Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	9,317	5	6.6427	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18357	Six sermons now first published, preached by that learned and worthy divine Edward Chaloner lately deceas'd, Dr in Divinity, sometimes Chaplaine in Ordinary to our soveraigne K. Iames, and to his Maiesty that now is: and late Principall of Alban Hall in Oxford. Printed according to the author's coppies, written with his owne hand	Chaloner, Edward, 1590 or 91-1625.; Sherman, Abraham, 1601 or 2-1654.	1629 (1629)	STC 4937; ESTC S107649	98,854	158

answere mee how was Nature manur'd and prun'd in these Cretians how were her talents here turn'd and winded in the banke for the best advantage that thus beyond all plea of desert the Gospell should arriue in Crete and Titus as Ambassadour bee sent from GOD to winne them vnto Christ Certainely if Cretians tongues be shaped for the vtterance of any truth they might resolue our new Cretians the controversie from their own case where the light of the truth so immediatly followed in their Iland vpon a midnight of ignorance and blindnesse and that without any twilight interceeding or arising from the extinguished tapers of mans natural vnderstāding that my Text makes their disease and their cure to bee close successours the one of the other where we discouer first an accusation against them begun indeede by Epimenides but seconded by himselfe This witnesse is true Secondly a reformation in which as if the grace of GOD building vpon no other foundation either of good nature or morall honesty Titus must not exclude with Aristotle either youth or vnbridled affections from being hearers of his Philosophy but must seriously intend their recovery Wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Concerning the first namely the accusation the Cretians found no Advocate that I know to maintaine their honesty till the Iesuites entertain'd Eudemon as being a natiue Cretian and therefore best squaring with their discipline and admitted him into their society whom when a writer of ours fitly reputed for a notorious lyar with Cretenses mendaces The Cretians are alwayes lyars he blusheth not to excuse the matter as if Epimenides call'd them lyars for this onely because they affirm'd that they could shew the sepulchre of Iupiter whom both he and the rest of the Gentiles did conceiue to be immortall This shift smells of the same dye with a Sophisme vsed in Logicians The Cretians are alwayes lyars but Epimenides was a Cretian which said this therefore Epimenides lyed and so by a cōsequence it is false that the Cretians are alwayes lyars for as in this Syllogisme a fallacy is committed in arguing from meere particulars the major that the Cretians are alwayes lyars being but equipollent to this that many or a greater part are lyars out of which route Epimenides might well be exempted so in the other caption of Eudemon's what lets that Epimenides saying might bee true in part though not in this that Iupiter was immortall yet in this that the Cretians are alwayes lyars euill beasts slow bellyes which is all that our Apostle doth quote Cretes erunt testes nec fingunt omnes Cretes A pretty world it is with the Iesuites that as heretofore they haue put vs to maintaine the authority of the Scriptures aboue the Church so now we must defend the truth of them against a Cretian But Eudemon reasoning against so manifest a testimony of the Holy Ghost argues that either his Countrymen haue not yet left off their old quality or else that amidst the refin'd decisions of their order touching lyes equivocations an officious lye for ones Country is helde currant ware though the credite of an Apostle suffer by it But let 's leaue Eudemon his Countrymen as condemn'd by the Sentence of S. Paul himself besides an whole jury of Proverbs pack'd against them Cretizare Cretizare cum Cretensi Cretensis cum Aegineta Cretensis nescit mare all which giue no better language then the lye to the Cretians The points which I shall desire you to consider in this accusation of S. Pauls are chiefly two First his Christian ingenuity in receiuing and approuing the truth though breath'd from the lippes of a prophane Cretian where he rejects not the pearle because it was enclos'd in a wooden casket nor disdaines the fruit because it was seru'd vp in an earthen dish but rather the more admires it and commends it to Titus and these Cretians to be tasted by them also This was farre from the daintinesse of many in our age which thinke no instructions availeable or of force but such as proceede from men of whose inward calling they are perswaded as if the efficacy of the Word depended on the sanctity of the deliuerer Hence growes that loathing amongst some of their Pastors their doctrine that they follow those teachers not whom God by an ordinary calling appointed them but whō they choose thēselues They pretend as strict an observation of the Sabaoth almost as the Iewes onely to heare whom they fancy they can convert the Sabaoth dayes journey to spite the Pope from two Italian miles to two high Germane True it is that as the bels which hung in the Vestments of Aaron were intermingled with Pomgranates so God loueth not a sound without fruit exēplary piety is a second Sermō nay to say the truth there is not a figure in Rhetoricke more potent then the good opinion conceiu'd of the speaker in which respect both Arist Cicero requir'd it euen in a ciuill Oratour But this argues not the truth vttered by a prophane person of imperfection but the stomacks of most hearers to be of weak disgestion The gift of the Holy Ghost mentioned in the Gospel where the Apostles were confirm'd in the Ministery of the word is not graetia justificationis a grace of justification but gratia aedificationis a grace of edification not gratia gratū faciens as the Schoolmen say that is a peculiar grace giuen thē for the salvation of thēselues but gratia gratis data a grace giuen thē for the salvation of others The Carpenters you know builded the Arke yet were not sav'd thēselues the Tyrians Sydonians furnished Salomon with materials for the Tēple and were neuerthelesse themselues without the covenant So this witnesse of Epimenides S. Paul converts to an instrument of winning the Cretians to true speaking which yet could not saue Epimenides from venting a notorious lye and that in the very place it selfe touching Iupiter's eternity But what imports it whether the Physitian doe heale himselfe so long as he prescribes vs wholesome Physicke or whether the prison key be in the hands of a prisoner so long as it open's the wicket and sets vs free from thraldome and bondage The second thing to bee considered in this accusation is the Christian liberty which S. Paul assumeth in inserting the witnesse of a prophane Writer and that with no small commendations into the bowels of Canonicall Scripture In the verse preceeding he cited indeed one of their Poets but the manner of his citing of him is there somewhat more doubtfull here in my Text saying this witnesse is true the case is more clear'd and he declares himselfe that he vseth it as a confirmation or proofe not to bee refuted by him but to refute the gainsaying of the Cretians by it But what will some say Is S. Paul come to quote Poets why he hath taught vs that the Scriptures are sufficient to teach to instruct to confirme to

of mysticall disputes where they taught Now how vaine were the imaginations of these Doctours who as Antipheron Orietes in Aristotle thought that every where hee saw his owne shape and picture going before him so did these in all partes of Scripture where they walked perswade themselues that they saw the image of their owne conceits and what gaue occasion to this vainenesse in them was it not that they forsooke the pathes and ancient formes of teaching which their Samuels and Eliah's and Elisha's had in their schooles of the Prophets children left vnto them and their Rabbies being train'd vp as it appeares by Philo in the phylosophy of Pythagoras Plato which was much symbolicall and aenigmaticall would shew whose disciples they were in the pulpit and attire Sarah in the garments and weedes of Hagar the bond-woman I doe not here deny the vse of Phylosophy in divine matters it is a footestoole to the pulpit and as Laban when hee gaue Rachel vnto Iacob hee gaue also Bilhah to bee her maide so in this latter age of the world when it pleased God to restore the light of his word so plentifully vnto vs hee gratiously hath adorn'd it with the service and attendance of phylosophy and humane learning but yet we must remember that phylosophy is but the hand-maid she must not prescribe lawes and rules to her mistresse When some sought to examine the truth of the word by the dictates of philosophers and the speculation of humane reason the Apostle in 2d of the Col. bid's them beware lest any man spoyle them through philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ By which saying Tertullian obserues that hee concondemnes all hereticks of which the phylosophers were the Patriarchs for whence did Valentinus faine his formes and trinity in man but from Plato Marcion the coeternity of matter with God but from the Stoicks that God was mortall but from the Epicures that hee was of a fiery substance but from Heraclitus whence arose the impious conceits of the Artemonites but from this as Eusebius in his fifth booke of Ecclesiasticall history confesseth that they more were addicted to Aristotle Theophrastus and Gallen then to the Scriptures Whence grew the errours of Origen but from this as Epiphanius witnesseth that hee triumphed too much in the disciplines of the Philosophers cōtented not himselfe with the simplicity of the Apostles whence sprang the heresie of the Arrians but from this as Ambrose on the 118. Psalme obserues that they examined the divine generation of Christ according to the grounds of Aristotle and the vse of this world Thus by preferring their owne fancies and the sandy foundation of humane wisdome before the sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles they detain'd the truth in vnjustice and became vaine in their imaginations The Fathers were as Hiperius notes for the most part Platonists and I know not if some of them may not else-where bee sayd to relish of his precepts certainely if in any thing this age of ours may cōtend with theirs or else out-strippe it it is there where in their commentaries in imitation of him they drench the literall sense too much with Allegories as Andradius confesseth S. Hierome a man not too easily brought on to acknowledge the errours of his writings amongst those few things which he doth retract censures nothing so sharpely as the mistake of his youth in this kind thinking it one of the greatest sinnes of his youth that being carried away through an inconsiderate heate in his studies of Scripture hee adventured to interpret Abdias the Prophet Allegorically when as yet hee knew not the historecall meaning I will not deny Allegories Tropologies Anagogies as severall applacations of one sense I will not deny more then one literall sense so that one be subordinate to the other but to make all places as the Papists would haue them liable to as many senses as wit is able to faigne to draw the Pope's temporall sword out of Peter's scabbard or to fish for his vicaredge with Peter's net this I leaue to the limbeckes of the Iesuites and aske if my text fits not right to them that detaining the truth in vnrighteousnesse they became vaine in their imaginations Gerson in his tract of Astrology tell 's vs that it was a custome in the Vniversity of Paris that whosoever was licenciated in the arts should take an oath to determine his Philosophy problemes alwayes agreeable to the Articles of faith and that they would dissolue the reasons of the Philosopher brought to the contrary this was an excellent course to giue liberty to the truth of the Scriptures whilst the dreames of Philosophers kept it not in subjection but hee which shall read the Sorbornes determinations in Theologie would guesse that they had taken another oath to determine their questions in Divinity according to the precepts of Aristotle's Philosophy and to dissolue the authorities of the Apostle's brought to the contrary And may not wee here see my text well verified that these Schoole-men detaining the trueth in vnrighteousnesse first in their exposition of the Scripture by keeping the literall sense from the view of the world and distasting those witnesse the sundry apologies of Caietan who betooke themselues to the literall sense as knowing inwardly that their positions were not sufficiently grounded and that this kind of teaching opened a gappe vnto the world to discry their palpable abuses Secondly in their positions relying first as Daneus shewes vpon Austine afterwards as Popery more strengthened it selfe vpon Aristotle and lastly vpon the Tridentine Councell and vncertaine traditions that these I say should not else-where in their vnprofitable questions and more ridiculous resolutions bee seene as my text saye's to become vaine in their imaginations perhaps their prayer for the dead their pilgrimages vowes and ceremonies may seeme to come from a foolish ignorant zeale and herein though their imaginations cannot scape the lash of vaine yet they may be more pardonable But to teach that colours may subsist without a subject that a man may be at the same time at home in his bed and fighting against the Turkes that one may equivocate and dissemble to a good end that one may do evill that good may come thereof that the rights of lawes and nations do lye vnder the Popes girdle why this Philosophy was never taught by Aristotle or Plato or Cicero but as I guesse when Hermolaus Barbarus questioned the divell for the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee added some further instructions to be delivered the Iesuites touching these matters for the defending their tenents And truly I am perswaded that it is neither the wheele of fortune nor chaine of destiny nor craft of Sathan that hath brought our adversaries to beleeue such shamefull doctrines but it is God in his divine providence which hath permitted them even there where the light of nature is most apparent so to

haue seene how the Bees haue one King the Cranes in their flight follow one Captaine even heards in the field naturally incline to one Leader all which might haue taught him that all things are subordinate and moderated not by many but by one Governour Besides he was more wise then either was the Chaldees or Aegyptians and therefore we can presume him to be ignorant of none of their Arts and Disciplines and did not their Arithmeticke teach him that numbers do proceede from vnities their Geometrie that magnitudes doc arise from indivisible points why the Perspectiues drawes all lines to one center Philosophie all causes to one first cause Astronomie all motions to one first Mouer so that there was nothing in all his learning from whence he might not haue learned that of all things there is but one Maker and so consequently for all things we are to worship and giue divine honour but to one God Yet loe this Salomon this bright morning starre sets in the West is hous'd in one of those darke and smoakie degrees mentioned by Astronomers lust and loue of his wiues possesse his fantasie and then whatsoeuer good object would present it selfe to his vnderstanding it is by the interposition of these earthly vanities these foolishnesses of heart darkened It might be wisely said of him as S. Austin once spake of the Wisemen of his dayes O Lord with the vnderstanding which thou giuest vnto men they number the starres of the firmament and the sands of the sea they measure the heauens with their instruments and foretell the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone many ages before-hand they can say that such a yeare such a month such a day of the month such a houre of the day there shall be an Eclipse and it falls out accordingly and they are lifted vp and greatly extolled which know these things notwithstanding per impiam superbiam recedentes ac deficientes à lumine tuo tantò antè solis defectuns in futurum praevident in praesentia suum non vident through impious pride their foolish hearts departing away from thy light so long before they can foresee the darkening of the sunne which is to come and cannot see their owne darkenes which is present Let me lead you from the Olde Testament into the New there suppose the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses Chaire and scanning the gestures and wordes and workes of our Saviour why did they not know him to be the Messias they heard Iohn Baptist giue plaine testimonie of him the same Christ fulfilled likewise all that was spoken by the Prophets why could not they see that hee was the Saviour of the world hee made the blinde to see the deafe to heare the dumbe to speake the lame to goe he made the sick and diseased whole hee raised vp the dead hee told them even their thoughts cogitations how were their hearts so darkened that they could not know him S. Paul informes vs that their foolish hearts were possest with pride that seeking to establish their owne righteousnes to bee justified by the workes of the Law they stumbled at that stumbling stone Rom 9.32 if any therefore aske or demaund how it comes to passe that so many see not the truth of the Gospel if it be so plaine as we make it whence it is that the Scriptures which we say are so easie in all matters of Salvation be not yet vnderstood either by the wise Salomons or the learned Scribes and Pharisees of the Romane Church I must answere with the Apostle in my text quòd abscurum obtonebratum est eorum cor insipiens because their foolish heart their heart taken vp with foolish earthly imaginations is obscured darkened The Apocalyps in describing the whore of Babylon notes two branches of this foolishnesse in her pride in challenging adoration and covetousnesse in venting her Merchandices which goe beyond all Markets that I know but the divels even to the soules of men Cap. 19. are not our adversaries carefull diligent to fulfill the Scriptures whither tend all their doctrines and teachings as some well note but either to enrich her treasures as indulgences pilgrimages and dispensations or augment her power and authority as ignorance of Lay-people multiplicitie of Fryeries necessity of confession and absolution or to conserve that which hath been already gotten as single life of Priests exemption of the Cleargie from secular Magistrates the preheminences of the Pope aboue Princes Councels and Scripture it selfe See the witch-crafts wherewith shee is bewitched the Cuppes wherwith she is drunken the mists wherwith her foolish heart is darkned and obscured Can our adversaries object truly to vs any such follies of the heart which do shut our eyes that wee are not able to discerne the acutenesse of their Achillean arguments yes some of them haue said it is a desire of Soveraigntie in Princes of licentiousnes in all that casts the vaile before our hearts and makes thē foolish in things pertaining to his Holines Why then belike these cause vs that wee doe not allow of Friers and Mookes though in the fourth of Gen it be said as Bellar. vrgeth it then began men to call vpon the name of the Lord for these it is that we doe yeelde vnto the sacrifice of the Masse though Salomon in the 9 of the Prouerbes as Bellar quotes him saith most plainly that wisdome hath built her an house slaine her victuals and drawne her wine These make vs that we will not kill and devoure those creatures the Kings and Princes which performe not what the Pope enjoynes and commands though Baronius most subtilly hath concluded it from the voyce to Peter kill and eate hence it is that wee require more then an implicite faith in the Laytie though the Master of the Sent and Bell. alleadge it in the 1. of Iob it is printed in faire Letters and good Characters that the Oxen were plowing and the Asses feeding besides them If therefore foolishnesse do darken our hearts that we cannot see so farre as the Lynxes of the Roman Church I must say with S. Paul that it is the foolishnes of God which is wiser then men and the weakenesse of God which is stronger then men But what marvaile if others whose hearts are the Cabinets of vanity and folly are purblinde in the way of truth when as wee our selues are so led often-times by them in easie matters that we become beetle-ey'd see little or nothing why do we not see the shortnes of our life but thus Iiue in the world as though we should liue euer why doe wee not see the vanities of earthly things but embrace them as though they had some substance in them Why doe wee not see our owne imperfections and follies but contemne our brethren as though our selues were some demi-gods vpon earth O beloued if wee list to marvaile at the darkenesse of others hearts we cannot well marvaile at any