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	pillar_n	3,742	5	10.1590	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81140	Davids prayer for Solomon, containing the proper endowments and duty royall of a king, with the consequent blessings upon a kingdome. Delivered in a sermon at Christ-Church London, before the Right Honourable the Lord Major, the right worshipfull the aldermen his bretheren, together with the worshipfull companies of the said city, upon the 27th. of March, 1643. Being the commemoration of his Majesties inauguration. By Joseph Caryl, preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes Inne. It is this present eight day of Aprill, anno Domini, 1643. Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning printing, that this sermon intituled (Davids Prayer for Solomon, containing, the proper endowments and duty royall of a King, &c.) be printed and published. John White.	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1643 (1643)	Wing C750; Thomason E97_12; ESTC R13263	23,752	44

it is to judge by a Law knowne by a knowne rule therefore God did publish his Law to the eare of his owne people and he published it to the hearts of all the people in the world There is an Edition of the law in the heart of every man and God will judge none but by a law at least thus knowne The Gentiles shewed the workes of the Law written in their hearts Their consciences also bearing witnesse Roman 2. 15. For to make Lawes and then to conceale them is rather to set traps and snares to catch men then to give rules to direct them Hence the ancient Greekes used to engrave their Lawes upon pillars of brasse to which usage it is well conceived the Apostle doth allude when he cals the Church the pillar of Truth a pillar for Declaration Hence also the Romans fixed Tables of their Lawes in the most frequented places of the City God tooke such a care to have his Law knowne unto the Iewes that hee commands them to write it on the Posts of their houses and on their Gates to lace their Garments with schedules of it such were Phylacteries they went about cloathed with the Law Deut. 6. 8 9. One step further to judge with the righteousnesse of God is to judge by a Law in it's proper native sence and genuine interpretation not by a purchased or a forc'd one for sometimes a Law and a knowne Law may be urged and yet as the Apostle Peter speakes of Hereticks who urge Scripture that they doe wrest the Scriptures so there is a wresting of Laws The Law that is set for the guiding or punishing of others may be punished it selfe as the Apostle notes in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they set Scripture upon the racke to make it confesse a sence God never gave it so Lawes may be set upon the racke too and made to confesse a sence the Law-maker never gave them Such bring not their judgements to the Law but the Law unto their judgements dealing with it as the Tyrant dealt with his guests if they were too long for his bed hee cut them shorter and if they were too short hee stretched them longer This is not the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of God is to judge by a Law a Law knowne a Law fairely and naturally interpreted If any shall object True Kings are bound to rule by the Law of God by the letter of the morall Law and by the equity of the judiciall Law But are they obliged by humane Laws or by the judgements of men I answer Though no Nation under Heaven have judgements and Lawes as the Iewes had immediately from God yet all the wise and just Lawes of every Nation may still be called the judgements of God Both because God is specially called upon to assist and direct in the making of them He stands in the Congregation of Law-making gods as also because all righteous Lawes are but extracts and streames issuing from that ●ountaine of righteousnesse the law of God And indeed that Law which is purely humane cannot be fit to governe any man by much lesse to be obligatory upon Kings The second rule is this to judge by the righteousnesse of God is a judgement upon evidence as there must be an evidence of the Law so there must be an evidence of the fact or else it is not the righteousnesse of God the Lord never proceeds in judgement till he have the fact cleare as well as the Law cleare though he had a cry come up to him concerning the bloud of Abell and the wickednesse of Sodom yet hee commeth downe to examine the matter and he will enquire whether it be according to the report And thus he directs in the 13. of Deutronomie 12. If thou shalt heare say in one of thy Cities which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there Certaine men the children of Beliall are gone out from among you c. then thou shalt search and enquire and aske diligently and behold if it be a truth and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought among you then thou shalt smite the Inhabitants of the Citie c. Reports and probabilities will not beare up a righteous Judgement there must be proofe and proof from men approved for Iezabel got witnesses The third Rule Judgement which is by the Righteousnesse of God doth alwayes stand betweene these two extreames Rigour and Remissenesse The Moralists embleme this Rule by the place of that signe in the Zodiacke which they call the Virgin standing according to the Doctrine of the Astronomers betweene the L●on and the Ballance the Lion bids the Virgin Justice be stout feareles the Ballance minds her to weigh all with moderation and be cautious Judgment is remisse when it spares where it ought to punish such sparing is cruell Judgment is rigorous when it punisheth where it ought to spare such punishing is blood Judgement is rigorous if at any time it be more then the Law requires and if at all times it be so much Extreame right often proves extreame wrong And he who alwayes doth as much as the Law allowes shall often doe more then the Law requires For what is odious in making promises is commendable in making penalties namely to expresse more then we intend shall be ever strictly executed The enraged Iewes whipt Paul thrice unjustly but they never whipt him to the height of Justice they bared one stroake he had 40. stripes save one whereas the Law admitted forty Deut. 25. 3. The righteousnesse of God calls not for an Arithmeticall proportion at all times and on all occasions to give the same award upon the same Law but leaves to a Geometricall proportion that the consideration of circumstances may either encrease or allay the censure God is not extreame to marke what is done amisse if he were who could abide it In this the gods on earth must imitate the God of Heaven Lastly To judge with the righteousnesse of God is to judge impartially the Text directs He shall judge thy people and thy poore When judgement runnes an even course unto all As it is noted of David He did justice to all his people 1 Sam. 13. 15. when neither 1. Feare of greatnesse Nor 2. Hope of gaine Nor 3. Neerenesse of affection doth interrupt or clogge the passage of justice that is to judge by the righteousnesse of God For first The day of God is against the Oakes of Basan and the Cedars of Lebanon upon the high Mountaines and the high Towers Isa 2. 13 14. But what doth God threaten Trees and Hills and Towers things insensible either of his anger or of his favour doth he like that Persian Zerxes menace Mountaines cast shackles on the Waves or whip the Ocean Or as the Prophet Habbacuk questions ●c 3. v. 8. Was the Lord displeased against the Rivers was thine anger against the Rivers was thy wrath against the Sea So here was the Lord angry with