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	tradition_n	2,130	5	9.1915	5	false

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

full of excellent Philosophy both morall and naturall Mat. 5. 6. 7. Chap. 5. and all throughout the Gospel So Paul Acts 14. 17. c. Be not offended at Philosophy which is the work and providence of God unlesse it be vaine Philosophy which is against God If any of my Syllogisms were fallacious surely you were more quick then Mr Cranford and all the Schollars there to discerne it and truly know it better then my selfe for I know of none nor meant none shew it and I shall amend it Your last Letter from John 10. 5. I confesse in all senses true and whosoever is but taught of man is but mans sheep Whether any pretend to be mine or Mr Cranfords they have nothing to boast of But if I speak the words of Christ in the power of Christ it is no more I but Jesus Christ that dwelleth in me And g then they that hear not me hear not him that sent me Thus you see how large a Letter I have written to you in love unto the truth and compassion to your soule that you may know me to be Your true Freind in the Lord Peter Chamberlen NOw the reason why I doe not answer this last Letter of the Doctours in a private way as he sent it me is because he hath so boldly and publickly wronged the truth that she hath no way to be righted and relieved but by publick reparation And if I should reprove all I know of the Gentleman both old and new some other things would fall in with my pens reprehension also But we will lay aside all these and many more till another opportunity and now proceed to the tryall of his Syllogismes THE Shipwrack of all False Churches AND The Immutable Safety and Stability of the true Church of CHRIST THE Disputes and Arguings of Dr Chamberlen March 1. 1651. which are since published and as he saith for the satisfaction of all that love the truth but tendeth wholly contrary thereunto and it is so far from being justified that it is condemned by all the Children of Wisdome as I shall shew plainly and that from his owne printed Papers gathering these three Conclusions out from amongst abundance of unsound positions vain repetitions and absurd inferences and although he hath scattered them up and down yet we will orderly reduce them and Quaerie 1. What he saith of the Church of Christ 2. Of the Ordinances And 3. Of the Ministry thereof And this shall be my method with Gods helpe 1. I will shew how the Doctour in all these particulars misseth the truth and then I will manifest and confirm the truth it selfe as the Scriptures doe determine of all and each respectively In the 20●h page of his Book of Vaine Syllogismes he hath these words Dr Chamberlen here took liberty to make a short Discourse concerning the Church which indeed is very much and large but to little purpose and therein declareth himselfe not to be acquainted with true Divinity for what are all Heathenish or carnall Christian Assemblies to the Congregation of Christs Members which are his Church or the multitudes of carnall Christians in their devotion and worship in the litterall externall Ordinances and yet notwithstanding be a sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters such as in heart have forsaken the Lord and have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger and are gone astray backward that is have estranged alienated or separated themselves from God through their impenitency and hardnesse of heart notwithstanding all their pretence of outward sanctity in Externall Ordinances and Church Discipline where there is no such thing at all in truth and in sincerity although drawne out from others into seperated Congregations according to the traditions of mens devices filling themselves with the old wine of harisaicall righteousnesse And although among other Churches the Doctour is pleased to affirm that the Church of Christ comprehendeth all the Saints but in that he sheweth not his meaning what a Saint is he thereby cleareth not himselfe from being ignorant thereof forasmuch as Antichrist himselfe gives the Title of Saints to his ungodly Church also But if the Doctour would have edified the Congregation he should in the first place have distinguished between the true Church and all such as are false by a right definition and description of the Saints and true Church of Christ from all others that assume to take upon them her Name and yet are ignorant of her Nature which he wholly omitting hath lost his labour and rendered himselfe unwise to the Children of wisdome And for wanting better principles in his Premises he makes his conclusion as equally corrupt in these words page 21. The Church of Christ saith he is then and so long the Church of Christ as she saith and doth what Christ gave her to say and doe even as Christ himselfe By which saying he maketh the being and continuance of the Church to depend on her own obedience and for proof thereof quo●es John 7. 17. 8. 26 28. 14. 10. 24. 5. 19 20. and concludeth thus and when she saith or doth otherwise she speaketh or playeth the Harlot in that particular Which is not the doctrine of the spirit of Christ but of the spirit of Antichrist For the Doctour makes the Church to be her owne Keeper but the spirit of God saith the Lord is the shepheard and keeper of her The Spirit of Christ saith she is chast and undefiled the Doctour on the contrary affirmeth she may play the whore and be a Harlot The Spirit saith she is led into all truth that she is the ground pillar and upholder of it and so impregnable that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her that every member is living every stone precious But on the contrary the Doctour saith she is mutable and so changeable as that she may say and doe contrary to it that leads her that guides her that speaks in her Oh miserable doctrine and no lesse miserable are those that receive it for if the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch yet the Doctour would have the people beleive he is not blind but seeth and therefore quotes many Scriptures to prove it as are before mentioned which being the letter of the Text without any exposition we will examine the meaning thereof Our Lord being at Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles the Jewes saith the Text marvelled concerning him and his Doctrine some said he was a good man others that he deceived the people but Jesus answered My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me and so adviseth them how they might have benefit by it If any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my selfe where there is not one word of the Church of Christ for they that doe not obey his will are not his Church nor

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

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