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	teach_v	4,044	5	6.3549	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05999	A commentarie vpon the first and second chapters of Saint Paul to the Colossians Wherein, the text is cleerly opened, observations thence perspiciously deducted ... Together with diuers places of Scripture briefely explained. By Mr. Paul Bayne. B.D.	Baynes, Paul, d. 1617.; Stubbs, Justinian, 1604 or 5-1681.	1634 (1634)	STC 1636; ESTC S101082	229,900	390

GOD's promises we fight not against doubtings we cry not for eye-salve which might heale our fight that all scales done away we might see clearely to our comfort the things of our peace Let us Vse 2 as ever we would taste these heavenly joyes on earth labour to grow up in sound hearty love to Christ and all that are His in full perswasion and to get ripe understanding As love to CHRIST increaseth so joy encreaseth If any woman had the greatest Potentate on earth to her husband if she love him not what pleasure hath she in him If she love him but little she taketh but small joy but the more fervently shee loveth him the more abundantly she rejoyceth in enjoying of him So with us the more we get up to love CHRIST and His the more shall we rejoyce in our Vnion and communion one with another Hence it is that when knowledge shall be perfected in fight and when love shal be absolute lacking nothing then our joy shall be full in the highest degree of it Secondly observe when he prayeth for these things Doctr. In what things true Christians may be much wanting viz. in love confidence and spirituall understanding Had there not beene a defect this way henceded not to have laboured them in their behalfe We see how it was in Corinth schismes tooke place rents divisions and uncharitable contentions ever amongst beleevers even as brethren together agree not often So it is in the body of Christ the members are often jarring So for assurance it is weake in Christians even as babes so hold this or that that they may bee easily brought to bee of another minde So a weake Christian hath a levity and unsetlednesse dwelling in great measure with the perswasion which hee hath in the points of his faith Thus the Galathians for this cause who before had gladly received Paul's truth were quickly turned to a new Gospell Galath 1. Thus Israel wanting this fulnesse of perswasion quickly corrupted themselves and made a molten calfe Finally we see what doubtings and scruples are frequently found with true beleevers In the third place for understanding how ignorant a great while were the Apostles after the beginnings of grace in them As the understanding in civill things it commeth not all at once but is little in child-hood and so getteth up as yeares ripen So it is in the babes of GOD Yea our want of giving assent and confident resting upon that GOD revealeth doth keepe us from understanding for beleeving things upon God's Word which I am not able to understand at length I come understandingly to know those things which above that I could conceive I religiously beleeved Wherefore we must not be dismaid to see these things in Christians Vse nor yet to finde them in our selves all is in part and the reliques of the flesh are every where lusting against the frame of grace which GOD hath begun in us Neither must we be out with all whose hearts are a little bitter towards their brethren who sometimes through weaknesse cannot tell what to thinke of their religion who make scruple and doubt of many most plaine things not knowing their liberties who are much wanting in understanding all these may be in true Saints of GOD. Lastly Doct. marke hence what we must all labour for viz. soundnesse of love fulnesse of perswasion and understanding That which any asketh for us or we aske for our selves that we must strive for to pray for things we endeavour not to is to mocke GOD. Seeing then the Apostle doth strive with GOD for these things it doth shew that these are things wee must labour after things which faithfull ones shall in their time come unto Strive to perfection I forget that which is behinde and strive to that which is before for the price of the high calling of God in CHRIST Looke at little ones were it not a shame for them still to continue falling out comming with complaints for every trifle as they will while they are young ones to be afraid of bug-beggars and made beleeve every thing to bee ignorant alwayes as in child-hood So it were a shame for us to have no more love no more settlednesse in our perswasion no more understanding than when we first beleeved Which meeteth with Papists and carnall Gospellers Vse their religion teacheth doubting they count it presumption to perswade our selves firmely and infallibly that our sinnes are forgiven Yea in matter of faith they take away certainty of knowledge for they will not have us know the doctrines are true we receive but because the Church telleth us so which is to hang all upon the word of man who may deceive and be deceived unlesse he hath a speciall priviledge to shew for all men are lyars I know not but the Church telleth me so I cannot say certainly but I hope well here is their certainty of doctrine and salvation So we have many that are halfe Papists in this point they thinke this particular application but a tricke they construe the Creed all in generall termes for the Church further than uncertaine hope will say nothing of themselves for riches of knowledge they thinke to be able to repeat the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandements are enough to know they are baptised and serve God at home and at Church deeper knowledge than this belongeth to Doctors and teachers in the Church men of corrupt mindes who would have God's people lye in darknesse of ignorance lest their owne darknesse should be discerned Yea how many of the people that not being willing to obey the wayes of God care not for knowing them they are willing to keepe without light that they may sleepe more quietly Such finally who are babes in knowledge though for time they might be teachers who are ready to wagge at every wind of doctrine who upon every crosse and temptation are ready to call into question God's love forgivenesse of sin must hence be rebuked In the second place Vse 2 wee must seeing it is our duties labour to grow up from one degree of love to another from assurance to assurance from knowledge to knowledge I Object but how may we out-grow our doubting 1 Labour to know that experimentally which thou knowest Answ when thou hearest a thing at Church labour comming home to get God by His Spirit to witnesse to thy spirit the truth of it to make thee in His light to see light and to feele the power of it working in thee and thy affections moved as the nature of the word requireth that which a man thus knoweth you cannot beat him out of it with all the shew of reason that can be pretended 2 We must acknowledge the corruption of our mind which will not yeeld assent further than wee see reason and deny our reason becomming fooles that God may make us wise Nay we must know such is the vanity of our mindes that wee can sooner perswade our selves of any fabulous matter than of