Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,019	5	6.0761	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39232	The grounds & occasions of the contempt of the clergy and religion enquired into in a letter written to R.L.	Eachard, John, 1636?-1697.	1672 (1672)	Wing E52; ESTC R31398	55,186	170

eminent degree of Learning But when they come there they shall save a Servants Wages They took therefore heretofore a very good method to prevent Sizars over-heating their brains Bed-making Chamber-sweeping and Water-fetching were doubtless great preservatives against too much vain Philosophy Now certainly such pretended savours and kindnesses as these are the most right down discourtesies in the World For it is ten times more happy both for a Lad and the Church to be a Corn-cutter or Tooth-drawer to make or mend Shooes or to be of any inferiour Profession than to be invited to and promised the Conveniencies of a learned Education and to have his name only stand airing upon the College Tables and his chief business shall be to buy Eggs and Butter Neither ought Lads parts before they be determined to the University be only considered and likelihood of being disappointed in their Studies but also Abilities or hopes of being maintain'd until they be Masters of Arts. For whereas two hundred for the most part yearly Commence scarce the fifth part of these continue after their taking the first degree As for the rest having exactly learned Quid est Logica and Quot sunt Virtutes Morales down they go by the first Carrier upon the top of the Pack into the West or North or elsewhere according as their Estates lye with Burgersdicius Eustachius and such great helps of Divinity and then for Propagation of the Gospel By that time they can say the Predicaments and Creed they have their Choice of Preaching or Starving Now what a Champion for Truth is such a thing likely to be What an huge blaze he makes in the Church What a Raiser of Doctrines what a Confounder of Heresies what an able Interpreter of hard Places what a Resolver of Cases of Conscience and what a prudent Guide must he needs be to all his Parish You may possibly think Sir that this so early preaching might be easily avoided by with-holding Holy Orders the Church having very prudently constituted in Her Canons that none under Twenty three Years of Age which is the usual Age after seven Years being at the University should be admitted that great Employment This indeed might seem to do some service were it carefully observed and were there not a thing to be got called a Dispensation which will presently make you as old as you please But if you will Sir we 'll suppose that Orders were strictly denyed to all unless qualified according to Canon I cannot foresee any other Remedy but that most of those University Youngsters must fall to the Parish and become a Town Charge until they be of Spiritual Age. For Philosophy is a very idle thing when one is cold And a small System of Divinity though it be Wollebius himself is not sufficient when one is hungry What then shall we do with them and where shall we dispose of them until they come to a holy Ripeness May we venture them into the Desk to read Service That cannot be because not capable Besides the tempting Pulpit usually stands too near Or shall we trust them in some good Gentlemens houses there to perform holy things With all my heart so that they may not be called down from their Studies to say Grace to every health That they may have a little better Wages than the Cook or Butler As also that there be a Groom in the House besides the Chaplain For sometimes to the Ten pounds a year they crowd the looking after a couple of Geldings And that he may not be sent from Table picking his Teeth and sighing with his Hat under his Arm whilest the Knight and my Lady eat up the Tarts and Chickens It may be also convenient if he were suffered to speak now and then in the Parlour besides at Grace and Prayer time And that my Cousin Abigail and he sit not too near one another at Meals Nor be presented together to the little Vicarage All this Sir must be thought of For in good earnest a Person at all thoughtful of himself and Conscience had much better chuse to live with nothing but Beans and Pease-pottage so that he may have the command of his thoughts and time than to have his second and third Courses and to obey the unreasonable humours of some Families And as some think two or three years continuance in the University to be time sufficient for being very great Instruments in the Church so others we have so moderate as to count that a solemn admission and a formal paying of College Detriments without the trouble of Philosophical Discourses Disputations and the like are Virtues that will influence as far as Newcastle and improve though at never such a distance So strangely possessed are People in general with the easiness and small Preparations that are requisite to the Undertaking of the Ministry that whereas in other Professions they plainly see what considerable time is spent before they have any hopes of arriving to skill enough to practise with any confidence what they have design'd yet to preach to ordinary People and govern a Country-parish is usually judg'd such an easie performance that any body counts himself fit for the Employment We find very few so unreasonably confident of their parts as to profess either Law or Physick without either a considerable continuance in some of the Inns of Courts or an industrious search in Herbs Anatomy Chymistry and the like unless it be only to make a Bond or give a Glyster But as for the knack of Preaching as they call it that is such a very easie attainment that he is counted dull to purpose that is not able at a very small warning to fasten upon any Text of Scripture and to tear and tumble it till the Glass be out Many I know very well are forced to discontinue having neither stock of their own nor Friends to maintain them in the University But whereas a Man's Profession and Employment in this World is very much in his own or in the Choice of such who are most nearly concern'd for him He therefore that foresees that he is not likely to have the advantage of a continued Education he had much better commit himself to an approved-of Cobler or Tinker wherein he may be duly respected according to his Office and condition of Life than to be only a disesteemed Pettifogger or Empirick in Divinity By this time Sir I hope you begin to consider what a great disadvantage it has been to the Church and Religion the meer venturous and inconsiderate determining of Youths to the Profession of Learning There is still one thing by a very few at all minded that ought also not to be overlooked and that is a good Constitution and Health of Body And therefore discreet and wise Physicians ought also to be consulted before an absolute Resolve be made to live the life of the Learned For he that has strength enough to buy and bargain may be of a very unfit habit