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
A95897	The schismatick sifted. Or, The picture of Independents, freshly and fairly washt-over again. Wherein, the sectaries of these times (I mean, the principall seducers to that dangerous and subtile schisme of Independency) are with their own proper pensils, and self-mixed colours, most lively set forth to be a generation of notorious dissemblers and sly deceivers. Collected (for the most part) from undeniable testimonies under their own hands, in print; for the more fair and full satisfaction, and undeceiving of moderate and much misled Christians; especially by the outward appearance of their piety of life, and a pretence of their preaching sound-doctrine. / By John Vicars.	Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652.	1646 (1646)	Wing V326; Thomason E341_8; ESTC R200902	40,154	51

I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse with the rest of Gods faithfull ones to the truth and fully and faithfully to speake and declare the Truth with all holinesse godly zeal courage and impartiality against whomsoever in this case neither regarding the favours or frowns of any but onely ayming at the glory of my God which I say was the main end of my creation But to conclude and shut up all I have now to say it is most probable that our Independents and the rest of their Schismaticall fraternity for as I have formerly toucht I make account all the rest of the Sectaries are for certain Independents Object 3 will again now at last Object and say unto me That all this while I have but pleased my selfe in beating the ayre and shooting at rovers being wide of the marke and much mistaken in all that I have taxed and accused them with all for none of them are at all perswaded or convinced in their consciences that any of those which Master Edwards or I call Errours or Schismes are Schismes or sins but as Answer 3 was touched before New-Lights and New-revealed Truths Whereunto I Answer with sorrow of soule for their sakes I easily indeed believe they will say so and I cannot much marvell at it Since as those Demetrians said By this craft they have got much gain And since I see this is their obstinate and inflexible resolution thus still to say and hold and that they are before hand resolved for private interests and self-aymes sake that no clearest demonstrative reasons or argumentations no though from apparent Scripture or Scripture-consequences shall beat them off or disswade them from these Satans strong stratagems of New-Light New-Revelations Keeping Reserves and Liberty of Conscience I therefore will say no more unto them but with the Spirit of the Lord said to obstinate and incorrigible Ones Hee that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him bee filthy still and he that is righteous ô let him be righteous still and hee that is holy let him be holy still Onely I herein may comfortably say to mine own heart Liberavi animam meam Yet as the Religious bonds of piety and charity binde me from my soule I shall unfainedly pray as the Lord knows I daily doe that God would in the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus open their eyes and speake to their hearts shew them the evill of their ways and the great danger of their destructive errours to the ruine of the whole Kingdom yea of the three whole Kingdoms if they doe not timely retract and repent of those great and gangrene evils and blasphemous errours which have enflamed almost the whole Kingdom by their New-lights as so many firebrands to set on fire three whole Kingdoms I say if the Lord in mercie by the wisdome piety and impartiallity of our Parliament quench not the flame in time and graciously reconcile us not together by godly peace unity and unanimity of spirit which the Lord in much mercie grant unto us for his sake who is the Prince of Peace Truth and Love and of all godly order even the Lord Christ the Righteous to whom be all honour praise dominion with holy and hearty universall obedience for ever AMEN The opinion and advice as it is deemed of Monsieur de MOULIN Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of SEDAN in FRANCE Concerning the opinion of those who are named Independents in ENGLAND Wherein the Inconcinnity and unreasonablenesse if not apparent impiety of Independents in the mayn point of Classicall-Discipline is most evidently discovered by this eminently Reverend and Learned Divine to the shame and silence of our obstinate Independents SIR A Certain friend of mine an honest religious man hath given me notice that certain persons doe finde fault with the Order and Discipline established in our Church In which the Consistory are subject to the Colloquies and the Colloquies to the Provinciall Synod and the Provinciall to the Nationall Synod And their desire is to have every particular Consistory or Congregation of one and the same absolute authority independent from any Superiour authority or Assembly whatsoever Upon which my said friend earnestly desired to have my opinion or judgement on the matter which being of such a nature and importance I could not any way decline or deny his request which I have here set down and is as followeth I say that those which propound this opinion ought in no manner or wise to be hearkened unto For if in case this their opinion were followed there could nothing else ensue but the certain ruine of the Church and an extreme confusion for the severall reasons heer following First It happeneth often times that two Ministers of one Parish or Congregation fall our and are at variance and thereupon they separate and divide the Congregation into two factions in such an occasion of necessity there must needs be the helpe of a Superiour Authority Secondly The Church or Congregation hath but one Minister and he leads an ungodly life to the scandall of the Church and the Consistory of that Congregation censureth him all being of one accord or if it happen that the said Consistory be divided and of two opinions there can be surely in such a case no remedy but by a superiour Power and Authority of Colloquies or Synods who have power to depose and appoint such Ministers or such a Minister if there be but one as they shall think fit and they or he desiring to be deposeth Who shall depose him the Elders onely of the Consistory or the whole Congregation or Assembly Shall they give sentence against them or him Thirdly If any one of the Congregation bee unjustly suspended from the holy Communion or absolutely excommunicated unto whom shall he direct himselfe to be re-admitted to the Congregation or to whom shall be direct his complaint if so be the Consistory who have unjustly suspended or excommunicated him have an absolute authority to themselves without dependencie upon any other If any new Heresies happen to be raised in any Church and that some Ministers and Congregations become infected therewith what remedy is there to avoid this great evill but by a Synod who may examine and depose the obstinate Minister or partie who infecteth the Church Had not the Synod of Dort remedied this evill the Arminianisme was spreading it selfe over that whole Countrey and had unavoidably prevailed For in case that every Consistory or Parish had been absolute of themselves and Independent they might have refused the resolution of the said Synod alleadging that they were not subject to Synods but had an absolute authority within themselves It is the chiefe and peculiar work of Synods which they always first take in hand to heare the complaint of particular Churches and to judge of appeals If these be taken away from the Synods they need no more to meet

Doctrine and Integrity of Life and Conversation as they themselves and their Schismaticall Scycophants do most frothily and falsly brag and boast them to be And although I doe as I must make account herein to passe through bad report as well as good report for this my Pains yet so I may bring any honour to God and his most precious Truth and adde though but a mite of Zeale toward the just vindication which I have in some measure in this Treatise endevoured of my reverend good Friend because Truths fast Friend I mean learned and religious Mr. Edwards in his Christian faithfulnesse and godly fervour especially in his learned and elaborate Antapologie That invincible weapon which hath given our Independent Sectaries such an incurable wound as they will never be able to claw off or heal up against these Truths most crafty and calumniating Adversaries yet notwithstanding I say I passe or care not having I praise my God that Murum aheneum the testimony of a good conscience within me for all the false and flashy slanders that Any or All of them can strugle to asperse and spatter mee with However beseeching the Lord that this my poore and honest labour may produce so much good as either to open the eyes of some pious and plain-hearted Seduced-ones as many such I am verily perswaded are among them who heartily desire to know and love the Truth if it be the Lords good pleasure or at last to stablish and confirme the hearts of those that already really and cordially love the Truth and Peace and heartily hate Schisme and disorderly Confusion I rest Thine to serve thee in the Lord Jesus JOHN VICARS The Names of the five pious Apologists principally mentioned in this Treatise Master Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye William Bridge Jeremiah Burroughs Sidrach Simpson The Names of the seven religious Remonstrants mainly also mentioned in this Work Master William Greenhill Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye William Bridge Jeremiah Burroughs Sydrach Simpson William Carter Together with divers other Heads of the Independent Faction THE SCHISMATICK SIFTED HAving not long since dilucidated and plainly painted forth to the sight of All in my Picture of Independency the Basis or Ground of that as unhappy as unholy-Schisme of Independency to be Spirituall-Pride Self-Seeking and most grosse Ingratitude to God and Man And having of late and long time indeed had many sad and serious thoughts What should be the reason of the so constant and great growth of all-Sorts of Sectaries among us which as the Superstructure on that triple-foundation have according to our old Proverb too true at this time Ill weeds grow apace mightily increased and grown marvellous rife and ranke in the Garden of God for want of serious and seasonable Weeding to the great endangering choking and stifling of the holy and wholsome Herbs and Flowers of Unity true Peace and Piety At last I found by sad and bad experience that beside the great want of care and sedulity in the Gardiners and Guardians under God of his Garden the Church faithfully and effectually to weed and dresse it I mean through the strange impunity and intolerable Toleration of Sectaries and Schismaticks so out-facingly to flourish and sprout out among us beside this I say Satan that old Serpentine-seducer had made use of an old sly Stratagem of his herein to wit That those pernicious weeds should grow-up and shoot-forth exceeding like unto most sweet and fragrant Flowers and wholsome Herbs whereas indeed upon proof and experience being used and smelt unto they were nothing so but contrariwise exceeding bitter bad poysonous and unwholsome But to speak Plain-English for since They so crave and cry-out for Liberty of Conscience to do what they list unjustly I hope it is much-more lawfull for mee to desire Liberty or Freedome of speech to speak nothing but truth plainly and honestly and to leave allegoricall expressions and if it be lawfull in these doubling days to call a Spade a Spade which I am resolved to do yet with all possible Christian moderation and godly temper that may be considering the subject I write of I find I say that the two mayn Stratagems which Sathan useth at this time to cheat deceive the world yea even many of the truly godly-Party indeed and to cause all sorts of Schismes and Errours thus to increase and multiply among us I mean especially that most sly and subtile and therefore the most dangerous Schisme of Independency The two mayn Stratagems I say for the more uncontroulable propagation hereof are first a popular appearance and outward habit of Holinesse if there be any more I beseech them to let us see it by integer practice of Life and conversation for come and talk with any of our moderate if not neutrall or tender-conscienced even Presbyterians who many of them stand as it were on tip-toe wavering which way to stand or fall and ask them how it comes to passe and possibly can be that seeing these Independents Anabaptists c. broach and preach and practise such dangerous opinions and unwarranted Church-ways as they call them to the great distraction and disturbance of the godly Peace and tranquility both of Church and State when we have given them cleer Demonstrations from the fountain of Truth it self that their ways and opinions are not according to Christ and Scripture-Grounds yet still there answer is O I dare not but think and speak well of them and hold them to be good Christians because they walk so holtly and religiously And also say they in the second place because they preach and teach as sound Doctrines as any of our Presbyterian-Ministers And thus I say upon these two hinges turns the door of Independents growing hopes of impunity and a continued good opinion even I say among our own Presbyterian Party whereby doubtlesse they are greatly mistaken in them and I feare grosly gulled by them and so wrong the Truth in countenancing and encouraging her Enemies and retarding the work of Reformation For a briefe answer to both which though I intend not to enter into a Polemicall Dispute of these things which I know would prove as endlesse as fruitlesse especially with them who are familiarly known to love to live Salamander-like in the fire of hot and heady Disputes yet I trust by Gods gracious assistance to give the godly judicious and impartiall Readers such pregnant proofs and Demonstrative and reall testimonies and that briefly too of the exceedingly to be feared falsity and great mistake of both these in our Independents and their Brother-Sectaries that they must in conscience certainly confesse the invalidity and weaknesse of their opinions and assertions of them and see and say that they are surely mistaken in them and palpably deceived by them To begin then with the last of these first Whereas it is pretended by some of our own that they dare not but speak and think well of Independents because

a Parliamentary-Covenant-Reformation of Religion or rather as I may say a Covenanting-preparative to the worke of Reformation of Religion as in those his twelve serious Cautions he most subtilely and slily like himselfe insinuates and therein paddles and pleases his own contentious humour pretending indeed onely piety but ayming as is most easie there to be understood at his own most dangerous and factious ends his principall practice and trade for these many years Besides this Peacemaker we have also one M. Walwin a most egregiously Pharisaicall Whisperer Pharisaicall I say For in his frothy Whisper in M. Edwards his Eare pag. 4. he takes occasion just as his Independent Masters the five Apologists did also in their Apolog. Nar. of themselves so he to magnifie himselfe not whispering now but blowing a Trumpet of his own high prayses with a long-breath and a lowd-Stentorian-voice about two pages long in quarto and all to paint out his own person to be such a Seraphicall and Angelicall-Saint yea as it were of such an immaculate and sublimely refined nature and celestiall-temper as if there were Nihil humani in the man In so much that truly for my part I professe sincerely I never read or heard of such a notorious Self-flatterer in all my life yea certainly far transcending the proud Pharisee mentioned in the the Gospell This Pharisaicall Whisperer I say being now turn'd like a Weathercock with the winde of temporizing-policy hath these words in that piece of his Whispering-stuff pag. 4. As far as it can in this Nation there 's a juggle I am certain it belongeth only to the Parliament to iudge what is agreeable to the Word of God and not unto the Assembly of Divines Ah Sir is the case thus alter'd now must the Parliament only be judge in matters of Religion Whereas heretofore neither Parliament nor Assembly by our Sectaries familiar sentence had any such power Nay see how hee goes on And God sayes he hath blessed all their undertakings in a wonderfull manner by the hands of conscientious people because of their just and tender regard unto freedome in Religion notwithstanding all importunity to the contrary meaning in suffering all sorts of Sectaries to doe what they list notwithstanding all honest endevours of pious Presbyterians against licentious Libertines and Independents Thus this Whisperer But to go on See again the strange boldnes of these our Independents set forth yet farther by that most audacious Jesuiticall-Independent the most seditious yea trayterous Authour of The last Warning to London How first he most impudently quarrels at all Government both Regall Civill and Ecclesiasticall and then scornfully contends with a Government established by the Parliament in these words pag. 3. 4 5. Others meaning of the Presbyterian partie are troubled with another as unreasonable a humour concerning Ecclesiasticall Government who are undone ruined and torne in peeces with rents and divisions if all the people may not be compelled to worship God as they doe or in one uniforme way by the State established Yet sayes he p. 5. These are they that frame Oaths and Covenants for you in such ambiguous expressions like Delphian-Oracles that you shall seem to be bound to doe any thing they shall desire be it ever so absurd or wicked Here now you see this impudent Independent will not endure a worship established by the State when he fear'd the fall of his own partie thereby But look upon him a little farther and see how notoriously he playes the jugler and palpable Impostor pag. 7. in these very words Minde your own good this he also speaks to the City of London and cleave fast to the House of Commons Let no Sorcerie or Sophistrie divide you from them be not importunate with them for Church-Government but leave it to their wisdoms to measure-out unto the Clergie what may be for the quiet and profit of the people See here now how the case is altered with this Independent now all must be left to the State to the wisdome of the House of Commons now you see a Parliamentary Church Government is the best But see again how this Satanicall-deceiver goes about most audaciously and sediciously to make a rent and division between the two Houses of Parliament The Lords says he are not to goe before the Commons in determining what concerns the Nations Their large Answer to your last City-Petition for Church-Government and suppression of Conventicles insinuates they would allure you from the Commons therefore observe them watchfully and trust them accordingly and let not any of these estrange you from that your faithfull Councel the House of Commons This is now adays their tone and tune now I say that they suppose but most falsly I hope that the House of Commons will either curb or cast down the Presbyterian-Government or at least grant a Toleration to the Independent-Church way But in the meane season judge ô my godly Brethren is not this a most Satanicall dissembler and abominable Traitor too to Peace and Truth And are not all these men brave and bold consciencious time-servers and time-observers for their own ayms and interests Certainly I think they are or else I am still mightily mistaken Nay yet again what a strange trick have they now of late taken up to abuse us withall even to make our solemne League and most sacred Covenant that happy heavenly tie upon our consciences to Almighty God himself to be if possibly it may be a mayn snare and most da●gerous Dilemma or nose of wax to undo us all in making us abominable and nauseous Covenant-breakers by their false wrested Comments and fallacious Glosses Interpretations set upon it for the surer and subtiller advance of their own wicked aymes and ends Telling us that the Parliament intended not the sense and acceptation of it thus and thus according to the Letter of it as we the Presbyterians take it and undiscreetly would have it neither for Conformity to the Church of Scotland or other Reformed Churches As my old deare but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unhappy friend M. Burton in his fore-mentioned Peacemaker seems to come too neer to such an interpretation of that branch of our Covenant when he sayes And why not rather to the Churches of New-England yet he sees or may if he please the very Church of Scotland nominatim expressed plainly in the Covenant But the Letter they say must not stand for good but an c. sense like the Bishops oath Much also to this purpose speaks that most wicked and seditious yea apparently Jesuiticall Last warning to London And Walwin also that Whisperer and self-flated-flatterer before more fully mentioned And thus this godly party these precious Saints willingly forget as I touched before or are now adayes without fear or piety most carelesse and fearlesse of the great danger of their lives or at least of some severe corporall punishment as the Author of the Protestation Protested once was in as I

for they have nothing to doe For to no purpose should they pronounce their judgements if they might govern according to their own mindes as if every parish were made a particular Soveraignty which would be an Order which was never practised nor used in any place since the Apostles There are many small Parishes in the Countrey where the Consistory is composed of one Minister of none of the greatest capacity and of foure or five countrey-men or clowns who are Elders of that Church And shall to such a Church be given such an absolute Independent authority And if their Minister happen to die will you believe those clowns sitting to judge of the capacity of a new Minister to give him the imposition of hands or to order in this case what ever may be needfull If upon occasion of wars or distractions in the Kingdom it be necessary to keepe a day of fasting and humiliation through all the Churches in the Kingdom who shall ordain this fast or who shall appoint the day of celebration thereof If it be necessary to remonstrate to the Kings Majestie the complaint of all the Churches in generall who shall depute the partie that shall present the Petition of the Churches of the whole Kingdom If upon any occasion it be found needfull to alter any thing in the Discipline of the Church in generall and to make any new necessary Orders in the same to be observed generally can this be done by particular Consistories being Independent and who are not subject to any generall Ordinance In brief It ought to be believed that the Dependencie of particular Churches to superiour powers is that which maintains the union of the Church and this being taken away there would remain no more correspondencie but a wilfull and wofull confusion would soon appear No man ought to be judge in his own cause But if there happen a contention between two Churches as it happeneth too often neither of these two Churches can be judge in their own cause and of necessity there must be reliefe by a superiour authority else all will be naught between them I will not believe though I confesse there is cause of jealousie that those that desire this Independencie have any intelligence with the enemie and that thereby they seeke under pretence of Reformation to bring us into a confusion or at least to expose us to the laughter of our enemies though I say I fear this by many Symptomes thereof I rather will in charity believe they err through want of experience and knowledge of what is profitable for the Church of God The end of every good Christian and Common-wealths man is to glorifie God in maintaining his true Religion to serve the King in the preservation of his royall person and dignity and to procure the Common good in maintaining justice and liberty of the Subject and Kingdom All these though three branches arise and spring from one root and have the same essense and being But it is impossible that any man should truly affect the King or Common-wealth that is slight and negligent in Religion nor can any man fully discharge his duty to God that is not carefull of King and Common-wealth See then ô Independents by this foresaid solid judgement how feeble and false yea how dangerous and destructive your Independent Church-way is The Lord open your eyes to see it and give you hearts affected with much sorrow for your obstinacie in it and in his good time graciously convert you from it to embrace Peace and Truth with your Presbyterian Brethren thus prayes Yours J. V. FINIS Ill weeds grow apace Want of weeding of Gods Garden the Church Plain-English 1 Pretended Piety and holinesse of life one great cause of the growth of Independencie 2 Pretence of Preaching Sound Doctrine another Cause of Independents growth among us Schismaticks are like Salamanders 1 Pretence of Preaching sound Doctrine a cause of Independents growth Sound-Doctrine overthrown by our Independents A pregnant S●●●le The Word Sacraments are the Vineyard or Garden of the Lord Godly Government or Scripturall Church-Discipline is the Wall or Fence about it Fals-doctrines preached and broached by Independents and other Sectaries Object Answ Toleration Liberty of Conscience the only Inlets for all other abominable Opinions Iudges 15. 3 4. Independents and all other Sectaries compared most fitly to Sampsons Foxes 2 Pretended Piety a second Cause of Independents growth among us The seeming Holinesse of Hereticks of the Primitive Church The outward seeming Holy Lives of the Scribes and Pharisees in our Saviours time 2 Cor. 11. 13 14. Mark this ô all yee honest and plain hearted Christians that are apt to be deceived and seduced Holinesse of Life is a false Touchstone to try Sound men by 1 Cor. 11. 1. Soundnesse in Doctrine is a true Touchstone to try a sound man by Gal. 1. 7 8. Soundnesse in doctrine though accompanied with humane infirmities is a safer way to try men than seeming-exact walking accompanied with errours in doctrine The main promised point now proved The certain Characters of a truly Godly-man Psal. 15. 24 4. Matth. 7. 12. Revel. 22. 15. A pretty passage concerning M. Peters Independents a Generation of notorious Dissemblers sly Deceivers Isaiah 62. 1. Cretensis p. 5. M. Iohn Goodwins Retrimentitious-Party of Sectaries The five famous Apologists The Apologeticall Narration intended by the Independents for their credit proved far otherwise The Apologists are Gods poore Exiles and How Antapol p. 190 191. Apol. Nar. p. 22. Apol. Nar. p. 5. 6. See heere the most strange unblushing false dealing of the Independents with Presbyterians contrary to their own words and protestations Another notable and undenyable false dealing of the Independents with the Presbyterians Antapolo p. 213 See heere also how most unblushingly the Independents deal falsly with the Presbyterians A notable passage of fallacy in the Independents acted by Mr. Phil●p Nye one of their grand Politicians A remarkable discovery of the Independents notorious subtilty Double-dealing Mr. Nye palpably coozens Mr. Calamy of the Writing or Instrument that tyed the Independents to be honest Antapol p. 243 The most shamelesse slanderous Remonstrance against the Assembly of Divines owned and subscribed by seven of the most eminent Independents The Independents Double-dealing about their Apolog. Narration The strange most urgent earnest importunity of the Presbyterians to procure a Modell of the Independents Church-Government Answer to the Remonstrance Mr. Tho Goodwin at last chosen by the Independents to frame their new-Modell of their Church-way Parturiunt Montes nascitur ridiculus Mus. A most shamelesse and slanderous Remonstrance against the Assembly exhibited to the Assembly instead of their New-Modell by seven of the most eminent Independents The perfect practice of Deceives An Answer of the Assembly of Divines to the Remonstrance of the Independents In Mr. Burton in his Sermon For God and the King p. 109. A fair tale told by the Sectaries for themselves Still more notorious double dealing under the Independents own hands Mr. Iohn Goodwin Mr. Burton Christ upon his Throne Mr. Iohn Lilburn Arraignment of Mr. Persesecution The notorious Double-dealing of Independents touching the power of Parliaments in Church-Government and matters of Religion The Peace-maker pag. 3. c. The Protestation protested Mr. I. G. in his 12. serious Cautions c. Luke 18. 11 12. The Last Warning to London Our holy Covenant made an ensnaring dangerous Dilemma to our consciences by the Independents subtilties The Peace-maker Ierem. 9. 4. An Independent jugling trick play'd by Doctor Homes with his Parishioners Ier. 9. 4. Mr. Iohn Bachilers approbation of a company of most pernicicious schismaticall Pamphlets yet pretends all to be pious sound and good M. Saltmarsh his singular testimony of M. Edwards his Preaching and conference Toichoructa or Independents razing their own foundation A remarkable piece of Independents impiety Mat. 18. 16. A prettie Independent evasion of all hitherto urged against independents New-Lights Vindication p. 58. Donec ad Triarios redieritres Independents emptie New-lights and Popish equivocation compared together Ioel 2. 18. Acts 2. 16 17. The extreme impiety folly and absurdity of the audacious Sectaries both man and wom●n of our times under a pretence of New-Light from the Prophesie of Ioel. 1 Cor. 14. 34 1 Tim. 2 11 12 1 Pet. 2. 15. Iam. 13 14 15. Here is an old Light and a true light indred The Independent Saints infirmities must not bee medled with Cretensis p. 4. Not only the Retrimentitious-party but the gravest Grandees of the Independent-party Sins of Infirmity briefly described Ragining sins briefly described No errour into be accounted a small sin The Independents tax the Presbyterians with piety for writing against their errours openly Galat. 2. 11. Ibid. 2. 9. Titus 1. 13. Iohn 18 37. Acts 19. 25. Revel. 22. 11.