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
A90288	A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled: on January 31. A day of solemne humiliation. With a discourse about toleration, and the duty of the civill magistrate about religion, thereunto annexed. Humbly presented to them, and all peace-loving men of this nation. / By John Owen, pastor of the Church of Christ, which is at Coggeshall in Essex.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1649 (1649)	Wing O805; Thomason E540_25; Thomason E549_1; ESTC R203104	74,810	103

equity of those and the like Constitutions and deduced by Analogie and proportion to the businesse in hand I shall afterwards declare The summe of what is usually drawne out from holy Writ against such a forbearance as I suppose may be asserted and for the punishing Hereticks with Capitall punishments being briefly discussed I proceed in the next place to such other generall observations as may serve to the further clearing of the businesse in hand and they are these that follow 1. The forbearance of or opposition unto Errors may be considered with respect either unto Civill or Spiritual Judicature For the Latter it is either Personall or Ecclesiasticall properly so called Personall forbearance of Errors in a spirituall sense is a Moral Toleration or approbation of them So also is Ecclesiasticall The Warrant for proceedance against them on that hand is plaine and evident Certainely this way no Error is to be forborne All persons who have any Interest and share in Truth are obliged in their severall wayes and stations to an opposition unto every Error An opposition to be carryed on by Gospel Mediums and spirituall weapons Let them according as they are called or opportuned disprove them from the Word Contending earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the Saints Erring Persons are usually Bono animo sayes Salvian very zealous to propogate their false conceptions and shall the Children of Truth be backward in her defence Precepts unto this as a duty commendations of it incouragements unto it are very frequent in the Gospel Alike is this duty incumbent on all Churches walking to the rule The spirituall Sword of Discipline may be lawfully sheathed in the blood of Heresies No spirituall Remedy can be too sharpe for a spirituall disease When the Cure is suited to the Malady there is no danger of the application And this is not denyed by any He that submits himselfe to any Church society does it ea lege of being obedient to the Authority of Christ in that Church in all its Censures Volenti non fit injuria Error is offensive and must be proceeded against Examples and precepts of this abound in the Scriptures The blood of many erring persons I doubt not will one day have a Quo warranto granted them against their as to the particulars in debate Orthodox slayers who did it to promote the service of God Let them not fear an after reckoning who use the Discipline of Christ according to his appointment This being considered the occasion of a most frequent Paralogisme is removed If errours must be tolerated say some then men may doe what they please without controll No meanes it seems must be used to reclaime them But is Gospel Conviction no meanes Hath the Sword of Discipline no edge Is there no meanes of instruction in the New Testament established but a Prison and a Halter Are the Hammer of the Word and the Sword of the Spirit which in days of Old broke the stubbornnest Mountaines and overcame the proudest Nations now quite uselesse God forbid Were the Churches of Christ established according to his appointment and the professors of the Truth so knit up in the unity of the Spirit and bond of peace as they ought to be and were in the Primitive times I am perswaded those despised Instruments would quickly make the proudest Hereticke to tremble When the Churches walked in sweet Communion giving each other continuall account of their affaires and warning each other of all or any such persons as either in practice or doctrine walked not with a right foot as we have examples in Clem. Epist. ad Corinth the Churches of Vienna and Lyons to those of Asia Euseb. of Ignatius to severall persons and Churches of Iraeneus to Victor Euseb. Dyonisius to Stephen ibid. and the like Hereticks found such cold entertainment as made them ashamed if not weary of their chosen wanderings but this is not my present businesse 2. There is an opposition or forbearance in reference to a civill Judicature and proceedence of things which respecteth Errors in a Reall sense as to the inflicting or not inflicting of punishment on Religious Delinquents And this is the sole thing under debate viz. Whether Persons enjoying civill Authority over others being intrusted therewithall according to the Constitutions of the place and Nation where the lot of them both by Providence is fallen are invested with power from above and commanded in the Word of God to coerce restraine punish confine imprison banish hange or burne such of those persons under their jurisdiction as shall not embrace professe beleeve and practice that Truth and way of worship which is revealed unto them of God or how far into what degrees by what means in any of these wayes may they proceed The Generall propositions and considerations of the penall Lawes of God which were before laid downe have as I suppose left this businesse to a naked debate from the word of truth without any such prejudices on either part as many take from a misapprehension of the mind of God in them and therefore by the Readers patience I shall venture upon the whole anew as if no such arguments had ever been proposed for the affirmative of the Question in hand not declining the utmost weight that is in any of them according to equity and due proportion And here first I shall give in a few things 1. To the Question it selfe 2. To the Manner of handling it 1. To the Question it selfe for herein I suppose 1. That the Persons enjoying Authority doe also enjoy the truth which is to the advantage of the Affirmative 2. That their Power in civill things is jnst and unquestionable which also looses favourably on that side 3. That Non-toleration makes out it selfe in positive infliction of punishment which is so or is nothing Casting men out of protection exposing them to vulgar violence is confestly unworthy of men representing the authority of God and contrary to the whole end of their trust 2. To the manner of handling this Question among persons at variance and here I cannot but observe 1. That if I have taken my aime aright there is no one thing under debate amongst Christians that is agitated with more confidence and mutuall animosity of the Parties Litigant Each charging other with dreadfull inferences streames of blood and dishonour to God flowing out from their severall perswasions So that ofttimes in stead of a faire dispute you meet on this subject with a Patheticall outcry as though all Religion were utterly contaminated and trampled underfoot if both these contradictory assertions be not imbraced Now seeing that in it selfe it is a thing wherein the Gospel is exceedingly sparing if not altogether silent certainely there must be a further Interest then of Judgement alone or else that very much prejudicated with corrupt affections or men could not possibly be carryed out with so much violence upon supposed selfe-created consequences wherwith in this cause they urge one another 2. That

shall not taste of the Deliverance by them to be procured wherefore though he sustaines their lives in being whereby they might have opportunity to know his minde and their owne peace yet he gives them a power to contend with their Helpers causing their helpers to act such things as under consideration of circumstances shall exceedingly provoke theses sinners Being so exasperated and provoked the Lord who is free in all his dispensations refuseth to make out to them that healing grace whereby they might be kept from a sinfull opposition Yea being justly provoked and resolved that they shall not taste of the plenty to come he makes them foolish and giddy in their reasonings and counsels blinds them in their understandings that they shall not be able to discerne plaine and evident things tending to their owne good but in all their wayes shall erre like a drunken man in his vomit whence that they may not be recovered because he will destroy them he gives in hardnesse and obstinacy upon their hearts and spirits leaving them to suitable affections to contend for their owne ruine Now what are the wayes and methods of sinfull mans working in such an opposition would be too long for me to declare what prejudices are erected what lusts pursued what corrupt Interests acted and followed how selfe is honoured what false pretences coyned how God is sleighted if I should goe about to lay open I must looke into the Hell of these times then which nothing can be more loathsome and abhominable Let it suffice that sinfull selfe sinfull lusts sinfull prejudices sinfull blindnesse sinfull carnall feares sinfull corrupt interests sinfull fleshly reasonings sinfull passions and vile affections doe all concur in such a work are all woven up together in such a Web 4. See the distance of their aimes God's aime is onely the manifestation of his owne Glory then which nothing but himselfe is so infinitely good nothing so righteous that it should be and this by the way of goodnesse and severity Rom. 11. 22. Goodnesse in faithfulnesse and mercy preserving his who are opposed whereby his Glory is exceedingly advanced Severity towards the Opposers that by a sinfull cursed opposition they may fill up the measure of their iniquities and receive this at the hand of the Lord that they lye down in sorrow wherin also he is glorious God forbid that I should speak this of all that for any time or under any temptation may be carryed to an opposition in any kind or degree to the instruments of Gods glory amongst them Many for a season may doe it and yet belong to God who shall be recovered in due time It is onely of men given up forsaken opposing all the Appearances of God with his Saints and people in all his wayes of whom I speak Now what are the ends of this Generation of Fighters against this brazen wall and how distant from those of the Lords They consult to cast him downe from his excellency whom God will exalt Psal. 62. 4. They thinke not as the Lord neither doth their heart meane so but it is in their heart to destroy and to cut off Isa. 10. 7. To satisfie their owne corrupt lusts ambition avarice revenge superstition contempt of Gods people because his hatred of the yoak of the LORD fleshly Interests even for these and such like Ends as these is their undertaking Thus though there be a concurrence of God and Man in the same thing yet considering the distance of their Principles Rules Actings and Ends It is apparent that Man doth sinfully what the Lord doth judicially which being an answer to the former Objection I returne to give in some Vses to the Point Let men constant sincere upright in the wayes of God especially in difficult times know what they are to expect from many yea the most of the Generation whose good they intend and among whom they live Opposition and fighting is like to be their Lot and that not onely it will be so because of mens lusts corruptions prejudices but also it shall be so from Gods righteous Judgements against a stubborne people They harden their hearts that it may be so to compasse their ends and God heardens their hearts that it shall be so to bring about his aimes They will doe it to execute their revenge upon others They shall doe it to execute Gods vengeance upon themselves This may be for consolation that in their contending there is nothing but the wrath of man against them whom they oppose which God will restraine or cause it to turne to his praise but there is the wrath of God against themselves which who can beare This then let all expect who engage their hearts to God and follow the Lambe whither ever he goeth Men walking in the syncerity of their hearts are very apt to conceive that all Sheaves should bow to theirs that all men should cry Grace Grace to their proceedings Why should any oppose Quid meruere Alas the more upright they are the fitter for the Lord by them to breake a Gainsaying people Let men keep close to those wayes of God whereto protection is annexed and let not their hearts faile them because of the people of the Land the storme of their fury will be like the plague of Haile in Egipt it smote onely the Cattel that were in the field those who upon the word of Moses drove them into the houses preserved them alive If men wander in the field of their owne wayes of selfe seeking oppression ambition and the like doubtlesse the storme will carry them away but for those who keep house who keep close to the Lord though it may have much noyse terrour and dread with it it shall not come nigh them And if the Lord for causes best known known onely to his infinite wisedome should take off any Josiahs in the opposition he will certainly effect two things by it 1. To give them rest and peace 2. Further his cause and truth by drawing out the prayers and appeales of the residue and this living they valued above their lives All you then that are the Lords workmen be alwayes prepared for a storme wonder not that men see not the wayes of the Lord nor the judgements of our God many are blinded Admire not that they will so endlessely engage themselves into fruitlesse oppositions they are hardened Be not amazed that evidence of truth and righteousnesse will not affect them they are corrupted But this doe Come and enter into the Chambers of GOD and you shall be safe untill this whole indignation be overpast I speak of All them and onely them who follow the Lord in all his ways with upright hearts and single minds if the Lord will have you to be a Rock and a brazen wall for men to dash themselves against and to breake in pieces though the service be grievous to flesh and blood yet it is His whose you are be prepared the wind blowes a storme may come Let