Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	damn_v	delusion_n	1,893	5	11.0930	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08023	A notable discourse of the happinesse of this our age, and of the ingratitude of men to God for his benefites: written in Latine by that godly learned man Iohn Riuius, and now Englished for the comfort, and commoditie of the vnlearned, by W.W. student..; De seculi nostri felicitate, et hominum erga Dei beneficia ingratitudine, liber. English	Rivius, Johann, 1500-1553.	1578 (1578)	STC 21064.5; ESTC S94909	108,359	160

¶ A NOTABLE discourse of the happinesse of this our age and of the ingratitude of men to God for his benefites Written in Latine by that godly learned man Iohn Riuius and now newly Englished for the comfort and commoditie of the vnlearned by W. W. Student Iohn 17. 3. This is life euerlasting that men knowe thee to be the onely verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Horat. Interdum vulgus rectum videt est vbi peccat Imprinted at London for Tobie Cooke and Philippe Eede 1578. To the Right Honorable M. Doctour Wilson one of the principall Secretaries to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie and of her Highnesse most honorable priuie Counsell W. W. wisheth increase of all godlinesse in this present life and in the life to come eternall happinesse in heauen THE wonderfull varietie and diuersitie of opinions and iudgements amongst the Philosophers concerning mans summum bonum or chiefest happinesse in this life is not vnknowne to your Honour and other learned men how that some said it did consist onely in vertue othersome in beautie othersome in honour othersome in wealth othersome and that no small summe in pleasure and some in a certeine mixture or medlie of all these It were needlesse to reckon vp in this place all their idle fansies fond dreames about this one point Howbeit I would certifie the simpler sort of this thing how that all of them erred and wandered in bywayes how that euerie seuerall sect and familie of Philosophers shot farre wide of the marke For as S. Paule testifieth They became vaine in their thoughtes and their foolish heart was full of darknesse When they professed themselues to be wise they beecame fooles We Christians that haue bene trained vp in Christes schole haue learned a better profession of our Maister and Sauiour Iesus Christ We know and are taught so to say that God maketh the wisedome of the world foolishnesse We are instructed and so we stedfastly beleeue that the onely true felicitie of this our life and the true happinesse of this our age standeth in the publishing and preaching of Christes Gospell which is to the Iewes a stumbling blocke to the Graecians foolishnesse and to the Papistes new learning but in deede the power of God to the saluation and the wisedome of God to the instruction of as many as are called both of the Iewes Graecians and Papistes This glorious Gospell of our God was first preached here on earth by our Redeemer and Sauiour Christ himselfe then after his ascension it was carried into all partes of the worlde by the Apostles and their successours with such successe that Christes spirituall kingdome was by the scepter of his worde enlarged farre and wide Which thing the deadly enimie of mankind Sathan greatly enuying knowing that the flourishing state of Christes kingdome would be the decaie and downefall of his laboured by all meanes possible to beare downe his scepter and scepter bearers by force and violence which thing he after a sorte brought to passe by raising vp the ten bloudie persecutions against the Christians vnder the ten Tyrantes or Emperours of Rome But the Diuell seeing that this his former policie would not preuaile seeing that the Christians the more they were tormented for their faith the more they grewe and multiplied deuised to deale no more by violence and bloudshed but chaunging himselfe into an Angel of light sought meanes how in time of peace he might withdrawe men by little and little from the true Religion of Christ to the counterfeit and hypocriticall religion of Antichrist This craftie counsell and pestilent practise pleased the subtile Serpent well which wrought this effect that it eclipsed and diminished the fulnesse beautifull light of Christes kingdome which was onely mainteined by the sworde of the spirit that is to say by the worde of god And because he might the more easily leade the people out of the way of trueth his purpose was wholy hitherto bent to ouerwhelme the candle vnder the bushell to darken the light of the Gospell which he brought accordingly to passe by corrupting and infecting the Priesthood with the glorious pompe and vanities of the worlde with the wanton delightes and vaine pleasures of this present life Then euen then he set Antichrist of Rome in his royall seate as his vicar and lieftenant generall there to rule and reigne as God of this world in the children of vnbeliefe bewitching them with strong delusions that they shoulde beleeue lies that all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse This is that man of sinne by which is ment not one particular man but a succession of men as by the beare in Daniel is not ment onely one King of the Persians but a succession of Kinges this I say is that man of sinne and that aduersarie that exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is god This is that wicked man whose comming is by the effectuall working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying woonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued By this meanes Sathan lulled as it were the worlde a sleepe for the space of these seuen hundred yeeres last past Now some man will maruell much how the Pope should growe to such an vnbridled authoritie as he hath gotten Surely we can assigne no other cause but this such was the will of God and such was the depth of his secrete iudgement for the contempt of his Gospell Was it not I pray you reuealed to S. Iohn that the purple whoore of Babylon shoulde make all the Kinges and Princes of the earth and the inhabitantes thereof to drinke of the golden cuppe of wine full of the abhominations and filthinesse of her fornication The verie beginning and foundation of Antichristes kingdome was laied euen in the Apostles time For S. Paule writ to the Thessalonians that the mysterie of iniquitie began then to woorke but it was then hindered by the brightnesse and puritie of doctrine receiued in the Primatiue Church Afterwardes it grewe vp by degrees and specially by three steppes First by the great errors of the heretikes in the East Church which Chrysostome doth call the armies of Antichrist Secondly by the lamentable contention and emulation amongst the Christian Bishoppes in the Orientall partes Thirdly by the superstitious deuotion for I will not call it liberall donation of Princes and Emperours For after that the wicked parricide Phocas Emperour of Constantinople had geuen the Primasie or name of vniuersall Bishop vnto Boniface the third the Popes authoritie or rather tyrannie increased excedingly Then they sought not onely to be Lordes within themselues but also to be aboue all higher powers yea aboue the

Pilgrimages instituted for religion and deuotion sake What say they else The vse of images say they is acceptable and gratefull to God and we doe well to fall downe flat before them calling vpon the Saintes whome they represent These verely are plaine and euident inough neither neede they any larger explication Let vs therefore goe on forward to the rest We must firmely and stedfastly beleeue say they that there is after this life a Purgatorie for soules departed in which is payed the punishment as yet due for sinnes Notwithstanding they may be succoured and holpen by the sacrifice of the altar by prayer by fasting by almes deedes and by other workes of the liuing as also by indulgencies that they may the sooner by that meanes be deliuered and set free from thence Now verely that appeareth plainely which I saide in the beginning what the aduersaries and enimies of the Gospell goe about namely to take quite away at once all faith all godlinesse all holinesse all religion yea the pure and sincere seruice of God finally to burie and ouerwhelme Christ him selfe the authour of mans saluation also to thrust vpon vs their owne vaine dreames the foolish fantasticall and doting deuises of men yea doctrines of Diuels as the Apostle calleth them to the end that we should herafter direct all the actions of our life by the rule and squire of the Popes will nothing at all regarding either what God willeth and commaundeth or what he prohibiteth and forbiddeth vs to doe whome the Papistes because they are flat Epicures doe neither wishe to be mercifull vnto them nor feare him when he is displeased with them But let vs render immortall thankes vnto God the eternall father of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ which hath suffered the follie and madnesse of the Papistes to be so manifested at this day that no man now can doubt any more what opinion and persuasion all of vs ought to haue of them For they are indeed deceiuers of mens mindes as S. Paule saith vnto Titus and men that turne away from the trueth yea verely as the same Apostle saith vnto Timothie men that resist the trueth as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses But they shall preuaile no longer For as the madnesse of those Magicians was then euident to all so the madnesse of the Papistes is now reuealed to all men For as they are indeed so they are also accounted of all men seducers and deceiuers the enimies of the crosse of Christ Epicures which haue their bellie for their God which minde earthly thinges which bewitch men that they may not beleeue the trueth Wherefore seeing that this madnesse of the Papistes is now manifested to all men no man can doubt but that no Christian ought to haue any societie and fellowshippe with such kinde of persons And if perhaps any man heretofore hath doubted of it let him now verely cease to stand in doubt any more knowing the impietie of their doctrine by which they labour to ouerthrow quite from the foundation our Christian Common wealth Fooles they are and mad men which with the Giants wage warre with God him selfe and hope to haue good successe in the matter seeing that it is moste truely spoken of the wise man There is no counsell nor wisdome against the lord But that I may come now at the length vnto that for which I haue spoken these thinges of the follie and madnesse of the Papistes we ought woorthily all of vs to giue as greate thankes to the immortall God as wee can either conceiue in minde or vtter in woordes for the renewing of Ecclesiasticall doctrine and for the disclosing of almost innumerable errours superstitions and vices commonly tearmed abuses Now what kinde of errours and how great haue beene heretofore in the Church if any man be ignorant of them he may with a litle labour coniecture what they are euen out of the bookes which the enimies of the Gospell haue written out of which wee haue brought foorth these few for a shew They doe not vnderstand at all what faith is what the Gospell is what absolution is finally what Christ is They teach that men ought onely to beleeue whatsoeuer the chaire of Rome hath deliuered out in tradition doth deliuer out and shall deliuer out They will haue men to make choyce of meates contrarie to the doctrine of the Apostle yea without the case of offence They doe allowe and wonderfully commend to all men inuocation vpon dead Saintes which thing commeth very neere to idolatrie They doe approue woorshipping of images Pilgrimages to holy places as to Rome to Treuirs to Compostella and such like They doe confidently affirme and hold that there is a Purgatorie from whence indulgencies and pardons may release deliuer vs And who can rehearse the whole rable of those doctrines which they teach all which are full fraught both with impietie and superstition Who hereafter will not maruell and wonder at the blindnesse of the Papistes in this so happie an age in which after most grosse mistie darkenesse of errours wherein we went all astray there is restored by the great bountifulnesse of God a certeine light vnto the world Indeede all Gods benefites bestowed vpon vs ought to excite and stirre vs vp to be thank full vnto him but yet that principall and singular benefite of God in instauring the doctrine of the Church than which there could no greater gifte be giuen to men on earth I say that onely benefite is it which of all other wee ought chiefly to maruell at which we ought moste to celebrate and for which before all thinges wee ought to be thank full And the greater the blindnesse of the enimies of the Gospell is so much the more verely doe they owe vnto the immortall God whose eyes of the mind God hath opened in this age to acknowledge and behold the trueth and veritie But in this felicitie and happinesse of our age great and incredible is the ingratitude of men to God at this day which I am constrained to confesse not without great sorrowe and griefe Of which argument and matter I haue within these fewe dayes last past compiled a booke being happely moued and stirred vp thervnto by the absurditie and impietie of a certeine writing which the enimies of the Gospell published abroade in Printe which booke of mine most deare friend I thought good to consecrate and dedicate vnto you though it be vnpolished and written Extempore and that for these two causes both for to declare my good will towardes you and also for your famous godlinesse towardes God and singular care of Christian religion which zeale and feruent affection I doe againe againe pray from my hearte vnto God that he woulde daily more and more augment and encrease in you The sonne of God our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christ keepe and preserue you with all yours safe and sounde

be suffered of vs They doe beleeue that by this meanes they are prouoked vnto repentance that they are pricked forward to prayer to request Gods ayde and assistance Therefore they studie to exercise both ther faith in prayer and inuocation and also their patience in tolerating and suffering aduersitie and ill happes For they are persuaded that calamities come not vpon men by chance but that they are sent of god And truely it is not to bee doubted but that these are punishmentes for the sinnes of mankinde And our men haue learned out of this renewed doctrine that both priuate miseries and afflictions and also publike calamities are after a sorte the voyce of the Lawe whiche stirreth men vp to the remembraunce of GODS wrath against sinners and whiche exhorteth them vnto repentance For because the Sermons whiche are preached in the Church concerning GODS iudgement doe not greately moue the obstinate and stifnecked persons therefore GOD would that both publike and priuate calamities shoulde preache vnto vs of repentaunce that so wee might studie to acknowledge our sinnes and lament and bee sorie for them For looke what Iohn Baptist in Saint Matthaewes Gospell and our Sauiour Christ in Saint Markes Gospell saith Repent and amend the very same doe all kinde of calamities seeme to cry foorth openly to witte that wee should repent to the end wee may not onely shunne and escape the temporall punishmentes of this life but also bee deliuered from eternall punishment in hell So that looke what the Lawe of GOD coulde not doe in woordes that doeth God labour to obteine by sending calamities And the greatenesse of GODS wrath against sinne which no man can expresse as it is woorthie by any force of speeche that calamities are woont to shadowe out after a sorte vnto vs how greate it is Seeing therefore as I haue shewed alreadie what ill soeuer doeth happen priuately or publikely as warre famine plague that is a signe and testimonie of Gods greate wrath against our sinnes and seeing that no man doeth easily feele the greatnesse of his wrath such is mans dulnesse and blockishnesse vnlesse GOD by this meanes stirre vs vp and admonish vs the godlie doe not onely suffer patiently and with a ioyfull minde what aduersities soeuer happen vnto them but also they giue thankes to their most gratious father so inuiting them to the amendement of their life they acknowledge and confesse their sinnes they flee vnto Gods clemencie as humble oratours and in their oraisons or prayers they first aske forgiuenesse and pardon of their sinnes secondly they craue begge of God that those euilles may bee mitigated and lenefied In the one they bequeath and committe them selues vnto Gods goodnesse in the other they permit and suffer him to deale with them according to his good will and pleasure being namely readie prepared both to doe and to suffer whatsoeuer shall seeme good vnto god They cry out in the sense and feeling of Gods wrath with Dauid Lord in thine indignation rebuke vs not neither chastise vs in thy heauie displeasure with Esaie O Lord bee not sore an angred with vs neither remember our iniquities perpetually with Ieremie Chastise vs O Lord in thy iudgement â–ª not in thy furie lest thou bring vs to nothing with Abaccuch Lorde in thine anger remember thy mercie But let vs returne to our purpose The manifold calamities whiche befall doe not hinder as I saide before why that this our age may not be passing happie Yea the godlie whome this instaured doctrine of the Church hath excited and stirred vp to the true and sincere woorshippe of GOD whome it hath brought vnto the acknowledging of the sonne of GOD our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ driuing away all darkenesse of former times and vnto whome it hath shewed the right way not onely of leading a life heere with ioy but also of departing hence out of this life with good hope the godlie I say doe set so much by this benefite giuen of God that the sorrowe and griefe whiche calamities doe cause is easily ouerwhelmed with that ioy and pleasure which they in their minde receiue and reape thence And as commonly all thinges woorke together for the best to them whiche loue God as S. Paule testifieth so afflictions miseries and calamities doe after a sorte profite the godlie to their saluation and doe fall out for the best to witte whilest they being stirred vp to the remembrance of their sinnes and feeling the wrath of God doe repent doe humbly aske forgiuenesse doe request Gods helpe and assistance doe exercise their faith by prayer and their patience by suffering aduersities whilest by that meanes that greeuous dead sleepe that faintenesse and that too much securitie which in prosperitie possesseth mens mindes is shaken off whilest so the sluggish and slouthfull minde of man is awakened and quickened with the feare of God and whilest by that meanes it is inflamed with the loue and desire of celestiall thinges So then the godlie are not onely not grieued to see them selues afflicted with many miseries but also they account it a greate benefite because they are chastened of God wholesomely and after a fatherlie fashion and what casualtie soeuer GOD bringeth vpon them they suffer it manfully and with a ioyfull minde I will not heere adde how that at all times and in all ages there were certeine fatall as it were calamities of mankinde and certeine punishmentes of the world left that any man should thinke that some new thing had happened to this our age or least that any man should defame these present times that I may vse the woordes of Orosius as more infested and annoyed with mischances and ill happes than other times were woont to haue bene because of this heauenlie doctrine renewed because we beleeue in Christ acknowledge him to be the author of mans saluation because now God is most truely woorshipped in spirit trueth For as in our time so there haue ben in all ages past many times which haue bene either greeuous by reason of warres or corrupt with diseases or sorowfull for famine or terrible for erthquakes or strange times for innundations greate floudes of waters or fearefull for breaking out of fire or cruell for blastinges thunderboltes lightninges for boysterous blowes of hailestones or else as the same Orosius saith miserable times for murders of father and mother and for all heinous villanies wickednesse that can bee which thing the Chronicles Histories and monumentes of antiquitie doe testifie God the eternall father of our Lorde deliuerer Iesus Christ who is to bee praised for euer graunt for his vnmesurable infinite mercie and for his maruellous bountie and benignitie towardes mankinde that wee may both acknowledge the felicitie and happinesse of this age and also that wee may bee most thankfully minded for that celestiall benefite in restoring to vs the doctrine of the Gospell than