Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ancient_a	church_n	true_a	2,421	5	5.1957	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80614	The controversie concerning liberty of conscience in matters of religion, truly stated, and distinctly and plainly handled, by Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New-England. By way of answer to some arguments to the contrary sent unto him, vvherein you have, against all cavils of turbulent spirits, clearly manifested, wherein liberty of conscience in matters of religion ought to be permitted, and in what cases it ought not, by the said Mr. Cotton.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6420; Thomason E364_10; ESTC R201241	11,124	16

and Spirit which no man doubteth of Secondly those predictions of the Prophets shew what the meek and peaceable temper will be of all the true converts to christianity not Lions or Leopards c. not cruell oppressors nor malignant opposers or biters of one another but doth not forbid to drive ravenous wolves from the sheepfold and to restrain them devouring the sheep of Christ And when Paul saith the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall he denieth not civill weapons of Justice to the civill Magistrate but only to Church-Officers and yet the weapons of such of such Officers he acknowledgeth to be such as though they be spirituall yet are ready to take vengeance of all disobedience 2. Cor. 10.6 which hath reference amongst other Ordinances to the censure of the Church against scandalous offenders When Christ commandeth his Disciples to blesse them that curse them and persecute them he giveth not a rule to Publike Officers either in Church or Common-wealth to suffer notorious sinners either in life or doctrine to passe away with a blessing but to private Christians to suffer persecution patiently yea and to pray for their persecu●●rs Again Christ it is true would have his Disciples to be farre from persecuting for that is a sinfull oppression of men for righteousnesse sake but that hindreth not but that he would have them execute upon all disobedience the judgment and vengeance required in the Word 2 Cor. 10.6 Rom. 13.4 Fourthly though it be true that wicked persons now may by the grace of God become true Disciples and Converts yet we may not do evil that good may come thereof and evill it would be to tolerate notorious evill doers whether seducing teachers or scandalous livers Christ had somthing against the Angell of the Church of Pergamus for tolerating them that held the Doctrine of Balaam and against the Church of Thiatira for tolerating Jezabell to teach and seduce Rev. 2.14.20 Your second head of reasons is taken from the profession and practise of famous Princes King James Stephen of Boland King of Bohemia Whereunto a treble Answer may brieflie be returned 1. VVe willinglie acknowledge that none is to be persecuted at all no more then they may be oppressed for righteousnesse sake Again we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his conscience though mis-informed as hath been said unlesse his error be fundamentall or sediciouslie and turbulentlie promoted and that after due conviction of conscience that it may appear he is not punished for his conscience but for sinning against his conscience Furthermore we acknowledge none to be constrained to believe or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in judgment of the truth of it but yet restrained he may from blaspheming the truth and from seducing any into pernicious errors 2. We answer what Princes professe and practise is not a rule of conscience they many times tolerate that in point of Srate policy which cannot be justly tolerated in point of true christianitie Again Princes many times tolerate offenders out of very necessity when the offenders are too many or too mightie for them to punish in which respect David tolerated Joab and his murthers but against his will 3. We answer that for those three Princes named by you who tolerated Religion we can name you more and greater who have not tolerated Hereticks and Schismaticks notwithstanding their pretence of conscience For example Constantine the great at the request of the generall Councell of Nice banished Arrius with some of his fellowes Sozom. lib. 1. Eccles Hist cap. 29.20 The same Coostantine made a severe law against the Donatists and the like proceedings were used against them by Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius as Augustine reporteth in Epist 166 only Julian the Apostle granted liberty to Hereticks as well as unto Pagans that he might by tolerating all weeds to grow choak the vitals of Christianity which was also the practise and sin of Valens the Arrian Queen Elizabeth as famous for Government as any of the former it is well known what Lawes she made and executed against Papists yea and King James one of your own witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how severely and sharply he punished those whom the malignant word calls Puritans men of more conscience and better faith then he tolerated I come now to your third and last argument taken from the judgment of ancient writers yea even of Papists themselves who have condemned persecution for conscience sake You begin with Hilary whose testimony we might admit without any prejudice to the truth for it is true the Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted but to excommunicate a Heretique is not to persecute that is not to punish an innocent but a culpable and damnable person and that not for conscience but for persisting in error against light of conscience whereof it hath been convinced It is true also what he saith that the Apostles did neither may we propagate Christian Religion by the Sword but if Pagans cannot be won by the Word they are not to be compelled by the Sword Neverthelesse this hindreth not but that if they or any other should blaspheme the true God and his true Religion they ought not to be severely punished and no lesse do they deserve who seduce from the truth to damnable Heresie or Idolatry Your next writer which is Tertullian speaketh to the same purpose in the place alledged by you his intent was only to restrain Scapula the Romane Governor of Affrica from the persecution of Christians for not offering sacrifice to their Gods and for that end fetcheth an Argument from naturall equity not to compell any to any Religion but to permit them either to believe willingly or not to believe at all which we acknowledge and accordingly permit the Indians to continue in their unbeliefe Neverthelesse it will not therefore be lawfull openly to tollerate the Worship of Devils or Idols or the seduction of any from the truth When Tertullean saith anothers mans Religion neither hurteth nor profitteth any It must be understood of private worship and Religion professed in private otherwise a false Religion professed by the Members of a Church or by such as have given their names to Christ will be the ruine and desolation of the Church as appeareth by the threats of Christ to the Churches of Asia Rev. 2. Your next Author Jerome crosseth not the truth nor advantageth not your cause for we grant what he saith that heresie must be cut off with the sword of the spirit But this hindreth not but that being so cut down if the Heretique will still persist in his heresie to the seducing of others he may be cut off by the civill sword to prevent the perdition of others And that to be Jeromes meaning appears by his note upon that of the Apostle a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe therefore saith he

THE CONTROVERSIE Concerning Liberty of Conscience IN Matters of Religion Truly stated and distinctly and plainly handled By Mr. JOHN COTTON of Boston in New-England By way of answer to some Arguments to the contrary sent unto him VVherein you have against all cavils of turbulent spirits clearly manifested wherein liberty of conscience in matters of Religion ought to be permitted and in what cases it ought not by the said Mr. COTTON London Printed for Thomas Banks and are to be sold at his shop in Black-Fryers on the top of Bride-well Staires 1646. Scriptures and Reasons written long since by a witnesse of Jesus Christ close prisoner in Newgate against persecution in cause of conscience and sent some while since to Mr. Cotton by a friend desiring to be instructed whether persecution for conscience be not against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ The Scriptures and Reasons are these which were alledged against persecution 1. BEcause Christ commands that the Tares and Wheat which some understand are those that walke in the truth and those that walke in lies should be let alone in the world and not plucked up till the Harvest which is the end of the World Math. 13.30.38 c. 2. Because Christ commandeth Math. 15.14 that they that are blind as some interpret led on in false Religion and are offended with him for teaching true Religion should be let alone referring their punishment to their falling into the ditch 3. Because Christ reproved his Disciples Luke 9.54 who would have had fire come down from Heaven to devour those Samaritanes which would not receive him in these words Ye know not of what spirit ye are of the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them 4. Because Paul the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2. Tim. 3.24 That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evill men instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and come to amendment out of the snare of the Devill c. 5. According to these commandements the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdome be established Esay 2.4 Micah 4.3.4 that they should break their swords into mattocks and their Spears into Sithes and Esay 11.9 Then shall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountain of my Holinesse c. And when he came the same he taught and preached as before and so did his Disciples after him for the Weapons of his warfare are not carnall saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 And he charges his Disciples straitly that his Disciples should be so far from persecuting those that should not be of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray Math. 5. when they were cursed they should blesse c. And the reason seems to be because they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat they who now are blind may hereafter see they that now resist him may hereafter receive him they that are now in the Devils snare by adversenesse from the truth may hereafter come to repentance they who are now persecuters and blasphemers as Paul was may in time become faithfull as he did they that are Idolaters as the Corinthians once were 1 Cor. 6.9 may hereafter become true worshippers as they and they that are now no people of God nor under mercy as the Saints sometimes were 1 Pet. 2.20 may hereafter become the people of God and obtaine mercy as they Some come not till the 11. houre Math. 20.26 if those that come not till the last houre should be destroyed because they come not at the first then should they never come but be prevented Thus for the Argument from Scripture But a. Because this persecution for cause of conscience is against the profession and practises of famous Princes First you may please to consider the Speech of King James in his Majesties Speech in Parliament 1609. He saith It is a sure rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed And in his Highnesse Apology page 4 speaking of such Papists who took the oath thus I have good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience sake but only desired to be secured for civill obedience which for conscience sake they are bound to performe And page 60. speaking of Blackwell the Arch-Priest His Majestie saith It was never my intention to lay any thing to the said Arch-Priests charge as I have never done to any for cause of conscience And in his Highnesse exposition on David 20. printed 1588. and after 1603. His Majesty writeth thus Sixtly The compassing of the Saints and the besieging of the beloved City declareth unto us a certain note of a false Church to be persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are them that are ●●●ght the wicked are the besiegers the faithfull are the besieged Secondly The saying of Stephen King of Poland I am King of 〈◊〉 not of consciences a Commander of bodies not of soules So the King of Bohemia writeth thus And notwithstanding the successe of later times wherein sundry opinions have been hatched about the subject of Religion may make one cleerly discern with his eye and as it were to touch with his finger that according to the verity of holy Scriptures and a Maxime heretofore told and maintained by the ancient Doctors of the Church That mens consciences ought in no set to be violated urged er constrained And whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret means the issue hath been pernitious and the cause of great and wonderfull innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries of all Christendome And further his Majestie saith So that once more we professe ●●●●● God and the whole World that from this day forward wee are truly resolved not to persecute or molest or suffer to be persecuted or ●●lested any person whomsoever for matter of Religion us not they 〈◊〉 professe themselves to be of the Romish Church neither to trouble 〈◊〉 disturbe them in the exercise of their Religion so they live confornable to the Lawes of the States c. And for the practise of this where is persecution for cause of conscience except in England and where Popery raignes and there neither in all places as appears by France Poland and other places nay it is not practised amongst the Heathens that acknowledge not the true God as the Turke Persian and others 3. Because persecution for cause of conscience is condemned by the ancient and latter writers yea even Papists themselves Hillary against Auxentius saith thus The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted and lamentable it is to see the great folly of these times and to sigh at the foolish opinion of this world in that men think by humane