Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	ancient_a	church_n	true_a	2,421	5	5.1957	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19459	A briefe ansvver vnto certaine reasons by way of an apologie deliuered to the Right Reuerend Father in God, the L. Bishop of Lincolne, by Mr. Iohn Burges wherin he laboureth to prooue, that hauing heretofore subscribed foure times, and now refusing (as a thing vnlawfull) that he hath notwithstanding done lawfully in both. Written by VVilliam Couell, Doctor in Diuinitie.	Covell, William, d. 1614?	1606 (1606)	STC 5880; ESTC S108879	108,616	174

are glad to see them now so earnest intreaters for reading the Scriptures in the Church seeing heretofore the most of them haue beene content for a Sermon of small edification but of great length to omit the reading of many Chapters which might haue beene done at that time so that in true vnderstanding the silencing of the Scripture was rather to be feared at their hands who desired to haue it indifferent and left free for to read it at all APOLOGY AS for the corrupt Apocripha appointed in the Calender it made to me no scruple of subscribing to the Booke with reference to the Churches intention and doctrine for besides that our doctrine was and is pure touching the dignities of the Canon the reformers of the booke professing to haue ordered that nothing should be read but eyther the pure word or that which is euidently grounded vpon the same gaue me reason to thinke that howsoeuer some vnmeet Chapters kept their old standing in the Calender yet our Churchment not to vrge the reading of them in which I was the more confirmed by that prouision which vnder the Queenes authority was published with the Homelies that the minister might exchaÌ„ge any one or other lesse profitable Chap. of the old TestameÌ„t for any of the new testament more profitable if as Doctor Abbots saith of the CanoÌ„ much more of the Apocripha But now I perceiue by the Rubrick that the tale of Susanna must be read to the last verse which helps to manifest the falshood of the whole fable as Ierom calles it and I see by the order of the Canons our former liberty of exchange all â—iberty of ceÌ„sure to be repealed Now how can I suâ—scribe to the reading of an vncertain tale in stead of the more sure word of the Prophets which Peter biddeth vs attend and not to Iewish fables such as is that of Iudith for which no time can be found out to father it vpon And that of Tobit both which Luther as I haue heard thought to be plaâ—es at the first and after made stâ—râ—es How can ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ for instruction of Gods people read these fictions better then the popish Legends or so well as Holinsheds or Eusebius Chronicles for what ground is there for conscience to build vpon when nothing can be certainly obserued for doctrine where nothing is certainely knowne for truth Finally in the 13 of Daniell as it is vnfitly called is a repugnancy to the true story of Daniels age and beginnings of honour In the ninth of Iudith a commendation of Simeon and Leuies bloody act as ordered and blessed of God vndertaken with praier yea euen of that most outragious cruelty in which for the offeÌ„ce of one they executed many innoceÌ„t harmeles persons And this womaÌ„ blessed that zeale which Iacob cursed and God plagued as a rage And this exception our men tooke against Campian in the Tower So in the 7. of Tobit 3. the Angell maketh himselfe of the tribe of Nepthaly in the 12. one of the seuen Angels that offer vp the prayers of the Saints to God in both a lyar And in the latter a lying vsurper vpon that office which none but the Angell of the couenant may meddle with Now knowing that God hath no need of lyes I dare not read as a part of diuine seruice these tales in his presence and the presence of his Angels and people much lesse allow the appointing of them to be read especially obseruing how idlely wee shall tell the common people of their basenesse while yet we read them out of the Bible ANSVVER WE are glad to heare you confesse that the intention of our Church was and is pure and I hope euer shall be touching the dignitie of the Canon which in my opinion ought to haue been a strong motiue both to you and others neyther to haue dissented from the practise of the Church in reading things ancient profitable and such as were called by the fathers Scripture though not Canonicall nor to haue quarrelled with these bookes as if all that were in them were thought by vs to be of an infallible vndoubted truth we say theÌ„ first coÌ„cerning all these bookes that neither doe wee nor any in our Church retaine them as Canonical truthes for doctrine nor of equall authoritie with the other Scriptures yet peraduenture we may giue some reasons why these things misliked by you are not of that moment that thereby they ought to be accouÌ„ted of no better authority theÌ„ Hollinsheads or Eusebius Cronicles We confes that we read by apointmeÌ„t the Historie of Susanna to the last verse but the last verse which is the greatest exceptioÌ„ to the History we read not and the Church of Rome confesseth that it ought to belong to the beginning of the foureteenth Chapter It is knowne that Africanus wrot to Saint Origen coÌ„cerning the truth of this book but what hee wrote wee haue yet no warrant neither can Origen or S. Hierom be iustly proued to bee aduersaries to our opinion in this case for hee that is most earnest against them which was Saint Hierom affirmeth as Doctor Whitakers collecteth that this storie of Susanna of Bell and the Dragon the Hymne of the three children was commonly read in the Church of God which is al for which we desire your allowaÌ„ce as a thing not new or lately inuented but auncient warraÌ„table so practised by our Church I could willingly enter into a defence of the trueth of this History if our aduersaries of the Church of Rome were not ouer-apt to make this conclusion which is not sound that whatsoeuer was aunciently read in the Church and is true ought to bee esteemed as the Canonicall Scripture so that they froÌ„ truth coÌ„cluding scripture we are forced against them to accuse them of some faults Whereas if confessing them to bee no canonicall Scriptures they or others would haue giuen vs leaue to read theÌ„ in the Church as profitable to manners wee could without violence haue afforded them the reconcilement of other Scriptures and vndoubtedly haue proued them to be most true But howsoeuer the Church of England requireth not the Subscription of you or of any other to warraÌ„t the falshood and vntruth of any Iewish fable but to approoue the forme of our Liturgy so farre that those books which anciently were read in the Church or at least those parts which containe nothing contrary to faith may still retaine their auncient place in the Church for edifying of manners which was giuen them in the first and the purest times In which doubtlesse the liberty of exchange formerly left to the discretion of the minister might haue continued stil if men would haue tempered themselues from indiscret causelesse neglect of publicke order for as Saint Austin well noteth That surely he hateth his country who thinketh himself neuer well except he trauell So little obedience or loue appeareth in those men

all Ceremonies sauing onely those who would haue all men to want Religion some there are which wish that these ceremonies were simple chast and few that is not significant at all It were doubtlesse a great folly if not an idlenes in God seruice eyther to admit or retaine those ceremonies which they purposed should signifie nothing but moderate minds do think otherwise that neither ceremonies nor their signification are to be misliked as vnlawfull whilest nothing is signified but that which theÌ„selues wil account lawfull So then neither depriuing the Church of the vse of ceremonies in diuine worship nor making these of that vnchangeable nature as simply eyther her good or euill but onely as things of themselues indifferent for better place and respect they neuer retained in our Church we will briefely set downe for the satisfying of some men that indifferent things by Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall constitution do change their nature and by vertue of commaundement become necessarie so that eyther they must be not indifferent but simply vnlawfull or being indifferent such as by commanddement are made necessarie To denie that there are things indifferent is to take Christian libertie from men and to denie the ceremonies in their owne nature to be such is to take al liberty from the Church for without these what is there wherein the Church is not expresly and necessarily directed by the word of God we are taught that all things which happeÌ„ vnder the compasse of human action are of three sorts eyther good or euill or indifferent of the first and the second kinde are all things commaunded or forbidden in the law of God except the ceremonie of the Sabbath commaunded to the Iewes but not to vs Indifferent things are of that nature that by themselues and properly they are neither good nor euill but in respect of some other thing as to drinke Wine Ale or Water to vse these or those garments which of themselues haue no holines in theÌ„ by which a man is not made better of these only such like the Apostle speaketh all things are lawful forme wherin whilst he professed his freedome yet he acknowledgeth that he became bouÌ„d to the Iew a Iew to those that were vnder the law as vnder the law to those that were without the law as without the law to the weak he became weake to coÌ„clude he became al to al that he migh win some thus he made a vow at Cenchrea circumcised Timothy which he did not to Titus by reason of false brethren crept in to spy their liberty so that all things were lawful not only which coÌ„cerned coÌ„mon life but also in ceremonies the outward worship of God in which as one wel noteth the spiritual worship is shadowed but not contained But when experience had taught that such liberty became dangerous to the Church the coÌ„monwelth being turned ofteÌ„times into a liceâ—tious impiety or superstition vnlesse it were bounded with some limits the one sort aduenturing to do all things that seemed pleasing and thereby reiecting the ceremonies as too great a burtheÌ„ being things not as pleasing to God who will be worshipped in truth the other strictly obseruing all ceremonies as if the greatest holines principall parts of Gods worship consisted in them thus the one led to prophanenes the other to superstition the two dangerous extreames oâ— true religion For which mischiefe necessitie hath onely found out this remedy to moderate this liberty that it neither erre on the right hand nor the left that it neycome short nor go beyond a meane therfore the Apostle saith all things are lawful for me but al things profit not all things are lawful but al things are not expedieÌ„t wherin he toucheth the extemities at both hands Now then the means to keep our liberty that it neither be too much nor too little are of two sorts general speciall the general is charity the principal direction of mans life For whatsoeuer we desire to do or omit being in it selfe indiffereÌ„t charity must consider how farre to proceed without offence for why should our liberty saith S. Paul be condeÌ„ned of another mans conscience therfore in this case we are rather to depart from that liberty we haue then to be offensiue to those who are more weak so giue occasion for theÌ„ to speak euil of vs of that which was left free for charity willeth vs in these things to respect others more then our selues rather to omit that which is lawful for vs theÌ„ to do that which is hurtfull for them the other rule to limit indiffereÌ„t things is speciall which is not so distinguisht from the other as if it were without charity but that charity which ought to be in all is here directed in a speciall maner for howsoeuer charity so extendeth it selfe that it may serue to all parts of our life as though we need not to be directed by any other law yet because al men are not so wel sighted perfectly to discern what is expedient at all times for that the offices of charity are somtimes changed for times occasions may fal out that things iust to be done may be clean contrary therfore there is required an experienced and mature iudgment to determine what is fit least whilst we labour to profit we iniury the Church the commonwealth in which are contained the charities of all God therefore respecting mans weaknes hath appointed magistrates Gouernours in both to serue as â—ies to guide direct what is fit to be done to this end to make lawes concerning indifferent things that so the whole body may be gouerned with comelines order and edification This no man can denie but such as desire to be exempted â—rom all lawes For execution wherof God hath appoynted Magistrates to be his Ministers to whom we must be subiect not for feare but for conscience obeying also our spirituall rulers for they watch ouer vs to giue account vnto God for our soules And therefore no man can denie but that in things of this nature all men are to be gouerned by their lawes which whilest they are in force commanding or forbidding binde the conscience as the Decalogue doth Herein if any would seeme to see more then those that doe make lawes a thing not likely seing the most and the wisest and the best experienced are assembled to that end we cannot think it warrantable to be so presumptuous nor expedient to dispute but in place of counsell of the equitie of lawes when they are once established this moderation if all men had obserued doubtlesse long since this Church had beene blessed with a happie peace But if any man be perswaded that the ceremonies inioyned are not of this nature it is but an opinion lately sprung vp whereunto the necessitie of obedience in indifferent things hath compelled them to flie and it satisfieth vs though it cannot then that with all antiquitie

Church wherein they liue we are content to allowe although you haue not fully expressed the intention of the Church of England in this point That to signe the Infant with the signe of the Crosse was to signe him with an ancient token of Christian profession that it is not a signe from God to men nor of men to God and therefore no idolatrous worship invented in our Church but of men to men as the Ring in marriage no part of the Sacrament no consecrating or operatiue signe no Symbolicall or sacramentall signe not so much as explicatory but a simple significatiue rite expres to the CoÌ„gregations hope expectation of that child which no maÌ„ can doubt to be the vertuous religious intention of our Church both because as you confes It is after Baptisme 2. It is saide wee 3. It is omitted in priuate Baptisme 4. And lastly the signe is omitted in the Lords Supper as not giuing either vertue to the Sacrament or holinesse to the action which were in these latter times vnsufferable errors superstitiously brought in by the Church of Rome wherein all indifferent men may see the moderation of our church which hauing left the ordinary vse of the Crosse in al actions at all times for which the practise of antiquitie might haue beene some warrant haue onely admitted the same in Baptisme as then chiefly requisite for a signification of that profession which at that time the Infant vndertooke and therein ment to continue for euer after In this sence which is the warrantable intention of our Church if you haue held it lawfull heretofore and now doe not wee may say as S. Paule to the Galathians Ye did run well who hath hindred you that you did not obey the trueth but wee will not censure you but rather hope better things of you desiring all men to remember the Apostles peremptorie conclusion If any man teach otherwise consenteth not to the wholsom words of the Lord Iesus Christ to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions strife of words wherof commeth enuie strife railings euill surmises froward disputations of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlinesse APOLOGIE BVt now my Lord obseruing duely the 30. Canon made of purpose to explaine the lawfull vse of the crosse to which we are now tyed as to the iudgement of the church though for my reuerend opinion of that assemhly I could easily beleeue that in this explication they haue bin vsed as were the good fathers at the counsel of Arimine vnder great penalties I finde that our Church professeth to retaine it for the very remembrance of the Crosse which is precious to all that truely beleeue in Christ and in such vse as did the antique fathers and churches and by name that by that cerimony and honorable badge the infant is dedicated to the seruice of him that dyed vpon the crosse In which construction I do not see how I can subscribe vnto it as before I did for confessing that I grudged the name of an honorable badge remembring to what dishonorable Idolatry it serued of late and yet doth in Popery and being therupon attainted by the Peares and neighbour Churches is not yet restored in blood and think we may say of it as Iacob of Reuben Thou wast fair but hast lost thy bewty by clyming vp vnto thy fathers bed I protest against that memoratiue vse of it in the congregation and in the Sacrament to call to minde the Crosse of Christ whether thereby his sufferings or his Altar be ment as that which openeth a gappe to crossings in daily vse and crosses and crucifixes and so any Imagery in the church and worship of God and think that this which hath bin abused with spirituall fornication as a common harlot may easily proue in that vse a cunning baud to solicite the vnstable hearts of men to their old superstition and therefore seemeth to me to be against the second commaundement which forbiddeth all prouocations vnto Superstition as well as the seauenth doth all incitations to Adultery ANSVVERE FRom dislikes seeming as grieuous in shewe for a long time as vehemeÌ„tly persued by a great number we are now come at the last to that one point the Crosse in Baptisme wherein alone both antiquitie is thought to be too superstitious and this present age for following the same example vnexcusable of a dangerous vnsufferable idolatrie but as the Church of England hitherto hath not found it saâ—e to follow the reformation of those men who know no other means to purifie Churches but to pull them downe so in this shee esteemeth it safer and more vertuous to free the signe of the Crosse from the staines of superstitions contracted in these later and corrupted times rather then altogether to reiect the more auncient and purer vse thereof as men ashamed of that which was Saint Pauls reioycing at the Crosse of Christ. Wee are not desirous in things of this nature to satifie the Reader with empty words bâ— as farre as wee are able in truth to let all men see that both the Church hath reason to exact an obedience to that which it doeth lawfully command and that their curiositie is without excuse who either of singularitie or ignorance seeme to pretend holy reasons to warrant them in that which they doe refuse and surely it must needes bee thought an vnthankefull and ouer-bold accusation of those men who dare aduenture to accuse a whole Church a sincere and religious Church a Church wherin they haue bin borne nourished brought vp whose true doctrine hath bin the foundation of their-iudgements if they haue any rather then they will be thought to like others or in what things they refuse obedience to her Lawes not to be warranted by Gods word as the vnstained actions of a sanctified grounded pure zeale as if the Church of England which in the true opinion of the world is more setled more reformed more vertuous vnder the gouerment of so sincere and so religious a prince had by an vniuersall consent conspired as it were to increase Idolatrie and established constitutions for the vniust recalling of the iustly banished superstions of the Romish Church and therfore obseruing duely the 30. Canon made of purpose to explaine the lawfull vse of the crosse to which we are now tyed as to the Iudgement of the church you do not see how you can possibly subscribe vnto it as before you did We desire all that are indifferent to viewe the reasons and vses contained in that Canon and we doubt not but it will appeare that their motiues were sufficient to ratifie the vse of the Crosse in the intention of our Church and to free that learned and religious assembly from the imputation you lay vpon them by comparing it to the Counsell of ARMINE First Iewish and heathenish blasphemie

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