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	way_n	word_n	1,912	5	3.9834	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78425	The inconsistencie of the independent way, with Scripture and it self. Manifested in a threefold discourse, I. Vindicia vindiciarum, with M. Cotton. II. A review of M. Hookers Survey of church-discipline. The first part. III. A diatribe with the same M. Hooker concerning baptism of infants of non-confederate parents, cap. 2. Of his third part. / By Daniel Cawdrey ...	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1651 (1651)	Wing C1629A; ESTC R22287	14,160	25

way of Christ It is observable that as soon as ever any begin to decline from us though they were the entirest bosome friends before such as took sweet counsel together walking to the House of God together as friends fasting and praying together often in publike and private communicating at the same Table of the Lord c. after all this they first withdraw and estrange themselves then come to slight both us our Ordinances and Ministry as well as our persons and in some it ends in an open or secret opposition and it 's to be feared at last it will end in hottest persecution The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of meeknesse gentlenesse and forbearance The way of Christ and the wisedom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated c. These considerations of the evil fruits of the Independent way so called I doe not therefore exemplifie God is witnesse to cast reproach upon the persons of any of that way who are as I trust many are truly godly but only to give them occasion seriously to review the principles by which they walk And I would humbly entreat them to reade the following discourses without prejudice or partiality and then judge whether there be not a Discovery made of the weaknesse of the foundation of their way And if it prove so to be to retract what they have more weakly built upon it for the glory of God and the peace of the Churches If any say you have said much against their way but nothing or little for the goodnesse of the Presbyterian way I answer Enough hath been said for it already by the London Divines in their Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici and the Vindication of the Presbyterian Government by the Province there This to me is a very probable argument of the goodnesse of the Presbyterian way That all sorts of men Athiests Papists Episcopal Anabaptists all Sectaries and prophane men do so much oppose it That way said he must needs be good that Nero persecutes whereas most of these the latter especially like well of and comply with the Independent way as granting more Liberty then the Presbyterian will Besides that the fruits of the Presbyterian Government in other Reformed Churches especially in the preventing or suppressing of errours heresies and profanesse speaks sufficiently for it I had also some thoughts to have vindicated the Presbyterian government from those unjust aspersions cast upon it by M. B. in his Model p. 52. c. but they are either so weak or so false that they fall by their own weight before an indifferent and intelligent Reader I shall now stay the Reader no longer in the porch but referre him to the Tracts themselves Desiring the Dissenting Brethren with single and impartiall Judgements to consider the miserable rents and divisions the errors heresies and blasphemies broken out in this Church of England since their way got footing and countenance here and withall in the fear of God to study how they may be repairers of those breaches made and restorers of Truth and Peace lost to this distracted and almost destroied Church Amen To the Preface 1. THe Authour of Vind. Clav. did not therefore conceal his name that he might secretly accuse whom he durst not openly charge but for other reasons made known to and approved of by Reverend and godly Brethren here Nor was there any need after the Roman custom for him to shew himself face to face especially when he charged nothing clanicular but what he found and any might finde publikely in the Authours own books And had not the Subject and Titles of his books discovered him he did not so much as name him in all his book but only the first letters of his name except once by citing the words of the Prefacers to The Way in their Epistle Love it is true is the best way to heal dissentions but it is rather love of the Truth then of mens persons if those must be severed And this the Authour of Vind. Clav. thought he manifested in his vindication of it from those errours and contradictions which he found as he still thinks in those books he undertook Yea he thought he could not better shew his love to the Reverend Authour then by manifesting his errours as well as the weaknesses of that way wherein he is a Leader to many such is the respect to his person besides the way of Truth Amicus Plato c. And whose books do most breathe lust to contention his who discovers errours or theirs who defend them being discovered is left to the judgement of all indifferent Readers 2. There is no doubt but the name of the Authour of Vind. Clav. is well enough known to this Reverend Brother by information of some from hence He is one who is known to honour and reverence his person worth and holinesse as much as any man and as sorry to see him so mistake his way One he is that came to the reading of his books with praier and sincerity to finde and submit to the Truth found Gal. 2.14 But when he saw that he walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel he thought it his duty to withstand him as Paul did Peter and to vindicate the Truth suppressed and the Keys usurped into the hands of the right owners And that is the proper sense of the word Vindiciae The Assertion of Liberty or Freedom for the oppressed It was not therefore an argument of much love to take the word in the worser part and to call the Authour by the name of vindex which sometimes also signifies a Redressour of things or a Defender or Restorer of Liberty much lesse the Avenger as if the title and purport of the Book did hold him forth to be a man of Revenge For as there was no reason no former difference being between them so there appears no footstep of Revenge in all his discourse The purport of the book was not to revenge himself but to vindicate that is to rescue Truth which he thought he saw oppressed not so much by the strength of Reason as by the Authority of men in reputation for learning and holinesse And he thinks and so do others with him there is more appearance of Revenge in the names of Vindex and Avenger put upon him unjustly besides the slighting of him in the shortnesse of the Reply of which more hereafter then is to be found in all his proceedings If there be any phrase or passage too sharp or unbeseeming the gravity of either party as he begs pardon for it so he desires it may be imputed to that zeal he bears to the Truth and to the souls of many seduced into a mischievous separation the consequences whereof are found to be so dangerous to this Church of England as threatning its utter desolation 3. But what saies he to the charge in the Title page of weaknesses and contradictions If saies he Christ

may have any glory by that I shall willingly acknowledge that I am made up of weaknesses and contradictions If those had been charged upon his person he had answered religiously But if it be only intended against his way he answers nothing Or if this were really confessed it would be not only to the glory of Christ but his own also But if it be as it rather appears to be by his Defence of those weaknesses and contradictions only modestly spoken as intimating the contrary surely Christ shall have little glory from that and himself lesse There is a way to seek glory by flying it and that is no glory saies the wisest of men But when he applies that to his person which was spoken of his books he does but elude the charge and not answer it 4. Neverthelesse saies he all this will not argue that which the Avenger saith He hath heard that I have often altered my judgement since I went to New-England c. That tho Assertor not the Avenger hath heard so Par. 1. pag. 28. and that of some near and dear friends of his is true and he hath found that another whom he under takes hath heard so too But that he hath altered his judgement and that to contradiction in his two Tracts The Keys and The Way Vindex the Affertor thinks he hath made to appear in Vind. Clav. beyond any reasonable contradiction and shall do more in this Now when he saies He sees by the first words of the Way that the Publishers had not the Copy taken from him but an imperfect Transcript he laies a foundation for the eluding of all or some at least of the objected mistakes by disclaiming their Copy But then he looses this ground again when he saies I do beleeve what the Publishers do report and they had it from his own Letters as they say That setting aside some difference in Logical terms there is no material difference between the Keys and the Way either in doctrine of Divinity or Church-practice which is to own the Differences and Contradictions between those Tracts if any such be proved Of which in the next 5. It was objected that the Authour of those Tracts did as flatly centradict himself as ever any man did For in the Keys he saith The Keys were delivered to Peter as an Apostle Pag. 4. Pag. 27. as an Elder and as a Beleever But in the Way he saith They are given to Peter not as an Apostle not as an Elder but as a profest Beleever Is not this a flat contradiction There is a threefold answer given to this Objection 1. The words saies he are not mine but the Assertors The words as they are contracted are not his in terminis but if they be not his in their sense let Reason judge In the Keys expounding the sense of those words To thee will I give the Keys c. he saies It hath proved a busie Question How Peter is to be considered in receiving the power of the Keys whether as an Apostle or as an Elder or as a Beleever Now because we are as well studious of peace as of truth we will not lean to one of these interpretations more then to another To speak ingenuously and without offence what we conceive the sense of the words will be most full if all the several considerations be taken jointly together Take Peter considered not as an Apostle only but an Elder also and a Beleever too all may well stand together Does not this Discourse clearly hold forth this Proposition as the sense of that Text The Keys were delivered to Peter as an Apostle as an Elder and as a Beleever too all may well stand together See Keys pag. 5 If Peter then received the whole power of the Keys then he stood in the room of all such as have received any part of the power Apostles or Elders or Churches And now take the words of the Way In the Gospel of Christ the power of the Keys is given to Peter not as an Apostle nor as an Elder but as a profest Beleever And is not this a flat contradiction ●and that as ever man spake for contradictions do not recipere magis minus Yea this latter proposition is again contradicted in this very Defence when par 2. p. 22. he saies Peter in his lowest relation in the Church as a profest beleever had his share in the power of the Keys not that he had his share in the whole power of the Keys as a profest Beleever but that he had other parts of the power of the Keys as an Elder and as an Apostle immediatly given him by the Lord Jesus Now let any Logician judge whether this be not as much as to say Peter had the power of the Keys given him as an Apostle as an Elder and as a Beleever which is a flat contradiction to the other The power of the Keys is given to Peter not as an Apostle not as an Elder but as a profest beleever His Apology makes it worse It is saies he a trivial rudiment in Schools whatsoever is attributed to any as such is given to all as such universally reciprocally and only If the Keys were given to Peter as an Apostle then to all the Apostles and only to the Apostles Now assume But the Keys were given to Peter as an Apostle saies he in the Keys therefore they were given only to Apostles and so not to beleevers as such Again argue thus If the Keys were given to Peter not as an Apostle not as an Elder but as a Beleever then to all Beleevers and only to Beleevers But saies the Way the Keys were not given to Peter as an Apostle nor as an Elder therefore they were given to all Beleevers women and all and only to Beleevers What the Publishers of the Keys say helps not off the contradiction at all The disposal say they of this power may lie in a due allotment into divers hands c. rather then in an entire and sole Trust to one man or any sort or rank of men or Officers For they agree not with their Authour nor he with them He saies this power of the Keys is given only to Beleevers They say it is put into divers hands and is not this a contradiction But he takes himself wronged by the Assertor affirming him to place all the power in one sort of men in that place The Way pag. 45. which in the same passage he does deny They the brethren may not administer Sacraments in defect of all Officers Truly this is to discover the contradiction more For if the Keys be delivered to beleevers only as such then the power of administring Sacraments is given to them for that is a part of the power of the Keys But he asserts the former in the Way pag. 27. therefore Take his own Proposition or argument a quatenus tale If Peter had received the power of the Keys quatenus Apostulus or quatenus Presbyter