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	strong_a	unrighteousness_n	1,917	5	11.2143	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62878	Væ scandalizantium, or, A treatise of scandalizing wherein the necessity, nature, sorts, and evills of scandalizing, are handled, with resolution of many questions thereto pertaining / preached at Lemster, in Herefordshire by Iohn Tombes ...	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1827; ESTC R21407	96,654	466

have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power of it 2. Tim. 3. 6. And those that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse are not onely by Gods just judgement but also by their owne propensitie ensnared by signes lying wonders deceaveablenesse of unrighteousnesse and strong delusions to believe lies 2. Thessal 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. Corrupt qualities make men like straw or tinder the least sparke of evill example or counsell will set them on fire Yea bare objects if seen or heard of will overthrow them A voluptuous man shall not need to be invited to sports merriments c. Sponte sua properat he runnes of his own accord he will smell them out himselfe as a vultur doth a Carcase Even as sores of the body will draw corrupt humors to them so will vitious hearts make scandals to themselves Secondly In speciall some particular sinnes make some accidents to become a stumbling block to them Enmity against our Lord Christ his person impatience to be rebuked false opinions from example of others common conceit weaknesse from ignorance dulnesse to conceive mistakes of his speeches caused the Pharises and others to stumble at Christ and his words Math. 13. 57. Mat. 15. 12. Ioh. 6. 61. Ioh. 7. 3. 48. spirituall pride made the Iewes Rom. 9. 32. to stumble at Christ ignorance of their brethrens liberty made those weake ones mentioned Rom. 14. to stumble at their brethrens lawfull practise fearfulnesse of heart caused Peter and the Disciples to be offended upon Christs apprehension Mat. 26. 31. Even as a mist afore the eyes mistake of the unevenesse of the way hasty going a sudden weaknesse and many more such accidents may cause the body to stumble that otherwise hath not any setled debilitating sicknesse so in the minde many scandals may arise from alienations of minde mis-reportes mistakes c. both of them that are habitually depraved by a corrupt lust and also of them that are otherwise right hearted 3 Nor may we forget the agency or working of Satan in assigning the causes of Scandalls For he is the primus motor the first mover the incendiary in all these mischievous things It is his imployment to walke about seeking whom he may overthrow and devoure He hath a trap for a Iudas a snare for a Simon Magus a gin for Ananias and Sapphira And he wants not a stumbling block for a David a Peter or any of the best of Gods Saints And these he laies thick with much art and cunning baiting each with his peculiar baite that were it not for the wonderfull care of the Almighty by his preventing and sustaining grace no man could escape overthrow by them so that if we consider the second causes we see reason enough of the multitude of Scandalls Let us raise our thoughts higher from earth to heaven from second to the first from the subordinate to the supreme Cause and from thence we shall see a reason of the necessity of Scandalls The prediction of them by God proves the necessity of them for Gods prescience cannot be deceived But these following texts of Scripture doe import more then a necessity by prescience to wit a necessity by appointment or ordinance of Gods will And voluntas Dei est rerum necessitas it 's an axiom in the Schooles Gods will is the necessity of things Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they are appointed saith S. Peter 1. Ep. ch 2. 8. Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence Rom. 9. 33. God hath given them the spirit of slumber c. Rom. 11. 8. 9. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye 2. Thes. 2. 11. So that what ever be the way it is from God that Scandalls fall out and therefore there is a necessity of them But we may here aske with the Apostle Rom. 11. 11. Have they stumbled that they should fall Are scandals ordered by God onely for the ruine of men Doubtlesse no There are other ends aimed at by God in the event of scandals both in respect of him selfe of men In respect of himselfe he orders the happening of scandals to become subservient to the fulfilling of his owne counsell Pharoahs stumbling was made an occasion to shew Gods power Exod. 9. 16. and the disobedience of Hophni and Phinehas for the inflicting of Gods just vengeance 1. Sam. 2. 25. the unbeliefe of the Iewes the shewing mercy to the Gentiles Rom. 11. 31. 32. In all of them there is a depth of wisdome riches of knowledge in God who by unsearchable judgements and undiscernable paths brings his owne counsells to passe v. 33. Though wee know not how nor why God doth permit such pernicious evils as scandals in thēselves be yet the Almighty whose thoughts are above our thoughts whose waies are higher then our waies doth know This wee are to hold as certaine God lets nothing no not scandals to fall out without excellent though unsearchable wisdome for righteous and good though undiscernable ends And yet God doth not so conceale this matter but that wee so far know his minde that hee intends scandals as for the intrapping of false hearted disobedient persons so for the probation of thē that are sincere The wōders and signes of false Prophets and Dreamers of dreames were permitted sometimes to come to passe to try whether wee love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soule Deut. 13. 3. And oportet esse haereses there must be also heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest 1. Cor. 11. 19. And in the businesse of the Embassadours of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto Hezekiah to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart 2. Chron. 32. 31. So that one while God discovers a secret Hypocrite another while manifests the hidden corruption or weaknesse that is evē in a godly person Here he lets a stumbling block be the destruction of an obdurate sinner there it becomes to bee the witnesse of the faith obedience patience aud constancy of an upright believer S. Augustines saying is received in schooles Nisi esset hoc bonum ut essent mala nullo modo esse sinerentur ab omnipotente bono unlesse this were good that there should be evills they would by no means be suffered to be by the omnipotent good Nor is the laying of scandals lesse evill in man because God permits them to be for righteous good ends For however they bee ordered by good intendmēts in God yet they proceed from evill principles in men and therefore are no whit the lesse vitious in men because by accident to their intentions good is willed by God As when

Masters cattle but most carefull of their children so ought christians to bee carefull of not offending evill men who are Gods creatures but most carefull not to offend the godly who are his children Yet that the resolution of this question may be more full I conceive that unbelievers or evill persons are differently considerable in this matter of not scandalizing them according to the diversity of their estrangednesse from the true faith or obedience For 1. there are some who though they yet professe not the truth nor shew themselves to be regenerate have yet some beginnings of affection to the truth we professe and the obedience we practise that are lesse vitious more inclinable to hearken to the truth then some others that begin to perceive some part of the truth As our Saviour said of the Scribe that answered him discreetly telling him that to love the Lord with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soule and with all the strength and to love our neighbour as our selves is more then all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices whereby hee shewed that he had not the dreggs of Pharisaisme in him which was to conceive themselves righteous by observing the outward ceremonies and duties of the law that hee was not farre from the kingdome of God Mark 12. 34. Now of such we are to bee tender that we scandalize not them by intempestive use of our liberty If a Nicodemus among the Pharisees be but a listner to his doctrine our Saviour thinks good not to reject him but to draw him on further if a Papist yet remaining in the Roman Church begin to mislike the Idolatry of that church their magnifying their owne merits c. and yet out of a reverend esteem though erroneous of the Church of Romes orders mislikes the eating of flesh on a friday Charity should make me rather forbeare in such a ones presence to eat flesh at such a time then to give occasion to such a one to count our religion licentious and thereby estrange him the further from the truth For sith a principall end of not offending our brother by the abuse of our liberty is that wee may seeke his profit that he may bee saved if in true judgement or our opinion the not scandalizing him would tend to that end we ought to forbeare our liberty that wee may not offend him It being a sure rule Finis dat mediis ordinem mensuram amabilitatem The end gives order measure and desireablenesse to the meanes thereto tending 2. Some unbelieving evill or unregenerate persons are further off from the kingdome of God being plaine and professed adversaries to the way of truth and righteousnesse but yet not out of wilfull malice but blinde zeale As the Iewes of whom the Apostle speaks that they had a zeale of God though not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. Now the scandalizing of such men is not so much to bee regarded as of the former because there is lesse likelyhood that our forbearing our liberty should alter their judgements or practise yet for as much as according to the nature of vehement persons out of ignorance though they bee impetuously carried in that they doe yet if they discover their errour they are as soone turned therefore it is probable that some yielding to them may win upon their affections and make way for such insinuation as may give opportunity to discover to them the truth we ought so far to abstain from our liberty as not to confirm them in hard conceits of the truth and so farre to please them in the use of our lawfull liberty as may serve to make way for the recovering of them out of errour As for example sake If wee should meet with a zealous Papist that never understood the truth of our profession but is an adversary to it upon misinformation of his Priest his parents acquaintance as that our religion is meere novellisme carnall licentious c. We ought so farre to abstaine from our lawfull liberty or to please him in a thing lawfull which he affects as in our apprehension we conceive may make way to our reducing him into the right way And this I find agreable to the Apostles resolution 1. Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. Though I bee free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant unto all that I might gaine the more And unto the Iewes I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iewes to them that are under the the law as under the law that I might gaine them that are under the law To them that are without law as without law being not without law to God but under the law to Christ that I might gaine them that are without law To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some Lively exemplifications of which professions were his practise of taking a vow on him related Act. 21. of his forbearing his power 1. Cor. 9. 18. 1. Thess. 2. 6. 9. wherein he did not shew hypocriticall policy like those that Proteus-like can transform themselves into any shape for evill purposes but serpentine wisdome joyned with dove-like innocency commended by our Saviour Mat. 10. 16. the end being not his own advantage but the salvation of others 3. Some are adversaries to the truth out of malice being setled therein by love of unrighteousnesse and hatred of righteousnesse The converting of these being in a sort desperate the scandalizing of them by the use of our liberty is not to bee regarded Our Saviours example Mat. 15. 14. is a sufficient rule to direct us in this case When the Pharisees were offended because of his doctrine that that which goeth into the mouth defiles not a man our Saviour bids let them alone sith they are wilfull and incurable Let them fall into the ditch T is true wee are bound by Gods law not willingly to provoke any to anger much lesse to provoke any greater sinne in him but rather to avoyde such things as may cause these evills But when we meet with such enemies as being wholly possessed by Satan are setled in their enmity against us and the truth we professe wee then are to be carelesse of offending them by enjoying our conveniency as knowing that our restraint may be uncomfortable to us and unprofitable to them A third question may be whether strong ones may bee scandalized by the use of Christian liberty Aquin. 2ª 2ae q. 43. art 5. propoundes this question whether passive scandall may befall the perfect and hee denies it alleaging a sayng of S. Hierome majores scandala non patiuntur Those that are stronger suffer not scādals But I conceive ther 's need of a fuller answer That the strongest may bee tempted by scandall is no question Our Saviour was tempted by a scandalous advice of Peter to forsake the worke which he had received from his Father and

and in the effects of it it is dangerous For it is in truth a seminary of superstitions which doe alwayes attend errours of conscience and the great nursery of scandalls in intangling mens consciences with unnecessary scruples disquieting and discomforting men thereby occasioning the neglect of necessary duties whilst zeale is bent on things unnecessary raising many jealousies alienation of affections from others rash judging seperation from communion and a world of other evils which according to the fruitfullnesse of errour arise from this one roote Wherefore I beseech all christians specially ministers of the word in the bowells of Iesus Christ to bee very well advised either how they allow of that as lawfull which is indeed sinfull or condemne that as sinfull which is indeed lawfull and in their invectives against sinne so to attemperate their speeches that the abuse and use of things bee distinguished that corne bee not pulled up for the weeds sake 2. As for those that are apt to be scandalized it concernes them to consider that their taking offence at their brothers liberty is their owne weaknesse and danger It 's sure thy weaknesse of judgement or affection that thou art so apt to stumble at thy brothers actions And is not weaknesse burden enough to thy selfe but that it must also become thy brothers burden Wilt thou make thy ignorance his punishment Learne better that most necessary lesson descendere in teipsum to look into thy selfe and to know thy selfe to take a right measure of thy knowledge and to submit thy selfe to the reasons and judgements of the stronger It concernes the Father to bee indulgent to his childs weakenesse but the child should learne to submit to the Fathers judgement The stronger should favour the weaker but the weaker should preferre the stronger before themselves 2. It 's thy danger also How dost thou by such stumbling incommodate thy selfe Thou mightest learne good by thy stronger brother thou takest harme hee might bee a staffe to stay thee thou makest him a stumbling-block to overthrow thee he might ease thy conscience so as to walke more comfortably thou makest use of him onely to fetter thy conscience that it may walke more heavily he might heale thy sores hee doth but wound ther 's disagreement from that which should promote charity a breach where there should bee strongest affection Doe not thy selfe so much harme thy brother so much wrong To this end receive from me these directions 1. Acquaint thy selfe with the difference that is to bee made between superstructures and fundamentalls of Christian doctrine whether of faith or practice Know this that though hee is no true beleever that beleeves not all Gods truth which hee knowes to bee Gods truth nor truly obedient that obeyes not all Gods precepts which hee knowes to be such yet he may bee a true beleever and truly obedient who beleeving and practising fundamentals things necessary to be knowne and practised by all yet beleeves not or practiseth not sundry superstructures not out of unbeleife of God or enmity to his will but simple ignorance Bee not then hardly conceited of him that knowes not or practiseth not through ignorance things not fundamentall especially if they be remote from the foundation Let not thy zeale be equall for the smaller and the greater matters of the Law as our Saviour distinguisheth them Mat. 23. 23. 2. Bee not rash or too stiffe in thy opinion when it is circa disputabilia about disputable points such as honest and learned men doe vary in so that it can bee hardly discerned who is in the right Let thy conceits of thy selfe be modest and bee willing to learne from a-any one that which is truth 3. Be not apt to suspect anothers unsoundnes Iudge not that thou be not judged Mat. 7. 1. Who art thou that judgest anothers sevant Rom. 14. 4. Why dost thou judge thy brother Wee shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ. vers 10. 4. Lastly wherein thou agreest with thy brother what thou hast learned as he hath done professe that practise that with concord and waite till God shall joyne you together in one mind and one way for the rest Remember that golden rule of the Apostle Philip. 3. 15 16. Let us therefore as many as be perfect bee thus minded and if in any thing yee bee otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you Neverthelesse whereto wee have already attained let us walke by the same rule let us mind the same thing CAP. 5. Of scandalizing in speciall by enticing practises THE next way of scandalizing is by devised practises intended to beguile mens soules and to harme their consciences to which also the generall assertion is to be applyed and a woe is to bee pronounced as belonging to them that by cunning and subtle devices by counsels perswasions laying before men alluring objects doe scandalize others Such a one was Balaam Revel 2. 14. Who taught Balaak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication But Gods vengeance followed him he was slaine with the sword by the Israelites Num. 31. 8. And St Iude vers 11. tells us a woe is to them that runne greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward Of the same stamp was Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat who caused Israel to sin by setting up two Calves of gold one in Bethel and the other in Dan instituting high places and Priests of those Calves offering sacrifices and keeping a feast to them 1. King 12. 30. c. The issue of which was the cutting off his house and destroying it from off the face of the earth 1. Kings 13. 34. And he his still stiled by the holy Ghost Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat which caused Israel to sinne The like woe in some one way or another belongs to all those that tread in the same steps To conceive more fully of this sort of scandalizing we are to consider that this kinde of scandalizing hath diverse acts The first and principall is in the braine that contrives some pernitious device to ensnare mens soules by for the most part intended to that end but if it stay there and shew not it selfe in outward act it is only a scandall inchoate or begun The outward acts by which it shewes it selfe are either of words or of deeds We may see it in the scandall of Balaam Balak Balaam deviseth a way to scandalize the Israelites by sending the whoorish daughters of Moab among them thereby enticing them to commit whoredome and to joyne with them in their Idol-feasts Balaam deviseth this he imparts it to Balak and He puts it in practise in this Balaam was the principall Balak the accessary Balaam began the scandall Balak perfected it Ionadab the son of Shimeah deviseth a way for Amnon to practise his incestuous lust with his sister Tamar adviseth him to execute it by which he committed a foule sin 2.