Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	devil_n	father_n	lie_n	3,415	5	9.0726	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

every where sufficiently declared their dislike and enmity against it and this sure could not but be another great prejudice to fortifie such in their gentilism and standing out against the doctrine of Christ that it was not only a thing new in it self But that no others generally shewed themselves commenders or professors of it but only contemptible and obscure persons 3. That mens mindes were every where possessed with hatred against it as for this sect said the Jews to Paul we know that every where it is spoken against Act. 28.22 yea not only spoken against but so far seemed God from owning or blessing it those that were the most zealous professors and maintainers of it met with nothing but bonds and imprisonment c ue ty or infamous deaths as rewards of their service the world hereby declaring at once its enmity against this doctrine and the professors of it and also its judgement of both that it held the former as no small crime and the latter for a sort of the most vile and unworthy persons such as were not fit to live in the world 4. There was another not the least prejudice which was common both to Jew and Gentile immediately respecting the first author of this doctrine himself namely that he whom his followers pretended was now in heaven and had power as they affirmed to bestow a glorious and eternal life after this upon his servants which was the only allective whereby they could hope to draw others to them that he when here on earth should appear to be no other then a vile infirm and infamous person that he should be made subject to mockings and whippings and a wretched death as his followers have been since without manifesting any power he had either of executing any revenge upon the persons that so used him or rescuing himself out of their hands can it be thought that the King of Israel the glorious Messiah that was so long spoke of by the Prophets before he came and had such great and excellent things affirmed of him that he now when he was come should be so far short of those ordinary kings that went before him as not only to have no retinue answerable in Pomp and greatnesse to what they had but also be exposed to such indignities as use not to befall any save the vilest sort of men is it likely but if he had been indeed such a person he would either have saved himself from the Crosse or being upon it he would as he was desired have come down thence and so have manifested his power that his enemies might have believed in him This is that reasoning that the Jewes heretofore and still to this day make use of for fortifying themselves in their infidelity and opposition against the doctrine of Christ And thus the great and wise ones of the Gentiles strengthned themselves in the like opposition they could not see how he who was so inglorious himself as it sufficiently appeared to the world Christ was by his messengers constantly preaching of his crosse and sufferings could ever come to have such a power as they affirmed he had of conferring such transcendent glory on others neither could they with all their wisdom and learning apprehend indeed they rather hindred them in this matter how outward sufferings and afflictions and death which in themselves as their reason told them was the way to or rather made up extreme misery and unhappinesse how these things should be as the Apostles affirmed they were the certain road to supreme glory and happinesse this was in their judgement an absurd and foolish thing to imagine and so in this respect Christ and the doctrine publisht by him and his servants became a stumbling block to the Jewes and to the Gentiles foolishnesse the very consideration and belief of somewhat which was true of both as namely that Christ was a person that suffered such great evils on earth and that he had taught that others by the like sufferings must expect to come to glory and happinesse was a ground whereon their wisdome built such reasonings as became a strong hold or fortresse to make them persist in their enmity against both And by all this we see what several reasonings or strong holds there were wherewith men were generally fenced against the doctrine of Christ all which were of necessity to be battered down and demolisht before it could have entrance into their mindes or they be brought to yield submission unto him And to these may be added some other reasonings in the like kind but more immediately of the devils invention that father of lies having not that truth in them which the former are to be conceived to have for the ground of them namely those false calumnies raised against the professours of this doctrine Tertul. Apol. Minut. felix as that they were haters of mankind that their meetings were for sedition or to enjoy a promiscuous satisfaction of their lusts that they killed young children and used sorceries and inchantments c. by which means we must conceive further that men were still more estranged and the strong holds erected against Christ became more powerfull and hard to be subdued Now I should shew you how these weapons formerly spoke of in the Apostles and others hands were effectuall in great part for beating down these holds for silencing and confuting these severall reasonings but first it will be fit for us to observe by reflecting upon those reasons that we have named who they are to be compared to or rather who they are true imitatours of that make use of the very same reasons in effect that is of the reasons of Pagans or unbelieving Jewes for their persisting in any old opinion or custome or opposing of that which is newly perhaps discovered and that it may be by men of no great eminency in the world Thus the Papists they plead antiquity of those corruptions of theirs which we have rejected that they and their fathers before them have thus believed and practised They plead also universality all the Christian world at that time when Luther began to oppose them and still the greatest part yet hold the same opinions with them they plead also authority many learned Councels and Fathers heretofore and at present great Cardinals and Kings and men that excell in all kind of learning as many of their Jesuites do are not onely professours but Patrons and maintainers of them that these their corruptions as we call them have had the blessing of God going along with them their Churches at present as they have long flourishing in splendour and riches and high dignities which they enjoy And to these may be added further their usuall allegations against that truth wee professe as its novelty when Luther first publisht it where was it say they for so many ages before him what number of persons or company of men can wee name that held those opinions that we do now and was all

God himself does ordinarily by degrees proceed in his works to perfection and even in discoveries of this nature Thus at first he revealed himself and the manner of his worship onely somewhat generally and obscurely to the first ages and inhabitants of the world after that somewhat more distinctly and particularly to Abraham and yet after this far more fully and perfectly to the Jewes his seed by Moses all which discoveries were yet in respect of that perfect model exhibited in the Gospel but rudiments Gal. 4.3 or elements of the world as they are called and for the Gospel which is the only full and perfect light in this kinde There was first John Baptist as the morning star or dawning before the Sun-rising sent to make way for it by preparing mens mindes through his more imperfect doctrine instilled into them for the admission of this great and splendent light the substance whereof though it was fully delivered by Christ in his preaching yet we finde even those to whom the chief care of publishing it to others was committed by him namely the Apostles through the prepossession that other opinions they had been bred up in had taken of them could not by Christs so teaching it sufficiently in all things apprehend it persisting in the belief and practise of some things contrary to what they had received from him till by some other more particular means they were convinc't to the contrary and so we finde the Jews that at first became Christians not only still in love with the practise of many Mosaick ceremonies all which were of right declared to be void by the doctrine and death of Christ but even stil in a manner permitted by the Apostles therein who could not but well consider what power prepossession must needs have in them from that whereof they had had experience in themselves and therefore upon this ground as they did not urge their authority so far as to require an absolute and universal conformity of others in all things to what they themselves taught and held so they allowed those converted Jewes in these things to dissent from them Phil. 3.15 till God in time might by some other means convince them of the unnecessarinesse and unprofitablenesse of the said ceremonies which shortly after he did most fully in suffering the Jewes Temple the place appointed for the celebrating that ceremonious worship in to be destroyed and the Jewes themselves to be excluded out of that Countrey that he had given them and so their government to be dissolved Now this I say having b●n Gods method heretofore thus by degrees and parcels to reveal his truth and bring men into a belief and submission to it why should it not be reasonable to conceive that he might do so at the time of the late Reformation that is communicate such a proportion of truth to the world then as was simply necessary and which the constitution of that time would admit but leave still some more for others in after times to finde out and therefore sure the going about to stifle or hinder all such productions of others in this kinde as go beyond the latitude of that discovery that was then made though it may sometimes possibly keep out errours yet it may as certainly be a bar to truth if ever God offer it as I know not but he may and hath by the pains of some single person to make it appear to the world and so such course is to be interpreted a resisting of his Spirit and so far a fighting against God 3. Whether it is not probable considering the great and general sinfulnesse of Christians even of those that are called Reformists or Protestants the far greater part whereof every where palpably and resolvedly allow themselves in the violation of many known lawes of Christ as vain talking and jesting executing revenge greedily seeking and projecting to lay up treasures on earth c. John 7.17.14.21 2 Thes 2.11 And withall considering that ordinary dispensation which the Scripture tels us God is wont to use either in reference to a clearer discovery of truth or giving men up to errour whether these things being considered it be not probable that some errour or errours either are or have been publickly and authoritatively maintain'd which are to be looked upon both as a root or spring of such common and epidemical sinfulness and also in part as a punishment of it Who does not see that for such opinions as are any way favourable to the flesh and mens sensual ease and enjoyments if there be but any little seeming pretense from Scripture to ground them on its authoritie how men are most generally ready and willing to believe them and who may not but know that considering the great purity and declar'd severitie of God in this kind God often uses to deliver up such persons to the power of such opinions to believe them as divine Oracles of Truth when indeed they are nothing but lies and inventions of men Upon all which grounds I conceive it altogether a thing unreasonable which hath of late been much practised and which some still approve of namely the stopping such books or opinions from coming abroad or having the favour to be publickly known or considered as are presumed to to be against some things long and generally received Now to return to the consideration of that which we last spoke of namely the strength of these strong holds formerly mentioned the reasonings I mean which the learning and wisdome of great ones heretofore suggested to them whereby to maintain their standing out against Christ and the profession of his doctrine I shall now briefly shew you how these forts were demolisht how their reasons were in great part silenced and confuted and that was by no other way but by the use and power of those weapons formerly spoke of The Apostles and others then that had the managing of the said weapons did not deny what these opposers affirm'd either as relating to the upholding the credit of their own religions or towards the abating the esteem of that which they were to be perswaded to that is they did not denie but that those Religions of the Gentiles were ancient and generally received and that men of great dignity and place were Patrons and professors of them nor that they had had outward prosperitie joyn'd with them Neither did they deny that this Religion of Christs was then new not that it was publisht and profest by mean persons and accompanied with the rage and enmity of the world That the Author of it did indeed suffer those vile evils by them objected without avenging himself which made him seem so despicable a person in the eyes of the world and that he hath taught such kind of sufferings having the like meeknesse and humility to what he exprest joyn'd to them to be the only road that leads to eternal happinesse and glory They did I say deny none of these things

neither did they go about by any the like prudential considerations to commend the doctrine which they held forth and so to maintain the side that they were of which would have been in effect only to make the matter alike disputable on either side so that men should not have known where to have setled but they did infallibly and convincingly shew that all those things being admitted for truths that were objected that which the alledgers of them laboured to infer thence namely the worth and authority of those Religions of their own they stood for and the falshood and unworthinesse of that which hereupon they oppos'd could no way be inferr'd yea they did most plainly and demonstratively prove that notwithstanding all the seeming advantages of the one side and disadvantages on the other the one that is those Paganish religions were lies and inventions of the Devil and that the other namely this of Christs was a certain and infallible truth deriv'd from God and necessarily by all to be assented and submitted unto Both these things I say they did most evidently prove and manifest by the use of the former weapons for who must not but grant that that which God himself disowns and condemns and sets himself against what ever other considerations there may seem to be for the commendation of it is false and impious and deservedly to be rejected as on the contrary that which he owns and approves and commends to men what ever seeming prejud●ce there may be otherwise against it is most true and honourable and wo thy of all men to be received now God did sufficiently declare both these when hee made bare as the Prophet speaks his otherwise invisible arm of powe● in the sight of all the nations in those stupendious miracles that were acted by the Apostles those signes and wonders and mighty deeds as the Apostle speaks by those he did abundantly declare otherwise then was possible by any humane strength or eloquence even as if hee had immediately in some audible voice spoken from heaven that hee was the true authour and approver of that doctrine the Apostles publisht and contrarily the condemner of that which they opposed by those he declared that who ever should stand out and resist the Apostles message in this kind thus by him born witnesse unto they should therein not so much oppose themselves against them as against him himself who thus declared that hee sent them 'T is true some impostors might through the assistance of the devil do sometimes some such strange feats as might raise admiration in the beholders and work some especially of the weaker sort to give credit to them in believing such lies as they broacht but besides that none of these were any true miracles they were ordinarily such as onely served to beget admiration not to derive any true profit to those that were partakers of them there was no healing of the lame or giving sight to the blinde or raising of the dead and further the persons that were actors of them were ordinarily infamous for some kind of wickednesse or other and did these things for getting themselves a name and to gain thereby worldly profits and advantages to themselves But here in these miracles that were acted by the Apostles it was farre otherwise they were truly what they appeared to be things beyond the Sphere of nature or any created power not only admirable in themselves but the benefit thereof was as evident and for the persons the Actors of them though therein they manifested a greater majesty and power to be accompanying them then that which any or all the Kings and Emperours of the world had namely such as was truly divine and of Gods immediate impresse yet so farre were they from priding themselves herein or arrogating and seeking any honour or profit hereby to themselves that they neglected not the meanest employments whereby they might be helpfull to others how low soever in the world yea they did not forbeare but still made use of these ordinary mean callings wherein they had formerly lived as fishing and tent-making thereby to provide necessaries for themselves by which means as they in part shewed those divine qualities which they commended to others of charity and humility and contempt of the world and withal the necessity and possibility of them so they did further by their zeal in propagating that truth which they had publisht being sufficiently conscious to themselves of the want of worldly assistance or humane learning and eloquence when they knew before hand that bonds and imprisonments abode them that persecutions and miseries were all the rewards they were like to expect from the world by these I say they did sufficiently declare that it was not the power of flesh but a power mightier then any the world had even the immediate power of God and his Spirit that thus carried them on And so we see they were every way mighty for the pulling down of these strong holds mighty through God it was not an earthly worldly mightines that appeared in them such as it must needs have been if either they had gone about with eloquence and learned discourses or with the concurrent assistance of some great and powerfull persons in the world to perswade men to what they taught but a mightines far above these such as was immediately derived to them from Heaven and could not but appear to be such to all that were willing to observe the workings of it or would not wilfully shut their eyes against it This was that might or power of God which going along with them in their preaching made the Gospel they preacht though still it was with some namely such as wilfully hardned and opposed themselves as foolishnesse to appear to those that were willing to know the truth as indeed it was the wisdome of God and the power of God And the effects of this mightinesse on others was quickly seen in the world those ancient religions or rather superstitions that so long had had possession in it and so many friends and supporters having in a manner all the great wits and princes of the world contributing their care and strength for the upholding of them and contrarily for extinguishing that doctrine which by the power of that might was to be brought in they all in a little time vanisht and came to nothing and that which was thus opposed daily grew into more credit and strength in the world notwithstanding all the adversities and discouragements that still threatned the known professours of it Tertull. tels us that in his time In his Apol. when the Church was yet still under persecution and the professours of the doctrine of Christ in regard of the enmity the Princes and Governours of the world still bare unto it had hardly any other expectation but to be exposed to disgraces and persecution for the profession of it yet that even then the number of such professours was so great that they had