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	lord_n	word_n	4,134	5	3.9920	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93683	A sermon preached in Oxford before the Kings Maiesty, April 19. 1643. VVherein is handled the vnlawfulnesse of non-preaching bishops, non-residents, plurality of benefices, &c. with the utter destruction of images. According to the votes of both the houses of Parliament, scripture, ancient writers, and reason it selfe. By Richard Spinkes, minister of the word of God, and imprisoned there for the said sermon.	Spinkes, Richard.	1643 (1643)	Wing S4982; Thomason E104_10; ESTC R212784	18,404	23

spend my spirits to doe you good I count nothing too deare or those whom Christ h th purchased with his owne bloud as he other where expresseth himselfe to the Thessalonian 1 Thes 2.8 being affectionately desirous we were willing to have inaparted unto you not the Gospel of God onely but also our owne selves because ye were deare unto us If Saint Paul and his painfull assistants did through the love of God shed abroad in their hearts so highly prize those to whom they were strangers by country and alliance as to give their soules for them They have but small love to Christ what ever they talke of it who will not adventure their bodies nor indanger their healths for the eternall life of those to whom they have a neere relation It was a wicked and ungracious speech of those in the Psalmes Our lips are our owne who is Lord over us Ministers must know the contrary they have a Lord to whom they must one day be accomptable and their tongues are not their owne for The Prtests lips should preserve knowledge and the people should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Math. 2.7 He that hid his talent in the ground had as good have stolne it The Lord doth not onely call him idle but also wicked servant Idlenesse is the tutor of all vice and wickednesse Sozomen Hist lib. 6. cap. 18. reporteth of Amonius the Monke that to avoid a Bishopricke for such dignities bring them places of burden and charge were not so highly prized so eagerly pursued and sought for as of latter times but were glad to goe a begging for able and sufficient men cut off his eare for such was the superstition of that minority of the Church that a corporall blemish and deformity made a man uncapable of that promotion Not long after Evagrius a man of knowne parts and sufficiency but emulating the glory of that action was chosen and preferred by Theodosius Bishop of Alexandria to the like dignity did likewise withdraw himselfe into the wildernesse till the votes of the people were devolved upon some other It fortuned after that he met with Amouius and told him that himselfe had made a faire eseape whereas he by cutting off his eare had beene injurious to his owne body and had by violent hands incurred the guilt of selfe-maiming To this Amouius modestly replyed At tu non put as te poenas datur●m quod lingua propter nimium tui ipsius amerem excisa gratia qua à Deo tibi donata est mimmè visus Dost thou thinke to escape the judgement of God who through too much selfe love hast voluntarily cut out thy tongue in not using that grace which God hath given thee to the edification of his Church No doubtlesse for this very end doth God furnish us with knowledge and utterance that we should impart the truth unto others Isaiah 50.4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speake a word inseason to him that is weary Achan the theese was stoned for stealing from Jericho a wedge of gold It is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth as it is in the margent a tongue of gold their sacriledge beleeve it is not lesse punishable who rob the people of God of the instruction that is due unto them the wants of which tend to their utter destruction and impoverishing of their soules Faith is much more precions then gold which perisheth saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 1.7 But how should they beleeve without a Preacher saith Saint Paul Rom. 10.14 There is gold and a company of Rubies saith Salomon Prov. 20.15 but the lips of knowledge are a pretious jewel and he that wrongs the owner of them it is as much as his soule is worth And therefore I am perswaded that those who first seized upon the temporals of the Church were not guilty of so much sacriledge as in enacting that Statute whereby Ministers are authorised to discontinue from their livings till forty yeares of age had it beene thirty yeares there might have beene some seeming exense and warrant from the example of Christ who did not take upon him the Ministery until he was as Saint Luke saith Luke 3.23 about thirty yeares of age and so Gregory Nazianz●n would have none to undertake this calling untill they be arived to a perfect age and statute alluding I suppose to the age of our Saviour whom Saint Paul calleth a perfect man Ephes 4.13 and his age the measure of stature and much about the same age was Saint Paul called or God to the Ministery for he lived 68 yeares of which he spent 35. in preaching the Gospel as Baronius reports out of Chrysostome but 40. yeares is the rerme of impenitency which seems in Scripture to put the Lord himselfe who is long suffering and gracious out of patience with wicked and ungodly men Psal 95.10 Forty yeares long have I beene grieved with this generation c. wherefore I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Some there are who though they be opimerate that they would scorne to come into competition for learning with many of their industrious neighbours in the Country pretend they doe discontinue from their charges and live in some Schoole of the Prophets thereby to better their understandings and to gaine a great measure of knowledge by hearing of Acts and controversies scholastically handled but what Eliab Davids elde● brother said to him 1 Sam. 17.28 VVith whom hast thou left those few sheeps in the wildernesse I know the pride and haughtinesse of thy heart thou art come forth to see the battell may I feare be said too truly of a number of such who care not with whom they leave the soules committed to their charge and custody that they study rather their owne promotion then the good of the Church another Benefice rather then to benefit their understanding He that is to be ordained Minister ought to be for the present 1 Tim. 3.2 apt to teach fit to teach that is as Catharmus a learned Bishop doth paraphrase on the words he must be one qui sciat docere non indigeat descere sed qui actu doceat plebeculam suam one who further is able to instruct the flocke committed to him and need not still himselfe be taught let such consider what our Saviour saith to his servants to whom he gave the Talents in the gospel he doth not say as Stella observes upon Luke Discite dum venio sed negotiamim dum venio Traffique and imploy till I come For what is Divinity which we pretend to study Is it not a science onely of disputing acutely and subtilly of every point of controversie as a reverend Professor of ours Bako in his first Lecture upon Jonas confesseth but it consuts rather In bona conscientia quam in bona scientia in a good then in abundance