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	time_n	4,041	5	3.7132	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32041	The monster of sinful self-seeking, anatomizd together with a description of the heavenly and blessed selfe-seeking : in a sermon preached at Pauls the 10. of December, 1654 / by Edm. Calamy, B.D. ...	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1655 (1655)	Wing C259; ESTC R15527	29,832	44

Iesus Christ A. In generall they are nothing else but the preservation and propagation of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ The building up of the Church of Christ in verity purity and unity But more particularly the things of Christ are 1. The pure worship of Jesus Christ the Preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments in Christs way 2. The precious truths of the Gospel 3. The government of the Church according to Scripturepatterne 4. The day of Christ 5. The godly Ambassadors of Christ 6. The Reformation of the Church when corrupted in Doctrine Worship and Discipline Now then the charge is That the Christians in the Primitive times both Ministers and others did seek their own interest and not the interest of Jesus Christ to build their own houses and not the houses of God to ingrosse a Kingdome to themselves and not to propagate Christs Kingdome Q Did these Primitive Christians not at all seek the things of Christ A. This word Not is not to be taken positively but as Calvin saith comparatively Wee must not suppose that Church-officers and Church-members did absolutely throw away all care of Christ and the Churches of Christ but the meaning is that they did not seek the things of Christ cordially sincerely zealously and primarily They sought them in the least place and in the last place They pretended to seek the things of Christ but sought their own things under colour of seeking the things of Christ and therefore are said not to seek them at all The charge will be yet greater if we consider 2. The multitude of the persons offending The text saith All men Q. Was there no man in the Apostles dayes that sought the good of the Church of Christ A. The word All is not here to be taken collectively but distributively not for every one of all sorts but for all sorts not for all men properly but for many as it is taken 1 Cor. 10. 23. or for the most of men as it is 2 Tim. 4. 16. All men forsake me c. that is most men Thus Calvin Quod omnes dicit non urgenda est particula universalis no nullam exceptionem admittas erant enim alii quoque qualis Epaphroditus sed pauci Verum omnibus tribuit quod passim erat vulgare The full meaning then of the text is this That even in the Apostles dayes In aureo illo saeculo in quo omnes virtutes effloruerunt in that golden age in which all vertues did flourish there were many and very many Church members and Church-officers that professed outwardly a great deale of love to Christ his Church and yet notwithstanding sought their owne ease quiet honour and profit more than the preservation and propagation of the Kingdome of Christ their owne private gaine and interest before and more than the interest of Jesus Christ The words thus expounded are a perfect representation of the times in which we now live Methinks I can hardly see a man in place and power but I can see it written upon his forehead in great Characters this man seeks himselfe and not the things of Jesus Christ If I had a window to look into the hearts of all here present I feare me I should finde many selfe-seekers but few Christ-seekers so that this text may sitly be called Englands looking-glasse wherein we may behold 1. The great sinne of England I may truly say the sinne that is the Father and Mother of all her other sinnes the Metropolis of all sinne and that is Her seeking her owne things and not the things of Iesus Christ 2. The great and chiefe cause of all the miseries and calamities that have hapned to this nation The Source and Originall of all our unhappinesse Because all men seek themselves and no man the things of Christ 3. The onely way and remedy to be freed from all our miseries and afflictions and that is by walking quite contrary to the text By seeking the things of Iesus Christ before our owne things and more then our owne things and by seeking them heartily throughly zealously and sincerely this is the only balme to cure Englands soars the onely England-preserving mercy For these three ends and purposes I have chosen this text The Doctrine I shall insist upon is Doct. That amongst the multitude of Christians who professe love to Christ and his Church there are many selfe-seekers but few Christ-seekers Or thus That it is an antient common grievous and hidden iniquity for a Christian professing love to Christ to be a selfe-seeker and not a Christ-seeker 1. It is an old and antient sinne as old as the Primitive times A sinne of 1600. years standing 2. It is a generall and Land overspreading sinne A sin that hath seized upon men of all sorts upon Ministers Magistrates Masters and Parents An Epidemicall disease 3. It is a great and grievous sinne a Soule-destroying a Church and State-destroying sinne 4. It is a secret and hidden sinne a sinne that most are guilty of and yet few will confesse their guiltinesse There is no sin hath more Fig-leaves to hide it more excuses to extenuate it more cloaks to cover it than this sinne That I may the better uncase and uncloath this great transgression I shall briefly answer to these 4. questions Qu. 1. Whether all selfe-seeking be diametrically opposite to Christ seeking Qu. 2. What is that selfe seeking which is inconsistent with Christ-seeking Qu. 3. What is the reason that amongst such a multitude of Christians there should be so many selfe-seekers and so few Christ-seekers Qu. 4 Wherein the grievousnesse and mischievousnesse of this sinne consisteth Qu. 1. Whether all selfe-seeking be contradictory to Christ-seeking Whether a man may not be a Christ-seeker and yet a selfe-seeker Ans For answer to this you must know that it is not simply and absolutely unlawfull for a man to seek himselfe no more than it is to love himselfe Religion doth not destroy naturall affections but onely regulates them and sanctifieth them Gratia non extinguit sed ordinat affectiones saith Aquinas Non tollit sed attollit naturam Grace doth not destroy but elevate nature It doth not dry up the stream of selfe-seeking but onely turnes it into the right channell Religion doth not pluck up but weed the garden of Nature As Musitians when their instruments are out of tune will not break but tune them So Religion doth not abolish but onely tune and order our selfe-seeking Therefore you shall finde in Scripture that there are many arguments drawne from selfe-love and selfe-seeking to perswade us to holinesse and disswade us from sin Deut. 28. Lev. 26. Deut. 32. 46 47. Is. 1. 19. Rom. 2. 7 8. Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 6. 8. The Scripture gives us leave to love our selves and to seek our selves so it be in a right manner Moses did not sin in having an eye to the recompence of reward Nor did the Martyrs who could not accept deliverance that they might