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	tradition_n	2,203	5	9.2236	5	false

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

not hinder closing with truth The third Principle 3. When God is sought 3 Principle speak plainly aNd clearly and you begin to discourse deal faithfully as in the presence of God Fit words are better then fine use not policy and sophistry to vaile the truth Do not ye equivocate nor mince your meanings hiding it under dubious termes but propose all things clearly Affect not novelty or nicety of language but speak in known and familiar phrases Many times there 's such a do kept about termes that before the discourse be ended men lose themselves and the question too therefore speak plainly and not in parables * How many 3000 words have these three words cost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's no little vanity to speak such words as will constrain you to use twenty and sometimes twenty times more to explain what you meant The fourth Principle 4. Be as willing to hear as to speak 4 Principle hear much speak little a man should hear twice as much as he should speak and it seems to be intimated in his having two cares but one tongue Were there in times of discourse more hearers and fewer speakers there would probably be easier and speedier determinations much talk hinders observation and keeps things from being weigh'd A man shall meet with such talkatives as like the beating of an unbrac'd drum are able to beat some men out of their wits at least their patience they are so confusedly busie and so busily confused The fifth Principle 5. 5 Principle weigh what is spoken Weigh not who speaks nor how it is spoken but what is spoken you should not overvalue nor undervalue a truth because ye like or dislike the party or his manner of speaking Sometime according to the Proverb we dandle the child for love of the Nurse and take up an opinion for his sake that brings it * Maldonate said of the explication of a place of Scripture that it was most agreeable to antiquity but because Calvin h●d so interpreted it he would chuse a new one Phil. 4.15 and others refuse an opinion because such a one holds it But Christians consider what you do would a man take poyson though from a Father or refuse a Cordiall though from an enemy It was better said Amicus Plato and Amicus Aristoteles sed magìs amica veritas And the Apostle rejoyced that Christ was preached though they that preacht him did it out of envy and to add to his bonds go from any man to go to truth but go from no truth to go to any man As Christ said the pollution is not from without neither indeed in this sense the purity What is the word the better for being in Pauls mouth or the worse for being in Apollos What is the Heavenly treasure the worse for being brought in an earthen vessell or the better when handed to us by an Angell is the word of Wisdome the better for the Wisdome of words or is truth the lesse beautifull because naked and not arrayed with Sattin words and silken phrases what though a man have neither silver nor gold to give you is not Christ worth the receiving 'T is strange to see how men are led into and led out of opinions meerly by an opinion of the man The Philosopher though he were the same man and of the same minde in his squallid rags could not finde admission when better robes procur'd both an open doore and reverence Boldnesse and readinesse of speech with the most though not with the most judicious bears away the Bell. To go from Aristotle Ipse dixit swaid all though a man go to reason is or had wont to be no small disgrace in the schooles If Herod speak then it is the voyce of God and not of man but if Paul speake then 't is what will this babler say Some cannot heare unlesse a Doctor preach others will not heare if a Doctor preach Surely Christians these things ought not to be so truth should be well-come to us though the Devill the father of lies brought it to us and no hing but truth though an Angel from Heaven be the messenger The sixth Principle 6. 6 Principle custome Christ call'd himself truth not custome Let not custome beare sway for or against an opinion Let not Antiquity or Novelty make you respect or disrespect a truth father truth for truths sake whether old or new Though all truth be old * Old truths may come newly to light God is not tied to time for the gift of Illumination Dr. Hall yet our sight of truth may be new why then should new light be a trouble to some or tradition a burthen to others why should Divine or Orthodox or Orthodox Divine grow out of date or why should not a Gospell-Preacher be in season Some like words and practices because of custome others have no other reason for their dislike Never walk by what hath been done or what is done unles it be what ought to be done Reduce things to their primitive institution and then see what God saith of them Matthew 19.8 as our Saviour told the Pharisees Matth. 19.8 Though Moses for the hardnesse of your hearts suffered you to put away your Wives yet from the beginning it was not so Men do now adayes by opinions as many do by their cloaths some will keep to their great grandfathers habit and fashion others as changeable as the Moone think they are never in fashion unlesse they be ever changing fashions Some cannot like a truth because 't is not of ancient standing others like it because it is of yesterday Some can reverence none but gray-hair'd opinons others like none but youthfull and smoothfac'd ones T is true the * Age. multitude of yeares teacheth wisdome and so may the * Youth few of dayes 't is truth and nothing but the truth and all the truth which should have our esteem whether it be old or young whether the first borne of time or the last The seventh Principle 7. 7 Principle proper Arguments In all discourses and disputations use proper Media or arguments to prove your tenets by bring not Scriptures to your reason but your reason to Scripture or judge reason by reason and Scripture by Scripture Morall arguments are not fit and proper to prove naturall Principles by nor in many things rationall Arguments to prove or disprove Scripture by Prove spirituall things by spirituall Arguments as the Apostle hints to us 1 Cor. 2.13 1 Cor. 2.13 which things also we speak not in the words which mans wisdome teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things with spirituall or judging spiritualls with spiritualls The Apostle did not borrow words or Arguments from without but fitted spirituall Arguments to prove spiritual things Neverdraw Ecclesiasticall conclusions from Politicall premisses The eighth Principle 8. Discourse not to cavill but to convince 8. Principle cavil not or to be