Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	christian_a	church_n	faith_n	4,160	5	5.1937	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50353	The publisher or translator of Nicholas Machiavels whole works out of Italian, faithfully into English, concerning the following letter of Nicholas Machiavels, wherein he clears himself of the aspersions alledg'd by some on his writings also, his judgment as to government, whether monarchie or democracie be the best : and lastly, (tho' a papist) shews their wicked and base errours, both of popes, Jesuits, priests, &c. and that they shall be brought to ruine / written by the author, April 1st, 1537.	Neville, Henry, 1620-1694.; Machiavelli, Niccolò, 1469-1527.	1688 (1688)	Wing M139; ESTC R23469	20,698	46

shall say but one word of their calling and original 〈…〉 ●nd then leave this subject The word Clergy is 〈◊〉 term wholly unknown to the Scriptures otherwise then in this sense a particular People or GOD'S lot used often for the whole Jewish Nation who are likewise called a Kingdom of Priests in some places In the New Testament the word Cleros is taken for the true Believers who are also called the Elect and often the Church which is the Assembly of the Faithful met together as is easily seen by reading the beginning of most of St Paul's Epistles where writing to the Church or Churches he usually explains himself To all the Saints in Christ sometimes To all who have obtained some faith with us sometimes To all who in all places call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus c. by which it appears that neither the word Church nor Clergy was in those days ever appropriated to the Pastors or Elders of the flock but did signify indifferently all the people assembled to●●● ther which is likewise the literal construction of the word Ecclesia which is an assembly or ●●eeting in these Congregations or Churches was performed their Ordination which properly signifies no more than a decree of such Assembly but is particularly used for an Election of any into the Ministry The manner was this sometimes the Apostles themselves in their Perigrinations and sometimes any other eminent Member of the Church did propose to the Society upon vacancy or other necessity of a Pastor Elder or Deacon some good Holy man to be Elected which person if he had parts or gifts such as the Church could edify by was chosen by the lifting up of hands that is by suffrage and oftentimes hands were laid upon him and Prayer made for him These men so set apart did not pretend to any consecration or sacredness more than they had before much less to become a distinct thing from the rest of mankind as if they had been metamorphos'd but did attend to perform the several Functions of their calling as prophecying that is Preaching the Gospel visiting the Sick c. and never intermitted the ordinary business of their Trade or Profession unless their Church or Congregation was very numerous in which case they were maintained by alms or contribution which was laid aside by every member and collected the first day of the week by the Deacons this was said to be given to the Church and was imployed by suffrage of the whole Collective Body to the poor and to other incidencies so far was it from Sacriledge in those days to employ Church goods to Lay uses From these words Church Clergy Ordination Pastor which last hath been translated of late years Bishop you see what conclusions these men have deduced and how immense a structure they have raised upon so little a foundation and how easily it will fall to the ground when God shall inspire Christian Princes and States to redeem his truths and his poor enslaved Members out of their Churches and to bring back again into the world the true original Christian faith with the Apostolical Churches Pastors and Ordination so consistent with moral virtue and integrity so helpful and concucing to the best and most prudent policy so fitted for obedience to Magistraty and Government all which the world hath for many years been deprived of by the execrable and innate ill quality which is insepatable from priest-craft and the conjuration or spell of their new invented ordination by which they cry with the Poet Jam furor humanum nostro de pectore sensum Fxpulit totum spirant prae cordia Phaebum which makes them so Sacred and Holy that they have nothing of integrity or indeed of humanity left in them I hope I shall not be thought impious any longer upon this point I mean for vindicating Christian Religion from the assaults of these men who having the considence to believe or at least profess themselves the only instruments which God hath chosen or can choose to teach and reform the world though they have neither Moral virtues nor natural parts equal to other men for the most part have by this pretence prevail'd so far upon the common sort of people and upon some too of a better quality that they are perswaded their salvation or eternal damnation depends 〈◊〉 believing or not believing of what they say I would not be understood to disswade any from honouring the true Apostolical Teachers when they shall be re established amongst us or from allowing them even of right and not of alms or courtesie such emoluments as may enable them cheerfully to perform the duties of their charge to provide for their Children and even to use hospitality as they are commanded by St Paul. But this I will prophecy before I conclude that if Princes shall perform this but siness by halves and leave any root of this Clergy or Priestcraft as it now is in the ground or if that famous Reformer fled some year since out of Picardy to Geneva who is of to great renown for learning and parts and who promises us so perfect a Reformation shall not it this model wholly extirpate this sort of men then I say I must foretel that as well the Magistrate as this Workman will find themselves deceived in their expectation and that the least fibra of this plant will over run again the whole Vineyard of the Lord and turn to a diffusive Papacy in every Diocess perhaps in every Parish So that God in his mercy inspire them 〈◊〉 cut out the core of the Ulcer and the bag of th● imposture that it may never rankle or feste any more nor break out hereafter to diffusive new corruption and putrifaction through the body of Christ which is his Holy Church 〈◊〉 to vitiate and infect the good order and true 〈◊〉 licy of Government I come now to the last branch of my charge which is That I teach Princes villany and how to ●●●●ive and oppress their Subjects In which accusation I am dealt with as poor Agnolo Canini was who as they report being a very learned practiser of the Laws and lest the only man of this profession one Autumn in our City the rest of the Advocates being fled into the countrey for fear of a contagious Disease which then reigned was commanded by our Judges to assist with his counsel both parties and to draw Pleas as well for the Defendant as the Plantiff else the Courts of Justice must have been shut up In the same manner my accusers handle me and make me first exhort and teach Subjects to throw off their Princes and then to instruct Monarchs how to on slave and oppress them but I did not expect such ingratitude from mine own Citizens or to be served as Moses was when he was upbraided for killing the Fgyptian by one of his own people for whose sake he had done it whereas he believed they would have understood by that

but they will Rule with Clemency and Moderation and return to that excellent Maxim of the Ancients almo●● exploded in this Age that the interest of Kings and of their People is the same which truth 〈◊〉 hath been the whole design of my Writings to convince them of I am charged then in the second place with Impiety and villifying the Church and so to make way for Atheism I do not deny but that I have frequently in my Writings laid the blame upon the Church of Rome not only for all the misgovernment of Christendom but even for the Depravation and almost total Destruction of Christian Religion it self in this Province But that this Di●course of mine doth or can tend to teach Men impiety or to make way for Atheism I peremptorily deny And although for proof of my innocence herein I need not but refer you and all others to my Papers themselves as they are now published where you will find all my Reasons drawn from Experience and frequent Examples cited which is ever my way of Arguing yet since I am put upon it I shall in a few lines make that matter possibly a little clearer and shall first make protestation That as I do undoubtedly hope by the Merits of CHRIST and by Faith in Him to attain Eternal Salvation so I do firmly believe the Christian Profession to be the only true Religion now in the World Next I am fully perswaded that all Divine Verities which GOD then designed to rach the World are contained in the Books of holy Scripture as they are now extant and received amongst us From them I understand that GOD created Man in purity and innocencie and that the first of that Species by their frailty lost at once their integrity and their Paradise and intail'd sin and misery upon their Posterity that Almighty GOD to repair this ●oss did out of his infinite Mercy and with unparallel'd grace and goodness send his only begotten Son into the World to teach us new truths to be a perfect example of virtue goodness and obedience to restore true Religion degenerated amongst the Jews into Superstition ●orinality and Hypocrisie to die for the Salvation of Mankind and in fine to give to us the holy Spirit to regenerate our Hearts support our Faith and lead us into all truth Now if it shall appear that as the lusts of our first Parents did at that time disappoint the good intention of GOD in making a pure World and brought in by their disobedience the corruptions that ar● now in it So that since likewise the Bishops of Rome by their insatiable ambition and avarice have designedly as much as in them lves frustrated the Mercitul Purpose He had in the happy Restauration He intended the World by H● Son and in the renewing and reforming of H●mane Nature and have wholly defaced and spoiled Christian Religion and made it a Worldly and a Heathenish thing and altogether ●●capable as it is practised amongst them either of directing the wayes of its prosessors to viru● and good life or of saving their Souls hereafter● I say this do appear I know no reason why I 〈◊〉 detesting thus much and for giving warning to the World to take heed of their wayes should be accused of Impiety or Atheism or why 〈◊〉 Holiness should be so inraged against the p●● Inhabitants of the Valleys in Savoy and again● the Albigesi for calling him Antichrist but to fi●● that it is an undoubted truth I mean that 〈◊〉 Popes have corrupted Christian Religion 〈◊〉 need but read the New Testament acknowledg●● by themselves to be of infallible truth and the●e we shall see that the Faith and Religion pre●●ched by Christ and setled afterwards by his Apostles and cultivated by their Sacred Epistle●● is so different a thing from the Christianity th●● 〈◊〉 now profess'd and taught at Rome that we should be convinc'd that if those Holy Men should be sent by GOD again into the World they would take more pains to confute this Gallimaufry than ever they did to preach down the Tradition of the Pharisees or the Fables and Idolatry of the Gentiles and would in probability suffer a new Marryrdom in that City under the Vicar of CHRIST for the same Doctrine which once animated the Heathen Tyrants against them Nay we have something more to say against these Sacrilegious pretenders to GODS power for whereas all other false worships have been set up by some politick Legislators for the support and preservation of Government this false this spurious Religion brought in upon the ruines of Christianity by the Popes hath deformed the face of Government in Europe destroying all the good principles and Morality left us by the Heathen themselves and introduced in stead thereof Sordid Cowardly and impolitick Notions whereby they have subjected Mankind and even great Princes and States to their own Empire and never suffered any Orders or Maxims to take place where they have power that might make a Nation Wise Honest Great or Wealthy This I have set down so plainly in those passages of my Book which are complained of that I shall say nothing at all for the proof of it in this place but refer you thither and come to speak a litle more particularly of my first assert●● that the Pope and his Clergy have deprvied Christian Religion Upon this subject I could in●●nitely wish now Letters begin to revive agai●● that some Learned Pen would employ it sel●● and that some person vers'd in the Chronolig● of the Church as they call it would deduce o●● of the Ecclesiastical Writers the time and ma●●ner how these abuses crept in and by what A●● and Steps this Babel that reaches at Heaven w●● built by these Sons of the Earth but this mat●● as unsuitable to the brevity of a Letter and 〈◊〉 deed more to my small Parts and Learning shall not pretend to being one who never hithe● to studied or write of Theology further than 〈◊〉 did naturally concern the Politicks therefore shall only deal by the New Testament as I hav● done formerly by Titus Livius that is mak● observations or reflections upon it and leav● you and Mr. Guilio and the rest of our Society to make the judgement nor citing like Preachers the Chapter or Verse because the reading of Holy Scripture is little us'd and indeed hardly permitted amongst us To begin at the top I would have any reasonable man tell me whence this unmeasureable power long claim'd and now possess'd by the Bishop of Rome is derived first of being CHRISTS Vicar and by that as I may so say pretending to a Monopoly of the Holy Spirit which was promised and given to the whole Church that is to the Elect 〈◊〉 Saints as is plain by a clause in St. Peters Ser●●on made the very same time that the mira●ulous gifts of the Spirit of GOD were first given ●o the Apostles who says to the Jews and Gen●iles Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the ●ame