Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	4,231	5	6.1426	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19588	The sermon preached at the Crosse, Feb. xiiij. 1607. By W. Crashawe, Batchelour of Diuinitie, and preacher at the temple; iustified by the authour, both against papist, and Brownist, to be the truth: wherein, this point is principally followed; namely, that the religion of Rome, as now it stands established, is worse then euer it was.	Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1608 (1608)	STC 6027; ESTC S115090	135,721	196

years y Vide Corpus Iuris Cano●ici iussu Gregorij 13. recognitum editum Lugduni 1591. and there stand the very same words without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter The decretall Epistles are numbred and reckoned amongst the canonicall Scriptures 8 The fourth wound not healed Which is the more shamefull in it self and shamelesse in the doers in as much as in the same newe edition they are forced to confesse that Augustine out of whom they cite the whole Chapter did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures z Quae quidem sententia beati Augustini non ad decretales Ro. pontificum sed ad Canonicas sacras Scripturas referenda est Corp. Iur. Cā edit 91. in additione ad dist 19. cap. 6. and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeere after his daies To conclude this point let wise men obserue here this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to amēd or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their own free-hold els why should they maintain that blasphemie in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the bodie of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that manie a man reades the contents of books and chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonorable to Gods holy Scriptures they are suffred to stand whereas they haue put out many things disgracefull to themselues Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing This doth but make them equall and that may bee thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper and more deadly namely where the authoritie and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Distinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a lawe these words taken out of one Boniface 9 The fift wound The religion of Christianitie is to bee founded rather from the Popes mouth then from the ●oly Scriptures that is from Gods mouth a Vide Decret dist 40. in appendice ad cap. 6. Et reuera tāta reuerentia apicē praefatae Apostolicae sedis omnes suspiciunt vt nonnullam sanctorum Canonum disciplinam antiquam Christianae religionis institutionem magis ab ore praecessoris eius quàm a sacris paginis paternis traditionibus expetant Illius velle illius nolle tantum explorant vt ad eius arbitrium suam conuersationē ipsi remittant aut intendant Haec in Corp. Iur. Canonici editionis Lugdun 91. in 4. And certainely allmen do yeelde so much respect and reuerence to the Pope of Rome and his chair that they require and seeke for much of the discipline of the holy Canons and the ancient institution of Christian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that Sea then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seek after is what hee wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues and frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is here the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianitie is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the 10 The fift wound not healed holy Scriptures and all that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what he wills not and according to that are they to frame thēselues Is this a doctrine ●it to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holy and the onelie true Church that teacheth this If to be a Catholicke be to holde this and to denie this to be an heretike I am content to be an hereticke let who will bee the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the Scriptures and to depende vppon the mouth and reuealed will of GOD then woe bee to that Church and religion that reacheth wee maie rather depende on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alas they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I knowe this is not be found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the latter and last of all set forth by speciall authoritie from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time Thus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondly that they are of greater authoritie then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquitie will neuer be full and therefore shee goeth one steppe higher in this impietie and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnless he by his authority giue them strength they are not of credit nor necessarie to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their wordes truely out of their owne booke namely their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs the glosse that is the approued Commentarie vpō that decretall is in these words b Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23 de praesumptionibus cap. 1. sicut Aduerte quod verba textus non sunt verba Papae sed Salomonis in Parabolis habentur originaliter in c. 26. Sed quia textus hic est canonizatus facit fidem inducit necessitatem sicut si editus ●uīsset a Papa quia omnia nostra facimus quibus nostrā autoritatē impertimur Glossa Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the words of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentith Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit to be beleeued because they are allowed authorized by the Pope being so by him authorized they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had been the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessitie of beeing belieued or it bindeth as stronglie as if it had beene pronounced or vttred by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestowe or impart our authoritie The high and holy God that is the Author of the holy Scriptures bee mercifull vnto vs in hauing anie thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not anie waie communicate with their sinnes not haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impietie and Atheisme that lyeth

in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but beeing that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe a booke of so great authoritie and so common in the hands of all the learned I cannot but discharge my dutie to the truth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men thinke when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Viker and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authoritie as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approoue and iustifie himselfe and all his words and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament doe therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe and that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them VVhat I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their religion a plaine Atheist that holdes the Scripture and all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour serueth his turnes And if anie of his faction holde this too hard a censure I would intreate him to answere mee but this question grounded vpon these words of his Whether is God the Authour of the olde Testament 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 or no If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holie Ghost If hee bee then the Prouerbes of Salomon beeing a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of this Text are Gods words and not Salomons This beeing so let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning and see what a peece of Popish diuinitie heere is A strāge peece of popish doctrine that Gods word if it be authorized by the Pope is then of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to canonize it then it is not So that either Gods word must be beholden to the Pope for the authoritie of it or els it hath none Obserue that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of God but because these words of God are heere canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit and worthie to bee beleeued as well as if they had beene spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinitie fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mint Let the words be examined and see what can followe of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to be Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheisme or els if hee holde them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authoritie to binde mens conscience till the Pope doe canonize them and that Gods word in a book knowen receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authoritie in that booke as being translated into the Popes Canon lawe if he refuse both these then let him refuse his owne lawe and burne his glosse vpon his decretalles as contayning Atheisme and Heresie in a high degree 12 The sixt wound not healed But to goe forward is this wound healed Surely if they haue left it out or reformed it in any later impression so it bee with open confession and detestation of the fault it is well But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in all other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authoritie and allowance condemned or reprooued this Atheisme if they knowe any they may doe well to produce them Meane time I am also sure of this that in stead of healing it they haue suffered their Doctors and Writers continually since to speake and write almost as ill if not worse In Queene Maries time an English Papist wrote thus c Proctor in his booke called the way home to Christ printed at Londō in 8. Religion is occasioned by Scripture but perfected and authorized by the Church See we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture for our Religion About the same time Cardinal Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is sayde to haue affirmed that The written word of GOD is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicu●● And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euidēce of Scripture boldely answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quilles doe not tie vs e Nos pennis illis anser inis minime sumus alligati I will not affirme these two vpon my owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disproued them But that that followeth I speak vpon knowledge A little after a great english Papist pretending to summon a Parliament for Poperie in his booke so called telles a storie of one whom hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diuinitie in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1566. in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnes that this he heard him himselfe but what was hee that spake it a Protestant no a Papist and no mad fellow nor ignorant foole nor profane scoffer but sayth Heskins hee was a man of worship of grauitie of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure hee giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a little after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a boooke that papists holde to bee Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee aunswered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it Shee would no more beleeue the scripture for it was naught g Heskins in his parliamēt the next page after And what was shee that saide this a vertuous Catholicke gentlewoman and one that feared GOD h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor commēds that man and woman for deuout and zealous papists who blasphemously saide that the scriptures were naught and not to be belieued and doth not reprooue the parties for their blasphemie So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind Lo what tokens Poperie giueth of a vertuous Catholicke woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did hee not reproue the one nor the other But contrariw●se commends them both and turnes it to

find such in our religion he that can shew me either of these I will be his Conuert To this end I haue presumed to present it first to your Honour and vnder your honorable name to the worlds viewe not only as a testimonie of the loyaltie loue and dutie I owe your Honour for your many particular honorable fauours but especially for that we to our ioy do find and the Papists to their grief doe feare that God hath hath raised vp your Honor in these declining and desperate times for so hath Poperie made them to defeat their deuises to countermine their plots and to make them the instruments of their own ruine fit therfore and worthy to be the patron of that Treatise which is a discouerer of the●r spiritual impieties And surely right Honorable the churches hope ouer the Christian world is that God hath ordayned his Ma. of England to be the means by the aduise assistance of your Hon. others like you wherof God send vs more to giue the whore of Babylō hir last blow wherof she shall neuer recouer which most worthy worke as God raised vp your honorable Father of happie memorie to begin Gretserꝰ a Iesuite was suffered to write within these 2. yeares that we rackt and tortured Garnet euen neere to death to make him confesse himself guilty of the powder treason but he did not so we hauing no proof hāgd him onely for being a priest and not for it And that Ouē his man was puld in pieces on the racke and when wee had so killed him then wee gaue out hee had killd himselfe with a knife But for the 1. wee appeale to publicke records and the worlds knowledge and for the second there yet liue witnesses whose eies saw the woundes and bloudy knife and whose eares heard him freely and penitently confesse hee did it with that knife to escape the racke which hee sayde hee feared but had neuer tasted So hath he your Lordship paternarum virtutū cur non etiam dignitatū ex asse haeredē to accomplish and bring to perfection The Father of mercie and the Sonne of consolation be praysed for euer for sending such a father and such a sonne to bee the Children of the Church of England Go on noble Lord with courage and constancie and this worke of God shall prosper in your hand To this end the same God assist strengthen and protect your Lordship and the blessed Father for the blessed Sonnes sake double vpon you his holy and blessed Spirit wherto I am sure all good Christians will say Amen With Your Lordships deuoted seruant in Christ WILLIAM CRASHAVVE Magna est veritas praeualet The XX. Wounds found to be in the body of the present Romish religion in doctrine and in manners Proued in this Sermon not to bee yet healed 1. THe Pope is a God the Lord God and such a head of the Church as infuseth spiritual life heauenly grace into the body of the Church pag. 53. c. 2. The Pope hath done more then God for he deliuered a soule out of hell pag. 57. c. 3. God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgine Marie keeping Iustice to himselfe but committing and giuing vp his mercie to her so that a man may appeale from him to hir pag. 60. c. 4. The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall scripture pag. 69. c. 5. The Christian Religion is founded rather from the Popes mouth then from Gods in the Scripture pag. 71. c. 6. The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit and to be belieued because they are allowed and autorized by the Pope and being by him authorized they are then of as good authority as if the Pope himselfe had made them pag. 73. c. 7. Images are good books for lay men and better easier then the Scriptures pag. 80. c. 8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe or a Crosse are to be worshipped with the same worship as God and Christ with latria that is diuine worship pag. 82. c. and that we may speake and pray to the Crosse it selfe as we do to Christ 9. Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things and had 5. wounds as Christ that did bleede on good-Fridaie yea he did more then Christ euer did pag. 96. c. 10. The Pope may and doth grant Indulgences for a hundred thousand yeares and giue men a power to redeem soules out of Purgatory pag. 103. c. 11. The Pope may annexe Indulgences for many thousands of yeares to such beades Crucifixes pictures and other like toies that are hallowed by his hands pag. 107. c. The popish Church baptizeth bells pag. 115. c. 12. The Pope denieth the Cup in the Sacrament to the Laitie tho Christ ordained the contrarie pag. 120. c. 13. The popish Church alloweth many sorts of sanctuaries for wilfull murder pag. 122. c. 14. Romish religion publickly tolerates and permits Stewes and takes rent for them pag. 132. c. 15. By the Popes lawe he that hath not a wife may haue a Cōcubine pag. 141. c. 16. Some men had better lie with another mans Wife or keepe a whore then marry a wife of his owne pag. 143. c. 17. Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keep their whores vnder a yeerely rent pag. 147. c. 18. Such Priests as be continent and haue no whores yet must pay a yearely rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will pag. 150. c. 19. Their Liturgie is ful of blasphemie their Legend ful of lies their Ceremonies of superstition pag. 153. c. 20. A generall corruption of manners in all estates pag. 156 c. To the Christian Reader whosoeuer be he a true Catholicke or a Romish TO prevent all misconceits that might arise vpon the so late cōming forth of this Sermon so many weekes expected I desire thee good Reader be satisfied the cause thereof was a long vnlooked for journey And now that you haue it let me desire all men in the reading iudging therof to deale with that ingenuity and sinceritie as I haue endevored in the writing of it My cōscience speakes for me I haue forged no new Author I haue falsified none I haue corrupted none I haue to my knowledge misalledged none I haue taken no proofe vpō bare report nor haue I produced our men to proue what I lay against them nor is there one quotation of any Authour of theirs which I haue not diligently perused afore-hand and the whole scope of the place If any should thinke of answere I desire him let passe all personall rayling and by-matters and come directly to the points in issue which be these 1 Whether the Church of Rome teach practice in these xx or xxi points as I haue charged her withall or no. 2 If she do whether they be healed of these wounds as yet or no. 3 If

and his reason z Germoniꝰ ibid. art 15. yet is he neuer able to ouerthrowe either the truth of his opinion or strength of his reason but so vnwilling are they to bee healed in anie thing that if anie one of them doe but begin to see the truth and doe but glaunce at it or incline to it presently hee is nipt in the head and condemned as heere the olde Lawyer is reproued by the later and whē as he would haue had this wound healed this darling of the popes will not suffer him but answeres that his reason is naught and not worth a rush And yet not content he goeth further and saith that not onely Churches consecrated but tho they bee not as yet consecrated a Idē ibid. art 23. 24. yet they be sanctuaries and not the Church onely but euen the Churchyard yea tho it be disioined from the Church b Idē ibid. art 30. 34. Nay further that euen hospitalls c Idē ibid. art 27 yea priuate Chappell 's in mens houses if they were built by the Bishops authority d Idē ibid. art 29. haue priuiledge of sanctuarie to receiue a murderer flying vnto them And least murder should not finde sufficient shelter in Romish religion he telles vs further that euen the Bishops Palace is a sanctuarie if a murderer fly vnto it if it bee within 40. pases of the Church or tho it bee more then 40. pases off if it haue a Chappell in it e Idē ibid. art 43. c. And yet further if a murtherer going to execution after a iust sentence or afore triall being pursued doe meete a Priest carying his breaden God and doe fly to him he is priuiledged from the power of the lawe f Idē ibid. art 52. And least we should thinke it strange to giue this honor to the church that is Gods house or to the bread which they say is their God he goeth yet one steppe further and tells vs that g Idem Germonius ibid. lib. 3. cap. 6. art 51. c. Tāta est huius dignitatis Maiestas vt non Cardinalis solum velut sacrosanctus absque sacrilegij culpa tāgi non possit verū nec ille quiad capitale supplicium ducitur si Cardinali ob●iam factus ciusque pileum aut vestem attigerit c. occidi nequeat sic Baldus reliqui vnus tantum Cor●etus tenet i● contrarium sedeius argumentis excellenter satisfacit Cardinalis Albanus A Cardinall of Rome not onely is so holy a person in himselfe that hee may not be touched without sacriledge but if a murderer or malefactor that is carying to execution if he haue the good happe to meete a Cardinall and can touch either his hat or his robes he is discharged from the sentence of the lawe Loe heere is a holy person indeede a Cardinalls coate or hat shall haue more priuiledge then had eyther the coate or the flesh it selfe of Christ Iesus hee would not deliuer anie murderers from death onelie one he deliuered namely Barrabas and he himselfe died in his roome h See the story of the passion and if my Lords the Cardinalls should do so surely they would meete no murderers in the streete But to goe forward the lawe sayth the Murderer shall die i Gen. 9. 6 and Christ saith he came not to dissolue the lawe but to fulfill it k Matth. 5. 18 but the Cardinalls wil not fulfil the lawe but dissolue it The Murderer shall die sayth God true saith the Pope vnlesse hee happe to touch the hem of one of my Cardinalls coats for then he is acquitted But is this healed and reformed nay alas one Antonius Corsetus a learned Lawyer misliking this because as he saith truely l Hoc stante daretur materia delinquēdi propterea quod homines audaciores fierēt delicta remanerent impunita sic Anto. Corsetꝰ in suis singular in verbo Cardinalis this being so there wil be an occasion giuen of much euill and bloudie men will heereby take libertie to offend He is not suffred to make anie motion for reforming of anie thing but is contrariwise turned awaie with this censure that his reasons are slender and nothing worth And thus when he is dasht out of countenance who would haue healed this wound then comes the Popes Secretary a true childe of Babylon that will not be healed and to make the wound wider and deeper brings a reason for this power of Cardinalls worthy of himself m Idem Germonius ibid. cap. 6. art 51. Non sunt hodie Cardinales deterioris cōditionis quam olim fuerunt Virgines vestales quarum autoritas apud Romanos tanta fuit vt si ad capitale aliquis supplicium duceretur fortè fortuna transisset Vestalis is necari non posset If saith he the Virgin-vestalls in Rome healthenish had this power that if a person condemned met one of them in his way to executiō and could get to touch them he was thereby deliuered from death as he proueth out of Aul. Gellius n Aul. Gellius noct Att. lib. 10. cap. 15. Then much more ought the Cardinalls to haue this honour in Rome being now Christian Yea but is there not danger to multiplie murders and defeat the lawe by this means for may not a Cardinall come for fauour and on set purpose may hee not be intreated may he not be corrupt and bee hired to come There be now also many Cardinalls about 60. or 70. if anie of all these be in the streetes murderers may escape and there be fewe daies wherin some of these stirre not abroad To all these materiall obiections what doth he answer surelie an easie answer hath he for all o Germonius ibid. art 52. Ne detur occasio delinquendi et vt omnis praua suspicio tollatur damnatus gaudet hac immunitate si Cardinalis non data opera sed casu transeat This priuiledge belongeth without all question to the Cardinalls person if he come by chance and not on set purpose for so it was also in the case of the Virgins Vestall But how shall it appeare that hee comes not purposely In that case the vestall Virgins that neuer might swear were put to their oath p Aul. Gellius ibid. But for al that saith this Popes dearling my Lords the Cardinalls may not sweare they may not bee so disgraced as to be put to their oathes How shall it then appeare hee must saith hee q Licet Vestalis nunquam iurasset hoc tamen casu eas iurasse certum est At Cardinalem deuinci Iusiurandi religione minime vel lem itaque non iuranti sed asserēti se forte fortuna in dānatū incidisse credendum est cum ei in grauioribus negotijs fides adhiberi solet vt si sedis Apostolicae legatum se esse dixerit fidem ei habendam volunt nostri Ioh. Andr. Bal. Alb. c. Idem Germonius ibid. art