Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	church_n	faith_n	pillar_n	2,322	5	10.2633	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26214	The profit of believing very usefull both for all those that are not yet resolved what religion they ought to embrace, and for them that desire to know whither their religion be true or no / written by S. Augustine.; De utilitate credendi ad Honoratum. English	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; A. P.	1651 (1651)	Wing A4213; ESTC R7850	45,294	156

strength of understanding to examine them what remaineth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst all the societies of men in this world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the living God which is the pillar and ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her judgement Now that thou maist be the better able to follow this wholesome counsell let me advise thee with care and diligence to peruse this e●suing treatise and that thou maist ●eceive much benefit thereby for thy souls health thou hast already the prayers of S. Augustine and thou s●alt have the hearty wishes and desires of Thy charitable Welwisher A. P. The TABLE Chap. I. HOW S. Augustine came to be de●eived by the Manichees Page 1. II. That the Manichees do condemn the old Testament 11 III. Of the four wayes of expounding the old Testament 15 IV. 3. ways whereby men fall into errour 31 V● Of the truth of the holy Scripture 37 VI That the holy Scripture is first to be loved before it can be learned 4● VII● Th●t we ought not to judge rashly of the holy Scriptures and how and with what care and diligence the trve religion is to be sought for 49 VIII Of the way to the instruction of piety and of the wonderfull pains S. Augustine took to find it out 63 IX Of Credulity 68 X. Why Credulity is the w●y to Religion 75 XI Of under standing belief● and opinion 83 XII That it is the safest w●y to believe wise men 93 XIII That Religion takes her beginning from believing 98 XIV That Christ chiefly exacted belief 104 XV Of the most commodious way to Religion 114 XVI That miracles do procure belief 117 XVII The con●sent of nations be●●eving in Christ 124 XVIII The conclusion by way of ex●ortat●●n 129 The Profit of Believing CHAP. I. How Saint Augustine came to be deceived by the Manichees O Honoratus IF any Heretick and a man believing Hereticks did seem unto me to be one and the same thing I should think fit to be silent at this present and to abstain both from speaking and writing in this cause But now whereas they do verymuch differ For he is an Heretick according to my opinion who for some temporall benefit and chiefly for glory and his own preferment either broacheth or followeth false and new Opinions but a man believing Hereticks is one that is del●ded with a certain imagination of Piety and Truth I held it to be my duty to deliver thee my opinion touching the finding out and embracing the Truth with the love whereof we have both as thou knowest been greatly enflamed even from our youths Truth is a thing farre differing from that which vain men do conceive who having too deeply lettled their affections upo● these bod●ly and corporall things do hold and imagine it to be nothing else but what they do perceive and discer● by those five most known Messengers of the Body and they tosse to and f●o and rerevolve in their minds the impressions and images which they have received from these things even when they endeavour to disbeliev● their senses and by a deadly and a most deceitfull rule taken from thence they think that they do frame a right and perfect judgement of the ine●●fable Secrets and Mysteries of Faith There is nothing more easie my most dear friend then for a man not onely to say but also to think that he hath found out the Truth but how extream hard it is to find it out indeed thou wilt as I hope acknowledge and confesse upon the perusall of these my writings which that they may prove beneficiall unto thee or at least not hurtfull and unto all those into whose hands they may chance to light I have beseeched the divine Majesty and I do beseech him and I hope it will come to passe if mine own conscience can but bear me witnesse that I came to write them not with a desire of vain renown or frivolous ostentation but with a pious and a serviceable mind My intent therefore i● to prove unto thee if I can that it is sacrilegiously and rashly done of the Manichees to speak bitter words and inveigh against those who following the authority of the Catholick faith● are fortified and strengthened befo●ehand by believing and are prepared to receive the light of the Divine grace before they can behold that Verity and Truth which is seen and beheld with a pure and clean mind For thou knowest O Honoratus that we put our selves into the company of such men for no other cause but for that they said that the terrour of authority being set aside they would with plain and admirable reasons bring their hearers and followers unto God and free them from all errour For what else was it that enforced me to follow them and to hearken to them attentively almost for the space of nine years having despised and contemned the religion which by my parents was ingraffed in me being a little child but for that they affirmed that we are terrified with superstition and commanded to believe before any reason is given us of belief and that they importune and urge none to believe untill the truth be first discussed and made manifest unto them who would not be allured with these promises especially the mind of a young man desirous of truth a babler and one that was puffed up with pride upon ●isputations had with some skilfull and learned Schoolmen and such an one they found me then to be namely who despised my former religion like old wives tales and desired to embrac● and with greedinesse to receive the manifest and sincere Truth which they promised to teach and deliver But again what reason withdrew me and called me back that I did not wholly adhere u●to th●m but kept my self in the degree of Hear●●s as they use to call them and did ●ot forgo the hopes and affairs which I had in this world but for that I also noted and observed that they were more eloquent and copious i● consuting others then firm and certain in proving● and maintaining their own grounds But what shall I say of my self who was now become a Catholick Christian who being almost exhausted and greedy after a very long thirst was now with an ardent affection returned again to the breasts of the Church which I shaked and wrung much weeping and lamenting to the end I might not onely draw from thence sufficient comfort for my misery and a●fliction but might also recover my former hope of life and salvation What then shall I say of my self And as for thee thou didest so vehemently hate and detest them that I could hardly draw thee by entreaties and exhortations to hearken unto them and try them and when thou hea●dest them with what other thing I pray thee we●t thou taken and