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	reveal_v	5,457	5	8.8529	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92007	The ancient bounds, or Liberty of conscience tenderly stated, modestly asserted, and mildly vindicated.	Rous, Francis, 1579-1659.	1645 (1645)	Wing R2011; Thomason E287_3; ESTC R200087	74,527	88

not forced upon men God perswade Japhet says the Patriarch to dwell in the tents of Sem and David says to his people If it seeme good unto you let us fetch backe the Arke That service that is not * Sed nec Religionis est cogere Religionē quae sponte suscipi debeat non vi Cum hostiae ab animo libexti expostulentur Ita etsi nos compuleritis ad sacrificandum nihil praestabitis Diis vestris nist cōtentiosi sint cōtentiosus autem Deus non est Tertull. ad Scap. cap. 2. free is not acceptable to God who loves a chearfull giver and therefore the peoples consent is also noted in that place 1 Chron. 13.4 And all the Congregation said that they would doe so for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people and when the Tabernacle was to be built how carefully is that Clause added That every man bring what he brings willingly and with his heart Exod. 25.2 and Chap. 35.5 otherwise it was not to be received reas 2 Was not this doctrine held forth to us in a mystery under the Law when David was not permitted to build God a house because he had shed much bloud in warre 1 Chron. 22.8 But Solomon a man of peace was design'd thereto Was not this partly for I say not 't was the adaequate reason to warne us not to use violence to make men Religious That zeale of the outwards of Religion that is hurtfull to mens persons is a breach of that exemplary Rule of Christ reas 3 I will have mercy and not sacrifice Moreover The Sabbath was made for man says Christ not man for the Sabbath and as much may be said of all the outwards of Religion then I must not for the Sabbaths sake destroy man for whom the Sabbath was made for the Sabbath was made to advance mans happinesse not to take away his beeing because his opinion of the Sabbath differs from other men and perhaps from the truth also the Sabbath is to help a man to what he hath not not to take away what he hath Though we grant an outward restraint of all for avoyding of scandall as is aforesaid What ignorance and pride doth it savour of reas 4 for man to goe about to convince conscience and to work faith with his authority who cannot make one haire white or black And is it not God that must give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 What can man do but prove whether God will by the use of due meanes and what 's the meanes of faith the sword Nay but the Word Faith comes by hearing Beleevers are not * Joh. 1.13 borne of flesh nor of bloud nor of the will of man but of God A man cannot beleeve at his owne will how much lesse at anothers Who can reveale and infuse supernaturall notions and truths but the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. which the Spirit doth not by force but by allurement rather or attraction And that is another Reason reas 5 * Piae religionis proprium est non cogere sed suadere siquidem Dominus non cogens sed libertatem suā voluntati permittens d●cebat quidē vulgō omnibus si quis vult venirepost me Apostolis verò num vos abire valtis Quae autem ibisuadend libertas aut consulendi ratio ubi qui contradic●t pro mercede zut exilium aut mortem reportat Athanas Epist Deus coactam confitendise aspernatus est voluntatem siquidem Deus universitatis est obsequi● non eget necessario non requirit coactam confessionem simplicitate quaerendus est confessione discendus est charitate amandus est timore venerandus est voluntatis prob●ta●e retinendus est At vero quid istud quod sacerdotes timere Deum vinculis coguntur poenis jubentur sacerdotes carceribus continentur plebs in custodia catenati ordinis constricta disponitur Hilarius ad Constant August The Spirit himselfe waites and violates not the liberty of the reasonable soule by superseding the faculties thereof but approves every truth to the understanding and moves the will without violence with a rationall force Shall man be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe God himselfe doth not force men but call them to repentance and to the knowledge and acknowledgement of his Sonne Let the extent of that word Calling be considered whether it will warrant any further means then Arguments perswasions intreaties make them as forcible as you can and if you hold the feare of punishment over men it must be the feare of divine punishments Wee knowing the terrours of the Lord perswade men Furthermore reas 6 as a reason against this compulsion I will be bold to aske Where is the man that needs not a graine of allowance in his opinions or practise I will allude to the equity of that counsell Eccles 7.21 Take not heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou heare thy servant curse thee For often-times also thine owne heart knoweth that thou thy selfe likewise hast cursed others So I say infist not upon every errour of thy brother for thou thy selfe knowest if thou knowest thy selfe that thou hast errours not a few or at least-wise if thou wilt beleeve the Scripture that saith Wee know but in part And how will you avoyd the devouring of one another reas 7 and so the consumption of your owne Kingdome who differ among your selves as well as from those whom you call Independents As when the Assembly were to carry up their Votes and the Result of their debates concerning Church-government I have heard some contended for the Classicall Government that it must be and that it is jure divino and no other Others that it may be by the Word a third sort that any Government was indifferent and the Magistrate was to determine and therefore you were constrained to accommodate the termes of your Proposition to the advantage of your cause that a Presbytery may be by the Word of God els you had lost two parts of three who would never have gone that it alone must and might lawfully be So here is Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh as well as both against a third and seeing Ephraim and Manasseh cannot consist themselves without an accommodation why should not a third come in and be accommodated with them I aske not onely whether you may not erre reas 8 but whether you have not err'd nor whether you may not have errours latent but whether you will not acknowledge your selves to have been in errours patent I know you will not deny it though I wish and earnestly exhort that it be more frequently more publickly acknowledged by some with more shame-taking to themselves that you have been those Leaders that have caused the people to erre you have preacht for Conformity written for Episcopacy pleaded for the Common-Prayer-Booke and walked willingly after almost every Commandement Now you have altered your minds and

practises retracted your opinions destroyed what you built condemned your selves in the things you allowed Well then have you taken your selves once in an errour learne this wisdome by it to suspect your selves and be not too violent against others Why may you not in a while see cause to exchange your present judgement for a better Why may there not be more truth yet behind Is that which is perfect come or are we come yet to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ reas 9 And what have you to * Of all things a man may dispute alike Charran say for your judgement that your differing Brethren have not to say for theirs for the controversie betwixt us is not in such things as wherein one part must needs be convicted in his own conscience as sinning against common principles in all men You have grounds so have they you propose Objections they answer them you are perswaded that you are in the right and that this is the meaning and right understanding of the Scriptures they thinke no lesse on their own side Now who shall state the difference and be the dayes-man between you but Christ in his owne time clearing the truth and leaving naked the errours except you can prove that the Word of God came out from * Verity is not a thing of our own inventiō and purchase and when it yeelds it selfe into our hāds wee have nothing in our selves whereby wee may challenge it possesse it or assure our selves of it Charron of Wisdom p. 250. you or came to you onely Againe Is there not a time and a season for every purpose under heaven Hath not God his time of winking and his time of warning And so hath not man his time of ignorance and his time of repentance May not a Truth for a time lie under the suspition of an errour was it not as strange and displeasing to you not many yeares since when some of your Brethren fell off from Common-prayer and the Ceremonies as those wayes of difference wherein they walke at present And had you not exceedingly wronged them sinned against the truth reas 10 and your owne soules if you had for these differences wherein now you are come over to them prosecuted them though I say not some were altogether free from it And may not Errours for a time have the credit of Truthes as many Episcopall Doctrines now rejected might be instanced in hath not every truth its set time the fulnesse of time to be borne into the world as Christ Jesus the personall truth had Would you have thought it faire dealing if your judgements and consciences had been superseded by mans authority and you had been forced to the renouncing of those things which you held in such esteeme while you so held them and to have embraced the contrary mind and practise of constraint which now you doe voluntarily Now walke but by the same Rule to others and that is all that is desired reas 11 And as there are some truthes proper and peculiar to some * Dan. 9.24 12.4 times and not to every time as Peter speaks of the present truths so to some persons and not to all persons Isa 8.16 Seale up the Law among the Disciples There are truthes then proper to the Disciples Truth indeed all truth in the spirituall understanding of it is peculiarly vindicated to such it is the Churches joynter or dowry The truth shall make you free Is every man a free denizon of Heaven I deny not but the common notion of many truthes of any truth may fall beside the Church upon other men though for the Churches sake but what is a prerogative dispensation must not be our ordinary expectation * So some truths are proper to some of the Church as the Spirit shall reveale 1 Cor. 14. and without prejudice to the rest as when Christ tooke the three Disciples into the Mount so the doctrine of justification was specially revealed to Paul the doctrine of evidence of grace to John revelation of future things to John the Divine c. however our expectation or compulsion cannot bring it and then 't is vaine for the winde blowes where he lists as well in common as in speciall graces Further a Reas 12. It will afford no small satisfaction and have no lesse then the force of an Argument with him that considers the rise and root of this compulsive power in the particulars we speak of as too evidently deriving it selfe either from the ignorance of those who think themselves to be in the very right and would have all men think so of them that they had attain'd the resurrection of the dead the utmost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and period of all possible knowledge and understanding at least in the present age or instant either I say it comes from this or els from an arrogating spirit in some that would tie all men to their girdle that cannot endure any should differ from them lest they should be preferr'd before them that abhorre any change of their opinion though it be for the better because that would speake them imperfect that cannot bring downe their stomacks to follow another and receive light from their Brethren affecting themselves to be called Rabbi the leading Men and Oracles of the age whereas God hath said of no man Heare him but of his own Son Or els it comes in others from a covetous spirit that would make a gaine of godlinesse a profit of the Ministry and so would make all men religious and conformable to them that their Tithes and Easter-bookes may rise the higher Or lastly it comes in not a few from a spirit of rule and dominion which how doth it make us a scorne and derision to the enemy while they see even Christians yea the Teachers of Christians to be like the Fishes in the Sea whereof the greater devoure the lesser The Apostle foresaw and supposed there would be diversity of opinions in men untill the terme appointed Eph. 4. reas 13 Till we all come into the unity of the faith Now where Christ upon the place and case applyes no remedy or meanes but spirituall such as is there described without any further provision upon the supposall of their inefficaciousnesse but saw good rather to dispense and tolerate let us take heed of over-witting Christ Nay reas 14 the Holy Ghost not onely foresaw there would but determines there must be Heresies and 't is expedient as well for the exercise of love as gifts and for a foyle to and discovery of the truth the professors thereof What singular thing were it in the sheep of Christ that they know his voice if there were no strange voices or which will come all to one if the Magistrate did brand all others with mulcts and heavy punishments and how shall the Apostles consequence but be prevented That by reason of errours * 2 Pet. 2.2 the truth should be