Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	life_n	spirit_n	worship_v	1,905	5	8.8109	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30400	A rational method for proving the truth of the Christian religion, as it is professed in the Church of England in answer to A rational compendious way to convince without dispute all persons whatsoever dissenting from the true religion, by J.K. / by Gilbert Burnet.	Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.	1675 (1675)	Wing B5846; ESTC R32583	48,508	114

shew us how their Religion as it is distinct from the commonly received truths of Christianity was so miraculously propagated and that in the points which we chiefly challenge as the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome with his being the Universal Bishop of the Church the forbidding the use of the Scripture to the Laicks and the Worship in an unknown tongue the use of Images in the Worship of God the Invocating of Saints and Angels the belief of Transubstantiation the Sacrifice of the Mass and the taking the Chalice from the people the belief of Purgatory the Treasure of the Church and Indulgences with a long c. I. K. knows well that many have given very particular and full Histories of the rise and progress of these abuses with which we charge the Roman Church and for which she having obstinately refused to reform them on the contrary binding them on the Consciences of all with new and heavier Anathema's we have separated our selves from her Communion That those are not in the Scripture it is plain enough and we will not decline a tryal upon all hazards by the verdict of the first four Ages It is true in the fifth Century the Incursion of the Goths and Vandals did very much change the face of things and bring on a black night of ignorance on the greater part of Christendom which made way for gross Superstition and the bold pretences of the Bishops of Rome And I. K. is very much out in his accounts that says the propagation of the Roman Religion was without Arms. Was not that dearest part of it the authority of the Popes the occasion of many long and bloody wars in Germany and Italy And for their conversion of Hereticks the third Decree of the Council of Lateran and the practises of the Inquisitions were the surest means of effectuating it And what humane enticements were wanting to draw men into their Religion The cherishing of such Kings as were firm to them and the making over to them the Rights of their Neighbouring Princes were pretty enticing baits Witness their getting Pipin into the Throne of France their inviting him and his Son to the Conquest of the Lombards with many other Instances And was there ever found out such an enticement for men of carnal tempers who yet retained some belief of Religion as the power of pardoning indulging and exchanging of penances So that this whole account of I. K's fails him when put to the issue of a severe tryal though it looked pretty smooth and fair to an overly considerer But in end I will add a few considerations of the methods of the first propagation of Christianity and from these it will appear how different those were from any thing the Roman Church can pretend to First the Propagators of Christianity went witnessing the truth of what was publickly seen and known without any other design of their own either to engross power or riches Now whether this be the method of the Roman Church I refer it even to their own Histories if their great care hath not always been to get Ambassadors sent to Rome with the offer of their obedience and great submissions of which nothing appears in the first conversion of the world to Christianity Secondly the first Converters of the world studied to draw Mankind to a great acknowledgement of the inestimable Blessings we received by Iesus Christ and to the making sutable returns by addressing our selves to the Father by him and living according to his Gospel Now the greatest care of most of the Apostles of the Roman Church was to propagare the worship of Creatures to give Patrons to whole Nations and teach them to build Churches to those and above all to the blessed Virgin of which no footsteps appear in the first Conversion to Christianity And instead of the strictness of a holy life and an humble charitable temper they have set up a vast multitude of little observances which may be received and yet the life of sin remain still strong and in vigour Thirdly the first Propagators of Christianity studied by all possible means to wean people from all kind of Idolatry and to make the● serve the living God and worship him in Spirit and in Truth Now how far the Roman Church hath declined from this is apparent and that they have studied rather to change than overthrow their Idolatry giving them little Pictures Medals and Agnus Dei's and Reliques for their worship Fourthly those that laboured first to convert the world to the Christian Religion studied to make all understand what they taught them gave them the Scriptures in their own tongue and forms of Worship which they understood and could well make use of But the Emissaries of Rome deny their Converts these helps and so would hood them into a blind receiving of all they shall propose to them and keep them still under their Authority and so teach them Prayers in a tongue they do not understand Fifthly those that first converted the world did by many Miracles wrought in the sight of all convince and convert them to the Faith and these Miracles were grave useful actions as the curing of diseases the casting out of devils the procuring them good seasons and other temporal blessings and all this was done in the name and to the honour of Jesus Christ. But the Roman Agents wanting these real Miracles have betaken themselves to the shameful forgeries of strange Visions and Apparitions and of ridiculous Miracles with so vast a superfetation of them that few even of their own Communion can read these Legends of their grand Apostles ●ithout a just disdain at such palp●●●● impostures ●●xthly the first propagation of Christianity was when there was no Secular power to support it or those who laboured in it so that they exposed themselves to all the dangers of hunger and cold of scorn and reproach being assured of no supply not assistance from men and yet God appeared so ●xtraordinarily with them that their success was plainly the work of Heaven But the Bishops of Rome becoming great Princes sent out Agents to make new Conquests well furnished and powerfully supported so that they went like Ambassadors from one Prince to another to treat an Alliance wherein there was little hazard and great hope of success by the advantageous terms were offered on both sides And therefore after Charles the great had conquered Germany and was become a terror to the Northern Kings the Bishops of Rome sent their Agents to labour in their Conversion which was an easie matter and had no difficulty in it And Seventhly the first Conversion of the world to Christianity was signally the finger of God since though it met with the greatest Opposition from the Secular powers and was persecuted every where and for many Ages yet it prevailed and though the first Converts were poor mechanical and simple persons yet great wisdom and constancy appeared in them to the amazement of the Philosophers and other