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	whole_a	2,196	5	5.5864	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60612	Two sermons preached at two publick assizes for the county of Svffolk, in the sheriffalty of Will. Soame of Hawleigh, in Suffolk, Esq. by Will. Smyth, D.D., Pr. Nor. and vic. of Mendlesham in Suffolk.	Smith, William, b. 1615 or 16.	1674 (1674)	Wing S4283; ESTC R21663	29,870	126

Faith are either expresly declared or evidently deduced from the holy Scriptures and none to be believed as such but those that are so And as to the super-fundamental Articles of Doctrine contrived for the common peace and order of particular Churches such as are our 39 Articles and as the Confessions of other Churches ought to be so accounted if they be not refutable by the Scriptures and the analogy of Faith nor be contrariant to right reason ought also to be reputed the Doctrines of God 2. But then secondly Because God was pleased so to deliver his truths in Scripture for reasons before mentioned to which many more might be added with some obscurity though not so much so by it self as made so by the moral infirmities of mens understandings therefore Christ did provide and immediately send another guide which the Apostles themselves did seem to stand in need of though they were blest with Christs personal instructions and that was the Holy Ghost which he promised should guide them into all truth Joh. 16.13 And lest it should seem to have concerned the Apostles onely in their time it was also promised to abide with them for ever Joh. 14.16 that is for the benefit of their successors and the whole Church to the end of the World Therefore whosoever would afterward understand the doctrines which were of God was obliged not onely to be governed by his own private reading the Scriptures and judgment upon them but also to enquire for and to submit to the conduct of Gods Spirit wheresoever it was to be found Now this is principally to be understood as to cases in controversie and to difficult places but as to the fundamentals of the common Faith and rules of Holy Life as they are plainly set down in Scripture and easily discoverable to every honest mind so every man ought to be encouraged to a constant reading of them for the confirmation of his Faith and government of his Life 3. Therefore thirdly and lastly Our next enquiry is to understand where those promises were or are fulfilled and where the guiding Office of the Holy Ghost was or is executed and performed that men may attend to it and be guided by it in all cases of different perswasions and professions that they may know which are of God The Romanists would engross it to the Churches of their Communion onely and that by as an infallible a conduct as the Apostles enjoyed it But because this pretence hath been so lately examined and sufficiently baffled I shall only enquire how some Popes themselves should be recorded to have been notorious Hereticks as particularly Liberius and Honorius and then how he that relies on that pretence can reasonably think himself secure The Fanaticks on the other side if as to us they may be thought altogether to be of two sides lay claim to it by an especial particular light given to them of God or as the soberer sort of them by a private sufficient assistance from God in the use of the best mears they can for the understanding the Scriptures But there needs no other confuration of this pretence but their certain disappointment that have trusted ' o it made evident by their own unconstancy of opining and the perpetual disagreements of those that have made that claim There is but one more that I know of was ever pretended to and indeed then which I cannot imagine any other that can with any shew of reason be offered in satisfaction to this Enquiry and that is the Holy Ghosts guidance of the universal Church in all Ages and places to be observed in those doctrines and interpretations of Scripture according to the famous rule of Vincentius Lirinensis which claim to Primitive Antiquity universal Profession and Consent Quod ubique quod semper quod ab emnibus hoc vere proprieque catholicum cap. 30. So that the sum of this Enquiry is that those are the doctrines of Christ and his Apostles which have been received as such in the first and purest Ages and that have continued to be acknowledged as such by the most universal Consent and Profession Against the absoluteness and unexceptionable exactness of this rule of Vincentius whatsoever may be alledged or granted it must for ever stand uncontrolled till any other rule can be produced or imagined which I think no man hath pretended to attempt that may in any degree demonstrate the promises of the Holy Spirit guiding into all truth Now this is the Glory of the Church of England and which hath made her the envy of all her dissenting Neighbours round about her that in all her Doctrines Government and Worship she alone can offer her self to this most reasonable and antient Rule to be tried and judged to which no other Church in the World dare pretend to submit Therefore it is that all those doctrines wherein we differ from the Church of Rome cannot be from the conduct of Gods Spirit and so not the doctrines of the Spirits that are of God because they want the first part of Vincentius his rule that is succession from primitive antiquity And therefore the great Archbishop offered this challenge p. 382. That if any Jesuite can prove that by a visible continued succession to this day either Transubstantiation in the Eucharist the Eucharist in one kind or Purgatory or Worship of Images or Prayers in an unknown Tongue with divers other points have been so taught I for my part will yield the cause As to the private opinions of some ancient Fathers as those of Tertul Orig. St. Austin and others though they had antiquity yet they wanted universal consent and so were maintained against that part of the evidence of being the Doctrines of God And then as to the new opinions of these times so strongly contended for by our present dissenters such as concern their new models of Government manner of Worship and several opinions as they stand in opposition to the present established Church of England could not be from Christ and his Apostles and they that teach them not the spirits that are of God because they want all the marks of Gods Spirit as having neither primitive Antiquity nor universal Consent Profession or Practice and we challenge them to shew it if they have any which if they do I shall willingly sacrifice all that I have said against them to shame and Recantation All the Arguments that I know they have to tempt them from their conformity to this excellent Church is either ignorance because they understand it not or perverseness of humour and discontentedness of mind which in some men must for ever be gratified by opposition or else an habitual dislike which they call tender Conscience which we may then believe to be sincerely pretended when we see the same tenderness expressed in the most considerable practices of Christianity and Holy Life as Justice Mercy Obedience to Authority and the like as well as in the declining a poor innocent Ceremony or formation of substantial Worship no where forbidden by God and commanded by the just Laws of men This is the third and last mark and Character of the Spirits that are of God to whose conduct we may entrust our souls and that is such as teach the Doctrines that are of God And now you see by the transient applications that I have made and the clear evidence of the matter it self upon what a sure foundation the present constituted Church of England stands above any Profession of Christianity in the World As to my endeavour of offering all the marks of a true Church and its Ministry I thank God I can testifie to him that I have with-held no evidence that I know of that may discover the truth nor offered any thing in my applications of them to our own which my soul hath not as faithfully dictated as my Tongue expressed Time gives me not leave to offer any further applications onely I desire and pray to God that those that yet truly adhere to this Church may by what I have said find reason to love and honour it and the true Spirits of God within it more and more and that those that are departed from it may timely and seriously consider upon what slender evidence they have done it and may speed their return to it as to a Church that hath all the marks of God and Characters of truth upon it And I hope there be many amongst us that have so much compassion for them as to be willing if God Almighty should grant it as a condition of so great a mercy to be something that may resemble St. Pauls noble Charity when he wished himself accursed that is at least to be deprived of the happiness of an outward Profession of Christianity to bring the Romans to it Rom. 9.3 that such our dissenters were returned in mind and practice to serve God with us with one heart and mouth Which God grant for Jesus sake FINIS