Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	church_n	profess_v	3,448	5	8.0722	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01492	A treatise of c[hri]stian renunciation Compiled of excellent sentences [and] as it were diuerse homelies of ancient fathers: wherin is shewed how farre it is lawfull or necessary for the loue of Christ t[o] forsake father, mother, wife and children, and all other worldly creatures. Against the enemies of the crosse of Christ, ... Wherunto is added [a shorte discourse against going to hereticall churches.]	Garnet, Henry, 1555-1606.	1593 (1593)	STC 11617.8; ESTC S113062	99,728	170

A TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN RENVNciation Compiled of excellent sentences as it were diuerse homelies of Ancient Fathers wherin is shewed how farre it is lawfull or necessary for the loue of Christ to forsake Father Mother wife and children and all other worldly creatures Against the enemies of the Crosse of Christ who by temporall respects of obedience or other earthlye bonds withdraw themselues or others frō the Confession of their faith and Religion Wherunto is added 〈…〉 Luc. 14. Euery one of you which doth not renoūce all thinges which he hath cannot be my Disciple Mat. 16. If any man will come after me let him deny him-selfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me Luc. 14. Many man come vnto me and doth not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters ●ea and moreouer his owne life he cannot be my Disciple THE CONTENTS OF this booke The Preface wherin is shewed the occasion purpose and order of this Treatise That it is very meritorious and acceptable vnto God to renounce parents and all things for perfection Cap. 1. That a man is bound vnder paine of eternall damnation vnto a perfect renunciation of all frendes kinsfolkes Cap. 2. Parents Superiours their intreaties examples commandements yea and himselfe also and all that he hath whan otherwise he should be hindered from the dewty of a Christian Of the necessary renunciation sometimes to be made of husband and wife Cap. 3. although that which hath bene saide aboue belong also to them Cap. 4. Of renunciation of a mans patrimony and care of prouision for children more particulerly than was saide before Of renunciation of a mans selfe yet more in particuler and of the necessary obligation to suffer Martyrdome whan otherwise God might bee offended Cap. 5. with diuerse forceable exhortations to the same The Conclusion to Catholicke wiues and children Whether it be lawfull for Catholickes to go to the Protestants Church with a protestation that they come not for liking which they haue of the Religiō there professed THE PREFACE IT hath alwaies bene an auncient custome euen from the very beginning of Christian religion The necesity of Renunciatiō that whosoeuer geueth his name to our Sauiour Christ professing him selfe a sworne souldier of his spirituall Campe therin to fight vnder his victorious standard should by no other oath be admitted to this holy warfare than by a solemne professiō either made by him selfe or by his godfathers in his name of renouncing the Deuell and all his workes with all his pompes and vanities This abrenunciatiō hath euer bene accounted in the wholl life of a Christian not only most forceable for the most strict obligation it being an homage promise vnto the greatest Soueraignty which possible may be that is to God himselfe but withall a most effectuall remedy and a most sure protection for the comfortable memory therof against all tentations and incounters of our ghostly enemies For who is he which being assaulted with proude and haughty cogitations or tickled with the flattering representations of vnlawfull delightes or allured with the transitory vanitie of worldly riches or terrified with the barbarous manacings of bloody persecutours or daunted with the manifold difficulties of the dayly and continuall combate with flesh and blood or finally enuironed on euery side with neuer so diuers troupes of the world the flesh and the Deuell all conspiring in one against the welfare of the soule by the remembrance of this irreuocable profession and indispensable promise vnto God will not presently be encouraged therby vtterly ouercoming all manner of difficulties confidently to say either with that heathen Capitaine lacta est alea my chaunce is cast or with the deuout and spirituall soule Inceptum est retro abire non licet I haue begone I may not returne backward or with our Sauiour himselfe no man putting his hand to the plough Luc. 9. and looking backward is fitte for the kingdome of God For this cause did holy S. Chrysostome exhorte vs that we should continually haue this word in our mouth Hom. 21. ad pop Antioch I renounce thee o Satan affirming that there is nothing more safe than this word if in all our works we remember it lib. 1. de Sacra c. 2. Yea this moreouer he addeth therunto doth S. Ambrose consent that all the account which we must in the day of iudgement yeeld vnto almighty God is but of the obseruation of this one worde and of the dilligent fulfilling of the strict obligation conteined in the same As there is none of you saith S. Chrysostome who without shoes and vestments would choose to go into the market-place so neuer go abroad without this word but whan thou arte stepping ouer the thresholde first speake this word I renounce thee O Satan I ioyne my selfe vnto thee O Christ Neither euer go forth without this voice thou shalt finde this voice a staffe thou shalt finde it thy armour thou shalt finde it an inuincible fortresse with this word also make the Crosse in thy forehead The Crosse in the forehead for so not only any man whom thou maiest chaunce to meete but the Deuell himselfe can nothing hurt thee whan he shall see thee euery where appearing with this armour thus S Chrysostom Neither doe we want moste euident places of scripture which doe plainly testifie vnto vs the necessity of this renunciation it being the very sūme of Christian religion the only end of the comming of the sonne of God into the world neither did hee come to bring peace into the earth but a sword neither can that man follow him which daily taketh not vp his Crosse neither can any one be his Disciple which renounceth not togither with him selfe whatsoeuer other thing may be vnder God What greater renunciation can there be of any thing than the hatred of the same What thing can be more deare vnto vs than our owne life or soule yet is this a necessary rule for whosoeuer cometh vnto Christ that he cary a continuall rooted hatred euen to his owne life soule than is our life hated when it is dispised for Christ thā is our soule hated whā it is afflicted mortified and clensed from the filthy disorder of seculer delightes for the loue of the same Christ who for one brittle and transitory life either despised or lost for his name will repay an eternall and most happy immortality and for an imperfect vncleane rebellious soule humbled mortified and purged through the assistance of his grace according to the measure of this life will tender the same soule in the other life without spotte or wrinckle adorned with all the bewtifull giftes of his vnspeakable glory How little regarde there is now of renuation This is the wholle occasion of this present treatise For I see and that not with small griefe that for want of dew consideration of this so

The abrenunciation in baptisme because whā be builded the same tower in his owne faith he reckoned the cost with which it might be made that is with that resolution be came vnto faith that he might renoūce the world not in wordes onely because if he bought any thing he was as one which possessed it not and if he vsed this world he was as i● he vsed it not not hoping in that vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God For wheras euery one which renounceth this world vndoubtedly renounceth all that which he hath that he may be the Disciple of Christ for Christ whan he had expounded the parrables of the charges necessary to the building of the tower and of the preparation of warre against another King adioined this Luc. 14. Who doth not renounce all things which he hath cannot be my Disciple Two manner of renouncing of riches actually and in preparation of mind he truely renounceth also his riches if he haue any either so that not louing them at all he distribute them wholly to the poore and disburden him selfe of superfluous carriages or so that louing Christ more than them he transporte his hope frō them vnto him and so vse them that geuing and bestowing easely he may lay vp treasure for him selfe in heauen and be ready prepared to leaue euen as his parents sonnes brethren and wife euen so these also if such condition be laid before him that vnlesse he forsake Christ he cannot haue them for if in any other sor●e he renounce the world Abrenunciation in baptisme whan he commeth to the sacrament of faith he doth that which blessed Cyprian lamenteth of the lapsed saying that they renounced the world in words onely and not in deeds For of this man it is saied Luc. 14. Some fall from God before they be vrged Whan tentation cōming he feareth rather the losse of these things than to deny Christ Behould the man which beganne to build could not finish He it is also which whan his aduersary was as yet a faire of that is tentatiō not as yet afflicting him but hanging ouer him and threatning him to the intent that he may not want these things which he loueth more than Christ consenteth to forsake deny Christ Yea there are also many who perswade thē selues that euen Christian religion ought to further them to increase their wealth and multiply their earthly pleasures A description of a Christian Gentleman But Christian riche men are not such who although they posesse these things yet are they not so possessed by their goods that they preferre them before Christ for with a sincere hart they haue renounced the world so that they repose in such things no hope at all These men instruct with sound doctrine theire wiues sonnes and wholle families to maintaine Christian religion Receiuing of Priestes recusants These mens houses excelling in hospitallity do receiue the iust in name of a iust that they may receaue the reward of a iust They breake vnto the hungry their bread they cloath the naked they redeeme the captiue they hourd vp to them selues a good foundation for the time to come that they may attainc to the true life and if happely for the faith of Christ they must suffer pecuniary mulctes Pecuniary mulctes according to the proclamation they hate their riches if the world threaten them for Christ to be bereued and seuered from their frendes they hate parents brethrē children wiues Finally if they must bargaine with the aduersary for the very life of this body they hate euen their owne life For of all these thinges haue they receiued a commaundment that otherwise they cannot be the Disciples of Christ Neither yet because it was commanded them to hate for Christ euen their liues haue they power to sell their liues A differēce betweene selling and loosing or to depriue them selues therof with their owne handes but they are ready to lose them by dying for Christ least they may liue dying by denying Christ So also their riches which they were not ready to sell by the counsell of Christ yet must they be ready to lose for Christ least with them they perish by losing Christ Martyrs haue spr●● of renunciation Hence haue we of both sexes most riche and noble personages honoured with the glory of martyrdome So also many which were before loath to become perfect by selling their goods by imitating Christ his passion were on a suddaine made perfect and these which with their riche●cōmined some infirmity of fleshe and blood vpon a suddaine against sinne did fight for their faith euē vnto blood I which write this S. Augustine was a religious man haue earnestly loued not by my owne strength but by the assistance of Gods grace haue fulfilled that counsell of perfection which our Lord spake of whan he saied to the rich young man Go sell all that thou hast and geue vnto the poore and thou shalt haue a treasure in heauen and come and followe me Neither surely because I was not riche therfore shall it be accounted the lesse Mat. 19. For the very Apostles which first did the same were riche But he forsaketh the wholle world which forsaketh both that which he hath and that which he desireth to haue But how much I haue profited in this way of perfection I my selfe in deed do know more than any other man but God knoweth better than I. And vnto this purpose with as much vehemency as I can I exhorte others S. Augustine liued in a reguler life and in the name of our Lord I haue companions which haue bene by my meanes perswaded to the same yet so that aboue all things found doctrine be holden and that we iudge not with vaine stubbornes those which do not the like as though it could pro fitte them nothing that they gouerne their houses and families Christian like that by workes of mercy they hourd them selues vp treasure for the time to come least by such disputation we be found to be not expounders but accusers of the holy scriptures S. Aug. ser 6. de Ver. Do. c. 5. § 2 Speaking of those which went to the idolles feastes in the temple although not to sacrifice but onely to bankett yet came to the Christians Church whom he saieth therfore not to receaue health in the Church as the woman which had the fluxe of blood Luc. 8. and so not to touch Christ as shee but rather to presse him as those multitudes Thou wilt say I feare least I should offend my Superiour Of obedience to superiours And dost thou feare least thou offend thy Superiours and arte thou not afraide to offend God Why arte thou afraide least thou offend thy Superiours See I pray thee least perhaps there be a greater Superiour whom thou searest not to offend there is surely a greater do not offend him This rule is geuen thee is

confirmationem non est vlla ratione obediendum Interesse enim haereticorum Conciliabulis corum Ecclesiam indistincte tanquam vnum eorum frequentare non solum est veram fidem religionem occultare sed falsam sectam nouo quodam facto ad id ordinato profiteri quod iure diuino prohibitum nec vlla dispēsatione licitum esse nec vlla temporalittm amissione bonorum iustificari potest Protestatio autem illa quae a nonnullis Catholicis sit a peccato non excusat cum sit contraria facto factum enim si tale est vt describitur nempe haereticorum Ecclesiam frequentare eorum Cōciliabulis indistincte tanquam vnum eorum interesse Protestatio quoddam est sectae eorundem in hune finem tale edictum sanatū est That is Wheras such statute is against the Catholicke Church and in fauour and confirmation of heresy it must not in any maner be obeyed for to be present at the Conciliables of heretickes and to frequent their Church indistinctly as one of them is not onely to hide the trew faith and religion but to professe a false secte by a new kind of facte ordeined therunto Which being forbidden by the law of God can neither be lawfull by any dispensation nor iustified by any losse of temporall goodes And that Protestation which is made by some Catholickes excuseth not from sinne wheras it is cōtrary vnto the facte For the facte if it be such as it is described that is to frequent the heretickes Church and to be present at their Conciliables indistinctly as one of them is a certaine Protestation of their secte for this end was that statute made Thus much of this autority of so graue learned and famous men in this very point of a Protestation And yet can I bring farre greater so that we suppose this as a certaine ground The groūd vpon which the dissallowing of Protestation doth stand that if going to the Church with heretickes be of it owne nature a sinne and indispensable than no Protestation can make it lawfull I will therfore bring the insallible autority of him which sitteth in the chaire of Peter according to the tenour of a letter lately sent into England wherof a frend in these countreies hath imparted vnto me a copy I will here sett downe so much as shall belong to this purpose word for word neither must it seeme straunge to any that herin I go about to publish so priuate a thing whā I do nothing else but onely geue a necessary preseruatiue against diuerse venemous tounges which out of so sweete and pleasant a flower hauing gathered poison are euery where busie to disperse the same as herafter shall appeare You must saieth the writer of this letter haue great regard that you teach not nor defend that it is lawfull to communicate with the Protestants An Italian letter in their praiers or seruice or conuenticles where they meete to minister their vntrew Sacramēts For this is cōtrary to the practise of the Church the holy Doctors Fathers vse example in all ages who neuer cōmunicated or allowed in any Catholicke person to pray togither with Arrians Donatists or what other soeuer Neither is it a positiue lawe of the Church for so it might be dispensed withall vpon some occasion But it is deriued of Gods owne eternall lawe as by many cuident arguments I could conuince and it hath bene largely proued in sundry treatises in our owne tongue and others and as we haue practised from the beginning of our missions And least either any of my Brethrē might either mistrust my iudgement The Definition of the Church or be not satisfied by such proofes as haue bene made therin or my selfe be beguiled in mine owne conceite I thought not onely to take the aduise of the best learned Deuines here but to make all sure I haue demaunded the Popes holines that now is his sentēce who expresly tould me that to participate with the Protestants either by praing with thē or coming to their Churches or seruice or such like was by no meanes lawfull or dispensable so faire goeth this point of the letter Thus we see here this truth defined out of Peters chaire so that there is no more place of doubte at all neither must we thinke that this is the Popes priuate opinion onely it is his expresse declaration and absolute pleasure by this resolution to teach and direct our countrey See Bellarm lib. 4. de Pōtif c. 2. so that herin he could not erre But it is a world to see how subtill and cunning iniquity is in defence of it selfe Three obiections out of the afore saied letter For out of this very letter I vnderstand that many take occasion to desend going to the Church thinking that both by the Popes meaning and by the opinion of him which wrote the letter they haue such liberty O extreme madnes or to say better most impudent malice If the Pope will haue them which fall casely receiued againe therfore do they not sinne than doth not the adulterer thiefe murderer sinne because they must be easely receiued againe And who doubteth but that euery sinner although neuer so hainous must be receiued againe God forbid else but so that he repent and as the letter specifieth in this very case yeeld some reasonable hope that he will herafter stand more strongly But the letter saieth that this sinne being donne of feare is lesse more compassionable more casely to be absolued It seemeth that these graue interpreters make no account of any sinne but onely of that which is against the holy ghost for so long as you leaue any place for compassion or hope of absolution remission they will haue no sinne at all God graūt they be so fearfull as they should be euen of sinnes against the holy ghost and that they dying in their obstinacy impenitency it may not be saied hereafter of thē which our Sauiour saied of the Iewes 10.8 I go and you shall seeke me shall dye in your sinne As for their feare L. 3. ●th c. 1 Aristotle will tell thē that such thinges as are donne for feare are voluntary And he bringeth our very example as saieth he if a Prince hauing in his handes the Parents and children of any persons shoulde commaund these to redeeme the other by any vnlawfull action which he concludeth not withstanding such feare to be voluntary And so is this action of going to the Church and consequently a sinne still although it may be by such feare somewhat diminished but not transferred from a mortall sinne to a veniall as we will afterward shew But the Priest must here forsoth exacte lesse security frō falling againe than in any other sinne therfore can this be no sinne where sufficient security of auoiding it is not exacted O deceitfull EVE alwaies excusing ô malicious serpent alwaies suggesting excuses in most waighty matters Hath he not