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
A54980	The plain man's essay for England's prosperity more particularly referred and submitted to the consideration of the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, 1698.	Philalethes.	1698 (1698)	Wing P2364; ESTC R10783	22,461	29

the misfortunes of War and more especially the notorious impairing the Coin of the Nation and all this c. too in a young Government and scarce throughly setled such sensible and immediate effects of the Toleration hitherto allowed that it 's the more amazing to see any People so blinded at least towards their Country's and the publick Interest as to think the permission that is too much whereas Religion as well as Policy inclines rather to Lord Bacon's Essays extend it further For as it is noted Christ's Coat indeed had no seam but the Church's Vesture was of divers colours whereupon it 's said In veste varietas sit scissura non sit They be two things Vnity and Vniformity Then as to Policy What greater security under God can there be to any regular well-constituted Government than the making all People easy especially in their highest and most tender concern of this World and another and that it be their special Interest to maintain it and then withal to teach men so Thus all men as is equal in Nature and so also under Government are according to their respective Demerits let in to run the hazards bear the burthens and share in common the Profits and Honours of the Government they live under as well as enjoy its common Protection together with the rest of their Brethren who are all such by the Bonds of Nature of Religion and of Society Another ill consequence of mens narrow Notions and partial Consideration for themselves besides their muttering at Liberty of Conscience the great and special Blessing of Heaven as well as of this Reign is the grumbling some discover at the Liberty of the Press which hath been and is so peculiarly instrumental for the dispelling Popish Ignorance and all such blind and passive Superstitions that the Reformation it self had prov'd Abortive had not God of his mercy brought to light the Excellent Art of Printing whereby we are mutually enabled to reap the Advantages of one another's Labours And there can be nothing of a civil nature assign'd so much the cause why that hath hitherto made no greater progress but seems rather in many places at this day to lose ground than Persecution and the Restraint of the Press Papists indeed may be said to be so far in the right as to take right Measures for the upholding their Temporal Hierarchy or Spiritual Vsurpation but it 's unaccountable why Protestants with a Cause that needs only a true Liberty and Light to render it amiable and prevailing over the face of the whole Earth and to bring in in God's appointed time the fulness of the Gentiles should tread in their steps and paths of Darkness which is their chief I may say their only Subterfuge or that we should turn Inquisitors upon our selves because God be thanked it 's not yet in their power to set any over us There are against this as against what not some Objections may be started but they appear either such Cavils or Prejudices or at most affect only some wild Excesses of Licentiousness not a Just Liberty and which may be well enough and easily regulated without denying or destroying such a Liberty of mens publishing their Thoughts to the World that I here purposely pass them by in silence as of no weight to the merits of the matter nor altogether consistent with my proposed brevity only lest it seem to thwart what I have contended for but even now the Reform of Manners I crave leave to add That there need no Supervisors of the Press to prevent the publishing of Principles or Notions in themselves Scandalous Immoral or Prophane because it was scarce ever or rather never known that under the Inquisition of the Press any have sought an Imprimatur for them A second fatal Error and of somewhat like kind with the former I take to be the Opinion some seem to entertain of the Perfection of our Church Reformation and State-settlement for as soon as they become so possess'd they no longer strive after any thing beyond themselves and their present Circumstances And the nature of Man and of all human things besides is such that if they grow not nor improve be their height and degree of Perfection Settlement or Establishment what it will they stand not long at a stay but decline degenerate and grow worse and worse non progredi est regredi But the Reformation was never look'd upon nor can be understood to be or to have been compleat The first Reformers were eminent indeed to a degree but the Evil had been too long contracting and was grown to too great a Head to have its Reform be the Work but of a Day of a Reign or even of an Age. That Reverend and Learned Prelate of our Church who hath so incontestably Reform'd and Imbelish'd its History will scarce be rejected as an incompetent Judge or Witness in this Case and he hath not long since assur'd the World That there remains yet a great deal to be done for the compleating of our Reformation But the Account he gives of its having made a full stand for above an hundred years would not 't is like be so properly inserted here as it is in the Preface to his Discourse of the Pastoral Care But put the Case That those who succeeded our first most worthy Reformers had gone on and taken the same liberty in examining theirs as they did their Predecessors Opinions And that thereby as it could scarce have fail'd they had happily discover'd much more Truth If any say That then the same would have continued to us and to Posterity by the very self-same Reason may they say too That no Errors or Corruptions have ever been since our Saviour Christ's and his Apostles times And so farewell at once all Reformation past present or to come But I would only ask in the Lord Bacon's words Resuscitat why the Civil State should be purged and reformed by good and wholesome Laws devising Remedies as fast as time breedeth Mischiefs And contrariwise the Ecclesiastical State should still continue upon the Dregs of Time and receive no Alteration But if it be said to me That there is a difference between Civil Causes and Ecclesiastical they may as well tell me That Churches and Chappels need no Reparations tho Castles and Houses do Whereas commonly to speak truth Dilapidations of the Inward and Spiritual Edifications of the Church of God are in all times as great as the Outward and Material Then as to the State-Settlement let any body without going further but look into His Majesty's most just and righteous Declarations upon his so Charitable Expedition hither and then considering the many notorious Breaches on our Civil and Religious Rights therein expressed and implied let him I say satisfy himself if he can that there is nothing more to do notwithstanding the great Advance towards the promoting a Settlement of the Religion and of the Liberties and Properties of the Subjects upon so