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	doctrine_n	england_n	6,989	5	6.3346	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14096	The doctrine of the synod of Dort and Arles, reduced to the practise With a consideration thereof, and representation with what sobriety it proceeds.	Twisse, William, 1578?-1646.	1631 (1631)	STC 24403; ESTC S102470	142,191	200

The Doctrine of the SYNOD OF DORT And ARLES reduced to the practise With a consideration thereof and representation with what sobriety it proceeds I devide This discourse into two parts 1. Preface 2. Treatise 1. The preface likewise hath two parts 1. A rule of Tryall to wit by reference to practise in 3 cases 1. The converting of a stranger 2. The correcting of a leud Christian. 3. The comforting of the afflicted 2. The doctrine to bet tryed 2. The treatise is the tryall it self of the former doctrine according unto the former rule accordingly divides it self into 3 parts and ech of them I devide into several sections SEing the doctrine of the Gospell tyeth not the disciples unto bare speculation and mere knowledge of the history but allso bindeth them to the practise aedification of their ne●ghbours every man will say that the use therof consisteth principally in these 3 things which every Christian but more especially a faithfull Pastor ought to procure so farre forth as in him lieth where The 1. Is the conversion of a stranger to the faith 2. The amendment of a bad-living Christian. 3. The consolation of the sick or otherwise afflicted 2. If then that doctrine established and canonized in the two Synods the one held at Do●t in Holland 1618. 1619. the other at Arles in Cevenes in France in 1620. cannot serve to any of these 3. endes nay if they are directly contrary therunto no Christian can doubt but that it is quite different from the doctrine of the holy Scripture which is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproofe for correction for i●struction in righteousnes 2. Tim. 3.16 What this Author is I knowe not but by conjecture he seems by certeyne passages mentioned in this discourse more naturally to speake French then Englishe Neyth●r can I well tell in what ●āke to place him of the three here mētioned for whose aed●fication principally he pretendes the doctrine of the Gospell to be usefull For first he seemes not to be a stranger vnto Christian faith for as much as here at the first he mentioneth a passage out of 2 Tim. 3.16 concerninge the profitablenes of holy scripture though thencefoorth he quotes not one place of scripture throughout no nor a stranger to Calvins doctrine for he quotes one passage allso out of him not one more throughout as I remember out of any author ancient or modern But he takes libertie to cry out upon a prodigious Labyrinth of Divinitye belike of those who desire to mould their faith in conformitie to the word of God in the first place and then also to take notice of what hath bene the most receaved doctrine of the Church of God in the severall ages therof And to take such a course in this authors judgment belike is for a man to cast himselfe into a Labyrinthe or maze I confesse it is a sweete thinge to wanton wits coelo liberiore frui And it may be the nature of man repines more aga●nst limits of faith then against limits of life and conversation Yet Adam found more room● when he was cast out of Paradise then within but his condition I suppose was nothing more comfortable for that Neyther is it likely this Author is of the ranke of bad-living Christians for it is not their course to trouble their braynes about points of faithe well they may rayle against religion but they doe not use to dispute divinitie Neyther doth he seeme to stand in neede of a physician he seemes rather to feele the pulses of others and to professe out of deepe judgment the dangerous condition wherin others are through errour of faithe in tender points and in this censure of his he caryeth himselfe like a very confident divine all alonge whence it followeth that the doctrine of the Gospell is not so principally usefull for the aedification of such as himselfe For if it were I see no reason why such a condition shoulde be omitted for I praesume he will not say that every doctrine of the Gospell shoulde be alike usefull to all conditions of men There is good use to be made of terrors good use to be made of comforts But comforts are not fitt to terrifie nor can terrors be of use for consolation And truly our Church of England in her articles of religion artic 17 teacheth us that the godly consideration of Predestination our election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant vnspeakeable cōforts to godly persons such as feele in thēselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the fleshe their earthly members and drawing up their minde to high and Heavenly thinges As well because it doth greatly establish confirme their faith of aeternall salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God But that for curious carnall persōs lacking the Spirite of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods praedestination is a most dangerous downe fall wherby ●he divill doth thrust them into desperation or into ●●chlesnes of most vncleane living no lesse perilous then desperation And I r●member to have read in the History of the Councell of Trent that the first opinion there mentioned concerning praedestination whith was the opinion of the Swinglians as there it is reported as it is mysticall hidden keeping the minde humble and relying on God without confidence in it selfe knowing the deformitie of of sinne and the excellency of divine grace which vndoubtedly are excellent uses for aedification in an eminent d●gree so the second opinion contrary to the former was plausible and popular cherishing humane praesumption and making a great shewe it pleased more the preaching fryars then the vnderstanding Divines And the courtiours thought it p●obable as consonant to polit●que reason ●t was maynteyned by the Bishop of Bi●on●o and the Bishop of Salpi shewed himselfe very partiall The defenders of this vsing humane reasons praevayled against the others but comming to the testimonies of scripture they were manyfestly overcome But to returne I had thought the written word of God had principally concerned believers and tended to the aedification of the body of Christ according to that we reade Eph. 4.11 12. that Christ gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets some Evangelists and som Pastors and Teachers now observe the ende of their ministery in the wordes followinge for the ●epayring of the Saints for the worke of the ministery and for the aedification of the body of Christ. As for Bad living Christians they have no delight in Gods word at all the ministery of the word is but a vexation vnto such and Gods ministers are accoumpted by such as Elias was no better then troublers of Israel and why But because they can prophecy no good vnto such but evil And as for the sicke though weak in body yet if not weak in faith we can affoord them abundance of