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	religion_n	true_a	7,548	5	5.1593	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66423	A sermon preach'd at St. Mildred's Poultrey, January 3. 1696/7 By John Lord Bishop of Chichester, and late rector of the said church, upon his leaving that parish.	Williams, John, 1636?-1709.	1697 (1697)	Wing W2730; ESTC R222027	12,423	32

than Men Christians and Brethren These are things to be complained of whereever they are but Beloved I hope and I may say of some I know better things of you and things that accompany salvation Let it therefore be a Testimony of the Concernment you have for our Religion and of your Zeal for the Glory of God nay let it be a Testimony of the hope you have of Salvation in the World to come that you promote what you can the Peace and Union of the Church and Place to which you do belong that you be Frequenters of the Publick Worship of God attentive Hearers of the Word Honourers of your Pastor that is to Instruct you Devout Partakers of the Holy Ordinances especially of the Lord's Supper and the Publick Prayers to which the Scripture hath annexed special Promises and Blessings And for what end is all this required To what purpose was it that the Saints of Old and the Primitive Christians chose to Die and to expose themselves to such Deaths as came armed with the most formidable Terrors rather than not join in the Publick Communion but that this was in effect to Renounce their Religion And shall not we be as careful to do our part when it is so easily and safely performed and by our Attendance on the Divine Offices maintain the Credit of Religion against Gainsayers and testify as much as we can That this is our Religion and what we believe to be the True Go to the ant thou sluggard saith Solomon and we may be sent to the Mahometans and to the Heathens and to those of a False Religion and the Disguisers and Corrupters of the True I mean the Zealots of the Church of Rome to those of other Parties to learn how to Honour our Religion and to bear Testimony to the Truth of it What a Reproach is it to see the Fields full and crowded and the Churches too often scandalously thin on the Lord's day To see on other days what a vast Concourse there is on the place of Commerce what Crowds pass along by the Church-doors and how few are in our Saviour's Phrase able and willing to enter How full are our Houses of Youth and Servants and of others that have in some hours of the day little to do And how often the most Busy have time to spare and stand at the same time Idle and Unemploy'd when there is Publick Notice given that the time of Divine Service is then come If we were but prudent husbanders of our Time and Business How easily might the Publick Service of every day be made for the most part consistent with the common Affairs of our Professions And I will appeal to any that have considered and tried it whether this is not generally Practicable and I will appeal to those that think it Unpracticable whether they have as carefully computed this as they have cast up their Books or thought aforehand after what manner to dispose of their time upon any day to the Advantage of their own Affairs I would make all allowances that I can and pass the most favourable Constructions upon the urgency of Affairs and in the conclusion must leave it to every Man's Conscience as the best Director to answer for themselves This I am sure of and what all must allow that if there was a joint concurrence in the Divine Worship that all Persons were of one Mind and with one Mouth Celebrated the Divine Praises that the Publick Worship were Universally frequented it would be to the Honour of our Religion and Church and consequently to the Honour of God And if I may speak my own Opinion from the best Observation I am able to make If every one did what they could if each Person would well and impartially weigh his own Case and those that are Governors of others and have Families would consider how to proportion and adjust their time to their Business and lay aside what time they could well and conveniently spare the House and Service of God would never be without a laudable Congregation I desire no more in this case than I did before of others that Dissent from us That Persons would do what they can No Man knows what he can do till he tries till which every Difficulty seems impossible and every little Inconvenience a Difficulty and every Appearance shall be an Inconvenience God requires not according to what we have not but according to what we have and has so wisely ordered things that our Worldly Business and his Service may be consistent and we find no inconvenience to our selves that out of Seven Days he has reserved one to himself If this were left at large and we had no such portion of time set apart by Divine Institution but were to do it of our selves or were required by Superiors we should be apt I doubt not to complain that it was impossible for us to spare Fifty two days in a Year for such a Service considering the multiplicity of our Affairs and the pressing Necessities we were under we should I say be apt to complain very heavily of such a restriction And yet notwithstanding what this would seem to be if we had not tried we find it very Practicable and those that do Conscientiously Observe it and rest from all worldly Business on that Day do as well dispatch their Affairs and are as successful as those that do apply as much of it as they can or dare to their own peculiar Service And I am Confident that so it would be here if we did but try and endeavoured to order our Affairs and husband our Time to the best Advantage We should then for the most part find that we have spare People in our Families that may have leisure given them or which those that are in their own power may take for the Serving of God Who could think but that in these Two Parishes in which there are if I mistake not about Seven hundred Communicants there should be so many found as should make up a Congregation every day and when among the Hundred and Thirty Houses of which these United Parishes consist there are not much above Twenty of them that of all Persuasions do Dissent from us Whoever considers this cannot well conceive that all are alike employed and have the same pretence to excuse such an Omission as tends in the consequence of it so much to shew our want of Zeal and Concernment for the Religion we Profess The Reformation of this depends upon Management and Consideration And if upon this they find it unpracticable I dare be their Compurgator and plead their Excuse But that I am in some measure secured there will be no occasion for Thus far I have Considered the First General as you are in a Society and of a Parochial Communion II. I am to consider you under a Domestical Relation that of Housholds or Families We Read in the Epistles of a Church in the House of Aquila at Corinth