Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	course_n	establish_v	great_a	28	3	2.0643	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66000	A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the lord mayor, and the Court of Aldermen, at the Guild-Hall Chappel on November the 23d. 1684 by Thomas Wagstaffe ...	Wagstaffe, Thomas, 1645-1712.	1685 (1685)	Wing W213; ESTC R34696	16,892	34

they have been used by the Primitive and early Christians then they cannot in Reason offend And why should the Common Prayer and the Sign of the Cross corrupt us which did very well agree with the Consciences of the best and purest Christians But that which I shall chiefly insist on is comprehened in these three Things First That the Methods the Church proceeded with in these Things upon the Reformation seem'd most proper to revent Offences 2. That the Things she hath retain'd are Decent and Useful apt to advance Religion and Gods Worship and to secure it from Irreverence and Profanation and therefore might reasonably be enjoyn'd for the benefit of a Religious Society tho some Persons of that Society might mistake them or not approve them 3. That she hath taken all possible Care to satisfie ev'n the most Scrupulous of her Innocency and the cleerness of her Intentions in imposing them and so hath used all reasonable ways to take off Prejudices and Offences and hath in all things as much as the thing would admit condescended to the weakest and most infirm in Faith or Understanding And these three being made out it will appear that the Church is so far from being Occasion of offending the Weak that she hath exercised all possible Lenity and Tenderness towards them First That the Methods the Church proceeded with in these things upon the Reformation seemed most proper to prevent Offences and that was when she excluded all things that were Novel Sinful and tiresome and retain'd what was of undoubted Antiquity easie and useful And this whatsoever some hot Men may think was certainly the evenest course that could be taken to prevent Offences on all Hands Had there been more and more troublesome kept those that complain now might have Reason to be offended Had all been thrown away as well the useful as others a contrary Party might have been offended and when they saw us reform from what was convenient they might have esteemed the whole Reformation not just and necessary but peevish or politick and carry'd on for other ends besides REligion and the Salvation of Souls I know this kind of reasoning will not down with some and a man shall hardly escape from being call'd a Papist for urging it But for all that since 't is necessary the Church should open its Arms to receive all since the Apostle enjoyns to give no offence neither to the Jew nor to the Gentile it was especially at that time when a Nation was to be converted from the dregs of Popery not only the Wisdom and Moderation but the Christianity too of the first Reformers to carry things with so much evenness and indifferency as not to please the Fury and Heats of the one Hand nor the Errors and Faults on the other And this took away a great many Offences which were and still are objected against Reformations in other places And when they saw that we did not throw away the Mettle with the Dross that we did not cast off things profitable with the unprofitable it was a plain Evidence that the end of the Reformation was Truth not Design that what was aimed at was not Opposition Contradiction or Interest but only to establish and set up the Purity of the Gospel And this just and equal Dealing was the most prudent and Conscientious course that could be taken to prevent offences and a great many were by this means brought into the Church for most of the Nation was converted who in all probability by other Furious Methods by cutting up Root and Branch as they call it by destroying every thing then in use how useful soever would have been offended that is they would have been discouraged and rather have kept to their old superstitions than have entred into a Church which Acted so Unreasonably I know it is said that this Method was proper enough in the Infant state of Reformation when mens minds were yet hankering after Ceremonies and they could not so soon be wean'd from their old Dotages and therefore it might then be necessary to comply with them for fear of diving them quite away from us But it is not so now a thorow Reformation would be more fit and suitable men are now grown more wise and understanding and know that these things are vain and empty Superstitous and Ridiculous and therefore Iaffirm 2. The things retain'd are decent and useful c. There are but Three or Four things about which all this stir is made as the Surpliss and Liturgy the Cross in Baptism and Kneeling at the Communion Each of which notwithstanding is fit and proper Let any unprejudic'd man consider whether a Decent and Solemn way of Worship is not apt to impress Reverence on mens minds and whether distinction of Habits do's not contribute to the Solemnity It plainly does so in Magistrates and Judges and no Mortal man can give a Reason why it should not have the same influence in Religious as well as Civil things Is not Gods worship like to be better secur'd from indecency mistake and miscarriage by prescribed Rules than by leaving the Modes to every giddy mans fancy and opinion Is not a form of words where the matter is maturely thought on and every expression well weigh'd more fit to excite Devotion more suitable to express the peoples wants and desires than rash inconsiderate and hasty thoughts than idle intemperate and ridiculous expressions Is not the Cross the Badg of our Christian profession And when we are Baptiz'd into Christ's Death is it not fit we should be minded of it That we now take up the Cross and are to be Crucify'd to the World that we should not be asham'd of a Crucify'd Saviour but own and profess his Religion in spight of all opposition When Men worship God and Commemorate infinite blessings is it not fit this should be done in the humblest posture That therefore when we praise and return thanks to God and our Saviour and are partakers of his Body and Blood we rather Kneel then behave ourselves as his equals or as if we had been at a bodily entertainment with one of our Neighbours These things are plain and obvious at the first sight as very proper and expedient for the more orderly and comely carrying on of Gods Worship And this is the first thing to be inquir'd into as to the imposition of any thing whether they are fit for the purposes they are intended and if they are then there is sufficient Reason for the commanding them tho some Persons should not like them or should fall into inconvenience by them and the Reason is because the end of Laws is the good of the Society and if the good of the greatest part is thereby promoted it justifies and warrants such Impositions Now the Power the Church is invested with is for Edification and if it injoyns such things as are apt to edifie if it belongs to her to look after Gods service and if what she