Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	prove_v	scripture_n	5,357	5	6.6789	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93130	The Qvakers wilde questions objected against the ministers of the Gospel, and many sacred acts and offices of religion. With brief answers thereunto. Together with A discourse of the Holy Spirit, his impressions and workings on the sovls of men. Very seasonable for these times. / By R. Sherlock, B.D.	Sherlock, R. (Richard), 1612-1689.	1654 (1654)	Wing S3254; Thomason E1495_3; ESTC R208535	67,037	174

in the way but backward from the way of truth so 1 Joh. 4.8 We are of God speaking of himself and the rest of his fellow Apostles He that knoweth God heareth us acquiescendo doctrinae nostrae cleaves to our doctrine Lyra. and he that is not of God heareth us not neither is obedient to our word And hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error q. d. He that cleaves to our doctrine is guided by the Spirit of truth and he that doth not so by the spirit of error § 42 But the spirit of error will come with his scriptum est likewise as he did against our Lord himself Matth. 4. And all hereticks and schismaticks do generally alleadge scriptures wrest the very sayings of the Spirit of truth against himself to insinuate thereby their lyes and errors For as Tertullian observes of the writings of Ovid Virgil Homer both the matter of them hath been transferr'd unto other uses and the verses applyed to other matter Even so doe hereticks deal with the holy writings of inspired men De Praescr adv Haer. cap. 39. Nec periclitor dicere c. I fear not to say that the Scriptures were so disposed by the wisdome of God that they might accidentaliter and by the by even administer matter to Heresies since I read that heresies must come and without the Scriptures they cannot come For 't is in the production of heresies as of natural things Corruptio unius est generatio alterius the corruption of truth is the generation of herefie all hereticall opinions being generally grounded upon and following from the fountain of truth the Scripture not as they are in themselves rightly interpreted and understood but as they are wrested and perverted either in the words or in the sense either by additions or diminutions or by not considering them together but divided into parts and taken up by shreds and pieces for the avoyding whereof these following rules must be observed in the tryal of spirits by the Scriptures First try and examine by the coherence whether that be the very intent and aim of the holy Ghost in the text for the which it is urg'd and alleadged For the same words of the Spirit may be misapplyed both to other things and other persons then the Spirit ever meant or intended therein Secondly distinguish betwixt times ages persons when wherein and to whom this or that word was spoken For there are many things both said and recorded to be done in the Word which are onely agreeable to those times to that age of the Church and to some particular persons and are not at all applyable to the Church and people of Christ in these times or to any persons amongst us Thirdly examine diligently the phrase and manner of speech whether it be plain or metaphorical literal or allegorical a true history or a parable onely For many things are spoken in the Word by way of type figure allegory parable and the like which if we should apply in the plain and literall sense would prove strange monstrous lies and contradictions which God forbid any man should be so blasphemous as to impose on the Spirit of truth and wisdome Fourthly examine diligently what agreement every text of Scripture hath with other and receive not easily and sleightly the seeming sense of any text without comparing the same with its parallel texts For many things seem to be positively asserted in some places of the Word of God which yet are directly contradicted in others one place therefore is so to be compared with and interpreted by another that the one do not obscure or any way cloud the truth of the other Fifthly examine whether that which we conceive to be the sense of this or that Scripture be agreeable to those Articles of Christian faith contained in the Apostles Creed 2 Tim. 1.13 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or form of sound words in faith we must hold sast Jude v. 3. that modell of faith once given to the Saints for which we must contend and consequently receive no private sense or interpretation of Scripture that is contrary thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 remembring that no Scripture is of any private interpretation 1 Cor. 14.32 but that even the spirits of the Prophets themselves are subject to the Prophets Sixtly examine what we conceive to be the sense of the Spirit in the Word by the rule of that Law written by the finger of God in two Tables of stone as a lasting square according to which to regulate all our actions and consequently all our conceptions and opinions from whence our actions flow The rule of obedience or that all perfect rule of Charity Rom. 13.10 which is the fulfilling of the Law is an infallible rule of tryal of the spirits whether they be of God or no Hereby saith the Apostle we are sure we know God if we keep his Commandements he that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.34 1 Joh. 2.34 It is not the Spirit of truth but the spirit of errour if it oppose or deny or any way impede and hinder our obedience to the laws of God For saith the same Apostle again He that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth 1 Joh. 3.24 in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us even by that Spirit which he hath given us even by the spirit of obedience to the Commandements of God So that even from hence 't is clear that both to have the Spirit abiding in us and the way to know we have him also and not a false counterfeit lying spirit is if thereby we be mov'd and enabled to keep Gods Commandements This is the very rule our Saviour himself prescribes to examine his own doctrine thereby Joh. 7.17 Joh. 7.17 If any man wil doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my selfe And this is the first generall rule of tryal of the Spirits even the Word of God § 43 A second rule according to which to try the spirits whether they be of God or no is by the fruits of the Spirit and 't is the rule our Lord himself hath given us to know them by Matt. 7.15 Matt. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves Beware of false Prophets for many such are gone out into the world who in respect of their exteriour dresse and outward appearance so plausible are their pretences so spirituall are their expressions so much of the language of the Spirit and scripture phrases flow from them that you would take them for the true sheep of Christ and undoubtedly to belong to his fold and yet for all this inwardly really and truely they are wolves in sheeps cloathing limbs of Satan deceiving and devouring the souls of

very ill manners in you and not becoming either the humility or thankfulness of a Christian or a reasonable man to vilifie and undervalue Learning and learned men as to the understanding of the Scriptures since neither you nor any other man that only understands English had ever come to know any thing in the Scripture if learned men had not translated them to your hands 2. Since there hath been many Translations of the Scriptures out of Hebrew into Greek out of Greek into Latine out of Hebrew and Greek into Latine out of Latine into English out of Greek into English out of Hebrew and Greek into English which Translations being made at several times and in several Ages do therefore very much differ and vary in several places It is very unlikely sure that ignorant men who understand only their own Native Language should yet as well understand the Scriptures as the learned who have the gift of these several Languages and can examine and compare these several Translations with the Original and Fountain Truth And would it not much conduce think you to the understanding of the Scripture to read the Interpretations and pious Discourses of those holy religious Fathers of the Church which lived either in or about the Apostles time or immediately afterward and so are most likely to know the meaning of the Apostles in their writings then we who live so many hundred years since This I believe no man that hath not lost his sense and reason will deny Now to read and understand those ancient writings and the Scripture by those helps Greek and Latine is necessary for they wrote in those Languages Object But to all this I believe you will say that they who are endued with the Spirit of God understand the things of God without all this labour and lea●ning Answ We acknowledge and affirm as well as you that wisdom knowledge and understanding are the gifts of the Spirit Esa 11.2 and that we must wait upon God for them by Prayer Jam. 1.5.17 for from him cometh every good and perfect gift but yet God communicates not these gifts to the sons of men by miracle Dan. 1. compare v. 4. 6. with v. 17. but through the use of the means And to neglect and contemn the use of those ordinary means God has given us to attain spiritual wisdom by and to depend upon extraordinary and miraculous revelation from Heaven is to tempt the good Spirit of God Mat. 4.7 2 Thes 2.10 11. and to provoke him to give us up to strong delusions and to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils which too often appear and insinuate themselves into the mindes of men 2 Tim 4.1 2 Pet. 3.15 16. under the visard shew and semblance of Revelations and Infusions and Qualifications of the Spirit of truth and this by sad experience we daily see to be too true and hath appeared in your several questions Now God Almighty deliver you and all Christian people from under the power of such delusions 'T is the daily Prayer of your Christian brother R. S. A DISCOURSE OF THE Holy Spirit His Workings and Impressions ON THE SOVLS of MEN. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 12.5 Rectum est Index sui obliqui London Printed by E. Cotes for R. Roysion at the Angel in Ivie lane 1654. TO THE TRULY VERTUOUS THE Lady Rebecca Bingdloss MADAM THis following Discourse of the Holy Ghost his impressions and workings on the soul of man was first intended only for private satisfaction to your Ladyships pious desires That being well grounded in the Orthodox Doctrine and having a right understanding of the true Spirit of God it might be as an impregnable Bulwark against so many suggestions and temptations of the false and deceitful spirit For the minde of man being either devoid of the Spirit of Grace and Holiness or else of a right understanding of the things of Gods Spirit who is the Fountain both of Grace and Truth is too apt and prone to close with the suggestions of the evill spirit who is the author and promoter of sinfulness and error Never Age produc't so many spiritual Monsters as this wherein we live And I think few parts of England be so much infected with them as these Northern parts be They were very impudent and daring when they adventured to tempt your vertuous minde and by inticing words to allure your good opinion of them as full well knowing if they could but have effected thus much to have made you not an enemy to their proceedings though you did not close with them it would have given much lustre and credit to their erroneous Sect But God be praised that you are better grounded then to be Proselyted by such Ignoramo's better resolved then to be taken with such shallow delusions which a good Christian with half an eye unprejudic'd may easily see through It is your goodness for Bonum quo melius eo communius to desire the publique communication of this short Discourse of the Spirit as a Doctrine both seasonable in respect of the many spreading infectious Errors so much prevailing amongst us and also necessary as an Antidote against that contagion which issuing out of the mouth of Hell presumes most impudently and impiously to hide its venome under the name and title of the Holy Spirit I could wish the Doctrine were for this end manfully and satisfactorily cleared to the mindes of men by the Pen of some more Judicious Writer This mean Tract the Author in all humility acknowledges to be guilty of many defects and impertinencies and himself one of the meanest of the faithful and obedient sons of the Church The small acceptance it shall finde in the world will be derived from your white Name and Vertue in which Sanctuary it may escape the black-mouth'd Detractions of the Censorious and rest secure of the good acceptance if not benefit of others May you be every day more happy in the increase of all Christian vertues growing up in the knowledge of God and persevering in the constant Profession of his holy Truth and consciencious practise of the same till you arrive at the Haven of true Happiness This Madam shall be the constant endevour and is the dayly prayer Of your most faithful and affectionate Servant in Christ R. SHERLOCK The Introduction NO Age hath ever brought forth more pretenders to the Spirit of God then this wherein we live And amongst this Generation there be many so ignorant that they know not what they mean by that Spirit whereunto they so much pretend but blindfolded suffer themselves to be led by they know not whom and with the hood-winkt Samaritans Joh. 4.32 they worship they know not what Whose ignorance accompanyed with excessive pride of heart which makes their ignorance the greater that through pride they will not know or acknowledge it upon this ground The Devill hath sown his crop and reapt his Harvest even

hand of God upon us prospering our labours and studies to that end that being well grounded in the truth we might not be deceived and mistake the inventions and errours of men and doctrines of seducing spirits for the doctrines and commandements of God 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Even as you went to School to learn to write and read that you might read the Scriptures indeed but not pervert them to your own d●struction 2 Pet. 3.16 and that you might write your mind in truth and sincerity but not to write scrupulous questions to puzzle and poyson the souls of the simple who cannot see into the depth of your delusions Quest 2 Whether you can give another meaning to the Scriptures then they are or whether the Apostles did not give the meaning to them when they spake them forth yea or no and if they did what need learned mengive a meaning to them Answ The sense and meaning of the Scripture is involved and infolded in it even as the kernell of a nut is within the shell to find out which sense and declare it and make it appear from under those severall kinds of metaphoricall and figurative expressions which commonly cloath and cover it is a part of our taske and duty And this we do by a serious diligent and intent searching weighing and pondering the texts of Scriptures by comparing and conferring severall places by observing the connexions and coherences by sincere and impartiall collecting and observing the severall truths contained therein and also flying unto God by prayer and devotion for assistance in the work And that it belongs to learned men to give the sense and meaning of the Scriptures we have in the old Testament the example of Ezra the Scribe ●eh 8. 4 5 6 〈◊〉 8. that is the Learned who stood upon a Pulpit of Wood high above all the people made purposely for preaching and the Levites caused the people to understand the Law and this they did not only by reading the Law distinctly but they gave the sense saith the Text and caused the people to understand the reading In the new Testament Christ himself tooke a text and preached upon it Luk. 4.17 22. Philip took the text which the Eunuch read in Esay and preached Christ unto him Act. 8.30 37. converting the Eunuch by giving the sense of the text being of himself not able to understand without an Interpreter Quest. 3 Shew me by the Scripture who ever was made a Minister of Christ that was called of men Master Answ The Prophets and Priests under the Law were tearmed Fathers and such as were bred under them to be made capable of that function as young Scolars are now in Oxford and Cambridge to be capable of the Ministry were tearmed the Sons of the Prophets 2 King 2.12 15. under the Gospell besides the titles of Apostles Prophets Evangelists ordinary or common Ministers are tearmed Doctors Pastors Shepherds of souls which are terms of more eminency and respect then Master Sir or the like and what else is meant by the Masters of the Assemblies Eccles 12.11 but the Pastors and Teachers of the people assembled in the service of God Masters is a title of civill respect and honour and we are commanded not only in generall to give honour to whom honour is due Rom. 13.7 but particularly to pious and painfull Ministers Let them be counted worthy of double honour that labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.7 Now as on the one side it is a Gospell duty to give titles of honour to whom they are due so on the other fide it is a Gospell sin to affect titles of honour through pride vain-glory and popular applause Nor was it a sin in the Scribes and Pharisees to be called Master but because they loved to be called of men Master Mat. 23.6 7. Master their vain-glorious affectation of the title was their offence and of this no man can taxe us but only God who knoweth the heart Quest 4 Shew me by the Scriptures when ever the Ministers of Jesus Christ took tithes of the people or augmentations for preaching of the Gospell Answ That the Priests under the Law received Tithes and that God commanded the people to pay tithes unto them you cannot be ignorant 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Know you not saith the Apostle that they which minister about holy things eat of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Even so must the Ministers of the Gospell be maintained as were the Priests under the Law and that was by Tithes and offerings Luk. 11.42 Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of hearbs and passeover judgment and the love of God these things ought you to have done marke that and not leave the other undone Whence you see that to take and pay tithes is no other but what ought to be done and the fault cryed woe against was the neglect of judgment and the love of God Quest. 5 Shew by the Scriptures and what Scripture have you which speaks of the Word two Sacraments which you tell the people of and deceive the simple Answ We confesse the word Sacrament is not in the Scriptures but the holy actions which we call Sacraments are positively and expresly commanded there The first Sacrament of Baptisme is commanded Mat. 28.19 And for the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper the words of institution expresly command us to observe it Take Mat. 26.26 27. eat do this And sure we do not deceive the people when we tell them of no other things but what Christ himself commanded both us and them to observe But you do deceive your owne soul and the souls of those simple people you converse with all whilest you denie and oppose your self against the very expresse commands of our Lord. Quest 6 Shew me what Scripture you have which speaks that the Apostles sprinkled Infants Answ That the Apostles were commanded to Baptize all Nations and that they did Baptize whole families Act. 16.33 is clearly exprest in the Scripture And surely children are a part of all Nations though you should say there were no Children in those families that were Baptized which is a thing very hard and improbable to affirme But further for Chrildrens Baptisme we have severall grounds out of the Scriptures 1. Children under the Law were circumcised Rom. 4.11 and Circumcision was the seal of the righteousnesse of faith as Baptisme is now for other externall visible seal of our admission into the Covenant of Grace we have not commanded in the Scriptures or practised in the Church of Christ And that this seal of Baptisme both outward and inward must passe upon all before they be admitted actuall members of Christs spirituall Kingdome here