Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	word_n	write_v	zeal_n	84	3	7.5577	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14975	Two sermons of assise the one intituled A prohibition of reuenge, the other, A sword of maintenance : preached at two seuerall times, before the right worshipfull iudges of assise, and gentlemen assembled in Hertford, for the execution of iustice, and now published / by W. Westerman ...	Westerman, William.	1600 (1600)	STC 25282; ESTC S2384	63,408	150

lust and libertie scorning Gods ordinance as a refuge for cowardes and not a fitte redresse for them that haue nimble tongues of their owne and hands swift to shed bloud The other giues backe for aduauntage and will crouch and bowe till hee see his occasion and then hee is mercilesse First wee are by vertue of this warrant to charme those great barkers which vsing that womanish kinde of reuenge doe bend their tongues like bowes and shoote their words like arrowes If to call our brother Racha as much to say as paltrie felow deserueth the punishment Matth. 5. of a councell if the nicke-name of foole in vnaduised anger be worthie of hell fire then what shall be giuen vnto thee thou false tongue which Psal 52. 4. louest and vsest to speake all wordes that may destroy which cuttest like a rasor not onely those that are present but woundest like a venemous Psal 120. Barnard de tripli●i custod arrow the absent and vnseene Leuiter volat grauiter vulnerat sayth Bernard of the speach of a wicked tongue it flies lightly but pearceth deepely it entreth easily but goes out hardly and that more is Vnoictu multos interficit with one blowe it spoyles a multitude How great is the wounde that so small a weapon maketh Saint Iames tearmeth it to bee Iames 3. a worlde of mischiefe a fire that enflameth the whole course of Nature an vnrulie euill full of deadly poyson a beast that no man can tame And yet the Lordes bel●ued are not to suffer this member runne riot in themselues for if Iames 1. 26. any man seeme religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceyueth his owne heart this mans Religion is vaine The beloned of the Lord that striue to bee perfect and to bridle the whole bodie must not let the tongue loose Blessing and cursing bitter water and sweete must not issue out of the fountaine of a sanctified mouth Nay if a man respect but the benefites of a temporall estate hee is to set a watch before his mouth For if anie man long after life and 1. Pet. 3. 10. Psal 34. to see good dayes he must refraine his tongue from euill and his lippes from guile sayth the holie Ghost In the ranke of those that practice this kind of Reuenge there are some that would seeme to surcease from their bitter and vnlawfull course but it is when they haue rather tired then tamed their tongues spurged out their deadly poyson to the ful then they crie out in the bitternesse of their heart vpon God and the Magistrate for further vengeance against him whom they haue most cruellie torne and depraued alreadie But they aske and receaue not for the spirit of ●m 3. them lusteth after enuie and their curse being causelesse flieth like a byrd and settleth no where ●rou 26. ● vnlesse it returne to their owne bosome S. Ierome likeneth it vnto an arrow shot against a stone which sticketh not in the marke but oftentimes ●eronym de ●ta cleric Resiliens percutit dirigentem flying backward it striketh the Archer As hee loued cursing saith Dauid so shall it come vnto him it shall ●sal 109. 17. come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bosome it shall be as a garment to couer him and a gyrdell to his loynes Are all words of rebuke and curses the fruits of hatred and actions of priuate reuenge therfore vnlawfull will some say To which I answere that there be reproofes of the righteous proceeding from loue and curses of the vngodly issuing from zeale and warranted by the spirit of God and therefore are consequent sentences of his appointed wrath and vengeance vpon sinners Let the righteous reproue me saith Psal 141. 5. Dauid for that shall be as precious balme vpon my head O fooles and slowe of heart sayd our Sauiour Luk. 24. 25. to his disciples and goe behinde mee Sathan to Math. 16. 23. Peter that a little before made a blessed confession of the truth O foolish Galathians who hath Galat. 3. 1. bewitched you writeth Paul to those for whom he trauayled twyce that Christ might be formed in Gal. 4. 19. thē In these reprehensions and taunting words was no malice but a zeale to gods truth hatred to ignorance loue to the soules of the parties rebuked and thence brake out these sharp and charitable termes of reproofe Habet vera Amicitia Barnard 24● Epis obiurgationem interdum adulationem nunquā Trew friendship chideth sometimes flattereth neuer But the case seemeth harder in flat curses and prayers of execration and vengeaunce which notwithstanding by warrant from the spirit of God haue proceeded lawfully from the mouthes of holie men in especiall commission for the same What woes and iudgements Math. 11. doth the Lord thunder out against Chorazim and Bethsaida against Pharises Scribes and Math. 24. Ierem. 17. 18. Ierom. 18. 22 hypocrits Ieremie and Dauid praye most feruently against certaine enimies to God and them selues Saint Paule in particular against Alexander 2. Timoth. 4. 14 the Coppersmith prayeth the Lord to reward him according to his deedes which were euill and cruell Noah chaunged his fatherly Genes 9. 25. words of blessing into a heauie curse vpon his sonne Cham and his posteritie What shall we say of all these but that they were warranted by the spirit of God and their place assigned to reprooue and pronounce the sharp sentence of the Lord against his d●sperate enimies reuealed vnto them For the prayers A●gust in Psa 108. and imprecations of those that were in●●wed with a spirit of prophecie came not from any desire or delight they had to see Gods vengeaunce vpon others for any priuate respect no not that calling of fire from heauen by Elias King 1. 2. nor that deadlie curse of Elisha vpon the ill nurtured children but Elias was fired with a peculiar spirit against the enemies of God which being doubled on his seruant procured him in the Lordes name to curse those malepart boyes that reproched the ministerie of God in the wanton mockerie of Elishaes defect So that those curses whereupon present execution followed were but modus praedicendi August in Psal 108. futura saith Austin the maner of foretelling things to come wherein the spirit giuing notice of Gods pleasure the Prophet pronounced the iust vengeance of God to ensue If any one now vndertake to curse or call fire from heauen vpon any particular persons as the Pope banneth and curseth the Lords annointed manie times his praiers are turned into sinne hee Luke 9. 55. knoweth not what spirit he is of and therefore where he curseth the Lord blesseth But I heare me thinkes some one that hath caught a lewde custome of swearing cursing and wishing vengeance at euerie worde yet maketh this foolish excuse for his filthie language Although I speake all maner of mischiefe curse damnablie sweare horriblie yet

as the place and vocation of euery man exhorteth him vnto for the maintenance of iudgement in the gate These three properties of a good conscience called by the Lord in this text and aspired vnto by all that feare God or loue the good estate of their country amongst this graue assembly occasion mee to speake somewhat of eyther and first of knowledge Knowledge is the guide and light of a good 1. Knowledg● conscience A fit Intelligencer for the will and affections for it aduiseth what is euill and to be eschewed what is good and to be embraced Without this direction hatred like a blinde archer shootes beside the marke and may kill a man in steade of a beast And loue cherisheth often a snake in the bosome in steade of a friende As the eye discernes betweene light and darkenesse so the vnderstanding tryeth out the difference betweene good and euill Therefore seeke good and not euill sayd the Prophet in the former verse No man can seeke well without light nor finde the good except hee can distinguish it from the badde and trying all hold that which is the best Many are the difficulties that hinder vs from the discouery of euill and the recouery of the good and yet great is the daunger if wee mistake the one for the other The difficulties appeare if wee consider first Difficult the blindnesse of our owne heart except it be renewed and supplyed with a light from heauen Secondly if wee beholde the readinesse of euill being present with vs at euery turne compassing vs about pressing vs downe Satan as a prince in the ayre tempting vs a worlde of sinne about vs a bodie of sinne within vs. Besides this the custome of sinne hath made vertue so vnpleasant and straunge the euil so sweete familiar that it seemeth death to be rowzed out of the myre wherein wee haue long wallowed in ease and securitie And further iniquitie is very strong being in this world as in her owne country and proper element where vertue is but a straunger alwaies flying vpward and therefore not followed with halfe so many schollers as iniquitie that pulles downe the hill to the broad gates of hell and destruction Lastly euill is mingled with the good as drosse with the siluer that it asketh much tryall and a cunning spirit to extract the one from the other In regarde of which difficulties hindering our choyce in the good and presenting to the lust of our eyes varietie and chaunge of euill in goodly shapes of apparant good it behoueth vs to haue a sounde vnderstanding for our guide but especially because the error of our choyce is the danger both of soule Daunger and bodie The fruite of the forbidden tree was pleasaunt to beholde and good to eate but it was bitternesse and death at the last For euill is of two sortes the seede and the fruit the seede is sinne and the fruite is punishment the one is a sweete baite the other a deadely hooke it goes downe pleasantly like wine but it stingeth in the end like a Scorpion Prou. 23. 31. And yet there is a league betwene iniquitie and our affections as there was betweene Iezabel and her chamberlaines As Iesabel pearching aloft painted her face and cōmaūded 2 King 9. 30. her Eunuches attending vpon her til Iehu sent with reuenge frō God began to cry who is on my side who So doth iniquitie possesse the highest chamber of our heart and paints herselfe in fresh coloures raigning ouer our affections as slaues till vengeance hunt after her steppes and the messengers of God giue warning to the affections to cast downe their cursed mistresse and renounce that sinne which they haue serued least the fall of her dr●we all her Eunuches and partakers to confusion The heathens themselues alwaies taught obedience of the will to the wit of the affections to reason which had beene well if the light of reason had not beene extinguished in heauenly things and so fowly blemished in naturall But the naturall mans reason perceiuing not the things of God his wisdome being folishnesse 1. Cor. 3. his light darkenesse made the conscience corrupt and vaine in the trewe and particular discourse of good and euill Many say who will shewe vs any good saide Dauid of the common Psal 4. 6. sort but he must haue a new spirit and a perfect vnderstanding that with Dauid can lift his eyes to heauen and cry Lord lift thou vp the light of thy coūtenance acknowledging al our felicity to depēd vpō the fauour of the Lord. In matters of cōmon honesty humanitie ciuilitie of manners the heathens were a lawe to themselues and shall be a shame and condemnation Rom. 2. to vs in that with so small a glimse of naturall light they practised many thinges commendable made many wholsome lawes excelled in many outward censures and actions of indgement But wee hauing the word Psal 19. of the Lord conuerting the soule giuing wisdome to the simple and light to the eyes hauing the lawe of God I say to examine what is good and what euill being the onely touchstone of trueth and falsehoode the rule that sheweth as wel the crooked as the straight If wee loue darkenesse rather than light if wee faile in seeking and setting vp the kingdome of God or the righteousnesse thereof in our life and practise there remaineth vnto vs no colour of excuse nor cloke of defence For vnto euery one of vs in our seuerall charge may that protestation of Micah be vrged Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth Micah 6. 8. of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe and to walke with thy God And this is that knowledge of good euill deriued out of Gods holy and acceptable will and word which like a cunning rider turneth and directeth our affections being of themselues like horse and mule that haue no vnderstanding But as the Lord instructeth Psal 2. all Rulers to be wise and learned so in another place he will haue them in the feare of God to Exod. 18. 21. be men of courage also For courage is the feruencie Courage and concitation of the minde placed here in these two affections hatred and loue which are profitable to the furtherance of vertue and taking downe of vice so as they stand in awe of reason as a souldier of his captaine by whose commaunde hee takes vp and layes downe both his courage and Basi cō● Jrasc weapons Wherefore these affections are not onely to be allayed and cooled in man as some Philosophers affirme but sometimes Peripatet also to bee kindled and stirred vp that as the iron is steeled and hardned with the fire Bas so mans heart with concitation of the spirites against the right obiect may haue a tincture of greater courage and fortitude against GODS enemies Neither is this agreeable to the