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	rome_n	2,013	5	6.8164	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62578	The Protestant religion vindicated, from the charge of singularity & novelty in a sermon preached before the King at White-Hall, April the 2d 1680 / by John Tillotson ...	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.	1680 (1680)	Wing T1214; ESTC R4634	12,405	35

Laws For by declaring themselves free from all other obligations they give us fair warning what we are to expect at their hands and how far we may trust them Religion is the strongest band of humane Society and God so necessary to the welfare and happiness of mankind as if the Being of God himself had been purposely designed and contrived for no other end but the benefit and advantage of men So that very well may it be taken for granted that a Nation must be of some Religion or other Secondly Though Religion be a matter of our choice yet it is neither a thing indifferent in it self nor to a good Governour what Religion his people are of Notwithstanding the supposition of the Text Joshua doth not leave them at liberty whether they will serve God or Idols but by a very Rhetorical Scheme of Speech endeavours to engage them more firmly to the worship of the true God To countenance and support the true Religion and to take care that the people be instructed in it and that none be permitted to debauch and seduce men from it properly belongs to the Civil Magistrate This power the Kings of Israel always exercised not only with allowance but with great approbation and commendation from God himself And the case is not altered since Christianity The better the Religion is the better it deserves the countenance and support of the Civil Authority And this Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion was never called in question but by the Enthusiasts of these later times And yet among these every Father and Master of a Family claims this Power over his Children and Servants at the same time that they deny it to the Magistrate over his Subjects But I would fain know where the difference lyes Hath a Master of a Family more power over those under his Government than the Magistrate hath No man ever pretended it Nay so far is it from that that the natural Authority of a Father may be and often is limited and restrained by the Laws of the Civil Magistrate And why then may not a Magistrate exercise the same power over his Subjects in matters of Religion which every Master challengeth to himself in his own Family that is to establish the true worship of God in such manner and with such circumstances as he thinks best and to permit none to affront it or to seduce from it those that are under his care And to prevent all misunderstandings in this matter I do not hereby ascribe any thing to the Magistrate that can possibly give him any pretence of right to reject Gods true Religion or to declare what he pleases to be so and what Books he pleases to be Canonical and the Word of God and consequently to make a false Religion so currant by the stamp of his Authority as to oblige his Subjects to the profession of it Because he who acknowledgeth himself to derive all his Authority from God can pretend to none against Him But if a false Religion be established by Law the case here is the same as in all other Laws that are sinful in the matter of them but yet made by a lawful Authority in this case the Subject is not bound to profess a false Religion but patiently to suffer for the constant profession of the true And to speak freely in this matter I cannot think till I be better inform'd which I am always ready to be that any pretence of Conscience warrants any man that is not extraordinarily commission'd as the Apostles and first Publishers of the Gospel were and cannot justifie that Commission by Miracles as they did to affront the establish'd Religion of a Nation though it be false and openly to draw men off from the profession of it in contempt of the Magistrate and the Law All that persons of a different Religion can in such a case reasonably pretend to is to enjoy the private liberty and exercise of their own Conscience and Religion for which they ought to be very thankful and to forbear the open making of Proselytes to their own Religion though they be never so sure that they are in the right till they have either an extraordinary Commission from God to that purpose or the Providence of God make way for it by the permission of the Magistrate And that they are guilty however of gross Hypocrisie who pretend a further obligation of Conscience in this matter I shall give this plain Demonstration which relies upon Concessions generally made on all hands and by all Parties No Protestant that I know of holds himself obliged to go and Preach up his Religion and make Converts in Spain or Italy Nor do either the Protestant Ministers or Popish Priests think themselves bound in conscience to Preach the Gospel in Turky to convert the Mahometans And what is the Reason because of the severity of the Inquisition in Popish Countreys and of the Laws in Turky But doth the danger then alter the obligation of Conscience No certainly but it makes men throw off the false pretence and disguise of it But where there is a real obligation of Conscience danger should not deter men from their Duty as it did not the Apostles which shews their case to be different from ours and that probably this matter was stated right at first So that whatever is pretended this is certain that the Priests and Jesuits of the Church of Rome have in truth no more obligation of conscience to make Converts here in England than in Sueden or Turky where it seems the evident danger of the attempt hath for these many years given them a perfect discharge from their duty in this particular I shall joyn the Third and Fourth Observations together That though the true Religion may have several prejudices and objections against it yet upon examination there will be found those real advantages on its side that it may safely be referred to any considerate mans choice If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve If it seem evil unto you Intimating that to some persons and upon some accounts it may appear so But when the matter is truly represented the choice is not difficult nor requires any long deliberation Chuse you this day whom you will serve Let but the Cause be fully and impartially heard and a wise man may determine himself upon the spot and give his Verdict without ever going from the Bar. The true Religion hath always layen under some prejudices with partial and inconsiderate men which commonly spring from one of these two Causes either the Prepossessions of a contrary Religion or the contrariety of the true Religion to the vicious inclinations and practises of men which usually lyes at the bottom of all prejudice against Religion Religion is an enemy to mens beloved lusts and therefore they are enemies to Religion I begin with the first which is as much as I shall be