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	salvation_n	4,849	5	7.2836	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75807	The Christian moderator: or, Persecution for religion condemned, by the light of nature. Law of God. Evidence of our own principles.	Birchley, William, 1613-1669.	1651 (1651)	Wing A4243; Thomason E640_1; ESTC R206658	32,813	31

Territories mainly opposes them nor have we any Law at all to my knowledge for which Jew Turk Heathen or the most grosse Heathenish Idolator is sequestrable nor any penall Oath against the most extravagant blasphemies that a loose wit can imagine and a prophane tongue utter as Ranters Antitrinitarians and the like what can be more destructive to the very foundation of Christianity then the prophane and scandalous blasphemies of Mr. Fry a late Member of Parliament who publikely in print not only denies but decides that Supreme Mystery of Christian Religion the sacred Trinity calling it a chaffy and absurd Opinion c. yet the mercy of the Parliament contented it self with a moderate and favourable punishment excluding him only from sitting amongst them and if his Dignity and publique Character had not rendred him obnoxious to the crime of scandall he might perhaps have remained as free from trouble as all the rest of his Opinion do who never yet have suffered the least molestation for the greatest exorbitances that can be devised In particular at the Quarter Sessions at Westminster on the 24. of June 1651. there wered five Ranters convented before Colonell Baxter and other Justices and sufficient proof that they had maintained that one Robins a Glazier was a Prophet and that his wife was with child of the Messias with such other blasphemous stuff but four of these not then absolutely asserting these Opinions nor yet denying them but evading the severall questions demanded of them by the Bench were discharged the fifth was committed as he well deserved not for his Opinions but for calling the Justices Traytors c. On the same day a gentle-woman great with child and some others were also convented for a supposed hearing of Masse on the day commonly called Christmas day 1650. at the then French Agents in Long Acre and though there was no direct proof that they were at Masse but at Mattins or Prayers before Masse yet Colonell Baxter did maintain against some other of the Justices that Mattins and Masse was all one and so the gentlewoman and the rest were fined one hundred marks a piece and sent to prison according to the rigour of the Statute in that behalfe formerly made the severity of which last proceeding and the partiality of the first needs no Comment Why must the Papist be thus singled out from all the rest and peremptorily forc't to this hard choice of either forfeiting his estate or forsaking his Conscience if we fear their encrease we overvalue their Religion if we doubt their disturbing us we undervalue our own strength abundantly sufficient are the means which God has put into our hands to secure our selves from a few disarm'd Papists abundantly sufficient were this only provision to exclude them from Offices of importance and execute severe punishment upon such as should actually attempt any thing to the discomposure of the State Nor can such gentlenesse and moderation towards quiet Recusants be justly accounted a toleration of them because I conceive that word signifies an absolute equality in all civill respects betwixt Subjects of different judgements in Religion else the present sufferings of Papists paying their two thirds might by the same frowardnesse be accused as a toleration whereas the Penalties indeed are altogether intolerable Not to inflict the utmost severity of punishment is not presently to be reputed an allowance of the crime God himself suffers all the sins we commit but approves none of them we our selves daily permit mischiefs to avoid in conveniences and for that reason we prohibit not Masse in the houses of Ambassadors nor pnnish usury though the Statute it self 13. Eliz. 8. brands it with the name of Vice and most Divines hold it a detestable sin expressely forbidden by the Law of God A conscientious way of setling Religion proposed IN the same place where God commands children to obey their parents he forbids parents to provoke their children Ephes. 6. And where he exacts fidelity in servants he likewise requires moderation in Masters nay more the text includes even bondmen and slaves enjoyning the Masters to forbear threatning knowing that their Master also is in heaven neither is there respect of persons with him thus clearly doth the Word of God condemn as well harshnesse and cruelty in Governours as stubbornnesse and treachery in Subjects so that there is also a tendernesse of conscience requisite on the Magistrates part to proceed sincerely and purely for the good of the people that he may truely say with the Apostle I seek not yours but you 2 Cor. 12. 1. and again verse 17. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you in which two lines we are plainly advertised of the chiefe danger which Superiours ought carefully to avoid that neither themselves nor their under-Officers make a profit of mens consciences concerning matters of Religion Since therefore the only tolerable designe of the Corrector in such cases is the benefit of the sufferer it necessarily follows that before we can with the least colour of Justice inflict a penalty upon any different profession we ought to use all means possible to recover them to truth and therefore our first work should be to collect a body of positive Articles evidently contained in Gods Word and absolutely necessary to mans salvation it being very improper to pen the publike form of Faith in the Negative because my believing Christian truths makes me a Christian and not my disbelieving the errors that oppose it else he that believes nothing at all would be the best Christian In order to which collection the most religious way is that every one that will modestly may safely propose and discusse those difficulties he meets with in Gods Word and if after all possible diligences of study meditation and prayer no satisfaction or union follow in any point it is an evident sign the question is either obscure or unnecessary and then provide for the peace of the Common-wealth and submit the rest to the pleasure of God When we have agreed upon a summary of belief according to these three conditions positive evident and fundamental with which the Creed commonly call'd the Apostles suits best of any I ever saw then ought the Magistrates hold forth in the spirit of love and meeknesse those so clear and important verities and if any shall be found dissenting which I am confident will be very few let us follow the Apostles rule in punishing a gentle one it is indeed but powerfull 2 Thes. 3. 6. Withdraw from such a one that he may be ashamed and verse 15. esteem him not an enemy but correct him as a brother at worst rebuke him sharply Tit. 1. 13. and after the first and second admonition reject him Tit. 3. 10. that is leave him to the hardnesse of his heart if his conscience grow tender it will check if obdutate he will soon break out into lewdnesse and then be justly punishable by the Law as other

but when to those dishonorable imputations are joyned intolerable penalties both upon our lives and estates and not only against the then living Catholikes but all their Posterity to this very day surely it must needs appear the most harsh and severe proceeding that ever was practised in the world wherefore I shall close this second Letter with my humble prayers to the gracious Redeemer of our souls that you would cease to impute all our faults to our Religion and we begin to commit no other fault but our Religion so should we happily overcome our own infirmities and fully satisfie your jealousies When I had well perused this Gentlemans discourse and attentively read his letters I must freely confesse I could not have believed that either the Papists had suffered so much from us or been able to say so much for themselves I doe not mean in order to prove the truth of their Religion but the unreasonablenesse of our persecution since really to my understanding our jealousies of their obedience seem as unnecessary unto us as prejudiciall to them for I am confident there is no Religion in the world but by good Laws against breach of Peace and due execution of them may be made consistent with any Kingdome or Common-wealth whatsoever who more opposite in belief then Christians Jewes and Turks yet we see by experience that Jews are not inconsistent with the Government of Christians nor Christians with that of the Turks no not such Christians as are here in question Papists As concerning the Doctrine we charge upon them of the Popes power over Supreme Magistrates I had the fortune some few years since to meet with a paper that clearly answered all my difficulties wherein were written the negative subscriptions of many English Recusants against these three following Propositions as no part of their Faith or Religion the Subscribers being both in number and quality sufficient to represent the whole body of them in this Nation 1. That the Pope or Church hath power to absolve any person or persons from their obedience to the civill and politicall Government establisht or to be establisht in this Nation in Civil and Politicall Affairs 2. That by the command or dispensation of the Pope or Church it is lawfull to kill destroy or do any injury to any person or persons living within the Kings Dominions because that such a person or persons are accused condemned censured or excommunicated for Errour Schisme or Heresie 3. That it is lawfull in it self or by dispensation from the Pope to break promise or oath made to any of the foresaid persons under pretence that they are Heretiques These they utterly disclaim and renounce as no part of their belief professing under their hands their readinesse to abjure if the State should so require the practise and execution of them all which gave me so much the more satisfaction by how much it was besides my expectation nor have I now any thing to say against them upon that account And indeed if we consider these differences between us impartially our suspitions are not only confuted but shamed by our own daily experience for we trust Papists in all Negotiations as indifferently as Protestants nay even our Travellers and Merchants beyond Seas where the Papists are Masters converse and traffique securely with them and yet I never heard the least complaint of any one single Protestant's being cheated by them upon pretence of exemption or dispensation and therefore since they practise not that part which may sometimes be profitable I cannot think they hold to no purpose that which is alwaies prejudiciall For my small experience in the world all the objection that ever I heard of against the credit of our Papists was their being disabled by sequestrations to pay their debts not taught by their Religion to deceive the Creditors If their Doctrines were so destructive to civill Society as our accusations pretend how comes it to passe that all our fundamentall Laws were enacted by them who invested the Supreme Authority of this Nation with so honourable Priviledges and yet provided so prudently for the just security of the people against the unjust inc●oachments of Prerogative from whom have all those excellent customes and Statutes of this Nation descended upon us is it possible we should derive all the ancient Priviledges of Parliament and Liberties of the Subject contained in Magna Charta c. from the times their Religion governed the Land and yet say now their Religion is inconsistent with the Government of the Land as it is very true that sometimes the Popes power here was abused to support a temporall interest so it is evident to those that know History that his mediation has been often available both for the preventing and reconciling of our differences as well with our neighbouring Kingdomes as amongst our selves Nor is it possible that any Modell of Government should be absolutely proof against all exceptions but in the experience of five or six hundred years some abuses wil certainly happen whence it is easie for a severe observer to gather objections enough to puzzle the most able and politique Statist in the world to answer especially if they be managed with dexterity and eloquence amongst a half-witted and stubborn people who neither can guide themselves nor will be led by others not blind enough to be ignorant where they are and yet too short-sighted to see whether they go unhappy chiefly in this that they are tender in the sense of any present evill and wholly incapable of foreseeing the destruction that followes their impatience Hear what is charitably said of Papists in the foresaid Examination of the late Synods Confession of Faith page 266. The Papists believe in the same God with the Protestants even in the Father the Son and the holy Ghost though they differ in some Articles or branches of Articles of their belief and in their way of worship yea some of the Papists are regenerate conscientious and vertuous persons Wherefore I humbly conceive our Magistrates and Ministers ought sincerely to enquire into the truth of things and make a conscience of judging or preaching otherwise then secundum probata and not upon bare jealousies or the blind opinion of the vulgar condemn any free-born member of this Nation farther then he shall be proved to be guilty Nor do I believe it reasonable to charge every unjustifiable action of particular Papists or extravagant opinion of any private writer amongst them upon the whole Body of their Religion The Decrees of their Councells they professe to be the only absolute declarers of their Faith amongst whose determinations there are faults enough which they strive to defend no need of imposing upon them errors which they flatly deny Let us lay our hands upon our own hearts we our selves want not our capriches and exorbitant conceits which ough● not to be imputed to the whole reformed Religion but to the imperfection of humane nature easily deceived with the colour of