Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	discipline_n	doctrine_n	4,176	5	6.2312	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69197	The white wolfe, or, A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, Feb. 11 being the last Sonday in Hillarie tearme, anno 1627, and printed somewhat more largely then the time would permit at that present to deliuer wherein faction is vnmasked, and iustly taxed without malice, for the safetie of weake Christians : especially, the Hetheringtonian faction growne very impudent in this citie of late yeeres, is here confuted / by Stephen Denison...	Denison, Stephen, d. 1649 or 50.	1627 (1627)	STC 6607.5; ESTC S109591	56,251	87

prose n Lib. 11. nat hist c. 38. Plinie saith of the Wolues called Ceruarij that they are vnsatiable they can neuer be sufficed or haue enough m Lib. 1. de quadrup Conradus Gesner saith of the Wolfe called Circus that hee is semper famelicus alwaies hungrie And Aristotle declaring the opinion of all men concerning the Woolfe hath this report 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot lib. 8. de histor animal c. 5. They say of Wolues that for hunger some times they will eate the very earth yea the Woolfe beares rauenousnesse in the very forehead of his etymologie for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly vsed for a Woolfe either comes of the Greeke Theame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies dilanio to teare in peeces or of the Hebrew root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth absorbeo to swallow downe both importing greedinesse And hereticall seducers are like vnto Wolues in this respect being commonly such as hunger after worldly gaine according to that in Rom. 16. 18. they that are such serue not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies And such also as thirst after the bloud of soules compassing Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Mat. 23. 15. Which may serue to teach vs First that the desire of winning of soules is not alwayes the marke of a true Minister a false Prophet may hunger and thirst to winne soules to his owne faction but a sincere desire to gaine soules to Christ and to his truth this is a badge of a true Shepheard Secondly this may serue to forewarne Gods children to looke to themselues the more carefully and to commit themselues the more feruently by prayer daily to Gods speciall protection considering their destruction is so greeded after by many rauenous seducers Thirdly it must teach vs that still remaine in the truth vnstrangled by the rauenous Welues of the time to blesse God for it and to say of our spirituall deliuerance as the Church saith of her corporall in Psalme 124. if it had not beene the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say if it had not beene the Lord who was on our side when men rose vp against vs then they had swallowed vs vp quicke but blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen vs as a prey to their teeth Thus much for the intent of the Text or of the Text in generall The Extent followeth The occasion of all which followeth THis which followeth was added because an order of submission or recantation was enioyned by the most reuerend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie his grace and other his Maiesties Commissioners Ecclesiasticall vnto one Iohn Hetherington late of the Citie of Westminster and now of Putney in the Countie of Surrie to be performed by him the same day this Sermon was preached at Pauls Crosse being the eleanenth day of February Anno 1627. when it was ordered that the said Hetherington vpon Sonday the 11. day of February should before the beginning of the Sermon at Pauls Crosse come within the wall there iust before the Pulpit and there stand before the Preacher bare-faced and bare-headed in some eminent place where hee might be best seene and heard of the Congregation assembled during the whole time of the Sermon hauing a paper on his breast expressing his offence in these words for scandalizing the whole Church of England in saying it is no true Church of Christ and publishing other erronious opinions proceeding from that ill ground for the which cause he was enioyned this acknowledgement Whereas I Iohn Hetherington stand by the depositions of sundry witnesses iudicially conuicted before the Kings Maiesties Commissioners appointed for Causes Ecclesiasticall for that since the 20. of December 1623. I haue maintained and published that the Church of England as it is now by the Law established is no true Church of Christ and that it teacheth false Doctrine that the Sabbath day or Sunday which we commonly call the Lords day since the Apostles time was of no force and that euery day is a Sabbath as much as that which we call the Sabbath day the Lords day or Sunday that the Bookes of Esdras are and ought to be esteemed part of the Canonicall Scripture as also to haue vsed reproachfull words to and of the Ministers of the Church of England and of their calling And further whereas it standeth proued against me that being by trade a Boxmaker about fiue or six yeeres since I gaue ouer my said trade and frequented priuate Conuenticles by the Lawes of this Realme prohibited taking vpon me within the time articulated to be the chiefe Speaker and to instruct others not being of mine owne familie in points of Doctrine and matters of faith giuing expositions contrary to the receiued opinions of this our Church of England and in defence of such Conuenticles haue said or writ that Caesar may command a place in publike so as he forbid none in priuate As also that i haue bin of opinion with the Familists touching the perfect puritie of the foule with some other erronious opinions mentioned in the proofes For the which I haue bin imprisoned by the order of his Maiesties Commissioners Ecclesiasticall and haue beene enioyned to make this my publike Recantation or submission here this day I doe therefore before you all here present from my heart renounce abiure and disclaime all the said opinions as erronious and schismaticall and doe promise from henceforth not to entermeddle in the keeping or frequenting of any priuate Conuenticles or exercises of Religion by the Lawes of this Realme prohibited but to conforme my selfe in all things to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England as a member of that Church without disturbing the peace and vnitie thereof and doe blesse and praise God that as a member of the said Church I may freely ioyne with the Parochiall Congregations where I shall reside in the hearing of Diuine Seruice said Gods word Preached and in the participation of the holy and blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper rightly and duly administred and in all other religious duties For the due performance whereof I doe here giue my faithfull promise and that I may so doe I desire you all here present to ioyne with me in saying the Lords prayer Our Father which art in heauen c. The Seuerall kinds of Mysticall Wolues breeding in ENGLAND * ⁎ * YOu haue heard in the generall handling of the Text Segnius irritant animes demissa per aurem quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus of disguised and palliated Wolues but because as a c Horat de art Poet. Poet saith truely things heard with the eare oftentimes leaue lesse impression behinde them then things seene with the eye Therefore I will now endeuour in the more particular Application of that which hath beene spoken to shew you or to present before your eyes such a very Woolfe as our Sauiour speakes of in my

fidos quid ergo restat veniant adulatores Caluin in Mich. c. 2. v. 11. it is iust with God to leaue such curious persons to bee seduced by false Prophets to their owne eternall destruction Micha 2. 11. Fifthly God doth it that they which are approued may be knowne 1 Cor. 11. 19. a sound Christian is neuer better discerned then when hee is compared with some erroneous and hereticall person hence it is that Saint Augustine saith in one of his e Epist 50. Epistles haeresis enim scandala futura praedicta sunt vt inter mimicos erudiamur ac sic fides dilectio nostra possit esse probatior Wee learne instruction amongst Haereticall enemies thereby our faith and loue are better tryed Thus for the Reasons wherefore God suffreth Haeretickes in his Church Now that you may be preserued from Seducers on euery side which I hartily wish Let mee commend vnto you these Antidotes against seduction by way of exhortation First labour to be well instructed in the grounds and principles of true religion how easily is an house ouerturned which hath no foundation euen so how soone is a man remoued from that truth wherein hee was neuer grounded and rooted for the which cause in the primitiue Church as c Antequam daretur baptismus adultis instituebantur in fidei rudimentis Aug. lib. de fid oper Saint Augustine saith Baptisme was administred to no Heathen turning Christian but vnto such as were first instructed in points of Catechisme and this indeede was an excellent meanes to preuent inconstancie and apostasie Secondly receiue the truth in the loue of it men are hardly drawne from e Tu licet vsque ad Tanaim fugias vsque sequctur amor propert Eleg. lib. 2. ad Cyn●h vers 1160 that they loue Dauid loued the Law better then Gold and Siluer and hence it was that hee could neuer be drawne from it by any Idolatrous seducer Psal 119. There is no greater cause why many become Apostates from the truth then want of sound loue vnto it Thirdly labour that your knowledge in Religion may be experimentall a man is hardly perswaded by any art against his owne experience tell a man of meane vnderstanding that the Crow is white and the Snow blake yea vse all the logicke you can to proue it you shall neuer perswade him and why because he knowes the contrary by experience euen so if we knew by experience what it were to deny our selues and to depend vpon Christ alone for iustification no Papist should euer be able to perswade vs to trust to humane merits and if wee knew by experience the infinite benefit of Gods Sabbath no Familist should euer preuaile with vs to haue it in contempt n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 experience maketh men resolute Fourthly beware of reading schismatical books Socrates was more resolute in his old age to vnder goe danger then the young men because he had experience Plat. in Euthydem though they be offred vnto you as a friendly gift beware of frequenting the company and conuenticles of seducers though you Be neuer so kindely inuited by false friends seeming friendly gifts tending to seduction are like the Troian horse which was pretended to be the c Pars stupet innupta adnum exitiale mineruae Virgil AEnead lib. 2. gift of Minerua but it proued The destruction of Troy In the Romish Church the common people are not permitted to meddle with our bookes I would they were not in this particular more prouident for Antichrist then we are for Christ Fiftly be practicall in Religion be doers of the will of God and then ye shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether the teacher speakes of himselfe as our Sauiour in effect speaketh Iohn 7. 16. if it be well obserued what kinde of Professors they be ordinarily which fall of from the Church to sects and schismes I doe not doubt but it will easily appeare that for the most part they are such as had a forme of godlinesse but denied the power as Saint Paul speakes of the hypocrites of his time 2 Tim. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon Theophilact saith most truely in his Annotations vpon Matth. 7. whosoeuer shall build his soule vpon the practise of Christs Commandements no temptations shall euer be able to cast him downe Sixtly when you haue any scruple in your consciences repaire not to seducers for resolution but according to Gods ordinance aske the Priests concerning the Law Agg. 2. 11. and seeke the Law at their mouthes Malach. 2. 7. goe to your faithfull Ministers and let them resolue you and if you be tempted by seducers acquaint them with your temptations that they may strengthen you Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things An exhortation for Hetherington and all other Sect-masters about the Citie of London or else-where YOu which haue beene the meanes to seduce many silly soules from the truth I beseech you if you be not come to that height of wickednesse as to sit downe in the chaire of scorners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Septuagints render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the chaire of pestilence let my counsell be auaileable with you and break of your vngodly course of seducing Gods seruants I know you rage against mee for going about to reclaime you and for endeauouring to preserue my flocke from your seducements but may it not iustly be said of you in this respect as c Serm. 5. de lapsis Saint Cyprian saith of some in his time Sacerdotibus sacrilegus irasc●tur atque ò tuam nimiam furiosè dimentiam irasceris ei qui abs te auertere iram dei nititur ei minaris qui pro te domini misericordia●● deprecatur qui vulnus tuum sentit quod ipse non sentis O Furious man is not this too much madnesse in thee thou art angry with him which endeauoureth to auert Gods wrath from thee thou threatnest him which imploreth mercy for thee at the hands of God which feeles thy wound which thou thy selfe dost not feele But to passe by your furie with compassion I will endeauour to cure you of your phrensie and that two wayes First by shewing you the causes of your disease as a necessary preface and secondly by applying some coraziues by way of exhortation And the causes of your diseases are diuers First ignorance of the true sense of Scripture according to that in Mat. 22. 29. Doe yee not therefore erre not knowing the Scriptures whereupon c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in praefat in Epist ad rom in edit Co●●elin Saint Chrysostome saith much heresie hath first sprung from ignorance of Scripture you thinke as appeares by your practice that you are the onely knowers of Gods minde in his word but alas your owne hearts doe deceiue you many of you are ignorant of the originall tongues wherein the

my tediousnesse therefore for breuity sake I referre the learned Reader to that learned booke c De haereticis a ciuili Magistratu puniendis aduersus Martini Bellij farraginē nouorum ac ademicorum sectam of Theodore Beza the title wherof you haue in the margent wherin he proues by impregnable arguments That hereticks may be Lawfully punished by the Ciuill Magistrates yea and if they cannot by any other meanes be reclaimed they may iustly be put to death as e Teste Caluisio lib opus chron Seruetus was at Geneuah Anno 1553. Now what I haue said in this question concerning the punishment of hereticall seducers may iustly be applyed also to blasphemers of God For if they which denie fundamentall truth and oppose it with obstinacy deserue death how much more they which blaspheme it and the author of it which is God and Christ and therefore if any miscreant Iew or other shall come impudently amongst vs Christians and like another Goliath shall defie our Sauiour as he did the host of the liuing God surely our Magistrates vpon iust proofe may lawfully put him to death May Yea ought so to doe God himselfe maketh blasphemy capitall or death-deseruing in expresse termes Leuit. 24. 16. and Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 3. 29. makes a Decree that if any of what Tongue or Nation soeuer shall speake any thing amisse as you haue it in the English Translation against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego he shall be cut in pieces and his house shall be made a dung-hill the originall words in that Text namely the Caldee shew the strictnesse of that statute for whereas it is translated shall speake any thing amisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Caldee it is shall speake an error intimating thereby that if any did speake blasphemie though it might possibly be pretended that he did so out of error of iudgement yet by the sentence of Nebuchadnezzar in that no doubt directed in the maine by the Spirit of God he was to die for it and if a Heathen King was thus zealous for God against Blasphemers how much more doth it behoue Christian Princes to bee zealous but I leaue this point and thus I haue done with the first part of my Text to wit the Caueat of our Sauiour giuen to his Church concerning False Prophets in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beware yee of pseudoprophets SECT 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which come c. WHich come vnto you in sheeps clothing In this first Description we haue three things to be obserued concerning False Prophets First their intrusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come vnsent Secondly their insinuation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come to Christs Disciples not to the common multitude Thirdly their hypocrisie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come disguized and not in their owne likenesse For the first that they are meere intruders into the office of teaching and haue no lawfull calling thereunto it is apparant in Ier. 23. 21. I haue not sent these Prophets yet they ranne I haue not spoken vnto them yet they prophesied they haue no calling from God 1. Because either they are meerely ignorant and vnsufficient to be guides as many are which take vpon them to be teachers amongst the Anabaptists and Familists being vnlearned men taken out of some trade or secondly because they haue not a right ministerial affection but aime at their owne priuate ends to wit to rob kill to destroy as our Sauiour saith of them Ioh. 10. 10. or thirdly because they hold and teach fundamentall errors which plainely argueth that they are guided by the spirit of Satan and not by Gods Spirit Furthermore commonly they haue no calling from the Church yea they contemne that calling as idle and impertinent being like those seducers spoken of Act. 15. 24. which went out and taught the Gentiles the Apostles giuing them no such Commandement I will not insist vpon this point yet it may serue as a strong motiue to disswade men and women from hearing these vnsent seducers for if they be not sent of God why should any dare to heare them yea what good can any man expect to receiue by such teachers and yet such is the folly of many at these times that they had rather heare a man without calling in some priuate conuenticle then a true minister sent of God and authorized by the Church in a lawfull assembly SECT 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto you VNto you that is vnto you my Disciples whence obserue me what kinde of people hereticall teachers desire especially to seduce namely c Qui Lupira paces nisi spiritus subdoli ad infestandum gregem Christi intrins●cus delitescentes Tertul. lib. de praescript Christ his Disciples or such as are liuing members of the Church This is confirmed by that in Mat. 24. 24. where we haue false Christs and false Prophets going about to deceiue if it were possible the very elect and by that in Reu. 2. 20. where we haue the Romish Iesabel for of her I take it is typically spoken in that place seducing Gods seruants we may also see it daily verified by very experience for whom do Familists Anabaptists and other Sectaries commonly labour to peruert and seduce Not Drunkards Adulterers Sabbath-breakers Gamsters Lyers Swearers and such like but rather such as seeme to be conuerted which mourne for their sins and desire to know the right way to heauen hauing bin in some measure wrought vpō by the publike ministery of the Church wherein seducers are like vnto kites which flie vp and downe to ceaze vpon tender Chickens or rather like vnto their father the Diuell who loues to come in amongst Gods children Iob 2. 1. not for loue of their persons much lesse of the exercises of Religion but to accomplish his owne ends which may serue for a Caueat to all tender Christians to teach them the more carefully to looke to themselues but I will not further insist vpon this point SECT 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sheeps clothing that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sheepes skinnes for what is the cloathing of a silly sheepe but its skinne or fell in this Description of False Prophets our Sauiour may seeme to allude to the Woolfe in the Fable concerning the whcih the Mythologist speaketh thus Lupus ●uis pelle indutus ouium se immiscuit gregi quotidieque aliquam ex eis occidebat quod cum pastor animadue●tisset illū in altissima arbore suspendit interrogantibus autem caeteris pastoribus cur ouem suspendisset aiebat peblis quidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videtis est ouis opera autem Lupi a Woolfe on a time putting on a sheepes skinne immingled himselfe amongst the Flocke and so euery day strangled some of the sheepe which when the shepheard perceiued he tooke the Wolfe and hanged him vp in an high tree at the which when other shepheards ignorant of the cause wondered and demanded

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the Greeke Poets hath it So it may bee said concerning Hetherington without fiction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he begets new Proselytes which quickly turne traducers of the Church if not worse then so Secondly he comes in sheepes cloathing for First hee comes with quotations of Scripture to maintaine pernicious errors witnesse his bookes Secondly he comes with flattering words pretending to tender mens soules and the like witnesse many which haue beene assaulted by him or by his followers Thirdly he comes with lincy-woolsie bookes such as sauour of some seeming deuotion but conteining dangerous errors closely couched Fourthly he comes in the whole outside of a Christian there is nothing a true Christian hath indeed but these fellowes to serue their owne turne can haue it in shew they can sigh and weepe humble themselues and make shew of some ciuill vertues c. but all this is ioyned with pernitious errors of iudgement and schisme Fifthly he hath his sheepes cloathing also wherewith to deceiue authority viz. his false recriminations his feined submissions his hypocriticall equiuocations his shamelesse denyals with many such if any shall desire to be further satisfied concerning Hetherington and his factious company let him but enquire amongst honest Religious Citizens and hee shall not onely finde this little which I say true of them but much more And thus I haue endeuoured to shew you this Woolfe in his owne skinne I pray God discouer him further for the safety of his Church and thus also I haue done with the first thing propounded namely the Discouerie Wherein howsoeuer I may seeme to vse sharpnesse in Zeale for the Church yet I am sure I haue mingled no malice for I neuer had any particular quarrell against him in all my life as he well knoweth hauing dispatched the Discouerie it remaineth now according to our Method propounded that we come to matter of Confutation and heerein I doe not meane to insist vpon the refutation of euery dotage which he is knowne to hold for so I might bee infinite I will not stand to proue against him that the Church of England is a true Church for this were to hold a candle to see the Sunne by which is seene sufficiently by its owne light a chaste Spouse remaineth an honest woman though neuer so many varlots reproach her as an harlot euen so the Church of England my deare Mother shall remaine I hope for the future and is for the present a true Church when all peeuish Schismatickes Brownists Anabaptists Familists and such like haue said or rayled what they can against her neither wil I insist vpon his dotage concerning the perfect purity of the soule that in 1 Ioh. 1. 8. If we say we haue not sinne we deceiue our selues is sufficient to confound whatsoeuer hee or his Proselytes are able to produce to the contrary But that which we will stand vpon shall be 1. The Sabbath 2. The Bookes of Esdras The Sabbath day or that which we call the Lords day is no more a Sabbath in Hetheringtons opinion then any other day as was proued by the oathes of honest men against him wherein like vnto Faux he would blow vp all Religion at one blast by the Gun-powder of Familisticall Doctrine and open a window to all Atheisme and prophannesse for take away the Sabbath and farrewell all Religion neither let this equiuocator say that he doth not vtterly denie the morality of the Sabbath but onely that hee holds it is not to be so strictly kept as it was amongst the Iewes c. for it is perfectly knowne to many in the City which I hope may easily be produced if need should require that neither Hetherington nor his followers make any conscience of working in their ordinary trades vpon that day or of buying and selling and the like yea the truth is as appeares by some that haue beene intimate with them and by some other that haue beene conuerted from them that where their pernicious doctrine doth preuaile it brings men or women to a plaine contempt of the Sabbath to worke vpon that day to despight others yea to c Tearming them superstitious persons nickname others which make conscience to keepe it as was also deposed against them to come therefore to that which this dangerous Sectary maketh a controuersie viz. to proue the Morality of the Sabbath The Morality of the Sabbath proued against the Sect of the Familists against Hetherington and other Antisabbatareans THe true Morality of the Sabbath consisting not in a mysticall resting from sinne as the Familists pretend but in celebrating of an appointed day in seuen in the worship and seruice of God may bee demonstrated and proued by the arguments following First from the time when it was first instituted and celebrated and that was in the time of mans innocency before any Mosaicall Ceremonie was in vse Gen. 2. 3. indeed in the state of innocency God had giuen vnto Adam the Law concerning the Tree of knowledge of good and euill yet that tree was no Mosaicall Ceremonie but a Sacrament Secondly from the manner of writing of the fourth Commandement at the first for it was not written in paper or parchment or vpon leaues of trees but in Tables of stone as the rest of the tenne Commadements were Deuteronomie 10. 1. to signifie the perpetuity thereof Thirdly from Gods owne placing of it for the Law of the Sabbath to wit the fourth Commandement is not placed amongst the Ceremoniall or Iudiciall Lawes as though it had beene Ceremoniall or had concerned onely the Nation of the Iewes or them especially but amongst the Morall Lawes yea it is made one of the ten so that if it were abrogated there would remaine but nine Commandements and so the Law of God were vnperfect which were blasphemie to affirme neither let Familists thinke to euade by saying the moralitie of the fourth Commandement still remaineth in resting from sinne euery day for the moralitie of that Commandement consisteth not in that but in celebrating one day of seauen in Gods seruice as we noted before and as may appeare by the very words of the Commandement pressing onely the obseruation of a seauenth day Fourthly from the reasons wherewith the fourth Commandement is inforced which are all of them morall and doe as strongly binde the Gentiles as the Iewes for if the Iewes were bound in conscience to celebrate the seauenth day in Gods seruice to his glory because the Lord had giuen them six dayes for their owne lawfull occasions are not we Gentiles by the same reason bound vnto whom God in like manner hath granted six dayes for our owne labours requiring but the seauenth for his publike worship Secondly if the Iewes were bound to celebrate the seauenth day because it was the Lords due or because it was the Sabbath of the Lord thy God are not the Gentiles bound in like manner to giue God his right Thirdly shall the example of God