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
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

should thus separate themselves from the society of the Saints pretending doubtlesse therein to be led by the Spirit Thus we see self-separation from the true Church is a Scripture Character of false-Teachers and Seducers Amongst many such separations that of the Donatists is as to our present purpose very considerable The Father of this Sect was Donatus a Numidian who meerly out of Envy and Spite because Cecilian was prefer'd before him to the Bishoprick of Carthage and his devilish Designe which he conceiv'd hereupon for the extirpation of him and all the Bishops that ordain'd him by a false accusation fell to the ground in Contempt of all their Churches built up his Wall of Separation And though by his Pride Envy Lying and Malice he had printed so many staines upon his own soul yet had he the impudence to affirme that could be no true Church which was not altogether without spot or blemish and that such was the Church by him founded and father'd and no other in the world And yet they had no better Marks of their unstained Purity then these following Articles of their Faith viz. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE that no man must be prest to the Practice of piety but every man left to live as he list TOLERATION OF ERROURS that the Magistrate might punish no man for his Opinion though never so wicked in Matters of Religion REBAPTIZATION OF BELIEVERS that Believers Baptiz'd in their Infancy ought to be rebaptiz'd because Infant-Baptisme was a Nullity KILLING NO MURDER that though the Magistrate might not by virtue of his Office punish any man for his Religion or conscience yet they themselves being thereto moved by the Spirit might lawfully and without any scruple kill any man that was not of the Houshold of Faith or rather of the Synagogue of Satan if they had him at an advantage But may we not say of them and receive our warrant from our blessed Saviour * Joh. 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the TRUTH because there is NO TRUTH in him When he speaketh a LYE he speaketh of his own For he is a LYAR and the Father of it Now after a while this Church of the Donatists was divided in it self and so one separation still springing from another it at length expir'd in a fruitful Dissolution For as Vipers are said to have a bloody Birth by the Death of the Dam thus issu'd from the Bleeding Bowels of this divided Church many petty Congregations and yet all of them in some of the foremention'd Features and Lineaments somewhat resembling both Father and Mother Thus was the Schismatical Confederacy which at first rent it self from the true Church minc't and mangled as Augustine speakes In minutula Frustula Into small shreds of Society amongst whom there was nothing retain'd but a few rags of Religion which were not sufficient to hide their Nakednesse either from the eyes of God or men The chief of these Sub-Sects was that of the Circumcellions so called from their Cells and Cottages in which they liv'd separated from all Society that they might have the more freedome for the use of certain Austerities as they pretended for self-mortification But the truth is they rather lurkt in them as Lions in their Dens to take the better advantage for the exercise of their cruelty in the murder of Innocents For without touch of humanity these bloody Monsters would barbarously murther all they met with that were not of their Religion whereby they became more dangerous then High-way Robbers and more detestable then the vilest of men as being Enemies to mankind And thus at length did that separated Church which gloried in its singular sanctity produce a Company of common Cut-throats And by all this we see that Seducers are justly Stigmatiz'd with this brand of SEPARATISTS They are such as have a high Opinion of themselves though never so bad and a low Opinion of others though never so good and so they separate themselves from the Saints as being too good for their Society But we know that God himself vouchsafes to be present in the Assemblies of his Saints † Psal 89.7 Mat. 18.20 These therefore are by the Apostle fitly stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of themselves but despisers of those that are good * 2 Tim. 3 2 3. And therefore however they may make a glorious Profession of godliness if we duly consider their Properties and Practices they are such as carry a flat contradiction to that golden Rule of the Gospel † Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme other better then themselves It 's true some of them it may be are of a Life unblamable But Haeresis docta est mentiri non Lingua tantum sed Vita si Fidem interrogas nihil Christianius si Conversationem nihil irreprehensibilius quae loquitur Factis probat * Bern. Ser. 65. in Cant. Heresie is not to learne the Art of Lying which it can performe not with the lips onely but with the Life also If you demand an account of their Faith there is nothing more Christian if you make enquiry of their Conversation its most unblamable and look what they affirme in their words they 'l by their works confirme it But the more holy they are in appearance the more hurtful An unblamable life is the fittest Field for Satan to set his snares in to take deceived souls The Serpent hath a beautiful skin but a deadly sting A beautiful Harlot shall have the most Followers Beautiful and glorious Appearances oft vaile the foulest and filthiest Abominations The great WHORE comes forth in a glorious Dresse and gives her Lovers Poyson to drink in a golden Cup. Behold her as she is represented to us in the Coelestial Mirrour of the REVELATION And sayes John the Divine † Rev. 17.4 the woman was aray'd in Purple and Scarlet-colour and decked with gold and precious stone and Pearles having a golden Cup in her hand full of Abominations and filthinesse of her Fornication The Spouse of Christ is not more glorious in her Apparel and Ornaments then this Mother of Abominations A Scarlet Robe may cover an ulcerous Body The Plague of Errours may be upon a man that wears cloth of Gold in his Conversation Satan never shews himself so much a Devil as when he appears like an Angel of Light And if Satan himself is thus transformed into an Angel of Light it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall be according to their works * 2 Cor. 11 14 15. The third Mark Railing and Reviling SEducers are wont with enticing words to deceive weak and unstable soules but to load them that are sound and stedfast in the Faith with vile Invectives and

2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and † Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle † Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus † Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full † Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven † Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope † Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth † Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * ●sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD † Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 ●8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture † Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished

words Behold the LORDS hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Eare heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear For your hands are defiled with Blood and your fingers with Iniquity your Lips have spoken Lies your Tongue hath uttered Perverseness None calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth They trust in Vanity and speak Lies they conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity They hatch Cockatrice Egges and weave the Spiders Web he that eateth of their Egges dieth and that which it crushed breaketh out into a Viper Their Webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works their Works are works of Iniquitie and the Act of Violence is in their Hands Their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood Their thoughts are thoughts of Iniquity Wasting and Destruction are in their paths The way of Peace they know not and there is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know Peace Therefore is Judgement far from us neither doth Justice overtake us We wait for Light but behold obscurity for Brightnesse but we walk in Darknesse We grope for the Wall like the Blinde and we grope as if we had no Eyes We stumble at Noon-day as in the Night we are in desolate Places as dead men We roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves We look for Judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our Transgressions are multiply'd before Thee and our sinnes testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them In transgressing and lying against the LORD and departing away from our God speaking Oppression and Revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood And Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for Truth is fallen in the street and Equity cannot enter Yea Truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey and the LORD saw it and it displeased him that there was no Judgement And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no * Or Interposer Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so rendred Job 36.32 Intercessor Therefore his Arme brought salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained Him For he put on Righteousnesse as a Breast-plate and an Helmet of Salvation upon his Head and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a Cloke According to their Deeds accordingly he will repay Fury to his adversaries Recompence to his Enemies to the Islands he will repay Recompence So shall they fear the Name of the LORD from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun when the Enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him Thus we see how miserable the State of that Nation is which is full of Unrighteousnesse Oppression and Cruelty and how dreadful the condition of that People who are guilty of these sinnes shall be when the LORD of Hosts arm'd withVengeance shall come forth in Wrath and Fury for the Execution of his Judgements These are usually the sinnes of the great men of the world The Psalmist thus describes them † Psal 73 6-10 Pride compasseth them about as a chaine Violence covereth them as a Garment Their Eyes stand out with Fatnesse they have more then heart could wish They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning Oppression they speak loftily They set their Mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the Earth Therefore his People return hither and waters of a full Cup are wrung out to them But when their Insolencies are grown intolerable God takes down their Pride with deserved Punishments When they are come to the Zenith of their glory the least touch of the Almighty's hand sends them down into the lowest Centre of wretchednesse and infelicity That may be the very moment of their Destruction wherein they think to put a Period to the Churches Peace by their bloody Tyranny and Oppression For the oppression of the Poore for the sighing of the Needy NOW will I arise saith the LORD I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him * Psal 12.5 Oppressors are wont to prey upon the Poor as the stronger Beasts upon the weaker the greater Fowles and Fishes upon the lesser They are the Leeches of the Common-wealth which suck the Blood out of its Veines the Suckers which spring from the roots of the Trees and draw away the Sap from the otherwise fruitful Branches The Oppressor is a most cruel Chymist for he distills Silver out of the sweat of poor mens Brows and Gold out of the tears of Widows and Orphans The very Laws are made use of by such as Keys to open their Coffers as Buckets to draw all the water out of their Wells Aperi Bursam ego aperiam Buccam Let me finger my Fee sayes the greedy Lawyer and I will canvase thy Cause Thus Justice runs upon Silver-wheels while Oppression rules with an Iron Rod. The Poor are dasht in pieces by the Proud like Potters Vessels Then is it time for the Judge of the World to come forth and execute Judgement Then shall they feel the strength of his strokes as well as others have felt the Power of their Pride † Isa 30.12 13 14 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel Because ye despise this Word and trust in Oppression and perversenesse and stay thereon Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high Wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an Instant And he shall break it as the breaking of the Potters Vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take Fire from the Hearth or to take water withall out of the Pit Oppression when it is become a reigning sin precedes some sore Visitation of that City presages the utter Desolation of that Land wherein it reignes We shall not doubt of the Truth of this if we do believe the Word of God * Jer. 6.6 7 8. For thus hath the LORD of Hosts said Hew ye down Trees and cast a Mount against Jerusalem This is the City to be visited she is wholly Oppression in the midst of her As a Fountain casteth out her waters so she casteth out her Wickednesse Violence and spoile is heard in her before me continually is Griefe and Wounds Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a Land not Inhabited The Riches gained by Oppression shall not prosper in the hand of Oppressors nor prefit them in the Day of wrath Forasmuch therefore saith the LORD †