Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
truth_n church_n divine_a faith_n 4,548 5 5.6243 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A77253 The preachers plea. By David Bramley, a preacher of the Gospel. Bramley, David. 1647 (1647) Wing B4240; Thomason E374_2 16,799 26

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

did any thing in the ministery by or of himselfe he addes yet not I but the grace of God which was with me wherefore to speak with tongues or humane learning is not essentiall to the being of a Prophet Reas 5. Our own blessed experience in the times wherein wee live in which the Lord is pleased in a very large measure to make good his promise this very way even to us as to his Church in former time as was prophesied by Joel in his second chapter v. 16 17. which was accomplished and fulfilled upon the Apostles as appeares Acts 2.16 17 18. All which I say is made good unto us in our time For doe we not or at least may we not heare even illiterate men speak in our own tongue the wonderfull works of God Acts 2.11 Of whose prophesying in respect of what Prophets were heretofore we may say as it was said of Christ by the Scribes Matth. 7. ●9 That as Christ so his people now teach as having authority and not as the Scribes Wherefore divine prophesying is not restrained to humane learning Object We read in 2 Pet. 1.20 that no prophesie of Scripture is of any private interpretation wherefore privat men which are unskilled in the Languages and Sciences are not to preach or prophesie Ans 1. If this be so expounded then of necessity you must conclude that Peter hath sealed up the little book which is no other but the Gospel which Peters Master and our Lord Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah hath opened to all the illiterate people as well as to the greatest Clerkes if not more fully For if illiterate men may not adventure the expounding of what they read to gain the sense and true meaning thereof as they read they were better not read at all And whosoever dares maintain this opinion is not onely guilty of slandring the truth of Christ but doth also submit to the Pope whose subtilty it is as much as in him lieth to seale up by his Chaplaines and Ministers what Christ hath unsealed and opened to the very end that all his people great and small bond and free may freely read expound and edifie thereby Secondly that this exposition of the words of Peter is false and they how profound in learning soever doe hereby discover themselves to be but private persons unable to interpret the prophesies of Scripture will thus appeare because by private interpretation of Scripture is meant first that we are not to limit or restrain the end aim or purpose of any scripture to any particular privat man onely but that it concernes and speaks as well to all and every one as any one as our Saviour seems to hold forth in that one expression Mark 13.37 And what I say unto you I say unto all Secondly because by private interpretation is meant also that the Spirit of God hath no one particular meaning onely in any one prophesie of Scripture but hath many meanings and all truths linked as a golden chain one in and with another as is cleare by 2 Tim. 3.16 where the Apostle saith All Scripture is given by divine inspiration of God and is profitable For what for one thing onely Surely no but for every thing for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousnesse Thirdly because by private interpretation of Scripture is meant the Interpretation thereof without the Spirit of God For all interpretation of Scripture though it be by great ones publicke persons in a Common-wealth or by learned ones by Councels or by multitudes of them yet if they be but meere naturall men void of the Spirit of God their own interpretation of Scripture is but private and for the most part false 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God So that no man that hath not the Spirit of God can know the things of God contained in the Scripture any more then one man can know what is the heart or mind of another Now as a man may by chance conjecture or guesse what is the minde or thought of another man as oftentimes men doe even so by chance a naturall man or men may know or decern the mind of God in the Scripture and many times they doe yet it is by chance and although carnall men that have nothing of God in them at all have preached many truths yet it hath not been by themselves but onely by the light of gracious men that have interpreted the Scriptures by the Spirit of God unto them So that the interpretation of Scripture by men publick or private learned or unlearned without the Spirit of God is privat interpretation and all interpretation of Scripture by men publick or private high or low rich or poore young or old one or many with and by the Spirit of God is publick and warrantable interpretation for that Spirit is truth in whom it is it neither deceiveth nor is deceived Both of these are true and cleare as is made cleare by the same Apostle in the following words verse the last which are a reason of the former and runs thus For saith he the Prophesies came not in old time by the will of man but by the will of God For holy men spoke as they were moved by the holy Spirit which holy Spirit onely knowes its owne mind in the prophesies of Scripture and holy men of God onely can constantly and truly interpret the prophesies as they are moved by the holy Spirit wherefore to speak with tongues is not essentiall to the being of a Prophet nor is divine prophesying restrained to humane learning Object 2. We rean in 2 Pet 3.16 where the Apostle speaking about Pauls Epistles saith In which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they doe also the other Scriptures to their owne destruction Therefore to speak with tongues is essentiall to the being of a Prophet and divine prophesying is restrained to humane learning Answer The Apostle there speaks of some of the Church which doubted and questioned the truth of Gods promise as is plain verse 15. and he in this 16. verse reproves them for it and shewes them the ground of their doubting which was their weaknesse in grace or faith and then labouring to beat them off from impatience and to confirme them in the promise of God by faith he sets before them a president of their doubting condition to wit Those that are unlearned c. that is unsanctified and untaught of Christ Now that it is so the next word Vnstable shews Now who are unstable wrenching the Scriptures to their own destruction but onely those that are unsanctified that had never learned Christ Jam 1.8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes therefore it is not the want of humane learning but the want of grace that is