Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A91516
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The right religion, reviewed and inlarged / by L.P. Gent.
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L. P., Gent.
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1658
(1658)
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Wing P74C; ESTC R181384
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42,130
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187
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was truly and infallibly coucht on the sacred leaves of the Bible so assisting and strengthening his Church she becomes in all matters concerning faith powerfull and infallible God is not tyed to this or tother he is free to worke his wonders where when and to whom he pleaseth Neither is there any disproportion betwixt men thus assisted and infallibility it being not necessary for the production of a supernaturall effect that every part of the total cause be supernatural for it is visible to the eye that God frequently makes use of secondary causes in the production of supernaturall effects in that of faith Rom. 10. of hearing and preaching in that of Grace Mat. 18 19 of Elements and words in that of the blind man Jo. 6. of spittle and earth CHAP. 6. Of the possibilitie of keeping the Commandements 1 NOt onely that it is possible to keep the Commandements but also that divers have kept them is a truth so cleerly delivered both in the old and new Testament that there is cause to wonder any can make question thereof In the old Moses speaking of the Commandments sayes Deut. 30. They are not above but very near us in our Mouths in our hearts to doe them Noe Ezekias Josias Josaphat Asa Gen. 6. 4 Kings 18. 2 Paral. 30. 4 Kings 22. 1 Paral. 15 2 Paral. 20. Tob. 2. Iob 1.17 2 Kings 7. 3 Kings 9. Luke 2. Mat. 11.21 Luke 1. Joacham Tobias Job kept them In the New Christ is no lesse plain My yoke is sweet my burden light Simeon St John the Baptist Zacharias Elizabeth the B. Virgin kept them Gods conditional promises to David and his Posterity could be termed no better than Jeers unlesse the commandements were possible To what purpose so much perswasion in Books and Pulpits to live well if the Commandements be impossible is living well any other than keeping of the Commandements It is assuredly as rid culous as impious to tearm him a good liver that steales murthers and commits adultery c. The justness of lawes that inflict severe punishments vpon the breakers of the Commandements are not at all consistent with the impossibility of keeping them Necessity is a good and forcible excuse against the strongest charge The very light of Reason giveth testimonie to the Commandements possibility they being all grounded upon Reason and suited to her bent and inclination The wickedest man alive cannot say with truth that he breaketh any Commandment without some secret check of conscience 2. To alledge that God onely requires mans indeavour is repugnant to Christs express words which are not Mat. 19. If thou wilt come to heaven endeavour to keep but keep the Commandements Many a good endeavour as many a good purpose burns in Hell Heaven being the reward of doing not of endeavouring Besides it is equally unnaturall to endeavour impossibilityes and to desire things unknown Who could Choose but smile to see one leap and skip as ayming to soar fly in the Ayr knowing it to be possible onely for Birds that are fitted with wings and feathers for the purpose Indeed to point at any particular that doth keep the Commandements is hard no man knowing Eccles 9. whether he be worthy of love or hatred But that all in generall may keep them Christ himselfe assures it 2. Tim 2. Willing all to be saved God wills nothing impossible and he that wills the end wills the meanes 3. True it is neither Men nor Angells can love God as he is loveable that 's a perfection God onely is capable of nevertheless it is in the power both of Angells and Men to love God so far forth as the capacity of their condition reacheth which though it be a perfection of a lower degree yeâ— it is sufficient to denominate and render the subject it is in perfect And even this I confess is aâ— effect which Gods grace hathâ— chief hand in but that is no Baâ— for Man having his share to Grace and Nature are not inconsistent yea Grace supporteth nay bettereth Nature they may then joyn and endeavour together as two of unequall strength drawing a boat one draweth more but yet both draw The part Grace acts in the working of salvation is to enlighten the understanding move and enable the Will The part Man acts is to comply with Grace Cor. 6.1 to yield and consent to her good Motions Apocj 3.20 Wherefore salvation is the work not of Grace alone nor of man alone but of Grace and Man joyning hand and heart together St Austin Tom. 10. Serm. 15. de verb. Apost post med speakes truth He that made you without you will not justifie you without you CHAP. 7. Of Religion 1 SUch is the dread of Gods awfull Majesty imprinted in Man that the most bararous people deem it a duty to set apart some time to worship him in the light of reason teaching that a certain return of honour and veneration is due from the effect to its cause whereby to express subjection gratitude and thankfullness and albeit impiety wants not Proselites that rejecting the Deity refuse to do him homage their folly is to be imputed to lack of grace and not oâ— the said light as appeares by readiness observeable in them to suffer for their opinion If thâ— other world yield no Punisher nâ— Rewarder no Hell nor Heaven it is madness to fear and vain prodigality to give away life the chief good and best flower of natures garden 2. This naturall propension to praise and magnify God begets religious acts and Religious acts that great moral vertue called Religion but Religion in a more common acception consists in Beliefe not humane grounded upon Reason but divine relying on the Churches Authoritie and the assistance of the holy Ghost It is the doctrine of Christ delivered by himself in plain and express terms Mar. 16. All power is given to me in heaven and in earth goe ye therefore and preach the Gospell unto all nations hee that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be condemned Jo. 14. I will send unto you the holy Ghost who shall teach you all Truth Christ here speakes to the Apostles the Church giveth power to preach the Gospell to the Apostles the Church promiseth salvation to Believers of the Apostles the Church threatens damnation to unbelievers of the Apostles the Church lastly that there may be no pretence for disobedience he assureth to the Apostles the Church a peculiar assistance of the holy Ghost whose proper effect is to keep power from excess and failing 3. Not a word of or to Reason what colour then for attributing so much to Reason and so little to the Church as to deny Christ to have intrusted her with his Truth as if the Gospell were not Christs truth or Christs impowering the Church to preach the Gospell meant any other thing than to intrust her with his truth Had Reason the preheminence of Belief St Paul would not have subjected Reason unto Belief bidding all
poor illiterate men to perswade a Religion so contrary to flesh and blood as mortification of Wills Fasting Chastity c. Luther was a man of learning and parts who had onely to instil a doctrine acceptable and pleasing to the depravedness of nature to perform which needed not abilities other than naturall 3 A third shape is Protestants received their Mission from Catholick Bishops in Queen Elizabeths dayes and since ANSWER 1. If some did which is to be proved Nay the contrary seemes demonstrated by Doctor Champney it is evident the greater part did not and what a Church must that company make of which most are judged fit to preach the word of God and administer the Sacraments without authority But admit the calling of Protestant Bishops and Pastours were right in all of them it would not follow that the Protestant Church is true so long as she advanceth Protestanisme contrary to the meaning of the Catholique Bishops who never impowr'd any but in relation to the setting up and upholding of Catholique Religion 2. Furthermore Communion with the true Church being as necessary a requisite to the making up of a true Church as union of parts to the compleating of a naturall body what colour for truth in the Protestant Church that is at variance with the Catholique of whom she gloryeth to have her power and which she confesseth to be a true Church whereto adde that Protestants derivation from Catholiques is not proof for a personall succession of Bishops and Pastours agreeing in all points with Protestants which ought to be the scope and ayme of that derivation it being not required of Protestants to deduce a succession from Christ and his Apostles of men meerly sent but withall professing the doctrine maintained in the Church of England For although doctrine be no mark of the true Church as shall be shewn hereafter nevertheless it is her inseparable Mate insomuch that where true Doctrine is wanting there the true Church cannot be Christ having intrusted her with his truth and ordained her keeper and preserver thereof 3. It will be said such a succession may be shewn but mingled pale-male with Catholiques as corn with chaffe good fish with bad conformably to Scripture comparing the Church to a barn-floor where there is corn and chaffe together Math. 3. to a Net replenished with all sortes of fish Math. 13. Repl. This mixture must have been either of Protestant and Catholique doctrine in the same company of men making profession of both or in severall companies one professing one another the other It could not be the former because that would be a clear argument that the Church hath erred contrary to what was proved in the fift Chapter Besides the name of Protestant to this company would be very improper holding a Doctrine inconsistent with the Protestant Surely whosoever over and above the Protestant Doctine should profess the Arian or Nestorian would deem himself jeered and laughed at to hear himself styled by the name of Protestant Doctrine being in nature much like unto number the least addition or diminution altering its kind and grounding a new denomination Nor the latter in as much as there is no agreement betwixt the Temple of God and Idols no concord with Christ and Belial 2. Cor. 6. The Arke of God and Dagon may not stand together 1. Kings 5. It were a strange example if the Church unparaleld for love to her spouse that professeth so much to truth and strictly forbiddeth ill company as dangerous to her Children should receive into her company Lyers and Innovatours This would leave a stain upon her reputation make her sincerity be suspected her Doctrine contemned and despised But she who is all fair Cant. 6. Without spot or wrinkle Epes 5. is free from any such guilt Sectaries being as hideous and hatefull in her sight as their suggestions are full of poyson and destructive to soules 4. It will be said Protestant Bishops and Pastours were not so near mingled with Catholiques as either to believe or profess their Doctrine they onely concealed and covered their own for fear of the formidable rigour of Catholiques Repl. such Bishops and Pastours could neither be true nor make a saving Church Not true because the Mission of true Bishops and Pastours being founded upon persecution and suffering Loe I send you as sheep among Wolves Math. 10. Luke 11. it is proper for them to fear no colours Cruelty in her gastliest hue is not able to fright or daunt them from preaching the word of God and administring the Sacraments The Apostles gave testimony to this truth when commanded by higher powers to forbear mentioning Christ or his actions they bravely and with stoutness reported that they could not choose but declare What they had seen and heard yea even outraged and ill entreated for this behalf they went away glad and rejoycing to be thought worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Acts. 5. All the glorious Martyrs and Confessours confirm the same by their profession of faith amidst the loathsome stenches of close Prisons and horrible torments of bloody persecutours 5. Nor make up a saving Church by reason profession of Faith is necessary to salvation Rom. 10. In heart it is believed to justice by mouth profession is made unto Salvation Mat. 10. He that denies me to men I will denie him before my father c. The Comparisons are meant of private men for matter of manners not of any mixture of true and false Doctrine Orthodoxall Heretical Bishops Pastours together 6. A fourth shape is in all ages since Christ and his Apostles there have been Protestant Bishops and Pastours but through the negligence of men and hard fate of times their names have miscarried and perish'd And as it is no argument many famous Romans and Graecians are not named therefore never were any such men so it is no less fals a sequell Protestant Bishops and Pastours are not mentioned all the way from Christ and the Apostles therefore they were sometimes wanting ANSWER 1. It is not the same of private men and of Bishops and Pastours These have Christs Warrant and assurance for a Continuance of visibility so have not those Math. 28. Bishops and Pastours are as Aqueduces and Limbecks through which the vivifying waters of Christs holy Doctrine are derived into our eares and distilled into our soules so are not private men should they be at any time clouded and in obscurity Christ would be worse than his word his Doctrine fall short and not come home to us 2. It will be said visibility is a badge private men wear as well as Bishops and Doctours therefore it cannot be inferred more of the one than of the other Repl. Visibility is not peculiar to Bishop and Pastours but necessity of visibility is private men in this way of visibility being onely contingently visible So that though this inference be not right they are visible men therefore they are Bishops and Rastours no more