Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	commandment_n	know_v	liar_n	1,903	5	11.5902	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40035	A winding-sheet for England's ministry which hath a name to live, but is dead sent to John Owen, called Dr. in that ministry, and late vice-chancellor of Oxford, and is in answer to his printed paper concerning tythes : or, an examination of those scriptures by which he seems to prove, that the publike maintenance for preachers of the Gospel by way of tythes, is a gospel-maintenance, but upon examination thereof by the scriptures, he is found to be a subverter of them, and, that tythes is no lawful maintenance for gospel-ministers.	Foster, T.	1658 (1658)	Wing F1637; ESTC R38887	9,915	8

first which speak of Abraham's paying the tenth of the spoils to Melchisedeck and also of Levi's receiving of tythes is nothing at all to the maintenance of Gospel-Dispensers for which end thou quotest them And without controversie that Priesthood is changed for it made nothing perfect and another priesthood is arisen who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life who hath put an end to the first priesthood and consequently to tythes also and to the Doctrine of all such Hirelings as will not preach without gifts and rewards The other text being the 1 Cor. 9 14. which saith they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel hath been largely spoken to already and therefore I shall conclude and tell thee that thou hast proved nothing by Scripture that tythes is a Gospel-maintenance or that the dispensers thereof are to be afforded tythes by way of maintenance for preaching the Gospel It now remains to make it appear as well to thee as to all men else that you who call your selves Ministers of the Church of England are neither Ministers 〈…〉 nor of the Spirit and if so I shall leave wise men to judge whether you deserve to be maintained and upheld as Ministers of the Gospel yea or no First then I say you are not true Ministers of the Letter inasmuch as you preach contrary thereunto that I shall instance in these particulars following As first you say that the holy Law of God cannot be kept by the best of Saints while they live upon earth Which doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures and to the experiences of the Saints recorded therein for David said that he had kept them Psal. 119. 166 167 198 verses And St. John saith That hereby shall the Saints know that they know him to wit if they keep his commandements 1 Joh 2. 3. intimating that he that doth not keep the commandements of God doth not know him and again He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him vers. 4. What Ministers are you then that not onely preach contrary to the Letter of the Scripture but also contrary to the experience of the Saints Secondly you say there is no perfection to be attained here and so preach a doctrine contrary to the Letter of the Scriptures for Christ commanded his Disciples to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect and the Apostles doctrine was for the perfecting of the Saints and he said he spake wisdome amongst them that were perfect this being so I shall leave all sober men to judge whether you be true Ministers of the Letter and yet are so bold as to say you make the Scriptures your rule I could clearly instance in many more particulars that you are no true Ministers of the Letter of the Scriptures but these are sufficient Secondly I affirm That you are not Ministers of the Spirit neither of which the Apostles were able Ministers for you contrary to the Scriptures and to the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ say That Revelation is ceased whenas our Saviour himself expressly saith No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whom soever the Son will reveal him Mat. 11. 27. So then its evident enough that all you who deny Revelation know neither the Father nor the Son whom to know is life eternal and without the knowledg of whom you cannot know the mind of the Spirit for the Spirit of the Lord revealeth not the thing of its self to any but to those that receive the teaching of the Father and the Son and no man can know the Father and the Son but by Revelation So that it appears to all men of a good understanding that you are neither Ministers of the Spirit nor of the Letter Now since it is thus evident that you are no Ministers of the Spirit as the true Ministers were nor yet true Ministers of the Letter Whose Ministers may some say are they I answer You are Ministers of Antichrist and found to be in the doctrine of the Church of Rome whose belly is your god whose glory is your shame who mind earthly things you are fruitless trees cumbring the ground and whose end is to be burnt and consumed by the breath of his mouth and by the brightness of his coming and this will be your reward and portion without speedy Repentance and turning from your wickedness whereby you craftily deceive the simple and mislead the innocent whom the Lord will teach for he hath said His people shall bee all taught of him FRiend my purpose is not to plead against a Gospel-maintenance for Gospel-Ministers no God forbid for I own both but to cry out against Tythes and a forced maintenance as all men of sobriety and moderation do and must do if they approve themselves true Christians I say the true Worshippers cannot maintain a false Ministry nor uphold the Temple of Idols as well knowing they must fall together with all the Ceremonies and false Doctrine practised and preached in them and by them Nor had I been found to discover thy nakedness to the world hadst thou not so visibly appeared to be cloathed with a shadow and to be found disowning the Wedding-garment And now let me ask thee and those of your generation and profession On whose heads do you think all the guilt of that blood that hath been shed in England for Tithes within these seven years past besides the loss of goods and lives of many of the dear servants of the Lord will light if not on you who plead for and will have Tithes and force a maintenance from the servants of God contrary to their consciences Do you think to shuffle it off from yourselves and lay it upon the Civil Magistrates O no! you cannot though they are not guiltless herein the Lord will not be mocked for you are the men who have robbed the Lord of his honor and his people of their goods liberties and lives to put into your bellies and to uphold carnal Ordinances which perish with the usings and to keep alive your dead Meetings dead Prayers dead Preachings dead Doctrines dead Fasts dead Exercises and dead Ministry Friends let me tell you your foundation it in death and therefore your dead Structure will fall to the dust and the house you have built fall upon your own heads all the powers of the earth being too weake to uphold it And that in thy Paper which is not answered herein is left to another hand to answer partly because I wanted room in this Sheet not willing to bestow Sheets upon thee concerning this matter Now that I may not leave you without a word of Counsel I do in love to all your souls admonish you to come out of Babylon your Land of Confusion and where your Language is confounded and come unto the true fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and the way to a good understanding in the things of God and so in time as you be faithful may you become Gospel-Ministers and receive Gospel-Maintenance By a Member of the true Church and of that Society which the world calls QVAKERS The End