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	doctrine_n	gospel_n	2,184	5	6.1231	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80867	The foundation of God, with the immutability thereof laid for the salvation of his elect; with infallible marks and signs of election. Which may serve as a storehouse of comfort to religious minds, in this season of danger felt and feared.	Crompton, William, 1633-1696.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7031A; ESTC R175852	40,951	136

Law of Nature swell to so high a tide as Grace advance man with God and bring the dribling River to vye with the drowning Ocean By this Rule man must do the hardest work himself and leave the easier for God and his Grace He that can raise himself from death to life is much more able to continue himself in life Of this Opinion was Augustin once viz. that faith was in us and from us primarily but by reading Cyprian citing those words of Paul What hast thou O man that thou hast not received renounced his Errour proving plainly that not only the encrease but the beginning of Faith were the gift of God or else we might say we had something we did not receive Secondly Love Faith first works Love and then works by Love as the Workman sets an edge on his Tools and then cuts and carves with them And therefore for the most part they are in Scripture joyn'd together No Love no Faith And Love advances by equal paces with Faith as the heat of the day advances with the shining of the Sun Thirdly The power of Prayer and Supplication with zeal and fervency No sooner was Paul converted but the next word is Behold he prayeth Heb. 9.11 It is reported of Luther that when he prayed it was with so much reverence as if he were praying to God and with so much boldness as if he had been speaking with his Friend Gods Spirit tunes the strings of the affections and then they shall make sweet melody in Prayer The symbols of the Spirit were fiery Tongues and a mighty rushing Wind and where-ever the Spirit is there will be Prayer in the Spirit Where life is there will be breath God never had nor ever will have a still-born Child Fourthly Perseverance and constancy in all these with resolution and purpose of heart to rely upon Christ call upon his Name Love his People what ever befall them Philip. 1.6 We are confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Christ That in the end we may say with Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course c. Rom. 8.38 39. If God be for us who can be against us I am persuaded that neither life nor death principalities nor powers things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Therefore the Foundation of God stands sure both in regard of God and Man A Doctrine naturally flowing from the Text and meaning of the Apostle so expounded by the best Learned in every Age who have by their Writings illustrated the truth of the Gospel confirmed in Scripture plainly and by the works of good men since the Pelagian Heresie began to disturb the Church I may conclude it as Gamaliel doth his speech to the Jews Act. 5.38 39. if the foundation of our salvation were of or in man it might and would certainly come to nought but being in and from God it cannot be destroyed all such as may endeavour it shall be found fighters against God Vse I. In the application of this Point we find matter of instructive information divers ways viz. First To point out unto us the true subject of Apostacy men past over by God and left out of the foundation Every plant my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Such and only such are subject to Apostacy the rest are preserved by the power of God unto salvation Secondly It shews us the danger of false Opinions to fret like a Canker to disturb destroy eat into the body of Church and State one infecting another Arius his Heresie was at first but a little spark yet how did it spread and fire the whole World what woful waste was made of many flourishing Congregations Churches when the Orthodox Bishops were exiled and their flocks scattered when the Donatists by their separation made a division in the African Churches what violences and outrages were exercised against faithful Christians both Pastors and People And in like manner when the German Anabaptists separated themselves from the other Reformed Churches what woful work did they make how much did they obstruct and even hazard the work of Reformation begun so happily by Luther and successfully carried on for some years together And thus with grief we live to see Popery and Arminianism to do the like mischief in our days Men should be afraid to raise such Opinions to bring such Owls amidst the glorious light of Truth that hath shined so splendidly in our Horizon and be ashamed to receive them being raised Authority should be carefully vigilant to suppress beginnings to oppose all those who seek craftily to undermine the foundation of God that they may be cured or cut off Thirdly Hence we learn that Hereticks are never able to seduce the Elect however they may entromb themselves in the ruins of that Christianity which they once professed Hymenaeus and Philetus destroy the faith of some nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure God will have a Church for ever See the answer of God when the Prophet complain'd there was none left but he I have left unto my self seven thousand which never bowed the knee to Baal This constancy of all those fair and generous Souls who have in all Ages been setled in the Truth like Pillars of Diamonds not shaken with the Counterbufs of damnable Errour took not rise from themselves Noah David Peter left to themselves to stand on their own bottom fall strangely and wofully and make known to a world of Ages that they are but sinful flesh and the best of men living if left to themselves but one moment would destroy themselves in that moment they are but like glasses without a bottom which break as soon ae they are out of hand If they continue to shine it is not by their own lustre but by borrowed beams of the Sun of Righteousness and the light remains no longer than the Sun shines The fairest Flowers of Paradise would wither if not watered with drops from Heaven How have the mighty fallen when the Almighty hath not stood by them All their ability proceeds from the Love of God in the foundation and the power of his grace stirring them to renew their repentance Neither is there any ground here laid for presumption that a man should grow careless and secure because of what God hath done no Grace never relaxeth the sinews of obedience in the least degree It is perfectly innocent of that abuse The Poison is not in the Rose but in the Spider Besides there are signs of Election after described which if they cannot be found in persons they cannot be assured of any portion in the foundation That man who daringly presumes saying Let me live as I list the foundation of God stands sure and so gives way to his unswayed fancy and makes this a pillow for his sloath

THE FOUNDATION OF GOD WITH THE Immutability thereof Laid for the Salvation of his Elect with Infallible Marks and Signs of Election Which may serve as a Storehouse of Comfort to Religious Minds in this Season of Danger felt and feared As many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Acts 13.48 The Highway of the upright is to depart from evil Prov. 16.17 We are kept by the Power of God c. 1 Pet. 1.5 LONDON Printed for James Cowse Bookseller in Exeter 1682. To the Honoured The Lady Susanna Holworthy William Crompton Minister of the Gospel Dedicateth the following Discourse of the Perpetuity of a Regenerate mans Estate In opposition to that pernicious Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy As a Testimony of the great Honour and Service so justly due from him and all that know her Presuming on her perseverance in Grace and Title to Glory THE FOUNDATION OF GOD WITH THE Immutability thereof Laid for the Salvation of his Elect with Infallible Marks and Signs of Election Which may serve as a Storehouse of Comfort to Religious Minds in this Season of Danger felt and feared As many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Acts 13.48 The Highway of the upright is to depart from evil Prov. 16.17 We are kept by the Power of God c. 1 Pet. 1.5 LONDON Printed for Robert Clavell at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-yard 1682. THE FOUNDATION OF GOD With the Immutability thereof Laid for the Salvation of his Elect with the Infallible Marks and Signs of Election c. From 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity THE Pen-men of Sacred Scripture in their several discourses had proposed to them these ends viz. to publish the Truth impartially to suppress Sin and Errours boldly to comfort the Elect and to persuade all men in their several Callings to walk conscionably All which are observed exactly every-where by our Apostle more especially in these Epistles to Timothy in this Chapter and Text most punctually Neither may I propose unto my self any other ends in Preaching or Writing it than St. Paul did in penning it viz. to explain the truth of Christ hid from many to suppress by endeavour Sin and false Opinions to comfort the despised Flock to chear up their drooping Souls against dangers felt and feared and to persuade all that name the Name of Christ to depart from iniquity For the more easie entrance upon the Text we will see the whole Chapter briefly analyzed wherein we find divers Exhortations of St. Paul to Timothy and in him to the whole Church of God As First to be valiant chearful and careful in the Grace and Work of Christ both to teach personally and ordain men fit and able faithfully to reach others Ver. 1.2 It should be our meat and drink to do the Will of him that hath set us on work Gods Ordinances suffer by irregularities and therefore Church Governours must be careful not to permit unlearned and irreligious men to invade the Ministerial Office who like the sons of Eli forsaking the Character of their Dignity will bring contempt upon the Divine Oblations 1 Tim. 3.10 Secondly patiently to undergo the burden of his Office in the pains and sorrows necessarily attending thereon Ver. 3. Ministers may not expect alway to see Halcyon-days nor the shines of worldly favour Constantines Silver Age like the Phoenix comes rarely Though their work be full of Dignity yet its full of danger Ministers are Stars but will be often muffled in Clouds they are Lights but shall meet with many Winds which shall be apt to blow them out Luther spake too true when he said That to be a faithful Preacher and not meet with troubles is impossible The Devil will raise up the whole Militia of Hell against them and therefore of all men such have need as of Courage so of Patience Of this he gives two reasons One drawn from the bond between them and Christ as between a Soldier and his Captain who must stay not only in the fair and soft march but in the hot and bloody Battle The other from the Reward implied in two Similitudes the first from a Wrestler who striving lawfully shall be crown'd Ver. 5. The second of an Husbandman who after a stormy Winter shall see the most desireably pleasant Spring The labour of none so intolerable the reward of none so incomparable as of faithful Ministers Thirdly To defend two main Principles of Christian Religion viz. the Incarnation and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour which were strongly opposed in those early times of the Church the Age immediately following In the 8th Ver. These may be called the Pillars of Christianity the Articuli stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae as Luther spake in reference to the Doctrine of Justification by faith and mainly opposed by Hereticks and Seducers Care must be taken to defend them with vehemency and zealous Contention and therefore the great Apostle would have Timothy bestir himself about these Points and sets on his advice with a special Memento Remember a word that imports both Affection and Action From hence he proceeds to take off an Objection of fear which might be raised in the mind of Timothy a young Steersman in his new Office of an Evangelist and Lanched out into the deep when Winds were loud and seas went high by reason of afflictions and persecutions which would certainly overtake him for the same truth in Ver. 9.10 c. telling him 1. That though he were bound yet the Word of God was not bound nor could be from working Men may as soon fetter up the influence of the Sun stop the motion of the Stars and hinder the blowing of Winds or whoever be bound the Word of the Lord shall run and be glorified have a prevailing Power St. Paul preached though a Prisoner and so did other Martyrs in Queen Maries days 2. That the end of those sufferings would be every way profitable Hereby the Word would be more effectual as when Paul suffered the Gospel was further'd Phil. 1.12 the Elect more couragious so the Brethren became hold by his bonds and were bound to speak the Word without fear and the sufferers more sure of reigning with Christ who went before them in the same path from the Cross to Paradise from suffering to glory It became him to suffer and enter into glory and it becomes his Servants to follow their Lord. Besides all those who for fear shall deny Christ or his truth here shall be denied entrance into Heaven by Christ hereafter He is not worthy of a Crown that dares not bleed to obtain it Fourthly He enjoyns him to suppress and oppose all Verbal Controversies Ver. 4. and doubtful Disputes because of some evil consequents which ordinarily follow thereupon as 1. No profit to any and therefore as the Shell-fish amongst the Jews was accounted

and offer upon it 2 Kings 16.10 And so did Dioclesian the Tyrant who gave the People leave to kill the Christians where ever they met them That evil which is committed by our instigation is ours by just imputation Our Lord is said to be crucified at Rome Revel 11.8 because sentenced by a Roman Judg executed by Roman Soldiers and put to death by the Authority of the Roman Empire yet the death of Christ all along the Scriptures is charged upon the Jews because though the execution of it was by the Romans yet the provocation was from the Jews Acts 2.23 Again the Kings of the Earth are taxed Revel 18. for not rooting out the Popish Religion but giving their Power to the Beast and lying under his yoke drunk with the Wine of his fornication And the Historian relates of Galba though he were innocent of much harm which passed under his Name yet because he permitted them to do it whom he ought to have restrained lost both his reputation and open'd a way for his destruction In the days of Theodosius the Arrians were grown very bold through his connivance and not only had their Assemblies in Constantinople the chief City of the Empire but would dispute their Opinions etiam in foro and no man could prevail with the Emperour to lay a restraint upon them because he thought it unmerciful and too severe so to do But qui peccata non corripit aliena facit sua i. e. he that having Power corrects not the faults of others contracts them to himself 2. By Opinion maintaining and teaching evil Thus the Papists sin who generally Canonize such Actions as the Pharisees before them encouraged the People to sin making void the Commandments of God and teaching the traditions of men Mark 7.9 In the days of Henry the 4th of England we read of great hatred between the two great Dukes of France Orleance and Burgundy this latter caused Orleance to be slain an odious fact yet Doctor Petit wrested both Scripture and History to justifie the murther the like were Dr. Shaa and Pinkie one before the other after the Coronation of Richard the Usurper It is a bad cause indeed that finds no Abettors Most pertinent is that relation of the Historian Fuller in his unfort Polititian who Characterizing Basilius Patriarch of Constantinople in the Reign of Andronicus saith they were Chaplain and Patron well met for what one made a Law by his list the other endeavoured to make Gospel by his Learning In stating any Controversie Basilius first studied to find what Andronicus intended or desired to do therein then let Basilius alone to draw that Scripture which would nor come of it self to prove the lawfulness of what the other would practise 3. By Presence favouring and consenting unto Evil. He that consents though but in his thoughts to anothers fraud is a Felon before God Paul before his Conversion was consenting to the death of Stephen but afterwards he pleaded guilty of the murther When men hear lascivious stories or sinful-witty jestings and Tales of sly subtle Cheats secretly applauding do partake with them They that have an heart in the sin have also an hand in the sin Yea it is possible for the approver to be more guilty than the Actor The greatest guilt comes from the full consent of the Will Thus Pilate allowed evil by condemning Christ however he washed his hands and dissembled the contrary for after he had so many times declared him innocent he could not give judgment without protesting himself to be unjust And so the Lord Cromwel in the Reign of Henry the eighth when by the instigation of Bishop Gardiner he was compelled by the King to read the sentence of death against Mr. Lambert the Martyr of Jesus whereof he afterward repented and craved forgiveness of him 4. By indifferency and neutrality As Lucian who was no Papist nor sound Protestant and Henry the 8th who despised the old Religion and envied the new This some in strange Language call Policy but in true English flat Atheism As they in the Church of Corinth were neither for Paul or Apollo but pretended for Christ so these are neither Papists nor Protestants a mungrel People just nothing Serve God they will but 〈◊〉 engage for him Like Heraclius 〈◊〉 ●mperour who being imprudently carried away by some Bishops of the Monethelites when that Heresie was afterward condemn'd by the Council of Jerusalem was ashamed to recant became a meer Neutralist and held neither one way or other Such would be called Christians but they depart from nothing nor do any thing whereby others might see what they were they will be and do as the time and Company serve where they live or are Professors among Professors scorners with scorners they can change which way and when they please without imputation of inconstancy On all such that speech of our Saviour falls heavy they may hear the sentence of the supreme Deity and the King of Kings thundering in their Ears viz. He that is not with me is against me and he that gathers not scatters abroad To name the name of Christ is to submit our Wills to be ruled by his Word to subscribe to the Gospel 〈◊〉 write our selves his to be under 〈◊〉 Government of the Eternal La●● which if we once do we must depart 1. From false Gods not worship dead Gods Images Relicks nor dying Gods men or Princes as the Samaritans worshipped Antiochus Epiphanes stiling him the mighty God or as the Venetians petitioning Paul the fifth gave him the Title of Vice-God nor the host of Heaven as the Ammonites nor the Devil as the Indians nor the Cross as Papists From Idolaters and Idolatrous service Come out from her my People Revel 18.4 If Rome have left us in the foundation we must leave her in the superstructure where they are fallen from God we must fall from them 3. From the familiar society of idolatrous wicked men Christs Doves will be sullied among the Pots with all known impiety yea from evil thoughts in endeavour and earnest desire of our hearts with these and the like the Name of Christ agrees not St. John would not remain in the Bath at Ephesus because Cerinthus the Heretick was there Polycarp would not salute Marcion but told him he knew him to be the first-born of the Devil as Irenaeus relates it and giveth this Note also concerning the Apostles that they could not so much as Verbo tenus converse with them that had adulterated the truth There must be no harmony where the chief Musician will have a jar We have as dear a Saviour as they had we name the same Christ they did but we want the courage and zeal they had most of us consult our own profit and pleasure or to gain reputation with and content others and so concern our selves little to what company we joyn our selves what we say or do when indeed the general name of Christianity will avail us nothing