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	faith_n	true_a	1,754	5	4.4203	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96714	Antinomians and familists condemned by the synod of elders in Nevv-England: with the proceedings of the magistrates against them, and their apology for the same. Together with a memorable example of Gods iudgments upon some of those persons so proceeded against.	Winthrop, John, 1588-1649,; Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662,	1644 (1644)	Wing W3094; Thomason E251_10; ESTC R212499	69,974	70

Father of lights The whole 119. Psalme besides innumerable texts of Scripture doth abundantly confute this by shewing that the servants of God have beene taught by the Spirit of God to pray for every gift and grace needfull for them and not onely for Christ Errour 24. He that hath the seale of the Spirit may certainely judge of any person whether he be elected or no. Confutation 24. This is contrary to Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to God and such is election of men not yet called Errour 25. A man may have all graces and poverty of spirit and yet want Christ Confutation 25. This is contrary to Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit but without Christ none can be blessed Ephes 4.22.24 he that hath righteousnesse and true holinesse hath learned the truth as it is in Jesus and therefore hath Christ Errour 26. The faith that justifieth us is in Christ and never had any actuall being out of Christ Confutation 26. This is contrary to Scripture Luke 17.5 Lord encrease our faith Ergo faith was in them 2 Tim. 1.6 faith is said to dwell in such and such persons therefore faith was in them Esay 64.7 No man stirres up himselfe to lay hold upon thee Errour 27. It is incompatible to the Covenant of grace to joyne faith thereunto Confutation 27. This is contrary to Marke 16.16 Preach the Gospel hee that beleeveth shall be saved Rom. 4.3 Abraham beleeved and it was counted to him for righteousnesse and Abraham is a patterne to all under the Covenant of grace Rom. 4.24 Errour 28. To affirme there must be faith on mans part to receive the Covenant is to undermine Christ Confutation 28. First Faith is required on mans part to receive the Covenant of grace according to these Scriptures John 1.12 To as many as received him even to them that beleeved on his name Marke 16.16 He that beleeveth shall be saved Secondly to affirme there must be faith on mans part to receive Christ is not to undermine Christ but to exalt him according to these Scriptures John 3.33 He that beleeveth hath put to his seale that God is true and so honours Gods truth which cannot undermine Christ Rom. 4.20 but was strong in the faith giving glory to God c. Errour 29. An hypocrite may have these two witnesses 1 John 5.5 that is to say the water and bloud Confutation 29. No hypocrite can have these two witnesses water and bloud that is true justification and sanctification for then he should be saved according to these Scriptures Rom. 8.30 2 Thess 2.13 Acts 26.18 Errour 30. If any thing may be concluded from the water and bloud it is rather damnation then salvation Confutation 30. This is contrary to the Scriptures last mentioned Errour 31. Such as see any grace of God in themselves before they have the assurance of Gods love sealed to them are not to be received members of Churches Confutation 31. This is contrary to Acts 8.37.38 where the Eunuch saw his faith only and yet was presently baptized and therfore by the same ground might be admitted Errour 32. After the revelation of the spirit neither Devill nor sinne can make the soule to doubt Confutation 32. This position savours of orrour else Asaph had not the revelation of the Spirit seeing he doubted Psal 73.13 whether he had not clensed his heart in vaine and that God had forgotten to be gracious then also faith should be perfect which was never found no not in our father Abraham Errour 33. To act by vertue of or in obedience to a command is legall Confutation 33. So is it also Evangelicall the mystery of the Gospel is said to be revealed for the obedience of faith Rom. 16.25 Also the Lord Jesus is said to be the author of salvation to all that obey him Hebr. 5.9 If we love Christ we are to keep his Commandements John 14.29 Errour 34. We are not to pray against all sinne because the old man is in us and must be and why should we pray against that which cannot be avoyded Confutation 34. This is contrary to 1 Thess 5 23. 1 Cor. 13.7 Errour 35. The efficacy of Christs death is to kill all activity of graces in his members that he might act all in all Confutation 35. This is contrary to Rom. 6.4 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of finne might be destroyed that we should not serve sinne contrary also to Hebr. 4.14 that he might through death destroy him c. and 1 John 3.8 whence we infer that if Christ came to destroy the body of sin to destroy the Devill to dissolve the workes of the Devill then not to kill his owne graces which are the workes of his owne Spirit Errour 36. All the activity of a beleever is to act to sinne Confutation 36. Contrary to Rom. 7.15 as also to Gal. 5.17 the spirit lusteth against the flesh Errour 37. We are compleatly united to Christ before or without any faith wrought in us by the Spirit Confutation 37. The terme united being understood of that spirituall relation of men unto Christ whereby they come to have life and right to all other blessings in Christ 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life And the terme compleatly implying a presence of all those bands and ligaments and meanes as are required in the word or are any wayes necessary to the making up of the union we now conceive this assertion to be erroneous contrary to Scripture that either expressely mentioneth faith when it speaketh of this union Ephes 3.17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Gal. 2.20 Christ liveth in me by faith or ever implyeth it in those phrases that doe expresse union as comming to Christ John 6.35 and eating and drinking Christ vers 47. compared with vers 54. having the Sonne 1 John 5.12 and receiving Christ John 1.12 and marriage unto Christ Ephes 5.32 if there be no dwelling of Christ in us no comming to him no receiving him no eating nor drinking him no being married to him before and without faith but the former is true therefore also the latter Errour 38. There can be no true closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed Confutation 38. This opinion we conceive erroneous contrary to Esay 55.1 2. Ho! every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters Matth. 11.28 Come to me all yee that are weary and heavy laden John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Revel 22.17 Let him that is athirst come Marke 1.15 Repent and beleeve the Gospel if the word indefinitely be sanctified for the begetting of faith if the Gospel it selfe be laid downe in a conditionall promise if the Apostles and Prophets and Christ himselfe have laid hold upon such promises to help to union and closing with himselfe then there may be a true closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed Errour 39.

in Esay before mentioned hee might have known that the Spirit of God doth teach his servants to discern of seasons as well as of truths for if there be such a point in wisdom as men call discretion sure Religion which maketh truely wise doth not deprive the servants of God of the right use thereof When Paul was to deale with the sorcerer who did oppose his doctrine Act. 13. hee cals him the childe of the devill c. but when hee answered Festus who told him hee was madde and rejected his doctrine also hee useth him gently and with termes of honourable respect Though Steven cals the Jews stiffenecked and of uncircumcised hearts c. as knowing them to bee malitious and obstinate enemies to Christ yet Paul directs Timothy being to deale with such as were not past hope though they did oppose his Doctrine for the present not to strive but to use all gentlenesse instructing them with meeknesse c. 2 Tim. 2. The Prophet Elisha when hee speaks to Jehoram very roughly as one not worthy to bee looked at yet hee shews a different respect of Jehosaphat though hee were then out of his way and under a sin for which hee had been formerly reproved 2 King 3. Christ himselfe though hee sharply reproveth the Pharisees c. yet hee instructeth Nicodemus gently when hee objected against his doctrine and that somewhat rudely Joh. 3. The Apostles would not forbeare to Preach Christ though Rulers forbad them Act. 3. yet another Prophet forbare at another season at the command of King Amasia 2 Chron. 25. so wee see that this plea of Mr. Wheelwright is as weak as the former and will not excuse him from contempt If it bee yet objected that his Sermon was not all for contention seeing hee raised and pressed an use of brotherly love wee grant hee did so but it was ejusdem farinae a loafe of the same leaven with the other for hee applyeth it to those of his own party to perswade them to hold together and help one another against those of the other party whom hee setteth forth as their opposites and encourageth them thereto by the example of Moses who in love to his brother killed the Aegyptian A further objection hath been made against the proceedings of the Court as if Mr. Wheelwright had not a lawfull tryall as not being put upon a Jury of freemen But the answer to this is easie it being wel known to all such as have understanding of matters of this nature that such Courts as have power to make and abrogate Laws are tyed to no other Orders but their own and to no other rule but Truth and Justice and why thrice twelve men sitting as Judges in a Court should bee more subject to partiality then twelve such called as a Jury to the barre let others judge Now if some shall gather from that which is here before mentioned viz. that every truth is not seasonable at all times if wee shall grant that what Master Wheelwright delivered was the truth wee must desire him to take onely so much as wee granted viz. by way of supposition onely for letting passe as wee said such points as were meerly doctrinall and not ripe for the Court depending as yet in examination among the Elders wee may safely deny that those speeches were truths which the Court censured for contempt and sedition for a brother may fall so farre into disobedience to the Gospel as there may bee cause to separate from him and to put him to shame and yet hee is not to bee accounted an enemy 2 Thess 3. Therefore when Mr. Wheelwright pronounced such taking them at the worst hee could make them to bee enemies c. it was not according to the truth of the Gospell Againe to incense and heate mens minds against their Brethren before hee had convinced or admonished them as being in an estate of enmity c. is not to bee termed in any truth of the Gospel so likewise to bring extraordinary examples for ordinary rules as of Joh. 8.44 to incite his party to the like practise against such whose hearts they cannot judge of as Christ could of theirs to whom hee spake is as farre from the rule prescribed to ordinary Ministers 2 Tim. 2.25 and to all Christians Gal. 6.1 and Jam. 3 17. as that example of Elijah by which the Apostles would have called for fire from heaven upon the Samaritans was different from the Spirit whereof they were so to resemble such among us as professe their faith in Christ only c. and are in Church fellowship and walk inoffensively submitting to all the Lords Ordinances in Church and Common wealth to resemble such to branded Reprobates and arch-enemies of Christ such as Herod c. wee suppose hath no warrant of Truth Wee might instance in other like passages as his ordinary inciting to spirituall combates by examples of bodily fight and bloody victories being very unsutable but these may suffice to prove that all hee spake was not true and by this is the offence more aggravated for if it were seditious only in the manner it must needs bee much worse when the matter it selfe also was untrue But if any shall yet pretend want of satisfaction by all that hath been produced for indeed it is beyond reason how farre prejudice hath prevailed to captivate some Judgements otherwise godly and wise and shal object further that his doctrines c. were generall and so could not bee intended of any particular persons wee desire such first to remember what application Mr. Wh. made of the same in the open Court viz. that hee did intend all such as walked in such a way Then again let the case bee put in a reversed frame some other had then taught that all such as deny that sanctification as it is held by the other party is a good evidence of justification and that say or have their assurance by faith as a work of God in them have it in the way of the Gospel that these were enemies to Christ c. Persecutors of the way of grace c. and should have stirred up others against them with like arguments and vehemency as Mr. Wheelwright did there is no doubt but Mr. Wheel and others of his opinion would soone have pointed out those who must necessarily have been intended by it for it is well known that some proper adjunct or some noted circumstance may design a particular person or company as well as names so Christ points out Judas by the sop Paul the Jews by those of the circumcision and the Antichrist by That man of sin c. But wee meet y●● with another objection viz. that disturbance of unity is not sedition except it also lead to the hurt of utility To this wee answer first that if it tend immediately to such hurt wee deny the truth of the proposition for if in the time of famine a man should stir up the people to fetch corn out of

ANTINOMIANS AND FAMILISTS CONDEMNED By the SYNOD of ELDERS IN NEVV ENGLAND WITH THE Proceedings of the Magistrates against them And their Apology for the same Together with A Memorable example of Gods Iudgements upon some of those Persons so proceeded against LONDON Printed for Ralph Smith at the signe of the Bible in Cornhill neare the Royall Exchange 1644. A Catalogue of such erroneous opinions as were found to have beene brought into New England and spread under-hand there as they were condemned by an Assembly of the Churches at New Town Aug. 30. 1637. The Errors 1. IN the conversion of a sinner which is saving and gracious the faculties of the soule and workings thereof in things partaining to God are destroyed and made to cease The Confutation 1. This is contrary to the Scripture which speaketh of the faculties of the soule as the understanding and the will not as destroyed in conversion but as changed Luk. 24.45 Christ is said to have opened their understandings Joh. 21.18 Peter is said to be led whither he would not therefore he had a will Againe to destroy the faculties of the soule is to destroy the immortality of the soule Error 2. In stead of them the Holy Ghost doth come and take place and doth all the works of those natures as the faculties of the human nature of Christ do Confutation 2. This is contrary to Scripture which speaketh of God as sanctifying our soules and spirits 1 Thess 5.23 purging our consciences Heb. 9.14 refreshing our memories Joh. 14.26 Error 3. That the love which is said to remain when faith and hope cease is the Holy Ghost Confutation 3. This is contrary to the Scriptures which put an expresse difference betweene the Holy Ghost and love 2 Cor. 6.6 And if our love were the Holy Ghost we cannot bee said to love God at all or if wee did it was because we were personally united to the Holy Ghost Error 4 5. That those that bee in Christ are not under the Law and commands of the word as the rule of life Alias that the will of God in the Word or directions thereof are not the rule whereunto Christians are bound to conforme themselves to live thereafter Confutation 4 5. This is contrary to the Scriptures which direct us to the Law and to the Testimony Esay 8.20 which also speaks of Christians as not being without Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.22 Error 6. The example of Christs life is not a patterne according to which men ought to act Confutation 6. This position those actions of Christ excepted which hee did as God of as Mediatour God and Man or on speciall occasions which concerne not us is unfound being contrary to the Scripture wherein the example of Christs life is propounded to Christians as a patterne of imitation both by Christ and his Apostles Mat. 11.29 Learne of mee for I am meek c. 1 Cor. 11.1 Bee yee followers of mee as I am of Christ Ephes 5.2 Walk in love as Christ hath loved us 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that yee should follow his steps 1 Joh. 2.26 Hee that saith hee abideth in him ought so to walke even as hee hath walked Error 7. The new creature or the new man mentioned in the Gospell is not meant of grace but of Christ Confutation 7. The false-hood of this proposition appeareth from the Scriptures which first propound Christ and the new creature as distinct one from another 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man bee in Christ hee is a new creature Secondly The new man is opposed to the old man the old man is meant of lusts and vices and not of Adams person Ephes 2.22.24 Therefore the new man is meant of graces and vertues and not of the person of Christ Col. 3.9.10 Thirdly The new man is expressely said to consist in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4.25 and to bee renewed in knowledge Col. 3.10 which are graces and not Christ Error 8. By love 1 Cor. 13.13 and by the armour mentioned Ephes 6. are meant Christ Confutation 8. This position is neere of kin to the former but secondly the opposite 1 Cor. 13. meaneth that love which hee exhorteth Christians to beare one towards another which if it were meant of Christ hee might bee said to exhort them to beare Christ one to another as well as to love one another 2. Faith and hope there mentioned have Christ for their object and if by love bee meant Christ hee had put no more in the latter word then in the two former 3. And besides it may as well bee said Faith in love as Faith in Christ and hope in love as hope in Christ if that were the meaning And by armour Ephes 6. cannot bee meant Christ First because two parts of that armour are Faith and Hope whereof the Scriptures make Christ the object Col. 1.5 Beholding the sted fastnesse of your Faith in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only wee had hope in Christ c. now these graces and the object of them cannot bee the same Secondly a person armed with that armour may bee said to bee a sincere righteous patient Christian but if by the armour bee meant Christ sweete predication should have been destroyed and you might more properly say a Christifyed Christian Error 9. The whole letter of the Scripture holds for a covenant of workes Confutation 9. This position is unsound and contrary to the constant tenor of the Gospel a maine part of the Scriptures which in the letter thereof holds not forth a covenant of works but of grace as appeareth Joh. 3.16 1 Tim. 1.15 Mat. 11.28 Heb. 8.10 11 12. Error 10. That God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may give themselves to the soule and the soule may have true union with Christ true remission of sins true marriage and fellowship true sanctification from the blood of Christ and yet bee an hypocrite Confutation 10. The word true being taken in the sense of the Scriptures this also crosseth the doctrine of Ephes 4.24 where righteousnesse and true holinesse are made proper to him that hath heard and learned the truth as it is in Jesus Error 11. As Christ was once made flesh so hee is now first made flesh in us ere wee bee carryed to perfection Confutation 11. Christ was once made flesh Joh. 1.14 no other incarnation is recorded and therefore not to bee believed Error 12. Now in the covenant of workes a legalist may attaine the same righteousnesse for truth which Adam had in innocency before the fall Confutation 12. Hee that can attaine Adams righteousnesse in sincerity hath his sin truely mortifyed but that no legalist can have because true mortification is wrought by the covenant of grace Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Error 13. That there is a new birth under the covenant of workes to such a

cause why he was sent for viz. To satisfie the Court about some passages in his Sermon which seemed to be offensive and therewith a copy of it was produced and he was demanded whether he would owne it whereupon he drew forth another copy which he delivered into the Court as a true copy for the substance of it so he was dismissed very gently and desired to be ready when he should be called for againe The next day he was againe sent for by the former messenger About this time a Petition was delivered into the Court under the hands of above forty persons being most of the Church of Boston being none of the Petitions before mentioned which were delivered after to this effect that as free-men they might be admitted to be present in the Court in causes of judicature and that the Court would declare whether they might proceed in cases of conscience without referring them first to the Church To this the Court answered on the backside of the Petition that they did conceive the Petition was without just ground for the first part of it the Court had never used privacie in Judiciall proceedings but in preparation thereto by way of examination of the party c. they might and would use their liberty as they should see cause and for the other part of the Petition when any matter of conscience should come before them they would advise what were fit to be done in it When Mr. Wheelwright came in the Court was private and then they told him they had considered of his Sermon and were desirous to aske him some questions which might tend to cleare his meaning about such passages therein as seemed offensive he demanded whether he were sent for as an innocent person or as guilty It was answered neither but as suspected onely Then he demanded who were his accusers It was answered his Sermon which was there in Court being acknowledged by himselfe they might thereupon proceed ex officio at this word great exception was taken as if the Court intended the course of the High Commission c. It was answered that the word ex officio was very safe and proper signifying no more but the authority or duty of the Court and that there was no cause of offence seeing the Court did not examine him by any compulsory meanes as by oath imprisonment or the like but onely desired him for better satisfaction to answer some questions but he still refused yet at last through perswasion of some of his friends he seemed content The question then put to him was whether before his Sermon he did not know that most of the Ministers in this jurisdiction did teach that doctrine which be in his Sermon called a Covenant of works to this he said he did not desire to answer and hereupon some cried out that the Court went about to ensnare him and to make him to accuse himselfe and that this question was not about the matter of his Sermon c. Upon this he refused to answer any further so he was dismissed till the afternoone The reason why the Court demanded that question of him was not to draw matter from himselfe whereupon to proceed against him neither was there any need for upon a conference of the Ministers not long before there had beene large dispute betweene some of them and himselfe about that point of evidencing Justification by Sanctification so as the court might soone have convinced him by witnesses if they had intended to proceed against him upon that ground In the afternoone he was sent for againe in the same manner as before and the Ministers also being in the Towne and come thither to conferre together for further discovery of the ground of the disterences which were in the Countrey about the Covenant of Grace c. they were desired to be present also in the Court to beare witnesse of the proceedings in the case and to give their advice as the Court upon occasion should require so the doores being set open for all that would to come in and there was a great Assembly and Mr. Wheelwright being willed to sit downe by the Ministers his Sermon was produced and many passages thereof was read to him which for the better understanding we have digested into this order following He therein describeth two Covenants the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works the Covenant of Grace he describeth to be when in the point of Justification and the knowledge of this our Justification by Faith there is nothing revealed but Christ Jesus but if men thinke to be saved because they see some worke of Sanctification in themselves as hungring and thirsting c. this is a Covenant of Works if men have revealed to them some work of righteousnesse as love to the brethren c. and hereupon come to be assured that they are in a good estate this is not the assurance of Faith for Faith hath Crist revealed for the object therefore if the assurance of a mans Justification be by Faith as a Work it is not Gospel Having thus described those who goe under a Covenant of Works he pronounceth them to be enemies to Christ to be Antichrists to be flesh opposed to spirit such as will certainly persecute those who hold forth the truth and the wayes of Grace he resembleth them to the Philistims who stop up with the earth of their owne inventions the Wels of true beleevers he resembleth them also to Herod who would have killed Christ so soone as he was borne and to Herod and Pilate who did kill Christ when he came once to shew forth himselfe and would have kept him eternally in the grave he further describeth them out of the second Psalme to be the people of God as the Jewes were and such as would take away the true Christ and put in false Christs to deceive if it were possible the very elect he also describeth them by that in Cant. 10.6 they make the children of Grace keepers of the Vineyard they make them travell under the burden of the Covenant of Works which doth cause Christ many times from them He commeth after to a use of exhortation wherein he stirreth up all those of his side to a spirituall combate to prepare for battel and come out and fight against the enemies of the Lord those under a Covenant of Works he shewes whom he meaneth thus to excite alluding to Davids valiant men to Baruch Deborah Jael and all the men of Jsrael and bind them hereunto under the curse of Meroz He further exhorteth them to stand upon their guard c. by alluding to the 600. valiant men who kept watch about the bed of Solomon a type of Christ then he encourageth those of his side against such difficulties as might be objected as 1. If the enemies shall oppose the way of God they must lay the more load on them and kill them with the Word of the Lord and there he alludeth to those places which