Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A86360
|
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.
|
Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.
|
1642
(1642)
|
Wing H2031; Thomason E110_13; ESTC R9372
|
36,472
|
68
|
both light and heat Libertie of the Gospel makes it a Gospel to us The Church in the Acts knew how to value this libertie of Truth and therefore when Peter was imprisoned instant and earnest prayer was made the answer was as effectuall Peter released Herod confounded and truth set at libertie Of all famines the Soul-famine Gospel-famine is the most grievous threatned as an heavy Judgement Amos 8. 11 12. But a most sweet mercy to feel and taste the accomplishment of that promise Isa. 30. 20. Though the Lord give you the bread of adversitie and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers Secondly Puritie of true Religion is a good purchase as well as libertie That we may have an incorrupt Religion without sinfull without guilefull mixtures not a linsey-woolsey Religion All new borne babes will desire {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Pet. 2. 2. Word-milke Sermon-milke without guile without adulterating Sophistication of it of which Paul glories 2 Cor. 2. 17. For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ Whose zealous care it was 2 Cor. 11. 2. to espouse the Church of Corinth to one Husband no polygamy in the second marriage that he might present them as a chaste virgin unto Christ This he endeavoured by pure Gospel means and by perswading to puritie and singlenesse of heart in the use of those means The Devill is as busie vers. 3. to corrupt peoples minds from the simplicitie that is in Christ well knowing the simplicitie that is in Christ is the best Rule for the Churches conformitie to this we may subscribe without any checke of conscience And indeed what are false Religions but Humane compositions The Alcoran compounds Mahomets fond devices with some fragments of Gods word Popery compounds unwritten Traditions most presumptuously with Holy Scripture yea it rakes up Heathenish customes revives old Jewish Ceremonies which are now mortuae mortiferae dead and deadly compounding them with the institutions of Christ You may discerne such mixtures in many errors about the great mysteries of the Gospel even in every linke of the golden chaine of Salvation Rom. 8. 30. Arminians in the Decree of Election compound foreseene faith with the Soveraigntie of Gods will In vocation so compounding mans Free-will with Gods Free Grace that with them in the act of conversion prima causa depends upon secunda the power of Gods grace must wayte upon the concurrence of our good nature Popish Doctors doe strangely compound works with faith in the act of justification and in glorification so compound the merits of the Saints with the merits of Christ that by a condignitie they become meritorious of eternall life let the Devill affect vaine compositions the whore of Babylon must paint her wrinckled face with some borrowed beautie to cover her inward deformities Christ and his Truth will glory in no vernish so much as native simplicitie and puritie Thirdly Truth must be purchased as well in the power as in the libertie and puritie of it There should be such a streame as runs purely without mud and that in a strong torrent Hypocrites will swarve in the last age when most Gospel-light breaks out many painted professions will borrow some lustre from it This Paul foretels 2 Tim. 3. 5. In the last dayes together with many streames of wickednesse there will be a generation of men having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power of it a good description of hypocrisie But the Lord bespeaks power both in the dispensing and the professing of Truth Paul desired to preach in the demonstration of the spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. as well knowing that the kingdome of God is not in word but in power 1 Cor. 4. 20. It is not wording but working the power that will evidence to speaker or hearers that they are subjects in the kingdome of Grace and heires to the kingdome of glory This Paul made an argument of their election 1 Thess. 1. 5. that the Gospel came not to them in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost much power appearing in the dispensation of it and the Thessalonians hearts so fully possessed with the power of the Truth that their carnall principles were confuted their passions moderated their lusts mortified and their self-ends confounded Most men affect in Religion either a dull moderation or an outside pompe both enemies to the power of Truth Moderation doth better in other things then in the practise of Religion where there cannot be a nimium God requires totum cor and totum cordis the whole heart and the totalitie of it that we should love him with all our heart with all our soul and with our strength Luk. 10. 27. Indeed moderation hath its season but with Calvins caution I confesse saith he there ought to be moderation yet this I constantly affirme care must be had that under pretence of moderation nothing be tolerated which proceedeth from the Devill or Antichrist Neither must we so affect the outward pompe of Religion as to neglect the power of it Hilary his counsell was good who writing against Auxentius Bishop of Millaine complained that the Arrian faction had confounded all and therefore admonished all men to take heed how they suffered themselves to be led with outward appearances It is not well saith he that you are in love with walls that you esteeme the Church in respect of houses and buildings and in and under those shewes and appearances pretend and urge the name of peace Is there any doubt of Antichrists sitting in these places This makes Popery such a Religion as pleases mens eyes and humours their eares rather then rectify their mindes and heale their hearts because they seeke not so much to purchase the power as the pompe of Religion Having layed open before you the Commoditie it self to be purchased Truth in the libertie puritie and power of it It s necessary further to enquire into the nature of the purchase with its price As all other markets ordinarily begin at home so indeed our trading for Truth The spirit of God having convinced the heart how farre it is come short of the glory of God by sin Rom. 3. 23. and that men are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Ephes. 4. 18. withall giving the soule an hint and taste of the excellencie and sweetnesse of Divine Truth the only Soveraigne means of its recovery it groanes most seriously and pants most affectionately after acquaintance with the truth and possession of it And that not only by some cold velleitie by some dull wishing and woulding but by a peremptorie choice not by wandring and flashy but constant and fixed desires not by lazie and
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