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	faith_n	rome_n	4,081	5	7.0107	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85419	Thirty queries, modestly propounded in order to a discovery of the truth, and mind of God, in that question, or case of conscience; whether the civil magistrate stands bound by way of duty to interpose his power or authority in matters of religion, or worship of God. By John Goodvvin, minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing G1208; Thomason E689_4; ESTC R206926	10,649	16

being for the most part if not generally Idolaters themselves XV Whether is then a Sword put into the hand of the Civil Magistrate for the punishment of false Teachers by this passage in Zechary And it shall come to pass that when any shall yet prophecy then his Father and Mother that begat him shall say unto him Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the Name of the Lord and his Father and his Mother that begat him shal thrust him through when he prophecyeth d considering that many worthy Expositors as well ancient as modern understand the words in a figurative sence yea and Mr Deodate who lived where High Presbytery had her Throne as likewise our English Divines though desirous to enthrone the same Government also amongst them yet in their joynt labor of Annotations upon the Bible plead for the same Interpretation This with much more for the opening the mind of the Holy Ghost in the said passage of Scripture is to be seen in a small Discourse written upon this account only published some years since under the Title of a Postscript or Appendix being an Explication of Zech. 13. 3. XVI Whether was it not the sence of Christian Antiquity even after Constantine's days That the Civil Magistrate as such had no right of umpirage in matters of Christian Religion And whether doth not this sufficiently appear by these and such like passages of Ambrose in his thirteenth Epistle written to the then Emperor Valentinian When did you hear most gracious Emperor that Laicks i. e. persons in no Ecclesiastical or Church Office did ever censure or sentence any Bishop or Pastor of a Church in matters of Faith or Christian Religion And again Your Father through the goodness of God having lived to maturity of years said that it did not belong to him to give judgment between Bishops meaning as before in causâ fidei in a case of Faith or Christian Belief So also The Law of God hath taught us what we are to follow or believe the Laws of men cannot teach us this They may extort from persons timorous a change of their former profession but they cannot inspire them with an inward belief of what they outwardly profess e Now i● the sence of Antiquity was That the Supreme Magistrate though Christian was not to umpire between Bishops or Pastors of Churches in matters of Faith evident it is that they were of the same mind touching his incompetency to judg between other persons also in like cases and consequently that matters of Faith did not at all appertain to his cognizance as a Magistrate For the reason why they conceived that it did not belong to the Emperor to judg between Bishops in cases of Faith could not be any consideration of the particular qualitie rank or function of these persons but onely the nature and qualitie of those things being spiritual about which they were at variance amongst them elves This plainly appears by the expresse specification in the words cited of those cases wherein the Emperour as they conceived had no right of decision between the persons mentioned as viz. in matters of Faith which clearly supposeth that in other cases viz. such which are of a Civil nature and cognizance they had the right and power we speak of however the Church of Rome hath since apostatized from this truth with many others and imbraced a lie in stead of it Of like impott with the former is that passage of Tertullian where he saith That it is palpably unreasonable that men who are free should be forced against their wills to sacrifice when as it is the willingnesse of the mind that is required in all Divine Services yea it may well be judged ridiculous that one man should be compelled by another to honour the Gods when as he stands bound at his peril to render these propitious unto him of his own accord a c. XVII Whether the Lord Christ hath not expressly charged all men without exception not to call any man Father upon the Earth in these words and call no man your Father upon the Earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven c And whether do not they sin with an high hand against this charge who shall receive or consent unto any Doctrine or submit unto any practice in or about the Worship of God upon the account only of such or such a mans or of such or such mens judgement or authority and without any satisfactory ground within themselves that such whether doctrine or practise is agreeable to the Word of God XVIII Whether are any two four or six persons suppose all of them godly learned and competently yea let it be if you please excellently quilified for the Ministry of the Go●●el competent Judges of the gifts parts and Ministerial abilities of many thousands of their Brethren Or is it Christian or meet to make or set up Nebuchadnezzars in the Church of Christ persons I mean who shall Ecclesiastically slay whom they will and whom they will keep alive set up whom they will and whom they will put down Or in case it shall be judged expedient for the affairs of the Gospel that any such number of Persons be invested with such a prodigiousness of power who are competent Judges of the meetnesse or worthinesse of Persons to be intrusted herewith especially where there are so many thousands as this Nation through the abundant blessing of God upon it affordeth of very excellent abilities and endowments amongst whom it is next to an impossibility for men to single out any two four or six Persons to whose worth and abilities all the rest shall by any Law of God or of equity and reason it self stand bound to stoop or do homage Or is it not a Solecism in reason and conscience that greater parts learning and worth should be compelled to go on foot whilst those which are meaner and more servile are made to ride on Horses XIX Whether in case any two four or six persons shall be advanced to that Power and Interest now mentioned are not they like to be the men who wear soft raiment and live in Kings Houses I mean whose applications have been to the greatnesse of this World who by ignoble artifices and compliances have infinuated themselves into the familiarity and friendship of the anointed Cherubs of the Earth and such who being ascended on High are able to give gifts unto men And whether are such persons as these who cannot Charity her self being Judg but be judged great lovers of this present World meet to be intrusted with that High Umpitage specified in the affairs of Jesus Christ XX Whether hath not God in his Word directed prescribed and injoyned all methods waies and means any waies necessary at least so judged by him for the propagation of the Gospel in the world If so is not any additional course or device of men in order hereunto I mean any such course which is