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
A16643	A plaine confutation of a treatise of Brovvnisme, published by some of that faction, entituled: A description of the visible Church In the confutation wherof, is shewed, that the author hath neither described a true gouerment of the Church, nor yet proued, that outward discipline is the life of the Church. Whereunto is annexed an ansvvere vnto two other pamphlets, by the said factioners latelie dispersed, of certaine conferences had with some of them in prison. Wherein is made knowen the inconstancie of this sect, what the articles are which they still maintaine: as also a short confutation of them. There is also added a short ansvvere vnto such argumentes as they haue vsed to proue the Church of England not to be the Church of God.	Alison, Richard, controversialist.	1590 (1590)	STC 355; ESTC S100153	67,007	148

in the Title of this their treatise which matters if we can finde therein we will acquite them from schisme and heresie but if the discourse be not answerable vnto the Title they must returne vnto vs or else wee must acknowledge them to be not as they pretend but as they are Brownist As there is but one God and father of all one Lord ouer all and one Spirite so is there but one truth one faith one saluation one Church called in one hope ioyned in one profession guided by one rule euen the word of the most high The answere In this first sentence which heere is sette dovvne wee are giuen to vnderstande what there is to bee hoped for in that which followeth both for the matter and also for the manner of handling the matter if wee do but regarde the ende and scope thereof being altogither false yet packed vp with euident truthes that the certaintie of these might free the other of suspition The manner of dealing is to pester the margent with a cloud of witnesses to smal purpose onely they make the ignorant beleeue that he which gain-saith this booke doth speake against the word of God But how vainly this is done it will appeare by the examination of the particulars Seeing the nature and gouernment of the church say they is like vnto the Lord thereof it must be granted that as God is euer one and the same so is his church which professeth one truth holdeth one faith and is guided by that order which God hath reuealed in his word Our answere is that we do acknowledge one God the father sonne holy ghost his truth our faith and the meanes of our saluation to be vnchangeable we confesse likewise one catholike church which is the communion of saints which iointly and seuerally do confesse that saluation is obtained in and through Iesus Christ alone This church comprehendeth in it both angels and men the one sort continuing in the other sort restored vnto that estate wherein they stand and all obtaining this sentence of being perfitly righteous in and thorough the head of that church whereof they are members euen Iesus Christ our Lord. This is the church which they say must be guided by one rule euen the word of the most high Now we desire to know in what sence the word of the most high is taken for if they meane thereby the prouidence of God in which sence it is sometimes taken as Deut. 8. 3. Heb. 1. 3. we do agree in this clause also But the places quoted in the margent do shew that it is meant of the reuealed will of God contained in his word For Deut. 6. 25. Moses telleth the Israelites that the obseruing of all the commandements of the Lord their God wil be their righteousnes Paul Rom. 10. 8. saith that the worde of God was in their mouth in their hart euen the word of faith which vvas preached Againe 2. Tim. 3. 15. hee sheweth Timothie that the scriptures are able to make him wise vnto saluation thorough the faith that is in Christ Iesus Christ in the eight Chapter of Iohn and the one and fiftith verse affirmeth that if a man keepe his vvorde he shall neuer see death Lastly Iohn saith 1. Iohn 2. 3. By this vve knovv that vve know him if we keepe his commandements It is euident that these places do speake of the word of God which is giuen vnto vs to be our guide in this life for the gathering togither of the saints during their abode in this world but when life ceaseth the vse of this word of God doth cease in the Church of God as appeareth in the first to the Corinthians the thirteenth chapter and eight verse Colossians the first chapter and the three and twentith verse c. Therefore to say that the whole church that is both angels in heauen the faithfull departed out of this life and the godly remaining vpon the earth are all alike gouerned by this rule doth bewray either a foule ignorance or a foolish rashnesse VVhich rash ignorance if in this one matter it had shewed it selfe onely it had bene more tollerable then it can be when it alledgeth manie scriptures to prooue the truth so vnseasonablie as here it doth about the vnitie of the Godhead c. For the two first places the first chapter of Genisis and the first verse the twentith Chapter of Exodus and the third verse do mention God in regard of his soueraigntie ouer all things but they speake of him as the inheritour of mount Sion his Church wherefore that of saint Paul in the first to Timothie the second chapter and fourth verse might haue bene sufficient both for the proofe of this and also that there is but one truth one faith c Vnto the knowledge whereof it is the will of God that men should come and be saued By the way obserue that this place of Paul doth crosse that negatiue of theirs We denie say they that you are able to iustifie that faith which they beget their reason is because our worshipping of God is not ioyned with their discipline for we hold that faith which Paul approueth As for the testimonie which Paul giueth of Epaphroditus that he is his brother companion in labor and fellow souldier It is a weake proofe of that whereunto it is referred so is that of the Iewes saying that they haue all one father euen God which Christ denyeth vnto them in the verse next following These things are spoken not to call that into question which in it selfe is true but to shew what discretion hath bene vsed in the choise and alledging these scriptures But we will go forward Brownist This Church as it is vniuersally vnderstood containeth in it all the elect of God that haue ben are or shall be The answere Most certaine it is that the inuisible Church of God extendeth it selfe vnto all the beloued of God that haue bene are or shall be men and Angells beeing complete in him who is the head of all principalities and powers to wit Iesus Christ. VVe do agree herein yet it hath his warrant such as it is for it is here proued by the couenant made with Abraham Gen. 17. and by the vision of Iohn Reuel 7. 9. VVhich places do not proue the matter in as much as they speake of the restoring and preseruation of man onely and not of the whole bodie of the church The other three places alledged are lesse to purpose Peter 1. Pet. 1. 2. writeth vnto the church which was scattered ouer the face of the earth so that he speaketh not of the vniuersall church of God but of that which was in his age Paul saith 1. Cor. 10. 3. that the fathers did eate one spirituall meat But they were not the vniuersall church of God he speaketh only of those that were before him Christ prayeth for his Apostles Ioh. 17. 20. and not for them

church only but all others also that are not framed according to their rule I will answere them therefore in that order which the author hath vsed in drawing these matters into arguments The first argument of theirs is this Brownist Their church consisteth not of a companie of faithfull people but of multitude of prophane people therefore they are not the true church Ansvvere Seeing the propositions both of this and the arguments following are set downe before it should seme that of purpose they are nowe omitted yet to make the matter plaine the argument is after this manner The true planted and right established church of Christ is a company of faithful people but the church of Englande is not a companie of faithfull people Therefore not a true planted and rightly established church Whereunto I answere that the assumption is with great insolency set downe as if magistrates ministers people were without exception of any a flocke of goates a companie of hell hounds Likewise the proposition sauoreth of Anabaptistry whiles it admitteth none to be members of the visible church but faithfull people onely But concerning the assumption I grant that some of Cain his brood of Cham his conditions and of Esau his qualities are in our church euen as there are amongst these persecuted Christians some of the schollers of Shimei some of Corah his company some Ismaels c. Herein is the difference betweene their church and ours that we account of such beastes as they are though wee labour by the worde and other meanes to bring them vnto repentance but if their Atheists can but say that discipline is good though they knowe not what it meaneth if they wil heaue at magistracy raile vpō the established gouernement they must be presently canonized registred in the booke of the faithfull whatsoeuer their conditions are otherwise In the proposition I see nothing which hath not beene answered pag. 12. c. only here are certaine scriptures cited in the margent so farre from proouing the matter in question that if they be vnderstoode of euery member of the visible church to prooue them faithfull we may with as good reason from the same places conclude that neither the publike ministerie nor priuat admonitions are to be vsed in the visible church for these are the wordes of Ieremie And they shall teach no more euerie man his neighbour and euerie man his brother saying knowe the Lorde for they shall all knowe me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I vvill forgiue their iniquitie c. Brownist They haue made no separation from the heathen of the lande but all are receaued and retained in the bosome of their churches therefore c. Ansvver This is the argument The true church is a company of people separated from the vnbeleeuers heathen of the lande but the church of Englande hath made no separatlon c. therefore c. The proposition is denied if such a separation be vnderstoode as is spoken of Matth. 25. 32. as hath bin proued pag. 11. 12. c. but if they take it as it is in the place by them selues alleaged Leuit. 20. 24. we do grant it for Israell is there said to be separated from that heathen yet was it not separated from all vnbeleeuers onely it was in respect of their outward profession The assumption in the former sence is granted but otherwise it is euident to be a meere slander for neither are any receaued into our church except they ioyne with vs in outward profession neither are their children baptized except the parents or some for the parents do promise to see thē brought vppe in the knowledge of God and faith in Christ Iesus But they proue this assumption after this sort They vvere all say they by the blovving of her maiesties trumpet at her coronation in one day receiued vvithout conuersion of life by faith and repentance and they and their seede euer since generallie receaued to your sacramentes without any separation from the world Before I make answere vnto this assertion I would learne if I might how these men would haue the people to come vnto an established church at the first For they tel vs 1. That there can be no true church vntill euerie member therof hath by faith and repentance separated himselfe from the vnbeleeuers But how shall they come vnto this faith for they tell vs also 2. That none can haue true faith and repentance but such as are called thereunto by the preaching of the gospel And how shall they haue this Gospel preached vnto them 3. There must be sheepe before there can be a flocke there must be a flocke before there can be a shepheard because the people must choose their Pastor so that they affirme that the people must be brought to the faith before they can haue a Pastor and yet they cannot haue faith vvithout preaching Which way then shall this preaching be had for the attaining vnto faith The Magistrate say they ought to compel the Infidels to heare the doctrine of the church and also vvith the approbation of the church to send forth meete men vvith gifts and graces to instruct the Infidels being yet no ministers or officers vnto them but in the time of Poperie they affirme that the people could not be the church therefore I would be resolued in these two points First where the magistrate in such a case shuld haue a church to giue consent vnto his sending forth of such teachers to instruct infidels And thus haue they led vs about haue brought vs to the same place where we were at the first And secondly what they are which thus are sent by the magistrate and the church if not ministers of the word vnto those infidels whom they teach and herein we require an answere by the word Now to our assertion concerning our turning from Poperie at the blowing of her maiesties trumpet I doubt not but this will be graunted that some of Q. Maries subiects beleeued and made a bold confession of their faith who to the ioye of all christian hearts in the lande remaine in our church vntill this daie Others there were like vnto Nichodemus in his comming to Christ by night and in his faint defending of the truth who if the Lord should for our vnthankfulnes send a scourge wold with Nichodemus make a bolde confession of their loue to Christ Iesus So that all were not Pagans that embraced the Gospell at the sounding of her maiesties trumpet beeing faithfull the seales of the couenant did pertaine vnto their seed But some it may be ioyned for feare in the outward profession who these were the searcher of mans heart doth know So did Ismael in Abrahams house Caine in Adams house and these vnfaithfull Israelites vnder Iosua when at his only commandement they were all circumcised There was therefore such a separation at her maiesties

keepe the heart vnto God and Christ sheweth that God is onely to be our witnes in al our asseuerations our maner of taking an oth is not against it The other calumniations are not worth the answering To the twelfth they say that the action of matrimonie is ●●erely ciuill therefore lawfull in all places and at all times to marrie in the Lorde by the consent of parents denying that they haue married anie but together with other faithfull haue beene witnesses of the same It is plaine therefore that some haue bene contracted in the prison and married and they haue had their part in the action But I woulde haue these men to consider First that euerie soule inciuill and indifferent matters is to submit himselfe vnto the higher powers for this lesson we learne of Sainct Paule vnto the Romanes the thirteenth chapter and the first verse Secondly that marriage is a matter altogether ciuill for this these men acknowledge Thirdly that her maiestie for the auoiding of inconueniences hath commanded that matrimonie should not be celebrated but in the publike assemblies as by the lawes of our lande is manifest And then let them speake and shewe vs what warrant they haue from God or comforte to their consciences in these vngodlie and disordered marriages Nowe therefore we may conclude that neither the twelue positions in the beginning nor the twelue articles in the ende of this first treatise are forged positions slanderous articles and vngodly calumniations considering that these men do maintaine them but so wicked assertions that it may bee truely said of the teachers of them Thou doest loue euill more then good lies more then to speake the trueth c. the two and fiftith Psalme and the third verse There is a thirteenth article whereof they greatly glorie that it hath bene passed ouer with silence that neither tithes nor set liuings are a matter warrantable in the word of God the one being Leuiticall therfore abrogated the other without stay to leane vpon in the Scriptures and therefore to be taken away and that Christ and his apostles perswaded 〈◊〉 ●●fficiencie but did not condition for anie certaintie To whom I answere that if a sufficient maintenance is to be had for the ministerie it is requisite some order be taken for them how they may come by it for if it be left to the discretion of men it will be short enough in regard whereof the Lorde ordained a set liuing for the Leuites not in the example of Michah his Leuit with whom these men do sport themselues but in his ordinance of tithes c. which as they were ceremoniall to them that paid them being instructed therby that the increase of al thing is of God to whom praise is due for the same so to them that receaued the same it was a meanes wherby the certainty of their maintenance might be had And this was not left to the discretion of the people but euery man was appointed what to pay Do ye not know saith Paule that they which minister about the holie things eat of the things of the temple they which waite at the altar are partakers of the altar He proceedeth in applying this vnto the ministerie of the Gospell So also hath the Lord ordeined that they vvhich preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Therefore as vnder the law there was a sette maintenance for the priest so vnder the Gospel there may be the like for the ministers thereof except we coulde finde the people better affected nowe then they were at that time vnto the ministerie They are to rest vpon the good vvill of the breethren say they But how is this proued For to speake without warrant of the worde in teaching innouation is fondnesse But I know that it will be sooner granted to the minister to haue a certaine stay of liuing then that he shoulde haue the same in tithes for that was ceremoniall and therefore to continue it is to deny Christ to be come in the flesh I answer that the paying of tiths was ceremoniall but there was an other vse of them also so was the temple ceremoniall wherein the people assembled together vnto the worshippe of God Now if any man should vse the temples I meane the places of praier or the paying of tithes as ceremoniall it were a deniall of the abrogation of the ceremoniall lawe but the temple hauing an other vse namely that it might be a conuenient place for the people to meete in for the exercise of the worde c. which is not ceremoniall it is no denying that Christ is come in the flesh though in this respect we do continue this vse of them so the tithes being not onely ceremoniall but hauing this vse also that the ministerie might be maintained no such iniurie is offred vnto Christ in the retaining of them for this ende onely And thus this glorious article may goe together with his fellowes all of them deseruing glorie alike A SHORT ANSVVERE VNTO CERTAINE ARGVMENTS WHICH are vsed by the Brownists to proue the Church of England not to be the true Church of God IN the end of the second booke of their conferences there is added a short treatise as the summe of those matters which in the conferences are said to haue bene handled the manner of which discourse is this In the toppe of the page this scripture is prefixed Brownist The righteous men they shall iudge thē after the maner of harlots after the maner of murtherers for that they are harlots and blood is in their hands Ezec. 23. 45. Ansvvere For as much as it not expressed wherfore this place of Scripture is heere placed I will adde this vnto it leauing the application of it vnto them that vnderstande the meaning of the former Thus saith the Lorde God because that Moab and Seir doe say beholde the house of Iuda is like vnto all the heathen therefore beholde I will open the side of Moab euen of the cities of his cities I say in his frontiers with the pleasaunt countrie Beth-ieshimoth Baalmeòn and Kariathaim I will call the men of the East against the Ammonites and will giue them in possession so that the Ammonites shall no more bee remembred among the nations and vvill execute iudgementes vpon Moab and they shall knovv that I am the Lorde Ezech. 25. vers 8. 9. 10. 11. Brownist Before we can iudge of the false church it is expedient that we discerne the true church c. Ansvvere Here is confirmed that which was spoken pag. 11. viz. that the matters mentioned in that treatise are so necessarily required that the want of anie of them taketh away the esse of the church for here in a fewe lines is knit vp that which more at large was then deliuered yet some things at the first not thought vppon are here added And both the old and new matters iointly and seuerally are propounded as hauing strength sufficient to ouerthrow not our