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	word_n	14,132	5	4.8692	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03585	A learned and comfortable sermon of the certaintie and perpetuitie of faith in the elect especially of the prophet Habakkuks faith. By Richard Hooker, sometimes fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford.	Hooker, Richard, 1553 or 4-1600.; Jackson, Henry, 1586-1662.; Spenser, John, 1559-1614.	1612 (1612)	STC 13707; ESTC S121047	10,094	20

A LEARNED AND COMFORTABLE SERMON OF THE certaintie and perpetuitie of faith in the Elect especially of the Prophet Habakkuks faith BY RICHARD HOOKER SOMEtimes fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by John Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1612. ABAC 1.4 Whether the Prophet Abacuck by admitting this cogitation into his minde The Law doth faile did thereby shew himselfe an vnbeleever WEE haue seene in the opening of this clause which concerneth the weakenesse of the Prophets faith first what things they are wherevnto the faith of sounde beleevers doth assent secondly wherefore al men assent not thervnto and thirdly why they that doe doe it many times with small assurance Now because nothing can be so truly spoken but through misvnderstāding it may be depraved therefore to prevent if it bee possible all misconstruction in this cause where a small errour cannot rise but with great danger it is perhaps needful ere we come to the fourth point that something bee added to that which hath beene alreadie spoken concerning the third That meere naturall men doe neither knowe nor acknowledge the things of God wee doe not marvell because they are spiritually to bee discerned but they in whose harts the light of grace doth shine they that are taught of God why are they so weake in faith Why is their assenting to the law so scrupulous so much mingled with feare and wavering It seemeth strange that ever they should imagine the lawe ro faile It cannot seeme strange if wee waigh the reason If the things which we beleeue be considered in themselues it maie truely bee saide that faith is more certaine then any Science That which we know either by sense or by infallible demonstration is not so certaine as the principles articles and conclusions of Christian faith Concerning which we must note that there is a certainty of evidence and a certainety of adherence Certaintie of evidence we call that when the minde doth assent vnto this or that not because it is true in it selfe but because the truth is clere because it is manifest to vs. Of thinges in themselues most certaine except they be also most evident our perswasion is not so assured as it is of thinges more evident although in themselues they be lesse certaine It is as sure if not surer that there bee spirits as that there be men but we be more assured of these then of them because these are more evident The truth of some things is so evident that no man which heareth them can doubt of them as when wee heare that a part of any thing is lesse then the whole the minde is constrained to say this is true If it were so in matters of faith thē as all men haue equall certainety of this so no beleever should be more scrupulous and doubtful then an other But we finde the contrarie The Angels spirits of the righteous in heaven haue certainety most evident of things spirituall but this they haue by the light of glorie That which we see by the light of grace though it be indeed more certaine yet is it not to vs so evidently certaine as that which sense or the light of nature will not suffer a man to doubt of Proofes are vaine frivolous except they bee more certaine then is the thing proved and doe we not see how the spirit everie where in the scripture proveth matters of faith laboureth to confirme vs in the thing which wee beleeue by things whereof we haue sensible knowledge I conclude therefore that wee haue lesse certainety of evidence concerning things beleeved then concerning sensible or naturally perceived Of these who doth doubt at any time Of them at sometime who doubteth not I wil not here alleage the sundry cōfessions of the perfectest that haue lived vpon earth concerning their great imperfections this way which if I did I should dwell too long vpon a matter sufficiently knowne by everie faithfull man that doth know himselfe The other which wee call the certainty of adherence is when the hart doth cleaue and sticke vnto that which it doth beleeue This certaintie is greater in vs then the other The reason is this The faith of a Christian doth apprehend the words of the Law the promises of God not only as true but also as good and therefore even then when the evidence which he hath of the truth is so small that it grieveth him to feele his weakenesse in assenting thereto yet is there in him such a sure adherence vnto that which he doth but faintly and fearefullie beleeue that his spirit having once truely tasted the heavenly sweetnesse thereof all the worlde is not able quite and cleane to remoue him from it but he striveth with himselfe to hope against all reason of beleeving being setled with Iob vpon this vnmoueable resolution Though God kill me I will not giue over trusting in him For why This lesson remaineth for ever imprinted in him It is good for me to cleaue vnto God Psal. 73. Now the mindes of all men being so darkned as they are with the foggie dampe of originall corruption it cannot be that any mans heart living should be either so enlightned in the knowledge or so established in the loue of that wherein his salvation standeth as to be perfect neither doubting nor shrinking at all If anie such were what doth let why that man should not be iustified by his owne inherent righteousnes For righteousnesse inherent being perfect will iustifie And perfect faith is a part of perfect righteousnesse inherent yea a principall part the root and the mother of all the rest so that if the fruit of every tree be such as the root is faith being perfect as it is if it bee not at all mingled with distrust and feare what is there to exclude other Christian virtues from the like perfections And then what neede we the righteousnes of Christ His garment is superfluous we may be honourably cloathed with our owne Robes if it bee thus But let them beware who challenge to themselues a strength which they haue not least they loose the comfortable support of that weakenes which indeed they haue Some shew although no soundnes of ground there is which may bee alleaged for defence of this supposed perfection in certainety touching matters of our faith as first that Abraham did beleeue and doubted not secondly that the spirit which God hath given vs to no other end but only to assure vs that we are the sonnes of God to embolden vs to call vpon him as our father to open our eies and to make the truth of things beleeved evident vnto our minds is much mightier in operation then the common light of nature whereby we discerne sensible things wherefore we must needs be more sure of that we beleeue then of that we see we must needes be more certaine of the mercies of God in Christ Jesus then we are of the light