Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	catholic_a	church_n	true_a	3,961	5	5.4065	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19614	Collections out of S. Augustine and some few other Latine writers upon the first part of the Apostles Creed. By John Crompe, Master of Arts of C.C.C. in Cambridge, and vicar of Thornham in Kent. First preached in his Parish Church; and now inlarged (as here followes) for more publike use.	Crompe, John.	1638 (1638)	STC 6048; ESTC S117464	55,567	64

ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est saith Vincentius Lirinensis That onely is truly Catholike Cap. 3. cont haereses which all places and all persons have received and beleeved with full and unanimous consent in all times And therefore the Apostle saith There is but one faith Ephes 4.5 and that one faith is the ground and foundation but of one religion For true religion was never but one Semper eadem alwayes the same from the beginning of the world till our dayes and so must and shall continue from henceforth till the end of the world againe In so much as all our fore-fathers Adam Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob or in more generall termes all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessours Professours and Beleevers as well under the Law as Gospell as well in former as in our times have and must all be saved by one and the selfe same faith yea in one and the selfe same religion howsoever in forme and manner some wayes and at some times in shew different yet in substance still one and the same As for example There is onely this difference betwixt the true Beleevers before Christ his comming and since Quod illi crediderunt in Christum promissum nos in Christum exhibitum They beleeved in Christ promised and as yet to come wee in Christ exhibited and come And I beleeve it will be no hard matter to prove out of the Bookes of the Old Testament that Gods children in the time of the Law did beleeve all the Articles of this our Apostles Creed as well as we with this distinction of present and to come though darkly and obscurely because Vmbram tantum futurorum habebat Lex The Law had onely the shadow of things to come saith the Apostle Heb. 10.1 The proofes which I shall fetch from the Old Testament in the prosecution of this subject for the confirmation of each severall article will manifest and declare as much In the meane time take notice first of the unitie and accord of the holy Apostles in framing this Summe and Symbole of their Christian Faith and Beleefe And let all true Christians but especially their successours in any the least Ministeriall Function learne by their example to leave all civill uncivill jarres and contentions in matters of Doctrine that so wee may be all of one mind in one house I meane the Church and house of God and to speake and preach but one thing as S. Paul exhorteth his Corinthians that so there may be no divisions amongst us but that wee may be all knit together in one mind and be of one judgement 1 Cor. 1.10 which counsell whosoever doe not readily and willingly put in practice and submit themselves unto but delight in renting and tearing asunder the seamlesse coat of Christ Quam scindere non fuit carnificibus consilium saith Alexander Bishop in Theodoret. Hist. lib. 1. cap. 4. which the verie Executioners of Christ were so farre from doing that on the contrarie Joh. 19.24 they consulted how to keepe it whole and entire through their distractions and divisions in matters and points of Doctrine from their Orthodoxall brethren and Catholike Church in which they live whatsoever they thinke to the contrarie of themselves yet indeed and truth they are rather Apostaticall than Apostolicall men For in the Apostles time the multitude of Beleevers were all of one heart and of one soule as before out of Acts 4.32 And therefore the same S. Paul to the Romans bids the Church marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrarie to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.17 18. In which words I should desire and advise the refractarie and contentious spirits of our times that are never satisfied and contented either with the doctrine or discipline of our Church if they were but capable of advice which it is to be feared most of them are not to consider and observe what esteeme and opinion the Apostle Paul had of such in his time First in that he would have them to be diligently marked that so secondly they may be avoyded his reason thirdly because they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies and lastly that how faire and smooth soever their voyce and outside be yet within they are no better than hypocrites their speech being onely flattering to deceive the hearts of the simple As also I could wish that their followers that is such as are led and seduced by them would but marke what opinion the same Apostle had likewise of them when he stiles and calls them simple And yet these thinke themselves the wisest people in the world But the Spirit of God knowes you better than your selves And therefore be not too highly conceited of your owne wisdome seeing God himselfe doth call you fooles and simple Et utinam rudiores essent quam qui poterant decipi It were well for you if you were so simple that you could not be deceived by the subtill and slie insinuations of those that creepe into your houses and lead captive simple women laden with sinnes and led with divers lusts which are ever learning and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as the same Apostle still speakes of them 2 Tim. 3.6 For that I may crave leave for this onely digression let them tell me are they not women and simple ones too that they most prevaile withall in these their madnesses follies I meane simple in respect of divine knowledge spirituall understanding but not in respect of condition and qualitie in the world For according to the subtiltie of the Serpent as well themselves as all their brood and brotherhood I meane all Heretikes and Schismatikes whatsoever have ever beene so wise in their generations as not much to mind or regard the meaner sort whether they sided with them or not but for women of wealth and some fashion in the world by whom not onely credit and countenance to their cause but maintenance also to their persons though many times to the great losse and detriment if not the undoing of their husbands might be procured and obtained For these I say especially have their hookes and baits been ever laid their plots and projects still guided and directed above all others And they have in all ages prevailed so farre with this wea●●r sex that some of all sorts and ranks in the world have alwayes been ready to take their parts against the truth as Townes-women and Merchants wives of the Citie Gentlemens wives nay Ladies of the Court and Noble-women have beene caught and entangled in their snares being seduced and drawne away by them To instance in one for all the rest Constantia the widow of Licinius and sister to Constantine the Emperour to whom as Ruffinus speakes

she ought to be in subjection in all things as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 5.23 24. and if in all things then much more in the service and worship of God For if it be as S. Augustine saith but Perversa domus ubi foemina habet imperium super virum A disorderly and ill-governed family where the wife will take upon her to rule all though in houshold affaires then much more when it is so in Church affaires And those men that suffer it in their houses to the breach of the unitie of the Church of God as it is to be feared many doe shall be sure to answer for it it being a powerfull and unresistable reason urged by the Apostle why inferiours should obey them that have the oversight of them and submit themselves unto them because they watch for their soules as they that must give an account Heb. 13.17 And therefore in the name and feare of God let me perswade all masters of families that they permit neither themselves nor any others of their houshold to be carried about with divers and strange doctrines because it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace as the same Apostle in the same chapter exhorteth vers 9. But let everie one say with Ioshua I and my house will serve the Lord Iosh 24.15 and that in the unitie of the Church of God in which we have beene nourished up in the faith of God and particularly of the Apostles Creed the subject of our discourse at this time And this sufficeth for the first circumstance the unitie of the holy Apostles in composing and compiling of this Summe of Christian Beleefe In the second place in this title The Apostles Creed wee may take notice also of the antiquitie and universall consent which hath been given to the doctrine in the same contained in all ages So that as a Councell saith Conc. Fer. Sess 10. Patet neutiquam licuisse ab Apostolorum Symbolo quicquam dimovere It is evident that it is not lawfull by any meanes to depart a jot from the Symbole or Beleefe of the Apostles Which may teach us to grow suspitious of all novelties in matters of faith and to keepe our selves close onely to this needfull and ancient truth according to Gods owne direction by his Prophet Stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest unto your soules Ierem. 6.16 For if our soules cannot finde rest in this anci●nt and so long received truth they will never be able to finde it I am confident in the new created Creeds of these latter times I meane that of the Trent Councell and the like of which Sir Humphrey Lyne hath given a true verdict saying Epist Dedic before The Safe way I am sure that those twelve new coyned articles declared by their grand Councell of Trent and published by Pope Pius the fourth with straight charge to be received of all men are so farre from the knowl●dge of Antiquitie that as yet they are scarce understood amongst their owne Disciples for articles of faith and their best learned Romanists professe openly that most of them were unknowne to former ages So farre hee Which as hee hath truly averred so as learnedly and fully proved in his Treatise called The safe way whither I referre you To which purpose also of discovering the noveltie of Popish Tenets you may s●e a Treatise called The Old Religion written by that reverend and learned Prelate Dr. Ioseph Hall now Lord Bishop of Exon as likewise another Treatise called Credo Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam written by Dr. Chaloner Now if the faith of the Papists he so new it cannot be true for Primum verum as Tertullian hath well observed In divinitie and matters of religion the first must needs be truest as being neerest to the fountaine of all truth which is God himselfe and his sonne Christ the streame issuing from the said fountaine even truth it selfe as Ioh. 14.6 It being a rule and received maxime in nature that Quo res magis appropinquat fonti caussae alicujus perfectionis eo plus recipit The n●erer any thing approches to the fountaine or originall of any perfection so much the more it doth participate thereof As the neerer any thing comes to the fire it is the hotter to the Sunne the brighter to the water the colder to the truth the truer And therefore our Apostles Creed flowing so immediately from the fountaine-head of truth Christ Jesus the righteous must needs be farre more worthy of all men to be received as the Apostle speakes 1 Tim. 1.15 than that which is of a farre later Edition For whatsoever comes at the second hand as being brought in by mans invention must needs savour of mans corruption And therefore I say Serm. 181. de temp Praefat. let us keepe our selves fast and close to this which howsoever as S. Augustine speakes Breve sit verbis magnum tamen est Sacramentis It be briefe and short in words yet it is verie large and long in sense containing whatsoever is requisite and necessarie to be beleeved toward salvation Yea let everie one as well old as young as well men and women as children be diligent and carefull to learne and hold and understand and when time is to make confession too of this which containes the summe and substance of the Catholike faith which except a man beleeve faithfully he cannot be saved but without doubt hee shall perish everlastingly As Athanasius in his Creed And therefore it stands everie man upon as much as the saving of his soule comes to to beleeve and know and understand this which everie ordinarie person can hardly doe without a guide as the Eunuch told Philip Hieron ad Paulin. Acts 8.31 because Singula in eo verba plena sunt sensibus There is not a word in it but hath its weight Wherefore I shall endevour for your farther benefit and instruction herein after a short plaine and familiar manner to make interpretation thereof unto you out of the holy Scriptures and Word of God For it is not fitting as Cyrill saith either for me to deliver Catech. or for you to heare and beleeve any thing concerning the divine and holy mysteries of faith without demonstrations and proofes thereof out of the same the holy Writ For the verie safetie of our faith doth not depend upon a subtill and devised disputation but upon plaine and evident probation out of the Word of God And therefore that I may shew my selfe Vt opinione sic dictione Christianum that is As in beleeving so in speaking and writing a right Christian you must not expect Pet. Nannius de Athanasio Me mysteria regni coelorum aut furtis Aegyptiis aut Gentilibus fucis aut comptelis exoticis ornare That I should strive to set forth these deepe mysteries of our Christian faith and Kingdome of Heaven