Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	catholic_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,797	4	6.6121	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

it And this is the name which commonly is gotten in the world because men first seeke not a good name with God but that good name which is obtained by faith will stand continue all a mans life and at his death leaue behind it a sweet perfume abideth for euer in the world to come Secondly this maintaines the excellencie of our religion against Atheists and all enemies of it which esteeme call it a base conteÌ„ptible religion of which caÌ„ folow no credit nor estimation But see their malice is here controlled our religion is a most glorious excellent professioÌ„ it is the high way to get true credit estimation it makes a maÌ„ honorable in the sight of God men for by it our Elders obtained a good report which continueth fresh to this day In the fourth place Were they wel reported of for their faith therefore their faith was not hid in their hearts but manifested in their liues for the world cannot see nor commend them for their faith but for the practice of faith Here it is plaine that men must not be content to keep their faith close in their hearts but they must exercise the fruites of it in the world and then both these together will make a man truly commendable Thy faith approues thee vnto God but the practice of it is that that honours thee and thy profession in the world Lastly in that faith was that which approued our Elders vnto God here is a storehouse of comforts for all true professors of this faith Art thou poore thy faith doth make thee rich in God Art thou simple and of meane reach thy faith is true wisedome before God Art thou any way deformed faith makes thee beautifull vnto God Art thou weake feeble or sicke thy faith doth make thee strong in God Art thou base in the world and of no account thy faith makes thee honourable in the sight of God and his holy Angels Thus thou art poore and foolish and deformed and sicke and base in the world but marke how God hath recompensed thee he hath giuen thee faith whereby thou art rich and beautifull wise and strong honorable in heauen with God say therfore with Dauid the lot is fallen vnto thee in a faire ground and thou hast a goodly heritage Namely thy faith which thou wouldest not change for all the glory of the world Faith is the true riches the sound strength the lasting beauty the true wisedome the true honour of a Christian man therefore take thy selfe 10000. times more beholden vnto God then if hee had giuen thee the vncertaine riches the crafty and yet foolish wisedome the decaying strength the vanishing beauty the transitory honour of this world If thou hast true faith thou art sure to haue many enemies 1. The wicked of the world will neuer brooke thee but openly or priuily hate hurt thee TheÌ„ the diuel is thy sworn enemie how canst thou deale with so powerfull an enemie and all his wicked instruments Here is sound comfort if thou hast faith thou hast God thy friend labour therefore for this true faith and then care not for the diuel and all his power Night and day sleeping and waking by land sea thou art safe and secure the diuel cannot hurt thee thy faith makes thee accepted of God and brings thee within the compasse of his protection That same little sparke of faith which is in so narrow a compasse as thy heart is stronger theÌ„ all the power and malice of sathan As for the malice which his instruments wicked meÌ„ in this world shew against thee in mocks and abuses much lesse care for them for their nature is to speake euill and cannot doe otherwise looke not therfore at them but looke vp into heauen by the eye of thy soule where thy faith makes thee beloued and approued of God himselfe and honourable in the presence of his holy Angels And thus much of the second action or effect of faith the third followeth VERSE 3. Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which wee see are not made of things which did appeare IN this verse is contained the third action or effect of faith namely this Faith makes a man to vnderstand things beyond the reach of mans reason This third effect is set out in these words by the instance of a notable exsample namely of the Creation of the world 1. By the word of God 2. Of nothing both which that wee may the better vnderstand let vs consider of the words as they lye in order Through faith 1. By faith in this place as I take it is not meant that sauing faith which iustifies a man before God but a generall faith wherby a man imbraceth Christian religion or wherby a man beleeueth the word of God in the doctrine of the law and the Gospel to be true My reason is because a man that neuer had iustifying and sauing faith and is no member of the catholike Church nor childe of God may haue this gift To beleeue that God by his word made the world of nothing Therefore I thinke that this is an action of a generall and not of sauing faith We vnderstand That is Whereas there are many things beyond the reach of reason and therefore by reason cannot be apprehended or vnderstood yet by vertue of this faith a man is brought to vnderstand them and to beleeue them to be true Now then whereas generall faith brings vnderstanding of many things which reason cannot reach vnto here such as be students in humane learning which labour to attain to the deepenesse and perfection of it are taught with their trauell in humane studies to haue care to ioyne faith and knowledge of religion For there are many things which our vnderstanding by reason cannot conceiue and many truthes which Philosophy cannot reach vnto nay many also which it denies but faith is able to perswade and demonstrate them all and it inlightens the mind and rectifies the iudgement when as Philosophy hath left the mind in darknesse and the iudgement in error Now in whom sound knowledge in Philosophy and this faith in religion do concurre together he is a man of a most rectified iudgement and of a deepe reach in the greatest matters but separate faith from humane knowledge and he will stumble at many truthes though hee had the wit of all the Philosophers in his owne head For exsample that God should make the world of nothing that it should haue beginning ending that God should be eternall and not the world that mans soul being created is immortal These many other truths reasoÌ„ caÌ„not see therfore Philosophy wil not admit but ioin faith to it then that crooked vnderstanding is rectified made to beleeue it It is therfore good counsel to ioyn both these together Religion hinders not humane learning as some fondly thinke but is

world yea and the first of all that had this true faith as the onely meanes of his saluation For as for Adam he afore his fall had not this faith neither should it haue saued him but when the first meanes failed him then came this faith as the second and more effectuall meanes of his saluation But Abell was neuer in possibility to be saued by any thing but by this faith And therefore Abels faith hath the first place of commendation and that in this verse Abels faith is here commended for three things 1. In that hee offred by it a greater sacrifice then Cain 2. By it he obtained testimonie with God 3. By it dead Abell yet speaketh The 1. effect of Abels faith is thus set down by the H. Ghost By faith Abel offred vnto God a greater sacrifice then Cain The ordinary Exposition of those words is this that Cain and Abell comming to offer there was no difference in the matter of their sacrifice but onely in the manner of offring in that Abell offred by faith and so did not Cain This Exposition though it be good yet it fits not the scope of this place nor the fourth of Gen. The right sense therefore seemes to be this Abell hauing faith this faith moued him to testifie his thankfull heart to God This hee did by offring vnto God the best and costliest sacrifice that he could namely the first fruites and fattest of his sheepe Whereas vnbeleeuing Cain hauing no loue to testifie vnto God brought onely of the fruite of his ground not of the best as Abel did but whatsoeuer cam first to hand This being the true meaning of the whole let vs come to the particular points laid down in this effect and they are three 1. That Cain and Abell offred that is serued God 2. That they offred Sacrifices 3. That Abell offred a better then Cain The first point containes their seruice in generall the second their seruice in particular the third the difference of their seruice wherein especially will appeare the excellencie of Abels faith First Abell and Cain the two first brethren in the world offered sacrifice to the true God How learned they this for they had no Scripture it was penned many yeeres after namely by Moses first of all I answer When their Parents Adam and Eue had fallen God gaue them of his infinite goodnesse a couenant of grace that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head Genes 3.15 Wee doubt not but our first Parents receiued this couenant and beleeued the promise and this their faith taught them how to worship the true God aright You wil say thus Adam Eue learned of God but how came this to Cain Abell I answer When they had beene thus instructed of God Adam as a faithfull seruant of God taught the same religion and deliuered the same doctrine to his children and by it they were taught what to whom and in what manner to offer sacrifice And thus they did it neither by Scripture nor reuelation nor their own inuention but by the instruction of their Parents Hence let all Parents learne a lesson of Adam the first parent that was in the world namely to procure the good of their children he nourtered his children excellently 1. He prouided for them til they came to age 2. Then he left them not but appointed them their callings For one was a husbandman and the other a Shepheard 3. Not thus onely but he taught them to worship the true God both in their callings in the practice of religion and therefore he taught them to offer sacrifice in way of thankfulnesse vnto God all this did Adam So must thou do with the children which God hath giuen thee 1. Prouide for them carefully till they be of age take â—eed they miscarie not any way for want of things needfull 2. So bring them vp as that they may be apt to liue in some godly calling whereby to serue God and to doe good in his Church and that calling thou must appoint him according to the fitnesse of his gifts Adam appointed them not both one calling but diuerse callings according to the diuersity of their gifts and thou must see it be a lawfull and honest calling for so are both these Then 3. the greatest matter of all these teach them religion and the true manner of fearing worshipping God that as by the two first thy child may liue well in this world so by this he may be made an heire of the kingdome of heauen Adam was the first father father of vs all let all then follow him in this practice if we follow him in one follow him in both Diuerse wil be as careful for their bodies for their callings as Adam was but how few are as carefull to teach them religion for the prefermeÌ„t of their soules to life eternall But parents must haue care of both these else they shal answer for their child at the day of iudgemeÌ„t though he perish in his own sin yet his bloud wil God require at the Fathers hands For God made him a father in his room and he discharged not the duty of a father vnto their child Secondly in that Cain offered as well as Abell Hence we learne diuerse instructions 1. It is a common opinion that if a man walke duly and truly in his calling doing no man harme but giuing euery man his owne and so doe all his life long God will receiue him and saue his soule but the truth is this If men do thus it is good and commendable and they must be exhorted to continue but if they stand vpon this for saluation they cast away their soules For mark here Cain was a man that walkt in an honest calling and more then that he tooke paines laboured in it which all men doe not which haue honest callings And more then all these when Abell offred hee came and worshipped God also and hee did outwardly in such sort as no man could blame him but onely God that saw his heart And for all this yet is he a wicked Cain and that is all that the word of God giues him 1. Iohn 3.12 Then it is manifest that to walke in a mans calling iustly and vprightly doing no man harme wil not serue the turne Cain did it and yet was cursed wee must then goe further then Cain else wee shall goe with Cain to the place where he is Reason not with thy selfe I worke hard and follow my calling I hurt no man thus could Cain reason and yet but cursed Cain Thou must then beside these get that that Cain did not Learne in thy conscience to see and feele thy sinne to be grieued for it so as thou maist say My sicknesse my pouerty my crosses grieue me but nothing so much as my owne sinnes these trouble me aboue all this griefe swalloweth vp all the rest And there is another thing which I seeke aboue all not

For he being a righteous man in that wicked age wherein all the world weltred in wickednesse and walking before God in great holinesse when no man cared for religion hee had this speciall fauour from God that when hee purposed to destroy the world for their sinne hee first of all reuealed to righteous Noah that purpose of his So that these words haue reference to the reuelation which Noah had from God in the 6. of Genesis For this message came not from God by any Prophet for wee know none in those euill dayes except Noah himselfe but either by the Ministerie of an Angell or else by immediate reuelation from God himselfe and this fauour he receiued from God not for any cause in the world but because he was a holy and righteous man From hence wee may learne diuers excellent instructions First whereas God maketh choise of Noah to reueale vnto him his counsell and his iudgements to come wee learne that this is a prerogatiue which God bestoweth on such as feare him he reuealeth his counsels to them in a speciall manner whether they be purposes of Iudgements vpon his enemies or of mercies vnto his Church Thus dealt he with Abraham Gen. 18.19 Shall I saith God hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe which thing was the destruction of Sodome and her sisters And so when the Sodomites liued in wanton carelesnesse and put farre from them the euill day then Abraham knew from God their destruction was at hand And as in that for is it generally true in all his great workes that the Lord God will doe nothing but he reueales his secrets to his seruants the Prophets Amos 3.7 Now this is not a prerogatiue of Prophets alone or of such as were extraordinary men as Abraham was but the secrets of the Lord are amongst such as feare him Psalme 25.14 All that feare the holy name of God are Gods friends and of his Counsaile and therefore not Abraham onely is called the friend of God Iames 2.23 But of all true beleeuers saith Christ Iohn 15.14.15 You are my friends If you doe what I commaund you henceforth I call you not seruants but friends for the seruant knoweth not what his Maister doth but all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you As if he had said I will communicate and impart my secrets vnto you as one friend doth vnto another as farre as shall be fit for you to know And the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 2.15 A faithfull and a holy man discerneth into the deepe counsailes of God which are reuealed vnto them as much as concerneth their saluations and sometimes more as here vnto Noah who was fore-warned of God of things then not seene This prerogatiue of Gods children is to be vnderstoode with some cautions First that this is more proper to Prophets and holy Ministers of God then to ordinary Christians Secondly that it was more ordinary in the old testament then now in the dayes of the Gospell If any obiect Then the state of the Church afore Christ was better then it is now vnder Christ I answere Not so for first we are recompenced by hauing the Scriptures perfect and complete which they had not and by hauing the substance of their shadowes and the performance of their promises in which respects our state is farre more excellent then theirs And secondly for this particular I answere they indeede had more ordinarie reuelation of matters personall and priuate and not directly touching saluation but of such things as are generall and doe necessarily concerne saluation wee in the time of the new Testament haue more euident demonstration and more full reuelation then they had afore Christ. For exsample particular mercies to some faithfull men or particular iudgements on Gods enemies whether particular men or whole kingdomes were after reuealed to godly men in those dayes as here to Noah but saluation by the Messias and the manner how the Messias should saue his Church is more fully and plainly reuealed now then in those dayes Out of which consideration ariseth the third caution which is that reuelations of Gods will to be expected now vnder the Gospell are ordinarily nothing else but these the true meaning of Scripture a discerning of true Scripture from forged of true Sacraments from supposed of true doctrine from false of true Pastors from false Prophets These such like as farre forth as they are necessary to saluation all true and faithfull beleeuers which out of an humbled heart by deuoute prayer doe seeke it at Gods hand are sure to haue reuealed vnto them from God But as for other purposes of God of personall and particular matters or what shall be his blessings or what his iudgements to these and these men families Cities or Kingdomes or when or how he will change States or translate kingdomes Or by what extraordinarie meanes hee will haue his Gospell propagated or a declining Church or State vpholden these we are not to expect nor easily to belieue any that shall say such things are reuealed vnto them And yet wee tye not the Lord in such straite bonds but that hee may sometime extraordinarily reueale his purpose therein to some his selected seruants yet prouided that that reuelation be examined and allowed of the Church But as for such things as concerne immediatly the saluation of our soules Gods spirit doth most comfortably reueale them vnto vs in our prayers in his word and in his Sacraments of all which it is most true that the secrets of God are amongst them that feare him The vse of this doctrine is double for instruction and for exhortation For our instruction here we learne how to answere the Church of Rome they aske vs how doe wee know true religion from erroneous or true Scripture or Sacraments from forged We answere first by it selfe by sight and sense of the excellencie thereof as we know gold from brasse or siluer from lead But what if the brasse or tinne be gilded ouer I then answere secondly wee can know gold from brasse and siluer from tinne by the sound and smell and hardnesse to endure and by the operation so there is a spirituall sound of the Scriptures in the eares of a Christian a spiritual comfort and taste in true religion a spirituall operation in holy mens hearts of the true Sacraments But what if false Prophets come in sheepes cloathing and by lying wonders seeme to giue the same sound taste smell vertue and operation vnto their forgeries or at least chalenge it and say that theirs is true I answere lastly Then we know true Religion true Scripture true Sacraments true Prophets true Doctrines from false by a holy and supernaturall reuelation from Gods spirit which by euident and powerfull demonstration assureth vs what is true and what is false for the substance of saluation And this spirit is giuen to all that in true humility doe seeke it in holy prayer and in a

but they vtterly contemne all other estates of life in regard of their owne And this is the common sinne of the whole world for at earthly preferments men wil stand amazed but seldome shall you finde a man that is rauished with ioy in this that he is the childe of God as Moses did But his practice must be a president for vs to followe we must learne to haue more ioy in being the sonnes of God then to be heires of any worldly Kingdomes and to take more delight in the grace of adoption through Iesus Christ then in the sonship of any earthly Prince It is a great prerogatiue to be heire to a King or Emperour but yet to be the childe of God goes farre beyond it euen aboue comparison For the sonne of the greatest Potentate may be the childe of wrath but the childe of God by grace hath Christ Iesus to be his eldest brother with whom he is fellow heire in heauen hee hath the holy Ghost also for his comforter and the Kingdome of heauen for his euerlasting inheritance And therefore wee must learne of Moses from the bottome of our hearts to prefer this one thing To be the child of God before all earthly things either pleasures riches or any other prerogatiues whatsoeuer Now more particularly in this fact of Moses note two circumstances 1. The manner how 2. The time when he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter For the first his refusall was not in word but in deede for if we reade the whole History of Moses wee shall not finde that either he spake to Pharaoh or to his daughter or to any other to this effect that hee would not be her heire nor called her sonne but we finde that hee did it in deede for when he came to age he left the Court oftentimes and went to visite his brethren to comfort them to defend them and to take part with them And hence we must learne not so much to giue our selues to knowe and to talke of matters of religion as to doe and practice the same both before God and men This did Moses It is the common fault of our age that we can be content to heare the doctrine of religion taught vnto vs yea many will learne it and often speake thereof but fewe there be that make conscience to doe the things they heare and speake of But let vs learne of Moses to put those things in practice which wee learne and professe and in silence doe them for the fewer words the better vnlesse our deedes be answerable If any of vs were to walke vpon the top of some high mountaine we would leaue off talking and looke vnto our steps for feare of falling Behold when we enter the profession of Christianity wee are set vpon an high mountaine for the way of life is on high and Christianity is the high calling of God We therefore must be wise as SalomoÌ„ saith Pro. 15.24 look wel to our coÌ„uersation hauing a straite watch ouer all our waies through the whole course of our life euen to the end of our daies not stand so much on speaking talking as on doing for the doer of the worke shal be blessed in his deed Iam. 1.25 This is the thing we must looke vnto as the only ornament of our profession declaring that we haue the power of godlinesse but if deeds be wanting our religion is vaine we are like the Fig-tree which Christ cursed hauing leaues but no fruite The 2. circumstance to be considered is the time when he refused this honour namely when he came to be a man of yeares and discretion A man in coÌ„mon reason would iudge thus of Moses fact Moses hath rare fortune offered him he might haue bin sonne heire to a Princesse surely this is a rash fact of his void of coÌ„sideration to refuse it vndoubtedly he far ouershot himselfe herein either through rashnesse or ignorance But to preuent such carnall surmises the spirit of God sets down this circumstance of time saying that he did not refuse it in his youth but when hee was come to age that is to perfect yeares of discretion and by reason thereof must needes haue consideration and iudgement to know what he did then did he refuse this honour to bee Pharaohs daughters sonne and heire In the seuenth of the Acts wee shall see that he was fortie yeares olde when he did this And therefore this is true which is here said that when he was come to age and staiednesse then he refused this honour for fortie yeares is a time not onely of ripenesse for strength but of staiednesse in iudgement and discretion Out of this circumstance we learne two points 1 That it is a common fault of yong years to be subiect to inconsideration and rashnes for Moses did not refuse the honour of Pharaohs daughter when hee was young lest it should seeme to bee a point of rashnesse but when hee was come to age as the text saith insinuating that if hee had done it when hee was young it might haue beene esteemed but a rash part and done in some hastie passion of youth Euery age of man hath his faults this is the fault of youth to bee heady and rash in their affaires for want of consideration and experience And therefore all young persons must haue care of these sinnes of youth and watch the more against them because they are so incident to their yeares Now the way to auoyde them is to follow Christs example Luk. 2.52 to labour to growe as in yeares so in wisdome and grace and to obey the counsell of Paul to Timothy 2. Timoth. 2.22 to flie the lusts of youth following after iustice faith charitie and peace with all that call vpon the name of the Lord with a pure heart Secondly this circumstance of time noting Moses deliberate staiednesse in this fact doeth plainely aduertise vs what is or should bee the vertue of olde age and the ornament of yeares namely staiednesse discretion wherby I meane not only that naturall temper of affection which olde age bringeth with it but such religious discretion whereby men of yeares doe all things in faith so as their workes may be acceptable and pleasing vnto God For when a man is grown in yeares hath had experience obseruation in the Church of God he must not onely haue a generall knowledge and wisdome but a particular wisdome whereby he may doe in faith whatsoeuer hee takes in hand and therein please God But alas this may be spoken of olde men in these daies that in regard of this wisdome they are very babes a thing greatly disgracefull to their condition For Paul biddes the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14.20 that they should not be children in vnderstanding but of ripe age yea and he forbiddes the Ephesians Eph. 4.14 to be children stil wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine Whereby we may see that aged persons do

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