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	particular_a	pillar_n	1,653	5	10.8048	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34956	The iustification of a sinner being the maine argument of the Epistle to the Galatians / by a reverend and learned divine.; Commentarius in Epistolam Pauli Apostoli ad Galatas. English	Crell, Johann, 1590-1633.; Lushington, Thomas, 1590-1661.	1650 (1650)	Wing C6878; ESTC R10082	307,760	323

1. Cor. 3.22 and 1. Cor. 9.5 and 1. Cor. 15.5 John i. e. John the Apostle who was one of the twelve and the beloved Disciple who is commonly called the Evangelist partly to distinguish him from John the Baptist and partly because hee wrote that Gospel which goes under his name hee also wrote three Canonicall Epistles and the Booke of the Revelation hee was the sonne of Zebedee and Brother of James the Elder whom Herod put to death Act. 12.2 Besides this John and John the Baptist there was another John sirnamed Marke whom Paul and Barnabas tooke for their Minister and fell into some dissention about him of whom see Act. 12.25 and Act. 13.5.13 and Act. 15.37 Who seemed to bee Pillars Having discovered and specified by name the persons of whom before it was sayd in generall that they were chiefe men who were of reputation and who seemed to bee somewhat hee now determines in particular what they seemed to bee namely to bee pillars i. e. principall persons in the Church of God who of that edifice whereof Christ is the foundation were in a manner the maine supporters whereby the Christian Religion and the truth thereof was sustained and upheld against all persecutors who openly opposed it and against all false Teachers who secretly undermined it For as the Tabernacle and the Temple was supported by pillars So the mysticall building of Christ is under Christ supported by the Ministers thereof and as the Church is elsewhere called the pillar of truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Because therein and therein onely the truth of Religion is preserved for out of the Church wee seeke in vaine for any true Religion So the Ministers are the pillars of the Church by whose Doctrine and Ministery the Church is preserved Yet James Cephas and John have heere from Paul this attribute that they seemed to bee pillars according to the language or speech of his adversaries because unto them these Apostles onely seemed to bee the onely pillars not that they were not as they seemed or not that they seemed not so unto Paul but because they were not the only men that either were or seemed so and because his adversaries who in the poynts controverted dissented from the Apostles abused their reputation of being pillars on purpose to deceive the Galatians and to debase the reputation of Paul as if hee were no pillar or no supporter of the truth Perceived the grace that was given unto mee The grace viz. of my Apostleship or of my being an Apostle unto the Gentiles for that was the matter whereof hee spake last before when hee sayd that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto him and that God was mighty in him toward the Gentiles This his Apostleship hee calls a grace because the office thereof was conferred upon him from God by Christ by no other title then by the grace of God as is further implyed in the word given Because all gifts of what nature soever proceede from the grace and favour of the giver Paul of himselfe was unsufficient for this Function for hee was ignorant of the Gospel till such time as it pleased God to reveale Christ unto him and above all other men hee was unworthy of it because hee was a persecutor of those persons who sustained it and of the Church for whom the office was ordained So that unto Paul his office in the Apostleship was free grace because hee no way desired it and meere grace because hee no way deserved it and abundant grace because hee deserved the contrary Hence elsewhere hee calls his Apostleship by the name not onely of grace but of grace exceeding abundant See and compare Rom. 1.5 and Rom. 15.15 and 1. Tim. 1.14 But hee mentions it here by the name of grace to continue his Argument for the Divinity of it for seeing the Gospel was committed or entrusted unto him seeing God was mighty in it toward the Gentiles and seeing it was a gift unto him proceeding from Gods graces therefore certainly it must needs be divine They gave to mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship They i. e. James Cephas and John who seemed to bee pillars Gave mee and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship i. e. acknowledged me and Barnabas for their Peeres and equalls for their com-Ministers and fellow-Apostles and in testimony thereof gave us their right hands And these words for their coherence must be referred backward unto these words at the 7. verse But contrariwise q. d. James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars and were pillars and by your false Teachers were pretended to bee the only pillars were so far from discovering any further light in the Gospel or from adding any knowledge unto mee therein as if I had beene their Disciple who had learned something from them that contrariwise even they themselves acknowledged both mee and Barnabas to bee pillars also even their equalls and fellowes in the Apostleship and signed our fellowship under their hands by giving us their right hands upon it thereby to testifie unto the world that our authority ability and efficacy for the Ministery of the Gospel was equally divine with theirs all proceeding immediately from the grace of God which unto mee was exceeding abundant The giving of the right hand was among the Hebrewes an ordinary and solemne forme whereby to expresse equality and fellowship for by this forme Jehonadab associated himselfe into the fellowship and company of Jehu by giving him his hand 2. King 10.15 And thus Tobias was marryed to his wife Sara by the joyning of their hands Tobit 7.13 For this solemnity of joyning the right hands in marriage is not onely ancient but very proper because marriage is the most originall and naturall society or fellowship of mankinde which is also called Wedlocke because thereby two persons like two hands clasped are so linked and locked together that they are incorporated into one body or as Christ termeth it whereby twaine are no more twaine but one flesh which God hath joyned together Mat. 19.6 Which Conjunction is expressed and signified by the mutuall conjoyning of their right hands a part of the body for the whole and the right hand being the principall instrument of strength and action doth further argue the mutual promise of that mutuall helpe which God respected at the Creation in making the woman a helpe meete for the man Gen. 2.18 That wee should goe unto the heathen and they unto the circumcision Should goe In the Greeke there is no Verbe expressed but is well supplied in our last English translation Should goe for the very same supply is in the Italian and French translations although the Syriack and some Latines supply it somwhat more emphatically thus should exercise our Apostleship for this expresseth the action or end of their going q. d. Upon their hands given us this agreement was further concluded between us that we should exercise the Ministery of our Apostleships distinctly I and Barnabas by

make not also some benefit of it for that state is to no purpose from whence ariseth no benefit In my Justification therefore I am to consider both these meanes viz. not onely the meanes procreant or title whereby my state is constituted acquired or had but also the meanes conservant or Tenure whereby my state is continued preserved or held Because I am truly sayd to be justified as well by the tenure wherby I continue and hold this state as by my title whereby I acquire and have it For all states whatsoever not onely jurall but naturall of all creatures whatsoever whose existence hath any duration doe necessarily require a cause conservant meanes retentive or tenure whereby they may be continued or preserved to abide and remaine in being for otherwise their state would not be permanent at all but actually transient and sodainly passe away Yea the Earth it selfe whose state above all other elements is most firme and stable and the whole world whereof God is the sole cause procreant who created and established it for ever should he cease to be thereof the cause conservant would suddainely in a moment runne to ruine Much more is such a tenure necessary to my Justification which is my state of alliance unto God Because this state above all others is to mee most pretious and consequently the losse of it becomes most grievous 3. The Tenure whereby I am justified is workes I am not afraid to expresse this verity in these words because the phrase Justified by workes is the expresse saying of the Holy Ghost For Jam. 2.24 This Assertion that A man is justified by workes and not by faith alone is the language and word of God as well as this that A man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ For the Scripture delivereth both these assertions mentioning neither of them obviously as it were in transitu But handling both equally purposely and by way of doctrine for shee proposeth both and presseth both insisteth upon both confirmeth both by severall arguments and illustrating both by Similies and examples And therefore I cannot use such partiality to bee so earnest for either as thereby to bee against the other but I must maintaine them both and maintaine both for current doctrine to bee duly taught in the Church of God Because both in their due senses are infallibly true and of great consequence as well to magnifie Gods grace as to edifie his Church But I must allow unto both their proper senses and due distinctions for if I side with the assertion of Paul and cast off James with a distinction or side with James and cast off Paul with a distinction then I doe not rightly divide the word of truth But I rather make that right-downe division which Paul himselfe condemneth 1. Cor. 1.12 I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ. As therefore my faith is the Title whereby I am justified viz. procreatively and acquisitively i. e. Whereby my Justification is created produced and constituted to have the originall existence and beginning or whereby my state of divine alliance and inheritance to bee the Sonne and Heire of God is acquired commenced and initiated So my workes are the Tenure wherby I am justified viz. conservantly and retentively i. e. Whereby my Justification is continued preserved and maintained to abide subsist and remaine in that existence which originally it had by faith or whereby my state of divine alliance and inheritance is prolonged for my finall continuance to bee the Sonne and Heir of God untill such time as I possesse and enjoy that inheritance in heaven whereto I am now the heire and have a present right For that the verbe Justifie as also many others of the like nature doth consignifie these two kindes of efficiency namely procreant and conservant hath beene formerly shewed And by workes I understand good and holy workes for if the workes which unjustifie mee by building againe the state of sin which I destroyed are evill and sinfull then the workes which sub-justifie or support my state of justification must needes bee good and holy For seeing my Justification which procures unto mee a divine alliance to bee the sonne and heyre of God is a state of sanctity and holines what can bee more suitable convenient and comely then that a holy state should bee preserved by holy workes In this sense James affirmeth that A man is justified by workes and not by faith alone Which assertion hee prooves three severall wayes 1. By two reasons whereof one is Because faith without workes is dead i. e. the act of faith in justifying is frustrate voyd and of no effect as a Bill Bond or other writing whereto there is no hand nor seale For a man justified by faith if his faith be not seconded by workes to continue and maintaine his Justification he shall never possesse and enjoy that heavenly inheritance whereto hee was by faith justified and his faith falling of this effect is therefore voyd or dead The other reason is Because faith working with workes is by workes made perfect i. e. faith alone by it selfe is a thing imperfect and ineffectuall for in Justifying it doth but commence begin and enter the state of Justification and consequently it createth but an imperfect and weake right namely a right of Institution and Expectation a right of a son and heyre a right of interest clayme and hope a right escheatable and defeasable that may possibly bee destroyed But faith seconded accompanied and animated with workes is by workes made effectuall to continue consummate and 〈◊〉 the state of Justification into the state and assurance of salvation and consequently to procure a perfect plenary and full right namely a right of possession and fruition a right of peace rest and quiet an inheritance executed and seized subject unto no defea●ance relapse or other casualty or as the Apostle calls it 1 Pet 1.4 an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not 〈◊〉 reserved in Heaven for us Secondly he proves it by two Similyes or comparisons 〈◊〉 of one is that Faith alone without workes is like the Devils Faith for they have a kinde of faith whereby they believe the existence and unity of God And their faith is alone without workes namely without good and holy workes but they are not without evill and wicked workes and their faith with evill workes hath this evill worke upon them that it makes them to tremble The other Simily is that faith alone without workes is like the body without breath for as the body without breath is dead so faith without works is dead also Thirdly hee proves it by two Examples One of Abraham Was not Abraham our father justified by workes when he had offered Isaac his son upon the Altar i. e. The Justification of Abraham constituted long before by his faith whereby was imputed unto him a right of alliance and amity