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	faith_n	know_v	8,213	5	4.2899	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16596	A double summons the one, to vnfained repentance. The other, to the worthie receiuing of the Lords Supper. Deliuered in two notable sermons: made, by that worthy martyr of Christ, Iohn Bradford: who suffered in Smith-field An[n]o. Domini. 1555.; Two notable sermons	Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.; Sampson, Thomas, 1517?-1589.	1617 (1617)	STC 3503; ESTC S116484	55,784	167

know thou beleeuest it say therefore in thy heart still Domine audage mihi fidem Lord encrease my faith Lord help my vnbeliefe Blessed are they which see not by reason this but yet beleeue Beloued wee must hope aboue hope as Abraham did And thus much for a taste of the promises which are euery where not only in the new Testament but also in the Old Reade the last end of Leuiticus 26. The Prophet Esay 30. Where he saith God tarrieth looking for thee to shew thee mercy Also the 40. and so forth to the 60. Reade also 2. Kings 24. Psal 33. Ioel 2. c. Howbeit if all this will not serue if yet thou féelest no faith no certaine perswasion of Gods loue then prepare thy selfe vnto praier and diligent considering of the frée and vniuersall promises of the Gospell Thirdly set before thée those blessings which heretofore and at that present God hath giuen thée Consider how hee hath made thée a man or a woman which might haue made thée a Toade or a Dog And why did he this Verily because he loued thée And thinkest thou if hee loued thée when thou wast not to make thée such a one as he most graciously hath will he not now loue thee being his handy worke Doth he hate any thing that he made Is there vnablenesse with him Doth he loue for a day and so farewell No beloued God loueth to the end his mercy endureth for euer Say therfore with Iob. Operi manuum tuarum porrige dexteram that is To the worke of thy hands put thy helping hand Againe hath hee not made thee a Christian man or woman where if he would hee might haue made thee a Turke or Pagan This thou know'st he did of loue And doost thou thinke his loue is lessened if thou lament thy sin Is his hand shortned for helping thee Can a woman forget the child of her wombe and though she should yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord. Hee hath giuen thee limbes to see heare go c. He hath giuen thee wit reason discretion c. Hee hath long spared thee and born with thee when thou neuer purposedst to repent and now thou repenting will he not giue thee mercy Wherfore doth he grant thee to liue at this present to heare him to speake this and mee to speake this but of loue to vs all Oh therefore let vs pray him that he would add to this that wee might beleeue these loue tokens that he loueth vs and indeed he will do it Lord open our eies in thy gifts to see thy gracious goodnesse Amen But to tarry in this I will not Let euery man consider Gods benefites past and present publike and priuate spirituall and corporall to the confirming of his faith concerning the promises of the Gospel for the pardon of his sinnes I will now go about to shew you a fourth meane to confirme your faith in this euen by examples Of these there are in the Scriptures very many as also daily experience doth diuersly teach the same if we were diligent to obserue things accordingly wherfore I will be more briefe herein hauing respect to time which stealeth fast away Adam in Paradise transgressed grieuously as the painefull punishment which we all as yet féele prooueth if nothing else Though by reason of his sin he displeased God sore and ran away frō God for he would haue hid himselfe yea he would haue made God the causer of his sin in that he gaue him such a Mate so far was he from asking mercy yet all this notwithstanding GOD turned his fierce wrath neither vpon him nor Eue which also required not mercy but vpon the Serpent Sathan promising vnto them a séed Iesus Christ by whom they at the length should be deliuered In token whereof though they were cast out of Paradise for their nurture to serue in sorrow which would not serue in ioy yet hée made them apparell to couer their nakednes a visible Sacrament and token of his inuisible loue and grace concerning their soules If God was so mercifull to Adam which so sore brake his commandement and rather blamed God then asked mercy thinkest thou O man that he will not bee mercifull to thée which blamest thy selfe and desirest pardon To Cain hee offered mercy if hee would haue asked it What hast thou done saith God The voice of thy brothers bloud cryeth vnto me out of the earth O merciful Lord should Cain haue sayd I confesse it But alas he did not so and therefore said God Now that is In that thou desirest not mercy Now I say be thou accursed c. Loe to the reprobate he offered mercy and will he deny it thee which art his child Noah did he not sin and was drunk Good Lot also both in Sodome dissembled a little with the Angels prolonging the time and out of Sodome he fel very foule as did Iudas and the Patriarks against Ioseph but yet I ween they found mercy Moses Myriam Aaron though they stumbled a little yet receiued they mercy yea the people in the wildernes often sinned and displeased God so that he was purposed to haue destroyed them Let me alone saith he to Moses that I may destroy them But Moses did not let him alone for he prayed still for them and therfore God spared them If the people were spared through Moses prayer they not praying with him but rather worshipping their golden Calfe eating drinking and making iolly good cheere Beloued why shouldest thou doubt whether GOD will bee mercifull to thee hauing as indeede thou hast one much better then Moses to pray for thee and with thee euen Iesus Christ who sitteth on the right hand of his Father and prayeth for vs being no lesse faithfull in his fathers house the Church then Moses was in the Synagogue Dauid that good King had a foule foile when hee committed whoredom with his faithfull seruants wife Bethsheba wherunto he added also a mischieuous murther causing her husband his most faithfull Souldier Vria to bee slaine with an honest company of his most valiant men of warre and that with the sword of the vncircumcised In this sinne though a great while he lay asleep as many do now a dayes God giue them good waking thinking that by the Sacrifices he offered all was well God was content yet at length when the Prophet by a Parable opened the offence and brought Dauid in remembrance of his owne sin in such sort that he gaue iudgement against himselfe then quaked he his Sacrifices had no more taken away his sinnes then our Sir Iohns Trentals and wagging of his fingers ouer the heads of such as lye asleep in their sinnes out of the which when they are awaked they will see that it is neither Masse nor Mattins blessing nor cursing will serue then I say he cryed out saying Peccaui Domine I haue sinned sayth hee against my Lord and good God which hath done so much for me I caused indeed

in this Faith is so farre from the reach of mans free-will that to reason it is plaine foolishnesse Therefore thou must first goe to God whose gift it is thou must I say get thee to the Father of mercy whose worke it is that as he hath brought thee down by Contrition and humbled thee so hee would giue thee faith raise shee vp and exalt thee On this manner therefore with the Apostles and the poore man in the Gospell that cryed Lord encrease our faith Lord helpe my vnbeliefe pray thou and say O mercifull God and deare Father of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in whom as thou art well pleased so hast thou commanded vs to heare him forasmuch as he often biddeth vs to aske of thee 2. Tim. 2. and therto promiseth that thou wilt heare vs and grant vs that which in his name we shall aske of thee loe gracious Father I am bold to begge of thy mercy through thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST one sparkle of true faith and certaine perswasion of thy goodnesse and loue towards me in Christ wherethrough I being assured of the pardon of all my sinnes by the mercies of Christ thy Son may be thankfull to thee loue thee and serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life On this sort I say or otherwise as God shall moue thee pray thou first of al and look for thy request at Gods hand without any doubting though forth-with thou féelest not the same for oftentimes we haue things of GOD giuen vs long before we féele them as we would doe Now vnto this prayer vse thou these meanes following After prayer for faith which I would should be first secondly because the same springeth out of the hearing no of Masses Mattins Cannons Councels Doctours Decrées but out of the hearing of Gods word get thée Gods word but not that part which serueth specially to Contrition that is the Law but the other part which serueth specially to consolation and certaine perswasions of Gods loue towards thée that is the Gospell or publication of Gods mercie in Christ I meane the free promises But here thou must know that there are two kinds of promises one which is properly of the Lawe another of the Gospell In the promises of the Law we may indeed behold Gods mercie but so that it hangeth vpon the condition of our worthinesse as if thou loue the Lord with all thy heart c. thou shalt finde mercy This kinde of promise though it declare vnto vs Gods loue which promiseth where he néedeth not yet vnto him that féeleth not Christ which is the end of the Law they are so farre frnm comforting that vtterly with the Law they bring man to great despaire so greatly we are corrupt for none so loueth God as he ought to doe From these therfore get thee to the other promises of the Gospell in which we may see such plenty and franke liberality of Gods goodnes that we cannot but be much comforted though we haue very deeply sinned For these promises of the Gospell doe not hang on the condition of our worthinesse as the promises of the Law do but they depend and hang on Gods truth that as God is true so they cannot but be performed to al them which lay hold on them by faith I had almost said which cast them not away by vnbeliefe Marke in them therefore two things namely that as well they are free promises without any condition of our worthinesse as also that they are vniuersall offered to all all I say which are not so stubborne as to kéepe still their hands whereby they should receiue this almes in their bosoms by vnbeliefe As concerning Infants and children you know I now speak not but concerning such as be of years of discretion And now you looke that I should giue you a taste of these promises which are both frée and vniuersall except none but such as except themselues Well you shall haue one or two for a say In the 3. of Iohn saith our Sauiour So God the Father loued the world that he would giue his Dearling his own only Sonne that al that beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Loe sir he saith not that some might haue life but all saith he And what all All that loue him with all their hearts all that haue liued a godly life Nay all that beléeue in him Althogh thou hast liued a most wicked and horible life if now thou beleeue in him thou shalt be saued Is not this sweet grace Againe saith Christ Come vnto me all yee that labour and are laden and I will refresh you Let vs a litle looke one this letter Come vnto me Who should come Lords Priests Holy men Monkes Friers Yea Coblers tinkers whores theeues murtherers also if they lament their sinnes Come vnto me saith he all ye that labour and are laden that is which are afrayd of your sinnes And what wilt thou do Lord And I will refresh you saith he Oh what a thing is this And I will refresh you Wot you who spake this He that neuer told lye He is the truth there was neuer guile found in his mouth and now wil he be vntrue to thee good brother which art sorie for thy grieuous sinnes No forsooth heauen and earth shal passe and perish but his word shall neuer fayle Saint Paul saith God would haue all men saued Loe he excepteth none And to Titus The grace of God bringeth saluation to all men As from Adam all haue recieued sin to damnation so by Christ all haue grace offered to saluation if they reiect not the same I speak not now of Infants I say nor I neede not enter into the matter of Predestination In preaching of repentance I would gather where I could with Christ As surely as I liue sayth God I wil not the death of a sinner Art thou a sinner Yea Loe God sweareth he will not thy death How canst thou now perish Consider with thy selfe what profit thou shouldst haue to beleeue this to be true to others if not to thy selfe also Sathan doth so Rather consider with Peter that the promise of saluation pertaineth not only to them which are nie that is to such as are fallen a little but also to all to whom the Lord hath called bee they neuer so farre off Loe now by mee the Lord calleth thee thou man thou woman that art very farre off The promise therefore pertaineth to thee needs must thou be saued except thou with Sathan say God is false And if thou do so God is faithful cannot deny himselfe as thou shalt feele by his plagues in hell for so dishonouring God to think that he is not true Will he be found false now The matter hangeth not on thy worthinesse but it hangeth on Gods truth Clap hold on it and I warrant thee CHRIST is the propitiation for our sins yea for the sins of the whole world beleeue this man I

the Sacrament wee granting in all things héerein vnto them and they in like manner vnto vs. And therefore the lying lippes which both belye the Doctors as thogh they granted a carnall and reall presence of Christs body naturally and corporally after the Papists declaration and meaning and which belie vs also as though we denied all presence of Christ and so made it but a bare signe These lying lips the Lord will destroy if they repent not and with vs beleeue and teach the truth that the Sacrament is the foode of the Soule a matter of faith and therefore spiritually and by faith to be talked of and vnderstanded which faith they want and therfore they erre so grossely in that they would haue such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the Scriptures and to our Christian Religion whereby commeth no such commodity to the receiuer as by the Spirituall presence which wee teach and according to Gods word doe affirme For wee teach these benefits to be had by the worthy receiuing the Sacrament namely that wee abide in Christ and Christ in vs. Againe that we obtaine by it a celestiall life or a life with God moreouer that by Faith and in Spirit wee receiue not onely Christs body and blood but also whole Christ God and man Besides these we grant that by the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament we receiue remission of our sinnes and confirmation of the new Testament Last of all by worthy receiuing wee get all increase of incorporation with Christ and amongst our selues which be his members then which things what more can be desired Alas that men consider nothing at all how that the coupling of CHRISTS body and blood to the Sacrament is a spirituall thing and therefore there néeds no such carnall presence as the Papists imagine Who will deny a mans Wife to be with her Husband one body and one flesh although he be at London and shee at Yorke But the Papists are carnall men guided by carnall reason onely or else would they know how that the holy Ghost because of our infirmitie vseth metaphorically the words of abiding dwelling eating and drinking of Christ that the vnspeakeable coniunction of Christ with vs might something bee knowne God open their eyes to see it And thus much for this Now to that part of the obiection which sayth that wee teach CHRIST to bee no otherwise present in the Sacrament then in his word I would that the Obiectors would well consider what a presence of CHRIST is in his word I remember that Saint Augustine writeth how that Christs body is receiued sometime visible and sometime inuisible The visible receit he calleth that which is by the Sacrament the inuisible receite hee calleth that which by the exercise of our faith with our selues we receiue And saint Hierom in the third booke vpon Ecclesiastes affirmeth that we are fed with the body of Christ and we drinke his blood not only in mystery but also in knowledg of Scripture Wherin he plainly sheweth that the same meat is offered in the words of the Scriptures which is offered in the Sacrament so that no lesse is Christs body and bloud offered by the Scriptures then by the Sacraments Vpon the 147. Psalme hee writeth also that though these words He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood may bee vnderstood in mysterie yet he saith it is more true to take Christs body and his blood for the word of the Scriptures and the doctrine of God Yea vpon the same Psalme he saith plainely that Christs flesh and bloud is powred into our eares by hearing the word and therfore great is the perill if we yeeld to other cogitations whilst we heare it And therefore I thinke Saint Augustine saith that it is no lesse perill to heare Gods word negligently then so to vse the Sacrament But hereof may no man gather that therefore it néedeth not to receiue the Sacrament or to affirme that a man may as much by himselfe meditating the word in the field receiue Christs body as in the Church in the right vse of the Sacrament For Christ ordainth nothing in vaine or superstitiously hee ordaineth nothing whereof wee haue not neede Although his authority is such that without any questioning his ordinances are to be obeyed Againe though in the field a man may receiue Christs body by Faith in the meditation of the word yet deny I that a man doth ordinarily receiue Christs body by the only meditation of Christs death or hearing of his word with so much sight and by such sensible assurance whereof God knoweth our infirmitie hath no small need as by the receit of the Sacrament not that Christ is not so much present in his word preached as hee is in or with his Sacrament but because there are in the perception of the Sacrament more windowes open for Christ to enter into vs then by his word preached or heard For there I meane in the word he hath an entrance into our hearts but onely by the eares through the voice and sound of the words but heerein the Sacrament he hath an entrance by all our senses by our eyes by our nose by our taste and by our handling also And therefore the Sacrament full well may be called seeable sensible tasteable and touchable words As therefore when many windowes be opened in an house the more light may come in then when there is but one opened euen so by the perception of the Sacraments a Christian mans conscience hath more helpe to receiue Christ then simply by the word preached heard or meditated And therefore mee thinketh the Apostle full well calleth the Sacraments obsignations or sealings of Gods promise Read Romans the fourth of Circumcision And thus much for the answere of the obiection aforesayd Now to returne from whence wee came namely to the consideration of the second thing what the Sacrament is I haue told you that it is not simply Bread and Wine but rather Christs body so called of Christ and so to be called and esteemed of vs. But heere let vs marke what body and what blood Christ called it Christs presence in the Supper The Papists still babble This is my body This is my blood But what body it is what blood it is they shew not Looke therefore my dearely beloued on Christs owne words and you shall see that CHRIST calleth it his body broken and his blood shedde Marke I say tha Christ calleth it his body which is broken his blood which is shed presently and not which was broken or shall be broken which was shed or shall be shed as the Greeke Texts do plainely shew thereby teaching vs that as God would haue the Passeouer called not which was the Passeouer or shall be the Passeouer but plainely the Passeouer to the end that in the vse of it the passing ouer of the striking Angell should be set before their eyes as present so in the celebration of the Lords Supper the