A25294:1193
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian…The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian…
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian catechism in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy labourer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...
London: printed by T. Mabb for Thomas Davies, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Doct. 2. We ought to love truth, and according as occasion serves, further and advance it.
This is gathered from the words of the Commandment, because veracity, whereby we both love truth, and according to occasion, witness the same, is that virtue here commanded; and is contrary to that sin that is here condemned, in bearing false witness: So that speculative truth is not properly here treated of, neither that which is true generally; but only moral truth, that is, such as belongs to mens manners and consciences; and that is such a truth of our words, as that they agree with our mind, and our mind also with the thing it self, as far as we are bound to know, or profess that we know. And this veracity is to be followed and highly to be prised for these reasons.
This is gathered from the words of the Commandment, because veracity, whereby we both love truth, and according to occasion, witnesse the same, is that virtue here commanded; and is contrary to that sin that is here condemned, in bearing falsewitnesse: So that speculative truth is not properly here treated of, neither that which is true generally; but onely morall truth, that is, such as belongs to mens manners and consciences; and that is such a truth of our words, as that they agree with our minde, and our minde also with the thing it self, as far as we are bound to know, or professe that we know. And this veracity is to be followed and highly to be prised for these reasons.
Reas. 1. Because it is not the least part of that Image of God, that we ought to show; because in a special manner God is, and is called the God of truth, Psal. 31. 6. and his word the word of truth, and truth it self: so that truth hath a peculiar agreement with the nature and perfection of God: Whence also it is, that God, though in other commands hath sometimes used a kind of exception, and as it were dispensed with it for a time, as in the matter of Theft, with the Israelites (for he made that to be no theft, by a special explication of that command, which otherwise had been theft) and of some marriages both before and under the Law, which by extraordinary approving of them he made lawful; yet in this command about speaking truth, he never granted any explication or dispensation,