Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	3,965	5	8.0680	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64246	The confession or declaration of the ministers or pastors which in the United Provinces are called Remonstrants, concerning the chief points of Christian religion; Confessio sive declaratio sententiae pastorum qui in Foederato Belgio Remonstrantes vocantur super praecipuis articulis religionis Christianae. English	Remonstrantse Broederschap.; Episcopius, Simon, 1583-1643.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1676 (1676)	Wing T564; ESTC R10771	123,629	274

But where we have not the Spirit of God going before us there we upon good right demu●● and with-hold our assent and do both beg and grant pardon by course remembring that which our Saviour adviseth us Judg not that ye be not judged and which the Apostle Judg not any thing before the time untill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Councils of Mens Hearts and then shall every Man have praise of God Hence we do not easily denounce an Anathema to him who we believe is held with a pure meer errour if he be otherwise pious fearing God and studious of a good Conscience and Divine Truth that is if he seem to us to love the Lord Jesus and highly to prize his Gospel by which alone he is willing to maintain his errour through which he ignorantly errs For we know how ready a matter it is in so great a multitude of Opinions so great a company of those that err so great a variety of wits or dispositions so great a plenty of hinderances and scruples so great weakness of judgments in such to slip and err and how easy it is by arguments true in appearance to be deceived and mistaken how harmless also it is in it self to err and to mistake in many things how great also clemency and kindness God is like to use towards such as simply err who pardoneth and remitteth even willful sins themselves to those that repent and how aliene or far from the gentle and meek disposition of our Lord Jesus it is not to pittie those that stray Lastly how sad and tragical disturbances that both rash and proud confidence of condemning hath at all times occasioned and made For Anathema's are wont to provoke Anathema's and where this chance is once cast all 's past and there is an end of all hope of remedy For the direful hatreds of parties suceed and the reins of hatreds being let loose they commonly at length with deadly and spiteful minds rush upon the slaughtering and Butchering of one another and the last fruit of these Condemnings and Anathematizings is an everlasting despair of cure That we might therefore avoid these mischiefs we have carefully and purposely forborn Anathema's deeming it sufficient ingenuously to have spoken the Truth and to have shewed the errour leaving in the mean time unto others a free judgment touching every errour and the greatness of the errour but chiefly to him who alone judgeth righteously and searcheth the Hearts and Reins of Men. We have already sufficiently sacrificed to unseasonable Anathema's and to those direful forms of sentencing to punishment each other we condemn we execrate and curse c. It is now time that we sacrifice to Christian Concord Meekness and Charity After so many sad and dismal cursings whereby on every side the fiercen●is of hatreds and mortal fallings out hath been irritated and exasperated let us lay aside such Enemy-like and exulcerated Minds and by gentleness by long-suffering by kindness by the Holy Spirit of Christ by love unfeigned by the word of Truth by the power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand and on the left after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his Apostles let us fight against Errours that to our utmost power we may save those that err and deliver them out of the danger of Eternal Perdition Let us not be many masters for one is our Master Let us assent to or approve of the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that doctrine which is according to Godliness Let us shun vain questions and strifes of words from which arise envy strife railings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness Let not us condemn or shut out of the Communion of the Church those that Christ doth not condemn nor shut out of his Kingdom Again let us not become the Servants of Men but withal neither let us be Lords over the Faith of others Let our moderation appear unto all and in modesty and mutual charity bear with one another being certainly perswaded that none is lightly to be condemned or blotted out of the register of Christians that holds fast his Faith in Christ and in hope of the good things promised by him doth seek from the heart to obey his Commands though in the mean time he err in many things that in some sort or other concern Religion the which holy and worthily to be praised moderation or equanimity when the best and greatest God shall have inspired the hearts either of all or at least of the most of those who bear rule in Churches and Commonwealths with then at length the Truth of the Gospel will every where flourish and an holy peace in the Lord and Concord will set up a settled place of abode among all that are truly Godly The which that it may shortly come to pass in the whole World especially in the Christian but most of all in the Reformed we humbly beseech of God through Jesus Christ in Spirit and Truth These things thus premised we shall now come directly to the heads of our Declaration as those which we would have alwayes joyned by an indissoluble tye with this very Preface The Confession or Declaration of the Ministers or Pastours which in the United Provinces are called Remonstrants concerning the chief points of Christian Religion CHAP. I. Of the Sacred Scripture and its Authority Perfection and Perspicuity I. WHosoever desireth to worship God aright and certainly and undoubtedly to be everlastingly saved he must of necessity first of all believe that God is and that he is a bounteous rewarder of those that seek him and therefore must conform himself according to that Rule and Square which it is undoubtedly manifest was delivered and prescribed by the true God himself the supream Law-giver and established upon the promise of Eternal Life 2. That God is and that he hath at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets and that he hath at length in the last times most fully declared and manifested his last Will by his only-begotten Son hath been a thing confirmed by so many and great Proofs Signs Wonders mighty Deeds or Works Gifts or Distributions of the Holy Ghost and other wonderful Effects and certain Events of several Prophesies and Testimonies of Men worthy of belief that any more certain more substantial and more compleat cannot be given or justly desired 3. The whole Declaration of the Divine Will which pertaineth unto Religion is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testaments and indeed authentically only in those which are called Canonical or which it can upon no just ground be doubted but that they were written or approved of by those Men who were inspired with and

Eph. 4. 3. Nevertheless in that whereunto by the help and guidance of Christ we have already attained let us walk by the same rule and be alike minded or affected and if in any thing we be otherwise-minded God will reveal even this unto us Phil. 3. 15 16. Grant he that we may daily more and more to his Glory grow and make progress in true Faith Piety Charity Prudence Gentleness Meekness and other holy Endowments and Christian Virtues and endeavour patiently to bear with and gently or mildly to amend one anothers Infirmitities Errors and Failings that being rooted and grounded in Love we may be able together with all Saints to apprehend what is that breadth and length and depth and heighth and that love of Jesus Christ which passeth all understanding that so we may be filled even unto or with the whole fulness of God To him who with infinite redundancy is able to do above all those things which we ask or think according to that power which worketh in us to him we say be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages World without end Amen FINIS A Prolepsis concerning a four-fold sort of dissenters touching things of this kind Objections of the first and second sort 1 Cor. 1. 12. A general Answer What is the true use and end of Consessions That they are not precisely necessary That yet they are useful and lawful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they are sometimes also necessary Three remedies against the abuses of them Of their true and false authority * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of their three-●old abuse For a moderate liberty to examine them Against the unbridled Licentiousness of some Nor bands of Consciences That they are not limits nor bounds within which Religion is to be shut up * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Conclusion of what hath been said 1 Cor. 1 12. Of b●waring of an accidental abuse The scope of this Consession Against the Calumnies of some Of the matter of this Consession Against the third sort of dissenters What heads her● are chiefly expounded and why 1 John 2. 4. Of the five controverted points in Holland * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against rash Anathema's Gal. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 16. 22. Mat. 7. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 5. An exhortation to the study of peace moderation and forbearance 1 Pet. 2. 23. Apoc. 2. 23. Jam. 2. 1. Ma. 2. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 4 5. Phil. 4. 5. The Foundation of Religion is Faith in God * Heb. 11. 6. † ● Mat. 7. 21. Gal. 6. 16. ‖ Heb 11. 1 Joh. 1. 18. The Revelation of the Godhead in the Old New Testament * Heb. 2. 3 4. Deut. 29. per totum Act. 2. 22. 1 Thes. 1. 5 1 Joh. 1. 1 3. The Canonical Books of the Old Testament † 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. ‖ Luk. 16. 29. 24. 27 45 46 47. Act. 17. 2 3 24. 14. 26. 22 23. Rom. 1. 2. The ●o●ks of the New Testament * Luk. 1. 1 2 3. Joh. 19. 35. 20. 31. Act. 1. 1. divers other places † 2 Pet. 3. 15 16. 1 Thes. 2. 2. E●h 2. 3 ●● ‖ 2 Pet. 3. 1. 1. Joh. ● ● 〈◊〉 4. * Rev. 1. 1. 12. 18 19. with other places The certainty of both The Apochryphal Books Arguments for the certainty and truth of the Scriptures ‖ Act. 5. 11 13 14 15. Heb. 2. 3 4. Act. 10. 37 38 39. * Act. 2. 14 c. Act. 5. 29 30 31 32. † Mat. 5. 6 7 8. chapters ‖ 2 Pet. 1. 4. Heb 8. 6. 2 Cor. 7. 1. * Rom. 10. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 3 4. 2 Cor. 3. through● out 2 Cor. 4. 2 3 4 5. c. 2 Cor. 6. 4 5 c. Col. 1. 6. 23. Act. 5. 14 c. Act. 19. 11 12. and so following A Prolepsis or prevention and answering of an objection touching the Testimony of the Church † Luk. 1. 1. Col. 4. 16. 1 Thes. 5. 27. and 2 Thes. 3. 17. ‖ Eph. 2. 20. Act. 2. 42. 1 Thes. 2. 13. * Rom. 10. 14 15 16 17. Joh. 10. 3 4 27. 1 Pet. 1. 23 24 25. chap. 2. 1 2 3 c. The Authority of the Sacred Scripture † Esa. 1. 2 3. Heb. 1. 1. ‖ Deut 4. 2. 12. 32 2 Tim. 3. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 21. ‖ Mat. 15. 9. 16. 6. Gal. 1 8 9. The Sacred Scripture is the only Rule of Controversies of Faith * Isa. 8. 20. Act. 17. 11. † Jam 4. 12. Ma● 13 8. ‖ Psal. 19. 8 9. 119. 105. Luk. 16. 29 31. * Deut. 6. 6 7 c. chap. 11. 8. so on † 1 Joh. 4. 1. so on ‖ 1 Thes. 5. 21. * Prov. 2. 2 3 4 c. chap. 3. vers 13. so on Psal. 1. 2. † Act 17. 11. 2 Pet. 1. 19. And not the Church or a Synod c. * See the places 〈…〉 a little before 〈◊〉 8. 20. c. ‖ Psal n 9. 33 so on Eph 1. 16. so following chap. 314 15 c. Mat. 7. 7 8 c. Jam. 1. 5. An exa●●●nation and con●●tation of the contrary errour Mat. 23. 8 9 Rom 15. 18 Gal. 1. 8. and so following The Perfection and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures * 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 1 Pet. 1. 23 24 25. 2 Pet 1 19 20 21. † Rom. 10. 9 c. Mat. 5 6 7 ch through out Heb. 5. 9. Gal. 5. 6. 6. 15 1. Joh. 5. 1. c. * Psal. 19. 8 c. Psa. 119. 105 130. 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 c. 4. 3 4 ● Pet. 1. 19. The clearn●ss and perspicuity thereof † Joh. 5. 39. 40. 2. Pet. 1. 19. Luk. 16. 29. c. 1 Thes. 5. 20. ‖ Psa. 25. 12 14. Joh. 7. 17. 8. 47. The causes of its obscurity * Job 3 18 19 c. 〈◊〉 5. 39 40 c 12. 39 40 c. ‖ 2 Pet. 3. 16 2 Cor. 3. 14. * Acts 8. 30 31 c. 18. 24 25 c. And of its Interpretation † 1 Cor. 12 7 8 c. chap. 14. throughout 1 Thess. 5. 20 21. Which is the best sure st Explication of Scripture ‖ Heb. 4. 12 13. 1 Pet. 1 23 24 25. Jam. 1. 18 21. * Mat. 4. 4 5 c. and ch 22. 19. 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. 2 Cor. 3. 13 14 15 A prol●psis or prevention of an objection The two chief heads of Religion * Joh. 17. 3. 1 John 2. 23. chap 5. 11 12. 2 Joh. 9 Three things to be known of God † Heb. 11. 6 7 c. Acts 14. 15 c. ch 17. 24 c. But not equally or alike necessary A twofold knowledge of God ‖ Job 28. 28. Jer. 2. 8. 22. 16 Ho● 6. 6. Tit. 1. 16. 1 Joh. 2 3 4 c. and ch 3. 6. Of the Nature of God *

and through a more sharp viewing of the vice and otherwise most just hatred of the abuse to be carried and fall unawars even into a detestation of the very thing it self Which that it may be plain it will be worth our labour to premise some what of the nature necessity utility and right use of Confessions or Declarations For from thence it will most clearly appear and become manifest both how greatly they are mistaken who are wholly averse from them and reject them one with another and what is our end and scope in the putting forth of this As for Confessions then or Declararations in general they are nothing but clear and manifest expositions of our Faith propounded and laid down in a certain method wherein more or fewer eitheir by word or writing discover their judgment concerning points of Christian Religion and make it known to the Christian World for the clearing up of Divine Truth the cutting off Calumnies where with innocent persons are oppressed and the edifying of Churches in true Faith and peace This at length is the proper true and genuine nature and genius of Confessions and Declarations from which we are to make judgment of their true both necessity and utility and no ways from the disposition and design of those who have oftentimes abused Confessions and Declarations to far other different ends For those things have not been the faults of the Declarations but of the Declarers and not the uses but abuses of Confessions and they such as might easily but for our selves be severed from the Forms of Confessions themselves That these kind of Forms indeed are not precisely and absolutely necessary we willingly grant and therefore do we not like of their opinion whom we mention'd in the fourth place who account them at least for secondary Symbols of Faith and who determine or maintain that they are precisely necessary if not to the being yet at least to the well-being of a Christian Church For where a right and concordant or unanimous understanding of the Scriptures hath its place there simply is no need of other Forms of belief or expressions but what are in the Scriptures themselves and those Forms which are in the Scriptures they are sufficient unto Faith and Salvation and if one bring with him an honest and docile mind and studious of Divine Truth for the discerning of them and withall use those means which he ought to use and which become a Reader earnestly desirous of so great things they are so clear and perspicuous that they may and ought at all times abundantly to suffice every Christian to draw from thence both for himself and others a most perfect Declaration of Divine meanings For verily it cannot be justly doubted but that those Forms and Phrases wherein God himself and our Lord Jesus Christ were pleased long since to express and declare the meanings of their mind to private and ordinary and unlearned men are also at this day sufficient for us to understand and declare those very same meanings since to that end they are no less left of God and delivered by the Scripture to us than unto them that from them we might draw and fetch those things which concern the Worship of God and our own and others everlasting Salvation From whence it follows that it is altogether possible that the Church of Christ may not only be but that it may also well be without such like humane Forms In the mean time though such Forms are not precisely necessary yet are they not therefore also to be judged unprofitable and consequently unlawful and hurtful For if Prophesyings or Interpretings of the Scriptures are not unprofitable yea rather if they be some-times in certain respects necessary which several Teachers and Pastours propose in Universities and Churches or which otherwise are performed in Christian Assemblies when for the informing of the ignorant the reducing of them that go astray into the right way the relieving the doubting and convincing gainsayers they declare illustrate the meaning of the Scriptures as far as may be by familiar and clear withal usual forms of speaking be-besides the very express words of the Scriture it cannot verily seem unprofitabe much less unlawful or hurtful if more Ministers of Jesus Christ do by mutual consents joint studies and endeavours for the greater illustration or clearing up of divine Truth removing of slanders the edifying of the generality or the most of men or other holy and pious ends publickly open and declare their judgment upon the same meanings of Scripture and that in certain composed Forms Yea further if you shall duly consider the matter without affection and prejudice we shall find that those times may happen wherein such Declarations ought to seem not only profitable but also very necessary For i● foul and gross errours noxious to Christian Religion and piety should seize on our age if necessary heads of belief should be neglected or be minded but by the by or those that are not necessary be earnestly urged as necessary as also profitable doctrines not be distinguished from those that are necessary as they ought lastly if mens consciences shall be bound up by humane inventions or devices and every thing though never so false be palliated and cloathed with Scripture words and expressions there is certainly a necessity laid upon all and every Christian espesially upon Pastours of Churches seriously to consider and advise among themselves by what means they may withstand so many and great evils and if they shall perceive that those blind miserable mortals may profitably and prudently be holpen by a more clear proposal and elucidation or discovery of the Divine meanings than hath been formerly made as it were by a Torch lighted in the dark unanimously and as it were with joint forces to agree and conspire how they may discover and set before their eyes those divine senses and meanings in certain Forms now long since with profit received and familiar if peradventure by the help of these they that err may be delivered out of the said deep darkness and be reduced into the right way of everlasting Salvation In the next place if it fall out that those who perform this profitable service to the Christian Common-wealth should notwithstanding as it usually comes to pass be loaded with Calumnies be soyled with foul and dishonest suspicions and as it were overwhelmed with a certain deluge of false accusations as the Patrons of all the wicked opinions in the World who hang out as it were upon new posts old Heresies either all or some of them dig up again out of Hell or their Grave Errours long since condemned who hold nothing firm nothing solid in Religion and are divided and severed among themselves by so many and so monstrous Opinions that they may justly seem rather Monsters of men then Christians who is there who will not think them like to do a work worth their pains yea that