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	faith_n	true_a	13,155	5	5.5142	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36673	Religio laici, or, A laymans faith a poem.	Dryden, John, 1631-1700.	1682 (1682)	Wing D2342; ESTC R71	17,325	45

in the Page Or whether more abstractedly we look Or on the Writers or the written Book Whence but from Heav'n cou'd men unskill'd in Arts In several Ages born in several parts Weave such agreeing Truths or how or why Shou'd all conspire to cheat us with a Lye Vnask'd their Pains ungratefull their Advice Starving their Gain and Martyrdom their Price If on the Book it self we cast our view Concurrent Heathens prove the Story True The Doctrine Miracles which must convince For Heav'n in Them appeals to humane Sense And though they prove not they Confirm the Cause When what is Taught agrees with Natures Laws Then for the Style Majestick and Divine It speaks no less than God in every Line Commanding words whose Force is still the same As the first Fiat that produc'd our Frame All Faiths beside or did by Arms ascend Or Sense indulg'd has made Mankind their Friend This onely Doctrine does our Lusts oppose Unfed by Natures Soil in which it grows Cross to our Interests curbing Sense and Sin Oppress'd without and undermin'd within It thrives through pain it s own Tormentours tires And with a stubborn patience still aspires To what can Reason such Effects assign Transcending Nature but to Laws Divine Which in that Sacred Volume are contain'd Sufficient clear and for that use ordain'd But stay the Deist here will urge anew No Supernatural Worship can be True Because a general Law is that alone Which must to all and every where be known A Style so large as not this Book can claim Nor ought that bears reveal'd Religions Name 'T is said the sound of a Messiah's Birth Is gone through all the habitable Earth But still that Text must be confin'd alone To what was Then inhabited and known And what Provision cou'd from thence accrue To Indian Souls and Worlds discover'd New In other parts it helps that Ages past The Scriptures there were known and were imbrac'd Till Sin spread once again the Shades of Night What 's that to these who never saw the Light Of all Objections this indeed is chief To startle Reason stagger frail Belief We grant 't is true that Heav'n from humane Sense Has hid the secret paths of Providence But boundless Wisedom boundless Mercy may Find ev'n for those be-wildred Souls a way If from his Nature Foes may Pity claim Much more may Strangers who ne'er heard his Name And though no Name be for Salvation known But that of his Eternal Sons alone Who knows how far transcending Goodness can Extend the Merits of that Son to Man Who knows what Reasons may his Mercy lead Or Ignorance invincible may plead Not onely Charity bids hope the best But more the great Apostle has exprest That if the Gentiles whom no Law inspir'd By Nature did what was by Law requir'd They who the written Rule had never known Were to themselves both Rule and Law alone To Natures plain indictment they shall plead And by their Conscience be condemn'd or freed Most righteous Doom because a Rule reveal'd Is none to Those from whom it was conceal'd Then those who follow'd Reasons Dictates right Liv'd up and lifted high their Natural Light With Socrates may see their Maker's Face While Thousand Rubrick-Martyrs want a place Nor does it baulk my Charity to find Th' Egyptian Bishop of another mind For though his Creed Eternal Truth contains 'T is hard for Man to doom to endless pains All who believ'd not all his Zeal requir'd Unless he first cou'd prove he was inspir'd Then let us either think he meant to say This Faith where publish'd was the onely way Or else conclude that Arius to confute The good old Man too eager in dispute Flew high and as his Christian Fury rose Damn'd all for Hereticks who durst oppose Thus far my Charity this path has try'd A much unskilfull but well meaning guide Yet what they are ev'n these crude thoughts were bred By reading that which better thou hast read Thy Matchless Author's work which thou my Friend By well translating better dost commend Those youthfull hours which of thy Equals most In Toys have squander'd or in Vice have lost Those hours hast thou to Nobler use employ'd And the severe Delights of Truth enjoy'd Witness this weighty Book in which appears The crabbed Toil of many thoughtfull years Spent by thy Authour in the Sifting Care Of Rabbins old Sophisticated Ware From Gold Divine which he who well can sort May afterwards make Algebra a Sport A Treasure which if Country-Curates buy They Junius and Tremellius may defy Save pains in various readings and Translations And without Hebrew make most learn'd quotations A Work so full with various Learning fraught So nicely pondred yet so strongly wrought As Natures height and Arts last hand requir'd As much as Man cou'd compass uninspir'd Where we may see what Errours have been made Both in the Copiers and Translaters Trade How Iewish Popish Interests have prevail'd And where Infallibility has fail'd For some who have his secret meaning ghes'd Have found our Authour not too much a Priest For Fashion-sake he seems to have recourse To Pope and Councils and Traditions force But he that old Traditions cou'd subdue Cou'd not but find the weakness of the New If Scripture though deriv'd from heav'nly birth Has been but carelesly preserv'd on Earth If God's own People who of God before Knew what we know and had been promis'd more In fuller Terms of Heaven's assisting Care And who did neither Time nor Study spare To keep this Book untainted unperplext Let in gross Errours to corrupt the Text Omitted paragraphs embroyl'd the Sense With vain Traditions stopt the gaping Fence Which every common hand pull'd up with ease What Safety from such brushwood-helps as these If written words from time are not secur'd How can we think have oral Sounds endur'd Which thus transmitted if one Mouth has fail'd Immortal Lyes on Ages are intail'd And that some such have been is prov'd too plain If we consider Interest Church and Gain Oh but says one Tradition set aside Where can we hope for an unerring Guid For since th' original Scripture has been lost All Copies disagreeing maim'd the most Or Christian Faith can have no certain ground Or Truth in Church Tradition must be found Such an Omniscient Church we wish indeed 'T were worth Both Testaments and cast in the Creed But if this Mother be a Guid so sure As can all doubts resolve all truth secure Then her Infallibility as well Where Copies are corrupt or lame can tell Restore lost Canon with as little pains As truly explicate what still remains Which yet no Council dare pretend to doe Unless like Esdras they cou'd write it new Strange Confidence still to interpret true Yet not be sure that all they have explain'd Is in the blest Original contain'd More Safe and much more modest 't is to say God wou'd not leave Mankind without a way And that the Scriptures though