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	think_v	word_n	4,073	5	4.0677	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96881	An appeal to the churches of Christ for their righteous judgement in the matters of Christ, the concernments of all His glory, over whom there is a defence. Whether the way of Christ with His people be not paved-forth as a cause-way before them in His scriptures, and to be traced by the footsteps of all His neare-ones. Here you have the epistles only. The first to the churches, giving them some short account of their matters. The second unto the minister who enjoyned that work. The second unto the minister who enjoyned that work. The third to some neighbour-ministers for their judgement therein. The fourth to the Christian reader.	Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3478; Thomason E868_6; ESTC R207694	25,432	43

Table as a Saint No marvaile that many turne-in hether and follow these pernicious wayes So our wonder ceaseth We crave leave to proceed That we may give you an account why wee the poorest of the flocke have appeared against this way Because after all this these the Lords Worthyes have said We are questioned and charged as aforesaid that we walke by a fancy if we doe not walke that is sense and practise with Mr Humph s and those Ministers of his perswasion and practise which is an abhorring to our Spirits And now in point of Duty to our God to our selves to our Brethren whom we love as our selves we could not be silent For * Si accusaius non respondeat aut crimininis convictus aut cerse suspectus videatur Silence when we are charged either makes a full conviction or strengthens suspicion Truely we saw it clearely our Duty to vindicate that which should be more pretious to us than the Gold of Ophir The Glory of God The honour of His House our owne credit in disaspersing our selves and giving witnesse to our wronged innocency as we could our Brothers eternall good was also full in our eye as it is in our heart the weale or prosperity of his everlasting Soule This farther account we must give of our worke the exposing of it to the view of the world it amounts to a great volume containing 60 sheets and more which few or none of our Rank whom yet we have a speciall eye of Respect unto have spare money to gett or spare time to reade so as we are constrained to send it forth by peece-meale part after part eight in all which we Conceive may be made entyre and compleate containing distinct Subjects And we begin for the same reason with the Epistles which shew the occasion Contents drift scope and end of the whole and every part That Epistle to the Christian Reader we judge of much concernment to him and may suffice for his Information in the highest matters though he could reach to no more Wee have yet farther Reason which mooves strongly with us to doe as aforesaid in the sending forth of our Matters peece after peece The maine and chiefest we omitt being a point of Discretion we thinke so to doe Only it may suffice to know ultra posse non est esse What more is left to you to think for 1. The matters we are upon and manner of handling them will not down with the people we speak after our Country manner no more than Gall and Worm wood will yet we speak not this in reference to our Country stile or Dialect but in reference to the Truths here which ye know are biting still yea tormenting Viritates mordaces flesh and blood Indeed our matters are rough and harsh not one smooth word as flesh will say all along yet we hope through Grace that strengthneth we are not wholy unacquainted with Pauls holy craft and blessed guile for we feare God and seek to please Him and our Neighbour for his Good to Edification Now they that with Ahab count nothing good but what destroyeth them soule and body anon-after though it seeme good now at present God forbid we should please such for they cannot be pleased but with Deceits Prophesies of wine strong Drinke So now few will read us The Gallioes of these times loose and prophane Libertines these regard none of these things Carnall Gospellers formal professors those regard as little What or whosoever Rebukes ungodlinesse or would advance the power of godlinesse is an abomination to them Smooth upon smooth runs smoothly away And that which is sweet goes down sweetly More of that which is sweet said Chrysostomes hearers of old as He tells us though it choak us Yet O that they could consider the later end what a sower farewell sweet will have O that they could bethink themselves what will become of them in that day when the haile shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow the Hiding place and the well-built wall in conceit shall be rent with a stormy wind in His fury when it shall be said Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it Isa 28. 17. Ezek. 13. 11 12. And 2. Good Ministers and a good people not a few as in charity we are ready to Judge will stick at our matters for our affections cannot easily fall-in there the greater is our fault if not our crime where our judgement falls-out And 3. In the last place we are indeed the poorest of the flock truely and indeed less than the least And ever the less any one is the less regard will be had to what he saith It would goe to the heart of them if it were so with their God but with Him the fatherless find mercy a gracious wellcome yea a glorious acceptance but we were saying The worth of the speaker addeth weight to his words for as the man is among men such is his strength and as his worth is such is the worth of his words This onely we can say and we trust in singlenesse of heart we doe say it That 1 we love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity And 2 That our intentions are single and cary level in desire and endeavour to his Glory and our Brothers everlasting good And then we may conclude so may you with us as a worthy man concludeth for us all The singlenesse of the intention is the Sacrificium Medullatum Mr. Jen. upon Jude 371. sweet of a performance and makes it even a Sacrifice with MARROW Here we break-off commending you to God and the Word of His Grace praying with all prayer together with you That He who is able to build-us-up and to give us an inheritance among all them who are sanctified would make us perfect stablish strengthen settle us for so an entrance shall be ministred unto us aboundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen Seen alowed and subscribed by their Pastor HEZEKIAH WOODVVARD A faithfull Account given-in by faithfull Brethren of the same minde way and judgement in the matters of Christ To a faithfull Minister of Christ as it is meet for them to think upon his earnest request or rather Charge That they would give him Scripture-grounds or reasons of their judgement and practise somewhat different if not Contrary to his In Reference to these particulars I. To Free admission of all Infants to Baptisme and growne-persons to the Lords Table II. To the observation of that Day we commonly call Christmas-Day III. To Formes of prayer specially the Lords prayer and foure Queries thereupon Relating IV. To a Nationall Church whether ours is as the Jewes was V. To the principles of Infant Baptisme VI. To the power The Law of a Relation written upon the heart of Ministers and people by the finger of God hath to make them walke with a right-foote in the way of God These are digested into

opinion and tell our perswasion as we stand fully satisfied in our own mindes who must live by our own Faith Rom. 14. 5. 23. We will onely repeate what hereafter wee have said to this our undertaking we have been if we may ufe that Persian word angariati Compelled to doe as now we have done 2. In the second place it is likely ye would have our Reason wherefore we appeale to you It was because we were not willing to stand to the Umperage of one single person among you for though with us it is a very smal thing that we should be judged of him or of mans judgement Yet he being of the same judgement in point of free admission to the Lords Table so he hath declared himselfe with Mr Hums that unworthy man whom the Lord God we feare in his righteous judgement hath given over to a minde voyde of judgement Therefore we have made our application to you beloved in Christ who can so well remember we must all appeare before God give to Him an account of our doings to whose judgement in His owne matters we all appeale now for to that we must stand anone after We would adde to this some particulars more for the further clearing our selves and our undertakings unto you And 1. We would speake two things which were omitted in our Preface to the first Section 1 To that remote right an Infant hath to Baptisme borne of wicked parents The judgement you know of Divines very Learned godly and possibly your own judgement also To this we tell our perswasion and our Faith That a parent notorious for his Deboisery may Cut-off himselfe his posterity from all Church priviledges as well now as formerly it was When Ismael a member of the Church Circumcised grew to a prophane mocking of Isaac he was cast-out of the Church as unworthy to continue in that holy fellowship Gen. 21. 9 10 11 12. And Esau his Fathers darling being very indulgent to him yet for his prophanenesse despising his birth-right the hand of God cut him off from the inheritance both of the birth-right and of the blessing Whence it was That he was deprived of Church-fellowship and his posterity deprived both of Church-fellowship and of the seale of the Covenant And so Jeremiah reckoneth-up Edom among the Nations uncircumcised Jer. 9. 26. It is our perswasion as we finde it made out by others That a Debauched parent may cast himselfe out of the Church now and from all priviledges of the same as soone and sooner now under this Gospel light than they did under the Starre-light of the Law And 2 Those godly Ministers that doe admit all Infants to Baptisme upon account of that remote right there-unto when they speake de jure what ought to be as he that hath spoken last hath spoken much that way they speake as he very safely and holily Children of Beleiving Parents should be admitted to Baptisme But when they speake de facto what is done and allowed off to be done here they walk at large and give more Liberty than we humbly conceive the word of God gives them But howsoever if they can satisfie their Consciences in a larger latitude they will not we hope judge others that cannot so doe Conscience being such a tender thing and cannot be forced no more than a parable ought to be 2. We have spoken somewhat Confidently against free admission to the Lords Table as they use to doe who are perswaded they have truth on their side and the word of truth to warrant what they say And indeed the more arrogantly Mr Hums hath spoken to maintaine the Affirmative the more confidently we have spoken in maintenance of the Negative for why should not we be as bold for our Lord Christ as he is beyond all expression shamelessly bold against Him We are perswaded in our soules That the Lord of glory hath written in so faire and legible Characters who are and who are not to be admitted to His table that He who runs may reade We have heard of a Godly man that said to a wanton Lady complaining of the darknesse and obscurity of the Scriptures though too well acquainted with the works of darknesse what more plaine than this Madam said he Thou shalt not commit Adultery So indeed we may say what more plaine that this If thou take forth the pretious from the vile thou shalt be as my Ier. 15. 19. Mouth Let them returne unto thee but returne not thou unto them What more plaine then this They shall teach my people the difference between Ezek. 44. 23. the holy and prophane and cause Men to discerne between the uncleane and the cleane And what more plaine then is the complaint of the Lord against those Preists who did not doe according to their Charge Her Preists have violated my law and have prophaned my holy things how so They have put Ezek. 22. 26. no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the uncleane and the cleane What more plaine then this If any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Joh. 10. or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such an one no not to eate Such grosse sinners are no more to be suffered in Holy Assemblyes then swine in your garden than toads in your dishes than dead flyes in a box of ointment to use worthy Mr Burgesse his glosse upon that Scripture What more plaine than this Ye cannot be 1 Cor. 10. 21. partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devills What more plaine then this What fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What Concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleiveth with an Insidell And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idolls 2 Cor. 6. 16 17. Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wheresore Come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord God and touch not the uncleane thing What more plaine than all this and this which followes There shall in no wise Revel 21. 27. 22. 15. enter into it any thing that defileth Without shall be dogges Ye know what the Learned say of those Scriptures All agree we thinke That the house of God the Church of the living God must be kept cleane by the Steward 's there of * Leg. Aug Martor in Revel 11. 1 2. Thus we have beleived and thus confidently we have spoken in all things where we observed the Spirit with the Word going before us and herein we appeale to you as to the Truth of these matters resolved in the Negative we may erre as weake simple men use to doe but this we can say we doe not erre in our hearts

if we erre It is as a wearied traveller may doe he erreth in his way but sore against his will and thankes him heartily that will tell him he is out of the way and points him to it And 3. We hope we have not done that which we abhorre to doe made the least reflection of Dishonour upon you or any of your brethren of the Presbyterian way Some one of us have read their bookes wherein they declare their Steward-like care to keep the Table of the Lord from prophane mixtures And what they have spoken with the mouth and declared with their pen de jure what ought to be we would hope they performe with their hands de facto that is they practise accordingly as they stand cleared in their judgements they ought to doe Yet 4. We cannot see how the Godly Ministers can answer their God or their own Consciences when they can maintaine fellowship and keepe Communion with such as they judge not godly being of their owne opinion and in their way And not maintaine fellowship it is cleare some of them doe not with such as in charity they judge godly because they are not of their opinion and in their way Idem est motus ad Imaginem ad rem Arist Qui amat suprd amat infrd upon 1 Joh. 5. 1. A godly man loveth all that are godly and those most that most excell in godlinesse in them he delighteth with them he converseth them he honoureth Sicut se habet simplitèr ad simpliciter it à magis ad magis If Godlinesse be the reason why we love then the more godlinesse the more love 5. We can speake this clearely though we are divided from some in our opinions yet not from any in our affections how different soever unto us in their judgements We love him and them dearely we oppose in these following matters heartily We can say and doe as we say love Mr Hum s though we doe not dislike only but loath his Scrible as we should doe sin or hell it selfe For surely the sinne of Division is the greater when we make Religion to Patronize it It is the manner not of a few to divide from one another under a pretence as if they made it Religion to bite and devoure one another Surely this virgin is forced for there is nothing more contrary to the Name or nature of Religion than to cause or further-on divisions Dictam esse Religionem quod quasi in fascem Domini vincti religate sumus dixit Hieron By Religion we are made Gods bundle first tied to Him then one to another Religio à religando The name caries strong union with it from binding us againe to God and to one another after we were divided from Him by our sinne We hope we shall be found all along so farre from doing that which Nazianzen Orat. 12. condemnes in pleading for the Truth bely one another we are fastened to Christ yet loosened our selves we are for peace yet we fight one with another so far from this too ordinary among Christians as if that were the way to maintaine Truth that we shall not let a rude word passe from us Yet if any should sound that way or be mistaken rudely for Cuttingly we English it sharply Let it be understood as it is meant and intended spoken against Mr Hum s onely against whom we could sharpen our words as Paul did his against Elimas Acts 13. 9 10. and those that are fully of his way and judgement and this after they had read his how loth we are to call Books observing That great Philosopher and Learned Lo Verul denies that name to things of that make having neither reason nor honesty to patronize them And savouring worse in the Nostrills of all the Godly we thinke than doe the worst excrements of the Dragon whereby that rude man justifies his way and in so doing hath dealt rudely with our Lord and Master in heaven blaspheming His practise with His Saints when he tabernacled on the earth 6. If it be objected against us That 1 we censure the writings of the Learned and godly we humbly reply no we censure them not we bring the writings of men in reference to set formes of prayer to the Scriptures of God the duty of every man laying them in that ballance and trying them by that touchstone whether they hold weight and proove themselves Gold Those more Generous Eereans might have trusted Paul as soone as any man alive That he would not speake a word which wanted a graine of weight yet their eares a pair of ballances in the Hebrew would weigh the words of Paul though He had an infallible Spirit and spake by inspiration immediately from heaven Auditus Intellectus hearing and understanding should goe together and that each may doe its proper worke our eare must try mans words not taking them-up upon Trust Indeed what the Lord God speaks once we should heare twice without more to doe onely to doe it in our lives as those use to doe who have heard God speake with the sensitive eare of their bodies and the intellectuall eare of their soules and so what He spake once they heard twice And if it be said in the second place that we doe unbecoming our meane Condition when we take upon us to advise and Councell our betters Let it be observed That our Counsell is pointed to them onely before mentioned and these have as much need of it as any persons ye or we know in all the world Yet ye shall finde we hope this Counsell is given in much love And if it be so taken all will be well though it be a Reproofe which is good Counsell made keen and sharpened and not a hairs-bredth from our Rule Them that sinne saith the Apostle 1 Tim 5. 20. scandalously and to the offence of others as Mr Hump s hath done and as doe all that are in his way Rebuke before all that others also may feare We would adde hereunto That we know no other way to manifest our Love openly but by open Reproofe Open Rebuke being better then secret Love Pro. 27. 5. And to hate a brother and not to rebuke him are equivalent expressions in that Law Levit. 19. 17. we are assured we have not brought a railing accusation against that Railing man for so we should not have done had we contended with the Devill But so he hath done with worthy Dr Drake taking his Lords part against that Scrible wherein he blasphemeth his Lord and then what wonder if he raileth upon his servant 7. We have but two words more and then we have done If ye finde Art wanting here all along It were a wonder ye should not if you daine to looke through any part of it it is a small want and not unbecoming us to speak like our selves We love the Cause dearely we here maintaine relating as we judge so nearely to our Lord Christ and his people It is