Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	great_a	know_v	speak_v	4,061	5	4.0748	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54066	Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1668 (1668)	Wing P1205; ESTC R13142	15,290	26

SOME THINGS Relating to RELIGION Proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society So termed to wit Concerning the right Ground of Certainty therein Concerning Tenderness of Spirit and Persecution A Query Concerning Separation Concerning washing away Sin from the Conscience and the Garment of Salvation and what it is that is covered therewith Likewise Some Questions and Answers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant the Rock or Foundation whereon it is built and its preservation by and upon the Rock With some Queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the Church and concerning that Church which got up in the view of the world instead thereof and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true Church though indeed and truth she was not so Whereunto are added Some QUERIES to Professors who speak of high Attainments c. Written by one whom it hath pleased the Lord of his great goodness and tender mercy to lead out of the darkness into his marvellous Light known among men by the name of ISAAC PENINGTON Printed in the Year 1668. To the Royal Society so termed FRIENDS I Have heard that ye are seeking after the excellency of Nature and Learning I am not for discouraging any Man in endeavouring after that which is good useful and excellent in its kind and place But it is the advantage of everything to know and abide in its place and to honour and serve him from whom all good Gifts and Endowments come Man hath but a moment in this world and he is here no more and then the spirit returneth to God that gave it to give an account of the Talent which he gave it and its improvement thereof to the Glory of him that gave it and to the salvation of its own soul Now this Talent is of an higher kind than Nature and will lead higher than Nature giving a man to partake of that wisdom from which Nature came and teaching him to order all that is natural to its right end For God is not an Enemy to Nature but to the corruption and disorder of Nature I desire ye might know and partake of the true wisdom and feel union with God in the principle of his own Life and in the incorruptible and Heavenly seed of God receive dominion over the earthly and corruptible For this end singly in the love springing up in my heart towards you as it often doth both towards particular persons and Societies For I am a friend to all and a lover of all sincerely desiring the good of all and the right guidance of their souls to happiness have I proposed these things following more particularly to your view though they concern others also that ye thereby might be awakened to search after that which is most excellent in you and be acquainted with the vertue and precious effects thereof to the full satisfaction and compleat joy of your souls in that which alone is able fully to satisfie and give them ground of durable joy and rejoycing in that which is not of a perishing nature but which was and is and will be the same for ever From a friend to the everlasting Peace of your souls and a desirer of your welfare and prosperity in this world ISAAC PENINGTON Of Certainty and rightly grounded Assurance in matters of Religion THERE is a Witness of and from God in every Conscience which in his Light Power and Authority witnesseth for him and against that which is contrary to him as he pleaseth to move upon it visiting and drawing the hearts of the sons of men by it From this Witness proceeds the true and well-grounded Religion in the mind towards God For this Witness both testifieth and demonstrateth that there is a God and also inclineth the mind to desire and seek after the right knowledg and true worship of him And such who keep to this Witness and wait upon God therein are taught by it the true spiritual worshp the true and pure fear of the Most High the Faith which he giveth to his Saints the Love which is chast and unseigned the Hope which purifieth the mind and Anchors it on the eternal Rock the meeknesse patience gentleness humility c. which is not of man's nature but the gift of God and the Nature of the Heavenly Giver And then for exercises of Religion as praying to the Father of Spirits hearing the Heavenly voice reading in the Spirit and with the renewed Understanding Singing and making melody in the heart and also with the voice to the Lord as his life is felt and the spiritual blessings and treasure received all these and whatever else is judged necessary for the soul are taught by this Witness of God in the Conscience as the Soul groweth up in the Light Spirit Nature and Holy Power thereof But now when the Lord reacheth to his Witness in men and is teaching their hearts by it then the Enemy the other Spirit whose seat is in the other part keepeth a noise there to overbear the voice of the Witness and to make men take up Religion in another part which is shallow and reacheth not to the depth and weight of truth which is in the Witness of God and which the Witness of God gives to them that come thither Thus the Enemy stirreth up Reasonings Imaginations and Consultations about God and his Worship wherein he raiseth up the vain shallow mind forging and bringing forth somewhat pleasing and suitable to the earthly understanding taking up the mind therewith and engaging the heart in some such practises therefrom as may quiet and satisfie that part in men For the wayes that men take up in their reasonings and understandings satisfie their reasonings and understandings and so they walk in the light of the sparks and warm themselves by the fire of their own kindling But all this answers not the Witness of God in them nor will be approved by his Light in their own Consciences when it comes again to be revealed and made manifest in them This was the ground of the error both of the Jews and Gentiles The Gentiles were enlightned by God with his true light what might be known of God suitable to their state and capacity being manifested in them insomuch as it is witnessed concerning them in the Scriptures which are a true record and testimony That they knew God But when they knew him they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and so their foolish heart was darkned concerning him and they worshipped him not as the Witness taught them he was to be worshipped not according to the manifestation of his Light in them but according to their own foolish imaginations and reasonings which taught them to make Images of him and so to worship him in and through creatures according to their own inventions which is not the true worship Rom. 1. 21 22 23. So likewise the Jewes not keeping to the manifestation of his Light within them to the Word or

the new understanding So for the Garment of Salvation that is Christ the righteousness of Christ the Nature of Christ the Spirit of Christ This is the holy covering He that puts on Christ puts on this He that wears Christ wears this he that appears before God in Christ appears in this And the Soul puts on this as it puts off the other It is the purified Soul that only puts on him that is pure And as a man is cleansed from the impure so only hath he in him a capacity of receiving and being cloathed with Christ And this now is the work of the true Ministry to wit to preach the Word to reveal the Word and bring the Mind to the Word which changeth it and begets the new capacity and so to begin the work of Life and reconciliation wherein and whereby there is some unclothing of the Old and some clothing with the New and so to carry on this work in the Spirit and power of the Father until it be perfected And this is a blessed work and blessed is the Ministry which is called to and entrusted with this work being faithful in it and blessed are they that witness the truth of and receive the effect of this Ministry and are subject to it in the Lord. For through and under this Ministry there is a receiving of a perfect gift in some measure at first wherein some true union and little acquaintance with the Lord of Life is at first witnessed and some operation of the Light and Power of his Holy Spirit And a grovving up in it unto perfection as the Soul is exercised by it and faithful to the Lord in the exercise under the daily Cross vvhich daily vvorketh against and crucifieth in the Heart Mind Life and Conversation vvhat ever is contrary to God as it is singly vvaited for taken up and subjected to Some Questions and Answers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant the Rock or Foundation whereupon it is built and its preservation by and upon the Rock With some Queries concerning the scattered estate of the true Church and concerning that Church which got up in its stead and made a great show with her Golden Cup for the time while the true Church was scattered Qu. 1. What is the Church of God under the new Agreement or Covenant An. It is a company of Living Stones quickned by God and knit together in the unity and fellowship of his Spirit to worship God together in his Spirit and offer up unto him spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ What was the Church of the Old Covenant Was it not the seed of Abraham the outward Jews the Children of the Old Covenant And what is the Church of the New Covenant Is it not the seed of God the Jews inward the Children of the New Covenant Qu. 2. How are these Stones joyned together An. By the Spirit of Life which begets them all in one Nature and knits them together in that nature By the inward circumcision cutting off that which causeth Enmity and Disunion and so fitting them to be made one New Lump in Christ By Christ's Baptism which is the Baptism of Fire and of his Spirit which burns up the Old earthly Nature and so Baptizes them into one New Living Body sutable and fitting to their Head which is the Fountain of Life and distributes Life through all the Body according to its capacity need and service Qu. 3. Upon what is this Church built An. Upon the Rock or Foundation of God which God hath laid in his spiritual Sion which Rock is Christ For other Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ nor other Rock did the Lord ever chuse for his Church to be built upon Nor hath any other Rock sufficient strength to bear up the building against the storms and stress of the powers of darkness which it often meeteth with even every member in its travels after it is once built on the Rock the Gates of Hell press hard upon it but abiding on the Rock it feels the strength and preservation of the Rock For as they cannot prevail against Christ so neither can they prevail against that which is built upon him But if there be a going forth from the strength and preservation there is a liableness to be made a prey And the promise is not absolutely and perpetually to that Person or Congregation which is received or let into the truth but to that Person or Church which abideth and continueth in the truth unto the end The Jews were safe in the Faith and Obedience of their Covenant and the Christians or Christian Churches are not safe but in the Faith and Obedience of theirs For if they walked not humbly with the Lord and in his Fear which keeps the heart from departing from him and in the Faith whereby they stand they were to be cut off from their Church-state as well as the Jews were from theirs as the Apostle Paul expresly tells the Church at Rome Rom. 11. 21 22. Qu. 4. VVhat was Paul An. The Apostle of the Gentiles who Laboured abundantly even more abundantly than all the other Apostles and hath left more instructions relating to the Gentiles than all the Apostles besides and was tender of them in standing for and defending their liberty in Christ when Peter a little warped and was to be blamed Gal. 2. 11. For indeed man cannot be certain and infallible further than he kepeth to and is exercised by the certain and infallible Spirit which he is subject to be tempted to err from further than he stands upon the watch and cannot but err from unless he feel a continual preservation in the Fear and by the Power of the Lord. And the certainty of truth doth not depend so much upon the person from whom it is received as upon the demonstration and evidence to the conscience wherein it is received The Apostles were not Lords over the true Christians Faith but helpers of their joy And Christ did not require his Disciples to believe what ever he knew to be true but prepared their capacities and dropped in according to their capacities And this is the way of the true Ministers to wait on God to beget and on him again to Water the begotten Soul and carry on his work in it to make them know Christ their Master from whom they are to receive Light Life Instruction and Direction and to feel the Head and be joyned to the Head and receive from the Head their knowledg as well the least as the greatest Ebr. 8. What is Paul What is Apollos What is Cephas Were not they carnal that cryed up these one above another Yet the younger ought to be subject to the elder and all to be subject one to another in the truth 1 Pet. 5. 5. Qu. 5. What was Peter An. One of the Disciples of Christ a precious Stone in the building Joh. 1. 43. one of the most eminent Apostles