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	lead_v	spirit_n	1,730	5	5.1942	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81926	Objections against the taking of the engagement answered. Or, Some scruples of conscience, which a godly minister in Lancashire did entertain against the taking of the engagement. Resolved by J.D. wherein the chief mistakes of weak consciences, about the matter of the engagement, are in a friendly way discovered, and rectified by scripture-grounds and right reason; and published for the satisfaction of others, who may be scrupled in the same kind.	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1650 (1650)	Wing D2876; Thomason E608_20; ESTC R205922	22,527	28

OBJECTIONS AGAINST The taking of the ENGAGEMENT Answered OR Some scruples of Conscience which a godly Minister in Lancashire did entertain against the taking of the ENGAGEMENT Resolved by J. D. WHEREIN The chief mistakes of weak Consciences about the matter of the Engagement are in a friendly way discovered and rectified by Scripture-grounds and right reason and published for the satisfaction of others who may be scrupled in the same kind LONDON Printed by John Clowes for Richard Woodnothe at the Star under St. Peters Church in Cornhill 1650. Worthy SIR I Have delay'd writing for a time in that I have been uncertain whether I should come to London or no but now at the last resolving to wait a while before I come do make bold to present my humble thankfulness for your former kindnes shewed to me I have been much perplexed in mind concerning the Engagement and still am by which means my maintenance is and hath for a season been withheld Those scruples which I stick at I shall make bold to acquaint you with and they are these 1. The late Government voted down was in it self lawful wholsome and good and no evil ever yet did appear to me in the power but only in the persons who did exercise that power Prov. 24.21 which was no sufficient ground of change and it is not safe to meddle in it 2. To that said Government I am bound by many solemn and sacred Tyes to maintain it in my place not only in the substance and main parts of it but also in the form and circumstance thereof and those said obligations are not meerly civil and humane but sacred and divine and above the absolution of any earthly power 3. I conceive it unlawful to engage against the undoubted rights of any man I suppose there may be found such lawful Heirs of the Crown as have not any wayes forfeited their rights and also great Interests and Priviledges which mary innocent Peers of this Land may fairly challenge which they have not lost by their miscarriage Treason or Rebellion 4. I cannot be satisfied but that the liberty of the free-born English is by that means much infringed in this late settlement and constitution 1. In that many of the innocent and faithful Members the Representatives of the people were at the voting of this new establishment thrust out and debarred the House which makes it seem rather a combination or confederacy then a lawful constitution for if a people have liberty in any thing certainly it is to chuse their Governors and Government 2. The subscription is forced upon us under the penalties of out-lawing and fining so that this power are our absolute Lords which is that heavy yoak that we have feared and fought against 5. I consider if men at their inition and installment will walk so arbitrarily and domineere with so high a hand what will they do may we expect when they come to a full settlement by the consent of all the people of the Nation 6. The grieving and troubling the hearts and Consciences not of loose perverse and seditious but of grave sober pious and peaceable men is made nothing of but they are trampled upon and wholly neglected whilst many Atheists Cavaliers and base wretches that will take the Engagement are imbraced priviledged and respected These and such dear Sir are the troubles of my heart which I make bold to express thus plainly not doubting of your favour in construing my harsh and too high phrases and ove-rbold expressions only I follow this as the safest way to satisfaction and resolution hoping that the Lord will of his goodness stir you up and direct you to satisfie me or candidly to think of and bear with me Sir your loving invitation and incouragement hath made me thus bold to trouble you and as for those other businesses I formerly mentioned I conceive little can be done c. Dated 9. May. 1650. OBJECTIONS against the taking of the ENGAGEMENT Answered SIR I Hope you have received my former written the 28. of May wherein I sent you back the Petition of your Parish with some instructions how you should do to get your business effected Now I shall endeavour to offer something to your consideration towards the satisfaction of those scruples which you have sent me for which you have not been able to take the Engagement The Lord who alone is the Father of lights and knowes the capacity of all Mens Consciences instruct us in the truth and by it grant us that quietness and rest of spirit which may fit us for the performance of all righteousness and dutifulness with joy he alone can teach us to profit and lead the wearied sole to rest we may suggest to one another that wherein according to our apprehension is truth so far as it appears so to us but to seal up that truth and perswade the heart of it is the work of the spirit of God alone whom our heavenly Father by the mouth of his own Son hath promised to give to them that ask him Luke 11.13 We may therefore with full assurance crave this spirit not only for our selves but each for other and perhaps herein we may do one another better service then in suggesting our notions to each other Yet because we are commanded not only to ask by way of request but to seek and knock at the Gates of Heaven Mat. 7.7 by way of endeavour therefore let us do the one and not neglect the other and if it shall be the Lords will that by the discovery of those things which give me satisfaction in that whereat you are scrupled you shall find more light then you now have and cause of satisfaction and rest to your mind therein I shall rejoyce at it and bless God for it Give me leave therefore to discover unto you the grounds for which my Conscience ought not to be troubled at the things which you scruple so much at for you are brought thereby into many inconveniences and straits which I conceive you have cast your self into for want of due consideration of those Rules which would have steered your course clear from those Rocks and Quick-sands whereinto you are fallen 1. Scruple The former Government was in it self good and not alterable The first scruple you make is this The late Government say you voted down was in it self lawful wholsome and good and no evil ever yet did appear to me in the power but only in the persons who did exercise that power which was no sufficient ground of Change and it is not safe to meddle in it Prov. 24.21 Now this doth not trouble me at all I suppose needs not to be a matter of Conscience to you that is you need not to charge the consequence which you mention here upon your Conscience The Answer shewes for although I should think as you do that the late Government now voted down was in it self lawful yet it doth not follow

supposed also that because there are many innocent Peers who have many Interests and Priviledges fairly to be challenged that therefore they ought to have still a separate hand in the Government by a House in Parliament which is a consequence for which I see no ground Fourthly on the other side you suppose that they who now are in power do injustice to the Heires who have not forfeited their Right to the Crown by not setling the Crown upon one of them and to the innocent Lords by not letting them sit to govern in a House which are sentences no ways to be supposed by Subjects of Superiours and by non-judges of publick State-interests nor in my opinion can they be made out to be truths when we look upon them in the judgment of discretion for although the Heirs and Peers may lay a claim to some rights in respect of former Customs yet it followeth not that if in these Emergencies former Customs be not observed that therefore injustice is done unto them for all Customs are in their nature to be subservient to the publick good and if they fall out to be at any time destructive thereunto they ought to be changed and if by the change thereof particular rights or claims to rights are made void that is no injustice in those that alter the Custom although some particular persons loose that which at another time might be fairly challenged by them all particular priviledges must yield to the publick safety nor can any man fairly challenge any thing which may prejudge publick safety and the powers that are in possession are the only Judges of that which is most conducible unto publick safety The case of Henry 6. who was an usurper and of Richard Duke of York who in full Parliament setting himself in the Chair of State laid claim unto the Crown is a clear decision of this matter for though he made good his Title to the Parliament yet after a long debate it was enacted by the Lords and Commons in Parliament that the usurper in possession should retain the name and honour of a King and the right Heir be suspended from the enjoyment of his right because all particular rights must yield to publick welfare This the Answer to the exercitation doth quote out of Martins History of the Kings and Queens of England pag. 258. You see then how many ways these supposals of yours whereupon you make consequences to trouble your Conscience are without ground but now let me grant you that they are all of them truths yet how will you make it out rationally that they ought to be of such importance to you Supposing the allegations to be valid yet the consequence not to engage to observe matters of duty doth not follow that your Conscience must be charged therewith as a Judge to determine them and in case the sentence which you pronounce thereof be not executed that you are bound to withdraw your self from all dutiful relations towards the publick and make your self for such considerations as these unprofitable to your flock unserviceable in the Ministry I say how will you be able to shew that this is a conscionable course in you although the grounds of your supposals were not so slight as they are but as firm as any can be to me I confess although they might seem in the judgment of discretion unanswerable truths yet because I dare not for Conscience sake make my self a definitive Judge in the Case and I am instructed that my Conscience is not to be under the Power of such worldly changes but that it is free for me allwayes to do my duty though they be never so many and so strange Therefore I will not be scrupled at these considerations whereinto you have inconsiderately intangled your thoughts which I think you are bound to shake off And this shall suffice I hope also for the third scruple whereunto I thought not at first to have said half so much but the desire to clear the matter fully hath carried me on to be so large Your fourth scruple is about the liberty of the Subject You say thus 4. Scruple The liberties of the Subject are infringed Ergo I must notangage I cannot be satisfied but that the liberty of the free-born English is by that means much infringed in this late settlement and constitution 1. In that many of the innocent and faithful Members the representatives of the people were at the voting of this new establishment thrust out and debarred the House which makes it seem rather a Combination or Confederacy then a lawful constitution for if a People have liberty in any thing certainly it is to choose their Governors and Government 2. The subscription is forced upon us under the penalties of out-lawing and fining so that this power are our absolute Lords which is that heavy yoak that we have feared and fought against The Answer shewes That the inference is not good Here your want of satisfaction in matters of liberty is the ground of your scruple and your scruple is the cause why you will not engage to do good duties to the publick under the present powers To me this way of proceeding is not regular for I conceive that no dissatisfaction for any thing which I think amiss in others ought to take me off from my Resolutions towards the publick in things good and lawful to be done in my place Nay I say the quite contrary because I am not satisfied in the ways of other men and cannot see the clear grounds of their conscionable dealing I am bound so much the more to look to mine own Conscience and to keep to the duties which tend to maintain truth and peace towards all in my place and to advance the publick welfare without partiality If I should intend no good Office to any but to such in whose ways I am satisfied I should have little to do in the world as a Christian therefore I Command my spirit either not to look to matters of dissatisfaction in other men so deeply as to make my self a Judge of their ways to the trouble of my Conscience or if I cannot avoid observing things dissatisfactory to my spirit which without any judicial search offer themselves clearly to my view yet I suffer not those impressions to work any distemper upon me so far as I can discern it against those whom I am bound to edifie and to whom I must as a Servant of Christ make my application for the best of things to build them up in that which is spiritually and morally good That we are not Judges 〈◊〉 the Liberties definitively but only in the judgment of discretion As for the scruple it self whether the liberty of the free-born English be yea or no much infringed by this settlement and constitution I shall no more in this then in other matters of the like nature take upon me to be a definitive Judge and whatever in the way of