Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78369	The Catholick mirrour. Or, a looking-glasse for Protestants Wherein they may plainly see the errours of their church, and the truth of the Roman Catholick. Which is divided into seventeen chapters, containing the principle points in dispute between Catholicks and Protestants, and all proved by their own Bible, for the satisfaction of those that desire to imbrace true religion.		1662 (1662)	Wing C1494A; ESTC R229524	59,266	156

not therefore leave the reading of it quite because the understanding of some parts is beneficial to them so their Common Prayer being read and sung in Cathedrals and other places is not understood by many of the wiser sort much less by the common people and so is all one as if it were in Latine yet if there were any benefit to be had it would be never the less to them because they understood it not since as I said before it is offered to God onely for all the Church and not to us And since it is so in these practices amongst them I hope they will not but think that those that are ignorant amongst us may and do receive much comfort by our Churches Service since by being so often at it and good instructions from Priests they come in short time to the knowledge and meaning of it but perhaps some may object that since we cannot understand them perfectly why should we go to Church to hear the Servince to which I anser that it is without complare better to go to Gods Church to offer our Devotions by every ones praying to God by being present at the Instituion of the Blessed Sacrament by seeing devout people receive it with true devotion besides none but Atheists will deny but that it is better to do any act of Devotion in a Church dedicated to Gods holy Service and nothing else then in a prophane house which is chiefly designed for temporal business but indeed as Protestants do their Devotion in Churches there is no great difference who sit on their tails staring about them when their Common-Prayer is said and have more regard to the manner then to the matter performed But it is far otherwise with Catholicks in the Church for there every one is on their knees praying to God for such things as they stand in need of and the Priest prayes for them all so that were it in the Mother Tongue it signified nothing more and if they heard him not speak a word it were the same for why the Priest is bound to say the Divine Service every day if there were no person present but himself and yet we may receive benefit by his Prayers too that neither see hear nor understand him because the prayers of any good man prevailes with God though the persons prayed for were a thousand miles off This now that hath been said may suffice any moderate person as to the belief that there is no necessity of understanding the Common Service as there is in the hearing of Sermons for those are alwayes preached in the Mother Tongue to common people because when the Priest saith Mass or Divine Service he speaks to God and when they preach it is directed to man onely But now I will show the reason why it is said in Latine in all places of the world and the convenience of it First we are to consider that the Catholickd Church is not pinn'd up into one Kingdom or Dominion as other Churches are that say their Service in the Mother tongue for which reason since that all Nations from her receive one uniform Faith so they have all one Service in one Language which hath many conveniences with it and no incommodity at all for by that maeans Priests that are sent into Forreign Countreyes where they speak never a word of the Language when they come there yet may do that for which they were sent and commanded there that is say Mass and administer the Sacraments as well as if they did and those in those Countreyes where they are sent can as well understand them as their own Priests they had before being Natives Besides many thousands of Catholicks travel from one part of Christendome to another and come where they will in any of their Churches they understand and hear the same Service that they do at home which if it were not said in all places in one Language they could not for since the Catholick Church is composed of so many Nations and are continually travelling and mixing one with the other it would be barbarious to all strangers to hear that Service which none of them understood If there were any necessity for the understanding of it as for example the French Spaniards Italians Dutch ●●sh c. come all at one time to our Service here in England now were it said in English it would be barbarous to them all but being in the same Tongue as it is in their own Countreyes they understand it as well as if they were there so that the discreet Reader may see what necessity and convenience the Church hath in using the Latine service which if it were confined to so narrow limits as others are would use none but the Mother Tongue as others do so that all Christians may see the integrity of Gods Church which in this and all other points orders every thing for the good and convenience of all her Members which is done with so much wisdome and prudence that it plainly appears to be guided by the Spirit of God as also the malice of our enemies is shown who make people believe that Papists are kept in gross ignorance and must not read the Bible nor must not understand the Common Service because they shall not as they say know what the evil of it is and such fooleries in continually buzzed in their ears but bow slanderously let every Christian judge Now that this hath been the practice of the whole Church for this sixteen hundred years and the belief of all the ancient Fathers our adversaries themselves know sufficiently yet for the love of their large Revenues will not discover it nor other points as true as Gospel to the people that want understanding for which one day they must be sure to give a severe account to God whom they cannot deceive And for to bring in the Sentences of the Fathers to prove this would swell this Book into a larger Volume then is designed I will quote them where they are to be found that every one may know their practice in this point and first see Saint Cyprian Expo orat domn 13. Saint Gregory Lib. 7. Ep. 65. Jerome Prefat in Psal ad Sophron. Chrisos lib. 2. c. 13. and conclude with Saint Paul 1 Cor. 11. v. 16. that if after all this that hath been said any man be contentious we have no such custome nor the Church of God Chap 17. Treating in general of both Churches NOw having plainly proved all the chief points of our Faith by the Protestants own Bible I shall proceed a little to speak in general concerning both Religions that all men may consider and see by their Antiquity Rise Practice and Proceedings which is the likeliest to be the Church of God if it had not been or were not to be proed by Scripture for in the first place we shall finde all Religions but the Roman Catholick so like innocents for Age They are all Novelties in comparison to Gods Church that they have not yet left their Cradles that is they are rocked up and down by their new opinions and so far from being settled that it is to be feared they never will for what wise man can be so much an enemy to truth as to think Gods Church was not spread in the world before Henry the Eighths time or

To the Reader AMongst all the Miseries that attend our Humane Frailty there is none to be so much bewailed as the stupidity of our mindes which renders us worse then beasts and deprives us of that felicity for which we were Created which was to fill up the glorious places of the Lapsed Angels and so have been happy to all eternity the verity of this will plainly appear when we consider the madness of this our present Age where People suck in Errour as Children do Milk from their Mothers Breasts and unadvisedly repel Truth as one would do a Serpent that attempts their ruine they hiss at those that invites them to Happiness and hug the Preachers of their Misery that imbrace all kindes of Novelties and kick against ancient verities that cry out the Bible the Bible and yet believe nothing in it more then their own Fancies dictate to them Now that these people of which there is too many may a little see and know their own Errours I shall in this following Discourse prove that their own Bibles which they pretend to confide in both is and shall be their assured Judge to condemn their erroneous opinions as also their guide being rightly understood to the knowledge of the Truth as also make it appear that all the chief points of Religion which Protestants deny and Roman Catholicks practice is found and commanded in their own Bibles by which will appear with what partial eyes they have looked upon Scripture that read it over so often and cannot see those places which pointeth Gods Church and the Faith thereof so plainly to them for it is indeed with these kinde of people as it is with the Jews to this day who though they read in the Old Testament the Prophecies which plainly foretold Christs coming his Life and dolorous Death yet are so blinded with unbelief that they cannot understand the same so all that are now out of Gods Church read and tumble over the Old and New Testament and yet cannot see the plain places which all Christians are bound to believe under the peril of damnation and all this is because men have presumptuous mindes in trusting to their own understandings and will not relye on Gods Church which plainly shews them to her Members when none else can because she onely is guided in all truth by the Holy Ghost to the end of the world All therefore that I shall desire of every Protestant Reader is onely this that he minde and look closely to every Text of Scripture here quoted and what is said with an impartial eye and observe well how Scripture and reason concur in the truth of what is treated of concerning our Faith which is so much slandered by their teachers and others for though it be lightly made on by some yet they shall one day finde that the diligent search after truth was one of the main things for which we were sent into the world which truth being practised in Gods Church is here plainly proved which though not delicately dressed with crafty Sentences but in poor and simple style may I hope produce the desired effects for which it was intended that is that all deceived people may finde the way to Gods Church that all Ignorance and Errours may be banished and Truth take place that true Religion may flourish as a green Bay-Tree and Heresies and Factions wither as Plants without rain that living all our lives in communion with Gods Church we may at last enjoy that blessed end for which we were created THE Catholick Mirrour Chap. 1. This is to prove the Verity of the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour and that it is really so contrary to Protestants Opinion THe Misbelief of these times is such that it may give a just astonishment to all true Christians especially when they consider how little Faith many have in this most Blessed Sacrament and that there is no one thing our Blessed Saviour did so much inculcate to us in his whole life concerning any point of Faith as this he very well knowing the greatness of the Mystery and the smallness of our Faith it is in Holy Scripture often mentioned to be really his Body and Blood because we may plead no excuse by any mistake of one place alone and first you shall see how this Blessed Sacrament was prefigured to us in the Old Testament by the holy men of God and his Prophets as in Exodus 16.15 concerning the Manna which came down from Heaven to the Israelites to feed their Bodies so that foretold of this Spiritual Manna which feeds our Souls for should not this Blessed Sacrament be of greater value then Protestants make of it who say it is barely Bread and a Figure onely of Christ his Body then this Manna which was indeed a Figure would be of greater validity then that which it prefigured which is very absurd to think A second Figure we finde in Scripture is that Holy Bread of Proposition Exod. 25 Lev. 24. v. 5.6 7. or Shew-Bread which because it was a Figure of this most Holy Sacrament was to be made and eaten with such purity that none but sanctified persons was to eat of it to shew with what purity and reverence we ought to approach these Holy Mysteries The third Figure in Holy Writ is the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12. v. 3.4 5 6 c. an eminent Figure of this Sacrament wherein you may observe what Ceremonies God exacted from the Jews in the eating of it although but a Type of this from whence we may gather that this which Christ hath Instituted is to be had in a far higher esteem amongst Christians as requiring greater Faith in the believing of it and reverence in the receiving The fourth Figure was the Ark Exod. 25.10.11 12. whereof the Holy Doctor Saint Thomas saith 1.2 q. 102. ar That even as the Ark was made of the Wood of Sethim that is of pure and shining Cedar even so the Body of our Lord consisteth of most pure Members Again the Ark was gilded both within and without the which gilding signifieth the Wisdom and Charity of Christ our Lord. In the Ark were three things 1. There was a golden Pot wherein was kept Manna and was a figure of the Soul of Christ which containeth all plenitude of Sanctity and Divinity 2. There was the Rod of Aaron which signified the Priestly Power of Christ and as the Ark stood in the Tabernacle covered with a Vail even so Christ lyeth hidden in this Divine Sacrament under the Forms and Accidents of Bread and Wine which we must discover with the eyes of Divine Faith according to Saint Paul That Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen 3. There was in the Arke the two tables of Stone to signifie that Christ should be a Law-giver and this being one of his greatest Laws to believe in him let us take him at his word and thank