Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	divine_a	faith_n	truth_n	2,294	5	6.3960	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43640	The third part of Naked truth, or, Some serious considerations, that are of high concern to the ruling clergy of England, Scotland, or any other Protestant nation and also a discovery of the excellency of the Protestant religion as it stands in opposition to papistical delusions, being a representation of what is the true glory of Protestants, and what are the base, contemptible and ridiculous principles, on which those that are called Roman Catholicks do build, as upon the sand being very necessary for all Protestant families in this present juncture of time.; Naked truth. Part 3	Hickeringill, Edmund, 1631-1708.	1681 (1681)	Wing H1830; ESTC R2673	42,995	50

Nature of her Policy For the Acquiring of that Arbitrary Absolute and unlimited Power which she exerciseth And first we find that she doth upon her own Authority affirm That it is neither the Letter of the Scripture nor the Grammar of it how Plain Clear or Express soever it be that doth or ought to bind the Consciences of men but the sence of the said Scripture only And Secondly she doth affirm That it is not the sence of the Scripture also which doth or can any way directly bind the Consciences of men if this sence be considered nakedly in it self either as literal or mystical but that the said sence is capable of binding only considered as it is Catholick And Thirdly That it is not either in the Letter or in the Grammar of the said Scripture how clear or plain soever it be that the Divine Authority of it is placed but simply and only in the sence of it as this sence is the sence of the Universal Church and therefore that sence which is properly called Catholick Which Propositions she having in her Prudence thus peculiarly laid down as the Grounds or Foundations not only of all Christian Faith but of all Christian Verity and Truth it self In the next place she builds upon these unsound Grounds an Assumption that is parallel to them and that is every way as entirely her own as the former viz. That she alone hath not only the Right as exclusive to all others of Dispencing this Catholick Sence to all the Members of the Christian Church but of dispencing it in order to their Salvation and hath inherent in her the full and absolute Power finally and Inappealeably to determine at all times and upon all Occasions what the said Catholick Sence is concerning all Points whatever that may be controverted and concerning all places of Scripture whatever that may be doubted of or disputed And that as this Power is absolutely necessary for the Preservation of the Unity so for the Preservation of the Purity of the said Christian Faith in regard it is impossible that such a Sence of the Scripture as is wholly Universal and Catholick should at any time Err. The Conclusion then if all these Premises be true is That the Church of Rome is to be believed and that all her Determinations whatever they be are for Conscience sake to be Obeyed and Submitted unto even by the whole Christian Church without any Dispute or without so much as any scruple of Mind This Conclusion being that which all the Partizans and Champions of the Church of Rome do labour with Might and Main to bring every man to and therefore it is the same with that Security and Rest which they pretend all men may have not only with absolute Safety but with absolute satisfaction in the Bosom of their Church But indeed this Conclusion hath not any tendency to Salvation at all but is quite contrary to all that is alledged and leads expresly to nothing else but to the utter Overthrow and Subversion of the whole Scripture it self with the Mind Law Will and Counsel of God so far at least as depends upon Revelation in regard it puts the Scripture together with the whole Authority of it though Divine in it self absolutely perfectly and entirely into the Arbitrary Will and Power of the said Church And therefore the Protestants upon Consideration of the extreme Mischiefs that must of necessity follow from such a Conclusion as this they do with Indignation reject it And First The Protestants do wholly deny that the said Church of Rome hath any rightful Authority to make null the Grammar of the Scripture Secondly The Protestants do much more deny that she hath any Right to institute or set up such a Sence of the Scripture under any name or pretence whatever that is either opposite to the Grammar of the Scripture or that at least pretends that there is not a necessity to follow and observe the Rules of it Thirdly Consequently they utterly deny that she hath any Right to transfer the Authority of the Scripture from the Sence proper to the Letter of it self to such a Sence as is only and properly hers And Fourthly They deny that she hath any Right or any Power to set up any Sence of her own at all which is not absolutely subjected to the Rule and Authority that is inherent to the Scriptures Letter and Word with the proper Sence of it as this is and ought to be Supreme to all others Fifthly And they do much less acknowledge that she hath any such Right in her or derived to her therefore as to make her Sence of the Scripture or what she declares to be so the Sence of the Universal Church Sixthly Or that she hath any Right to make her sence of the Scripture to be the Absolute or Supreme Rule of all Infallible and Christian Truth or to disallow any Appeal from her proper Determinations to the living Rule of the Scriptures Grammar and to the Letter or Word of it Seventhly And the Protestants denying all these things they do deny therefore that she hath any Authority Power or Right to dispence with That Duty and Obligation which is divinely and absolutely laid upon the Consciences of men which is To obey the Word of God in the litteral plain and express Sence of it Eighthly And the Protestants do deny consequently that the Consciences of men are or can any way possibly be obliged to her bare Determination of the Sence of the Scripture Especially so far as this is set up absolutely by her and is not dependant upon any Sence proper to the Words and Grammar of the Scripture it self All and every of which Powers as the Protestant Church doth wholly deny to the Church of Rome So for as much as the Church of Rome can pretend to no one of the said Rights or Authorities now mentioned otherwise than as it must by some means or other be lawfully conveyed or derived to her The Protestant Church therefore challengeth her and provoketh her to shew that special and peculiar Commission by which SHE and SHE alone is impowered to do all or any of those things before named Because without this Commission can be produced and produced upon some Clear Evident and Sufficient Warrant or Ground for it All Her pretences to the said Authority seeing it is so manifestly destructive to the Scripture it self must needs appear to be not only Precarious but very frivolous and very absurd The Church of Rome being thus challenged and provoked in the point of her Commission and yet well knowing that there is nothing which she can possibly appeal unto for the proof of her Authority beside the Scripture it self She becomes hereupon to be several ways distressed and perplexed First because she finds that she cannot allow of the Grammatical Sence of the Scripture in any one Case whatever But she must necessarily and unavoidably allow it in all other Cases also where it may

THE THIRD PART OF Naked Truth OR Some serious Considerations that are of High Concern to the Ruling Clergy of England Scotland or any other Protestant Nation AND ALSO A Discovery of the Excellency of the Protestant Religion as it stands in Opposition to Papistical Delusions Being a Representation of what is the true GLORY of Protestants and WHAT ARE The Base Contemptible and Ridiculous Principles on which those that are called Roman Catholicks do build as upon the Sand. Being very necessary for all Protestant Families in this present Juncture of time 2 Thess 2.8 9 10 11. And that wicked shall be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his Mouth and shall destroy with the Brightness of his Coming even him whose Coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders and with all deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the LOVE of Truth that they might be saved and For this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a LYE LONDON Printed for Richard Janeway in Queens-Head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row MDCLXXXI THE PREFACE BY A Friend of the Author THough Falshood and Errors have need of a Veil or a Vizard to hide the naked Face of it because Falshood when it appears in its own Colours it is a very unpleasant and unlovely Object Yet on the contrary Truth appears most lovely and most desirable when the naked Face of it is most perspicuous when it appears without Veils or Vizards In this ensuing Discourse Truth is so nakedly discovered viz. those parts of Truth here treated of as the Ingenious Readers will certainly be as much enamoured with the Beauty of it as once they were with that worthy Discourse that first appeared in this Nation bearing that name of Naked Truth which now is stiled The first Part another Discourse bearing the Title of the Second Part of Naked Truth having been also some time since published for as in that first part of Naked Truth great Loveliness did appear to all ingenious and un-interessed Persons so assuredly this third part of Naked Truth will ingage the Hearts of many thousands to it that may have a view of it And though some Persons whose Errors and Evils that first part of Naked Truth did discover at lest by reflection were so impudent as to scribble against it yet what did they do in it but lay open their own Shame and Folly to all men So that if they had been publickly known they would have exposed their Persons as much to contempt and hissing as their dirty Papers were to Abhorrency In this third part of Naked Truth is a discovery of some of those parts of Truth as were not treated of in the first Part nor yet in that which is stiled the second part of Naked Truth but in this Discourse three things are performed First The Naked Truth is so laid open with reference unto some things which concern the Ruling Clergy of any Protestant Nation as will ingage the most Ingenious among the said Clergy to return solemn thanks-givings to God for this third part of Naked Truth Secondly the Naked Truth is made so conspicuous with reference to that which is the true glory of Protestants in opposition to Popery as hath never yet been done by any Pen. Thirdly the Naked Truth is so and in such a manner displayed as the Filthiness and the Odiousness of the Scarlet-Whore is made so Patent and Bare as may tend to the opening of the Eyes of the Kings of the Earth and of every ordinary and intelligent Person as may work in them a loathing and a detestation of her as Rev. 17.16 is said shall be wrought And it may be hoped that this very Discourse may prove to be such a Mirror or Looking-Glass to as many of that Scarlet Generation that are related to the Scarlet-Whore whose great thirstiness for Blood is so notoriously made manifest both formerly and lately as will but give themselves leave seriously to look upon their own odious Pictures I say this Mirror may so discover to them so much of their own Shame as they never saw before as possibly may work in them a loathing of themselves and a true Repentance of their evil Ways which have not been good according to Ezek. 36.31 and may ingage them to joyn with Protestants to hate the Whore and to make her desolate and naked and to burn her with fire For we have great ground to hope that the discoveries of naked Truth more and more will tend to the inlightening of all Nations professing Christianity both Protestant and Papistical for some Protestants have in some things erred also and to the Conversion of both from the Errors of their ways and to the bringing of all dissenting Parties to that sincere Love one to another and that true Peace one with another that becomes the Gospel Even to that perfect Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to which he hath determined to bring his Church in due time which time may be near even at the door To which all true Christians whatever their present Errors and Weaknesses may be will in Sincerity say Amen and Amen The Glory of PROTESTANTS And the Shame of PAPISTS HAving for some time laboured and travelled with desire of Soul to bring forth those things that have been given to me which may tend to Peace and Unity I shall in this short Discourse only touch at some few things in order thereunto And the first thing that I shall humbly present to the Consideration of the Protestant Churches both at home and abroad is That as the business of the Christian Religion is now a thing not capable to be separated from an Affair of State so considered as such it is far more difficult for a Protestant Prince upon some accounts to govern it than for a Popish Prince and that for the following Reason which difficulty when the Reason is considered may easily be remedied according to that Maxim Take away the Cause and the Effect ceaseth The Reason or Cause of this difficulty I shall here therefore endeavour to lay open and to manifest with all plainness and clearness I say therefore that the reason of this Difficulty is because the Prince having the Character or Repute only of a Secular Authority hath not that immediate Influence upon Religion it self or upon Religious People which the Clergy hath for as it is not to be expected that a Prince should have that knowledge so neither is it possible that he should be any way so Conversant in or so attendant upon the Affairs Controversies and Disputes which do relate to Religion as the Clergy may And by reason of this Though a Prince may in other things have never so great an ability of Judgment And though he be never so Absolute or Supreme Yet he is denied the Right of this Judgment as to the Matters of

he presumeth the Church also to be a thing altogether Holy and such as neither hath Erred nor can Err for should he question this he must question the whole of his Religion it self opposite to which Character we shall now consider The Character of a Protestant But the Protestant Church on the other hand having separated from the Church of Rome not only upon the Supposition that she hath actually Erred but that she hath been grosly corrupted as well in Manners as in Faith And the Protestant Church having for the better Justification of her own Practice both in the matter of Worship and in all things relating to Doctrine and Faith SET UP The Scriptures as the Sole and Soveraign Rule of Gods Mind and Will to his Church As she cannot challenge the Exercise of any Authority therefore that is beyond that of the Scripture or any that is not subordinate to the said Scripture it self So it is expected that all the Duties which she requires and all those Articles or Points of Faith which she at any time recommends to such as are the Members of her should always be enforced from those Arguments properly and only which are drawn from the Scripture Because it is this which she her self hath appealed unto and this only which she challengeth to justifie her A Protestant then that understands the Grounds of his Religion or that hath been at all instructed in the Rise or Principles of the Reformation taking this for the very first Article of his Faith That a Church may Err and may have Corruption in it and may in its Worship possibly swerve and depart from the pure Mind Word and Wisdom of God And laying that no less firmly as the Foundation of his Belief on the other hand viz. That the Scripture cannot Err nor can be other than the unalterable and incorruptible Rule of Gods Law and of his Will and Mind to his People he cannot possibly hold the Authority of the Church to be Divine any further or otherwise than as it appears to be clearly grounded upon the Scriptures as the Word of God And therefore the Tye or Obligation which he hath to obey the Church so far as it relates to the Conscience and binds the Conscience ariseth out of no other Ground than from the Conformity which he seeth or is perswaded that the said Church hath in her Laws Orders and Doctrines to the said Word and if this Conformity doth or shall once cease in the said Church a Protestant as a Protestant cannot but judge his Tye or Obligation to her as a Church ought to cease also with it And this being the true State of that Radical or Essential Difference that is between the Principles of a Protestant and the Principles of a Papist as a Papist It will hence follow That if a Church that professeth her self to be Protestant or the Ruling Clergy of a Protestant Church shall not much consider or regard the justifying of what Laws and Orders she makes by the Consonancy they expresly have to the Law or Mind of God in his Word which is his Rule to the Church nor shall much concern it self to clear and inforce the Faith and Doctrine which she holds by the Evidence of its Truth or by the Authority of it as sufficiently grounded upon that Word that is absolutely Divine But shall on the contrary in whatever she Commands or in the things she Teacheth constrain or exact an Obedience from her Members to her self and to her own Authority as absolute and as unsubordinate to the Word of God and therefore to her Authority as it is a distinct thing from the said Word That Church or the Clergy rather that are the Rulers of it so far as she doth this in any Doctrine or in any Law that she makes indispensable doth so far cease in her Principles and Practice to be Protestant and doth so far disclaim not only a main and chief Ground of her Separation from the Church of Rome but the very Principle it self upon which she pretends to guide her self in her Reformation For it cannot be denyed that these were the great and the main Causes of our Separation from the Church of Rome viz. First Because she had made her self Absolute and had set up an Authority in the matters of Worship and Faith above that of the Scriptures as the only Word of God And Secondly Because she did not barely excommunicate men but did also persecute them and did deprive them both of their Estates Liberties and Lives upon a Principle as contrary to humane Reason as it was contrary to humane Society and Quiet viz. not for any evil in their Conversations in their Morals or in their Lives But meerly for obeying what they sincerely judged to be the Law Mind and Will of God And meerly for believing that his whole Law Will and Mind to his Church as a Church especially relating to the Worship of himself was contained in his Word Thirdly Because by this persecution as it was extended to the extreme Punishment of Persons both in their Liberties and Goods and sometimes in their Lives by stinking Prisons and want of Necessaries she did unavoidably draw upon her self the Guilt of mens Apostacy Hypocrsie and Dissimulation who durst not but obey and comply with her Commands meerly out of fear And did as unavoidably draw upon her the Guilt of all that Suffering Cruelty and Blood whatever it were she spilt and did inflict upon those persons who withstood her Commands and who were otherwise in all things blameless both as to their Morals Lives and Conversations I say if it be matter of Fact and that which cannot be denyed that these three things were some of the Main and Principal Causes for which we separated from the Church of Rome and for which our first Reformers themselves called her Antichristian and sometimes Bloody and sometimes the Scarlet Whore And if these three things when at any time mentioned with reference to the Church of Rome are still acknowledged to be evil and so stiled to this day so far as it concerns her Yea if these three things are at this very present in our Controversies with that Church not only charged upon her but cast in her teeth among many other things by way of reproach and to set forth the just ground that we even as the Church of England as well as other Churches have both of exception against and hatred of her MUST NOT these three things be MUCH MORE EVIL in a Protestant Church who after she hath condemned all these things not only as evil but as Antichristian in the Church of Rome and after she hath pretended to separate from the said Church for them doth nevertheless give her self leave to practise them without condemning her self at all in them And MUST NOT This Practice cast a manifest Blemish and Reproach upon on her own Reformation and evidence to the world that she doth not either believe the Principles