Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11918	Foure sermons preached at the court vpon seuerall occasions, by the late reuerend and learned diuine, Doctor Senhouse, L. Bishop of Carlile	Senhouse, Richard, d. 1626.; Blechynden, Thomas.	1627 (1627)	STC 22230; ESTC S117131	57,196	148

Ephesians Great Diana That not to wander out of the way besides and beyond that Idolatrous inclination of Ephesians in generall crying out in the context these crying Ephesians here in the Text had a more particular interest in her that made her thus great to them a certaine thing called gaine for though in the sound of their cry they mention onely Diana yet in the cause of their cry the verses mixes other ingredients of their trade yea the spirit by order of enumeration seemes to point that out for the prime and principall motive in their crying The feare of losing their commings in caus'd them so to cry out made them so cry Great Diana As Logicians well canvasse the causes the procatarcticall cause of their cry was forsooth Piety the proegumenall cause was commodity their portion as themselves calld it their profit In the cry Diana bears all the name but in the cryers there was a falfe aime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 againe and again in the context here our wealth and our portion looking so through the spectacles of selfe interest this made her shew so great to them made them cry Great Diana Like Lap-wings crying aloof from their nest the cry runs upon their goddesse but the nest lay in their gaine as they made shrines for Diana so making skreekes of Diana too stauking to their ends of gaine under the shadow of their goddesse these craftsmen were their crafts masters dolus in idolo pretending godlinesse intending gaine they did bestow divinity on that which brought commodity they gain'd greatly by Diana therefore cryd they Great is Diana So true is that Tertullian spake of the heathen Non licet deos nosse gratis c. they made a gaine of their gods that though their gods were nought they did not serve them for nought Idolatry being not gratuita saies hee not serving God for god a mercy but captatrix saies Rhenanus lying at catch for commodity so common is that of Epictetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi utilitas ibi pietas it is the profit that keeps up the piety so well said the heathen man deos quisque sibi utiles cudit men love to coyn themselves commodious gods with them in the 44. of Ieremy to incense to the Queen of heaven for plenties sake to measure Religion by the belly to magnifie thus that whereby their portion is made fat and their meate plenteous as the Prophet speaketh That whereas besides that Tenet of the Fathers Idolatry to have come first from the devill as Clemens saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Synesius call him as reioycing in Idols Some hold griefe to have beene the first founder of Idols Idolum Idodynin as Fulgentius fetches it from Syrophanes and others hold feare to have founded Primus in orbe deos fecit timor and I encline to thinke they first sprung from flattery It may probably bee thought gainefull interest was the first founder of them especially among the Romanists Qui Pietatem quaestum Religionem praedam existimant as Aventinus spoke of them They count gaine Godlinesse and make Religion their prey making thus shew of Religion when their aime is revenew with these silvet smiths here forging most of their gaine thus upon the anvile of Diana For in this hast to passe by their sophisticall gaines by the Lady of the lake and the like and worse in passage cast but your eye upon their doctrinall Diana's their Diana of purgatory doe ye any think they thinke it a point of truth or not only thus of traffique and profit Purgatory pickpurse having fire to no other end save onely to make their pot boile and their kitchins smooke so their Diana of confession as they abuse it is it not become the engine whereby as is well noted they first dive into mens consciences and counsells and afterwards into their purses and estates by absolution Their Diana's of indulgences are they trow ye mistresses of piety or are they not matters of the market-house plaine penny worths rather I would not weary you with their foule waies nor sully this presence with any foule relations howbeit foule most foule was that blasphemy of their Caiphas to his Cardinall that that same fable of Christ had beene very profitable to him much more be their owne devises never so fabulous yet so long as they are commodious all is well may yee thinke That as Ambrose spake of Beniamins sack sacco soluto apparuit argentum that when the sack was loosed the silver appeared resolve much of their Theology into that whereof t is constituted and silver will appeare commodity will be found to be the chiefe element of constitution and that because unlesse their Diana's bee held up their commodities would downe therfore cry they thus Great Diana And O that none of this Ephesian leaven were now to bee found here amongst our selves also who as it is reprehended in Homer that mingling gods with men hee spake great things of the men but meane things of the gods wee most of us so mingle religion with worldly ends as that there is in us such a great deale of the one but so little of the other that as t is said of the Scythians that they once smootherd their gods with earth many of us seeme almost to have smootherd our godlinesse with our worldlinesse retaining onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Paul speakes not the power of godlinesse but onely the forme thereof to further our other purposes much like the fellow who vowing to Mercury halfe of what he found finding almonds presented onely the shells upon the altar If we affoord God a shell in Religion it is to get the kirnells to our selves following Christ more for his bread than his doctrine in our thoughts putting panem nostrum before nomen tuum making pretence of piety pandar to profit lending little to Religion but such offices as may broke for our other ends such passages as may bee factors for our profit shuffling in Religion onely to deale our selves a winning game making professing of Religion only profits stirrop to get up by making shew of serving God onely to serve our owne turnes As the winde changing the weather altereth upon any alteration ready to turne and returne and overturne as may best serve our turne to make our market under some mask of devotion eying thus cōmodity though crying thus Diana But be not deceived God is not mocked As let never interest no not of life make you leane to false worship so let never end of gaine make you feigne either false or true worship for what 's the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained To cry thus Diana Religion and in the mean time to care only for commodity commings in will one day make all that gaine as gravell in thy mouth as the Prophet Micah spake that which is gathred of the hire of an harlot shall return to the wages of an harlot that thus falsly gotten shall be as fowly gone that though with Paul yee wil put on faith as a brestplate yet never put yee on Religion as a cloak but say we sincerely Great is the mystery of godliness whilst these sophistically cry Great is Diana of the Ephesians Yea for conclusion this same Ephesus of all other as t is noted especially shadowing forth the Church of the Gentils All yee that heare mee this day at parting now looke well upon these Ephesians and what see you them here why Idolatrous Look forward into the Revelation why religious Look down upon them at this day and what see you them now why mahumetically miserable And seeing it so in them reflect the sight homeward upon our selves who had a time likewise of Idolatry have a time likewise of sincerity pray we we never have a time likewise of misery that it never come to passe with England which was threatned and performed to Ephesus I will come against thee shortly and remove thy Candlesticke out of his place except thou amend yea Amend your lives for the Kingdome of God is at hand c. FINIS

and but summe up with Bishop Iewell the heavie multitude of payments and perquisites the Pope heretofore had out of this Land the Proverbe will be easily beleeved their keennesse for that cause then notoriously manifested the very Geese for the Capitoll not more vigilant more vocall If we list not to look backward on others looke we but downe now upon our selves present how carefull and crying and keene wee are in worldly occurrences If but a house bee on fire there 's crying out Stentor cry'd no louder if but our childe or brother or friend miscarrie there 's bleating crying upon crying Clamassent ut littus Hyla Hyla omne sonaret As the sonne of Croesus though formerly dumbe is said yet to have cry'd out in his fathers danger we are not so dumbe but that wee can finde tongue enough to cry out in many cases of our owne causes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he spake boystrous and swelling passions impetuous enough obstreperous enough loude enough in secular passages And shall then only we and we onely in spirituall affaires the matters of our God even languish be feeble flaging often Ferventissimi in terrenis frigidissimi in coelestibus Shal many of us as in Ieremy have tongues bent like Bowes for lyes but not be valiant for the truth Shall false weights set the wheeles of so manie other tongues a going and we not be readie to utter a word in due season for the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Epiphanius phraseth it free-mouth'd for the truth of the Gospell Shall others drive like Iehu earnestly and we like the Egyptians with their wheeles off heavily As t is observed of Iob and his friends that they had an ill cause in hand but defended it craftily and Iob a good cause to defend but handled it unadvisedly Shall Turkes shall Papists shall Idolaters shall Heathen sollicite their bad cause so earnestly and wee our good cause our Gods cause so faintly Acriùs ad perniciem quàm nos ad salutem As in that sea-tempest the prophane Mariners cry'd every man unto his God whilst Ionah the Lords Prophet was gone downe into the sides of the ship and lay fast asleepe Shall prophane men shall Papisticall men clamour so for their woodden or breaden gods and shall any of the houshold of Faith by any sluggishnesse seeme to preiudice and betray the cause of their great and glorious God As when Callidus once declared against Gallus with a faint and languishing voice O saies Tullie Tu nisi fingeres sic ageres Wouldst thou utter it so feebly if thou werst in earnest Mens faint appearing for Gods cause gives shrewd suspition that many do but feine their coldnesse for religion probably concludes they doe but counterfeit that being in tongue such mutes for the true they are many in heart consonants to the false hardly would hee lend religion his bloud who list not spare it so much as his breath hardly would he die for it who will not so much as cry for it For what though there bee a time an evill time when the prudent man shall keep silence as in Amos yet even in those worst times that time of great and universall corruption They that feared the Lord spake then every one to his neighbour spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it Malach. 3. And even when the iniquity of the house of Israel and Iudah was so exceeding great that the land was full of bloud and the city of corrupt iudgement yet even then Gods children mourn'd and cry'd for the abominations done in the midst thereof Ezek. 9. and their sighes were then sollicitors for their affections That what though such turbulent crying beseeme not true Christians have they not in secret the voice of weeping with David Have they not cry for cry the cry of praier which goeth through the clouds and ceaseth not till it come nigh and will not depart untill the most High have respect unto it even wrastling with God and will not let him goe untill hee blesse his Church his Cause Religion That as when Hannah powring out her soule before the Lord spake in her heart even when her voice was not heard and when Moses spake not a word vocally yet said the Lord unto him Wherefore cryest thou unto mee Wee may cry and out-cry these even without crying out it being not with the true God as hee said of the false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee was to bee wooed and wrought upon with noise clamour but even without this strong winde wee may appeare before God as God himselfe appeared in the soft and still voice humbly begging a blessing upon religion As Bodin spake well of obtaining so for retaining religion Non disputationibus sed rogationibus not so much by disputation as devotion not by vociferation but praier as I heard of a good Bishop to spend foure houres a day in prayer to that purpose I would we were all such cryers out otherwise be it never so true which is commented here and wherewith cold professors are ready ever and anon to cloake themselves That great is the difference betweene the distempered passion of some phantastique men and the discreet zeale of sober men between turbulent fancy and true sanctity betweene the winde of giddinesse and the spirit of holinesse between the busling and noyse of those who are yet but about the doore of religion and the moderation and stilnesse of those who are got within as Plutarch wittily spake of Philosophy And many of the same Cryers out like Cyclops roring without his eye attempting things with great tumult and no iudgement and many hot blouds having but cold discretion and all that other for all that bosome idoll of discretion unlesse our earnestnesse equalize nay as Christ said Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees except our earnestnesse this way exceed the earnestnesse of these and those other like men Si non praestet fides quod exhibuit infidelitas as Ierom said If faith make not us at least as forward and keen for Gods cause as infidelitie here made them for theirs Haec in sugillationem nostri dicta sint as he spake to our utter discredite and infamy be it said They cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians So have yee the second particular their Earnestnesse Nor was this crying out here the monology of some one odde one no nor the impetuous passion the furious salley of some few hot spurs amongst them but the cry of them all none here excepted a common crying out as for a common cause that their keennesse backt with consent Their Ioyntnesse that 's now in this first part the third and last particular As all of them were called together about the danger so all of them cryed together in the defence the following verse seeming to second this observation of consent where it saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that for all the