Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	holy_a	spirit_n	worship_v	3,077	5	9.0447	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83437	The casting down of the last and strongest hold of Satan. Or, A treatise against toleration and pretended liberty of conscience: wherein by Scripture, sound reason, fathers, schoolmen, casuists, Protestant divines of all nations, confessions of faith of the Reformed Churches, ecclesiastical histories, and constant practice of the most pious and wisest emperours, princes, states, the best writers of politicks, the experience of all ages; yea, by divers principles, testimonies and proceedings of sectaries themselves, as Donatists, Anabaptists, Brownists, Independents, the unlawfulnesse and mischeif [sic] in Christian commonwealths and kingdoms both of a vniversal toleration of all religions and consciences, and of a limited and bounded of some sects only, are clearly proved and demonstrated, with all the materiall grounds and reasons brought for such tolerations fully answered. / By Thomas Edvvards, Minister of the Gospel. The first part.; Casting down of the last and strongest hold of Satan. Part 1	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.	1647 (1647)	Wing E225; Thomason E394_6; ESTC R201621	211,214	231

learned men well setled in the faith may understand and beleeve certainly and not be led away with their error to fall from their stedfastnesse as that place in 2 Pet. 3. 16 17. implies That Controversie in Acts 15. about keeping the Law of Moses and circumcision was hard and difficult considering that time and state of the Church as appeares by many passages in that chapter and yet from the Scriptures by the means of a Synod after much disputation and debate the truth was certainly resolved on and so received by the Churches who when they heard it rejoyced in it Asts 15. 21. Secondly The Spirit of God in and by the Scriptures doth infallibly and certainly assure and perswade the heart of the truth of the Doctrines of faith t is a good saying of Luther The holy Spirit is no Sceptick neither doth it write doubts or opinions in our hearts but assertions more certaine and firme then life it selfe and all experience The illumination inward Teaching and Perswasion of the Spirit certainly assures us of the truth of the Doctrines of faith John 16. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 1 Ioh. 2. 20 27. 1 John 5. 6. The Spirit of truth guides into all truth It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth which Spirit as it seals and confirmes in our consciences the truth of all the Doctrines of faith and salvation so also it certainly perswades us those Books to be Canonicall from whence all those Doctrines of faith are drawn But concerning these points of the Scriptures being the infallible inflexible Rule and the Spirit of God speaking in and by the Scripture being the supreme infallible Iudge in Controversies of Religion and of the Plerophorie wrought in the minds of the faithfull concerning the Scriptures and the Doctrines of faith therein contained by the illumination and inward perswasion of the Spirit and that every mans private Spirit is not thereby made the Iudge of Controversies I referre the Reader for full satisfaction to the learned writings of Whitaker against the Papists upon that Controversie of the Scriptures De Scripturae Authoritate perspicuitate Interpretatione of Rivet in his Catholicus Orthodoxus first Tract Question 8. 17. and his Isagoge ad sacram Scripturam cap. 19. 20 21. of Davenant De Judice ac norma Fidei cap. 13. 30 32 33. and Cameron de ecclesiae constantia in retinenda veritate 291. 292. 3. Besides the certaintie and Infallibilitie by the Scriptures and the Spirit of God there is a certaintie in points of Religion even points controverted for Christian Magistrates to attaine unto by means of the Ministerie of the word in the preaching of Pastors and the Advice and resolutions of Synods and Councels for next after the absolute supreme judgement of the Scriptures and the Spirit in questions of faith God hath appointed a publick Ministeriall judgement of Pastors and Synods who have a delegated power from the supreme Iudge that what the Law hath defined in general they should according to the rule of the Law apply to particular cases Controversies and Persons Now however these Ministeriall Iudges are subject to error and mistake Synods and Councels may erre as the most earned Protestants hold against the Papists yet for all that they may certainly and infallibly judge in matters of faith yea and have A man may certainly know some things and yet not be infallible in all things A Physition is not infallible in judging of the nature of all drugs herbes c yet he may certainly know the nature of some drugs and that such a thing is ranck poison of which the Reader may find more in the Vindication of the Ordinance against Heresie Blasphemie c to which Hagiomastix answers never a word in his pretended Answer T is one thing to be subject to error posse errare and another thing actually to erre de facto errare it followes not because Ministers and Synods may erre that therefore in all particular Articles of faith propounded by them they do erre T is a knowne Axiome in the Schooles Aposse ad esse non valet consequentia And therefore Ministers and Synods in their Interpretations and Decisions going according to the word of God which is infallible judge infallibly and may be said to be infallible in their determinations in those points Hee that is directed by an infallible truth in his determinations he determines infallibly although he be a man of a fallible judgement Thus many Orthodox Councels and Synods in great Controversies and maine points of faith have determined the truth certainly and infallibly and so propounded them to the Churches to be certainly beleeved not that they thought their judgement to be infallible but that they knew the word of God according to which they judged to be infallible Doctor Davenant in his learned Tractate de judice ac norma Fidei in answering the Arguments of the Papists that General Councels cannot err and among others this that if all Generall Councels can err then it certainly followes that all Councels have admitted intolerable error answers T is one thing posse errare another thing de facto errare every particular Pastor mayerre as also every particular Councell yet therefore they doe not admit intolerable error as often as they propound to the People that which is drawn from the word of God where he further showes how a man may be said to judge infallibly that yet is fallible and for conclusion of this I desire the Reader to observe two things First that Synods and Councels however in themselves fallible and subject to erre yet being Lawfull quoad id quod requiritur intrinsecus and going according to the Scripture their results and determinations are from the holy Ghost and so infallibly and certainly true as that of Acts 15. 28. demonstrates It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us which words a Synod having like cleare evidence of Scripture may without presumption use as well as that Councell at Jerusalem did for proofe of which kind of infallibilitie besides what I have already said p. 140 141 of this Booke I shal adde the judgement of learned Whittaker upon the words Other Lawful Councels may in like manner lassert their Decrees to be the Decrees of the holy Ghost if they shall be like to this Councel and shall keep the same rule which in this Councell the Apostles did keep and follow For if they shall decree and determine nothing but from Scripture which was done in this Councell and if they shall examine all Questions by the Scriptures and shall follow the voice of the Scriptures in all their Decrees then they may assert that the holy Ghost so decreed of learned Cameron in his Tractate De Infallibilitate Ecclesiae We doe easily grant Lawfull Councels Lawfull in respect of what is inwardly required in them that is Councels truely gathered together without all fallacie and deceit

Kings As also because those reasons and ends appointed for punishments of the second Table as to take away the evill as that others shall bears and feare c. which showes punishments are acts of love are given for a ground of punishing Idolatry false Prophesying c. yea set downe more expressely in those commands then in the others with other reasons too as of turning th●t away from the Lord thy God which implies also love to God and our Brethren What followes hence then Therefore those preceps which God hath given Magistrates of punishing Offenders Hereticks subverters of Religion are not abrogated by the coming of Christ because by that meanes the glory of God and the safety of our neighbour are preserved Commands to Magistrates for punishing in matters of Religion being no more against Christian charity then punishment of Traytors seditious persons theeves c. and therefore as they are not abrogated by the coming of Christ so neither are these The old Anabaptists as Bullinger shows at large in that excellent book of his who were against Magistrates punishing in matters of Religion and that al those commands in Deut. 13. c. were meerly Mosaical and abrogated held as wel those commands for punishing murtherers theeves c. to be abrogated and that among Christians no offences should be punished with prisons mulcts death but only Excommunication and among other reasons they gave this because it was against brotherly love which they urged equally against bodily punishments for transgressions against the second Table as they did for punishments against the first and indeed Lucas Osiander with others who write against Anabaptists for denying that Christians may be punished with outward punishments for any offences show they bring the same Arguments as that in Matthew 13. of the Tares c. which the Patrons of Tolaration doe now against the Magistrates coercive power in matters of Religion but Bullinger showes very well at large that those commands given in Exod. Deuter. Levit. of punishing capitally in some transgressions against the first and second Table were according to the Law of love and that by the same reason by which the punishing by the Magistrate in matters of Religion is against Christian charity the punishing of theeves seditious and flagitious persons will bee so to And Bullinger askes the question whether it had not beene more agreeable to love if in the beginning of the tumult of Mu●ster in West-phalia a few seditious kn●ves had beene put into prison and according to their demerit punished then that whilst no man is punished for his conscience such a horrible slaughter of many should follow and the Anabaptists should farre and 〈◊〉 destroy all with fire and sword Secondly that the Magistrates punishing of Apostates and false Prophets is approved of for the times of the Gospel I shall speak to it fully in the 19. and 20. Thees and therefore will not anticipate my selfe onely say this that in Zac. 13. v. 2 3. a Prophecie of the times of the Gospel we finde the same thing almost the same words which are in Deut. 13. 6. Thirdly t is the dictate of nature t is of the law of nature and of all Nations to punish●men for violations in Religion as well as for matters of life and goods I will not here enter into a large discussion of that question what 's requisite and how many ingredients go to make a thing of the Law of nature and how Jus Naturale and Jus positivum differ I shall referre the Reader in this question to many learned Tractates and Discourses of it by the Schoolmen and Casuists to Popish and Protestant Divines particularly to Amisius Cases of Conscience Book 5. first Chapter De Jure Voetius Theses De vecat Gentium part secund De Jure Justitia Dei. Master SELDENS De Jure Naturali Gentium first book throughout especially the third and eight chapters Master Burges Vindiciae Legis 6. 7. and 8. Lectures Master Cawd Master Palm Sabbatum Redivivum cap. 1. pag. 11 12 c. I will build only upon that which all learned men who have written of the Law of nature grant viz. that to hold there is a God and that that God is to be adored and worshipped is of the Law of nature yea it is principium juris naturalis Musculus in his Common Places de lege nature p. 36. and de legib pag. 139. showes t is of the Law of nature to have a sense of a Deity and that this Deity is to be worshipped and feared So that from the beginning among all men some Religion hath alwayes beene received So Purchas Pilhrimage chap. 6. p. 26 27. Among all the lessons which nature hath taught this is deepliest indented Religion The falshoods and variety of Religions are evidences of this truth seeing men will rather worship a Beast stock or basest creature then professe no Religion at all It is manifest then that the Image of God was by the fall depraved but not uttrerly extinct among other sparks this also being raked up in the ruines of our decaied nature some science of the God-head some conscience of Religion Now all those Nations whom the Law of nature instructed to beleeve and worship a Deity it instructed also not to suffer their God and the Religion they embraced to be openly blasphemed and spoken against and I doe not beleeve any instance can be given of any Nation or body of people among the Heathen formed into a Common-wealth who punished not A theists and Blasphemers of their Gods The best Writers and Historians among Heathens and of Heathens as Cicero Seneca Plato Aristotle Plutarch Livie Justin Diogenes Laertius Caelius Rhodiginus Diodorus Siculus Herodotus Xenophon assure us of Lawes and punishments enacted by Princes and States in matters of Religion And other Historians who write Histories of the World of all ages and times as Sir Walter Rawleigh Purchas c. give us many instances in this kind among all sorts of Religions and people Whence 't is that so many learned men Zanchius Musculus Peter Martyr Beza with divers others finding lawes and punishments of this nature so common and generall among Commonwealths and Kingdomes and that in so many examples recorded in the old and new Testament and in other Authors make punishments by Magistrates for violation of religion to bee of the light of nature as they doe the knowledge of a God and that hee is to bee feared and worshipped Bullinger in his fifth book against the Anabaptists fifth chapter in answer to the Anabaptists affirming the commands of punishing in matters of religion belong to Moses sword are mosaicall from which Christians are now freed saith that this coercive power was not by Moses then instituted as being never before and as a ceremoniall law which should cease in the time of Christ but from the beginning this law as natural and necessary was appointed by God For all the old Magistrates

there is a Hell and eternall Death for all wicked impen●tent persons and a Heaven and eternall life for the Elect and true beleevers that for a Christian to worship and serve the Sun Moon and starres or foure-footed Beasts and creeping things is Apostasie and Idolatrie that to revile scoffe at and speak reproachfully of God is to blaspheme God that for a man to say God revealed to him the day of judgement should bee on such a day or such and such things should come to passe at such a time when the contrary is manifested to all be not to prophecy falsly and so I might instance in many more Unto which question if Master Goodwin answers affirmatively that Magistrates may in these and some other points of Religion infalliblity and certainly know the truth then the universall Toleration pleaded for by him in M. S. Some modest and humble Quaeries concerning a printed Paper entituled an ordinance for the preventing of the growing and spreading of Heresies c Hagiomastix Appendix 〈◊〉 Hagiomastix and other his Pamphlets falls to the ground and the Ordinance presented to the Honorable House of Commons for preventing Heresies and Blasphemies may take place and the Inflicters of heavy censures upon such who broach Doctrines contrary to these viz. that there is a God that he is perfectly holy ●ternal that hee is one in three persons c may infallibly know such Opinions are not the sacred Truths of God and the c●eer reason of Hagiomastix in this 36. Section against the old Testament Law for putting false Prophets c to death now is of no force at all for in these Principles of religion named and divers others as the resurrection of the dead that Christ is God that Christ according to his humane nature was borne without sin c Christian Magistrates walke no more at midnight but at noon day then the Iewish Magistrates in cases of Blasphemie Apostasie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly c. are as certaine and sure as they who received Answers under the old Law in matters of Religion of Idolatrie Blasphemie supposing there had been any such from the Priests by the judgement of Vrim But now if Master Goodwin dare answer negatively that there is no infallible certaine knowledge in any point of Religion under the new Testament no man infallibly and certainly knowes that there is a God or that this God is holy perfect eternall that there is a Iesus Christ who died for our sins and rose againe from the dead that there is a resurrection of mens bodies and a day of judgement c t is all opinion and probabilitie the contrary may be the Sacred Truths of God and therefore there may be no punishing by death or other bodily punishment for holding any Doctrines or Opinions in Religion suppose contrary to admonition which for ought the said inflicters know except they make themselves infallible may be the sacred Truths of God I say and am ready to prove it against him that he overthrowes the Scriptures all Christian Religion all Faith yea all the comfort and salvation of Christians hee is a Sceptick an Antiscripturist a Newtrall in Religion and an Atheist Hee justifies the worst of the Papists in all they have written against the Scriptures calling it a nose of wax a dumb judge inkie Divinity c. for to hold nothing can bee known certainly and infallibly by the Scriptures is to make them a nose of wax an imperfect weak rule a doubtfull Oracle like that of Apollo's For if the Trumpet give an uncertaine Sound who shall prepare himselfe to the battell so likewise except the Spirit of God have by the holy pen-men uttered words that may bee understood how shall it be known what is written for this would make the Scriptures be as a speaking into the aire but as concerning that point of the Church under the new Testament knowing infallibly and certainly the Christian Religion and matters necessary to salvation both in faith and worship as the Church under the old by Vrim I shal speak fully to it in the seventh answer to this Reason only for a conclusion of this third Answer I adde I much wonder seeing under the new Testament according to Hagiomastix Doctrine no Magistrates nor Synods can be certaine in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion but the best Oracles Magistrates have to consult with are every way obnoxious unto error and mistake and that the wisest and most learned of them are not able cleerly or demonstratively to informe the Magistrate what blasphemy or what idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law though by the way I must check Master Goodwins confidence for I who am the least of all the Ministers of Christ and not to be named with the wisest and most learned of them am able cleerly and demonstratively out of Deut. 17. 2. 3. 4. 5. to informe the Magistrate and Master Goodwin too if he will bee informed what Idolatrie it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law viz for a Iew to goe serve and worship the Sun or Moon how Master Goodwin and divers Members of his Church come to be in many controverted points doubtfull cases about matters of Religion so confident and certaine as they make themselves certain that Presbyteriall Government is not Jure Divino certaine that Christian Magistrates may not exercise their coercive Power in any matters of Religion no not to the restraining of Blasphemie Idolatrie Heresie Scisme most certaine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere faith in a proper sense is imputed to justification and not Christs Righteousnesse certaine that the way of the Congregation is the truth and so I might instance in divers other points To be confident as confidence it selfe can make a man to bee as sure as twice two makes four to have abundant satisfaction from God for what a man holds in pregnant strong cleer and rational demonstrations on the one hand and distinct clear and home Answers to all objections to the contrarie on the other hand that if light be light reason reason sense sence Scriptures Scriptures then such a Doctrine is truth that though the whole world should rise up as one man to oppose yet that should not shake nor unsettle a man in it is to attaine to a high measure of certaintie and infallib●litie Now whoever hath but read with due consideration Mr. Goodwins writings cannot but take notice in them of many high strains and professed solemne Declarations of his absolute certaintie and full demonstrative knowledge of many Points of Religion yea of some more doubtfull controverted as of Church-Governement and the way of the Congregation and yet I suppose hee hath no better Oracles to consult with then Christian Magistrates have There is no Priest with Vrim for him to enquire by unlesse the Sectaries have set him up as their Oracle to consult with in stead of the Scriptures and I think he will not