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	heart_n	word_n	1,814	5	3.8480	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65358	The saints guide, or, Christ the rule, and ruler of saints manifested by way of positions, consectaries, and queries : wherein is contayned the efficacy of acquired knowledge, the rule of Christians, the mission and maintenance of ministers, and the power of magistrates in spiritual things / by Iohn Webster ...	Webster, John, 1610-1682.	1654 (1654)	Wing W1213; ESTC R17627	36,008	50

truly said to be sanctified for acquired learning by it self and of its own nature is nothing else but sin and therefore remains so still and cannot truly and properly be said to be sanctified no more then sin But if by being sanctified they mean that the providential wisdom of God doth order it or make use of it for the good of his People I opose it not so that it be understood that that good flows not from the nature of acquired knowledg it self but from the Wisdom and goodness of the Spirit of God who maketh all things work together for the benefit of those that love him who are the called according to his purpose And so no more can properly in this respect be predicated of it then of sin it self which in that case though not as an entity for Non entia ad modum entium concipiuntur is said also to work for the good of Gods Saints Again if it be objected That though Learning be not effectuall to the understanding of the mystery of the Gospel yet it is prevalent to the compleating of the literal and historical knowledg thereof To this I answer Though it may conduce to the gaining of literal and historical knowledge yet this is not ad idem because it profiteth nothing for Truth it self bears record It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing and men are made able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life So that all literall and historicall knowledge gained by mans power is but like the principle from whence it Flowed fleshly earthly deadly and destructive Consectaries Then all those that the world cryes up for learned from this principle of Humane Learning are but with God called and accounted un-discipled un-taught as Peter witnesseth clearly where speaking of the Epistles of Paul he saith in them some things were hard to be understood which they that are untaught and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Whereby it is manifest that by the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which though usually rendred in the English Translation heedlesly the unlearned yet properly signifies the undiscipled or untaught and therefore commonly in the Latine is turned indocti which points forth the same significantly for the word that signifies unlearned or unletter'd is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is Homines illiterati idiotae He intends those that were undiscipled and had not the Teaching of the Spirit and yet in the strength of naturall reason and carnall wisdom wrest the word to their own destruction So that all that knowledge which flows from the naturall mans acquisition which the world calls wisdom is foolishness with God and though the wisdom of God which stands only in the teaching of ● is Spirit be accounted foolishness with men yet this foolishness of God is wis●r then the wisdom of men Then all those expositions and interpretations of Scripture that have been are or shall be made by the force and power of human learning and mans innate notions of wit and reason● are no more then earthly sensual and divelish destroying all those that rely upon them or trust in them And all preaching or expounding from this principle is damnable both to speaker and hearer If the blind lead the blind they fall both into the ditch Then are not the most that pretend to preach seeing they do it but from this principle those that take away the key of knowledge and enter not themselves neither suffer those that would come in to enter and therefore a most heavy wo belongs unto them and will fall upon them Therefore when men teach and affirm that without human learning none can be able Ministers of the New Testament and condemn those that speak only out of the teaching of the Spirit and have little or no human learning at all and make use of little or none but lay it aside do they not plainly shut up the Kingdom of Heaven from men and neither enter themselves nor suffer others that would Then if the quintessence of all humane learning were as a Magisterial extract monopolized in one man yet were it no fit qualification for a Minister of the Gospel for flesh and blood revealeth not these divine things unto men but the Father which is in Heaven Queries Whether of two men the one having a great measure of acquired learning but not the infused and experimental the other the infused and experimental but no human learning are fitter to be chosen to the Ministry Whether any be fit or able to judg of the Spirit in another that have it not themselves or to give approbation or witness to others of that which they have not experienced in themselves and consequently whether a Nation or Commonwealth can justly set up persons to judge of the Spirit of God in others and to give them licenses to exercise those gifts of the Spirit that have not experienced the work of this Spirit in themselves or not Whether or not all that much magnified naturall Reason which we think dignifieth us above and distinguisheth us from brutes and all that human learning which we conceive exalts and rectifieth Reason be the fruit and effect of the forbidden tree and is a spurious and adventitious faculty which man wanted in his innocency and was instilled into him by Satan in the fall Whether all that knowledge that a naturall man hath by nature and from the first Adam and all that which by the same power he can attain be not the same hellish and serpentine wisdom by which the Divell ruleth his kingdom or not And whether all the horrible and strange tenets sprung up in all Ages with the jars and disputes about the things of God arise not from this smoak of the bottomless pit of Satans malice stirred up in the Region of mans carnall wisdom and human learning 2. Concerning the Law By this word Law I understand a Light discovering what should be done and what ought not to be done commanding the one and prohibiting the other and this according to the tenor of divine Truth I find to be threefold 1. Internal and impressed upon the souls of all men naturally and therefore commonly called the Law of Nature which the Apostle makes clear in these words which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another And under this law were and are all men even as they are men 2. Externall as that of the Decalogue commonly called Moral ingraven in the Tables of stone given unto Moses and obligatory unto all the seed of Abraham according to the ●lesh and all the Iews were under this Law and it was their

Beleivers as they were such Which is undeniably manifest For when Philip came to Samaria and had preached the Gospel many there beleived add were baptized both men and women And Peter and Iohn were sent down unto them who prayed for them that they might 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen upon 〈◊〉 of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Iesus Thou layd they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost and these were both men and women and not all Ministers unless every Believer be one And again when Paul came to Ephesus he found there certain Disciples that had been baptized with the Baptism of Iohn but had not heard whether there were any Holy Ghost or not and these he baptized again in the Name of the Lord lesus And when he had layd his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues and prophesied And all these were about twelve But it is not apparent that this was done for Ordaining them for the Ministry but as they were believers unless where the Scripture is silent we must give it a tongue to speak out what we fansie and suppose And therefore Timotheus stirring up the gift that he received by Pauls hands and the hands of the Eldership was but that gift of the Holy Gost which he received as a Conve●t not as a Minister unless as I sayd all Believer● be 〈◊〉 as in some degree they are in truth and verity For God hath not given his the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde And indeed there are two things concer●ing this very observable 1. That the Holy Ghost often ●ell upon those that were converted while the Word was in speaking somtimes before they were baptized with water and somtimes before praying with them or laying on of hands and yet these they usually baptized with water afterwards as is manifest that at Pentecost they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance And while Peter yet spake these word● the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the 〈◊〉 ● Those upon whom the Holy Ghost was thus faln we ●in●e that they did baptize them but not lay t●eir hand on them but those that had been bap●●zed and no received this gift upon such they put their hand● that they might receive it By which it is clearly manifest that imposition of hands was used to many that were baptized who had not received the gift and so was common to Believers as Believers as Peter 〈◊〉 saying As I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning Then remembred I the word of the Lord how that he sayd Iohn indeed baptized with water But ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost For asmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Iesus Christ What was I that I could withstand God So that heer it is clear that this gift and so the Type or Ordinance of Imposition of hands ●id belong to as many as believed on the Lord Iesus Christ and so was not peculiar to the Ministry onely And as to that Scripture Acts 13. where it is ayd and when they had ●a●ted and prayed and layd their hands on them they sent them away viz. and so urge that this Imposition of hands was then used for the setting of Barnabas and Saul apart for the Ministry and so was their Calling or Ordination there unto 〈◊〉 is manifest that these men were called before and did exercise the Ministry before and therefore in the same place they are called Prophets and Teachers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which they could not truly have been sayd to be unless they had been before called and ordained of God 2. When the Holy Ghost desired to have them separated they were there to 〈…〉 unto the Lord and fasting so that they were 〈◊〉 to and exercised in the work before this their 〈◊〉 for Pan● preached presently after his Conversion at Damascus and a●so at Terusalem and it was three years after his Conversion before he came thither so that this laying on of hands was not a is commonly alleadged his Calling or setting apart to the Ministry 3. This separating or sending forth of Saul and Barnabas was for the accomplishing of that work whereunto he had already called them and so to imploy them in several places or Countreys And when they were to take this journey the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 and pray with them and layd their hands on them that the Lord might strengthen them and prosper them in the work Which thing ought to be done and is usually practised by Saints when God sends forth any Minister to other places or Regions to preach his Word And also as to that Scripture alleadged in Acts 14. v. 23. Where the words are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Quu●que ipsis per suffragia creassent Presbyteros and when they had ordained them Elders Where say some is understood Ordinacion and se●ting apart to the Ministry Others the choosing of Ministers for particular places by consent of the people i● extending the hand 1. The Apostles no where mencion any power or skill that they had to call or make men able Ministers of the New Testament but do witness that it is God that makes them and others so and he only sends them into his Vineyard and not men and therefore the Apostles practise cannot be understood to contradict their evidence in teaching and therefore this cannot be understood of Ordaining and Calling men to the Ministry but of appoynting men to particular places for order and conveniency sake that were already called and ordained of God 2. Paul oftentimes gives out his witnesse and commendacion of particular men testifying that God had gifted called and made them faithful for that work of the Ministry and so sends them to divers places to abide as Ministers So he do●h of Timothy Titus and many others Now if Timotheus come see that he may be with you without fear for he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do Whether any do enquire of Titus he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you or our Brethren they are the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ And so he gives his witness of Tychicus that he is a beloved Brother and a faithfull Minister in the Lord and he testifies that he sent Timotheus to the Thessalonians as a Minister of God and a fellow labourer in the Gospel to establish them and comfort them concerning their faith So that what was done of the Apostles Presbyteries or Churches was but only a giving forth of their witness in behalf of such as God had called that by their testimony