Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	know_v	8,213	5	4.2899	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91790	Certain questions propounded to the assembly, to answer by the Scriptures whether corporall punishments may be inflicted upon such as hold errours in religion. / By S.R.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1646 (1646)	Wing R1404A; Thomason E1182_6; ESTC R210206	6,417	16

CERTAIN QUESTIONS PROPOUNDED To the ASSEMBLY to answer by the Scriptures whether corporall punishments may be inflicted upon such as hold Errours in Religion 1. that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Rev. 13. 17. See Rev. 14. 8 9 10. 2 Ye are bought with a price be not the servants of men 1 Cor. 7. 23. 3. Ye suffer fooles gladly 2 Cor. 11. 19. and yet I may not be suffered By S. R. LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1646. To the impartiall READER IF in this life only we had hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable for almost every man thinkes himself most happy that can doe us the most mischiefe so that scarce any place can hardly be found in which we can be let alone notwithstanding we eat our own bread and wear our own cloathing to say no more live quietly do no man wrong We are dayly unjustly accused and lyable to be stripped of outward comforts because we will not believe and practise that which is in our understandings a lye And is it not strange that some dare affirme that to be truth and would have others compelled to believe it notwithstanding they cannot read it unto us out of the holy Scriptures Neither can they prove themselves to be our spiritual masters If they can we are content to be their spiritual servants and believe and practice what and how much of any Religion they please to appoint But untill they can prove to us to have such power it will be to no purpose for thē to appoint us what to believe c. that that which is truth may more clearly appear I desire they would give a plain and full answer to these Questions I have propounded according to the Scriptures That so if we be mistaken we trust we shall be glad to see it and embrace it c. Certaine QUESTIONS propounded to the SYNOD QUEST 1. VVHether corporall punishments can open blind eyes and give light to dark understandings 2 Whether carnall punishments can produce any more then a carnall repentance and obedience 3 Whether the destroying of mens bodies for errors be not a means to prevent their conversion seeing some are not called untill the eleventh houre and if they should bee cut off for their errors the seventh houre how should they have come in Mat. 20 6. 4 Whether those who would force other mens consciences be willing to have their own forced 5 Whether it be wisdome and safe to make such sole Judges in matte●s of Religion who are not infallible but as liable to erre as others 6 If a a Father or Magistrate have not power to force a virgin to marry one shee cannot love whether they have power to force one where they cannot believe against the light and checks of their own consciences 7 Whether the Scripture makes the Magistrate Judge of our faith 8 If the Magistrate may determine what is truth whether we must not beleeve and live by the Magistrotes faith and change our Religion at their pleasures And if nothing must bee preached nor no bookes of Religion printed nor be allowed to passe unlesse certain men may please to approve and give their allowance thereto under their hands whether such do not by this practice tell God that unlesse hee will reveale his truth fitst to them they will not suffer it to be published so not known to be even with him notwithstanding the Magistrate may and ought to hinder the printing and publishing of that which shall be against the safety and welfare of the State But we must distinguish between matters civill and religious wee question their power in the latter Also whether the Licencer setting his hand to the book to licence it he being a Priest by his ordination and from the Pope be not the mark of the Beast spoken of Revel. 13. 17 And whether all such as have gone to them to licence the truth ought not to repent of it and do so no more Also whether these men be fit to be Licencers of the truth who when the truth hath been tendered them to be licensed they have confessed the truth of it as they have been free to licence it but refused because they durst not And whether it can be made appeare that God hath revealed his truth first to these Ministers of England and so the first spreaders of it Instance who opposed the Prelats the Ministers or the people first And so of the rest 9 Whether it be not the command of Christ that the tares those that walk in lies and the wheat those that walk in the truth should be let alone and the blind led in a false Religion which are offended at the declaring of the truth should be let alone Mat. 13. 30. 38. Mat. 15. 14 10 Whether hee was not reproved that would have fire from heaven to devoure those that reject Christ Luke 9. 54 55. 11 Whether the servants of the Lord are not forbidden to strive but to be gentle towards all 2 Tim. 4. 2. 12 Whether the Saints weapons against errors be carnall or no 2 Cor. 10. 4. 13 Whether it was not Christs command that his Disciples when they were persecuted they should pray and if cursed blesse 14 Whether the Scriptures declare that the Saints should persecute others and whether the gentle lambs of Christ can serve the Wolves so seeing hee sent his as sheep among wolves and not as wolves among sheep to kill and imprison Matth. 10. 16. 15 Whether Christ hath said He will have an unwilling people compelled to serve him 16 Whether ever God did plant his Church by violence and blood-shed 17 Whether tares may not become wheat and the blind see and those that now oppose and resist Christ afterwards receive him and he that is now in the Divels snare may get out and come to repentance and such as are Idolaters as the Corinthians were may become true worshippers as they that are strangers may become Gods people 18 Whether to convert an heretick and to cast out unclean spirits be done any other way then by the finger of God by the mighty power of the Spirit in the word 19 Whether he that is not conformable to Christ may not at the same time bee a good subject to the State and as profitable to it as any 20 Whether men that differ in Religion may not be tollerated seeing Abraham abode among the Canaanites along time yet contrary to them in religion Genes 13. 7. 16. 13. and he sojourned in Gezer and King Abimel●ch gave him leave to abide in his land Gen. 20. 21. 23. 24. And Isaac dwelt in the same land yet contrary in Religion Gen. 31. The people of Israel were about 430. yeares in Egypt and afterwards in Babylon all which time they differed in Religion from the State Exod. 12. 2 Chron. 36. Christ and his Disciples differed from the

judge the other in spirituall matters if the Magistrate then he is above the Church and so the head of the Church and he hath his power from the People to govern the Church whether it will not follow that the People as a People have originally as men a power to governe the Church to see her do her duty to reform correct her and so the Spouse of Christ the wife of Christ must be corrected according to the pleasure of the world who lye in wickednesse 1 Iohn 5. What power a Church hath over a Magistrate if he be a Member of the Church if members they may be excommunicated if so discerning Reason 1. Because Magistrates must be subject to Christ but Christ censures all offendors 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. 2. Every brother must be subject to Christs censure Mat. 18. 15 16 17. but Magistrates are Brethren Deut. 17. 15. 3. They may censure all within the Church 1 Cor. 5. 12. 4. The Church hath a charge of all the souls of the Church and must give account of it Heb. 13. 17. 5. Christs censures are for the good of soules 1 Cor. 5. 6. but Magistrates must not be denied any priviledge for their soules else they by being Magistrates should lose a priviledge of Christs 6. In which priviledges Christians are all one Gal. 2. 28. Col. 3. 11. Sins of Magistrates are hatefull and condemned Esay 10. 1. Mich. 3. 1. It s a Paradox that a Magistrate may be punished by the Church and yet that they are Judges of the Church 50 Whether every man upon that Religion which in his conscience he is perswaded is true whether he doth not upon the truth thereof venter his soule If that Religion the Magistrate be perswaded be true he owes a three-fold duty First Approbation Esa 49. Rev. 21. with a tender respect to the truth and the Professors of it Secondly Personall submission of his soule to the power of Jesus his government Matth. 18. 1 Cor. 5. Thirdly protection of them and their estates from violence and injury Rom. 13. to a false Religion he owes 1. Permission for approbation he owes not to what is evill as Mat. 13. 30. for publike peace and quietnesse 2. Protection of the Persons of his subjects though of a false worship that no injury be offered to the persons or goods of any Rom. 13. Object The Kings of Inda compelled men to serve the Lord ergo Kings may now compell c. Answ They who lived under the Jewish worship only were compelled strangers were not Secondly they were not compelled to any thing but what they knew and confessed was their duty 2 Chron. 16. 12 13 14 15. Thirdly if they did compell their actions were not morall to obliege other Kings to doe so May not the Prelates by the same reason alleadge the Order of the Priest-hood for their Episcopacy as you for the Kingly Fourthly the Kings of Israel did not imprison Schismatikes Pharices Herodians c. Fifthly the Kings of Israel had extraordinary profits to direct them what to do infallibly these Kings have none such to direct them Sixthly If the Law be morall where is it set down in Christs Testament which is to be our Rule that the Magistrate shall compell all to his Religion for to another he will not Object Then every man may live as he list Answ Had not he as good live as he list as live as you list Object Then it seemes errours may be suffered Answ If truth may be suffered also it will prevaile against Errors It s no more in their power to hinder Errors then it was in the power of the Prelates to hinder mens preaching writing and speaking against them If you can hinder Sathans suggestions and the vain imaginations of mens hearts and expell the darknesse in men and place light in stead thereof and hinder men from speaking each to other then you can suppresse erors else not the Lord only can surprise Errors by the mighty power of his spirit with his word and we believe he will certainly do it in his time to his glory and the comfort of his people amen One thing more I desire to know why the Priests of England asume to themselves the title of a Divine is it because they are exercised in Divine truths or because they pertake of the Divine nature or both if so then many Tradesmen may as well have the title of Divine given them as well as they because they pertake of the Divine nature and are as much exercised in matters Divine as the most of them but it is a question to me whether the title Divine is to be given to any man but only to God alone whose being is onely Divine FINIS Cor. 1. 9.