Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	hold_v	2,172	5	6.0670	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80794	A learned and exceeding well-compiled vindication of liberty of religion: written by Junius Brutus in Latine, and translated into English by N.Y. who desires, as much as in him is, to do good unto all men: wherein these three following propositions are undenyably proved, and all objections to the contrary fully answered. 1. That if magistrates, in case of necessity, promise hereticks liberty of religion; they are bound to performe their promise after that necessity ceaseth. 2 That magistrates may with a safe conscience grant hereticks liberty of religion, and oblige themselves by an oath, or bond of assurance, to provide for their safety and security. 3. That magistrates ought to grant hereticks liberty of religion, and to oblige themselves by an oath, or bond of assurance, to provide for their safety and security.; Vindiciae pro religionis libertate. English.	Crell, Johann, 1590-1633.; N. Y. translator.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6879; Thomason E1178_4; ESTC R208101	37,701	85

the weak and base 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. things of the world and things which are despised and things which are not How then could God enjoyne Christians to kill Apostates that is those which should revolt from Christianity to a Jewish or heathenish religion and go over from men of low degree to Nobles from weak to mighty men and to their kind of holy worship But if so be they are not commanded to destroy them which altogether forsake the Christian religion much lesse Hereticks who notwithstanding acknowledge the majesty and religious worship of Christ although they do not sufficiently understand it Many also object that If freedome of Religion be granted Heretiques then heresies will grow and increase Yea verily they will more increase if thou strive to root them ouâ— by force especially if the minds of men be otherwise bent to religion honesty and vertue Thus much experience it self hath taught us in these ages The Protestant religion then increased most in France the Low-Countries and England when persecution was opposed against it Reason shewes as much for they which endeavour to suppresse another mans religion by force in so doing make their cause or religion to be suspected and certainly lessen the credit and estimation of their own religion but cause that to be well approved of which they go about to ruine for when they enter upon violent courses they seem to demonstrate that they distrust their cause and despaire of victory if the matter should be debated by argumentation therefore being destitute of reasons betake themselves to force and fly to carnall weapons because spirituall are wanting to bring mens minds under subjection by which it comes to passe that they purchase an opinion and report of cruelty to themselves and inflame other mens minds with hatred They on the contrary which are troubled for Religion sake easily get mens good will and affection But whither mens favour and affection thither also for the most part doth their faith incline I will not alledge that now That when the grievousnes of punishment against offenders is exposed to the view common people are not seldome moved to compassion most men not so much regarding and laying to heart the deed which either they never saw or do no longer see as the terriblenesse of the punishment which is subject to the sight But what shall we think will come to passe if they be deemed innocent which suffer cruell punishments if their life and manners be approved of if nothing be accused in them but meer error of judgement What if that also happen that the people observe some blemish in their course of life which trouble them which they do not see in them so afflicted by themselves It is certain that those which suffer for Religion sake how erroneous soever it be do shew that they esteem all things lesse than God piety and their own conscience and salvation which is only the part of good men and such aâ— are very great lovers of vertue and fear God very much It cannot happen otherwise then but that they should gain favour to themselves and beliefe and authority to that Religion which they so stoutly maintain For this is the genius and proper quality of vertue to purchase undoubted credit to it self and especially in matters belonging to Religion First because as I have said mens favour follow vertue and belief of what is said followes favour And also because vertue is otherwise of it self sincere and undefiled hating deceit guile and lying But who may not rather believe him and assent to his doctrine in whom he perceives to be most candor and ingenuity Furthermore it is no wayes credible that God who is so much delighted with vertue and piety and so exceedingly rewards it would deny the knowledge of true Religion to the better sort of men and grant it to the worser Last of all The greater Vertue is not without just cause thought to be the affection and proper quality even of the better Faith Wherefore as I have declared already They which by suffering any kind of cruelty and rigour for Religion sake shew forth most evident testimonies of their own vertue easily incline and draw over people which love vertue to their own side They on the contrary which exercise cruelty against them lose the affections of the people and diminish the credit of their Religion which animates and stirs them up to so much cruelty against innocent and harmlesse men That I may be silent that those men themselves which are afflicted for Religion sake by how much the more honest and vertuous they be are so much the more confirmed in their opinion and the more vehemently inflamed with the love of their Religion because they think their own adversaries judge it uncontroleable and invincible by strength of Arguments From hence may easily be perceived what answer is to be made them which say that Heretiques are enemies to the Catholique Church and Religion wherefore they ought to be expelled the territories and limits of the Church and Religion to be defended against them That they are ravening Wolves and therefore to be driven away from the Flock That they give the sons of God poyson to drink and so destroy their soules and therefore ought not to be suffered to have conversation with them and that they sell and put by force upon the weak and ignorant Infants of Christ of which there must alwaies be a great number that poyson in stead of the saving drink of their soules But be it so that they be enemies to the Catholique Religion and Church yet seeing they do not invade nor intend to invade it with swords nor corporall weapons they wage only a spirituall war with it wherefore in like manner they are not to be vanquished with carnall but spirituall weapons and to be driven either from the Church or brought into obedience thereof by those weapons I say wherewith the Apostles of old subdued the enemies of truth overthrew the strong holds of errors and brought the world in subjection under Christ 2 Cor. 10. 3 4. For so saith Paul For though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ But if thou wouldest drive Heretiques by carnall weapons out of the Church thou wilt not destroy such enemies but exasperate and provoke them thou shalt not lessen but increase their number and though thou mightest at length utterly root them out by this means yet thou shalt not hereby defend thy Religion but pollute and defile it Long since did Lactantius give a right answer to the Gentiles who thought that those Religious exercises which they publikely perfored were to be defended by violence Religion is to be

seducers whom he cals Antichrists which did not confesse that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh As appears by the foregoing words and may be perceived by many places of the first Epistle But there are not such Heretiques in these times as deny that so far is it from being true that Heretiques of these times may be cast into the number of those Seducers which endeavour contrary to the manifest truth and the conscience of their mind to lead others into such a damnable error Lastly in such a case only Iohn forbids us to receive them into our houses or to bid them God speed when as they come unto us to perswade and convert us to their Religion not when they agitate civill or private matters and desire commerce with us is members of the same Common-wealth Many urge that also for an argument against liberty of Râ—ligion That God commanded in former times false Prophets and thâ—se also that revolted to the worshipping of false gods to be killed But first of all it is one thing to be a Heretique and another thing to be a false Prophet or to decline to the worship of false gods They which now adayes are termed heretiques worship none besides that true God creator of heaven and earth and Jesus Christ their Saviour but only they hold different opinions from the Catholiques concerning him or about sacred matters and such as pertain to the worship of that true God and Jesus Christ Therefore they have not declined to the worship of false gods so far is it from being just that they should be reckoned amongst false Prophets which perswade other men to such a heinous crime for those men only were to be accounted false Prophets which endeavoured to perswade that they spake by inspiration of some deity and that their sayings were to be esteemed oracles which the Heretiques of this age in no wise do But that that law of God made against false prophets and worshippers of false gods is not intended against those who otherwise held the Law of God was to be kept but were infected with some other error that may sufficiently shew because that in former times among the Jewes who were affected with a vehement love and zeal toward the Law Heretiques notwithstanding were tolerated And verily even in the time of Christ himselfe and long before him there were Sadduces which denied that there were Angels and Spirits and were stiffe opposers of the Resurrection of the dead and as the Catholique Doctors report rejected all the Prophets besides Moses And although the greatest part both of the People and the Rulers believed them to erre exceedingly neverthelesse they were not expelled the city neither exempted from being Magistrates and bearing any other civil office yea they were not hindred from comming to the Temple or the Synagogues Why therefore should it be thought fit that Heretiques in these times should be killed by vertue of that law made against false Prophets and worshippers of false gods It may be added for a further proofe That they which in old time seduced the people from the true God to the worship of false gods or fell off of their own accord to it could not but know that they did that which was against the expresse law of God because the law of God enacted against that matter was so cleare and manifest that no man could be ignorant of the meaning thereof But they which now a dayes passe for heretiques know not that they do or believe any thing contrary to the Law and other Oracles divine and if they knew it would abandon all such opinions in Religion Wherefore those false Prophets and Apostates also were in far greater fault than Heretiques of this Age are and therefore it doth not forthwith hold true that these men ought to suffer the same punishment which God commanded to be executed against them And thus much also may be addtd That in those dayes Prophecies were frequent and in force almost continually among the people of Israel by which evident testimonies were ever and anon published concerning God and his will so as no man could be ignorant what he ought to hold concerning God and his worship unlesse he would purposely shut his eyes and wink at noon-day But now Prophecies are ceased from whence it followes that we may more easily fall into error concerning the true worship of God Last of all all men know that the civil lawes of Moses do not bind Christians of which sort they are which commanded a false Prophet or an Apostate fallen to idolatry to be destroyed That truly these lawes of which we now discourse do not oblige us may easily be gathered from thence That in all the New Testament there is no such thing commanded nor any where so much as lightly touched upon that either Apostates or Heretiques ought to be afflicted and brought to punishment by Christians Rightly hath Hierom declared in some part of his writings I have learned by the Apostles appointment to avoyd a man that is an Heretick not to commit him to be burnt For in this manner Paul the Apostle adviseth Titus A man which Tit. 3. 10. is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject And certainly he means such an heretique who is condemned by his own conscience that he resisteth the manifest truth which he acknowledgeth as may be discerned by his following words How then should Christians be commanded to punish them who were led into heresie by deceitfull arguments which notwithstanding they think invincible and are affected with a simple ignorance of mind or also being born of hereticall parents sucked their error together with their mothers milk But so far is it from being true that Christians are commanded to trouble others for Religions sake that rather we are often warned it shall come to passe that Christians shall be troubled and brought to slaughter by other men because of their Religion God in times past brought the Jews after such a manner into the land of Canaan that after they had slain the worshippers of false gods they might possesse their country promising them if they should obey his law peace wealth victory over their enemies and moreover such strength and succours that they might without any great difficulty suppresse Apostates if any should chance to spring up amongst them But we have learned of Christ and his Apostles that the condition of Christians shall be far otherwise who were even Mat. 10. 16 themselves as sheep in the midst of wolves and being grievously vexed and tormented suffered a bloody death for the truths sake And they declared that we also should be like sheep appointed to the slaughter And affirmed that all Rom. 8. 36 those which will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution For such is the nature of the 2 Tim. 3. 3. 12. Christian religion that not many mighty men and of noble birth imbrace it even as S. Paul teacheth God hath chosen

cruelty against you who are ignorant what a rare and difficult thing it is to overcome carnall phantasies by the serenity and cleernesse of a pious mind Let them excrcise cruelty against you who are ignorant with how great difficulty the eye of the inward man is healed that it may behold its own Sun Let them exercise cruelty against you who know not how great grones and sighs must be uttered before we can attain to some small measure of the knowledge of God Last of all Let them exercise cruelty against you who are deceived with no such Error as they perceive you to be deceived with But I for my part cannot exercise any cruelty against you whom I ought so to bear with now as I did then with my self and to deal with you in so great wisdome at my neighbours dealt with me when I being outragious and blind erred in your Sect. But of the Arrians Salvian Bishop of the Massilian Church speaketh in this wise Hereticks they are but unwittingly in our esteem they be hereticks not in their own for they judge themselves to be so much Catholikes that they braÌ„d defame us our selves with the title of Hereticall impiety therefore what they are to us that we are to them We are sure that they are injurious to the Divine generation because they say that the Son is inferior to the Father They think us injurious to the Father because we believe them to be equall We are in the truth but they presume that they are It is we that honour God but they hold this to be the honour of God which they believe They are undutifull but they hold this to be the chiefest duty of religion They are ungodly but they think it to be true piety They erre therefore but with a good mind not through hatred but believe that they do honour and love the Lord according to his own will and desire Although they have not a right faith yet they account it to be a perfect love of God to believe as they do After what manner they shall be punished in the day of Judgment for this very error of false opinion none can know besides the Judge In the mean while God as I believe is patient toward them because he sees that though they do not believe aright yet they erre with a mind and affection to be of a godly opinion Seeing then the case is thus any man seeth that Catholiques in the cause of Heretiques ought to follow that counsel of Gamaliel by which he sometimes disswaded the Rulers of the Jewes from giving their censure that violent hands should be laid upon the Apostles of which matter we read in the Acts for we read that he thus bespake his companions in office Refrain your selves from these men and let them Act. 5. 38. alone for if this Counsell or this Worke be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it lest ye be found even fighters against God That counsell also of the householder is to be followed who forbad his servants to pluck up the Tares lest the Wheat also chance to be pluckt up with them but to suffer them to grow till harvest Let not the Wheat take authority unto it self of plucking up the Tares by violence For the Tares also which take themselves to be the Wheat will resume authority to themselves to pluck up the Wheat and seeing the Tares grow up more plentifully then the Wheat in the world which is a field rather fruitfull for Vice then Vertue and Piety the Tares will more likely enjoy this power then the Wheat But if there be such who think they have no cause to be afraid lest they be plucked up by the Tares because of their multitude and strength established by the course of so many Ages wherewith they may overcome their adversaries in religion they ought for that very thing to suspect themselves and to be afraid lest they may chance to be of the number of the Tares because they flourish and grow up so plentifully for so many ages together in such a barren field for vertue and lest they may chance to stray from the narrow straight path of salvation which few find ouâ— For thus saith our Saviour Enter ye in at the straight gate for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there are which go in thereat because the gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Yet furthermore the uncertain courses of humane affairs should be considered Who doth not see that things of the highest degree are oftentimes â—umbled down and brought low and things of low degree get up by little and little unto the highest That things of great strength and confirmed by long continuance of time are weakned that weak things acquire strength Neither is it to be wondred at when even those things which we now admire for their greatnesse and strength were formerly small and weak and rising from small beginnings arrived to this greatnesse Wherefore none of them who think it requisite to pluck up the Tares can promise himself a perpetuall triumph over them but every one ought to be afraid lest what judgement he gives against them the same also may be applied against himself Therefore there is no greater wisdome than by the counsel of the housholder to stay till the last harvest when both without any danger of Error and without damage to the Wheat the Tares by command of the housholder being separated from the Wheat shall be cast into the fire when neither the name of Tares shall be given to the Wheat nor the Tares take unto themselves either the name of the Wheat or deceive the reapers with the shew and resemblance thereof So by this means the Tares will have no occasion by the deeds of the Wheat to pluck up the Wheat by violence If they should neverthelesse use violence then at length the Wheat scattered by violence will spread abroad his seeds the farther and come forth more abundantly the Tares being by little and little suppressed untill the harvest at last bring a totall destruction upon them But some Catholique will alleadge Suppose it be so that Catholiques ought to live peaceably with Heretiques Is there any necessity therefore that assurance be given them for their safety We have hitherto both lived peaceably with them and are ready to do so for the time to come but we will not have any statute or privilege to be published or extant for their liberty It is neither necessary for them that it should be done when as they enjoy peace without it may enjoy it for the time to come Neither is it much for our honour For what may they not put confidence in our promise and our vertue and goodnesse May they not rely upon our friendship or the obligations and bonds of consanguinity and kindred This that is

Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Text snippets containing the quad