Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	set_v	spirit_n	worship_n	4,124	5	8.6355	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95966	The corruption of minde. Described in a sermon preached at Pauls the 24. day of June, 1655. / By Richard Vines, preacher of Gods word at Laurence-Jury, London.	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.	1655 (1655)	Wing V549; ESTC R203881	10,383	24

without all composition Most commonly it is a freedom from mixture of heterogeneal things which might adulterate purity In Doctrine unlearnedness in faith unfainedness in love sincerity in worship chastity in life and conversation integrity do make up that we call simplicity of Christ which I shall comdendiate into these three 1 Simplicity of Doctrine 2 Of Worship 3 Of life 1 The simplicity of Christ was personal for being in the form of God he emptied himself and took on him the form of a servant Phil. 2. 6. Official in the acting of offices of his Priest Prophet and King in great simplicity Doctrinal in the preaching of the Gospel Conversionall in the deportment of his life But now I speak of the simplicity of his Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospel which is a mistery that exceeds in glory 2 Cor. 3. 9. and which the Angels stoop down to pry into and yet is in contempt as foolishness with the wisdom of this world that wch is a quintessence above al clementary learning and transcendent above every predicament hath been entertained with Stand thou here or sit under my footstool whereas that which the Apostle calls vain Philosophy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 science falsly so called hath been entertained with Sit thou here in a good place The Doctrine of which you are born is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorruptible sad and which you are nourished by is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincere milk which denotes simplicity Christ for righteousness Christ for a root on whom the branches do live dependingly for the root beares them and derivingly for the root feeds them is the sum of this doctrine Here is no mixture of Jewish rites as if we would look for Christ in that manger wherein he lay when he was a babe the bird is now hatcht and the eggshel lies empty Here is no corrival of mans works to spoile this simplicity there remains no place for them as they are meritorious for that sets them in the chair of Christ nor as they are motives of God to justifie for that sets them in the place of free-grace nor as conditions of the Covenant for that sets them in the place of faith but as they are fruits of holiness for that sets them in their own place assigned to them by this Doctrine 2 Simplicity of worship which is called spirit and truth Job 4. 23. not Judaicall and shadowish not Samaritan idolatrous but spiritual and inward The Apostle calls the Jewish types which were rich beggarly Elements we have them in the rich plainness of the Gospel In matter of worship that of Austin is the truth and Socrates had seen it before colendus est quomodo se colendum praeceperit as himself hath commanded Those that were mint-masters of worship used to feign correspondence with some deity that under that reputation they might vend off their devices God must stamp that worship as shall be currant man is apt to indulge his eye in Gods worship It 's the hardest thing saith one to leave our eye and fancie behind us as Abraham did his servants when we go up into the monnt to sacrifice The spiritual part of religion is the hardest part If we look into Justin Martyr and see how the dresse of worship was changed by degrees we shal finde that it became at length quasi reductus in Ecclesiam Judaismus unbecoming the purity of this virgin 3 The simplicity of life It was an excellent testimoniall subscribed by the Apostle his conscience 2 Cor. 1. 2. that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in this world The form of godliness is but a Mathematicall body consisting of lineaments onely Religion is practicall and alwayes married to honesty and righteousness towards men religious dishonesty is worse than a Christian married to a Heathen in the times we live that saying is too true universus mundus exercet histrioniam all men almost disguise and act parts Men either make it a stalking horse to their own game a footstool to their ends a covert of gold for their filthy designes or lodge it onely in the cock-loft of a cold brain and not in the warme room of affections And the simplicity of Christ is broken into a multiplicity of senses and wayes Let this Point for use recommend to Ministers and people both the simplicity of Christ 1 To the Ministery for though this be not a place to teach them yet it is a place to teach you what to say and what to expect of Archippus videlicet the simplicity of Christ both in the matter and manner of the delivery of this Doctrine 1 Simplicity for the matter of the Doctrine I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ saith he that had sitten at the feet of Gamaliel for though that of Justin Martyr be true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All truth spoken by Plato or Aristotle is ours and that which is true in Philosophy is true also in every place yet it is of the seed of the Word quod Christus nascitur in corde auditorum We must set bread before hungry souls and not be like the School-men that set men upon gnawing hard stones All learning may be spent upon the simplicity of the Gospell In breaking down strong holds meeting with subtilty of mens hearts raising up the dejected Spirit prostrate under sin counter-mining the methods and stratagems of the Devill and you will finde that the old Adam in mens hearts is too hard for young Melancthon and who is sufficient for these things 2 Simplicity for manner of delivery for painted glasse is more gaudy but cleer glass transmits more light the rule is to clothe spiritual things with spiritual words 1 Cor. 2. 13. It s vain oile that 's spent in strong lines that hang together as sand without time standing together as letters in the Hebrew one not touching another Let a crucified Christ be preacht in a crucified Phrase and though you preach not with embroidery of silver and gold yet surge ambula if you make the hearer arise and walk it s farre the better It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to divide the Word a right a word taken from culling up of the sacrifices to shred the intrals into mince meat or to put the text to death and torment so as to make the people eat the flesh with the blood Keep the true pattern of wholsom words The People Are exhorted to hold fast this threefold simplicity of Christ in Doctrine worship and conversation In Doctrine All Scipture centers in and looks to Christ both Old Testament and New as the Cherubims to one another and both to the mercy seat he was then swathed up in types he is now unvaled in a rich plainnes of the Gospel those precious stones which God promises to build his Church Isa 54. 13. Do all come but to this All thy children shall be taught of God In worship spirit and truth are better

thus expresses it Eccles 2. 18. being vainly pufft up in his fleshly minde 7 Unsuspitious credulity of others eminent in appearance of holiness doth at unawares enwrap many well meaning men The Novatians would not admit lapsed men to communion The Donatists would not beare with mixture in their Churches as they pretended both these sorts of men did bear a plausible shew of holinesse in their opinions but God doth not approve a holinesse of mans making for that which is indeed holinesse must have upon it Gods superscription Use For the Use of this Doctrine let me bespeak you in the words of S. Peter Epist 2. Cap. 3. Vers penult Take heed lest being led away by the errour of the wicked or of lawlesse men ye fall from your own stedfastnesse This Caveat I might enforce upon you from divers Topicks or places as namely the dangerousnesse of this disease which seizes on the head from whence as saith the Greek Proverb the fish doth first begin to be corrupted as also from the easinesse of being infected and from the difficulty of the cure but having spoke enough of the first of these I will onely use a few words concerning the two latter 1 It 's as easie to be infected as it is for sheep to catch the rot by feeding in rotten pastures and our experience shews us that one that angles with such baits catches more fish in a week than preaching of Christ and the simplicity of him will catch in some yeers for errour hath something in us as he that gave the reason for the faster growth of weeds than sweet herbs said that the soile was naturall mother to the one and but step-mother to the other 2 There is no simplicity of truth a multiplicity of errour the streight line between point and point can be but one the oblique lines many therefore it is easie to hang upon one tenter-hook or other that look so many and even contrary wayes 3 Errour is many times more specious to our shallow proud corrupt reason than the truth of God whose depths and mysteries cannot otherwise be answered then with Tu quis es 4 The mint-masters of errour do usually fashion their doctrines to flesh-pleasing and man-pleasing ye shall not easily finde that false prophets did preach the burdens of the Lord but rather as Peter observes 2 Pet. 2. 19. they promise liberty which is so taking a thing that looking humanely we may wonder that Christ preaching repentance self-deniall the crosse should gain any So much for the easiness of being infected then next a word for the difficulty of the cure 1 The cure is difficult because men are hard to be convinced of the sin and falshood if with zeal open profession they have maintained it therefore they in the Council of Trent as the history relates would hardly be drawn to admit of any recess from their former errours ne viderentur errasse lest they might seem to have erred and so weaken the credit of all they held before as the crack made in Ice useth to runne further then where it is first made But if in punishment upon them that receive not the truth in love God do give men up to efficacy of errour or do otherwise recompence their errour by delivering them up to vile affections and lusts Rom. 1. 27. who shall then pull off that fearfull seal of God that seals them up in stupidity and under a reprobate minde 2 Therein men are great lovers of their own fancies Amat quisque quod a se repertum est no mother but loves her own babe 3 A conceit that errors of minde are not sin as morall sins are but there are diseases of the head as well as seated in other parts And certainly these capitall distempers do great prejudice to practicall holiness being like suckers that bear no fruit but do divert and draw away the sap from the fruit-bearing branches So much for the first part the object of the fear lest the mindes of the Corinthians should be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ the second part is the resemblance of false teachers to the serpent and this manner of beguiling Eve by subtilty lest as the serpent c. From which words the Point is obvious Doct. 2. As Eve was beguiled by the subtilty of the serpent so are mens mindes corrupted by false teachers from the simplicity of Christ False Doctors Satanae lenones saith one they are Satans instruments as the serpent was the Devil his Pandors worsting to the deflowering of Christs espoused Virgins The wisdome of the serpent is commanded and warranted to Gods people the subtilty of the serpent is found in these subverters of the chastity of Doctrine I cannot I may not spend any time in this point for I have no sand left onely observe 1 That the defection the corruption of men principled with pure doctrine is feared Gospel-principles are not so much to be scanned by curiositie of reason as received in simplicity of faith 2 The Apostle alledges the most ancient example of corruption of minde that is in the world that which men call New Light is many times but some exploded errour furbisht up and old wayes are but acted once again There is properly no new truth but there may be new discoveries 3 What a sharp comparison doth he use to resemble false teachers unto the devil his first instrument used by him and therefore let no man temeraciously say they are holy men they aime at more refined degree of holinesse then others for it 's no wonder saith the Apostle that if Satan be transformed into an Angel of light his Ministers also be transformed or disguised as the Ministers of righteousnesse 4 The Serpent took Eve at the beginning and subtilly ravisht her of her integrity we must look to our selves it 's the usual time to set upon us in our infancy of knowledge either to disgrace the truth newly brought to light or to displant it before it do take root 5 That corrupters come with subtilty and have their slights Ephes 4. 14. they come with good words Rom. 16. 17. they beguile with enticing words Col. 2. 4. they speak lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4. 2. they can wear the rough garment and sheeps cloathing Their subtilty may be observed in the Serpentine which they imitate 1 The serpent set upon the weaker sex and the Apostle saith they lead captive silly women 2 They are subtil in being modest at first mi●● erroris sunt verecunda Hath God said Gen. 3. sa● the serpent the deceiver begins with queries rath●● then down-right assertions 3 They will take their rise from Gods Word and rather wrest then deny it as the serpent here perverted those words the knowledge of good and evil to another sense and meaning 4 They promise magnificent and great things they promise them liberty saith Peter 2 Pet. 2. 18. Ye shall be as gods saith the serpent what great bubbles are usually spoken of glory joy familiarity with God c. 5 They comply with mans pride with self c. and fit the bait to the fish They allure through the lusts of the flesh c. 2 Pet. 2. 18. 6 They draw a man from practical obedience unto extrinsecal and meer empty speculations for the theorie is pleasant and easie but the truth is bitter 7 They bring points of faith to thebar test of captious reason God in the prohibition of this tree had shewn much arbitrariness of will to make probation of mans obedience therefore they ought not to have been arraigned coram non Judice as neither the cleer points of faith The time puls me by the eare and therefore for close as deceivers have the Serpents subtilty so get you the Serpents wisdom and if I were to prescribe prophylacticks or preservatives I would exhort you 1 To hold the head and so to fortifie the vitals from this epidemick infection Col. 2. 19. 2 To pursue practicall doctrine solid meat and let alone these sweet meats the tree of knowledge is fair to look on the tree of life better to feed on 3 Affect not things above the Word a holiness a zeal a knowledge above what is written Eve went some what further then Gods Word gave warrant when she replied neither shall ye touch it so there are many will say This is the holier way this is the better not having any Word for it 4. Avoid the house of infection the Fowlers net From such turn away saith the Scripture if the woman will confer with the Serpent you see what comes on it it 's the itch and pride after novelties that exposes us to temptations FINIS