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	doctrine_n	spirit_n	2,517	5	4.9028	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95859	The svvords abuse asserted: or, A word to the Army; shewing, the weakness of carnal weapons in spiritual warfare. The sword an useless tool in temple work: and the bearer thereof an unfit builder. Tendred to the serious consideration of His Excellency, the Lord Fairfax, and his General Councel, upon occasion of their late debates about the clause concerning religion in the promised agreement. / By John Vernon, sometimes a member of the Army.	Vernon, John, fl. 1666.	1648 (1648)	Wing V252; Thomason E477_3; ESTC R204233	10,866	16

insufficient to effect the overthrow of Idolatry or Antichristianity wherein also you would bewray your great pride in over-advancing the Civil Power to the undervaluing of the Word of God which onely is able to restrain from Idolatry 2 Cor. 10.5 and herein you would not onely be guilty of exceeding diffidence in esteeming ineffectual that way of his Word which he hath esteemed sufficiently powerful for this work Heb 4.12 but indeed could not discharge your selves from being guilty of making God a lyar who hath given this record of his Son That he alone was sent and sufficiently sealed for the restraining of poor Sinners by compelling them to the Worship of his Father and that by no Humane Power or striving Isa 42.2 but by the Sword of his Mouth And as he never assumed any such Civil Power of restraining the most refractory so he hath Commissioned no other with it But to preach the Gospel and long-sufferance of God which onely leads to Repentance And this was Pauls Restrictive power he exercised upon Mars-hill amidst a crowd of Athenian Idolaters As I passed by and beheld your Devotions saith he I found an Altar with this Inscription TO THE UNKNOVVN GOD whom therefore ye ignorantly worship him declare I unto you This is a sure way of restraining from Idolatry And daily in the Jews Synagogues did Christ and his Apostles reason against Superstition and false worship which you will not now have so disturbed To which also I must needs give this Caution That if Christ send a servant as its probable saying What I have revealed to you in secret preach you on the house top Go to the publique Synagogue in this season of their assembling which otherwise you cannot procure Go I say and reason with them for they are in all things too superstitious Do not you run the hazard of restraining in this case under pretence of disturbance If their publique way be according to the way of Christ the priviledge of Disputing what was delivered is according to the Directory of Christ 1 Cor. 14.22 But if their Worship be as it s to be feared unsutable to the Way and Worship of Christ take heed of restraining those that would go singly to shew them a better way lest you conclude Christ whose Practice was and Precept is the same a disturber But Thirdly The conviction of the Understanding being the foundation of Conversion and that being a faculty which cannot be forced nor satisfied without an overcoming Reason prevailing over what it hath first received A powerful Argument would soon subdue that noble part when Civil Restraint would increase prejudice and confirm obscurity and therefore the way of God is rather Come let us reason together and I beseech you therefore Brethren by the tender mercies of God or forasmuch as God is thus merciful that you offer up your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is your reasonable service c. This is a Christians way of restraining Which Apostle also commends the Bereans nobility for refusing to receive him implicitely until they were confirmed in the truth of his Doctrine by scrutiny And I say a noble Spirit the Carnal Sword can never restrain but who ere attempts it shall but partake at best in other mens Hypocrisie Fourthly Humane Restriction is so inconsistent with the very name and nature of the Gospel that a man cannot mention such a thing without including himself amongst the Enemies thereof If your president for it be from the Law wherein indeed such Restriction would better suit with literal services especially the Restrainers being as well Typical as the Sacrifices You are debtors to the whole Law to do it and Christ shall profit you nothing But if you indeed pursue Christianity as you pretend why propose you such Opposition to it which imports nothing but a proffer of Peace Love Gentleness glad Tidings Freedom and not forcible restraint even to the poorest of Captives to flat Idolaters and on the contrary Violence Fury desire after Civil Power to restrain c. is the lively Character of men not yet reformed by the power of the Gospel This was poor Pauls Damascus work Acts 9.2.13 which he so much disowned Verse 22. when he had indeed tasted the more milde nature of Christianity Moreover if your Policy be not become Scripture proof I shall propose some so plainly positive against this Restrictive Power that I believe you cannot reasonably evade as Mat. 13.28 If you please to peruse that place you shall perceive a zealous servant for the honor of Christ discerning clearly the Enemies of Christ and was also told they were such by Christ apparent Idolaters for they were the visible children of the Devil compared to Tares of a very ill quality especially growing Tares the most at enmity with Wheat of any Weed that groweth Well the Servant desires to destroy them No saith Christ lest you pluck up the wheat likewise Yes but might he not restrain them No let them grow c. from which Answer I conceive may be clearly and safely concluded That men though the servants of Christ and clearly discerning his Enemies may not yet pluck them up or restrain them by a Humane Power without trespass against the express command of Christ who hath reserved that work to his Harvest the end of the world c. v. 38. Fifthly It s the most usual thing in the world for Christians indeed to be plucked up and restrained though under other Notions and that perhaps might be the Reason why Christ refused to suffer any restraining president though by a Tare-discerning servant I pray you then agree you to none in our Erroneous age wherein is nothing more common then to put a Christian into a Bears skin when men intend to bait him and the Magistrate so called as prone to miscal good evil and evil good as any I but say some though the Magistrate Question any if he do but say Sir I profess Christianity its sufficient to secure him c. To which I Answer That let him say what he will it must not then be as the accused says but as he whom you make Judge determines in these Restrictive cases which if any people could possibly or durst be so brutish to betrust With whosoeever should presume the execution hereof I am perswaded it would be more effectual to say * Mar. 7.11 Corban then Sir I am a Christian to free me from his snare And sure I am let a man say what he will for himself he cannot say more then Christ Jesus could and did for the clearing of his innocency and yet the Restrictive Sentence Nemine contradicenti concluded him a Blasphemer a Wine-bibber a Companion with Harlots a man not fit to live because he would not be restrained c. Neither indeed do the most cruel amongst Tyrants persecute or restrain Christians as Christians but under other horrid criminal Notions c. which have ever been a poor Christians portion