Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	according_a	truth_n	word_n	622	5	3.9324	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88660	A word in season: being the commentary of Dr. Martin Luther, on three selected Psalms: viz. the CXXIVth, CXXVth, and CXXIXth. With his commentary on some part of the fourth and fifth chapters of the First Epistle of St. Peter. Being of special use for the present times.	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.	1685 (1685)	Wing L3519; ESTC R180278	46,197	62

feet therefore he could not be counted of Ezechia others like unto grass and yet before he atchieved what he went about he was compelled not without great fear and also much slaughter of his souldiers to raise his siege and he himself most miserably perished So Pharoah seemed mightily to grow and increase not upon the earth but in the air and upon the house tops but the miserable Jews were oppressed and trodden under foot like mire in the streets This is a resemblance of grass not withering but freshly flourishing But how quickly did it wither and vanish to nothing For when Pharoah did verily think to oppress them he was suddenly oppressed himself and perished in the waters Such an image of Tyrants and Tyranny the Holy Ghost painteth out unto us in this place Why then shouldest thou fear Why shouldest thou tremble Why shouldest thou despair as though thou hadst never seen most flourishing grass within few days to wither away of its own accord or didst not know the nature of it to be such as cannot long continue Athanasius when Julianus the Emperour did many wayes afflict both him and the whole Church and fought not only with cruelty but also with craft and subtilty against the faithful insomuch that others as it were in a terrible tempest were utterly discouraged and past all hope of deliverance said that this Persecution of Julian was not a tempest but a little cloud Indeed his heart was full of faith which could believe that Julianus was like not to a terrible and a violent tempest not to a mighty black cloud wrapping all things in darkness but unto a very little cloud which the Sun doth quickly consume In like manner must we also extenuate and diminish the power of our adversaries and set at nought all their proud brags and all their cruelty not in respect of our own strength but because they are of themselves nothing else but a bubble in the water grass on the house tops and a very shadow rather then men besides this that they provoke God also against themselves whose fury cruelty compared unto his power is a thing more vain than grass on the house tops or a bubble in the water for it is nothing but a bare and a naked shew which seemeth to be something when indeed it is nothing So are all the attempts of the adversaries full of threatnings but in the end they come to nothing This is the wisdom of Christians to diminish the power of the adversaries and contrariwise to amplifie the Word and the mighty protection of the Lord. The Devil Sin Death and other spiritual tentations are great but a Christian can make a distinction of greatness For greatness is understood two manner of ways The one is according to the eye which the eye judgeth after the outward shew the other is according to the truth which the truth judgeth after the Word The greatness therefore of Sin Death wicked Kings Princes and Bishops is that which is according to the eye only For God which saith Be of good comfort I have overcome the World Also Fear not those which can kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul the same God alone I say is the very true greatness to which if you compare Satan and all the fury of the whole World what are they else but a bubble what are they else but grass but light straw and stubble But when they are considered without God then do they terrify with a false fearful shew and seem to be great indeed Wherefore Christians must judge not according to their opinion but according to the truth For an opinion is that which Reason bringeth forth besides the Word but Truth is grounded upon the Word which judgeth the fury and the cruelty of the World raging against the faithful to be like unto grass on the house tops This promise being setled and surely fixed in the mind This Judgment that the enemies are like grass and therefore shall perish he calleth a promise confirmeth the godly against the great power as to reason it seemeth of the World and Satan Like as on the other side where the word is not the mind deceived thro' a terrible shew of Truth and the judgment of Reason is oppressed with terror These things must not so be taken as tho' we did utterly condemn the power of Princes and of the World which we count to be the creature of God but their presumption and the abuse of their power is it that we condemn because they fight therewith against God and his Church Let them be Princes on the earth Let them use their Power and Authority in the World but when they will needs make War in Heaven and with their Power go about to invade and oppress the word this is horrible this is execrable and damnable And who so compareth them to bubbles to grass to stubble yea and to nothing he saith truly he judgeth rightly For why do they fight against God Think they that we know not what God is and what man is what the Creature is and what the Creator is Wherefore they are rightly compared to grass on the house tops for more contemptuously the Holy Ghost could not speak of them For this grass is such that it soon withereth away before the sickle be put unto it Yea no man thinketh it worthy to be cut down no man regardeth it every man suffereth it to brag for a while and to shew it self unto men from the house tops as though it were somewhat when it is nothing So the wicked Persecutors in the World which are taken to be mighty and terrible according to the outward shew are of all men most contemptible For Christians do not once think of plucking them up or cutting them down they persecute them not they revenge not their own injuries but suffer them to increase to brag and glory as much as they list For they know that they cannot abide the violence of a vehement Wind. Yea though all things be in quietness yet as grass on the house tops by little and little withereth away through the heat of the Sun so Tyrants upon small occasions do perish and soon vanish away The faithful therefore in suffering do prevail and overcome but the wicked in doing are overthrown and miserably perish as all the Histories of all times and ages do plainly witness Verse 7. Whereof the Mower filleth not his hand neither the Gleaner his Lap. Here the Holy Ghost maketh a comparison between Grass which yieldeth no fruit and true corn which is fruitful that thereby he may the better commend unto us the former similitude and withdraw our minds from the false dread and terror which that vain and counterfeit shew bringeth Fruitful corn saith he is such that he which moweth it shall fill his hand and he that gathereth the sheaves shall have plenty to carry into his barn Here ye see is a truth and not a vain shew But