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	rome_n	2,013	5	6.8164	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88086	Contemplations upon these times, or The Parliament explained to Wales. Digested into three parts. I. Containing, a brief, faithfull, and pithy history of the Parliament, ... II. Cleer resolutions of such doubts, as his countrymen of Wales are not so well satisfied in, as could be wished: which are reduced to these 3 points, touching the [brace] King. Covenant. Common-Prayer-Book. III. A closer application unto the state of Wales, ... / Written by a gentleman, a cordiall well-wisher of his countries happinesse.	Lewis, John, Esquire.	1646 (1646)	Wing L1839; Thomason E349_19; ESTC R201035	20,378	40

of Rome but when the impiety and unlawfulnesse of it appeared might not they be well discharged of their oath And who can better judge of the unlawfulnesse and corruption of the Prelatical government then the wisdome of the Parliament and they adjudging it unlawfull what oath soever thou hast taken to maintain it is but vinculum iniquitatis and so absolutely void And Qui jur at in iniquum obligatur in contrarium But you are not satisfied because the King is not with the Parliament I must tell you it is no new invention to ascribe to the King a Capacity differing from his person and in that capacity and Kingly power he is virtually present in the Parliament In this sense thou hast heard say that the King is immortall and where thou hast seen his Patents and Commissions he is said to be present Another thing thou canst not well brook in the Covenant is the mention of the Church of Scotland Indeed I must confesse it hath got the start of us for that Honour If we call them Brethren they have Iacob-like robbed us of that Blessing If we call her our Sister-Kingdom she hath Mary-like before us chosen the better part And alas all this through our own fault God hath again and again offered us this Honour ever since the first Reformation stirring up godly men who have by all meanes and importunities earnestly sought to procure us this happines but in stead of being heard have been requited only with contempts and all discouragements Prelatical greatnesse could load them withall But for thy satisfaction understand the Covenant propounds no Church unto thee as a pattern but only the Word of GOD to be thy rule and pattern It were much to be wished the Covenant were tendred as piously and solemnly as the Parliament hath prescribed and not suddenly and violently pressed upon some and mincingly given unto others in corners To be brief Country-man if thou wouldest endeavour to understand the Covenant as the Parliament intends it thou wouldest never stick at it it tending only to no more but to procure a better World and thy self to become a better Man I am now come Country-man to thy Dagon the Common-Prayer book As for the matter and form of it the Exceptions against them have been sufficiently made known to the world I shall only endeavour unto thee to justifie the Abolishment of it from that apparent inconvenience and prejudice it occasioned to the Gospel and the Professors of it It was truly said that in our dayes we have seen Conformity to Ceremonies more exacted than Conformity to Christianity It is but fresh in our memories If a good man should but in tendernesse of conscience scruple any thing against the Common-Prayer book were he otherwise ever so gracious he was presently a Puritan and there was no breathing for him among us whilst another that would make no bones of the Common-Prayer book nor of any thing else reading only the Common-Prayer book and be otherwise ever so unworthy and scandalous he should passe for an Orthodox Minister and have Livings heaped upon him and the other good soule his wife and children left to all contempt and poverty Obj. But you will say this was not the Books fault but must be imputed to the Bishops c. Ans. I say the Common-Prayer book was at least the occasion of their sufferings and haply their afflictions have cried to heaven for this vengeance which must be no lesse then the utter abolishment of it It is ordinary that but a Relation to a notorious Evil suffers in the Judgement Torquin doth but a foul fact and the harmlesse name of King must be discarded Rome One Ravillaick murthers a great King and his name must no more be heard in France the Father commits Treason and the innocent Issue must suffer in the forfeiture The Bishops were the Common-Prayer books Patrons and the main Authors of its evils and it with them must suffer in the doom But this is not all it was not so void of guilt as this though after a close manner and not sensible to all it was very prejudiciall and a shrewd enemy to the Gospel You know there was a necessity of reading it As for the Preaching of the Word let it get its place and esteem as it could And this necessity of the one rather then the other drew generally the credit to that which seemed most necessary Mans nature is most contented with the easiest way of serving God and Publike Government countenancing thus the Common-Prayer book rather then the other By this means whatever tended to the more effectual knowledge and reall service of God was accounted but Precisenesse c. 2. Me thinks that were sufficient reason to abolish it even to satisfie the Consciences of our Christian brethren and so peace and better communion might be betwixt us Our Christian brethren are offended out of meer conscience and we will needs retain it out of meer fancy No doubt but many thousands in the beginning of Reformation were as loth to forgoe the Masse-book who upon better experience blessed God to be rid of it We are hardly pleased with the form of such Mansions as our Ancestors a hundred yeares ago were well contented with and it is our opprobrium gentile daily to change the fashion of apparels and yet to be so wilfully wedded to a kind of Divine service so apparently prejudiciall to the Gospel even against farre better means seems a strange Delirium I appeale to thine own experience Country-man hast thou not observed that the better most godly kind of Ministers have been ever most malecontented at the Common-Prayer book and the most unworthy scandalous and corrupter kinde have been most maintainers and patrons of it Mr. Hooker its best champion sayes That if the Minister powres not his soule in prayer and speaks not as Moses Daniel and Ezra did for their people the service of the Common-Prayer book avails but little Then judge thou how happy have we been and are in Wales that heare it from some that scarce can read it I must cleer an error which hath been obtruded upon thee and many others viz. That the Common-Prayer book was confirmed by the blood of Martyrs This I have often seen and especially under the hand of a Minister accounted learned in our own country among other wide Elogies to a most understanding and religious Knight I deny not but some of those that compiled it in Edw. 6 his dayes dyed worthy Martyrs but I cannot learn they dyed martyrs but in defence of the Gospel and the truth of it against the idolatry and superstition of Rome and for nothing else We may as well say the Apostles Act. 15. having for the peace and conveniency of the Church ordained Orders to abstain from things strangled and from blood say they confirmed these Decrees with their blood because afterward they suffered martyrdom for the