Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	holy_a	jesus_n	lord_n	4,657	5	3.5075	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27574	A sermon preach'd before the convocation of the Bishops and clergy of the province of Canterbury at Westminster, Novemb. the 18th, 1689 by William Beveridge ; printed in Latin by the Bishops command ; made English by J.G.	Beveridge, William, 1637-1708.; J. G., member of the Church of England.	1689 (1689)	Wing B2112; ESTC R25922	13,595	34

always religiously forborn let the pretence be what it will the least Alteration in these Laws For to abolish or reject what has been always and every where observ'd is not only to change an Ecclesiastick Rite but also the Church it self and render it different from all the Churches of God. Which yet never cou'd nor I hope ever will be said of our Church For truly such was the care and diligence of our Reformers whose happy memory we can never sufficiently extol and reverence such their Piety and Religion such their divinely inspir'd Prudence that thinking it as necessary to keep firm Communion with the Catholick as to recede from the Roman Church renouncing all her Superstitious Innovations they themselves religiously preserv'd whatever had been approv'd by all the Churches of God and so ordain'd it in our Church the most illustrious Image and Resemblance of the Catholick And hence 't is that our Church has always been the envy of the Roman But so great an honour to all the Reform'd Churches that I don't doubt but that they wou'd imitate her pious Examples were it in their power So that we must not impute it to them but to the necessities of time and place that they are not in all things agreeable to us Since therefore God has committed such a Church to our care and since his Vicegerent here has now given us an opportunity to prosecute all things that may tend to the peace and advantage of his Church let us employ all our powers and faculties for its accomplishment Let us leave no means unattempted to make all English-men to be of the Church of England Let us endeavour all we can to make her Faith her Worship and her Discipline if possible the wonder of the whole world and she her self perpetual by whose guidance we of this Kingdom may obtain everlasting Salvation thro' Christ till his second coming That all posterity may laud and magnifie our God for moving so religious a Prince to assemble this Sacred Synod and assigning such a preparation for it to the advantage of this our Church If this Convocation shall be so pleas'd to whose disposal all things are left But whilst we are considering of these things we call to mind the ancient Customs observ'd by all God's Churches in the calm and sedate Celebration of their Synods And let ours take example by that Let us throw off all prejudiced Opinions presumptuous Suspitions and litigious Contentions which only confound and disturb such Sacred Councils But let all be done with that agreement and consent as becomes Christians Clergy-men and more especially all us of the Church of England when we consult about the Establishment of her Peace Whatsoever we do let it be done by universal Approbation That in this we may truly say with the Apostle If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God. But whatsoever pains we take for the good of our Church they 'l avail not unless adorn'd with good works Wherefore most Reverend Fathers in Christ and dearly beloved Brethren give me leave to beseech you in the name of Christ so to comport your selves as Becomes Fathers and Sons of so holy a Church Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorify your Father in Heaven Let all see and admire the eminent Sanctity of the Church of England in producing men most holy By this means we shall engage not only men but God to be of our side Who alone is able to defend and for ever preserve a Church first of his own building and then restoration from all the Machinations of its enemies Let God therefore arise and his enemies be scatter'd God grant that our Church may flourish and increase daily more and more God grant that the Gates of Hell may ne're prevail against it Lastly God grant that his most holy Spirit may guide this Sacred Synod assembled in his name and lead them into all truth that whatsoever they do may end in the glory of God the good and settlement of the Universal Church and more especially this of England through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and holy Spirit be ascrib'd all glory and honour now and evermore Amen FINIS

any Provincial or National Church to subsist long in Peace From hence also a common Custom has obtain'd in all the Churches of God when all such Canons and Laws are Constituted to have regard not only to the well-being of any private member but also to the Peace and Tranquillity of the whole Church And indeed many things are necessary to the procuring this that are not to our obtaining everlasting felicity For which reason almost all the Canons published hitherto by Provincial or General Councils are instituted only for such things that make for the external Discipline and Peace of the Church And hence 't is also that never any Church was extant which did not register several things amongst their Laws not against but besides those things which are contain'd in holy Writ Which is so clear and perspicuous that I can't enough wonder how any one can doubt of the truth thereof Besides 't is customary in all the Churches of God to ratify such Canons as they make with Ecclesiastick Penances to prevent impunity when they are violated This likewise appears from the Canons of all the Councils upon which a man can scarce cast his eye but presently at the first sight see Suspension or Deposition Anathema or Excommunication against Lay-men if they shall act otherwise For neither has the Church ever esteem'd those worthy of the Sacred Ministry nor these of her Communion who refuse to obey Laws written as well for theirs as its own advantage Further 't is evident out of the aforesaid Collection of Councils that all the Churches of God were wont so to frame and temper these Laws which they thought necessary for themselves that they might be advantageous to and edifying of the whole Community and as much as possible inoffensive I said as much as possible by reason their ignorance is such that they scarce are sensible of any thing Such is the perverseness of others that they wrest all to the worst sense And truly 't is hardly possible for any Civil Law much less Ecclesiastical to be so made as to be approv'd by all Therefore there 's no reason that the Church shou'd be sollicitous for this sort of men unless perhaps that they may be better taught in discipline and manners by the force of the Laws Again others there are who endeavour to serve God piously and devoutly and to direct their lives according to his Commands and yet are of so weak and Scrupulous a Conscience that nothing almost can be done that do's not prove offensive to them and that too as we should charitably believe not from an obstinacy of will or stiff inclination to any Faction but from some pious tho' groundless fear lest it shou'd be displeasing to God. And truly these men are to be taken into consideration before Laws are confirm'd especially Ecclesiastick lest instead of eradicating old Scruples we shou'd implant new ones in their minds And that also whether they who are thus troubl'd in conscience wait on God's Altar together with the Church or separately from it For both are to be taken care of these that they may persevere in the Communion of our Church the other that they may be brought back to it And certainly this is a work and labour deserving the cares and studies of us all Which nevertheless is to be so enterpriz'd that nothing for their sakes may be omitted that shall redound to the Interest of the Church nor admitted that shall prove detrimental to the same For neither reason nor the perpetual Custom of the Church suffers a part to be preferable to the whole We may add further That nothing has been more usual amongst the Churches of God than to change Laws that they 've made to abrogate ancient ones and to substitute others perhaps quite different in their room when a necessitous time requires it None conversant in Ecclesiastick Histories can be ignorant of this For you can find no Church throughout the World that has all the same Laws now which it formerly had Doubtless all such Laws of Provincial Churches whereof we now speak are constituted pro hic nunc if I may be allow'd to speak barbarously here that is with respect to time and place When these are chang'd the Laws of Necessity must be chang'd for their accommodation to the present Customs of every Age and Place But truly no Church ever did or must do this without cogent Necessity For every unnecessary alteration in Ecclesiastick Laws stigmatizes the Church with inconstancy and too much derogates from the Authority given it by our Blessed Saviour it makes Prophane Wretches call Religion into Question whether or no it depends on the Will of Man It sets several together by the ears and keeps more still in a dubious expectation of some new attempt It renders the minds of others doubtful and uncertain what to do It stirs up outragious Tumults often disturbing the Publick Peace Neither also is any one so Skilful in the disposal and provision of things as to be able to foresee by any Art what and how great Miseries may be arising even from the mutation of Laws incommodious And therefore the changing of inveterate Laws for others is at all times dangerous unless such Necessity may compel as is otherwise insuperable and which is so manifest and apparent to the Eyes of all that none may see a change without seeing great Reason and Necessity for it Now if there be such a Necessity all those Calamities will be averted that generally attend on unnecessary change Our Church will not lose a drachm of Honour or Esteem that 's due to her For she and her Authority will be the same And all things will appear more peaceable calm fix'd and quiet in her than if they had kept their former State. All the Churches of God are taught this by Experience And for this reason they never Scruple to abdicate Laws of their own Constitution and to Confirm new ones as often as they see occasion Now whether our Church be oblig'd by such a Necessity to alter any thing that 's setled by her Laws belongs to Wise Men not me to determine This only I 'le presume to say that if it be necessary to bring back wandring Sheep to Christ's Fold if necessary to remove Scruples from the Consciences of weak Brethren If necessary to extinguish Hatred mitigate Anger and reconcile all Differences as far as possible about Religion If necessary to restore Ecclesiastick Discipline to its pristine vigour If necessary to defend and maintain the best Church on Earth against the Efforts of Men and Devils I say If any one thinks these necessary certainly he must likewise think it necessary to admit of such Alterations as in his Opinion are most conducive to this purpose Whilst only those things are chang'd which our Church has constituted by her Authority not those which the Universal Church has Establish'd by her Common Law. For all the Churches of God and ours too have