Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	doctrine_n	hold_v	3,934	5	6.1946	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49510	The matching of the magistrates authority and the Christians true liberty in matters if religion wherein is clearly stated, how farre the magistrate may impose or restrain in matters of faith and worship, and how far forth the Christian may challenge freedome and exemption : in a sermon preached at the Assizes at Dorchester, Jul. 17. 1651. / by William Lyford ...	Lyford, William, 1598-1653.	1654 (1654)	Wing L3549; ESTC R32907	15,979	27

THE MATCHING OF THE Magistrates Authority AND THE CHRISTIANS TRUE LIBERTY IN Matters of RELIGION VVherein is clearly stated How farre the Magistrate may impose or restrain in matters of FAITH and VVORSHIP And how far forth the Christian may challenge Freedome and Exemption In a Sermon preached at the Assizes at DORCHESTER Jul. 17. 1651. By WILLIAM LYFORD B.D. and late Minister of Sherborn in Dors LONDON Printed for R. ROYSTON and are to be sold by Tho Miller Booke-seller in Sherborne 1654. TO THE HONOVRABLE Sir GERARD NAPPER Knight and Baronet Most Honoured SIR THe World doth much call for this little worke of my Fathers who is now with God And the Communion of Saints being so great a part of our most holy Faith I dare not keep it back from any Christian mans enjoyment Yet it being a piece which was formed in your service while you were Sheriffe of Dorset-shire I refuse to send it forth but with your cognizance and under your Patronage It is just that having beene borne as it were in your house it should not become the propertie of others without a speciall reserve of its chiefe homage unto your selfe When it was preached to you from the Pulpit it found your great acceptance I hope it shall finde as great now it salutes you from the Presse And if it shall be still as welcome to your eye as it was then unto your eare it will much encourage me to inherite as well my Fathers affections to you as his name and to let you see that though he be dead yet there is still alive Most honour'd SIR Your faithfull and humble Servant WILL LYFORD From my Study in Mag. Coll. Oxon. Octob. 22. 1653. DAN 3.14 to 18. Is it true ô SHADRACH c. THese two things The Truths of Christ and Peace among Brethren ought to be precious to every Son of the Church 'T was a blessed time when the multitude of Believers were of one heart and one Soule Acts when they held Communion in Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayers they heard together they received together they prayed together and according to this primitive Patterne all good Christians should endeavour to walk and those Churches are happy which hold that blessed knot of Truth and Love Contrary whereunto are those two reigning evils among us at this day viz. Wantonnesse of Spirit and Pride of Spirit Through the wantonnesse of mens spirits craving an absolute liberty in matters of God the sacred Truths of God are corrupted and vilified And through the Pride of mens spirits on the other hand imposing matters of Opinion and Worship under temporall penalties the Quiet of mens Consciences and Unity among Brethren is exceedingly disturbed and unsetled There is much evill in both extreams either that all things should be tolerated or Nothing that Nothing should be restrained or that All things should be imposed and rigidly enforced under temporall inflictions the one leads to Heresie and Atheisme the other to Perescution Now to shape a course out of Gods Word 1. How the sacred Truths of God and the precious Souls of Men those great truths committed to our charge And 2. How the just Liberty of Conscience for I meddle not without my line with due reverence to Authority may be preserved pure and blamelesse is the scope of my ensuing discourse unto which ends I shall endeavour to drive with all clearnesse Christian Moderation and Sobriety from the words now read in your eares Whether Nebuchadnezzar did erect this huge Statue of such a vast cost for it was of God and bignesse 60. cubits high out of ambition and vaine-glory as a Monument of his Greatnesse and Magnificence or out of Blinde Zeale to his God Bell to whom it was dedicated or out of Policy to bring all his Dominions and People to an Uniformity in Religion and Worship the better to prevent Dissentions and Divisions in bis Kingdome which might be occasioned by the exercise of the Jewes Religion now scattered amongst them Whether all or any of these things might move him I determine not But most likely it is that there was something of Designe in it for the Princes of Babylon seeing their Greatnesse and Glory eclipsed by Strangers and Captives moved with Envy and Indignation advised the King to such a specious Action of Devotion whereby they might intrap and work the ruine of those Jewish Commanders for ver 12. they informe against Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that these men have not regarded thee ô King they serve not thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up Upon this information Nebuchadnezzar sends for them and bespeaks them in the words of my Text Is it true O Shadrach Meshach and Abednego do not ye serve my Gods nor worship the Image which I have set up q. d. I should least of all men expected this from you you who are at my mercy you that have been so highly advanced by me He used them civilly as the Phrase is yet cruelly he did not presently condemne them till he had heard their defence and in his speech he did seeke to win them as unwilling to believe it to be true which was informed Is it true O Shadrach that you do not serve my Gods ver 14. perhaps it was an over-sight or some needlesse scruple in you or a mis-information to me I shall be willing to passe it by if now at last you will conforme Take time to consider of it But if you persist I cannot help you you must be cast into the fiery Fornace for so is the Law ver 15. Then followes their Answer ver 16 17. We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter as if they should say your Majesty is not mis-informed we did not worship your Gods and the truth is we cannot we are sufficiently advised and resolved in this matter we crave no farther time for consultation And whereas you threaten us with Death for our refusall this is no satisfaction to our Conscience nor discharge of our Duty we are not moved with thy threatnings we are ready to sacrifice our lives to the will and command of our God rather than our Conscience or Religion to thy will It is a poor Religion and a poor God that is not worth the dying for And if our God see cause by this meanes to call for our lives we are contented to pay a debt of Nature in a debt of Duty and yet we know that he can deliver us from thy Fornace if it seeme good unto him but if not we cannot gratifie thee in this matter Wee will not serve thy Gods we rather yeild our bodies and Gods will be done In which Conference note two remarkable Acts 1. One of the King enjoyning an Act of Worship upon men of a different judgement and those poore Captives under the sharpest penaltie 2. The other of the poor vanquished Captives their refusall chusing rather to suffer than to sin against God

Ver. 19. because God had commanded them to preach in his Name Sol. Then remember thou art under a double bond of conscience at the same time one from God who commands thee to preach Another from men who command thee not to Preach But here in this case thy conscience is discharged 1. Unto God by doing what he commands thee and 2. To the Magistrate by submitting to his power in suffering And so thy duty to God and thy reverence due to authority are both preserved And thus I am brought to my second Doctrine Quest In case of injurious impositions what is Christian to doe Ans Rather yeild our bodies to the fire than our conscience Doct. 2 to the worship as these three worthies in my Text did From whence my second Doctrine is this viz. To cleave to Gods Will and Wayes against all humane dread and terrour out of a confident perswasion that he is Lord of our lives able to deliver and in an humble Resignation to his Wisdome whether he will deliver or not in such a straite is a strength of spirit to be endeavoured after by all that feare God and would keep a good Conscience Every circumstance of this Doctrine is grounded on the Answer of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar Vers 16 17. To cleave to Gods Will and Wayes so did they wee will not serve thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up Against all humane dread and terrour So did they wee are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Out of faith or a confident perswasion that he is able to deliver therefore they said our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Fornace and in an humble Resignation to his wisdome whether he will deliver in such a straite or not so they said hee will deliver us cut of thine hand O King scil if it seeme best to his Godly Wisdome we are not sure that hee will deliver us therefore they expresse their confidence conditionally But if not as if they had said He can if hee will if it be for his glory and ours and the Churches good deliver us but for that we resigne up our selves to his Will and Wisdome and resolve to stick to his wayes and to our duties However hee please to dispose of us is a strength of spirit it is not every degree of grace that can make a man to do this yet it is to be endeavoured after and resolved on by all that feare God for otherwise we should feare a man that shall die and forget the Lord our Maker who is able to destroy both Body and Soule in hell if we deny him before a sinfull Generation of men But here I must make an end Thus I have I hope according to promise in a sober moderate way unpartially held forth the cleare Minde of God in this great and busie controversie How we ought to judge and how to walke betweeen two Opinions one of them that bring the Civill Arme to enforce to a conformity under the temporall penalties of Imprisonment Sequestration c. and others that plead for an absolute freedome from all coercive power of Magistrates in matters of Religion The true use of this Discourse lieth in the Practice which if heeded will produce this happy fruit 1. God will have his Glory and true Preheminence over our Soules 2. The Gospell of Christ its true Honour and Splendor being propagated and protected 3. The Devill and his instruments their due shame whilst error is restrained and vice suppressed 4. The Ministers and Servants of Jesus Christ will have their due encouragement and protection 5. Mens consciences their just Liberty 6. The Church will enjoy more truth in Power and Purity and Brethren more Freedom Love and Peace among themselves 7. And many thousand Souls preserved from perishing through dangerous Seduction If in these or the like respects any Glory may redound to God any good to the Church I shall attaine the end of my Preaching and you the Fruit of my Sermon FINIS