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	reason_n	7,423	5	5.8303	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07203	Contentment in Gods gifts or some sermon notes leading to equanimitie and contentation. By Henry Mason parson of S. Andrews Vndershaft London	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1630 (1630)	STC 17604; ESTC S102845	26,914	126

respects that might commend it Thirdly we may note the end of this temperature and that as it is set downe in the Text is twofold 1 Negatiue that there shoud bee no schisme or no disagreement among the members And 2 affirmative that the members shold have the same care one for another Now to make application of this long discourse to our purpose we must not think that when the Apostle doth thus particularly set down the nature of mans body with the severall offices uses belonging unto it that hee meant to read us an Anatomie lecture or to teach us principles of Philosophie as Aristotle when he wrote de partibus animalium but that by a comparison from the naturall body of man he meant to teach Divinitie lessons concerning the Mysticall body of Christ as may and doth appeare by the direct scope and intendment of this Chapter And if thus we understand the text and so in all reason wee must then wee have this Doctrine from it that in the mystical body which is the Church severall men have their severall gifts and their distinct functions yet so tempered and fitted together as that there neede not nor there ought not to bee any schisme or discord among men because of their divers and disagreeing gifts Nay rather the difference of gifts is a good reason to stablish the agreement of their mindes because every one having use of another and benefit from the gifts of another all should have a ioynt care to uphold and preserve each other And so in conclusion diversitie of gifts is so farre from causing of distraction that it ought in all reason to breed unitie of affections And this for the first kinde of proofes II. Proofe 2 My second is from instances of such differences in mens gifts as many times doe but never should cause any distraction of minde And these differences so farre as I can observe them are especially three 1 difference of knowledge and which followeth thereupon difference of opinions 2 differēce in Christian vertues and 3 difference in growth and in degrees of grace I. The first is Difference in knowledge and in opinions for God doth not give a like measure of knowledge unto all men Some are Babes and haue need to bee fed with milke and others are growne men and can digest stronger meate as the Apostle distinguisheth Hebr. 5.12 13 14. And his meaning is that some Christians were so unskilfull in the Christian faith that they had neede to be taught their first principles and others were so well grounded that they could understand deepe and darke Mysteries Besides among men who are equall in habituall skill yet God sometime revealeth a truth to one which hee imparteth not unto another and hence it happeneth that though mens habituall knowledge may bee alike yet they are not equall in the actuall apprehension of some truthes And by reason of this difference in mens knowledge there groweth a difference in their opinions also as the Apostle observed it in his owne time that those who were strong in the faith .i. who knew their Christian libertie and what it imported these beleeved that they might lawfully eate of such meates as Moses had forbidden but they who were weake in the faith and did not fully understand the freedome that Christ had obtained for us these did content themselves to eate herbes rather then to touch any thing which the Law did not allow as appeareth in the Apostles Text Rom. 14.2 c. These and such differences in opinion as these be there are many times found among the best and best learned of Gods servants And these differences in opinion doe many times breede discord in affection cause endlesse strife among men of the same Church each side striving more for victorie then for truth and neyther side enduring his cōpany who crosseth them in the least fancy But the Apostles rule is to the cōtrary Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Rom. 14.3 In which words it is worth our noting to see how the Apostle doth fit his lessons or rules to the condition of the differing and dissenting parties For he that eateth in the Apostles phrase is such a one as being well instructed in the use of his Christian libertie was well assured that he might lawfully eate of things forbidden by the Law because Christ had freed him from that legall bondage Now such a man so well grounded in the rules of faith would be apt to despise others who knew not so much and to esteeme them as shallow and soft-witted men And therefore the Apostle fitteth him with this lesson Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Contrariwise he that did thinke himselfe tyed to observe Moses his Law and therefore out of tendernesse of conscience and for feare of offending God did abstaine from the prohibited meates this man would be apt to censure others who did eate of those meates as Libertines and loose livers and men of large cōsciences And therfore the Apostle fitteth him with an answerable lesson Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth So in cōclusion though the one side had the truth yet the Apostle will permit neyther side to quarrell or censure the other for differences in opinion And the like rule the same Apostle giveth us Philip. 3.15 Let as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing yee be otherwise minded God shall reveile it unto you Neverthelesse whereto wee have attained let us walke by the same rule let us minde the same thing In which words I note two things 1 That the Apostle voucheth the truth of his doctrine to be such as that no well grounded Christian can denie it to be true Let as many as be perfect be thus minded 2 Hee directeth us what to do in case any man do dissent from us in this truth and that is first to expect till God do enlighten him shew him his errour and secondly to keepe friendship and communion with him to joyne with him in serving God according to those common truths wherein both sides agree This is the Apostles charitable and peaceable advise in case that men agreeing with us in the maine grounds of faith do dissent from us in some other opinions Which rule of charitie if it were followed in these quarrelling dayes the peace of the Church would not be so rent in pieces as each day it is by factious and censorious spirits But yee my Brethren that ye may love peace the better consider I pray you that the Apostle permitteth not them who have the truth on their side to breake the bond of peace no not with them whom they know to be in an errour And how much more unsufferable then is it if they who are erroneous in their opinions and idle in their proofes be withall both obstinate and censorious And yet usually so it is