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	youth_n	zeal_n	27	3	7.1258	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13091	The second part of the anatomie of abuses conteining the display of corruptions, with a perfect description of such imperfections, blemishes and abuses, as now reigning in euerie degree, require reformation for feare of Gods vengeance to be powred vpon the people and countrie, without speedie repentance, and conuersion vnto God: made dialogwise by Phillip Stubbes.; Anatomie of abuses. Part 2	Stubbes, Phillip.	1583 (1583)	STC 23380; ESTC S112627	103,282	240

THE Second part of the Anatomie of Abuses conteining The display of Corruptions with a perfect description of such imperfections blemishes and abuses as now reigning in euerie degree require reformation for feare of Gods vengeance to be powred vpon the people and countrie without speedie repentance and conuersion vnto God made dialogwise by Phillip Stubbes Except your righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen LONDON Printed by R. W. for William Wright and are to be sold at his shop ioining to S. Mildreds Church in the Poultrie being the middle shop in the rowe To the christian Reader grace mercie and peace THere was neuer any age or time christian reader since the beginning of the world how corrupt so euer that was comparable to this our thrise vnhappie age in all kind of corruption wickednes and sin with greefe of conscience I speake it with weeping eies I behold it and with sorrowfull hart I lament it And therefore seeing wickednesse doth so abound the Lord least his children frosen in the dregs of their sinne should perish with the wicked raiseth vp in his mercie good men as we see he hath done our good brother the author hereof to plucke off the visors of sinne from their faces and to lay them open to the view of the whole world to the end that euerie one seeing the dung of his wicked waies and the filthie dregs of sinne throwne in their faces may blush at the same be ashamed repent amend and turne to the Lord Iesus and so eternally be saued To this end and purpose hath the author hereof for whose singular towardnes in his primar yeres the Lord Iesus be praised taken in hand the compiling of this little treatise conteining a summarie of certeine corruptions and abuses as well in the temporaltie as in the clergie Wherefore good Reader read ouer the same mature aduisedly iudge of the same imparcially and at no hand condemne not temere rashly but compare euery thing with the truth of Gods word and the state of time and as it shall agree or disagree from the word of God so to like or dislike of the same For I am persuaded that there is nothing comprised in this whole booke but what is agreeable to the word of God sauing that in a few points the author bearing with the infirmitie of the time hath somwhat qualified both his stile and matter in hope of speedie reformation to insue which God grant Therefore gentle Reader let me obtaine thus much at thy hands as to accept his good meaning as well towards the truth as towards the professors thereof to rest thankfull to God for him and to helpe him with thy praiers that as hitherto euen from his youth he hath borne a zeale to the truth of Christs religion so he may continue to the end expressing as he hath begun in life and conuersation for euer through Christ Iesus our onlie Lord and Sauiour Amen Thy fellowe laborer I. F. ¶ To the Right HONORABLE and his singular good Lord Phillip Earle of Arundell Phillip Stubs wisheth all prosperitie in this life with increase of honour and eternall felicitie in the heauenlie hierarchie by Iesus Christ. HAuing made the first part of the Anatomie of abuses Right honorable and my verie good Lord and dedicated the same to your good Lordship I thought I should then haue taken mine Vltimum vale for euer-needing to write anie more of this argument againe But seeing the diuell our ancient aduersarie in the fulnesse of his malice hath since spued out his poison and powred out his filthie dregs of infinit corruptions blemishes and abuses al which to comprehend in number were Infinitum finito comprehendere amongst vs of late daies more than euer were heard of before I was compelled for the health of their soules and benefit of my countrey to take in hand afresh this new tractation intituled The display of Corruptions wherein are laid open diuers and sundrie abuses corruptions and blemishes crept as well into one sort of men as into another And hauing finished the same and committed it to the presse I stood in suspense douting to whom I might dedicate the same as well for the argument and matter which it handeleth being a ●otch which some frosen in the dregges of their sinne cannot in any wise abide to be touched as also for the inhability and indignitie of the author But at the last considering with my selfe the proximitie the semblance and neerenesse of the arguments as well of my first booke of the Anatomie of abuses as also of this the Display of Corruptions I could doe no lesse than to dedicate the same to your excellent Lordship to the end that your Honour whom the Lord hath made the mirrour of true nobilitie might see as it were in a glasse a briefe summarie of the corruptions and abuses that reigne in these daies And not onely for this cause was I incited to commit the defense of this little treatise to your Honourable Lordship but also and in especiall in demonstration of my thankfull hart and vnfained goodwill towardes your Honour in that it pleased the same farre beyond either my desart or expectation not onely to accept and take in good part my former simple booke of the Anatomie of Abuses but also most honourably to shield the same vnder the wings and guardance of your Lordships protection In recompense whereof if mine habilitie were answerable to my faithfull hart and goodwill borne to your Honor then should this present gift be as great as now by reason of the contrarie it is small and contemptible And although I may be adiudged of som to be ouer presumptuous in dedicating this booke vnto your Honour yet if they will consider that such treatises as this and especially in these corrupt daies wherein no man can abide to heare of his faults are not to be dedicated to euery one without exception but to such whom GOD hath blessed as his glorious name be praised therefore he hath done your Honour with all graces and gifts either spirituall or corporall whatsoeuer And therfore haue I had a special regard that as this my booke doth discouer and lay open to the view of the world manie and sundrie corruptions abuses and blemishes in euery degree so I might dedicate the same to one free from all the same blemishes and corruptions least otherwise it might happily be a pricke to his eies and an offense to his mind For this right Honourable and my very good Lord I hold for a Maxime that he who is licenciously and dissolutely inclined can hardly in any sauce brooke or disgest good bookes which reprooue such things as he so greedily thirsteth after This maketh many a one of a giltie conscience when he cannot abide to heare his faults ript vp bicause he is faultie to cast away good bookes and to contemne both them and the authors who with great studie labour

should teach vs this truth sufficiently if we were not wilfully blinded that when any church or congregation is destitute of a pastor it were better to place there one able person than to make two or three hundred or mo vnable fellowes and they for want of liuing to runne stragling the countries ouer without any liuing or maintenance at all being glad of any thing For as the old saieng is Hungrie dogs eate sluttish puddings Theod. What order would you haue obserued in this Amphil. Me thinke this were a verie good order That euerie church or congregation being destitute of a pastor should present to the bishops and others to whom it dooth appertaine one or two three or foure able persons or mo or lesse as they conueniently can whose liues and conuersations they haue had sufficient triall of whose soundnesse in religion integritie of life and godly zeale to the truth they are not ignorant of Then the bishops and others to whom it doth apperteine to examine and trie them thoroughly for their sufficiencie in learning soundnesse in doctrine and dexteritie in teaching and finding them furnished with sufficient gifts for such an honorable calling to admit them to lay their hands vppon them and to send them foorth the chiefest of them to that congregation or church so destitute Which order if it were strictly obserued and kept as it ought to be then should not so manie run abroad in the countries to seeke liuings then should not churches bee pestered with insufficient ministers Then should not the bishops be so deceiued in manie as they be And no maruell For how should the bishop choose but be deceiued in him whom he neuer sawe before whose conuersation he knoweth not whose disposition hee is ignorant of and whose qualities and properties in generall he suspecteth not Whereas if this order were established that euerie church destitute of a pastor should present certeine able men whose conuersation and integritie of life in euerie respect they perfectly knowe for the whole church is not likely to erre in iudging of their conuersations who haue béene either altogither or for the most part conuersant amongst them then as I say should not the bishop be deceiued in any nor yet any church scandalized with the wicked liues of their pastors or rather depastors as they be For now it is thought sufficient for the certeintie of his conuersation if he either haue letters dimissorie from one bishop to another whereas they little or nothing knowe the conuersation of the man or else letters commendatorie from any gentleman or other especially if they be of any reputation If he can get these things he is likely to spéede I warrant him Which thing is scarce well in my iudgement For you knowe one priuate man or two or thrée or foure may peraduerture either write vpon affection or else bee corrupted with bribes or gifts whereas the whole church cannot nor would not Therefore is the other the surer way Theod. How prooue you that the churches that are destitute of a pastor ought to present him whom they would haue admitted to the bishop and not the bishop to intrude vpon the church whom he will Amphil. In the first chapter of the Actes of the apostles before cited we read that after the defection of Iudas the traitour the apostle Peter knowing it necessarie that one shoulde be chosen in his place to giue testimonie and witnesse of the resurrection and ascension of Christ Iesus commanded the church to present one or two or mo as they thought good that hee with his fellowe brethren might confirme and allow them And therevppon saith the text they chose two to wit Matthias and Ioseph surnamed Bersabas And the church hauing presented them they were elected confirmed and allowed of the apostles and elders Also in the foresaide sixt chapter of the Acts of the apostles when the deacons whose office was to make collections for the poore and to sée the same bestowed vpon them without fraud or deceit were to be chosen the text saith that the apostles desired the church to choose foorth seuen men from amongst them of honest report ful of the holie Ghost which they might appoint to that businesse By all which reasons appereth that the church ought to present him or them whom they would haue to be admitted and not that the bishop ought to present to allow or to intrude him vpon the church at his pleasure against the will thereof Theod. Why would you not haue pastors to be thrust vpon the churches whether the churches will or not Amphil. Bicause it is manifest that no church will so willingly receiue nor yet so louingly imbrace him that is intruded vpō them against their wils as they will doe him that they like of choose and allow of themselues And if the churches beare not a singular loue fauour good will and affection to their pastor it is vnpossible that they should heare him or learne of him with profit to their soules And if they heare him not Auide sitienter as we say Greedily and thirstily thereby to profit then shal they perish euerlastingly in that the word of God is the ordinarie meane appointed by the diuine maiestie And therefore in conclusion if there be not a mutual amitie loue and affection betwixt the pastor and his flocke and if that the one l●ue not the other as themselues it is not to be looked for that either the one shall teach or the other receiue any thing to their soules health but rather the cleane contrarie Theod. I pray you what is your iudgement in this What if a man be once lawfully called into the ministerie may he euer vpon anie occasion whatsoeuer leaue off the same function and applie himselfe to secular affaires Amphil. There is a twofold calling The one a diuine calling immediately from God the other a humane calling immediately from and by man Now he that hath the first diuine calling his conscience suggesting the same vnto him and the spirit of God certifieng his spirit of the certeintie thereof being furnished with gifts and graces necessarie for such a high function and office as God calleth none but he indueth them first with gifts and graces necessarie for their calling and afterwards is lawfully called of man according to the prescript of Gods word hauing a flocke appointed him wherevpon to attend this man may not nor ought not at any hand to giue ouer his calling but to perseuere in the same to the end for that he hath both the diuine and humane callings being furnished with all gifts and graces necessarie in some measure for the discharge of his high function and calling Yet notwithstanding in time of extreame persecution when Gods truth is persecuted and his glorie defaced if he have not wherewithall to maintaine his estate otherwise he may for the time giue himselfe to manuall occupations and corporall exercises in the affaires of the worlde as we sée the apostles