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
A80721	Prayers prevalencie for Israels safety. Declared in a sermon preached in Saint Margarets Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, at the late solemne fast, June 28. 1643. / By Thomas Carter, minister of Dynton in Buckingham-shire. ; Published by order of that House.	Carter, Thomas, d. 1646.	1643 (1643)	Wing C668; Thomason E60_2; ESTC R22771	35,268	44

men for it Indeed this is enough to raise a suspition upon an opinion or practice and to cause a more strict scrutiny and enquiry into it yet this must not sway our judgement but without al regard of the persons for or against indifferently weigh the action judge not according to personall appearances Secondly there is a reall appearance which is the superficies the suprema facies or countenance of a thing Now error is somtimes cryed up in truths apparel and vice in vertues colour as Jacob was blest in Esaus garment b Gen. 27. 27. and sometimes truth is cried downe under an appearance of errour and if not vertue yet a thing in its nature indifferent under an appearance of evill as good Jehosaphat was made at and endangered in wicked Ahabs apparell c 2 Chro. 18. Now indeed a thing indifferent both in its nature and use though not intrinsecally evill yet because it lookes like a sinne and carries the face of evill it ought to be declined Abstaine from all appearance of evill d 1 Thes 5. 22. It is also true that things in their nature indifferent yet carrying an appearance of evill in respect of scandall should not by authority be imposed and so be made necessary in their use But in as much as the outward face and appearance is not alwayes sutable to the intrinsecall nature of things we are not to be swayed in our judgements by that But setting all appearances personall and reall aside we are to search into the nature of things and to examine them by the rule that so we may give each thing its true estimate and judge righteous judgement Now that we may rightly determine three things are required 1. A right rule to jude by 2. A right qualification of the persons judging 3. A right application of things to the rule The rule to try all opinions and practises by is the Word of God There are indeed divers subordinate rules as 1. The Lawes and legall Commandements of authority personall commandements they impose on us as they are men legall as Magistrates 1 Per. 2. 13. Acts 5. 29. and by these all persons that are under them are to be regulated in their practice so far as they may without disobeying God in his Word 2. The example of Gods people and custome of the Church of God is in some cases a rule to direct us and hath vim legis as Aquin. speaks B. Andr. 1 Cor. 11. 16. and therefore there being a controversie at Corinth whether women should be uncovered or men covered in the Congregation the Apostle seemes to referre them to the Churches custome as a rule in things of so low a nature and not determined in the Word and by it to conclude and determine for or against a thing accordingly A third rule is each mans conscience and to this the Apostle refers 1 Cor. 11. 13. the Corinthians Judge in your selves what is right Now conscience is so farre a rule that if we doe any thing against it we sinne and yet if we be guided by conscience and that erres and leads us from the rule of the Word we sinne too an erring conscience cannot excuse à toto though it doth à tanto though it doth extenuate yet not annihilate a sinne And here we may take notice of a two-fold mistake amongst men Sometimes a groundlesse fancie is taken for conscience and sometimes the bent of the heart and will men supposing conscience to be for or against a thing when indeed it is either a meere fancie without ground either of Scripture or reason or at least the heart and will by some engagements is bent and setled that way Now all these are but secondary rules and are to be regulated by the Word the Word of God is the primarie rule whereby as all opinions and practices are to be tried in as much as the truth of those and goodnesse of these consists in conformity thereunto so also all those secondary rules are to be regulated and tried by it as all weights and measures by the Kings Standard they being no further rules to us then they are agreeable thereunto therefore the Prophet Isaiah refers all to this rule to the law to the testimony Isa 8. 20. no light unlesse according to this rule this is the ballance of the Sanctuary the touch-stone to try all rules all opinions and practices by 2. For the qualification of the persons judging they must be transformed and renued in the spirit of their minds their understandings enlightned Rom. 12. 2. and their hearts sanctified or else they can never try and determine what is that good and acceptable will of the Lord. They 1 Cor. 10. 15. 1 Cor. 2. 15. must have gracious and spirituall hearts as well as cleare understandings as the Apostle sheweth And indeed every godly enlightned Christian though not of such intellectuall strength as to be able to judge of all theologicall truths yet is of such understanding that through the helpe of Gods Spirit he is able to judge of those fundamentall divine truths which are of absolute necessity by an actuall explicit faith to be beleeved unto salvation If the eye be dimme dusty or distempered it maketh not a true report of things to the understanding so if the person judging be not rightly disposed either through darknesse in the understanding or corruption in the heart he cannot judge righteous judgement There are two things that hinder right judging prejudice and passion 1. Prejudice the eye must be free from colours the palate must be insipide Intus existens prohibet alienum if the eye be inflamed it makes the whitest thing seeme red and if the palate be bitter it makes the sweetest thing tast so if a man be prepossest with an opinion he comes like a Jury-man resolved upon his verdict before he heares the cause The second thing is Passion troubled water never represents the true image of a thing facile credimus quod volumus vel quod timemus the heart hath so great an influence upon the understanding that we are apt to beleeve what we desire or what we feare and therefore it is said that a gift blinds the eyes of the wise a gift drawes the Exod. 23. 8. heart to the giver and affection works so upon the understanding that it puts out the very eye of judgement and makes even a wise man to thinke he sees that which indeed he doth not Now therefore as when a man would exactly view a thing he wipes his eyes that no dust or water may hinder sight so should it be our care to put away all passion and prejudice that we may judge rightly Thirdly there is required a right application of the thing to the rule 1. We must with care and study examine the opinion or practice in question examine it as Joseph did his brethren very strictly concerning its father that begot it its brethren and associates Gen.