Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	lead_v	light_n	spirit_n	4,475	5	5.5430	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26754	Unity stated the only means to it assign'd and argu'd, together with the motives pressing it : in a sermon before the worshipful Company of Salters, Lond. in St. Swithin's Church, Sept. 1683 / by William Basset ...	Basset, William, 1644-1695.	1683 (1683)	Wing B1054; ESTC R14462	24,167	42

farther power to the Church than what the very being of Councils and Synods doth suppose to belong to her For their being doth imply their power of determining in doubtful and controversial matters and therefore of giving rules in such cases which rules and determinations the people consequently stand oblig'd to observe For power of giving Laws in the Superior doth always infer a Duty of receiving 'em in the inferior and you will find that not only ancient Councils but the Synod of Dort about the Doctrins of Arminius and that undue Convocation which the Scotch taught us to call the Assembly of Divines which laid aside the Liturgy and established the Directory did very smartly evidence their belief that they had a power of obliging the people to their own placits For beside the greatness of the undertaking they were as positive in their determinations and as severe in their injunctions as if they knew themselves seated in an infalliable Chair Therefore their allowing such a power when it ministred to their own passions and interest doth evidence that they hold the thing not absolutely unlawful From the faults that Dissenters now find with Ecclesiastical Establishments and that monstrous Bill for uniting the Kings Protestant Subjects prepared by a late House of Commons which designed the turning our Church upside down we must in all reason conclude they would make very great and peremptory Alterations was it in their power Whence we must infer that according to them themselves there is such a power lodg'd in the Church Which if they deny they consequentially deny the lawfulness of the Reformation both in its first settlement before and in its Restauration after Queen Mary they condemn the haughty attempts of their late Assembly and even themselves too who put in their objections against some little passages in our Liturgy to the Convocation called soon after his Majesties return and likewise take from the Church all power of future Reformation from any Errors she may sink into And indeed it is reasonable to suppose the Church knows what is Lawful and Expedient better than some private Heads For the Persons called as Representatives of the whole Church are usually the most Grave Learned and Judicious many see more than one God hath more regards to the whole whom these duely called do represent and in whose determinations the whole are concern'd than of a part viz. a few scattered Individuals who are every one for his own Sense He stands in those relations to the whole which he doth not to particulars in separation from her as of an Head an Husband c. and hath promised to be with them to the end of the World as they are the guides and pastors of his Flock and therefore in a more peculiar manner than with any private Persons who are concerned not for all but every one for his own self Therefore though the Church may err yet it is not by incomparable odds so likely she should as that a few divided particulars may Therefore it is my Prudence as well as Duty in all things doubtful to submit to the Church else I run into an apparent Schism which nothing can justify but some apparent Evil which I cannot hold Communion with the Church but I must be polluted by Therefore because the Schism is apparent but the Error not I run into a certain Sin only for fear of what seems to me a probable Error Now suppose that by this means I chance to err with the Church yet I have used the means and kept to my guide and consequently have done the best I could to secure my self from Error and for that reason my Sin is only from weakness in that I could not see the Error of my guide therefore I shall be excused à tanto and forgiven upon a general repentance But he that errs against the Church hath willfully because without apparent reason left his guide and means appointed or in case the reason of his dissent seem'd to him apparent yet it had not seem'd so had he honestly used the means for his better Information for God is never wanting to such but when Men have itching Ears run after Novelties and have no love to the Truth 2 Thes 2. 10. then v. 11. For this cause God sends 'em strong Delusions that they might believe a Lye Therefore all their subsequent Errors are the issue and Offspring of that causeless and willful separation which kind of Sins are not forgiven but upon a special repentance This is a rule so plain and safe that certainly it had never been oppos'd had not some out of politick ends and others out of a weak and superstitious fear of Popery run into all the extreams from it unless where interest and secular advantages may teach an Union For Knavery in some and weakness in others hath gave being to all the parts of Phanaticism The Romanists shew Reverence in Churches therefore these in opposition will have all places alike For fear of being lavish in their Devotions they become prophane and slovenly and out of a dread of Idols in some real in others pretended run into Sacriledg and in the case before us they are said to believe as the Church believes without requiring any farther grounds and motives of Credibility therefore these will believe her in nothing but contradict and oppose her in all they can and rather than they will be thought to follow the Church in any thing they give up themselves with as real an implicite faith to some Illiterate and Mechanick guide as any are thought to do to the Church of Rome Which necessarily runs 'em into more Errors and greater Confusions than they think by such methods to avoid For from hence have sprung our Quakers Seekers Ranters Adamites Famalists Muggletonians fifth Monarchists withal the heards of Sectaries that have debauched Religion beyond that of Heathen Rome or Turkey Therefore to avoid all damnable Heresies and Schisms and the roveing extravagancies of Enthysiastick heads we have no more certain and ready way than to follow the Church where we have no plain Scripture to the contrary And indeed it is very observable that all pretenders to Christianity do hold the necessity of some guide and rule in matters of Religion whereby they may come to aright understanding of Scripture and thence to a-consent and union in every Truth Those that are for no Government nor any Humane measures but for an absolute Liberty as they are Christians do boast of an extraordinary Light and Conduct of the Spirit which they make to be their guide that leads 'em into all Truth But the monstrous Errors beastly Practices and direct Contradictions these people run into do abundantly convince all observing Men that they have not that Conduct which by pretending to such a guide they own necessary for Christians Then those who are for some Face of a Church and Government do likewise grant the necessity of some helps this way Therefore Calvin will have every