Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	faith_n	word_n	22,389	5	4.8064	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67484	A still and soft voice from the scripture vvitnessing them to be the vvord of God.	Walwyn, William, 1600-1681.	1647 (1647)	Wing W692; ESTC R38023	8,703	18

necessary and usefull nor doe I know that I have ever purposely set my self to debate any serious matter slightly or carelessely though cheerefully And my manner is what ever is in debate to search it thorowly being of an opinion that what is really true stands the firmer for being shaken like a house that is built upon a rock I have been much troubled to observe men earnestly engage to maintaine the strongest maximes and principle by weak arguments the weaknesse whereof I have endevoured to manifest that I might discover the weaknesse of such practises and to make it evident that fundamentall truthes support all things and need no supporters Thou bearest not the root but the root thee But this my free dealing with uncharitable or superstitious people hath found this evill returne they have reported me to deny that there is a God when I have only denyed the validity of a weak argument produced to prove that there is a God it being too too common to insist upon meere notionall indigested arguments so also have I been most uncharitably slandered to deny the Scriptures to bee the word of God because I have opposed insufficient arguments produced to prove them such and because at the same time I have refused to shew the grounds inducing me to beleeve them Now it hath been my lot to be drawne into discourses of this nature for the most part by timerous scrupulous people in whom I have discouvered so much impatience and discerned content at the shaking of their arguments that I have not discerned any reason to open my selfe ac that time yet I never parted with any of them but I alwayes prosessed that I did believe both that there is a God that the Scriptures are the Word of God though I judged their grounds not good and withall that if they would be so ingenious as to acknowledge the weaknesse of their arguments I would then shew them my ground of faith or it at any time they stood in need I would not be wanting to the uttermost of my power to supply them but I have seldome found any who in the heat of contest and prosecudon of dispute have been qualified to receive what I had to say touching this matter their apprehension and mine being at too great a distance therein But I blesse God it is not so ill with me as some bad minded men desire nor as some weak and scrupulous men imagin And there are some ingenious men with whom I have daily converst that know I doe acknowledge and beleeve there is a God and that the Scriptures are the Word of God Yet the testimony of men in this case to mee is little my owne conscience being as a thousand witnesses That there is a God I did never beleeve through any convincing power I have ever discerned by my utmost consideration of any natural argument or reason I ever heard or read But it is an unexpressible power that in a forcible manner constraines my understanding to acknowledge and beleeve that there is a God and so to beleeve that I am fully perswaded there is no consider at man in the world but doth believe there is a God And That the. Scriptures are the Word of God I shall clearly make the same profession That I have not beleeved them so to be by force of any argument I have ever heard or read I rather find by experience most if not all arguments produced in prejudice thereof Art argument and compulsive power in this case holding resemblance with the mighty strong wind the Earth quake and fire distracting terrifying and scorching the minds of men but I beleeve them through an irresistible perswafive power that from within them like unto the soft still voyce wherein God was hath pierced my judgment and affection in such sort that with aboundance of joy and gladnesse I beleeve and in beleeving have that Peace which passeth all utterance or expression and which hath appeared unto me after so many sad conflicts of adistracted conscience and wounded spirit that it is to me a heaven upon earth It being now long since I blesse God that I can truly say My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise In other respects I conceive the most holy upon earth if they give impartiall eare to this voyce will finde no cause to boast or to finde fault with others but as Eliah to cover their faces with a mantle And truly were it not that too too many pretenders to Religion are over apt to receive false reports which is a most uncharitable disposition and over-prone to make the worst construction which is altogether unchristian it had beene impossible for any to have abused me in these or any other respects But it will be neefull for all such seriously to lay to heart that they ought to do as they would he done unto in all things that he who seemeth to bee religious and bridles not his tongue that mans religion is vaine That he who boasteth to beleeve a God and the Scriptures to be the Word of God and glorieth in his ability of exposition thereof yet applieth it to the discovery of a mote in his brothers eye rather then a became in his own he whose expressions and actions do demonstrate him to say within himselfe Lord I thank thee I am not as other men extortioners unjust adulterers nor as this Publican This man whoever he be is not yet got through the lesson of the Pharistes that were wise in their owne eyes and despised others But it would be much more profitable to society and good neighbourhood that there were a more exact accompt taken by every man of his owne wayes it is verily thought most men neede not goe abroad for want of work if either pride covetousnesle backbiting unreasonable jealosy vanity of minde dotage upon superfluities with hard heartednesse to the poore were thought worthy of Reformation To be zealous in lipp service or to expresse our devotion in censuring of others yeelds neither honour to God nor good to man Who were more blinde then those who said are wee blind also the Angell of the Church of Laodicea boasted that he was rich and increased with goods and had neede of nothing and knew not that he was wretched and misserable and poor and blind and naked Wee have many now a dayes who are doubly unjust and thinke not of it they are partiall and favourable in examining and corecting of themselves and severe towards others when as they ought to be severe towards themselves and favourable towards others And it is a fault not easily mended it requires agreater power of true religion to doe it then the most have as yet attained if one may judge by the Fruites and therefore it will be good for every one to neglect that which is behinde and to presse forward to the marke for the price of the high Calling of God which is in Jesus Christ either renounce

A STILL AND SOFT VOICE From the Scriptures VVitnessing them to be the VVord of God 1 Kings 19.11.12 And he said to Eliah come out and stand upon the Mount before the Lord. And behold the Lord went by and a mighty strong wind rent the Mountaines and brake the Rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind came an Earth-quake but the Lord was not in the Earth-quake And after the Earth-quake came fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire came a still and soft voice And when Eliah heard it he covered his face with a Mantle c. Printed in the Yeare 1647. A Still and Soft Voice A She who is arrived to the full age of a man and seriously considers the severall passages and progresse of his fore past life what he did or understood when he was a child a youth a young man a meere man or before he came to be advised and to consider all things by true rules of reason is best able to deale with every one in every age and condition to shew them their vanity ignorance and mistakings and to point them out the path of vertue Experience making the best Schoole-master in things naturall and morall Even so is it in Religion he only can best judge advise and counsell others who hath observed and most seriously considered the severall passages and progresse of his owne knowledge in things divine yet who are so forward to judge and comptrole therein as meere smatterers and such as have least experience I suppose it will be acknowledged by ail experienced Christians that the greatest number of men and women in the world are drawne into the consideration and Practice of Religion by education and custome of the place where they are bred and that many never have any other foundation nor motive to continue therein then the reputation it brings them all other religions or wayes of worship being discountenanced and out of credit such as these are Champions for what 's in fashion ever running with the streame and crying downe all contrary minded Vox populi Vox dei the Major voice then which nothing is more uncertain in Religion is to these as the voice of God and when they are zealous for vulgar opinions they thinke they are zealous for God and his truth when they revile abuse and hale men before the Magistrates and even kill and destroy them they think they doe God good service being zealous of the traditions of the times for though truth should be publickly professed yet to such as hold it only by education and custome it is in them traditionall and they are not truly religious but meere morrall christians utterly ignorrant of the cleare Heavenly brightnesse inherent in pure and undefiled Religion But though it be evident that there are too too many who hold their religion on this fraile foundation yet it is very comfortable to behold the sincerity of multitudes of good people in our dayes who not content to possesse their knowledg in a traditionall way doe accustome themselves to try and examine all things Yet as it is a hard thing unto men bred so vainly as most men are to keepe the golden meane in naturall or morrall Reformations so is it difficult to preserve from extreames in matters of religion the reason is because in our tryalls and examinations we have not that heedfull care which is absolutely necessary to free our Judgments from absurdityes or improper things common and uvlgar arguments catching fast hold upon us too suddenly and so we engage over violently averring and maintayning without giving due time to our consideration to worke and debate it selfe into necessary conclusions The first sort of these religious persons are deadly enemies to examination and tryall of things we say they are not fit to Judge or these matters ne sutor ultra crepidam is commonly in their mouthes the Cobler ought not to goe beyond his last what are the learned for if these high things fall within the compasse of our capacities why chuse wee wise and juditious men more able then our selves but to reforme and settle Religion if you draw them into any discourse and endeavour to shew them their weakenesse their only aime is how to entrap you in your words and if it be possible to make you obnoctious to authority If their ignorance and superstition appeare so grosse and palpable that in loving tearmes and for their better information you demand how they come to know there is a God or that the scriptures are the word of God their common answer is doe you deny them it seemes you doe otherwise why doe you aske such questions if they offer to proove by some common received argument and you shew the weakenesse thereof they 'le goe nigh to tell you to your face and report for certaine behind your back to all they know or can know that you are an Athiest that you deny there is a God and deny the Scriptures to be the word of God nor doe they hate any sort of men so much as those who are inquisitive after knowledge judgeing them as busie bodyes men of unquiet spirits that know not when they are well or when they have sufficient for their parts they are constant in one for the substance their principles are not of yesterday but of many yeares standing and the most learned and wise are of their way and why should not others be as well content as they is it fit say they that every one should follw his owne understanding in the worship of God wee see what comes of it when men once forsake the beaten Road the Kings high way in Religion into how many by-pathes doe they runne nay whether would they not runne if our care were not to hedg and keepe them in And thus ignorance becomes many times Judge of knowledge and the most grosse and slothfull comptroler of the most active in Religion Of this sort of men there are very many and they are made very much use of by worldly Pollititians who have found by constant experience that superstition is the easiest meanes to lead a multitude this way or that way as their occasions and purposes may require and on the contrary that true Religion is in it selfe as oppsite to their unjust ends as it is to superstition and therefore if they observe any man who out of the principles of true Religion opposeth their ends at him they let loose these ignorant and morrall christians furnish them with reproachfull tales and falshoods against him call him Athiest Infidell Heritick Scismatick any thing which is as eagerly effected as wickedly devised and how to stop these mens mouthes is in my apprehention no lesse a worke then to make white a Blackamore Those others who are startled in their consciences and roused by the word of God out of this worldly way of religion or running with the streame it is a hard matter to