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	holy_a	word_n	2,175	5	3.9389	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01148	The conuersion of a most noble lady of Fraunce In Iune last past, 1608. Madame Gratiana, wife to the high and mightie lord; Claudius, Lord of Tremoille; Duke of Thouars; peere of Fraunce, and Prince of Talmonde. A most Christian epistle, written by her, to the ladyes of Fraunce, to resolue them in the cause of her conuersion from popery, to the the profession of Gods Gospell: and aduising them to imitate her religious example. Truely translated out of French.	Tremoille, Charlotte Brabantina, Duchess of, 1580-1631.; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633.	1608 (1608)	STC 11262; ESTC S102563	29,611	56

and bee barde wholy from them both For diuision or separation in so sanctified a misterie cannot be committed without very great Sacriledge Another Canon speaketh thus You are with vs in the Challice Wee take this altogether wee doe drink together for we live together And another The priesls which serue at the Eucharist shall distribute the bloud of our Lord to the people there for so he calleth the Sacrament of the bloud Whether can they now betake themselues to seeke for purgation of sacriledge being thus therein condemned by their owne Popes Now honourable and renowned Ladyes by these grosse and most absurde abuses which I haue beene so bold as to lay open to you in this Popish kinde of seruice called the Masse filled full with notorious blasphemies Idolatries and sacriledges as I haue in some weake measure shewen vnto you and in the order as they are rancked you may guesse what a many more there are beside which would aske a larger repetition then this poore Epistle of mine at this time can permit mee Let me put the case to your owne iudgement whether the Masse may be thought to be any lawfull Communion in your Church or no Surely were it but in regard of these alleaged abuses wher of there wants not store besides me thinkes you should abstaine from partaking with such abhominations Considering that in shaking hands with such foule deformed sinnes you pollute your soules with all impieties and by your publike profession of them you consent and adhere to all their blasphemies albeit you are vtterly ignorant of them For heere they meete in a full crowde together and to all of them you cry your selues guilty when you seeke no way to escape out of sinfull Sodome though the flames flye daily and flashe into your faces And I am well assured that some of you are of my minde in many of these recited abuses concerning the Masse though as I haue done you will not yet openly expresse it yea and haue in priuate confessed to mee that your Priests of Romaine pollution doe grosely sinne in infinite superstitions which they colour vnder cloudes of deuotion and sanctitie vsing such Apish carriage and gesticulations both in the celebration of the Masse and their friuolous preachings as are no way conuenable with their profession that are to entreate on the misteries of God And yet in whatsoeuer they doe or say both you and the people doe solemnely assist them as spectatours onely but no vnderstanders and such are the greater part of the assemblie at Masse And because they shall not see into their iugling collusions they can find both their eares eyes and other sences busied with musicke singing and ensensing with diuers other gestures which deliuer some appearance of religious deuotion onely thereby to beguile and retaine simple people And where is all this done but euen in the Church where God is to bee worshipped in spirit and truth and where hee hath ordained the holie assemblie of his Seruants to edifie nourish all faithfull soules in common and publike praying together according as euerie one may well vnderstand by faithfull expounding and interpreting the word of god concerning those misteries which he hath established in his Church To the end that euerie faithfull man and woman maye there receiue effectuall fruit both for the guyding of their liues in christian conuersation and consolation of their soules here and in heauen Into which Church of God swept cleane and purged from all corrupt pollutions and reformed by the rules of his heauenly prescriptions Honorarable Ladyes I haue at length found the happy entrance where euery dilligent Pastour Preacher doe there paynefull and laborious endeuours to expound deliuer Gods word purely to the people And that they may easily vnderstand what is sayde vnto them both for the edification of their faith and further instruction in all piety and wherof I myselfe to my no little comfort haue found a most plentifull encrease among Gods seruaunts into whose fellowshippe I hartilie wish that you were all combined Moreouer among vs there is not so much as one sillable profered either in publike praier or explaining gods word but it is heard vnderstood and most affectuously embraced For nothing is here vttered which hath not his firme fundation on the expresse text of sacred Scripture or what is thence truelie and vnpartiallie deriued necessarilie cohering and agreeing therewith without any repugnancie to the Articles of the Apostles Creede or the direct meaning of the Scriptures For if any of our Pastours shall presume to doe otherwise hee is grieuously censured and reprooued according to good orders established for preseruation of sound doctrine and preuention of intruding mens vaine imaginations As concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper for Gods institution allowing no more wee leaue your other fiue viz. Confirmation Penance Extreame vnction Orders and Matrimonie to your Romaine Sinagogue where they were first deuised And these other before named I say are administred in the same kinde and nature as they were wholie receiued from our Lord and Maister without addition of any thing to their wordes or cutting off any part of their ordinance And intelligence is publikely deliuered to the people of the end efficacie and vtilitie of them farre from those vngodly courses practised among you Nor is there any other consecration here vsed but holy and deuout pravers in the presence of God and his heanenly assembly The Pastor declaring openly and not in any muttering or coniuring manner what is then done and how it stands with the wordes and ordinaunce of our Lord Iesus Christ proposing and deliuering the same so audibly that it may bee heard of the whole Congregation and so conueniently in all poyntes applyed that much godly benefite commeth thereby to the assembled soules at the Sacraments Where Iesus Christ doubtlesse doth sanctifie the Table and the Bread and Wine there decently present to make them the Sacraments of his body and bloud when the forme is thus obserued after his owne institution To this Communion of the Lords holie Supper all the people present after exhortation to prepare their comming thither in true repentance and firme faith in Gods promises are freely and verie louingly admitted And none are excluded from this heauenly Banquet but such as are notoriously knowne for prophane people of wicked and vild life or rebellious to all good orders and Discipline established by authoritie and the Reuerend Fathers of the Church whose care and diligence for the good thereof at all times and seasons is very great and painefull And Noble Ladyes the Bread and Wine in all reuerend manner as our Lord appoynted it is round about distributed to euery assistant without impayring the least iote of the institution There is no request made that those things may bee carryed thence by an Angell and presented vpon the high Altar Our soules doe assure vs by a

this first Supper For that which Iesus Christ said to his Apostles Take eate drink ye all of this he spake the very same to all the faithfull euen to the ending of the world As that which he adioyneth sufficiently declareth My body which is giuen for you My bloude which is shed for you so is his bodie giuen and his bloud shed for the faithfull Hence then ensueth that to all the faithfull appertaineth the commaundement of taking eating and drinking because he made the promise generally to all and not only to the Apostles Ministers of the Church And we may see this testified by the Apostle Saint Paule speaking at large vpon this misterie these are his words For we that are many are one bread and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread Wherefore Ladies it appeareth plainly that the bodie of Iesus Christ and the communion of his bloud likewise are not to be giuen to vs in this Sacrament but when many faithfull shall communicate together according as Christ deliuered vs an example with his Apostles Take away then the communion which Iesus Christ himselfe hath ordained he being the heauenly Lord Maister and Author of this holy Sacrament And then the promise there unto annexed touching his body bloud which he hath giuen for all faithfull communicants hath no place at all but is vtterly voide For it remaineth no longer a Sacrament nor as he ordained it because the right vse of the Sacrament consisteth heerein that the faithfull should communicate together according as he hath commanded saying Take eate drinke yee c. this must be done vpon necessitie if you would haue it to be a Sacrament or the same which Iesus Christ hath instituted namely the communion of many faithfull assistants to eate and drinke all together in this blessed banquet for this is the essence of the Sacrament as you may discerne very apparantly Let vs now come to see what is done in the Masse Surely good Ladies it is so farre off from being any communion as it may be rather tearmed a kind of excommunication For both you and I know and so do all else that know what the Masse is that the Priest separates himselfe from all therest of the assemblie to eate and drinke by him selfe alone the bread and wine which he hath consecrated a part and how doth he consecrate them Insted of consecration which ought to be done by preaching and publishing openly and aloude the promises of our Lord and Sauiour directed not to the bread and to the wine which are proposed but as signes vnto vs But to the faithfull persons assisting the communion present there to communicate Iesus Christ being he that euen then consecrates the bread wine to make them Sacraments of his bodie and bloud by his heauenly Priesthood which yet ceaseth not and when this misterie is celebrated according to his institution But the Priest deales quite contrarie for he as if he were affraid to be heard of the people makes his consecration by blowing or breathing vpon the bread and wine and mutters or mumbles very softly and low all the words of his institution As if it could please the Lord of truth and life to haue his word murmured out of a dead mouth as it were in celebrating his sanctified misteries of whose truth by this behauiour there iustly may arise some doubt or question Or as if it were offence to him that stands in feare of no power whatsoeuer to haue them pronounced with the loudest voyce to be heard and vnderstood of all In the Gospel the vertue nature and vse of Baptisme are expressed clearely and openly Iesus Christ making his Supper did not mutter in any lowe voyce either vpon the bread or wine to deuine or coniure therinto his bodie and bloud But he pronounced aloude and euidently to his Apostles That he gaue them there his body and his bloud exhorting them to perseuere in the selfe same kinde of action at all times or as often as they should meete to reiterate the same The remembrance of his death and passion Euen as if he had beene then certainely assured that no vtilitie or benefit could be had by Sacraments except whatsoeuer was represented to the eye might bee declared and warranted by the word of God For otherwise it were to abuse the people in a fond kind of deuotion to make a shew of ceremonies before them and neuer to deliuer or declare what they signifie and what coherence or agreement they haue with truth Therefore when publike declaration is made of such mysteries with a chearefull predication to edifie the hearers entring into their vnderstanding and winning impression in their hearts by assured perswasion of the promises accomplishment Briefely when the grace of Iesus Christ is pronounced vnto vs and his promises exposed Euen then and in that instant doth his glorious power descend to performe the worke and then is the true consecration acted indeed Hereupon Saint Augustine saith very well That the word of consecration is the word of faith preached And that word conioyned with the terrene outward signe maketh the same a sacrament Adding presently after I meane the word of faith which we preach What consecration then is there in the Masse when insteed of all this namely exposing to the people the recited promises and declaring aloud the words of our Sauiours institution it is done in a manner of secret coniuration and so are the words whispered which behauiour is more proper to charmers then to be vsed in such a holy and diuine Sacrament What shall wee then thinke of them when they dare forsake the rule of their Lord and Maister to follow their owne fantasies Seing then it is so and that in the Masse there is neither any lawfull consecration nor as themselues cannot deny any such Communion as Iesus Christ hath ordained for one alone doth both eate and drinke and that is the priest and one man alone cannot make a Communion It followeth then deere Ladyes and very necessarily that the body of Iesus Christ is not in the Masse where the Priest communicateth by himselfe And therefore the bread which he makes to bee adored then euen as if it were the body indeed of our Lord is no such matter but remaineth still very bread euen as it was before his consecration being neyther more or lesse then as if it were in any other place out of the Churches assembly and the Priests and whosoeuer for his owne pleasure should speake the very same words of their institution vpon any other piece of bread And although they perswade themselues that they haue and do hold in their hands the very body of Iesus Christ vnder the bread or in the bread and therefore make the people to worship it yet it is most certaine that there is nothing else but an Idoll and which without any reason they make

for there we haue no commandement to honour him but wee rather choose to worship him according as we ought and that is in spirit and truth Iudge now good Madames where reason abydeth most on your side or ours and whether your Priests commit not manifest Idolatry in their actions when they receiue and admit the people to the communion of a Sacrament which neuer was ordained by Iesus Christ May not wee then well and truely say that they haue no communion at all but what is of their owne inuentions And that which they carry about the streets going in a solemne Procession is but a round Cake being closed vp in a Boxe or Pixe which they cause to be adored with great veneration It remaineth now that wee come to the third propertie which I haue obserued in the Masse to wit Sacriledge which already hath beene sufficiently discoursed in our former proceeding and yet we will note a fewe obseruations more This holy and diuine Sacrament was instituted to make a Communion of the faithfull in the body and bloud of our blessed Lord and by celebrating it commonly in remembrance of his death and passion But Noble Ladyes your Priests doe conuert all to a contrary end not onely in that which they doe in the sacrifice but in meere robbery and stealth beside For they take from the people the Communion in chiefe yea that which is the principall fruite of this Sacrament restraining it to the Priests onely And the people there present are made no more but silly spectatours of that which the Priest doth alone by himselfe without knowing or vnderstanding what hee saith or doth I know you will answere me as God forgiue me for it I my selfe haue often done that the priest beeing the publike Minister doth communicate in the names and behalfes of all that are present at his Masse Why then let me faire Ladyes mooue this question Where is any such commandement throughout the whole booke of God that wee should see the Priest to haue one Supper for himselfe first then at his leasure to communicate another to vs ●urely as we cannot liue by that which another eateth but of and by that which wee our selues doe eate Euen so as needfull is it for vs that wee should communicate in this holy and diuine Sacrament to liue in the true life of Iesus Christ who hath giuen himselfe therein to vs Not that any other there should receiue it for vs but that wee ought and should receiue it our selues thereby to haue Christ make his dwelling in vs. Alas good Ladyes let vs not seeke to bee wiser then our Lord and Maister for if wee doe it is but in vaine And well you know that hee neuer saide Behold the Priest or Minister of the Church bee eateth and drinketh for you and I haue so appointed it But hee spake plainely without any sophistication and said Take eate drinke you all of this And after him his faithfull Seruant Saint Paul writing to the children by adoption among the Corinthians said Wee are many partakers of one and the same bread And againe Let euery man eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. The countersaite pretence then which they doe alleadge can no way couer or maske their sacriledge because the commaundement is precisely to all faithfull people to take eate and drincke in this holy Supper And Saint Chrysostome hath spoken very well to this purpose Wee are no longer saith hee vnder the olde Law where the Priest did eate his portion and the people had the rest But here one body is giuen to all and likewise one cup And what soeuer is in the Eucharist Sacrament is common as well to the people as the Priest And gratious Ladyes desire them but to satisfie you in this one particular poynt namely that if they beleeue or giue any credit to the Canons of their owne Popes they cannot then but confesse and acknowledge their sacriledge for these bee their owne words All they that are present at the Masse and communicate not confesse themselues to bee excommunicated For their Canons further say That the consecration being ended all are to communicate or else they are depriued of entring into the Church For so did the Apostles set downe the ordinance and wee hold the same in the holy Romaine Church Moreouer in the Canons that beare the title By the Apostles it is thus ordained That all they which continue in the Church to the end of Mosse and doe not receiue the Sacrament ought to be corrected as perturbers and disquieters of the Church According to that which was ordained in the Counsell of Antioche That all they which entred into the Church should behaue themselues well and heare the Sermon and if they abstained from the Sacrament they ought to bee excommunicated vntill they had bin sufficiently chastised for that vice And therefore Saint Chrisostome in his Homilies vpon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians doth reproue them very sharpely that in his time would be present in the assembly at the Communion and yet not communicate What say you to this sweete Ladyes when you see how many are present with your selues at their daily Masses and yet none of you are suffered to communicate but the Priest himselfe onely Besides all this the prayers which they yet vse to say in their Masse do likewise very sufficiently conuince them for when the Church retained her wonted puritie the people were then receiued to the Communion and behold what their prayers then contained and yet doe Lord thou hast filled and satisfied thy familie with thy holy giftes to wit the Sacrament And another speaks thus We being filled and satisfied with the sacrifice of thy pretious body most holy bloud c. And another We pray thee lord that these things may be carryed by the hands of thy holy Angell vnto thy high Altar speaking of the oblations of the faithfull in receiuing the bread and wine vsed in the Sacrament To the end that all others as well as wee that shall receiue the participation of the Altar in the blessed body and holy bloud of thy Sonne may be filled with all happy benedictions These are the very true words dere Ladies vsed in their prayers wherein if you will not credit me I desire you to reade them your selues for your further satisfaction And doubtlesse they would neuer haue spoken in this manner if the Priest onely had then communicated as now a dayes you see he doth Otherwise it had beene to say one thing and performe the contrary as you may perceiue hath happened since for now they haue vtterly depriued the people of the Communion Tell me then I intreate yee is it not a mockery of God and of the people to tell them that they are pertakers in those giftes of the Altar and yet all the while to giue them iustnothing at all In