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	rule_n	scripture_n	1,767	5	5.9499	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77428	A briefe discourse, declaring the impiety and unlawfulnesse of the new Covenant with the Scots. Together with the Covenant it selfe.		1643 (1643)	Wing B4580; Thomason E73_1; ESTC R14064	10,599	20

will be able to discover more in it of themselves my ayme is to shew the impiety of this Oath which doth appeare unto us in these severall heads First it is unlawfull in the manner of it Secondly in the matter of it Thirdly in the end of it First in the manner of undertaking it as it is against the Authority of the King And as it is an entrance into a new League with a forreine Nation without His Majesties consent First it is against the Authority of the King which we are all bound to maintaine in that it is undertaken without His Authority for whatsoever is undertaken without that power which is requisite thereunto is against that Authority for as that which cannot derive it selfe from God who hath supreame authority in the ordering of Religion as in all other things is against the supreame and absolute authority of God So that which cannot derive it selfe from the King in matter of Government when He is supreame under God is against the authority of the King and so an irregular and disorderly enterprise For as no animal motion in the body but hath its force and power from the head in the body so there can be no orderly publike motion in the State that hath not its force and influence from the King who is supreame Head under God of the body Politique And herein it is against the Oaths of Allegeance and Supremacy which bindeth men to the observance and preservation of the Kings authority as supreame Secondly it is sinfull in the manner of it as it is an entrance into a new League with a forreine Nation without the consent of the King who by the Law and constitution of the Kingdome is of absolute and supreame power in such matters at least so farre that it cannot or at least ought not to be done without him Thirdly in the manner of taking it if it be not lawfull yet it is uncouth and strange performed by a ceremony of lifting up their hands unto God as they call it But we may justly say by lifting up their hands against God since their hands are truly lift up against Gods substitute and against that authority that God hath placed in him But indeed this Ceremony was most fit for their purpose most correspondent unto their drift and purpose and doth excellently decypher that businesse they have in hand and which they meant to strengthen corroborate by this Covenant even the lifting up of their hands against the Lords annointed which they did well not to sweare to upon the Bible or Evangelists since it is a designe directly contrary to the whole drift of that holy Doctrine But in the second place it is not onely peccant in the manner either of taking or undertaking but much more in the importance of it I might say something of the strange inverted method whereby they shew us how they meane to turne things upside downe Priviledges of Parliament and Liberties of Subjects being put before the Authority and Person of the King but we could pardon such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as these were it not committed more in their actions than in their expressions But not to insist upon this It is peccant in the matter in three maine and principall respects 1. As it is against reason 2. As against Scripture 3. As it is against their owne consciences 1. It is against reason that they sweare to maintaine the Discipline and Government of Scotland in that Church and this is against reason in two respects First because thereby they intrude into those things that belong not unto them and are in alienâ rep curiosi since they have no more power to order and dispose of matters in the Scotch Nation then the Scots have to order and dispose the affaires of this But hereby indeed the Scots and they have set up a pretry trade and traffique of invasion since as the Scots by their incitement have most unjustly and unreasonably taken upon to order matters in this Kingdome which hath no dependance upon them nor is any way under their Government so they have hereby made themselves in the tenour of the Covenant a kinde of Moderatours and Governours of Scotland Which notwithstanding we verily beleeve that Nation will hardly admit of Secondly it is against reason that they should undertake to keepe that Discipline or Government unalterable in another Nation which all sound Christians hold at least in many things to be alterable and which they themselves as it seemes by the forme of the Oath durst not undertake to ty themselves unto certainly herein they are runne into the selfe same errour of which they themselves if I mistake not taxed the late Oath of the Synod and have tyed themselves unalterably to maintaine that which may and ought to be altered upon the exigency of the Church And so they have bound themselves by a sacred vow not onely to a thing unnecessary and no way acceptable to God in that singularity in which they are bound to it but also to withstand the lawfull supply of the possible and probable necessities of the Church Besides this they had best be well assured that all that they have sworne to maintaine in that Discipline and Government be agreeable to Gods Word 2. It is against Scripture that men should binde themselves to that which is uncertaine or joyne in a Covenant the sense whereof is dubious and wherein they doe by no meanes agree and that in the conscience of their knowne and palpable disagreement This is not to sweare according to Gods rule in justice judgement and truth nor answerable to that sincere dealing which God looketh for in the taking of an Oath They that agree upon the words but differ about the meaning may be so farre from being said to joyne in a Covenant that they may perhaps sweare one against another in their severall and contrary expositions and acceptions Now such is this Oath that it is neither certaine nor cleare it being in a part thereof set down in those stale termes which are capable of a million of interpretations as when they swear to promote the reformation of the Church of England according to the Word of God and the best Reformed Churches What certainty I beseech you is there in this Oath or at least what unity is in it were they or are they yet all agreed that have taken it what that reformation is or what Churches they are that are best reformed Doth not the Independent meane one thing and the Presbyterian another Are the Anabaptists and Brownists agreed upon this point Nay surely we may safely say they have sworn contrary one to another in their severall senses howsoever one hath said very well of them or at least of some of them that they agree very well in their latitude that is in such termes that will serve all their turnes The very studied tricke of the holy Tridentine Counsell But is not this arch collusion with God and with