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	jesus_n	lord_n	1,817	5	3.2256	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93788	Clero-laicum condimentum. Or, A sermon preached at a visitation in Saint Nicholas Church in Bristoll, April 16. an. D. 1644. By Richard Standfast Master of Arts, rector of Christ-Church, and one of His Majesties chaplains.	Standfast, Richard, 1608?-1684.	1644 (1644)	Wing S5207; Thomason E282_16; ESTC R200051	18,396	37

strive with the Priest It is but the Devills pollicy to stirre up the People to pick quarrells with their Ministers that so their Ministery may do the lesse good upon their own soules So that it concerns us all to have Peace one with another And for the better furtherance of this mutuall Peace give me leave to propose an help or two for either party First for the Clergy the way to preserve our credit with the People is first diligently to preach the word of God in truth without respect to any mans person according to the practise of that great Shepheard and Bishop of soules the Lord Iesus Matth. 22.16 If our mouths be shut t is no wonder if theirs be open Timothy was a Bishop and a man of a weak stomach and many infirmities and yet Saint Paul doth conjure him in the highest way that can be to preach the word of God with diligence 2 Tim. 4.1 2. The Prophet saith That the Priests lips should keep knowledge Mal. 2.7 and there is somewhat in that phrase more then ordinary The seat of knowledge is the head and unlesse there be knowledge in the head there will be nothing but ignorance in the lips and yet be the head never so full of knowledge it must appear in the lips too or else it profits not David hid the word of God in his heart that so he might not sin against God Psal 119.11 This was for his own practise And yet in another place he saith I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart I have declared thy faithfulnesse and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindnesse and thy truth from the great Congregation Psal 40.10 And this was for the peoples good Secondly to presse most substantiall truths Truths of inferiour consequence when over-eagerly or unseasonably prest tend rather unto strise then to edification Thirdly Let our lives be holy and blamelesse and sutable to our Doctrine Saint Paul doth require both of Timothy and Titus that no man should despise them 1 Tim. 4.12 and Tit. 2.15 A man might wonder at the first view what the Apostle should mean by this especially considering what followes for having said to Titus Let ●●man despise thee presently he adds Put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates to be ready so every good work to speak evill of no man c. c. 3. ● 1 2. Should not Saint Paul rather have enjoyned the people not to despise their Pastours or if that must be the Pastors care should he not have enjoyned the preaching of some more pleasing Doctrine then subjection and abedience a man would think that this were the ready way to be despised but Saint Pauls thoughts you see are otherwise of us it is required to see that no man despise us and the way to preserve our persons from contempt is not by any unworthy complying with the peoples humours but by being patterns to the flock according to that 1 Tim 4.12 By which it plainly appears that holinesse of life is the way to win respect to our persons and authority to out Doctrine yea though it be such Doctrine as doth most crosse the corruptions of those that hear us and that the ready way for Ministers to be Masters of the peoples love and affections is for them to be holy rules and examples to their lives and actions It is we our selves that either make our selves vile in the peoples e●es by our vicious courses or else keep our selves from being despised by being vertuous For the people if they desire to have Peace with their Ministers there are two things to be regarded the first is that of Saint Iames 1.19 be swift to hear slow to speak flow to wrath Hastnesse in the people to censure the Preachers Doctrine savours not of the Spirit of meeknesse and is an Enemy to Peace The second is that of Saint Paul 1 Thes 5.12 Regard them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord them that labour among you To magnifie strangers that come to us now and then and to slight those that labour among us and are over us in the Lord begets thoughts of heart that tend to division And therefore let both these rules be duly regarded for this is the way to cut off occasions of offence and to love as brethren and to have peace one with another Before I conclude this point let me adde by way of direction some generall helps that concern us all to regard as we do desire to live in Peace First be not many Masters morosity is no friend to Peace when men will take upon them so much Mastership as to confine others to see with their eyes and to hear with their eares and to condemn every man for wrong that is not right of their stamp both in opinion and practise t is no wonder if there be divisions amongst us It is observed by men judiciously wise and deliberately moderate See Dr. Prideaux his Ser. on Acts 23.5 p. 15. that the virulency of the Papists who account all Hereticks that do in any sort protest against their Tyranny and superstitions the peovishnesse of the Brownists and men of like temper who cry down all for prophane that fort not with their singularity and the rashnesse of some Protestants who censure all those that in any point dissent from their tenets and Masters have been the greatest hinderers of the wished for union of all true Christians And therefore as you desire Peace be not many Masters Secondly 1 Thes 4.11 Study to be quiet and to do your own businesse study to be quit there is an Emphasis in the word philotimeisthai esuchazein Let it be your ambition to be quiet E●sede itio is easily made seditio and how should this be done but by doing of our own businesse breach of ranks disorders an Army and to be medling in things beyond our bounds disturbs Peace This was that that bred such a division among the People and such confusion upon Korah and the rest of that rebellious company they took too much upon them Num. 16.7 Lastly Hooker Ser. of pride p. 531. of Eccles pol. labour for humility I reverence a saying of that judicious Hooker whose words are these What harm soever in private families there groweth by disobedience of Children stubbornesse in servants untractablenesse in them who although they otherwise may rule yet should in consideration of the imparity of their Sex be also Subject whatsoever by strife amongst men combined in greater societies by Tyranny of potentates ambition of Nobles Rebellion of Subjects in Civill States by heresies schismes and divisions in the Church naming pride we name the Mother that brought them forth and the onely Nurse that feedeth them give me the hearts of all men humbled and what is there that can overthrow or disturb the Peace of the world wherein many things are the cause of much evill but Pride of all Thus he which passage I reverence and yet not so much because it is his as because it is the truth for onely by pride cometh contention so Salomon Proverbs 13.10 And therefore if you would live in Peace learn to be humble Thus have I shewed you the way of Peace let our care be to walke in it and let us * 2 Cor. 13. 11. live in Peace and so shall the God of love and Peace be with us and thus much of each precept a part A word of their union and then I have done The first of these precepts concerns the inwardman the second concerns our outward carriage the first lookes unto God the second to our neighbour and both these must go together neither an unholy righteousnesse nor an unrighteous holinesse will serve the turn the one is but meer morality the other no better then Hypocrisy And therefore let us * 1 Cor. 8.21 provide things honest not onely in the sight of God but also in the sight of men not onely in the sight of men but also in the sight of God exercising * Acts 24.16 our selves to keep a conscience void of offence both toward God and men Again the first of these concerns Salt and the second Peace and neither must our Salt be unpeaceable nor our Peace unsavoury Peace and Salt must go both together For neither is compleat without the other and he that doth not regard both ●oth of a truth regard neither The Apossle requires a sweet conjunction both of Peace and Holinesse Heb. 12.14 and what 's that in effect but Salt and Peace they do as well together as ill asunder for holinesse alone is never like to see the God of Peace and Peace alone is never like to see the God of holinesse for without it no man shall see the Lord. The wisdom that is from above is first peace and then peaceable Iac. 3.17 That Peace is to be slighted that is void of Purity and that Purity to be suspected that is not peaceable Purity without Peace is but factious singularity and Peace without Purity is but prophane conspiracy and if Peace and purity go not both together it is to be doubted that neither of them belongs to the wisdom from above If therefore we expect to eat of the fruits of our labours with comfort let us not do the work of God by halves what God hath joyned together let no man put asunder but let us have Salt in our selves and Peace one with another Now the God of * 2 Thes 3.16 Peace himself give us Peace alwayes by all means and * 1 Thes 5.23 sanctifie us also througout that our whole Spirit Soul and Body may be kept blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Iesus To whom be glory both now and for ever Amen FINIS