Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
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A86360
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The trade of truth advanced. In a sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, at their solemne fast, Iuly 27. 1642. By Thomas Hill, B.D. Pastor of the Church at Tychmersh in the countie of Northampton. Published by order of that House.
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Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing H2031; Thomason E110_13; ESTC R9372
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36,472
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68
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pretence brought into the Church in Gregories dayes yet with expresse prohibition of worshipping them Afterward the second Synod of Nice enjoynes it though more modestly and respectively onely in regard of that which they represent But since the councell of Trent it 's risen to grosse Idolatry Neutrall Politicians who will be buying Truth out of our hands by formalizing and enervating the power of it till at last they leave us an heartlesse and saplesse Religion Among the Lawes of Solon there was one which thundred against such who in a civill uproare amongst the Citizens sit still as neutrall spectators It were happy for the Church if there were a more strict course taken against all lukewarme Machivillians who by their neutrality undermine Religion of this straine was Jeroboam that grand Politician who created to himselfe a State Religion out of Love to his Crowne he set up golden Calves he hindred the people from going to worship God at Jerusalem lest they should turne againe unto their Lord unto Rehoboam King of Judah Worldly wise men as they are time-servers so they are selfe-servers and whatsoever become of Christ and his truth selfe shall be advanced into the Throne such mens heads over-match their hearts their policy out-runneth their Religion when the glory of Christ and his Gospell come in competition with their selfe ends selfe shall first be gratifyed most unlike to Paul who Phil. 1. 20. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} stood as it were on up-to looking earnestly after the magnifying of Christ what-ever became of himselfe Whether in his life or in 〈◊〉 death I may produce three Reasons to fortify you against felling Truth to any Hucksters Truth is in it selfe a precious Jewell of most incomparable worth gained into the possession of the Churches not without much difficulty and therefore cannot without great disparagement to its excellency and to the zeale of others be alienated and chaffered away Gospell Truth at first cost the blood of Christ then watered with the blood of many Martyrs which made it throng up so plentifully It is observeable the Church hath beene seldome fully possessed of any Grand Truth without much debate without some bloody sufferings How deare did it cost Athanasius to justifie the Divinity of Christ against the Arians and shall we suffer any of that kindred to buy it againe out of our hands How couragiously did Augustine rescue the Doctrine of Grace from the Pelagians hands whom he cals the Enemies of Grace and shall we suffer it to be betrayed to their Brethren the Arminians How farre did Luther hazzard himselfe to advance Justification by Faith in Christ It is a grosse shame that sweete Truth should be lost in the language of any Innovators who will have workes to concurre in eodem genere cause to share equally with Faith in the very act of justifying Many of our ancient Worthies like Wisedomes Children Matth. 11. 19. set themselves to justifie Wisedome they have endevoured with much sweat and many teares yea with their dearest lives to settle the Churches Land-markes by evidence of Scripture Arguments and to bound the Truth by Decrees of Councels we must not prodigally dispossesse our selves of such a Treasure We reape the fruite of our Reformers zeale who bestirred themselves so much against Popish Altars and other Church usurpations for the purging of Religion in England God forbid that we should sell for trifles what they possessed us of with so much difficulty It concernes us rather to concurre with them yea to promote their beginnings with all our might that we may have such Churches such Officers such election and ordination such jurisdiction such exercise of Church power and all such administrations as are most agreeable to the Truth Truth is the Churches Talent committed to her trust and therefore must not be sold Trust being a strong obligation to fidelity Upon this ground the Apostle Jude ver. 3. Exhorts Christians to Contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints You must never expect another edition of the Faith God reserved that solemne change from Jewish to Evangelicall worship for the Inauguration of his Sonne zealously strive for this Faith you have against all opposition In that knowne place so much abused by Papists 1 Tim. 3. 15. The Church of Ephesus this cannot be appropriated to the Church of Rome is the pillar and ground of Truth Not a pillar to uphold but to hold forth Truth not so much {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the seate of Truth every pure Church being a depository of Truth where it is to be found as the candle in the Candlesticke All the fonnes of Wisedome have a share in that of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 6. 20. O Timothy keepe that which is committed to thy Trust This made the primitive Worthies so conscientiously zealous in the cause of Truth and that not onely of many Truthes but even of formes of speeches of syllables yea of Letters The difference betwixt the Councell of Nice and Arius was but in a Letter whether {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The controversie whereupon the Greeke and Latine Churches broke touching the proceeding of the Holy Ghost depended upon two prepositions {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The monstrous heresie of Nestorius lay but in one poore letter {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when he would not gratifie the Church therein as Cyrill desired him many Bishops rose up against him so religious were they that that they would not exchange a letter or syllable of the Faith wherewith their Saviour had betrusted them Selling Truth is the worst the most undoing Trade it sets to sale both Gods glory and your owne Salvation being it opens a doore to both extreames in Religion to Prophanenesse and to Superstition The Schoole of Christ is indeed a Schoole of affection and of action but first of knowledge we must have science before we shall make conscience of our wayes This makes the god of this world the Devill bestirre himselfe to blinde peoples mindes Lest the Light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should shine into them he well knew that darknesse of mind betrayes us to workes of darknesse When men walke in the darke They know not at what they stumble Prov. 4. 19. They will stumble at Christ himselfe at the strictnesse and purity of his wayes and soone plunge themselves into the grossest wickednesse In a Synod at London Anselme forbad Priests Marriage in England and in the next yeare were discovered a great company of Sodomites amongst them Such is the wofull fruit of selling Truth which would be a spur quickning to good and a bridle restraining from evill It is no wonder to find such treacherous practices amongst the Papists their erroneous doctrines open the sluces unto them Upon a sleight confession of sinne they may receive a cheape