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	great_a	time_n	4,486	5	3.5288	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37061	The copy of a letter written to Mr. Alexander Hinderson	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1643 (1643)	Wing D2848; ESTC R18034	12,752	20

unmoveable in his heart men that are versed in publique Treaties about the cause and experienced in State affaires chiefely in the Germane Princes Courts such a one is N. N. without whose judgement and experience I conceive his businesse can hardly be well contrived in respect of Germany and I could wish that he were maintained to be perpetually about him for he is a very religious and knowing man and of singular use in this worke for the contrivance of the counsels therof toward forraine States and besides him one or two States men more could be named But I leave this and will come to the undertaking of the Worke not of the outward military supply which may be sent for him but of the spirituall part of the worke which should tend to uphold Protestancy against Popery not onely in Germany but every where else I conceive then that such as undertake to restore the House Palatine in Germany should make the quarrell not in pretence but in truth as indeed it is a matter of Religion and so should resolve to handle the Cause in a religious way as well as by force The cause then of maintaining the Religion and Liberties of Protestants in Germany ought to be made a publique businesse and in all Treaties with forraine States and deliberations about forraine Affaires it ought to come into consideration and all Ambassadours towards other Protestants should be instructed to deale with them for a concurrence in it and in effect become like unto the advice of Cato for the destroying of Carthage an appendix to every counsell given in the Senate If the Cause of Religion should be made a publique businesse then publique wayes and meanes must be used to advance Protestancy so as a matter of Religion ought to be advanced that is without partiality and by respects or private ends and affections by taking Protestancy in the true notion thereof as it stands in its principles opposite to Popery and to advance it thus taken two kindes of meanes should be set aworke the one should serve to make knowne unto the world what true Protestancy is the other should serve to oppose the wayes of Popery in undermining it I will name onely the heads of these meanes as now they lye in my conception To make true Protestancy known unto the world thoughts must be had how to make the tenour of their Common Faith and the Rules of their practise in their publike and private profession of the Gospell better evident unto the world then hitherto they have been For the tenour of their common Faith it may be evident two wayes First if the harmony of Confessions be reprinted for it is wholly out of print and in some things enlarged and compleated Secondly if a course could be taken to make Scripturall knowledge more common to all in the plaine and evident truths thereof and lesse intangled in disputes and subject to various interpretations amongst the learned The first may be done by using meanes to make the literall sense of the Text and the cleare doctrins thereof plaine for the vulgar use and fit for the ordinary reading of all men by the printing of Bibles with Notes and briefe Explications wherein all Protestants should agree and consent of the meaning of the Text The second may be done by some common Rules and Methods of Interpretation of places doubtfull whereupon the godly learned could be moved to agree amongst themselves that by common principles in the Analogie of Faith and by a way of Analysing the Text and drawing consequences therefrom which should be agreed upon by common consent of the Learned they might be able to avoid private interpretations and disputable doubts in Doctrine which obscure much the faith and trouble the weak professors and keep off doubting Papists from being fully convicted This would be a Means if it could be had to inlarge very much the knowledge of the Truth and to confirm it without danger of divisions it would also be a ground of reconciling different opinions without all danger of betraying Truth or suppressing it which is a thing so much feared in the work of peace Ecclesiasticall Concerning the rules of Protestants common practice in their publique and private walking according to the Gospel they ought to be set forth as much to advance themselves in the Reformation of their religious walking as to vindicate the credit of their profession against malicious aspersions Here then Means should be thought upon how the Rules of their Publique Worship in their Ecclesiasticall meetings to hear the Word to put forth prayers and praises to God and to partake of the holy Sacraments one with another should be framed so as to take away the offences which arise amongst themselves by reason of diversity in these practises and by conforming their actions herein unto that which is expressed and prescribed in the Word that they may shew themselves true unto their own principles wherein they maintain against Popery that Gods Worship should be truly spirituall according to his will and not clogged and mixed with humane inventions And to bring this to passe all their Ecclesiasticall Constitutions should be compared one with another and their fundamentall agreement amongst themselves and with the expresse Rules in the Word should be taken and distinguished from the Circumstantiall matters wherein the free and indifferent custome of Nations not unlawfull to be used make them differ one from another This their agreement in substantiall and difference in diaphorall practises wherein every Church hath its own liberty might be published as the Harmony of Rules in publike Worship observed by Protestants in conformity to Gods Ordinances and what is over-plus as a clogge and mixture of humane institution in some Churches means should be thought upon how that might by little and little be antiquated and left off And to effect this if some publike Treaties and Synodicall meeting could be brought about in due time amongst them it would be a great settlement unto themselves in the wayes of Truth and a speciall means to propagate it unto others As for the rules of their private walking they should be set forth and described in respect of common Family duties and in respect of the severall Callings and Charges belonging to all these that are Members of the Church and Common-wealth Here then should be a substantiall description of the right ordering of Christian Families to make it apparent how Protestants some do study and all should study to walk before God in their private houshold societies And in like manner other materiall descriptions of the severall duties of Ecclesiasticall and Civill charges how they are or ought to be discharged conscionably in the presence of God should be put forth to informe all of the integrity of their waies and intentions Here then the duties belonging to the Pastorall Charge and to the Doctorall Charge and to the Helpets in the one and other Charge such as are Elders and Deacons in the Church and