Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	believe_v	scripture_n	1,612	5	5.8214	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37090	A summarie platform of the heads of a body of practicall divinity which the ministers of the Protestant churches abroad have sued for, and which is farther enlarged in a treatise intituled, An earnest plea for gospel-communion, &c.	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1654 (1654)	Wing D2890; ESTC R37314	6,354	13

A SUMMARIE PLATFORM OF The heads of a Body of Practicall DIVINITY Which the Ministers of the Protestant Churches abroad have sued for and which is farther enlarged in a Treatise intituled An earnest Plea for Gospel-Communion c. LONDON Printed for Richard Wodenothe in Leaden hall-street 1654. The Copie of a Letter written by Doctor Vsher the Primate of Armach to Master Dury concerning the Publishing of this Body of Practical Divinitie according to the premised Model Master Dury I Am glad that you are still willing to take some pains about the procuring of a body of practical Divinity a work which I have long wished for and which formerly my heart was in and my hand would have been in if God had been pleased to continue our Peace for when you brought over the Letters from the Forreign Churches wherein they made it their Request unto us to Gratifie their Churches with some Endeavours about the Compilement of this Work which were seconded by a Letter from the Ministers in and about London unto me when I was in Ireland many yeers ago I was very glad of the motion and laid it seriously to heart and conferred with some of my Brethren about it that we might bring the work to some Perfection Doctor Downam the then Bishop of London-Derry was a man whose studies were much bent that way for which cause it was referred to him and he readily did undertake the task to draw up a Model or Platform according to which that Systeme or Body might be Compiled that the Ministers who had written to me might be able to chuse their tasks and set themselves awork about it this Model he promised to send unto me to revise it before it should be imparted to the foresaid Ministers that in our joint name it might be sent unto them But he either for want of health or some other impediments did not expedite the Work before his death when the troubles of Scotland did begin which had some Reflexion upon us in Ireland I being come over hither he the Bishop of Derry being dead the troubles of Ireland taking fire at the Proceedings of the then Parliament here and the great Distractions of this and the other two Nations increasing ever since I could not do what was desired of me what I heartily desired might have been done and wish yet may be done for it will never be too late or unseasonable to set upon such an enterprize if therefore by your solicitation and pains you can oblige those that in the Vniversities or in and about this City are able and willing to undertake it I think you will do a work very acceptable to all that are Godly and Profitable to all the Churches at home and abroad Let me therefore intreat you to proceed that whiles there is any appearance of doing good to our Generation we may not neglect the opportunity As for the Modell of the Heads which you have shewed unto me I shall advise this that the Precognitions may not be insisted upon largely but as briefly and substantially as may be and if some References be made unto such Authours as handle the heads of the Precognitions more at large it may give satisfaction to such as will be more curious and desirous to see things amply handled Secondly my advise is that the work may be contracted to as few hands as may be who may meet and confer together about it when they are perfecting their tasks Thirdly I would not have the Work too large and voluminous for several reasons yet as full of matter as can be and where enlargements may be thought useful references may be made to such Authours as use them most effectually Lastly concerning the Cases of Conscience which should be handled in this Body I think they may be brought in and inserted under every head of matter whereunto they belong This is for the Present that which I would suggest I pray God direct and assist you and all those that go about it and what I shall be able to do towards the Encouragement of able Workmen therein you may be confident shall not be wanting from Your loving Friend Ja. Armachanus From my Study the 14th of Decemb. 1653. The Direction To my loving Friend Master John Dury these A SVMMARY PLATFORM Of the Heads of a Bodie of Practicall Divinity BY the Body of Practicall Divinity is meant a full and orderly Collection of all Divine Truths relating to the Practice of Piety to be digested into a Systeme or some other kinde of Book The Scope then of this Book should be to hold forth the whole Doctrine of the life of Godliness in an exact description of all the Precognitions Principles and Parts thereof with a Resolution of the materiall doubts which may be incident thereunto This Doctrine may be delivered two wayes One way Positively by holding forth the undoubted Truths as they are Demonstrable from their proper grounds Another way Doubtfully by resolving all the Cases of Conscience which are raised thereupon The Positive Doctrine will be compleat if it deliver three things First the Precognitions which are to be presupposed that it may be acknowledged that there is a life of Godliness Secondly the Principles which are to be received and believed that the life of Godliness may have a being and be entertained in the soul Thirdly the Parts which are to be wrought out in the whole man that the life of Godliness may be powerfully effectual in all his faculties and wayes Of the Precognitions The Precognitions are certain Truths which presuppose a man only to be rational and are to be made out unto him as such therefore they must not be deduced and offered unto him as Scriptural Oracles but as Conclusions evinced from the grounds of sound reason and may be referred to six Heads 1 That there is a Supreme Power over all things visible and invisible which amongst all men is called God 2 That this Supreme Power is to be feared worshipped and glorified by man 3 That this Supreme Power is a Rewarder of those that seek after him with fear to worship and glorifie him 4 That the Writings of the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles in the Old and New Testament are the Word of God 5 That these Writings were given to teach men the true way to seek after God by Fearing Worshipping and Glorifying him 6 That there shall be a time wherein God will judge men according to the Works wherein they have or have not Feared Worshipped and Glorified him Of the Principles The Principles are certain Truths which presuppose a man to believe that the Scriptures are Gods Word and upon this supposal this fundamental position is to be made out which is the root of all the Principles of Godliness viz. That in the Scriptures God doth hold forth a Covenant to be entertained between himself men which being believed two things are afterward to be delivered from the Scriptures First how the Covenant

is revealed therein Secondly how it is made and confirmed with men Concerning the revealing of the Covenant in the Scriptures the Doctrine of the Canonical Books which are the only true instrument of the Covenant as they are distinguishable from the Apocryphal is to be delivered where two things are to be made out First what the true Characters of Canonical Scripture are and that the Apocryphal Books have them not Secondly that in the Canonical Books the Truth and Covenant of God is held forth by Divine Authority Infallibly perfectly and evidently Concerning the making of the Covenant two things are to be held forth from the Scriptures First what the Tenour of the Covenant is which God doth make with men Secondly what the Motives are which oblige men in conscience to entertain it Concerning the Tenour of the Covenant three things are to be opened First who the persons are concerned in the Covenant Secondly what the form of the contract and the terms of the agreement are between these persons Thirdly what the performance and accomplishment is of that which is contracted and agreed upon The Persons concerned in the Covenant are God Mankinde and Jesus Christ God is considered here as he is the Authour of the Covenant and as such only revealed and to be known by us Mankinde is considered as he is bound to depend upon God by a Covenant Jesus Christ is considered as he is the Alone Mediator between God and man by a Covenant in respect Of his twofold Nature as being both God and man in one person and consequently a true Medium and centre of all Gods and mens properties Of his threefold Offices as being the great Prophet the High Priest and the only King of all Saints in heaven and in earth Of his twofold state of life the first of Humiliation on earth the second of Exaltation in heaven and the works of his Mediation between God and man in both estates The form of the contract and the terms of the agreement are to be opened in shewing two things 1 That the manner of Gods contracting is with none directly and properly but with his only begotten Son and with mankinde only in by and through him 2 That the things promised by God and the terms upon which they are promised are distinguishable First as the promises are made to Christ Secondly as they are made to the believers in him And lastly as they are made to the professors of his Name The performance and accomplishment of that which is promised and agreed upon to be done on all sides is to be opened in tvvo things 1 Hovv Christ by his obedience and sufferings having performed all that he did undertake towards God for mankind did by his death make over all the promises of the Covenant by way of Testament unto such as believe and profess in his Name that from him by Faith they might become theirs directly and properly 2 How the Father by his power and glory made good unto Christ all his promises by raising him from the dead by setting him at his right hand and by giving him all power in heaven earth to administer his own Testament by sending forth the Holy Ghost for through in and by the preaching of the Gospel And in this Administration of the Testament of Christ by the Spirit in the Gospel there is to be opened 1 A general call given and an offer of Grace made by Christ on Gods part unto all that hear the Gospel 2 A particular application of Grace dispensed according to Gods own will whereby the terms of the Covenant are made good To all believers by their effectual calling and conversion unto God and by their constant perseverance in grace unto the end To all professors by their gathering of themselves together into one body and by their mutual edification and growth through the unity of the Spirit and the communion of holy duties The tenour of the covenant being thus opened the Motives which are powerful to oblige mens consciencies to entertain the offer and keep the tenour thereof are to be delivered and may be reduced to three heads viz. 1 To the happiness which in this life befals to those who are in Covenant with God See Psal 25.10 2 To the obligation which lies upon the consciences of men to obey Gods Commandements and his calls 3 To the condition wherein men shall be at the day of Judgement When these heads are handled which concern the making of the Covenant then the Truth concerning the confirmation of the Covenant is to be opened to which head doth belong the Doctrine of the signes annexed unto the administration thereof amongst the professors where two things are chiefly to be insisted upon 1 How they are instituted and appointed by God to be outward means to assure us of his meaning and to seal up the realty of his working and effecting the tenour of the Covenant in the inward man 2 How they are to be used by us that we may be confirmed in Grace thereby and receive the effect of that for which God hath appointed them Hitherto the Doctrines have been mentioned which relate unto the principle of the life of Godliness which is the Covenant of Grace now follow the heads of Doctrine which contein the parts of this life which are two The one conteining the substantial the other the circumstantial life of Godliness The Substantial life is the power and practice of all the truth whereby God is enjoyed in the Covenant and the Doctrine thereof may contein two parts The first should hold forth the Material parts of the life of Godliness distinctly The second the formal union of these parts in the whole man conjoyntly The Material parts of the substantial life of Godliness make up the inward and the outward man of God The inward man of God is the New Creature whereof the Doctrine to be delivered should contein these heads 1 What the Regenerate state of the soul is and how it is wrought by the Spirit of God 2 How it is discerned and differenced from the unregenerate state of the soul 3 What the acts and motions of the spiritual life are wherein the regenerate soul hath secret fellowship with God 4 What the deceits are of natural imaginations of superstitious practices and of Satanical delusions mixing himself therewith whereby he doth transform himself into an Angel of light and whereby the soul is bewitched and possessed with an unclean spirit instead of being renewed by the Holy Ghost The outward man of God is the state of life wherein all our wayes are through the inward principle made conformable unto the heavenly calling Here the Doctrines are to be delivered 1 Of self-denial in respect of ungodliness and worldly lusts which cleaving to our nature are fomented from without in our flesh 2 Of self resignation or of offering up our wayes to walk after the Spirit by The life of Sobriety in respect of our selves The life of Righteousness