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	house_n	pillar_n	3,545	5	10.4316	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62900	The principles of the Papists by which their leaders put them upon bloody and treacherous practices, plainly demonstrated by the Scriptures to be most erroneous and wicked. And a few better principles briefly laid down, for them (or others) to meditate on, tending to a peaceable life among men, &c. And also a few quæries left them last of all, to satisfie their consciences in. Partly for the sakes of those among them whose consciences have some tenderness in them, and are not quite feared: partly also for those who through ignorance are too much inclining to them. Also there may be some service of these things to others. By a lover of truth, mercifulness, plain-heartedness, humility and fidelity, W. T.	Tomlinson, William.	1679 (1679)	Wing T1850; ESTC R221759	49,364	105

darkness done in his cruel Inquisitions will all press upon him And yet this Man whose Sins and Cruelties and unmerciful Massacres reach to Heaven he must be the Man to forgive men their sins Oh the blindness and besotted condition of men whom the Lord hath given up to strong delusion I beseech you let us understand who they are that are given up to strong delusion to believe a lye if they be not that train that follows the Pope and depends upon him for the pardon of their sins For the strong delusions are to come upon them that follow the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition who exalts himself above all that 's called God and who sits in the Temple of God as the Pope doth And so you may find these deluded ones spoken of as the train of that exalted Man of Sin in the same Chapter with him 2 Thess 2. But the Pope pretends to have power to pardon sins because Christ gave that power to his Apostles for he boasts of his Succession to them especially to Peter But I aver that he that is departed and fallen away from the Apostles Spirit and Doctrine is no true Sucessor to them nor hath that power which they had The Apostles were innocent holy humble men of heart not seeking the glory of this World as the Pope doth not exercising dominion over mens Faith and Conscience as the Pope doth nor lording it over God's Heritage as the Pope doth but were ensamples of piety and holiness to the Flock of Christ But the Pope walks contrary to their Example and to their Doctrine being a devouring Wolf where he cannot exercise dominion over mens spirits He indeed arrogates to himself the title of Holiness but is far from the life of it being a ring-leader into wickedness murthers massacres perjury dissimulation and wicked fraud encouraging his Children to take Tests or Oaths so that they may lurk among us like Foxes under Sheeps cloathing until they can seize upon their prey Is not here plainly a departing and falling away from the upright and innocent spirit and wholesom doctrine of the Apostles When will your eyes be opened you that are his Subjects and Slaves When will you be sensible and understand what manner of Holiness you have set before you to follow I pray you consider what is it above and beyond these wickednesses that he shall live in who is such a Man of Sin and Son of Perdition See if you can find out grosser abominations among all that profess Christianity for which those titles may be put upon any man more justly So then seeing he is thus departed and fallen away from the Apostles spirit and doctrine who will trust to him for the remitting of their sins who have any good understanding or sound reason left in them and are not given up to strong delusion to believe a lye 4. I proceed to a fourth Principle of the Romish Church viz. That the Church of Rome whereof the Pope is Head is the true Church of Christ and all that depart from them are Hereticks That there was once a true Church and a precious Church of Christ at Rome I grant while they followed the Doctrine and innocent Life of Christ and his holy Apostles But since they are fallen therefrom into the murthering and lying treacherous spirit they are become degenerate and thereby cut themselves off as a Branch withered is cut off from the Vine But here by the way before I proceed any further I desire to be rightly understood that the bent of my Discourse is not against those that are simple-hearted and harmless among them and honest according to their knowledg but it is against the ruling and leading part who lead the rest into evil these are fallen away from Christ and hold others in bondage and keep them in captivity as the Israelites were kept captives in Babylon of old So there is a people that God calls his people in Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth For saith the Scripture Come out of her my people which words were insignificant if he had not a people in the midst of Babylon This being premised which I desire may be minded all along I shall now for the finding out of the truth or falshood of this 4th Principle put the Question thus viz. Whether the present Church of Rome that is the ruling leading part and the ruled part from the Pope to his meanest Minister or Subject who are spirited to teach or actively to put in practice the destructive principles of their Church be the only true Church of Christ Now for the readier finding out of the truth or falshood in this Question I shall set another by it which may run parallel with it to give light to it namely Whether a people teaching or by principles practising lying perjury or false swearing hypocrisie and dissimulation Plots and conspiracies to destroy others assassinations secret murders and open massacres and other such like abominations and all this with consent and approbation of their Church Whether such a people be the only true Church of Christ and all that withdraw from them be Hereticks Thus the Question is truly stated concerning the present Church of Rome as their actions make it manifest and being thus stated I think I may leave the deciding of it to the meanest capacity where there is any grain of honesty left in their hearts towards Christ Jesus the Head of his Church for certainly none will say that such a Church is the only true Church of Christ and all others Hereticks except they have sold themselves to speak wickedly Now that the Pope and his Romanists are such a people they themselves prove by matter of fact and by their actions they sufficiently declare it to this present Age which is constrained for its own security to use the best means it can to preserve it self from their assassinations stabbings stranglings sinothering of their persons burning of their Houses and Cities and from their bloody hands and merciless massacres The Church of Christ in the Apostles days was the pillar and ground of truth upholding and holding forth truth in the World by teaching it and by living in it and so by living a just and innocent harmless life among men so that they were of no danger to others among whom they lived But the Church of Rome is come to that that she is become the pillar and ground of lyes and slanders of equivocation false accusations truce-breaking hypocrisie to seem one thing and be another to deny or hide their own Principles for wicked ends she is so far fallen from an innocent harmless life that she is become the pillar and ground of Plots and wicked designs to contrive the blowing up of Parliaments the ruine of Nations the destruction of Kings and Rulers the massacring of multitudes and butcherly murthering of thousands of innocent people that do them no harm This is the Pope's Roman

Pope writ to Cardinal Julian thus Nullum valere faedus quod se inconsulto cum hostibus Religionis percussum esset that is That no Covenant was of force which was made with the enemies of Religion without his advice Whereupon the Truce was broken with the Turks and they thought perfidiously to have surprized them but the vigilant Turk Amurates was too nimble for them and had prepared a great Army to meet them which was done so suddenly that it was first seen before it was heard of which struck great terror into the Pope's Army and after a great slaughter on both sides the Turks went away Conquerors whereby providence would have taught them That faith was to be kept with enemies though enemies of Religion And so Aeneas Sylvius was convinced before he was made Pope for saith he speaking of this War Victores evadunt Turcae qui juramenta non solum domesticis fidei sed etiam hostibus servanda demonstrant The Turks go a●… Conquerers who shew that Oaths of fidel● eye to be kept not only with the housholds of faith but also with enemies Whether this Aeneas might condemn the same again afterwards or not I know not for he writ things before he was Pope which he condemned after he was made Pope whence this scoff was put upon him Aeneas probavit Pius damnavit Aeneas approved it but Pius condemned it for he was call'd Pius secundus after he was made Pope Sure there is a curse of Error adheres to the Pope's Chair and not a blessing of Infallibility But to keep to the thing in hand How treacherously was the Noble Admiral Coligni slain and thrown out at a Window at Paris contrary to promise and Oaths of security And at the same time many thousands of Protestants murthered Parry a Papist and Servant to Queen Elizabeth though he had several times sworn to be true to her yet for all that sought to kill her Because faith is not to be kept with Hereticks You see how safe it is for Protestants to keep Papists about them for such murtherous actions is one of the Papists works of Supererogation for which they merit to be canonized for Saints among the Pope's Catalogue This Perfidiousness of the Roman Catholicks is so notoriously known among Protestant Nations and especially of late among our selves that there needs no further demonstration thereof than the treacherous concealed Murders of several among us very lately who it 's very probable have been trappann'd under fawning and fair pretences into snares where they have lost their life as Worthy Godfrey loft his I am now come to the last Principle which I named which is as the close of these bloody Principles and Practices of the Papists viz. 7. That it is no sin to kill a Heretick or at leastwise it shall not be imputed to them as a sin but rather is a meritorious work to destroy Hereticks whether they be Kings or People Noble or Ignoble so that it be for the advantage of their Church This serves as a Spur to prick forward the Pope's Train to such bloody work especially when they see such as are most active therein canonized for Saints and so highly magnified I question not but many of them may be spurred forward in themselves with the desire of gain to enrich themselves in the ruine of others and with other the like sordid and earthly Considerations But I let that pass and apply my self to this Principle of theirs as a Case of Conscience only I suppose they will not deny this Principle to be theirs If they do their practice will make them lyars by their murtherous actions and wicked Plots and Designs against the Protestants to destroy them together with their Honour that they put upon such wicked practitioners To overthrow this Principle of theirs there is no need of much labour therein For it so fully manifests it self to be contrary to the Spirit of Christ and end of his Coming and also opposite to the Doctrine and Command of Christ that every Boy that can read the Scriptures may easily perceive it First As to its contrariety to the Spirit of Christ and end of his Coming he himself shews it plainly When James and John out of their great respect and love to him and zeal they had for him would have called for fire down from Heaven to consume those that did not receive him He turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of For the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9.54 55 56. What can be more plainly spoken to shew that this way of destroying mens lives for his sake or because they do not receive him is contrary to the Spirit of Christ and end of his Coming Therefore suppose that the Pope's Church were infallibly in the truth which yet is not granted but admit so and that the Protestants were most certainly in error yet for them to destroy the Protestants upon that account this is far worse than James's and John's action for they did but desire with subjection to Christ to do what they would have done but these not subjecting themselves to Christ's words kill and burn the Protestants and destroy mens lives out of a blind incorrigible furious zeal whereby they greatly aggravate their wickedness Secondly This Principle and Practice of theirs is directly opposite to the Doctrine and Command of Christ which he taught his Disciples Mat. 13.24 c. where he first teaches the People by a Parable and then gives his Disciples the Interpretation of it The Parable is of the Tares of the Field which sprang up among the good Seed And the Servants of the Master of the Field came to him and said Sir didst not thou sowe good seed in thy field from whence then hath it tares He saith unto them An enemy hath done this The servants said unto him Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up But he said nay lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them Let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn This Parable is as a Question stated on purpose and determined by Christ himself to put an end to all such thoughts or doubts Whether the Children of the Kingdom may root out the Children of the wicked One out of the World Mind therefore how Christ expounds his own Parable and it is a presumptuous wresting of the truth of it to divert it to any other sence for who knows the meaning of a Parable so well as he that gives it especially as the Lord that gave it At the request of his Disciples who said Declare unto us the Parable of the tares of the field he opened it to them ver 37. and so forward He answered and

Cruelty I say accompanied with such things as I have named is one of their main guards or supports of their Religion It is like a wall of fire round about them so that if any among them shall but attempt to get out from them what can they look for but Fire and Faggot or a most hellish Inquisition if they catch them And what tortures and torments are acted there may sufficiently affright and terrifie such as think of deserting them This Cruelty is innate to their Religion for finding themselves defective of truth to uphold it they make it up with cruelty and with lyes when they have done to hide it That horrid piece of Cruelty intended by the Gunpowder-Plot and carried on so far as it went by their Creatures though those Actors in that work of darkness be honoured by them at Rome yet they would have you believe that it was only a trick of State so impudently shameless are they in forging lyes They would also make you believe that the Book of Martyrs is full of lyes and no better than a Fable because it records the abominable Butcheries and Cruelties which by them were acted upon conscientious people And all the ground they have to belye it is from hence that there was a mistake or two in it which Fox himself who was the Composer of that Book first discovered having had some wrong information given him in those particulars Thus they are not ashamed to act Cruclties but are ashamed to be apprehended therein for indeed their actions are so barbarous that even humane nature may blush to be found guilty thereof And yet they are fain to fly to this refuge of defence to uphold their Religion and also for the propagating of it For indeed to speak properly it is not the Kingdom of God and of Christ having truth for its foundation which they uphold but it 's a Kingdom of pride luxury and wantonness and debauchery which wants a foundation in truth therefore fly they to Cruelty for their support And their Cruelty so rings over the World that all but themselves and their slaves dread to come under their power For there is no mercy in them to old or young male or female to innocent Babes or Women with Child Oh the tortures and the invented devices of Cruelty that they put people to in Ireland since our memory in the year 1642. driving them into Rivers by droves and keeping them therein from getting-forth till they were drowned This was the easiest death they put them to Some they hanged some they ript open and let out their bowels some they starved to death some they buried alive ript up Women with Child dashed the heads of Infants against the stones commonly stript Men and Women naked and caused them to perish with cold and hunger many most beastly and barbarous tortures they put both Men and Women to And this now is their way of defending and propagating their Religion which their God who was a Murderer from the beginning acts them violently forward in Time was when they were something more moderate in their bloody ways when they cited people into their Courts and gave them a Tryal at their Laws and suffered them to argue for their Religion But now they are become violently savage and bruitish beyond all humane modesty whereby we may take notice of two things 1. That they are Seducers and that we need not doubt of because they wax worse and worse according to the Character which the Apostle gives of Seducers 2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2. We may hence also have strong hopes that they have but a short time to reign and rage in the World for therefore Satan is come down among them with great rage knowing that he hath but a short time This their Cruelty now and not Truth is one of the grand pillars by which their Kingdom is upheld Secondly Another pillar upon which their Irreligion as I may call it or Kingdom of Darkness stands is Ignorance They take away the Key of Knowledge from men and keep them in blindness that so they may be led by them as they please And to colour this piece of policy they would perswade their people that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion and that the Scriptures make men Hereticks as some of them in the Massacre in Ireland got an English Bible and trampling upon it in the dirt as is informed cursed it saying that that was the cause or ground of all the Difference and therefore it is a thing not to be born with by them that any of their Lay-people as they term them should have the Bible or Testament except it be as they have corrupted it So they keep them from that that they may keep them in ignorance and they keep them in ignorance that they may rule them as they please and the people being deluded by them are willing to have it so for they see not the Serpent's subtilty that lyes hidden under that Maxime That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion It is indeed the Mother of Devotion but to whom Not to God I testifie but to the Pope and his superstitious and idolatrous Worship Ignorance keeps men devout to him and his will-Worship but Christ Jesus came to raise up a people that should worship God in spirit and in truth and his Spirit is the Spirit of a sound mind not a Spirit of blindness and ignorance The devoutest men upon Earth have always been a knowing understanding people witness Noah Daniel and Job Samuel David and the rest of the Worthies renowned in Scripture yea and the Son of God himself who was filled with wisdom and truth who sometime spent the night in prayer to God and he that is born again is in his measure renewed in knowledge after his image Col. 3.9 10. Lye not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Mind this that the new man is renewed in knowledge he is not kept in darkness and ignorance to make him devout to God When Paul came to Athens and beheld their blind devotion in their ignorance to rectifie this their devotion he endeavours to bring them to true knowledge not to keep them still in ignorance for that was his work as also the work of the rest of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ to turn men from darkness to the light and so from the power of Satan whose Kingdom is in darkness unto God who is light that so they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus Act. 26.18 Now he that stops up the light from men must needs be a Thief and a Robber which comes to steal 1. To steal away the hearts of men from Christ to himself and from devotion

his deeds And when a greater plea shall have no acceptance as namely Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works But Christ shall say unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Mat. 7.22 23. 8. Whether ever the true Christian Church or any members of it standing faithful dissembled their profession by denying or swearing against their Principles in open words to save themselves thereby from men 9. Whether that be not a denying of Christ before men to deny that Truth which he hath left us to profess and hold forth in the World And whether he will not deny such and be ashamed of them before his Father You that think you are in the truth and yet deny it apply this to your selves 10. Whether they who dare not avouch their Religion and Principles before men in truth and sincerity when called to it have any Religion in them worth the owning 11. Whether a mercyless people or a more merciful people be nearer to the true Church of Christ 12. Whether a people degenerated from the true upright humble inoffensive peaceable quiet sincere holy life of Christianity and faln to Lying Treachery Plots Murders Massacres and such like evils be the only true Church of Christ And whether all others are Hereticks who shall depart from their Communion Let your Consciences speak as it will do before the Tribunal of the Lord. 13. Whether a people that make the Times perillous through their Plots Assassinations Murders Treacheries and such like evil courses although they should retain a form of godliness in outward shew be not such as are to be turned away from according as the Apostle admonishes 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. 14. Whether a people full of violence as the old World was and as Sodom of old was a people full of Slanders and Lyes to hide their works of darkness as if they were afraid that the World should see their treacherous intents before they put them in execution Whether such a people be not well-nigh ripe for destruction These Queries I leave with you to satisfie your Consciences in if there be any fear of God remaining in them and let me entreat you not to deal deceitfully with your own Consciences which will be witness against you at the great Day when the Pope's Indulgences and Pardons will do you no good As for Answer to me in these things I cannot rationally expect any from the Scriptures of Truth for they are not contrary to themselves I know the Pope and his Romanists have one Catholick or universal Answer for all Objections Arguments Doubts Oppositions Questions c. whereby to prevent discoveries of their weakness or rather wickedness And that any one may expect that writes or speaks against their mystery of wickedness and it 's the same wherewith they have silenc'd Godfrey For they are sensible that their Cause will not abide the light and therefore they flee from that to this work of darkness to murder which they back with Lyes and Slanders And therefore let this be a Testimony to all that have any understanding That they are Children of darkness and not Children of the light for it is the testimony of our Lord himself That he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God But every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved or made manifest Joh. 3. POST-SCRIPT FOr the sake of some honest-minded People ' who perhaps may think that I too much limit the Mystery of iniquity or the Great Whore or Babylon the great in seeming to fix them to any particular People to such I give this Account in short That the Mystery of iniquity and Great Whore which carries that Mystery written on her forehead and Babylon the great and such like Titles are not given in Scripture to the universal or general Kingdom of Satan but to a limited Mystery both as to time and place For 1. That Mystery of iniquity had not its rise or beginning till after the appearance of Christ in the flesh it began but to work in the Apostles days but was not then revealed openly 2. It was to follow or accompany a falling away from Christ in life and power though not in profession 3. It was letted for a time by an Enemy namely when Satan in his open hostility raged against Christianity in the persecuting Emperors and so by them letted or kept down the rising of the Mystery of iniquity until that Enemy was taken out of the way 4. It is also limited or bounded as to time of discovery and consumption and after that of rooting out for the Kings of the Earth who have given their power to the Beast and so to the Whore and so also to the Mystery for they are all linked together in a Chain they shall survive or out-live it for they shall hate the Whore and eat her flesh and burn her with fire and make her desolate Rev. 17.16 5. Lastly It is limited as to place thus far That the chief Seat of it where it is to be found is particularly described by the Angel though its influence may extend far And therefore it is not that general Dominion or Kingdom of Satan which he hath had in wicked men from the beginning and in all wicked men and shall have every where among them until the end But it is a certain circumscribed Mystery limited both as to time and place of its chief Seat though extended far for place and long for time FINIS Books Printed for a general Service BArclay's Apology for the true Christian Divinity as it is held forth and preached by the People called Quakers being a full Vindication of their Principles by Arguments deduced from Scripture and right Reason and the Testimony of famous Authors both Ancient and Modern Robert Barclay's Apology for the true Christian Divinity vindicated from John Brown's Examination and pretended Confutation thereof R. Barclay's Epistle of Love and friendly Advice to the Ambassadors of several Princes of Europe met at Nimeguen to consult the Peace of Christendom G. Fox and John Burneat A New-England Fire-brand quenched being an Answer to Roger Williams of Providence in New-England which he dedicateth to the King As also an Answer to his Appendix wherein are Testimonies of Ancient and Modern Authors concerning the Light Scriptures Rule and the Soul of Man William Shewen The true Christian's Faith and Experiences briefly declared concerning God Christ the Spirit the holy Scriptures the Gospel and Doctrines thereof with a few words concerning Conscience To which is added a small Treatise concerning evil Thoughts and Imaginations and good Thoughts and heavenly Meditations G. Keith's Quakerism no Popery G. Keith Immediate Revelation not ceased or Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God revealed in Man revealing the Knowledge of God With an Appendix containing an Answer to some further Objections G. Keith The true Christ owned as he is true and perfect God and true and perfect Man being an Answer to a Pamphlet called the Quakers concerning the Man Christ writ by a nameless Author in Answer to a Book called The Way cast up and the stumbling Block removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward By G. Keith George Keith The way to the City of God described or a plain Declaration how any man may within the day of Visitation given him of God pass out of the unrighteous into the righteous state as also how he may go forward in the way of holiness and so be fitted for the Kingdom of God Stephen Smith The true Light discovered to all who desire to walk in the day being a Collection of his Writings in a small Volume 8o Compendium trium Linguarum Latinae Graecae Hebraicae A Compendium or Abridgment of three Languages the Latin Greek and Hebrew couched and exhibited in a short and easie method for the studious and Christian Youth