Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	evil_a	good_a	sin_n	3,611	5	4.8008	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70306	The true Catholicks tenure, or, A good Christians certainty which he ought to have of his religion, and may have of his salvation by Edvvard Hyde ...	Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659.; Hyde, Edward, 1607-1659. Allegiance and conscience not fled out of England.	1662 (1662)	Wing H3868; ESTC R19770	227,584	548

that call evil good and good evil Isa. 5. 19. here is truly the reprobate minde in its sin for it calls evil good and good evil and in its punishment for it is under a curse Wo unto them So again Prov. 17. 15. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just whether Person or Thing or Action for the adjunct is put without any one of these particular subjects to shew it belongs alike to all even they both are an abomination to the Lord Their sin is in their own false judgement their punishment in Gods true judgement who judgeth them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing profane unclean abominable not to be endured by God or man Let me then pray that I may cordially and sincerely study not onely the knowledge but also and much rather the practise and exercise of the true Christian Religion lest the neglect of the practise and exercise bring me to the dislike and contempt of my Religion and I begin to finde fault with my Church when I should finde fault with my self all men being apt to condemn that which they do neglect that they may justifie their own neglects for to finde fault with the true and laudable exercise of Religion is to call good evil which was all we did at first and then it will be just with God to deliver me over to so much Irreligion as to call evil good which is that we do now CHAP. 2. The certainty of Religion may be without the assurance of it by reason of our Hypocrisie profaneness and perversness though scarce by reason of our ignorance and that perversness is the way to the worst kinde of Irreligion or Atheisme REligion may be sure in it self and yet may not be sure to us It is in it self the certainty of all certainties yet it is often in too too many men the more is the pity if against their will the more is the shame if with their will one of the greatest uncertainties in the world For there may be a certainty of the object or of the thing when there is little or no certainty of the subject or of the person that is in plain English the certainty may be great yet the assurance little or none at all and so it is in this case for Religion hath without doubt the greatest certainty of the object or or of the thing because that wholly depends upon Gods immutabilitie or unchangeableness there is the greatest certainty but it hath ofttimes the least certaintie of the subject or of the person because of mans great hypocrisie and greater inconstancy there is the least assurance for this is the common bane of Religion that men do profess it hypocritically and therefore cannot profess it constantly they seek a Religion that will rather save their estates then save their souls and consequently will more settle their conditions then their consciences thus they are first hypocrites and then they cannot stick to be apostates for there is in hypocrisie Simulatio sanctitatis defectus sanctitatis saith Aquinas first the pretence of Religion and then also the defect or want of it for what is meerly in pretence is certainly not in being and Religion could not be pretended were it not wanting onely in hypocrites the pretence appears first but at last also the want or defect of godliness so that were their Religion unfeigned it would not be inconstant but because they have hypocrisie so far as to profess religion out of custome they cannot have constancy so far as to persist in their profession out of conscience we have the pattern of both kinds of professours real and formal in the first chapter of Ruth The one in Ruth the other in Orpah For the pleasure the delight of this world saith unto us all as Naomi said to her two daughters in law Go and return each to her mothers house and the formal professours do as Orpah did leave their mother the Church the onely true Naomi because she is Gods delight when she is in distress Orpah non Religione sed humanitate socrum secuta est saith Iunius Orphah followed her mother not out of Religion but meerly out of common courtesie therefore she turns back again so do all those that are of any Christian Church rather for good manners then for a good perswasion rather for custom then for conscience but the real professours who have followed Religion out of conscience and therefore have their consciences established in Religion are ready to say to their Church as Ruth said to her mother Naomi Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God As if she had said I will never leave the land of Israel nor the communion of the God Israel for so Aben Ezra glosseth her words Thus she resolves verse 16. and she strengtheneth her self in this resolution verse 18. for so it is in the Hebrew she strengthened her self which we fitly translate she was stedfastly minded for they who most strengthen themselves in good resolutions are most stedfastly minded and will not be guilty of unstedfastness and thus do all they strengthen themselves who have not onely a speculative but also an affective knowledge of Religion who do not onely know what they do in the worship of God but also love what they know They taste and see that the Lord is good Ps. 34. 8. and by that spiritual gust know themselves to be in the way of blessedness and consequently will not be diverted or turned out of that way Thus we see there may be a certainty of Religion without an assurance thereof but if there be so the fault is our own that we are Hypocrites or formal professours looking after the outside rather then the inside of Religion that is looking more after the form then after the power of godliness for the form of godliness may happily direct us to a conformity with men which is like to be as changeable as their humours but it is the power of godliness alone that directs us to a conformitie with Christ and makes us as it were unchangeable conforming us with our Saviour and confirming us in our selves that is to say in our own consciences wherefore from the form we must go to the power and that will make us pass from conformity to conscience not so as to loose the conformity but so as to keep the conscience for which cause the school Divines do teach that divinity is not onely a speculative science in teaching the knowledge of God there 's for the conscience but also a practical science in commanding and ordering the actions of men there 's for the conformity and as it is a science so it hath in it self that certainty which belongs to sciences nay it hath a greater certainty saith Alensis then any other science whatsoever for asking this question An modus sciendi in Theologiâ sit certior quàm in

was alwaies thus from the beginning and must be to the end so that the Apostles did many things by way of Condescention to the Iews which they would not have drawn to the countenancing of Iudaisine for that they intended no Galemofry of Religion no mixture of Iudaisme and Christianity but an utter abolition of Iudaisme and an absolute establishment of Christianity though the abolition of Iudaisme was to be brought to pass not in an instant but by degrees Ut cum honore mater Synagoga sepeliretur as S. Augustine speaks that their mother Synagogue might be laid in her grave with honour and without offence And thus was the Christian Religion justified against the mixture of Judaisme which afforded the third Controversie The state of the fourth Controversie which che Apostles had with the Christians converted but withal partly perverted consisted of as many questions as there were present errours against the truth or abuses against the purity of Christian Religion the errous were confuted by the Apostles and the abuses were rectified And thus was the Christian Religion justified against Heresie and against Profaneness First it was justified against all other false professsions and afterwards against its own false professours For it had been absurd to perswade men to a Religion that was not able to justifie it self against all Religions and men whatsoever because a Religion that cannot justifie it self is much less able to justifie those that profess it a Religion that cannot justifie cannot save a Religion that cannot save is a Religion but in word onely not in power for what man would ever torment his body were it not to save his soul Who would ever forsake the pleasures of the flesh were it not to enjoy the comforts of the Spirit therefore must the Christian Religion be looked on as the way to salvation that men may be carefull to walk in it and as the onely way that men may be fearfull to walk out of it For what they have of Religion that they have of salvation whether really or phantastically and what they do want of the one that they do also want of the other Accordingly S. Peter adviseth us all to make our calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. For though our Election be firm in it self we may bless God it is so especially since we are fallen under such strong delusions as might deceive if it were possible even the very Elect I say though our Election be firm in it self as being grounded on Gods immutable purpose yet is it daily more and more to be confirmed in us by making more and more sure of our calling that is to say of our calling to righteousness or of our Religion in daily bringing forth more and more the fruits of righteousness for we cannot make sure of Glory but by making sure of Grace nor can we be sure of Grace but from the fruits and effects of Grace which are the remission of sins and the purgation from sin according to that excellent gloss of Oecumenius upon the Apostles benediction to the Hebrews in his last words of that Epistle Grace be with you all Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace be with you that is The Remission of sins and the purgation from sin be with you or to speak more to our present custome and capacity the blessings of Justification and of Sanctification be with you for Justification is the Remission of sins and Sanctification is the purgation from sin and the work of Grace is to expel sin by justification and by sanctification to expel sin in its guiltiness or obligation to punishment by justification and to expel sin in its pollution or obligation to more sinfulness by sanctification for sin hath a two fold obligation upon the sinner it obligeth him to punishment by its guiltiness it obligeth him to more sins by its pollution and the work of Grace is to oppose sin in both these respects and the means whereby Grace effecteth this great work is the Christian Religion which is truly and properly our calling as we are Christians and callethus to the forgiveness of our sins by faith in Christ there is the justification and calleth us to the amendment of our sinfull lives by repentance from dead works there is thesanctification Wherefore to make sure of our Calling is to make sure of Grace and to make sure of Grace is to to make sure of our Christian Religion which alone produceth the works of Grace and how we may do this the same Authour teacheth us in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we do not wrong Gods goodness by sinning or by neglecting that is by Commission or by Omission by sinning against the light of Grace or by neglecting the power and means of Grace which two have without doubt occasioned all the grand mistakes and miscarriages of several Christian Churches in point of Religion They either sin by Commission against the light of Grace or by Omission against the power and means of Grace and at last come to make a new Religion by turning their old sins into new Tenents This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To sin against God and to neglect him to sin against him by Commissions and to neglect him by Omissions to do either is to wrong his grace and goodness much more to do both which as it may serve for a good caveat to all Christian Churches in general so also to every Christian man in particular for our Commissions are the great impediments of our justification because though the sons of men will yet the Son of God will not justifie a sinner that continueth in his sins our Omissions are the great impediments of our sanctification because though the spirit of errour may call him a Saint yet the Spirit of Grace will not sanctifie him or make a Saint of that sinner who neglects and contemns the means of Grace and these Commissions and those Omissions commonly go both together in the loss of Religion but the Omissions go generally before the Commissions As S. Paul saith of the Apostate Christians in his time Rom. 1. 21. and the same doctrine will hold true of all Apostates to the worlds end That when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull there 's their Omissions But became vain in their imaginations and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image c. There 's their Commissions And upon these follows the loss of their Religion ver 28. As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde 't is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did not approve then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were given over to such a minde as could not approve that which came from God this is a reprobate minde a minde void of judgement an undiscerning understanding which is sure to have sin with it and damnation after it for so saith the prophet Wo unto them

to little purpose to labour his conversion For first he is ignorant in his understanding knowing nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Oecum for he who knows not that which he ought to know is as if he knew nothing nay he is much worse not onely possest with ignorance but also with a kinde of devil as saith the same authour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that will not know God cannot but know the devil he that will not receive Christ and his wholsome words into his understanding shall not be able to keep the devil and his poisonous dictates out of it Secondly he is pertinacious in his will which appears from his contradiction from his obstinacy from his ambition His contradiction is discovered in that he teacheth otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Oecumen he teacheth other things then those which of right are to be taught we may say he first teacheth otherwise then the Christian Church opposing his novelty against her antiquity but at last he teacheth otherwise then himself opposing his own novelty with new and worse novelties his obstinacy appears in this he will remit nothing of his humour either for truth or peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others may come nearer him but he will not come nearer them he will not approach or as we render it he will not consent to wholsome words for if he draw near to the truth with his lips yet his heart is far from it Lastly His ambition and haughtiness of minde is seen in that he is proud he scorns to be a follower of any but will be a leader of all and takes more pleasure because more pride in being head of a faction then in being an inferiour member of Christ which shews his blindness that he sees not the blessing of those who are of Christs communion as well as his perversness that he will not joyn with those communicants and accordingly the Apostle here useth a word that hinteth both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he is blinded as it were with smoke for so Ulpian upon Demosthenes descanteth that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some derive it from darkening the sight with smoke there 's his blindness again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the same Critick This word is derived from Typhon one of the Giants that was so mad with pride as to raise war against the gods wherefore we say of a proud man that he is as that Typhon there 's his perverseness Thus far a heathen Critick may be alledged to interpret this strange word here used by S. Paul but the Christian Divine who knew that this warring against God which was but a fable in the Giant was a truth in the devil gives us this gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this kinde of pride that first swells against the true Church and at last against the God of truth is a very great friend and companion of the devils so that the proud heretick and the perverse schismatick for they cannot well be parted though they are very ill joyned under a pretence of finding a new way to heaven hath brought himself directly to hell gate and being once there the devil will not easily suffer him to go from thence but he will forthwith teach him to spend all his time and zeal upon idle questions fit for none but those that dote and upon quarrelsome disputations fit for nothing but to beget new disputes and endless contentions for if you once turn Questionist in stead of Dogmatist seeker in stead of beleever you must needs fall into logomachies strifes of words as endless as needless therefore the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sick about questions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Oecum see here To be a seeker is indeed to be sick so to be sick in minde and that in Tullies language is to be mad Nomen insaniae significat mentis aegrotationem morbum Cic. 3. Tuscul. for madness is nothing else but a sickness of the minde and we cannot deny this if we observe the course of such a man which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to spend time but to mispend it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diogenes appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euclidis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Laertius Diogenes theCynick called Plato's Schooling meer fooling and said to be Euclide's Scholar was to be in choler but S. Paul hath found out an expression that in one word speaks more then both these though with less acrimony and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a second strange word here used by the Spirit of God to shew here is set forth as strange a monster such devices and trifles as are meer new nothings whereby men do onely deceive themselves and seek to deceive others for so Oecum readeth and glosseth the word out of S. Chrysostome inverting the Prepositions and reading not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and withal enlarging the sense for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an ill use of study and disputation not to confirm the judgement but to unsettle it not to discover the truth but to dissemble it which mischief may go no further then him alone who is guilty of the sin but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is this same mischief as it seeks to corrupt and infect others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Oecum the infecting others with this itch of vain disputing for as a scabby sheep rubbing against those that are sound of the same flock infecteth them with his touch so do these men that have itching ears rambling heads and hollow hearts infect others by their conversation saith S. Chrysost. and from him Oecumenius All this considered 't is easie to see the reason why S. Paul said to Timothy From such withdraw thy self he commands him as a Bishop to rebuke some Presbyters cap. 5. v. 19 20. which shews his jurisdiction over them but breaks not his communion with them but he must have nothing at all to do with these 't is Oecumenius his observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith not converse with such a man and oppose him converse with him according to your Christian Communion and oppose him according to your Episcopal Jurisdiction but wholly depart from him after one or two admonitions which is supposed from cap. 1. v. 3. where Timothy is commanded to charge them not to preach other doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word used here for you shall never make that man your convert who hath made mammon his God and this indeed is the chief reason of the great distemper and greater disturbance in Christendome that many men are mammons rather then Gods Chaplains and therefore are more ready to plead for Baal that is for their own lording it over their brethren then for God more for Belial that is for their own licentiousness then for Christ hence it is we have fiercer disputations against men then for God