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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	spirit_n	3,973	5	5.1707	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91879	The falsehood of Mr. VVilliam Pryn's Truth triumphing, in the antiquity of popish princes and Parliaments. To which, he attributes a sole, sovereigne, legislative, coercive power in all matters of religion; discovered to be full of absurdities, contradictions, sacriledge, and to make more in favour of Rome and Antichrist, than all the bookes and pamphlets which were ever published, whether by papall or episcopall prelates, or parisites, since the reformation. With twelve queries, eight whereof visit Mr. Pryn the second time, because they could not be satisfied at the first.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?	1645 (1645)	Wing R1672; Thomason E273_16; Thomason E282_11; ESTC R200048	28,156	36

23. 8. Their owne reason must guide them Their owne understanding must bee the ultimate resolver of their wills and none but their owne faith can save them 2 Cor. 13. 5. Gal. 6. 4. 5. Rom. 14. 12. From the non-submitting unto some Councells Synods and Parliaments which you perhaps may not thinke erronious will follow no other worse consequence than this That a man may likewise refuse to heare or not believe some Sermons which you perhaps may hold worth hearing and necessary to be beleeved though others as wise and godly as your selfe doe thinke the contrary which you may well be so indulgent as to grant your Independent Brethren since they will doe the like for you expecting with long-suffering untill you be convinc'd or you convince them peaceably Page 154. You proceed and say admit Synods Councells Parliaments have sometimes erred out of human frailty yet this is a most certaine truth that they are not so apt to erre as private men or Conventicles of persons lesse learned lesse experienc'd c. But this may not passe for orthodox neither if not many wise not many learned are called be Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 20. 26. besides experience teaches us that God doth not discover his truth by whole-sale nor to whole Nationall Churches or Generall Councells at once but rather by degrees and that for the most part at first to some contemptible person perhaps in the eyes of the world who had no earthly superfluities or so much as any naturall preheminence to tempt or to withdraw him from being Gods Ambassadour or Trumpeter to publish it unto a people or whole Nation it may be not without his utmost perill And besides doe we not finde that even these more learned of whom the Councells and Synods are pretended to be compacted are they who most of all deceive Are they not by their unsanctified human learning and wisdome the better enabled nay doe they not by that meanes become like so many decoy's to lead the multitude the rabble after them over hedge and ditch and too too often into the very ditch it selfe But what if Synods Councells and Parliaments were lesse apt to erre and best qualified to discover Truth and debate matters of controversie It will not follow from thence that either of them may therefore impose their supposed Truthes for other than suppose they cannot be for want of infallibility or finall determinations upon the other If there were a necessity that the greater part should have this spirituall dominion or rather a Civill power in a spirituall government over the lesser or the lesser over the greater then there might be some colour for the greater to have precedencie in some respects But since either of them would be absolutely sinfull we must grant it unto neither Page 155. You say That though it cannot be proved that all the Elders Brethren and whole Church of Jerusalem were infallibly inspired yet they all said it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and them To which I answer that their saying so was an infallible signe that all of them were then as concerning what they affirmed infallibly inspired otherwise not only the Brethren with the rest of the Church but the Apostles also might possibly have told a lie in saying so in joyning with them in one common verdict Act. 15. v. 23. Nay it might even now and ever may be said hereafter to the end of the world that this passage in the Acts of the Apostles It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us is not of infallible truth unlesse that both the Apostles Brethren and whole Church had beene infallibly assisted in saying so They spake not One for All but All of them in One or One Spirit even God himselfe who is One in All of them infallible Say but as much and upon as good grounds and reason in behalfe of the Synod which sits now at Westminster and you say something but for your great promise under the Gospell that God will powre out his Spirit upon all flesh surely it makes as much for Independents unlesse you suppose them to be some New-found Land-fish But you yeeld it may be objected how perhaps all or the greatest part of the Parliament and Assembly are not endued with the sanctifying Spirit of God therefore they cannot use this language It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us This objecting of yours I confesse is somewhat ingenious but alas it seemes you desire not to continue so in that you take such paines in shruging and shifting to evade the force and truth thereof by saying 'T is only knowne to God who are his and admit there may be some few among them who have not Gods sanctifying Spirit yet I doubt not but very many if not the major part of them have Is not this profoundly answered Thousands of conscientious godly people object how it is possible that all or the greatest part of the Parliament and Assembly may not be indued with the sanctifying Spirit of God and Mr. Pryn pretends to answer them by saying he doubts not but they have Is he not a doughty champion But what if it should be objected that it may yet more fully than by perchance be said it cannot be made appeare that there is so much as one neither in the Parliament nor Assembly who have had an infallible assistance of the sanctifying Spirit in any thing they have done already or shall ever doe hereafter and must we then necessarily be of their Religion of their faith implicitly yet we submit you see unto them in Civill matters our estates our lives and what ever we have that is mortall has beene devoted if not sacrificed to justifie their power and our subjection but the rest must be reserved for him only who is Lord Paramont of spirits as well as flesh Surely Mr. Pryn 't is no small disservice which you doe both Parliament and Assembly in thus exposing their proceedings to be questioned by no little and that the most conscionable and best affected party of the Kingdome such spirits of contention as this of yours were those which made the first great breach amongst the Parliaments friends I meane betwixt the Independents and Presbyterians and now your selfe as the chiefe Ring-leader has begun a subdivision even among the Presbyterians by attributing after such an imperious and reproaching manner towards all such as dissent from your opinion that supreme legislative power to Civill Magistrates in all matters of Religion which our Brethren of Scotland appropriate only to Nationall Assemblies How great a stumbling-blocke this may grow to in time and the miserable consequences thereof I leave to your saddest morning thoughts to be better considered on and wish you would forbear to publish such midnight subitane distracted lucubrations as you your selfe well call them to the great detriment and endangering both of Church and Common-wealth Twelve Queries Eight whereof presume to make a second visit to Mr. Pryn importuning his resolution in

THE FALSEHOOD OF Mr. VVILLIAM PRYN'S TRVTH TRIVMPHING In the Antiquity of Popish Princes and PARLIAMENTS TO WHICH He attributes a Sole Sovereigne Legislative Coercive power in all matters of Religion discovered to be full of absurdities contradictions sacriledge and to make more in favour of Rome and Antichrist than all the bookes and pamphlets which were ever published whether by Papall or Episcopall Prelates or Parisites since the Reformation WITH Twelve Queries Eight whereof visit Mr. Pryn the second time because they could not be satisfied at the first Printed in London 1645. EPIST. DEDICATORY To Mr. William Fryn of Lincolnes Inne Esquire SIR I May safely appeale to Whatsoever is of esteeme and deare unto you how I could much rather have bemoan'd in private that perverse and implacable spirit of yours had not you of late so inconsiderately bespatter'd so many Pamphlets which have infected the very aire far worse than any most malignant epidemicall contagion by having inherited the priviledge to be cryed up and downe the streets and publicke places instead of Royall Proclamations to the great scandall of your most conscientious Brethren and suppressing truth both Spirituall and Civill which had more than begun to shine out so gloriously since the first assembling of this present Parliament You have done as much as in you lyes to divide the Independents from the Parliament by grudging them a peaceable abiding place in the land of their inheritance and provok'd our Brethren of Scotland by fixing or fastning upon Christian Emperours Kings Magistrates Parliaments the undoubted legislative coercive power in all matters of Religion Title page and that even without the assistance or advice of Synods page 88. I doe but advertise you thereof though it be knowne so publickly that Aulicus tooke notice of it so long since consider the high consequences thereof and the mischiefe it may grow unto unlesse prevented opportunely Both King and Parliament pretend to have taken up Armes to defend the Protestant Religion c. and yet fight one against another no lesse than both of them opposed it The King wonders the Parliament should entertain Brownists and Anabaptists to fight for the Protestant Religion and the Parliament marvels no lesse that the King should entertaine Papists to doe the same But may they not both alike wonder at each other in this particular or rather why should either of them at all wonder at such proceedings since the Papists in matter of doctrine beleeve all which Protestants beleeve and both Brownists and Anabaptists hate Popery and superstition as much as Protestants But if the Protestant Religion can be truly propagated by fighting surely both Papists Brownists and Anabaptists even Turkes and very Dogs may be brought and taught to fight for it all alike but when you have spent your spirits and distill'd away your braines you will perceive at last if ever your eyes be open as I desire unfainedly that it is the most irrationall and Vn-Gospel-like course under heaven to imploy the arm of flesh to work upon the spirit Take heed then what you say or explaine to us what you and your party meane when you make the supreme Civill Magistrate to be custodem utriusque tabulae Tell us whether the Great Turke Emperour Kings of Spain France Poland c. be not lawfull Civill Magistrates how you can abridge them this Prerogative of both Tables or quit their duty in taking charge of them more than any Prince or Magistrate of Christendome Did not Paul tell Timothy and Mr. Pryn in him that the time would come when men would not indure sound doctrine but turne away their eares from the truth heaping to themselves teachers after their owne lusts 2 Tim. 12 3 4 5. What if Mr. Pryn were another Timothy or had the very spirit of the selfe same Timothy and could infallibly assure us that these were the times which Paul then spake of and the Independents those who were then foretold to have itching eares and to be turned unto fables may Mr. Pryn be more officious or exceed the commission which was given unto Timothy himselfe Paul and Christ whose Apostle and Minister Paul was gave Timothy no other than that in such a case he should be watchfull in all things indure afflictions doe the worke of an Evangelist make full proofe of his Ministery reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine v. 2. Consider I beseech you for the love of God and men or your owne sake if you have any symtomes of respect to either Does the Apostle thinke you there understand by reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine that Timothy should upbraid reproach defame such as but differed from him in some opinion only as you have done to Mr. John Goodwin and that not for turning away from but for holding out such truths as none in Scripture are more evident or may more warrantably and that more easily too be made good next to the very Scriptures themselves to any equall judge and even to every man himselfe who will not put out the eyes of his owne reason and understanding to be led blindefold and superstitiously by other mens whereof we can have no other assurance than what is full Popishly implicit To doe the worke of an Evangelist to make full proofe of his Ministery is it thinke you to become an informer of the Civill Magistrate to provoke them unto wrath and rage against your Brethren of the Independent way to become an accuser of them a persecuter a very executioner properties most eminently peculiar to the Arch-enemy both of God and any thing like godlinesse in any of his Saints as you have done most tragically to your eternall infamy unlesse God in mercy worke your bitternesse of spirit into a more Christian temper of mildnesse and humility which till attain'd to shall continually be the prayer of One who till you be such or at least lesse Basilisk-like must only rest Your friend in private Christian Reader I Conceive it may not a little conduce towards the enlightning the Presbyterian party to see the whole Catalogue of their errours did they but once cast an eye upon the fierce clashings and diametricall contradictions in which their most eminent Champions would inconsiderately involve them to which purpose amongst many I doe here in the two next pages present thee with some few of them as in a looking-glasse peruse them impartially and when thou findest that no distinctions how sophisticall soever can possibly reconcile such contrarieties be jealous and suspect the rest free thy conscience from the thraldome and bondage of these Egyptian Spirituall Taske-masters disclaime the very countenancing such spirits who care not what trash and trumperies they vent so they may gaine Proselites and Contributions Let Reason be thy guide Peace and Truth thy aime and the God of Peace and Truth who requires no other than a reasonable service will infallibly be both thy rewarder and reward it selfe Farewell Divines of the Church

of Scotland Discipl pag. 89. THe Nationall Assemblies ought alwayes to be received in their owne liberty and have their owne place And all men as well Magistrates as inferiours to be subject to the judgement of the same in Ecclesiasticall causes without any reclamation or appellation to any judge Civill or Ecclesiasticall within the Realme Doctor Adam Stuart's second part of his Duply to the two Brethren p. 30. The Civill Magistrate is subject in a spirituall way unto the Church He must learne Gods will by the Ministers of the Church who are Gods Ambassadours sent to him He must be subject to Ecclesiasticall censures Mr. William Pryn in the Title page termes his Truth triumphing over Falshood A just and seasonable vindication of the undoubted Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Right Legislative Coercive power of Christian Emperours Kings Magistrates Parliaments in all matters of Religion Church-government Discipline Ceremonies Manners Authour of the Pamphlet entituled The readinesse of the Scots advance into England 6. of November 1643. The Generall Assembly is subordinate to no Civill judicature whatsoever c. Apollonius Considerat Quarund Controvers c. p. 108. Particular Churches as well as Generall Assemblies have their authority immediately from God Mr. Thomas Edwards sayes in his Antapologia p. 163. Junius Zanchius Amesius c. make the subject matter of politicall adminstration to be res humanae humane things and matters but of Ecclesiasticall divine and sacred Page 166. Is it that you doe give a power to the Magistrate in Ecclesiasticall things of the ultimate determination of matters purely Ecclesiasticall which the Presbyterians principles doe not as in matters of doctrine scandall c. And page 168. Spirituall remedies and meanes must be used in the Kingdome of Christ and by them Christ doth his worke And hence in Ecclesiasticall Discipline and those scandalls in the Church which are the point in hand punishments in the body or in the purse which can be by the power of the Magistrate have no place Divines of the Church of Scotland in a booke called A Dispute against the English Popish Ceremonies obtruded upon the Church of Scotland p. 150. It followeth that Christ hath committed the power of judging defining and making lawes about those matters viz. which concern the worship of God not to Magistrates but to the Ministers of the Church Calvin Institut l. 4. c. 11. sect 16. Since the Church hath of its owne any power of compelling neither may require it I speake of Civill coercive power it is the duty of pious Kings and Princes to uphold Religion by their lawes edicts and judgements Junius Controvers 3. l. 3. c. 26. sect 12. Whereas some things are matters of conscience and belong to the judicatory of Heaven that I may speake according to the Canonists others humane and temporall appertaining to an earthly judicatorie in sacred divine and Church affaires the judgement is never lawfully committed unto the Civill Magistrate no not to the Emperour himselfe because holy things are of another Kingdome and cognizance Six Impossibilities which doe necessarily accompany persecution for cause of Conscience 1 IT is impossible that the Gospell should come to be preached unto all Nations if men may be questioned for matters of conscience 2 It is impossible that such as know but in part should grow in knowledge or from one measure and degree of faith unto another 3 It is impossible that in a rationall way there should be a firme secure peace throughout the world nay not in a Province City or Towne so long as men make a point of conscience to compell one another to their opinions 4 It is impossible to prescribe such a way for suppressing new or different opinions whatsoever which to any State or Church may seeme hereticall but there will still be left a gap a possibility of fighting against God even when such State or Church thinke they fight for him most of all 5 It is impossible that either the weake beleevers mis-beleevers or unbeleevers can be won by our godly conversation as is required 1 Pet. 2. 12. and 3. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 7. 12. 16. so long as we will not suffer them to live amongst us 6 It is impossible for a man to hold fast the truth or be fully perswaded in his owne heart of what he does of what Religion he makes choice of unlesse after he hath searched the Scriptures and try'de the spirits whether they be of God or no it be lawfull for him to reject that which shall appeare to him as evill and adhere to that which seems good in his owne judgement and apprehension The Falshood of Mr. William Prynn's Truth Triumphing briefly discovered Sir YOur Title sayes Truth triumphing over Falshood Antiquity over Novelty you meane I suppose Antick Truth over Novel Falshood And the truth is whoever considers your ensuing Discourse will finde it to bee Antick Truth very Antick such as to the Reformed World of Christians would well neere have quite been antiquated and totally become ridiculous had not such unskilfull Antiquaries as William Prynne of Lincolns Inn Esquire taken so much unnecessary and thankles paines in gathering them up from Dunghills and by whole Volumnes and Impressions to delude and cozen the unstable people of his party the truth whereof that himselfe and all others into whose hands this paper happens may suddenly perceive besides the severall absurdities and contradictions let them only take notice that both the Truth and Antiquity hee so much speakes and boasts of are deduced only from the abominable presidents of superstitious Popery some whereof I shall particularly and yet briefly mention as I finde them confusedly pestred amongst themselves in the undigested rapsody of his more vaine Discourse But before I leave the specious Title thereof I desire all Readers may observe how amongst others you terme it a Vindication of the undoubted Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Legislative of Christian Emperours by Scripture texts as if amongst your Antick readings you had discovered some New-found-Land wherein you would make your over credulous Disciples thinke there had lived Christian Emperours before or at the writing of the Scriptures who verified your Antick Doctrine and Assertions This Grand taske like a very Atlas you pretend to take upon you in Refutation of Mr. John Goodwin without so much as disturbing any of his arguments or of the Answers to your twelve Questions which both your Epistle and the latter part of your Booke take notice of but because you cannot make a satisfactory Reply and yet are not so ingenuous as to acknowledge it and yeeld to Truth you traduce as malicious and full of virulencie against Presbytery and the Scots page 125. and worse then the Popish Gunpowder plot Epist Dedic Are not these powerfull Arguments able to confute the very Apostles had they but been alledged in their dayes by such an irreconcileable and implacable spirit as is Mr. Prynn's witnesse besides others his proceedings against Colonell Fines Surely your friends will