Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	fundamental_a	1,746	5	10.1277	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79473	Chillingworthi novissima. Or, The sicknesse, heresy, death and buriall of William Chillingworth. (In his own phrase) Clerk of Oxford, and in the conceit of his fellow souldiers, the Queens arch-engineer, and grand-intelligencer. Set forth in a letter to his eminent and learned friends, a relation of his apprehension at Arundell, a discovery of his errours in a briefe catechism, and a shorr [sic] oration at the buriall of his hereticall book. By Francis Cheynell, late fellow of Merton Colledge. Published by authority.	Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665.	1644 (1644)	Wing C3810; Thomason E36_7; ESTC R13256	46,148	66

57. Every man then is Judge the Scripture for fashions sake he calls the rule but he makes every mans naturall reason the rule to judge whether such a Text be the Word of God and then what is the sense of that Text and so all is still finally resolved into our owne reason into humane prudence and ordinary discretion for Tradition is a principle not in Christianity but in Reason nor proper to Christians but common to all men p. 72. cap. 2. sect. 51. Come away then to the Schoole of Socrates for this is just sit anima mea cum Philosophis Read from the 9● to the 100 page I will advise with God and that Reason he hath given me page 158. he adored God and Reason Qu. But is it not possible for men to become faithfull without either Church or Scripture Ans. Yes by the works of God without us and the Law of God written in us by Nature Either of these wayes might make some faithfull men without either necessity of Scripture or Church ch. 2. sect. 124. p. 100 Qu. What is Faith Ans. It is the Assent of our Vnderstandings Qu. Are not the Essentiall Doctrines of Christianity to bee embraced with our will An. The assent of our understandings is required to them but no obedience from our wills chap. 4. sect. 2. p. 193. Qu. What are these Essentiall doctrines of Christianity Ans. I do not know Qu. Do you not know what ye are to beleeve Or cannot the church tell what these necessary Truths called the Essentiall and Fundamentall parts of Christianity are Answ No there 's no such Church that Mr. Chillingworth was ever acquainted with We are not to learn of the Church what is fundamentall cap. 3. sect. 39 Qu. What doth Mr Chillingworth think Fundamentall Ans. All points which are intrinsecall to the Covenant betwéen God and man page 193. cap. 4. sect. 3. Qu. What are these points Ans. Repentance from dead works and faith in Christ Iesus the forme of God oh that he would have confessed him to be God and Saviour of the world this is all that is simply necessary pag. 159. Qu. What is it to beleeve in Christ Answ It is to expect remission of sinnes and salvation from him upon the performance of the conditions he requires p. 134. Observe more conditions beside faith required to Iustification 2. No mention made of Christs performance but ours 3. No mention of free grace it runs like a Covenant of works Qu. What are these conditions Answ. One is that we beléeve what God hath revealed when it is sufficiently declared to have béene revealed by him You have had the English of that already read pag. 134. Qu. Is it simply necessary to salvation to beleeve in Christ Ans. It is simply necessary for them to whom faith in Christ is sufficiently propounded as necessary to salvation p. 134. He will wrangle with you if you say faith in Christ is sufficiently propounded to Iewes Turks Heathens for observe that he presently addes in the selfe same page That may be sufficiently declared to one all things considered which all things considered to another is not sufficiently declared and consequently that may be Fundamentall and necessary to one which to another is not so In his conceit then it is not necessary for some mens salvation that they should beleeve in Christ And it hath beene formerly observed that some men as he conceived might be made faithfull men without necessity of Church or Scripture Finally in the 133 page he saith expresly that Cornelius was but a meete Gentile one that beleeved not in Christ and knew not but men might be worshipped and yet we are assured that his prayers and almes even whilst he was in that estate were accepted Ergo in his judgement a meere Heathen and an Idolater may have accesse to God in prayer and be accepted without the mediation of our only Mediator the Lord Iesus God blessed for ever But the truth is Cornelius was a Proselyte instructed in the Iewish Religion who beleeved in the Messiah and that faith was sufficient for his acceptance before the Gospel of Christ was preached unto him The prayers and almes of idolatrous Heathens who know not but they may worship men cannot be accepted without faith in Christ nor do their prayers and almes please God so well as that for them or by them they should be promoted to a higher degree of knowledge the knowledge of Christ that so they may be saved by Christ for what is this but to deserve a Saviour which is meritum de congruo at least nay let the Licensers consider whether to deserve Christ be not more then to deserve Heaven Moreover he is much mistaken when he saith that they who never heard of Christ may seek God as to please him and that they shall be rewarded for their seeking of him with the knowledge of the Gospell or saith in Christ for he who doth not seek God in and by Christ our only Mediatour doth not come to God but runs quite beside him to such a carnall seeking God never yet promised such a spirituall reward Consider that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 30 31 32 33. and the next chapter the second and third verses That text Hebr. 11. 6. should be compared with and expounded by Iohn 14. 6. and then it will be evident that no man can seek so as to finde him or come to him after an acceptable manner unlesse he seek God in and come to him by Iesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life the true way to eternall life I hasten to the next question Qu. What other Condition is there of the Covenant besides beleeving Answ. Repentance of sinne and obedience to Christ for God is a punisher of them that obstinately offend him therefore repentance of sinne is necessary and Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and Saviour of the world by obedience to whom men must look to be saved p. 101. Mark he doth not say by whose obedience men must be justified and yet this is the fairest confession that I can meet with I read often of our obedience to Christ but I never read any thing yet in Mr Chillingworths book of Christs obedience imputed to us now it is the imputation of Christs obedience to us and Gods free pardon of our disobedience which make the covenant appeare to be a covenant of grace Qu. What is repentance Answ An universall sorrow for all those sinnes which we know we have committed and which we feare we may have committed Answer to the Preface p. 20. If we have beene betrayed into or kept in errour by any sin of our will if that errour be discovered there must be a particular and explicite repentance of that errour if it be not discovered then a generall and implicite repentance for all sinnes knowne and unknown doth suffice Ib. p. 21. Observe that he saith nothing of the hatred of sinne or the forsaking of

owne obedience in stead of relying upon Gods authority and Christs obedience can be saved by the Covenant of Grace let all true Christians judge Qu. What other condition is required of us Answ. A true sincere and cordiall love of God Answer to the Preface p. 20. Qu. How may a man be raised to this love Answ. By the consideration of Gods most infinite goodnesse to us and our own almost infinite wickednesse against him Gods Spirit cooperating with us may raise us to a true sincere and a cordiall love of God in the same page Qu. Wherein doth this infinite goodnesse of God manifest it selfe Answ. 1. In creating us of nothing 2. In creating us after his own image 3. In creating all things for our use and benefit 4. In streaming downe his favours on us every moment of our lives 5. In designing us if we serve him to infinite and eternall happinesse 6. In redéeming us with the pretious bloud of his beloved Sonne 7. By his patience towards us in expecting our conversion 8. In wooing alluring leading and by all meanes which his wisdome can suggest unto him and mans nature is capable of drawing them to repentance and salvation I have picked out the marrow of his notions the best Divinity his works afford but observe 1. We are saith he designed to eternall happinesse if we serve God which is perfect Popery shall I say or Socinianisme here is a conditionall decree and the condition is works 2. God expects our conversion I thought he had effected our conversion if God stay till we will turne off our selves or cooperate with his Spirit in the first act of our conversion we shall never be converted Sure I am this Implicite faith grounded on unsanctified reason and fallible tradition will rather resist then cooperate with the holy Spirit The Scripture tels us that we do never love God in good earnest till we doe beleeve Gods love to us compare the 16. and 19. verses of the 1 Iohn 4. And faith is not wrought in us by our cooperation with the Spirit but by the Almighty power of God who quickens us whom he finds dead in trespasses and sinnes unto a lively faith as is evident in the two first chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians Qu Is it possible for a man that lives and dies a Papist to be saved Ans. Yes very possible in the iudgement of Master Chillingworth 1 Because the Papists do not erre in Fundamentals chap. 3. Sect. 56. pag. 164. For the only and main reason saith he why we beleeve you not to erre in Fundamentals is your holding the Doctrine of Faith in Christ and Repentance The worst sort of Papists who have means to find the Truth but will not use them may be saved if they die with a generall repentance for all their sinnes knowne and unknowne because the Truths which they hold of Faith in Christ and repentance are as it were an Antidote against their errours and their negligence in seeking the truth Especially seeing by confession of both sides we agree in much more then is simply and indispensably necessary to salvation Chap. 3. Sect. 12. pag. 133. And truly I doe beleeve if the worst of Papists and the worst of Protestants did agree in fewer things then they doe there would be more hope of the salvation of Papists Qu. What is the best way to bring Papists and Protestants into one communion Ans. The framing and proposing of a Liturgy which both sides hold lawfull p. 132. This was perchance the great stratagem aimed at in the framing of that Liturgy which was sent into Scotland and this is a point which deserves the consideration of the pretended Parliament or Assembly at Oxford Qu. Is the Spirit absolutely promised to the succession of Bishops Answ No for many of them have beene notoriously and confessedly wicked men men of the world whereas this Spirit is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because he seeth him not neither knowes him p. 146 147. Whether this be not as true of some Popish Prelats in England as of the Bishops of Rome let the learned determine Qu. What if a Church maintaine an errour contrary to Gods Revelation knowne by that Church to be a divine Revelation Ans. The Church that doth so is no longer a Church p. 137. Qu. Doth not Master Chillingworth sometimes contradict himselfe and call the Roman Church the Catholique Church Answ. He seemes to do so p. 132. His words are these We beléeve the Catholique Church cannot perish yet that she may and did erre in points not Fundamentall and that Protestan● were obliged to forsake these errors of her Church as they did though not the Church for the errours for that they did not but continued still members of the Church Observe that the question is about forsaking the Church of Rome and he talkes of the Catholique Church 1. The Catholique Church did not erre with the Roman the Greek Church did forsake the errours of the Roman 2. Those Protestants who did protest against the Church of Rome were a considerable part of the Catholique Church 3. Those Protestants did not continue members of the Roman Church but did renounce her communion because of her errours 4. His distinction which followes betweene the Catholique and Roman Church makes his former observations non-sence at least 5. He saith they separated from the Roman Church only in things which they conceived superstitious or impious and he saith they were obliged to doe this under paine of damnation Not saith he as if it were damnable to hold an errour not damnable p. 132. Did those Protestants rightly conceive the practises of Rome to be superstitious and impious or did they not if they did conceive aright then superstion and impiety are in Master Chillingworths judgement not damnable if they did conceive amisse why doth Master Chillingworth justifie our separation from the Church of Rome Sure Master Chillingworth was no fit man to maintaine the common cause of Protestants against Papists Qu. May not a man bee damned by maintaining errours which are not in themselves damnable Ans. Yes because it is damnable outwardly to professe and maintaine and ioyne with others in the practise of that which inwardly we do not hold for this is as he confesses damnable dissimulation and hypocrisie p. 132. Men may do well to take notice that Mr Chillingworth doth account something damnable and I note this the rather at this time because men are so apt to professe one thing in one place and another thing in another in these dayes of liberty and to joyne with others in the practise of that which they inwardly dislike Yet Mr Chillingworth saith that if in him alone there should have met a confluence of all the errours which all the Protestants in the world have fell into out of humane frailty he would not be so much afraid of them all as to ask pardon for them because to ask pardon for them were

was the earnest desire of that eminent Scholar whose body lyes here before you that his corps might be interred according to the Rites and customs approved in the English Liturgy and in most places of this Kingdom heretofore received but his second request in case that were denied him was that he might be buried in this City after such a manner as might be obtained in these times of unhappy difference and bloudy warres His first request is denied for many reasons of which you cannot be ignorant It is too well knowne that he was once a professed Papist and a grand seducer he perverted divers persons of consider●●●●●anke and quality and I have good cause to beleeve that his ●…e to England commonly called his Conversion was but a false and pretended Conversion And for my owne part I am fully convinced that he did not live or dye a genuine Sonne of the Church of England I retaine the usuall phrase that you may know what I meane I meane he was not of that Faith or Religion which is established by Law in England Hee hath left that phantasie which he called his Religion upon record in this subtile booke He was not ashamed to print and publish this destructive tenet That there is no necessity of Church or Scripture to make men faithfull men in the 100 page of this unhappy booke and therefore I refuse to bury him my selfe yet let his friends and followers who have attended his Herse to this Golgotha know that they are permitted out of meere humanity to bury their dead out of our sight If they please to undertake the buriall of his corps I shall undertake to bury his errours which are published in this so much admired yet unworthy booke and happy would it be for this Kingdome if this booke and all its fellowes could be so buried that they might never rise more unlesse it were for a confutation and happy would it have been for the Author if he had repented of those errours that they might never rise for his condemnation Happy thrice happy will he be if his workes doe not follow him if they doe never rise with him nor against him Get thee gone then thou cursed booke which hast seduced so many precious soules get thee gone thou corrupt rotten booke earth to earth and dust to dust get thee gone into the place of rottennesse that thou maist rot with thy Author and see corruption So much for the buriall of his errours Touching the buriall of his corps I need say no more then this It will be most proper for the men of his perswasion to commit the body of their deceased Friend Brother Master to the dust and it will be most proper for me to hearken to that counsell of my Saviour Luk. 9. 60. Let the dead bury their dead but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God And so I went from the grave to the Pulpit and preached on that Text to the Congregation Some conceive that I studied on purpose to picke out the most piercing Text in the Bible a Text which doth much reflect upon the party deceased but these men erre not knowing the Scriptures for had I used that Prayer at Master Chillingworths grave which was dictated by the Spirit upon the like occasion the fall of a great enemy of Israel Judges 5. 31. doubtlesse that Prayer would have reflected more upon the party deceased and all his surviving party So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee be as the Sunne when he goes forth in his strength They would have beene more displeased had I taken that Text which is applyed to no lesse a man then the sonne of Iosiah by the Prophet Ieremiah They shall not lament for him saying Ah my brother or ah sister ah Lord or ah his glory He shall be buried with the buriall of an asse drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem Ierem. 22. 18 19. Doubtlesse that man deserves the buriall of an Asse who beleeves his owne Reason more then the God of truth he that dares not condemne nay admires those for rationall men who would reason Christ and the holy Ghost out of their Godhead and even dispute them both out of the Trinity doth certainly deserve the buriall of an Asse Man is born like a wild asses colt as silly wild and coltish as the Colt of a wilde Asse and if he prove an old Colt and perish by his Coltish trickes wonder not at the sharpe censure of the holy Ghost You see then there are sharper Texts then this that I pitched upon for the ground of my discourse Secondly all that understand that Text Luke 9. 60. will acknowledge that the Text did reflect rather upon the living then the dead But why then was he buried at all I have told you already his followers were permitted to bury him out of meere Humanity I pleaded for his buriall from that great example recorded at length by the holy Ghost 2 Sam. 1. from the eleventh verse to the end of the chapter Saul you know was forsaken of God long before his death the spirit of the Lord the excellent gifts and common graces of the Spirit in particular the spirit of government departed from him Moreover he consulted a witch and by her the Devill at Endor and an evill spirit from the Lord took possession of him yet Saul was solemnly buried bewailed nay extolled by David for those things which were lovely in him as you may read in the place forecited 17 21 24. verses And I dare boldly say that I have beene more sorrowfull for Mr Chillingworth and mercifull to him then his friends at Oxford his sicknesse and obstinacy cost me many a prayer and many a teare I did heartily bewaile the losse of such strong parts and eminent gifts the losse of so much learning and diligence Never did I observe more acutenesse and eloquence so exactly tempered in the same person Diabolus ab illo ornari cupiebat for he had eloquence enough to set a faire varnish upon the foulest designe He was master of his learning he had all his arguments in procinctu and all his notions in numerato Howle ye firre trees for a Cedar is fallen lament ye Sophisters for the Master of sentences shall I say or fallacies is vanished wring your hands and beat your breasts yee Antichristian Engineers for your Arch-engineer is dead and all his Engines buried with him Ye daughters of Oxford weep over Chillingworth for he had a considerable and hopefull project how to clothe you and himselfe in scarlet and other delights I am distressed for thee my brother Chillingworth may his Executrix say very pleasant hast thou beene unto me thy love to me was wonderfull passing the love of father husband brother O how are the mighty fallen and the weapons nay engines of warre perished O tell it not in Gath that he who raised a battery against the Popes chaire that he might place

the second and third Epistles of John the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of Jude the book of the Revelation the books of Job Esther Ecclesiastes c. He saith he cannot in reason so undoubtedly beleeve those books to be Canonicall which have beene questioned as those which were never questioned At least I have no warrant to damne any man that shall deny them now having the example of Saints in Heaven either to justifie or excuse such their deniall chap. 2. sect. 38. pag. 67. Surely here is a pretty tempting excuse for if not a justification of those Libertines who question these books and may upon Mr Chillingworths principles question all the rest if they acknowledge one of the Gospels that containes as much as all the rest Ergo that is sufficient pag. 93. 101. But if they beleeve no booke to be Canonicall and therefore will not assent to any book of Scripture they doe not commit a sinne of derogation from Gods perfect and pure veracity for he onely gives God the lye who denies some book or point which he himselfe knowes or beleeves to be revealed by God chap. 3. sect. 15 16 17. Now it is impossible that a man should know one thing to be true and beleeve the contrary or know it and not beleeve it sect. 18. Whither these and the like principles which frequently occurre in his writings tend let the most sober and charitable men judge The only Fundamentall Errour in Mr Chillingworths judgement is to deny something which the party himselfe knowes or beleeves to be revealed by God and therefore in his judgement none but downe-right Atheists erre fundamentally cap. 2. p. 135. 136. Atheisme then as the Jesuites and Arminians conceive is the formality of an Heretick p. 100. for it is down-right Atheisme for any man to deny that to be true which he acknowledges to be spoken by the God of truth Qu. But if I doe beleeve the Scripture to be Gods word is it necessary to beleeve that controversies are to be decided by that Word An. No saith Mr Chillingworth this is no Fundamentall point his words are full I say that this position Scripture alone is the rule whereby they which beleeve it to bee Gods word are to judge all controversies in faith is no Fundamentall point chap. 2. pag. 115. His intent is by this assertion to make good a dreame of his that some controversies in faith need not be judged or determined at all Mr Chillingworth pretends that he holds the Scripture to be a perfect rule of faith and yet he saith it is not necessary to judge all controversies and those no small ones because they are controversies in faith by that perfect rule It is a perfect rule but we need not be ruled by it in all points of faith Qu. But is there then any other way to decide controversies which hath any colour of probability from the Scripture An. Yes nine or ten severall meanes of agreement offered themselves to Mr Chillingworth upon the sudden and haply more might have beene thought on if he had had time and these that are offered have as much probability from Scripture as that which Papists obtrude upon us And truly he was such a ready blasphemer that he could vent extemporary blasphemies yet such as the Licentious men at Oxford approved chap. 3. pag. 130. 131. First he saith we could if we would try it by lots whose Doctrine is true and whose false for which he cites Prov. 16. 33. It may be this Sophister did cast lots for his Religion and it was his hard lot to draw Popery first then Arminianisme and then his doctrine run lower and lower till it came almost to the very dregs of Socinianisme Secondly we could referre it to the King Prov 16. 10. and 21. 1. Mr Chillingworth might make merry with his owne prophane doctrine but I admire that he should dare to sport himselfe with the Majesty of Scripture and the Majesty of the King But truly I am afraid that some are so indifferent in point of Religion that they are content not only to referre it to the King but to the Queene It were proper for them to vent such Doctrine who have as the old Tradition and proverbe hath it taken an oath to be of the Kings Religion Thirdly to an Assembly of Christians assembled in the name of Christ Math. 18. 20. Let them not then blame the Parliament for consulting an Assembly of learned and pious Christians and most of them Ministers of the Gospel assembled in the name of Christ Fourthly to any Priest Malach. 2. 7. This makes well of the Queens side Fifthly to any Preacher of the Gospel Pastour or Doctour Math. 28. 20. Sure Mr Chillingworth was more independent then they that are commonly so called Sixthly to any Bishop or Prelate why not then to the Bishop of Rome for it is written Obey your Prelates Heb. 13. 17. Mr Chillingworth since his pretended conversion was very apt to be seduced by the vulgar or Rhemish translation or some version received at Saint Omers but this was a voluntary and devised meanes as he saith in the same page Seventhly to any particular Church of Christians seeing it is a particular Church which is called the house of God a pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. and seeing of any particular Church it is written He that heareth not the Church let him be unto thee an Heathen Matth. 18. Mr Chillingworth is sometimes Prelaticall and sometimes Congregationall Eighthly we might referre it to any man that prayes for Gods spirit for it is written every one that asketh receives this is one steppe beyond the Brownists Matth. 7. 8. James 1. 5. Lastly we might referre it to the Jewes for without all doubt of them it is written My spirit that is in thee c. Isaiah 59. 21. And why not to the Socinians they have naturall reason a very competent Judge in Mr Chillingworths conceit What wonder is it that so many blasphemies and quibbles for every quibble upon Scripture is a blasphemy should be licensed by grave and learned Professours of Divinity what if Papists take liberty to blaspheme and put the Scripture upon the rack to force it to confesse what makes for their turn must Protestants or such a one who undertakes the common Cause of Protestants though he was no Protestant bee permitted to blaspheme by the Licence of an University Repent deare Doctors once more repent and I will proceed Qu. But how shall I know the true sense of Scripture there being such variety of conceits which passe for Interpretations Answ Here help mee Reason again and Implicit Faith For the last Resolution of my Faith in his conceit must be into Reason page 65. 96. and still he labours to prove that Reason is Judge and he frequently jeares at Knot for accounting it an absurdity for every man and woman to rely upon their Reason in the interpreting of Scripture p. 98. Reasons drawn