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	scripture_n	true_a	11,026	5	5.6788	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14583	An epistle sent by Monsievr de Vrillac, advocate in the Parliament of Paris; to Monsievr de Vrillac his father, vpon the occasion of his conuersion. Faithfully translated into English, accoriding to the French copie; By C.C.	Vrillac, Monsieur de.; C. C., fl. 1621.	1621 (1621)	STC 24893; ESTC S101817	11,766	24

AN EPISTLE SENT BY MONSIEVR de VRILLAC ADVOCATE IN THE PARLIAMENT of PARIS To MONSIEVR de VRILLAC his FATHER vpon the occasion of his Conuersion Faithfully Translated into English according to the French Copie By C. C. LONDON Printed by I. D. for WILLIAM SHEFFARD and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre vnder St Peters-Church in Corne-hill and in Popes-head Alley 1621. AN EPISTLE SENT BY MONSIEVR de VRILLAC ADVOCATE IN the Parliament of PARIS To Monsieur de Vrillac his Fa ther vpon the occasion of his Conuersion MOst deare and my most honoured Father and Mother I say the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience bearing me witnesse that I haue continuall sorrow and griefe in my heart that I must forsake you as touching the world my griefe being the more for that I know how much my estranging my selfe from you will breed you sorrow and affliction But this hope haue I in God that your sorrow shall be turned into ioy and your affliction into consolation when your wisedomes void of passion and worldly respects shall consider that the voyage which separates me from you is to bring me neerer to God and to set my Conscience at rest and quiet For I may no longer conceale it from you that by the often reading and serious meditation of the holy Scriptures together with calling vpon the name of God the Lord hath shewed me that mercie to see on the one side the new corrupt errors superstitions and heresies of the Roman Church and on the other side the pure truth taught in those Churches that are purged from the nouelty of Popery and reformed according to the true Antiquitie of the Apostles and Prophets Which knowledge I confesse I haue for some time held as captiue vnder feare suffering my selfe vnwisely to be carried away with their opinion who thinke it safest to sway with the time to beleeue with the Doctors and to liue with the multitude to giue the heart to God and the body to the world I was dumbe and sayd nothing I kept silence Psal 39. 2. 3. euen from good but my anguish increased my heart waxed hot within me and the fire kindled in my meditation wherefore I speake with my tongue For if heretofore the sonne of King Croesus beganne to speake seeing his Father in danger Who will thinke it strange to see my tongue loosed in a subiect where it hastens to set forth the glory of God my eternall Father and the saluation of mine owne soule For With the heart we beleeue but with the mouth Rom. 10. ●● wee confesse to saluation for which cause Iesus Christ saith That whosoeuer shall confesse him before Mat. 10. 32. 33 men he will confesse him before his Father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shall deny him before men him will he deny before his Father which is in heauen And the Apostle also saith Come out from amongst them 2 Cor. 6. 17. meaning from Idolaters and separate your selues and touch no vncleane thing And the Spirit of God Apoc. 18. Goe out of Babylon my people left yee partake of her sins and that yee receiue not of her plagues God will haue no societie with Satan nor Communion with the world he will not with the harlot haue his childe diuided he will haue all or 1 King 3. 26. nothing For what hath righteousnesse to doe with iniquitie And what communion hath light with 2 Cor. 6. 14. darkenesse Or what agreement hath Christ with Belial Or what portion hath the beleeuer with the Infidel Or the Temple of God with Idols And here I called that to minde which God heretofore said vnto the Israelites by the mouth of the Prophet Eliah How long halt ye betweene two 1 King 18. opinions If God be God follow him but if Baal follow him I haue aduisedly considered of what great validitie that Maxime of our Sauiour is That it is Mat. 6. 24. impossible to serue two masters and haue often called that to minde which we reade Mat. 11. That the kingdome of heauen suffers violence and the violent take it by force I haue often considered that God will haue his children marked not onely with an inward seale Ephe. 1. 13. but also with the marke of an outward profession and that is the cause why in the 1. booke of Kings 1 King 19. 18. Chapter 19. God saith hee had reserued to himselfe seuen thousand men not onely who had not beleeued in the Idolatries of Baal but who had not bowed the knee to Baal nor kissed him And in the seuenth Chapter of th' Apocalyps v. 3. Iohn Reu. 7. 3. beheld in a Vision an Angel hauing the seale of the liuing God to marke the seruants of God in their foreheads teaching vs therein that if wee will be reputed the seruants of Iesus Christ wee must openly make profession of the Truth the which himselfe teacheth vs in S. Iohn If any one Iohn 12. 26. serueth me let him follow me For he that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me Mat. 12. 30. scattereth I haue also often thought with my selfe that the Deuill demanded nothing of Iesus Christ but what the worldly wise giue vnto him For the Deuill hauing shewed Iesus Christ all the kingdomes of the world and the glory thereof saith All these Mat. 4. 8. things will I giue thee not if thou beleeue in me but if thou shalt fall downe and worship me Nabuchadnezar required nothing of those three worthies which were cast into the fiery Furnace but Dan. 3. 15. outwardly to worship his Image and the greatest tyrants not being able to discerne the thoughts of the heart content themselues with the bodie and the tongue Yea I thought that if it sufficed to beleeue the truth without making profession of it in vaine should so many Martyrs haue maintained it before their Iudges and confessed it in the very flames signed with their bloud and sealed with their death And seeing the Church on earth is like vnto Israel in Egypt and Daniel in the Lyons den and that in the eyes of the world it is nothing but weaknesse and as it were a few Lambes in the midst of a multitude of Wolues if it should conforme it selfe to the times there would neuer bee any Church And in withdrawing our selues from the house of God we shall not onely run into the Temples of Papists but also into the Temples of Mahomet saying by way of excuse yet I beleeue it not Reason it selfe hath taught me that it sufficeth not a childe to haue a good conceit of his Father vnlesse he defend his quarrell and that it is not enough for a souldier to loue his Captaine if hee fight not vnder his ensigne and that shee is but a strumpet who vnder pretence of keeping her hart to her husband prostitutes her body to strangers as also that it is the propertie

on by the hand of his grace and strengthened my weakenesse to hearken to the words of our Sauiour Who so loueth father or mother more then me is Mat. 10. 37. not worthie of me As also to that answere which he made him which said I will follow thee Lord Luke 9. 61. but first giue me leaue to take leaue of those that are at mine house None that putteth his hand to the plough Verse 6● and looketh backe is fit for the kingdome of God Then I considered that God called me to the same condition vnto which he called the Father of the faithfull Goe out of the countrie and from Gen. 12. 1. thy kindred and from thy Fathers house to goe into a countrie which I will shew thee I thought that if I was bound to respect the father of my body I was much more bound to respect the Father of my spirit and that it was better to obey God then men Act. 4. 19. And the better to alay this bitternes I comforted my selfe the sweetnes of the gracious promises of my good God I will receiue you and will be 2 Cor. 6. 18. a father vnto you and you shal be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2. Cor. 6. Whence I came to conclude thus with my selfe I forsake my fathers house but I enter into the house of God I estrange my selfe from my naturall parents but I enter into that high and noble alliance and spirituall kindred which is named in heauen and in earth of which Iesus Christ is the head When Ephes 3. 15. Psal 27. 10. my father and my mother forsake me the Lord will gather me vp Add also that with this consolation I comforted my selfe thus namely that I entred not into a Church which vnder pretence of piety teacheth me to cast off the bands of naturall respects and dutie but which commands all Christians to nourish within them the cordial affections of true Exod. 20. charitie instructing children to honour their father and mother in all things in the Lord. The Ephes 6. honour and loue which I owe you are too fast engraued in my breast to be blotted out The bands wherwith I am knit vnto you are too strong to be broken and my desire to acknowledge your fauours shall neuer die in me till I die Now I nothing doubt but you will witnes with me how blamelesse my conuersation was during the time I conuersed amongst you I was also inflamed with a most ardent affection to make it appeare vnto you that it was neither rashnes nor lightnes which caused mee to change Religion But I onely suffered my selfe to be vanquished by the power of truth the motions of Gods holy Spirit to which purpose you know I endeuoured my selfe in your presence to maintaine this truth agaiust such Doctors as you approued of which I often did in particuler conferences hauing learned that God perfects his prayse by the mouth of babes Mat. 11. 25. and perfects his power in our weakenesse For as God hides his secrets from the wise and prudent reueales 2 Cor. 12. 9. them vnto little ones So hath the Truth greater Mat. 11. 25. force in the mouth of a childe then a lye in the mouth of all the Doctors in the worlde But the miseries of these times not permitting me to enter into such disputes without exposing my person to manifest danger and not minding to enter into the Church of GOD through trouble As also that disputations now adayes are rather lowd then fruitfull because they dispute onely to dispute striuing rather for victory then truth I thought it euery way better and more to edification to set downe my reasons of this my alteration and change by writing to which the grace of God assisting me I will without ceasing endeuour now that God of his mercy hath giuen mee to arriue in such a place where it is lawfull both to speake and write the truth For I hold my selfe still bound to giue you an account of my proceedings and I should thinke my selfe happy if this little light which God hath communicated vnto me might something enlighten your darkenesse then should I willingly yeelde my Spirit to God that gaue it if I might see you with my selfe walking the way to life and happinesse In expectation whereof I beseech the great God and father of mercies that hee will make vs all mind one and the same thing in Christ that he will replenish you with the ioyes and comforts of his holy Spirit granting vs all the grace that after wee haue glorified him a little while heere on earth wee may be glorified with him for euer in heauen euen with that glory which hee hath prepared for vs before the foundation of the world So prayeth he who craues that you will alwayes beleeue it euen vnto the altar Your most humble most affectionate and most obedient Sonne de VRILLAC From SEDAN this 3. of August 1621.