Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bishop_n	church_n	succession_n	1,636	5	10.2155	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10556	Faith and good vvorkes vnited in a sermon preached at the Spittle vpon VVednesday in Easter weeke, 1630. By Richard Reeks minister of the word at Little Ilford, in Essex.	Reeks, Richard.	1630 (1630)	STC 20828; ESTC S115772	46,778	68

the saying Lord Lord a bare externall profession of our faith and outward Communion with the Church is not sufficient vnto saluation except wee lead an vncorrupt life correspondent to the same doing that which is right and good and speaking truth from our heart It is not sufficient to rely vpon the Churches outside as the Papists doe vpon the succession of Roman Bishops vpon the multitude of Roman Catholicks vpon the power and pompe of the Roman Synagogue crying with the Iewes of old templum Domini the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. It is not enough with the carnall and carelesse Gospeller to place all Religion in the formall obseruation of all outward seruice and ceremonies for a verball Christian only is a reall Atheist according to that of S. Paul In word they professe to know God but in their workes they denie him we must take heed that wee bee not Christians in lip and not in life making as holy Martyr Bradsord sayd a maske of Religion or rather a very vizard with eyes and mouth and nose fairely painted and proportioned to all pretences and purposes but if we be indeed the children of God we must in true sincerity of heart be Doing of good The Kings daughter is all glorious within and also without within as hauing a cleere conscience and truth in the inward affections a cleane heart and a new spirit without as hauing on for a garment a vesture of gold wrought about with diuers colours shee is cloathed with righteousnes as with a garment and hath it wrought most gloriously with the deeds of mercy which as a checker worke of diuers colours embroidered with the pure silken twist of a helpfull and vpright conuersation garnish her holy profession The Doing of good is the certificate of a Christian the character of a mans faith making his calling and election sure And Although it may be obiected that a hypocrite may seem iust in Doing good and yet bee abominable before God not doing that which is good for righteousnesse sake facto pius sceleratus co●em as the Poet pithily spake Wee behold the man not the minde the worke not the will the fact not the faith the action not the end yet the iudgement of charity belongs properly to men but the iudgement of certainty to God From whence wee must labour in our wel doing not so much to approue our selues to men as to God who seeth our hearts And that we may not be negligent nor flouthfull heerin and thinke that because our workes iustifie vs not and God seeth wee loue him well although wee doe little good on earth to encourage vs to well doing on the one side and to preuent such conceits on the other the holy Ghost in Psa 24.3 4. in Esay 33 15. in Psa 15. and many places describes a sound member of the Church rather by workes then faith and of all the fruits of fayth almost innumerable make choice of those that concerne our neighbour in all which saith is yet presupposed according to the Apostolicall axiome whatsoeuer is not of saith is sinne fides est operum fomes as Paulinus spake and as our Church the nest of good workes for bee our birds neuer so fayre and our leaues neuer so fresh and greene all are but lost if they be not brought forth in a true beleefe for admit a man were as iust as Aristides in his gouernment as true of his word as Pomponius as louing and kinde to his countrey as Curtius at Rome Mecaenas at Thebes Codrus at Athens who exposed themselues to voluntary death for their neighbours and countries sake yet if these workes proceed not from a heart purged by faith no happinesse can follow this Doing of good no true peace to the conscience nor eternall rest to the soule for without faith it is impossible to please God Yet when these are conceiued and brought forth in faith the Lord as it is sayd of Abel and his offring hath respect to both the worke it selfe Gen. 4.4 and him that wrought it and as it is said of Noahs sacrifice the Lord smelleth a sweet sauor of rest and is well pleased with them Gen. 8.2 Heb. 13.16 A man may deceiue himselfe and others with a fained profession of faith an inward and hidden grace therefore the holy spirit will haue euery mans fayth to be tried and known by his fruits By their fruites yee shall know them Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles And howsoeuer eternall life be promised to sayth and eternall damnation be threatned to infidelity yet the sentence of saluation and of damnation shall be pronounced according to workes as the clearest euidence of both Matt. 25.34 but with the Apostle I will shew you yet a more excellent way This precept then of Doing good is of large extent in that it concerneth all duties and all degrees of men not only in common as we are men and so bound vnto that ius gentium to render euery man his due but in particular in our seuerall vocations and callings to expresse our fayth by Doing of good as wee are Magistrates or Ministers Masters or Seruants in what estate degree or condition of life it hath pleased God to place vs. For know ye all that not onely those generall duties of Christianity as the hearing of the word c. are required wherein if we fayle all the world can witnesse against vs and euery one quasi digito will point at vs and crie open shame of vs not onely these I say are carefully to be performed but moreouer the particular offices whereunto we are called for the propagation of Religion and piety or the preseruation of order iustice and equity in the Church or Common wealth and our priuate familie are seriously to be attended and executed Hoc agire in the sacrifice of the heathen gods was a precept much vsed and obserued how much more in the seruices of the God of heauen should the said precept Doe yee this that is intend and apply all the faculties of your minde to the doing of it be kept inviolable What other thing doth the Apostle insinuate when he saith He endeauored to haue alwaies a cleere conscience toward God and men but this point in hand That there ought to be a concurrence of our holy carriage towards God and vpright demeanor towards men Requisite it is saith Chry. ut roverēter se quis habeat ad divina landabiliter cōuersetur cum hominib that euery good Christian should serue God reuerently with hearty deuotion and man righteously with a ready minde and a liberall disposition Men are to be regarded in the way of right and equity propter famam God is to be reuerenced in the way of Religion and piety propter conscientiam Holinesse and righteousnesse are the meane parts of Gods image in man Ephes 4. Neither can wee be assurd that we are regenerated vnlesse we finde in our selues a marriage