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	doctrine_n	scripture_n	7,107	5	6.0018	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96226	The humble advice of the Assembly of Divines, now by authority of Parliament sitting at Westminster, concerning a confession of faith, presented by them lately to both houses of Parliament. A certain number of copies are ordered to be printed only for the use of the members of both houses and of the Assembly of Divines, to the end that they may advise thereupon.; Westminster Confession of Faith.	Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1646 (1646)	Wing W1427; Thomason E368_3; ESTC R201270	24,629	58

Die Lune 7. Decembr 1646. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT that sixe hundred Copies and no more of the Advice of the Assembly of Divines presented to this House Concerning a Confession of Faith be forthwith Printed for the service of both Houses and the Assembly of Divines and that the care of the printing thereof be referred to the Assembly of Divines And the Printer is injoyned at his perill not to print more then sixe hundred Copies of them or to divulge or publish any of them It is further Ordered that no person presume to Reprint Divulge or publish the said ADVICE or any part of it till further order be taken herein by both or either of the Houses of Parliament H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com. The humble ADVICE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF Divines Now by Authority of PARLIAMENT sitting at Westminster Concerning a Confession of Faith Presented by them lately to both Houses of PARLIAMENT A certain number of Copies are Ordered to be Printed only for the use of the Members of both Houses and of the Assembly of Divines to the end that they may advise thereupon LONDON Printed for the Company of STATIONERS TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT The humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines now by Authority of PARLIAMENT sitting at WESTMINSTER Concerning a Confession of Faith CHAP. I. Of the Holy Scripture ALthough the light of Nature and the works of Creation and Providence do so farre manifest the Goodnesse Wisdome and Power of God as to leave men unexcusable yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and of his Will which is necessary unto salvation Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers maners to reveale himself and to declare that his Will unto his Church and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the Truth and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and of the World to commit the same wholly unto writing which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary those former wayes of Gods revealing his Will unto his people being now ceased II. Under the name of Holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament which are these Of the Old Testament GEnesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomie Joshuah Judges Ruth I. Samuel II. Samuel I. Kings II. Kings I. Chronicles II. Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hoseah Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament The Gospels according to MAtthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistles to the Romans Corinthians I. Corinthians II. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I. Thessalonians II. To Timothy I. To Timothy II. To Titus To Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first second and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation of John All which are given by inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life III. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other humane Writings IV. The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be beleeved and obeyed dependeth not upon the Testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon God who is Truth it selfe the Author thereof and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God V. We may be moved and induced by the Testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteeme of the holy Scripture And the heavenlinesse of the Matter the efficacy of the Doctrine the majesty of the Style the consent of all the Parts the Scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God the full discovery it makes of the only way of mans salvation the many other incomparable Excellencies and the intire perfection thereof are Arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the Word of God yet notwithstanding our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and Divine authority thereof is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witnesse by and with the Word in our hearts VI. The whole Councel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory mans salvation Faith and Life is either expressely setdown in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of men Neverthelesse we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word and that there are some circumstances concerning the Worship of God and Government of the Church common to human actions and Societies which are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Christian Prudence according to the generall Rules of the Word which are alwayes to be observed VII All things in Scripture are not alike plaine in themselves nor alike cleare unto all yet those things which are necessary to be known beleeved and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other that not only the Learned but the unlearned in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them VIII The Old Testament in Hebrew which was the Native Language of the people of God of old and the New Testament in Greek which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediatly inspired by God and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authenticall so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to Appeale unto them But because these Originall Tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures and are commanded in the feare of God to read and search them therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar Language of every Nation unto which they come that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all they may worship him in an acceptable manner and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope IX The infallible Rule of Interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture it selfe and therefore when there is a Question about the true and full sense of any Scripture which is not manifold but one it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly X. The Supreme Judge by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined and all Decrees of Councels Opinions of Ancient Writers Doctrines of

Therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful Name or to swear at all by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred Yet as in matters of weight and moment an Oath is warranted by the Word of God under the New Testament as well as under the Old so a lawful Oath being imposed by lawful Authority in such matters ought to be taken III. Whosoever taketh an Oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully perswaded is the truth Neither may any man binde himself by Oath to any thing but what is good and just and what he believeth so to be and what he is able and resolved to perform Yet is it a sin to refuse an Oath touching any thing that is good and just being imposed by lawful Authority IV. An Oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words without equivocation or mental reservation It cannot oblige to sin but in any thing not sinful being taken it bindes to performance although to a mans own hurt Nor is it to be violated although made to Hereticks or Infidels V. A Vow is of the like nature with a Promissory Oath and ought to be made with the like Religious care and to be performed with the like faithfulness VI. It is not to be made to any Creature but to God alone and that it may be accepted it is to be made voluntarily out of Faith and conscience of Duty in way of thankfulness for mercy received or for the obtaining of what we want whereby we more strictly binde our selves to necessary duties or to other things so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto VII No man may Vow to do any thing forbidden in the Word of God or what would hinder any duty therein commanded or which is not in his own power and for the performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from God In which respects Popish Monastical Vows of perpetual single life professed Poverty and Regular Obedience are so far from being degrees of higher Perfection that they are superstitious and sinful snares in which no Christian may intangle himself CHAP. XXIII Of the Civil Magistrate GOd the supreme Lord and King of all the World hath Ordained Civil Magistrates to be under him over the People for his own Glory and the Publique good and to this end hath armed them with the Power of the Sword for the defence and incouragement of them that are good and for the punishment of evil doers II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the Office of a Magistrate when called thereunto in the managing whereof as they ought especially to maintain Piety Justice and Peace according to the wholsom Laws of each Commonwealth so for that end they may lawfully now under the New Testament wage Warre upon just and necessary occasion III. The Civil Magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the Word and Sacraments or the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven yet he hath authority and it is his duty to take order that Unity and Peace be preserved in the Church that the Truth of God be kept pure and intire that all Blasphemies and Heresies be suppressed all corruptions and abuses in Worship and Discipline prevented or reformed and all the Ordinances of God duly setled administred and observed For the better effecting whereof he hath power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the minde of God IV. It is the duty of People to pray for Magistrates to honour their Persons to pay them Tribute and other Dues to obey their lawful Commands and to be subject to their Authority for conscience sake Infidelity or difference in Religion doth not make void the Magistrates just and legal Authority nor free the People from their due obedience to him from which Ecclesiastical persons are not exempted much less hath the Pope any Power and Jurisdiction over them in their Dominions or over any of their People and least of all to deprive them of their Dominions or lives if he shall judge them to be Hereticks or upon any other pretence whatsoever CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and Divorce MArriage is to be between one Man and one Woman neither is it lawful for any Man to have more then one Wife nor for any Woman to have more then one Husband at the same time II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of Husband and Wife for the increase of mankinde with a legitimate issue and of the Church with an holy seed and for preventing of uncleanness III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgement to give their Consent Yet is it the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord And therefore such as profess the true reformed Religion should not marry with Infidels Papists or other Idolaters Neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life or maintain damnable Heresies IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of Consanguinity or Affinity forbidden in the Word No can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any Law of man or consent of Parties so as those persons may live together as man and wife The man may not marry any of his wives kindred nearer in blood then he may of his own nor the woman of her husbands kindred nearer in blood then of her own V. Adultery or fornication committed after a Contract being detected before marriage giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that Contract In the case of Adultery after marriage it is lawful for the innocent party to sue our a Divorce And after the Divorce to marry another as if the offending party were dead VI. Although the Corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduely to put asunder those whom God hath joyned together in marriage yet nothing but adultery or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or Civil Magistrate is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage Wherein a publique and orderly course of Proceeding is to be observed And the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills and discretion in their own Case CHAP. XXV Of the Church THe Catholique or Universal Church which is invisible consists of the whole number of the Elect that have been are or shall be gathered into One under Christ the Head thereof and is the Spouse the Body the Fulness of Him that filleth all in all II. The Visible Church which is also Catholique or Universal under the Gospel not confined to one Nation as before under the Law consists of all those throughout the World that profess the true Religion and of their Children and is the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ the House and