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
A15655	The schollers purgatory discouered in the Stationers common-wealth, and discribed in a discourse apologeticall, asvvell for the publike aduantage of the Church, the state & vvhole common-vvealth of England, as for the remedy of priuate iniuryes. By Geo: VVither.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1624 (1624)	STC 25919; ESTC S120316	70,447	142

without making conscience of Religion I haue had many more easy and more thriuing waies offred me then the world is a ware of and needed not to haue exprest my selfe in such manner as I haue done in my Hymnes which I was certaine before I published them would neuer purchase me good opinion from Papist or Schifmatick For beside other waies of these times which I haue despised I haue been offred a larger yearely stipend and more respective entertaynments to employ my selfe insetting forth hereticall fancies then I haue yet probabilitey to hope for by professing the Trueth Yea I haue been wooed to the professiō of theire wilde ill grounded opinions by the Sectaries of so many seuerall seperatiōs that had I listed or rather yf God had not been the more mercyfull vnto me I might haue been Lieutenant if not Captaine of some new Band of such Volunteers long ere this tyme. But I thanke God neyther the swelling impostumations of vaineglory nor the ytchings of singularity nor the ticklings of selfe loue nor the convulsions of Enuy nor the inflamations of Reuenge nor the hunger and thirst of Gold were euer yet so preuayling ouer me as to mooue me to the prosecution of any thinge against my conscience especially if yt seemed any vvay repugnant to Religiō or the authority of the Church Nay those things which I might iustly and lavvfully haue done to my great advantage and without reproofe I haue volūtarily forborne euen almost to the ruine of my estate for no other end but because I feared least the malice of my Adversaries should misinterpret my dooings eyther to the scandall of Authority to the offence of ignorant people or to the troubling of their devotions vvho are ignorant of the reasonablenesse and true purpose of my actions I therefore beseech your Reuerences that my Hymnes for the Observable times may be re-examined whether they be not in euery circumstāce agreable to the holy Scriptures and discipline of our Church And if there be any passage or expression found among them scandalously faulty let it not onely be corrected according to the Truth but let me be commanded also to make publike acknowledgement of my ouersights And if Authority thinke it expedient vndergoe some penalty for my default But if on the contrary as I hope it will euidently appeare those Hymnes and their Prefaces shall be approoued much tending to the edification of the people and helpefull to encrease true deuotion and Christian obedience by explaning the pious and commendable vse of those Ecclesiasticall constitutions which many people haue ignorantly judged vnprofitable If they shall be found consonant to the Diuine word and conformable to the Cannons and Ordinances of our Church If they haue been lawfully allowed of by those in Authority and may appeare to aduance the practise of Piety to Gods honour and to maintaine those Rites only which were agreed vpon and established by our Parliaments Prouinciall Synodes Nationall Counsels and the Authority of the State And yf moreouer those who scandalize oppose the sayd Hymns may be probably suspected yf not prooued to haue eyther priuate malice and designes in their opposition or to be some of those who are trou blesome and ill affected to the gouernment of our Church Thē let their vnchristian behauiours towards Authoritey and their vncivell daeling with me be accordingly considered on If those Observatiōs which our Church commandeth were as vnprofitable or superstitions as some of that ignorant Rable seeme to conceaue Yet I hauing followed the steps of Authority prepared meanes to make those Obseruations the more edifying for the common people methinks I might hope for better things then to be abused for my labour and expenses But seeing the Church hath by those obseruations wisely and pyously so distributed the commemoration of the principall mysteries of Religeon that they may be once throughout euery yeare presented to publike consideration since the temporall blessings of euery season are therby the better the oftner tendred to our thankfull Remembrances as well as those eternall Priueledges which we receaue by the Incarnation Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascention of our hlessed Redeemer and the perticuler misteries of his holy-Saintes and Angells And since I haue by Gods assistance found out by Authoritie divulged those helpes vvhereby the Churches pious intent in those Ordinances may be the more vulgerly vnderstood practised both to her honour and the glory of God vvhy should not I be defēded against the malitious irreligeous combinations and practises of my Aduersaris Nay why am I rather giuen vp into their powre to be traduced abused for that which in the opinion of all good men ought to haue procured me more esteeme So farr am I from insinuating any popish Superstitiō among the people that I haue vindicated all our Solemnities f●…om those imputatiōs which ignorant men haue that way cast vpon them by setting downe their primatiue vse freed frō the Corruption of the later Ages and in such manner as they are obserued by the Church of England who imposeth them not as essentially pertaining to Religeon but as accidentally helpefull towarde the performance of those exercises which are necessary to saluation For whosoeuer can propose to himselfe any other warrantable meanes which in his judgement may be more profitable to his perticuler disposition to stir him vp and continue him in the practise of his Christian duties He may as I beleeue freely make vse of them and with good commeodation prouided he neyther tye the Generality to his private Rules nor presnmptuously neglect or contemne the alowed Church discipline to the dishonor of Authority and the offence of his vveake Brethren Because in my vnderstanding humane Traditions obseruations discreetly established in the Church do in our highway to Heaven resemble those markes which charitable and skilfull Seam●…n haue anciently sett vp to discouer dangerous passages and a safe Channell to vnskilfull Mariners If any man suppose himselfe so good a Pilot that by his industry and continuall sounding he can bring his Barke to a safe Roade without heeding the common obseruations Or yf his Vessell dravv so little water that by sayling ouer those Barrs vpon which others most commonly strike he can finde a neerer course into the Harbour hee may steere by his owne Compasse But if he shall therevpō deface those auncient Beacons which meaner Arts-men haue neede of or seeke to make contemptible those helpes which he himselfe was yt may be directed and preserued by in his tymes of lesse experience vvee may justly taxe him of sacriledge and impiety And the same taxation are they worthy of who in their pilgrimage to the spirituall Canaan dispise and seeke to abolish those generall furtherances which theire vviser Forefathers had prouided because they haue in their owne imagination found out some discipline fitter for their particuler inclinations Let them vse vvhat Christian aduantage they can in their priuate practise of

erre me thought in saying OSCVLEMINI FILIVM which was according to the genuin most cōmon vnderstāding of y● original words among the Hebrewes I apprehended that the Holy ●…host exhorted his Church among the Iewes to homage and worshipp that Sonne of God whoe was diuers wais made māifest vnto thē to be their true King And APPREHENDITE DISCIPLINAM being according to that Translation which I am perswaded God himselfe extraordinarily prouided to reueale his truth by vnto the Heathen I conceiued that the Holy Ghost perswaded his Church among the Gentiles who yet knew not Christ their Kinge to imbrace the knowledge of him And ADORATE PVRE beeing the first trans●…ation that in latine the Church publikly receiued and about that tyme the true worship of Iesus Christ begining to be adulterated my mynd gaue me that psalme being a manifest prophecie concerning the kingedome of Christ to the worlds end it might be that God did by that interpretation perswad those peruerters of his Truth to repentance who should disturbe the peace and quiet of his kingdome in these later tymes But I stand not so thereupon as if I could not submitt to better iudgments Sure I am this meditation is no way repugnant to the Catholike verity and howsoeuer it shal be approoued it serues wel enough to my purpose for demonstratinge that the variety or different expressions of sacred things are not needles but do afford aduantage vnto those of meane capacityes if they meditate vpon them with reuerence and humility If it be but to awaken our dullnes and take away our wearisomenesse in holy duties variety is needful For flesh and bloud as we finde by daily experience loaths those things wherwithal they are naturally best plesed if they be to frequēt how much more tedious then will those things be vnto vs which are perpetually iterated in the same words being naturally vnpleasing to a carnall eare Since god in mercie hath prouided and permitted vs meanes to assist our weaknesses let not such as are strong enough to be without them condemne the vse of such helpes in those whoe beeing not so able must haue their affections weaned by degrees from their childish inclynations We see the Flesh and the Deuill hauing for their seruice thousands of vaine Songes and prophane ballads stored vp in the Stationers warhouses haue neuerthelesse many Muses perpetually ymployed for the composing of new Straynes And that many hundred pounds are yearely consumed vpon them to the inriching of those marchants to the shame of our profession to the corruption of youth and to the building vp of the kingdome of sinne and Satan as it is well knowne and obserued by many of good note in this reuerend assembly Yet there haueing been for diuers ages together but so many Hymnes composed and published as make in some impressiōs not aboue two sheets and a halfe of paper for the reuerence and practice of Deuotion vnto the honour of god they are censured impertinent malitiously exclaymed on violentely opposed and the Author of them seeking for the needefull hyre of his labour but his due and what strangers should haue been suffered to make thereof is publikely accused as a man coueteously hunting after the world and an iniurious oppressor of the common-wealth Oh god how partiall are all men bewitched with selfe-loue in the prosecution of their base ends and how vncharitable in their censunes For the Stationers haue not onely labored to depriue me of the benefit due to my labours but also to make me appeare without Christianity in my intentions by affirming that I sought myne owne benyfit onely in composing my booke of Hymns in publishing it according to the kinges commaund My Poem●… last deuulged was sayd to haue been written in myne own prayse the Hymnes for my priuate profit I wonder to what purpose y● next booke I write shal be cōposed Verily if I be not altogether forgetful of myne owne thoughtes o●… too apt to beleeue ouerwell of my selfe as parhaps I am my principall ayme was the glory of God in both those vndertakinges Neuerthelesse truth is I am so inclyned to the corruptions of other men that although I did what I was able yet was I not altogether soe free from outward hopes as I ought to haue been in those works My weake fortunes my troubles and the chargablenesse of a studie that bringes with it no outward supplie put me vnto a kinde of necessity to cast my thoughts a side vnto wo●…ldly respects but I haue siu●…e been sory for it vpon better consideration And as a iust reward for my too earnest lookeing after vaine ho●… I doe now accept of my present trouble that outwardly is like to impouerish me And the tyme thereof drawes me the more heedfully to consider it being iust about that season wherein I expected to reape some contentment in the fruition of my labors and expences God graunt this experience may inrich me another way and settle my hopes vpon more certaine thinges and that those who accuse mee of this imperfection may examine their owne heartes and if they finde them guilty of the like infirmity learne by myne example to confesse their errour And my prayer shal be that we both may more directly seeke gods glory in our vndertakings But why should I be the man more accused the●… all others for seekeing after the iust hyre of my labours am I the only One guilty of studyinge myne owne profit●… in the course of my paynefull endeuours for religious ende I would to god I were and that no man liuing saue I were so wicked as to make his owne glory and inriching the end and scope of his christian diligence For doubtles such an vniuersall pietie would be a powerfull meanes of drawing me to repentance But I beleeue there be so fewe who can with the Apostle cleare himselfe herein that if none might be permitted to throwe at me the stone of reproofe but only they who are free from this weaknes I may walke from Saint Michaels Mount in Cornwal to Douer●… from thence euē through our mitropolitan Churches to the farthest Northeren Isles without touch of exception And whereas they obiect I haue compassed a priveledge to the publike greeuance your Reuerences shal ceiue how innocent I am from giuing cause of such an imputation if you please to consider the circumstances of his Maiesties Grant with his pyous intention and my carriage in the procuring and execution of it For I did not as some of the Stationers haue done in the name of many and by pretending the reliefe of the poore whome they may be prooued therby to oppresse monopolize the principall bookes of Sale within this Realme euen those wherein the whole cōmonwealth haue a inst interest which is really one of those Monopo●…es that our State abhores But hauing composed a new Booke which no man could claime a share in while it remayned myne owne and in mine owne power to make publike or no