Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	faith_n	good_a	word_n	4,521	5	4.1218	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37416	A defensive vindication of the publike liturgy, established ceremonies, and setled patrimony of the Church of England against such as (putting themselves to an ill occupation) have unjustly impeached or oppugned them / by a peaceable sonne of the same church, no way addicted to novelty or innovation.	Peaceable sonne of the same church.	1641 (1641)	Wing D823; ESTC R17218	23,627	39

the Temple of Ierusalem of the treasury that was laid up there as he was about to take it away suddenly two young men appear before him notable in strength excellent in beauty comely in apparell who scourged him continually and gave him many sore strips so that he fell on the ground 2 Mac. 3.26 27. and lay speechlesse without all hope of life Vers 29. till by the prayer of Onias the high Priest he was restored to health Vers 33. and he returning to the King when the King asked him who might be a fit man to be sent yet once again to Ierusalem for the same purpose Vers 31. he answered if thou hast any enemy or traytor send him thither and thou shalt receive him well scourged if he escape with his life Vers 38. for in that place there is no doubt a speciall power of God which defendeth it and beateth and destroyeth them that come to hurt it Vers 39. After Iulian had robbed the Churches of their plate in scoffing manner saying Ecce quam pretiosis vasis ministratur Mariae filio are these fit vessels or cups for the Sonne of Mary to be served with he was suddenly wounded to death with an Arrow as g Theod. eccles hist lib. 3. c. 11. Theoderet thinketh shot from Heaven Pompey noted by Tully and Livy for one of the most fortunate men in the world till he entred into the Temple at Ierusalem and offered wrong to it then continually after he had unhappy successe and dyed miserably when the Vandals came with a puissant army against Gabinius as Eutropius relates the story the Duke sent some of his Captains disguised to see whether the Vandals reverenced the Temples of the Christians or spoiled them if they spoyl or violate them saith he the God whom the Christians worship who they say is a powerfull God will not spare them that spoil his houses and so it came to passe for the Vandals marching forward inriched with the spoil and goods of the Church were vanquished in battell slain and put to divers torments And that I be not infinite in examples we see by daily experience that of goods sacrilegiously gotten perpetuus nulli datur usus no man possesseth them long but they passe from man to man from heir to heir from family to family as the Ark did from Ashdod to Gath from Gath to Ekron and could finde no place to rest in among the Philistines but troubled them wheresoever it came till they returned it again to its proper place 1 Sam. 5. If any be offended with this my discourse I must answer for my self as Tertullian did in another case conditio praesentium temporum provocat hanc admonitionem nostram the condition of the present times do provoke and in a manner embolden me to offer unto the view of those who please to read it this my admonitory information that had its conception and birth was begun and finished in a very few dayes space which I now intimate not thereby to assume any glory to my self but by way of excuse or apology if I have not performed answerably to the goodnesse of the cause in defence of which it had been fit I should have used more mature deliberation least truth it self suffer by this my over hasty indiscretion But when I had waited long to see whether the ancient and men of ablerparts would speak and continually heard many mouthes open to defame the service and ceremonies of our Church and few or none open to defend them from those fowle unjust aspersions which are in many libellous Pamphlets cast upon them Vexatus toties Rauci Theseide Codri Quis tam ferreus ut teneat se Rather then so good a cause should want an advocate to plead for it or that our Church should not be justified of some though one of the meanest of her children I have presumed to publish in a very homely dresse such as it is this my defence and vindication of the Service Ceremonies and setled Patrimony of our Church which craves audience against those quibus quieta movere magna est mer es who love to fish in troubled waters and hold the disturbance of the Churches peace a sufficient hire to set them on work making it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their whole endeavour their speciall study night and day to keep a faction on foot to maintain opposition and sidings And that late reverend Bishop of Winchester Doctor Andrewes hath told us the true reason why such men love to be contentious why saith he It is the way to be somebody in times of peace what reckoning is there of Wat Tyler or Iack Straw Make a sedition and they will bear a brain with the best Primianus and Maximianus were the heads of the two factions of the Donatists in S. Austins time he saith it was well for them that factions fell out else Primianus might have been Postremianus and Maximianus might have been Minimianus well enough but in a faction either of them was a jolly fellow head and leader of a party and this tickling desire of vainglory to be magnified up and down in the mouthes of the people for the head of a faction will make men contentious and they will take order that we shall never want needlesse contentions and quarrellsome brawls both in the Church and State if they be not timely prevented and suppressed But sith there can come nothing of contention but the mutuall waste of the parties contending till a h Divide impera Matth. 12.25 A Kingdome divided c. common enemy dance in the ashes of them both I do wish heartily that the grave advice which Constantine gave for reuniting his divided Clergy may at the length so farre prevail with us who professe our selves to be the sonnes of the same Church that things of small moment never disioyn us whom one God one Lord one faith one baptisme bands of so great force have lincked together and that we would bear such respective love to our Mother this Church of England which hath nurtured us in the truth and from our infancy hath tendred all good means that we being taught in the Word may now many of us teach others as not upon needlesse and triviall occasions to disquiet her peace It cannot be denyed but that some unto whom the execution of the Ecclesiasticall Laws belong have been much faulty and through want of either of care or conscience have suffered many irregular abuses and corruptions to creep into their Courts but these are personall faults of which I am no Patron the best defence of them is speedy redresse and amendment that which I defend is that all personall adventitious abuses being severed and set apart there is not in the form of our Church politie nor in our Liturgy nor in the ceremonies of our Church any thing which hath not in some sort warrant from Divine authority or Primitive antiquity and which hath not been allowed approved and also justified by

the glorious Martyrs and best learned Divines of our Church against the cavilling exceptions of gainsayers Wherefore I wish once again from my heart that the ceremonies and especially the service Book of our Church might be continued without any or with as little alteration as may be for the reasons given by those of our English Church at Strausburgh to them of Franckford why they should continue the Book of Prayer they had 1. Because they that should alter it might be thought to condemn the chief Authors of it who suffered as Martyrs 2. Because it might give occasion to the adversary to accuse our doctrine of imperfection and mutability and to upbraid us as usually they do that we have onely menstruam fidem a changeable faith 3. Because it might move the godly to doubt of that truth whereof before they were well perswaded It is an old received rule that omnis mutatio est periculosa all change of things setled is dangerous nam mutatio consuetudinis etiam quae adjuuat utilitate perturbat novitate for the very change saith S. Augustine of setled customes though it may seem to help with some commodity yet will it do more hurt with the novelty Which occasioned the Locrines to decree that whosoever would bring in a new law amongst them should come and declare it to the assembly with an halter about his neck that if it were not approved good for the Common-wealth he might presently be hanged for his desire of innovation and because many dangerous inconveniencies do commonly follow upon the alteration of things setled Our late wise Salomon and gracious Soveraign K. Iames in his proclamation prefixed before the Book of Common prayers admonished all men that hereafter they should not expect or attempt any further alteration in the common and publike form of Gods Service from that which was then established for saith his sacred Majesty neither will we give way to any to presume that our own judgement having determined in a matter of such weight shall be swayed to alteration by the frivolous suggestion of any light spirit neither are we ignorant of the inconveniences that do arise in Government by admitting innovation in things once setled by mature deliberation and how necessary it is to use constancy in upholding publike determinations of states for such is the unquietnesse and unstedfastnesse of some dispositions affecting every yeer new formes of things as if they should be followed in their unconstancy would make all actions of state ridiculous and contemptible whereas the stedfast maintaining of things by good advice established is the weal of all Common-wealths Let no fancy then about ceremonies no blinde affection to any forraign Church discipline no itch of innovation no singular conceit of pride no humorous contrariety alienate your mindes from the publike service and ceremonies of our Church by law establisht Do not with the Pharisees strain at a gnar and swallow a Camell Matth. 23.24 stumble at a lawfull ceremony and foster a lawlesse schisme but let it be your onely strife to flye all needlesse strife and contention about such things and in your daily prayers pray for the peace of Ierusalem bowing your knees lifting up your eyes hands and hearts unto the God of peace that he would at the length settle a firm peace in his Church never was there more need of this prayer then in this fearfull combustion and confusion of the Christian world wherein there is nothing almost heard of but fraction and faction schisme and separation nothing but warres and rumours of warres Christian against Christian Church against Church Nation against Nation Kingdome against Kingdome as if those last perillous times were come upon us which our Saviour spoke of Matth. 24. therefore Pacem spiremus suspiremus coram domino let us breath out prayers and sighes for peace before the Lord and especially at this time we should poure out our devoute fervent prayers to Almighty God for the representative body the great Councell of this Kingdome now assembled in the high Court of Parliament most humbly beseeching him so to steer all their consultations that by a joynt unanimous consent they may decree onely those things as shall make most to his glory to the advancement of truth and piety to the joy and contentation of His Majesty to the peace welfare and safety both of the Church and State carefully avoiding all extreams without turning aside either to the right hand or the left which God in mercy grant c. * ⁎ * ERRATA PAg. 5. Lin. 12. for Quinti hunc read Quintiliane pag. 18. l. 17. for purling read pusling pag 25. lin 18. Bentius read Brentius FINIS