Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	preach_v	1,996	5	6.8683	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91887	Some few considerations propounded, as so many scruples by Mr. Henry Robinson in a letter to Mr. Iohn Dury upon his epistolary discourse: with Mr. Duryes answer thereunto. VVherein is observable with what overtures of spirit they endeavour to edifie each other, not withstanding their differing judgements and opinions about the Independent and Presbyterian way. Published by a well-willer to peace and truth, in expectation that it may no little conduce, either to the reconciling of such controversies, or to the debating them with lesse noise and bitternesse. Whereunto is annexed another epistolary discourse, written by Mr. John Dury, to a worthy knight, concerning the principles of meditation: from which rules may be gathered to direct men to order their thoughts, so as to finde a resolution of all their doubts.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?; Dury, John, 1596-1680.; Well-Willer to Peace and Truth.	1646 (1646)	Wing R1679; Thomason E345_1; ESTC R200979	39,103	49

the spirits and holding fast that which is good if they may not heare such as they apprehend to be sent from Christ and imbrace such doctrines as they take to be saving truths and necessary to their salvation according to that light of reason and understanding in the Scriptures which God hath given them for this very purpose Pag. 36. If those you call common principles whilst you say the Apologists insisting on generalities cannot be brought to triall were demonstrative as you alleadge the Scriptures may bee demonstratively analized P. 4. I should thinke it the worke of some Angell to have it once effected and as well the Apologists as all others who now differ in opinion would quickly grow together into an unity of faith But till then I shall expect that according to the Scriptures there will be heresies and in the mean time conceive that nothing except this demonstrative analizing sacred truth will sooner vanquish them then the suffering them to bee with all possible freedome examined and debated which must necessarily infer the most acknowledged truths themselves to be subject to the same proceeding in that what one man Church or Nation takes to be truth another perhaps accounts no lesse then heresie And if Paul told the Galathians that if a good Angell an Angell from heaven should preach any other Gospell to them then what the Apostles had done before he should be accursed I conceive we may much more try the spirits of mortall men of like passions and infirmities with our selves consequently holding fast what wee finde sound and rejecting what appeares to bee erronious by the touchstone of holy Writ according to our owne reason understanding and faith since we neither may or can judge truly of them no more then see with the eyes of other men by the reason understanding and faith of others neither can I apprehend a third or any meane betwixt these two conditions To Pag. 30. I consesse a dissolved government may often times prove dangerous and fatail to any State both Civill and Ecclesiasticall and yet not so dangerous not fatall as a dominiering over rigid tyrannicall government especially in the spirituall state and both of them are therefore to be regulated according to their bounds and rules If Church discipline and censures will not prevaile on Church members I finde no warrant to flye to Civill but conceive it highly condemned even by that place of Paul where he blames the Corinthians for going to law with one another and that before unbeleevers besides all Civill states account themselves in a manner perfect for their civill condition and constitution As first they are compleat in Lawes they have as many as they will themselves they pretend to understand them fully even to the least jot and every man is bound to know them exactly and keep them in the letter But for spirituall matters we know but in part and therefore ought to reach forth to what is wanting not refusing to lend an eare unto it though tendered by a stammering illiterate tongue of some otherwise despised soule As all truth for the most part even from the beginning hath been discountenanced and rejected upon the first discovery and so much the rather in that the Primitive Christians however weak and ignorant in faith and knowledge the Apostles found them yet had they such amongst them in both respects as far exceeded all others ever since neither have we such infallible teachers like theirs to confirm unto us what we have for truth or adde unto us what is wanting To pag. 31. I must needs confesse the opinion of a greater light is no little deceitfull but doth not God require that we should walk according to such appearing light whether true or false I must be guided by it as it appears unto my selfe and how can God be angry with me for serving him to my power or how can man condemne me for differing from him when I have used all such rationall common principles which he could prescribe to bring me to be of this opinion without prevailing upon my conscience You say well with the Apostle that if any man thinketh he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. and yet a man must be ruled by that which he thus but thinks to know so much lesse ground hath any man to impose what he knowes not for even his knowledge neither is no better upon another who knowing nothing yet knowes as much as himself Nay a Synod Councel or State have so little preemimence in this respect as that we must not look upon them with respect of persons unlesse we will justifie the Church of Rome in their implicit faith Pag. 32. You approve the casting off subjection and absolute obedience unto Episcopacy but would not have dissolved the brotherly corresponcie in a Presbyterie and certainly it should not be but it must then continue brotherly we must run hand in hand like brothers so long as we can keep a good conscience both towards God and man and if afterwards upon just grounds in our opinions for some respects we are forced to separate from them we shall be yet desirous to rest among them that if possibly they may be won by a godly conversation but if like a curst father or imperious Master they endeavour with rods and staves to drive us from our Father and Master which is in heaven or from our native countrey friends and livelihoods they do not only cease to be brotherly but cast away all hopes or possibility of reclaiming us if we were in an error Pap. 34. You make duties of practice no lesse fundamentall in the profession of Christianity then the knowledge of necessary truths according unto which principle I suppose the Apologists ought to be permitted both to practise such duties as they apprehend requisite and not to joyn with such as they esteem superfluous erroneous since both may be no lesse of faith then for one that eateth and another that eateth not whilest both give thanks to God as Paul sayes of them Rom. 14. 6. To pag. 37. As they will not refuse subjection to their own Pastor that hath the charge of their souls so much lesse when what he requires of them be confirmed by the approbation of a Presbyterie other Churches or Brethren but this must be in such things as they may yeeld unto with a good conscience and in case they finde reason for dissenting they are liable only to be censured by their own Church which hath power over them not by any others who have no jurisdiction much lesse authoritative o● compulsative Synods and Assemblies may well be convocated and take counsel debate and seek to vanquish such difficulties as arise without a Majesteriall jurisdiction which neither our Saviour or his Apostles did ever make use of or give command to others to practise it in after ages Christs kingdome was not of this world his body is mysticall and such

means only are capable to build us up therein Thus have I presumed in as weak as cursory a manner to weigh the foregoing passages of your Epistolary discourse in the unequall ballance like enough of my own understanding but proceeding intirely from a desire of being better informed in what I am at a losse I doubt not but your singular candidnesse of mind will make a good interpretation of it The setling of an Ecclesiasticall Peace I apprehend to be of such eminent weight and consideration as that without it Christians will never in any comparative degree be brought to unity in discipline and doctrine and that more souls are kept from knowledge of the truth and miscarry through persecuting one another for cause 〈◊〉 conscience then by reason of all other such great differences betwixt them whether for discipline or doctrine If you have puplished any of your other thoughts concerning this subject besides your Consultatio Theologie● c. Letter to the L. Forbes and your Informati● Ecclesiis Reformatis oblata c. I should excedingly rejoyce to have a sight thereof and especially touching the demonstrative analizing the Scriptures which I conceive would be a greater Jewell then all that ever Solomon wrote of from the Cedar to the shrub Wherefore I most humbly beseech you for the publike good that you would not suffer the least dram of your Meditations in this behalfe any longer to lie waste or dormant which though it were not yet perfect and compleat might by degrees and contemplations of others well-affected be further improved to the eternall honour of the Almighty to whose gracious protection I cordially recommend your most pious endeavous and to them most earnestly desiring to become any wayes subservient do in all humble manner remain London the 5. of November 1644. Your most devoted Friend and Servant in the Lord Henry Robinson To his much respected and loving friend in Christ Mr. Henry Robinson Worthy Sir ALthough your Letter did miscarry and never came in the Originall to my hand nor the Copy thereof till I was resolving to goe from Rotterdam towards England yet I thought my selfe obliged to answer your love which then I did beginne to do but was interrupted in the prosecution hitherto neverthelesse lest either mine owne purpose or your equitable desires should be frustrate or I seem carelesse to give you some satisfaction to your scruples I shall now endeavour to perfect the thoughts which once were in my minde beseeching the Lord to assist us both with the encrease of his Grace that in this and all other services his Glory may be advanced by us But before I enter upon the matter I must truly tell you That as I cannot acknowledge any of these things in my selfe which you attribute unto me beyond my measure so I must needs take notice of the large expression of your affections which I am bound to requite and entertaine not only because you have moderate and sober thoughts of your self and because your way seems to me very ingenuous and your whole strain conscionable in the doubts which you make all which deserves respect but chiefly because the duty of Christian love even towards those that deserve it not is the only meanes of edification towards them For it doth make the testimony of divine Truth in the 〈◊〉 thereof without offence and therefore fit to be received through Gods blessing with profit by them to whom it is offered For as God is moved and is powerfull only by his love to reveale himselfe to us offering himselfe as a Father of spirits to his children which are our soules so we as children of such a Father are bound to doe all things in his love for so we are commanded by the Apostle Ephes 5. 1 2. and towards our Brethren we should as members of each other advance that knowledge which we have of him and his truth in love only and not otherwise For what we doe with any other affection is done in our ownestrength and will be found either ineffectuall or hurtfull to edification Therefore as I make no doubt but you have spoken the truth from your heart so I shall assure you that I shall without partiality lay open unto you my thoughts and hold out the light which I have received not only in these things which you have proposed but in all other matters wherein I shall finde my selfe obliged to beare witnesse to the Truth Now then beseeching him againe to direct our thoughts and guide our spirits in all truth by his holy Spirit of promise in Jesus Christ to be able to doe all things unblameably to the glory of his Grace and our mutuall comfort I shall endeavour to resolve the doubts which you propose and give you as briefly as may bee the best satisfaction I can 1. To the first Scruple then out of pag. 20. concerning the toleration of the Apologists I finde that you take not up rightly my meaning I will therefore explaine it first more fully and then come to the particulars of your exception Consider therefore that in the whole first part of my Discourse and consequently in that place which you alleadge I speake not of a Toleration of Forbearance whereby one Christian is bound with all long suffering to support another in meeknesse nor of a Toleration of Connivence in a Civill state whereby the Magistrate may winke at things which he cannot mend when they are not setled according to his judgement but I doe speake of that Toleration which I supposed the Apologists did sue for which I must call a Toleration of Approbation which the Magistrate as the publicke Minister of God in the visible society of men should setle therein for the welfare thereof My Question then in the first part of the Discourse is not what in State Policie I should have said humane Prudencie a Magistrate may doe lawfully if his inclination leads him thereunto or what in charity as a Christian he should intend to doe privately but what in state wisdome as it is subordinate unto Gods will in the profession of Christianity is most expedient for him to doe in his publicke place And in this respect I say that I thinke it no wisdome in a state seeking a Reformation of Religion to tolerate by way of Approbation that is in effect to authorise and setle for a time a publicke profession which they cannot finde to bee the true and only way which God alloweth This is the meaning of my assertion in the whole first part of my Discourse and in this sense only I disswade the state to grant the Apologists their Petition but if for other more important reasons it cannot be denyed then I thought it would be wisdome in the state so to limitate the Toleration which they should grant for time and manner that thereby a full agreement and unity might be brought to passe between the Apologists and their Brethren which is the subject of the two following heads of