Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bear_v	testimony_n	witness_n	3,532	5	7.9945	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43317	Reformation of church-government in Scotland cleared from some mistakes and prejudices by the commissioners of the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland, now at London / published by especiall command.	Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.; Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1644 (1644)	Wing H1437; ESTC R42074	13,323	24

of God is exercised more uncorruptly where more faithfull diligence of the Pastor doth flourish or more free or willing obedience is given by the people nor yet where there is greater reverencing of the whole Religion amongst all orders And afterwards Neither doth it onely keep the Doctrine of salvation free from corruption but it doth also both deliver in writing and exercise in practice that sincere manner of government whereby men are made partakers of salvation Revel. of the Apocal. cap. 37. The other is Cartwright Yea the Scottish Nation which were some yeers behind us in the profession of the Gospell the first day almost that they received the truth did by many degrees in the way of purity outstrip us These two witnesses unto which we might adde many other from the reformed Churches in other Nations bear testimony that there is no such thing in the Church of Scotland as might prove her to be no Church or bar Communion in worship with her as the Liturgy Ceremonies and Prelacy in the Church of England or that the Corruptions of the one and the other are of the same kinde equally destructive of the essence of a Church and equally impedetive of Communion and worship All visible Churches which have been or shall be at any time on earth consist of persons good and bad Sheep and Goats Wheat and Tares such as walk Christianly and such as walk inordinatly Which therefore must also be the condition of the Church of Scotland yet the order of the Church admitteth not either ignorant or openly prophane and scandalous persons to the participation of the Lords supper If any Pastor and particular Eldership bee negligent in their duty it is their fault who are to beare their own guiltinesse and ought not to be imputed to the order of the Church which standeth in force against it We may be very confident that the godly people who did transplant themselves out of this Island the fame of whose piety and zeal shall never suffer detraction or the smallest diminution from our thoughts or words might have lived in the Church of Scotland injoying the pure Ordinances of God with peace in their consciences and comfort to their souls and would have willingly come into Scotland when they went into New-England could they have been free of the usurpation and tyranny of Prelats and the Prelatical party which at that time did reigne and rage in that Kingdome vexing the Godly Ministery and people there with many and bitter sufferings The two extreams of the true forme of Church-Government which standeth in the middle way betwixt Popish and Prelaticall Tyranny and Brownisticall and popular Anarchie were contrary one to another and have their own degrees of Tyranny or Anarchie in themselves which is the cause of their sub-divisions fractions and differences amongst themselves but both sides agree and strongly joyne in opposing the true Government which standing constantly and without variation between the one and the other is contrary to both This is the true cause nor could it be otherwise that on what hand the invasion was hotest there the defence was strongest Against Prelacie which had many friends and therefore made many enemies to Presbyteries the Presbyteriall power and pens were long pleading No sooner is the Prelaticall party by the power and blessing of God begun to be subdued in this Island but ariseth unexpectedly The opposition on the other hand waiting the opportunity stronger then it was before which moved some of our Divines of late to write on this hand in defence of the government of the reformed Churches as others had done before them in other Churches In France Beza against Morellius Sadeel Two Nationall Synods also of the reformed Churches in France the one at Orleans in the year 1561. Another at Rothel 1571. And in all the reformed Churches governed by Presbyteries and Assemblies the positive grounds of the Government are laid open which work equally against Adversaries on both sides and have been applyed against them prove nata as they did arise or shew themselves If so much have not been written upon one hand as the other in a polemicall and Anaskeuastick way let it be attributed unto the Adversarie which was but obscure and weak and from whom small danger was apprehended it being laid for a common ground by them all That where a whole Nation is converted to the Christian faith every particular Church is not to bee left to it selfe as if it were alone in a Nation but that Christ had provided a way and there is a necessitie of a common Nationall Governement to preserve all the Churches in Unitie and Peace It is the Will of God and hath been alwayes the constant course of Divine providence that when his servants have been diligent in searching the truth and zealous by professing and preaching to hold it forth unto others that they confirme and seal the truth which they have beleeved and professed with their confession and suffering The Church of Scotland had many Confessours divers Pastours brought before the Lords of Councell the High Commission Diocesan Synods were removed from their places deprived of all the means of their livelyhood some confined others imprisoned a third sort brought into England whence some of them were never suffered to returne all of them for the Government of the Church Others for the same cause were proceeded against by the criminall Judge condemned of Treason sentenced to death and after long imprisonment before and after the sentence could finde no other mercy but perpetuall banishment wherein the greater part of them ended their dayes without any Congregation or Company of their owne Nation rich or poore to comfort them So many of these witnesses as were suffered to live in their owne Land did not undergoe any voluntary exile but in much poverty and affliction went up and down teaching and confirming the good people and waiting for a spring time wherein the face of God might again shine upon his Church and to use their owne expression some buds might arise out of the stumpe of Church government left in the earth Had they at that time abandoned the poore oppressed Church when they were put from their places and deprived of their liberty and had carried away with them such of the people as were of their minde they had if wee would judge according to ordinary providence and the course of second causes opposed the poore desolated Church for a prey to Episcopall oppression and made the case of Religion in that Kingdome desperate Or if they should have returned upon a revolution of extraordinary providence they would have preferred the sufferings of their Brethren left behinde them in the midst of the fiery triall unto their owne exile and would have been loath to have impeded or retarded the late Reformation with any thing they had brought with them from abroad so many as returned from constrained banishment having in all Unitie of minde and heart