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	preach_v	1,996	5	6.8683	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96831	Beaten oyle for the lamps of the sanctuarie; or The great controversie concerning set prayers and our liturgie, examined in an epistle to a private friend: with an appendix that answers the paralell, and the most materiall objections of others against it. Unto which are added some usefull observations touching Christian libertie, and things indifferent.	Womock, Laurence, 1612-1685.	1641 (1641)	Wing W3338; Thomason E163_14; ESTC R4346	40,803	77

prayer Rather let her imploy that intervall of time betweene the prayers to her vagaries then be guilty of an abruption in the midst of her long devotion And this is not a giving of the soule her head that shee may breake loose the sooner for if shee be so piously inclined she may improve that Mite of time by a good thought to prepare for the prayer following If we conforme our prayers to the patterne on the Mount the Lords prayer they must be short and pithy Christ knew what provision was best to be made against our frailty and the Church as I conceive aim'd at a two-fold end in following his example Whereas the Papists goe not to the common Benefactor but have hewed out for themselves a severall cisterne f Ier. 2.13 to furnish them with the several waters that they thirst for and repaire to severall Saints to releeve them in each infirmitie our Church on the contrary puts her wants particularly into the hands of her onely Mediator and hopes to obtaine nothing but through Jesus Christ our Lord. g This is the cloze of every prayer And builds her faith upon that promise Ioh 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name he will give it you And againe she would have all the people set the seale of their Amen to every blessing that is requested And this is not only significant but usefull It witnesseth their vigilancie it declares their faith and so confirmes their joynt communion in the externall profession of their pure Religion The Church hath learn'd from Christ that where the spirit is willing the flesh may be weake h Mat. 26. v. 40.41 and cannot watch long in Gods service without some moniter to supervize over her and therefore that the Sabbath bee not kept as a rest of sleepe shee would have the people to stirre up themselves and assist the supplications of the Minister with that patheticall ejaculation so often used by our Saviour that hee is therefore as many thinke call'd Amen i Apocal. 3.24 that so their desires burning together in one flame may ascend the swifter with multiplyed wings to heaven * The same may be said for the other Responsals God makes not his construction of our praiers by their length but by their ardencie The Pharisee will for a pretence make long prayers k Mat 23.14 And the Heathen think to be heard for his much speaking l Mat 6.7 the strong cryes of Christ were short yet carnest ones m Heb 5.7 Luke 22.44 and so are the ejaculations of the faithfull n Luke 18.13 The hottest springs send forth their waters by Ebultion * Eructaburt lebia mea Psal 119.171 Devotion is the length and faith the eloquence of our prayers They are like Coine 't is not the bulke but the Image stampt upon them and the excellencie of the metall makes it currant One golden line that hath passed through the Furnace of a devout heart is of more value then a whole sheet of dull and leaden thoughts Wee are Petitioners for our wants to God and not Interpreters Wee doe not pray to expound our will to him but to make an attonement with him to pacifie him to please him that so wee may put a holy engagement upon him to fulfill his promise in fulfilling our desires And if God be to be pacified Opus imperf super Mat. Hom. 13. not instructed Non est necessaria long a narratio sed bona voluntas there is no necessity of a long discourse but of a good affection To put a period to this Argument I should thinke them indiscreetly scrupulous that should leave the outward communion of the church for some inconvenient ceremonies * Possunt te etiam debent multatolerari puetames non recte praecipiuntur Beza ep ad quosaam Anglic. Eccles fratres 1 Cor. 12. and t is more blameable to separate from the maine substance of Gods worship His house is the house of prayer and shall we make it a house of preaching onely that were to be all eare all hearing no mouth no heart which is the Apostles monster in the Church I cannot tell wither I should more pitty or wonder at those men that pretend a transcendent love to truth and vnitie and yet effect an vnreasonable diversity in the formes of their devotion When a good head lookes awry the best ornament is the greatest and the most unseemly deformity The Pythagoreans set a brand upon the Duall number because it was the first that durst depart from unity o Rom. 16.7.18 The Apostle will have us marke those that cause division as well as those that cause offences But all this must be fathered upon the jealousie of a tender conscience whence I take this observation that no men may preserve their Christian liberty about things indifferent so intirely as those who are obedient to the Authority that order them for these men confesse them alterable and therefore as the discreet hand of government shall wind these strings up or downe they can omit or use them without reluctancy Whereas on the other side those that straine at these gnats doe so entangle their consciences with needlesse scruples * Some men to satisfie their weakenes doe rob themselves of their christian liberty Nam ubi semel sein laqucum conjecerunt conscientiae lorgum inextricabilem labyrinthum ingrediuntur vnde non facilis postea exitus patet c vid. Calv instit lib. 3. cap. 19. § 7. that the things which are acknowledged by themselves to be indifferent in their owne nature become dangerous and unlawfull to be used by them and so with striving for it like birds in the lime twigs they doe the more loose their libertie * Non solum spectare debeo quid proximis quid ecclesiae quid honori Christi conducat sedetiam providendum est ne praetextu libertatis solidam sinceram libertatem christianam amittam Pet. Mart. vbi supra But let me expostulate with you a little further Doe we not assemble together in Gods house in Gods name Are not our prayers collects gleaned out of Gods word are not many of them very occasionall and all put up in and through Jesus Christ Doe they not aime at Gods glory and our owne salvation What is the scandall you take yet against them If you thinke mee too much wedded unto Liturgies I 'le assure you 't is not my superstition but my pious constancy for I know in some cases we must tollerate a bleare-eye and other blemishes that are pardonable 'T is no lesse then the crime of adultery that can make a divorce legitimate * Mat. 5.31 But that is a businesse of Gods own institution this of mans And therefore though I acknowledge it good and lawfull usefull and effectuall in the kind yet I am not so inseparably devoted to it as to Gods immediate ordinance I should bee more indulgent