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
A88698	Gallicantvs, seu Præcursor Gallicinii primus. Containing two addresses, the one to the King, the other to the Parliament. Tegether [sic] with a postscript about the affaires of religion, of most high concernment. By R. Lanceter, author of Gallicinivm, now in the presse.	Lanceter, R., 17th cent.	1660 (1660)	Wing L425D; Thomason E1041_1; ESTC R207925	27,361	35

GALLICANTVS SEU PRAECURSOR GALLICINII PRIMUS Containing two ADDRESSES The one to the KING the other to the PARLIAMENT Tegether with a POSCRIPT ABOUT The affaires of RELIGION of most high Concernment By R. Lanceter Author of GALLICINIVM now in the Presse LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Ranew at the sign of the Angell in Pauls Church-yard 1660. An humble Addresse and Supplication to the Kings most excellent Majesty Charles the Second by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Blessed be God even the Father who onely doth great wonders that he hath so wonderfully brought and established your Majesty in your just Rights and Sovereignty The s●me Lord blesse preserve and guide your Majesty in this great and high Calling and Charge whereinto he hath brought and setled you And withall advance your Throne into the high calling of God in Jesus Christ that you may be truly and compleatly glorious both in the Father and in the Son May it please Your Sacred Majesty WHEREAS it hath pleased Almighty God to traine you up long in the Schoole of affliction and no doubt to fit you thereby for some speciall and extraordinary work of his as it hath been his usuall way towards such as he hath designed for the most gratious archievments And accordingly hath abundantly manifested the power of his grace upon your Royall heart by those many signall testimonies thereof already shewn forth whereat all your good subjects exceedingly rejoyce and praise the Lord. That it may appear that as your Majesty hath set your heart towards God so himselfe hath set his heart towards you to advance your Throne above all the Kings of the Earth and above all that ever were before you You may please to see the evidence hereof in what the Lord is pleased here to present you with Wherein your Majesty becoming highly instrumentall if it be found to be truly of God never was King or Potentate on earth called as yet to that place of eminency with God as is your Majesty hereby It hath pleased the Lord Almighty who hath ordained the times and seasons for the bringing to passe his mighty Works and for the discovery of the hidden things of darknesse to exercise your humble Suppliant Subject and Servant in the reluctance with that darknesse all the time that he exercised your Majesty with afflictions And now upon your deliverance out of them to have also given him a release from those chaines of darknesse so far as to present your Majesty with that light into which he hath escaped The summary tender whereof is under these three heads 1. That it is not possible that either at present or in former times for many hundreds of yours either we or any other Nation called Christian or any other Nation or Party in the World can be the Church of Christ and people of God or in way of salvation but absolutely either Antichristianly or Diabolically in state of wrath and damnation 2. That it is not possible that any or all the wayes that men do or can devise to state and settle Religion and the Church in the wisedome that they act in can ever do it aright and make the case better then it is but in all likelihood to render all still worse and more Antichristian 3. That yet there is a way not new but layd of old by Christ wherein the Primitive Apostolicall Church constantly walked but ever since utterly lost in the World as to a Church-way such a way as is most cleare easie undenyable which all the World will grant if once they see it to be the truth of God the onely way to make all Churches Churches of Saints and all people to live blessedly an happy people both here and hereafter This the Lord hath reserved to be manifested in your dayes and your selfe for such a time and commendeth the same to your Royall care for the advancement of his glory in the Son and of your Majesties Throne in both I am not mad or a Fanatick but I speak the words of truth and sobernesse I have been in the Ministeriall Calling about thirty years in your County of Norfolk I have lived to see and with much reluctance and grapling with have passed through the calaminities of these times especially the distractions and monstrous emergencies in the notion way and pretence of Religion I have been ever formerly conformable in all things both as to Doctrine and Discipline as an obedient son of the Church of England And during these times while the truth of Christ was more and more obseured by the devices of men I have given my selfe into all my utmost endeavour to clear up the saving truth unto my own soul and consequently to the consciences of all others especially of my Charge In this my search and incessant study finding my selfe more and more confounded and the truth hidden from me in the abundance of the rubbish of mans wit and devices cast upon it It pleased God to recall me from the wisedome of men to that of himselfe in his word and to cast my self upon the pure discovery of truth in those heavenly Oracles which being the way of his own Ordinance it pleased the Lord to meet me therein and by revealing his Son in and unto me to vouchsafe me in the knowledg of him that light of truth which is not possible to be found in all the works of men whatsoever And being convinced by the clearnesse thereof and also by imparting the same to others of best judgment and piety that it was indeed the onely saving truth but yet wholly unknown and quite crosse to the opinion and way of the World I thought it my duty and thereunto also I discerned my selfe especially called to publish the same to the World as being of the highest concernment unto all that possibly can be imagined both for this life and for that to come Now may it please your Majesty hence is my present Addresse and Supplication unto you in the first place 1. For that intending the Dedication of this Work to your Majesty it being so high an undertaking might be too bold a daring to presix your name thereto without your good liking and consent 2. For that understanding that your Majesty together with your high Court of Parliament are setting your eyes to the affaires of Religion and that to the settlement thereof in such a way as I cannot in conscience close with therefore I thought it better to appeare beforehand in the case possibly some good may come thereby then to be found an apposer of authority afterward 3. For that considering that the things which I come forth with are of the highest concernment that ever came forth even the same with those of Christ and his Apostles which the World hath so long lost and have the like need of again and consequently of especiall concernment unto your Majesty in many regards both respecting God your place and people

is from Heaven 2. Consider wherein consists the true Nature and Essential Proprieties of Antichrist and his Church into which the Church so called did degenerate Is it not quite opposite to all of Christ and his Church and that also even in the place and pretence of Christ So that as Christ's Office and Work in the way of his Religion and Ordinances is to turn mens hearts out of their Lusts which are the Kingdom of the Devil into the true Love which is the Kingdom of God So Antichrists work and office from the Devil is to turn all that Grace of God into wantonness to render all Christs Ordinances and the whole frame of Religion a self-pleasing thing suiting and sitting the car●al mind which is enmity against God advancing the World Flesh and Devil in all the things of Christ and of Heaven the healing the Beasts Head wounded by Christ unto the death c. So as wholly the work of Christ became frustrated and men in the profession of Christianity and backed and born out thereby live no otherwise but indeed rather worse then Heathen meer natural men all in their own lusts and likings Was not this the way of Antichrist's Church in former times Whence arose all their Innovations Traditions Idolatries Superstitions and innumerable abuses in Religion beside the abundance of Heresies Schismes Controversies and also of Vice and ungodliness not known among the Churches of Saints that were of old Was not hence their Lordly self-advancing their affecting Honours Power Preferments Riches and all of the Worlds glory and that under pretence of Right from Christ himself O shameless lying who plainly declared his Kingdom not to be of this world but denied himself in all things and accordingly gave the same charge unto all his c. And now turn we our eyes on our selves and on all other Churches and see if possible any thing can be found in the way of all but what is of the essential properties of Antichrist and never worse or the like to what is abundant in these our dayes so horridly into Antichristianism is the carnal Church degenerated 3. Consider wherein consists the true nature of all those Separations Purgings and Reformations that have been made from time to time both from Rome it self and of earh party and profession one from another all being under pretence and boasting of departing from Antichrist each ever exclaiming on other as Antichristian and thereby they back all their seperations divisions schisms and whatsoever else they have contrived in their own choice wayes Consider I say if those things they separated themselves for were Antichristian as being of mens devising Innovations Idolatries Superstitions c. yet what are they but as the flesh and outside of Antichrist his carnal pussing up in fleshly Wisdom And what is their departure from them but onely in the Scripture phrase the Consumption of his flesh and outward parts But as for what is of his Life Essence Power Vitals and even all that is the Root and Mysterie of Iniquity the carnal mind that they never departed from but stick fixedly still therein in every profession holding still the Grace of our God in wantonness and carnal self-pleasing and self-seeking never the more attaining to the knowledge of Christ and of his Grace but living still in their own Lusts making even Religion the very fewel to their lusts the cherishing of Pride Wantonness Malice Envy Covetousness and all unrighteousness as is evident in every Sect and Profession to the shame and confusion of the most specious professors 4. Consider wherein consists that glorious pretence of all parties in their boasted of Reformations as arrogating a conformity to Christ and to his pure Church of old There is no Sect or Party but that makes this their pretence and aim to state their way in the Primitive purity and perfection And therefore the most of all parties set aside what are of later Original then Apostolical wherein although their way is good if strictly so holden in yet what have they done but still in the Spirit of Antichrist speak lyes in hypocrisie Laying all of Doctrine Worship Ordinances and Discipline low and base in a carnal and worldly way wholly short of the glory of God even as the Scribes Pharisees and Doctors of the Law did of old whence Christ called all their Doctrine Hypocrisie So that whereas there is nothing as from Christ that reach in any thing short of the Kingdom of Heaven there is scarce any thing to be found now in the Christian way that reach half the way Insomuch as even the best and furthest that ever is gone or so much as driven at in Religion and every Ordinance is but unto legal observance Sanctification it self being the highest perfection of a Christian in this life what is it but a conformity to the Law as the doctrine among us state it The Evangelical perfection is wholly unknown and Christ is become lost in all our Christianity In a word look we to Doctrine Discipline and all the power of Godliness What is it become but a kind of civilizing of people besides a little historical notion and carnal confidence in Christ which they call Faith No nearer are we to the true Christian Apostolical primitive pattern then those were to Christ whom in high indignation he so oft branded with the term of Hypocrites 5. Consider the convincing evidence hereof from the declared consciousness of people that they are quite wide or short of the way of Christ and of his Church For knowing well the universal departure of themselves and all in general from the heavenly conversation of the Church of old that there is no such exercise walking and fruit of good works in the kingdom of God as was ever among those Saints of Christ ever their refuge and conscience-cozening boasting is They have Christ within them and in their devotions in their meetings in their private exercises in their withdrawing and separating from others and the like But what is all this but what Christ sore-told should be that men should say Behold he is in the Desart behold he is in the secret ohambers doubtless at these and the like he striketh whereto he adds Go not after them believe it not for as the lightning c. intimating thereby that it is impossible that he can be in such secret shut●ing up he being the Light and his Church in that Light is as a C●tie set on a hill which cannot be hid For can love be shut up in the heart and secret chambers especially that of Christ and which is Christ resembling the love of Parents and of Lovers not possible to be without abundant manifestation in fruits In this Love is that glory of God into which we are called by Christ if we be truly his and the power thereof in our hearts is Christ in spirit in us even that Spirit which teacheth all things enableth to all things praying preaching governing and all

the case be considered from what all men professing Christ do acknowledge namely 1. That there was a true and pure Church in the time of the Apostles and a good while after so long as it abode in the Apostolical Rule Way 2. That there was to be a falling away from that Rule and Way of true Christianity and that to be universally and damnably as the Scriptures declare fully and clearly 3. That this falling away into the estate of damnation took beginning even in the Apostles times as to some persons which afterward became a general Apostasie from the Faith under which Apostasie the Christian World so called was to abide 1260 yeares 4. All Christians holding and believing all the former things and the Protestant Divines holding the latter do withall declare and maintain that for about 1100. years before the Reformation the Christian World was generally in the Antichristian Apostasie hence then it must needs follow that there still remains after the Reformation began by Luther about 160. years of Antichrists Reign which must of necessity comprehend all the time since unto this day Thus far the truth of the case is born out by all that profess belief in the Scripture Prophesies especially by all Protestant Divines and Churches Secondly Be it considered from what is further acknowledged namely That the true Christian Apostolical Primitive Church was and is called the pure Church for that it abode in the truth and sincerity of the Gospel in its naked purenesse and spiritual clearnesse living and walking in the new nature c. But in the after-times and so to this day the Church framed it self into an Artificial Garb and Structure both in Doctrine and in Worship Ordinances and Discipline wherein it boasts it self of its Liberty and Power so to add and change as to become quite another to what it had been alledging That then it was in its Infancy naked bare unpollish'd stint●sh c. But now is become adult of perfect maturity beauteous adorned splendid and in far more complete accomplishments Hence it must needs follow That if the Church Primitive were truely Christs and represented by the Woman clothed with the Sun the nakednesse and clarity of Truth Rev. 12. Then the other must be that of Antichrist and represented by the gorgeous Whore arrayed with earthly Pomp and Gallantry Lyes and Vanity Rev. 17. 18. Which if as Babylon the Mother of Horlots is signified the Romish Church then all other Churches bred out of her as all ours are are no other then her Daughter-Harlots If it be objected That all the Artifices Additions and Changes brought into the Church are but Circumstantial tending to order and decency and so alter not the Nature and Essence of the Church I answer it is quite otherwise those Artifices have utterly mixed Christianity even as much as Adams fall ruined all mankind the case is even the same as may and will be manifested in season it being the utmost height of that despoyling of all and destroying of all Religion which is spoken of Jude 4. and in many other places of Scripture Thirdly Be it considered what is yet further acknowledged that the Scripture fore-speaking of the most accursed Estate of people in the last times beyond all others before as no times to have been under such horrid Apostasie and Cursednesse as those and that all confess that these are those times do also declare that this condition should be universal and in that estate mens hearts to be so shut up blinded and hardened as no working upon them should win them out of it being given over to so strong delusion to believe a lye to their utter damnation such a delusion as to rest in a form of godliness and utterly to deny and turn away its Po●er such a besottednesse in a carnal self-pleasing Religion as to lye drunk in it and abundance of the like dreadful expressions and fore-speakings of the state of the last times And withall that there should be no release and deliverance out of this woful estate until the brightness of Christ dissolve and break those chains of darknesse save onely from some palpable enormities towards the end of the Reign of Antichrist which brightnesse of Christ having not yet appeared needs it must be that Antichrist still abideth in life power and all his essentials even where much of his outward parts have been consumed among the reformed These things and many more discovered at large in Gallicinium may well startle and affright us For surely were there such Churches and so many precious people yea and National Churches as we dream of these things could not be nor ever have been uttered by the Word of truth Fourthly Be it considered from the clear and unquestionable evidence of the case it self which all men must acknowledge and cannot possibly clude when it be set before them And herein 1. Consider wherein consists the true nature and essential proprieties of the true Church as it stood and abode in the Apostolical and Primitive times was it not in the new Man the Lord Jesus Christ in spirit and power formed in their hearts according to his proper Nature and Office which Nature is Love and his Office is to bruise the Serpents head that is the Lusts which are the Kingdom and Power of the Devil in man and so to restore man unto that estate in the Image of God wherein he was first created that so living and walking in love the good works flowing from thene to be the fruits unto eternal life so being in the life of God and acting God's part and work in the world to be ever wel-pleasing and acceptable to God himself so becoming a Temple and Kingdom of God and of Heaven Is not this to be truly a Christian and this course and conversation the way of the Church and the conversation in heaven And did not the Primitive Church thus live thus walk Was not herein their Church-Way Church-Rule and all that denominated them truly Christian See at their fir●t conversion Act. 2. 4. how Christ and Christianity manifested it self purely in their out-flowing self-denying Love so in all their Life Conversation Exercise whole Demeanure among the Heathen Was not the essential Character of their Religion and Grace meerly Love whence flowed all Virtue Goodness Holiness c So as it became the all-sufficient Note and Character whereby to be known to be the Disciples of Christ as himself declared Joh. 13.34 But now bring we our Church and all Churches now and of long time called Christian and see if any such character note and evidence can be found So as indeed it is utterly unknown shut up in a Mysterie making good that of the Apostle Eph. 3.19 The love of Christ passeth knowledge Sure it is and Gallicinium will make it evident that both we and all other Churches so called are far from the true Church of Christ even the pure Church of old as Hell