Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A42489
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The love of truth and peace a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, assembled in Parliament, Novemb. 29, 1640 / by Iohn Gauden ...
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Gauden, John, 1605-1662.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing G363; ESTC R492
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24,201
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54
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of profit preferment applause and the like as Demas did 2 Tim. 4. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} It is neither truth nor peace so much they love though they stickle for both but their bellies pleasures plenty and selves which they enjoy under the wings of truth and peace 5. Many love what they think truth and happily is so yet not because it is so but because they think so extreamely biased with selfe love and pride that they pertinaciously retaine what ever opinion they have once undertaken though they cannot maintaine it only on this ground Ne videantur errâsse so hardly drawne by overcomming themselves to triumph over their errours Ita perit judicium ubi res transit in affectum nostram qualemcunque praevalere volumus sententiam quia nostra est so much doe our affections blinde briâ—â— corrupt and warpe our judgements 6. Many say they love truth but not universally not such truthes as crosse their credits opinions ends pleasures sinnes and lusts Nolunt id verum videri quod affectibus suis adversatur He loves not any Truth that loves not all as he likes not the light or Sun who is offended with any beame of it 7. Veritas animae sponsa Truth is a pure Virgin which every soule should wooe and seeke to wed to it selfe Many pretend to love it but not casto honesto amore sed meretricio prudendo Lascivientia ingenia such as fondly and wantonly out of a vanity and curiosity only court that Truth which they see is countenanced and shined upon by publick favour and authority ready enough to discountenance and forsake it if the streame of things should change Venales animae vile and mercenary soules that buy and sell the truth prostituting it not intirely loving and wedding themselves to it 8. Some to purchase their peace are ready to sell the Truth by flattering complying and mancipating their judgements to other mens opinions and errours either discovered which is very wicked or unsearched which is very weak Degenerate mindes which so easily enslave that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the noblest and soveraigne faculty of the soule which is the understanding to other mens errours never so great if their power be so too 9. Veritas animae pabulum there is as great an aptitude and proportion betweene the minde of man and truth as is betweene the eye and the object meat and the stomack now we know it must be a pure and unblemished eye that sees with certainty and constancie a cleare sound and undiseased stomack that desires likes and digests wholesome meats Such must that minde bee which loves {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Wholesome Truths sound Doctrines 1. Many are so vitiated and distempered by sin the World their Lusts and Vanities that they wholely refuse to take downe any truth what the eare may receive sometime their heart casts up againe profanely and reproachfully by their words and actions Ita veritas odium nauseam parit The speediest way to lose the love of many is freely to tell them that truth which might doe them most good for it seemes to them as Michaiahs words to Ahab odious and offensive although it gave him warning of his danger and shewed him the only way for his safety 2. Many like choyse and wanton stomacks receive and digest indeed some truths in their minds and memories but it is morbum alere non hominem only thereby the better to nourish and strengthen their erroneous humours and conceits and what ever truth they meet with is presently swallowed without chewing by some monster of opinion which they maintaine For errour is so feeble and unbottomed that it must have some buttresses and seeming basis of truth to support it By this meanes detayning the truth of God in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18. 3. Many are of so hot unquiet and cholerick stomacks that they love not truth sweetned with peace not calme and sober truths Afraid to be thought coldly if peaceably religious even in matters of lesser moment Interpreting that zeale which is but naturall passion and choler an humane feaverish and praedatorious not that holy gentle and propitious heate of love which only well digesteth sacred truths So that most men we see had neede to be called upon to love truth and peace In some hopes of preferment will doe much to pervert leaven and suppresse truth warping which way the Sunne of favour shines warmest In others despaire of preferment and popular inclinations may doe as much to disturbe peace and established truth Every way Pronus lapsus major sit cautela Few are true sincere and hearty lovers of them by the Antiperistasis of others coldnesse let the heat of your love grow more intensive 2 Which is the last particular The way most effectually to expresse the love we owe to truth and peace first to truth then to peace to both if possible Amor est pondus animae Love is the weight and motor of the soule the Spring that sets all the wheeles on worke It is a vehement active industrious unwearied invincible affection if rightly placed on worthy objects it workes wonders Amor non potest abscondi the fire of love is impatient to be hid or smothered Nescit nimium never thinks it hath done enough Est extaticus nec sinit amantem esse sui juris it hath a kinde of rapture and extatick power which transports the minde beyond it selfe and dispossesseth it of it selfe to bestow it selfe on that it loves Delicata res est amor It is a tender affection impatient of any injury or dishonour cast on what we love Et sibi lex est severissima Love needs no motive but it selfe to carry it to the extremity of its power If our love then to truth be reall it will shew it selfe 1 In the serious and earnest searching for finding out and discovering of truth for Veritas in profundo Truth is not obvious in the surface of things but hath a depth being sunk and retired from us as now we are There is a great deale of false and loose earth rubbish of Opinions probabilities and falsities to be cast away before wee come to the cleare streame of truth which by secret derivations flowes from the eternall Fountaine God There are not only grosser clouds of errours and falsities which darken truth but parelii too verisimilia seeming sunnes of truth which are but apparences and probabilities of no long continuance He then that will seeke and finde certaine and saving truth must apply himselfe to God his Word and Spirit not take it upon trust and credit of humane fancie or reason Multi taedio investigandae veritatis ad proximos divertunt errores Many out of an easinesse lazinesse or presumption take up truths from custome education prepossessed conceits shew of Antiquity excellency of mens parts c. prone to count that truth which themselves or others have a
nor yet are all truths to be prosecuted with such vehemencie heate and contention as to make Shipwrack of eithers peace The windowes and lights of truth must not bee so enlarged as to weaken the firmenesse solidity and entirenesse of the building Nor may the Walls be so thick close and compacted as to exclude or obscure the light which the Turks doe who so farre secure their peace as they forbid the searching of Truth neither darknesse may make the house of God uselesse nor breaches under pretence of letting in more light may bee made so wide as to render the edifice unsafe and tottering As divine Truth of Religion so civill truth of Judicature and Peace must kisse each other Here the veracity and conscience of Iudges and Magistrates is chiefely required that they bee Men of truth Exod. 18. 21. For false corrupt and unjust Iudges like Comets portend warres and commotions in a state scattering so malignant an influence into mens minds that every one had rather adventure the injuries of warre than suffer the injustice of peace 4 The Lovelinesse of them which will best appeare by the benefits from them why truth and peace are to be loved 1 Civill or Politicall truth is the mind of the Law the rule of Iustice the right measuring and distribution of things to every one according as equity and reason require By this truth the propriety and enjoyment of what is our own are maintained fraud injuries and violence detected punished and restrained Innocencie releeved industry maintained and incouraged due rewards to vertue and merit as well as punishments to sinne and vice are dispensed In a word the safety of your persons wives children houses lands goods honours liberties lives and all that is deare to you in this world depends upon this truth in Iudicature without which no Society of men can subsist at least not flourish but degenerate to a poore and slavish vassalage and such a lazie despondency of minds which sink them next degree to beasts seeking no more but to live having no thoughts or designes generous noble or extending beyond the present supply of back and belly See then how much they deserve publique hatred who through feare or flattery or base and sinister ends falsifie the minde of the Law at once cutting asunder that great Cable which holds the state from shipwrack turning the sword of justice put into their unworthy hands to cut the throat of lawes and liberties 2 The lovelinesse and benefit of Divine truth revealed whereon our Faith our Religion our Soules our Church depends is so great that no time or words serve to let it forth By this light of sacred truth we know our selves in our worst lost sinfull and damnable estate wherein else as heathen or beasts we should stupidly and miserably die and perish By this we know God in his infinite mercies through Christ which is life eternall Ioh. 17.3 By this we discover his grace and love to us for our free justification by the righteousnesse of Christ and sanctification by his Spirit By this truth the burthens of our sinnes our feares our miseries the horrour of death hell and eternity are disarmed and releeved by this blessed light of truth wee have many sweet and precious promises to support us in all states and all tryals and temptions But this as Moses from Mount Nebo we discover the pleasant and happy prospect of heaven and eternity the joyes peace pleasure happinesse and security of that after-state wee expect in the other world we see a full though future victory over sinne fatan flesh world men death hell and all a full tryumph and crowning of the soule and body in eternall glory You may see then how little experience or knowledge they have of this truth and the comforts by it who are weary of it enemies or indifferent to it Better not have the truth than having it to want the love of it 3 The amiablenesse of peace publick and Nationall in Church or State it is like the smiling of a beautifull face when peace flourisheth with truth O how lovely is it at once to serve God with purity and safety with sincerity and security to enjoy the blessings of Gods right and left hand together To eat every man with joy and cheerfulness of heart the fruit of his owne vine and plantings to reape the harvest hee hath sowed to dwell in the house hee hath builded to enjoy the wife he hath espoused and the children he hath begotten Your owne long and happy experience may best teach you what is the beauty and sweetnesse of the breasts of peace whence plenty flowes Learning Arts industry trading thrive and prosper your private and in them the publike strength honour and treasure increaseth God grant you be not taught to prize and be thankfull for it by the want of it your selves look over Sea on the sad and black Characters which fire famine and sword have wrot nay ingraven and ploughed upon the faces of men women and children on their houses fields vineyards Cities Churches c. and you may with weeping and amazed eyes reade this lesson O the sweet and lovely blessings of Truth and Peace O the horrid hideous deformity of errours and warres En quo discordia gentes Perduxit miseras 3 Wee come now to the third generall head having seene what truth and peace are how well they agree how much they merit our love now we goe on to the last part which is our duty Therefore love them Here wee will inquire two particulars 1. What need there is that men should bee thus exhorted to love these which have so attractive a lovelinesse in them 2. Wherein most effectually wee must expresse our love to them I Although nothing more deserve our love yet such is the ignorance dulnesse or depravednesse of mens mindes affections and manners that few there are which truely love them First some love neither Truth nor Peace of which temper the Iesuitick spirit seemes to be which deceives the Nations with the Cup of errour and scatters coales of fire and dissention among men Secondly some love truth but not peace zealously affected to truth but for want of sound and steddy knowledge or meeke and humble hearts they are full of violence and bitternesse so prone to strife and contention that from words and disputes they easily kindle to blowes Some when you speak to them of peace prepare for war Quia multis utile bellum their best fishing being in troubled waters Thirdly some love peace but not truth as Ishachar sluggishly couching between the burthens of Superstition and Oppression rather than trouble their Peace in a land of plenty Out of a lazie grosse and sensuall humour so addicted to the enjoyments of peace that they care not what encroachments are made on Truth Fourthly many seeme to love them but not simply per se and propter se but corruptly and partially for by-ends and advantages to bee had by them