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
B09776	The Anabaptists meribah: or, VVaters of strife. Being a reply to a late insulting pamphlet, written by Thomas Lamb, merchant, intitulled, Truth prevailing against the fiercest opposition; or, An answer to Mr. John Goodwins Water-dipping, no firm footing for church-communion. Wherein the impertinency of M. Lamb's answer, and the validity of M. Goodwin's Water-dipping, &c. are manifested by I. Price a member of the Church of Christ, whereof the said Mr. Goodwin is pastor.	Price, J., fl. 1656.	1656 (1656)	Wing P3332A; ESTC R182056	87,699	107

amongst them at that day Well take heed of haltering up that conscience of yours that tels you you have received much good from him and cannot but be sore of the wounds you have given it by your thus writing against him SECT XVI IN the close of your Epistle to the Reader you commend your book to his serious consideration with an ingenious praycr for his illumm●ation to discern the truth or mistakes therein contained and that he might chuse that that is good and refuse the evil thatshal appear unto him in the perusall thereof To your Prayer I can heartily say Amen and do believe that he to whose understanding the very Grass-Hopper of an Argument is not a burthen will be able to go on his way contrary to yours in respect of the point in controversie rejoycing and be no more troubled at the great noise of your loud pen then men of understanding are at the popping off of childrens Gun-pots SECT XVII HAving finished your Epistle to the Reader as your first Court-Gate you lead us through another before we come to your building and that is another Epistle to the Church from whence you have rent your self and this indeed is like Sampsons Hair that wherein your strength lyes which being clipt off I hope you will appear even to your self tho now you seem to have the strength and confidence of seaven men that can render a reason to be as weak as other men are This Epistle you thus superscribe TO my worthy Friends and Brethren of like precious Faith walking with Mr. John Goodwin Mr. Lamb in his second Epistle in the right Faith though not in the right Order of the Gospel SECT XVIII VVE suppose our selves in the right Order Reply as wel as in the right Faith of the Gospel and that you have disorderly and unduly departed from us and that your concluding your selfe in the Right and us in the wrong the matter being sub judice and not yet determined is nothing but a flourish before the Battel and a boasting even before your putting on your Armour as if you were putting it off But before you beat us out of the Field it wil cost you hot water as wel as cold But you court us thus HOly and Beloved I have been long your Debtor Mr. Lamb to the Church it is fit I should now pay you your own with Interect by Answering the substance of Mr. Goodwins Water-Dipping no firm footing for Church-Communion c SECT XIX HOly and beloved and yet not Holy enough nor Beloved enough for your company Reply and therefore you have withdrawn your● self from us as more Holy than we I confess you have been long our Debtor even ever since your undue departing from us having broken your promise made at your first joyning with us and by neglecting your Office being chosen an Elder amongst us thereby betraying your Trust which with all readiness of mind you took upon you at your Ordination and inauguration into your Office withdrawing from us not only without but against the leave liking and Vote of the Church But I presume this is not the Debt of your meaning but the Booke you wrote was the Debt you meant How you became a Debtor to us in that respect I know not Most certain I am if you had never paid it it had never been demanded And now we have it we are not two Mites the richer for it except it be by the discovery of your self and not of God unto us You have paid us I confess with a witness if not with a vengeance by paying our honoured beloved Pastor for the blessed Commodities of life and peace which you have received from him in such Coyn which bears the I mage superscription of the Prince of Darkness upon it scandalls and reproaches rendring him evill for good doubtless to the great trouble and disquiet of his soul You have paid the Church also the Covenants and bonds which you made signed sealed and delivered unto them in the presence of God Angells and men with Cain out of the same treasury viz. by seperations rents and divisions being it seems the Commodities of the Countries where you have traded since your departure from us In the next place YOu go to unfold the Riddle of your departing from us which you call at least by insinuation a strangeact but as Christ Jesus 2 Iohn 15. did a strange act contrary to his genius to the amazing of his Disciples viz. whip the Buyers and Sellers c. out of the Temple Yet when they called to mind that that was written 69. Psal 9. The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up this satisfied them In like manner you bid us wondring at your sudden departure from us to do as they did viz. To Plough with the heifer of the Scriptures and then we shall understand the Riddle c. SECT XX. JConfess your sudden departure from us was a Riddle and is stil as anigmaticall as ever all your writings notwithstanding as for your instance of Christs whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple and the satisfaction that the Disciples had touching that strange act by calling to mind what was written of him c. What Oyntment can we draw from hence to annoint our eyes to perceive this Riddle Help us to draw the parrallel Christ whipt the buyers and sellers of Doves Sheep Oxen c. out of the Temple Even so Mr. Lamb left departed and rent himselfe from that Church of Christ whereof Mr. Iohn Goodwin is Pastor What an apt and concinne Analogie this is The Disciples of Christ wondred at this strange act Even so the Members of the said Church wondred at Mr. Lambs strange act of separation from them The Disciples remembred that it was written The zeale of thine house hath eaten me up Even so must we Plough with the Heifer of the Scriptures and then we shall easily understand this Riddle viz. of Mr. Lambs leaving of the Church of Christ whereof Mr. Iohn Goodwin is Pastor Where is the man that shall read this unto whose understanding common sense is not a mystery in-accessible but may now easily understand this Riddle But yet there is more truth in the writing Mr. Lambs separation is a ful filling of Scripture Prophesies Iohn 12.51 than happily was meant in the writer The High Priest prophesied when he spake he knew not what that Christ should dye for that Nation of the Jews Even so Mr. Lamb in this saying viz. that if we Plough with the Heifer of the Scripture we shall understand the Riddle of his departing from us stumbles and falls at the very truth and like a blind man with a flaming Torch in his hand gives us light to see him walking in darkness Let us therefore go and plough with the heifer of the Scriptures 2 Pet. 2.15 We have a prophesie that there shall be some that shall forsake the right way and go astray Heb. 10.25

your war against the truth and people of the most high he was your match in rage and fury but he wanted your keen wit and roaring language to set it off with I say how can you read them over and not look upon them as the abhorrencie of your soul and even melt in tears for them but the Leopers lips must be covered 2. Suppose Mr. Goodwin had exceeded the rules of christianity in this kind and stumbled at that stone whereat others dash themselves in pieces was it such a worthy piece of charity to the world to be edifified by you in the discovery thereof by you I say his Son in the faith I have heard of a father who complaining that never had man so undutifull a child as he his son to throw contempt enough upon him replyed with less grace than truth my Grandfather had Do not you likewife endeavour here to render Mr. G. worse than him whom with indeed very little charity also you style an old enemy of the truth 3. I appeal to your conscience do not you believe that Mr. Goodwins end in writing this 22. consideration as wel as any of the rest was not your spiritual peace and interest according to his best thoughts and apprehensions that you might remember from whence you are fallen and repent And is this so great a crime deserving from your justice so great a censure that you should thus stigmatize him for a man of rage of fury and of a roaring language to set it off with a man of cruel mockings contemptuous revilings c. 4. Whether you do not judge it incombent as a duty upon Elders Ministers and Pastors of Churches when they perceive a danger of their Churches defection in matters of faith and practise together with other arguments from Scripture and reason to present their people and flocks over which God hath made them Overseers with the corrupt and wicked conversations of those persons I mean of the generality of those persons of the same judgement notions and apprehensions against which they argue as being fully perswaded of the corruption thereof of a dangerous tendencie to root up destroy the flourishing congregations churches of the living God Suppose some of your people baptized as you call it and gathered to your self according to your own judgement should apostize to Popery to Judaism to Turcism to Rantism and that with the plea of conscience as supposing the truth to be on their fides would it be improper or impertment if you be their Pastor amongst other arguments for their reducement to inform them of the authenticque histories relating the cruelty of the Papists the tyrany of the Turks the frauds of the Jews the prophaneness of the Ranters c. and hath Mr. Goodwin done any more 5. How were you harrased tortured and perplexed in this your answer to this 22. Consideration as if in an agony between conscience and concupiscence one while lifting Mr. Goodwin up above all his fellows for disposition and conversation according to godliness a pattern of patience humility meekness temperance and this by 20 years experience a man that hath exceeded his brethren of the Ministery in the promotion of holyness and close walking with God there being not many in his time if any at all that hath managed the same with more authority life and power another while you write him comparable with the old enemy of the truth Gangraena between whom and Mr. Goodwin say you there is but this onely difference viz. that he had not so keen a wit and roaring language to set off his rage and fury as Mr. Edwards had 6ly and lastly Instead of answering those nine particulars mentioned in this 22 Consideration you fall foul upon M. Goodwin as if your pen was in an extacie of rage and discontent and this must pass for an answer to them all and so set it pass with them that can be content to be so answered Mr. Goodwins 23 Consideration amounts to this There is no substantial argument produced to justifie such a practice of separations upon such grounds neither do he believe ever will be To this you say VVhether we have not given arguments to justifie it more than one and that grounded upon the Scriptures and your own principles and indeed the principles of all the learned I refer say you to the judgment of the Reader SECT LXXVII IF your Reader be a child in malice and a man in understanding Reply if a noble Berrean and not a giddy-headed Galathian able to try the spirits to prove all things so as to hold fast that which is good if his eyes are in his head what can he see in what you have written but a reed shaken with the wind a bubble in the ayr having indeed curious colors but fill'd only with very breath What can he see but zeal without knowledge many good words to no good purpose the holy Scriptures miserably mangled and cut in pieces like the Levites Concubine and scattered abroad throughout your book What can he see but confidence of mastery upon the very throne evidence of truth upon the very dunghil shadows of arguments exalted above the stars of God and the truth of arguments brought low and as it were covered with worms What can he see but a child of light walking in darkness and a son of desire murthering the honor of his aged father What can he see but a stragling sheep wandring away from the flock of Christ a prodigal son turning his back upon his fathers family What can he see but your high presumption in cutting off and keeping away innocent babes from Christs benediction in tearing up and rending in pieces the Churches of Christ united together by a holy covenant in obtruding your meer fancies for the objects of Faith and your unscriptural conceits for the Oracles of God in cursing those armies of Israel and flocks of Christ whom he hath blessed and in calling them common and unclean whom hee hath clensed In a word what shall he see but that notwithstanding all that you have written yet WATER-DIPPING IS NO FIRM FOOTING FOR CHVRCH-COMMVNION SECT LXXVIII To conclude If your Reader of what you have written to answer M. Goodwin be also M. Goodwins Reader of what you have pretended to answer and a Reader of such a Character mentioned in the last Paragraph I need not in the least suspect his discerning faculty in observing your most importune weakness in discovering as you call it M. Goodwins great mistakes in the exposition of eight chief Scriptures about Church-communion the truth is as in the former part of your book you call darkness light so in the rear of it you call light darkness and as the real darkness of that pretended light so the manifest light of that which you here call darkness cannot but be evidently discerned by him that wil diligently search those Scriptures and examine what M. Goodwin and your self his corrector have offered as the

ignis fatuus and conducted into Samaria in the midst of mistakes Sands his relation mentioneth a prophane Sect not long since in Aragon who affecting in themselves a certaine angelical puritie fel suddenlie to the very counterpoint of justifiing beastilitie and yet called themselves the illuminati as if they onlie had been in the light and all the world besides in darkness The Jesuits boast that the Church is the soul of the world the Clergie of the Church and they of the Clergie Wel but the Truth is dearer unto you then any man that is your opinion then any man How apt are men to assert their own opinion for tryth Though the Pharises and the Saduces were of one faith touching their oposition against Paul while they knew not of whose Judgment he was yet when he had discovered himself to be a pharesee all the Pharise stuck unto him 23 Act. 9. Jer 14 14. How often are the brats of mens own brains a 〈◊〉 vision and divination a thing of nought a deceit of their heart insisted upon as the great Truth of God Yea urged and prosecuted with a violent opposition of the palpable and manifest truths of God The Truth is dearer unto you then any man that is your apprehensions that children must not be baptized that men believers at age onlie ought to be baptized though they were baptized in their infancie that being a nul●tie Where can we find this great Truth in all the writings of Gods Word it is inde●d a serted by your self and several others of the like authoritie But alas must we receive the writings of S. The scriptures know no such truth as Mr Lamb so magnifieth as the great truth of the gospel Dominick with the same honour and credence as those of S Paul Reading the bible said a Jesuit wil sooner make a man a Luthern-Heretick then a Roman-Catholick And at a publick Assemblie of the States of Germany one Albertus a Bishop by chance lighted upon a bible and reading therein one of the counsellors asked him what book that was I know not said he but this I know that whatsoever I reade in it is utterlie against our Religion So John Bishop of Misnia confessed that reading the holie bible he found there in a Religion much differing from that that was then established being poperie Certainlie an ingenious and impartial reader of the holie sciptures Old and new Testament shall find so many expressions importing the grace and favour of God through Jesus Christ unto children as that it wil hardlie enter into his beliefe that it should be the wil and pleasute of God that henceforth viz after Moses administrations are dead buried they must no more be numbred or reckoned among the familie of God but all cast out as illegitimate And when you handle the scriptures about this point how miserablie do you like the cammel with his feet before he drink of the clear waters lest he should see his deformitie trouble and muddifie the waters disturbing the plain sense and meaning thereof as we shall manifest when we come to examine your allegations of Scripture for your purpose But to proceed you tell us that Mr Mr Lamb to his Reader Goodwins credit alwaies was and stil is right dear and pretious in my sight SECT X. THis clause puts me in mind of what I have heard of two Philosophers Mr Labms pen stumbles at his duty but vents the contrary the one knocking at the others doore and demanding of a Maid that came to the door whether her master was within her master bid her say that he was not within and the Philosopher that was at the door heard him with which answer the man went away seemingly satisfied After a while the other Philosopher came unto his door and knocking the master of the house himself asked him what he would have I would speak with you said he I am not within said the Philosopher Not within said He why you speak to me from within With that said the Philosopher that was within thou clown wouldst thou have me believe thy maid vvhen she said thou wert not vvithin and vvilt thou not believe me my self vvhen I say I am not vvithin He vvould have him believe a most appatent untruth what ever Mr Goodwins credit was is it stil RIGHT dear and precious in your sight What means then your injurious and unchristian reflections upon Him What the same fountain send forth both sweet and bitter Waters It is said of the Jesuits as of false phisicians Officiosè occidunt they kiss and kil familiarlie Squire being sent out of Spanie to muther Queen Elizabath was taught to anoint the pummel of her saddle with poyson and to cry aloud in the hearing of the people when he clap it there on with his hand God save the Queen But as Christ said to Him that betraid Him with a kiss friend for so thou vvouldst be esteemed by a kiss wherefore art thou come as friend or as a foe if a friend vvhat mean these svvords if a foe vvhat means this kiss so say I to you is Mr Goodwins credit stil right dear and pretious in your sight what means then your Edwardizing H●m your gangreninizing Him your six-book-sellerring him your unhandsome and capricious handling him from place to place His Credit seems to be as right dear and precious in your sight when you wrote that book as the honour of Iesus Christ was unto them that Crown'd him indeed but with a Crown of Thoms put a Reed into his hand instead of a Scepter did bow the knee unto him with Haile King of the Iews Just as King Richard the second who when he was to be deposed was brought forth in Royall Array whereof he was presently despoyled But you justifie your present adversariness against Mr. Goodwin because it is for the Truths sake and bring in Paul reproving and that sharply too his beloved Brother Peter for his dissembling 2 Gal. 11. But is the case like this Can you with the authority of Paul charge Mr. Goodwin with the dissembling of Peter Or are you perswaded in your conscience that Mr. Goodwin argues against his conscience Paul charged Peter to his face for his unmeet contemporizing with the Iews and Gentiles to please both against his conscience Therefore Mr. Lamb may charge Mr. Goodwin in print before the face of the whole world because he will not contemporize with him and those of his judgement and comply with the Church to please them also Peter was justly reproveable by Paul for sinning against the rationall ducture of his Light therefore Mr. Goodwin is justly reproveable by Mr. Lamb because he will not sin against the guidance of his Light Is not here strange texting it After this rate of reasoning are the rest of the Scriptures quoted by you insomuch as he thar reads you seriously and knew the School of your spirituall instruction in the things of the scriptures might wel say

We read of mens forsaking the assembling of themselves together Rom. 16.17 We read of men making divisions and offences contrary unto the true Doctrine which they formerly received 1 Cor. 1.10 We have a caution which implyes a danger against divisions an exhortation to be perfectly joyned together in the same mind c. Implying that men are apt to divide first in judgment next in practise Act. 15.1 we read of some that did put life and salvation in an outward Ceremony urging that except men were circumcised after the manner of Moses they should not be saved circumcision it self not being forbidden until the necessity thereof unto justification was maintained In many places more we read that those persons that did with such importunity and upon penalty of life and salvation insist thus upon any thing but true faith in Christ Jesus did separate and proved very sore enemies unto their Opposits the true believers It is an easie matter to take severall yoaks of the Old Oxen of the Old-Testament as wel as the Heifers of the new to plough in this field There we read of Cautions Exhortations Dehortations Instances and Examples about forsaking the Covenant of God the Law of God the house of God c. and ploughing thus with the heifers of the holy Scriptures we may finde out the Riddle of your departing from us SECT XXI In the next place you charge us for mis-judging you Mr. Lamb in his second Epistle and bring in this as your consolation that Paul and Iohn and other holy men of God suffered in this kind and why not you Where have we judged you What hath been declared by the Church against you It is true your separation from us was voted by the Church to be in their judgments and consciences an undue act which you could not but expect the Church should do otherwaies they should do little less than justifie you But what ever your person all deportment hath been unto them whereof I delight not to make mention yet you know theirs unto you have been friendly and christian and that your company and guists yea and very countenance have been very welcome to them YOu tell us that no worldly thing separated you from the Church Mr. Lamb. and complain that some body dream't such a thing SECT XXII YOu say some dreamt of such a thing of you But is not this a dream of your own brain Reply If some body did dream so how came you to the knowledge of it Did they ever tell you the dream If they did dream it it was but a dream and will you be offended at mens dreams How come you to be so touchy However we see your mighty care to be wel thought of You will divide from us break your faith and trust with us seek to extirpate and root us up scandalize our Pastor in the eyes of all men rendring him evill for good and yet would not have any man so much as dream any thingamiss of you We cannot dream waking whatever we do while we sleep Well it was no outward thing caused you to quit your former standing but say you THe truth concerning it Mr. Lamb in his second Epistle viz. Baptism and your standing c. struck my conscience and the light shone into my Judgment with that clearness that I could by no means a●oid it with peace SECT XXIII TRuth struck your conscience Reply Striking implyes violence and suddenness Gods ordinary way in giving Light is by gradations causing it to shine more and more unto the perfect day making men to grow in grace The spirit of God not violent in enlightning mens judgements and in the knowledg of Iesus Christ Iacobs getting Venison so suddenly which was not ordinarily gotten but by much labour and pains though pleasure in hunting gave his father just cause to suspect that it was but some counterfeit Venison For my part I ever suspect sudden flashes God is not usually in the Earth-quake nor in the rushing wind but in the soft and still voice Clearness of Iudgement in cases controverted among the godly learned is not quickly attained This is Venison usually gotten after and by means of much Hunting I believe you have made it one of your observations that in these latter dayes some persons have been Planet-struck blinded and blasted when they have thought themselves Truth-struck You say the Light viz. in the Doctrine of Baptism shone into your judgement with clearness Isa 28.7 Zach 13. Men may erre in vision and afterwards be ashamed of their own Vision and lament themselves with wo unto us in that we have put darkness for Light and Light for darkness To study the wiles methods and subtilties of Satan in causing men to erre in judgement is a seasonable study in these slippery times for our Christian caution against his cunning his most thriving trade in these dayes being to transform himself into an Angell of Light SECT XXIV WE have not hitherto felt so much as the weight of your little finger in arguments You have spoken much of Truth of clear Light of truth in evidence of the Scripture of truth cloathed with the majesty of God meaning still in the point of Baptism and of withdrawing from those Churches that are not so and so baptized as if the ignorance here of were so scandalous that it renders men unworthy of the meanest place so much as of being Dore-keepers in the house of God I pray let us see your strength and shew us your Light For this end you tell us in these words Now what those considerations are Mr. Lamb that commanded my Iudgement to that point whereat it now standeth in the business of Baptisme which is that onely thing which separated between me you you ha●e scattered up and down in this my Answer to Mr. Goodwin but yet I think good to give you the summe thereof under a few Heads SECT XXV YOU say your considerations presented to us in your Epistle to the Church from whence you have withdrawn Reply do contain the sum of what is scattered up and down in your book Herein you utter in my judgment the truth for the spirit heart and soul of your book seems rather to be heated with zeal against Mr. Goodwin then for the truth Well sure the sum of all is in your considerations we will take them into our considerations also You deal your self out in the business thus 1. Mr. Lamb. I considered the excellency of Jesus Christ above Moses from thence argued the ungodliness and danger of slighting him in any of his Commandments AS for this consideration we with you speak the same thing and are perfectly joyned together in the same mind Reply and in the same judgment VVhat will you make of this to your separation from us That we shall see hereafter VVell proceed then 2. Mr. Lamb. I found Baptism with Water to be one of his viz. Christs commandments and ioyned