Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	abandon_v	church_n	falsehood_n	19	3	9.7631	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10399	Tvventy nine lectures of the Church very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church, especially in these times: wherein is handled, first, in generall concerning first, the name; secondly, the titles; thirdly, the nature, fourthly, the diuision of the true Church: secondly, of the visible Church ... and lastly, the application of it to all Churches in the world so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that learned and faithfull preacher, Master Iohn Randall, Batchelor of Diuinity, pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape, London, and sometimes fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford. Published by the coppie perfected and giuen by the author in his life time; carefully preserued and adorned with notes in the margent, by the late faithfull minister of Christ, Master William Holbrooke.	Randall, John, 1570-1622.; Holbrooke, William.	1631 (1631)	STC 20683; ESTC S115641	423,199	550

Christian borne and yet ioyne with the Iewish Church in their religion hee is not of the Christian but of the Iewish Church and so it is of all others So then the name of Church and Religion are in some sense yoke-fellowes all Churches receiuing denomination from the Religion they professe Now then Religion being as the forme of the Church giuing it name and being therefore looke what Religion it is that the Church professeth and such is the Church to bee reputed There is a true Religion and euery Church embracing and professing the same is to bee reputed a true Church as the reformed Churches There are many false Religions and euery Church professing such Religion are false Churches as the Churches of the Heathen that worship false Gods and so embrace false Religions And so the Churches of the Saracens that erect and set vp Mahomet against Christ and of the Iewes that deny the comming of the Messiah in the flesh are false Churches But there are some Churches that embrace party Religions in part true and in part false yea what Church is so pure that is not tainted with some error and what Church is there so impure that professeth not some notable heauenly Truths We must therefore consider what truths and what errors they hold and so the truth will bee soone decided Without Christ there is no saluation and so no true Church 1. Ioh. 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life If yee aske me whether one and the same Church may not bee a true Church in respect of some in it professing the truth or in respect of some fundamentall truths professed in it and yet a false Church in respect of some professing falshood in it or in respect of some fundamentall truths ouerthrowne in it I answer Surely it may till such time as the false Church hath gotten the vpper-hand and makes lawes for her errors and against the others truths with sentence of abandoning all those out of their Church which doe hold the truths So it was with the Church of Rome before the Councell of Trent And thus it was with the Church of Sardy Reuel 3.1 4. she had a name to liue but was dead and yet in the fourth Verse the Lord saith He hath a few names in Sardy c. Therefore take this for a Rule Whatsoeuer Church embraceth Christ Iesus God and Man the onely meanes of saluation is a true Church though tainted with many errors besides and on the contrary whatsoeuer Church beleeueth not this is a false Church though it hold many other excellent truths besides So much of the diuision of the name of the Church Now wee come to speake of the diuision of the thing it selfe that is of Gods Church which is not so to be vnderstood as if God had so many seuerall kinds of Churches for the Church as I haue shewed before is one and the same from the beginning of the world to the end that Church of God which was in the beginning and remaines now and shall continue to the worlds end is but one and the same Church therefore when we mention the diuision of the Church it selfe we meane not that it is seuerally diuided into diuers and seuerall kinds but distinguished in it selfe in diuers and sundry respects and principally for these first in respect of the bounds and limits or compasse of it secondly in respect of the seuerall portions belonging to it in the seuerall estates that it is ordained vnto thirdly in respect of the outward state of it to the world sometimes knowne sometimes vnknowne First it is distinguished in it self in respect of the bounds and compasse of it and so it is either vniuersal or particular vniuersall that is the whole company of Gods chosen both in heauen an earth But this hath no limits but is dispersed farre and wide ouer the face of the whole earth and reacheth to heauen it selfe But because I haue spoken of this before both in the Adiunct Catholike and also in handling the generall nature of the Church therefore I will trust your memories for that Point and not speake more here of it In the next place a particular Church that is euery particular company of the faithful or at least of those that are called to the profession of the faith which being seuerall by themselues of seuerall times and places are but particular Churches But because wee shall speake more properly of this when wee come to speake of the visible Church therefore we will respit it till then Secondly it is distinguished in it selfe in respect of the seuerall portions that belong vnto it in the seuerall states that it is ordained to and they are two The first is on earth or in this life and that is a fighting or warfare and the second is in heauen in the life to come crowned and triumphing And accordingly the Church is diuided into the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant To begin with the first the Church Militant is the Congregation of the faithfull on earth that doe continually exercise a spirituall warfare against sinne and Satan and all the aduersaries of God and of his Religion Marke the parts of the definition I say it is a Congregation of the faithfull that doe thus fight for though Hypocrites and sometimes those that doe persecute the Gospell doe fight the Lords Battels and so in a generall sense may be reputed parts of this Militant Church yet that is but colourably and outwardly for some sinister respect not in truth and singlenesse of heart nor in true hatred of sinne nor in a true desire to obey God and to aduance his Kingdome and glory And therefore to speake properly none are true parts of this Church Militant but the faithfull onely Secondly I say it is a spirituall warfare and that in many respects First it is spiritual in respect of the end of it for though sometimes the aduersaries of the faithfull oppugne them in their bodies and outward states yet it is meerely in a spiritual respect either directly or indirectly to hurt their spiritual estate or life of Grace so likewise when the faithfull defend their bodies or outward estate against their aduersaries when they maintaine their reputations or their liues it is not so much for the thing it selfe as to defend and maintaine our spirituall estates Secondly it is spirituall in respect of the weapons that are vsed in this fight for they are chiefely spirituall on both parts the aduersaries weapons are temptations c. the faithfull their weapons are the whole Armour of God Thirdly it is spirituall in regard of the Generals of the Field on both sides which are Spirits Gods good Spirit on the side of the faithfull and Satan and spirituall wickednesses on the wickeds side The third thing in the note is this that this warfare must be exercised continually for the enuious man

on earth for the Reas 4 worlds sake that must stand till the appointed time of dissolution but it cannot stand longer then the faithfull are in it for whose sake onely it is vpholden for the holy seed is the substance of the world as I shewed Isa 6.13 and therefore so long as the world stands they cannot be vtterly destroyed Fiftly the Church on earth is the Nurserie for heauen Reas 5 now in heauen are many mansions to be filled vp euery day therefore there must be a continuall supply from the Nursery on earth Sixthly there must be a continuall warre betwixt the Reas 6 seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 betwixt the wicked and the godly therefore as the wicked seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 betwixt the wicked and the godly therefore as the wicked the Serpents seed shal be alwayes on earth so likewise the faithfull the womans seed shal be alwaies on earth too Vse 1 The vses First this shewes the antiquity of the Church that it hath been from the beginning Truth is elder then falshood righteousnesse was before sinne Gods Church is ancienter then all prophane Assemblies whatsoeuer Caine is ancient being of the malignant Church but his Parents the Church in Paradise is ancienter Eue and Adam harkened to the voice of the Serpent and so committed sinne soone after the Creation yet there was a time before their fall when they beleeued and rested on God and his Word and were righteous The Diuell is a Lier from the beginning yet Gods Truth was in the beginning before that ●ie else it could not haue been peruerted with his Lye This serues first to stop the mouth of all Gainsaiers and aduersaries of Gods Church that Charge vs with nouelty to bee a new sect and challenge antiquitie to themselues that they are the ancient and true Church which are both lies for they are the nouellists not wee We are from the beginning before they had any being so that we are more ancient then they and their religion is nouelty and a new Sect. Secondly it may serue to confirme vs in the vndoubted assurance of the Truth and of that Faith and Religion which we professe That which is most ancient is most true as being immediatly and originally from the pure Fountaine the pure hands of God himselfe who is the ancient of dayes And contrarily all Religions which are lesse ancient are from some corrupt Channels degenerate from the originall sinceritie Now our Religion which we professe is most ancient and most pure and therefore let all contrary Doctrines and Religions hide their heads and be ashamed of themselues and yeeld the preheminence of pure Truth to our Religion that is most true and rightly ancient Vse 2 Secondly as this shewes the Antiquitie of the Church so likewise it proues the perpetuity of it As it was from the beginning of the world so it shall continue by succession to the end of the world as it was before all other Congregations so it shall see the rising and fall of all other Congregations but it selfe shall continue one and the same by a continuall succession where the Fathers are gone there Children shall stand vp in their steads and so Childrens Children to the worlds end There shall bee many changes and alterations from time to time yet still there shall bee a Church in all these changes If the Church faile in Paradise it shall be found out of Paradise If Israel fall away yet Iudah shall stand If the Iewes bee cast off yet the Gentiles shal be taken in Though Popery Turcisme and Iudaisme and Paganisme abound and fill the world and are vp in Armes against the Church yet there are some corners in the world that God hath reserued to shelter his Church in wherein they shall be preserued both from their persecution and infection The third Vse Is matter of Comfort to the faithfull Vse 3 First in regard of themselues for they are the onely people of continuance that are in the world they onely are sure of their esta●e and none else It is true that the wicked may flourish a long time in great prosperitie like to a greene Bay Tree but in time and sometimes very quickly they shall vanish away like smoke and consume as the fat of Lambes and nothing shall remaine of them but the faithfull shall stand fast for euer Psal 102.28 they may be afflicted persecuted and distressed on euery side yet they shall neuer be forsaken nor giuen ouer vtterly as a prey to their enemies If the wicked murder some of them yet God wil haue some of them remaine still let persecutours draw out the blood of Gods Children as long as they will or can yet still there shal be found some that will offer themselues to their bloody hands for the maintenance of Gods Truth as some are taken away God will still send them a new supply So then it is Comfort to them in regard of themselues that they shall neuer perish Secondly it is comfort to them in regard of their posterity and of the Church after them they need not say on their deathbeds as worldlings doe What shall become of my Children and goods after I am gone they need not say so of their spirituall goods let God alone with them leaue them to him the faithfull seed shall bee preserued and vpholden by his Fatherly prouidence to the worlds end and the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against them And as for the Truth of God the Gospell and the graces of the Spirit which themselues are seized on in their life time God will dispose of them to the right heires heires of his owne begetting add raising vp he will find heires for them successiuely from age to age to the last end Then Christ Iesus himselfe shall come and hee shall stand last vpon the earth and so the Church shall be the first and the last The first Adam the first man on earth beginning the Church on earth And the second Adam the last man vpon the earth finishing it vp by his personall presence hauing continued and maintained it by his owne power from the first beginning to the worlds end And shall the Church haue an end then No though all things bee then at an end yet the Church shall not yet be at an end but as it is for euer here so it shall continue for euer in heauen too and that in a farre safer and happier and more glorious estate then euer it did in this world Psal 102.28 Vse 4 The fourth Vse is for discouragement to wicked men and Persecutors in that which they doe against Gods Church What can they doe against it roote it out as many times they say they will No doe they what they can by themselues by their Instruments they can neuer roote it out Let Kings and Rulers and Gentiles and people fret and rage and band themselues together against the Lord and

more then light and euill more then goodnesse and howsoeuer the Spirit bee giuen them to enlighten them and to relieue them against each Infirmity yet their weaknesse is such that they are not so farre capable of the Spirit as that thereby they are enabled to vnderstand and know all Truthes and practise all goodnesse The Spirit indeed in it selfe is all sufficient but in them not so sufficient nothing can be receiued but according to the capacity of him that receiues it be the master neuer so good to teach yet if the Scholler be not capable of the Art he teacheth he shall neuer bring him to it so it is in this the Spirit is sufficient to teach them all Truthes but they are not capable of them the Spirit is sufficient in them for Saluation but not for perfect knowledge or obedience and that by reason of their frailty that they are not so farre capable of the Spirit The second reason is Satans malice and subtilty who Reas 2 as he is the father of lyes himselfe and the Auhor of all error and sinne so hee ceaseth not to tempt both to error and wickednesse and his labour is not altogether lost but that he fastens some of his Infections in both kindes on the best men Liuing or at the least as a hinderer he hinders that truth and holinesse is not embraced at least not in that measure that it should yea and he soweth errors and sinnes like Tares vpon that good seede of Truth and holinesse which Gods Spirit hath sowen in our hearts Thirdly whilest wee liue here we haue many occasions Reas 3 of Error many deceiuers false Apostles Heretiques Scismaticks many ill examples perswasions and sundry prouocations and these are too strong for vs to withstand them all and that at all times at least not so that wee may be free from all Infection by them Fourthly Our perfection both for knowledge and Reas 4 obedience is respited to the life to come not attained to in this life by the perfectest Phil. 3.12 the Apostle saith that he had not attained to perfection though he were inferior to no man no it is not for this life it is respited to the life to come then the Church shall be without spot or wrinckle Eph. 5.27 and that not onely by Imputation as we are here but by actuall possession then shall that be verified Cant. 4.7 where the Church is said to be all faire and no spot in her but that is for the Church glorious and triumphant it cannot bee so with the Church militant but they must sit downe vnder that ignorance and error which they cannot preuaile against and pray daily Lord forgiue vs our trespasses So you see the point made plaine by reasons too Vse 1 The vses are these First here is matter of Instruction teaching vs to humble our selues and to bee cast downe in our soules in that wee are such vile and corrupt wretches brutish in our selues both for matter of knowledge and obedience for so the Scripture sets vs foorth that wee are euen beasts in both First for knowledge the Prophet saith Ieremy 10.14 Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge and for Obedience it is said Iob 15.16 that man drinketh vp Iniquitie as water c. concerning knowledge First wee finde by experience that wee loue error and falshood and that we are ready to accept lyes at the hands of Sathan and other deceiuers wee embrace them with both handes and make much of them and hardly can abide to bee wonne from them wee are sooner and easier perswaded from an hundred Truthes then from one Error Secondly for Truth wee know that naturally wee hate and abhorre it wee cannot learne or finde it our selues nor yet are we willing to receiue it from others when it is brought to vs no not when God himself and his Word his own blessed Spirit tenders it vnto vs or if wee doe receiue it it is but in part to the halues deadly and coldly and fearefully and wee are easily drawen from it the Euill one catching it out of our hearts our mindes wauering carried away with euery wind or blast of vaine Doctrine or if wee doe receiue it and sticke to it it is with much infirmity wee are apt to defile it with our owne Inuentions deuises glosses additions detractions mistakings doubts distrustes idle and euill apprehensions the Lord knowes the thoughts of man that they are all but vaine So concerning obedience we finde that of our selues we are prone to all sin and averse from all righteousnesse and in this wee doe much more resist the spirit of Grace then them former the Reason is this Truth and falshood being of the vnderstanding reason and iudgement the highest faculties of the soule we can more easily submit to the power of the Word and Spirit but good and euill being of the will and heart and affections the more base and more carnall parts in vs and the doing of good and the forbearing of euill being the denying of our selues and the bridling of the course of nature the forsaking of all our pleasures and profits and indeed the breaking of our hearts It is death to vs to bee thus mastred and this is the reason that wee are much more vnwilling to reforme in matters of obedience then in matters of knowledge and that reformation which wee doe attaine to in matters of obedience is much more imperfect then in matters of knowledge Let vs consider rightly of this and seeing the case stands thus with vs let vs be ashamed confounded before the presence of God and hate and abhorre our selues in dust and ashes what are wee ignorant of our selues and yet will not learne naught and sinfull and cannot bee reformed How doth this prouoke Gods Wrath against vs what a deforming is this to his Image in vs what dishonour to his name what griefe is this to his spirit that hee hath to deale with such peruerse and froward Schollers that will not bee taught by him either wee will not receiue his good motions at all or else not as wee should what reioycing is this to Satan that can insult and say I can perswade men to error and sinne when as Gods Spirit and his motions to Truth and righteousnes are reiected this is a great gratifying of Satan and a great reioycing to him besides what hurt doe wee to those amongst whom wee liue But specially what wrong doe we to our owne Soules this is to forsake our owne mercy and herein our selues are the chiefest Enemies to our owne saluation let vs confesse this to God and bewaile it and instantly beg pardon of him for it and striue the best we can against ●● and let vs bee humbled all our daies that we can striue no better against this brutish nature of ours Vse 1 The second vse is for Refutation of the Puritanes those ancient hereticks that held an absolute perfection in this life and so the Papists