Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	darkness_n	light_n	spirit_n	4,467	5	5.4203	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20595	A declaration of the reasons which moued Marcus Antonius de Dominis, Archbishop of Spalato or Salonas, primate of Dalmatia and Croatia, to depart from the Romish religion and his countrey. Written by himselfe in Latine, and now for the populare vse translated; Marcus Antonius de Dominis, Archiepiscopus Spalatensis, suae profectionis consilium exponit. English	De Dominis, Marco Antonio, 1560-1624.; W. S., fl. 1617.	1617 (1617)	STC 6999; ESTC S116248	16,073	35

the Councill of Carthage Wee judge no man saith he neither debar we any man from the Communion albeit he haue an opinion diuerse from vs for none of vs all hath made himselfe Bishop of Bisshops or compelleth his collegues by a tyrannicall force to the necessitie of obedience because euery Bishop according to liberty and power hath his own arbitriment as though hee might not bee judged by others neither hee himselfe may judge another but let vs all await vpō the judgement of our Lord Iesus Christ who one and alone hath power to prafer vs to the gouernment of his Church and to take an account of all our proceedings At that time Cyprian disassented from the Church of Rome almost from the vniuersal Church about the Baptisme of Haeretickes and being confirmed in his own opinion hee judged Stephanus Bishop of Rome who mightily resisted him therein and all other to bee in a manifest errour yet hee neuer suffered the band of vnion Ecclesiastick Charity betwixt them to be brokē lest a Schisme the most noysome pest of the Church should atise among them And in this Cypr. to his great cōmendation did ouercome the not-all-wise-discrete zeale of Stephanus for while as Steph. by his excōmunications did rush headlongs to the inconuenience of a Schisme Cyprian by his patience and charity excellent wisdome eschewed a separation Therfore S. Augustine did oftē commend Cyprian and propounded his actions as a rule and examplar of Imitation to all the Churches And among other thinges which Augustine considereth of this proceeding strife betwixt Cyprian Stephanus hee saith in his fifth booke against the Donatists chap. 25. Yet the peace of Christ did so praeuaile in their hearts that in such a quaestion no Schisme did arise betwixt them for Cyprian had surely concluded with himselfe that Steph. did grosly erre while he receiued poenitent Haereticks returning to the Church without rebaptizing yet hee choosed to cōmunicate not only with Stephanus himselfe who thought and did contrary to him but also with those whom he judged to be altogether vncleane and that only because Steph. had receiued them to the Communion rather than to rent the Church with a Schisme And this example Augustine propoundeth to the Donatists and vs all to be followed Therefore most holy Father you Fathers Brethren and holy Collegues let vs imitate Cyprian follow the counsell of Augustine that aboue all things Schismes be remoued for as August obserueth Cyprian replenished with the bowels of charity aestimed that euen they who haue diuerse opinions should abide in vnitie Let vs also among vs haue diuerse opinions of thinges not as yet determined till they be fully determined And in the meane time let vs abide in vnity for albeit that you thinke otherwise yet as th'Apostle admonisheth God will reueale that to you Make not greater diuisions than are already Take heed also that with Stephanus ye break not the band of charity by vntimous excommunications lest by such contentions that great ill of diuision arise which August did fore-eschew Restore peace and charity to all the Churches of CHRIST who according to the Tenor of the ancient Creedes doe professe IESVS CHRIST and bee assured of this that Schisme in the Church is a farre more grieuous euill than Haeresie Haue your Communion ready for all without praejudice of the liberty of opinions remouing in the meane time all falsehoods in doctrine Leaue the examinations of the Trueth to those lawfull accustomed formes of the holy Church for so I hope through the assisting grace of CHRIST who vseth not to denie himselfe to them who seeke him sincerely that full peace and concord and a necessary vnion of the holy Churches shall follow that we all think one thing abide all in one rule Let vt not stirre vp amongst vs the fire of hatred and secret grudges but of Religion and Catholicke instruction Let the Word of GOD bee a Lanterne to our feete and let vs followe the foot-steps of our holy Ancestors who haue beene excellent Lightes in the Church of CHRIST Let vs breake asunder without pertinacie the darknesse of errour and falsehood by the light of the trueth of the Gospel and let vs depart farre from Nouelties which haue almost quite exstinguished the Doctrine and Discipline of the holie Church that the Church of CHRIST on earth may bee one coupled together with the glew of concorde wherein to let vs all with one spirit and one mouth prayse our GOD and the Father of our LORD IESVS CHRIST AMEN Giuen at VENICE the xv of September ANNO 1616.

great conspicuous Princes but Bishops they are not but by aequiuocation all their Bishoply administration is perished for the gouernment of all Churches is drawn to Rome and the Bishops themselues are scarsely Vicars and seruants to the Lord Pope they are vile cōtemptible oppressed troden vnder foot miserably subjected not to the Pope only but to Cardinals to so many Cōgregations as are institute at Rome against them Legates from his Holines side Apostolick Nunces Inquisitors Visitors in end to innumerable Orders of Regulars and their brethren who now by their Apostolicke priuiledges are uot onely aequalled to Bishops but also ouermatcheth them stayeth their proceedinges in their gouernment swallowing vp their power The Church vnder the Bishop of Rome is no more a Church but a certaine humane Commonwealth all of it vnder the Popes temporall Monarchie It is a Vineyard only to make Noe drunke it is a Flock which the Shepheards do sheare and clip euen to the blood yea to excoriate and flaye them Why then should I not flee lest I should see these euils any longer lest I should be a fellow-worker of such thinges a partaker with them CHRIST hath set mee as a dogge among his flocke I should not bee dumbe anie longer as nowe all the other Bishops vnder the Romane pope are dumb dogs who on the one part allured with large ●●pes and on the other terrified with great feare are altogether silent and choose by base flattery to hasten to perdition with their Chiftane And because according to the Prouerbe Flattery begetteth friends and trueth begetteth hatred seeing I neither could nor ought to desert the trueth I behoued of necessitie to flee noisome hatred and poyson and daggers the ordinary effects of hatred among vs for in these our times matters are come to this poinct that at Rome or elswhere by commission from Rome the defence of Controuersies of Religion is not committed to Theologs or Councels but to Torturers Burrios Cut-throates and bloodie Murtherers And albeit all these things did euer and earnestly perswade me to flee yet I doe confesse I fonnd the handmaide Agar with her childe Jsmael for a long time troublesom to me I mean I heard my flesh rebelling against my spirit and reasoning after this manner And whither I pray thee wilt thou goe Thou art come to great dignities wealth vnder the Bishop of Rome with hope also to attaine further These things thou doest possesse these are certain but thou knowest not what shall befall thee in other places Shall it bee euen so that thou wilt leaue thy Countrey Consignes Alliance friends neuer any more to see them againe Wherfore makest thou thy selfe wiser than innumerable other Bishops who comporteth vvith all things tolerateh excuseth them why wilt not thou in like manner comport with tolerate excuse them Art thou only the wise man among such an innumerable multitude Are all the rest foolish Doest thou not know that immediatly after thy departing first at Rome and then euery where thou shalt bee burdened with great reproaches and noted with the infamous name of an Haereticke These and more such like speaches my fleshly Agar did often whisper in mine eares not without a great combate betwixt her mine inwarde spirit and my Conscience nowe already ouercome with the trueth But that diuine Spirit with a more vehement force suffered me not any longer to make delayes but with an effectuall voyce he called me to himselfe as he did Abraham saying Come out of thy Countrey and from thy kinred and from thy Fathers house and come vnto the Land which I will shew vnto thee And he forced mee to put in execution that notable saying of the wise men FOLLOW GOD euen as blessed Abraham indeed obeyed it according to the consideration of holie Ambrose de Abraham lib. 1. cap. 2. Which fact of the holy Patriarch after a wonderfull sort augmented both my courage and strength while I perceiued that GOD did first rewarde his ready obedience by keeping disgrace and infamie farre from him for hee praeserued the chastity of his beautiful wife Sara whē it was in liazard by a licentious Tyrant Ambrose also did much comfort mee in this case while he saith Because Abraham contemned all things for GODS calling therfore he receiueth al things again abundantly multiplied first of all hee gaue him the safety of Saras chastity which hee knew was deare to the husband That same holy Father addeth moreouer Whosoeuer followeth the LORD is euer in surety therefore saith he we should not bee called backe from the obedience of heauenlie commandements neither for respect to our countrey or parents or children or wife because GOD giueth all these gifts to vs is able to preserue them all These things giue mee full assurance that for this my following of his calling though it bee somewhat too late GOD will giue me this remuneration euen the praeseruation of my fame and aestimation that of whatsoeuer account it be it shall suffer no disgrace amongst Barbarians but shall be kept found and vndefiled for the aedification of some and auoyding of offences Beeing therefore encouraged with this confidence and moued with this holy calling and admonished by these dangers I haue most chearefully vndertaken this my flight But yet the loue of CHRIST constraineth me for I might be counted of a vile base spirit if laying aside all lawfull striuing I should rot in sluggish idlenesse in some corner and so flee for mine owne ease The cause of CHRIST is in hand which calleth me to it selfe I heare that voyce continually thundering in mine eares CRYE and admonishing mee to goe vp to some high mountaine to the ende that my voyce joyned with their voyce who haue not bowed their knee to Baal may bee better heard in preaching the Gospel to Sion That voyce now I follow and I goe into some mountain where the Catholick Church hath lifted vp her head in a free profession from whence according to the oblishment of my calling so farre as in me lieth I may proclaime the trueth to the worlde and may open and shew the wayes for taking away all diuisions and binding vp again of peace in the Church The Church shall shortly heare my cries I will speake to the heart of Hierusalem and call vnto her For I cannot in any case bee lacking to my calling because I am a Bishop in the Church of CHRIST to euery Bishop his own particular Church is so committed that hee must in the meane time vnderstand where there is any necessity of his helpe the vniuersall Church is recommended to him by IESVS CHRIST To all of vs who are Bishops the Apostle Paul hath said Take heed to your selues to the whole flocke ouer which the Spirit of God hath made you ouer-sieers to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood These words also are giuen out in the