Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
truth_n body_n spirit_n worship_v 2,550 5 9.5500 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A72059 The confession and publike recantation of thirteene learned personages, lately conuerted in France, Germanie, and the Lowe-Countreys, from poperie, to the Churches reformed wherein they haue zealously and learnedly set dovvne the reasons that moued them therevnto. The names and degrees of the conuerts. 1. Godefrid Rabin ... 2. Simon Palory ... 3. Iohn Colleij ... 4. Melchior Roman ... 5. Iohn Norman ... 6. Father Abraham ... 7. Antony Ginestet ... 8. Signeur Lewis ... 9. Father Edmon ... 10. Leonard Theuenot ... 11. Sir Francis ... 12. Francis Goupil Angeuin ... 13. Lewys du Boys ... Translated out of the French and Dutch printed copies, by I.M.; Eight learned personages lately converted (in the realme of France) from papistrie, to the Churches reformed. W. B., fl. 1601.; J. M., fl. 1602. 1602 (1602) STC 1074.5; STC 20598; ESTC S115544 99,696 118

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

that they are thus hardely dealt withall contrary to all reason and equitye of conscience In some of them I haue found true simplicity ioyned with modesty the sweetenesse of their demeanure and manye other vertues which are the true notes and infallible effects of a right Christian by meanes wherof I am not nor ought to giue any credit to the detractions or vncharitable speeches of the world For my conscience hath brought me back to this point that the trueth of Religion depends not of mens conuersation but of the will of one onely God which by his word he hath made manifest vnto vs. I pray the brethren of my Order and also all other to consider all these reasons I haue not forsaken them to iniurye or wrong them in any point nor to bring any scandall vnto them If I coulde haue remained among them with tranquillity of conscience If I did not thinke to offend God by continuing in this profession wherein I haue beene norished so many yeares surely I had yet beene with them Brethren it is not my will nor intention to offend you I perswade my selfe likewise that there is none can iustly reproue me of my comportment and behauiour I was neuer culpable of drunkennesse of adultery or any other such misdemeanour I was no prophane person among you but haue shewed my selfe zealous in maintayning and aduancing your order You know that through my diligence and care two of your decayed and ruinated Monasteries haue beene reedified the one neere Troye in Campane the other in the country of Mayne I haue followed your businesses and affaires in all trauaile and vigilancie and I know you are not ignorant how that I haue had issue to your contentment I haue so well demeaned my selfe among you that I purchased vnto you many rents yea and forgiuen you some Wherefore I beseech you and exhort you in Gods name and with all the affection of my will that with a spirite of meekenesse and feare of God you doe examine if I haue not done holyly and religiously to laye holde vpon the true word of God directed thereunto by his spirite And if you finde that it was not my duetie to haue done otherwise then that you would rather take the selfe same resolution in hand and following my steps direct your course to the hauen of eternall life whereunto I hope to come with all the true faithfull and elect then to be moued against me and to slaunder Before my departure I would gladly haue laide open my deliberation and the reasons whereon I grounded my selfe I would haue exhorted you to take in hand the same resolution with me I would haue imbraced you and witnessed that I desire all manner of good vnto you but the most part may then imagin to what great daunger I had exposed my selfe and the small hope left me to haue profit therein O my Lord Iesus confirme in me this resolution suffer me not to yeeld vnto the assaults combats which are or may be made against me helpe my vnbeliefe increase the faith within me make me conceiue that assurance of Abraham who beleeued in hope against hope arme me with thy promises deliuer me from the snares of my cruel enimies make me good Lord in effect to feele that thou art with me wilt be as thou hast assured Abraham my most liberall guerdon I seeke my saluation giue me Lord Iesus an assured place of retrait in the holy Ierusalem spare me in the temptations of the worlde but if it shall please thee to exercise me therein fill me I beseech thee with the spirit of constancy to the end that finally hauing carried away the victory I may enter into Paradice with thy most happy seruants Amen He forsaketh not the church that with his body goeth out from her Chrisost in Math. ho●● 46. but he that with his spirit and minde renounceth the foundations of Ecclesiastical truth leaueth her We be gone out frō her with our body but they from vs with their spirit we haue left with them the foundations of the walles but they with vs the foundations of the Scriptures we haue left and gone away from them according to the apparances of men they frō vs according to the iudgemēt of God therfore the Christiās corporal do persecute trouble vs that are spirituall But to thē is properly addressed that which the lord saith O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. Reade saith S. Ierome the Apocalips Hieron ad Marcel viduam and consider that which is there written of the womā clothed in Scarlet with blasphemy written vpon her forehead of the seauen Mountaines or hils of the great waters of the miserable end of Babilon This is that rocke of Trapeius so many times beaten with thunder from God for that it was displeasyng in his eyes Come out from among them my people sayth the Lord that you be not partakers of her sinnes and wounds flye from Babilon let euery one saue his soule for shee is fallen shee is fallen and is becme the hachitation of Diuelles and a refuge of vncleane spirits The declaration and conuersion of Maister Iohn Colleij sometimes a Preacher a Caputchin and a Gardian of the Couent of Saint Omer publikly by him made in the Church of Sedan on Sunday the 4. of March 1601. THE Kingly Prophet or rather our Sauiour Iesus Christ vnder the figure of Dauid most deare brethren in the 22. Psal hauing prayed the almighty to deliuer his life from the sworde his desolate soule from the power of the dogge from the Lyons mouth from among the hornes of Vnicornes doth promise if he heare him to declare his holy name to the brethren to praise him in the middest of the great congregation and to make his vowes vnto him in the presence of those that feare him If the sonne of God himselfe hath vouchsafed to make this vowe how much more am I bound being a miserable sinner and hauing obtayned of Gods eternall bounty my spirituall deliuerance to declare and exalt the name of the euer-liuing God among you my brethren to render vnto him my vowes in this great congregation and assembly of you which feare the Lord to the end that those who heretofore haue receiued the like grace as my selfe hauing beene drawne out of darkenesse and brought into the true light may haue matter and occasion to remember the benefit by them receiued from God and therefore yeeld vnto him innumerable thankes alwayes laying before themselues that as God is a most liberall bestower of his benefits so hee is a most seuere exactour in expecting thankes for the same which doubtlesse is the true meane to obtaine the continuance and encrease ingratitude being nothing else but an obstacle that hindreth the streames of his flowing mercie And deare brethrē in the Lord I make no doubt but that many of you are throughly acquainted with my former conuersation profession and likwise with my
thy good pleasure alwaies rather to vse mercy then iustice to be gratious in shewing fauour not furye stretch forth thy hand draw them vnto thee teach them sith it is thy will that all may come to the knowledge of saluation Imprint in their mindes a desire to sound the depth of thy holy Scriptures Let the discretion of thy alsearching spirit guide them to gather in these gardens the flowers of that Soueraigne good the foode of their soules the fit and effectual hearbs for the phisicke of their spirituall infirmities the plants that are a Soueraigne Antidote against death the Sacrament of eternitie the certaine pledge of felicity Let them touch no more the tree of knowing good and euill although his outwarde beautie doth cloake his inwarde poyson And as thy sacred word diuinely inspired shall be an assured guide to all people desirous to reiect an vntruth beeing the Organe of perdition for to receiue the Euangelicall truth the power of God for the saluation of all beleeuers manifesting in her brightnesse the splendour of thy incorruptible heritage by the selfe same reason let it make known vnto thē that there is essentiall conformitie between the doctrine of the Church reformed and thy true church a substantiall discord betweene thine and that which is announced by the Roman Bishoppe or his adherents and consequently that this leadeth to damnation and the other to permanent happynesse And certainely as the glory of our Sauiour is vnseparably conioyned with the saluation of his elected and chosen creatures honouring and crowning with inesteemable benefits those that honour him So likewise that is the true and sincere Religion opening the waye to saluation which addresseth all her documents and exercises purely and simply to the glory of the almighty and contrarywise that religion is false and ruinous which seeketh the glory of creatures honoring them with that which onely belongeth to the liuing God who giues not his glory to any other By this rule the knowledge of the wise on earth is condemned and accused of vanity Rom. 1.21.25 for that hauing knowne God they haue not glorified him as God and haue not yeelded him due thankes but are become vaine in their discourses and their hart voyde of vnderstanding hath beene filled with darkenesse and tearming themselues wise are become fooles and haue changed the glory of God immortall into the likenesse and image of man By reason whereof they haue beene giuen vp to their owne harts lustes to filthinesse and the defyling of their owne bodies as hauing changed the truth of God into falshoode worshipped and serued the creature and haue forsaken the Creator who is blessed and praysed both now and for euer Amen By this rule and generall Maxime our Sauiour in Saint Iohn Chap. 5. vers 39. and after confirmes the will of his act wherof see vers 16.17.30 against the deceipts fallacies of the Iewes Search the Scriptures diligently for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me But yee will not come to me that yee may haue life I seeke not glory of men I am come in my fathers name and yee receiue me not if another shall come in his owne name him wil yee receiue How can yee beleeue which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God alone And againe in the 12. Chap. vers 43. They haue loued the glory of men more then the praise of God By this rule the Apostle Gal. 1. vers 10. proueth that his preaching came down frō heauē to the confusiō of vaine discourses and false Apostles Doe I preach mans doctrine or Gods For if I should yet please men I were not the seruant of Christ To bee short this principle is so cleere so true so authorised that it needeth not any more witnesses out of the scriptures it being more cleare and transparent then the Noone-day that the true and perfect religion is marked and knowne by this that shee seeketh absolutelie the glory of the creator of heauen and earth and that religion is false and abhominable that doth the contrarie And that the religion reformed is of the first degree and that of the Roman Church of the second the conference ensuing doth briefely set down And to tell the truth who is so blind that seeth not that the true Christians doe professe that first one onely God must bee called vpon Secondly that from him alone all maner of saluation and deliuerance must be expected Thirdly that his mercy defaceth all our sinnes Fourthly that the sacrifice of the vndefiled Lambe offered vpon the crosse taketh away condemnation Fiftly that his iustice redeemeth vs from the second death and his resurrection leadeth his Saintes into the right waye of eternall life Sixtly that his most blessed worde contayneth all manner of secrets necessarye for our welfare and happinesse Seauenthlye that workes cannot merrite euerlasting felicitye Eightlie that the most righteous and perfectest men cannot produce workes of supererogation as if it were in their power not onely to accomplish all iustice commaunded but also more than is required Ninthly that God must be worshipped in spirite and trueth Tenthly that the glorious body of Christ sits at the right hand of his father Brieflie all those that stedfastly beleeue this doctrine do they not rightly attribute all glorie to his Soueraigne maiestie Prayer to ●ai●● And contrariwise the Papists dishonour him who first call vpon Angels Saints and Ladies Secondly they hope from them succours and helpe in their perils and necessities Thirdlie they promise to themselues remission of sinnes through the indulgences from the Bishop of Rome Fourthly they mingle the bloud of Martires with the bloud of Christ thinking his not sufficient Fiftlie they trust more in the merits of Saints or mortall creatures then in the obedience of the sonne of the eternall Sixtly they are not contented with the sacred letters of reconcilation but to supplie their want as they fondly imagine they adde the vaine sufficiencie of their vnwritten traditions Vnwritten Traditions Iustificatiō by workes Seauenthly they presume of their workes for their iustification before the throane of Gods supreame iustice and doe further commit manie things repugnant to Gods heauenly will which notwithstanding is the onely rule of righteousnesse Eightly Workes of supererogation they thinke to be more wise than the Master of Masters when they doe more and aboue his commandements in their actions of supererogation Ninthly Worshiping of Images they encline and bowe themselues to the images of Creatures contrary to the lawe and they serue God after a sensuall and carnall manner prohibited by his worde without whose warrant euery worke is done without faith by consequence a most abhominable sinne Tenthly Transubstantiation they fasten the pretious body of Christ to bread and wine subiect after their consecration to a thousand corruptions and abuses and altogether farre from his excellencie We omit
vntollerable punishments And againe there want not in these kinde of affaires and businesses gildings aromaticall sauours pretious ornaments admirable stones impostures illusions of signes and wonders Fained miracles as well in the tombes where the reliques are laide as in the images and statues erected which often times by artificiall motions do produce teares to the end that through such kinde of spectacles and sights the eyes of the spectators might be deceiued a thing so familiar and common that such deceiuers haue many times beene by the lawes punished To be shorte without entring further into this bottomlesse pit of a matter so lamentable I will onely say that golde siluer fauours and liberalities with the Pope can worke much for raising such persons into this reputation of holinesse and deification which comes not from the spirit of sanctification but from the authoritie of a sinfull and mortall man For a testimonie whereof note but the thundring brute and fame within Rome in many kingdomes and within the couents of Monkes touching the inuention of the Iesuites who haue offered 50000. crownes employed the credit of Potentates and sundry Princes that Ignatius their patron and first founder may be canonized But his cursed remembrance was so fresh that neither he nor any of his disciples could yet attaine thereunto Vpon these purposes of cunning deuises I will not forget the trickes of the Portugall Nun Miracles so famous in respect of the effects which the diuell wrought in her person Shee while she prayed was lifted vp into the ayre and there stayed without any visible prop. She bare vpon her head the thornes and likewise the wounds of Iesus Christ in other partes of her body by meanes whereof many Princes Dukes Lordes and a number numberlesse of people came from farre countries to see and adore her But the Lord of truth in the end discouered this fraudulent and diabolicall deuice and the Inquisition being forced by the euident light of the truth repressed it These are the Saints and Ladyes forsooth their conception and bringing foorth and their qualities on whome the Papists hope and at whose hands they looke for succours both in life and death Wherefore I vtterly renounce them and doe onely put all my trust and confidence in my Creator As for the absence of my parents and countrey I must and will yeelde most heartie thankes to God almightie for that hee hath not placed mee in the vniuersall number but in the particular number hauing withdrawne me from the bondage of the deuill from the worshipping of Idoles from the inuention and errours of men and in their steede hath communicated vnto mee the inestimable guifts and graces of his holy Gospell And this is very well explained in Genesis 12. when GOD commaunded Abraham to come from his countrie from the house of his father that hee should forsake the world and his owne lustes and affections and onely seeke a peaceable and quiet life of the minde Saint Ambrose expounding that place saith that he should conuerse in heauen to the ende that leauing the conuersation and managing of worldly matters he should speake with God and fasten all his thoughtes vpon him Saint Paule saith to the Hebrewes Chap. 11. that Abraham went foorth not knowing whether hee should go insinuating thereby that as soone as God had commaunded him to go forth Abraham straight wayes obeyed him not seeking answeres or excuses he went and knew not whether for that he knew not the place hauing no person with him for his guide but onely his own humble obedience to Gods diuine prouidence He had a sonne whom the Lord commanded to be sacrificed in the Mounte of More● which signifieth the Mount of deuision there he was ready with his sonne I sack to haue kilde him God might haue charged him to haue sacrificed his son in his owne house but he ordained that he should come forth of his house should go to the Mount of deuision with his sonne alone which is not without a mistery For God meant thereby to note vnto vs that we should sacrifice in the fire of his diuine loue our owne sonnes videlicet our appetites and carnall desires for the performance whereof there is no place more fit and conuenient then a strange country hauing left our Parents and ritches behinde vs. This is the high Mount of diuision where the deuout soule vieweth many more misteries then those who abide belowe in the valley at the foote of the Mount at the house of their Parents without climing vp to God-warde with all their thoughts and affections Saint Chrisostome saith that absence from ones countrey is more ritch then citties and more glittering than the vniuersall world And speaking of Abraham in his 13. Homily vpon Genes saith Thinke I pray you with what loue the Patriarke affected tranquillity seeing he kept it so many yeares And Dauid saith I had rather be the meanest in the house God then conuerse in the pallaces of sinners Where Saint Chrisostome by the house of God vnderstandeth a strange land and a seperation from the world Iacob seeing himselfe ouerwhelmed with miseries persecuted by his brother Esau forsooke his originall conuersation went from his fathers house into a strange country and taking his way toward Aran he wandered so solitary and meditating that being come thither and finding himselfe weary he sat down and falling a sleepe saw in a dreame a heauenly ladder the one end whereof touched the skies and the other the earth whereupon was the vniuersall Creator the true sonne of Iustice the brightnesse that illuminateth soules and consumeth all darkenes In the absence of the visible sunne there appeared vnto him a sunne inuisible the beame of the sunne that gaue light vnto his body forsaking him there came vnto him the beames of the Sun that brought light to his soule changing an outward brightnesse into an inward light The Sunne that had created him did shyne vnto him Iohn 1. vz. the Sunne increate from whose light proceede all other lights as from an euerlasting light the fountaine of life and saluation Who by the said vision gaue Jacob to vnderstand that from him should come the Messias our blessed redeemer that the first degree or steppe of this ladder was Abraham the second Isaack the third Jacob himselfe and so forward all the rest recounted by Saint Math. Chap. 1. vntill Iesus Christ the sonne of the virgine who was at the end of the ladder opening the gates of heauen which before were shut God was able to haue shewed him this mistery in his fathers house frequenting his friends and kinsfolkes but he shewes not himselfe but to those that are alone and haue shaken handes with worldly vanities By these arguments may be seene that the life of a stranger hath a farre more excellent contemplation seeing his meditations are profitable then the dayly and fond studies of the greatest Papistes and Sophisters In the desart of Madian Exod. 3 Chap. Moses was
shall be in heauen for one sinner that conuerteth more then for ninetie and nine iust men which neede none amendment of life The Dedication To the reuerend Ministers Elders and Deacons of the French congregation in Middelborough Lowys du Bois vvisheth peace and saluation HOnorable bretherē the desire which I haue to testifie how much I esteeme my selfe beholding vnto your worships because when I came first out of he bottomelesse pitte of darkenesse yee haue not onely receiued me very friendly but also entertained hether to with your liberality This desire moueth me to giue vnto your worship not any thing worthy for such a benefit but that which I can onely giue at this present beseeching your worship to regard more the affection of the giuer then the smalnesse of the gift I send vnto you my reclamation from Poperie done publickelie in the citty of Leyden out of the which God by his infinit mercy hath brought me vnto a sound resolution and confession of the true religion for to liue and dye in it God which hath begun his worke in me accomplish the same also and giue vnto your honourable bretheren daylie increase in scripture and corporall giftes and by the same grace bestowed on me to call those which are yet drowned in the impurities of Poperie and liue in the middest of a Babilonicall confusion Leyden the 14. of Iune 1601. Your honours most humble seruant Lowys du Bois The Conuerssion of Lowys du Bois I Stand heere in the presence of God the father and his electe Angels and of this Christian congregation for to declare briefly what I haue beene in times past and of what minde and inclynation I am at this present and whereunto I hope to come by the grace of God Beeing now departed from the abuse of Popery which are an A●ysme of impietie by which the name of God is so villanously prophaned and so sinfullie attributed vnto idols Beholde the reason why I am gone out of this daungerous labyrinth of damnable errors and there is no body hauing onely a smacke of knowledge of the trueth but he will with all his hart flie from the same and abhor it according to that excellent admonition giuen by the holy Euangelist Iohn in his Reuelation the 18. vers 4. Go out of her my people that ye be not pertakers of her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues c. And euen as God in this spirituall Babilon and vnder this kingdome of Antechrist hath alwayes kept his elect so he doth drawe the same in conuenient time out of this pit of damnation darkenesse errour and ignorance for to bring them vnto him Such a one am I at this present by the grace of my God which hath opened mine eyes for to vnderstand the falshood and infidelitie of the Romish Church The authors institution of former life in the which I haue been nourished instructed amgōst the sect most superstitious order of S. Francis as one of the chiefest fauorites did exercise the office of a Priest offering the abhominable sacrifice in that Sinagogue notwithstāding my hart being yet hardned my vnderstāding vayled with ignorance I esteemed my selfe to be in the house of God and in the middest of his church and the wayes leading into damnation seemed vnto me good and vpright But now by the grace of God our Father who according to the great riches of his bountifull grace as the Apostle testified in the 2. Ephe. 2.7 The authors conuersion Chap. to the Ephesi and by the inward motion of his fauour hath so graciously drawne me out of the pit of ignorance to his knowledge mine eyes beeing opened and my vnderstanding enlightened I consider now how farre I was gone astray from the way of saluation beeing so zealous in the tradition and ordinances of the fathers with the Apostle S. Paule before his conuersion Gala. 1.14 The practise of Poperie is fained deuotion and an Ape play as he himselfe telleth in the first to the Galathians being in a house full of iniquitie and vncleanenesse where the truth of Gods word lies vnder foote although they seeme to maintaine the bookes comprehended in the olde and new Testament for to blinde so the eyes of the common and simple people the which the meane-while they doe occupie with humaine traditions which not onely are not to be found in the scripture which is the onely rule of trueth but are quite contrary and repugnant to the same making them to beleeue that it is sufficient if they continue sometimes religiously in their Ape-play ceremonies and church customes as there is the sweete singing in the Masse vespers and mattines not permitting that the mysteries of saluation conteyned in the scriptures should be vnderstood of euery one but that all should be plaide in an vnknowne speech fearing that Gods word being translated into the common language might bring full knowledge and vnderstanding to euery one therefore also they do forbid that no body should be so bolde as to reade the Bible and to haue it in their houses holding them for heretickes and suspect men which keepe it by them so bridle them with threatnings of imprisonment and of death in the name and by the commandement of the Pope The Popes part who being partly by deceit partly by more Barbarous tyranny by little and little crept into the middest of the Church boasteth himselfe to be O monstrous blasphemy the Vicar of Iesus Christ and the head of his Church sitting as God in the Temple of God as it is written 2. 2. Thes 2.4 Thess 2. robbing vnshamefully and attributing to himselfe the honour which the holy Scripture onely describeth to Iesus Christ the true head of his elect Eph. 4. 5. Col. 1. 2. in the 4. and 5. to the Ephesians and in the first and second to the Collossians vsurping not onely authoritie and violence against all right and reason ouer all the Monarkes and Princes of the earth so that they must submit their neckes vnder his feete The Princes slauery and are constrained with more then seruile seruitude and bondage to kisse the soule of his Pantoffles but also although it be vntollerable before God and men doth endeuour and seeke to gouerne most cruelly the poore soules and consciences of men 2. Cor. 1.8 contrary to the saying of the Apostle 2. Cor. 1. vers 8. charging them with innumerable burthens of humaine traditions and triflings excommunicating some men and some condemning by anathema forgiuing sinnes with full authoritie canonizing the Saints arrogating to himselfe power aboue the Angels Pope aboue Angels to commaund and to vse them for his messengers and according to the same authoritie accompanied with more then godly wisdome as he boasted doth teach and instruct his flock deliuering vnto them the right scense and meaning of the holy scriptures as the onely and supreame interpretor of the same leading them in all truth The