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	faith_n	prove_v	3,810	5	6.3590	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08981	Christian advertisements and counsels of peace Also disswasions from the separatists schisme, commonly called Brownisme, which is set apart from such truths as they take from vs and other reformed churches, and is nakedly discouered, that so the falsitie thereof may better be discerned, and so iustly condemned and wisely auoided. Published, for the benefit of the humble and godlie louer of the trueth. By Richard Bernard, preacher of Gods word.	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1608 (1608)	STC 1927; ESTC S113766	84,709	210

by Gods example by the practise of the Apostle and by the Christian rule of charitie more readily to marke the good in thē to commend it and approue them the● to see things amisse only to condemn● them and all the goodnesse in them Such as haue charitie without suspition and true vnfained loue with commiseration cannot deale so vnchristianly The miserie of these times but these graces are farre to seeke now therefore doe men on all hands iudge of euery thing peruersely this will they allow and that again will they not like humorously That which may be iustly well done without offence there at will other bee vniustly offended Things doubtfull men take sinisterly yea they dare censure what they neuer saw Condemne as ill what they knew not suspect where they haue no cause gainsay where there ought to bee no contradiction partiall to themselues and rigorous towards other Authoritie will rule thus and so subiects will obey with exceptions iudgement from the word is not so much a Guide as will and affection in too many are made Masters These be ill daies and contentious and times vnhappie in which men either will doe that they will doe of themselues and dreame of an ipse dixit or els fall to humour parties not simply receiuing a loue of the trueth for the trueths sake and so come to partakings which doth but increase contention till all come to confusion except the Lord in his great mercie preuent the same and that he doe turne vs all into a more moderate course and there keepe vs which I beseech him to grant for his Fatherlie mercie sake Amen Godly peace is a good possession and the way measured by the rule of the golden meane is the peaceable path euen that I doe wish which herein I aime at and desire all to seeke after Euen so and no more Wisedome with charitie patience with contentation honour with humilitie wil by Gods help bring vs all to vnitie FINIS CERTAIN POSITIONS HELD AND maintained by some godlie Mini sters of the Gospell against those of the Separation and namely against Barrow and Greenwood THat the Church of England is Our Congregations are true Churches for a true Church of Christ and such a one as frō which whosoeuer wittingly and continually separateth himself cutteth himselfe off from Christ wee doubt not but the indifferent Reader may be perswaded by these reasons following First we enioy and ioyne together in 1 We haue and ioyne together in the vse of the preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments the vse of those outward meanes which God in his word hath ordained for the gathering of an inuisible Church For proofe whereof wee alleadge that the meanes which wee vse and enioy haue been effectuall to the vnfained conuersion of many as may appeare both by the other fruites of faith that may bee found amongst vs and by the martyrdome which sundrie haue indured that were members of our Church and had no other meanes of conuersion then such as wee haue Yea euen these men who iudge so hardly of vs now are able to witnesse with vs in this case that if there bee any true faith and sanctification in them though it be much increased as they thinke since they left vs yet it was begun and bred in our assemblies Secondly if these places of the holie Scripture Mat. 28. 18. 20. Eph. 4. 11. 14. be well examined it will be found that the meanes which Christ ordained for the gathering of an inuisible Church are the very same which we inioy euen the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments That which Henry Barrow saith against vs in this point page 160. of his Discouerie viz. that there is not any one thing among vs either in order or administration according to Christs Testament shall be hereafter disproued when wee shall come to iustifie our ministerie of the Word and Sacraments against their arguments or obiections whatsoeuer Now that this is a good an infallible Which is an infallible note of a true Church argument of a true Church appeareth 1. Because there can no people be named that hauing these meanes may yet by the word be euicted not to haue been the true Church The Papists indeed brag of these meanes but without cause for the doctrine of faith is not preached amongst them but oppugned and consequently they cannot haue the true Sacraments which are seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith 2. The Scripture euery where speaketh of the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments as of priuiledges peculiar vnto the church of God a Rom. 3. 1. 2. 9. 1. Psal 147. 19. 20. So while the Iewes onelie were the Church these priuiledges were restrained to them and neuer made common to the Gentiles till the partition wall being broken downe they also were incorporated to the Church of God b Mat. 10. 5. 6. Act. 11. 19. 13. 46. 47. So the Prophet saith that this should bee the reason whereby the Gentiles were moued to ioyne thēselues vnto the true Church because there no where else the ministrie of the word was to be foūd c Esay 2. 2. 3. Secondly our whole Church maketh 2 We make profession of the true faith profession of the true faith The confession of our Church together with the Apologie thereof and those articles of religion which were agreed vpon in the Conuocation house in the yeere of our Lord 1562. whereunto also euery Minister in the land is by law bound to subscribe so farre foorth as they concerne the doctrine of faith and of the Sacraments doe proue this euidently for how shall wee better iudge of the faith which our Church professeth then by such euidences Many Papists and Atheists are in our land wee grant and many ignorant and wicked men besides who make not so cleere and holie a profession of the true faith as they should but that our Church accounteth any one for her childe or member who either denieth Christ or professeth any other way to saluation then faith which worketh by loue or who doth not professe this faith in some measure that doe we confidently denie Now this reason also hath force sufficient to proue vs the Which is enough to proue a true Church true Church For as true faith in Christ is that which giueth the life and being to such as are effectually called and so become members of the inuisible and elect Church so the profession of true faith is that which giueth life and being vnto a visible Church Vpon this profession we finde many haue been incorporated into the visible Church and admitted to the priuiledges thereof euen by the Apostles themselues Act. 8. 37. 38. 16. 31. 32. 8. 12. Yea euen Simon Magus though he neither had faith nor the spirit of God yet because he made profession of faith was iudged a member of the

then in them as shall be● after noted to the view of the world either to reclaime them or to make the● ashamed if in any thing they will so themselues and if God will open their eyes to behold what is amisse in themselues This is not Barrows veine of ol● but euen the same spirit doth possesse n● the meanest of the latest companie sco●sing at the argument of the conuersion of soules as if it were but a dreame of vs or in it selfe a toy without their constitution Is this loue Loue enuieth not but 1. Cor. 13. these like nothing well what wee doe but indeed the better it is the more they doe detest it for that they suppose it is the greatest let to hold men from them Therefore here prophane and secure worldlings and Atheists neede not to feare that men painfull and conscionable in their Ministerie yea and conformable in their liues will breed Brownists and further Brownisme no more then the truth can bring forth error or soundnesse corruption properly or brethren in vnitie substantially can breed Schismatikes essentially Indeed by the beames of the Sunne being one the same the earth which the husband tilleth and soweth with good seed in some part bringeth foorth good corne and in another breedeth weedes but the fault is in the earth not in the Sunne or husbandman So of one sweete flowre the Bee gathereth honie and the Spider poyson yet the flowr● keepeth it owne nature If by the wholesome doctrine of painfull Teachers some as ill earth be more weedie some as spiders gather poison neither are they nor their doctrine to be blamed But to proceed is this loue Loue reioyceth not in iniquitie it is not 1. Cor. 13. prouoked to anger but these men are glad when wee contend amongst our selues neuer praying for peace nor the welfare of the Ministerie because How men come to bee Schismatikes or Heretikes they do thinke as iudging others out of themselues prouoked to anger that troubles will breede discontentment discontentment setteth heads on working this causeth searching but with preiudice against one part offended searching draweth men to a liking of that by passionate impatiencie which iudiciously in peace they do not loue and so runneth into crooked by-pathes to the hurt of themselues and offence of other Such a spirit of vncharitablenesse neuer was in any of the holy men of God in the Primitiue time who reioyced at the blessings vpon the Teachers and at the peoples receiuing of the Gospell ●ot at their standing in a constitution ●ct 11. 20. 21. 23. In which place is gi●en a reason of Barnabas his reioycing ●●r that he was a good man and full of ●●e holy Ghost vers 24. for indeed men ●●dued with Gods Spirit good men ●●ter God will reioyce in good things ●hrist will not quench the smoaking axe nor breake the bruised reed but ●ill check his Disciples for rashly for●●dding one to cast out diuels in his ●●me because hee followed not them ●●d wil bid them suffer him giuing this ●●ason that he that is with Christ is not ●●ainst him no nor against his Disci●●es though one follow not another so ●●e it wee all follow Christ And thus ●●uch for their vncharitablenes against 〈…〉 Perhaps they will say they pray for vs Their loue to vs is but as to strangers out of the Couenant and what speciall thing is that M. Smith ●●en hartely and professe with protesta●●n that they do loue vs. I thinke they do loue vs but it is on●● in hope or for some by-respect for o●●rwise one of them writeth that cer●●nly he cannot by the Word bee per●●aded that any one of vs hath either true faith or feare of God then how can the truly loue vs in the spirit who iudge t●● bond broken and the communion v●lawfull I thinke they doe pray for vs but it to bring vs vnto them so will they pr●● for Papists Atheists Iewes and Turke● so will any sect to haue men to come 〈…〉 them They pray for vs but not as visib●● members of Gods Church they w●● not pray with vs that is ioyne to o● prayers nor ioyne vs with them Th● loue vs but not as in the communion Saints their loue therefore is not bee esteemed of Consider how th● iudge of euery one of vs euen of hi● that most seeketh in our Church to a●uance Religion to liue religiously a● haue peace with all men in holinesse much as is possible But doth this vncharitablenes exte●● This spirituall vncharitablenesse is also amongst themselues one to another it selfe only to those which they iud●● without Nay it breaketh out amon● themselues euen towards one anot●● in their customarie excommunicatio● not onely for notorious crimes in 〈…〉 wilfull and obstinate but euen for lig●● offences in some albeit other obstin●● ●●n be let passe contrary to the practise ●f the Primitiue Church where wee ●ade neither of such sharpe censuring Reade George Iohnsons book pag. 15. and see horrible sin daubed vp A bodie naturall doth not easily cut off a member though very noysome not after the first meanes bee vsed in the best manner but after long triall of the same what possiblie may be ●or of such partiall dealing that men ●●ould bee reprehended and that no sin ●●e suffered to be openly practised who ●●nieth but that men should be hastily 〈…〉 st out or for and vpon euery light of●●nce of what nature soeuer albeit the ●●rtie offending be through ignorance 〈…〉 else of a peeuish nature somewhat ●ilfull we wish it should not be It is ●ot a point of loue so easily to lose a ●hristian member and to cast him to ●●e diuell iudging him vnworthie to 〈…〉 accounted a visible professor in the ●hurch of Christ I speake not this to lessen sinne or to ●●lerate it but to stay so great a cen●●e that it bee neither executed lightly ●●d rashly nor vsed with the rigour of ●●e law in the vtmost period of the right 〈…〉 censure I may not passe by the witnesse of M. White as I remember ●●me against them testifying that one ●●lfe excommunicated another some●●e a very fearfull thing and vnheard amongst men of wisedome and moderation If they did excommunica●● for sinne it were yet lesse but I maru●● that they will vse this censure the p●wer of Iesus Christ deliuering men v●to Satan for doing the worke of God which is for hearing Gods word by th● ministerie of others which are out ●● their way though the Preacher deliu●● nothing but the true word of God a●● so as the hearers do receiue much go●● thereby This their practise cannot bee wa●rantable Search the Scriptures whether there be any word forbidding to heare one that preacheth the true Word only See more pag. 64. from the word of God Tr●● Prophets neuer forbad to heare such spake truly Christ neuer condemn●● such as spake the truth in his name f●● want of a constitution the Apostle P●●●

although we affirme not as he there slandereth vs that some part of the Scripture is more holy more authenticall or more true then other yet doubt we not to say that some parts are of more vse and more necessarie for men to know then other some Else why doth the holie Ghost giue speciall commendation to some parts more then he doth to other as a Song of Songs Why Cant. 1. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 11. Titus 3. 8. doth hee vse speciall Art in setting downe some parts rather then in other as Psalm 111. and 112. and 119 Why doth he as it were make proclamations and solemne Oyesses before some and not before other as Mark 4. 3. 1. Tim. 1. 15. and 4. 9. And although we doe not hold as they falseslie charge vs Still false accusations in the forenamed pages of their Discouerie that some parts of the holy Scripture are of small moment superficiall needlesse and of no necessitie and such as may be altered and violated without any preiudice and danger to the soule and much lesse that a man who hath obstinately continued in the transgression of some parts and openly taught the same vnto others may be vndoubtedly saued though hee die without repentance But on the contrarie we beleeue and teach that there is no part of holie Scripture which euery Christian is not necessarily bound to seeke and desire the knowledge of so farre foorth as in him lieth yet dare wee not call euery truth fundamentall that is such as if it be not knowne and obeyed the whole religion and faith of the Church must needes fall to the ground For we make no question but that both the penitent Theefe that was crucified with Christ and the Eunuch euen then when hee was baptised by Philip were in the state of saluation though they could not chuse but be ignorant of many truths in religion The only fundamentall truth in religion is this That Iesus Christ the sonne of God who took our nature of the Virgine Mary is our onely and all sufficient Sauiour For first they that receiue this truth are the people of God and in the state of saluation they that receiue it not cannot possibly be saued Matth. 16. 18. Mark 16. 16. 1. Ioh. 4. 2. Coll. 2. 7. Secondly there is no other point of religion necessarie otherwise then as it tendeth necessarily to the bringing vs vnto or confirming vs in the assurance of this one trueth Ioh. 20. 31. Ephes 2. 20. Hebr. 13. 8. 1. Cor. 2. 2. And therefore when the Apostle saith Ephe. 2. 19. 21. that the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles his meaning is not to call euery thing contained in their writings the foundation of the Church but that this foundation which we haue spokē of is there to bee found and hath witnesse from thence and that all the writings and doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets doe bend vnto stay and rest vpon this one truth as the walles in the building doe vpon the chiefe corner stone Lastly al the knowne Churches in the All reformed Churches giue testimonie vnto vs. world acknowledge our Church for their sister and giue vnto vs the right hand of fellowship This H. Barrow and Iohn Greenwood denie in the 14. page of their Refutation but they name not any one Church that maketh question of vs. Indeed some of them affirme that we want some parts of the discipline which we haue not yet as they thinke so thoroughly receiued as wee should haue done but whether wee were the true Church or no neuer was there yet any reformed Church that made question Yet are they well acquainted by our bookes by the report of such as haue trauelled from hence and sundrie other waies with our doctrine and Liturgi●● Neither doe they only forbeare to shew their dislike to vs or are content to preserue societie with vs which happily through humane infirmitie they might doe vpon sinister respects though they approued not of vs in their iudgement but they doe also hold and teach that what people soeuer hath so much as we haue is the true Church though their wants be as great as ours are iudged to be Now when we alleadge for our selues Which strongly argueth that we be the true Church the testimonie of the Churches we doe not thereby as these men fondly conclude in that 14. page of their Refutation make the words of men the foundation of our Church nor doe we vse this as our only or chief defence whereby we seek to approue our selues either vnto the Lord or to the consciences of his people but such an argument wee hold this to be as in the due place hath much force in it and as God himselfe hath sanctified for a principall helpe in the deciding of controuersies in this kinde The Apostles vse to alleage it as a matter of comfort to thē whom they write vnto that the Churches of Christ do salute thē Rom. 16. 16. 1. Pet. 5. 13. that they were famous and had the testimonie and good report of the Churches Rom. 16. 19. 1. Thes 1. 7. 8. 3. Ioh. 6. 2. Cor. 8. 18. 19. 23. 24. S. Paul though hee receiued not his calling either from men or by men Gal. 1. 1. nor was any whit inferiour to the chiefe Apostles 2. Cor. 11. 5. yet doth hee alleage for the credit of his ministerie that three chiefe Apostles approued him and gaue to him the right hand of fellowshippe Gal. 2. 9. yea hee sought also their approbation and feared that without it hee should haue runne in vaine Gal. 2. 2. And which is yet more hee seeketh to winne commendation and credit euen to those orders which hee by his Apostolicall authoritie might haue established by the example and iudgement of other Churches 1. Cor. 7. 17. and 11. 15. and 14. 33. 16. 1. If these Churches that were planted by the Apostles themselues might take comfort in the good opinion that other Churches had of them may not wee much more If the ministerie of Paul and the orders hee prescribed to the Church receiued further credit with the people of God by the approbation of other Churches shall not the testimonie of all other reformed Churches giue some credit to the ministerie and orders of the Church now The doctrine word of God though to speake properly it receiueth authoritie only from it selfe and the Spirit of God yet hath it euer been the rather receiued by men for the testimonie that the Church hath giuen vnto it So our Sauiour saith that Wisedome is iustified of her children Mat. 11. 19. And although he affirmeth that he receiueth not the record of man Ioh. 5. 34. yet in respect of the saluation and good of men hee iudged it necessarie that Iohn Baptist should giue testimonie vnto him Ioh. 1. 7. 8. and 5. 33. 34. Now if this one thing furthered the damnation of the vnbeleeuing Iewes that they would not heare nor receiue