Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	spirit_n	temple_n	worship_v	2,613	5	9.6572	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11843	The tragedies of tyrantes Exercised vpon the church of God, from the birth of Christ vnto this present yeere. 1572. Containing the causes of them, and the iust vengeance of God vpon the authours. Also some notable comfortes and exhortations to pacience. Written by Henrie Bullinger, and now Englished.; Von der schweren, langwirigen Verfolgung der heiligen Christlichen Kirchen. English	Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Twyne, Thomas, 1543-1613.	1575 (1575)	STC 4078; ESTC S106917	68,333	200

but rather wisshing to die falsly accused themselues other Christians confessinge that they had set the citie on fire Wherfore immediatly there was a proclamation published by the emperour against christiās in which it was commaunded that in Rome and al prouinces thei should be rooted out as enemies to the gods and religion of the Romanes and men practised in burning setting on fire And this was the beginning of y persecution and blouddy tragedie For some in reproche and for a mockyng stocke were sowed into the skinnes of wild beasts as Tacitus writeth cast vnto dogs to be torne Other were brent some ●a●●●ed and crucified and so destroyed with sundrie and most cruel punishments inso mutch that as Tacitus writeth the common people of Rome were mooued with greate pitie towards them But with Nero ther was no mercy no end of torments In this persecution were slayne as historicians do testifie and we also haue declared before the Apostles Peter Paul. There be also numbred by Chroniclers many notable and godly men whiche in this persecution suffred gréeuous affliction reproches punishment of bitter death not at Rome only but here there in other prouinces of the Romane empire Since therfore this persecution was first moued by Nero for a filthy horrible cause who shall accuse God for graunting such power to a wicked and Sodomiticall person against so many thousands of holy and innocēt men yea freinds of God or why hee suffred the christians to be brent for house burners and did not rather hale foorth Nero the true house burner and beastly Sodomit castinge him into the thickest of the people to bee torne in peces when therfore in our age the lyke do happen let all men humbly submit themselues to the power of God and his mightye hande beare their crosse with pacience which the Lord layeth vpon them giue laud and praise vnto God and constantlye cleaue to his holy worde whiche at Neroes time was also true and iust although it was behouefull that the faithfull should suffer afflictions and Nero ouercome them and haue power ouer them with his prophane and superstitious Relygion After this about the yere of our Lord 97. with intollerable and diuellish pride Domitian the Emperour set foorth him self sunne to Vespasian brother to Titus by whom the Citie of Ierusalem was destroyd the Iewes vanquished in battle and opressed The same was not ashamed to boast himselfe to be God Lord and would so be called and worshipped of al mē and y which no Emperour required before him he commanded y they should kisse his féete wherin no Emperour followinge hym dyd the lyke except Dioclecian onely a cruell Tyrant and a murtherer of holy men This Dominitia set a broch the .vii. persecutions against Christians in the which many holy men were driuen into banishment many flayne or spoyled of their goods and troubled most bitterlye Amongst whom Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist was brought prisoner from Ephesus to Rome vnto the Emperour and there tormented Flauia also and Domicilla of greatest nobilitie in the citie with diuers other mo were by Domitian sent into banishment But Iohn afterward returned vnto Ephesus and there died in the yere of our Lorde 102. after the passion of Christe 68. and the third yéere of the reygne of Traiane the Emperour After this about the yéere of our lord 110. Vlpius Traiane a mightie and victorious Emperour was the cause and authour of the eight persecution against the Christians in Rome and in other places vnder the Romaine Empire Whiche thynge cheifly prouoked him and other Emperours that came after him to persecute the Christians bicause they thought good that there should bee no Schisme suffred in the empire specially in religion but that there should bée one only religion receaued whiche their forefathers had obserued béefore time Now that disagréement in religion nourisheth cōtentions and hatred a thing not to bée suffred in any empire Moreouer y they feared gréeuous calamities and punishments if their gods were not woorshipped after their accustomed maner and therfore the Christians bicause they hated their temples aulters sacrifices images and hollydayes blamyng and disdaynynge the religion of the Romanes were in no wise to be suffred Wherfore if any calamities should chaunce to rise in y Romane empire as are troubles dearth of corne famine warre seditions pestilence diseases with other discommodities by and by y Romans burthened the Christians with y cause of all these anoyances for contemnyng their gods and religion and doyng contrarie vnto the same That they woorshipped one God acknowledgyng Christ alone the sunne of God to bée the only sauiour openly pronouncyng that the Romane religion was false and of the diuel that their faith in Christe was true right nether that God ought to bée worshipped with images and temples sacrifices and hollydayes but in spirite and trueth accordyng to his woorde As for the Romans and other nations abroad in the worlde they were altogether addicted to superstitions valiently sheadyng their blood leesing their goods and liues in defence of their religion exhortyng other firmely to retain y same For they boasted how they receaued y religion of their elders which were no fooles but excellent wisemen Moreouer that there were many learned men in their collegies of priests that their beléef was confirmed with manie notable wounders and miracles y whilst they obserued that religion they obtayned sundry great victories and y who le empire of al the worlde attributyng al their good successe and salftie to their religion which had remained manie thousand yéeres not béeyng so new and but thyrtie yéeres ould as was the christian religion That their Gods were friendly and liberall vnto them helpyng them in sutche sorte that they wanted nothynge on the otherside the christians were poore and vnfortunate wherfore they should doo amisse if they erred the breadth of one heare or spared the sacrilegious enemies of their ancient and victorious religion Wherfore these causes which wee haue now recited prouoked the Romane Emperours to persecute the Christians The causes of the persecutions likewise in our age are not mutche vnlyke whoso weyeth them both vprightly Wherefore in this persecution moued by Traiane there was an vnspeakable deale of Christian bloud shed ▪ At Ierusalem Simeon Byshop of the citie beinge an hundred and twenty yeares ould was crucified S. Ignatius also the seruant of Christe and Disciple of the Apostles was brought from Antioche where he was Bishop vnto Rome cast vnto wilde beastes and by them torne in péeces Their Tragedies were so cruel their slaughters so great the sheadinge of Christian blood so horrible that Plinie the seconde a wise gentleman and lieutenant to the emperour wrate vnto the emperour giuinge vnto the Christians a singulare testimonie of their innocencie This epistle is to bée séene in the 〈◊〉 booke of Plinies epistles By which meanes the state of Christians was some deale the