Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	scripture_n	speak_v	word_n	9,140	5	4.5911	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76517	Remarks, and animadversions, on Mr. Keith's two sermons, being his first after ordiantion, [sic] preached at the parish church of St. George's Butolphs-Lane, London, May the 12th. 1700. on St. Luke i. 6 Now impartially compared with his former writings, setting George against Keith, and endeavouring to reconcile them, by shewing what he should have said upon the subjest. By W.B. a communicant of the Church of England.	W. B.	1700 (1700)	Wing B224; ESTC R230841	17,705	18

with a band of Health as 1 Cor. 12. designed to Manifest that in the Church of Christ it 's as Monstrous and Impossible for all he Teachers or Governours as for the Body to be all Tongue or Eye And that it is as Preposterous and Destructive for all Promiscuously to thrust themselves into the Ministry when the Spirit moves as for the Members of a Mans Body to desert their Natural Scituation and all to press into the same Place nay besides if according to some Mens Fancies Abilities be all that is requisite to make a Clergy-man or Teacher then it 's highly reasonable to make due inquiry into those so as to be duly and truly informed of their Nature and Reality Now what Abilities soever any can pretend unto must either be infused or acquired If any then assume the Office of a Teacher meerly upon the pretence of infused Abilities or extraordinary Gifts then it 's just with the Apostles to put them upon the proving such by that sort of Testimony which was ever required in such a Case to shew them by working some Miracles For if such bold Pretenders are to be Credited upon their own bare Word how easily then will every confident Creature only by rubbing their Forehead with Brass pretending extraordinary Gifts and Abilities so by a meer bellowing Cozen the Silly and Ignorant do belye the Holy Ghost from whom all real Gifts come and consequently destroy all Order in the Church but we are commanded not to believe every Spirit but to try them whether they be of God since the Charge which is undertaken is no less than the cure of Souls For the great Shepherd would not have his Sheep to wander up and down least they go astray and be lost without any to feed them You know what a strict Command he laid upon Peter to feed his Sheep and Lambs and which he Faithfully Executed and Exhorted his fellow Elders or Ministers to do the like as 1 Pet. 5 1 2. Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the over-sight thereof not by constraint but willingly Not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind Now if these who are so forward to take upon them the Ministerial Office would maturely revolve that it brings with it a charge of Souls of which one Day they must give an Account c. This might perhaps not a little Cool their Heat and the due Apprehension of the weightiness of the Burthen would allay the Presumption of their Abilities Nor will it less deserve a serious Consideration that if all have a right to the Ministry then all have a right to be maintained by it as Saint Paul proves from the Law of Moses instancing in the Ox and Labourer the one not to be muzled and the other worthy of his Hire So arguing from common Equity that since Spirituals were Ministred unto them it 's no great matter if they reap their Temporals since as he concludes those that Preach the Gospel must live by it A double Portion both of respect and maintainance being due to them as 1 Tim. 5.19 to free them from the distracting Troubles of the World enabling them to the oblidging Offices of Charity and Alms-Deeds as to be not only apt to Teach but given to Hospitality which Consideration if the Pluralists will not have regard to it 's hoped and wished the Grand Council will and make as good and wholsome Provision for Pluralities of Parsonages as are for Wives and put a restraint upon the Overseers or Elders of the Church to make them for the future more Provident as not to admit more to be ordained than they are indeed bound tho' are not yet willing to maintain and that an Eye be had towards Personal Perfections as well as Abilities and Honesty of Descent as well as Probity of Manners and not to make Priests of the lowest for Interest or Favour Thirdly Nothing will serve some but they must and will be Teachers and through either an Envious Faction or a Mistaken Zeal they will detain that which is due or be Fingering the hallowed Censor and the Holy Fire I leave such to the Consideration of their Ancestors viz. Corah Dathan Abiram and Vzziah First for Instruction and then for Afrightment for diverse Inconveniences have befallen And consequently will unavoidably attend both Church and State by this as First They let some Presumptuous of their Abilities to take upon them to become Teachers has proved and will again make even Preaching it self which many in this Age account the All of Religion to become Weak and Contemptable by being exposed to all the Incongruities Follies Dotages and Imposters of the Ignorant and Confident of the Crafty and Deceitful making the Scripture it self our only Rule to be Hourly liable to such Freakish and Will Expositions as will make it most unlike it self and least able to be that which it was designed viz. a compleat Rule of Faith and Conversation Truth and Holiness And that there is more than a possibility of what I speak those have sufficiently informed us who have Expounded the Scripture as their Humours and Wills would have it speak by Commenting Upon the Laws and Commands till they left in them no Obligation making God's Word speak according to their Interest or Passions and so expose Religion to perpetual Corruptions And Secondly such doings will have but little influence upon the Peace and safety of the State to God For when every one hath a liberty to teach what and whom he pleaseth We may conclude from the Natural Pride of Men that each will desire to raise a Sect and become Head of a Party over whose Consciences when they have once got a competent Power it will not be long till they have both their Persons and Fortunes at their Devotion then their gathered Churches will be soon train'd into an Army There being no fitter Materials of New Troops than new Proselites who being imployed in the first warmth and briskness of their Zeal will not stick at any attempt tending to the advancement of their Way and to the Removal of whatsoever obstructs their Design And tho' the pretence of all this be Conscience and Zeal for the Lord the removal of Abuses and the publick Welfare Yet every Malecontent will help to the increase of the Cry So that all the Sons of Ambition Coveteousness Envy and Revenge will empty themselves into the Faction and those who least care for Religion will then make it their pretext to ruin that which is Established and therewith the State The sad Truth of which Observation dear bought Experience hath and now doth every where attest c. The Third Command or Ordinance which the great Apostle places before the last mentioned in Heb. 6.2 The Doctrine of Baptisms which is an initial Principle and fundamental Point of Christian Religion And since as Mr. Dell saith p. 2. There are and have been many which have and do maintain divers Errors and Opinions even