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	salvation_n	1,631	5	6.7824	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47283	Ichabod: or, Five groans of the church: Prudently foreseeing, and passionately bewailing her second fall: Threatened by these five dangerous, though undiscerned, miscarriages that caused her first: Viz. [bracket] 1. Undue ordination, 2. Loose prophaness, 3. Unconscionable symony, 4. Careless non-residence, 5. Encroaching pluralities. Humbly presented to her supreme head and governour, the kings most excellent majesty, and his great council, the Parliament of England.; Ichabod.	Ken, Thomas, 1637-1711.	1663 (1663)	Wing K264A; ESTC R22531	49,473	66

Constitution for many happy years or if you will believe all men in England who have by oaths and Subscriptions by Vows and Protestations resolved to maintain the Protestant Religion as it was established in the Church of England who despair any where to find the way of truth and peace of holiness and happiness but in the use of those holy means and in the exercise of those divine graces which accompany salvation within me pro●essed and enjoyed I know nothing excellent in any Church for outward policy inward tranquillity and eternal felicity nothing that was pious or peaceable moral or vertuous ritual or spiritual orderly or comely or any way conducing to truth and holiness to grace or vertue to the souls edification and comfort which was not by me entertained with competent Maintenance noble Encouragements ingenious Honours peac●able Serenity and munificent plenty In which I flourished so many years by Gods gooduesse and mans indulgence Alas whatever I have done in the settlements of the Rites Circumstances and Decencies of Religion I have observed that modesty wisdom and humility that became a Church of Christ in discreetly and ingeniously comp●ying with sober primitive and venerable An●iq●ity in the Church as far as it observed the Rules of Gods Word and went not beyond the liberty allowed it in point of Order and Decency O you are too knowing to be ignorant and too ingenious to be insensible of your duty to God and your respect to me who was hereto●ore so much loved by my Children applauded by my Friends reverenced by my Neighbours feared and envyed by mine Enemies for those spiritual Gifts Ministerial Devotional and Practical which were evidently seen in me those heavely influences which people received from me those gr●cious examples and frequent good works set ●orth by me the blessed experiences men enjoyed within me the charitable simplicities exercised by my members the numerous Assemblies the frequent Devotions the reverent Attentions the unanimous Communions the well-grounded hopes and unspeakable comforts which thousands enjoyed both living and dying in obedience to and communion with me which to impartial men were most impregnant evidences and valid demonstrations of true Religion and a true Church setled by the joynt consent and publick piety of a Christian Nation He was a wise holy and reverend Son of my bosome who said That in the greatest maturity of his Iudgment and integrity of his Conscience when most redeemed from juvenile Fervours popular Fallacies vulgar Partialities and secular Flatteries be declared to the present Age and Posterity that since be was capable to move in so serious a search and weighty a disquisition as that of Religion is as his greatest design was through Gods grace to find out and persevere in such a profession of Christian Religion as hath most of truth and order of power and peace of holiness and solemnity of divine verity and Catholi●k antiquity of true charity and holy constancy So he could not apart from all prejudices and prepossessions find in any other Church or Church-way ancient or modern either more of the good he desired or less of the evil he would avoid then he had a long time disc●rned and upon a stricter scrutiny more and more in the frame and ●or● in the Constitution and Dispensation of the Church of England No where saith he diviner Mysteries no where sounder Doctrinals bolier Morals warmer Devotionals apter Rituals or comlier Ceremonials All which together by a meet and happy concurrence of piety and prudence brought forth such Spirituals and Graces both in their Habits Exercises and Comforts as are the Quintessence and Life the Soul and Seal of true Religion those more immediate and special Influences of Gods holy Spirit upon the Soul those joynt Operations of the blessed Trinity for the Iustification Sanctification and Salvation of a Sinner 1. Can you blame my Government that ancient and Catholick Government of godly Bishops which is so agreeable to Right Reason so suitable to the Principles of due Order and Policy among men so consonant to Scripture-wisdome both in Rules and Patterns so conforme to the Catholick and Primitive way of all Christian Churches throughout all Ages and in all places of the world Would you have me against all charity modesty humility or equity to fall away from the Apostolical way of all Famous Churches and religious Christians to cast off the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec concili●s in titutum sed semper retentum non nist authoritate Apo●tolica institutum the Apostolici seminis traduces Episcopos that universam sucessionem Episcoporum those successiones ab initis decurrentium Episcoporum that ordinem Episcoporum qui in Iohannem stat Authorem that toto orbe de●retum Shall I not enquire of the former Age and prepare my self to the search of my Fathers for I am but of yesterday and nothing Shall not they teach me and tell me and utter words out of their hearts Shall not I stand in the way and ask for the old way which is the good way and walk therein Would you have me give offence to the whole Christian world which either is or wo●ld be governmed by Bishops as the most Apostolick Primitive and Universal Way Would you have me disown the right succession of the power Ministerial conferred by Episcopal hands unto this day Shall the Jewish Church have the Heads of their Tribes as Bishops and Rulers over their Brethren the Priests and Levites and the Christian Church in imitation of them as in other particulars so in this have their Ap stles Evangelists their Pastors and Teachers without reproach and may no●● O it is certai● e●that what is once well done in a regular publick way is ever after done as to the permanency of that vertue that is alwayes in a great and good example ple shall I lay aside Primitive right Episcopacy which hath s●ch grounds from Scripture both as to the divine wisdom so ordering his ●hurch among the Jews as also by the examPrecept and Direction evident from 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Ap●stles in the New Testament who preferred worthy pe●sons for their Piety Zeal and holy Gravity to exercise a christian authority over Ministers and people for their souls good which might consist with charity and humility for the pres●rvation of the Churches peace and purity in the best and primitive times ● such grave persons as for their Age were Fathers for their innocency Saints for industry Labourers for constancy Confessors for zeal Martyrs for charity Brethren for their light Angels and venerable for all Excellencies And I own no other Bishops but such in whom are remarkable the vertues of the most ancient and imitable Bishops the industry of St Austin the Courage of St. Ambrose t●e Devotion of St. Greg●ry the Learning of Nazianzen the Eloq●ence of St. Chryso●tome the Mildness of St. Cyprian the Love of St. Ignatius the Constancy of St. Polycarp the

converted ten thousand Ministers with one glance of his eye Ah blessed Hammond thou didst write rationallie excellent Gauden thou didst perswade powerfullie devout Taylor thou didst urge patheticallie honest Nicholson thou didst answer satisfactorilie solid Sanderson thou didst 〈◊〉 clearly holy Vsher and Hall you did offer moderatelie heartily and learnedly But who O ye worthies believed your report who would hear you who was convinced by you The King is restored I flourish and dispose of all Preferments and my Converts are innumerable Well I have but two Wishes the first is That all who have gone astray may be reclaimed to the way of truth the second is That all who are reclaimed may be reclaimed from mature deliberation and a serious consideration of all that can be alleadged on all hands trying all things and upon good grounds holding fast that which is good Give me the men who conform upon the conscience of my principles and not upon the prosperity of my Cause who can neglect the most successful errour and own the most afflicted truth who are settled upon my principles which are constant and not upon my preferments which are uncertain Is it the Kings Majesties favour they depend upon he may fail Is it the Church-Government they depend upon that may fail Is it Church-encouragement they stick to that may fail Is it the ancient Truth and Faith they comply with that hath never failed and that will never fail Give me Ministers who as they preach so live upon the things which are not seen and not the things which are seen the things which are seen are temporal the things which are not seen eternal And must I have a Samaritan of Religion serve the true God in the Temple and the Calves at Bethel Must I have a sound form of words in the Desk and an extempory effusion in the Pulpit must I have the same man read Episcopally to walls and preach factiously to a throng use the Ceremonies and say to his confidents They are a burden to him use the Surplice yet unwilling to give offence use the Crosse in B●ptism yet say I wish it were forborn Well I shall never forget the words of a wise and judicious Father now with God They themselves meaning the Non conformists when time was seemed to be and if they dissembled not which we are unwilling to believe were indeed reasonable well affected for they submitted to Government used the ●●t●rgie and observed the Ceremonies appointed according to Law and order and gave their own professed approbation of the same as well by express words from their mouths as by subscription under their hands yet remaining upon record what hath wrought this change in them evidence of reason or worldly interest and how f●r it hath wrought upon them in reality or but in complyance and in what order too by immediate assault upon their judgment or by dealin● under hand first with their affection themselves do or should best know It highly conce●neth them as much as the peace of their consciences are worth and much more then so to be well assured that their hearts are upright in this affair and in order thereunto not to content themselves with slight and overly examination there is more wickedness and deceitfulness in the hearts of all men then most men are aware of but to make the more diligent distr●ct and impartiall search possible into the true Causes and Motives of this Change and for so much as fears and hopes have been ever found the fittest engines to work such seats to enquire particularly what influence or opperation either the fear of loosing what they had or the hope of getting more might have in this work towards the producing such an effect ●t will best become others to judge as charitably as they may but doubtlesse it will be safest for them to be very jealous over themselves lest so great a Change could not have been wrought in so short a space without a strong infusion of the one or of the other or both into the Medicine that wrought it especially since the conjuncture of time wherein this change happened may very probably raise some suspition that a visible hope and advantage had some co-operation at lest with whatsoever was the principal cause of this so sudden an alteration If not so nor so but that they find themselves clearly convinced in their judgements of their former errour and that they are fully perswaded that they are now in a better way then that wherein they formerly walked it is happy for them and I doubt not but that they will fi●de matter of rejoycing in it if they be not mistaken a thing not impossible in the tryal of their own hearts O that I had men that in the change of times were unchangeable in their mind and opinion and to hold to their former and well-grounded Principle so long as they can neither apprehend any reason of sufficient strength to convince 〈◊〉 understandings that they are in the wrong or to mainfest unto them the necessity of making such a change CHAP. II. The Church of England's resentment of Scandalous Profanenesse OH you my Sons why doe you these things for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people Oh Sirs m● God above looks upon you and is provoked t●e ble●●ed Angels see you their fellow-servants for you are a spectacle to God and Angels and are grieved wicked men observe you and blaspheme God good men behold you and are ashamed Is it for this that you are delivered that you may work wickednesse Hath God punished you and will you yet sin more and more Will not twelve years sufferings reform will not twenty years reproaches awake you will not miracles of judgement decer you from evil will not miracles of mercy oblige you to good Oh despise you the riches of Gods goodness towards you not knowing that the goodness of God should lead you to repentance But after your hardnesse and impenitency of heart will you treasure up more wrath against another day of wrath Is this the return you make to a gracious God to dishonour him Is this your kindnesse to me to undoe me Is this your gratitude for the publick favours of King and Parliament to be utterly unworthy Religion hath honoured you with a high Calling you betray it Your Prince vouchsafed you Royal Favours you shame him Honest people afford you their pity and compassion you deceive them Is this your kindness to your friends I saw indeed the late scandalous Centuries but I neglected them as slanders and calumnies I heard the late complaints and outcries but slighted them as I do envy malice and hatred Dreadful things were daily suggested against you great things were daily offered for you the Faction reviled the Orthodox maintained you sober men writ for you but now you confute them holy men excused you but you contradict them good and great men spoke for you but who will now believe them Must you

ICHABOD OR FIVE Groans of the CHURCH Prudently Foreseeing and passionately Bewailing Her Second Fall Threatned by these five dangerous though undiscerned miscarriages that caused her First Viz. 1. Undue ORDINATION 2. Loose PROPHANESS 3. Unconscionable SYMONY 4. Careless NON-RESIDENCE 5. Encroaching PLVRALITIES Humbly presented to her supreme Head and Governour The Kings most excellent MAIESTY and His great Council the PARLIAMENT of ENGLAND The Church of England Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die Rev. 3. 2. Cambridge Printed for I. Greaves 1663. ICHABOD OR The Five Groans of the Church CHAP. 1. O All you that pass by me stand and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow if it hath been done to any Reformed or Protestant Church under Heaven as it is done unto me O now my wounds were ready to be closed my Ruines to be repaired my Desolations and Wastes to be finished when the Barbarous was checked the Licentious was restrained the usurpers were removed the professed Enemies of different Interests and Religion which persecuted me were subdued and I ready to settle upon the Eternal Foundations of sound Doctrine of Primitive Government of an holy and pure Worship of a decent and comely order to the amazement of the World to the honour of Religion to the glory of God to the peace of the whole Earth and for good will among men behold my children are discontent my Government is complained of my Ordinances are neglected my Ministers are despised my peace is disturbed and my safety endangered Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth What could I have done that I have not done Have I not taught the truth of God sincerely giving Milk to babes and stronger meat to them that were able to bear it and the Oracles of God to all in a Language they best understood Have I concealed any part of Gods sacred Counsell from you Have I not set forth with all plainness and freedome the blessed fulness and excellencies of my Lord Jesus Christ in such a manner and measure as I received from the Word and Spirit Have I not administ●ed all the Ordinances of God faithfully Have I not enjoyned and taught all vertue and all grace carefull reconmending to my Children whatsoever things are good whatsoever things are true ●hatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are l●vely whatsoever things are of good report every holy Du●y every necessary Rule and every immitable Example with all the Advantages of sound Knowledge powerfull ●reaching which at once was able to inform the weak to reclaim the most erroneous to reform the most debauched to satissie the most curious and to silence the most refractory Have I not prepared with much study and industry with many prayers and tears with long education and di●igent care Reverend Bishops Orderly Presbyters able Ministers workmen that need not be ashamed duly ordained and called after an uninterrupted and Catholick succession through all Ages agreeable to that original institution which was from Jesus Christ the great High Priest the true Prophet the soveraign King of the Church the chief preacher of righteousnesse and Bishop of our souls Have I not I say taken an holy care of a succession of Ministers about holy things who might divide the Word aright by solid preaching mi●ht wait upon God solemnly by a devout and discreet Praying might convince Gain-sayers by acute Disputing might instruct the world by exact Writing might maintain peace and order by wise Governing might reform the world by holy living Hath it not been my care and endeavour to keep up the soundness power and life of Christian Religion Have not I laboured that my good people might every where have what is necessary and wholesome for their souls good in devout Prayers in holy Sacraments in powerful Sermons whereby I desired God knoweth to preserve wholesome and saving truth to promote true holiness to set up an holy decency to maintaine the wholesome form and power of godliness in truth peace order and unity Have not I held forth an holy Light Rule and Life in the plain parts of Scripture every where read in the Articles every where acknowledged in the Creeds and Catichism every year explained in the Liturgy constantly used whereby poor souls had a plain easie and sure way to Heaven through an un●eigned Faith sincere Repentance a Catholick Charity a devout humility a good conscience and an holy obedience to God and man according to the will of God unto all well pleasing Doe not I take care to instruct the ignorant diligentl● to comfort the weak hearted tenderly to raise up them that fall compassionately to visit those that are sick charitably to relieve those that want mercifully to bury my dead that sleep in Jesus solemnly to punish those that doe amisse severely to restore them that have gone astray pitifully to instruct them that oppose themselves meekly to frame a way of Peace Order and Communion in which Brethren might happily dwell together in unity prudently rationally and discreetly O what failings of mine then have occasioned these impatient murmers which I hear What faults of mine have raised those bitter reproaches which I bear What enormities of mine have provoked those imminent dangers which I fear O why is it that ye who own my Saviour who have submitted to my Doctrine as your Rule who have par●aked of my Sacrament as your refreshment and comfort O why is it that ye hate and dispise me that ye strip and wound me that ye tear and mangle me that ye impoverish and debase me that ye make me a scorn an abomination an hissing and astonishment to all that see me a derision and a mocking to my enemies round about me Alas all men of weight and worth for parts and piety for judgement and ingenuity for conscience and integrity for grace learning and renown know my innocency thus far that as to the foundation of Faith and Rule of holiness I have only adheared to Gods blessed Word as for the Circumstances and Ce●emonies of Religion I use in them prudently and charitably that liberty and power which I suppose is allowed here for peace order and decency by that blessed God who is not the Author of Confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints If we may believe the integrity of those Reformers that setled this Church whose learning worth and piety hath been confirmed by the testimony of so many wise and religious Princes by the approbation of so many learned and reverend Convocations by the applauses of so many other reformed Churches if we may believe the preaching living and dying of so many hundred excellent Bishops and Ministers or the Prayers and proficiencies of so many thousand of godly Christians or if we may believe the wonderfull blessings and special graces of a mercifull God attesting the verity integrity and sanctity of my Christian