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	way_n	word_n	1,912	5	3.9834	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92845	A sermon, preached at St. Marie's in the University of Cambridge May 1st, 1653. Or, An essay to the discovery of the spirit of enthusiasme and pretended inspiration, that disturbs and strikes at the universities: by Joseph Sedgwick, Mr. of Arts, and Fellow of Christs Coll: in the University of Cambridge. Together with an appendix, wherein Mr. Del's Stumblingstone is briefly repli'd unto: and a fuller discourse of the use of universities and learning upon an ecclesiasticall account, submitted by the same authour to the judgement of every impartial and rational Christian.	Sedgwick, Joseph, 1628-1702.	1653 (1653)	Wing S2362; Thomason E699_2; Thomason E699_3; ESTC R510	26,942	31

experience shall warrant the truth to be on his side 4. Experience being private and particular of particular case constitution and arbitrary actings of the Spirit of Wisedome is not to be extended to general rule without ground in Scripture or the nature of the thing Else the new-experienc'd-Divinity argued consequently against the benefit of Ordinances and to other mens formality in the use of them from some mens own experience of their hypocrisy in duty and their receiving no good by them through their default and God's justice 5. Shall I adde That Duties are to be delivered above the shortness of our own attainments Duties as delivered in Scripture and therefore as they are to be prest exceed our experience But some will say we have some degree of experience and from that collect what is yet above us I answer So one as yet unexperienc'd apprehends in part some kind of knowledge being presupposed to experience Then secondly a notional knowledge is sufficient to a verball declaration and may in many things be clearer and safer while it follow 's Scripture-revelation other mens manifold experience though not its own IV. Gifts and endowments are principally requisite to a Gospel Minister as such For the nature of a Minister is office employment and what enables to be a Christian enables not to the function of a Minister 1 Cor. 12. peruse the whole chapter To cleare up this consider 1. The gifts of the Spirit in the Apostles times were not onely for a miraculous confirmation of the Doctrine's Divine Original and for a testimony of their designation to the work of planting the Gospel but for enabling them to their work Tongues indeed S. Paul tels us were for unbelievers but prophecying was for believers and their edification Indeed the miraculous way of conveyance and the wonderworking power was partly for attestation to the truth of Christian revelation But withall they were enabled for the carrying on the work of the Gospel by gifts given from above To be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. able as well as willing to teach was the condition of a Bishop in S. Paul's time and he exhorts to seek gifts 1 Cor. 14. 1. Then there was the Holy Unction and that not needless By the way I shall propose to examination whether S. John's Ye have received the anointing may not relate to this enablement of the primitive Pastours and Teachers and so be far enough from concluding any unnecessariness of a Ministery For S. John writes against False Apostles and may very probably be thought to direct his Epistle to the Christian Churches as a collection of Pastours and people Ye need not saith he any new Instructer new Revealer or explainer of revelation since you have among you in your Churches the Divine Vnction and the Spirit of God directing and enabling your Presbytery constituted by Apostolical Ordination You have received is very true though every individuall member of the Church had it not but by interest in the Pastours But let the able judge 2. Gifts and enablements are as necessary nay more now then then There is the same need of instructing reproving and convincing of gain-sayers demonstrating the truth of the Gospel by Scripture and answering objections against it Besides that our remoteness from the Apostles who in difficulties might then be readily consulted and the ambiguity essential to the plainest writings with the severall prepossessions and conceptions of severall parts of Christians have made the controversies in Divinity almost infinite Due consideration good judgement and all imaginable accomplishments are little enough to direct in what is to be preached for the truth of God and to distinguish Scripture and Catholick Verity from private conceits and upstart opinions For the teachings of the Spirit they are so diverse in severall pretenders sometimes so unagreeable to the true meaning of the Word that we are very well satisfied in the necessity of S. John's advice to try the Spirits Consider the Apostles speake not in our naturall language and many passages relate to customes now obsolete and History of those times not mentioned by any Inspired Writer Do not some proofs from the old Testament seeme to proceed upon some then-received traditional expositions The gifts then necessary to the preaching and explaining of the Gospel as so are still as necessary to that office and the more for the ceasing of miracles Heathens now must be convinced by rational evidence of the Divinity of our revelation Doubtless in this age Learning is necessary when Atheisme begins to creep up in the Church and to our-face Christianity And how nearely related Atheisme and Enthusiasme are and how subservient each to other is well observed by that judicious and faithfull servant of God and the Truth Mr. More in his preface to that most effectuall Antidote against Atheisme 3. Acquired gifts are many of them for substance the same with those then conferr'd by the Spirit The revelation of the matter by them then publish'd we have in our sacred Records and 't were as ration all for these men to bid us expect the Gospel truth too in an extraordinary way of discovery What we read is what the Apostles preach'd and our Ministers as the then-Teachers preach according to the sound or saving forme of words delivered to them by the Apostles now in writing as then also by word of mouth The other enablements given to them as preachers and publishers of this doctrine for enabling them in their duty were but the raising and directing their naturall faculties in order to clearing up the truth to themselves and others And this is the designe and effect of a great part of Learning Indeed if naturall parts be necessary to a Minister let our Adversaries understand that Logick Metaphysicks and Rhetorick are but rectifiers and perfecters of naturall endowments and then tell us why the perfecting and rectifying of natural parts is useless and unnecessary I am bold to repeate that the maintainers of this dispute against Learning understand not what it is but judge by their own undigested notions rude shadows of Learning 4. Acquired gifts are the gifts of the Spirit though not from its miraculous operation Studiousness and a blessing upon it are the gifts of Divine Providence in the World and especially in the Church Sure the diverse way of conveyance and the difference of ordinary and extraordinary vary not the nature of the things What was created by God produced still after its kind though here was generation instead of creation It is strange the gracious gifts of God should loose their esteeme because they are not bestowed in a way of miracle 5. Miraculous gifts were given upon account of the Apostles exigency It pleased God in his wisdome to make use of the simplicity and unlearnedness of the Apostles and that to magnify his great power in those miraculous abilities infused into them from Heaven So God chose David from a Shepheard to be King and furnish'd

of Scripture's perfection I must confesse I am as much out of hope of convincing him as free from any feare that he should multiply proselytes where any thing of sober-mindedness remaines I 'le speak in a word my thoughts as to the forementioned Doctrine of the fulness of Divine Writ with submission to the better judgements of our Reverend Doctors of the Church and to the candid examination of any judiciously ingenuous lover of truth I understand that we reject Traditions as false when they contradict written Revelation as dangerous when the probability of abuse and ill consequence overweighs the benefit received by retaining them but thirdly the rest only as uncertaine because we want much of that evidence which we have of the Scripture's authority Yet these last may be retained according to their probability of truth and usefulness to the Congregations of Believers I see no ground to conclude all under falshood and humane invention which is not found in the Scripture though I may rationally question the certainty of such Traditions any further then I can discover their rationalness or then the authority of their discoverer and proposer gives them a credibility Methinks I see these Querers acted I know not how to a more dangerous consequence then they themselves imagine What use is there of their ridiculous Quere's unless to weaken the truth of the Scripture's sufficiency a sober and undoubted Truth if well understood i. e. as I conceive as to matters of salvation and necessary entertainment though indeed it doth containe all Truths that are certainly of Divine originall I am afraid this will be the effect among common people that can seldome keep from one of the extremes if once they be as they cannot but be in time sensible of this wild way of disputing from Scripture and by fond and frivolous interrogatories many of which though applauded by men as madly conceited as the Enquirers yet to a sober indifferent mind evidence but the Authors follies and unmask that spirit of scurrility and immorality by which the Contrivers are frequently acted To this purpose we shall premise these Conclusions of some moment in this and other disputes 1. Matters of common prudence needed not to be revealed nor are they revealed in Scripture nor is therefore common humane prudence unlawfully used in things Ecclesiasticall I suppose it will be easily conceived that God never intended that the Church should be a collection of indiscretion and folly and hence it is that there are so few hints of those things which mere Reason may instruct us in Even in the Jewish dispensation where the outward forme was exactly prescribed some things were left to common prudence and the determination of the Consistory as indeed it must be when Laws are framed in the greatest perfection imaginable I know no other use of that which the Apostle calls Government 1 Cor. 12. i. an extraordinary gift as I apprehend of prudence for the ordering and managing the rule of the Church and for a particular application of that general direction given by St Paul that all things should be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. Decently and in or according to order must be understood according to that becoming ordinateness and decorum observed in the assemblies of civile and wel-bred men without the rudeness of immoral and tumultuary meetings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some I remember have expounded by according to institution i. e. the rule which I gave you But I think good method convenient as it were ranking is the more usual signification and best stands in conjunction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both order and decency being left to the judgement of the Church or its governours acting according to the rules of prudence Nor indeed could it be otherwise then left thus if we consider the severall states of the Church as under and neare to the Apostles times and as in succeeding ages The condition of the Church and Christianity is extreamely varied being then low persecuted discountenanced by the temporal power and in a state of poverty Then on the contrary guided by Apostolical infallibility and immediately furnisht from heaven with a large effusion of the Spirit in gifts and special endowments Now remember that the Acts of the Apostles is an History of the then Church and the Instructions given in the Apostolical Epistles referre to their then state are to be applied to us onely with consideration of circumstances or in the common reason and general duty contained in them When I heare some mens objections methinks it is sufficient answer to many arguments fetcht from primitive practice That the Apostolical Churche's purse and power would not carry them out as in building of Churches and the like We know they had not then the liberty of publike worship In other things the Apostles needed not such helps yet in times wherein they are needfull the Apostles practice is no prejudice to their use Where read we say some of the Apostles praying with all that would come to joine as the whole Congregation Neither say I do we read of a whole Nation professing Christianity which being now the universal profession of many countries alters the case of their and our times Upon this particular it is not unseasonable to wish that men would learne seriously to weigh the strength of their arguments and their extent more then in relation to their particular question and present concernment It would save them the trouble of being forced by others to answer their own arguments upon another question Which hath been very usual in this very principle which some have formerly upon other occasions made use of that all is will-worship which is instituted in the worship of God without particular warrant from Scripture and what the consequence hath been our times sufficiently evidence II. For further confirmation of what hath been said I observe that there are many things common to a society of Christians and Civil Societies Churches being humane Societies as to the matter of them i. partaking of this general nature of being a Collection of rational Creatures and then what ever is applicable to humane Society in general belongs to Churches as contained under that larger notion as for example the lawfull employment of honest wisdome and discretion for its preservation Provided onely that nothing be acted contrary to the principles and nature of Christianity If this caution be observed rational deductions from Civil Societies keeping the analogy of religion are improveable to the Church Much more what is deducible from the notion of a Christian Assembly III. Where the reason of the thing is common and unappropriate to the then-obtaining dispensation and when there is nothing implied to the contrary in the Gospel Doctrine or Institution there arguments drawn from the Jewish Church do hold good as to the Christian It is warranted by S. Paul's discourse about Gospel maintenance for the Ministery For the Church then was a Society joyning