Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	know_v	speak_v	word_n	9,131	5	4.2861	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86220	A discourse concerning the queries proposed by the House of Commons to the Assembly of Divines; about the divine right of Church Government in answer to two main questions. First, whether is be expedient to the State and Church, that the Assembly of Divines should answer those questions yea or no? Secondly, in case to be expedient; how they should be answered satisfactorily both to the conscionable and unconscionable disputer of the matter. Shewing first, the necessity of giving an answerr [sic]. Secondly, some necessary requisites to make that answer satisfactory to all, and without exception. / Written for the private satisfaction of a friend, anno Dom. 1646. And now published for more common use, by an unpartiall lover of truth and peace.	W. H.	1648 (1648)	Wing H152; Thomason E428_10; ESTC R204608	10,320	24

wish I could desire that all Divines or conscionable men before they set upon any Questions to resolve them in particular would set down the Rules by which they doe order themselves in their meditations for the impartiall decision of Scripturall doubts This I would have them to doe that they may be able to make it appear upon due search that their way in answering doubts is cleere before them that they are not swayed by any interest of their own or by any forestallment of received opinions from other men of their own side or by any other thing in the course of Humane Learning which might have any influence upon them to byas their thoughts and take them off from the simplicity of the Gospel but that their light doth come cleerly from the Word it selfe alone by a Scientificall way of truth demonstrable unto all men of capacity to be such and rising from such undenyable principles of interpretation which all understanding Christians do acknowledge and receive as undoubted for when men can give an account unto themselves by a search of their own intellectuall proceedings that the light which they held forth from the Word unto others is thus begotten in them they need not feare to be much contradicted if they can but make themselves to be understood in what they hold forth or seriously minded and considered in the way by which they hold it forth in doubtfull cases And truly because the way of Scripturall interpretation is not agreed upon amongst Divines therefore most men are led rather by opinion to deliver the meaning of the Text conjecturally then by Scientificall grounds demonstratively But if the Christian World could once be made so happy as to be taught a cleere and plain rule of Scripturall interpretation and a method to apply plain Scripturall truths unto doubtfull cases of conscience for the resolution of the same and if these two things should be published to the Christian World and made upon sufficient tryall demonstrable to all men of capacity then a ground would be laid for a greater matter then the resolution of these Parliamentary Questions namely for the ending of all vain janglings and confused disputes about matters Doctrinall and Practicall in Divinity For if these two Rules can be found out and made use of in these Queries not onely all obloquie would be prevented in this matter but a Way found to direct all men that are impartially rationall to enlarge the knowledge of Scripturall truths from the Scripture it selfe and Scripturall grounds so as to avoid the intanglements of meer humane and Philosophicall notions and the deceits of a Science salfly so called because the Rules by which they in this matter should proceed universally sit to determine other doubts of the same kinde so far as by the opening of the sense of holy Scriptures and by the application thereof unto humane cases they are determinable And that some such Rules may be found and must be fought after if ever we should receive satisfaction in Scripturall doubts may thus be made apparent First we all confesse that nothing is to be received as a Divine Truth but that which is attested by the Word or consonant unto the Testimonies thereof Now it is cleer that the Word cannot be said properly to attest any thing to us except we understand the meaning thereof Nor can we be said to understand the meaning thereof except we know a reason why we cōceive it to be so as we apprehend it to be and not otherwise nor can such a reason be knowne without some Rules of Interpretation and Meditation which are demonstrable to lead the mindes of those that use the same into Truth Nor can these Rules be demonstrable except they arise from such Common and undeniable Principles which all Rationall men in matters of that kind do take as granted seeing I say these things are so it followeth that if there be such Principles then from these Rules may be taken to lead the doubting mind unto the apprehension of Truth and if such Rules may be had they should be held forth for if they can not be held forth no reason can be given of any Scripturall interpretation and all interpretations are alike to be received but this being absurd and destructive to all common Principles and to the Analogy of Faith it followeth evidently that Rules may be had and must be sought after and knowne and received before any Scripturall doubts and disputable matters can be resolved satisfactorily Therefore the onely true Meanes to prevent contradictions and endlesse debates will be to shew the method of intellectuall proceedings unpartially regulated towards the decision of doubts and sufficiently fitted without all exception to discover and finde out truths as well in these as in all other doubts of the same kinde for except the Rules and method be universall to hold in all it cannot be trusted in any particulars for we know that it is the ordinary course of most men in controversall points first to conceive a position answerably to their capacity and interest and then to seeke out places of Scripture by which it may be made good This is to build the wall first and then to fit the Rule unto it whence it is that the Scripture is made to speake so different senses as men for the maintaining of their severall Opinions can probably wrest it unto But if we would know the truth indeed we should look upon our own opinions as doubtfull matters and having no ayme but to examine them by the Word we should come to the meditation of the word by a cleer Rule and having found the truth attested by the Word it should be made a line and plummer by which all particular opinions in debate should be squared for in so doing the wall would be fitted to the Rule And except men be willing to lay down the love of their own tenents and to suspect themselves that they may be led out of the way by their own forestallments or fail to enter rightly upon the way or stray from it after they are entred for want of constant and sufficient light except I say they will suspect that they may erre some of these or all these wayes they will never be carefull to prevent the deceits of their own thoughts unto which men are liable and if they be not carefull of this they will never be sure that they have found the Truth Therefore in this doubtfull matter which is of such main concernment as that unto this particular Church and State I know nothing of greater or equall importance at this time I could wish that amongst those who were in doubts in agreement were made of the Rule by which men should proceed to Answer doubtfull Questions satisfactorily and before my decision should be given to any Queries or cases of Conscience I would have them always to declare their whole Method of proceeding by way of Prolegomenon or Preface And if in these particular my advice could be taken the Method should be this first to collect out of the whole Scripture but chiefly out of the New Testament all the places of Scripture which speake cleerly of the Church of Christ and of the Government thereof These places they should Analyse each by themselves to finde the true sense thereof and demonstrate the the same by a Rule of Interpretation which should be undeniable Having found the sense of every place they should cast the matter of Truth gathered from them into so many simple or compound Propositions as that matter wil conveniently afford distinguishing them into severall heads These Propositions should be set a part as Rules fit to be made use of for the determination of the doubts proposed Having found all the Rules which the Scripture doth yield they should Analyse the Questions also and shew the point of doubt distinctly which should be determined then they should proceed to compare the matter questionable with that which the Scripture hath already determined and from the proportion which shall be found of the one to the other in their Agreement or Disagreement a conclusion will result to determine the whole matter and to shew that the inference of the conclusion is according to truth the Reason of the Method of the Application might be declared That when it shall appeare that nothing is done Magisterially but by a Rule directing the mind unto the the discovery of Truth all exceptions may be cut off for in case no fault can be found neither in the Rules of proceeding nor in the proceedings according to Rules cavilling will be prevented and the danger of endlesse debates incident to these and all other matters will be taken away which I beseech the Lord at last to bring to passe for his own name sake Amen FINIS

rule all at their own will or the priviledge to be exempt from all rule of the Church by an expresse Ordinance of Parliament it is not unlikely that they will endeavour to gain it some other way namely by the unsettlement of all and by Argument in denying to the Church that which is due to it and this perhaps they will attempt by some endlesse dispute about the points of right to make the Civill and Ecclesiasticall pretences of Right unto power clash together irreconciliably For so long as the matter is not decided they will pretend to a liberty to doe what they list and without controule will cast the cords of Christ from them which is all the World aims at in this controversie as is cleere by Psal 2.3 Now then although this inconvenience may seeme unavoydable as matters now stand with us and although the remedy which you enquire after is somewhat difficult to be found yet I shall briefly open my thoughts thereof unto you if perhaps somthing from hence may be hinted to your selfe or others for the facilitating of the worke Therefore to the first Question I say that it will be very expedient for the Divines to Answer the Question proposed unto them for these three principall causes 1 Because the matter is of such consequence in respect of Christ and his Kingdom that in conscience they are bound to give a resolution thereof so far as they are able 2 Because the constitution of this State and Church is such at this time that except this matter be satisfactorily decided there is no settlement at all to be expected therein and the whole guilt of our publike confusions will be imputed unto the Divines 3 Because their call and engagement to give an Answer is so publike and Obligatory that if they decline to doe their duty they will not onely lose their reputation in this Cause and most of their Authority in the Ministry and give their Adversaries matter of triumph over them but they will prejudge extreamly the Rights of all the best reformed Churches to their disadvantage If these Reasons be well considered it will appeare not onely expedient but even necessary that an Answer be given to the Questions which I shall briefly endeavour to let you see First The Importance of the matter is such that to the fundamentall constitution and compleat being of a true Church nothing is more necessary then to know by what Right the Officers thereof stand in their Charges and how they are authorized to execute the government and judicatures belonging thereunto And if the Royalty of Christ power in government and in Spirituall Judicatures is so highly concerned in this matter that except this plea be maintained his prerogative over the soules of men will be disclaimed and given up to the will of worldlings then certainly no faithfull Minister who doth beleeve him to be the only King of souls can with a good Conscience be silent when this his right is called into Question for seeing their calling is to beare witnesse unto him their silence in such a matter would be a great breach of trust And if Christ in that good confession which he made before Pontius Pilate Joh. 18.35 36 37. Did professe that he was indeed a King but that his Kingdome was not of this world how can any of his Officers in that Kingdome be counted faithfull unto him if they suffer the world to incroach upon the Rights of his Jurisdiction For if they are not of the world they cannot be given up unto the world for the Rule is give unto Caesar what is Caesars and unto God what is Gods Therefore if the Divines of the Assembly lay this matter to heart as believing it to concerne mainly Christs Royall Prerogative I cannot see how their Conscience will suffer them to be silent in the vindication of his Right for Christ when he himselfe was questioned before a worldly judge concerning the point of Right to his Kingdome attested the Truth thereof although it was laid to his charge as a matter of high treason And having plainly declared that he was a King he doth adde immediately these words To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the Truth thereby intimating that this was one of those Truths which he was to manifest unto the world although it might be with the perill of his life and if this was of such importance for him to declare sure it is of no lesse importance for us to know and in Case of doubt to be resolved of For as it doth concerne on the one side the Right which Christ hath to his Spirituall Crowne that his Title may be cleered and all worldly pretences of power over it taken away so on the other side it doth concerne our Consciences to be informed under whom they must stand in point of Judicature and what Christs will and appointment is who is the undoubted King of souls for the settlement of the same in doubtfull matters And as the matter is thus important in respect of Christ of his Kingdome and of our Conscience in order to him So it is of that Consequence to this Church and State that it brings with it no lesse then the to tall dissolution or happy establishment thereof For if this matter be cleerly determined according to the Word God then the Churches of this Kingdome may be ordered and settled in Peace and by this meanes the foundation of the State will be setled also which now is shaken by reason of this un-settlement for it is Christ that doth beare up the pillars of the earth Psal 75.3 And to him is the gathering of the people Gen. 49.10 now they cannot be gathered to him without a government nor can the pillars of the earth stand without order and if the matter be not determined one way or other nothing can possibly ensue but endlesse continuance of divisions and strife which being remedilesse without the decision of these doubts will at last produce inevitable ruine both to Church and State and the reason of this is cleer because the relations which men have unto God in respect of Conscience not being settled all other relations will be dissolved for if Christs will be not knowne or regarded in his government of spirits no mans spirit will regard the will of any other government and power further then he is either by feare constrained or for his owne ends he thinkes good to comply with others to serve his own turne of them for naturally thus farre and no further one man doth yield unto another So that for want of that Rule whereby mens Consciences may be wrought upon and spirits directed in the concernment of Religion to prevent or remedy Scandals all other Rules will be broken and cast off because every man being left to his own arbitrement to doe without the controulement of true spirituall government whatsoever he pleaseth in matters

of Conscience will frame his Conscience to his own will and intending only to please himselfe will not regard any other by any other Rule then that of his own conveniencie and if in the greatest matters the spirits of men will be let loose thus to run riot what shall restraine or direct them in matters of lesser concernment Thus till the Higher Sphere of Government relating the Worship of God be in a right frame all the lower relating the Outward Man in Civill conversation will be out of order and where no Order is setled in worldly matters there naturally every one wil order himself according to his strength and other advantages to the prejuduce and in the end to the oppression of his neighbor For naturally he that is strongest wil make use of his strength to over rule the weaker and subject him in all things to his own will except his Conscience be over-awed by the Rules of Religion and be bonnd up thereby and made willing to deny himselfe For where this is not inwardly and no Government setled outwardly there every one will be oppressed by his neighbour Isa 3.5 and the child will behave himselfe proudly against the ancienst and the base against the Honourable Therefore seeing the setlement of this higher Sphere of Government cannot be brought to passe in this State at this time without the determination of these Questions the guilt of all the evils that will ensue upon our continued un-setlement will lye at the Doore of the Divines of the Assembly if they decline to give their Answer so farre as they are able thereunto Thirdly Their engagement is such that except an Answer be given they will deservedly lose their credit in the losse of the Cause and that to the prejudice of all the Reformed Churches of Europe For seeing the Divines have declared by their Petition to the Houses that the Judicature of Scandals is intrinlecall to the Church residing in the Officers thereof by Divine Right and this Declaration not being believed but a proof thereof demanded and to make the proof more full and satisfactory Questions being framed to state the point of doubt rightly and they called upon and required by the Parliament to give and Answer thereunto from the Word of God seeing I say upon their Petition the matter is come to this issue their credit will be lost if they shew not the grounds of their judgment for they are accused to affect an Arbitrary Power of Judicature and if they make it not apparent that the Judicature which they challenge is not Arbitrary but Subordinate and Legall in the Kingdome of Christ they shall justly fall before their Accusers and may be counted Presumptuous and Tyrannicall in their places and consequently lose the Right whereunto they pretend And although they had not by any Declaration thus engaged themselves in the Cause yet the Supream Magistrates call by whose Authority they sit and the end wherefore they are called together doth fully obliege and necessitate them to give an Answer For they are comanded by God to be ready to give an Answer to every one that doth aske a reason of them of their hope 1 Pet. 3.15 And if of their Hope then also of their Faith and judgment whereof they have declared this to be a part And if to every one then far more to their Magistrate who hath set them apart and authorized them to declare their judgement in matters which be proposed unto them It is then a cleer and undoubted duty whereunto they are bound in Conscience to apply themselves and if they should decline it it would not only open the mouthes of all their Adversaries who already begin to give out that they cannot Answer the Questions and therefore have quitted the plea of a Jus Divinum but pre-judge all the Protestant Churches Rights which else where they enjoy under their Civill Magistrates without controule which by this occasion would become doubtfull and questionable And finally this silence as it would betray the cause of the Church to the world and involue all into confusion so it would no doubt bring some exemplary judgement both upon these that decline so necessary a duty in such a time of Reformation and upon the whole Ministery of this land which justly would become for this cause more contemptible then any in al the world besides For these Reasons I conceive it not only expedient but even necessary that the Divines of the Assembly should set themselves as one man to Answer the Questions satisfactorily so farre as God shall enable them But now to speake to the second Question how this may be done both satisfactorily to the conscionable and also fully to the unconscionable so as to prevent cavilling and multiplying of new Questions is a matter of no small difficulty to determine yet let us try what may be said unto it I suppose then to resolve any doubt satisfactorily two things are requisite First the minde must be free from all prejudicate opinions Secondly some evident and undenyable rules must be known and followed by which the matter in doubt may be determined For if the minde be not free from prejudice it is not capable of any rule and although it be free from prejudice if it want a sure rule to walke by in the search of truths it will never be satisfactorily resolved of doubts but if both it be free from all forestallment and partiality and hath also a sure directory to lead it unto the discovery of hidden matters then it may be able both to find out and hold forth the resolution of doubts demonstratively for to prevent Cavilling it is necessary both that the way of finding out and of holding forth Truth be Demonstrative If therefore the Divines being free from all partiality and minding nothing but the simple manifestation of the truth in their heart as I am perswaded they will doe according to the Protestation which they made at their entrance into the Assembly can shew an undenyable Rule by which the truth of doubtfull matters in Divinity may certainly be found out and can make it apparent that in the search of a Resolution to these Questions they have followed that rule without wavering from it then I suppose that the thing which you require to be done may be effected namely that the conscionable will be satisfied the unconscionable cut off from cavilling pretences because all matters of doubt if they hold fast received Principles and wil not fall to Scepticisme will be reduced to these two neads namely to the sufficiencie of the rules by which they proceed to discover Truths or to the right application of those rules unto the Questions to be resolved for if no exception can be made neither against the Rules of the discovery of Truth in themselves nor at the use which is made of them for the determination of matters in hand then I suppose all Objections will be prevented Therefore if I might have my