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	law_n	matter_n	2,980	5	5.2921	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11964	A copy of a letter, vvritten by M. Doctor Carier beyond seas, to some particular friends in England. VVhereunto are added certaine collections found in his closet, made by him (as is thought) of the miserable ends of such as haue impugned the Catholike Church. To which also is annexed a briefe exhortation to perseuere constantly in the said Catholike Church, what opposition soeuer may occurre, and the danger of liuing out of the same; and lastly, a few examples of the admirable prosperity, of such as haue defended the Catholike Church	Carier, Benjamin, 1566-1614.	1615 (1615)	STC 4621; ESTC S118628	25,589	43

A Copy of a Letter vvritten by M. Doctor CARIER beyond Seas to some particular friends in ENGLAND Whereunto are added certaine collections found in his Closet made by him as is thought of the miserable ends of such as haue impugned the Catholike Church To which Also is annexed a briefe exhortation to perseuere constantly in the said Catholike Church what opposition soeuer may occurre and the danger of liuing out of the same And lastly a few examples of the admirable prosperity of such as haue defended the Catholike Church 1615. Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis MY most deere and louing friends if the times were such as when it shall please God they may be I would much rather choose to haue a poore Vicarage where I might preach the truth amongst you then a rich preferment in any part of the world besides where I might not enioy your company and friendship But seeing it is otherwise I will lay the fault vpon no body but rather haue compassion vpon all for such is the violence of the streame that no one man no not the Master of the ship himselfe is able to stirre the ship out of the streame and yet the course that is held is certainely very dangerous not onely for all the passengers that are therin but euen for the whole vessel wherin they are carried If the losse of me might haue helped it I had beene happily bestowed at home but seeing that my presence did nothing but procure great danger to my selfe euery way and great anger to them whose game I seemed to marre as a stander by I thought it the surest way to saue my selfe and to becken to as many of my friends as may please to beleeue me that they would also looke well about them lost they be ouertaken with death as with a storme that in such sommer times doth often come when it is least looked for and therfore against all aduentures to conuey themselues into a surer ship I do not desire they should follow me and leaue their lands and liuings their friends and Countrie and the presence of their deare and dread Soueraigne and yet if there be no remedie for the honor of Christ and his truth all must be forsaken much lesse doe I allow that any man should withdraw his allegiance and true seruice from King IAMES and to bestow it vpon any other Prince or Prelate in the world Only for the dutie I owe vnto God who hath called me to the knowledge of his truth and the loue I beare vnto my Countrie and to all my friends that are therein I doe most humbly and hartily desire them that they would seriously consider and looke to the state of their soules which being immortall cannot be saued by any such religion as is temporall mutable and dissonant in it selfe And seeing no man can be saued that dieth out of charitie with his neighbour for that an vncharitable soule cannot be altered and made charitable after it is departed Let euery good soule take heed how by the railing slanders of ignorant malicious and proud men it be brought and held out of charitie with a whole Church and especially such a Church as cannot bee deemed to be the mother of that Church that is in England and being a mother Church it is worthy at least to be heard quietly to tell out her tale at length before she be condemned by the outcries of those that either of malice or of custome doe raile vpon her which I write not that I would haue the Church of Rome gaine by the goods of England for I know she intends it not and the State may prouide against but that I desire the soules of England should gaine by the Church of Rome which if you might freely heare her speake you would certainely desire also And although she may not be suffered to speake to you yet you may enquire of her and heare what indifferent men without choler or passion doe say and write of her And if you doe find her indeed to be the true Mother suffer not the Diuell to possesse your vnderstanding by heresie nor your wills by malice for any worldly respect whatsoeuer but vnite your vnderstanding to the vnderstāding of the Church by faith and your affections to the wil of the Church by loue charitie and if it be possible vnite your outward man also to the authority of the Church by the participation of the Sacramēts and by al spiritual obedience But if you finde impossibilitie therein then hauing done your best to helpe the Catholike Church by your faith charitie as S. AVGVSTINE exhorteth in his booke de vera relig cap. 6. Call vpon Christ who is the immortall Priest and Bishop of your soules that hee would vouchsafe by his absolute power to supply the want of his owne ordinance and to doe that by himselfe without Sacraments which you vnfainedly would but cannot haue done by any Priest of his sending and by the Sacraments that he hath appointed And there is hope that he will doe it as Saint BERNARD writeth in his booke de Anima This was the Course I tooke vntill God gaue me oportunitie to take a better for which I humbly thanke his heauenly Maiestie and am desirous to giue all good men satisfaction that haue any religion at all But I doe consider that there are as you may easily see amongst your selues foure sorts of Christians in the world out of the Catholike Church 1 Some doe not beleeue either hell or heauen and therefore they are content to goe to any Church and be of any religion but care for none at all 2 Some do beleeue that there is hell and heauen but that all things fall out by absolute predestination as by fatall destiny and therefore there is no Church nor religion can doe a man good but only to reade Scriptures and heare Sermons and to beleeue that a man is predestinate 3 Some doe beleeue there is hell and heauen and that Some religion is necessarie but it is no great matter what so a man obey the Kings Lawes and liue like an honest man For they say euery man may be saued in his owne religion All these I am out of hope to satisfie although their follies be against the light of naturall reason but they haue lost reason 4 Some there are that beleeue there is hell and heauen and that there is no way to auoide the one or attaine the other but only true Christian Religion which they would gladly embrace if they could know which it were To them and for their sakes I would take any paines to giue satisfaction And I am certaine if they will heare mee with patience they will be satisfied And for the ground of this question I thinke it will bee granted on all sides that that only is the true Christian Religion which our Sauiour Christ did teach himselfe when he was vpon the earth and which as he promised shall continue vntill he come

againe Then the maine care is to find what religion our Sauiour taught whilest he was vpon the earth And heere I would pray euery man of reason to consider 1 That our Sauiour did leaue nothing in writing but taught his Religion to his Apostles by word of mouth 2 That he commanded not his Apostles to write his Religion but to teach it ite praedicate 3 That of twelue Apostles seuen did leaue nothing at all in writing but taught their successors the Religion of Christ by word of mouth 4 That Saint MARKE Saint LVKE and Saint PAVL who wrote most of the new Testament were not of Christ his company whilest he was vpon the earth and therefore must needs learne their Religion of the Church before they wrote it 5 That diuers others did write the Religion of Christ as they did apprehend it but their Gospels and Epistles were reiected by the Church LVKE 1. 1. 6 That at the day of Iudgement there will be no writing to trie true Religion from Heresie but only the eternall truth of Christ in the soules of his Saints 7 That the Scriptures were written by men of the Church admitted Canonicall by Councels of the Church preserued from Tyrants by the care of the Church and euer vntill of late expounded by the consent of the Church 8 How few men are able to reade and expound the Scriptures any way and whether it be not easier to beleeue the Church then to beleeue a few priuate men that say they can expound Scriptures better then the Church 9. That all sorts of Heretikes haue alwaies boasted of Scriptures and despised the Church The Heretikes haue euer beene wont to pretend Scriptures the more easily to deceiue the simple They know full well that all the Fathers all Doctors all ancient Writers all generall Councels Canons Traditions all Ecclesiasticall Histories all Chronicles and monuments of Antiquitie all Martyrs Confessors Virgins and all testimonies both in heauen and earth are flat against them and therefore they will pretend the word of God which they know is a plausible perswasion to the simple and so they delude and deceiue them more easily These Scriptures they misinterpret corrupt falsisie and abuse most shamefully to serue their turnes as VINCENTIVS LI●INENSIS most excellently sheweth in his golden treatise Contra prophanas haeresum nouitates against the prophane nouelties of heresies Vpon these considerations any man may assuredly pronounce that whosoeuer beleeueth not the Church of Christ can neuer come to know what is the Religion that Christ did teach and which he hath hitherto maintained And therefore it is impossible for such a man to know which is the true Christian Religion The meanes then to know which is the true Religion of Christ is to enquire which is the true Church of Christ Heere it cannot be denied but that that is the true Church of Christ which Christ himselfe did found whilest he was vpon the earth to continue vntill the worlds end And whatsoeuer Church is founded by any other authoritie then that which Christ left vnto his Apostles only cannot be the true Church of Christ although all the Princes in the world would agree to make it so and cause all their subiects to sweare it were so Now to know which is the true Church our Sauiour did found we must obserue that this word Church doth signifie diuers things 1 Sometimes the Church doth signifie the building or house of Gods seruice in this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to found and consecrate Churches as countries should be conuerted 2 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Congregation of all those that are baptized as the Church of Corinth Rome c. in Saint PAVLS Epistles In this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe for he baptized none but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to baptize 3 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Clergie or Spiritualtie chosen out of the number of all Christians to dispence the grace of Christ committed to them for the benefit of the whole bodie In this sense our Sauiour did by himselfe immediatly found a Church when he did call and send his Apostles and did giue them the same power which himselfe as Man had receiued of his Father Sicut pater misit me sic ego mitto vos Ioh. 20. qui audit vos me audit Luke 10. quorum peccata remiseritis remittentur eis Ioh. 20. mittam vobis Paraclitum quivos ducet in omnem veritatem Ioh. 14. Super hanc Petram aedisicabo Ecclesiam c. Then to know which is the true Church we must enq●●●● which is the Clergie that was founded by Christ and continueth in the vnitie of the Church by perpetuall Succession from the Apostles so from Christ himselfe for your certaine resolution hereof you haue three infallible arguments 1 The report of Chronicles and Histories whereof there is great variety that can tell you the beginning and occasion of euery Schisme if you doe but turne the bookes ouer 2 The vniuersalitie antiquitie and consent of Doctrine taught in the true Church and the variety nouelty and repugnancie of Doctrine taught in Schisme herein you may inquire of the most learned and most honest to informe you 3 The Scriptures 1 Of the old Testament to which our Sauiour sends vs IOH. 5. Scrutamini Scripturas By those S. Augustine proues the visibility of the Catholike Church against Donatists 2 Of the new Testament by which is proued the perpetuity of the Catholike Church Portae inferi non praeualebunt Matth. 16. Vsque ad consummationem seculi Matth. 28. Consider then deare friends what a happy thing it is for a man to liue in such a Church that is with such a Clergie as being lawfully called and continuing in the vnity of the Church haue the very same power that the Apostles themselues yea that Christ himselfe as he was Man had to forgiue sinnes vnto the penitent to conuey grace by Sacraments as Christ conueyed it himselfe sometime without Sacraments to exhibite the Reall presence of Christ vnto the faithfull and to preach the glad tidings of saluation both by word and writing And on the contrary side what an vnspeakable misery it is to haue such a Clergie that is such a Church as hath no calling but from a Ciuill Magistrate and consequently no power from Christ no remission of sinnes no grace in Sacraments no Reall presence of Christ amongst them nor warrant from Christ either to preach or expound the Scriptures although they talke of them neuer so much I will not determine against the succession of the Clergie in England because it is to me very doubtfull but although the successions were neuer so good if there be not vnitie there can be no grace conueyed from the head vnto such parts of the body as are by Schisme cut off and with hostilitie opposed as you see most of the Clergie of England

die out of this Church without doubt perish euerlastingly If then as I said before Catholikes doe not weigh these things but for feare of temporall losses or discommoditie fall out of this Church God almightie will call vnto him others which are yet seduced and blinded with heresie and sinne These after their calling to so great grace after their soules and hearts are illuminated will take wonderfull comfort in so inexplicable a benefit as this of their vocation and justification These will be feruent and deuout in Gods seruice these wil neuer cease to laude and praise his holy name these will neuer suffer themselues to be seperated from almighty God againe these will contemne life goods friends lands and all for this inestimable Iewell these like to the Primitiue Christians wil neuer be daunted with persecution but will rejoyce in it both in respect of grace Gods greatest treasure they receiue in this life and glory that most ample reward they expect in the next world And therefore to conclude let none be discouraged with feare of persecution or troubles for whatsoeuer thou shalt lose in this life thou shalt receiue it euen heere an hundred fould and also a crowne of glory in the Kingdom of heauen And therfore I say with S. Cyprian Non vereamur occidi quos constat cum occidimur coronari Let vs not feare to be murthered whom when we are murdered certain it is we are crowned We should be so far from being terrified with persecution as we should exceedingly reioyce in it Gaudete exultate saith our Sauiour qu●niam merces v●stra copiosa est in coelis be glad and reioyce for your reward is very great in heauen To suffer persecution willingly and joyfully for Christs cause for the profession of the Catholike faith is our glory and the Apostle saith Absit mihi gloriari nisi in Cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi God forbid I should glory in any thing but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ The Crosse is the most precious Iewell of our Sauiour Christ and of this Iewell he alwaies giueth the greatest portions to his dearest friends Let vs therefore amids our greatest crosses and tribulations be of good comfort there is no better signe of our election and predestination then liuing in Gods grace and fauour and keeping our selues in the vnity and obedience of our holy Mother the Catholike Church to be diuers wayes afflicted and persecuted to be robbed and spoiled belied and slandered by the enemies of Gods eternall truth Let vs not suffer for theft for murther for other criminall matters but if it be for Catholike religion for obedience to our lawfull Pastors and spirituall guides which doe watch ouer vs as bound to render an account for our soules according to the Apostle Hebr. 13. 17. Obedite praepositis vestris c. Let vs not be ashamed but esteeme our selues euen blessed in this life as our Sauiour pronounceth of vs. And the more we shall suffer for so glorious a cause so much more happy we shall be for there is no proportion betwixt our present sufferings and the future rewards Non sunt condigne passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam The passions of this time are not condigne to the glory to come that shall be reuealed in vs. Rom. 8. 18. Let vs then reioyce in tribulation and nothing doubt but that our mercifull Lord who sends it will likewise send comfort with it 2. Cor. 17. Sicut socij est is passionum sic eritis consolationis in Christo Iesu Domino nostro As you are fellowes of his passions so also shall you be of consolation in Christ Iesus c. And againe Sicut abundant passionis Christi in nobis ita per Christum abundat consolatio nostra As the passions of Christ abound in vs so also by Christ aboundeth our consolation as most excellently writeth the Apostle Saint Paul 2. Cor. 1. 5. To make an end let vs reioyce in tribulation at least esteeme it all joy when we fall into diuers temptations as exhorteth blessed Saint Iames chap. 1. 2. But if wee doe finde in our selues this imperfection that we cannot reioyce in crosses and troubles neither yet haue that high esteeme of it as we ought at least let vs dispose our selues to patience for such as lose patience as out of feare fall away the Angel or rather our Sauiour Christ saith in the Apocalyps Their part shall be in the burning lake Apocal. 31. 8. And that which may most encourage vs is that comfortable assertion of our Sauiour Christ often repeated in the Apocalyps Qui vicerit dabo ei edere Mannae absc●nditum c. He that shall ouercome I will giue him to eate hidden Manna Qui vicerit dabo ei edere de ligno vitae quod est in Paradiso Hee that shall ouercome I will giue him to eate of the tree of life which is in Paradise Happy are they that shall feed of this heauenly bread and that shall eate of this delicate fruite for they shall liue for euer This which hath been said may not only be of great force to confirme the obedient and resolute children of Gods Church but also may auaile much to confound such as liue in Schisme and participate with Heretikes in their execrable seruice and Sacraments contrary to their consciences Whom besides these former points I beseech in the bowels of Iesus Christ to reflect vpon the vncertainty of this life and the vanitie of all earthly things vpon Gods seuere judgements executed vpon rebellious and schismaticall people vpon the foure last things to wit Death Iudgement Heauen and Hell vpon the constancie of innumerable most glorious Martyrs of either sexe c. And they cannot considering these things with serious attention they cannot possibly I say continue longer in Schisme but with all speed reconcile themselues to almightie God and his Church And that this I say may take better effect with them I will conclude with those two excellent sayings of Saint Augustine most worthy to be noted Firmissime tene nullatenus dubites non solum omnes Paganos sed etiam Iud●os Haereticos atque Schism 〈◊〉 qui extra Ecclesiam Catholicam praesentem fini●●●t vitam in ignem aeternum ituro● qui paratus est Diabolo Angelis eius B. August lib. de fide ad Petrum Hould most firmely and in no wise doubt that not only all Pagans but also all Iewes Heretickes and Schismatickes which out of the Catholike Church end this present life shall goe into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels And the other Firmissime tene nullatenus dubites quemlibet haereticum atque schismaticum in nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti baptizatum si Ecclesiae Catholicae non fuerit aggregatus quantascunque eleemosynas fecerit etsi pro Christi nomine etiam sanguinem fuderit nullatenus posse saluari Omni enim homini qui Ecclesiae

non tenet vnitatem neque baptismus neque eleemosyna quantumlibet copi●sa neque mors pro Christi nomine suscepta proficere potest ad salutem quamdiu in eo haeretica vel schismatica prauitas perseuerat quae ducit ad mortem Hould most firmely and no waies doubt that euery Heretick and Schismaticke baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost if he be not joyned to Gods Church how great almes soeuer hee giue and although he shed his bloud for Christs sake can no wayes bee saued for euery man that holdeth not the vnitie of the Church neither baptisme nor almes although neuer so great neither death suffered for Christs cause can profit vnto saluation as long as hereticall lewdnesse perseuereth in him which leadeth vnto death Finally for such as are within the lappe of the Catholike Church I beseech them to square their liues according to the precepts and rules of Catholike religion which induce to holines and perfection of life and I say vnto them with the Apostle Abijciamus opera tenebrarum induamur arma lucis sicut in die honeste ambulemus non in comm●ssationibus ebri●tatibus non in cubilibus impudicitijs non in contentione aemulatione sed induimini Iesum Christum Let vs cast away the workes of darknes and put on the armour of light let vs walke honestly as in the day time not in banquetting and drunkennesse not in champering and immundicities not in contention and emulation but doe you on our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13. It is not enough to be in the Catholike Church vnlesse we liue according to the rules of our Catholike religion If we giue our selues to sensuality and voluptuousnesse if we sticke not to commit grieuous and enormious sinnes yea if we endeuour not to liue vertuously godly and vprightly wee cannot hope to be saued for as saith Saint Augustine most excellently Firmissime tene nullatenus dubites non omnes qui intra Ecclesiam Catholicam baptizantur accepturos esse vitam aeternam sed eos qui percepto baptismate recte viuunt id est qui absti●uerunt se à vitijs concupiscentijs carnis Regnum enim coelorum sicut Infideles Haeretic● atque Schismatici non habebunt sic Catholici criminosi possidere non poterunt Hould it most firely and doubt not any waies that not all which are baptised within the Catholike Church shall receiue life euerlasting but they which being baptised liue well that is which haue abstained from vices and desires of the flesh For the Kingdome of heauen as faithlesse Heretikes and Schismatikes shall not haue so sinfull Catholikes cannot possesse God almighty vouchsafe to grant that we which be Catholikes may so order and dispose our liues as may be to the glory of God edification of others and saluation of our owne soules PRAYERS FOR CONVERSION OF HERETIKES AND SCHISMATIKES OMnipotens aeterne Deus erue quaesimus Haereticos atque Schismaticos ab erronibus vniuersis ad sanctam Matrem Ecclesiam Catholicam atque Apostolicam reuocare digneris Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum qui tecum viuit regnat in saecula saeculorum Amen Alia oratio OMnipotens aeterne Deus qui saluas omnes neminem vis periro respice ad animas diabolica fraude deceptas vt omni haeretica prauitate deposita errantium corda recipiscant ad veritatis tuae redeant vnitatem Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum c. Alia oratio DEus qui errata corrigis dispersa congregas congregata conseruas quaesumus super populum Christianum tuae vnionis gratiam clementer infunde vt diuisione rejecta vero Pastori Ecclesiae tuae se vniens tibi digne valeat famulari Per Dominum nostrum c. OF THE TEMPORALL PROSPERITIE AND FELICITIE OF THEM WHICH haue defended the Church WE haue seene to what miserable destruction diuers notorious enemies of God and his Church haue fallen I could haue added hereunto most memorable examples of meaner but yet honorable and worshipfull Families as also of diuers Countries Kingdomes and Peoples which either in respect of their reuolt from the Catholike Church or their opposition against the same haue come to vtter ruine and desolation And is not this that the Prophet Isay or rather God almightie by the Prophet threatneth Isai 60. 12. Gens Regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit The Nation Kingdom which will not serue thee shall perish that is such Kingdomes and People as will not subject themselues to the yoke of Christ and obedience of his Church shall perish Were not the most flourishing parts of the world for their fall to Arianisme Donatisme Nestorianisme and other condemned heresies for a just punishment of God ouer-runne and brought to desolation by the Sarazens and by infinite barbarous and sauage people Gothes Vandals Hunnes Alanes and others All Histories are full of these matters expressely setting downe the cause of the ouerthrow of so many goodly countries in Asia but especially Africa and in Europe as Italy Spaine France Germany England with other more Were not these goodly parts of the world neere about vs together with al Africa ouerrun and destroyed by the Goths Vandals and other barbarous people for Schisme and Haeresie Were not the Britons in this Iland after they were infect with the Heresie of Pelagius thrust out of their seates most of them destroyed and the remnant driuen into the barrennest parts of the Iland by the Saxons And I should neuer make an end if I should proceed to bring so many instances in this point as are recorded in all sorts of Chronicles and writings extant in the world But now let vs relate some few examples of so many of the temporall prosperitie and happy successe of such Princes as adhered to the Church honored and defended it First those noble victories are well knowne which are recorded in the old Testament as the victories of Abraham Moses Iosua Gedeon Samuel Dauid Ezechias Iosias and the Machabees In the new Testament that is in the Law of Grace Constantine the Great which first of all the Emperours publikely defended the Church almost in like sort vanquished Maxentius as Moses did Pharao for Maxentius was drowned in Tyber as Pharao in the Red-sea Euseb lib. 9. hist cap. 9. Of him speaketh Saint Augustine lib. 5. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 25. Constantine the Emperour not suppliant to Diuels but worshipping the true God receiued so many gifts and blessings from God as none durst presume to wish this one Augustus held possessed and defended the whole Romane Empire In administring and making warre hee was most victorious in vanquishing and repressing Tyrants wonderfull prosperous being of great yeares hee died of sicknesse and old age and left sonnes three Emperours to succeed him Of THEODOSIVS the elder in the same place writeth the same S. August cap. 26. that he had wonderfull successe in all