Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A13311
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An apologie or defence agaynst the calumnacion of certayne men which preferring wylfull wyll and carnal reason before the playn trueth of Gods gospel, (do sclaundre those men, which for the better seruinge of God with a more pure conscience, according to his holy word) haue abandoned theyr liuinges and vocacion, abydinge as exyles in poore estate oute of theyr natyue cou[n]trye.
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I. T., fl. 1555.
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1555
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STC 23619; ESTC S103238
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12,085
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24
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¶ An Apologie or defence agaynst the calumnacion of certayne men which preferring wylfull wyll and carnal reason before the playn trueth of Gods gospel do sclaundre those men which for the better seruinge of God with a more pure conscience according to his holy word haue abandoned theyr liuinges and vocacion abydinge as exyles in poore estate oute of theyr natyue couÌ„trye ☞ ¶ Exodi .xxxiij. ☞ O Lord let our hartes euermore ioye in thy testimonies folowe not the multitude to doe euyll ¶ Psalm .lxxiij. ☞ Lyke as when a man waketh there remayneth nothing of his slepe how pleasaunt soeuer it was to the sleper So shall there be nothing left of theyr Goddes Where through they thought theÌ„ selues happy in this worlde But thou O Lord shalt rather make eueÌ„ theyr pictures to be abhorred of euerye man in the Cytie ¶ 1555. The mercy and fauour of God oure heauenly father purchased to vs by the merites of our Sauiour Christe Communicated to vs by his holy spirite I. T. Wisheth to the gentle Reader THe thing that moued me to vndertake to auÌ„swere this sclauÌ„dre good frende was not That I either thought or iudged my self so wyse or so learned as the I could set it forth with such wysdom or eloquenche as so good a matter and trewe cause requyred or as yf some learned maÌ„ had vndertaken it neyther do I write it to th ende it should be comen and receyued of all men or haue free accesse into all places but onelye to you my frend and to that towne where ye presently habyte the place of my birth and educacion As also for the excuse of those good mâ—r of that towne whiche in lyke maner with me haue abandoned geuen ouer theyr rowmes which men as in Greke and Latyn auctours they be ignoraunt By reason whereof they caÌ„ not explicate nor make knoweÌ„ to you the cause why they haue chosen this paynefull exyle so they wishe you and all other honeste men to know and vnderstand that neyther lightnesse rashe wyll or iâ—constancie hath moued them there vnto as some of that towne vntruely agaynst theyr owne knowledge doe surmyse blowe abroaâ—e But a good zeale grouÌ„ded vp on Gods trueth confyrmed by the opinion of all good and godly learned men and that they might with the more pure conscience serue god in the congregacion of the godly where Gods moste holy worde and Sacramentes are purely preached and ministred In the which place as the Prophete Dauid saythe It is better to dwel in a most poore degree then to abyde in wealth and prosperous estate among the wicked Which mynd and good purpose of theirs as a iuste excuse to satisâ—ye the mindes of good and godly men which principally they desyre They haue earnestly desyred me to make knowen and to put forth the same in writinge and to adresse this Apologie to you Knowig right well that although for lacke of learninge and wysoom I shall not be able to satisfye theyr expectacion or set it forth according to the worthynes of the matter For that I neuer haunted scoles or anye vniuersities Nor neuer was brought vp in any other state then with them as a most poore man and Souldiour simple and vnworthye yet because they shall aswell perceyue my good wyll and preste seruyce towardes them as charitie and our consuete familiaritie woulde and compelleth me as also for that my parte is in it participating the life obloque and sclaundre with them For that we haue wrought al one lyke facte and attempted one entrepryse These thinges wayed and proponed I haue the more gladly graunted to ful fyll theyr requestes praying you my frend of charitie to graunt me thus much fauour That yf I ether shal write or peÌ„ne any thig the agreeth not with your mind the opinioÌ„ of other meÌ„ not to coÌ„deÌ„ne it at the first sight because it maketh not for your purpose but rather coÌ„farre it with the scriptures of God the trew touchstone which al meÌ„s workes ought to be iudged by to the which I pray you submit your coÌ„scieÌ„ce yf ye find that it varie not froÌ„ the sacred word of god nor dissent froÌ„ the mynde of good godly learned meÌ„ TheÌ„ embrace it as a manifest trueth desyring god the father of al mercy for his soÌ„nes sake Christ in the worke of his holi spirite to make you consent to it And to testifye our doynges to be lawful and consonante to Gods gospell Staying your opinioÌ„ with this our aunswere putting other men to silence by the same And now to come to the causes which ye proponed to meÌ„ in my house saying ye were sente froÌ„ many good honest godly me which not a litle merueled that I had set away into flauÌ„ders my wife childreÌ„ much more that I my self was also delibered to folow Wherin as ye alledged they iudged I wrought vnwisely not according to knowledge but rather preferred a wil more wilful theÌ„ godli wise knowig aswell my poore estate litle riches with my great family as also the inciuil nature of this nacioÌ„ with finale relief saying wtin a short time begging to ouer take me for the I nether had arte faculte or occupacioÌ„ to liue by More the if god should tourne the impietie of this time I should neuer be able to recouer the like rowme or office so al my life waÌ„der in misery which they as my very frendes much lameÌ„ted with many other causes by you alledged thereby to staye my iourneye Which perswasioÌ„s as to the fleshe they semed harde and vneasi to be borne and tollerated of any worldly man So I for my parte do moste hartely praise God whose good worke it was they not abashed me nor altered my purpose as ye my frende know right well Secondlye ye alledged agaynst me the doynges of other meÌ„ which ye named both good honest and godly and of an vpright pure conscience which men obserued the ordre of thys tyme. Thyrdely ye sayd that yf my coÌ„science were so strayght laced as that I could not consente to the putting of my name into the boke among others you for your parte iudged it no synne nor felte any repugnauÌ„ce of coscience for your so doyng whérby ye iudged it no offence And yf it were sinne as ye sayde ye doubted yet it was a light synne and easy to be forgeueÌ„ saying God must remitte greater offences or els ye should neuer come in heauen Well now my frend accordinge to my conscience little knowledge receyued froÌ„ Gods word I wyll aunswere youre three causes alledged agaynst me Prayinge you to accept theÌ„ in as good parte as with an vnfayned harte good mynde I doe adresse them to you And as to the fyrste cause which ye preferred to staye my goynge whereas you manye good men lameÌ„ted that misery should oppresse me and that specially in a straunge land farre froÌ„ frendes Where I should be compelled eyther to begge or
labor which I neuer had done nor was brought vp in such extremitie wherfore they feared I should not be able to endure it I aunswere them with S. Paul I haue learned in what estate soeuer I am there with to be content I can doe all thinges thorough the helpe of Christ I also saye with S. Paul Phil. iiij Rom. viij shall tribulacion or anguishe or persecucion eyther hunger or nakednesse perill or sworde separate vs from the loue of God Timo. vi Mar. viij More the same Apostle sayth Godlines is great ryches yf a man be coÌ„teÌ„t with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is a playne case that we can carye nothing out What should it auayle a man to winne the whole world lose his owne soule I most hartely reioyse in god that I haue not receyued his gospell in vayne For I had rather with Lazarus enioy a poore estate Luke xvi begging my bread in myserye with a quiet coÌ„science theÌ„ with dyues to wallow in welth and for pleasure sake lose the lyfe euerlasting Christ Iesus the alone Sauiour Philip. ij our Lorde mayster thought it no robberye as S. Paule sayth beyng very God to take our nature vpoÌ„ him and for our sakes to become man in moste lowe degree Who as a most pure paterâ—â— and godly example for vs to folow walked in this vale of miserie in great humilitie and poore estate saying the foxes haue holes Luke ix the byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not a place to put his head in O my frend these places of Scripture are not written in vayne but for our learninge Roma xâ— that we through pacience and comforte of the Scripture might haue hope It is geuen vs as S. Paule sayth not onely to beleue on Christ but to suffre for his sake yf Christ Iesus my Lord and maister walked in such poore estate Wall I a wretched sinner beyng but earth wormes meat hauig no certeÌ„tie of my life Rom. viij ij Tim. 7. for a litle pleasure in this worlde lose the life euerlasting â–ª God forbid remeÌ„bring the yf we wil raigne with Christ we must suffre with him Now my freÌ„de yf I other men should doe as you other do what nede we to suffre with christ For yf wheÌ„ as the gospel by god his special mercy auctoritie of the king is set forth I theÌ„ embrace it as a truth in those daies there is no cause why I should suffre for the gospel as in the time of the godly Price king Toward the sixt Psal lxvi Gapien 3 Lcclesi 2 But wheÌ„ for our vnthaÌ„kefulnes wretched liuing god doth take his gospel away froÌ„ vs as it is come to passe in our laÌ„d at this day to make trial of his elect according to this saying As gold is tried in the furneys so god doth trie his elect yf I then as you most men doe now i these daies dissemble with the trueth which before I embrased coÌ„firming my selfe to the impiete of this time There is theÌ„ no cause why I should suffre with christ no maÌ„ wil lay any matter to my charge yf externally I obserue the law and theÌ„ were these wordes of suffring with christ in vayn the gospel such a trueth as I liste to make applie it Yf I shal perswade my self to please christ to be in fauor with God yet wil not suffre with christ My freÌ„de in mine opinioÌ„ it is not in our chose to take vp christes crosse as we lift the way we would but as god our he aueÌ„ly father in christ hath destined appointed vs vnto wel let the maÌ„ be ware which obserueth the ordre of this time maynteyninge his owne doyng coÌ„deÌ„ning other meÌ„ for not doyng the same yet wil say he is gods seruâ—â—t Truely I wil not coÌ„deÌ„ne hi for God shal be his iudge But surely I thinke he might aswell saye there were no god for god is none otherwise knoweÌ„ honored of him but as his fleshly wyll list to knowe serue him not captiuating his iudgemeÌ„t to the word of god by the which word god is truly serued worshipped not pleased as we imagine Mat. xvij We are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to harkeÌ„ to the voyce of christ to heare him which sayth he the wyll be my disciple let him forsake himselfe take vp his crosse folow me Now yf the maÌ„ which wil liue â— al securite pleasure of this life wheÌ„ God maketh trial of his church wil nether suffre with him Mat. xvi nor take vp his crosse folow him yet wil say he hath right in his doyng surelye this place may be verified of him Not al they which say lord lord shal entre into the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ Iames .i. Roma ij but he the doeth the wil of my father which is in heaueÌ„ not the hearers of the law but the doers shal be iustified Christ sayth Zroade is the way that leadeth to destructioÌ„ many go in therat but narow is the way the ledeth to saluacioÌ„ Mat. vij Luke xiij few ther be which find it Christes flock is bâ—t a litle flock The cause my freÌ„d why it is but litle the narrow way not fouÌ„de out is because the of our nature we are sinful delight in the corrupcion thereof pleasing our selues with corruptible thiÌ„ges not delighting in heaueÌ„ly misteries for flesh bloud is not capable of heaueÌ„lye knowledge Therefore hath God geuen vs ouer to a lewde mynd perswading oure selues to be in the righte when as manifestlye we are in the wroÌ„g according to the saying of S. Paul Roma i. wheÌ„ as they knewe God dyd not worship him an god the lord gaue theÌ„ ouer to their own lustes And because that wheÌ„ we had the light of Gods Gospel among vs we embraced not nor walked in the same Therefore hath God suffered darkenes errour to ouerwhelme vs yet we wyll saye we are in the right may dissemble for the time saying God knoweth our hartes My frende be not deceyued God requyreth the whole maÌ„ withall our powers to serue him according to the fyrst coÌ„maundemente Exod. xx Mat. xxij where it is writteÌ„ Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God withal thy harte soule mynd withall thy powers How we obserue this precepte when as we prostrate our selues before an Idol partaking with the vngodly the Lorde at the last day shal reuele make openly knoweÌ„ It is like as yf a maried womaÌ„ should submit her body to the vse of another maÌ„ when her husbande layeth the offeÌ„ce to her charge she auÌ„swereth husband be not angrie for my so doyng for although I abandoned my body to that maÌ„s vse yet I reserued my hart wholy to you My freÌ„d I thinke there is no man beynge of any godly knowledge could digest that