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	scripture_n	word_n	3,199	5	4.1165	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42880	Panta dokimazete a sermon treating of the tryall of all things by the Holy Scriptures, the confest rule of faith and practice : shewing the deplorable abuse of that rule, with an attempt touching the examen of ceremonies / delivered in St. Paul's Cathedral November 8, being the xxi Sunday after Trinity, by J.G.	Goad, J. (John), 1616-1689.	1664 (1664)	Wing G902; ESTC R535	23,350	40

this day tell us what is the iniquity of Perjury and Parricide Sacriledge and Fraud the iniquity of unhallowing holy Rites and Times by servile Work or by impure Addresses Hence the Apostle tells us that all the works of the flesh are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifest Gal. v. to the rational Conscience 'T is true it must be enlightned by faith to know Idolatry Witchcraft or Heresie at least to be works of darkness but for the rest they are all manifest to meer Reason Adultery Fornication Strife Sedition Hatred Envyings Murthers Drunkenness and such like Adde that great known place Rom. ii 14 15. The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the Law and Having not the Law they are a Law unto themselves Having not the Books of Moses they are a Moses to themselves because many of them made conscience of these sinful works of the flesh now reckoned up To speak plain then This Law of Nature is a Rule no prejudice to Scripture For if it shall be asked Whether it be sin to transgress it who sees not that the answer must be yea that all unnatural men are impious which is a perfect demonstration that this Law is a Rule because as we may sin against the Scripture so we may sin against it Nay who knows not that it is an aggravation of sin the more grossely and palpably it affronts this innate light such as the unnatural lusts Rom. 1. the unnatural burning of their children to that cursed Idol Moloch and the like Upon which it is evident that the Word of God cannot according to Gods intent be universally opposed to this Law because this is also Gods Gods own Law written in the Table of our hearts as the other if yet it be the other was in Tables of Stone I may well say if yet it be the other For all Divines that I know confess that the Ten Commandments for the Moral part are all one with the Primaeval Law of Nature Now there is no opposing of God to God Redemption to Creation Grace to Nature the one is more excellent then the other but they are at no hand opposite one does not overthrow the other Here if it be asked Whether all Principles and Conclusions rational are compris'd in Scripture a material Quere toward the understanding of our Texts business the answer for the conclusions must be Negative The Scriptures do charge many of them upon us with this dreadful caution Ego Dominus Thou shalt not curse the Deaf I am the Lord or put a stumbling-block before the Blind I am the Lord yet the conclusions drawn from Natural light are Infinite as Christs Miracles which Saint John saith the Scriptures could not hold Be judge your selves when every true and wholesome Lesson in Practick Philosophy yea all the grave and righteous Laws of Policies and Nations are nought else but deductions from the Law of Nature and who can undertake to find then distinctly in the holy Scriptures distinctly I say for in the general 't is true they may be found especially above other places in that famous Text of Saint Paul to his Philippians chap. iv 8. where he conjures them to whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are grave whatsoever things are pure just lovely and of good report if there be any vertue or peace to think on them But distinctly and expresly to sind every wholsome Law of this Land in the Law or Gospel I appeal to the knowing in the Law if they will say it it is enough that they are not contrary and 't is a sign there is God in them because not contrary to Scripture according to our principle above And It is pity but Christians should understand these things as long as they are the words of Truth and Soberness The holy Scripture is careful to teach us to do our duties to God to pray to hope on him but it is not always sollicitous to teach us in what common sense can sufficiently tutour us I instance in one of many viz. Consulting the Physician or using any good means toward our recovery The Son of Sirach indeed minds us of it but he is Apocryphal and the Canonical in the case of Asa seems to condemn it and so for the use of all natural means in general 'T is ridiculous to press me for a Text of Scripture if Right Reason and Humanity sufficiently instructs us For Reason is a Talent also of which God will take his account Hence the Libertines must learn their no Plea for Fornication and Drunkenness and Gluttony and Revelling and self-Murthers nor Pride and Haughtiness although possibly they are not exprest in the Decalogue Nor must men venture in the Topick of Matrimony on Poligamy Marriage of Kin Matches precipitate or unequal or hasty second Matching within the dayes of mourning for the first although they fancy no Text that condemns them The like may be said for Sacriledge which sure many think no Text forbids the Christian breaking open of Graves c. yea all immodest offensive Cynical behaviour to civil Company remembring that they are condemned in the general Charity behaveth not it self unseemly 1 Cor. xiii and Provide things honest in the sight of all men Rom. xii 17. And if in the special they are not found let them take notice that Saint Paul hath an Et caetera for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such like a place to be studied by all consciencious persons Gal. v. 21. All that the Light of Nature teaches must be supposed and granted beforehand by him that means to read the Scriptures What saith the Apostle in the case of Ruffian hair Doth not even nature it self teach you saith he 1 Cor. xi 14. q.d. Suppose the Scripture be silent doth not that sufficiently teach us Let Interpreters be consulted on those words with those of Rom. xiv ult Whatsoever is not of faith is sin and the more knowing will be satisfied To put all out of doubt when our Saviour was accused of breaking a Text does he not retreat to sound Reason thereby shewing us that Scripture must seldome or never excepting in the mysterious parts as we said above be constrain'd against it I have heal'd one on the Sabbath day 't is true and you condemn me but without reason so Which of you having an Oxe or an Ass fallen into a pit will not straightway help it out on the Sabbath day S. Luke xiv 5. and again Is it lawful to do good or to do evil And I desire that our Saviour may be observed whether when he saith He came not to destroy the Law he doth not mean the Moral and Natural Law also I am sure that place of Hosea I will have mercy and not sacrifice Whatever Hosea meant he applyes it to mercy to ones self in the case of the shew-bread S. Mat. xii 7. Secondly I desire it be observed whether our Saviour throwes not the name of Hypocrite on those pretences mainly which may

Παντα Δοχιμαςετε A SERMON Treating of the Tryall of all Things by the HOLY SCRIPTURES The confest Rule of FAITH and PRACTICE SHEWING The Deplorable ABUSE of that Rule With an Attempt touching the Examen of CEREMONIES Delivered in St. Paul's Cathedral November 8. being the xxi Sunday after Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 ad Tim. v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 ad Corinth viii 2. By J. G. LONDON Printed by J. R. for Humphrey Robinson at the Sign of the Three Pidgeons in St. Paul's Church-yard 1664. Imprimatur Nov. 30. 1663. Tho. Grigg Rev. in Christo P. D. Humfr. Episc Lond à Sacr. Domest To the Right Reverend Father in GOD Humphry by Divine Providence Lord Bishop of London our honoured Diocesan MY LORD WHat is the state and condition of this Land and how lamented by serious men your Lordship knows full well If I appear an unworthy means of contributing some Charisma toward the setling or healing of my Country I should reach the highest of my ambition Your Lordship perceives that all could not be said which was requisite in the abstract of an hour The greatest argument that staves off some good minded people is the pretence of dissolute life which if perfectly true were an inconsequence seeing 't is exprest by our Lord that the Rabbies which say and do not as long as they sit in Moses's Chair ought to be heard Howbeit we hope we can exhibite not a few who shall set an example to them in all true piety of conversation provided that affectation of sanctity and turbulency carry not away the name My Lord Either they are Deceivers or we and because 't is so I thought I could not acquit my self better then by publishing the Churches principles to all the World whereby She will discover yea and anathematize the contrary Heresie All that I have asserted is our Reason our Faith and our Order that men may be in some way of using their Bibles toward Truth and Edification Spiritual Growth in Duty and Charity not toward Offences and Divisions which by me by the Grace of God shall not come in to the Church 'T is good to have a care of the Woe through whom The Apostle that bids us hold fast what is good in the Text bids us hold fast our Creed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Discipline Apostolick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this I reckon was not casual It is a prodigious thing when the unlearned and unstable cannot endure to hear that the Scripture may be wrested when they are the only men that do it and that Lord open their eyes to their own damnation 'T is a brave thing this self-conceit being illuminate in our own eyes true knowledge is ready to puffe up false knowledge puffeth up more Let Truth arise and let Error vanish from our Cities Let the unity of the Spirit find a Dwelling amongst us that would be spiritual Vpon the prudent pursuance of which we shall pray for the Governors of the Church and amongst them for your Lordship as your Lordships most humbly devoted J. GOAD 1 THESS V. XXI Prove all things Hold fast that which is good AS in the early Spring you cannot but observe walking in a Forrest the pleasant evidences of the season by a Primrose here and another there and not far off a knot crowding together so in the Book of God you may observe here a Lesson and there a second and anon a whole Posie of flowers as in this very chapter grow at your feet and breath themselves forth in their several expirations But as in this allusion it oft times happens there is some difficulty in gathering the flower growing perhaps within the empalement of a thorny hedge or prickly bush so we do begin to discern some difficulty also some thorn or scruple which may threaten us with a raze or a wound unless we are more cautious in gathering The difficulty arises from the state of Religion which should be one unquestion'd unmov'd profession but when we see a Nation have so lost themselves as in a Forrest indeed every one in a several path luring perhaps one to another but not knowing how to come together nor how to get out when I shall see the lowest members of Christs Body learn of Korah so far as to take upon them to mutine against their Superiours to define contrary to their Governours to devise Governments and to pronounce Babylon and Anathema to all that dissent and these men have their eyes as well as others for would we pull out the eyes of these men said Korah And this so far that our very Civil Peace is endangered every hour with designes of blood and confusion but that our eyes are upon God who we hope notwithstanding our provocations of another nature God knows then what is supposed will vouchsafe to preserve us When all this which ought to be bemoan'd by every one that understands Reason or Religion all this I say shall be thought to be the genuine Issue of the Apostles Precept in our Text and the pretext shall be What have they done but only in Conscience to God and love to their own souls Proved all things Proved the Doctrines of the Great Ones Proved the Government and Proved all the rabble of their Ceremonies and they have evidently found the contrary to be good What is left but that we also should prove with them and so come over to them or else clear up that mis-understanding of this Apostolick exhortation which hath occasioned and will justifie this dis-union And this is our designe at this time through Gods much implored assistance to shew that these words are the Remedy and Antidote rightly understood not any cause or occasion of distemper That if we prove and examine all things after the Apostles way we shall come to settlement and unity finde the wayes of Truth and Peace and Righteousness we should all light upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text and hold it fast as the Apostle exhorts us to do to which yet he would not exhort us but that he supposes it not impossible to finde it The words in the verse will not take up much time for a critical enquiry into their meaning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth indeed here signifie what is there rendred Prove i. e. Try and Examine and consequently censure and judge according to their difference as in that known parallel 1 John IV. 1. Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God or no Only the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be restrained to a peculiar state of things Not all things in Philosophy or the Mathematiques the Conclusions Problems Experiments for these are exotique to the Christian though they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too in their kind But all that respect the spiritual concern all Doctrines and Principles that belong to Faith and good Manners that 's the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be found the

Goats Beard c. Yet given no question by the wise Creator for use and ornament but we that perceive not the Divine Reason herein think them idle luxuriant Excrescencies We know what our Saviour hath express'd against Traditions and we do more then partly believe him He doth at no hand condemn any Tradition or Rite of the Elders directly mark that but such only as manifestly thwart the Word of God such are the unnatural neglect of maintenance of our needy Parents upon a religious pretence of Corban S. Mark vii 11 As for washing of the hands he condemneth it but not directly as if unlawful in it self because no where commanded as S. Chrysostome uncautelously lets fall but indirectly i.e. in such a person whose scrupulous Hypocrite could make great conscience for the less and none of the greater Thus elsewhere he condemneth the Pharisees yea pronounceth woe against them in several cases Matth. xxiii First Woe to you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for you compass Sea and Land to make a Proselyte A woe and yet no fault in the World All Religion that is good or believes it self to be good will do so But what followes You make him a child of Hell twofold more then your selves Again Wo to you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites because you garnish the Tombs of the Prophets and say If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers c. No faults again none I hope in that repentant expression If we c. But chiefly that of tithing Mint and Cummin which our Saviour saith they ought to have observed and yet woe to the Scribes for such tithing whilst they omit the great matters of the Law S. Matth. xxiii 23 And if I much mistake not our Saviour puts this difference and distinction himself the phrase of the Text being clearly altered in one from what it was in the other In the matter of Corban our Saviour charges them home with making void Gods Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is sinful and impudent but in the Washing it is onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are taxed for laying aside the Law of God the Law of greater matters S. Mark vii 8 But doth our Saviour deny any where That he which maketh conscience of the great matters of the Law may be if he will punctual in the less If the Pharisees heart should be clean wash'd would the washing of his hands defile him Let any man judge what our Saviour did and all his Disciples at the Marriage of Cana in Galilee where there were six Water-pots set for this Ceremony yea and other times also As an innocent Ceremony doth not sanctifie a man so neither doth it defile him Let us take heed of hypocrisie and secure the greater matters and the less are free for us To the clean all things are clean Tit. i. 13 Ceremonies may be superciliously censur'd poor things but as the Herald says In civil matters there can be no State or Majesty so in Religion there can be no Devotion no solemnity without them All wise men know that Religion is not a meer reserve nothing outward For how then shall our Brother be edified How shall our Religion be professed How solemnly professed If there be in Religion a solemnity there must be some such thing as a becoming Ceremony The unhappy Covenant could not be the solemn League and Covenant without the assumption of an outward Ceremony lifting up of the hand to swear And I appeal to any man that hath a heart humbly to serve God whether when he composeth himself to devout powring out of his soul to God he can forbear the natural expression of his eye and hand with heart Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in the Heavens Lam. iii. 41 I ask whether the Publican could forbear in his holy indignation against his enemy himself to smite his breast There is a natural spring in our bodies that moves our hands and eyes and knees according to our inward affection And as I remember pious Anatomists give the reason why Nature made our eyes with such Muscles and our knees with such a Flexure God must be worshipped in Spirit and Truth therefore he may not be worshipped by Ceremony only But must he therefore be worshipped without any It is enough for me that our blessed Saviour who best knew his own meaning used them when in the solemn time of his last Devotion he ador'd on his ‖ S. Matth. xxvi 39 face yea and on the Cross it self when he delivered up his tormented spirit to the Father the Text saith He * S. John xix 30 Bowed his head and gave up the Ghost They that will say a Ceremony is just nothing should be ask'd how they would take it if any one should spit in their faces 't is but the Ceremony of DeFiance Or if Christs Disciples should shake off the dust of their feet for a testimony against them Matth. x. 14 I am sure our Saviour expects such testimonies from us See what he saith to his friend Simon when the ceremonious Woman came in that wiped his feet Simon I have something to say to thee S. Luke vii 44 He accuses him of the defect of a triple Ceremony and then brings in the Woman for a sairer example Thou gave me no water to wash my feet this Woman hath washed me with her tears thou gavest me no kiss this Woman hath not ceased to kiss my feet my head with oyl thou didst not anoint this Woman hath anointed my feet with oyntment And what is the conclusion He loved little and she loved much So true is it there is no devotion without them Our Adversaries therefore would have done ill to have lived in the dayes of Christs flesh who might perhaps have been contented to have cried Hosanna but they would have scarce made one at gathering of branches to strew Christs way they would hardly have laid their Carpets and Garments in his Road while his Disciples laid all under the feet of his very Beast S. Matth. xxi 8 I know these practises are liable to exception The holy Womans ointment Judas put in ad quid praeditio haec Had not it been better sold and given to the poor And yet our Saviour defended that Woman So to lay my Garments under an Asses feet What sense is for that Yet our Saviour accepted this and God give us grace to do those things that our Saviour will accept But now to the Rule What is the Rule of these things R. Affection Charity A high esteem is the Fountain and Rule of these expressions You do not hear me say a distinct Text of holy Scripture that is for the greater matters of the Law There was no express Scripture for tithing of the Mint The Apostle is discoursing of these things 't is good to ask him What is the Rule of Ceremonies The Apostle answers Light of Nature 1 Cor. xi 14 What is the Rule again the same Apostle answers