Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	companion_n	fall_v	great_a	32	3	2.0654	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77459	A briefe relation of the present troubles in England: vvritten from London the 22. of Ianuary 1644. to a minister of one of the reformed churches in France. VVherein, is clearely set downe who are the authours of them, and whereto the innovations both in church and state there doe tend. Faithfully translated out of the French.; Letter concerning the present troubles in England.	Tully, T. (Thomas), 1620-1676.	1645 (1645)	Wing B4630; Thomason E303_1; ESTC R200287	52,984	69

severall corruptions in it hath ever since maintained At least we may shrewdly suspect that he afforded this name a place there as the print or shadow at least of a Function which had beene before and the seed or basis of that which ought to have beene established among the Churches in his time then especially when it might be done with the least prejudice to manners or doctrine both which it was constantly beleeved were most of all undermined by Episcopacy The truth is all the Divines of greatest note with us have beene driven upon this conclusion whensoever they have fallen upon the same Question They all joyntly condemned with extreamest rigour the corruptions which in their times were in a sort the individuall companions of that Profession but they never deny it its due reverence considered abstractively in it selfe Calvin after he himselfe had executed the Office of a Bishop in Geneva * Instit l. 4. c. 4. § 4. discourseing of the ancient institution of Bishops in Cities of Arch-Bishops above them in Provinces and in fine of Patriarchs advanced at the Councell of Nice above both the former saith that this was done ●● order to the discipline of the Church and withall acknowledgeth that Antiquity notwithstanding such innovations had not the least thought of obtruding upon the Church any other forme of government then what God himselfe had prescribed in his word That howsoever they bestowed on that forme of their owne the name of Hierarchy a word not extant in Scripture yet we are not to dwell upon the notion but to weigh the nature of the thing it selfe By which passage Sir you may easily inferre how this worthy Author stood affected to the Order we speake of That of Beza an able judicious writer if we reflect upon the times he liv'd in is no lesse for our purpose then the former He grants in one place that Episcopacy was usefull in the Church and that the distinction of Bishops and Arch-bishops was first instituted for the read●er conv●●●ing of Synods and managing the affaires of the Church with more steadinesse To wave what this able Auth or hath farther delivered upon the Question who will not hence conclude if he cast but an eye upon the many difficulties they meet with that are to steere the inclinations of men either in Religion or Policy that he was so farre from disallowing Episcopacy that on the contrary he approv'd it as an Institution of highest consequence to Christianity And in the particular case of England every body knowes that these two eminent Persons absolutely sub●●●ibed to its continuance there The one of which hath published so much to the world in a Tract against Saravia● and doth not the other also speake expressely in behalfe of those in that Kingdome which the men of this generation would quite extirpate But let us farther examine their opinion who speake of the thing in generall Pol●●●● is pe●emptory that to make up those breathes in the Church which happened after the Apostles times there was one set ever the rest of the Presbyters and call'd by way of eminence Bishop whereto he subjoyneth that in relation to that primitive order and discipline of the Church there hath ever beene one ranked before the rest of his Brethren to keepe them within compasse and to prevent the broaching of any new doctrines Melanchton is yet more expresse The policy of the Church saith he that is the exteriour face thereof is compounded of two ingredients The first is the Ministery a thing of Gods owne immediate institution and it containes five parts 1. The right of calling and ordaining Ministers 2. The injunction to preach the Gospell 3. The power of remitting sinnes 4. of administring the Sacraments and 5. The right of exercising Jurisdiction upon Offenders by excommunication The second is the humane Constitutions of Bishops and Councells who are to regulate the degrees of Ministers and the difference of time and place when and where to execute their Functions Now saith he those constitutions are to be maintained for the cherishing of good Order yet so as they be drained from all tincture of superstition And he gives the reason because they have a kinde of right naturall the very law of nature obligeing us to the constant observation of good order in the conduct of our lives A passage very part for Episcopacy as noting unto us the impossibility of composing any Church disorders without it For the Members will then teare one another in peices and the body which kept them together in so close and strict an union cannot long mal●taine the peace and harmony which that order as the soule infused into them as Saint Basil somewhere speaketh I cannot wave neither a passage I have sometimes read in Hierome Savanarola a bitter enemy to the corruption of the Clergy and one that vehemently declaim'd against the disorders of the Church If faith he in his booke de veritate Fidei there shall happen any kno●ty difficult scruple in the Assemblies of the faithfull the Bishops are they that must decide the Question which must needes be construed of that superiority whereby they are to bridle the boldnesse and insolence of such as being hurried on with a spirit of confusion disquiet ●he Church with maladies hard to be cured This mov'd the other Hierome about 1200 yeares agoe to avouch that the prosperity of the Church did so mainely depend upon the superiour Minister that were it otherwise there would be as many Schismes among Christians as Presbyters Which consequent saith the Arch-bishop of Spalata is manifestly seene in such of the reformed Churches as have abandoned Episcopacy This was the reason why the Princes and all those of the Clergy that subscribed to the Ausburge Confession did joine in such an open Protestation before God and Man that they sought not for the extirpation of it They were as well acquainted as we with the corruption of the Bishops and had as much at least to feare from their continuance as we can possibly have And yet to prevent the unavoidable necessity of that confusion into which they would otherwise have fallen they unanimously agreed upon the defence of that Ancient Order and to oppose with all eagernesse such as should endeavour the abolition of the same This they hotly pursued not barely in order to Religion which they laboured to rescue from Romish slavery but also for some secular considerations intwisted with Religion it selfe as the union and concord of the People without which it would be a very hard taske for them to preserve their severall Rights and Prerogatives entire This also is the reason why the succeeding Emperours made so many attempts to bereave the German Protestants of this Order being taught by experience that Episcopacy keepes them closer together and that this union of the People is the greatest obstacle to their ambitious designs Had there been any Bishops in the Palatinate all the rest of the reformed parts in Germany