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	way_n	world_n	4,036	5	4.7603	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03857	The advise of a sonne, novv professing the religion established in the present Church of England, to his deare mother, yet a Roman Catholike	Hungerford, Anthony, Sir, 1564-1627.	1616 (1616)	STC 13971.5; ESTC S115241	23,830	40

THE ADVISE OF A SONNE NOVV PROFESSING THE RELIGION ESTABLISHED IN the present Church of England to his deare Mother yet a Roman Catholike AC OX AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes Printer to the Vni versitie 1616. THE ADVISE OF A SONNE VNTO HIS MOTHER SEeing it hath pleased God to appoint you the meane of my being in the world by whose holy ordinance you may iustly chalenge as of your right frō me all sincere affection dutie and observation and besides the bond of Nature my obligacion being much encreased by your most louing and cōtinued care of me even from my childhood it is now my part and that vnder perill of a curse if I neglect it by all meanes I may to yeeld comforts to your yeares and from my hart and soule to wish that when your temporarie daies on earth shal end you may by the mercy of God take possession of the eternall ioyes of heaven I know and haue witnesses of this so many as haue knowne you that your intentions haue ever aimed at this mark your life and actions haue beene a rare patterne to your sexe alwaies well declaring your devotion zeale to the service of God The which being the principall end of our creation howsoever the generalitie now in this state of corruption trāsported with the cares the pleasures and enticements of this life lay it not to the heart it is without question a blessing incomparable whereof none can judge but they that feele it when God of his meere mercie by his holy Spirit shal moue the heart of a sinful creature who before delighted only in the way of his owne destruction sincerely to seeke and serue him for this we may build vpon as a truth that must admit no question that never any shall haue their place in heaven whose hearts by grace haue not beene truely moued to this duty heere on earth Since then the time of this life is the moment wherevpon dependeth etermitie of weale or woe it behooveth every Christian that desires salvation seriously to consider of the way he walkes in especially seeing we learne frō our Lord Master Christ himselfe that the way is narrow that leadeth vnto eternall life and that they are but few that finde it Yet this difficultie of finding the way to heaven riseth from the passengers wilfulnesse or want of care for the truth is that of the small company that make profession of Christianity in the world the greatest part howsoever they disguise themselues in acting their parts on earth with a maske of religion yet never aiming sincerely at salvation for their end wholly neglect the meanes and so runne the broad way to hell Others better weighing the shortnesse and instability of this present life and well foreseeing their future mortality in a state most blessed or no lesse accursed desire earnestly the joyes of heaven yet never attending diligently to attaine them by that way which God hath directed for that end but relying vpon guides whom they choose themselues at adventure to conduct them are carried blindfold at the last thorough vncertaine by-paths to their certain ruine It is true that God hath never failed in every age to send faithfull guides into the world to direct his servants in this earthly passage but it is likewise found true by woefull experience that the Divell hath heere his swarmes of agents likewise to mislead vs and of those very many who haue learned the skill of their master the Prince of darknesse to transforme themselues into the shape of the messengers of light If wee looke to the Church consisting of the Iewes alone before the comming of Christ we finde it recorded by the holy Prophets of God that it was in continuall danger by reason of false prophets and seducing Pastors that did infest it who a ler. 14.14 prophesied in the name of God when he sent them not so that as the Prophet Esay complaineth b Esay 9.16 The leaders of this people caused them to erre and they that were led by them were destroyed When Christ our Saviour came into the world who were they that most opposed him but the Scribes the Pharisies the high Priests who were then esteemed and tooke vpon them to be the guides and leaders of the people nay to discourage their Nation from receiving the doctrine of their salvation they thought it enough to presse this question c Ioh. 7.48 Doe any of the Rulers or of the Pharisies beleeue in him but this people that know not the Law c. In the time of the Gospell wee are forewarned of false teachers that shall rise vp in the Church who shal come neverthelesse in the name of Christ taking vpon them to be our guides nay some of them shall put on so faire a vizard of outward carriage as that they shall seduce if it were possible Gods chosen children So that it will concerne vs no lesse then the losse or salvation of our soules to be wary in our choice of the guides we follow for though it be certaine that the blinde and seducing teacher shall for his hire haue his portion in hell with his Master for whom he laboured yet must the seduced likewise know that they cannot escape the judgement of God so the one with the other fal at last into the pit of eternal ruine But herein to make vs the more inexcusable almighty God out of his infinit care of mans salvatiō hath not only forewarned vs of these noysome weeds that shall daily spring vp in his Church to the endangering of the corne but to make vs able to discerne betweene the true Pastors of his flocke and those impostors that endeavour to delude vs he sends vs none to treate with vs in this great affaire concerning our saluation but with instructions in writing and those open to our view requiring vs to whom these messengers are sent to haue an eye to their commission d Esay 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this rule it is because there is no light in them It is true that from the first creation of the world for divers ages there was no written Word but as God himselfe was pleased to bee the immediate teacher of our first parents so afterwards frō time to time he raised vp preachers for his people whom in divers manners hee inspired with knowledge and enabled for this worke of instructing others in his true feare and service But when once it pleased God in his wisdome to appoint Moses that holy man to be the faithfull pen-man of his everlasting Law which he gaue for the government and direction of his Church it is required as a duty of the people of God e Iosh 1.8 That this booke of the Law depart not out of their mouthes That they meditate therein day and night To observe and doe according to all that is written therein And to restraine vs from wandring out of

maine supporter of all religion at this day in the Church of Rome is not so ancient by many ages in the world as is the Alcoran of that accursed Mahomet If the foundation be proved new what rule can they propose to secure your conscience for the antiquity of the building their cōtinued Priesthood their daily sacrifice their satisfactions for sinne their workes of merit their reall change in the Sacrament their adoration of it their mangled communion their worship of Images their prayers to Saints their Auricular Confession their Purgatory fire with all that trumperie besides which they tender vnder the name and disguised habite of Church traditions Certainly all these are terrae filij If they seeke to the Scriptures for their originall they will be sent packing with we know you not Possibly it may be demanded what I thinke of our forefathers who liued in the latter ages of the world while these mists of Popery lay thicke vpon the face of the visible Church in these Westerne parts Were they damned all God forbid that any man should be so savage to write or think so I verily beleeve and haue beene alwaies taught so that as well the Church of England as other of forraine parts when the tyranny and corruptions of the Papacie did most oppresse them were neverthelesse portions of Gods vniversall Church and sent many soules to God For even in these when they were most obscured with errour and ignorance yet all essentiall points of Christian doctrine were to bee learned touching the invocation and worshippe of God touching our redemption by Christ Iesus crucified touching our observation of Gods commandements so the rest so that concerning out forefathers this may suffice that as wee are bound in Christian charitie to hope the best of their salvation that before vs embraced the faith of Christ though possibly divers of them might approue in grosse some errors of the time wherein they liued never apprehending in particular the scope meaning of them so yet is it no way safe for vs to make our forefathers our rule of faith In the Church cōsisting of the Iewes before Christs comming into the world the holy Prophets of God were so farre from making their forefathers a rule to follow as that to the contrary we shal finde nothing more familiar with them then to warne the people of God That they walke not in the ordinances of their fathers t Psal 78.8 Not to be as their forefathers a faithlesse stabborne generation a generation that set not their heart aright c. and to like purpose in sundry places But for resolution of this point it is our part to follow the direction of Saint Cyprian that holy Martyr of the Church u Lib. 2. Epist 3. If Christ onely bee to bee heard not to listen what any man before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ hath done who is before all for that wee are not to follow the custome of men but the truth of God My masters of Rome if there be no remedy will assent to this position of Saint Cyprian marry then you must giue them leaue to begge and assume this truth of God to bee the proper inheritance of the Bishop and Church of Rome but if you shall deale so vnfriendly with them as to presse them to shew their evidence they wil trouble you with much discourse but in the end for your satisfaction this answere must content you or none at all dixit Ecclesia themselues will tell you so The Pastors of the prosent Church of England will likewise make claime of this truth of God to rest with them but herein they wil deale more ingeniously with you then the other they will desire you to beleeue them no farther in this point then by plaine demonstration out of Gods holy word they shall be able to make good their claime In this confusion and difference betweene our teachers pretending of either side to haue the Church and truth of God and yet impossible but that in so direct a contrarietie as resteth betweene them of one side they must needs abuse vs possibly deare Mother you will aske what meanes are left for vs that are but learners in the schoole of Christ to discerne betweene them To censure their doctrine by their liues and actions were an vncertaine way a reason whereof wee learne from Saint Chrysostome an anciēt Father of the Church x Homil. 49. in Matt. oper imperf Because whatsoever kinde of holines the servants of God haue in truth the servants of Satan may have in likenes for the divell hath his that be meeke and humble that be chast and giue almes that fast and doe every good deed which God hath appointed for the salvation of mankinde and these formes of godlines hath the Divell brought in to seduce vs that a confusion being made betweene good and counterfeit simple men which know not the difference betweene goodnes indeed and goodnes in shew while they seeke the good servants of God might light vpon the Divels seducements Of this mind are likewise the learned of the Church of Rome y Part. 6. pag. ●9 You know saith Master Harding in his confutation of Bishop Iewels Apologie it is no good argument to reason from manners to the doctrine who would not hisse and trample you out of the schooles if you make this argument The Papists liues be faultie Ergo their teaching is false I know that howsoever my master of Rome like not as you see to haue their doctrine measured by the line of their liues and actions yet themselues will offer crooked measure in this kind there is nothing more familiar with them in their publike writings or private discourse with their schollers that admire them then to traduce and vilifie the Pastors of the Church of England of whom certainly many there haue beene and are of excellent merit and example in the Church and no doubt but some in so great a number may be found scandalous in their places who can expect no other but a feareful judgement in the end But if this were an argument wee need not seeke for proofe from any adverse to the Church of Rome but from their own records as for instance in one I pray you deare Mother note what Aventine a learned historian of their owne discloseth z Annal. lib. 6. in initio The Pope setteth over the flocke of Christ goates wolues lustfull persons adulterers ravishers of Virgins and Nunnes cookes muleters thieues bankers vsurers drones game hunters lecherous perfidious periured ignorant asses He committeth the sheep to wolues and hypocrites which only provide for their own bellies Nay hee setteth boyes and wantons to rule the lambes I am ashamed to say what manner of Bishops we have with the revenews of the poore they feede their hounds horses whoores they quaffe they loue the fly learning as infection c. thus farre the Historian But my masters of Rome will

thus q De tradit p. 45. shall no bounds be set to popular rude and carnal men shall old men before they haue put off the filth of their minds and young men that yet speake like children bee admitted to read the Scriptures I suppose verily my opinion fayles me not this ordināce vnder the pretense of piety was invented by the divell Another of the same plume to feare vs from reading Gods holy word tels a story of certaine men that were possessed of a divel r Thirrac de demoniacis c. 21. th 157. because being but husbādmen they were able to discourse of the holy Scriptures ſ Index lib. prohibi Pij 4. Reg. 4. It is true that by the rule of Pope Pius the fourth such of the Laitie may read the Scriptures as haue licence from their lawfull Ordinary so to doe t Ibid. But if any Lay person shall presume to looke into the holy Scriptures without such licence he must knowe his penaltie to bee no lesse then to be dented the pardon of his sinnes The late Pope Clement the 8. better belike considering how well it went with their triple crowne when they kept the Laity wholly from searching into the book of God as in u Linwood in const t. prov l. 5. titulo de Magistris § quin. times past they indeavoured carpeth at the rule of his predecessour and resolueth at the last x The observa●●●●s of Pope Clement the 8. 〈◊〉 the r●le of Pope P●●● the 4. that notwithstanding this constitution of Pope Pius Bishops haue no power at all to grant any such licence to the Laitie of reading Gods holy words Neverthelesse betweene the enterfiering of these holy Fathers it passes in priat by my Masters of Rhemes y In their ●●e● to their transla● of the new Testament That such of the Laitie may be readers in Gods word as are permitted by their Ordinaries vpon certificate from their parish Priest or Confessour that they be humble sober and discreet persons c. But I beseech you note the vpshot of all First this discreet Lay reader must admit this for a principle z Hosius Confess Polon p. 385. That little of Gods word is cōmitted to writing That the greatest part of it is come to vs by tradition the which we must receaue from ours Catholike Mother declaring her selfe by the mouth of our holy father the Pope of Rome The next rule this discreet Lay reader must learne to follow is a Concil Trident Sess 4. That no man must giue any other exposition of Scripture then such as might agree with the doctrine of the Crurch of Rome a reason whereof Andradius that great defendor of the faith of Trent can giue vs because b Defens sid Trident. l. 2. All power to interpret the Scriptures and reveale the hidden mysteries of our religion is giuen from heaven to the Popes and their Councells Where though the Councells be placed as a page to attend the Pope yet the resolution of all is this as before I haue noted that if the Councell shall dissent in iudgement from the Pope c Sententia Papae praeferenda est sententiae omniū aliorum Turrecremata sum de Eccle l. 3. c. 64. concl ● The iudgement of the Pope is to be preferred before the iudgement of all others saith the Cardinall Turrecremata Of whom another writer of the Roman Church in plaine toarmes affirmeth d Zumel disp var tom 3. pag. 49 That he is the master of our faith and cannot but attaine the truth of faith nor can be deceaued or erre if as chiefe Bishop and master of the faith he set downe his determination From all which it is evident if you marke it well that although these e Paulo 5. Vicedeo c. a dedication to the prefet Pope Vicedet of Rome could never compasse wholly to suppresse the sacred Scriptures as with good discretion possibly they might haue bin cōtented considering how eagerly this holy word pursues thē still with hue cry which was well obserued by Pope Leo the 10. when in his familiar discourse with his friend the Cardinall Bembus he vttered this vnsavory speech f Quantum lucri apportavit nobis Curiae nostrae fabula ista de Iesu Christo Baleus de act Rom. pontif in Leone l. 7. what profit hath this fable of Iesus Christ brought to vs or our court yet by vnspeakeable sleights and art accompanied in these later ages of the world with strange successe by Gods permission they haue indevoured to bring the sence of the holy scriptures in safe custody to themselues alone then locking it fast with a rabble of grosse inventions styled the Churches traditions in the closet of their breasts of both together they haue ingeniously framed the ladder wherby they haue mounted into the throne of their vsurped soveraignety in spiritual and earthly dominion then taking vpon themselues alone to be the only never-erring oracles of Christian religion whē their children haue come to craue bread of them in place of that they haue given thē stones wherewithal neverthelesse for g Although the Pope being negligent of his own and others salvation drawe with him innumerable soules to hell there to bee tormented for ever yet may no mortall man repraue him for it for that he is to iudge all men himselfe to bee iudged of no mā dist 40. si Papae manners sake their hungry soules must rest contented although in the meane time they pine to death for want of the true food of life Possibly you wil thinke I write in humor and misreport them O that I might be so happy as that you would giue me leaue to avow the truth of these things before you in the presence of any one of my masters of Rome that would oppose it They wil tel you they may not be seene without peril of their liues as the case stands with thē at this day in England and it is true that the lawes sound out severity against them but in execution they finde them remisse enough for my part I know frō my first acquaintance with them they can equivocate in apparel as wel as language and seeme to bee any thing saving what they are for this purpose I would surrender my iudgement to mine eies and take them for such as their habit should declare thē God is witnes with me I mallice not their persons I will cōfesse I cannot but condemne their craft and pitty such as are inchaunted by them The truth is they are cruel Iaylors and mure vp your vnderstanding in these things as their close prisoner wel knowing that if once they giue you but libertie to heare freely what might be said against them they are sure to loose you I beseech you deare Mother for the loue you beare to God to thinke maturelie of this great affaire It concernes your soule that for eternitie and your day of preparation by the course of nature is far declining Certainly the fault of my masters of Rome who mislead you is inexcusable yet wil not their fault proue your excuse The account for your soule wil be required at your own hands ignorāce without questiō will prove no answere at the judgement day It is not only a feareful sin when it misleads vs from the way of our salvation but a grievous punishment that pursues mankind for the first transgression I know your zeale to the service of God is great but zeale without knowledge carries with it in the holy Scriptures a just reproofe I cannot expect you should vpon my saying abādon the religiō you haue so long embraced this only shall be my humble request that for his loue that suffered a bitter ignominious death to bring vs to a life of glory and eternity that you would resolve speedily to lend an indifferent eare to some debate of this point by persons learned of either side for which purpose although the meanenes of my cōdition may chalenge nothing frō this state of merit yet would I hope to finde the favour for so charitable a worke as the good of a soule which a kingdome cannot redeeme that some learned Priest of the Romish fashion without perill of the lawe might be suffered to haue accesse to you so that you would be willing to admit with all the presence of some moderate graue and learned man of the contrary part betweene whom if it might please you to stand but attentiue with a mind free of preiudice my hope would be and my vnfained prayer should concurre with it that God would bee pleased to open your heart as he did of Lydia that good woman and make you able to discerne betweene his truth delivered in his holy word and the impostures of the present Church of Rome If you should cōsult herein with any one of my masters of Rome I know he would disswade you from this course he would sing Syrene-like pretending this care that it is not now safe for you to disquiet your conscience with questions of this kind wheras in truth his aime only would be to hold you stil a captiue in the bōds of error ignorāce security But God I trust in his good time wil disappoint their drifts to whom frō my heart I will daily pray as charity conscience and duty binds me that in mercy he wil be pleased to direct your good intention with a true vnderstanding of his will that so your commendable desire of salvation being accompanied with a right endeavour in the way may carry you through this pilgrimage of sorrowes into the place of everlasting joyes FINIS