Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	doctrine_n	time_n	4,041	5	3.7132	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03926	A sermon preached at Yorke before the right Honorable, Henrie Earle of Huntington, Lorde President of her Maiesties councell established in the north, and other noble men, and gentle men, at a general communion there, the 23. of September in the eightienth yeare of her Maiesties raigne: by Mathewe Hutton Deane of Yorke.	Hutton, Matthew, 1529-1606.	1579 (1579)	STC 14034; ESTC S104336	25,148	72

thinges perteining to our saluation but vigilant and painefull to finde out and to know the truth He telleth vs where to seke among the Olde wayes Loe Antiquitie is one noate or marke of Veritie Vincentius Lirinensis saith there bee three especiall markes or badges to know which is true Doctrine in the Church Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Consent And surely where these three cōcurre in the church there is no doubt but there is the truth there is the Good way wherin we shold walke But because truth dwelleth as a stranger heere on earth and hath more enimies then friendes shee findeth not so much curtesie amongest men to bee suffered to weare all wayes all these three badges Therefore the same Vincentius asketh the question what is to bee doone if error doe inuade the greater part of the Church and bee mainteined with Consent of the greater part He answereth that in such case we must flie to Antiquitie He giueth an example The wicked doctrine of Arrius had once almost infected all Christendome Constantius the Emperour was an Arrian Liberius Bishop of Rome an Arrian for a time and gaue his handwriting against the diuinitie of our Sauiour Christ almost all the Bishops in the worlde did yeelde to that blasphemy he saith That in this case the former time must be considered what was the doctrine of the Church before Arrius began to spread his heresie that is the truth For it goeth not with religion as it doeth with the statutes of the Realme and iudgementes at common Law where the later is thought the better For in religion the first and oldest is the best The doctrine of the Church is older than anie Idolatrie or superstition of the Gentiles the Gospel was preached in Paradise by God himselfe The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpentes heade The writing of Moses older than anie writing of the Gentiles The doctrine of the Apostles older than Poperie or anie other heresie Tertullian against Praxeas saith Quod peraequè aduersus omnes haereses preiudicatum sit id esse verum quodcunque primum id esse adulterum quodcunque posterius This must bee taken as a rule to preiudice all heresies that that is true whiche is firste that counterfeit false which is brought in afterward Truth it is that Basilius saith to Amphilochius cap. 29. Persuasiua sunt quodammodo vetera dogmata velut in antiquitate canicie quadam reuerendum quiddam habentia Olde religion is apt to perswade men to imbrace it For why The antiquitie thereof is as it were gray heares hoare head that moueth men to reuerence it Yet must we take heede that we be not mooued with the onely name of Antiquitie that we be not deceiued with a visard or coloured white heade and bearde For truth manie times is accused of Noueltie and errour much commended for the Antiquitie When the Gospell of Christ was firste preached vnto the Gentills it seemed newe vnto them and they alleaged Antiquitie for the defence of their idolatrous religion Act. 17. May wee not knowe say the Philosophers what newe Doctrine is this whereof thou speakest And in the 19. chap. Demetrius the Siluersmith and the Towneclarke of Ephesus alledge not onely vniuersalitie but also antiquitie for their goddesse Diana And Lactantius in his booke De iustitia sayth Deorum cultores libenter errant stultitiae suae fauent a quibus si rationem requiras persuasionis eius nullam possunt reddere sed ad maiorum iudicia confugiunt quòd illi sapientes fuerint c. The worshippers of false Gods are willinglie deceiued and flatter themselues in their owne follie of whom if you aske a reason of their conscience they can yeelde none but flie to their forefathers and say that they were wise men and not like to bee deceiued And Symmachus that famous Senator but sworne enimie to Christes religion writeth thus as Prudentius saith Lib. 2. Si longa aetas authoritatem religionibus faciat seruanda est tot saeculis fides sequendi sunt nobis parentes qui foeliciter secuti sunt suos If continuance of time giue authoritie to religion wee must still giue credit to so manie hundred yeares since the dayes of King Numa a thousande yeares at the least and wee must folowe our fathers who most happely followed their forefathers Loe they did not examine the waies of theire fathers whether they were good or euill yet would they needes folow them thought Antiquitie a sufficient argument so to doe I reade of one Radbodus King of the Phrisians a Panim that when he was persuaded to become a Christian and was readie to bee baptized and had one foote in the fount he staied and asked the Bishoppe what was become of all his progenitours and which Way they were gone that were neuer christened nor beleued in Christ The Bishop answered that without baptisme and the faith of Christ he had no warrant but to say that they were gone to hell he pulling out his legge againe out of the water Surely sayth he I will goe with them for companie So a great sort had rather erre with their forefathers thento embrace the truth if it seeme vnto them newe Cresconius the heretike could say to S. Augustine Our father 's receiued this of theire fathers Truth saith S. Augustine Sed errantes ab errantibus As the Iewes receiued of their fathers that the bodie of Christ was stolne out of the sepulchre but being false at the beginning continaunce of time will not make it true Therefore if our fathers erre wee may not folow them neither is euerie olde way good but that onely wherein our fathers haue walked by the commaundement of God as shewed vnto them by his holy woorde Therefore the Prophet willeth vs to aske of the old waies which is good and walke in it And Hierom saith Stand vpon the wayes that is vpon the Prophets they be the wayes that will bring vs to Christ who is the way the truth and life And Tertull against Marcian sayth Constat id verius quod prius id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab Apostolis traditum It is plaine that that is the truest which is first that firste which was from the beginning that from the beginning which was deliuered by the Apostles Against which way no Custome though it be neuer so old may preuaile Christ said that he was Trueth did not say that he was Custome Cyprian epist. ad Pompeium Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas erroris est Custome without truth is nothing else but an old error And Lib. 2. epist. 3. Non debemus attendere quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putauerit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christus prior fecerit Wee must not regarde what any man before vs hath supposed good to be done but what Christ did which is before all And this in deed is the true Antiquitie that we must imbrace this is the