Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	darkness_n	light_n	walk_v	4,073	5	8.1342	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34988	Charitable advice in a letter to the French Protestants, into whatsoever parts of the world dispers'd, by reason of their present sufferings and persecutions, from the hands of the Roman Catholicks / first written for the use of the French Protestants by Stephen Crisp ... ; and since translated out of the French, for more publick benefit.	Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1688 (1688)	Wing C6926; ESTC R37689	10,838	17

the Sanctification of his Soul and Reconciliation of it to God to have been only a professor of such points of Doctrine though they were never so pure holy and orthodox Because they that have had a bad Education and have been brought up in ways of darkness and full of the errors and corruptions of this World invented by sinful man have also a Conscience though stain'd and defil'd by the aforesaid Darkness and the ill precepts of their Teachers they pride themselves in their Errors and would fain have them pass for so many Truths embracing Darkness instead of Light and walking by the Light of that fire which they themselves have kindled crying aloud Thus did our Forefathers and alleadging Antiquity for a Cloak to cover their Errors and Abominations All which nevertheless is far from justifying them for on the contrary it renders them the more blame-worthy But this is not all these Consciences thus deceived have most commonly this property That they employ their utmost endeavours to make every mans Conscience comply with theirs and when they cannot compass their designs by perswasion nothing is more grievous to them as they also esteem it the greatest piece of Religion to persecute and destroy all who will not be of their perswasion All which is a manifest token that they are the Children of the Destroyer and are about his work of such our Saviour Christ prophesied truely when he said They shall think they do God good service when they kill you And yet even these men will plead their Consciences for what they do but alas they make it appear by their Deeds who has the government and conduct of their Consciences They cannot be so impudent as to say 't is the Lovely and Sweet Spirit of Jesus Christ but must needs confess it to be the force of a corrupted Education nourished and kept up by the continual inspirations of the Devil II. The next thing that is apt to get dominion over the Consciences of men is worldly interest those who are led away by this are such as do not heartily embrace any Religion but take the liberty to form in their imagination such an idea of Conscience as may best suit their Profession and contribute to their Worldly Profits Pleasures and Advantages so that it is plain they are Christians without a Cross and consequently no true Disciples of Jesus Christ who did in express Terms Deny all those to be his Disciples who would not deny themselves and take up their Cross and follow him But alas How difficult is it to such men to make any Scruples of Conscience or to be faithful to their Consciences who if any worldly Loss happen to them or any danger threaten their Gains or Pleasures what earnestness and care will they not make use of to force their Consciences to comply with any Side What Methods will they leave untry'd What Way will they not turn themselves though all their carnal Arguments cannot make them believe otherwise than they do in Effect believe Yea moreover they do oftentimes for Interest-sake force themselves to Profess such things as they do not nor cannot believe which is certainly the highest Abomination in the Eyes of God. Such Men are most commonly Encompassed with the thickest Darkness and Abandoned to a reprobate Spirit because for worldly Ends they preferr'd Darkness before Light and must therefore expect to dwell therein for ever III. The third and last way by which Men's Consciences are deceived is When they give up their Consciences to the Governance and Management of others Such may be said Not to have the free Exercise of their Consciences because they are engaged to another Man besides they ntirely inca●pacitate themselves to receive any Illumination by the Inspiration of the Spirit of God in their Hearts and so continue Vassals and Bondslaves to him whom they have subjected themselves unto and from him they receive their Precepts and Instructions though he may prove to be the most wicked Man in the World. They do not Consider that the Lord heretofore complain'd in this wise The Way which they should walk in to come unto me is taught them by the Precepts of Men from whence it is plain They ought rather to have chosen God himself for their Teacher But Oh! In what a miserable Condition are these poor Souls And with what Uncertainty do they follow that which Abandons them to the Government of another who must order and direct their Thoughts their Faiths their Lives and Actions Not considering that if he fall into a Ditch they must fall also with him But this is not all he who has thus blindly submitted himself to another's Conduct is no more Master of himself nor free in the Lord but Servant to another Man and so we may see that Error Darkness and Blindness are far from that Spirit which Jesus Christ sent according to his Promise To guide his People into all Truth and which he said the World could not receive For we see Men do all they can to hinder themselves from coming and hearkning to the Instructions of his Spirit chusing rather to build their Faith upon a Priest's or Fryar's Sleeve than trust themselves in God's Hands though all the while they do not own these men to be Infallible either in their Doctrines Lives or Actions For every Day one may observe their base Failings and Mistakes their Wicked Life their Cruelty their Hypocrysie and their Pride But how should it be otherwise with them when they will not preserve themselves from and Watch against the Ambushes of Satan who is their principal Director How can any Man be so Blind and void of Understanding as to think he can have Pardon and Remission of his Sins from such an one who is not able to deliver himself but suffers himself dayly to be led away by the Suggestions of the Devil to Evil Lusts and Concupiscences and who has himself as much need of another and he again of another Ghostly Father Ah! Where now is the pure Light of Christ in the Conscience which should govern it in one Man as well as in another to teach them to keep their Consciences void of Offence towards God and towards all Men O! Would to God Men would hearken to and seriously reflect on these things O that they would not forget to deal with the Holy Spirit as God hath appointed them 'T is this that would nourish and fortifie all the good that has been Implanted by a good Education and would moreover cause all the Knowledge we can acquire to flourish in Vertue and good Manners This would chase away and banish all the Evil that has been sown by a bad Education This would teach you to quit all Wordly Interest and give up your selves intirely to the Lord to be taught and directed by the Spirit and Light of Jesus Christ which would so open your Eyes that you would become more Learned and Knowing than your Teachers in the Mystery of