nobilitie This is begun with a day of Humiliation after which is chosen by the Assembly a Minister to bee Moderator or President Here is handled all causes Ecclesiasticall concerning the whole Church of God every one hath his free voice ●●●hes 〈◊〉 ●●●●●les are propounded and satisfied and whatsoever is ordained is with consent of all there be also chosen out certaine Commissioners to present what of all is thought fit to the Parliament the King the Counsell of the King or the Convention of the Estates XXVI By this most happy subordination of these foure stands the beauty and strength of the Church Government comfortable to all godly Pastors and Professors onely distastefull to Prelaticall spirits to Papists Atheists Hereticks Schismaticks prophane and Machiavillan Statists for by this Governement all these are crushed in them first appearing in Parishes by the Session weekely or in the Rurall Presbytery monethly or by the Provinciall Synod in the halfe year but if these be not so prevalent on a sudden yet are they mightly suppressed once in a yeare by a Nationall Assembly XXVII Under this Presbyterian Government godly Ministers and people are much encouraged in preaching in hearing in frequenting Sermons in conferring together after Sermon in fasting and praying no hinderance of neighbourly and Christian meetings to reade godly means bookes allowed to be printed No lett but rather heartning for one to instruct another to build up to edifie one another without wicked jealousie of unlawfull conventicling whereby knowledge of God increaseth and brotherly love among the people XXVIII This doth allure none unto it but onely the warrantablenesse of it the goodnesse of it the singular benefit which commeth thereby to the Churches of Christ where it is erected to wit the safety of soules the beating downe of sinne and iniquity the humbling of the people by often set fastings and other holy duties which all that feare God should more affect in Ecclesiasticall government then all earthly preferment XXIX This is the governement of the Churches of Christ the reformed Churches with which we confesse our selves to be one and never was it east out where once it was erected and carefully practised among them as any way hurtfull to religion or the Civill State XXX This since the beginning of Reformation hath beene desired of painfull and conscionable Teachers and in following their desires to enjoy it have suffered much as all know for their writing and preaching praying and petitioning to Soveraigne Authoritie and Parliament for the same Lastly this could never yet bee endured here to make a tryall of it and to discerne it in the happy fruits of it as is humbly desired by many thousands to be admitted The Prelacie I. THis is not to be found in the Apostles writings nor doth the HolyGhost vouchsafe to name it as being an over-topping title which Christ approves not of II. This consists of Prelates called Diocesan Lord Bishops Lording over their brethren contrary to Christs forbidding Mat. 20. 25 26. and Lording over their people contrary to the charge of S. Peter 1 Peter 5. 3. III. These have no divine Institution there is for their present standing no warrant from Christs word but what they rest upon are two false Postscripts Apocryphall writings added to the end of the second Epistle to Timothy and the other to Titus IV. There is no mention made of these kinde of Bishops they had then no beeing nor was there in this Councell then any mention at all of any Bishop nor any as yet had that name till Pauls preaching at Ephesus who first mentioned the name of Bishops Acts 20. 28. and yet meaning no other then Elders Verse 17. neither then nor long after Titus 1. 5. 7. V. These Lordly Diocesan Bishops have no rule over us in the Lord if they have let them from Holy Scripture shew it as the Elders can the truth is the rule which these exercise is meerely humane and from the authority of men as hath heretofore been acknowledged by themselves VI. The rule of these is Monarchicall and but one in a Citie and over a great Diocesse extending their power very farre beyond that they are able to performe VII These rule after the will of man and according to either Popish or their owne devised Canons thrust upon the people after the pleasure and lust of some without warrant from Holy Scripture the truth of this appeares from their former and late Canons VIII These neither can nor doe rule spiritually after a spirituall manner but with pompe they cannot bear up their Prelacie but with great revenues with many attendants and all