Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ghost_n	holy_a	son_n	6,613	5	5.5143	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75805	The Catholiques plea, or An explanation of the Roman Catholick belief. Concerning their [brace] church, manner of worship, justification, civill governement. : Together with a catalogue of all the pœnall statutes against popish recusants. : All which is humbly submitted to serious consideration. / By a Catholick gentleman.	Birchley, William, 1613-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing A4242B; ESTC R42676	68,166	129

needs appear the most harsh and severe proceeding that ever was practised in the world Wherefore I shall close this second Letter with my humble prayers to the gracious Redeemer of our soules that you would cease to impute all our faults to our Religion and we begin to commit no other faults but our Religion so should we happily overcome our own infirmities and fully satisfie your jealousies When I had well perused this Gentlemans discourse and attentively read his Letters I must freely confesse I could not have believed that either the Papists had suffered so much from us or been able to say so much for themselves I do not mean in order to prove the truth of their Religion but the unreasonablenesse of our persecution since really to my understanding our jealousies of their obedience seem as unecessary unto us as prejudiciall to them for I am confident there is no Religion in the world but by good Laws against breach of peace and due execution of them may be made consistent with any Kingdome or Common-wealth whatsoever Who more opposite in beliefe then Christians Jewes and Turks yet we see by experience that Jews are not inconsistent with the Government of Christians nor Christians with that of the Turks no not such Christians as are here in Question Papists As concerning the Doctrine we charge upon them of the Popes power over Supreme Magistrates I had the fortune some few years since to meet with a paper that cleerly answered all my difficulties wherein were written the Negative subscriptions of many English Recusants against these three following Propositions as no part of their Faith or Religion the Subscribers being both in number and quality sufficient to represent the whole body of them in this Nation 1. That the Pope or Church hath Power to absolve any person or persons from their obedience to the civil and politicall Government establisht or to be establisht in this Nation in civil and political affairs 2. That by the command or dispensation of Pope or Church it is lawfull to kill destroy or ●o any injury to person or persons living within the Kings dominions because that such a person or persons are accused condemned censured or excommunicated for Error Schisme or Heresie 3. That it is lawfull in it selfe or by dispensation from the Pope to break promise or oath made to any of the foresaid persons under pretence that they are Heretiques These they utterly disclaim and renounce as no part of their belief professing under their hands their readinesse to abjure if the State should so require the prac●ise and execution of them all which gave me so much the more satisfaction by how much it was besides my expectation nor have I now any thing to say against them upon that account And indeed if we consider these differences between us impartially our suspitions are not only confuted ●ut shamed by own daily experience for we trust Pa●ists in all Negotiations as indifferently as Protestants ●ay even our Travellers and Merchants beyond Seas where the Papists are Masters converse and traffique ●ecurely with them and yet I never heard the least complaint of any one single Protestants being cheated ●y them upon pretence of exemption or dispensation and therefore since they practise not that part which may sometimes be profitable J cannot think they hold to no purpose that which is alwayes prejudicial For my small experience in the world all the objection that ever I heard of against the credit of our Papists was their being disabled by sequestrations to pay their debts not taught by their Religion to deceive their Creditors If their Doctrines were so destructive to civil Society as our accusations pretend how comes it to pass that our fundamentall Laws were enacted by them who invested the Supream Authority of this Nation with so Honourable Priviledges and yet provided so prudently for the just security of the people against the unjust encroachments of Prerogative from whom have all those excellent customes and Statutes of this Nation descended upon us is it possible we should derive all the ancient Priviledges of Parliament and Liberties of the Subject contained in Magna Charta c. from the times their Religion governed the Land and yet say now their Religion is inconsistent with the Government of the Land as it is very true that sometimes the Popes power here was abused to support a temporal interest so it is evident to those that know History that his mediation hath been avaliable both for the preventing and reconciling of our differences as well with ou● neighbouring Kingdomes as amongst our selves Nor is it possible that any Model of Government should be absolutely proof against all exceptions but 〈◊〉 the experience of five or six hundred years some abuse● will certainly happen whence it is easie for a severe observer to gather objections enough to puzzle the mos● able politique Statist in the world to answer especially if they be managed with dexterity and eloquence a●mongst a half witted and stubborn people who neithe● can guide themselves nor will be led by others nor blind enough to be ignorant where they are and yet too short sighted to see whether they goe unhappy chiefly in this that they are tender in the sense of any present evil and wholy incapable of fore-seeing the destruction that follows their impatience Hear what is said charitably of the Papists in the foresaid Examination of the late Synods confession of Faith p. 266. The Papists believe in the same God with the Protestants even in the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost though they differ in some Articles or branches of Articles of their belief and in their way of worship yea some of the Papists are regenerate conscientious and vertuous persons Wherefore I humbly conceive our Magistrates and Ministers ought sincerely to enquire into the truth of things and make a conscience of judging or preaching otherwise then secundum probato and not upon bare jealousies or the blind opinion of the Vulgar condemn any free-born member of this Nation farther then he shall be proved to be guilty Nor do I helieve it reasonable to charge every unjustifiable action of particular Papists or extravagant opinion of any private writer amongst them upon the whole body of their Religion The Decrees of their Councels they professe to be the only absolute declarers of their Faith amongst whose determinations there are faults enough which they strive to defend no need of imposing upon them errours which they flatly deny Let us lay our hands upon our own heats we our selves want not our capriches and exorbitant conceits which ought ●ot to be imputed to the whole reformed Religion but to the imperfection of humane Nature easily deceived with the Colour of truth and passionately in love with its own invention Besides instead of jealousies and dangers I cannot see but great security and advantages would accrue to this Nation by treating in mercy all peaceable Papists the Pope would