Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55668	Prelacie is miserie, or, The suppressing of prelaticall goverment [sic] and establishing of provintiall, and nationall Sinods, is a hopefull meanes to make a flourishing church, and happie kingdome		1641 (1641)	Wing P3211; ESTC R21720	4,495	12

holy Sabboth Idolaters Adulterers and the like such as these not so much as once called to any accompt for these things no the puritanicall Priests as they call them they are the men they would roote out that so their kingdome of darkenesse might florish But the Lord saith by the Prophet Hosea O ye Priests heare this saith the Lord and harken yea house of Israel and give yeeare O house of the King for Judgement is towards you because you have beene a snare on Mispah and a net spread upon Tabor Hosea 5.1 and such shares have the Prelates laide for the people of God In his 119. Booke these are they saith Saint Austin who with severall burthens doe so oppresse our Religion which God of his mercy would have to be free under few and manifest Sacraments of Divine Service in so much that the state of the Iewes is more tollerable for their burdens were under the law of God but these burthens are under the devises and presumptions of men Object You will say it may bee how shall the Church then be governed shall the Church be without goverment Answ No the Church of God hath a governour Jesus Christ the head of the Church and under Christ wee have our gratious King who is governour of all persons and causes both Ecclesiasticall and sivill next under Christ within these his Dominions Object But what meanes may then be used for the discoverie of Heresies and the rooting out of Idolatrie out of the Church shall every Minister teach freely any thing whatsoever entreth into his fancy and shall their be no Church goverment from the Clargie at all Answ There is better meanes then to have it governed by Prelates and that according both to the Primative Churchs and also to the best approved late reformed Churches I. For every slocke there may bee chosen a Presbiter as the truth is the office of a Bishop is no more this Presbiter or Bishop set over only one perticular flocke being chosen with an unamimous consent of the people after proofe being made of him and hee placed there takes to himselfe the charge of the cure of those soules and any Heresie prophannesse or Idolatry or any such like evills which he seeth to offer to creepe into the Church hee may roote it out and suppresse it and not be feared by any one perticular Prelate ruling Lordly over him but sincerely to serve the Lord Christ II. Least some corruption should bee in the Presbitor so that these evills are passed by and are not reformed there may be a Provintiall Synod to reforme what the Presbitor either could not or would not unto which Synod may every Presbiter give an accompt conserning all matters committed to his chare and that there they may be further treated on and examined amongst them altogether III. There may bee a Nationall Synod also kept at severall times as shall bee thought meete for the publicke unitie of the Church and for the reforming of those evills and enconveniences which the Presbiter or Provintiall Synod shall escape Let any man now consider if it bee not more happie for the Church to have Sinods then to be ruled by Prelates and what happinesse may come by the one and what evill by the other Many are the abuses in the Prelates goverment 1. They would seclude the Nobles the Gentry and both the Houses of Parliament from having any right to meddle in Church matters 2. They Lordly exalt themselves above other Ministers contrary to the command of Christ and the Doctrine of the Apostles 3. Their Decrees tend to their owne ends and not to Gods Glory 4. They have corrupted Courts 5. They neglect their Studies and Preaching to follow matters of State 6. They labour to compell men to sweare rash and unlawfull oathes 7. They live in the pompe and glory of the world 8. They labour to bring in Popish Seremonies into the Church 9. They make a gaine of such things as even by their usurped Hierarchy they ought not to take money for with many other abuses too tedious to recon up in so short a volume all which might by Synods be prevented there being no Lordly Bishops save onely the Presbitors themselves being all equall Calvin saith On Epist to Titus Jn his instin that a Priest a and Bishop are all one as saith Saint Hierom. Churches were before governed by common Councells of Elders afterwards the care was committed to one man appointed by men so that the Bishops are above the Priests rather by custome then by the truth of the Lords disposing and they ought to governe the Church saith he in common together this is the true and ancient custome of the Primative Church and the chusing of a Bishop was no waies entended at the first for any Lordly Hier archy as the Prelates now use it whose pompe is growne to so great an height An example of their pride wee have in that Pope who set the Painter at worke in his gallery to draw the pictures of Peter and Paul who having painted their faces blushing red the Pope comming in to see his worke and asking him if Peter and Paul had such red faces because hee had so painted them no quoth he but if they were here now and did behold what a glorious rich and magnificent successor they have they would blush as red as now you see these Pictures doe and his holinesse was very well pleased with the Painters conceit to see himselfe a brave man● man then ever poore Peter and Paul were whose successor he boasts himselfe to be for what else but a sweet fable doth the Pope make of the Gospel as himselfe said and surely wee cannot thinke that Prelates who are the limbes of this great beasts are of another spirit then Athiesticall such as the head himselfe is of and which he hath derived to his members FINIS