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	spirit_n	try_v	2,382	5	8.8588	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54151	The guide mistaken, and temporizing rebuked, or, A brief reply to Jonathan Clapham's book intituled, A guide to the true religion in which his religion is confuted, his hypocrisie is detected, his aspersions are reprehended, his contradictions are compared / by W.P., a friend to the true religion.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1668 (1668)	Wing P1301; ESTC R15309	49,937	66

one let him but peruse his 17th page and tell me if he doth not find this amongst the many other contradictions that the Opinion or Dream that every man may be saved in his own Religion if he be true to it is more becoming Turks than Christians I must confess I have not met of late in any Author with such palpable confusion and can assure thee Reader I do avoid for brevity's sake the recital of much more I might instance in What Superstructure it 's possible for the best Artists to erect on a Foundation so imperfect and unsound he need be no exact Architecturist to determine but notwithstanding his mistake in his way to the true Religion he may prove Guide sufficient to his many following errors defects Sect. 7. I shall a little insist upon his second Chapter the head is this Shewing wherein the wise chusing ones Religion lys and acts concurring thereunto He needs must play the crack-Philosopher and imperfectly has manag'd his little distinctions in the pedantick phrase of the canting Priests and Accademists He tells us first what Election is in general and then divides the right-chusing of Religion into three Acts the Intellect precedingly discerning the nature of the thing that by the will is chosen And what in the 7th page he hath defin'd in the 8th he instances these following words to confirm his definition viz. Man being a Religious Creature by the common instinct of his natural conscience is mov'd strongly to worship a Deity as we see in all the Nations of the Earth much more when he is stirred up by a divine instinct Answ It hath been the unhappiness of many Ages as it is of this to darken and confound matters of Religion mostly with terms not more affected and difficult than very often impertinent of which this Guide is not a little guilty as must be obvious to such as will examine his most frivolous and contratradictory distinction betwixt Natural and Divine Not that I shall not allow them to be terms proper in their place but very improper where he puts them Let me perswade thee Reader to observe impartially the Confusion I have to do with one who characters himself a Christian and not a profest disciple of the Heathen Aristotle and I should therefore think it may become me best as it had him to use such a sound form of words as are warranted by and laid down in the Scriptures of Truth and that he with all others may know how far the Quakers are on all occasions ready to bring their Principles to be tried by that which the Spirit there declares I shall expose both his and theirs to the judgment of them and leave thee Reader to determine which holds the greatest harmony therewith although the contradiction of his own words might have been confutation evident enough Religion is by James a Prophet of the most high God thus defined Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Also to believe as Paul has it in thy heart and confess with thy tongue in and to the Lord Jesus Or as he hath it in another place to wit A subjection and obedience to that Spirit Light or Grace manifested from God to all men teaching them that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts they should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Taking these passages for the clear and compleat signification of that term Religion as I shall till some more ample be produced and not the whimsical conjectures of men from their wresting of the Scriptures patcht up into a formal Creed by their eclipst understandings as this Guide must not deny if he will own Scripture then will it consequently follow that no man can be truly stiled Religious from a natural instinct or cause for since the one and true Religion or Primitive is divine Religious or the Relative must necessarily participate of the same Divine Nature and if by Natural Conscience he means Reason abstractively the Relative cannot amount to more than Rational for as what is simply Animal cannot generate what 's Rational so is it altogegether impossible for what is but simply Rational to produce what is Spiritual nor can I understand how he will secure himself from gross impertinency in nominating Man a Religious creature from a natural instinct or to assert any thing but what is divine can act Man to worship a Divinity How far he may to save himself extend the signification of natural I know not but if he means it in the sense Paul often us'd it methinks the very letter of the Scripture should have barr'd his unsuitable expression for saith that Apostle The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he because they are spiritually discerned But if he will take Natura 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro generatione viventium sive animalium id est nativitate or if he rather will accept it in the sense of him they call Divine Seneca that it imports a Deity or Divine Reason sown in all parts of the world he would do well to let us know for the incongruity of his Assertion with good sense lies very palpable He further confirms his opinion of the universality of that by him call'd Natural Instinct with his Parenthesis as we see in all Nations of the Earth much more when he is further stirred up by a Divine Instinct I must confess to the universality of it but how disguis'd it is through the various trims of mens Inventions and fore-fathers idle Traditions a person never so little spritualiz'd may see and easily discry the notorious foppery of most professions the cause of which vniversal darkness has been the Nations sacrificing their judgements to the implicite Faith of their deceitful Priests who have been and are a Monopoly to the Souls and Bodies of the whole Creation And what he ignorantly calls the father stirring of a divine instinct is not a difference from the former in respect of its nature or quality but measure or degree I have the longer insisted on this particular because most material as well to detect his weakness and grand inability to the work he forwardly has undertaken as from his own expressions to elucidate and maintain the Quakers Principles to be Orthodox although it was against them he mainly did design his Book but with what success the end will manifest I shall just hint upon his three branches into which he has split the first act of his Election 1 He advises to take a particular view of the Principal Doctrines and Misteryes of Faith and duty of Godliness taught in the Scriptures but doth not tell us by what infallible Expositor we ought to peruse them that might unfold those Mysteries he speaks of which imply a dubious intricate and obscure sense does he mean the Instinct

before-mentioned I fear he is scarce so Orthodox or will he have us give our own constructions as things present themselves to our natural understanding or must we walk by the Crutches of some Commentators for if he will at last send all to the Scriptures or can propose no better Expedient to reconcile these Breaches and heal those Religious Jars than that which through mens blindness and for want of the infallible Spirit which guides all in the Truth that receive it and are subjected thereunto has been the very rise and ground of them the world will little be beholding to this Guide His second Branch advises to discern the verity and certainty of those Doctrines that he may venture his soul upon them as if 't were possible a man could take a particular view of the principal Doctrines and Duty of Godliness and not discern both Certainty and Verity His third is like his second that a man must know the excellency thereof as if he could view those Mysteries behold hoth and yet not see their excellency Thus Priest-like has he spoild paper in saying the same thing in differing expressions as in the case of the hour-glass that he may hold out Sect. 8. Act the second he goes on thus After the understanding doth thus present the true Religion before us in the certainty glory and excellency of it then the next act is for the will to elect it 's that I am resolved to profess whatever disgraces reproaches losses persecutions I may meet with But besides his putting man upon Religion instigating him to run and strive of himself A state the Scriptures declare shall never enter because unlawful and points him not to such a Guide as can infallibly direct unto the true Religion he has been so very bad an example for constancy that he and his fellow-Temporizers have stumbled more into a sneaking Conformity and downright Atheism than all their Prayers Preaching Printing will ever regain without a miracle on both His third act is little more than a repetition of the former a crime he is very guilty of as my marginal in some place doth observe Sect. 9. His third Chapter chiefly consists of considerations to evidence it a principal point of wisdom for a man to make a right choice of that Religion he would profess his first is drawn from the necessity of a mans being of some Religion indeed I cannot understand wherfore he should be so often earnest in pressing men to be of some Religion who plainly tels them in several other places there 's no Salvation out of the true one unless he thinks the imploying their Talent to the service adoration of a false god be more excusable then to worship none but to inforce this consideration he does the Quakers the advantage of farther instancing a proof for them and against himself says he in the very framing of the Nature of Man there are such Pinciples of Religion ingraven on him that cannot be razed out that have taught the very Heathens to worship a Deity Come judge impartial Reader betwixt this Guide and the so much condemned Quakers who has here repeated what he had before acknowledged with this material addition that cannot be razed out I would gladly be informed whether if he allows the Eternal God to have created and formed man in body soul and spirit that it be not reasonable to conclude no other could invest Man with Religious Principles and a propensity to worship a Deity and can it be admitted by any sober person the Principle God hath bestowed on man should be natural and yet religious imperfect and yet the gift of God surely there can be none so dim-sighted as not to discern these very gross contradictions for if God has imprest on man such a Religious Principle to teach him to adore a Deity which must be himself or else it would not answer the end for which it was given what is it less than to declare that God hath distributed unto every man such a proportion of his pure Spirit and measure of his Grace as might enable him in thought word and deed to perform that good that acceptable and perfect will of God and that the ground of those divisions in Religion fallibility in Judgement cruelty in Disposition and all other A bominations that like a deluge overflow the World is not the Insufficiency of that Divine Principle but from neglecting and disregarding the Righteous Dictates and Instructions of it And let him not deny it to be the same it was who bears this Testimony that it cannot be razed out so deeply is it his opinion as well as truth has the infinitly divine Sculpter ingraven the characters of his eternal Law on the hearts of all Nations that no time or alteration amongst men can possibly obliterate or deface it His second Consideration is from the many Religions which are in the World as Heathenism Mahometanism Judaism and Christianity But in his last he sums up the many Sects and Perswasions that commonly are known therein he has divided them into such as differ doctrinally or circumstantially and those which err fundamentally The first are Lutherans Calvinists Arminians Anabaptists Episcoparians Presbyterians Independents c. to whom he boldly allots Salvation But how far his c. may concern us he in a few lines after particularly lets us understand wherein he has not more exprest his Cunning than his Cowardize for as he is willing to allow all those Perswasions to be Christian who are most likely to have the Civil Power in their hands that come any of those seven with his large c. he hopes to secure himself Priest of Wramplingam without being condemned for temporizing so doth he manifest himself exceeding bold in fighting such for Infidels and Hereticks as either cannot or will not practise external violence on those Powers that protect such Caterpillers and that he may the better insinuate he ventures at this juncture of his plenty to own his quondam Brethren in their adversity calling them all Children of the same Father drest up in different habits but that his Wardrobe was better furnished than the rest is evident from his variety and change yet more penurious for that he never wore a Coat he has not turn'd His last consideration I rather call the sequel of the former Because saith he if one should happen of the true Religion he would never be true unto it unless he took it upon such a Right Choice as before was spoken of What Choice of Religion he has made or what Arguments he has used to confirm it I shall refer unto thee Reader But fain I would entreat this Guide once to be serious with himself and ask his heart if ever it had any and whether it has not through all Revolutions discover'd it self very deceitful and unsound Alas why will he thus nakedly expose his Ignorance and Hypocrisie to publick censure unless he would confess

no greater foil than this person 's bare reproaches at least assertions without proof the discreet world will soonet acquiesce in the stronger Arguments of Socinus and his quaint Adherents than this unreasonable and slandering Guide Nor does a wrong opinion gain more credit or life than when oppos'd by persons indiscreet and incompetent CHAP. II. Aspersions reprehended Sect. 1. IT is an Art this Guide is curious at to purchase the esteem of such whom his miscarriages may justly have incens'd at the inhumane rate of forward and invective slanders on such who has for conscience-sake stept aside from the establisht Ministry of the Nations but more especially the Quakers against whom he ever has been bold to write and speak being withdrawn from every Form and Constitution to wait for life from God and not from beggarly elements and therfore made a prey to all parties against whom he knew every hand has been lifted up distressed by and forsaken of all Civil Power and consequently secure in his undertaking He was not slothful under former Powers nor has he been less diligent since employing all his wicked wits to render us a people unfit to hold society with men being not only destructive to Religion but Government Nor will the character he has given of us in pag. 62. speak much less where enveighing against Sects he begins with us in this manner I shall only instance in one more of such as err in Fundamental Points who in respect of their want of learning and outward accomplishments are contemptible yet in respect of their number and singular obstinacy in their way whereby they amuse the vulgar are not to be past by viz. the Quakers Although Quakerism cannot properly be called a Sect of Christians but rather a total Apostacy from Christianity for excepting they have the Name of Christ in their mouths they scarce retain any Article of the Christian Faith Reader thou needst not be a man so very judicious although our Cause being by most perused with a prejudiced eye desires thee to be impartial rightly to taste what the ingredients and infusions are that do compose this Spirit who at the very entrance manifests himself thus intoxicated that he has already over-shot both verity and good manners thereby preparing the minds of such as reade him to entertain his Falsities the most he can for the disadvantage of our persons and principles This front of his Impeachment calls for my Answer in these respects 1. We stand charg'd as to our want of Learning and external accomplishments It is our joy and matter of rejoycing and many times with unutterable thanksgivings in sincerity I can say that the everlasting God should now as frequently at other times display the Riches of his Love and Grace to the mean and despised amongst men herein is it transcending in our eye that he should abscond these things and leave them still as mysteries to the wise world whilst in extream love he has so plentifully vouchsafed the revelation of them unto babes and therein made good that ancient observation of Paul in our times Not many Wise not many Noble not that we thereby do exclude any only we can affirm that the entrance of God's everlasting Gospel of Salvation or whatever he has had to do amongst the sons of men has been with very seemingly despicable attendances This ought not to be dubious unto any intelligent person that has but given himself a moderate acquaintance with History If I should go no further than the Scriptures of Truth let it be there examined and 't will appear if such whom God call'd at any time from the beginning to the end were not Handicraft Labouring and Husband-men persons inexpert in the Scholastick Adages Disputations and Opinions of the Heathenish Philosophical World But lest that may not be of sufficient authority let them but reade the account that 's largely given in this matter by Heraldus who declares the primitive Christians general disgust to all humane Literature and Philosophy in particular the only accomplishments of that Age which occasion'd the Gentiles continual upbraiding of the Christians for Ideots and illiterate persons And Origen in so many words gives this account of the very Propagators of the Gospel that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weavers or Combers of Wool Coblers Fullers and illiterate and exceeding rustick But lest it may be objected that though God at first was pleas'd to use such illiterate Preachers thereby to manifest the greatness of his Power yet afterwards the means of Literature were not to be neglected as necessary ingredients to an able and orthodox Minister Let such but reade the Ordinance of the fourth Council of Carthage where it is ordained Let every Clergie-man get his livelihood by some Artifice or Husbandry without prejudice to his Calling and let every Clergie-man though learned in the Word of God have some Artifice or Handicraft and let all Clergie-men that are able to labour learn some petty Handicrafts And Gaudentius expresly sayes that we do not reade that ever the Ancients did teach Philosophy since they did rather abhor it I fain sayes he would see any man that could shew that the Christians either before or in the time of Justinian did openly teach Philosophy And as the Waldenses of old answered the Academian Papists as Warnerius and others who said concerning their Preachers Doctores ipsorum sunt Textores Sutores their Teachers are Weavers and Coblers So we return to this Contemner of the Quakers for their unacquaintance in Learning We are not ashamed of our Ministers because they labour with their hands procuring thereby a livelihood to themselves according as they are able because both the doctrine and example of the Apostles doth lead us to such apprehensions And if this Guide were either learned himself or but impartial he may remember that there was not one at the Nicene Council whose Creed is so famous in Europe who understood the Hebrew tongue not to make any comparison between John's Greek and the Quakers English or to instance the great difference betwixt Isaiah and Jeremiah in the old Testament And therefore be it known to all those who shall in Libanus his scoffing stile say Let us not hear what these men speak concerning Heaven God and Goodness who come forth black and sooty from the Smith's Forge and Anvil That 't is not in the power of man's reason wit study or wisdom to unseal the Book see hear and understand the deep things of God nor to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ But as the Apostles said so say we Everlasting praises to our God by the revelation of his eternal Spirit he has given us in measure that Divine Science truly so called And this Light we are not asham'd to own for our Teacher in the fight of Nations but by its Supream