Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	word_n	12,728	5	4.8461	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75493	An apologetick for the sequestred clergie of the Church of England. Disclaiming and detesting the late unnatural, presumptuous, unparallel'd and antichristian proceedings, against the honor and life of the best of Kings, our most dear and dread sovereign Lord and King, St Charls the martyr. / Communicated in a letter to a religious and loial gentleman, his honored friend.		1649 (1649)	Wing A3537; Thomason E554_7; ESTC R205760	14,269	25

was this much to them who well remembred that it behoved them to follow the High-Priest of our Profession who was thus consecrated by sufferings They were 1 Stoned they were 2 Sawn asunder were 3 Tempted were 4 Slain with the Sword So was the Proto-martyr 1. St Stephan the Prophet 2. Isaiah the Patriarch 3. Job and 4. Zachariah the Priest the Father of the Baptist They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins beeing destitute afflicted tormented Their glories were within their garments mean and suitable to their habitations For they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth Of whom the world was not worthie And wherefore this quo oculo For they had a respect unto the recompense of the reward that they might receiv a glorious Resurrection And are these the prizes of our Sufferings These were enough to sweeten bitterness it self to make them welcom Death to hug the Cross to embrace the Flames Indeed wee have not drunk so deep as they in the bitter Cup of Gall and Vineger Wee dare not saie Our Sufferings equal Theirs in the degrees or qualitie of torments They were more noble and exceeded us triumphing in their Chariots of Fire dallying with Lions and the cruel beasts less cruel then their persecuting Masters singing upon the Gridirons and Racks of exquisite and new-invented Tortures tiring the malice of inhumane Butchers with an undanted Christian resolution with a victorious Faith and Patience spitting defiance in the face of Crueltie pregnant with Heathen wit and arm'd with power These were the great excesses of those Worthies who knew no other Arms but these besides their Praiers and Tears to fight with and to conquer a world of Tyrants and of Infidels These things did those mightie men Did so wee said for sure they were not counted Sufferings which were thus courted and embraced by them Such were the Leaders in the glorious Armie of the Martyrs Nor have they wanted honorable followers in all the Ages of the Christian Church Who though they did not wade so deep in the Red Sea of Blood yet marched after in their Liveries of Stripes of Bonds and Persecutions the lesser marks of the Lord JESVS the Captain both of Suffering and Salvation The difference of whose glorious reward accidental perhaps but not substantial an Aureola to one to one a Crown will bee abundantly made up and reconciled in the blessed fellowship of Saints and Angels and the eternal fruition of Christ and God to the full completing of the greatest Hope and the assurance given by S. Paul That the light afflictions which are but for a moment shall work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hyperbolical expression for an Hyperbolical reward a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glorie Indeed wee dare not compare our selvs to these nor make our selvs of their member who were the glorie of their times It will bee joie enough for us if wee can saie Sequimur Patres though wee bee forced to add non passibue aequit Shee did what shee could was to our comfort compead a good Plea by Christ and justified in Marie Magdalen Wee dare not nay wee need not plead the rigor and intensness of our Sufferings for bee they more or less by Sword or Fire by Death or by beeing but Undon Wee are accepted according to that which wee have not that which wee have not But if anie question the Justness of our Cause a righteous Cause if ever anie or doubt of the Intention and Preparation of our Souls Quocunque Dens to follow whither God shall pleas to call us Wee speak foolishly but wee speak it with S. Paul Whereinsoever anie dare bee bold wee dare bee hold also Are they Christians even so are wee Are they true Sons of the Church of England even so are wee Have they suffered for righteousness sake even so have wee Are they the Ministers of Christ wee speak as fools wee are more In Labers more abundant in stripes above measure in Prisons more froquent in deaths oft If wee must needs glorie wee will glorie in the things which concern our afflictions The Plunderings Sequestrations Imprisonment Banishment Death of thousands endured by us with so much Patience Meekness and Heroïck Courage Our Constancie and Perseverance in this fierie Trial still holding our Integritie and blessing God in the loss of all save Faith and a good Conscience are evidence enough to God and Man that wee cannot but detest such high impietie which striking so immediatly at the Sacred Person of the King God's Vicar upon Earth will mediately bee found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to strike at God Himself But becaus the foulest Fiend somtime put 's on the fairest Vizard and the Prince of Darkness hath been often known to transform himself into an Angel of Light the furious Donatists cried out of Persecution and in a frantick Zeal and mad Devotion ventured upon swords and flames pretending the Religion of a Holie Cause as here their younger Brethren did and do to warrant their unjustifiable Actions Groundless suspitions may bee rais'd of us our Innocencie may bee counted a Malefactor and our verie Sufferings may suffer But if Causa non Paena facit Martyrem bee a truth and ever taken so to bee by men of all Perswasions and Professions wee shall not doubt to own our Sufferings and justifie Our selvs and Them by the prescription of a Righteous Cause Indeed wee cannot see by their New Lights which seem to us more black then the Egyptian Darkness Their Revelations are Obscurities and their Apocalyps Apocrypha Wee dare not give our Faith to their Pretensions wee dare not trust their Spirit without Trial since wee have found it to the woful disturbance of Christendom run cross and contradictorie to the Holie Faith which was consigned to the Catholick Church in the undoubted Records and infallible volumes of the Sacred Scripture which upon better and more certain grounds then the Laws of the Medes and Persians have the highest privilege and honor as dictated by the Spirit of Truth to bee unalterable Wee know ndeed that God spake in them as for these men wee know not whence they are It is another Spirit they pretend It is another JESVS whom they Preach It is another GOD whom they Adore The Holie Spirit wee know JESUS wee know and GOD wee know But who are these If we may pass a judgment by their works and Christ will warrant us by His Ex fructibus You shall know them by their fruits They are not Sheep but Wolvs not Doves but Vultures not what they call themselvs the Meek the Saints They speak their Father and his works they do who was a Serpent is a roaring Lion who having managed the highest Treason against his supreme Lord and Sovereign the King of Heaven and Earth not onely engaged many of his fellow-subjects in that grand Rebellion but hath ever since made it his work to disturb all Kingdoms but

their own Ministers and of the Loial and Legal Clergie was an effectual argument to us and a sufficient ground for our eternal silence 1. Reflecting on Our selvs For supposing the Legal Clergie could have met 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one mouth with one minde and prepared an uniform Protest and back'd it with all the Arguments that Scripture Reason Law or Conscience could have suggested to us which yet they took an order to prevent and actually effected by the hottest persecution that was ever set on foot by any against their Brother-Christians witness the general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dispersion banishment and retirement of most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Few or none remaining but such as either do precariò vivere subsist by the charitie and alms of pious well-affected Christians or else not standing forsooth recti in curiâ dare scarce bee known to bee in beeing Might wee not justly fear the Cause would suffer by the very interposing of such Advocates Away with such fellows from the earth 't is mercie too great mercie that they live These fellows are but permitted to sojourn here and they will needs bee Lords Could Prudence prompt them to bee Mediators whose very interest carrieth a denial in the forehead Wee would bee loth to have our Reason questioned while wee would improve our Christianitie Good Causes wee have often known miscarrie for want of fitting Instruments to manage them Nor could wee wish our Enemie a greater mischief then for the obteining of his purpose to use unwelcom Mediators Ther 's as much truth in This Hee teacheth to denie that asks amiss as is in That That asks but faintly And in good sadness could wee hope for better by whatsoever wee could saie or do Is not the very Name of Roial Partie an inexpiable crime Is not the very word Malignant a rub and prejudice to the justest suit And is not this our case or do wee stand on any better terms Wee fear'd the least appearance of our Name might bee interpreted som grand Design and instead of findeing the success wee sought seal up the sentence of His condemnation Beside would it not intrench upon our Prudence to irritate the spirit of an adversarie by the ill choice of Intercessors Nor have wee yet so far forgot our Reason as to attempt the quenching of a Flame by the suffusion of Oil. The unacceptableness of our persons and Condition with the great Statists and Grandees whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and respect of persons discover's they have not much to do with God give 's the first Impossibilitie of good success and consequently a Reason of our Non-appearing 2. But secondly when wee reflect and cast our eies upon the Managers of the late and present Agitations wee think that Argument enough to stop our mouths and patronize our Silence Wee would not willingly incur the censure of speaking to no purpose to men resolved and inflexible to men whose Principles are to them as true as they are fals in themselves to men who presume upon their own Dictats as infallible Oracles who rear huge buildings upon sandie grounds and raise Conclusions on none or most deceiving Premises̄ who in the very Principles they somtime pretend to own for ask their Presbyterian Brethren whether they could ever get them to stand to any are as slipperie as Eels as variable as the Moon and constant onely in inconstancie Have they not justjfied their excentrick motions and highest irregularities with the decried Principles of special Providence and Impulses of the Spirit Have they not own'd and practis'd the Assertion that Faith is not to bee kept with Enemies And on that score abus'd the wisest Head in Christendom Not keeping faith with any God or Man Have they not perverted Holie Scripture and the heroick actions of som Saints assisted by immediat inspiration to authorize the highest villanies And are wee still to learn the fetches of Sathan or can wee bee ignorant of their devices Quo teneam nodo If wee could yet but guess what lock to have them at what weapon to fight with perhaps they would not seem so wise not so invincible But indeed it is no matter for the Means they are resolved on the End per fas per nefus and rather then miscarrie or come short of their purposed Defigns run madly upon the pretended unpardonable crimes of those truly Honorable and worthie Patriots who formerly sate at the helm and managed the great affairs in Church and State And that wee may throughly know the meaning of their Canting-language Pro REGE Pro Parliamento Pro Religione and I know not what nothing now conducing to their Ends though never so much decried by themselvs and spoke against in others must bee omitted for the punishment of a foolish people flatter'd into miserie and for the establishment of an Absolute Independent and Arbitrarie Dominion over the Fortunes Lives and Consciences of their late fellow-subjects now their vassals who of the most Free people in the world under a pretence of Libertie are cheated into Slaverie far worse then the Egyptian Brick-kilns or the Gallies of Argire And having such as these to deal withall Quibus non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris had not our Application been in vain much like the washing of an Aethiop Can a Leopard change his spots or a Black-More his skin Then saith the infallible Oracle that cannot lie may they that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well Believ it SIR the grasping at a Crown was not to bee dissvaded by our arguments and that destructive Principle alone which drive's them on Of a pretended special Call from heaven outvies with them the highest Demonstrations of Reason Law or Religion To which if wee shall add what wee conceiv the Truth and the ground of these Presumptions the Real not Imaginarie Fears and Jealousies which questionless lie heavie on their souls and egg them on Scelera sceleribus tueri to fortifie and mantein what they have don as doubting of the issue of their former sins but by attempting greater you will bee soon induced to believ that as their resolution was to stop their ears against the voice of the Charmer charm hee never so wisely so all our words and arguments had been no better then Sibyllae folia the sport of the windes or the barking of a dog against the Moon 3. In which opinion wee have the greater caus to bee confirmed when wee call to minde the fruitlesness and non-success of those many Applications which have been made to these great Masters of the world not onely by som of the Antient Orthodox and Legal Clergie but also by many of the Presbyterian persuasion who though we cannot excuse their too great activitie in promoting these unnatural distempers by their compliance and encouragement have yet though like very ill Logicians after such Premises as they laid themselvs which were necessarily productive of these horrid consequences utterly denied the Conclusion and