Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A64450
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A testimony and warning of the Presbyterie of Edinburgh against a late petition tending (in the scope and design thereof) to the overturning of the ordinances and truth of Christ in this Church, Octob. 5. Anno. Dom. 1659.
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Church of Scotland. Presbytery of Edinburgh.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing T807; ESTC R14703
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9,803
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12
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the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 and Jacob suppressing false worship in his family Gen. 35.2 3 4. But even in Job's time and Countrey it was a received Maxime that Idolatry as well as Adultery was punishable by the Magistrate Job 31.9 10 11. It is not to any purpose to except that these Laws of Moses did chiefly strike if not only against grosse Idolatry and blasphemies For neither do we urge that every errour should be punished nor do we know what height of Blasphemies men may come unto as we see by too sad experience who yet may professe all that is requited by these Petitioners in men to be encouraged And withall we finde godly Kings of Judah have extended these Laws further than to such grosse abominations for godly Josiah did not only cut off the Priests who sacrificed to Idols on the high places 2 King 23.20 but degraded these who sacrificed there even to the Lord only 2 King 23.8 9. as these differences of high places may be further cleared from 2 Chron. 14.3 5. with chap. 15.17 and chap. 33.17 As for the dayes of the Gospel albeit Magistrates were not Christians when the New Testament was written yet we finde sufficient ground to clear us yet further that these Laws given of old by God are still in force For it is fore-prophesied that the Kings of the earth shall destroy Antichrist Revel 17.16 And why ought they not also suppresse other errours which are but limbs of Antichristian Doctrine and the promoters thereof little Antichrists 1 Job 2.18 And we finde that in times when Christian Magistrates were wanting it did please the Lord to interpose in a more immediate way for punishing obstinate offenders whether in the matter of faith or manners We finde also that the Magistrate's power under the New Testament is given him for the punishment of evil doers Rom. 13.3 4. Now Seduction being an evil deed 2 Job 10 11. and the Text speaking indefinitly of all such we would take heed of obtruding our distinctions upon it And that so much the rather as Christians are to pray for this benefit by Magistrates that they may live under them not only in all bonesty but in all godlinesse also 1 Tim. 2.1 2. which can never be without soundnesse in Doctrine and purity in Worship And whereas some except that unbelief and covetousnesse are also evil deeds and yet not punished by the Magistrate We grant that unbelief and covetousnesse in the heart do not fall under the cognition of the Magistrate as neither is he to cognosce on simple opinions in the mind Yet unbelief professed and propagated and covetousnesse put in practice to the prejudice of others ought to be punished by him We know this truth of God is traduced as a persecuting of men for their conscience and an encroachment upon the liberty purchased them by Christ But as we disclaim troubling of men for the simple light of their Consciences if it break not forth in doctrine and Practices So the Scripture hath taught us that persecution is only a putting men to suffer for righteousnesse and not the restraining of abominable errours And as we know mens consciences are not their supream rule nor lawlesse things So liberty to erre and seduce to vent lies and father them upon the God of truth c. is no part of that liberty purchased to us by the death of Christ But it is in effect a captivity and snare to be entangled therewith 2 Tim. 2.25 26. and chap. 3.6 7. and to be servants to corruption under pretence of liberty 2 Pet. 2.19 Yea to father this upon Christian liberty favoureth rankly of that old way of turning the grace of our God into lasciviousnesse We are not insensible how this truth of God hath been abused and put to the rack by Antichrist and his followers to crush the professours of truth But we have learned that no truth though abused must be cast away nor yet because truth is suppressed by the enemies of the Gospel must therefore errours be spared by the friends of Christ We acknowledge also it is a mercy if in sad times truth get were it but a Toleration Yet we cannot therefore allow that errour should have so much Nor do we look upon it as any convincing argument to tell us that were our selves at the like disadvantage with our Profession we might be as ready to plead for a Toleration as others For we find Christ and his Apostles when conveened before Magistrates never made use of that defence That a Toleration in Religion be what it will was due from the Civil Magistrate but pleaded still the truth of their Doctrine And though Paul was frequently under persecution yet we find him against Toleration Gal. 5.11 with 12. Nor was Elijah the lesse zealous against false Prophets 1 King 18.40 that there was a Jezebel ready to persecute himself 1 King 19.2 And though we be encompassed with infirmities yet in so far as we have obtained mercy we are ready to say as Paul did Act. 25.11 That if we followed any errour we refuse not to be restrained in it and should count our selves most unhappy if we were instrumental to propagate any errour and set our selves to overturn a blessed work of Reformation in the prosecution thereof Having thus briefly pointed at the sinfulnesse of this course We do in the fear of the Lord warn all these especially within our charge who have an hand in this matter to consider from whence they have fallen and to repent and do exhort them in the bowels of Christ that they do examine impartially what their designs are upon which they have engaged in this course so destructive to their Mother-Church and the Truths of Christ established in her and that they forbear to prosecute the pulling down of an hedge to let in Popery and Atheism lest a Serpent bite them We are not ignorant how pleasing licentious liberty is to the flesh yet their consciences will easily tell them that it was none of Adam's happinesse to have more room out of Paradise than within it And that it is no mercy for men to have liberty to do every one what is right in his own eves which hath been the plague and sad posture of the Church of God in her declining times We do likewise exhort all the Lord's people within our bounds as to mourn before the Lord in behalf of those who have declined and that such abominations should find any to owne them among us So also rightly to improve such humbling dispensations That they study sobriety of mind the want whereof hath miscarried so many That they receive the love of the Truth for the neglect whereof God is provoked to send strong delusions That they converse more in the study of their own sinfulnesse and the sufficiency of Christ which being still savoury will keep them from gadding after novelties in Religion That they improve Ordinances as becometh lest rested-in formality draw on contempt of Ordinances That they would unite among themselves in matters of inferiour differences that so they may joyntly lay forth themselves in their stations for obstructing the progresse of this deluge which is ready to swallow up all Religion And that they imploy Christ much who is the King and Head of his own Church that by His own Spirit he would interpose to stop the current of these Delusions and Defections that Truth and Peace and Holinesse may yet flourish in the midst of us Even so Come Lord Jesus FINIS