Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	conspire_v	good_a	great_a	27	3	2.0640	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68595	A briefe and piththie summe of the Christian faith made in forme of a confession, vvith a confutation of all such superstitious errours, as are contrary therevnto. Made by Theodore de Beza. Translated out of Frenche by R.F.; Confessio Christianae fidei. English	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Fills, Robert, fl. 1562.	1565 (1565)	STC 2007; ESTC S101755	149,544	418

in the name of one whole Churche or of one whole nation When it shalbe expedient so to do it must then be vnderstād what is the power autheritie of suche an assembly which they call generall councell ●● Hovve far vve may differ from the councels SOme there be y t contemne the councels of y e church as things of nothing some other thynke that all that commeth from the coūcels ought to be receiued as the word of God without exception But wée doo not agrée with the one nor the other For wée doubt not but the lord is amongst those which be lawfully called in his name as he hath promised although they wer but two or thrée then much lesse do we dout but that he gouerneth with greater power in y e greater cōpany of his church which he gouerneth by his holy spirit And we knowe be assured that the truth of God is stedfastlier grounded thā vpon niē whatsoeuer they be for we al know not God as yet but in a part Moreouer experiēce sheweth vs sufficiently howe easy it is to abuse this title of councels namely what cōtrarietie there is amōg thē Wherfore we conclude y ● a meane must be kepte whiche is neither to despise thē nor yet to extol set them vp aboue god who only cānot erre And saincte Augustine sayth the churche ought not to bee preferred before Iesus Christ For he iudgeth alwayes truely but the ecclesiasticall Iudges oftentimes may deceyue themselues truly so they doo For who condemned Iesus Christe A counsel lawfully assembled if we consyder the outewarde succession and appearaunce Who concluded that those whyche were baptysed by Heretykes shoulde bée rebaptysed A Councell of Affrica where as was sainct Cyprian And to be briefe if it shall be nedeful to consyder the inconstancie of the Iudgemente of the councels I speake namely of those whyche without controuersye haue ben gathered in the name of God It shall bée easye to declare that suche haue but a weake staye whiche haue no surer foundation But yet wée maruell of those whiche reproue and condemne vs as contemners of Councels whiche neuerthelesse will kéepe themselues no one iote of them Witnesse the councell of Basile which was abolished by all the Popes following and others Now to the ende that they may the better vnderstande whether oure sayings be conformable to the truthe of God or not sée what we shall saye in this matter hereafter 13. To vvhome it pertayneth to call a councell THe communaltie oughte to be assembled by order and then by authoritye of some one elected among them we doubte not but that it is the offyce of the magistrate to giue order and prouide that the ecclesiasticall estate maye bée well gouerned and ruled in peace and to encrease therein Now yf the chiefe Magistrate bee a Chrystian by his authoritye suche assemblies ought to come togither as it hathe euer beene practised in the Churche of God without contradiction vntill suche tyme as the ambition of the Patriarkes and especially they of Rome hathe reuersed and ouerturned the whole order Notwithstandynge we confesse that for lacke of Christian Princes or when they shall not do their dutie then must the Pastors which watche ouer the flocke take héede to those thyngs that be necessarie for the Churche but in suche sorte as all thinges maye be doone without ambition or disorder as wée sée howe the Churche of Antioche hath practised as it is written in the Actes of the Apostles 14 Hovve those oughte to be chosen vvhiche the Churches doe sende ●o the councels WHen it was requisite that thyngs shoulde be doone extraordinaryly in a Generall assemblie in the name of a whole Church or of a communaltie as if it were néedefull to sende one man or diuers or many men in the name of a whole parishe Diocesse or nation Although it were supposed that those persons whyche had the ordinarie charges and offices in the Churche were then the moste méetest to deale with the affaires in councels whiche was in that time when the offices were gyuen to suche persons as were most méete by a frée ecclesiasticall election whyche was then done with fastyng and prayer Yet neuerthelesse in those dayes there was great choyse so that all the church with a common consent had respect to chuse men whyche were indewed with giftes and graces of the holy Ghost as well in lyfe as in learning As it appeareth in the history conteined in the Acts of the Apostles concerning the first councell holden at Ierusalem where the Apostles were gathered together Muche more nowe when all is ouerturned and in stead of Pastours they are Mummers or Maskers as all the worde may sée Nowe who that woulde chuse and gather together into one heape and companye all the fylthye and abhominable rabble of the worlde let him assemble those whiche they now call Prelates of the church and he shall finde that from the greatest to the least they bée all bounde by theyr othe to maynteyne and vpholde the tyranny of him against whom the counsell shoulde be assembled and gathered And the whole rabble of them be entred into the Churche by brykes and symonie agaynst the commaundement of God agaynst the manacyng and threatninge of Sainct Peter agaynst all the customes of the primatiue Churche against all the auncient Cannons decrées and Councels whereby all suche personnes be excommunicated and throwen out of the Churche then muche lesse ought they to bée holden for Prelates and gouernoures of the Churche whylest there is suche disorders I saye what folyshnesse is it to all suche an assemblie a godly or lawful Councel where s●ant one can be founde whyche is a member of the true Churche of God We say then to assemble a lawfull councell those oughte not whiche be nothyng lesse than that they be called to enterprise anye thynge on theyr owne authoritie But the Churches oughte to assemble together wyth fastyng and earnest prayer with a common consent where it may be suffered or at the least with the beste order that may be doone euery churche to elect and appoynt those which be known to be vnreprouable in their lyues endued with the spirite of wysedome and vnderstanding and other giftes méete and necessarie to suche an office without respecte of crosses myters double crownes or any suche maskings vnder the which all the worlde may sée what knowledge or gifts of the holy Ghost dwelleth 15. Euery man ought to be heard in the councell Prouyded that there be no confusion FOr as muche as Hypocrites may deceyue a whole multitude and also the Holy Ghost distributeth his giftes and graces to whome hée séeth good and oftentymes to those whiche bee of least estimation as it hapned to Hieremie and to Amos at that tyme when all the Prelates of the churche had conspired against the truth of god and as we sée in our tyme the

euyll conscience and infidelitie ¶ The conclusion of that is aforesayde THese things consydered I hope by the grace of God that all men of a sounde iudgement may easily know by the conference aswell of the doctrine as of the exterior gouernement on which syde the verity of God doth stande and what slanders they bring vpon vs against all reason Wherefore we requyre in the name of God those which by ignorance hetherto haue persecuted the innocents to haue more regarde to them selues and to the iudgement of God which is to come If they be kinges Princes or other noble and worshypfull men that they wyll so much the more bee dillygent to heare the verity which only may make them long time haply to raign and also take héede of those which vnder a false semblance of Relygion doo abase and bring vnder the scepters and crownes of kinges to theyr boods hats miters and crosses yea so far as to make them serue to their insatiable couetousnesse and extréeme crueltye If they be Iudges and magistrates let them consider for the honor of God that when they shal come to render a count of theyr iudgementes it shalbe a poore defence or excuse for thē agaynst the wrath of God to alledge that they haue hen but the mynysters of the lawes and statutes which them selues dyd not make This is the excuse of such as doo set other a worke to shed innocent bloud If they be priuate persons let them vnderstand that where ther is no vnderstanding or godly knowledge to render a reason of his fact there can be no zeale of God but a very wilful rygour for the whiche they shall geue accomptes And at the least let them take the leysour to conferre the lyues of those vppon whome they haue béene so cruell without vnderstanding and what was theyr case with those other whiche haue prouoked them to be polluted with innocent bloud and by that meanes they shall iudge the tree according to the fruit Concerning those whiche by a wylfull malice haue conspired against the trueth and extende all theyr power to anymate and sturre vp kings and princes against vs but the onelye Lorde hath kepte his Churche against theyr rage and fury betherto and wyll do to the worldes ende Notwithstanding let them enterprise and doo all that they may doo the worst to vs they can Which is to cutte vs of and destroye vs vtterlye for that is the best we hope to haue at their hands But if it please the Lorde they shall winne no other thing but in despyte of them our poore Paper in the ende shall quenche their fyres our pennes shall breake their swords in their hands our patience shall vanquishe their crueltie and they shall sée with their eyes that trueth shall haue the victorie and their wicked kingdome ouerthrowen For it must néedes be wyl they nyll they that this worde pronounced by the Sonne of God be fulfylled euerie plant which my heauenly Father hath not planted shalbe pluckt vp suche is that fayth for the whiche we suffer in the which we nowe lyue in and hope to dye to lyue for euer FINIS Another briefe confession of fayth according to the same herebefore and the same authour FOr asmuch as God is perfectlye ryght wyse and iust and all men wholy and altogether sinners then out of these two thynges must néedes be that eyther God must renounce his ryghteousnes and iustice which cannot be or all men without exception be vtterly lost and condemned except they satisfie fullye and perfectlye the diuine iustice But he satisfyeth perfectly the diuine iustyce which payeth all that be oweth to God Wherefore we must fyrst seeke what it is that man oweth to God then whether he be able to pay him thyrdly if we cannot finde in our selues wherwith to paye him we must see then where wée may borowe to paye that we perysh not by the iust iudgement of God Wherfore to the ende we may knowe what it is that man oweth to God wée must consider the forme and manner of the oblygation wherein we be bounde in our creation and what is wrytten in the two tables of the lawe and then we shall fynde that we are bounde to loue God aboue all thynges and with all our harte and our neyghbour as our selues So it is aparent that we owe to be payed perfecte loue to God and to our neyghbours But howe can this be done if fyrst we be not naturally apte and enclyned to doo thys For experyence teacheth that our nature is cleane contrary to this For all men of them selues or of theyr owne wyll be enclyned rather to hate God and theyr neyghbor contrary to loue Nowe if our owne nature draweth vs to hate howe can we paye the loue which we doo owe Of this we maye gather thrée conclusions that is to saye that all men of theyr owne nature be haters of God being corrupted Then it foloweth that they cannot onely paye that they do owe but also they bynde them selues daylye more and more and endebte them selues by newe sinnes to the iust iudgemēt of God from whence it followeth necessarily that eyther all men without exception must bée condempned or else fynde some one that wyll paye theyr debtes Nowe where shall we fynde suche a pledge or suretye that is méete and able to doo it Certaynlye in no place among the thynges that be created For if wée searche among the Angels the aunswere is ready the Angelles bée not bounde for the synne of man For the ryghteousnes of God cannot demaunde of the Angelles that which man oweth And also there is sturred vp the wrathe of God whiche must bée borne and it is certayne that the Angelles them selues be not able to beare so great a burden But if Angels be insufficient and vnable to beare so great a burden what creature can bee founde that is able to do it Wherefore we must necessarily haue refuge to some one that is more mightye then all creatures and also that must bée very man For if he be not more myghtyer then any creature that is to say verye God he can not beare the burden of the wrath and yre of God but should him self be ouerwhelmed vnder it then much lesse could he satisfye for others And if he be not a man how should he delyuer man by his satisfaction It is necessarie then that a mediatour be founde which is God and man and such one is Iesus Christ as the Christian religion teacheth vs. Now let vs sée whether Iesus Christ be such one that we may fynde in him all that is requisite to our saluation Fyrst Iesus Christe is very God from whence it foloweth that he can be a sauionr And also be is very man from whence it followeth that hée is of nature méete to suffer that whiche the Iustice of God requyreth to be reuenged for the sinne of man For if be onely were God

great works of God whiche he dothe dayly by thosely simple ones and moste dispysed in the worlde we saye that the assembly of a Councell ought to be so appointed to certaine persons as hathe bin sayde before yet notwithstandyng no man ought to be shut out or excluded but all to be heard for to knowe yf God woulde reueale anye thyng by hys mouth without disorder or confusion as it was practised in the firste councell of Nyce 16. Who ought to presede or be chiefe in the councell IF it bée néedefull to knowe who ought to presede in thys assemblie for togather the voyces and to gouerne all the whole action of the councell It is well knowen what order was set amonge the bishoppes at the first councell at Nyce but it appeareth by the historye that at that tyme there was no certentie of this proheminence to prefede or be chiefe but voluntarily the byshoppe of Alexandria did presede amonge the byshoppes as it appeareth by the actes of the first councell of Nice and of the first and seconde Councell of Ephesus And as concernyng the Bishoppes of Rome his Vicars had not out the fourth place in the Counsell of Nice And where as he presed in the Councell of Chalcedon it was of fauoure As it appeareth by the request which Leo bishop of Rome made to Martion the Emperoure and yet the successour of Leo s●●yned not for the first place in the fifth councel of Constantinople agaynste Menas Bishop of the sayde place And also at the Prouinciall Councell of Carthage Aurelius prefed without● contradi●●ion There beeing present the Vicares of the bishop of Rome who at the same councell was condemned of falshoode in the presence of Sainct Augustine But notwithstandyng Reason and Experience teacheth that to giue this degree to one certayne place without respect of the person is a thyng of it selfe moste vnreasonable Althoughe it were that the elections of the eccl 〈…〉 sticall pastours were done in such order as appertayned For as it ought to be he who is most méete as far forth as mā may iudge ought to be preferred before al others as we see y ● in the generall counsell of Aquile S. Ambrose gouerned without any mencion making of the Bishop of Rome Who shall assure vs y ● the greatest townes hath alwaies y e best learned Pastors although they had respect in chosing them to learning and godly life If reason do not content vs come to experience yea namely in a time far better without comparison then this our tyme. Let them reade the Acts of the fowre first synodes and they shall finde what disorders be happened of such Prelators of hye pontyficall s●ges let them ioygne to it the falseho●● of Boniface the. xl Bishop of Rome discouered reuealed in the third counsell of Carthage about the yeare of God iiij C xxi where as was Saynct Augustyne and ye shall sée what credite the Bishop of Rome had then in Affryca euen he whiche sayde he ought not to be iudged of man and was iudged there and condemned And yet it cannot be found that this patriarchall presidence the which at that tyme contented the Byshoppe of Rome dyd stretch so far as to haue auctoritie to demaunde the suffrages and to haue conclusions but onely to haue the firste place amonge the Byshoppes where as at that tyme we fynde that there was no certaine order kepte in the fyrst Counsels Also it appeareth by the Actes of the. iiii vniuersall counsels that the deputies for the Emperour demaūded the voyce and gouerned the action of the Counsels the Emperours being but laye men b ▪ far was it from them to vse that tirannye which encreased and sproonge vp by lyttle and lyttle after the decease of Gregory the nynth In fyne we say that in the generall counsell set asyde all ambition take those meanes which shalbe most easie to finde among those whiche seeke but the glorie of God onelye those ought to procéede and be chiefe which shall be founde the moste meetest without respect of sea or trone And concerning the distributions of the seates and rankes he which distributeth and appoynteth them sheweth sufficiently with what spirit he is led 17 How far extendeth the power of the Counsels and why they be ordained in the Church BEhold here how the lawfull counsels ought to be assembled without respect to any thing saue onely to the honour of God and the edification of the churches As I do vnderstand haue learned by the holy scripture and by reading of the moste auncient ecclesiasticall authors Let vs come now to consider how farre extendeth the authoritie of a Counsell lawfullye assembled We saye that a Christian counsell shall not be assembled nor neuer ought to assemble to make any newe article of our faith And that for ii reasons The first is because it appertayneth to God onely to declare what and how daungerous it is to syn against him and what is synne and what is not Brieflie it is he onely which hath power ouer our cōscience and vppon our fayth so that no man can vsurpe his office but hée wyll after a maner to saye driue God out of his seate The second is that God ▪ before the comming of Iesus Christ hath sufficientlye instructed and erected his church by the Patriarkes First by visions other meanes as it pleased him after by Moyses and by the Prophetes Preachers publishers of that doctrine whiche was geuen and also written by Moyses who expressely forbiddeth to adde or diminish any thing Much lesse then it is lawfull to alter or chaunge any thing Finally Iesus Christe at his comming ▪ hath fullye and perfectlye declared to vs the wyll of his Father leauing out nothyng Also ascendyng from vs into heauen concerning his corporall presence dyd geue his holye spirite in such measure to his Apostles and other godly personnes which were styrred vp that they dyd vnderstande all trueth the whiche they haue preached and wrytten to the entent to put backe and preuent Sathan that he should not abuse the world with his lyes so easelie And in this dooing wée sée howe warelie and dilligentlie the Apostles obserued the same Neither adding nor diminishing to the substaunce of the word of Iesus Christe who neuerthelesse were the very organes and as interpretours or spokes men and after a manner to speake notaries of the holy ghost which office was not geuen to their successours who ought to content them selues with the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles For if the Apostles dyd not knowe all those things which be required to saluation who then hath knowen amongest men And howe can that bee true which the Lorde hath expresselye declared and promised to the contrary And howe should they haue bene saued But if they had knowen and had not published and declared it they had not bene faithfull If they had preached and had