Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	faith_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	4,731	5	5.2562	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64822	The new command renew'd, or, Love one another being an endeavour after the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, by several uniting principles, among which there are ten rules for a right understanding of scripture, very useful for these divided times / by Ralph Venning.	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1652 (1652)	Wing V214; ESTC R3161	28,675	54

is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25.14 converse with them who converse with God The Saints have clearer apprehensions of the Scripture then other men and can give a better account of the mystery not so perhaps of the History then many a learned man can do the reason is apparent for the godly man though illiterate hath the Law in his heart and the truth in his inward parts The Bible is transcrib'd within him But the most learned man in the world if not a Saint hath it not in the experience though he have it in the expression Not beloved that I speak in dislike of learning and its use no I do confesse that next to the Lord Jesus Christ and Communion with God in him there is no portion whether riches honours or pleasures like unto it in my esteem This by the way now to our purpose Prov. 24.6 It is good therefore to consult with the Saints a conjunction of Counsellors will do well for in the multitude of them there is like to be safety Prov. 11.14 As to depend only on other mens judgement were to make as if the spirit had not come to thy self so to depend only on thy own judgement were to make as if the spirit of God had not come to others Thirdly Three other Rules Use such helps as God hath made useful to others for their right understanding of Scriptures Rules for the understanding of the Scripture Such as God hath made useful to me and many other Christians I shall set before you I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say The first Rule 1. The first Rule That the Father Son and Spirit as they are one so they agree in one 1 Joh. 5.7 8. they have but one designe The Father Son and Spirit are not like the gods of the heathen which indeed are not gods always quarrelling one with another clashing against and contradicting one another though they will many things their will is but one Therefore if you find in Scripture that the Sonnes designe in Redemption seems to be of larger extent then the Fathers in Election and the Spirits in Sanctification reconcile it by this rule for there is but one and the same object of the Fathers Election the Sons Redemption and the Spirits Sanctification to eternal life The second Rule 2. Second Rule Every particular is to be interpreted by the scope of the whole and that will free Scriptures from all seeming contradictions Paul saith Rom. 3.28 a man is justified by Faith without * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or apart from the deeds of the law but Iam. 2.24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or alone Now here seems to be a contradiction but the scope of the Scripture will unty this knot as I understand thus By Faith alone we are justified but the Faith by which we are justified is not alone 'T is not as I conceive the work Faith nor the works of Faith but a working Faith whereby we are justified By Faith the Person is justified and by works the Faith is justified and thus beloved I hope you see clearly that there is not concordia discors a disagreeing agreement but discordia concors an agreeing disagreement between these two Scriptures One saith to this our purpose that to hang on any word or phrase in a Text and neglect the scope savours of an Hereticall disposition And Luther hath a sweet saying to this purpose Grammaticam decet Theologiae cedere quùm subjecta sunt verba rebus non res verbis vox meritò sensum sequatur litera spiritum The sense in short is this Words must give place to the matter and sense His reason is this because the matter is not for the words but the words for the matter And again Divinely Iste modus intelligendi aut interpretandi Scripturas diversa scil ex diversis locis decerpere est fallacissimus habenda igitur est tota Scriptura ante oculos contraria contrariis conferenda That way of understanding or interpreting Scriptures viz to gather diverse things from diverse places is most deceitfull the whole Scripture therefore is to be had before our eyes and contraries to be compared with contraries Friends I hope it will not be an offence to any to quote an Author for I believe 'T is as lawfull to consult with the experience of dead as of living Saints The third Rule 3. The place is not truly interpreted 3 Rule nor consequence well inferr'd the consequence whereof is an absurdity and speaks any thing to the disparagement of the God of grace or the grace of God as Luther Divine Luther Omnis Scriptura est pro Christo interpretenda ex gr Serva mandata scil in Christo quia fine Christo nihil potestis All Scripture is to be interpreted for Christ as keep the Commandements viz. in Christ for without him ye can do nothing And againe fully excellent and excellently full Si Adversarii urgent Scripturam contra Christans urgeamus Christum contra Scripturam If our adversaries urge Scripture against Christ let us urge Christ against Scripture If the interpretation of any Text draw such inferences after it as these viz. That God is unjust that God is mutable that God cannot do all things that Christ is not able of and by himselfe to save to the utmost that the Saints shall not be kept through Faith by the power of God to salvation I say if such inferences follow the interpretation of any Scripture 't is not truly interpreted for they cannot speak against the truth but for the truth The fourth Rule 4. 4 Rule Take heed of distinctions though there may be use of them yet for the most part the most part of distinctions arise from darkness and ignorance or from wilfulness Therefore take heed of them and admit not of any which are not well grounded on the Scripture Did we speak more punctually to all points and more distinctly there would be fewer distinctions It is a common thing with many men that cannot or will not Oh that there were not such as will not understand the truth to raise distinctions and evade that way When men know not what to say then like Sophisters they cry distinguish we must distinguish And then Materialiter and formaliter strictè and latè poore thread-bare tearmes are tossed up and downe like Tennis-Balls The fifth Rule 5. 5 Rule Parables and similitudes hold not in the particulars but in the whole not in every sentence but in the scope They runne not on all soure as we say they are of more use for Illustration then Demonstration And I believe there is not a truth held out in a parable but i'ts held forth also in some other place of Scripture which will be better to ground on being usually more cleare The sixth

Christians hear a little if you think your selves in the right I hope you think so on good grounds and not that you are in the right meerly by thinking so now if your grounds be good upon which your conceits are built you need not be afraid nay you may be incouraged to produce them with boldnesse 'T is to be suspected that they who refuse to bring forth their strong arguments have no strong arguments to bring forth Christ tells us Joh. 3.21 John 3.21 that he that doth truth and he that holds truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God If mens arguments be pure and good they will not be the worse but the more confirmed by being weigh'd if they be found either base metal or counterfeit the discovery will ingage them to part with them and to take their part no longer lest they deceive their soul in short if they be good they may do good they may help others to see the light if bad 't will be a mercy they were produced for you are losers while you follow darknesse and lying vanities 2. 2 Let pride of heart The second hindrance to a meeting about agreement is Pride of heart Men are loth to be the first movers lest they should be thought timerous and willing to yeeld but beloved Christians Christ Jesus did not so God and we had never met nor had been reconciled together had not God come to us first Though God were offended by us and had thence just reason to be for ever offended with us yet he sounds a truce and makes the first tender of agreement shall we not walk as we have him for an example 'T is very observable that while any one party is low it pleads for moderation and reconciliation but when it hath got the staffe in its hand it scarce mindes much lesse practises either Ah Christians the very Heathens will shame us for Aristippus an Heathen though elder then Aeschines who began the strife sues first for peace shall we not be friends said he to Aeschines Christians I beseech you go to one another and say as Aristippus shall we not be friends And oh that every one would answer as did Aeschines yes with all mine heart 3. Satans policy A third hindrance to a meeting about an agreement is Satans policy we may take up Pauls words when he writes to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.18 we had come unto you once and again but Satan hindred us Christians why do ye not come one to another why are ye not in your journey 't is to be feared Satan stands in your way and stays you The second Principle Principle right understanding 2. Being met labour for a right understanding of each others mind there is nothing makes men stand at such a far distance as a mis-understanding 't is with men now as with the men at Babel the languages are confounded and they understand not one another At your meetings Three things begge of God The delivery of truth you seek God about these three things for a right understanding 1 That God would be pleased by his own Spirit to declare and make cleare his truth unto you that he would make known to you and make you to know what is his good perfect and acceptable Will that so you may walk before him in all well-pleasing 2. The delivery of truth 〈◊〉 you Intreat God that he would deliver you to the truth as well as deliver the truth to you not only that he would open his truth to your hearts but also open your hearts to his truth that so you may close with every truth embracing and welcoming it as your joy though it should open you to never so many repreaches in the world 3. Intreat God to remove all obstacles 3 Removal of obstacles and to take that out of the way which stands in the way and keeps you from understanding and owning truth Such as these 1. Self interest in holding any opinion 〈◊〉 Self-interest nothing more hinders men from going to or going from an opinion then the interest they have by holding it men do not care so much for the opinions they hold as for what they hold by their opinions Many a man thinks I am confident what Demetrius said Acts 19.27 This craft by which we have all our wealth is like to be set at nought and then we are like to come to nought Hence they begin to flie in the face of truth and oppose it with outragious rage so dearly sweet and sweetly dear is their darling gain They see they cannot have the Honey unlesse they burn the Bees and therefore fire them forthwith they cannot possesse the Vineyard unlesse Naboth be put to death and therefore he must be dispatch't When once the coppy-hold of gain and honour is touch't men begin to look about them and will never call godlinesse gain because gain is their godlinesse Beseech God therefore that you may be unselfed and may lay down all your interest of gain and honour Let the truth of God be ten times dearer then tenths or any income of gain and honour which cometh in by any opinion for as some say where gold grows no plant will prosper so certainly no truth will be dear nor have heart-room where the love of money or honour hath taken place 2. Intreat God to keep you from passionate discourses and disputations or from passion in discourses and disputations For 1. Tha wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God So much passion as there is so much there is to no purpose yea to an ill purpose 2. Passion usually ariseth more from and for self then Christ 3. Passion hinders the efficacy of the argument for the tingling of passion hinders the sound of truth 4. Passion unfits a man for discourse and confounds both memory and understanding so that as Aristotle hath observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that are in passion cannot discern nor judge of truth 5. Christ loseth more by the passion then he gains by the disputation for while you seek to honour him he finds himself to be dishonoured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When two dispute and th' one begins to rage The other not retorting is more sage 3. 3 Prejudice Intreat God to remove prejudices for that doth very much prejudice the entertainment of truth Ahab had such a prejudice against Michaiah that he would not call him Prophet but 1 King 22.8 1 Kings 22 Michaiah the son of Imlah There 's one man Michaiah the son of Imlah but I hate him for he never speaks good concerning me but evil but as Jehoshaphat said to Ahab Let not the King say so even fo would I say to you Christians let not Christians say of one another this is a rigid man I will not hear him or this is a Sectary I will not hear him Beg of God that prejudice may