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	great_a	scripture_n	1,935	5	5.5369	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77224	Downfal of tythes no sacriledge; or Certain earnest and important queries, with their reasons or grounds. In answer to the author of a printed sheet, entituled, An item against sacriledge, or sundry queries concerning tythes. Earnestly tending to a full result, what ought to be done by the now present Parliament concerning tythes. Manifestly proving, that it is no sacriledge for the now present power to remove the laws and authority, whereby tythes, or any other maintenance for the ministery, is informed. Shewing also the dangerous inconveniency that necessarily ensueth, upon forcing maintenance for the ministery, and the unlawfulness of it in the sight of God. By Ellis Bradshaw.	Bradshaw, Ellis.	1653 (1653)	Wing B4143; Thomason E714_18; ESTC R207248	14,926	23

for Ministers maintenance is without all question an efficient cause both of a generall sin yea a National sin And of a general National and particular reproach and shame and dishonour to all our Christian Nations Churches and persons that by Authority and Power are so ingaged as hath been clearly proved from the Word of truth sufficiently to convince any rational creatures that will consider it if he beleeves the Scriptures Ob. But it will yet be objected that there will greater sins and worse consequences and greater shame and reproach follow if the compulsive Power be taken away for then it will follow that Ministers shall want maintenance for few will give any thing if they may but chuse 1 Ans I answer If it should so fall that were not the fault of the Civil Power but of their own selves that did neglect their duty Reas For it is no where required in all the whole Scriptures that the Magistrate should compel men to any such duties but only command and exhort them and then the charge lieth at there own door and the Magistrate is clear 2 Ans It is an uncharitable censure to conclude so far as that the faithfull Ministers of Christ shall want and that few will give them any thing if they may but chuse Reas For first I nothing doubt but such who are sent of God the Lord himself will care for that they shall either not want any outward maintenance or be content to want as well as to abound when he seeth it good so to excercise their faith as so the Apostle had learned 2. And secondly I cannot beleeve but that all True-hearted and faithful Christians that either feare God or reverence men will be the more liberal when the Compulsive Power is taken away and that according likewise as they abound in liberality God will bless them so much the more abundantly so that they shall still be increased and the more able by how much more they are more abundantly liberal 2 Cer. 9.10 11 12. Gal. 6. 3. And thirdly As the duty lyeth not only upon Husbandmen but upon all sorts of Christians to communicate liberally as the Lord increaseth them I make no doubt but when they know their duty they will be the more liberal by how much the more slack they shall find others that are not yet Christianized nor have attained as yet either to the love or honour of God or man nor to beleeve the Scriptures to wit Gal. 6. 2 Cor. 9 c. 4. And fourthly why shall such men be compeled to communicate when the case is so with them as that they neither beleeve nor can expect a reward from the hands of God for such communicating as so they cannot if they do it not freely but be meerly compeled and so that such communicating is utterly lost and therefore is wrongfully taken and wrested from them 5. It is a gross disparagment to the true Christians of any Church or Nation that either they are too few to maintain a Ministry or too spairing if all they have will serve the turn seeing Christ hath promised to increase them accordingly and that they shall not want if they be but obedient to do their dutys liberally as he hath appointed them in communicating Carnals to the Ministers of Spirituals Gal. 6.6 6. It is a disparagment to their faith in that they dare not trust God but their own Providence to the faith of people if they do not communicate and to the faith of Ministers if they use any force 7. It is a great dishonour to Ministers if they either inforce them or receive them of such who need inforcement Abraham would have scorned it lest they should say they had made him rich 8. It is a great dishonour to Christianity for they lose the Honour of doing it freely if compulsion be used in a general way for they that are Christians indeed and can do it freely and faithfully also trusting in God as so he requireth of them yet they cannot in that be distinguished from others that are meerly inforced I mean in the sight of men who cannot know their hearts in such a case when allare alike under compulsive Power so that men may account them as covetous and unfaithful as those who are compeled 9. It is a great dishonour and a manifest afront to the wisdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ For those in Authority to use any inforcement for the maintenance of his Ministers without commission from him It is as much as to say they are wiser then God Reas For he never appointed them any other maintenance but what was given freely no not in the time of the Law but told them their duties if they would be blessed what they must do by way of Gratitude unto him for his free donation both of Land it self and of the increase thereof which was by his blessing and providence and that they should give it to the Preists as his special substitutes that so they might cause the blessing to rest upon their House and all that they had But he never required the Magistrate to compel them unto these duties which are properly to himself no more then to pray or to offer Sacrifice all of which were always left to their free wills to do or not do after they were once informed that it was their duties save only by incitements in the Name of God which was all the inforcements that ever was used or commanded to be used in the name of men by the Jewish Nation However I grant that what the Lord commands it is likewise Lawful for the Magistrate to command in the name of the Lord as so Abraham did and other Rulers also but not to compel without his commission any such duty for in so doing we both dishonour his Name and disparage his wisdom and take his Name in vain and likewise so cause others to do the like Reas For he that inforceth any thing to be given unto God without his commission he forceth it properly to be given to himself whom they only obey in such Donation and only give it for his sake so that no rewards can be expective from God for such Donations but from him only And so the case is the same in point of Worship for the Worship tendred or offered unto God either for fear of men or for favor respect or praise of men Is offered unto men and not to God and so is an Idolizing of the Creature and fearing or honouring or respecting of it more then the Creator himself who is eternally blessed and that for evermore Nay any such compulsion is a manifest and wilful inforcement to the practise of Hypocrisie which is an odious sin in the sight of God and a manifest breach of the negative part of the third Commandment See Exod. 20.7 1 Pet. 2.1 5.23 Let such look to it who are forward to compel unto such duties For the Lord our God will not hold