Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A91516
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The right religion, reviewed and inlarged / by L.P. Gent.
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L. P., Gent.
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1658
(1658)
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Wing P74C; ESTC R181384
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42,130
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187
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was truly and infallibly coucht on the sacred leaves of the Bible so assisting and strengthening his Church she becomes in all matters concerning faith powerfull and infallible God is not tyed to this or tother he is free to worke his wonders where when and to whom he pleaseth Neither is there any disproportion betwixt men thus assisted and infallibility it being not necessary for the production of a supernaturall effect that every part of the total cause be supernatural for it is visible to the eye that God frequently makes use of secondary causes in the production of supernaturall effects in that of faith Rom. 10. of hearing and preaching in that of Grace Mat. 18 19 of Elements and words in that of the blind man Jo. 6. of spittle and earth CHAP. 6. Of the possibilitie of keeping the Commandements 1 NOt onely that it is possible to keep the Commandements but also that divers have kept them is a truth so cleerly delivered both in the old and new Testament that there is cause to wonder any can make question thereof In the old Moses speaking of the Commandments sayes Deut. 30. They are not above but very near us in our Mouths in our hearts to doe them Noe Ezekias Josias Josaphat Asa Gen. 6. 4 Kings 18. 2 Paral. 30. 4 Kings 22. 1 Paral. 15 2 Paral. 20. Tob. 2. Iob 1.17 2 Kings 7. 3 Kings 9. Luke 2. Mat. 11.21 Luke 1. Joacham Tobias Job kept them In the New Christ is no lesse plain My yoke is sweet my burden light Simeon St John the Baptist Zacharias Elizabeth the B. Virgin kept them Gods conditional promises to David and his Posterity could be termed no better than Jeers unlesse the commandements were possible To what purpose so much perswasion in Books and Pulpits to live well if the Commandements be impossible is living well any other than keeping of the Commandements It is assuredly as rid culous as impious to tearm him a good liver that steales murthers and commits adultery c. The justness of lawes that inflict severe punishments vpon the breakers of the Commandements are not at all consistent with the impossibility of keeping them Necessity is a good and forcible excuse against the strongest charge The very light of Reason giveth testimonie to the Commandements possibility they being all grounded upon Reason and suited to her bent and inclination The wickedest man alive cannot say with truth that he breaketh any Commandment without some secret check of conscience 2. To alledge that God onely requires mans indeavour is repugnant to Christs express words which are not Mat. 19. If thou wilt come to heaven endeavour to keep but keep the Commandements Many a good endeavour as many a good purpose burns in Hell Heaven being the reward of doing not of endeavouring Besides it is equally unnaturall to endeavour impossibilityes and to desire things unknown Who could Choose but smile to see one leap and skip as ayming to soar fly in the Ayr knowing it to be possible onely for Birds that are fitted with wings and feathers for the purpose Indeed to point at any particular that doth keep the Commandements is hard no man knowing Eccles 9. whether he be worthy of love or hatred But that all in generall may keep them Christ himselfe assures it 2. Tim 2. Willing all to be saved God wills nothing impossible and he that wills the end wills the meanes 3. True it is neither Men nor Angells can love God as he is loveable that 's a perfection God onely is capable of nevertheless it is in the power both of Angells and Men to love God so far forth as the capacity of their condition reacheth which though it be a perfection of a lower degree yeâ— it is sufficient to denominate and render the subject it is in perfect And even this I confess is aâ— effect which Gods grace hathâ— chief hand in but that is no Baâ— for Man having his share to Grace and Nature are not inconsistent yea Grace supporteth nay bettereth Nature they may then joyn and endeavour together as two of unequall strength drawing a boat one draweth more but yet both draw The part Grace acts in the working of salvation is to enlighten the understanding move and enable the Will The part Man acts is to comply with Grace Cor. 6.1 to yield and consent to her good Motions Apocj 3.20 Wherefore salvation is the work not of Grace alone nor of man alone but of Grace and Man joyning hand and heart together St Austin Tom. 10. Serm. 15. de verb. Apost post med speakes truth He that made you without you will not justifie you without you CHAP. 7. Of Religion 1 SUch is the dread of Gods awfull Majesty imprinted in Man that the most bararous people deem it a duty to set apart some time to worship him in the light of reason teaching that a certain return of honour and veneration is due from the effect to its cause whereby to express subjection gratitude and thankfullness and albeit impiety wants not Proselites that rejecting the Deity refuse to do him homage their folly is to be imputed to lack of grace and not oâ— the said light as appeares by readiness observeable in them to suffer for their opinion If thâ— other world yield no Punisher nâ— Rewarder no Hell nor Heaven it is madness to fear and vain prodigality to give away life the chief good and best flower of natures garden 2. This naturall propension to praise and magnify God begets religious acts and Religious acts that great moral vertue called Religion but Religion in a more common acception consists in Beliefe not humane grounded upon Reason but divine relying on the Churches Authoritie and the assistance of the holy Ghost It is the doctrine of Christ delivered by himself in plain and express terms Mar. 16. All power is given to me in heaven and in earth goe ye therefore and preach the Gospell unto all nations hee that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be condemned Jo. 14. I will send unto you the holy Ghost who shall teach you all Truth Christ here speakes to the Apostles the Church giveth power to preach the Gospell to the Apostles the Church promiseth salvation to Believers of the Apostles the Church threatens damnation to unbelievers of the Apostles the Church lastly that there may be no pretence for disobedience he assureth to the Apostles the Church a peculiar assistance of the holy Ghost whose proper effect is to keep power from excess and failing 3. Not a word of or to Reason what colour then for attributing so much to Reason and so little to the Church as to deny Christ to have intrusted her with his Truth as if the Gospell were not Christs truth or Christs impowering the Church to preach the Gospell meant any other thing than to intrust her with his truth Had Reason the preheminence of Belief St Paul would not have subjected Reason unto Belief bidding all
Religion having been generally received for a divine truth maketh it altogether impossible for any Pope to be or to have been the first Contriver of it What is further alledged in opposition of Religion from perswasion power and custome makes against other Religions which depend upon fancy shewing that nimblenesse of wit volubility of tongue may gain belief of such power grown terrible fright into a profession of the same and custome give a good likeing and zeal of both So Luther and Calvin perswaded their Novelties Queen Elizabeth forced a profession of them and custome rendred them to most seeming good and true and not against the Roman Catholique Religion that hath its relyance upon the certain universality of Tradition Christ's never failing assurance of the holy Ghosts assistance and which by reason of its austerity and strictness of its profoundness and incomprehensibility of its restless ayming at proficiency and growth in vertue and perfection had to enter the lists and encounter with them all with flesh and blood as to which suffering and pain would be troublesome and displeasing with reason as to which heavenly mysteries would seem strange and mazefull with power as to which new endeavours would be suspectfull and provoking to Custome as to which Change would be repugnant and destructive To say truth it is a clear demonstration of truth in the Roman Catholique Religion that having to struggle with flesh and blood with the bloody crueltyes of the fiercest Tyrants it should be able maugre all their oppositions by meanes of a few contemplible men to prevail so as to gain and keep the Dominion and mastery of the cheifest and largest part of the Earth CHAP. 11. Of set Prayer EXtravagancies being simpton's and tokens of distemper it is a plain case that the traducers of set Prayer are not well at ease For what more extravagant than to levell and strike at the very Acts of Christ and his Church as these doe scripture declaring expressely that as well the one as the other have made and imposed set prayer mark well the words When ye pray Mat. 6. let it be Our father loset prayer made and imposed by Christ Have ye a form of sound words 2. Tim. 1. Observe them that walk so as you have our form sing unto our Lord in Psalms hymns Canticles Phil. 3 Here the Church in St Paul makes and imposes set Prayer and as for their power in doing it Christ sayes first for himself All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth John 14. next for the Church Mat. 16. hee that heares you heares me neither grant is limitted or restrained and the end of both is to instruct in all Chrstian duty therefore must needs reach prayer as a chief part thereof I quarrel not with extemporary prayer in gifted persons if all ought to improve their talents why should any be debarred the use which is the meanes to improvement All I contend is that Christians are to have a regard of decency and order for that Christ who is the God of order and not of confusion came not to bestow the beautifull and pretious jewell of Christianity upon a confused and hell-like multitude but upon a well ordered company consisting of a perfect subordination of inferiours to superiours amongst whom as there is a commanding power so there is a duty to obey a power being to small purpose unless it can challenge observance Nevertheless superiors having not tyed up all inferiours actions but left some loose and free as extemporary power c inferiours may pray at pleasure of their private store so as they doe not passe their bounds to find fault and clash with superiours it is not at all misbecoming a householder to order his family after his own mode if it be done without opposition to or contempt of the lawes but should the sun it self in its naturall motion resist or thwart the common motion of the heavens it must undoubtedly discompose marre the melodiousness of their harmony The Exception against set prayer that it hinders attention and elevation hath not the least ground because extemporary prayer requiring study is rather apt to distract and beat down whiles it seeks and dives to find out what to say whereas set prayer being made to our hands needs no study and consequently brings no such inconvenience CHAP. 12. Of the meanes to reconciliation with God HAving thus endeavoured to set forth a sound and good Christian handsomeness of order requires to declare next a Remedy for such as are diseased and ill in complyance wherewith I shall say that Christ hath appointed repentance as the onely safe and sure meanes to reconciliation and doubtless so it is for diseases as well spirituall as corporall are properly to be cured by contraries and the Spirituall disease of an ill Christian in pride malice whose contraries are faith humility fear Love sorrow hope purpose of amendment confession and satisfaction all which are the essentialls of Repentance and being soe argue desperateness in those that dare hazard their reconciliation upon confidence of forgiveness which rather sydes with than opposes their disease as will appear by stating the case betwixt man and man thus a Master bearing affection to his servant bestowes on him favours and benefits this servant instead of deserving growes savage and insolent insomuch that he reviles and abuses his good Master afterwards reflecting upon his ingratitude calls to mind his Masters worth thence raiseth to himself a confidence that he hath forgiven him Clearly this proceeding is so far from lessening that it increaseth this servants offence as adding thereto presumption Now Gods friendship surpassing mans imperfection the breach of it must be worse and consequently a greater and more exact reparation is necessary It behooveth then every Christan desirous of spirituall health to beware of this impertinent and pernitious confidence and when Conscience accuses of sinne to take Christs Remedie as followeth in the first place by way of Preparative crave Gods assistance then stir up an Act of humility by acknowledging your unworthiness an act of faith by considering Gods omnipotence veracitie an Act of fear by considering his severity in punnishing sinne an Act of love by considering his goodness in creating preserving redeeming and adopting you to be his Child an Act of sorrow by considering his displeasure and your losse an Act of hope by considering his promises of mercy which done make a firm purpose to doe so no more confess your fault and take upon you some Penance of Prayer fasting or Almes-deeds in part of satisfaction for the injury offered This way may benefit Christians of all perswasions but can hurt none because Religion though it be above yet it is not against reason and prudence allowes you encourageth the tryall of safe and harmless meanes great affaires seldom complain of too much care and diligence there being in good no danger of excess And here it will not be unseasonable