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	receive_v	2,532	5	5.3979	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

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

other place saith speaking in the meaning of the Lord The word is nigh thee saith he even in thy mouth and in thy heart That is or this is the word of faith which we preach the word or Covenant of Promise That is whoever by vertue of the New Covenant the Word or Statute of life the Covenant of Grace shall be born again and shall Beleeve in his heart and confesse with his mouth the Lord Jesus as before is shewed he shall be saved for such a one is the Child of salvation Now Doctour see how you have wronged these Scriptures by making the first a ground of a long discourse of Philosophy in declaring to the people how in the improvement of naturall Faculties first the Judgement is informed then the Will consenteth and accordingly the Affections are exercised I tell you the truth Doctour I was ashamed of your Doctrine and that made me speak though you returned me a scoffe And when your wisdom led you to shew us the meaning of the Apostles tearms Believing and Confessing by a Sillogisme without distinguishing the meanings that were of divers significations in the Word of God I was so bold as to tell you before all the people your Argument was fallacious and tended to deceive because the tearms were dubious and then you scorn'd and despis'd me again And according to these corrupt Expositions are all the rest of your Arguings whereof except you prevent me by your speedy repentance I shall make a publick Anatomy to the view of the World and Subscribe my Name Your Friend John Graunt SIR I Received a thing subscribed with your Name full of Basket-hilted words and quarrelsome phrases to provoke me to a challenge as I suppose about Mr Cranfords Dispute at Mr Webbs and in Justification of your uncivill behaviour there which not I but your own party rebuked The businesse concerns Mr Cranford and how you should come to interest your selfe in it I know not If Mr Cranford be pleased to resigne it to you under his hand I shall accept it If any thing else lye upon your stomach you may signifie what it is and you need not doubt of a reasonable Answer from June 30. 1652. Peter Chamberlen London th●●● of July 1652. SIR YEsterday I received a Letter from you dated June 30. 1652. which Antedated the last from me of the 3d Instant which had you seen before you had written this I suppose your mind would not have been as here is expressed for therein you might have understood no carnall quarrelling nor provocation to fleshly challenges nor vaine and uncivill expressions of basket hilted words nor any private naturall mans suppositions but a clear plain and earnest contention for the doctrine of faith once delivered to the Saints clearly discovered and not dissembled nor counterfeited minding more the spirit of faith by which Gods Servants are inabled to speak then this or that mans busines And a Child of truth that hath his right or interest therein they hear they receive they understand they beleive the voyce of their shepheard but a strangers voyce they will not they cannot they may not hear and receive and of the same nature was yours as I have signified twice before At this time I shall deal only with you I speak not of others and mind no such resignation as you speak of but a vindication of the truth of God from you withholding it in unrighteousnesse and pray for your repentance to become truths Friend truly and plainly to distinguish between Divinity and Philosophy and of terms also to preserve differing proprieties and the contrary lyes on my stomach undigested Yours John Graunt SIR THe last night late I met with a more civill Letter of yours and surely therein you shall not outdoe me Wherefore now taking all your a Reproaches of me as done out of Zeal and Conscience I can willingly passe them by and endeavour to satisfie you in whatsoever you may make a scruple as far as the Lord shall enable me In your Letter July 2d you say he that affirmeth that to bee the Church of Christ which is not wrongs the Lord c. And he that gives any other meaning of the Scripture then what the holy Ghost intendeth hurts and wounds the truth of Gods Testimony c. To both these I b assent Let us therefore see whether I be the man that have blasphemed as ye say and I shall not dare to maintain it I shall also desire you in the like candour to lay these Rules to heart and examine your selfe You say I affirm her that is True Durable and everlasting to be fading and framed with untempered morter and that to be the meaning of Christ Matthew 16. 17. and of the Apostle Rom. 10. 9 10. which was never meant nor intended by them which if I were guilty of I confesse your accusation Just Let us therefore speak of them both apart First of the first wherein we must first endeavour to bring your words to your meaning or your meaning to your words For if it c relate unto the first Rules set down it is a kind of contradiction The Rule intimating the making of a false Church to appear as a true the other the making of a true Church to be as a false But if you mean two severall things then I suppose your rule would infer an imputation on me of having maintained our Church to be the Church of Christ which you say is not so and your Church not to be the Church of Christ which neverthelesse is so For surely you mean not that ever I affirmed the Church of Christ to be fading and framed with untempered morter but rather that such Churches which were so fading and framed with untempered morter are not the Churches of Christ Now that whereby we aver our selves to be the true Church of Christ is by keeping the d pure Ordinances of Christ according to his word and if you think otherwise you should instance in any perticular On the other side we say that yours is not the true Church of Christ because you keep not the true Ordinances of Christ according to his word And we instance in Baptisme and the Lords Supper and could instance in more Now this we doe not for any Spleen or Malice for I say the same things to my best Friends but that I might provoke you and them to examine your selves exactly by the Word of God and forsake the Traditions of men As to the Scriptures mentioned Mat. 16. 17. The word it seems saith it was the Father that revealed it to Peter and not e flesh and blood which thing I brought to prove that the knowledge of Truth commeth not by Flesh and Bloud but by Revelation from God And Rom. 10. 9. 10. was no whit clouded or disparaged by the Philosophicall Discourse of f Experience as you suppose since David Psal. 19. 104. c. and Christ himselfe is

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

Righteousnesse is her Mantle her cloathing It is a metaphoricall speech often used in the Scripture thereby declaring the Righteousnesse of Christ by being cloathed in sine linnen by a wedding Garment and a white stone and very apt is the resemblance for as a stole or Garment covers and adornes the naturall body so the righteousnesse of Christ covers and cloaths adorns and beautifies the poverty and brokenness of the peninent souls of his Elect. And this Garment is of that nature and quality as that it warms and sustains the feeble and thirsty soule with the assurance of the mercy and favour of God in Christ Jesus for ever And the Holy Ghost giveth testimony also of the fruits of her lively justifying faith in declaring her newnesse of life in her detestation of sin and true love to her Lord in this figurative expression And the Moon under her feet declaring thereby her mortification and death too and of her sinfull corruption and worldly naturall affection and also her vivification and daily renewed mind to a heavenly conversation delighting and meditating day and night in the Holy Law and Word of God being no more carnally but spiritually minded The next externall yet spirituall description is the Ornament of her head wherein shee took most pleasure saying Shee wore on her head a Crowne not with gold and silver beset with precious stones for the excellent matter thereof it exceeded all these for it was made of the holy and pure Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles which testimonies and verities of theirs are the Lords lights and torches to guide and direct sinners when they are benighted and darkned with their sins and for this cause are called by the name of stars And lastly the Holy Ghost declares the effects and operation of Gods spirit and word in her for by the heavenly truth which was by her ears received her heart spiritually conceived and shee was greatly filled with a deep sence of her owne vilenesse and unworthinesse with bemoaning and mournfully lamenting her sad forlorn condition travelling and labouring under great oppression by reason of sin in restlesse desire of reconciliation to God which paines and anguish of her mourning heart and contrite spirit the Apostle most truly compareth to the throwes and paines of a woman in travell of Child-birth of which spirituall pains and labour shee could not possible by any means be eased or releived untill her Lord were formed in her even untill her tender heart were sanctified by faith for nothing could cure the wound but the assurance of mercy nor nothing satisfie her restlesse desire but the love of God insured her in Christ her Lord and written in the fleshy Tables of her heart according to his everlasting Covenant Thus you see both the definition and description of the true Church of Christ that she is holy and spirituall within and without also distinguished and disevered from all other Churches by Regeneration as the outward Court and the Temple were parted by a vaile and described by such perfect fruits of righteousnesse as no Pharisaicall Congregations can bring forth And herein I have made good my promise to you in this first particular The second thing I promised was to make known unto you the divine Ordinances of this holy Church and they are many but we will briefly and that truly discover such as are most materiall to our purpose Now as shee her selfe is spirituall and their communions one with another so also is every part of her worship spirituall likewise and yet we must ever remember that most Ordinances consist of two parts the one carnall and outward the other spirituall and inward Now the common and carnall Christians are most busied about the carnall part as fleshly washings corporall eatings litterall Expositions and verball supplications like the Pharisees that were strict to tyth mint and the meanest externall things but wholly omitted the weightiest and greatest that which was internall as true Repentance c. diligently washed the outside but minded not at all to cleanse inwardly the heart in all which Mr Doctour you spent most of your labour and very few words or none about the spirituall part And one Reason was because all your Disputes tended but to a carnall Church for a Congregation of carnall Christians make no better then a carnall Church and carnall Arguments and actions doe manifest the hearts of such to be carnall But I desire your Repentance of these things and hasten to the discovery of the truth that may make you a Child thereof indeed and therefore we will returne to a further discovery of the true Churches spirituall Worship in the Heavenly part of Gods Ordinances in which shee and her Children are most conversant for they are alwayes mindfull of the Holy Covenant of their Lord in the heavenly parts of it they mourne and weep and suffer together in their patience possesse their souls and passe through the Valley of Tears participating each with other knowing they are thereunto called of God not only to beleeve but to suffer for his sake the assured hope they have of the great portion inheritance and salvation they are born unto by the spirit doth so support them that they rejoyce in tribulation the Holy Ghost bearing them witnesse That if they suffer with him they shall also reign with him Know you not saith the Apostle as if he had said in other words you know assuredly that as many of us as are Baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into death Mark the tearms Baptized or Buried with him into death which sheweth if men be Members of his body then if our head suffer the Members must suffer also and as sure as the Head is raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also his Members are raised in our mind and affections to newnesse of life And in the same sence he saith again For if we have been planted together in the likenesse and similitude of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his Resurrection And these broken melting hearted Saints that at first in their Regeneration were thus humbled and made low and poor in Spirit yielding inclining and bowing to the will and pleasure of Almighty God This heavenly grace which the Lord calls water in a spirituall meaning abides in and with them alwayes throughout their whole life and by it they are enabled to be Baptized with sufferings as they were born or begotten of water which is Repentance So likewise at the Lords Supper they sometimes and that with much comfort eat and drink corporally the Elements of Bread and Wine and therein declare the Lords death till his comming but they alwayes by faith communicate of his body and blood the Spirit of Adoption that dwells in them still bearing witnesse of the Lords everlasting kindnesse with the refreshings of the light of his countenance affording them more comfort then