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	doctrine_n	time_n	1,729	5	3.4946	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00307	An Epistle, or apologie of a true, and charitable brother of the Reformed Church in fauoure of Protestantes, papistes, & those of the Reformatio[n] for a more moderat course of proceeding in matters of religion by searchinge the Scriptures, & examining theire spirits for the sense, and true meaninge of them by a peaceable conference, & such easy meanes as weare practised in the apostolicall, and primitiue church for plantinge the faith, and rooting out of errour tending to vnitie of religion, loyaltie to the Kings Maiestie, increase of honoure to him & his posteritie, & good of the Commonwealth.		1605 (1605)	STC 10431.5; ESTC S2111	18,209	49

and soldiours did sacrifice to the Idolls others standing constant in the faith wherein they were baptized woulde neither chaing in hart nor yet in outward showe seeme other then true faithfull Christianes The wisedome of this Constantius though then a Pagan was such as he iudged those Christians that denied theire faith by this outwarde acte of Idolatry most vnworthy to serue him who of abase seruile feare had forsaken the god they serued but cherished and highly honoured the other as men that by theire Religion had learned to be faithfull to whomsoeuer they had giuen theire trothe This pointe of so deepe consideration in a Pagan seemeth admirable as it is exceeding comfortable to vs all to see howe the lord hath giuen the like me asure of vnder standing to our king who amoung many instructions giuen the Prince his sonne obserued the same ground for triall of his subiects confessed himself that he neuer found any more faithfull to him in all his distresses then such as had bene faithfull to the Queene his mother who were not all you knowe of his Religion Howe certaine a triall this is to discerne loyall harts he will easily perceiue that looketh into the state of our dayes wheerein as we see more sects and more inconstancie in beliefe then in any other age since Christe so withall we finde lesse fidelitie in frendes lesse trust in seruants more dissembling in all states then euer heeretofore was heard or practized In the later daies saith Christe many shall fall a way from the faith and thinke you that in those daies he shall finde faith fidelitie of one man to an other In the same measure that faith is broken toward god in heauen it will breake faile assuredly towards man in earth In matter of faith saieth Paul the hart and tōngue shoulde agree togeither Corde creditur ad iusticiam ore autem confessio fit ad salutem And shall we aduise our Prince who hath bene so vvell brought vp in the schoole of gods vvorde to vse such meanes vvith his subiects in matters of theire faith as may seperate theire outward behauioure from theire inward conscience or teach them to be disloyall to himself by forceinge them to be false to god in theire Religion By violence of lawes he may make many dissemble theire faith with repining hart grudge of minde to theire assured damnation because therein they sinne against theire owne cōsciences yet sure it is that as no man can alter his opinion as he list or at his pleasure so force can neuer chainge his faith vntill his groundes argumētes shall be by better reasons conuinced The Princes securitie greatest force lieth in the faithfull hartes of his subiectes the hart or affection of man is neuer wonne by violence if we will bring all to the course of the Primitiue Church we must note that then no violence was vsed to establish the gospell The scriptures vveare searched but the interpretations vvere not restrained as you may see 1. Cor. 14. shall we nowe stop mens mouthes and tye them with statute lawes to the iudgement of afeawe and make theire opinions as a Popish Decree that too before due examination triall In the Primitiue Church the are arose a controuersie whether the lawe of Moises were still to be obserued togeither with the lawe of Christe for appeasing whereof the Iewes tooke one way not much vnlike to yours the Apostles an other way such as I nowe persuade The course of the Apostles was conuenerunt Apostols seniores the learned in both lawes held a councell and conference and resolued the question to the contentment of all the Christians which were before of different opinion in the matter This course was then taken because Christe promised to be where Christians in his name should thus assemble conferre togeither to finde out the truth the Christians from that time in like case haue taken the same course Pastors and Bushops of the whole worlde were called togeither in the first councell of Nice where that blasphemous Arrius who denied Christe to be god vvas yet inuited to the triall of his doctrine and vvas heard vvhat he could say for defence thereof so from age to age as heresies haue risen in the Churche like course of conference hath bene taken to confirmethe faithfull conuerte the misbeleeuers euen vntill these late daies as appeareth by those conferences vvhich haue bene in Germanie not only amoung the Papistes but also amoung the follovvers of those notable reformers M. Luther M. Caluin by reason of the diuersities of theire opinions in matters of faith The Ievves thought by vvhippes threatninges to stop the mouths of Christes disciples that they should not persvvade nor speake in the name of lesus but the more they vvere forbid the more they spake as it hath also fallen out amoung vs of late yeares in England Such Conslitutions therefore in my opinion are not conuenient as for my selfe as I doe not misdoubt the truth of my beleefe or feare any conference or disputation vvith any contrarie secte so am I not vvedded in such sorte to myne owne sense that I altogeither disdaigne other mens iudgements in the true meaninge of the scriptures especially of those most auncient therefore most reuerend assemblies from all coastes of the earth vvhere Christians liued which being neere to the time of the Apostles coulde not but giue great light what doctrine the Apostles had taught in those contreyes and in what sense the scriptures were deliuered In this sorte did M. Iuell Openly at Paules Crosse confidently challenge the Papistes in case that they should disagree from him in the sense interpretation of the scriptures he was content to referre himselfe to the vniforme faith of the fathers in the firste six hundred yeares For it was not likely ouerthrowen or that any but the Apostles coulde haue that priuiledge to plant Christian doctrine in all nationes of the earth as noteth Tertullian lib. de prascriptionibus This Challenge of M. Iuells vvas accepted by his aduersaries and many a good soule that had care of saluation and desire of the truth vvas much edified thereby hoping that by this meanes the truth vvoulde come to light and vvhich vvere the primatiue faith and doctrine of the Apostles be easily discerned And vvhen some violent heades persuaded that M. Iuells challenge shoulde proceede no further but that the ansvveares of his aduersaries should be be proclamation repressed many began to stagger and thinke that the truth was rather on theire side for othervvise sayd they vvhy should not the aunsvveares be seene and read especially vvheare M. Iuells replies vvere rife in euery mans hands For most certaine it is that the truth feareth no triall flieth not the open pulpits and publique disputations The learned vvriters tooke it then for a disgrace to theire writings to be quitte by proclamation vvhich thing once my selfe

in his Maiesties Dominions most dangerous I aunsvveare that all vveedes are hurtfull in the corne yet not in all cases to be rooted out VVere not the Iebusites hurtfull vvhen they annoyed the people of the lord vvith theire continuall vvarres and scandalous idolatrie yet for other respects the lord vvoulde haue them remaine in the land of promise vvith the Ievves Yea the Ievves although they crucified the sonne of God are suffered to liue in Christian contreies according to theire lavve VVe reade that the Samaritans vvere so vnkinde to our Sauiour that they vvould nether receaue him in theire tovvnes nor yet giue him bread for his money Whereat Iames Iohn as they thought of a good zeale could haue found in theire harts to haue seene them consumed vvth fire from heauen But the lord rebuked them saying You know not of what manner spirit you are The sonne of man came not to destroy mens liues but to saue them Luc. 9. This meeke spirit of the lord I vvish vvere follovved of all in hart vvorde deede and not the ouerthrovve of our aduersaries in faith sought by the arme of flesh For they being vvith vs al members of one body subiects to one soueraigne vve must accompt them as brethren and loue them as our frends but much more because we are all children of one heauenly father who indifferently letteth fall vppon vs from day to day the fruitefull showres of his blessing and suffereth his sonne to shine vpon them also whilest they liue in this worlde and may be this his fauoure in time be wonne and conuerted God permitteth the Diuell to dravve from thence some good therein shineth more his wisedome goodnes then if he suffered no bad at all in the worlde The spouse of god is Lilium inter spinas the lily is most gratefull amoung the brambles who woulde cutt of the pricking thorne to destroy and loose the pleasant and sweete-smelling Rose Sith then there must be haeresies erroures in the vvorlde as Paul foretelleth vs that God is glorified by dravving much good from them for the purifying of his elect though it vvere to be vvished that no erroures vvere at all let vs in destroying them vse such svvette meanes as approach neerest to his diuine vvisedome and prouidence Faith is the guift of god alone and is not to be beaten vvith hammers into the head or hart of man It dependeth not of man but of the election free praedestination None comes to me sayeth Christe but vvhom my father dravveth vvho thearefore neuer vsed violence but by his vvorde and meekenes drevve at length all the vvorlde to him and his faith Vpon these groundes of scripture and Christes example the first and most learned of our profession haue taught that none may be compelled to the faith and therefore haue vvitten bitterly against those vvho at our first appearing sought by svvorde and fire to roote vs out And can vve for shame put in execution our selues vvhat vve condemne in others or is Doctrine to be altered vvith the exchainge of our state and condicion vvhat may his Maiesty thinke of vs if novve vve recall that doctrine vvhich vve haue heeretofore taught to be vvel vvatranted by gods vvorde Christ his vvordes are infallible it is the heauenly father alone that can dravve soules to Christianitie it is the internal vnction of his spirit that teacheth it and planteth it in mans hart And thearefore in this case let vs lay force aside leaue it to gods goodnes to dravve those vvhom he hath elected in the meane tyme not to repine at the prudence of our Prince if he vse employ all his subiects hovvesoeuer affected in Religion to the strengthning of his state and benefitt of the common-vvealth I deny not but that he must laboure to dravve all his subiects to the truth but vve differ in the meanes vvhich I hould to be gods holly vvorde We haue taught to this effect that euery man may reade the scriptures and search the truth of himself as god shall inspire him and we hoped that by this meanes all might finde the truth and come to the vnitie of the same faith But we see it hath not succeded so wel as we exspected I feare the cause hath bene for that in times past the rigoure of statute lawes hath as it were fettered the gospel the booke of Articles set doune by a fewe heades without cōference with theire brethren hath hindered our Christian liberty in the interpretation thereof with lesse showe of truth then did before the decrees of Generall Councells and the vniforme consent of auncient fathers For in vayne doth a man reade search the truth if he may not as freely interpreate scripture as reade it And why should we forbid any to be heard in his interpretation whereas in this tyme of so many sects Religions both within the Realme abroade we may as Paul saith better iudge of the truth when we haue heard with patience what euery man can say alledge in his cause He that commaundeth vs to try and examine the spirites whether they be of god or no woulde neuer giue aduise to extinguish them or forbid vs to knowe them vpon what ground they relye Some lawes forbidding men to expound the word otherwise then it seemed good to the Church established by the late Queene were once in force which lawes howsoeuer they might seeme tolerable in respect of her whom th'Apostle would not permit to speake in the congregation for that she was a woman not fitt to iudge in such matters if a conference had bene graunted she being lesse grounded in the knowledge of Gods lawe then our selues yet now in the raigne of his Maiestie who is profound in learning mature in iudgement free conference may be permitted for the libertie of the gospell as well in the free interpretation as in free reading of it the contrarie lawes repealed as ouer violent in such a cause and preiudiciall to the bolting out of the truth or at the least suspended vntill a Just triall be made by a learned amiable conference through all the pointes of our controuersies This weare a sweete way to come to vnity or if any force at all were to be vsed in matters of faith it should be rather to compell such as seeme to be in errour to be present at such conference then to force them without triall to showe outwardly to be of an other profession then in hart they are Which howe fruteles a thing it is might be preiudiciall to the king state the wise Gouernoure Constantius father to our Constantine the greate may teach vs. Who desirous to knowe what sorte of Christianes he might best trust set foorth an edict that whosoeuer should refuse to doe sacrifice to the Idolls should be disarmed dishonered displaced suffer further punishment at the Emperours pleasure Whereupon some of his Christian Captaines

being in company at a dinner vvas cast in M. Iuells dish hence it proceeded that the aunsvveares of the aduersaries the more they vvere forbid the better they were esteemed to the disuniting of many that were most earnest before with M. Iuell in his challenge as the lord Copley so they termid him D. Steeuens others And if it shall please his Maiestie that the said challenge by prosecuted triall made for the truth especially amounge the learned in the publique schooles and vniuersities that not in one pointe only but in all he shall giue greate satisfaction to euey one that in this tyme of so many sects hath care to finde the truth they that haue the truth shal be confirmed such as knowe it not shall more easily find it by such afree search inquisition Gamaliell is noted by Luke for a man of deepe iudgmēt and worthy Doctoure in the lavve of Moises commended much for his politique aduise giuen the high priest body of the Councell to take heede to themselues vvhat they entended to doe touching the Apostles vvho seemed to them to teach a nevve doctrine For. sayed he If this counsell or this worke be of men it will come to naught but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it least ye be found euen fighters against God And in this kinde he gaue certaine instances in Theodas Iudas of Galiley For as the truth cannot be ouercome so errours and haeresies cannor long stand but vvil at length of them selues perish it is certaine that heresies vvhich arise amoung Christians are as Augustine vvd noteth like the little brookes vvhich by greate shovvers svvel vp for a tyme so mightily as they seeme to be greate riuers runne vvith such violence that they beare avvay or shake very mayne foundations To passe ouer these torrents in theire pride it vvere too dangerous rash an attempt to seeke to hinder theire current vvere no les folly In patience these vvaters are vvith pleasure seene to fall because they proceede not from any trevve spring as Riuers doe So fareth it vvith al heresies teachers of erroure They destroy themselues at length though no force for the tyme can tame them the reason vvhereof is truly deliuerd by Christe in those vvordes Eueri plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shal be rooted vp By this then you see that violence is not the best means to plant or conserue the truth nor to destroy errour I coulde therefore vvish that an easier hand vvere caryed tovvards all of vvhat Religion soeuer and the rest left to God vvho knovveth best the season and meanes to compasse that vvich may be most for his glorie And if forrine examples may persuade aught we see how the French Kinge although he be nowe no more of the Reformed Religion findeth himselfe bound in common humanitie not to persecute them of the Religion because he found them allwaies faithfull vnto him ready to maintaine his title to the croune If this course of proceeding be esteemed honorable in him howe can any man iustly dislike that our king should mainteine in theire estate and dignity such of this realme of England as notwithstanding diuersitie of Religion vvere allvvaies ready to make good his Right and vvhen tyme serued receiued him vvith all ioy and gladnes And if for the faulte of a feavve the vvholle number vvere to be condemned our partie might exspect but smalle fauoure at his Maiesties hand amoung vvhom some haue bene found more forvvard against him then amoung them as may appeare by the late conspiracie wherein theire erroure was rather to chainge some proceedings then the King besides that the daunger thereof vvas by some of the Papists first discouered to the state And novve that this milde dealing is sufficiently proued not to be contrary to the vvorde let vs see a while vvhat course is best in humaine and ciuill policie The vvisest Princes greatest statesmen indure vvithin theire dominions in the case proposed diuers sects and sortes of Religion contrary to theire ovvne Let vs behold the experience as vvel of those that indure them as of those that haue bent theire sorces by violence to roote them out as first for example our late Queene vvas not of her self enclyned to force or constrayne the consciences of the Papists her subiects and vvith that moderat course vvhich she held in the beginning of her raigne she gained the generall good liking of all partes and liued in greate securitie of her personne But vvhen she vvas once dravvne by men of violent spirits to roote them out by losse of fortunes liberty life she found by experience that the more they vvere afflicted the more theire numbers daily increased her selfe put often in feare as vvel of insurrections at home as inuasions from abroade vnder coloure of relieuing men so grieuously oppressed The greatest force that euer she vsed to roote them out vvas about the yeare of our lord 1581. inquirie being made in the yeare follovving of the number of Recusants they vvere found by the bills of Sir Ovven Hopton then Lieuetenant of the Tovvre others in commission to haue increased in the circuite of that yeare ten for one She assaied an other vvay by banishment of some losse of good life of others yet left she at her death more papistes then vvhen she first began those violent courses besides huge numbers of close papists and theire vvell vvillers amoung vvhich are many of high calling vvho in reguard that it concerneth theire soules euerlasting life could not liue but vvith a most fearefull disgust The vvarres also vvhich haue bene cōtinued in Ireland against Oneale Desmound and Tirone haue bene tedious blooddy coastly all which might haue bene auoyded with carying a gentle hand ouer them suffering them according to theire religion vvhich notwithstanding is so firmely grounded in theire hartes as very fewe persons of marke doe at this tyme embrace the liberty of the gospell besides that the contrey hath bene in hazard to be lost planted vvith a potent enemye You will perhaps reply that in Scotland our brethren had better successe vvhen they tooke armes in the daies of his Maiesties mother for the spreading of the gospel yet you must confesse that it vvas but small discretion to set all vpon the vncertainty of a battaile Many like violent attempts haue bene practized in that Realme through zeale of Religion but by clemencie and moderation his Maiesty hath not only escaped the daungers but also made himselfe a peaceable master lord ouer them all imitating heerein that most renounced French king Henry 3. who perceiuing the fire of Ciuill warres to kindle betwene the king of Nauarre who was of the Religion the house of Loraine would breake neither with the one nor the other but fauoured them both so farre as in the end he made himselfe peaceably head of them both vvho afterwards vvholly depended