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	holy_a	scripture_n	9,894	5	6.0621	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29229	A comment upon the two tales of our ancient, renovvned, and ever-living poet Sr Jeffray Chaucer, Knight who for his rich fancy, pregnant invention and present composure deserved the countenance of a prince and his laureat honor : the Miller's tale and the Wife of Bath : addressed and published by special authority.	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673.	1665 (1665)	Wing B4260B; ESTC R29900	68,447	207

dispers'd the Floud or Deluge past And Absolon of wanton become chast John to his Alyson is reconcil'd And Shee perhaps by Nicholas with Child John doth his jealous humor quite disdain What Alice did she will not do again Heav'n Smiles Earth joyes when all things fall amending And Tragick Acts have such a Comick ending A Commentary upon Chaucer's Prologue to the Wife of Bath's Tale. EXperience though none authoritie c. This English Homer our incomparable Chaucer here brings in an antient Wife of Bath with an Old Wives Tale yet not so old as true seeing her own Experience had confirm'd whatsoever her tongue express'd wherein she draws the first occasion of her discourse from the griefs which accompany a Married life being either weary of their present choice and consequently affecting change or being deprived of their choice brings upon them new discontents by an untowardly change Then she discourseth of the number of Husbands which she had since her Twelve years of Age. Wherein she presseth an Argument against such as held opinion against By gamy That sithen Christ went never but onis To wedding in the Cane of Galilee c. As if she should say albeit Christ who honoured Marriage with the very first Miracle that ever he wrought upon Earth never went to any Wedding but once and that in Cane of Galilee will you hence conclude that we are never to marry more than once and so exclude Bigamy So might you infer upon like consequence because Christ never scourged Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple but once nor was tempted in the Desart for ought we read but once nor wept over Hierusalem more than once that neither sacrilegious Symonists are more than once to be scourged nor temptation more than once to be suffered nor tears of compassion more than once to be tendred Nay to refell this erroneous Opinion which even some of the antient Fathers of the primitive Church have with too much pertinacy held this good old wife of Bath hath an Argument in store for her own purpose which she borrows from the very Touchstone of Truth the holy Scripture Iesu god and man Spake in represe of the Samaritan ' Thou hast had five husbands Whence she proves that in those daies there was no such restraint but that it was usual and lawful for any one to marry after the Decease of their Husband Albeit we find it commended by Apostolical Authority and recommended to Posterity That those only were to be honoured for Widows who were Widows indeed True it is that in this place here alledged by our Wife of Bath this Samaritan was reproved not for that she had married five Husbands but for that after their Deaths she had taken her self to one who was not her Husband with whom till then she had lived without remorse of Conscience in all Incontinence Albeit that any one should be restrained to a prescript number either of Wives or Husbands it was yet never heard Not to insist therefore upon the difficulty of the Text nor to play Schole-Divine which would ill beseem one of her Sex she makes use of a Text far more easie and proper for her purpose But well I wote expresse without lie God badde us for to were and multiplie That gentill Text can I well understond c. She could find in her heart to multiply in Husbands as well as Children One of the Ends of Marriage she observes and this she embraceth with so free admittance as her Age must not deprive her of hope to multiply Husbands therefore she holds necessary Associates in all Ages as well for Recreation as Procreation being for their Love to leave whatsoever they most tenderly love Parental Love is excluded where Wedlock is admitted Neither Bigamy nor Octogamy if Wives become their Husbands Survivers are to be questioned The last is no sooner committed to earth than a new one is to be sought for on earth Love and Youth no nor Age if it have a Colts tooth can converse with Ghosts and Goblins This she confirms by Instance Lo he the wise king Salamon I trow had wives mo than on As would God it leful were to me To be refreshed halfe so ofte as he She holds it an honour to encrease in this Number and by variety to allay satiety Whence she reflects upon her own former estate and highly joys in her interchange of choyce Blessed be God I have had five Of which I have pyked out the best Both of their nether purse and eke their Chest. She provides her self of a Husband to fit every sense that she might more sensibly enjoy what she did by all likelihood most affect That she might attain the end she neglects not the means No Procreation without Action She holds it fit therefore to share in his Ability of Person as well as Fortune And because Practice begets Perfection she loves ever to be in ure She finds far more Advantage in dispatch than delay Her old Husband must no sooner be dispatch'd than a new one must be catch'd Thus is she ever mated and matched Of five husbands scolynge am I Welcome the sixte when ever he shall dy The thought is taken All flesh is mortal but of all flesh she would have none more mortal than her husbands She would ever have her aged Husband look like Death's-head mean time her sage Admonitions are never wanting to bid him remember his end Life is but a Trouble but of all others she is most troubled with his Life Thus dictates she of her Husband's Pilgrimage which by how much the shorter it is for her all the better A new Change is her Royal Exchange Nor is the Market so scarce but she hopes to fit her turn with a new Choice Mean time you may hence perceive that she would have her Husband's Life of any Stuff rather than Perpetuano or Sempiternum Like a charitable Wife she could wish with all her heart that his Soul were at rest while she were left to the Cares of the World and the Flesh for both which she would so seasonably provide that as Fortune and her late Husband's Providence had sufficiently furnish'd her for the one so she would take especial care that she were not famish'd in the other This she confirms not only with her own Opinion but by Apostolical Doctrine For than the Apostel saith that I am fre To wedde a godeshalfe where it liketh me c. This likewise she strengthens to give freer scope to her own Affections with a fresh current of new Instances What recketh me though folke say villany Of shrewd Lameth and of his bigamy c. Here she makes a Rehearsal of sundry persons and some of them antient holy Patriarchs as Abraham and Jacob who had divers wives and in the end proceeds farther discoursing of the state of Virginity which was recommended by way of Counsel and no express Precept by the Apostle concluding He said thereof precept had he none Men may counsaile a