Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	catholic_a	church_n	true_a	3,961	5	5.4065	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11605	Three sermons preached by VVilliam Sclater Doctor of Diuinity, and minister of the word of God at Pitmister in Sommersetshire. Now published by his sonne of Kings Colledge in Cambridge	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.; Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1629 (1629)	STC 21846; ESTC S102973	35,556	86

deitie or adorablenesse to dwell in Deuils is grossest heresie The fact of the fornicatour is not heresie but beastly luxurie But the opinion of Nicolaitans that fornication is res media is damned heresie To worship God in an Image is not in the fact hereticall yet opinion that God is acceptably worshipped in an Image what is it lesse then heresie Suppose them therefore Tyrants suppose them Heretikes yet what peace may the Traytour looke for more then Zimri that slew his master tyrannous and no lesse then Hereticall And must Rome hatching such monsters of opinions be still reputed the Church the only Catholike vpon earth out of which is no saluation The Church so infallibly lead by the Spirit into all truth that she cannot possible be erroneous in her dogmaticall resolutions By their fruites yee shall know them that is by their Doctrines For these are fruites of Prophets as Prophets Legitimate they notorious breaches of the morall Law How are they the Church of God wil worship Image worship they teach acceptable to God though damned in the second precept Equiuocating in oathes that is couert periurie they iust●fie against the third precept Dishonour of Parents for religion sake murther of Princes they make in casu meritorious Cursed be such faith it 's hellish such practise it 's no lesse then Deuilish methinkes we should now resolue say with Iacob Into their secret let not my soule come my glory be not thou ioyned with their assemblie So of the fact of Iehu his issue followes Had Zimri peace Did Zimri prosper he prospered not Seuen dayes onely he reigned in Tirzah and becomes a desperate incendiarie to himselfe Zimri had no peace must therefore his fact be thought vnlawfull Best actions haue sometimes their Crosses lewdest attempts prosperous successe Ans Goodnesse or euilnesse of humane actions no man wisely measures by the dispositions of prouidence But by their dissonance or congruitie to the Law of God Precept and prohibition are the primarie rule of good and euill Prohibition makes euill euill vengeance shewes it euill and odious vnto God The murther of Princes law Naturall and morall make euill when vengeance ouertakes the traytour that shewes it hatefull to God and warnes vs to fly it if not for Conscience yet for feare of vengeance 2. And the distinction is ancient there is poena vindictae and there is poena castigationis or probationis Crosses that come in the way of tryalls at no hand argue our actions euill The building of the Temple vnder Ezra we finde disappointed by the people of the Land yet was their attempt holy and acceptable vnto God The crosse comes to proue their faith to try their dependance on God But punishments that come in the Nature of vengeances are apparent euidences that the attempts are euill Such this of Zimri Had Zimri peace Why not when he fulfills the Prophets prediction executes Gods will in the destroying Baasha his posteritie A prophecie went before of Baasha that his familie should be put out in Israel Because he had walked in the way of Ieroboam and made Israel to sin his house must be like that of Ieroboam his posteritie vtterly destroyed Ans Thus yee may Answer-Prediction there was of Baashaes destruction Prescript none to Zimri to be the executioner There be that say Praescit Deus mala non praeordinat God foreknowes and foretels euils preordaines them not It s true quà mala Yet may we not imagine our God an idle spectatour of the malice of men His prescience euen of euill presupposeth some act of his will determining to permit them But thus thinke there is wide difference betwixt the instruments of Gods prouidence and the Ministers of his ordinance those fulfill his purposes these also doe his commandes Herod and Pilate and the Elders of the people did what Gods hand and secret counsell determined should be done in the death of our blessed Sauiour yet iustly falls Gods wrath vpon them they were vnwitting instruments of his prouidence no Ministers of his ordinance When Iehu destroyed the posteritie of Achab he sinned not in the fact besides prediction of the Prophet he had his speciall commission from God wherefore also his fact is crowned as obedience and rewarded with the Kingdomes continuance in his posteritie vnto foure generations When Zimri slue Elah there was like prediction but no such commission therefore Zimri had no peace that slue his master Briefly first Gods secret appointments are not the rule of our Actions but his reueled precepts Doe what God prescribes thou sinnest not but art accepted with him though perhaps in the issue thou crosse his secret determinations Violate his precepts though thou fulfil his secret appointments thou art obnoxious to the wrath of God It 's possible saith S. Austin for a man bona voluntate velle quod Deus non vult as when a pious child desires and prayes for his fathers life whom God hath designed to death And a man may malâ voluntate velle quod Deus vult bonâ a man may irregularly will that which God also willes suppose when an vngratious sonne desires the death of his father which God also willeth The one willes what God willes not the other wills what God also wills and the ones pietie is more consonant to the good will of God though willing another thing then the others impietie willing the same that God hath determined in his secret counsell So much auailes it to limit our selues to Gods reuealed precept 2 Besides in hoc examine in tryall of such actions the inquirie is not quid fecerint but quid voluerint not what they did but what they intended And in rationem venit non factum but consilium et voluntas not so much their fact as their purpose and intention in doing God intended and disposed the vnnatural crueltie of Iosephs Brethren to good yet they thought euill therefore felt the smart of famine feare of bondage and the stroke of Conscience And who so forlorne or impudent amongst miscreants to say that in his damned ambition or Couetousnesse or luxurie he had respect to the will of God which no man lightlie knowes but by the euent Ashur is the rod of Gods wrath by him the Lord accomplisheth his worke vpon Ierusalem yet will he visit the proud heart of the King of Assyria and bring downe his haughtie and proud lookes the equitie is apparent He thinketh not so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations to satiate his infinite ambition cursed couetousnesse and pompous luxurie 3 Generalities of Gods purpose to destroy Baasha his posterity we will suppose made knowne to Zimri that intellignce he might haue by the Prophets prediction But particulars of the meanes as that hee should be the Agent God reueled not though therefore he did what God determined yet had he no peace in slaying his Master So possible is it to doe what God determines and yet to be obnoxious to his

nature but from nature depraued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immoderate and ouerfrequent bibbings to these not Naturall but Carnall desires carry vs Immoderate heaping vp of wealth exquisit finenesse in apparrell Epicurcall glutting our selues with pleasures is neuer desired by right nature a Prou. 30. Giue me neither pouertie nor riches is the voyce of right nature that same horsleach humour that voyce of the Graue giue giue and neuer enough issues from flesh these are truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fleshly desires There are some of these lusts saith Bernard so noysome and stinking that to a man sauouring neuer so little of grace or morality their issue easily appeares to be from the flesh Those of luxury and the daughters thereof Heathens obserued to flow from nature depraued Christians easily discerne not to flow from the spirit Carnall desires are marueilous pleasing to sensualitie and a kind of tickling they bring to the flesh and giue corruption a marueilous measure of Contentment past question it is as the spirit abhors thought of things fleshly so can the flesh delight in nothing but what is as it selfe corrupt and fleshly As in the pursuite they are pleasing so haue they a farewell in bitternesse after accomplishment leaue nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit How are they vanished and as a a Sap. 5 9. post passed away and if they leaue any thing it s a sting In the end they sting as a Cockatrice and bite as a serpent as the b Prou. 7. Harlots lips in the greeting they drop sweetnesse as the Hony combe but their end is bitter as wormewood sharper then a two-edged sword as c Apoc. 10. S. Iohns booke sweete as hony in the mouth bitter as Wormewood in the bowells They are not that make ioy and peace the fruite of spirituall affections It s a Character of Carnall desires not to be contemned They are vsually such as are rifest in the multitude who as they all lye in wickednesse so are they carried in their desires and delights to nothing but what is corrupt and carnall And if a man might measure goodnesse by number it were safest to reiect the multitude and follow the fewest Christs flocke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little diminutiue flocke The multitude though they haue diuersities of desires and delights yet in this they all conspire to delight in nothing that good is I am no Papist to measure truth or goodnesse by multitude much lesse Anabaptist to measure it by paucity of followers Howbeit I thinke with Seneca its ordinarily true Argumentum pessimi turba est Its a shrewd signe the thing is none of the best that is affected and applauded by the bruitish multitude In a word whatsoeuer desire a 2. Cor. 10.5 exalts it selfe against the obedience of Christ whatsoeuer is not b Rom. 8.7 subiect to the law of God of it thinke its fleshly from it fly as from a Scorpion The act or duty followes Abstaine The degrees of abstinence thus conceiue descending first à summo ad imum the height of abstinence is to represse them that they arise not therefore S. Paul c 1 Cor. 9. kept his body in subiection and that he might keepe it vnder blue beate it The meanes thus conceiue First keepe thy minde euer busied in some holy and heauenly meditation the mind sayth Oecumenius is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes in action if it be not detained in goodnesse it wanders to euill The old saying is occupatum vno the idle is tempted with two yea with a Legion of Deuils Secondly Though honour may not be denyed to the body to preserue it in strength and vigour yet is there a time when macerating it almost may seeme necessary That it may haue place heere that our Sauiour spake This kind of fleshly Deuills is not cast or kept out but by Prayer and Fasting A second but inferior degree is in case they arise timely to repulse them It s scarce to be thought how by a little conniuence they insensibly creepe vpon the minde and incline it to allowance The holiest and most heedy cannot alwayes preuent the arising of euill motions yet must it be our endeauour to repulse them speedily We cannot hinder a bird to fly ouer our head but may easily prohibite her from nestling there fleshly flying fancies cannot alwayes be suppressed what thorow that morbus mentis and what for that morsus serpentis saith Bernard It s a high point of this holy abstinence to deny them harbour to keepe our mindes from allowance our wills from fulnesse of consent It was holy aduice that Erasmus gaue to crosse and thwart our fleshly inclinations contrary what thy flesh prouokes vnto If Couetous desires arise hasten to a deed of liberality If desires of reuenge and retaling of wrongs doe good for euill such thwarting abates corruption and blunts the point euen of satanicall temptations At least feed them not eyther by meditation or occasion The prudence of Ioseph is worth our imitation sollicited by his Mistris he hearkens not to her to be in her company Our hearts are of a Gunpowder disposition a very sparke of opportunity inflames them and setts all in a combustion If thy will cannot be bridled from consenting yet keepe thy hand from execution Though thou couet fieldes a Mic. 2. take them not by force The taste of pleasures of sinne in action encreaseth our naturall thirst after iniquity one act makes not a habit yet strengthens a vitious inclination Lastly If the temptation be so violent that affection must needes vent it selfe into action yet beware of fulfilling the desires of the flesh Goe not so farre as the swinge of thy corrupt heart would carry thee It s something saith th'apostle not to obey sinne in the lusts of it that is according to that full measure that corruption would lead vs vnto So for the Exhortation The Reasons follow first from our owne state As Pilgrimes and Strangers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.3 We haue here no abiding City but looke for one to come our conuersation our City-freedome our negotiation Phil 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in heauen is or ought to be for heauen The inference is therefore Abstaine from fleshly lusts 1 Bernardus de quadragesima ser 81. Peregrinus si quidèm viâ regiâ incedit non declinat ad dexteram neque ad sinistram si fortè iurgantes viderit non attendit si nubentes aut choros ducentes aut aliud quodlibet facientes nihilaminus transit quià peregrinus est non pertinet ad eum de talibus ad patriam suspirat ad patriam tendit vestitum victum habens non vult alijs onerari In a word they hinder vs from our home two wayes 1. Meritoriè 2. Effectiuè First iustly by the sentence of God hath he no portion in heauen that preferrs in his affection the Momentany pleasures