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	delusion_n	unrighteousness_n	1,978	5	11.2673	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03464	The Christian exercise of fasting, priuate and publike plainly set forth by testimonies of holy Scriptures, and also of old and late writers: wherein is shewed how religious families priuatly, and the congregations publikely, haue humbled themselues before almightie God, making vse of iudgements past, auoyding euils present, and preuenting future calamities, &c. Together with sundrie abuses of fasting in three generations of hypocrites: the first in the dayes of the prophets: the second in the dayes of Christ: the third in the dayes of Antichrist. Hereunto also are added some meditations on the 1. and 2. chapters of Iob, to comfort and instruct all such as be afflicted with any crosse, either inwardly in minde, or outwardly in bodie. By H. Holland, minister and preacher of Gods word.	Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.	1596 (1596)	STC 13586; ESTC S104147	181,008	249

to touch his person when therefore all our blessings are taken away from vs let vs not despaire or be broken with sorrowe or fall away from the liuing God for he fatherly regardeth vs and careth for vs what changes soeuer bee vpon vs yet his loue is neuer changed The blessings of this life how often are they taken away from the best beloued children we see and yet the heauenly fathers loue neuer changed Wherefore let vs sleepe in our fathers bosome howsoeuer things present faile vs. Iacob slept at ease in the cold night in the fieldes and had but a stone vnder his head for his boulster Gene. 28.11 Elias counted himselfe well dieted with a cake bakte on the coales and a pot of water 1. King 19.6 Iohn was poorely apparelled with camels haire and nourished with locustes and wilde hony Matth. 3.4 The Apostles how are they satisfied with barlie bread two or three fishes broyled on coales with a little water Daniel and his companions were fed with hearbes and Iesus Christ the Lorde himselfe had not where to rest his head and yet all these did liue by faith and fainted not when outwarde meanes failed them 3. We be taught how the Lord in afflictions hath a speciall eye to our strength 1. Cor. 10.13 he first beginneth with Iobs substance and externall things thereby to exercise his faith and patience before he comes vpon him with greater assaultes against his person And out of all doubt Iob was of exceeding grace and strength as after shall appeare that could so patiently beare all such crosses This manner of proceeding wee see in the Apostles first We be impatient in light afflictions The Lord proceeds with vs according to our strength by degrees the Lord bridled the rage of their enemies Feare came on euery soule Act. 2.43 Secondly Sathan had authoritie to cast them into prison Reuel 2.10 but not yet to goe beyond menacings and threates Acts 4.18 After all this Sathan receiues yet from the Lord greater libertie euen to murder and to shed the bloud of Gods saintes as of Stephen Acts 7. first and of Iames after and so of many thousands in that age and in the ages following as the stories of the Church haue well and truly recorded look as god dealeth or giueth vs of his owne strength so doth he exercise vs with temptations which thing we are sure is not against our profite albeit otherwhiles the Lorde himselfe only knoweth wherefore he tryeth vs. Thus the Lord worketh where he giueth greatest graces for like as a man can neuer shew such workmāship in a little shop as in a large and great one where he may haue stuffe store of workmen c. euen so the Lord in his great works in Abraham and Iob and the like The Lord tryed them to the vttermost to the ende that when wee compare our selues with them we maybe ashamed seeing we be not able to suffer any affliction be it neuer so light 4. There is great difference between this commission against Iob and that which was granted against Achab. Wherein or in how many poynts the diuels cōmission against Iob and Achab do differ There the prophet seeth the Lorde to sitte as it were in a chayre of estate and to speake first himselfe Where shall J find a lying spirit to goe and deceiue Achab So the Lord calleth for a fit instrument to execute iust vengeance vpon that hypocrite First there we see then when the Lord meaneth to punish the wicked he doth not expect sathans motiues and perswasions but preuenteth him But when hee tryeth his children hee permitteth Sathan first to accuse them for therein the deuil wearieth himselfe Secondly note another difference betweene Iob and Achab The Lorde there calleth for a spirite of delusion to fill Achabs soule with errors It is a faire greater plague for a man to be blind and ignorant in his soule to be full of error an fidelitie as Achab and Diues was and papists thē to bee full of botches boyls in his body as Lazarus and Iob were and so to plague him spiritually Who sayth the Lord shall entise Achab or perswade and deceiue Achab A wicked spirit answered I will entise him I will goe and be a false spirite in the mouth of all his prophets There is no plague or iudgement sent from God and executed vpon men so dangerous as these spirituall illusions whereby vnconstant and vnbeleeuing hearts and minds are caryed away by vncleane spirits This plague is threatned for the long contempt and abuse of Gods holy truth Because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might bee saued therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that all they might be damned which beleeue not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes If such as despise the pure light of nature bee giuen ouer to Sathans effectuall working to bee confounded and amazed Rom. 1.28 How much more they which despise that bright shining grace which bringeth saluation see Tit. 2.11 Hebr. 2.5 Ephes 4.18.19 These bee the steps vnto the reprobate sense threatned so often vnto sinners for the contempt of Gods holy trueth And thus fearefully was Sathan sent against Achab to plague him in his soule but here is no such thing granted vnto the wicked spirite against holy Iob. Let Sathan deuour all our substance if God so please yet if the Lorde keepe our persons in peace let vs lifte vp pure hearts and hands to be thankfull vnto the almighty for his most gracious clemencie Pray alwaies heartely against illusions of Sathan as did Agur Remoue from me vanitie and lies Pro 30.8 2. Chro. 21.1 2. Sam. 11. Luke 22. And if Sathan haue libertie to proceed against our bodies yet if the Lord keep our soules that we bee not spiritually plagued and dulled by his suggestions we shall through Christ giue Sathan the foyle in the ende Question But Sathan smites also sometimes the faithfull in their soules and minds as well as in body goods Answ No doubt they are humbled often by wicked spirites sent purposely from the Lorde to shake and buffet them lest they swel with any spirituall pride For this cause the Apostle was spiritually exercised by Sathan the messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet him sayth he lest hee should glory in himselfe or be exalted and this messenger he calles a pricke in the flesh whereby I vnderstand all the galles greefes and prickes in soule and minde 2. Cor. 12.7 Num. 33.55 Iudg. 2.3 which Sathan gaue the holy Apostle by reproches wants persecutions and other greeuances in the worlde for so hee seemeth to expound himselfe in the 10. verse following 5. Let vs learne here by this wicked spirite to be diligent in our seuerall functions his paine is great hee is restlesse to doe euill so let vs with all sedulitie striue to doe all the good wee can The good father Latimer was wont

the citie ascribe this great victorie to their fasting But to passe by these Pagans and to come vnto the Church for this corruption crept also into it euen from the beginning Esay 58. Zach. 7. ca. 8. Philo. Ioseph In the dayes of the Prophets it was thought a seruice which might highly commend a man with God In the dayes of Christ the Essees and Pharisees did farre exceede the former ages in the abuse of fasting And to come vnto the Gospel Superstition in time did so gather strength where light was quenched that all the pure worship of God was at last quite thrust out of Church doores The yeare of Christ 220. Anno. 220. the Montanists began to be very superstitious in the abuse of fasting and to set vp wil-worship as appeares with Tertullian in a whole treatise of fasting for herein he doth Montanize daungerously Tertul. de ●iunio for following their very words and phrases he sayth Fasting is a meanes to purge vs from sinne and death an expiation and satisfaction for sinne and a meanes to reconcile vs vnto God Anno. 280. August contrae Faustum lib. 6. cap. 5. lib. 30. cap. 5. Anno. 360. After these the Manichees followed commanding and teaching men to abstaine from all flesh egges wine c. Then were spread abroade into many parts of the world the monasticall lawes and rites of fasting which first began in Egypt and from thence came into Syria and by meanes of Eustathius crept into Armenia afterwards by Basill into Greece Basil Nazianzen did weaken them selues to much with fasting and of Ambrose into Italy About this time Basill began to exhort mightily vnto fasting and yet were no lawes made to binde consciences But Epiphanius anon after made Bishop of Cyprus began not onely to exhort but also to commande lawes and the times of fasting c. as constitutions and traditions apostolicall cleane contrary to the doctrine custome and libertie of the old Church Sociates story is to be noted as appeareth with Socrates lib. 5. cap. 21. For there was no Scripture or lawe written by the Apostles sayth Socrates concerning fasting And Chrysostome counts fasting a thing indifferent Chrysostom homil 4. ad populum Antioch his very words are these Sunt quidam ciborum inter se c. Many striue about meates so let vs striue and endeuour to take away this custome of swearing sayth he and these wicked othes which men rap out so thicke amongst vs. This is better then all fasting The care and time wee spend about abstinence from meates let vs spend in learning and labouring to abstaine from swearing For it is madnes sayth he lightly to regard things forbidden and to striue about things Ieiunium est ad●aphoron Nos concessis abstinentes prohibita audemus indifferēt We be not forbidden to eate but we be to sweare c. If the holy writers had well considered those words of the Apostle Chrysost homil in Math. 47. ie●untum in choro virtutū extremū certe sortitur locum bodily labour profits little but pietie is profitable vnto all things they would not so lightly haue fallen into those high and hyperbolicall commendations of fasting which afterwards gaue such occasion to Antichrist to abuse this exercise in the Church of God For when the man of sinne came to sit as generall and vniuersall Bishop in the seate of pestilence then were strong lawes made to binde consciences The Popes schoolemen did preach and write that fasting was a worke to purchase and merite grace August complaineth much against the like in his time Epist 119. what would he haue done if he had seene the the ages folowing pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God and a speciall worke to purchase heauen marueilous effectuall and profitable for the quicke and dead I speake their owne words as after shall appeare Thus then thou seest Christian reader what an argument this is which I vndertake to commend vnto the Church of God I know it requires more strength and time then I haue or can haue any Notwithstanding I was thus moued and imboldened to publish this small treatise First for that I finde but few to haue done any thing in this manner in english of this argument I haue written therefore that the ignorant might better know and more practise fasting trusting that the Lord will in time supply what here is wanting Next my desire is to stirre vp the faithfull people of God because of some dangers threatned these times against vs by prayer and fasting to begge a generall pardon of sins and christian courage for prince and people and our whole armie to fight the Lords battels And to stop the mouthes of Machiuelists Com. lib. 2. cap. 2. Ier. 38 4. 2. Thes 2.11 which are not ashamed to say that preaching prayer and fasting be meanes to cast downe discourage and to make a people faint hearted And this doe fooles beleeue because they neither beleeue nor loue the trueth But the spirit of God speaketh the contrary testifying vnto vs of the courage and good successe of Ioshua Dauid Iehoshaphat Ezra Nehemias after prayer and fasting Lastly I was moued hereunto by the spitefull speeches and writings of our common aduersaries who falsely accusing our profession cry in the eares of the simple and publish in their bookes that wee count Rhems T. Acts. 13. cap. annot Num. 3. fasting but a morall and Christian temperance That fasting is a matter of policie we neuer held but that abstinēce from fleshe may be commanded for policies sake we confesse a fasting from sinne c. And yet a more manifest calumniation Luke cap. 2. Rhe. T. annot Num. 17. The heretikes count fasting say they but a matter of policie To answer these accusers First I say vpon mature and deliberat consideration and for good policie doe the lawes of this kingdome commende an abstinence from flesh for some dayes in the weeke c. For maintenance of nauigation for breeding and increase of cattell 5. Eliz. cap. 5 title certaine politique constitutions made for maintenance of the nauie and that the trade of fishing and fish markets might be continued in our land as by the very words of the statute may appeare Be it further enacted by the authoritie aforesayd for the benefit and commodities of this Realme to grow aswel in maintenance of the Nauie as in sparing and increase of flesh victuall in this realme c. that it shall not bee lawfull for any person or persons within this realme to eate any flesh vpon any dayes now vsually obserued as fish dayes vpon paine that euery person offending herein shall forfeite 3. pounds for euery time he or they shall offend or els suffer 3. moneths close imprisonment without baile or mainprise To this order is yet further added a good caution as followeth And because no manner of person shall misiudge of the intent of this statute limiting orders to eate fish and to forbeare eating of flesh but that the same is purposely