Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	jerusalem_n	spirit_n	worship_v	3,034	5	9.5572	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10114	[A short treatise of the sacraments generally, and in speciall of baptisme, and of the Supper] [written by Iohn Prime ...]	Prime, John, 1550-1596.	1582 (1582)	STC 20372; ESTC S1280	27,662	110

To the right honourable Sir Francis Walsingham Knight chiefe Secretarie to her Maiestie Chaunceller of the Order one of her highnes priuie Counsell all grace and peace in Christ Iesu THe endelesse making of bookes was a vanitye in the dayes of Salomon when Printing was not The end of all is the seate of God Certainely men may not make it a light matter in conscience to trouble the worlde with vnprofitable writinges Yet as in the shewebread that was shewed to the people as a figure of Christ the olde loaues hauing serued to their use were remoued and other supplied in their roome yet still breade in nature twelue loaues in nomber so those writinges that figure out Christ and set foorth Christian duetye may be oftentimes treated of and eftsoones repeated and added to other mens doinges not withstanding no great variety in the matter or maner of handling It hath beene thought expedient I write publishe this litle treatise Wherupon right Honorable therewithal I haue thought it my boundē duetie humbly to present it to your honours viewe the rather in parte to excuse mine ouer great boldnesse else when but principally to craue such furtheraunce in the setting out therof as your honors piety and place accustometh to shewe to such as in their calling with their talentes eyther fiue two or but one labour to set foorth the trueth to instruct the simple to saue soules This hath bene mine endeuor the successe whereof is to be prayed for of the almightie and merciful God who alwayes preserue your honour to the glorie of his name the benefite of his Church and this our countrie in all faithfull seruice to her Maiestie and great cōforte of her louing subiectes in the Lorde Februarie 14. Anno. 1582. Your Honours most humble and bounden Iohn Prime The Preface AS the vse of all things is most precious so is their abuse most pernicious Many excellent thinges are spoken of the Sacraments of Christian faith They are the Lordes owne ordinances memorials of diuine promises monuments of our duety signes to the word which we professe assured seales of his good will strong bandes whereby we stande bounde first to God in obedience and then in mutual loue amongst our selues Notwithstanding these sacred mysteries the very instrumentes of the holy Ghost haue they not bene of olde or are they not now either vnthankefully refused or vnworthily receiued or lesse duetifully regarded then was and is behoofeful Ful hands can not apprehend any other thing they are full already fowle handes and soyled in the clay and brickeworke of sinfull thoughtes and deedes they are profane and should not presume to touch his Iewels Want of true knowledge in the worde of God hath bred sundry distemperatures and diseases errors and heresies in the body of Christes Church in this behalfe When the writing is not knowen the seales are lesse or more then duely and neuer aright esteemed of the ignorant man Whē the light of the Scriptures was hidde vnder the busshel of a strange tōgue the Sacramēts also in the darke were most irreligiously contemned superstitiously abused carnally and grosly mistaken As good haue a seale to a blancke as to a writing drawen in strange characters and letters that cannot be read or if read yet vnderstoode but of a fewe and of them no further then it pleased the masters of corrupt time at their leasure or begging Fryers for their gaine to expounde in miserable maner to hungry poore and sterued soules And then as good no bread at all as so vile a prouender made of mixtures eyther hard or dowbaked and clammie eyther they coulde not chewe it or it coulde not nourishe them Thus was the Lordes inheritance abused Iren. lib. 3. cap. 19. famished for want of true foode or fedde as Irenee speaketh with lyme water in stead of milke The Deuil knewe he could not beguile in the light and therefore no sleight of Satan euer like to this to deceiue men Mar. 12.24 and slay soules Whiles that Christians were wise they neuer sought in pilgrimage from shrine to shrine S. P. Q. R. Beda neyther to Rome nor to Ierusalem nor to any singular place vnder heaven with obseruation of the place Luke 17.20 as if God were more tyed to this region then to that one or other The true worshippers worshipped in spirit trueth In trueth without hypocrisie Ioh. 4.23 and in spirite without externall respectes For as the Conye is acquainted with his owne burrowe safe rocke Prou. 30.26 so Christians then knew where to seeke whither to runne and howe to finde rest in heauē for their soules They asked help alwayes of an able hande trode the kings high way knocked at the right gate builded their house on the onely foundation that is they beleeued in Christ called vpon God were guyded by his spirite trusted in his promises hoped in his mercies manifestly layde abroad and sufficiently reuealed in his written worde Iohn 20.31 and as certainely confirmed by the pledges of his will the holy Sacramentes whereof this treatise is intended for all such as can be content to learne in fewe wordes of a simple teacher Of the Sacraments in generall The nature of a Sacramēt A Sacrament is a sensible signe to the eye instituted of God to be continued in his Church for the further assurance and increase of spirituall graces in the faithful Of which sort is Baptisme and the Supper August epist 118. and onely these two euen as they are ioyntly specified by the Apostle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. In the generall may bee obserued these foure notes chiefely The institution to bee of God The signe visible in sense and resemblance conuenient The graces secret and mystical but singular benefites to the faithfull man The continuance is the Churches duetie rightly to vse and to enioy his ordinaunces as beseemeth the Church of God The institution 1 Concerning the institution as God onely is to be hearkened vnto in his sayings so must hee alone he followed in his wayes wheresoever he goeth before vs and leadeth vs after him with the least thread Reason not directed by faith is a disputing and a busie mistresse in the forge of mans braine and she will be leader in all things Zeale likewise without knowledge is a rashe fire that licketh vp euery fonde deuise feedeth and glutteth her selfe on superstitious fancies whereupon ambition in the man of pride The Papacie taking her aduantage of the former two hath stollen away the peoples heartes from their God vnder pretence of deuocion but in deede superstition enthronised her selfe in the consciences of men and exerciseth a proude dominion ouer the Lordes inheritance in his holy Temple Notwithstanding of the Apostle we haue learned a contrary lesson Iam. 4.12 that the onely Lawgiuer in Israel is the Lorde because he alone seeth the heart whereunto the Lawe is principally proposed searcheth the reines