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	know_v	love_n	1,929	5	5.1685	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41779	A friendly epistle to the bishops and ministers of the Church of England for plain truth and sound peace between the pious Protestants of the Church of England and those of the baptised believers written with the advice of divers pastors and brethren of the baptised congregations, by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1680 (1680)	Wing G1534; ESTC R10561	15,630	42

they omitted 2. Our second Motive shall respect the 39 Articles of the Church of England in which if a few things which are not of the substance of the Christian Religion were explained or amended it were a very easie thing for the Church of England and the Baptised Believers in this Nation to compose their differences in point of Doctrine and Faith as touching the Basis or foundation of the Christian Religion And to the intent that Unity may be herein attained between us we shall humbly beg leave with plainness to shew when we offer our Proposals the Particulars whereof we are doubtful in some of the said Articles Our third Motive to seek for Concord with the pious Protestant is the contents of that remarkable Letter long since sent to Mr. J. Tombes B. D. upon occasion of his learned Disputations concerning the Restauration of holy Baptism to its primitive use and written by that Reverend Man Dr. Barlow now Lord Bishop of Lincoln which verbatim is as followeth I am a friend to your person whom I have known though unknown to you this 31 years and to your opinion too as to the main of it for I believe and know that there is neither Precept nor Practice in Scripture for Paedobaptism nor any just Evidence for it for about two hundred years after Christ The first who bears witness to Infant Baptism practised in the Church is Tertullian but so as he expresly dislikes and condemns it as an unwarrantable and irrational Custome And Nazianzen a good while after him in his Oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dislikes it too and would not have Infants brought to Baptism till they were of some age and able to answer for themselves Sure I am that in the primitive times they were first to be Catechumeni and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illuminati or Baptizati and this not only Children of Pagans or Pagans converted but Children of Christian Parents Nazianzen though a Bishop's Son being not baptized till he was about 30 years of age as appears in his life and the like is evident of some others The Truth is Infant Baptism did how or by whom I know not come in in the second Century and in the 3d and 4th began to be practised though not generally and defended as lawful from that Text grosly misunderstood Joh. 3. 5. Vpon the like gross mistake of Joh. 6. 53. they did for many Centuries both in the Greek and Latin Church communicate Infants and give them the Lord's Supper and I confess they might do both as well as either but altho they baptized some Infants and thought it lawful so to do yet Austin was the first that ever said it was necessary inde durus pater Infantum I have seen what my learned and worthy Friend Dr. Hammond Mr. Baxter and others say in defence of it and I confess I wonder not a little that men of such great parts should say so much to so little purpose for I have not yet seen any thing like an Argument for it And not only this Letter but many other Testimonies which are found in the Writings of learned Protestants to the same purpose as hath bin shewn by diverse hands in our Books now extant do greatly perswade us to hope that the Controversies about Baptism draws towards an end and were this point well agreed many other things would be therewith so moderated as that we should by Gods help approach that Blessing to have one Heart and one Way 4. Our fourth Motive is taken from that great dread which seems to be at present upon this Land of the encroachment of Popery but what is in this God knoweth nor shall we concern our selves with secrets And seeing it is rational to believe that nothing shall sooner bring such Fears and heavy Judgments upon us than our own Dissentions and Divisions in which there is too much dissenting from the Truth therefore do we the more earnestly desire to dispose our minds to unite in Truth and Charity with all such as love God and their Neighbour and walk according to the general rules of Christianity resolving to bear what with a good Conscience may be born for Peacesake in the Truth in which we shall upon a friendly and free Debate be agreed Our last and principal Motive is That hereby God shall be glorified in the furtherance of a Faithful and Impartial Reformation of Life and Religion when we who have had so great a share in contending one against another shall after a Christian and Manly sort cease our conflicts each with other by stooping to what of sincere Truth hath appeared in our Disputes and not leave our Divisions Hereditary to our Posterity but rather a pious Example of our Charity to be by them pursued For seeing it is a rational presumption that there hath bin said what well can be said on both sides what then remains but that we bend our minds to cease our strife by such a Christian Compliance as may justly render us willing to be overcome by Truth on both parts where the matter shall require it And herein let none so much consult his own glory as the good of Christians in general as it is written Let no Man seek his own but every Man anothers wealth And again let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to Edification And let that Christian speech of Clement come to mind and conclude this Preface Is there any one then saith he that is bravely spirited among you Is there any one that hath compassion Doth any one abound with Charity Let him say If this Contention Sedition or Schism be for me or by my means I will depart I will go my ways whithersoever you please I will do what the rest commands Only let the Sheepfold of Christ enjoy peace with the Elders which God hath placed over it He that shall do this shall purchase to himself great Glory in the Lord and every place shall receive him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayer to God for his Blessing upon this present endeavour for Concord amongst Dissenting Christians O Most Mighty most Holy and most Gracious God! What are we that we should speak unto Thee the God of Heaven and Earth We beseech thee pardon our unworthiness and for the sake of Christ our Saviour hear this Prayer which in his Name we do with our whole Heart pour out before thy Majesty O Lord in thy Fatherly Compassion behold the sad Divisions which have befallen the Christian People throughout the whole World And seeing nothing is too hard for Thee Graciously be pleased to move upon the Hearts of all sober and Heavenly-minded Christians however differing in some Points concerning the Christian Profession and so work by thy Spirit of Power Love and Wisdom that they may be so united in Brotherly Affection as speedily to consider one another in Love And to have compassion one of another under their unhappy differences in Opinion O destroy the