Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	ghost_n	holy_a	inspire_v	2,844	5	10.2489	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69235	A treatise against lying Wherein is shevved vvhat it is, the nature and causes of this sinne, the divers kindes of it; and that all of them are sinfull, and unlawfull, with the motives and meanes to preserve us from it, or to cure us of it. By John Dovvname, B. of D. and preacher of Gods Word.	Downame, John, d. 1652.	1636 (1636)	STC 7149; ESTC S116622	107,724	178

17. 10. and deceitfull above all things that none can know them nor search the gulph of corruption and sinke of sin to the bottome and because wee have in us naturally the seeds of all wickednesse and flagitious impieties which are ready to sproute and to bring forth their cursed fruite upon all occasions if they be not checked and nipt with Gods grace and holy Spirit so that wee doe not wrongfully accuse our selves of those grosse acts of sinne as murther adultery drunkennesse and the like of which our consciences in the sight of God doe cleare and acquit us because hereby we give glory unto God magnifying his mercy and bounty who hath forgiven unto us such great debts and because we doe also exercise our repentance and increase our sorrow for sinne and worke our hearts to a true hatred of it according to that of the Prophet Then shall Ezech. 36. 31. ye remember your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquities and abominations But when wee have to deale with men wee must speake the truth as we in our understanding conceive of it as well of our selves as of other men and though we ought for the most part modestly to conceale those things which concerne our owne prayses and may to the full lay open our wants and infirmities when just occasion shall bee offered yet when wee are necessarily put to speake of either we must not out of a sinnefull modesty lye and betray the truth but ingenuously speake what wee truely conceive neither denying or too much extenuating Gods gifts and graces in us nor accusing our selves of those sinnes imperfections and corruptions of which we know that wee are as cleare as other of Gods servants yea if we be unjustly suspected and accused of them we are bound in conscience to excuse and defend our selves and to manifest what we can our owne innocency For first Gods Law requireth that wee should give a true testimony of our selves as well as of others and use all good means to preserve our owne fame and good name as well as our neighbours Secondly by denying Gods gifts and graces in us wee ungratefully dishonour him not acknowledging his bounty and goodnes towards us and refusing to ascribe unto him the Glory of these gifts whereof hee is the Author Thirdly we put out these lights which were given Matth. 5. 16. us to this end that shining before men they might take occasion thereby to glorifie our Heavenly Father Fourthly wee wrong our neighbours by working in their mindes a false opinion and by causing them unjustly to sleight and disesteeme us when as they thinke that our gifts and good parts are much lesser and our faults and sinnes far greater than in truth they are seeing men for the most part speake of themselves rather better than worse than they deserve And secondly whilest wee suppresse deny or extenuate our vertues and aggravate our failings and corruptions wee neglect this Christian duty of edifying one another by our good example and contrariwise make our selves scandalous and offensive And finally wee wrong our owne persons for if it bee an injury to belye another it is no lesse if we belye our selves and if it bee an unjust and uncharitable act to robbe our neighbors of their good name by false extenuatiōs of the good things which are in them or aggravations of their faults and faylings how can it bee lesse sinnefull if wee use the same meanes to spoile our selves of this precious jewell To this purpose though in another case Saint Augustine excellently speaketh for confuting the Pelagians and Coelestianians who affirmed that they were pure and free from sin and yet for humility sake against their conscience and perswasion confessed their sinnes of which they thought themselves pure and cleare hee thus convinceth them of their errour Dost thou saith he lye for humility Thou art just and without sinne but for humilities sake thou Propter humilitatem ergo mentiris c. August de verbis Apostoli Serm. 29. Tom. 10. callest thy selfe a sinner how shall I receive thee as a Christian for a witnesse against another whom I finde to bee a false witnesse against thy selfe Thou art just thou art without sinne and yet thou sayest that thou hast sinne therefore thou art a false witnesse against thy selfe God will not accept of thy lying humility examine thy life and looke into thy conscience c. How shall I take thee for a witnesse in another mans cause who lyest in thine owne Thou makest Saints guilty whilest thou bearest against thy selfe a false testimony what wilt thou doe to another who slanderest thy selfe I demand art thou just or a sinner thou answerest a sinner Thou lyest because thou doest not say that with thy mouth which thou beleevest of thy selfe in thy heart And therefore though thou wilt not be a sinner before now thou beginnest to bee since thou lyest For thou sayest for humilities sake that thou callest thy selfe a sinner c. But can there be humility where there is falsity But against this is objected that we have many §. 2. The Example of Agur in defence of modest lyes objected and answered examples of holy men in the Scriptures that in modesty and humility have abased themselves in the acknowledgement of their wants infirmities and sinnes beyond all boundes of Truth against some whereof wee can take no exceptions seeing they were Pen-men of the Scriptures and immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. The first is of Agur who being a Prophet of great wisedome and understanding thus abaseth and vilifieth himselfe Surely I am more brutish than any Prov. 30. 2. man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisedome nor have the knowledge of the Holy I answere that we must not understand these wordes simply and absolutely but respectively First in respect of the Person to whom he speaketh and in whose presence hee standeth to wit Ithiel which signifieth the strong God with us and Veal signifying one who having all power in his hand is able to doe whatsoever he will By both which he understandeth our Lord JESUS CHRIST the Wisedome and Power of his FATHER in comparison of whom the wisest in the world are brutish and destitute of knowledge Secondly he maketh this acknowledgement in respect of the subject matter which he was to speake of namely divine and heavenly Wisedome which as much transcended his reach and capacity as reason in man excelleth brutish sense according to that of the Psalmist Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me Psal 139. 6. It is high I cannot attaine unto it And that of the Apostle And who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. Thirdly hee speaketh not simply but respectively comparing the little which hee knew with the much which hee knew not like that of Socrates hoc unum