Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	true_a	1,952	5	4.9061	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18346	A fruitfull sermon, vpon the 3.4.5.6.7.&8. verses of the 12. chapiter of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes very necessarie for these times to be read of all men, for their further instruction and edification, in things concerning their fayth and obedience to saluation.	Chaderton, Laurence, 1536?-1640.; Dering, Edward, 1540?-1576.	1584 (1584)	STC 4926.5; ESTC S1546	34,708	90

Here then we learn what to iudge of those functions with their gifts which Christe hath giuen for the perfect building vp of his Church to wit as of the excellent and singular graces of God For the office of the Pastor and Doctor and Elder the Deacon the attender vpon the poore and impotent togeather with this of the Apostle are all Streames flowing from one spring or head by the which the manifold graces of God and waters of eternall life are conuayed into his Church that euery member drinking thereof shoulde neuer thirste againe but haue full fountaines issuing out of him to eternall life Wherefore let all men of what calling or authority soeuer they be take heed least by them selues by others or by any other meane they stop and damme vp these heauenlye streames of waters which should run into the Lords vineyard to water it or else least they defile and corrupt these waters with casting into them mingling with them the dregs and filthy puddle waters of mans inuentions popish traditions For assuredly all the ordinarye graces of God giuen to vs are such so y t they cannot abide either addition detraction or change Such also is the giuer hereof y t as he is ielous ouer them so he will moste seuerely reuēge him selfe of all those y t shall add detract or any manner of way corrupt his gifts against his will written word Thus we see what profitable instruction may be gathered out of this former part touching the person of Paule the minister or publisher of this generall Law as also of that special which followeth Now let vs heare to whom this generall Law was giuen To euery one of what estate vocation soeuer that was among the christians at Rome and in them to all that then were or are now of the houshould of God For hee saith To euerye one that is among you Which is as if hee shoulde say whether you be pastors or Teachers Elders Deacons or prouiders for the impotent and sicke Fathers Children Masters Seruants bond free Iewes Gretians publique or priuate persons I giue vnto all in generall and to euery one in particuler this general law rule of life charging euery one in the sight of God to keepe it vndefiled to the comming of the Lord Sauiour Christ. Hereby it is manifest that the law or Precept following is generall not speciall appertaining to al not only to some necessary profitable for all times not onely conuenient for that present estate of the christian church at Rome and therefore perpetually to hee taught and practized of Gods Ministers learned and obeyed of his people vrged and established by the power and authoritie of the Magistrate his heauenly ordinaunce And in so doing the Magistrate the Minister and the people shall by their humble seruice and subiection vnto God both approoue their pure consciences their sound and vnfained faith to all that feare God and also stoppe the mouth of the aduersarie which speaketh euill of the truth because manye which outwardly professe it either haue not learned or will not obey this commandement of the Lorde Now seeing we know the commaundement is from God and that the Minister hereof is the chiefest Apostle that euer was and that as it concerned the Romanes so now they beeing a sleep in the Lorde it appertaineth to all and euery one of vs which are here assembled let vs mark first what this generall Law is then according to the Apostles order what is the speciall deriued out of the generall and to whom it is giuen The Law is this Phronein eis to Sophronein that is as if he shoulde saye I command in the person of God euery one that is among you to the wise or to vnderstand according to sobreity as it is translated As for the wordes that goe before these and that follow in this vers they are no part in this law but rather a more full and familiar declaratiō therof For wheras it is saide That no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand it is a manifest prohibition by a negation of that which is commanded by an affirmation Againe where it is sayde As God hath dealt to euery one the measure of faith it is certaine the purpose of the holy Ghoste is more playnely to declare and expresse the meaning of his Lawe and generall commaundement But first of the Lawe it selfe then of those which serue for the farther declaration thereof The Greeke Uerb which is heere translated vnderstand doth properly signify to bee indued with a reasonable minde or Soule wherein because Wisedome and knowledge is and because shee hath as it were her mansion house in it it signifieth also to bee wise in which signification it is vsed in this place and for so much as Wisedome principally consisteth in a discreet moderation and comelye order of all actions and workes I take it heere to signify by a trope of the cause for the effect the moderate and sober exercise of Wisdome and true vnderstanding The worde translated sobrietie properlye signifieth to haue a sounde minde not troubled with anye diseaze in which signification it is here vsed So that the whole commaundement expressed in these two wordes appearethe playnlye to bee this I commaunde euerye one which is amonge you truely to vnderstande soberlye to esteeme soundlye to iudge and modestlye to vse the giftes hee hath receiued of GOD being fullye contented and satisfied therewith Wherefore let vs consider I beseech you the excellencye the dignitye the profite and vse of this generall Law For what can be more excellent then for euery member of the misticall body of Christ truely to knowe his proper gifts and wisely and soberly to esteeme and vse them What can bee of greater dignity and worthinesse then for all the people of God scattered thorough the Face of the Worlde hauing so dyuerse gyftes and offices being so farre distaunt in place by an humble sober and discreet iudging of their giftes abilitie and callinges to serue and worship in the vnitie of spirit and truth and in the bond of peace one true and immortal King of glory Finally what can be more profitable for the Church of Christ our mother then that all her Children according to their age strength giftes place and callinges shoulde without hatred enuie or anie neglect of dutie loue relieue maintaine euery one an other as becommeth the dearly beloued children of God This law wel learned and diligently practized bringeth with it all these and many mow commodities Therefore it is not onelie in this place but in many other places of the scripture most faithfully registred In the booke of Numbers chap. 3. we maye read and see plainely how that the Lorde did not onely by precept distinguishe between the calling of the Leuites and people but threatneth the transgressours and inordinate walkers with death For the Leuites were either called Priestes or by the common name

y t he retaineth it among the ordinary gifts secondly in that he tyeth and lymitteth it to be moderated and ruled by the proportion of faith thirdly in that he commaundeth the Prophet to abyde in that calling fourthly in that immediately after he diuideth it into the office of the Doctour and Pastour all which can not agree with the giftes of foretelling things to come For that is not ordinary not alwayes limitted not alwayes to be retayned neither is it common to the Doctour and the Pastour therefore it must needes be thus expounded in this place as we haue sayde so that the meaning is hee whom God hath called sincerely to interpret his worde to the profit of his people let him abyde in that function For albeit that worde is wanting in the Greek text yet either that or some other of the like force must necessarily be vnderstood as the Greeke Scholiast and other writers doe well note But what is ment here by The proportion of faith To omit the opinions of men I take it to be the same which the Apostle before named The measure of faith and the meaning to be as if he shoulde saye he that is lawfully called by the church truly and purely to expound the Scriptures to the edification of the hearer let him abide therein according to the proportiō or measure of his gifts which are giuen him to occupie and exercise in faith for God hath giuen to some more to some lesse yea and somtimes blesseth him that hath lesse more than him that hath more Therefore euery man being called must abide therin and occupy his proper talent and gift with all diligence and faith to the edification of his owne flock Whereby we may plainly see what a Prophet is A Prophet is a member or minister of the Word of God which abideth in the true sincere interpretation thereof to the edification of his own peculier flock So Paul chargeth y e bishops at Ephesus to do Act. 20. The word trāslated office signifieth here all other ordinary functions besides the Pastor and Doctor In deede it is sometimes taken in scripture generally for all Ecclesiasticall functions sometime applyed to the ciuill Magistrate but that it is not so taken here it is manifest by the disiunctiue proposition either of whose partes cannot by any rule of reason comprehend both Wherefore as the Prophet hath to handle the Word so y e officer hath to handle not it but other necessary dueties wherein he must also continue with diligence and fidelity Let vs proceed to the seueral branches Or he that teacheth on teaching These wordes as they shewe the office of the Doctor wherein he must bee continually occupied not breaking in vpon any other ciuill or Ecclesiasticall calling so they may teach vs together what a true Doctor and Teacher is howe to define and distinguish him from all other ministers in the Church A Doctor or Teacher is a Prophet which truely soundly and reuetently expounding the Canonicall Scriptures continueth in teaching true doctrin to his own people for the establishing of their minds in the truth If any doubt of y e trueth hereof he may as well doubt of the Scriptures them selues out of the which euery part hereof is drawne For the Apostle here calleth the Doctor a Prophet that he must interpret y e canonical scriptures it appeareth first by the fourth of the 1. of Pet. Let him that speaketh speake as the words of God Secondly because who knoweth not that the Scriptures are giuen of the holy ghost and are sufficient to teach all trueth and that the Churche is built vpon this doctrine Lastly Christe sendeth vs to the Scriptures which witnesse of him and teacheth by them the trueth and confuteth errors Therfore the Doctours must onely expounde the canonicall Scriptures not the Apocripha or any mans writinges For the Lord will haue nothing brought into his holy assembly but that which he hath appointed And therefore albeit there were greate corruption in the Synagogues of the Iewes yet the histories of the Acts of the Apostles declare that nothing was read and expounded in them but the Law and the Prophetes not so much as the Caldie paraphrast For as the Prophetes might not in calling the people together blow any trumpets but those which were made and set apart for that purpose by the commaundement of God Numb 10. 28 so ought not the Ministers of God to expound or read openly in the congregation any writings but onely the Canonicall Scriptures which the Lorde hath set apart and sanctified for that vse That he must doe it properly purely and reuerently appeareth by Peter before cited hee must speak as the wordes of God Paule testifieth y t he spake as concerning Christ as of sincerity as of God as in the sight presēce of God 2. Cor. 2. 17. That he must be diligent continue in teaching the generall law prooueth it Last of al y t he must do it to his owne people the word it selfe prooueth for there is a necessary relation betweene y e Teacher and the learner the Doctor and the disciple Howe can hee teach except hee haue disciples howe can those be his Disciples which doe neither heare him nor learne of him The reason why he must doe it diligently to plant and establish his disciples mindes in the truth is because we are very dull to conceiue and learne and although lecture be vpon lecture doctrine vpon doctrine here a little and there a little yet we shal remaine ignorant and proceede slowly if the truth be not soundly beaten into our heades Againe because by this meanes the Pastor shall haue more time in exhorting and applying his exhortation to the present necessity of his people But if any say is this al to teach y e truth to his people by expounding y e scriptures must he not also confute errors stop the mouth of the aduersary No doubt he must But we must acknowledge here the wisedome of the holy ghost which meaneth heere by teaching the trueth the confutation also of errour for the rule of trueth is also the rule of falshood For as light expesseth darknesse so truth falshoode and who is better able to confute errors then hee that knoweth the true meaning of the word Thus you see what a true Teacher is and wherein his whole function consisteth There remaineth nothing but to giue him his schollers and to set him on worke for as the Doctor must continue in true sound and pure doctrine so his schollers must search diligently according to the example of the noble men in the Actes 17 whether his doctrine be true or not whether it bee soundly and purely gathered oute of the word or not As he is reuerently to handle the Word so they must reuerently receiue it as from the mouth of God The next braunche or speciall which Christe hath giuen to his Church is the gift of exhortation else-where called the Pastor who as