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	faith_n	gospel_n	1,967	5	6.2363	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B01449	The defence of the people called Quakers: being a reply, to a book lately published by certain priests of the county of Norfolk, under the pretended title of The Quakers challenge. And containing, some brief and modest animadversions upon the book it self. Several certificates, which detect the errors in those of West-Dereham, and clear the people called Quakers of the said challenge. The letters that passed between them and the priests.	Ashby, Richard, 1663?-1734.	1699 (1699)	Wing A3939; Interim Tract Supplement Guide 4152.f.20[18]; ESTC R1295	32,665	56

of your Terms Yet they proceeded according to what they wrote in their Letter dated the 16th of November in these words Pray trouble us no more with your Letters for our Measures are fix'd and you may chuse whether you will meet us upon the Terms resolved upon or no. Rel. p. 1. And our Charge according to their desire sent to them as appears by our first Letter Animad They sent us a Charge indeed but not according to our Desire for we Desired a Particular of the Blasphemies they Charged us with together with the Authors Names Titles of the Books and Pages as may be seen by the Three last of our Letters But this they constantly Denied us In our first Letter we were not so express as we were afterwards when we saw in what General Terms they Charged us but we Thought it had been enough to let them know our Freedom to take their Charge and stand a Publick Trial desiring only the Common Priviledges to such Occasions belonging Now what are these Common Priviledges but a Particular of their Charge with Author Title Book and Page considering they told us in their Letter dated the 3 d. of November 1698. We intend to Charge you with Blasphemy out of your own Books Rel. p. 1. And on the day appointed viz. December the 8th 1698. the Quakers and We met in West-Dereham-Church in the County aforesaid and took our Places before prepared We first read the Service of the Day near the Beginning of which they coming in staid it out not to joyn in the Duty but rather to affront it carrying themselves Irreverently all the Time Animad 'T is true We met them on the 8th of the 10th Month 1698. in West-Dereham Steeple-House but We neither appointed the Day nor the Place nor agreed to their Terms for we looked upon their Terms as Unreasonable And therefore our Appearing there was not to joyn Issue with them and to Answer their pretended Charge but to demand at this Meeting what we had so often in our Letters Insisted upon before and they had Refused us namely a Copy of their Charge and to acquaint the People whom the Priests had Misinformed that we were not the first Challengers Our coming in while they were at their Service was by the Direction of their Warden and a Watch-man sent as we Suppose for that Purpose And when we were come in tho' we did not joyn with them yet we offered no Affront nor carried our selves Irreverently unless a Silent and Serious Deportment all the Time of their Service may bring us under that Imputation Rel. p. 1. As soon as our Service was ended one of their Speakers began to Pray whereupon all of them immediatly pulled off their Hats and carried themselves as at a Religious Worship Animad We hope that was no Offence and if they could say in Truth they were for that Time Sober and Quiet as we were during their Service as they rightly call it we think it would have been more to their Reputation than to Cry out A Conventicle a Conventicle a Thing strange to hear of in a Steeple-House while our Friend was on his knees Praying to Almighty God as if there was a Law against Praying to Him which we know nothing of and besides it 's Allowed by their Liturgy Rel. p. 1. We insisted that they were our Challengers and repeated to them their own Letter of Challenge They told us they were provoked by certain Carriages of ours to write that Letter Animad True it is we did and do deny that we were the Aggressors and first Challengers and we Proffered several Testimonies to Clear up that Matter but being then Obstructed by our Adversaries We have now Printed them and leave the Judgment and Decision thereof to the Impartial Rel. p. 1 2. And after many long Harangues of several of their Speakers they desired that all the Letters which passed between us might be read to the Auditory not as if they could get any Advantage by reading them but as appeared to us afterwards meerly to divert us an Hour or more from prosecuting our Charge Animad It was very reasonable the Letters should be read that the People might understand First that they were the first Challengers and Chargers which they now grant by Complaining they were Diverted from prosecuting their Charge Secondly That we had several Times Requested the Authors Names the Titles and Pages of the Books out of which they did intend to Charge us that we might have been duly Prepared to Meet them and Give proper Answers to their several Charges For there is a common Justice due to every Man that he should have the Liberty to Explain his own Words and if the Author was Dead or could not be there that his Meaning by other Words or Sentences relating to the same Subject might be Explained and if they could not then it was Time enough to Disown those Words and Sentences but not without due Examination for otherwise we should be Unjust to our Friends and Injurious to our Selves Rel. p. 2. We answered we had Law and Equity against such an Unreasonable Demand We told them the Law was their own 't was from Edward Burroughs who was a Son of Thunder and spoke all from the Mouth of the Lord whose Book used to be with them of as much Authority as the Bible Animad Our Demand was a more Particular Account than a General Charge But was this Unreasonable Or is there either Law or Equity that forbids it We know of none that doth but do Conceive we have both on our Side Their Allegation out of Edward Burroughs doth not reach the Case nor could his Authority Settle the Preliminaries of the Conference For he hath been dead about 35 Years and this was Published about 5 Years before that therefore what is a Challenge of near 40 Years Standing and by a Friend so long since dead to us Is it Reasonable that that should Affect us and Set us such Measures as these Partial Judges Pitch'd and Resolv'd upon Besides E. B. tho' he made an ample Offer to the Priests of that Day saying Let them appoint Time Place and proffer Terms at their own Pleasure Yet he did not thereby Oblige us by any Express Word or Consequence That he was Boanerges or a Son of Thunder and did Speak from the Mouth of the Lord we humbly Acknowledge and Bless God for Raising up and Sending forth so Eminent and Able an Instrument to Preach the Everlasting Gospel His Memory is Precious among Us and his Books of Esteem but not of Equal Authority with the Bible For though he had received a Measure of the same Spirit which was in the Holy Pen-men yet Dispensations Vary according to the manifold Wisdom of God and therefore we prefer the Bible before E. B's Books and all other Writings Extant whatsoever We do not Plead for any New Gospel Faith or Doctrine different from that which Christ and his Holy Prophets and Apostles taught and is Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth but

made in the Year 1562. by another Convocation which declares The Church hath Authority in Controversies of Faith If they will own it then whether the Sin against God be the Sin against the Holy Ghost or no We do not see how they can Quit themselves of the Blasphemy the Article speaks of For do they not of Malice Rail upon the Truth of God's Word manifestly perceived and as Enemies thereunto Persecute the same in Charging so many Blasphemies upon the Light within as taught by the Quakers For the Light within is Christ and Christ is the Truth of God's Word The Way the Truth and the Life John 14. 6. The Word that was in the beginning with God and was God Chap. 1. 1. The Sum and Substance of the Gospel and that which the Holy Scriptures give Testimony of and we Believe and Teach But whether the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost be Unpardonable we shall not Determine A great Doctor of their own Communion was of the Opinion it was not see Hammond's Annot. upon Mat. 12. If they Print again we intreat them to be Plain and Open and not Talk great Words in the Dark to Endeavour to Fright People and to Exasperate them against us without any just Cause or Provocation Rel. p. 5. And now we began to Charge them with Blasphemy against God Animad Whom did they begin to Charge Not the Quakers of this present Generation for they were then acknowledged Orthodox and yet at first all were by them Charged to be Blasphemers see their Contradiction Rel. p. 5. And as soon as we began to prosecute our Charge one gets upon a Form and Bawls aloud to the People c. Animad It 's true one got up on a Form and made a Solemn Confession of Faith in Scripture-Terms yet did not Bawl but in words of Sobriety Declared to this Effect We Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Begotten Son our Lord and Saviour who was Born of the Virgin Mary whom the Holy Ghost overshadowed who appeared in the World in that Body prepared for him who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification And we Believe in the Holy Spirit and own the Three that bear Record in Heaven and that these Three are One. We Own the Holy Scriptures of Truth and Believe they were given forth by Divine Inspiration and that they are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness and are able to make the Man of God wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus And We Esteem the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the best Book in all the World and could be glad that People did spend more of their time in Reading of them And the Ordinances of Jesus Christ his Baptism and Supper according to the Holy Scriptures and that we neither Preach Teach nor Believe in any other Light than the Life of that Word which was in the beginning with God and was God And therefore this Light as taught by us could not expose us to Error or Blasphemy And we own Magistracy to be the Ordinance of God for the Punishment of Evil-doers and Praise of them that do well Rel. p. 5. This Disorder hindred us from Prosecuting our design to any Purpose tho' we permitted every one of them from London or from Rome if they pleased to have free Liberty to Dispute if they will do it fairly without Noise or Clamour Animad Whatever their Design was it seems they did not Prosecute it to any Purpose But what an unjust and unkind Insinuation is this from London or Rome As tho' we had Romish Emissaries among us who Blessed be our God do equally Renounce all the Corrupt Doctrines Anti-Christian Spirit Lord-like Power and Grandeur Idolatrous Worship Superstitious Ceremonies and Wicked Practices both of Pope and all Others who Persecute for Religion and Conscience towards God it being Romish And this we Testifie and Declare that Whoever they are that promote Persecution upon any Pretence whatsoever they are Friends to Rome and not to England being Profest Enemies to Christian Liberty and Property and Publick Disturbers of the Peace of their Native Country Rel. p. 5. And whereas we brought a great Number of the Quakers Books both Old and New and all of them of their most Celebrated Authors they cried no Books no Arguments which occasioned great Laughter and Shouting among the People Animad Who said so We would willingly have discoursed upon Books Regularly but when we demanded a Copy of their Charge which was but Justice then the Managers of the Conference who should have been Examples to the People of Gravity and Soberness did turn it off to Laughter and Shouting with a Company of vain Persons there present to Joyn them therein Rel. p. 6. And ever and anon they would have been Charging us Insolently urging us to prove our selves Christians Animad They gave us great Occasion to Question their Christianity by reason of their frequent Hissing and Hollowing which made us take Notice of it to the Auditory that they might Observe what Fruits some of them brought forth Rel. p. 6. And by and By we must prove our selves Ministers of Christ which was answered Animad We do not remember that any of them did but if they did Why did not they Insert it here that we might have seen it They gave the Occasion by their frequent Examining our Friends whereupon One of them said If they would prove themselves Ministers of Christ he would be Chatechized by them but they Declined the Proof of that and when one in the Pulpit made an Essay towards it they discountenanced him saying He was a Young Man and not concerned with them in this Affair or to that Effect yet we Acknowledge he Behaved himself more gravely then most of them Rel. p. 6. And it was a Cunning Design of theirs to divert us from our Charge so much dreaded by them Animad It rather seems they were upon Cunning Designs and afraid to give their Charge than that we were affraid to take it For we offered to pay for the Writing if we might have had it and once we had a promise from Dr. Beckham but were afterward denied by Rector Meriton Now being thus imposed upon and denied just Measures we told the Auditory that seeing these Persons had refused us Justice we Appealed to the Lord of Heaven and Earth the Judge of All and in His Name and Fear we made our Confession of Faith in Opposition to their Charges and then some of them Laughed Hissed and Hollowed and one of them called for the Stocks and a Watch-man came near the Scaffold which we were upon and held up his Bill at us And they appearing with such seeming Threatning and Violence and we could not be heard some of our Friends took Occasion to disperse certain Books called The Christianity of the People called Quakers

such Occasions belonging Provided as aforesaid you think Meet in your own Names or any other of your Cloth to Charge us And through the Lord's Assistance you shall hear from us or some others of us whom you or some of you have endeavoured to Traduce and we Doubt not Publickly to put aside that Disguise that by others have been put upon us and to make it appear to all unbiassed Persons that we really are in the Truth and Simplicity of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Your Real Friends Richard Ashby John Hubbard Philip Tassell Rich. Marler Stephen Stanton Daniel Phillips Matth. Harrison John Hunter Tho. Buckingham Richard Case John Brown The Priests Answer to the foregoing Letter Friends IT has not been from any Distrust of the Goodness of our Cause or any backwardness in us to Defend It that we have been thus long in returning an Answer to the Challenge you sent us but partly from not being able to resolve immediately at that Distance we Live from those we had to Consult how far it was fit to Comply with some of your Terms that appeared unreasonable to us and partly from the difficulty of getting your Books which you might with greater Justice expect in this Case we should Read if they were permitted to go more freely than yet we can find into other Hands as well as those of your Friends But having with a great deal of Trouble in some Measure got over this Stop we shall not insist upon Francis Bugg's bearing any Part in the Intended Dispute nor Wave the Challenge you have turned upon us instead of accepting of his which yet we think you ought to have done Notwithstanding what you Precariously affirm in your own Cause of his being Unreasonable and Answered already But your excluding him shall not hinder us or some of our Brethren from giving you a Meeting in Answer to your Challenge And that we may prevent Tumults and Confusions and that our Meeting may obtain the Design we all Hope for God's Glory and the Hearers Edification we think fit to acquaint you with these our following Propositions I. That the Place to Meet in be West-Dereham Church being pretty Capacious and well Gallery'd II. That the time of our Meeting be on Thursday the 8th of December at Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon and so on as many Thursdays following us there shall be occasion for III. That but Six of a side be permitted to Dispute and those Six to be known Inhabitants within the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk or the City of Norwich and that there be but one of those Six to speak at a time and that he be not interrupted unless he runs out beyond the Term of Five Minutes at a time IV. That no Personal Reflections shall be made one against another that are Forreign to the Cause V. That a Notary of each side be appointed to write down the Objections and Answers that are made by either Party and that they be compared at the end of every Meeting if there shall happen to be more than one The Matters we Charge you with are as follow I. We Charge you with Blasphemy against God II. With Blasphemy against Jesus Christ III. With Blasphemy against the Holy Scriptures IV. We Charge you with great Contempt of Civil Magigracy and the Ordinances which Jesus Christ Instituted viz. Baptism by Water and the Lord 's Supper with Bread and Wine V. We Charge you that the Light within as taught by you leaves you without any certain Rule and Exposes you to the forementioned and many other Blasphemies Hen. Meriton John Meriton Lau. Parke A Reply to the Priests Letter The 31st of the 8th Month 1698. Friends YOUR Paper with the Charge upon the People call'd Quakers without a Date came to the Hands of our Friend John Hubbard on the 27th Instant You were pleased to call the Offer we made to you in Writing a Challenge which Term we think is no ways Applicable to it For taking Notice of your readiness to Espouse Francis Bugg's Charge and Challenge we look'd upon it very Reasonable and Prudence in you as Wise Men to hear our Defence therefore referr'd you to several of our Printed Answers which if you had desired of us to have seen them we would have procured them for you but not one word of that from you in so many Weeks time And for our excluding F. B. from any part of the intended Dispute we have so much Cause and Reason for it we believe as will sufficiently Justifie us in the Opinion of all Judicious Persons And whereas you render it difficult to procure our Friends Books we are willing to Expose them to any that desires them as is well known and as you might have prov'd if you had made Trial. And now before we take Notice of your Propositions we judge it necessary to enquire into the Extent of your Charge whether it be upon the whole Body of the People called Quakers or upon particular Persons or upon the Writings of particular Persons Especially your Three first Charges If you Charge a whole Body of People you are not Just in your Limitation that the Persons that have a share in the Dispute be only known Inhabitants in Norfolk Suffolk and City of Norwich and at the same time Charge all the said People Generally If it be against particular Persons we judge you ought to name Them in your Charge if it be against the Writings of particular Persons it is necessary for you to name the Authors and the Titles of the Books and the Pages this we Insist upon These things Premised we take Notice of your Propositions I. As to the place in West-Dereham we do not object against it but are Indifferent as to that II. The Day perfixt being the Eighth of December next will not be Convenient for some of us being in Stoakfair Week III. That Six Persons only of a side be Permitted to Manage the Dispute and those Six to be known Inhabitants in Nolfolk Suffolk and Norwich we agree to provided your Charge reaches not to any Person or the Writings of any Person that lives not in either of the said Counties or said City but if it doth we expect and account it very Reasonable to be left to our free Liberty in the Choice of our Six and allow the same Liberty to you And that but One be allowed to speak at a time is very necessary and we like it well but not to be Limitted Precisely to the space of Five Minutes yet to endeavour Brevity and before Answer be made that there be a little Pause IV. V. Your Fourth and Fifth Propositions we like as stated by you and do expect an Explanation of the Extent of your Charge as is abovesaid to be sent us without delay waving to Repeat or Object against it or any Article thereof but refer that until we hear further from you We are your Friends Richard Ashby Richard Case