Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	authority_n	church_n	pillar_n	1,970	5	10.4442	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77100	Paideia Thriamous. The triumph of learning over ignorance, and of truth over faleshood. Being an answer to foure quæries. Whether there be any need of universities? Who is to be accounted an hæretick? Whether it be lawfull to use coventicles? Whether a lay-man may preach? VVhich were lately proposed by a zelot, in the parish church at Swacie neere Cambridge, after the second sermon, October 3. 1652. Since that enlarged by the answerer, R.B. B.D. and fellow of Trin. Col. Camb.	R. B. (Robert Boreman), d. 1675.	1652 (1652)	Wing B3760; Thomason E681_10; ESTC R206793	32,371	43

glorious chaines c. Hee was borne in Devonshire bred up at Oxford † First in Mert●… afterwards in Corpus Christi Colledge and if it lay at my mercy to save or destroy it I should spare it because it bred such a Pillar of Truth and the scourge of Rome as the Conquerour spared Syracusa because hee found in it an Archimedes With him wee may parallel our famous Whitgift who was contemporary with him For the former dyed Anno. 1571. this latter was installed Bishop of Worcester Anno. 1577. afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury 1583. Hee was borne in Lincolneshire bred here at Cambridge first in Pembrook Hall afterward fellow of Peterhouse and not long after hee being of rare and eminent parts was made president of Pembrooke Hall next Master of Trinity Colledge in which time hee was first the Margaret then the Kings Professor of Divinity This matchlesse patterne of prudence and patience did stand as stoutly as the former in the defence of the Truth against our home bred Innovatours who as our learned Camden in his Annalls trampled on all Government and making Phansie the mistresse of their judgement pride and a zealous ignorance being their guides they inveighed against the † Elizah Queenes authority and herein spake the Language of Ashdod acted highly for the Jesuits denied uniformity in Divine worship although establish'd by the authority of Parliament sever'd the Administration of the Sacraments from the preaching of the Word Sacramentorum administrationē à verbi divini praedicatione se jungebant Camd. Novos ritus pro arbitrio in privatis edibus usurpabant c. They neglected and despised the Sacraments forgetting that God will not save us without the use of the meanes They refused to go to Church thus making a dangerous Schisme and rending the seamlesse coat of Christ Pontificiis plaudentibus multosque in suas partes trahentibus quasi nulla esset in Ecclesiâ Anglicanâ unitas Hereby they made our adversaries to rejoyce and triumph over us and were the cause of many weake ones turning Papists upon this ground that there was no unity in our Church I feare our Separatists have now caused the like if not worse mischief in the revolt of many thousand from us Those Chams men of hot and fiery Spirits who inveighed against their Fathers and uncovered their Mothers nakednesse Those Scindentes as † Aug. l. de Civit. Dei 16. c. 2 comparat Chamo haereticos li. 4. c. 43. Irenaeus well calls them to which hee joynes elati superbi those proud high-minded daring Schismaticks that Reverend Learned and most patient Whitgife quell'd and suppressed in a short time by his discreet meeknesse and gentle exhortations to peace first stopping by arguments the mouths of their Antesignani their Leaders as Cartwright and others this hee did by disputes and mild perswasions to peace and at last having by a patient courage overcome many strong oppositions from the Nobles and their adherents abettours in that schisme by Gods blessing hee restored the Church to unity and concord both in Doctrine and Discipline Who but a man of great learning and grace could have done this and been the instrument of setling in a distracted Kingdome an universall Peace Let mee adde to these one though of a lower ranke in the Church yet not much inferiour in gifts of nature and grace the renowned Whitakers first Scholar and after Fellow of Trinity Colledge famous for his admirable skill in the Arts and Tongues as for his Excellency in the knowledge of Divinity his famous workes now extant his confutation of Campian Sanders Duraeus Rainolds Stapleton nay of Bellarmine himselfe with whom then living this our Champion encountred Hee confounded the former proving the Pope to be Antichrist and maintaining the authority of the Scriptures above the Church and at last singling out the † Bellarmine Cardinall himselfe the Goliah of Rome hee stunned him so with the strength of prevailing Truth and reason in his controversies concerning the Church Scriptures and councells c. That the Cardinall it seemes fi●st convinced by his argumentions having him in high estimation procured his Picture and hung it in his stu●y among the portraitures of other noted men and was heard to say That though hee was an Heretick yet hee was a Learned one Never any saying had more of Falsity and Truth in it When he confessed him to be learned it was all one as if hee had acknowledged that he was by him confuted What firmer testimony then that which falls from the Lips of a professed Enemy To these forenamed Worthies I might adde the late Reverend Bishop of Salisbury Davenant the now living and most knowing Prelats Armach and Morton true nursing Fathers of the Church fed with their Doctrine and defended by their Pennes which they have with great successe dipped in the Inke of confutation against Jesuites and Hereticks 2 Sam. 23.12.20 The Lord hath done great things by these Benaiahs and wrought great victories by meanes of their painfull works against our Adversaries Could these famous usefull and Church-preserving acts with many hundred more which have beene effected by men of parts could these mighty things have beene done without Learning could this have been attained without the helpe and furtherance of publike Schooles and Universities I suppose no man is so wanting to Truth and Modesty as to say it This made Alphonsus King of Arragon beare an open Booke in his Scutchion to testifie thereby to the World his high esteem of learning as being the prop of Religion and the Pillar of a State and Kingdome Middendorp l. de Academ 1. p. 104. And therefore Charles the Great wheresoever hee erected a Church there hee ever annexed a Schoole of Learning unto it Oh then let not the undermining and crafty Jesuits who now swarme amongst us blow any longer this poyson into your Eares believe not the voyce of these † De his vid. Franzii Histor S. p. 1. c. 20. Hyaenas who may speake like Men nay like Angells but within are ravening Wolves and savage Beasts Their common Trade and Worke now is to cry downe Learning and the Fountaines of it the Vniversities They know that their cause cannot thrive so long as Learning does flourish These * De his vid. Solinum Solifugae hate that confounding light These Frogs love to croake in the black Night of Ignorance They ever digge their Mines in darknesse The Traitour Faux and his dark Lanthorne was a true embleme of a Jesuit who has some light within which makes him sinne against his conscience yet that light wrapped up and obscured by malice which forces him to act in defence of the Catholick cause and contrive any bloody wickednesse And now is his Harvest who loves to fish in troubled waters Hee hath put forth the Sickle of his undermining policy to cut downe the Clergy and the Vniversities witnesse the late Petitions against Tithes and that other from some

ensuing conference I thus replied with great affection to their soules and in obedience to the Apostles command Gal. 6. Gal. 6.1 Yee which are spirituall restore c. with as much meeknesse as I could lest that in the flame of Passion and heat of contention Truth should singe her winges as too oft shee hath done and take her flight leaving the parties wholy unsatisfied Who is an Heretick First to avoyd all needlesse questions and endlesse disputes wee must distinguish between these two Things To be an Heretick and to embrace an Heresie or an Opinion that is erroneous For not every one whose Opinion is hereticall is to be reckon'd and listed in the black role of Hereticks but onely he who having been baptiz'd into the Christian Faith shall stifly maintaine and obstinatly defend an untruth against it By the Christian Faith wee are not to understand in generall the Word of God in it's whole Latitude viz. The Propheticall and Apostolicall Doctrine contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament For not every false Interpretation of any one place in Scripture nor every Opinion resulting from that place so interpreted falls under the name and notion of Heresie as S. Hierome seemes to assert in his comment upon the Galatians C. 5. v. 20. but by the Christian Faith The foure Principles of our Faith and Religion wee meane those foure Principles of our Faith which are the foure kindes of Fundamentalls the deniall and opposing any one whereof with pertinacy entitles a man to the guilt of Heresie and the name of Heretick The first of those Fundamentalls is placed in the Apostles Creed The second in the Decalogue or ten Commandements The third in the Lords Prayer The fourth in the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper Thus the Reverend and Learned Bishop Davenant determines the case in that most judicious and Schisme-confounding worke of his entituled ad Pacem adhortatio So then hee that shall perversly deny an Article of the Creed which is Christianorum fidei spei formula Veritatis summa ac fundamentum To use the termes of the Tridentine Catechisme The forme of a Christian's Faith and Hope The Epitome and Foundation of Truth Hee that shall likewise wilfully erre in principiis moralibus in the Principles of manners or good living Hee that shall believe or maintaine the contrary to any precept or morall command as that simple Fornication is no sinne which is the Opinion of the * Vid. Kinchi in Psal Iewes and Papists That it is lawfull to worship an Image the worke of mens hands or the like Hee that shall overthrow the Doctrine of the Sacraments either denying the exercise or use of the Sacrament of Baptisme or not Baptizing according to the tenour of Christs Mat. 28. v. ult injunction In the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost or not celebrating the Eucharist according to our Saviours institution by denying the Cup to the People or the like Lastly He or They that erre in the Fundamentall Doctrine concerning Prayer making their addresses to any one but to God alone through the mediation of Christ his Sonne by Faith in whom and being knit to them in love wee are bold to call God Our Father c. Hee that shall obstinatly persist both in Opinion and practice against any Precept or Doctrine in these foure kindes of Fundamentalls hee cannot be exempted from the number of Hereticks whose names are not registred in the Booke of Life into which none shall enter that worke abomination or make a lie Rev. 21.27 Such workers of mischiefe are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as † Cyril l. 1. in Ioh. cap. 4. Cyrill rightly tells them men that are Leaders and Abettours of an Haeresie Such men whom we may call Daemonice Meridiana as S. * Hieron Apol. adversus Ruffin lib. 2. Hierome once called Arius men blown up with pride and infected with a Diabolicall daring Spirit you must decline as you would those that have the Leprosie or Plague Haeresie is a catching disease and hardly to be cured it enters into the Soule by the Eye and Eare when you either reade the books or heare the Sermons of Haereticks and entring thus in it brings Death and Destruction as its attendants with it S. Paul was not ignorant of this as appeares by his wholsome and seasonable exhortation for these times Rom. 16. Ver. 17. I beseech you brethren observe the Apostles earnest supplication grounded upon the danger of Hereticall infection mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them † Ver. 18. For they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies They are commonly Covetous and Luxurious persons given over to their Appetites They are dissembling Hypocrites for as it followes there with faire Speeches and flatteries they deceive the hearts of their simple followers and Auditours 2 Joh. 10. If there come any such unto you and bring not the Doctrine of Christ but that which is contrary to it receive him not into your House neither bid him God speed i. e. have nothing to doe with him neither shew him any signe of familiarity or respect lest under the guise or fleece of a Lamb-like Teacher you meet in the conclusion with devouring Wolfes proud Anabaptists or Soul-murdering Jesuites Who now like their great Master the Prince of darknesse goe about seeking whom they may destroy with their Antiscripture Antichristian infectious Tenets or Haeresies None more then these grand Impostours are pleaders for Conventicles that so they may with more security open the fardall of their Masse that * So called in the Confutation of the Papists Catechisme pag. 29. maze of Idolatry amongst themselves and draw poor deceived Souls from the love of the Church and their Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke with diligence those that preach this Doctrine and conclude with your selves that they are either immediately sent from Rome that Antichristian Synagogue or seduced by the Romish Agents whose onely aime in these times is to blow the Cole of Division using the † Doctor Crakanth in his defence of our Church does call them fitly Flabella Jesuitarum Separatists as his bellowes for this very purpose and to draw mens mindes from the love of the Truth and Learning knowing full well that the fabrick of their Superstition and Idolatrous worship relyes onely upon the rotten pillar of Ignorance the onely prop too of the Pope's greatnesse For as that examinatour of the Councell or rather Conventicle of Trent saies well Gentillet ut bonarum literarum instauratione facessere caepit ignorantia c. So soone as the cloud of Ignorance was dispelled by the bright beames of Learning the Authority of the Pope began presently to faile and suffer a great diminution Therefore I exhort you againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to marke those who are sometimes of

darknesse and transported into our Church The ground as I humbly conceive of all the enormities and loose opinions amongst us is the discountenancing and discouraging of the publike ministerie and the crying downe of Churches Vox Diabolum sonat non Deum certè as if there were none other but those that are Spirituall when as we finde upon record both in the 1 Cor. 14.35 word and in ancient writers that there were materiall Churches * 1 Cor. 11.22 houses built and set apart for the publick worship of God wherein the Christians solemnly met at the least once a weeke Vid. a full and learned discourse of this in Mr. Mede's Diatribae This was the practise of the Primitive times even in the dayes of the Apostles and continued from them to us through all ages by uninterrupted successions There is a fable amongst the Mythologists of a Maiden and a Lyon who fell in love with her and she promised out of feare to yeeld to his desires on condition that she might first knock out his Teeth which he presently yeelded to and was by her immediately destroyed Thus the only aime of the Devill and his associats is not onely to pluck out the Teeth of Discipline the wall but even the Tongue of sound Doctrine which is the Heart of the Church This he now endeavours by stopping the mouths of Gods lawfull Ministers and sending out his † Jer. 29.24 Jude 8. Shemaiahs Nehelamites his dreaming Chaplaines who dream of a form of Government never thought of nor intended by Christ and having no commission to preach thrust themselves into Conventicles where they vent their dreams and propagate their phancies to the destruction of many poore well-meaning Christians Concerning the unlawfulnesse of which private meetings congregated by men who have no calling to teach and in opposition to the Vnity and Vniformity of our Nationall Church I shall now in all love and tendernesse to the Soules good of the unlearned enlarge my thoughts and deliver my opinion which I trust will be embraced by those who shall peruse this short Treatise without a partiall prejudice which like a Curtaine drawn before a window shuts out the light of Truth and keeps darkness in it harbours errours and mistakes which breed hatred and dissention The description of a Conventicle properly so called First take a Conventicle for a meeting of men and women in a private house upon the Lords day then when they should joyn with the people of God in a Church appointed for Gods publique worship and service thus to convene or meet though in times of restraint without a lawfull Minister to head that body and by enjoyn'd Prayers and Preaching to sanctifie the work is held utterly unlawfull which I shall prove both by the word of God the practice of Christ together with the authority of Fathers and interpreters of the Holy Scriptures as also by Arguments drawn from reason which commonly if not perverted is a sure guide and a good judge First then if we weigh the Truth in the ballance of the Sanctuary if we looke into the Scriptures we shall finde a flat prohibition to the contrary as Heb. 10.24,25 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good workes not forsaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the congregation as the manner of some is but let us exhort one another c. upon which place Estius a moderate and learned Interpreter hath this glosse Qui conventibus Ecclesiasticis c. Qui conventibus Ecclesiasticis per fastum superbiam sese subtrahunt proximi sunt graviori ruirae Est in loc They that withdraw themselves from the publick Congregation are in danger of an unavoidable and fearfull ruine for that thereby they make a Schisme in the Church the doing whereof is most dangerous and displeasing to God and ingender Sects so Estius on the Text whereby they doe worse by Christ then the persecuting Jewes they devide his seamelesse Coate and give an occasion to the Adversarie of rejoycing and triumphing over the Church Therefore Ignatius in his Epistles Ignat. in Ep ad Ephes Smyrnenses exhorts and that with much earnestnesse the Christians to frequent the Church to be often present and seldome absent from the Meetings of Gods people there lest that by their continued absence they fall at length from the faith having first lost their Love to God and his Saints which Love is commonly child by the cold breath of Conventicles where hatred and malice against those of a contrary judgement with Sedition is commonly hatched and fomented as hath beene found by sad experience in this sinfull Nation I might here accumulate the Testimonies of other Interpreters upon this place to confirme this Truth concerning the unlawfulnesse of Conventicles Cornelius à Lapide writes thus upon this Text much to our present purpose The Apostle saies he by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligit caetus ecclesiae conventus fidelium ad sacram synaxim ad verbum Dei precesque publicas c. i. e. He understands the meeting of the Church in publique prayer in receiving of the Holy Sacrament and to heare the word Hos ergo conventus Apostolus vult frequentari c. Therefore the Apostle would have these publick meetings frequented that so men and women may make a cleer and open profession of their Faith which is a great meanes to beget mutuall Illi publici cat●… mutui congressus mire fovent fidem charitatem quae in secessu seperatione diuturniori languessit c. Cornel. a lap love and affections in those who agree in the same faith with us By this open profession we likewise encourage and incite others to professe the same Faith to worship the same God in that manner and after that way as it is done by us who hereby shew our selves to be an example of good works And examples we know are more prevalent then words or precepts They have a greater influence upon mens practise in a way of conformity and obedience Besides the forenamed Ignatius amongst the Fathers Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact and Oecumenius interpret this Text in the same sence with à Lapide and Estius who indeed light their candle at those bright burning Tapers whom God did set up for the good of his Church to enlighten it and to direct it in the wayes of Truth And * Luke 10.16 he that despiseth them with the rest of the ancient Fathers despiseth God who sent them The second Scripture proofe against private meetings as before were defined is this Mat. 24. Mat. 24.26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beleeve it not Most of the ancient Fathers therefore now despised because they are enemies to Haeresies as Origen Augustine and others interpret this place of the private corners of Schismaticks and Haereticks