Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	peace_n	spirit_n	unity_n	1,812	5	8.9331	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81917	An epistolary discourse wherein (amongst other particulars) these following questions are briefly resolved. I. Whether or no the state should tolerate the independent Government? II.If they should tolerate it, how farre, and with what limitations? III. If they should tolerate it, what course should be taken to bring them to a conformity with the Presbyterials? Written by Mr. John Dury. To Mr. Tho. Goodwin. Mr. Philip Nye. Mr. Samuel Hartlib. Published by a friend, for more common use.	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1644 (1644)	Wing D2859; Thomason E6_14; ESTC R11327	31,647	43

Practice Secondly of reducing doubtfull matters concerning Faith and Practice unto their own Fundamentalls and Thirdly of analyzing the Text of Holy Scripture demonstratively are the meanes whereby the disorderly proceedings of all our disputes may bee remedied And the whole state of my Negotiation hath properly been imployed in this to bring the Lutherans as well as our own side to intend joyntly the right apprehension and application of these Rules as Antidotes to cure our diseases which are infectious and spread their distemper in the spirits of all men that walk not by the same to order their Theorie and their Practice to the ends of Godlines and of mutuall edification through Love You may perceive then that I doe not negotiate for the decision of this or of that particular Opinion about which most men are so earnestly set either pro or contra for I leave all such Disputes as matters of indifferencie to me in regard of the scope of my Negotiation although I make them not matters of indifferencie in regard of their weight and in regard of my private judgement concerning them and insist only upon the Rules which all men that handle Controversies rationally or conscionably should follow as well in Theorie as in Practice to come at last unto the decision thereof In this state my Negotiation doth stand at this time with all parties and my aime is to meddle with you no further than to this purpose at this time Yet I never refuse chiefly if it be required at my hand or if otherwise I find it fit for edification to let my judgement be knowne concerning particulars of Doctrine or Practice which may be doubtfull but I stand not upon that as a matter of consequence in my Negotiation but rather doe it in obedience to the command of Peter c. 3.15 and leave my opinion to be judged by others according to the rules of decision of doubts whereupon we doe agree Nor must you imagine that I doe by this Negotiation seeke to prescribe Rules and Methods unto others as one that would have masterie over their understandings and perswade them to follow my directions but I endeavour to draw them to a Consultation about such matters that by an amiable Conference matters of this nature tending to regulate our thoughts and affections in the worke of Reconciliation may be beaten out and cleered that when we have found the rules of proceeding without disorder and confusion we may make use of them for the publique good and our mutuall edification and if you doe not disallow of this undertaking you may come in as a healer of the breaches and a repairer of the ruines of many Generations For all that I desire is to engage every one who is able to helpe to contribute assistance unto this worke of Reformation and because you seeme desirous to draw from me some helpe unto your private Case that others may be perswaded to use that Moderation towards you which you thinke is just you should enjoy therefore I am reciprocally desirous to draw from you some help towards the Publique that all may be perswaded to use that Moderation one towards another which you would obtaine from those of England towards your selfe and if you worke effectually for this and that according to Rules which no man can refuse I suppose in doing good to the Publique you will find the benefit immediately redound unto your selfe For if you study to doe all things by a Rule and can make others sensible that the Rule which you follow in your profession is the best and most perfect way of Peace and Edification amongst all you may be sure that you shall enjoy the liberty which your Rule yieldeth when others shall perceive the Righteousnesse thereof Let us then beat out the matter of Regulating our proceedings and ordering our Theorie and Practise towards Peace Truth and mutuall Edification in Godlines and we shall find in the end that our labours will not be in vaine in the Lord. For if we truly study to keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and if we doe the truth which we know in Love no doubt others will doe in like manner to us not only because our example will be a provocation and patterne unto them to walke as we doe but also and chiefly because they shal see that we do not walk at random or partially but by a Rule which is universall and will lead all men that will take it up unto the fruition of that happines which we aime at which is no more but the unblameable Libertie of the Sonnes of God in the Kingdome of their Father to serve him and declare the praises of his goodnesse towards us through Jesus Christ in the great Congregation This libertie of serving God according to his will and of speaking of his praises and of his goodnesse if we can shew how it should be used without partialitie and selfe-seeking according unto cleere and infallible Rules tending to the Edification of all men I say if we can shew to this Generation this Libertie what it is and how it should be used not to contradict and overthrow so much as to build up and gaine assent we shall enjoy our share thereof without opposition And because I am very confident hereof through Jesus Christ I make bold to provoke you unto this Meditation with me and will now leave you at this time to thinke upon the matter till the next occasion of writing wherein I purpose God willing to insist upon the second Head which I did propose unto my selfe in the beginning of this Discourse In the meane time let us pray one for another and for light towards all that are in errour and darknesse from the Father of lights To whose favour I commend you as Your Friend and Servant in Christ JOHN DVRY HAGVE 24 June 1642. 4 July 1642. Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ Amen I Made a beginning on the 24. day of June last to write unto you concerning the things which you desired to know of me touching my Negotiation of Peace amongst Protestants then I did shew you first that my Aime was not to procure a bare Toleration betwixt Us and Lutherans but rather a Reall Profession of true Brotherhood Secondly that to procure this I had laid the Foundation of my Worke upon the Apostles Rule which is Phil. 3.15.16 Thirdly that to make use of this Apostolicall precept and apply it unto the present occasion of the Churches I had laboured to find out Three things First Rules whereby the Fundamentals of Faith and Practice might be determined Secondly Rules whereby Doubtfull Matters which are not Fundamentall may be reduced to their own Principles of Faith and Practice according to the Analogie whereof they should be decided Thirdly Rules of True and Demonstrative Scripturall Analysis whereby the sense of the word which is the last Judge of all Controversies may

be known Fourthly that to find these Rules I did abstract my thoughts from all particular opinions in the way of my Negotiation not endeavoring to presc●ibe unto any my sense concerning these Rules but rather to draw others to a Consultation and search with me of the Way of finding out the same that when we should have agreed upon an Orderly way of proceeding in all doubtfull matters to finde the decision thereof we may at last come to some issue of the Controversies which hitherto by reason of the confused manner of agitation have been undecidable This was the whole purpose of that Discourse The second principall matter whereupon I was to insist towards you was concerning the Reasons and Arguments which first have induced me to this study of Moderation and which secondly I have used to perswade others towards the same First then concerning my selfe I doe ingeniously confesse that the meere love of Peace and Quietnesse and the hope of doing good to the Church of God did move me to embrace this endeavour when I was called thereunto in Prussia by Dr. Godeman a Councellour of State to the late King of Sweden in the yeere 1628. Since which time as I have never intended to discontinue my purpose of folliciting the Publique Wayes of Peace so I have had severall kinds of inducements binding my Conscience to the duty and some encouragements which were able to support me against the manifold difficulties and impediments which have been incident to my way The first inducement which bound my Conscience to thinke upon these Endeavours was the Call which I had to thinke upon the same which I could not but answer except I should have been wanting to my duty in the Ministery of the Gospell Therefore as I was provoked to thinke upon the Object of Peace and Truth so I thought others would be moved in like manner to doe the same if I did call upon them to that effect Hence it was that I tooke upon me to become a publique Sollicitor of these Endeavours For I conceived that none that was Godly wise and Learned would refuse to concurre in so necessary a Worke so profitable for holy Communication and so fit for Correspondencie in the Communion of Saints Upon this ground you know that I drew a certaine Forme of a Declaration to be subscribed by all such as would joyne to helpe by spirituall Councell these endeavours To this you both did subscribe and I did in some occasions require your advise and assistance but what hath hindered the accomplishment of your promise you your selves best know perhaps God would have the fruits of your Meditations in this kinde reserved till this time wherein they would be most seasonable The Second inducement was the Necessitie of the times wherein nothing could be more usefull for the Publique Good then to heale the breaches of Protestant Churches which we are all bound to pray for and I in my simplicity did then and still doe conceive that what I am bound by prayer to sue for unto Almighty God I ought also by my best endeavours so far as God doth enable me actually to accomplish and promote The Third inducement was the nature and property of the Work if selfe as it hath Place in the Kingdome of God This Consideration did not come at first so fully into my minde as afterward when I had been a certaine space in action for then upon tryall of my heart and examination of my aimes I found that in all the Scripture there was not any one duty so oft and so earnestly recommended as this which tendeth to the keeping of the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and to the Care of mutuall edification through love Therefore I set my selfe with so much more zeale and diligence to dive into the properties of these virtues whereby to discerne the excellencie thereof and what their usefulnes is in the Kingdome of God And when I perceived that all other virtues and Graces are uselesse and unprofitable to the glory of God and good of his Saints except these be effectually joyned unto them I rectified my purposes in many particulars to make them answerable unto the nature of these duties and setled a resolution unalterable to pursue this aime continually more then any other study whatsoever I had besides these many other motives to draw me on towards these endeavours which it is not needfull to mention yet because some of them are of moment and have much wrought upon me I will name them briefly as this That I found the pronenesse of mans spirit to strive to lift it selfe up against others for some particular matters of Difference very great and then perceiving the danger of such strife and the most pernicious effects thereof in the soules of men and in the body of the whole Church I was exceedingly confirmed in the love of Peaceable endeavours as the only meanes to preserve my soule from being involved into the great inconveniences whereunto I perceived most men were wrapped unawares for want of a Rule to walke by in seeking Peace Also this that the only way to encounter with men of crosse humours and that are strongly led away into grosse errors is to bring them unto the thoughts and affections of Peace and Unitie to be intended according to just and equitable Rules with them from whom they dissent for in convincing their understandings that they ought to walke by the Rules of Love which lead us to maintaine Peace and aime at the wayes of edification they are made void of prejudices and tractable to receive instruction Moreover this that all Disputes turne at last to bitternesse and vaine jangling amongst all men and become endlesse and without fruit except the ayme of Peace and Reconciliation be intended and a Rule of proceeding be used which may l●ad us unto the same These are the principall heads of the Inducements which moved me to these endeavours to which divers encouragements from time to time did co●cu●re whereby I have been strengthened against the straits and oppositions which are fallen in my way to stop me in this course of Negotiation First I had from time to time the cleere consent and full approbation of all the most Godly Divines of both sides so long as their judgements were free and voyd of partialitie and when they did fall off from me I perceived that it came from groundlesse jealousies and false informations or suspitions which did make them leave their true Principles and Rules of edification which at first they had intended Secondly I had the concurrence of the chiefe States-men that were Rationall and Prudent in he wayes of true Government who engaged themselves to give me reall assistance by their Authority Thirdly I found not only great hopes of proceeding but reall eff●cts of my w●●ke by Gods blessing disposing the spirit of leading men unto the wayes of Moderation Fourthly I saw that the very opposition of unreasonable men did