Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	know_v	2,755	5	4.1178	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57057	The case of the cross in baptism considered wherein is shewed that there is nothing in it as it is used in the Church of England that can be any just reason of separation from it.	Resbury, Nathanael, 1643-1711.	1684 (1684)	Wing R1126; ESTC R24493	26,069	40

that the use of this Sign of the Cross was much more ancient than the first Corruption and Depravation of the Church of Rome When I speak of the first Corruption and Depravation of the Church of Rome I would be understood as to those things that have put that Church under the Imputation of what we now call Popery For that there were some deprav'd Customs crept into the Church in general and so that of Rome perhaps as well as any other in very early days is Evident from what St. Paul Rebukes in the Church of Corinth and from what our Saviour himself in his Revelations to St. John Condemns in the Seven Churches of Asia So that when I say the use of the Cross was more ancient than the first Corruption and Depravation of the Church of Rome I mean more ancient than any of those Corruptions in her by the reason of which we have justly esteem'd her an Apostatiz'd Church more ancient than either the Introduction of Images their Multiplication of Sacraments their pretentions to Supremacy and Infallibility or any of those Superstitious Rites in Worship by which we distinguish that Church as Popish and brand it as false and Antichristian As to this therefore By which Phrase the Apostle in Truth meant the Secret workings of the Haereticks of that Age. I know none of our Dissenting Brethren however for a shift in Argument they may talk of the Mystery of Iniquity beginning to work betimes and in the first Ages of the Church * that yet do professedly charge any Signal Apostasy upon the Church of Rome at least for the first four hundred Years after Christ not to the Age wherein St. Austin Flourisht but that it was a Church that might be Communicated with at that time notwithstanding that Father complain'd of the Superfaetation of Ceremonies even then which at least for the Number of them began to be very burdensom And yet for an Hundred or two of Years before this we find in the Writings of Tertullian such mention of the use of this Sign that makes it very plain it had been a Customary thing long before his time also and probably even amongst those of the Apostolical Age it self There are those indeed that would make that Father the first that brought in the use of this Ceremony into the Church having receiv'd it from the Montanists of whom he seems to have been particularly fond But the frequent and familiar mention he makes of the Sign of the Cross in many of his Books renders this Conjecture very improbable Tertullian tells us it was grown so much in use in his time that upon every motion of theirs at their going out and coming in when they put on their Garments or Shooes at the Bath or at Meals when they lighted up their Candles Frontem crueis signaculo terere Pertul de Coron mil. or went to Bed whatever almost they did in any part of their Conversation still they would even wear out their Forheads with the Sign of the Cross which though he confesseth there was no express Law of Christ that had enjoyn'd it yet Tradition had Introduc'd Custom had Confirm'd and the Believers Faith had observ'd and maintain'd it This doth not look as if it had been a thing newly invented by Montanus and brought into the Church by Tertullian as being himself too great a Favourer of that Sect. Although were it thus indeed yet this sheweth that the Practice of it was receiv'd among the Faithful some Ages before the Depravation and Apostacy of the Romish Church But he is not our single Author in this matter for Homil. 2. in Psalm 38. Origen who Flourisht not much above CC Years after Christ and not XL Years after Tertullian makes mention of those who upon their Admission into the Church by Baptism were Sign'd with this Sign And St. Basil not much above one Hundred Years after him gives this usage the Venerable Title of an Ecclesiastical Constitution or fixt Law of the Church that had prevail'd from the Apostles Days Basil de Spir. Sanct. cap. 27. that those who believed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ should be Signed with the Sign of the Cross But of all the Fathers St. Cyprian who was before St. Basil and very near if not contemporary with Tertullian himself not only speaks most Familiarly of the use of this Sign but hath some Expressions in this matter that would seem very harsh and unwarrantable now and yet the Authority of that Father hath sav'd him hitherto from being brought under question about it He tells us in one place that in fronte cruce signantur qui Dominum promerentur i.e. they are Sign'd in the Forehead with the Cross who are thought worthy of the Lord and in another place Omnia sacramenta peragit it Compleats every Sacrament and per crucem baptisma sanctificatur Baptism is Sanctified by the Cross I will not stand accountable for the Justifiableness of these passages were they to be allow'd no kind of Latitude but as to the purpose for which they are cited they seem pertinent enough that is to Argue the antiquity of this usage and that in the Sacrament of Baptism too the Phrase so frequently occurring in the writings of those ancient Fathers that fronte signati being sign'd in the Forehead seems a known and usual Periphrasis for being enter'd into the Faith of Christ and the Body of his Church by Baptism After all which what need I Instance in St. Cyril St. Ambrose or St. Austin Who sprinkle their writings with the Common mention of this Ceremony and oftentimes frame Arguments of the Obligation upon Christians to live as becomes them from this very badg they wear upon their Foreheads St. Austin wittily enough glorying in the Confidence of a Christian as to a Crucifi'd Saviour Nec nos pudet Crucifixi sed ubi pudoris signum est crucis ejus signum habemus August in Galat. 6.14 that he willingly imprints the Sign of it upon that part of himself which is the proper seat of Blushing I shall only add this remark further that after the time wherein this Custom had been so Universally receiv'd into the Christian Church and some of the Fathers had so liberally exprest themselves in it we may observe that the first Christian Emperour Constantine the Great had his Directions probably from heaven it self to make this Sign the great Banner in his Wars with this Additional encouragement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by this he should overcome That this Dream or Vision call it which we will for Histories mention it differently was from Heaven and a thing of great reality is Evident from the success of that Princes Arms under it The Authors of the Centuries allow a considerable Signification in that Sign as given him from Heaven as the future Standard he should fight under viz that God had admonisht him by that Sign of the Cross and the Motto added to it