Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	faith_n	5,700	5	5.3212	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85548	The shipwrack of all false churches: and the immutable safety and stability of the true Church of Christ. Occasioned: by Doctour Chamberlen his mistake of her, and the holy scriptures also, by syllogising words, to find out spirituall meanings, when in such cases it is the definition, not the name, by which things are truly knowne.	Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.	1652 (1652)	Wing G1594; Thomason E674_21; ESTC R207205	29,575	28

he cannot see the Kingdome of God In which words there are four parts and the tearms therein to be distinctly considered of The first is Of whom our Lord speaks by the name man and by it he means a naturall man And secondly That this man is to be born again his meaning is not as Nicodemus at that time understood him to enter into that place of nature from whence he came forth but to be born from above by a supernaturall force power vertue and operation of the Spirit of God In the third place He speaks of the matter of the Birth and that hath two parts The first is heavenly and spirituall water meaning thereby the grace and gift of God which the holy Ghost often in the Scriptures calls by the name of water which is the Baptisme of Repentance a true turning to God The second part consisteth of another more excellent work of the Spirit which is here called the Holy Ghost but in other places by metaphoricall tearms blood and fire by which is meant the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost or Remission of sins The first part is full of spirituall grief and disconsolation the last full of heavenly comfort and consolation And lastly By seeing the Kingdome of God he means the knowing and being a member of his Church in the state of Regeneration receiving the Spirit of Adoption through which he is made the Child of God and if Children then Heirs of the everlasting Kingdome the World to come the inheritance of the Saints so then from this Scripture thus opened we are taught that Gods method and way to convert men from nature to grace to make them members of his Church is to Turne them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to be reconciled unto God To deliver us from the power of darknesse and translate us into the Kingdome of the Son of his love And by this way and means the Lord made and constituted the true Church of Christ at Collosse as he doth all other Churches of his which were Saints and faithfull brethren in Christ And so did he likewise that famous Church at Ephesus Yee were somtimes darknesse saith the Apostle but now are yee light in the Lord walk as Children of light Mark I pray you he calls this Church these Saints these Faithfull in Christ Jesus Children of light and how came they to be so but by being Borne of God of his own will begat he them being born again of incorruptible seed the Word of God which is the Word of his Grace the New Covenant the Word of Promise the Covenant of Life the making us partakers thereof is the taking away the stony heart and in the place thereof to give his Elect a heart of flesh that is a soft tender and humble heart and in it to write his everlasting love mercy and kindnesse never to be obliterated or revoked as before is shewed For those whom he thus loves once he loves unto the end And these Children of God are those little ones the Scripture speaks of those humble ones the Lord teacheth those contrite and penitent ones that the Lord comforteth refresheth and reviveth this is his Sion his little City his desired Habitation his delightfull dwelling his Holy Mountaine And where two or three of these are gathered together in his Name where by Name we are to understand Spirit there is he in the midst of them that is it that is it that makes them his Church even his holy presence that is it that makes them his House his Tabernacle to doe his great pleasure in Earth by his Spirit as the everlasting Father and the Son doth in Heaven whose voyce not to regard is as much as not to regard the voyce of God himselfe Oh Doctour for you to compare your hay wood and stubble with the purity and excellency of this Churches mettle which is Gods building it will even so eclipse your rush light and split your hulk and shipwrack your bark for ever as never to recover and your sandy foundation will shortly cause such a fall of your foolish Church building as never to be built again And that you may repent of your ignorance of the true Church of Christ I will give you another discovery of her excellency by her pure estate and glorious condition which the Propheticall Apostle Iohn saw in a Vision and writ it for posterity in these words And a great signe appeared in Heaven a Woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and on her head a Crown of twelve stars And being great with Child shee cryed travelling and labouring to be delivered In which Scripture there are many things considerable 1. A matter of wonderment and admiration for the great excellency of it 2. The place where it appeared and that was in Heaven 3. What it was that appeared and that was a woman 4. Then her cloathing and apparell all over her body 5. As also what she was crown'd with on her head 6. What she trod under her feet and not only denominating all things without her but 7. what was within her also And being great with Child she cryed travelling and labouring to be delivered This precious Virgin Spouse the Lords Bride being in her condition spirituall did shine forth in her primitive estate not in any outward pomp and humane carnall glory as now in any externall forme or soft Rayment after the fashion of the multitude of gathered Churches in these dayes but in her heavenly gifts and holy vertues her chast and prudent conversation the shining of her faith love patience and moderation in all things she was such as she was the light of the world to the wonderment and admiration of all the Children that had eyes to behold her And whereas it is said She appeared in Heaven the meaning is the places where the Gospel was beleeved the truth of God and way to salvation professed as in Iudea Italy Macedonia Asia and divers other places Cities and Countries in which sense the Apostle speaks to the Church of Thessalonica For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad c. And that the Church of Christ is signified by the appellation and title of a Woman that is usuall and often the expression of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures as The Kings Daughter The Daughter of Sion The Spouse of Christ The Lambs Wife The Mother of all the Saints c. And there is great reason for the Female Sex resembles the Church of Christ in many respects as for their fruitfulnesse for their beauty for their subjection and passivenesse and tender bowels of compassion And that she may want nothing that may tend to her full description in her whole attire to make her all glorious without as the Prophet saith The Kings Daughter is all glorious within The son of Righteousnesse even his own

all the abundance of earthly things or shaddows of that which is spirituall the witnesse and evidence of the Spirit of God exceeds all testimonies and assurances and fills the soul with satisfaction Now in this condition they know the truth of their Lords words by blessed experience My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed living bread that came downe from heaven and they that eat thereof eat everlasting life It is immortall food this body and blood is the resurrection and the life for they that eat this flesh and drink this blood dwell in Christ and Christ in them This food causeth union co-habitation one-nesse of mind and likenesse of affection between Christ and his Members This is the fatted Calfe that fed the prodigall this is the Childrens bread provided of God himselfe for his servant Iacob those excellent dainties sweet and fat things full of marrow the wine and milk the honey-comb with the honey with which the Lord feeds his friends his beloved and chosen ones which food doth not only cheare delight and comfort but it confirms and seals with assurance even that gold Ring that sealed the Fathers favour to his lost Son the best Robe of all the Wardrobe for there is none like it in Heaven nor in Earth for it is the Righteousnesse of the Saints it covers all nakednesse it defends from all dangers and it ever finds acceptance with their heavenly Father in all services and sacrifices for these worshippers have their hearts purged from an evill conscience and their Garments dipt in blood for the Lamb is in them and they in him And thus spirituall are their prayers also this sacrifice likewise is a broken heart and as it is the spirits habitation and dwelling so it is his place of acting and working and although the Saints themselves cannot tell how to pray as they ought yet the Spirit their continuall comforter guider and directer helpeth them and secretly prompteth them with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered with the Organ of the Tongue so inward faithfull and fervent are the spirits requests to God that only knowes the meaning thereof and for their matter they are faithfull supplications they ask in faith in the name of their Lord that is in the powerfull assistance of Christs Spirit And this is the confidence we have in him say the Saints if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he hears us that is if the Spirit do so witnesse to us we know then that we have the Petitions that we desired of him for number they are but few for place private for practice and performance often and frequent Pray continually saith the Apostle And shall the Elect cry day and night unto God their Father against their Enemies oppressions and shall not he avenge them yea he will avenge them and that speedily In all their spirituall warfare this is the last and principall piece of Armour Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance This Servant of our Lords had very well learned his Masters Lesson Watch and pray least yee enter into temptation and this part of their worship is spirituall as the worshippers themselves are spirituall Again their understanding the Scripture is not only litterall but spirituall and that it may the more clearly appear we must remember to make use of this distinction that the Scriptures may be spoken of as of a Body and a Spirit in the letter and the meaning thereof Now all carnall Gospellers and false Expositors as they understand no further then the letter or common gifts declared therein by the sense which such give of the Scriptures they kill Gods Witnesses the two holy Testaments Priests whose Visions are darknesse doe violate wrong and injure all the holy Writings of Gods faithfull servants and witnesses of which company a●e the Learned Clerks of Rome and all other fleshly Preachers for that Church co●sisting of the fat Beasts of the field did kill havock and slay them in such a barbarous manner in that great City of Rome which in a spirituall wicked meaning is called Sodome and Aegypt for their uncleannesse and malice against the true intent of the Scriptures that notwithstanding they had the letter and Corps amongst them yet they did deny the life and soule the mind and will of God therein revealed to be buried or inter'd in their proper Monuments the hearts of men and as they then so the same things doe all carnall Churches now that are of her old nature although of a new frame by their like lying and false Expositions and interpretations even take the life from the body and separate the soule from the corps of these two Witnesses two Prophets two Candlesticks two Testimonies two Olive Trees and two Covenants which two in all and each appellation are but one thing in the true meaning and so they shall continue to doe the remainder of the 42 months till 14 years of the whole number to come be expired In the mean while the voyce of the Church of Christ is heard from out of the Wildernesse and wholly tends to the vindication resurrection and restoration of the true meaning of the Word of God as it is written And after three dayes and a halfe the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet And Gods Church fears not to speak although she cares not to be known she being indewed with the spirit of life from God and in her reading the Scriptures you shall find her full of consideration and understanding as our Lord directs her Let him that readeth consider For they that read and hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things that are written therein and are blessed in so doing must needs truly understand them and indeed it is Sion Gods Church only that understandeth and declareth the Gospel truly by the Scriptures administration For by the Church saith the Apostle is made knowne the manifold wisdome of God which shall be more manifested in the next particular in declaring what the Ministers of the Church of Christ are And it is an undenyable truth that they are Regenerated spirituall men for if every Member of their Church be so and all their Ordinances and Sacr●fices their Communions and administrations then of necessity their Ministry must be so also and therefore in Scripture they are called Holy men of God and Holy Apostles and Prophets and are thereby distinguished from all others that are vaine and ungodly 1. They are holy personally 2. They are holy giftedly And as God hath joyned them together so I shall not seperate them in their description A Scribe instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a good Housholder that brings forth of his Treasury things new and old Now in that our Lord saith He is taught unto the Kingdome of Heaven it is all one as if he had

any other title to the Doctours purpose In the second place he continues his speech to his persecuting enemies which I hope upon second thoughts he doth not understand to be his Church In the third place he graciously informs and confirms his faithfull servant Phillip in the Mystery of his Divinity as of his Humanity and that his words are the works of God but not a word in the Doctours meaning And in the 24. verse as he speaks of them that love him so he speaks of them that hate him whom to affirme to be his Church is to blaspheme her And in the last place John 5. 19 30. the Lord speaks of himselfe as distinguishable from the Father and also declareth the hypostaticall union of both Natures Humane and Divine The true meaning of these Scriptures being thus considered shewes plainly that his doctrine and their intention were at a vast distance for it is far from their meaning that the Church of Christ may play the Harlot and of pure become base and unclean because they testifie that she is so long to last and continue holy even every member of her his body as Jesus Christ her head is to be Christ who was yesterday and to day and for ever And s●ving your learning Sir this doctrine sheweth that you are still tainted with the old leaven of corrupt Popery and Arminianisme which will be more manifested when I come to shew what the true Church of Christ is indeed discovering thereby your fancie more particulerly and exactly Another conclusion that he would teach the people was That his Church was a Baptized Church and had the true marks of a true Church which is the true Preaching the Word and the true administration of the Sacraments as he calls them Here the Gentleman is at a losse also and beats the air as before and that which he saith is to as little purpose his terms not being cleared to what sense he means from their various ac●eptations But the truth is his owne meaning by Baptisme is but that which is outward that any man may bear witnesse to that is present as he affirms in page 23. So then his Baptisme is of the same nature as his Church is both carnall the inside foule as Simon Magus his heart was not right in the sight of God his estate naturall and miserable in the Gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity yet washt and cleansed without Where doe you read in the Scriptures that the Churches of God true spirituall Christians did ever brag and boast of the fleshly and carnall parts of the Ordinances of the Gospel as you have done No they see those are shaddows elementary representations and say that it is not Baptism in the flesh that saves not but the Baptism of the heart the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and the body washed with pure water by this spirituall Baptisme men are saved So also they affirm that 's not Circumcision that is in the flesh but that is Circumcision that is of the heart in the spirit and not in the Letter inward spirituall and heavenly Baptisme And this Circumcision is that which Gods Church glories in and not the outward that Divells may participate of as well as Saints But the Doctour fears not to avouch that the washing with the Old Ford or Thames water and the like places is that Baptisme which the Scripture in a speciall sense speaks of by which men are regenerated because he maketh it the true mark of the rue Church Indeed this is the opinion of the stupid obdurat hard-hearted Jews and Papists and of most carnall Protestants in which they are all alike But as the true Church of Christ is spirituall so is her Baptisme and so are her fruits and manifestations her marks and seals by which she is distinguished from all other Churches that are false as when I come to establish the truth shall be cleared But the Doctour further affirmeth that their Baptized Churches have the true Preaching of the Word and he thinks himselfe to be none of the meanest amongst the rest and therefore in the first place and in the behalf of all the Baptized Churches as he calls them we will examine his owne true Preaching of the word as he affirms in page 24. That his Church and all other Baptized Churches baptize such as shall be saved according to Mark 16. 16. because as he saith they are beleivers and repenters Again saith he they that Baptize such as confesse with their mouth the Lord Jesus and beleeve in their hearts that God hath raised him from the dead Rom. 10. baptizeth such as shall be saved But baptized Churches baptize such as confesse with their mouth the Lord Jesus and beleeve with their hearts that God raised him from the dead therefore baptized Churches baptize such as shall be saved This professed workman for want of true understanding to divide the word aright hath from his own mouth eternalized his own shame for want of a clear and true distinction in the same terms that have divers meanings And that his folly may the more be manifested we will ingeniously consider the Scriptures the first we read thus He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Now to find out the true meaning hereof two terms of necessity must be opened for one and the same term admitting of divers meanings in Scripture that sense must be distinguished from all others of like nature that is properly and only intended in that place Now for the term Faith it hath divers significations in the Scripture somtimes it is referred unto God somtimes unto men when unto God then it implyeth or intendeth nothing else but the sure and certain unalterablenesse of his promise and decree If unto men then it signifieth and intendeth either the doctrine of the Gospel it selfe or their faithfulnes that declare it or else some speciall gifts which the Spirit of God indueth his servants with now of such gifts there are but three sorts that bear the name of faith Somtimes the knowledge and certain understanding of the truth of Gods word is called Faith which for distinction sake may be called and that truly The Faith of knowledge or Historicall Faith which Faith although all the Saints under the Scriptures administration of the Gospel have yet it is not peculiar to them alone but common to all perishing Christians such as the Doctours Church consisteth of and may abundantly exceed in yea even Sathan himselfe The second gift of the holy Ghost is that by which any one miraculously doth such things as causeth admiration in the beholders exceeding naturall effects and is often in holy Writ called by the name of Faith and so may be denominated Miraculous Faith But with this gift the unholy may more excell then the holy men of God for John the Baptist did no Miracle but Iudas the Traytour did many in which gift of Faith the Priests and Juglers of Rome were famous as

the Spirit of the Lord foretold And they shall doe great wonders and works of great power so that they would deceive if it were possible the very elect Which kind of Faith may properly be defined thus That it is a certain undoubted confidence whereby a man beleeveth that God Almighty will by him doe this or that Miracle as the Scripture saith Through Faith in his name The third sort of the gifts of the Spirit which any man receiveth to Eternall life is called by the name of Faith and that more often then those before named which the Scripture calleth The Faith of God The Faith of the Son of God the Faith of Jesus Christ the Faith of Abraham the Faith that worketh by love the Faith of Gods Elect which is often and properly called by godly men justifying Faith and of this sort and kind of Faith all the Saints and they onely have which may be truely defined in this manner that it is a full sure and firme confidence ingraven by the power of the Spirit of God in a penitent broken heart whereby he assuredly beleeveth that all his sins are remitted and that he is reconciled and made one with God in everlasting love and favour through the Lord Jesus Christ Now the Doctour ought to have considered which of all these three sorts of Faith is meant by our Saviour in the place he alledges the last sort of Faith cannot be understood for that is included in the next tearm Baptized as I shall shew when I give you the meaning Nor the second sort for that 's not peculiar to them that shall be saved And therefore without all contradiction it must be the first sort of Faith which all the Elect of God must have in some measure or other wrought by Gods Spirit before he works either Repentance or Remission of sins which kind of Faith may well be expressed in saying that it is and it is nothing else but a sure knowledge and settled assent of the mind and heart by which a man most undoubtedly beleeveth such things as are revealed for the Salvation of mankinde Now the second Tearme in the Text is Baptized which word is likewise of divers significations in the Scripture and he ought here to have dealt like a skilfull spirituall workman as before is exprest that is in the first place to have shewed the manifold acceptations the same word also hath in the Holy Ghosts expression and then which of all the meanings by the same tearm is here to be understood which the Doctor having omitted of necessity I must do this work for him to find out the true meaning of this Scripture also Wherefore I say of the tearm Baptisme as of the tearm Faith that it hath divers disfinct and severall meanings in the Scriptures sometimes is meant by it externall elementary Baptisme that which is from below but more often that which is spirituall and heavenly from above as repentance is called Baptisme and so is Remission of Sinnes and these two heavenly operations together being Regeneration and the making parts of the New man are called Baptisme and so are the gifts of the Holy Ghost given to this New creature called Baptisme as also the enabling Grace in the holy conversation of this Child of God His mortification and vivification are called Baptisme as also are his blessed sufferings for righteousnesse sake Can you be Baptized with the Baptisme that I am Baptized with c. Now Mr. Doctour may it please you to learne which of all these distinct meanings is that which is intended by our Lord and Saviour the last it cannot be for in that our Lord speaks of the work and exercise of a New man born and not of the Birth it selfe the first it cannot be for that is from below and it is impossible for the water of the great Ocean Springs or Fountains to unharden the heart to convert a naturall man to renew the sinner to sanctifie the polluted then without all question it must be the Baptisme of Repentance and Remission of Sinnes the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost for whosoever is so Baptized doth so repent and beleeve shall be saved Now these things considered I pray see what a corrupt manner of Preaching is this of yours and how these Scriptures prove what you have affirmed let the people of the Lord judge For as you have by your false Expositions killed and taken away the life and meaning of Gods holy Word in these past instances of Divine Writ even so in like manner hath your dealing been with all other Scriptures you have made use of for which in due time and place you shall receive just reproof In the next place I should have discovered your ignorance of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper which is your confirmation of your Disciples under the power of your Ordinances as you use to say by which you doe not onely interest your selves into their Estates but have the disposing of their bodies also But I will defer that till I shall determine it rightly by the Scriptures of truth and will now take in hand the point you have spent most of your Syllogismes about concerning the Ministry of the Church of Christ and you ground your large Disputes on a Question page 2. which you frame thus Whether privat men I mean Trades-men say you may Preach the Word of God without Ordination By which it appears his meaning is they may and so goes on in all fury and in a conceit of an uncontrollable ability to make good his three fold Cord of Major Minor and Conclusion with cunning sophisticall words of Juglers as the Apostle speaks of some in his time 2 Pet. 1. 16. And the man is so confident that he thinks neither word nor spirit may countermand him but when the account of his Question is audited I think he will wish he had been better imployed for the Doctour is fallen into a mist as he was before and doth all his work in darknesse and he shall find them to prove no lesse then works of darknesse themselves by not clearing three tearms in his Question that is Private men Ordination and Preaching and that I may the more fully discover the Doctours weaknesse his question 's examination shall be by the Scriptures and then it will appear how the Scriptures meaning and the Doctours doth disagree Now we find the first tearm Private man made use of by the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. Knowing this first saith he that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation or motion as some translate for the Prophesie came not at any time by the will of man c. The Apostle teacheth us here that the private man he speaks of is a naturall man and he explains his own meaning to be so in these words By the will of man that is by no naturall mans abilities whatsoever And as he denies that the Prophesie of truth and