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
A34922	The voyage of the wandring knight shewing the whole course of man's life, how apt he is to follow vanity, and how hard it is for him to attain vertue / devised by John Cartheny, a French man ; and translated out of French into English by W.G. of Southampton, merchant ...; Voyage du chevalier errant. English	Cartigny, Jean de, 1520?-1578.; N. R.; Goodyear, William.	1661 (1661)	Wing C681A; ESTC R34789	91,602	121

and abilities in Man inward only but not outward that is to say a perfect affection of the soul which God precureth in man and not Man in himself For although such motions seem to be motions of free-will yet they cannot be such except God vauchsafe of his working Grace to sanctifie the will and to make it capable of such good affections These two Opinions recited by the Master of the Sentences in the second Book and 27 Distinction I refer to the Iudgment of the Reader and allow them so far forth as they both agree that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself But yet they differ because the first sayes that Vertue is not a moving of the Soul for that it is the only working of God without Man and of meer Grace the other Opinion saith that Vertue is a good motion of Man not coming of God in Man I dare not judge rashly in so High and secret a Mystery and therefore I appeal to the determination of the Learned It sufficeth to know that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself and in this point as both Opinions do consent so I approve them to be true CAP III The Description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our salvation FAith is a Vertue whereby we believe that which we see not When it is said that Faith is a Vertue it is most manifest that faith is the pure gift of God whereby we believe that which we see not But yet it followeth not that we should believe all that we hear and see not but this is meant only in things touching Religion and the Worshipping of God Faith is properly of things not apparent for apparent things have no Faith but a certain Demonstration as when our Lord saith to Thomas Because thou hast seen thou believest Yet Thomas believed more than he saw a Man and he believed that the same Man was God also which he saw not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merit of Faith when a man at the Commandement of God believeth that thing which he seeth not To believe saith Saint Austin is to think upon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was born of a Virgin and toah mans nature upon him and consentest to that Thought it is properly called Beliefe This thought may come often by seeing and often by hearing And when Saint Paul saith that faith cometh by hearing of the word of God he understands that by hearing faith comes into the mind and thought if we consent thereunto For we may hear a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men do not alwayes believe what the Preacher speaketh for that the consent wherein consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the meer gift of God and not from seeing nor hearing but from the light of Grace speaking in the Soul of the Believer believing the principal truth which is God and working in him an agreement with that Soveraign truth above all other things So that Faith is a foundation unmovable our Lord Iesus Christ who is the only Foundation of true Blessedness dwelleth in the Hearts of the Believers and so long as Faith is in Man he shall be sure not to perish but faith without Charity is no Foundation because such Faith is in vain and unprofitable Faith then joyned with Love or Charity belongs to good Christians and Faith without Love belongs to evill Christians It is necessary therefore that we note the difference in these three sayings or speeches namely To believe a God To believe of God To believe in God To believe a God is to believe that he is the only true God so the Devils do believe as well as the evill Christians To believe of God is to believe that all is true which God saith and so believe the evill Christians as well as the good unless they be Hereticks But to believe in God is to love God and in believing to joyn thy self to God by love and obedience incorporating thee with His Members that is to say his Church This Faith justisteth the Sinner and this Faith being knit with Love and with Charity begins to do good deeds which cannot be done without Love The Faith which evill Christians have is indeed a quality of free will but it is not knit with Love and Charity which is the bond of perfection and the life of faith as Faith is the Life of the Soul And yet such an unshapen Faith being naked and Void of Charity may be termed a gift of God for that the evill man may have some gift of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learn to live rightly and for that the Devils and Evill Christians do live wickedly it is a sign that the faith which they have is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a work of Vertue If thou wilt then have thy Faith to be good and saving it must have four properties that is to say it must be plain and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and unmovable it must be quick and lively Touching the first that it must be plain and simple that teacheth thee thus much in effect that thou must believe the word of God simply and whatsoever is therein contained without inquiring into Gods mystical matters by humane Reasons and simply believing in thy heart that every thing contained in the holy bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is thou must not take part with Hereticks or cleave to the erronious Opinions of the Enemies of Gods truth for this is no good faith And therefore for a Testimony of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open Confession in the Congregation of thy belief with the Fellowship and Communion of Saints That thou believest in God the Creator and Governour of all things in his Son Iesus Christ the Redeemer and in the holy Ghest by which we are sanctified and receive true comsort and joy c. according as it is declared in his holy word Thirdly it must be constant and unmovable that is without doubting for any reason of Mans brain that seemeth contrary or for any temptation promise or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacy of such as enchant with the vain pleasures of this life although they seem to live most joyfully allure thee to cleave to their opinion which is siat heresie for that is a work of Satans who wholly possesses them can change himself into an Angel of light to deceive the simple and innocent whom God permits to be tempted for the tryal of their constancy Not that he is ignorant of the issue but because he would have it appear in others that he crownes us with glory for our constancy and perseverance This is clearly

Book and thou shalt see how thou hast lived even against God and contrary to right and reason Thou hast been Proud Arrogant ambitious spitefull at others prosperity a prolonger of time Wrathfull a Backbiter injurious Trayterous hatefull Covetous of Gold more than of God Gluttouous Wanton Shameless a stewes-hunter given to all vices and hast transgressed all the commandements of God leading a loathsome life denying God swearing and blaspheming his name an haynous effender a false Witness bearer a lyar a desirer of other Mens goods disobedient to Parents cursing them and wishing their death Furthermore thou hadst neisher Faith nor hope in God but rather in the force riches honour and friendship of thy kindred with their Authority I cannot reckon up the rest of thy Sins for they are uncountable Very little care hast thou had of Christs merits or of thy own souls health but alwayes yielding to Voluptuousness filthiness and iniquity When Conscience had thus accused me Sorow for Sin sell bitterly aweeping and oftentimes struck her breast Then Conscience shewed me what Torments I had deserved for following Voluptuous affections and for loving them better then God Thou oughtest said she to burn in Hell fire that never quencheth and to be nipped with Torments both of Body and Soul for evermore Thy laughing shall be turned to Weeping the Ioy to Sorrow thy Songs to Cries yea what pains can be named but thou art like perpetually to suffer them without hope of Redemption For this is the due reward of Worldly Felicity and following Folly Be think thee now and tell me if it be in thy power to rid thee from these grievances Hearing my Conscience thus speak me thought I saw Hell open to swallow me up and with sorrowfull sadness I fell to the ground before Gods grace speechless but she had Compassion on me and bade me arise the which I did though half in despair and to re-comfort me she opened the book which Remembrance held in her hand CAP. V. By the Commandements of Gods grace remembrance read to me the goodness of God with his promises made to repen tant sinners AFter Remembrance had opened her Book I perceived the Letters were Gold and Azure containing the great goodness and infinire mercy of God so repentant Sinners with fair promises annexed thereunto Then at the commandment of Gods grace remembrance read out of that book unto me in this manner Saint Paul Writing to the Romans saith Where Sin hath abounded grace hath more abounded He that mistrusteth the mercy of God mistrusteth God to be mercifull and in so doing he doth God great dishonour For he denyeth God to be Love and power wherein consisteth all the hope of poor Sinners For of his great love he sent his only Son to take Mans Nature upon him in this World that in the same he might suffer death upon the Cross for the remission of Sins Consequently he promised for the love of his Son Remission and Pardon to all Poor Sinners so often as they desired it in Faith with an heavy and sorrowfull Heart Now God is as true of his Promises as he is of Power able to perform them And as he is of Power so will he do whatsoever pleaseth him God will pardon Sinners their Sins who then can let him from doing it To whom God pleaseth or hath promised to pardon their Sins he forgiveth The truth hereof is Written in plain Words and shewed by examples in many places of the holy Scripture as well in the Old Testament as the New First Esay saith It is I my self It is I my self that doth blot out thine iniquities for mine own love sake and I will not have thy sins in remembrance For the love of me saith he and not for the love of thee meaning his goodness and mercy and not for the love of thy merits As if he had said to all sinners in this sort If thou thinkest that I pardon thy Sins for thy merits sake thou art deceived and Wallowest in despair no no but for my mercy and infinite goodness I remit and forgive Thou hast no cause to despair for the least part of my mercy exceedeth all thy Sins In another place he saith by the same Prophet Turn your selves unto me all the Earth and you shall be saved for I am God and there is none other besides me What is the meaning of these Words I am God any thing else but that God is good and mercifull If it be unpossible but he should be God it is unpossible but he should be good and mercifull The same Prophet speaketh unto every one of us saying Let the Infidell leave his wayes and the unjust Man his thoughts let them turn to the Lord and he will have pitty upon him for he is ready to forgive And by the Prophet Jeremy he saith to the People of Israel that he was wroth for their Idolatry and many other Sins nevertheless he said Turn Israel thou Rebell unto me thy Lord and I will not turn my face from thee or as the Hebrew Text saith I will not lay mine ire upon thee for I am saith the Lord holy and gentle and keep not mine anger for ever And by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith If the evill Man repent him of his Sins and keep my Commandements doing righteously he shall live and not dye neither will I have his former offences any more in remembrance Do you think saith the Lord that I delight in the death of a Sinner nay rather that he should turn from his Wickedness and live Repent you then and you shall live The Prophet David said That from morning till night Israel hoped in the Lord what doth this signifie but that the faithfull from their Nativity and Birth untill their very Death have hope in the Lord There is mercy in the Lord and great Redemption attendeth upon him In Joel it is Written Turn your selves unto the Lord with all your heart in Fasting Praying Weeping Sorrow tearing your hearts and not your Garments so shall you be turned unto the Lord your God for he is full of Clemency Mercy and Grace slow to ire and ready to forgive or as the Hebrew Text saith such a one as repents him of evill that is to say is leath to execute the punishment upon Sinners which he hath denounced and threatned Micheas the Prophet saith What God is there like unto thee which takest away iniquities and forgivest Sins for the rest of thine Heritage sake He keepeth not his ire for ever but of his compassion and mercy will have pitty upon us He will put out our iniquities and throw all our Sins into the bottom of the Sea What Sinner is there that hearing these words hath so heavy a heart as to despair seeing that God is more ready to forgive than the Sinner is to ask forgiveness Now let us come to the New Testament to try if there be not Testimenies to the same effect The Son of God which is