Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	account_n	endure_v	great_a	22	3	2.0729	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61598	A sermon concerning sins of omission preached before the King and Queen at White-Hall, on March 18th, 1693/4, being Midlent-Sunday / by ... Edward, Lord Bishop of Worcester.	Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1694 (1694)	Wing S5636; ESTC R15343	16,441	37

by it Every Society of Men is a Body made up of Head and Members knit and compacted together by Joints and Bands but all have their several Uses and Functions and while these are duly performed the whole is preserved but if the Feet should mutiny against the other Parts because they bear the Burthen of the whole or the Stomach that it is loaded and oppressed with what serves for the Nourishment of all or the Head that it must direct and contrive and manage all what would the Effect be of such Complaints and Discontents at their own Share but that the whole Body must suffer by them While all the Materials of a Building are kept in their due Place and Order the whole is strengthened and supported but if they start out of their Places and tumble one upon another the whole must fall There are always some who love to carry on their own Ends under Publick Pretences and if those be not attained they matter not what becomes of all other Interests although their own must suffer with the rest These are like the Ivy to a flourishing Tree which seems to embrace it and stick close to it but it is for its own advantage but at the same time it weakens it and hinders its Growth and if it falls it must perish together with it But there are others who by the very Duties of their Places are bound to regard the Publick and the Good of others and when they do it not they are certainly guilty of Sins of Omission in a high Degree For every such place is a Trust from God of which an Account must be given and a Sacred and Solemn Obligation goes along with them so that there can be no Sins of Omission in such Cases without Sins of Commission of as high a Nature as Breach of Trust and of the most solemn Obligations The truth is the World is so humoursome and fantastical a thing that it will hardly endure to be made better so that those who have the greatest Zeal and Resolution to do good are extremely discouraged in it when they find so many Objections and Difficulties such frowardness and Perverseness in some such Remissness and Coldness in others such an Universal Lassitude and Indifferency that it is enough to check the best Inclinations that way and to make them leave the World to be managed as it will And there are some Seasons wherein it is much harder to do Good than in others Such I mean when Wickedness and Vice have corrupted the very Principles of Mens Minds when they Account it a Piece of Wit to be Profane and a higher sort of Breeding to despise Religion and Vertue when some are ready to pervert the best Designs and mix such Mean and Sinister Ends of their own with them and thereby blast them that they come to nothing when others will not endure that Good may be done unless they may have the sole doing of it and endeavour to lessen the Reputation of all who are not altogether such as themselves When all imaginable Arts are used to make Government Contemptible and the best Purposes ineffectual Lastly when any who are bound to carry on the Publick Good account it Wisdom to do little or nothing in their Places and take all possible Care to disoblige no Body by doing their Duties for fear of evil Consequences I say when such Seasons do happen there is a very Melancholy Prospect of Affairs and little Hopes of doing or of seeing Good II. I now proceed to the Good which we are to do with Respect to others of the same Nature and in a worse Condition than our selves and therefore need our Help and Assistance This is so remarkable a Sense of doing Good that it hath almost appropriated the Name to it self as Good Works are generally taken for Works of Charity These are such as all agree that they cannot be wholly omitted without Sin but the difficulty lies in stating the Measure and Seasons of the Obligation to them Concerning which these Rules may be observed 1. That the Measures of Duty in this Case are very different according to the different Circumstances and Conditions of Persons For although the standing General Rules of our Duty are fixed and unalterable yet the particular Obligations depend upon great Variety of Circumstances as to those who are to do and to receive Good If the Easiness of Persons Conditions in the World will afford their laying by a constant Stock of Charity it will be always in readiness for such Occasions when we would be more willing to doe Good if it were in our Power but it is hardly possible to make such Rules which may not give Occasions for trouble to scrupulous Minds when they do not strictly observe them But we are all so far bound to do Good to those in Want that the not doing it according to our Abilities and Opportunities is such a Sin of Omission as is inconsistent with true Christianity but of those every Person is left to judge but so as he must give an Account of it at the Great Day For it is observable that our Saviour speaking of the Proceedings then particularly mentions the Sins of Omission with Respect to the doing Good to others 2. There are particular Seasons when a greater Measure of doing Good is required than at others i. e. When Persons suffer for Religion and a good Conscience When the Necessities of People are more general and pressing When great Objects of Charity are certainly known to our selves and concealed from others When a present Relief puts them into a way of doing Good for themselves When God hath done Good to us after a more remarkable manner than he hath to others When we do the more Good because we have done so much Evil and thereby manifest the Sincerity of our Repentance by bringing forth such Fruits worthy of Amendment of Life When our Calling and Profession is to do Good and we are bound to give the best Examples to others according to our Abilities When our Religion suffers by not doing Good and our Faith is questioned for want of Good Works Lastly When there are no such Natural Drains of Charity as Children and near Relations which need our Assistance in these and many other Instances of a like Nature there is so much greater Obligation to the doing Good that it cannot be Omitted without Sin II. I now come in the last Place to consider the Nature of the Obligation we lie under to do the Good we know And the Reason of considering this is from the Comparison of several Duties with one another for we may be bound to several things at the same time but we cannot perform them together and the Difficulty then is to understand which of these Duties we may Omit without Sin And the Comparison may be three-fold 1. As to the Nature of the Duties 2. As to the Authority which enjoyns them 3. As to the particular Obligation we