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
A18700	An exhortation to all menne to take hede and beware of rebellion wherein are set forth the causes, that commonlye moue men to rebellion, and that no cause is there, that ought to moue any man there vnto. With a discourse of the miserable effectes, that ensue thereof, and of the wretched ende, that all rebelles comme to, moste necessary to be redde in this seditiouse [and] troublesome tyme, made by Iohn Christoferson. At the ende whereof are ioyned two godlye prayers, one for the Quenes highnes, verye conuenient to be sayd dayly of all her louing and faythfull subiectes, and an other for the good [and] quiete estate of the whole realme. Read the whole, and then iudge.	Christopherson, John, d. 1558.	1554 (1554)	STC 5207; ESTC S117507	113,228	472

he hadde not sene hym nowe the space of syxe monethes he aunswered ▪ that he hadde not as yet in dede learned y t verse of y e Psalme Agayne along time after ▪ one of his familiar frendes demaunded of hym whether he had learned his verse and he sayde Now or .xix. yeares passed and truely as yet I haue scarcely learned to practise it Wherby it well appeareth that a man maye learne as much vpon one day at one sermon as he can well learne perfytly to practise in a whole yeare Wherfore I haue oftentymes muche maruayled at vs Englishe men of late that we came to the churche at the tyme of our English seruice to heare only and not to pray our selfes By meanes wherof many folkes are so inured that they can hardlye frame them selfes as yet to pray in the churche which as our sauiour sayth is the house of prayer And moste mete were it for folkes comming to the churche to pray earnestly them selfes and both to think vpon their synnes wherewith they haue offended their lorde god and to be sory for them and to desire god to forgyue them yea and beside to gyue hym harty thankes for all his benefites bestowed vpon them and to beseche hym to assiste them with his grace agaynst the assaultes of their aduersary the deuil For thus ought men to spende the holy daye and thus ought they to bestow their tyme in the churche of God when they come thyther For what dyd Anna the doughter of Phanuell who had lyued with her husbande .vij. yeares and after his death continued widowe tyll she was foure score and foure yeares old and so died is it not written of her by S. Luke that she departed not from the temple but serued God there nyght and daye in fastyng and praying The Euāgelist telleth not that there she was occupied in hearynge but that she was occupied in praying Many heare and eyther they shortly forget what they haue hearde or elles yf they remembre it ▪ yet they do not practise it and one howre spente in practisynge is more worthe to vs then twentye spent in hearynge Therefore when they come to Churche and heare the priestes who sayeth common prayer for all the whole multitude albeit they vnderstand them not yet yf they be occupied in godlye prayer them selfes it is sufficient for them And lette them not so greatly passe for vnderstandynge what the priestes saye but trauayle them selfes in feruent praying and so shal they hyghly please God Yea and experience hath playnlye taught vs that it is much better for them not to vnderstande the common seruice of the Churche then to vnderstande it because that when they heare other prayinge with a lowde voyce in the language that they vnderstand they are letted from prayer them selfe and so come they to suche a slacknes and negligence in prayinge that they at lengthe as we haue well sene of late dayes in maner pray not at al. And let thē first thynke thys for it is vndoubtedly true that the diuine seruice here in Englande hath euer bene in Latyn synce the first tyme that the fayth was among vs receaued saue onlye this .vi. or .vij. yeares laste passed And then how godly the people all that while were disposed how many vertuous and holy men women haue bene within this realme and howe God dyd in all thinges prosper vs. And reade who so lyste the godly ecclesiastical story of sayncte Bede and he shall fynde my sayinges herein moste true By whych story he shal learne besyde how the same fayth the same forme of religion the same rites and ceremonies that we now vse in the churche haue bene since kynge Lucius dayes in whose reygne the fayth was firste receaued in Englande continuallye vsed And eyther muste we graunte thys that there was neuer any godly men in thys realme neuer one sowle saued neuer any grace of God among vs neuer the assistence of the holye gooste wyth vs whych no good nor reasonable manne eyther can or wyll graunte yf thys be not the true fayth and belefe wherby mens soules shalbe saued that nowe is amonges vs. For where true belefe is not there is not God nor none of hys grace nor no parte of his holy spirite And therefore yf thys be a false fayth and belefe that we nowe haue then god both is and hath bene most vnkynde not onlye to vs but to all Christendome besyde whiche is in the same belefe that we be seyng that he hath not before these .vij. yeares laste passed reuealed opened hys trueth vnto vs but suffered bothe vs and all our progenitours and elders to yea and all Christendome euer synce Christes incarnation euen to these latter dayes to lyue in blyndnes and to let vs continue styll in daunger of damnation But God forbydde that any man myght iustly eyther thynke or saye thus For then myght we commynge before our sauiour Christ at the day of iudgement yf we shulde for our belefe be there condēned aunswere that we were not to blame nor worthie of dānatiō therfore because that hys blessed spouse the Catholike churche hadde from tyme to tyme taught vs thys belefe that he hadde promised to be with his churche to the worldes ende Whyche promyse caused vs alwaye to giue credence to hys holye Churche whiche we thought could not erre nor be deceaued in anye matter concerning our fayth Therfore no man hathe cause to iudge thys religion that we nowe haue to be noughte and so to thinke that the worshyppynge of Christes blessed body in the sacrament is Idolatrye as manye of late haue most wyckedlye both beleued and taught and by that meanes condemne all oure fathers grandfathers and the reste of oure elders whyche haue so beleued but verye good cause hath he to suspect the religion that hathe bene brought in of late yea and vtterlye to abhorre it bothe for that he seeth so playnly before his eyes y e abhominable fruytes that it hath brought forth in this realme and also that he knoweth that it was neuer receaued in thys realme before these laste .vij. yeares paste saue onelye that wycked Wyclyffe hadde in corners taught the same in kinge Edward the thirdes dayes whiche his doctrine ended in notable treason euen as this did that was latelye receaued among vs as after I shal more playnly declare But some say that they woulde haue vs beleue and lyue accordynge as menne dydde in the primitiue churche Howe was that I praye you was it as we haue bene taughte of late in beleuing ▪ that Christes blessed bodye in the sacrament is but a pece of breade to abolish the Masse to cast awaye praying and fastyng No no Heare I praye you what saynct Bede sayeth concernynge the state of the primitiue churche Whē as S. Augustyne hys felowes that were sent by saynct Gregorye hyther into Englande to preache had gotten thē a place in kent to soiourne in they folowed the

▪ at goddes hand to who wylleth vs that we offende not or hurte anye straunger And yf her grace marrye after her owne fantasye me thynke we shuld beare wyth her yf we loue her For yf she shuld constrayne anye of vs to marry one that he could not loue and lyke he would be litle contented with it Wherfore let vs content oure selfes with that that she doth in this behalfe and praye God harte lye that this her graces marriage may haue such successe as both God maye be pleased therewith and we receaue benefite thereby and her highnes take comfort therein We haue bene well pleased in time past y e her noble father shulde marrye straungers and haue ioyfully receaued them Wherfore we might me thynke be muche better contented with her graces marriage seynge that the noble Prince that she marrieth albeit he semeth to be a straunger yet because he cometh of the noble bloude of Englande as you haue learned before is in dede no straūger And agayne that oure Lord God onlye moueth her therto for her comfort as we truste and all ours to But I feare y e the matter y e we grudge at is not the marriage but her fayth religion in y e mayntenaunce where of she hath alwayes frō her tender age hither to constantly stand mindeth by gods assistence to cōtinue in the same to her lyues ende For it is not a fayth newly inuented and set forth of late dayes ▪ but begonne by Christ taught by his Apostles and their successours confirmed with the bloude of all holy martyrs established by y e consent of al good godly wryters and vniuersally receaued of the whole Catholike churche of Christ. Which earnestlye to sticke to ▪ she feareth not by whiche to be saued she doubteth not which cōstant lye to defend she ceaseth not And be we well assured y t she would not forsake it as her highnes hath oftentymes both in word and dede declared if she knewe certaynly y t she shulde loose the crowne of this realme therfore and her life to For whosoeuer they be that leseth any thing for gods cause and his true fayth they shall wyn a hundreth tymes more for it and be gladde of theyr losse for such great g●ynes And this wold her highnes neyther say nor do except she knew suerly the truth to be on her side ▪ and that god is pleased therwith Which he hathe well declared vnto her highnes in these two notable victories that of his goodnes he hath sent her of late If she had bene an aduersarye of his truth and of his holy worde as some folkes reporte her he wold neuer haue so ayded her so mightly alwayes agaynst the assaultes of her enemies defended her But thus much may her highnes say without boaste because it is not for her owne glorye whyche she nothing regardeth but onlye to declare goddes goodnes toward her y t she hath ▪ as becam the poore handmayde of God continuallye synce she was a childe from tyme to tyme embraced both our Sauiour Christes doctrine whyche is the dore vnto truthe and the catholike fayth of his church whyche is the staff● of saluation and so loued both twayne as she dyd lytle esteme worldly honor or lyfe eyther in comparison of them For whensoeuer she was eyther by gentle exhortation by fayre promyses yea or by threatenyng as sometyme she was moued to forsake the catholike fayth to leaue of the godly ordinaūces of the churche she neuer wolde relent but settynge all worldly thynges at noughte and carynge nothynge for the malice of men myn̄ded rathe● to dye for the defence of her fayth then to lyue in honoure wyth the forsakynge thereof And this hath her grace done not of her selfe onelye but by thassistence of Goddes grace who hath alwaies ayded her And mercifullye accepted her poore seruice herein and hath both fauored her therefore so will do styll and not forsake her as she feareth not and dayly she besecheth hym hartelye that he do not And not onlye her but al other that embrace the same fayth because it is y ● fayth of his blessed spouse the churche ▪ whose lippes be sweter to her husbande Christe then honye combes Whose tongue is as pleasaunte as milke and honye Therefore most dearly beloued countrye menne thys cause why we oughte speciallye to loue her grace ▪ because it is for our soules helth let it not be occasion to hate her For if we knewe surelye as she dothe ▪ what pleasure we shulde haue in it what profyt we shoulde take of it what daunger we shulde auoyde by it we wold most harteli thanke her highnesse who by goddes helpe had brought vs agayne to it But the mystes of the cloudy and cursed doctrine of Luther his adherentes haue so dimmed our sight that we can not se it some of vs there be more pitie is it that will not se it But I praye god we may shortly se it and returne vnto it and say with Dauid we will go into the howse of god which is the Catholike Churche Approche vnto it and GOD wyll approche vnto vs because he is within it And feare GOD and he wyll fauoure vs and be obediente to her grace oure lawful prince and gouernesse ▪ and then she wyll not fayle most tenderly to loue vs to labore and trauayle for our welth and commoditye And albeit that some of vs haue of late murmered agaynste her yet let the example of other that dyd so before and are plaged by goddes iust iudgemēt for their greuouse offēce be a warninge for vs to take hede And let vs obey her not for feare but for veri loue For in dede to punis●e vs is her great grefe because she wold that the leaste heere of oure heades shuld peryshe Therefore let vs not force her grace to that that her nature dothe abhorre Nor giue her occasion to saye as her noble progenitor king Henry the .v. sayde after y ● rebelliō made agaynst him by Richarde the Earle of Cambrige Henry the lorde Scrupe and Thomas Gray after this sort Consyder sayd he the rashe foly of these folkes they persecute me who night and day to thuttermost of my power enforce my selfe to profyt the common welth And to that ende I toyle and trauayle contynually and studye alwayes that I can to do good to al my subiectes and thinke my selfe borne for that purpose But I pray god that there be neuer one amonge you whose trayterouse harte I may worthely blame and say that he had rather haue me distroyed then his contrie to be in good state preserued and in honour encreased These wordes sayde Henry the .v. to his subiectes Which I truste verely hereafter we wil neuer gyue our ▪ gratiouse Queene occasion to say But contrariwise muche to commend vs to reioyce in our obedyence ▪ to take comforte in our peace and quiet behauyour Which shalbe acceptable to

god thankeful to her grace and very profitable for our selfes to Nowe then moste deare louing contrye men seing that we are wel assured that our most gratiouse lady the Quene by reason of her godlye vertue wherin she excelleth and for the greate feruēt loue that she beareth to eueri one of vs she wil throughly performe these thinges we haue great cause to gyue god most hartely thankes ▪ y ● sente her vnto vs hath so gratiously delte with vs for her sake For it semeth that as God sayd to the children of Israell in Kynge Dauids tyme I wyll by the hande of my seruaunt Dauid saue my people of Israell from the handes of the Philistians and all their enemyes so sayeth he nowe to I wyll by the hande of myne humble handemayde Marye saue my people of Englande from the assaultes of their enemyes If we were oppressed by her if we were spoyled throughe her meanes or yf we were cruellye handled at her hand then might men haue somthing to say But no suche matter is there For her grace is so gentle so buxome so merciful so liberal of so god lye conuersation excellente vertue y t if she were amonge Turkes Saracenes or Iewes she woulde vndoubtedly winne their harts cause thē both hartly to loue her also to be ready to defēd her How vngentle then maye we be thought y t can not loue such a gratious lady with gladde hartes be obedient to her But the very matter of al our grudge is as we were tolde a lytle before her catholike religion Whych howe good and godly it is we may easely perceaue yf we compare it with that that hathe bene nowe of late yeares amonge vs. It is grounded vpon the consent of al christes catholike church which is the sure foūdation of truth Thother is grounded only vpon the consent of a few in corners and yet neuer one of thē agreeth with another The religion y t the Queenes grace maynteyneth is fiftenne hūdreth yeare olde thys new religion is scarcelye twoo hundreth yeares olde The catholike religion is and hath bene vniuersallye receaued througheoute the whole world This of theyrs hath bene receaued but here and there in a few places and of all the worlde besyde condemned And Vincentius a good holy writer thinketh that these be the speciall poyntes to trye religion that is to say the auncientnes of tyme the vniuersall receauinge of it and the whole consent of the churche For thus he writeth In the catholike church we muste take diligent hede that we stycke to that which is in euery place alwaies and of all men beleued For this in dede is catholike ▪ as the worde it selfe dothe playnely declare which verely conteyneth al vniuersally But this shall we do if we folowe the vniuersall faythe and beleue the auncientnesse of tyme and the whole consent of Christes churche And nowe for the vniuersall beleue that shal we folowe after this sorte If we thynke that fayth to be true whyche all Christes Churche throughout the worlde dothe confesse As for auncientnesse of time that shall we folowe if we in no wyse go from the senses interpretations of scripture that we manifestli know to haue bene commonlye vsed and allowed of the holye and aunciente fathers The whole consent of Christes Churche shall we folowe yf we submit our selfes to the auncient determinations and sentences eyther of all bisshops priestes and doctours or elles at the lest of al most al. And the same writer a litle after teacheth vs how to know a true christen Catholike man thus He is a true catholike man in dede whiche loueth goddes truth his churche and the bodye of Christe which also preferreth nothing that is to say ▪ nether any one mans authoritie nor loue ▪ nor witte nor eloquence nor knowledge of philosophy before godly religion and the fayth catholike but dispising all these and stickinge sted fastly and surely to his fayth thinketh that he is bounden to hold and beleue only that y e he knoweth the catholike church of olde vniuersallye to haue holden and maynteyned And let hym suppose surely that what new and straunge doctrine or order soeuer is couertly and craftly brought in by any one man eyther beside the mindes of al holy and godly men or els vtterly cōtrary to them is brought in not for to encrease mennes deuotion religion but only to tempte them with all Thus by the wordes of this godly author who wrote aboue a thowsand yeares ago we may easely perceaue what sorte of religion men ought to folowe Againe the authors of the catholike religion are the apostles and their successors As Ireneus Iustinus martyr ▪ Cyprian Clemens Alexandrinus Origene S. Hierom S. Ambrose S. Augustyne S. Chrisostom Basil Gregorius Nazianzene Cyrill with infinite many mo The authors of this new sect are Wic●ffe Hus Luther Oecolampadius Zuinglius Bucer Bullinger Caluine and a greate rable beside The authours of Christes true religion were Martyrs confessors and holi sayntes all The authours of this new religion were Apostatas that is to say such as had bene monkes and frears whiche broke their vowes cast of their cootes became like lay men marryed nonnes called them wiues and so lyued in abhominable inceste The authors of the catholike religion were ●●ke gentle lowly full of vertue and godlye conuersation despicers of the worlde and the vanities thereof chast auoyde of ambition and couetousnes gyuen all to fastyng prayer and almose dedes The authours of oure newe doctrine were prowde stubborne presumptuous of smal vertue and that only in apparence louers of the world and muche delited wyth the pleasures thereof lecherous and carnal gready of honour and of gettyng of goodes slacke in praying ▪ more slacke in fastynge and altogether negligent in good dedes doynge For they thought fasting was Poperye and prayer superstition good dedes to auayle vs nothynge at all The authors of the catholike fayth and religion were careful for peace desirous of vnitie fauorers of obedience and maynteyners of all good order The authours of our late religion were causers of warre not onely bitwixt prince and prince ▪ but also bitwixte princes their subiects breakers of the vnitie of Christes catholike churche sowers of sedition workers of disobedience and bryngers in of al confusiō disorder captaynes of carnal libertie defendors of the same Of these .ii. sortes of mē whome ought we gyue more credite to trowe you Shall we better trust Wicliffe that because he could not come by the Bisshoprike of Worcester forsoke Christe his churche and became an heretike or holy Ireneus who for the mainteynaunce of Christes fayth and his churche forsoke both his Bisshoprike and hys lyfe to Or shall we better beleue Hus that was a professed frear and had vowed chastitie obedience and wilfull pouertie and after brake all became a married manne and preached heresye in Boheme Or S. Cyprian that when he was a

Apostolicall trade of lyuyng that was vsed in the primitiue churche that is to saye they practysed them selfes in continual prayinge watching and fastyng in preachyng the word of lyfe to all that they coulde in dyspysynge all worldlye goodes as not apperteyning vnto them in takynge those thynges onlye of them whome they preached to that was necessarye to lyue wythall in liuyng according to theyr preaching and in hauyng a prompte and readye mynde and wyl bothe patientlye to suffer all kynde of trouble and also to dye for the trueth that they preached By occasion whereof many beleued and were christened muche estemynge the simplicitye of theyr innocente lyfe and the swetenesse of heauenlye doctrine And there was neare vnto the heade Cytye there towarde the Easte a Churche of Sayncte Martyne whyche hadde bene buylded while as the Romaynes dwelled in Englande in whyche churche the Queene wyfe to kynge Edilberte whome we sayde before was a Christen woman was accustomed to pray And in the same church sayncte Augustyne and his felowes repayred together to singe to pray to saye Masses to preache and to Christen Thus writeth sayncte Bede howe sayncte Augustyne and his felowes obserued the order and trade of the primitiue church Thys was done here in Englande almoste a thowsand yeare ago And the same forme of religion both was before and after euen to oure dayes euermore kepte vsed amonge vs. And here we find fasting prayinge watchynge singing and saying of Masses whyche sayncte Bede calleth the Apostolicall trade of lyfe that was in y e primitiue churche ▪ But our preachers of late when they talked of the primitiue churche which they wold haue had vs to folowe they meaned no other churche but the malignaūt churche of Wicliffe Husse Luther Decolāpadius of suche like heretykes But to returne to our former purpose concerninge the wretched fruites that came of this doctrine when aulters were pulled downe and masse put away then were all churches without any lawe spoyled of all their ornamentes as of copes vestimentes aulter-clothes corporaxes chalishes crosses candelstickes censers cruettes bokes and all other thinges belōging therto and y e same put to prophane vses as to hanginges of beddes curteynes cusshins and other such like And some men made Ioly mocking and gea●t●●ge and called them the priestes masking clothes as we tolde you before But I beseche our lorde God that suche spoylers of the churche may repent make amendes for their spoyle that they haue not the like ende that one Iulianus had who was vncle to the noughty emperour Iulianus Apostata ▪ Of whom Sozome●nus wryteth that he mindynge to take away the precious ornamentes and Iewels of the Churche of Antioche in Syria whiche were a greate sorte in nombre and to encrease them perours treasure withal caused the churche to be shut vp that no man shuld resort thyther insomuche that all the clergye apperteynng to that churche fledde awaye sauing one priest onelye whose name was Theodorius whome Iulianus caused to be taken because he could tel where the ornamentes of the Churche were and first made hym to be sore beaten after to be panged with many sore tormentes and at length to be beheaded Which done the sayde Iulianus after he had robbed the church takē al the holy ornamentes away in great dispite dyd straw thē vpon the grounde sate him downe vpon them and so declared his spitefull malice agaynste them Whose priuye members and the necessarye partes beneath did by and by putrifye and rotte insomuche that the fleshe beynge rotten turned al into wormes and hys syckenes was so greate and greuouse that it passed al phisicions power to cure it So that at lengthe after manye paynfull panges he made an ende of hys wretched lyfe Thus by the hande of GOD was thys wycked man for the robbyng of Christes churche worthelye plaged By whose example lette euery Christen man learne thre poyntes first that he robbe not the churche of any holy ornamentes apperteynyng thereto Secondarely that he put them not to any profane vse as this Iulianus did Thirdly that he do not make a mockyng stocke of them and vnreuerentlye handle them ▪ lest the same plage that befell to the sayd Iulianus fal vpon him lykewyse Then was the holy order of priesthode vtterly disanulled so that the name of a priest shuld not be anye longer vsed but such as shuld preache and minister sacramentes shoulde be called ministers not priestes and that they shuld be apparelled lyke lay men so that a minister shuld not be knowē from a laye man but all shulde be a lyke whyche neuer was sene in the churche of God frō Christes tyme hytherto but only amonges heretykes Then was there meanes founde that there shuld be many such ministers For exhibition was begged by certain to be bestowed in the vniuersities Which ones gotten they bestowed it only vpon such as eyther were infected with heresy or elles in whom men had good hope that they would in tyme be heretikes And thus was folkes hyred to forsake Christes catholyke fayth and not only to deceaue them selfes but many other beside Would to god y t men were as wel willinge nowe to giue exhibition to set forward godlye learninge and vertue as they were then to set forth vice and heresye But to come to our purpose Then became those y t were lewde vnlearned very worthy preachers yea suche as had neuer bene at any vniuersitie wold teach the people and preache vnto them and were neuer sente and boaste of them selfes that they had the spirite Truth is it they had the spirite of error and blindnesse And the more blind that they were the more bold and shameles were they so that the sayinge of Hier●mye the Prophete myghte be well veryfyed in them They had the shameles forhead of a drabbe ▪ and wold not be ashamed at al. For he that was most ignorant was most bolde so that suche dydde wel proue the olde prouerbe to be true that none is bolder then blynde Bayarde Thys sorte of men stepped stoutelye into the pulpit and caring neyther for God nor deuyll kylled mo soules vpon one daye then all the noughty phisitiōs in Englande hadde kylled bodyes in twentye yeares and alwayes had they in theyr mouthes Gods worde Goddes worde some of them called it gods boke whereas their doctrine was nothing els but lyes and fables forged of theyr owne braynes and scriptures falsely translated and more falsely expounded according as they had learned of Luther Bucer Decolampadius Bullinger Caluyne and suche lyke heretykes And all theyr preaching or rather bablyng was spente in raylyng agaynste the order of Christes churche agaynst Images and candels agaynste Masse and mattyns agaynste purgatorye and prayinge for the deade agaynste free wyll and prayinge to saynctes agaynste crosses and belles agaynste copes and vestimentes agaynste the Blessed Sacramentes whereof the moste parte were by them taken awaye and the reste