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	profession_n	true_a	4,447	5	5.8085	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75313	The anatomy of Dr. Gauden's idolized non-sence and blasphemy, in his pretended Analysis, or setting forth the true sense of the covenant that is to say, of that sacred covenant taken by the Parliament, the commissioners of Scotland, and the assembly, September 11. 1643.		1660 (1660)	Wing A3055; Thomason E765_14; ESTC R207156	29,164	31

is no Sacrilege nor Sin to buy such Lands still lies unanswered and yet men go on with their clamours and railings as if nothing had been offered to stop their mouths who can swallow Church Lands formerly alienated without the least regret But whereas he saith pag. 24. This Age is the first Parent of that Prodigie wherein Orthodox and reformed Christians either Presbyters or People did persecute godly Bishops of the same Faith and Profession yea and Episcopacy it self though never so regular and reformed I must crave leave to say That however Godly Bishops have heretofore been persecuted unto death in divers former ages of the Church yet neither were they persecuted by Orthodox and reformed Christians but by enemies to the Truth and Godliness Nor did any Orthodox and reformed Christians either Presbyters or People persecute any godly Bishops of this age This therefore is a mere calumny and slander It is true that some Orthodox and reformed Christians did exhibit and prosecute Archbishop Laud Bishop Wren and Bishop Peirce two if not all of them being charged with no less than High Treason the first whereof being found guilty was executed Jan. 10. 1644. The other two never answered the Articles exhibited against them unto this day nor vindicated themselves of those Aspersions cast upon them for being the prime and most active and officious Instruments of Laud to set the Church on fire by means whereof all the rest of the Bishops sped the worse How godly these were I know not but this Doctor hath been the Proctor and Advocate of Laud k Sighs c. pag. 628. and Doctor Wren l pag. 634. highly applauding them in opposition to the charge of the House of Commons against them and that he might lick clean him that was a known Papist his hand being in he bestows a Vindication or Apologie even for the late Bishop of Glocester Doctor Goodman m pag. 637 also only he could find nothing to say for Bishop Peirce though he so devoutly thanked God that he had put down all the Lectures in his Diocess There were no doubt some of those Bishops which he also commendeth that were learned and pious But let him name one of those unless such as were trapann'd by Williams and other Capritious Pragmaticks to have their hands in that high and unparliamentary Petition and Protestation to the late King and House of Peers in Dec. 1641. that were ever in the least persecuted and not rather honoured if learned and indeed godly by Orthodox and reformed Christians whether Presbyters or People If any of them suffered with the rest in the abolishing of such Prelacy they may thank those other ruffling Ceremonious violent Ringleaders before named and not blame others who could not help it nor longer endure the slavery and persecution which those Amaziah-like Priests n Amos. and Tyrants had exercised over them I now proceed to my last Proposition which is this IIII. PROPOSITION That maugre all this mans calumnies and malicious aspersions the Covenant even as to the point of that Hierarchical Episcopacy lately laid aside is to be constantly and conscienciously observed and kept in the right sense thereof by all that have taken it as they will avoid destruction here and damnation hereafter DVrus sermo you will say this is an hard saying But not more hard then true I shall make it out thus 1. If it were a Covenant made between man and man God will require performance or severely punish the breach of it We see this in the breach of the Covenant made by Joshua and the Princes of Israel Josh 9.15 Although they obtained it by a wile and by a lye By a wile in coming in old shooes and clouted and old garments upon them and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy ver 5. By a lye several times repeated in saying they came from a far yea a very far country vers 6. c. whereas after the Covenant made their lying appeared and they were discovered at the end of three days to be their neighbours and that they dwelt among them All the Congregation of Israel would hereupon have smitten and destroyed them they being such as by Gods command were to have been destroyed by Joshua o Vers 24. and had now so basely cheated Joshua and all Israel This the Princes would not suffer whereupon all the Congregation murmured against the Princes But all the Princes said to all the Congregation We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them ver 18 19. This quieted the people for the present and for a long time after Howbeit Saul in an humor of envy or malice many hundred years after slew the Gibeonites which then he found in Israel But Gods anger was so kindled at this that he smote all the Land with a famine for three years together even towards the latter end of Davids reign And when David enquired of the Lord the cause of this sore Plague The Lord answered It is for Saul and his bloudy house because he slew the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.1 To appease this wrath seven of Sauls sons were demanded and hanged before the Lord ver 9. And after that the Lord was entreated for the Land ver 14. Now if God were so severe for the breach of such a deceitfully obtained Covenant between man and man when they that procured it were so base and false as our Doctor would make the late Covenant contrivers and destined to destruction by God himself by that very hand which made that League with them How sinful and dangerous must it needs be for men upon any pretence whatsoever to depart from or wilfully to break any Covenant made with God himself Here was no prescribing of the League by God nor force upon Joshua or Israel Yet God would not put up the breach of it even upon the posterity of a treacherous Crew that had meerly cheated all his people at once 2. There is no Covenant made between man and man but it is the Oath of God and his Covenant So that Oath and Covenant made between the King and his Subjects is called The Oath of God Eccles 8.2 thus the Oath and Covenant of Zedekiah made with the King of Babylon an Idolater and an enemy of God and all his people is by God himself called Mine Oath and my Covenant Ezek. 17.19 And upon this account it was that Joshua and the Princes of Israel swearing by the Name of the Lord God they durst not to touch the Gibeonites Therefore all such Covenants are irrevocable and indispensable If any man shall break them he is sure to be ruined Witness Zedekiah though a King and though forced by the King of Babylon who had conquered Judah laid aside the rightful King thereof Jehojakim and set up Mattaniah Uncle to Jehojahim whom he called Zedekiah q 2 Kin. 2● 27 and made him swear by God to be a