Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	faith_n	revelation_n	1,466	5	9.8611	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77757	God all in all or The highest happines of the saints. Jn [sic] two parts. The I. Asserting this happiness to consist in the enjoyment of God. II. Enquiring into the quality of that enjoyment. Together with a short appendix, wherein is very briefly considered, the claim of natural reason, and private inspirations to a guidance of us in the things of God. Also what courses dishonour the Gospel, and what duties we owe it. By Edward Buckler, preacher of the Gospel.	Buckler, Edward, 1610-1706.	1655 (1655)	Wing B5349; Thomason E1442_2; ESTC R209631	53,023	167

and practise what God to that purpose reveals in the Gospel is the greatest reason because the truth and certainty of it depends upon a wisdom that can neither deceive nor be deceived upon a light in which there is no darkness at al 1 Ioh. 1.5 The Lawyers say that natural reason may be alleadged where the Law hath not determined * Ratio naturalis potest allegari ubi deficit Lex so it may where the Gospel is silent but in other cases it must stand mute 10. Conclus To take upon us to controle the dictates of the Gospel by or to refuse them upon their non-adaequation to our reason a design of being wiser then the wisdom the manifold Wisdom of God a folly too ridiculous to have any residence in a sober imagination I hope the foolishness of God is wiser then men 1 Cor. 1.25 In matters of Religion * Non aliam putes esse sapientiā nisi veritatem Aug. nothing is wisdom but what is truth and nothing is truth for us to beleeve to walk by to subscribe to but the Word * sapientia est sapida de Deo scientia Religious wisdom is a savory knowledge of the things of God and not to be attained by any other mediums then what God hath ordered to be written for our instruction Rom. 15.4 and if any previous disposition be necessary to fit a man for it it is to become a fool 1 Cor. 3.18 to deny himself and al his carnal wisdom * Abnegando seipsum carnalem suam sapientiam Piscat in locum SECT II. Whether we may be guided by any supposed inspiration or impulse of spirit that is beside or contrary to theword of God THat I may not seem in the least to limit the Holy one of Israel I shal answer by laying down this Proposition In matters of Faith and practise in case it were not the onely way yet it is the safer way to be guided by the Scriptures then by any impulses suggestions or revelations within us supposed to be from the spirit Of this First in Hypothesi in case it were not the onely way the contrary to which I am abundantly perswaded of from these Grounds 1. Ground It seems to me a truth sufficiently bottom'd upon the Scriptures that the Spirit of God doth not immediately reveal any thing in these latter days beside or above what is revealed in the Scripture Because First The Scriptures contain al things necessary to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15.16 17. If an inspiration be for Doctrine or reproof or correction or instruction or to furnish us to any good work al this is done by the Scripture and so the inspiration is not beside or beyond it If it be for more then this it is for more then is necessary 2ly There is a curse pronounced against adding any revelations or discoveries as of the mind of God to those that are in the Scriptures already read Apoc. 22.18 19. and note 1. That this book is a discovery of the mind of God concerning the affairs and duty of his Church cha 1.1 2. That it is a discovery of what shal concern the Church of God from the time it was written to the end of the world chap. 1.19 3. That it is a discovery of no more then is sufficient therefore he is cursed that shal take any thing from it Chap. 22.19 4. That together with what we have in other Scriptures for so I would in each particular be understood it is a discovery of as much as is sufficient and all the discoveries we must look for and therefore is he cursed that shal add to it * Vid. Aret Forbes in locum 2. Ground What was unquestionable from the Spirit of God was not yet imposed upon us any further then as it was confirmed by the Scriptures That the Apostles spake by in spiration I shal take it for granted Gal. 1.1.11 12. Yet 1. They were wont to prove their Doctrine by Scriptures and that you may see the sweet correspondency that is between both Testaments as they are called I shal set you down these instances Rom. 2.24 Proved by Is 52.5 Rom. 2.24 Proved by Eze. 36.20.23 Rom. 4.5 proved by Psal 32.1 2. Rom. 9.7 proved by Gen. 21.12 Rom. 10.9 proved by Isa 28.16 Rom. 11.7 proved by Isa 29.10 1 Cor. 2.29 proved by Ier. 9.23 That the Gentiles should be called the Apostle affirms was made known to him by revelation Eph. 3.5.6 yet he proves it from Gen. 12.3 Gal. 3.8 And 2. Those that would not receive these inspirations until they had examined them by the Scriptures are passed with a noble character for so doing Acts 17.11 12. From these grounds am I convinced that in matters of faith and practise our onely way is to be guided by the Scriptures However Secondly In these it is a safer way then to be led by any impulse suggestion or revelation within us supposed to be from the spirit which I am constrained to beleeve by these Reasons 1. Reason Many have pretended to revelations from the Spirit of God when there was no such thing but the pretenders were either Impostors and deceivers or deluded by a lying spirit and deceived See 1 Reg. 22.23 2 Thes 2.11 2 Tim. 3.13 of this we have examples of above 1500 years old * Rosse his View of all Religions sect 7. p. 184. Martinium de vera relig p. 58 and in our days if there be two men pretending to an immediate inspiration from God and the spirit that is in one be contradictory to the spirit that is in the other one of them at least is a spirit of delusion Whence a 2. Reas We cannot so certainly know whether it be God that speaks in us as that it is God that speakes in the Scripture in that we may be mistaken 2 Cor. 11.14 not so in this 2 Pet. 1.21 Ioh. 9.29 Heb. 1.1 Galat. 1.1.11 12. 3. Reas Be the Inspiration or Impulse from whence it will yet must the Word of God be obeyed before it I argue thus That Power that is supream must caeteris paribus be obeyed before that which is but subordinate But the power of Gods Word is supream and the power of Inspirations as such is subordinate to it ergo c. the minor proposition onely needs proving which the definition of a supream power will sufficiently doe Now a * Summa potestas est cujus actus alterius juri●n●n subs●nt Grot. de jure belli l. 1. c. 3. ect 7. supream power is that which is not questionable by any other jurisdiction But every Inspiration is so far under the jurisdiction of the Word of God as that it ought to be tryed and judged by it for which see Gal. 1.8 2 Thes 2.2 1 Ioh. 4.1 Acts 17.11 And this hinteth a 4. Reas That which proves Inspirations to be true in case they be so must needs be more certain and infallible at least to us than the

as impossible for us to misse it as it is for God to lie Heb. 6.18 3. 3 Primitiis We have the first fruits of Heaven here upon the earth Rom. 8.23 something of God drawn upon our souls and so some converse with him and influences from him and it was never known that such as came so farre as to gather the first fruits fel short of reaping the whole harvest 4. 4 Dispositione We are put into a capability of this happinesse being in some measure made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 having our robes washt and made white in the blood of the Lamb that we may be before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple Apoc. 7.14 15. 5. 5 Spe. We are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 and by whatever we are saved by the same we are made happy hereafter we shal rejoyce in possession but in this life we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 6. 6 Sen. The Saints have some taste here of that full meal of happinesse which they shal eternally bee feasted with hereafter Psal 34.8 Cant. 2.3 and even this doth sometimes ravish them so abundantly that they value one daies enjoyment of God above the revenues of the whole world In all these and perhaps in some other respects the Saints are said to be blessed and happy though they be not perfectly and fully so And we may learn 2dly That no nature below ours is capable of an absolute happinesse as not being capable of such an enjoyment of God * Scot. in 4 Sent. q. 8. dist 49. wee owe God very much for this benefit of our creation I cannot tel whether it be not better then if he had made us Angels they 't is true were capable of happinesse as wel as we and of losing it as wel as we but when 't is lost they are not capable of recovering it again as wel as we 2 Pet. 2.4 Jud. 6. however God might have made us any of the lower creatures look upon a house a tree a worm a heap of dirt and say Cur non ego talis Why had not I been such and we shal be worse then such if wee enjoy not God other creatures attain to al the happinesse they are capable of not so we And we may learn 3dly That they speak like Atheists who said it is vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 is such an enjoyment of God so if you be indeed christians pray be stedfast and immoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 AN APPENDIX Especially To Part 1. Sect. 10. And Part 2. Sect. 2. and 10. HAving spoken in the precedent discourse of the enjoyment of God here by means and of that ful sight of him which is offered us in the Gospel and observing how much this glorious Gospel is undervalued and vilified by the subordination of it to natural reason or supposed Revelations and the dishonour that is cast upon it by some other miscariages I shal here subjoyn a consideration of these four particulars viz. 1. Whether we are bound to beleeve and rest in no more of the Gospel then our reason will subscribe to 2. Whether we may be guided by any supposed inspiration or impulse of spirit that is beside or contrary to the word of God 3. What courses dishonour the Gospel and the evil of them 4. What our behaviour ought to be towards it SECT I. Whether we are bound to believe and rest in no more of the Gospel then our reason wil subscribe to TO this having a purpose in each to use as few words as may be I shal onely offer these Ten Conclusions 1. Conclusion When Reason was in its primitive perfection before it was purblinded by sin it was a very much better guid then it is now 2. Conclus Even in that state as perfect as Reason was we were not meerly left to the guidance of it but a Law was added to be our directory Gen. 2.17 We were not left in the hands of single reason even when it was possible for it not to mis-guide us 3. Conclus After the fall all the reason that was left in the world was not able to direct us into a way of restitution If it was why did Adam hide himself from the presence of the Lord God amongst the Trees of the Garden Gen. 3.8.10 Yea so far is a way to life for sinners from being discoverable by reason that when it is discovered if reason may be Judge it is meer foolishness 1 Cor. 1.23 4. Conclus Where there is the fullest discovery of God and is withal what himself doth limit us unto that must be our rule and we may not measure how fit it is by any thing else Now such is the Gospel and Christ speaking in it Mat. 17.5 Act. 3.22.23 Gal. 1.8.9 We are not sent to natural reason for orders in spiritual things 5. Conclus In things where reason and the light of nature can guide us we are yet to be guided by a surer direction in case it be afforded us Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them is a * Principium naturaliter notum in agibilibus Diō Carth. in Locum principle in Nature and Reason yet is our obedience to it pressed upon another account do it not for this is rational but for this is the Law and the Prophets Mat. 7.12 6. Conclus Reason even in men very rational is exceeding dark Why else in matters of that cognizance are wise and learned men so much divided Truly then in matters of Religion he that wil be meerly his own Scholar is not like to have an infallible master 7. Conclus What we rest upon by faith from the credit of God the revealer of it in the Gospel is more certain then what is demonstrable by reason Because we conclude it from a higher and safer principle Reason hath its evidence but from our own wisdom Faith hath hers from the Wisdom of God * Aliae scientiae certitudinem habent ex naturali lumine rationis humanae que potest errare theologia ex lumine divinae scientiae quae decipi non potest Aq. 1. p. q. 1. A. 5. 8. Conclus To beleeve no more then we have reason for is in a strict sence to beleeve nothing at al. Faith is an assent to what God reveals not to what reason dictates and doth then loose it self when it looks for grounds in natural reason without which it wil not bottom So then if we wil beleeve nothing but what we have reason for and wil indeed beleeve so much we must beleeve that we beleeve nothing at all for this is proved by reason See a relation of the conference between Laud and Fisher Edit 1639. in folio p. 75. 9. Conclus To beleeve