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	word_n	1,745	5	4.0513	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90265	The duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. Or A briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. Especially concerning the means to be used by the people of God (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. Wherein bounds are prescribed to their peformances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid downe in directions, drawn from Scripture-precepts, and the practise of Gods people in all ages. Together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / By John Ovven, M.A. of Q. Col. O.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1644 (1644)	Wing O741; Thomason E49_6; ESTC R2375	45,909	59

I conceive concerning extraordinary calling to the publick teaching of the word in what cases onely it useth to take place whence I conclude that whosoever pretends unto it not warranted by an evidence of one of those three wayes that God taketh in such proceedings is but a pretender an impostor and ought accordingly to be rejected of all Gods people in other cases not to disuse what outward ordinary occasion from them who are intrusted by commission from God with that power doth conferre upon persons so called we must needs grant it a negative voyce in the admission of any to the publick Preaching of the Gospell if they come not in at that doore they do climbe over the wall if they make any entrance at all It remaines then to shut up all that it be declared What private Christians living in a pure Orthodoxe well ordered Church may doe and how far they may interest themselves in holy soule-concerning affaires both in respect of their owne particular and of their brethren in the midst of whom they live in which determination because it concerneth men of low degree and those that comparatively may be said to be unlearned I shall labour to expresse the conceivings of my minde in as familiar plaine observations as I can onely thus much I desire may be premised that the principles and rules of that Church governement from which in the following assertions I desire not to wander is of that to which I doe and alwayes in my poore judgement have adhered since by Gods assistance I had engaged my selfe to the study of his word which commonly is called Presbyteriall or Synodicall in opposition to Prelaticall or Diocesan on the one side and that which is commonly called Independant or Congregationall on the other 1. Then a diligent searching of the Scriptures with fervent prayers to Almighty God for the taking away that vaile of ignorance which by nature is before their eyes that they may come to a saving knowledge in and a right understanding of them is not only lawfull and convenient for all men professing the name of Christ but also absolutly necessary because commanded yea indeed commanded because the end so to be attained is absolutely necessarie to salvation to confirme this I need not multiply precepts out of the old or new Testament such as that of Isa. 8. 20. To the law and to the testimony and that of Joh 5. 39. Search the Scriptures which are inumerable nor yet heap up motives unto it such as are the discription of the heavenly countrey whither we are going in them is cōtained Joh. 14. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Revel 22. 1. c. the way by which we are to travaile laid down Iohn 5. 39. and 14. 5 6. Jesus Christ whom we must labour to be like painted out Gal. 3. 1. and the back-parts of God discovered Deut. 29. 29. by them onely true spirituall wisdom is conveied to our souls Iere. 8. 9. whereby we may become even wiser then our teachers Psa. 119. in them all comfort and consolation is to be had in the time of danger and trouble Psa. 119. 54. and 71 72. in briefe the knowledge of Christ which is life eternall Ioh. 17. 3. yea all that can be said in this kinde comes infinitely short of those treasures of wisdom riches goodnes which are contained in them the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psa. 19. 7. but this duty of the people is cleere and confessed the objections of the Papists against it being for the most part so many blasphemies against the holy word of God they accuse it of difficulty which God affirmes to make wise the simple of obscurity which openeth the eyes of the blinde to be a dead letter a nose of wax which is quicke and powerfull pearcing to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit to be weake and insufficient which is able to make the man of God perfect and wise unto salvation yea that word which the Apostle affirmeth to be profitable for reproofe is not in any thing more full then in reproving of this blasphemy 2. They may not onely as before search the Scriptures but also examine and try by them the doctrine that publikely is taught unto them the people of God must not be like children tossed too and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Ephes. 4. 14. all is not presently Gospell that is spoken in the Pulpit it is not long since that Altar-worship Arminianisme Popery Superstition c. were freely preached in this Kingdom now what shall the people of God do in such a case yeild to every breath to every puffe of false doctrine or rather try it by the word of God and if it be not agreeable thereunto cast it out like salt that hath lost its savour must not the people take care that they be not seduced must they not beware of false Prophets which come unto them in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves and how shall they do this what way remaines but a trying their doctrine by the rule in these evill dayes wherein we live I heare many daily complaining That there is such difference and contrariety among preachers they know not what to doe nor scarce what to believe my answer is Do but your own duty and this trouble is at an end is there any contrarity in the book of God pin not your faith upon mens opinions the Bible is the touchstone that there is such diversity amongst teachers is their fault who should thinke all the same thing but that this is so troublesome to you is your own fault for neglecting your duty of trying all things by the word Alas you are in a miserable condition if you have all this while relied on the authority of men in heavenly things he that builds his faith upon preachers though they preach nothing but truth and he pretend to believe it hath indeed no faith at all but a wavering opinion built upon a rotten foundation what ever then is taught you you must go with it to the law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. yea the Bereans are highly extolled for searching whether the Doctrine concerning our Saviour preached by St. Paul were so or no Acts 17. 11. agreeably to the precept of the same Preacher 1 Thes. 5. 21. Make triall of all things and hold fast that which is good as also to that of St. John 1 Epist. 4. 1. Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false spirits ar● gone out into the world prophets then must be tried before they be trusted now the reason of this holds still There are many false teachers abroad in the world

priviledge of the common people of Christianity in sacred things and first in cases extraordinary in which perhaps it may be affirmed that every one of those I meane before named is so farre a Minister of the Gospell as to teach and declare the faith to others although he have no outward calling thereunto and yet in this case every one for such an undertaking must have a Warrant by an immediate cal from God and when God calls there must be no opposition the thing it selfe he sends us upon becomes lawfull by his mission what God hath cleansed that call not thou common Act. 10. 13. never feare the equity of what Cod sets thee upon no excuses of disability or any other impediment ought to take place the Lord can and will supply all such defects This was Moses case Exod. 10. 14. Oh Lord saith hee I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant but of a slow speech and a slow tongue And the Lord said unto him who hath made mans mouth have not I the Lord So also was it with the Prophet Jeremy when God told him that hee had ordained him a Prophet unto the Nations he replyes Ah Lord God behold I cannot speake for I am a Child But the Lord saith hee said unto me say not I am a Child for thou shalt goe to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak Jer. 1. 6. Nothing can excuse any from going on his message who can perfect his praise out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings This the Prophet Amos rested upon when he was questioned although he were unfit for that heavenly employment either by education or course of life I was no Prophet neither was I a prophets sonne but I was an heardman and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit and the Lord tooke me as I followed the flock and said unto me go Prophecy to my people Israel Amos 7. 14 15. So on the contrary St. Paul a man of strong parts great learning and endowments of indefatigable industry and large abilities yet affirmes of himselfe that when God called him to preach his word he conferred not with flesh and bloud but went on presently with his work Gal. 1. 16 17. CAP. V. Of the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the teaching of others the first way NOw three wayes may a man receive and be assured that hee hath received this divine mission or know that he is called of God to the preaching of the Word I meane not that perswasion of divine concurrence which is necessary also for them ●hat are partakers of an ordinary vocation but which is required in extraordinary cases to them in whom all outward calling is wanting 1. By immediate Revelation 2. By a concurrence of Scripture rules directory for such occasions 3. By some outward acts of providence necessitating him thereunto For the first not to speak of light Propheticall whither it consists in a habit or rather in a transient irradiating motion nor to discourse of the Species whereby supernaturall things are conveyed to the naturall facultie with the severall wayes of divine Revelation for St. Paul affirmeth it to have been {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as well as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with the sundry appellations it received from the manner whereby it came I shall onely shew what assurance such a one as is thus called may have in himselfe that he is so called and how he may manifest it unto others That men receiving any revelation from God had alwayes an assurance that such it was to me seemes most certain Neither could I ever approve the note of Gregory on the 1. of Ezek. viz. That Prophets being accustomed to Prophecying did oftentimes speake of their own spirit supposing that it proceeded from the spirit of Prophesie What is this but to question the truth of all propheticall revelations and to shake the faith that is built upon it Surely the Prophet Jeremiah had an infallible assurance of the author of his message when he pleaded for himself before the Princes of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speake all these words in your eares Chap. 26. 15. And Abraham certainly had neede of a good assurance whence that motion did proceed which made him addresse himselfe to the sacrificing the son of promise And that all other Prophets had the like evidence of knowledge concerning the divine verity of their revelations is unquestionable hence are those allusions in the Scripture whereby it is compared unto things whereof we may be most certaine by the assurance of sense So Amos 3. 8. The Lyon hath roared who will not feare The Lord God hath spoken who can but Prophecy And Jerem. 20. 9. His word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones things sensible enough Happily Satan may so far delude false Prophets as to make them suppose their lying vanities are from above whence they are said to be Prophets of the deceit of their owne hear Jerem. 23. 26. being deceived as well deceivers thinking in themselves as well as speaking unto others he saith vers. 31. but that any true Prophets should not know a true Revelation from a motion of their owne hearts wants not much of blasphemy The Lord surely supposes that assurance of discerning when he gives that command the Prophet that hath a Dreame let him tell a Dreame and he that hath my Word let him speake my Word faithfully what is the chaffe to the wheate Ierem. 23. 28. He must be both blind and mad that shall mistake wheat for chaffe and on the contrary what some men speak of an hidden instinct from God moving the mindes of men yet so as they know not wither it be from him or no may better serve to illustrate Plutarchs discourse of Socrates Daemon then any passage in holy Writ St. Austin saies his Mother would affirme that though she could not expresse it yet she could discern the difference between Gods Revelation and her own Dreames In which relation I doubt not but the learned Father tooke advantage from the good old womans words of what she could do to declare what might be done of every one that had such immediate revelations Briefly then the spirit of God never so extraordinarily moveth the minde of man to apprehend any thing of this kinde whereof we speake but it also illustrateth it with a knowledge and assurance that it is divinely moved to this apprehension Now because it is agreed on all sides that light Propheticall is no permanent habit in the minde of the Prophets but a transient impression of it selfe not apt to give any such assurance it may be questioned from what other principle it doth proceed But not to pry into things perhaps not fully revealed and seeing St. Paul shewes us that in such heavenly raptures there are some things unutterable of them and incomprehensible

of us we may let this rest amongst those {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it apappeareth then from the preceding discourse that a man pretending to extraordinary vocation by immdiate revelation in respect of selfe-perswasion of the truth of his call he must be as ascertained of it as he could be of a burning fire in his bones if there shut up CAP. VI What assurance men extraordinarily called can give to others that they are so called in the former way THe next thing to be considered is what assurance he can give to others and by what means that he is so called Now the matter or subject of their imployment may give us some light to this consideration and this is either the inchoation of some divine work to be established amongst men by vertue of a new and before never heard of Revelation of Gods will or a restauration of the same when collapsed and corrupted by the sin of men To the first of these God never sendeth any but whom he doth so extraordinarily and immediately call and ordain for that purpose and that this may be manifested unto others he alwayes accompanieth them with his own almighty power in the working of such miracles as may make them beleeved for the very works sake which God by them doth effect This we may see in Moses and after Iesus Christ anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellows to preach the Gospel the Apostles but this may passe for nothing in such a way shall ever again take place God having ultimately revealed his minde concerning his worship and our salvation a curse being denounced to man or angel that shall pretend to Revelation for the altering or changing one jot or title of the Gospel For the other the work of Reformation there being ever since the writing of his Word an Infallible rule for the performance of it making it fall within the duty and ability of men partakers of an ordinary vocation and instructed with ordinary gifts God doth not always immediately call men unto it but yet because oftentimes he hath so done we may enquire what assurance they could give of this their calling to that imployment Our Saviour Christ informs us that a Prophet is often without honour in his own country The honour of a Prophet is to have credence given to his Message of which it should seem Jonas was above measure zealous yet such is the cursed Infidelity and hardnesse of mens hearts that though they cryed Thus saith the Lord yet they would reply the Lord hath not spoken hence are those pleadings betwixt the Prophet Ieremie and his enemies the Prophet averring of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you and they contesting that the Lord had not sent him but that he lyed in the Name of the Lord now to leave them inexcusable and whether they would heare or whether they would forbeare to convince them that there hath been a Prophet amongst them as also to give the greater credibility to their extraordinary message to them that were to beleeve their report it is necessary that the Arme of the Lord should be revealed working in and by them in some extraordinary manner it is certain enough that God never sent any one extraordinarily instructed onely with ordinary gifts and for an ordinary end the ayme of their imployment I shewed before was extraordinary even the reparation of something instituted by God and collapsed by the sin of man that it may be credible or appeare of a truth that God had sent them for this purpose they were alwayes furnished with such gifts and abilities as the utmost reach of humane indeavours with the assistance of common grace cannot possibly attaine The generall opinion is that God alwayes supplies such with the gift of miracles Take the Word in a large sence for every supernaturall product beyond the ordinary activity of that secondary cause whereby it is effected and I easily grant it but in the usuall restrained acceptation of it for outward wonderfull workes the power of whose production consists in operation I something doubt the universall truth of the assertion We do not read of any such miracles wrought by the Prophet Amos and yet he stands upon his extraordinary immediate vocation I was neither Prophet nor the son of a Prophet but the Lord called me c. it sufficeth then that they be furnished with a supernaturall power either in 1. Discerning 2. Speaking 3. Working the power of Discerning according to the things by it discernable may be said to be of two sorts for it is either of things present beyond the power of humane investigation as to know the thoughts of other mens hearts or their words not ordinarily to be knowne as Elisha discovered the bed-chamber-discourse of the King of Syria not that by vertue of their calling they come to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} knowers of the heart which is Gods property alone but that God doth sometimes reveale such things unto them for otherwise no such power is included in the nature of the gift which is perfective of their knowledge not by the way of habit but actuall motion in respect of some particulars and when this was absent the same Elisha affirmeth that he knew not why the Shunamitish woman was troubled or secondly of things future and contingent in respect of their secundary causes not precisely necessitated by their own internall principle of operation for the effecting of the things so foreknown and therefore the truth of the fore-knowledge consists in a commensuration to Gods purpose Now effects of this power are all those predictions of such things which wee finde in the old and new Testament and divers also since secondly the supernaturall gift in speaking I intimate is that of Tongues proper to the times of the Gospel when the Worship of God was no longer to be confined to the people of one nation The third in Working is that which strictly and properly is called the gift of Miracles which are hard rare and strange effects exceeding the whole order of created nature for whose production God sometimes useth his servants instrumentally moving and inabling them thereunto by a transient impression of his powerfull grace of which sort the holy Scripture hath innumerable relations Now with one of those extraordinary gifts at the least sometimes with all doth the Lord furnish those his messengers of whom we treat which makes their message a sufficient revelation of Gods Will and gives it credibility enough to stir up faith in some and leave others inexcusable All the difficulty is that there have been Simon Magusses and are Antichrists falsely pretending to have in themselves this mighty power of God in one or other of the forenamed kinds Hence were those many false Prophets Dreamers and Wizards mentioned in the old Testament which the Lord himselfe forewarnes us of as also those Agents of that man of sin whose comming is after the working of

Satan with povver and signes and lying vvonders 2 Thes. 2. 9. I meane the jugling Priests and Iesuits pretending falsely by their impostures to the power of miracle vvorking though their imployment be not to reforme but professedly to corrupt the worship of God now in such a case as this we have 1. The mercy of God to relye upon whereby he will guide his into the vvay of truth and the purpose or decree of God making it impossible that his elect should be deceived by them Secondly humane diligence accompanied with Gods blessing may helpe us wonderfully in a discovery whither the pretended miracles be of God or no for there is nothing more certaine then that a true and reall miracle is beyond the activity of all created povver for if it be not it is not a miracle so that the Divell and all his Emissaries are not able to effect any one act truely miraculous but in all their pretences there is a defect discernable either in respect of the thing it selfe pretended to be done or of the manner of its doing not truely exceeding the power of art or nature though the apprehension of it by reason of some Hell-conceived circumstances be above our capacity Briefely either the thing is a lye and so it is easie to faigne miracles or the performance of it is pure jugling and so it is easie to delude poore mortalls Innumerable of this sort at the beginning of the Reformation were discovered among the Agents of that Wonder-vvorking man of sin by the blessing of God upon humane endeavours now from such discoveries a good conclusion may be drawne against the doctrine they desire by such meanes to confirme for as God never worketh true miracles but for the confirmation of the truth so will not men pretend such as are false but to persvvade that to others for a truth which themselves have just reason to be persvvaded is a lye now if this meanes faile Thirdly God himselfe hath set downe a rule of direction for us in the time of such difficulty Deut. 13. 1 2 3. If there arise among you a Prophet or Dreamer of Dreames and giveth thee a signe or a vvonder and the signe or the vvonder come to passe vvherefore he spake unto thee saying let us goe after other Gods to serve them thou shalt not hearken to the vvords of that Prophet or dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether yee love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul Ye shall vvalk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his Commandements and obey his voice and you shall serve him and cleave unto him and that Prophet or Dreamer of dreams shall be put to death The sum is that seeing such men pretend that their Revelations and Miracles are from Heaven let us search whither the Doctrine they seeke to confirme by them bee from heaven or no if it bee not let them bee stoned or accursed for they seeke to dravv us from our GOD if it bee let not the curse of a stony heart to refuse them be upon us Where the miracles are true the doctrine cannot be false and if the doctrine be true in all probability the miracles confirming it are not false and so much of them who are immediatly called of God from heaven what assurance they may have in themselves of such a call and what assurance they can make of it to others now such are not to expect any ordinary vocation from men below God calling them aside to his worke from the middest of their Brethren The Lord of the harvest may send labourers into his field without asking his Stewards consent and they shall speake what ever he saith unto them CHAP. 7. The second way whereby a man may be called extraordinarily SEcondly a man may be extraordinarily called to the preaching and publishing of Gods word by a concurrence of Scripture rules directory for such occasions occurrences and opportunities of time place and persons as he liveth in and under Rules in this kinde may be drawn either from expresse precept or approved practise Some of these I shall intimate and leave it to the indifferent Reader to judge whether or no they hold in the application and all that in this kinde I shall propose I did with submission to better judgements Consider then 1. That of our Saviour to Saint Peter Luke 22. 32. When thou art converted strengthen the Brethren which containing nothing but an application of one of the prime dictates of the Law of nature cannot ought not to be restrained unto men of any peculiar calling as such not to multiply many of this kinde whereof in the Scripture is plenty adde only that of Saint James Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soule from death c. from these and the like places it appeares to me that 1. There is a generall obligation on all Christians to promote the conversion and instruction of sinners and man erring from the right way Againe consider that of our Saviour Mat. 5. 15. Men d●… not light a Candle and put it under a Rushell but on a Candlesticke and it giveth light unto all that are in the house to which adde that of the Apostle If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace 1 Cor. 14. 30. which words although primarily they intend extraordinary immediate revelations yet I see no reason why in their equity and extent they may not be directory for the use of things revealed unto us by Scripture light at least we may deduce from them by the way of Analogie that 2. Whatsoever necessary truth is revealed to any out of the word of God not before known he ought to have an uncontradicted liberty of declaring that truth provided that he use such regulated wayes for that his declaration as the Church wherein he liveth if a right Church doth allow Further see Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared who will not feare The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie And Jer. 20. 9. Then said I I will not make mention of his name but his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay With the answer of Peter and John to the Rulers of the Jews Acts 14. 19 20. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge yee for we cannot but speake the things that we have seen and heard Whence it appeares that 3. Truth revealed unto any carries along with it an unmoveable perswasion of Conscience which is powerfully obligatory that it ought to be published and spoken to others That none may take advantage of this to introduce confusion into our Congregations I gave a sufficient caution in the