Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	act_n	church_n	paul_n	1,514	5	6.3663	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20995	A lamentable discourse of the fall of Hughe Sureau (commonly called Du Rosier) from the truth: & his shamefull offence to the church togither with confession ... & remorse Seruing for a notable example to al the world of the fraieltie & vntowardnesse of man, & of the great and vnmeasurable mercie of God to his chosen.; Confession et recognoissance de Hugues Sureau dit du Roisir, touchant sa cheute en la rapaut'e, & les horribles scandales par luy commis. English	Du Rosier, Hugues Sureau.	1573 (1573)	STC 7369; ESTC S118725	19,223	58

ouerthrowe it And manye tymes there came to my memory a verse of a certeyn poet alleadged by Tertulian Vsque ad eòne morj miserum est I felt my selfe mooued with heauenly inspirations to mainteyn gods trewth I dyd after a sorte consider of the wounde that was made by my meanes some tymes the force of reason and trewth did pricke me forewarde to speake against the doctors of Sorbona in certeyne points but the same vanished away immediatly because that I had already passed furth to the chiefest difficultie hauing a vowed theirs for the trewe Church And certenly I remember that being often pressed with my selfe féeling a kinde of conuiction in that I dyd let passe so many false things ageinst the trewth at night I prayed to God that he would not suffer me to liue to the day folowing forséeing that the morrow after I should yet be driuen to consent and agrée to many things which I thought and knew to be false but this was not a well ordered prayer because I should rather haue craued his spirit of strength magnanimitie to susteyne and defende that which he had reuealed to me to be trewe referre to him the issue and falling out of the whole Neyther was I hard of him but was still abyding in the middest of the enemies of his poore afflicted Church being forced to heare the scoffes and iestes that they did spewe out laughing at the present affliction as dyd the Id●means when they reioysed at the destruction of Ierusalem Thus went I cleane depriued of all sens féeling to enure my selfe lyke a brute beast with this most mischeuous accursed haūt The murderers haue killed the bodies with their most cruel hād ▪ but in the meane tyme the soules are escaped and passed from trauel to rest But I haue ben a murderer of soules subuerting the fayth of many through my word and taking from their vnderstanding the iudgemēt knowledge of the euill which they went about to doe And besyde those that haue hard me speak with myne own propre mouth there are infinite others that may haue read that which I had sundry tymes written touching the same the copies wherof were spread all abroade amplyfied with prety gloses and additions wher I had not written playn enough to the contenting of the papists as I my self haue both séene and perceyued And those that haue not read them might therof be informed by others In such sort that I can not expresse nor cōprehend how great a ruine and decay hath ensued of this my fal ▪ From al the which mishaps one only death had at one instant preserued me if I had abyden it after the example of so many poore shéepe of Iesus Christ layed furth to the slaughter without mercie Such a death had béen precious before God honorable for me and myne and of a good sauour to the congregation of the Lorde And yet for any thing that I haue done I shall not escape death which shall come at the houre and in the maner that God hath appoynted it after I haue lyued in ignomyny in the sight of all good men Wherfore when I consider all the circumstances I can hardlye pycke out an example to be ballanced with this acte of myne Sainct Peter did renounce Christ but it was in his first weaknesse before he was yet fortyfied whereas I ought to haue ben a leader and a captain considering how long I had ben called to the seruice of god Saint Peter at the instant withdrew him selfe and went out to wéepe as for me I was in a good way to haue continewed all my lyfe long in the botomlesse pitte of perdition Sainct Paule did persecute the Church of God but it was in ignoraunce and through an vnaduised zeale hauing not the fayth wheras I did put my helping hand to the réedifying of that which before I had pulled downe declaring my selfe a sinfull transgressour Iohn Marke left of his labour and the voyage that he hadde in hands for the which Sainct Paul did not thinke it reasonable that hée should be afterwarde employed Demas forsoke his vocation for the loue and desyre of this present worlde But none of these did for all that persecute the trewth as I haue done Touching the facte I finde but one comparable to my selfe and that is he that layed his head together with the sacryficers and tooke money of them to be traye and make sale of the innocent blud as he confessed himself Euen so did I acquainte my selfe with such kinde of people the very successors of the Pharyseyes sweare my selfe into the hands of the byshop and receyued the hyre of vntrewth as did Balaam with a promise of a yearely pension in time to come Briefly I sée my self paynted out in that which Sainct Peter sayeth that this man hath ben the leader of thē that haue taken Iesus who sayth hée was accompted in the numbre of vs and had receyued his parte of the administration of his word ▪ Sée here then my brethren on part of those enormities that I do note in mi reuolt I did not only giue occasiō to men to yelde to the infirmitie of the flesh but more then that I did fill the consciences of the well affectioned with scrupelous vexatiōs of the weake with troublesome offences to make them fall neuer to ryse ageyne to the ypocrites I did serue for a maske and cloke to couer them selues in assisting to those things that they condemned to the open enemyes I gaue occasion to boast and glorify them selues in exercysing cruelty ageynst the members of Iesu Christ and to confirme thē selues in an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they haue that they doe God good se●●●…ce that they aduaunce hys honor that they mayneteyne the trewe Church when they kill and murder the innocent I haue offended God almighty condemned the cause of his sonne Christ resisted the holy ghost made sorowful the Aungels of heauē ben a stumbling block to the Church in earth boldened and hardened the wicked in their fury defiled my mouth with blasphemy which was before honored with preaching of the Gospel Sainct Cyprian excusing him self for that he had séemed to haue somewhat lightlye established Aurelius reader in the Church giueth a good reason that it was very méete séemely the the mouth which had confessed Christ in time of persecution should be employed to reade his word in the Church Contrariwise I by myne infidelity haue stopped mine own mouth that I might not hereafter speake in the holy assemblyes ▪ I beséech you brethren that euery one of you doe adde what yée can to this that I haue sayed which is not hard to doe in so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a case And all you that maye any wayes make mée vnderstand it spare me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pulle mee downe according to the desert of so haynous a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spurne at the féete that salte that hath lost his sauor see how iustly my candlestick is taken from his place Alas I

haue good cause to tremble at that which our Lord hath denounced that at the great day he will be ashamed of those that are ashamed of him his word before men Let my exaumple serue you for a glasse and haue a dilygent eye to your selues you that haue abode vpright till this present sée that you kéepe preciously that so singuler a benefite that God hath so carefully kept for you suffer not that vncorruptible crowne to bée taken from you but constantly finish your course knowing that he that contineweth to the ende shall be saued And you alas that are the greatest number who eyther by myne exaumple are slipte out of the way or by myne occasion confirmed in your reuolt take héed the Deuil doe not bewitch you to make you fynde that swéete which is bitter to call lighte darkenes and darknes light bu kéepe the séede of the feare of God which is yet remayning in your harts nurrish and cherish it as a languishing fyre wayting the meanes to escape out of the captiuity more griouous then that of Egipt and vsing the same when .. God shal offer them vnto you ▪ Especially your grace Syr that haue receyued thys good and holye instruction from your youth in the trewe knowledge of GOD. Remember the fayth that was in your mother and Grandmother Quéenes of Nauarra And as Sainct Paule doeth by suche exaumples exhort his Timothe so thinke the same to apperteyne to you to the end that you may be as well heyre to the fayth of those holy Ladyes as you haue succéeded them in the Realme And pardon mée the iniury that I haue done to you humbly beséeching you in the name of GOD that as I haue ben a pestilent instrument to peruert you so nowe my exaumple may serue to conuert you to the lord You also moste noble Prince be myndfull of the zeale godlines and constancy in trewe religion whereof you haue séene the liuely paterns of your late of worthy memory Grandmother Father and mother I haue serued you in steade of a wicked spirite and euill counseler but lette not that which was sayed in tyme of force and violence beare so much sway and authoritye wyth you that for the same you should forgette the holye instructions which haue ben gyuen yow by aduised deliberation many years before Compare the presente estate whereunto you be now brought receyuing no comfort or edificatiō at al of that which your Amner doeth read or sing before you in his Portesse or Massebooke with the when you were present at the holy exhortatiōs and enterpreting of Gods word where you your self did help to sing prayses vnto his name And for as muche as manye may be kepte back in this reuolt through the reasons that they then vnderstood of mée at sundry tymes and in sundry places or els through certeyne writings that haue ben scattered abroad touching the trewe Church and by what markes she oughte to be discerned by the which at that time I went aboute to conclude that the Church of Roome deserued this title I beséech al Christian readers not to stay vppō those reasons so vayne and of so small importaunce Trew it is that see that time yea and somewhat afore I had be shakē therwithall as I haue confessed But sens hauing withdrawē mi self into these parts I haue learned and found out that they are but abuses and fallacyes easye to bée discouered and refuted for the which let it be graunted that they had greater appearance of sound reasons yet can not I be excused but that I did leudly and villenously to refuse to witnesse that treuth with my mouth which I did verely beléeue in my harte to exhort those that I could ageinst my cōsciēce to go to Masse and to yéeld obediēce to Antichrist Now as I doe by this present writing make open confession of my to too haynous enormity for a piece of amends and reparation of the offence publikely geuen so am I determined God willing to write of this matter of the Church to take away all doubt and scruple from the wauering cōsciences that be not yet fully resolued for that they haue hard the sayd reasons To conclude being now at full liberty to stick boldly without feare to that Church which in my harte I doe alowe of I protest before god to recognyse and acknowledge that for the trewe Church whiche hath for the rule of her fayth the holy scripture of the old newe Testament the olde conteyned in the lawe Psalms and Prophets as our Lord him self doeth deuide it the newe in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles anowyng for trewe markes of the Churche not the succession of persones and of menne but of the Doctryne of the Prophetes and Apostles Sithens it is manyfest that we can not acknowledge any for the house of GOD but that which is the piller and staye of the treweth nor anye to bée of the folde of Christ but those only that heare hys voyce and follow him and that shée is the trewe Spouse that hath Christ for her Spouse briefely that it is necessary to goe out of that Church wherein one can not abyde wythoute renouncyng of Iesus Christ and to be shorte without losse of bodye and Soule by dishonoring and offending of GOD. According whereunto I doe also embrace the confession of Fayth published in the name of the reformed Churches of Fraunce acknowledging and auowing the same to be a Christian confession by the conformitye and agréement that it hath with the holy Scripturs and ioyntly the Ecclesiastycall discyplyne to bée the conducte and gouernement of the people of god Wyth lyke assuraunce I holde and beléeue with all my harte and confesse as well by mouth as by writyng that those which for thys reformation haue a fewe yeares sence suffered death eyther by order of Iustyce or by the late blouddy murders more cruell then those of the Gotes or Vandales are trewe and blessed Martyrs of Iesus Christ dead for hys name and his holy trewth And for the commendation and prayse of them together for their comfort and consolation that are yet liuing women children parentes and frindes this sentence of Sainct Paule to the Thessalonians maye by good right be applyed yée are made followers of the congregacions of GOD that are at Iudea in Iesus Christ because yée haue suffered the selfe same thynges by them of your owne natyon as they dyd by the Ievves Who likewyse haue kylled the Lorde Iesus and their owne Prophetes and haue banyshed vs they please not GOD and are aduersaries to al men not suffering vs to speak to the Gentils for their saluation to the ende that they may dayly heape vp their sins for the wrath of god is come vppon them to the vttermost Wherfore O ye faithful pastors of the Christian Church Stewards of the misteries of god that hath giuen you the word of reconciliation to the end that ye maye be Ambassadors for Christ ye that sometymes