Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	acknowledge_v	church_n	true_a	2,198	5	5.3927	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01647	A relation of the fearefull estate of Francis Spira in the yeare, 1548.	Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660.	1638 (1638)	STC 1178.5; ESTC S118976	22,974	142

the strength of his experience and judgment in a burning heat calling excessively for drinke yet his understanding active quicke of apprehension wittie in discourse above his ordinary manner and judiciously opposite his friends laboured him by all faire meanes to receive some nourishment which he obstinately gaine-saying they forcibly infused some liquid sustenance into his mouth most of which he spit out againe exceedingly chafing and in this fretting mood of his said As it is true that all things worke for the best to those that love God so to the wicked all are contrary for whereas a plentifull off-spring is the blessing of God and his reward being a stay to the weak estate of their aged parents to me they are a cause of bitternesse and vexation they doe strive to make mee tire out this misery I would faine be at an end I deserve not this dealing at their hands O that I were gone from hence that some body would let out this weary Soule His friends saluted him and asked him what hee conceived to be the cause of his disease forthwith he brake out into a lamentable discourse of the passages formerly related that with such passionate Elocution that hee caused many to weep most to tremble They contrarily to comfort him propounded many of Gods promises recorded in the Scripture and many examples of Gods mercy My sinne said he is greater then the mercy of God Nay answered they the mercy of God is above all sin God would have all men to be saved It is true quoth he hee would have all that he hath elected ●bee s●aved he would not have damned reprobates to be saved I am one of that number I know it for I willingly and against my knowledge denied Christ and I feele that hee hardens and will not suffer me to hope After some silence one asked him whether hee did not beleeve that Doctrine to bee true for which hee was accused before the Legate hee answered I did beleeve it when I denied it but now I neither beleeve that nor the Doctrine of the Romane Church I beleeve nothing I have no faith no trust no hope I am a Reprobate like Cain or Iudas who casting away all hope of mercy fell into despaire and my friends doe mee great wrong that they suffer me not to goe to the place of unbeleevers as I justly deserve Heere they beganne sharpely to rebuke him requiring and charging him that in any wise hee did not violate the mercy of God to which he answered The mercy of God is exceeding large and extends to all the elect but not to mee or any like to mee who are sealed up to wrath I tell you I deserve it my owne conscience condemnes me what needeth any other Iudge Christ came said they to take away sinne and calling for a book they read unto him the passion of Christ and comming to his nayling to the Crosse Spira said This indeed is comfortable to such as are elected but as for me wretch they are nothing but griefe and torment because I contemned them Thus roaring for griefe tossing himself up downe upon the bed as he lay he intreated them to read no more As Gribauldus was comming to see him Vergerius said to Spira deare Sir heere is Doctor Gribauldus a godly and faithfull friend of yours come to see you He is welcome said he but hee shall find mee ill Gribauldus replyed Sir this is but an illusion of the divell who doth what he can to vexe you but turne you to God with your whole heart and he is ready to shew you mercy the earth you know is full of his mercy it is He that hath said that as often as a sinner repents of his sinne hee will remember his sinnes no more Consider this in the example of Peter that was Christs familiar and an Apostle and yet denied him thrice with an oath and yet God was mercifull unto him consider the theefe that spent his whole life in wickednesse and for all that did not God graciously respect him in the last minute of his life Is the Lords hand now shortned that it cannot save to this Spira answered If Peter grieved and repented it was because Christ beheld him with a mercifull eye and in that he was pardoned it was not because hee wept but because God was gracious to him but God respects not me and therefore I am a reprobate I feel no comfort can enter into my heart there is no place there but onely for torments and vexings of spirit I tell you my case is properly mine own no man ever was in the like plight and therefore my estate is fearefull Then roaring out in the bitternesse of his spirit said It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God the violence of his passion and action sutable did amaze many of the beholders insomuch as some of them said with a whispering voyce that he was possessed hee over-hearing it said Doe you doubt it I have a whole Legion of divels that take up their dwellings within mee and possesse me as their owne and justly too for I have denyed Christ Whether did you that willingly or not said they That is nothing to the purpose said Spira Christ saith whosoever denies mee before men him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven Christ will not bee denied no not in word and therefore it is enough though in heart I never denied him They observing his distemper to arise from the sense and horror of the paines of hell asked him whether he thought there were worse paines then what he endured for the present he said that he knew there were far worse paines then those that hee then suffered for the wicked shall rise to their judgement but they shall not stand in Iudgement this I tremble to thinke of yet doe I desire nothing more then that I might come to that place where I may bee sure to feele the worst and to be freed from feare of worse to come I but you are to consider said one that those opinions for which you were accused before the Legate were impious and therefore you are not to thinke you denied Christ but rather that you confessed him acknowledging the infallible truth of the Catholike Church Truly said he when I did denie those opinions I did think them to be true yet I did deny them Goe to said others now then beleeve that they are not Now I cannot said hee God will not suffer mee to beleeve them nor trust in his mercy What would you have mee doe I would faine attaine to this power but cannot though I should presently be burnt for it But why doe you said the other esteeme this so grievous a sinne when as the learned Legate constrained you to it which hee surely would not have done if your former opinions had not beene Erroneous no good Francis the divell besets thee let not