Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	speak_v	spirit_n	true_a	4,053	5	5.1525	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86486	The true guide: or, A short treatise wherein is shewed how the weakest Christian may be able to discerne the true way of the spirit of God, from all false and erroneous ways. Very usefull and necessary for weake Christians, that are willing to know and be led in the truth, in these distracted times, wherein so many errours and divisions abound. / By a lover of the truth, R.H. Viewed and approved by diverse worthy ministers of the city of London. Printed according to order.	Hollingworth, Richard, 1607-1656.	1646 (1646)	Wing H2499; Thomason E344_8; Thomason E375_2; ESTC R200956	13,028	21

in so lawfull a way for the holy ghost saith Prov. 9.17 Stoln waters are sweet and bread that is eaten in secret is pleasant and the forbidden fruit was more sweet and pleasant to Eve then all the fruits in the Garden which God allowed her to eat of Gen. 2.9 16 17. Chap. 3.6 And whereas you say you cannot profit more in that way I answer herein your hearts do much deceive you for that people that profits by the word they grow thereby not only in knowledge for so Hypocrites nay Devils may doe but they that profit indeed by the word grow in faith and love They grow more humble and low in their owne eyes apprehending themselves the greatest of sinners and the least of Saints they think every Christian better then themselves Phil. 2.3 and that others know more of God then they doe as Elyhu Job 32 6. And Agg●r Prov. 30.2 3. So they grow more charitable more holy more conscionable more obedient more patient more like to Jesus Christ then a people profit indeed But when people grow more proud and highly conceited of themselves thinking better of themselves then of others boasting themselves of their own light counting all others that go not their way to be blind and ignorant creatures to them besides when they grow more uncharitable more censorious more unconscionable more impatient more unlike to Jesus Christ Can any believe that these profit so much in their meetings no no they meerly deceive themselves and others Again they would perswade people that we are not able to mayntain what we teach or hold for they have offered to reason with out Ministers or private men but they cannot get us to it For answer some of you have been reasoned with and confuted to though you will not acknowledge it but if any have refused it is not because we cannot mayntaine the truth we hold but because you are a perverse people that will not yield to the true meaning of the spirit of God in the Scriptures but will make all Scriptures to speak what they would have them to speak to mayntain what they hold and practise And then to what purpose is it for any to reason with such as will heare no reason againe some of them have not stuck to deny the truth of some Scriptures what wise man would reason with such Again it hath bin their practice to cast aspersions upon those that do oppose and will not yield to what they say such shall hardly escape without some blot now when we see men so perverse and obstinate in an erroneous way we are commanded to avoid them Rom 16.17 Mat. 15.12 13 14. Revel 21.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still so hee that is erroneous and obstinate let them be erroneous and obstinate still if they will not be reclaimed though wee much desire and pray for their return and herein we have not only Gods comand but his example Psal 81. O th●● my people would have harkned unto me and have walked in my ways but they would not he are nor regard so I gave them up to their own he arts lust and they walked in their own counsels c. Therefore you see their fair glosses and pretences whereby they go about to delude people are but fig leaves and gilded shews if they be well examined therefore take heed and be not deceived nor drawn away by them Ob. But it will be further objected You bring many Scriptures to perswade people to stand fast in the truth they have been taught but they have not been taught the truth but have been taught in a false and blinde way by your false Ministers Ans It is a very false and scandalous imputation cast upon the faithfull Ministers of Jesus Christ for have they not taught us Jesus Christ that we are freely justified and saved by him alone without any thing of our selves and that there is no other name given whereby we can be saved but by the name of Jesus Christ that hee is our wisdom our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption that we are perfect and compleat in him and other foundation then this can no man lay With what face then can any man say we have been taught in an ignorant and blinde way except they will deny the Scriptures as some have been ready to doe And that this we have been taught by our faithfull Ministers our own consciences can witnesse besides their books now extant can testifie as Doctor Sibs in his Book on the Canticles and of Christ manifest in the flesh so Calvin and Perkins and Hooker and an hundered more therefore I say again stand fast in the truth yee have been taught Ob. I but say they your Ministers are Antichristian for they were called by an Antichristian power therefore it is not lawfull to heare them c. Ans That must be proved first which you say and I think they have as lawfull a calling as your teachers have and more lawfull too But if it be granted they were called by an Antichristian power It is a poor argument to draw people from the ministry of the word as if a man should refuse good and wholsome meat because the cook that drest it was made cook by a Member of Antichrist or as if one should throw away the deeds of his land because the Clerke that writ them came into his Office by a corrupt Judge They that should doe either I should think it were rather out of malice to their persons then any thing else I desire it be not so in these objectors but I would aske them two or three questions Q. 1. First whether have Ministers their principall calling from God or from men Q. 2. Whether that corruption in their calling from men can disanul their calling from God Q. 3. Whether that corruption in those that gave them their outward calling can corrupt the word of God If it can as it cannot why then were not Martin Luthers Works rejected but imbraced who had a far more corrupt calling then our Ministers had And why are those words in Numb 23.21 The Lord seeth no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel why I say are these words so imbraced by those that object against our Ministers seeing they were spoken by a false Prophet and Sorcerer if the sin of the person could pollute the word Besides I would have them shew some rule from the Scriptures that we ought to refuse to heare such Ministers because of some corruption in them or in their calling I am sure Christ gave no such rule neither by precept nor example whom we ought to follow But this is a meer stratagem of the devill to take people of from heating the publike Ministry of the word of God that he may the better prevail to draw them to errours and heresies yea to Atheisme Therefore I beseech you brethren sisters in the Lord be not drawn away by these delusions from the publike and faithfull Ministry of the Word but reverence it imbrace follow and defend it to the utmost of your powers as the onely ordinary means which God hath ordained for the saving your souls Rom. 10.14 to 18. 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Jam. 1.21 If any teach you otherwise and consent not to the wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse hee is proud knowing nothing but doating about questions and strife of words whereof commeth envie strife railings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes c. 1 Tim. 6.3 4. therefore avoid such and be not led by them for as many as are the sons of God they are led by the spirit of God therefore I say again stand fast Marke what comfort and encouragement Christ gives to poore weak Christians Rev. 3.8 10 11 12. I know thy works behold I have se● before thee an open doore in the ministry of the word which no man can shut when they have done all they can they shall not shut this door and marke what follows for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name ver 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hower of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth and I am perswaded this is that hower of tryall therefore marke what follows ver 11 12. Behold I come quickly hold that fast thou hast let no man take thy Chown but if you let goe your hold and bee drawn away you lose your Crown but if you stand fast with that little strength thou hast marke here is yet more comfort for thee ver 12. Him that overcommeth will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God c. marke this you weake Christians if you stand fast your weaknesse shall not hinder your happinesse Now the God of truth and peace guide us in the truth and in able us to stand fast in the same to the end Amen FINIS

THE TRUE GUIDE OR A short Treatise wherein is shewed how the weakest Christian may be able to discerne the true way of the Spirit of God from all false and erroneous ways Very usefull and necessary for weake Christians that are willing to know and be led in the truth in these distracted times wherein so many Errours and Divisions abound By a lover of the Truth R.H. Viewed and approved by diverse worthy Ministers of the City of LONDON Psal 119.128 I esteemed thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Printed according to Order LONDON Printed for Henry Shephard at the signe of the Bible in Tower-Street 1646. To THE READER Christian Reader THe causes of errour in Religion are many and various some there are who being possessed with a giddinesse of spirit will not rest satisfied with necessary and saving truths others are misled by Enthusiasms and their own private spirits Some erre by reason of the weaknesse of their judgements and not attending to them that can better informe them but above all what Christ once said to the Jews was and ever will be true Men erre not knowing the Scripture Never was there better opportunity never more plentiful powerfull means then at this day in many places to acquire saving knowledge and never did private opinion or strange Heterodoxie more prevail The custome is every where now to contend and quarrel about every part of Divinity and he is no body that cannot carp at wrangle against almost every truth So that all our Practicall Divinity is turnd into Polemicall the power of godlines runs out into disputes and those truths which formerly seemed most Orthodox plain and unquestionable are now by the crotchets of mens brains spun but into such divisions and become so knotty and prickly that a man knows not where to fasten on them or how to hold them but he is in danger to prick his fingers with one thorny objection other It is therefore high time for all that are the sincere lovers of peace and truth and that have any ability to manage Gods Cause to gird up their loines to put on their Arms and to appear in the defence of truth by word or writing by conference or calling on the name of God by one means or other according as occasions and opportunities invite least Satans vigilancie rest in judgement against us for our negligence There must be Heresies saith the Apostle that those which are approved may be made manifest among you 1 Cor. 11.19 Hence Christs caveat Mat. 7.15 16. Beware of false Prophets c. And St. John saith believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 For the Devill is Gods ape and will counterfeit very cunningly and therefore where God hath his Church the Devill hath his Chappel as saith the Proverb Now amongst all other Heresies and errors those seem to be most dangerous which are most plausible and pleasing to flesh and bloud if withall they have some neer allyance or sem●lance with saving truth and passe under specious titles for they are like unto sweet poysons which are easily taken down or Anodynes which bring men asleep and keep them from feeling their misery but cannot heal they remove the pain but not the disease such ●●…e the errours that are here encountered in this small Treatise vented and broach'd under pretence of greater light and opposing the ways of Anti-Christ and crying down his limbs advancing Free-grace setting up Christ alone c. specious pretences Wheras upon due enquiry it will be found that the authors and abetters of these Novall opinions have not received a clearer light but having forsaken the true light of Gods Word are miserably misled by the Ignis fatuus of their own brain And whilst they would seem to exalt Christ alone and magnifie Free-grace they shew themselves enemies unto grace and strong abetters of carnall liberty and so whilst they would seem to be the onely Gospellers they are indeed apparant Gospel-spillers And under a pretence of crying down Anti-Christ and eradicating his limbs they disable disgrace and as much as in them lies labour to root out the most faithfull and powerfull Ministers of the Gospel whose labours and lives have always advanced the Kingdom of Christ and as so many valiant Davids laid the Goliah of Rome groveling on the ground and now ready to expire The truth of this this small Enchiridion will in part manifest to those that contend for truth not victory who are wise to sobriety not ambitious of contention All that I crave of thee Good Reader is this Read without prejudice examine each matter throughly and judge impartially I say no more but prove and approve and the Lord direct all our hearts into the knowledge and love of the truth So prayes he that is an unfained lover of peace and truth G. D. ROM 8.14 For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God FOr explanation of these words we will shew 1 What is meant by the Sons of God 2 What is meant by the Spirit of God 3 What it is to be lead by the Spirit of God First By sons are meant sons of grace that have received Christ by faith John 1.12 Gal. 3.26 Yet are all the children of God by faith in Christ Secondly by the Spirit of God is meant the Holy Ghost the third person in Trinity that spirit of truth that leads into-all truth John 16.13 That Spirit that enlightneth that sanctifieth that enableth us in all duties Thirdly to be led by the Spirit is to yield to the motions rules directions and persuasions of the spirit either inward or outward and ministeriall Now the observations from those words might be many First that we are naturally blind and cannot see much lesse are we able to walk in the ways of God without a Guide o● Leader Secondly that there be many false guides or leaders as sence and carnall reason and nor these only but there are erroneous false and seducing spirits they have been and now are especially in this last age of the World as is manifest in Scripture as in Mat. 24.5 Christ saith Many shal come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many V. 11.23 24. Then if any shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or there Believe it not For there shall arise false christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the Desert go not forth Behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not Ver. 25 26. So in 2 Pet. 1 2. As there were false teachers among them So there shall be false teachers among you which shall bring in damnable heresies c.

but he that sins against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Therefore I say again take heed of resisting the motions of the spirit of God Ob. The Apostle bids us try all things and keep that which is good 1 Thes 3.21 Ans But he bids you in the next words to avoid all appearance of evill ver 22. so you see those things that have but an appearance of evill and wherein is any danger we must avoid Ob. But they teach many sweet truths An. Therein lies the more danger So did the false Prophets come in the name of the Lord saying Thus saith the Lord as you may see Jer. 23.17 28 31. but with that they mixed their own dreams so the false Apostles transforme themselves into the Ministers of righteousnesse so the Devill when hee tempted Christ brings a sweet and comfortable truth but under it there was hid poyson which Christ discerned and therefore rejected it so you shall have some now will teach Hee that exalts Christ highest and lays man lowest is in the right and this we doe say they now this is a sweet truth who dares deny-it but there is a Colloquintida hid under it there is death in the p●t for when they explain it it is this Christ hath done that is needfull for our salvation it's truth then where 's the danger why here then we need do nothing true not in way of justification but in way of sanctification and obedience and out of love we must heare and pray confesse our sins watch over our hearts and ways c. you see there may be danger hid under the best Doctrines if they be not explained Now if you were to buy some sugar and one should tell you there 's a dainty sweet sugar at such a place but they that sell it many times mix some rats bain with it and it can hardly be discerned either by sight or taste being both white and sweet but they that eat it are poysoned by it would you buy there to try it or would you not rather goe buy at some other place where you heare a better report and where hath been no such danger I suppose you would And would you be more carefull to preserve your body from poysoning then your soule therefore take heed how you heare saith Christ Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees that is their Doctrine for a little leaven leavens the whole lump Ob. Another main allegation is They tell us we have been led in an ignorant and blinde way but if God open our eyes as hee hath done theirs and we saw that as they now see we would be of another minde and doe as they doe and the way to have our eyes opened is to forsake our Antichristian Ministers and come and join with them in their meetings Ans I confesse this must needs take with people for who would willingly be led in a blinde way but desires to see and know as much as may be therefore the Devill that old serpent knowing this makes it his main argument to prevaile with Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit telling her if shee would eat of that fruit which God had forbidden then her eyes should be opened and shee should be as God knowing good and evill this did so take with her that shee lookt upon the fruit and saw it was pleasant and much to be desired being it would be a means to open her eyes and bring her to that knowledge shee did eat of it but it brought death upon her and all her posterity so the devill seeing this argument prevailed then makes use of it still So he did in the old Prophet 1 Kings 11 so in Zedekiab so in the Pharisees who accused Christs Disciples of ignorance John 7.49 yet boasting themselves of their own light as the false Apostles did but saith Paul 1 Cor. 8.12 He that thinks he knows any thing knows nothing as he ought to know 2 Cor 10.18 He that commendeth himselfe is not approved but he whom the Lord approveth therefore avoid such you heare this is no new thing but an old bait therefore be not troudled at it Ob. But I cannot answer their Arguments they are so deep must not I then be fain to yield to them A. By no means if you will be led by the spirit of God which bids you avoid them go not after them believe them not Mat. 24.26 Again the spirit of God bids you Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent c. Revel 3.3 and hold fast the form of wholsome words that you have bin taught 2 Tim. 1.3 And if any man if an Apostle or an Angell from heaven teach any other Gospell then you have bin taught let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. The Church of Thyatira had a seducing Prophetesse among them that was so deep in her doctrine that many could not understand her much lesse answer her arguments but mark what counsell the spirit of God gives them and as Revel 2.24 25. But unto you I say As many as have not known this doctrine neither the depth of Satan as they speak I will put upon you no other burthen But that which you have already Hold fast till I come Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith unto the Churches Verse 29. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God In Psal 27.8 saith David When thou saydst Seek my face my heart answered Lord thy face will I seek Now if the Lord hath given us such hearts that when his spirit in his word shall bid us do this but doe not that goe this way but go not that way I say if our hearts answer Lord I will doe what thou biddest me doe and go that way thou wilt lead me then wee shall not only have the spirit of God to witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom 8.16 But the spirit will seal unto us our assurance of the love of God Ephes 4.39 which is the firmest and strongest assurance that possible can be made c. Therefore I beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assurance in him that ye be not shaken in minde nor be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us 2 Thess 2.2 But I have met with an allegation or two of theirs whereby they deceive and draw many to their meetings which I will set down and answer very briefly The first is this they perswade people that the word delivered in private and by private men of their way is more sweet and they can profit more by it then by that which is taught in the publike Ministery to which I give a twofold answer Ans Though it be as truly and as profitably taught in publike in publike nay more truly and profitably yet it seems more sweet to you in your private way and manner because you have it not