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	true_a	visible_a	8,046	5	9.4741	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95777	The soveraignes power, and the subiects duty: delivered in a sermon, at Christ-Church in Oxford, March 3. 1643. By J. Armagh.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.	1644 (1644)	Wing U224; Thomason E36_13; ESTC R23316	10,392	32

man yea it is the onley badge of their true subiectiō vnto Christ if for his Names sake they practise them And therfore Tertullian instead of abetting such zealous reuenge fights with a prohibition Tertul. Apol. c. 37. Ad Scap. Absit vt igne humano vindicetur secta diuina at doleat pati inquo probatur and in the combate gaines the victory by the persecutors cruelty proclaimeth it Crudelitas vestra est gloria nostra But since precepts are made so liable to distinctions and when capable of seuerall expositions each may be maintained let vs read the exposition of them in the practise of them that gaue and receiued them Did our Sauiour or his Apostles euer withstand the rage of the persecuting Iewes Doe wee reade of any one vproare or resistance made by the Primitiue Christians in those barbarous outrages practised on them by Heathen Idolatrous Tyrants No but in stead of alarums for defence they reioyced when apprehended and triumph'd in their torments hauing yet their hearts alwayes as ready to wish and pray for the happie state of their Emperours as their bodies readie to suffer their violence I might prooue it from age to age for many hundreds of yeeres after Christ but that I can but touch not discusse this question and leaue it to your owne reading and further scanning The force of this argument is confessed by our opposites who thinke to relieue themselues by imputing their not resisting to their weakenes not vnwillingnes to resist Rash vncharitable Iudges of such holy Saints Did they proclaime one thing to the world and belie the thoughts of their hearts Heare their vnanimous consent in Tertullian Apud nostram disciplinam occidi magis licet quam occidere It is our profession rather to die then kill Such precepts and the rules of obedience kept out al thoughts of rebellion against their Prince and hence in their name Tertullian contends with his heathen Persecutors for a greater share in Caesar in whose name they were executed Noster est magis Caesar Apol. c. 33. He is rather ours then your Emperour being appointed by our God And where as they pretend want of force in Christians Soc. hist lib. 3.9 they obserue not that at Iulians death his whole armie cryed out to Iouianus We are all Christians In Dioclesians time Omnes ferè mortales The whole world almost leauing their Idolatrous Sacrifices ioyned themselues with the Christian Congregations Tertullian pleads against the same obiection would wee deale with you as enemies Apol. 37. Deesset nobis vis numerorum copiarum could we want forces We Christians haue filled all places of your Empire your Cities Ilands Castles all but your Temples Yea goe higher yet and behold the Church in her cradle arm'd with force able to oppose the world the Apostles power of miracles Christs legions of Angels ready to b●e employed at his command Or had they failed of these meanes they thought of as easie a tricke as the Iesuites to punish their enemies when Tertullian professeth that one night by the helpe of a few torches might haue afforded them a large reuenge Behold now the power of these Primitiue Christians and yet weltring in their own blood for their Christianitie With them to right themselues vpon their persecutors or to oppose them is rebellion and malice Then was it the strongest parts Plea Laesos vltio diuina defendit as Cyprian Diuine refuge protects vs. Tract con Demet. pa. 224. But now Our owne arme shall strengthen vs. It is a glorious plea with flesh and blood to fight the Lords battell and to prouide that the true Religion be not rooted out and for ought I find their best argument for all the rest hang on the disposing of Supreme Power which by the Apostles reason are all vndermined or on the example of some whose commission is confessed to be extraordinary and from God But let them heare whether we may not take vp Saint Hilaries complaint Hil. con Auxent Misereri licet nostrae aetatis laborem praesentium temporum stultas opiniones quibus patrocinari Deo humana creduntur ad tuendam Christi Ecclesiam ambitione saeculari laboratur Wee may iustly pitie the vaine labour and foolish conceits of these times wherein mans endeauours are accounted Gods aid and Christs Church thought to be maintained by the worlds policie ambition or greatnesse For the Apostles receiue a sharpe checke that would haue fire come downe from heauen to consume the rude Samaritans Luke 9.54.55 and the sword that was drawne in Christs defence is commanded to bee put vp into his place not without the heauie sentence All that take the sword shall perish by the sword Mat. 26.52 Whence Tertullian Tertul. de Cor. Mil. Gladium nec Dominicae defensioni necessarium reddidit The sword was not lawfull in a priuate mans hands no not for Christs sake The weapons which the true Church vseth in her battels 2. Cor. 10.4 are spirituall and the walles of Iericho are not to be battered but with the Priests trumpets Protestants should remember how they withstand the Papists notes of the Church when they require it to be visible of large extent and glorious in the eie of the world And Papists should acknowledge what Bellarmine professeth Bellarm. de Ecc. lib. 4. c. 6. Durauit hucusque c. The Church hath lasted to this day in despite of her enemies Iewes Pagans Heretickes and not so onely but still hath gayned by persecution That is the greatest aduantage that true Christianity hath when it is persecuted and then doth shee conquere when her souldiers are slaine Was the Protestants cause weakened either in France by their many outragious massacres or in England by their frequent fiers or in the Low Countries by their great afflictions If euer they prooue loosers it is when they vniustly fight for preseruing it Should the Papist Princes all muster their forces Scioppins class sacr and wage the holy warre whose Trumpet hath already sounded the alarum they might perchance for a time eclipse the light of trueth put it out they neuer can They may abate the visible number but will make more true Professours Tertullians Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae is a maxime The bloud of true Martyrs is the Churches seeds-plot if it be cast into the fire or spilt by an vnresisted sword I could dwell in the contemplation of this strange husbandry but that I may be suspected for digressing and am yet to shew the medium betweene disobeying God and resisting the King It is confessed there must bee no disobeying of God That wee may not resist the King is prooued as the occasion giues leaue what then remaines Preces lachrymae sollicite beseech earnestly pray for the reuersing of the Decree Haec sunt munimenta spiritualia tela diuina quae protegunt This is the only shelter and fortresse whither a Christian may betake himselfe in this tempest Hester 3.16 Heere was Hesters and the Iewes refuge when the Decree was gone out from Ahasuerosh for the destroying of the Iewes Act. 4.2 Hither fled the Apostles when they were prohibited to preach Christ Sozim●l l. 2. c. 28 Alexander of Constantinople when command was giuen for the reestablishing of Arius Russin l. 2. c. 36. and Ambrose when hee was eagerly prosecuted by Iustina in the cause of Arianisme And these are tela too and diuina weapons that fight from aboue against the fury of persecutours not as if by thee directed to reuenge that is not warrantable but approoued with God by the testimonies of his vengeance By these was Hamans gallowes appointed for Mordecai fitted for himselfe by these on the day when Arius should haue beene restored did he sodainely perish by these was Iustina put to flight and executed If these preuaile not know that now is the time wherein God will make triall of thy faith to him and loyalty to thy king Both which must appeare in thy readinesse to vndergoe the intended affliction There is no defensiue resistance allowed vnlesse thy defence be such Lib. 3. as Liuie only allots to subiects Scutum non gladius the buckler of patience not the sword which is as ready to giue as ward the blow Hee that in this defence wounds his persecutor is a rebellious murtherer not a lawfull executioner Remember that he is still thy Prince and since thy conscience may not yeeld to his command shew thy selfe his subiect in yeelding to his punishment For now thou maye●t either die by liuing or liue by dying Thou hast Christs warrant for it Hee that in such a case findeth his life shall loose it Mat. 10.39 and hee that looseth his life shall finde it loose a temporall finde an eternall where he shall for euer raigne in the glory of triumphant Martyrs FINIS