Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	serve_v	spirit_n	worship_v	2,231	5	8.8102	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91881	John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ Iesvs: or, A necessity for liberty of conscience, as the only meanes under heaven to strengthen children weake in faith; to convince hereticks mis-led in faith; to discover the gospel to all such as yet never heard thereof; and establish peace betweene all states and people throughout the world; according unto which, were both our Saviours commission, and the apostles practice for the propagation of it peaceably: as appeares most evidently by sundry Scriptures digested into chapters, with some observations at the end of every one; most humbly devoted to the use and benefit of all such as are zealously inquisitive after truth; piously disposed to imbrace it, and constantly resolved to practice it in their lives and conversations; to the honour of God, the edifying of their brethren, and their owne salvation unto eternity. The contents of the chapters follow in the next leaf. This is licenced, but not permitted to be entred according to order.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?	1644 (1644)	Wing R1673; Thomason E9_13; ESTC R15393	119,971	135

the Galatians c. 5.2.4 this is that Liberty which we are called to stand fast in Gal. 5.1 not using it for a cloake of maliciousnesse 1 Pet. 2.16 nor a stumbling blocke unto the weake and will easily so appeare if we but cast our eyes on the 1 Cor. 8.7 to the end and c. 10.23 to 30. in both which places Paul does not only set forth unto us in expre●e tearms the selfe same case before propounded concerning things indifferent in themselves though controverted between Protestants and Puritans but requires every one to forbeare to use their Christian Liberty and not conforme themselves to the customes of the Gentiles rather then offend the weaker brethren which Scriptures in regard they are very pregnant and if well considered might cleerly compose the greatest controversies of Christendome being most commonly for matters of this nature in pretence at least and prevent the shedding whole rivers of bloud being also not very long it may not be amisse to insert them here Paul sayes 1 Cor. 8.7 c. Some with conscience of the Idoll unto this houre call it as a thing offered unto an Idoll and their conscience being weake is defiled But meat commendeth us not to God for neither if we eat are we the better neither if we eat not are we the worse But take heed lest by any meanes this liberty of yours become a stumbling blocke to them that are weake For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the Idols Temple shall not the conscience of him which is weake be imboldned to eat those things which are offered unto Idols And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed But when ye sinne against the brethren and wound their weake conscience ye sin against Christ Wherefore if meat make my brother offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend And in c. 10 23. to 30. All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expedient all things are lawfull but all things edifie not Let no man seeke his owne but every man another wealth Whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat asking no question for conscience sake For the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast and ye be disposed to goe whatsoever is set before you eat asking no question for conscience sake But if any man say unto you this is offered in sacrifice unto Idols eat not for his sake that shewed it and for conscience sake The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Conscience I say not thine owne but of the others for why is my liberty judged of another mans conscience For if I by the grace of God be a partaker why am I evill spoken of for that for which I give thanks Deare Christians consider with your selves I beseech you in all meeknesse and suppose the using of a Surplesse or Crosse in Baptisme were lawfull but indifferent in themselves and we neither better nor worse for using them as Paul sayes of meat consecrated to Idols 1 Cor. 8.8 ought not a brother according to this president and precept of Pauls who pretends to be strong in Christ abstaine though not for his owne conscience sake c. 10.29 yet lest some which are weake should use the like Crosse and Surplesse as necessary to Gods Worship and Ordinances c. 8.7.10 and others be offended thereby as conceiving the use of such Surplesse and crossing to be Idolatrous and Antichristian c. 10.28 I cannot imagine a greater proofe and evidence for convincing the consciences of those which still oppose and therefore doe humbly beseech the Father of Lights to touch the hearts and illuminate the understandings of all such as are ordained to the knowledge of this truth hitherto so persecuted and trampled under feet It is granted that the Scripture in the letter doth not containe all things which are and may be used for decencie and order because they may be changed and vary according both to time and place but such course must be taken concerning all circumstances of decencie and order as nothing be imposed on men which may infringe or take away their Christian Liberty which cannot possibly subsist without a liberty of conscience that is whosoever shall conforme himselfe unto any such ceremony or discipline which is established in any Church against his owne conscience though in it selfe never so warrantable and just he hath not onely parted with his Christian Liberty but defiles and offers violence unto his owne conscience to be ranked amongst sinnes of highest nature next to that against the Holy Ghost There is no Christian but will yeeld that all things ought to be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 but when that which hath been consulted and agreed on in a dogmaticall way may in the opinion of a third person or party be thought comely for a whole City or Country to joyne in yet if it offend the tender conscience of any Christian God will have mercy and not sacrifice he will rather dispense with the uniformity though so glorious in the eyes of man then that the inward peace and quiet of minds wherein his Saints enjoy and serve him more transcendently should any wayes be disjoynted or discomposed God only may prescribe lawes unto the conscience and men on earth of like passions with our selves Act. 14.15 though never so many in number though never so wise and learned untill the Spirit of truth which cannot lie shall share unto them of his owne infallible Spirit they have no better right or title of imposing lawes though in such things which they take to be never so much indifferent then to force a point of Popery of other heresie upon their 〈…〉 for what is it to me if all the world should thinke this or that 's ceremony or thing indifferent if the observance of it to me seem damnable untill you can make Peccadiglioes diminitive sinnes untill you can corrantly passe the Popish distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes nay untill you can make sinnes to be no sinnes it is in vaine to thinke men will trust you with their consciences If the Scripture and such reasons as they produce through my infirmity and weaknesse cannot satisfie my conscience has fraile mankinde the infinite power of God at their disposall to rectifie this misled conscience of mine as is pretended in a supernaturall way or taking this away to give me another in exchange thereof or be accountable for me excuse and bear me harmelesse from the dreadfull Judge of Heaven and Earth till then 't is a vanity beyond all vanities which the wisdome of Solomon forewarned us of 't is folly of all follies the most ridiculous for a man to put out his owne eyes renounce his owne reason infatuate his owne understanding and proscribe the Holy Ghost himselfe for the Spirit of God cannot long beare witnesse together with

kept because he did not onely covenant to believe and conforme unto what hee himselfe knew not what but also in regard it was not in his power to believe what he would and ought not willingly to conforme unto what he doth not stedfastly believe upon perill of damnation Rom. 14.23 Thirdly such a tenet is obstructive to the Gospels passage for who thinke we that understands himselfe and has his wits about him will enter into such a servitude the depth whereof is not fathomable by all the Engines in the World This is like to making of a pit and strawing it over with most sightly and fragrant herbes and slowers that men may be alluted to turne Christians and fall into it to their greater destruction and danger of being beaten with double stripes giving them all liberty that can be imagined untill they be entred into fellowship and there hold them bound in chains as falt as any Popish Inquisition I will not say but that they may expect with a little more long suffering until I come to submit unto them but sooner or later a little more or lesse I am sure to fare no better then if I were a prey in the talons of Spanish or Roman Vultures and the reason which the Reformed Persecuters give is the very same with Papists and if it were a good one it were good alike to all religions and opinions that is that if men have been severall times admonished of any point of faith which must reach to any thing wherein in men differ in opinion in a meeke and sober way that they must necessarily yeeld unto it and shew they are convinced by conforming thereunto or else that such doe both say and doe against their owne consciences and knowledge the truth as they pretend being of such infallible efficacie and force to that effect But little doe such thinke that every sect or heresie obtrudes her errours with as great vehemencie as the professours of the truth it selfe and neither can alleadge one tittle advantage wherefore any one in humane reason should rather yeeld or be convinced by the other untill the evidence of truth prevaile upon the conscience But do not such who take upon them to say that this or that man by name who does not believe the truth that is their opinions whether true or false and conform unto it sins against his own co●…ence enter into the secret closet of Gods eternall predestination and if any will lay claime to and pretend to exercise with this Spirit of profoundest Prophesie may not all Christians which acknowledge the Scriptures appropriate to themselves the same respectively and so upon one and the selfe same ground make reprobate and anathematize one an other untill the Civill sword devoure them all If the Protestants of Old England use the same meanes and patience to convince those of New England may they not as lawfully persecute them for being wilfully obstinate if they will not submit as be persecuted by them for the very same reason● If the Protestants of New England will not grant a toleration unto the Protestants of Old England with what equity can they expect it in Old England unlesse from the highest perfection of Christianity in doing good for evill but what reason is there why any one of a New England congregation or any other of reformed Protestants may not afterwards turne Brownist or Anabaptist and there in the same City c. make profession thereof as freely as any Pagan or as he him self did before in case he had first been converted from Paganisme or Heresie amongst them Can the Civill sword in one Country distinguish truth better amongst them then it doth in any other Country if not why should it pretend more right thereunto or expect to be reverenced or worshipped in this respect above the other Paul in his Epistles to severall Churches takes notice that there were contentions and divisions amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.11 that the Galathians were falne from their first faith saying I marvell that you are so soone removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel Gal. 1.6 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth c. 3.1 Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh have ye suffered so many things in vaine v. 3. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine c. 4.11 Ye did run well who did hinder ye that you should not obey the truth c. 5.7 and in fine their condition was so bad that Paul wished they were even cut off which had troubled them Gal. 5.12 yet I doe not finde that ever he went further then delivering up the offenders unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 55. How comes then the Civill Magistrate to trouble it selfe in matters when they can doe God no service Spirituall errours and sores must have spirituall cures and redresses and Paul sayes the weapons of our warfare are spirituall but mighty through God for bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10 4. and if the Civill Magistrates weapons are the like and can doe the same effect the force of 〈◊〉 argument would not onely bee quite dash'd and his expression improper but we should not longer need any such distinction of Civill and Spirituall armour Henry the 4. of France though he had outwardly conformed himselfe to the ceremonies of the Church of Rome because he thought he should not otherwise be able to possesse the Throne in peace yet the Pope and Spaine knowing he did it not out of zeale to their religion not only kept themselves some yeares from being reconciled unto him but intended to warre against him in earnest because they tooke him to be a reprobate they meant a Protestant in heart and they might as well know a pretending Papist to be a Protestant in heart as any Reformed Protestant to know a Lutheran or Brownist were such a one against his owne conscience The French King by example of his Predecessour treats and enters into league with the Great Turke capitulating that he should invade Italy with many thousand men the Pope thereupon begins to acknowledge his Majesty to be Christianissima that he might the freer chide him as a sonne for seeking to bring in such cruell Tygres to worry Peters flock The French King told his Holinesse forsooth that for his part he onely endeavoured as a faithfull shepheard understanding that his sheep might be endangered through the multiplying of unmercifull wolves to provide himselfe of mastive dogs to rescue them and the Venetians have of a long time by the same stratagem not only preserved themselves but all Italy besides in likelihood from the inundation of the Papalines yet this was in their owne defence against powerfull adversaries when they had no safety