Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	divine_a	faith_n	revelation_n	3,458	5	9.7228	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74691	The arraignment of ignorance: or, ignorance. With the causes and kinds of it; the mischiefes and danger of it, together with the cure of ignorance: as also, the excellency, profit, and benefit of heavenly knowledge, largely set forth from Hos. 4. 6. / By W. G. Minister of the word at Lymington in the County of South-hampton.	Gearing, William.	1659 (1659)	Wing G429; Thomason E1760_1; ESTC R209751	109,901	231

Hebrews to wear Ear-rings giving them thereby to understand that their beauty and grace was in an obedient ear Direct 6 If thou wouldest attain to the knowledge of God take heed of vain curiosity in searching after the knowledge of those things that are too high Non possum unum cogitare quin trium fulgore confundor nec tria possum dicere quin subitò ad unum referor Greg. Nazian and too wonderfull for thee in earthly kingdomes there he mysteria regis which it is better many times to be ignorant of then to know as he knew well that being come to the Court of a great King being asked by the King wat he should do for him told him that his desire was to know none of his secrets indeed there are some mysteria Dei that are inscrutabilia as Job 11.7 8 9. Canst thou by searching find out the Almighty to perfection It is as high as heaven what canst thou do deeper than hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the Sea there be many things in the nature of God as we cannot find out as also concerning the subsistence of three Persons in one entire Essence of which Justin Martyr saith he would believe it was so because the Scripture taught and told him so but how it should be so he could neither himself find nor would he have others too curiously to search but though there be some mysteria regis that cannot clearly be known yet there are mysteria regni and these are necessary to be known To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven Luk. 8.10 saith Christ to his Disciples things revealed are for us and for our children It pleaseth God out of his goodnesse to propound many things touching the knowledge of himself to be believed and not questioned which nowithstanding might naturally be known Quest Why are those things that cannot be searcht out by reason propounded to be believed by faith Resp 1 Because man is ordained to higher matters than he can naturally know and no man will desire or study for what he knows not therefore it is necessary that we believe what we cannot naturally know of God Spiritual and eternal things do intellectum nostrum excedere to these we are ordained therefore we must believe them and it helpeth to the true knowledge of God for we never know God truly till we know him to surpasse whatsoever we can know or think of him 2. Because otherwise every man would teach and maintain what seemed true to himself This confuteth the errour of Simonides who said that it did decere hominem humana tantùm mortalem mortalia sapere Now the truth of faith and reason are not contrary one to another 1. The verity of Christian Faith exceedeth that of humane reason but it is not contrary to it saith Aquinas the reason is because nothing is contrary to truth but falfhood therefore whatsoever things are known true naturally they cannot be contrary to Divine truth 2. The same teacher will not teach contrary Doctrine especially such a teacher as God is but God taught those things that are naturally known therefore they are not contrary to those things that are known by a supernatural revelation and received by Faith 3. God would not be the Author of contrary knowledges and these would hinder the one the other whereas they do not hinder but help rather therefore the knowledge or verity of faith cannot be contrary to the verity of reason Illud quidem quod veritas patefacit lihris V. sive N. Testamenti nullo modo potest adversum esse Ergo. August Naturalia mutari non possunt contrariae opiniones eidem inesse non possunt Indeed many mysteries of faith do exceed reason but are not contrary to it and therefore whatsoever is brought out of natural reason against the documents of faith it cannot be of the nature of infallible demonstrations but meer cavils and sophistications Duplex est veritas divinorum There is a double verity of things divine the one our reason may reach the other it cannot that it may reach is probable the other demonstrative the one we must prove by the other Sicuti minus nota per notiora As things lesse known by things more known by the books of holy Scriptures by the books of old Philosophers and by miracles The first book considereth God simply in himself the second the creatures as they proceed from him the third as they are again referred to him Be not then too curious in searching after hidden secrets concerning God Curiosity saith a learned man makes more offendours in prison then learned in Schooles Nich. Caussin holy court and ever the desire to know what God would have hidden is paid with ignorance of ones self The Statue of Curiosity is on a moving Globe what more inconstant it is full of wings what lighter its sprinkled all over with eyes what more watchful its filled with ears what more industrious in the discovery of things it hath a mouth perpetually open for is is no sooner filled by the eares but emptied by the mouth its lodging is at the sign of the Vacuum for what is more vain its attire is spiders webs what more frivolous its table and viands is smoke what more slender and hungry her officers are many liars and impostours for such people are its favourits before it a certain itch of knowledge goes Melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia Aug. in verb. Apost serm 20. for it is the ordinary messenger thereof at her right hand stands opinion for it is it that deceives her at the left tattle 't is that which instructeth her after her followeth disturbance of spirit ignorance and misery for it is his inheritance in the end Thus he I shall conclude this with that of Augustine Faithful ignorance saith he is better than rash knowledge Direct 7 Art thou ignorant do not conceale thy ignorance but discover it A man that is ignorant Marcella à Hieronymo saepe quaerebat non ut contenderet sed ut quaerendo disceret earum quaestionum solutiones quas opponi posse intelligebat Hieron in prooem Epist ad Galat. and yet thinks he hath no need of the counsel of others is no better than a beast among men If thou readest the Scriptures and canst not understand without an interpreter go to Ministers or experienced Christians to any that are learned in Gods Word to know the meaning of it as men do to Lawyers in difficult Law-cases to be resolved by them God gives more knowledge to some than to others that they might as Conduit pipes pour out to others It was the practise of the Disciples in many things wherein they were ignorant to come to Christ and desire to be instructed by him as Math. 13.36 they say unto him Declare to us the Parable of the tares and Marke 9.11

understandings that hath the key of David that in some measure you may be able to comprehend Divine Mysteries that they may not be as a sealed book unto you Esay 29.9 10 11. Pray further with David Psal 8611 Teach me O Lord thy way and I will walk in thy truth As God hath set a course to the Heavens with all their Hosts the Sun Moon and all the Stars and as he hath set the Sea his bounds which he must not passe without his permission yea special injunction So he hath not left man at liberty to do what he listeth but hath appointed him a way to walk in instructing him in the knowledge of himself this appeareth in that presently after he had made our first Parents Adam and Eve he gave them divers directions how to order and carry themselves 1. By sanctifying a Sabbath and resting from their labours the seventh day as God did from his Genes 2.2 3. 2. By dressing and keeping the Garden Genes 2.15 3. By abstaining from and not medling with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge Genes 2.17 Then after their Fall and expulsion out of Paradise he taught them how to worship him and serve him which instructions doubtlesse he imparted to his posterity else what can we imagine should move his sons Cain and Abel Gen. 4. to offer sacrifice and afterwards he instructed Noah before the coming of the Flood to prepare an Ark wherein to preserve himself and Family with a certain number of all kind of creatures whereby the species and kinds might be preserved and the world renewed Genes 6.14 ad finem Then after the Flood he instructeth them what they should eat and from what they should abstain Genes 9.3 4 Afterwards he instructeth Abraham and gives him as it were an Epitome or abridgement of his whole worship and service saying I am God Almighty walke before me and be perfect Genesis 17.1 Again in the same Chapter he gives him particular instructions concerning Circumcision and in divers other places about other matters and thus in a continued Series Rank and Succession he hath from time to time taught his people first by Moses and afterwards by his other Prophets as he tells us Hosea 8.12 So Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee c. Now if any one shall demand where this duty is shewed he may finde it Deut. 10.12 13. You see then that from the beginning man hath not been left to himself but been instructed by God in the way wherein he should go Direct 4 Be conversant in the Scriptures which are the rules of knowledge he that will be a Physitian must learn the precepts that teach Physick he that will be a Musitian must learn the rules of Musick the Oratour must learn the rules of Rhetorick the Plough-man the rules of husbandry and so every man the rules of his profession or else he shall never be a proficient in his Art or Science nor be accounted a Crafts-man that is ignorant of the principles of his Craft even so no man can attain to the practice of those duties that belong to a Christian that is ignorant of the rules of the Word he that is ignorant of the Scriptures is ignorant of Christ Qui Scripturam ignorat Christum ignorat Hieron praefat in Isaiam saith Hierome It is a most happy ignorance saith Hilary which rather deserves reward then pardon when a man trusteth to the Scriptures in that he cannot comprehend therefore let me exhort you to study to read the Scriptures they are able to make you wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 read them frequently it is recorded of Alphonso King of Spain that he read over the Bible with Lyra's glosse and notes upon it fourteen times notwithstanding his other employments and of Anthony an Egyptian Monke August lib. 1. de doct Christ Dom. 5. post Epiph. of whom Austine in his first book de doctrina Christianâ saith that though he had no learning yet by often hearing the Scriptures read and meditating upon what he heard he learned much of them without book and attained a competent measure of understanding and knowledge Comparate vobis Biblia animarum pharmaca Chrysost homil ad pop Antioch Chrysostome thus exhorts the people of Antioch Get ye Bibles the Physick of your soules read them often for there you may find a salve for every sore a medicine for every spiritual malady here is the bread of life that must feed our hungry souls here is the light that must direct and guide us in the way to heaven as Bishop Cranmer in his Preface before the Bible The Book of God is the treasure of knowledge Hieron epist ad Paulin. Singuli libri singula fercula Anbros offic lib. 1. cap. 22. as Hierom speaks Convivium sapientiae a banquet of wisdom so many books so many messes the Scriptures are saith Doctor Sutton like to Tagus in Lusitania or Ganges in India which the Scripture calleth Pishon whose very sand and gravell is gold but when an ignorant man seeks Christ in them he falls into many Labyrinths like the Jewes and loseth himself when he should feast at this table his meat becomes his poyson the savour of it killeth him because it is the savour of death to him when he seeks for gold he is blind-folded and falls into a pit for the vaile is over his face 2 Cor. 3.5 that which should be his Pilot is like an ignis fatuus to seduce mislead him most men desire to be conversant in those Authours that treat of good arguments for the ripening of their knowledge and therefore many are delighted in history which doubtlesse is a very commendable study and the more comendable if men propound to themselve the Acts of these famous and honourable personages of whom they read not only to be admired but also to be imitated and followed as occasion shall be offered Some men are so given to the search of antiquity and finding out of nice quirks and quaint distinctions as they will take infinite toile to read Manuscripts and rude dunstieall Writers whereby they have lost even the habit of writing and speaking handsomely themselves others again are so delighted and carried away with a delicate smooth phrase and fluent stile as they will vouchsafe even to read most obscene Authours for their matter good for nothing but for the dung-hill to learn a good phrase and composition of speech Now if you defire both excellent matter and eloquent words then read the Scriptures diligently and when you have so done tell me what learning there lacketh To begin with that which every one makes most reckoning and account of and how deservedly I will not dispute I mean the Law if ever thou meanest to be a good Lawyer have recourse to the Law of God the ground of all humane Lawes and observe what Lawes were moral and perpetual binding all people