Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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B21327
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A sermon preached at the anniversary meeting of the sons of clergy-men in the church of S. Mary le Bow on Thursday, Decemb. 2, 1686 by Henry Dove.
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Dove, Henry, 1640-1695.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing D2051
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15,981
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40
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And this is evident 1. from the following word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith delivered for as for the Act or Habit of Faith it is either produced by the ordinary means of hearing or else supernaturally infus'd by the Spirit of God but that which is properly delivered is the Doctrine it self either by word of mouth or by writing And 2. from many parallel places of Scripture as Acts 13. 8. Where Elymas the Sorcerer sought to turn away the Deputy from the Faith who is afterwards said v. 12. to be astonished at the Doctrine of the Lord and Acts 14. 22. When St. Paul and Barnabas had preached the Gospel to several Cities they confirmed the Souls of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the Faith nay St. Paul tells us of himself Gal. 1. 23. That he preached the Faith which once he destroyed and prophesies also of others That in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. By all which we are to understand the Doctrine of Faith that Faith which God revealed by his Son which Christ made known to his Apostles and the Apostles preached to the World at the promulgation of which the Angels rejoyced and the Devils trembled to see Man so wonderfully redeemed and themselves irrecoverably left in everlasting chains which was propagated by Signes and Wonders and so demonstrated by Miracles that men were easily induced to believe the Word of God in their mouths while they saw the Power of God in every Apostles hand by the energy of which the Cripples were cured the Dead were raised and some at first were deprived of life That Faith which all the Prophets foretold which the Evangelists pen'd and the Church receiv'd That Faith which in one day by the first Pentecost-Sermon converted Acts 2. 41 about 3000 Souls and hath crowned many Millions in succeeding Ages with eternal Glory In a word That Faith which hath saved all the Saints that are already in Heaven and must bring all the rest that are ordained to come thither Which leads me in the next place II. To consider the manner of its conveyance and the persons that received it The Faith delivered to the Saints I put these two together because they will help to explain each other And here if we would take in the whole we contend for we must go back to the beginning not onely to the Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ but even to the Epoche of time it self and may trace it down briefly in this succeeding course When God had created man for his own service that is his glory he was pleased to reveal his will to him because what was hid from him could never be the instance of his duty and hence to the Law of Nature which he printed on his mind he added a positive command to try the integrity of his obedience and this was the first Revelation made to Adam in innocence whereby he was enjoin'd to believe and to obey his Maker But alas we all know what Adam did and feel the sad efects of his transgression unto this day wherefore in the succeeding Ages he spake unto the Fathers at sundry times and in divers manners Heb. 1. sometimes by an audible Voice and sometimes by secret Illapses by Dreams and by Visions by the Ministry of Men and by the Message of Angels And when the fulness of time was come he spake unto us once for all by his onely begotten Son who being from all eternity in the bosom of the Father was able to know and undertaking this errand of his infinite compassion and his own accord was willing to impart whatever was necessary for us to receive In order to which he took our Nature upon him conversed among us unfolding the Mystery which was before kept secret and so became the Author of this Faith. And as his Mercy was great in his Advent so he shew'd his Wisdom in the choice of the Persons to whom he delivered this Will for he did not propound it at all adventures and expose it to the uncertain Multitude or commit it to the hands of the prejudiced Rabbies not unto the Rich and Noble or the Wise and Learned of the Age but unto a selected company of illiterate Galileans twelve men of mean quality and from an obscure corner without the advantages of Birth or Breeding that by the weakness of the Instruments and the improbability of the means the Power of God might appear stronger These were they despised indeed by men but highly favoured of God and chosen by Christ to be Witnesses of all that he began both to do and teach and suffer Who being always à latere to their Lord and Master and enjoying the access of Favourites and the freedom of Friends had the evidence of their outward Senses to confirm the inward perswasion of their Minds whereby they were as infallibly assured that he knew all things and that he came forth from God as that they heard him speak or saw him work a Miracle And thus St. John the familiar Disciple testifieth of himself and the rest of the Apostles 1 Ep. 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you And as they were Witnesses of all his Divine Speeches and mighty Works and bitter Sufferings and above all of his glorious Resurrection Act. 1. 22. from the dead even of all that had passed from the Baptism of John until the day of his Assumption so after his Ascension he confirmed their Minds and increased their Faith and emboldened their Faces by the punctual performance of the Promise he made them on Earth in sending the Spirit from Heaven That good Spirit that enlightened their Understandings furnished their Memories and guided them into all Truth that inspired them with the gift of Tongues and of Prophecy endued them with a power of working Miracles also in some respects greater than those he had wrought himself and brought all things fresh to their remembrance whatsoever they had seen or heard before or were now to publish By which they were fully instructed and animated and perfectly enabled to discharge their trust maugre all the opposition that malice or rage or wit or power could make against them for by one short Sermon as I said which you read in the second of the Acts they augmented the former number of 120 with the addition of about 3000 Souls and by the next recorded in the third of near 5000 more so mightily grew the Word Act. 4. 4. of God and prevailed and Believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Act. 5. 14. These were the Persons to whom the Faith was at first delivered and these the means of its first conveyance That which Christ received of his
his second thoughts v. 9. As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed And what need I say more If an Apostle or an Angel may not attempt a change in the Doctrine of the Gospel under pain of a Curse what shall be the doom of any other If Christ knew the mind of his Father and the Apostles his what words can express the heinousness of that guilt where men presume to make additions to it I shall add but one Rule which may serve to establish us in this Faith against all sort of innovations and 't is that of Tertullian's where he pleads Prescription for the Truth Id dominicum verum quod prius traditum id extraneum falsum quod posterius immissum Whatever is truly a part of the Christian Doctrine was once at first delivered whatever bears any latter date can never be a point of the true Faith. IV. And now methinks the Application of the whole is so easie and obvious that it makes it self For if the Faith of the Gospel be so certain and has been so fully evidenced and made known to us if it be a Doctrine of so great and pretious importance even the Doctrine that brings Salvation A Doctrine that comes from God by his onely begotten Son and shews us the onely way to him on which the eternal welfare of our Souls depends and without which we had still remained what we were before children of wrath Surely then 't is worthy of our Christian Resolution and Zeal not onely to love and obey it from the heart but to confess and maintain and propagate in the World with our earnest endeavours and persevering diligence Then we cannot but see what reason we have to stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel as St. Paul exhorts Phil. 1. 27. or as St. Jude here in the Text To contend earnestly for it as 't was once delivered to the Saints There is a Zeal I know in the World which tends to destroy what it seems to contend for which is full of bitterness and wrath and clamours and evil speakings a Zeal that commonly rageth and is confident because it proceeds from ignorance and knows not whereon to bottom There is a Zeal that sets on fire the course of Nature and is set on fire of Hell nay that would call for fire from Heaven to consume those that oppose it such as once betray'd it self in two of the Disciples before they Luke 9. 54 55. well understood the Gospel-Spirit But blessed be God for his Grace we have not so learned Christ no the Zeal which the true Faith requires and works in all its sincere Followers is founded on knowledge and a sound mind it is innocent and patient and holy it is always tempered with meekness and guided by the wisdom that is from above which is first pure then Jam. 3. 17. peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie Wherefore while we strive together for the Faith of the Gospel let us strictly keep to the Laws and walk by the Rules which the Gospel prescribes to us always remembring that Apostolical Caution 2 Tim. 2. 5. If a man strive for Masteries yet he is not crowned except he strive lawfully As for you my Brethren and Friends whom I take to be grounded in this Faith and long since stablished in the love of it it is needless I hope to load you with Perswasions to stand for it or indeed to continue and persevere in it It is but the effect of that happy Education which your Parents at first bestowed upon you and 't is but reasonable to expect that the Seed of God which was then sown in your hearts should grow up daily to perfection and bring forth suitable fruit For any man to draw back or desert the ways of Religion argues either ignorance of its grounds or great vanity and lightness of mind but for Us who are descended from the Tribe of Levi and cannot be supposed to want instruction to forsake or waver or even to doubt of our most Holy Faith what is it else but to cast the highest reflection upon the honour of Religion to stain the care and piety of our Fathers to reproach and vilifie that Doctrine which they so faithfully dispensed and so effectually recommended to the World Wherefore Remember them who Heb. 13. 7. had the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversation Remember them I say who were your Parents and Pastours too and be not back-sliding Children And as the best means to maintain this Perseverance let us all be most earnestly exhorted to joyn in an hearty Union and Compliance with the Doctrine and Discipline and Liturgy of this Excellent and Apostolical Church whereof we are Members A Church that comes nearest the Pattern in the Mount to that I mean which began at Jerusalem and went forth from Sion which was once for all founded by our Lord built up by his Apostles and continued pure and uncorrupt in all the first and best Ages of Religion And seeing you are now dispersed and distributed into several Callings and a great diversity of Conditions howsoever God hath disposed of you see that you carry the Reputation of your Family and Extraction along with you let it appear by your walking in Christ as you have received him that the Principles of the Christian Religion have their efficacy in every Profession shew that you have been taught from your infancy to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World so shall ye adorn the Gospel which your Fathers preached and prove your sincerity in the Faith so shall it be manifest to your selves and others that ye do not rest merely in any external Priviledges but that you live over the Doctrines you profess and practise the Truth which is after Godliness And because the great demonstration of your Faith is to be seen in your Works especially the works of Mercy and Charity Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved Bowels of mercies kindness and a benign temper of mind and above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness as the Apostle again exhorts Col. 3. 12. You cannot want Objects to move your compassion nor Motives to constrain it Here is a large Field before you of the Widows and the Fatherless whose Relation and Birth must needs endear this duty to you Some of their Widows are still alive who suffered much for their constancy to the Faith and their fidelity to the Crown two inseparable Notes of a genuine Son of the Church of England during the times of the Great Rebellion and many are the Children that can scarce speak for themselvs who through the narrow Provision that is made for the CLERGY in too many places of this Kingdom bespeak your assistance by my mouth 'T is the command you know of the Apostle That whilst ye have opportunity ye Gal. 6. 10. should do good unto all men but especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith What should be accounted the Houshold of Faith rather than the Families of them that preach it And what opportunity can ye have of doing good that exceeds this And consider I beseech you You that are Rich among the Brotherhood who it is that hath put such a difference between you and them was it purely your own Industry or Parts or Studies that got you this Wealth or is it not rather the Blessing of God who hath given you all things richly to enjoy What has any amongst you which he did not receive Now if you did receive it look up to God your great Benefactor with thankful hearts and look down upon the Widows and the Fatherless with Pity and Compassion Deposite that Tribute which you owe unto God for their use and what you leave with the Stewards of the Feast to day let it be but an Earnest-Penny of what you designe for the Treasurers of the Corporation from time to time Think it not enough to sprinkle a little now but lay by something for them out of your constant Income and when you make Provision for your own Families let the Houshold of Faith have some share and portion even in your last Wills and Testaments Resolve to do it before you go hence Vow it here in the Church before the Lord your God from the ground of the heart and make him some chearful and suitable acknowledgement for his distinguishing Providence towards you and yours So shall the rest of your substance be blessed and increased and the Prayers of the Destitute shall be heard in your behalf so shall your own Posterity thrive the better nay the Children of others and the Generations to come shall call ye blessed and your great reward is with the Lord for I am warranted to assure you That God is not unrighteous to Heb. 6. 10. forget your work and labour of Love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet do minister Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding Jude 24. 2◠joy To the onely wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS A true Report of the SVMS Distributed for the Relief of the Widows and Children of Clergy-men in the Years 1684 85 86. By the Corporation   l. s. d. A. 1684 To 28 Sequestred Ministers Widows 084 00 0 To 68 other Ministers Widows 101 10 0 For Binding out Children Apprentices 100 00 0   285 10 0 A. 1685 To 34 Sequest Ministers Wid. 099 00 0 To 98 other Ministers Widows 129 00 0   228 00 0 A. 1686 To 45 Sequest Ministers Wid. 135 00 0 To 112 other Ministers Wid. 179 00 0 For deceased Ministers Children 020 00 0   334 00 0   847 10 0 By the Stewards of the Feasts For Relief of poor Ministers Widows and Binding out Children for the said three years about 360 00 0 Tot. 1207 10 0