Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	faith_n	10,229	5	5.3180	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20803	The churches securitie, togither with the antidote or preseruative of euer waking faith A treatise conteyning many fruitefull instructions, moralities and consolations fit for the time and age wherein wee liue. Herevnto is annexed a sound and profitable treatise of the generall signes and fore-runners of the last iudgement. By Thomas Drax.	Draxe, Thomas, d. 1618.	1608 (1608)	STC 7183; ESTC S109885	58,282	79

key to vnlocke the treasures of the scriptures it is the foundation of our spirituall house and the directer touchstone of al good workes and obedience That this soundnesse of faith and iudgement is of absolute necessity to prooue vnto vs the truth of grace and Gods fauour it shall thus by scripture most manifestly bee declared The Church in the Acts of the Apostles is said to continue in the Apostles doctrine the Church is builded vpon the foundation the doctrine and scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles Elder men must be sound in the faith nay the church must bee rooted grounded in it If they had beene of vs saith Saint Iohn they had continued with vs viz in soundnesse of doctrine and in frequenting the holy assemblies No other foundation can any man laie then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. That is the doctrine of the Gospel touching Christ his person and office is as it were the foundation of Christian Religion therefore both pastors and people must by all meanes endeuour to keepe this doctrine pure and vncorrupted And all doctrines and opinions quirkes and curriosities that are not agreeable herevnto are but woode hay stubble which the fire of heauenly truth will in time to their reproach and shame reueale and consume The ministerie of the word is giuen and ordained of GOD that wee might grow vp to perfect on of faith and that wee should bee no more c●ildren wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine Iesus Christ yesterday and to daie and the same for euer Bee not caried about with diuers and st●ange doctrine for it is a good thing that the heart bee established with grace and not with meates c. Faith is the eye of the bodie if the eye be single the whole ●ody shal be light The necessity and most absolute vse of this doctrine will appeare by the Caueates and warnings that are giuen vs in scripture to beware of seducers false teachers and by the opposition and zeale that we are to shew against al Atheisme Idolatry Libertinisme c. Hence it is that in matters of conscience and in troubles of minde wee are put ouer to the lawe and to ●he testimonies and they that speake not according to this word haue no light in them They that will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets will not beleeue though one arose from the dead Hence it is that Dauid by reason of his vnderstanding in and loue to Gods word hateth all false waies Hence it is that the Church is exhorted to beware of false Prophets to beware of the leuine that is the infections and false doctrine of the Scribes and Pharasies to saue themselues from that forward generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to play the Champions and to contend for the common faith to come out of ●abylon least they bee partakers of her si●nes and so of her plagues not to goe after false Christs and false Prophets for they must not so much as heare a stranger that is one that bringeth strange and false doctrine much lesse bid him God speede that is any way shew any countenance and allowance to his corrupt doctrine And no maruaile for Heresie and false doctrine is the poyson and pestilence to the soule it stingeth and vexeth the conscience like a scorpion It doth eat and consume the soule like a Gangraene it maketh men spiritually mad yea and bringeth with it if men die in it certaine and iust damnation Vse 1. Wherefore we learne hence first not to measure the truth of Religion by multitudes vniuersalities antiquities as the Papists and ignorants of the world doe for h●rein we may soone bee deceiued the broad way leadeth to destruction Christs flocke is but a little one and the number of the elect is in comparison of them that perish exceeding few therefore we must try and examine all by the standard and certaine rule of Gods holy word and if it be consonant therevnto wee must admit it otherwise reiect it Vse 2. It meeteth with and checketh the errour and sottishnesse of the simple ignorant multitude of whome for the most part we may truely say they know not the law of God and accursed who terme and call an Atheist a Papist a Libertine if ●e be onely outwarly and ciuilly righteous iust liberall curteous sociable a right honest man as though there could possibly be any true honesty without fath and true religion the cause and foundation of it For Paul doth make Godlinesse a cause of honesty that is of Christian life and behauiour Vse 3. We must beware of and shunne all doctrine that tendeth to Atheisme and Libertinisme and all popish opinions and especially such as haue beene by some of late yeares vented furbished and refined and therefore the more dangerous and deceitfull And indeed no better then the whore of Babilons golden cup glorious without but within full of abhominations and deadly poyson Of this kinde of opinions and errours to omit others are these following First that the now Romish church albeit idolatrous and apostatical is a true visible church 2. Error That the holy religion of Christ now professed and by publicke authority maintained in England and the doctrine and worship of Papists differ onely in accidents and circumstances and not in substance and that a reconciliation betwixt both parties might well be admitted Whereas first the Romish religion is for the most part Idolatrous and hereticall but so is not ours at all Secondly the Papists will in no wise yeeld to any reconciliation to vs though in truth and why should wee yeeld and bee reconciled to them in error and Idolatrie 3. Error That we must not enquire how Christ is present in the Eucharist viz whether spiritually or bodilie intending heereby to keepe men in suspence and to make away for that absurd and blasphemous doctrine of Transubstantiation Whereas otherwise it is most plaine by scripture that Christs presence is altogither spirituall 4. Error That the sabboth is but a ceremony and that it is in the churches power and libertie to alter it determine the time and the continuance of it and to remit and abate of the strictnesse of it as it shall thinke good Whereas it is one of the tenne commandements and therefore must needes for substance bee morall and perpetuall and it is in the power of no person to dispense withall and the maintayning of this error openeth a dore to al prophanesse and licentiousnesse 5. Error The false opinion of vniuersall grace and the denying of the doctrine of ●ternall reprobation in Gods secret decree Whereas sauing grace is proper onely to the elect and that God hath eternally decreed and doth in time actually passe by many and most it is by scripture most apparent 6. Error That the sufferings of Christ were only bodily and not in soule properly and immediately

and mercies of God Fiftly because vnthankefulnesse for and forgetfulnesse of Gods blessings and benefits is a thing most distastfull and hatefull to the diuine maiestie and a brand of profaine and dissembling hearted men Therefore it is said of y● Isralites that though they in their affliction remēbred that God was the strength and the most high God their redeemer yet they did but flatter him with their mouth and dissembled with him with their tongue for their heart was not vpright with him neither were they faithfull in his co●enant ouer besides the Iewes were no sooner gloriously deliuered out of Egipt and had passed through the red sea making way for them but they forgat God their Sauiour who had done so great things for them Lastly nine of the tenne leprous persons whome Christ cleansed and cured are noted for vnthankefulnesse for it is said that onely one of them returned to giue God thankes and that was a Samaritane and one that was most odious to the Iewes and of all other the most vnlikely but he serued not Christ in vaine for hee alone was inwardly cured and had his sins forgiuen him Finally to end this reason the very Heathen ●nd Pagans who knew not God in Christ and were altogither ignorant of and neuer had any holy Scripture to direct them did and could by the very darke light of nature see and acknowledge thus much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith ●indarus that sententious and wise Poet. That is an old good turne is soone forgotten and men are vnmindfull of it and that it i● lost which a man doth to an vnthankefull person yea and that which is most remarkeable Cum ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris That is when a man hath named an vnthankefull man hee hath therein named all faultes or disgracefull imputations and it maketh a man vnworthy of al fauour and to this purpose Gregorie in his Morrals saith wel non est dignus dandis that is he is not worthy to receiue benefits to be giuen who is not thankefull for good thinges already receiued Thus the vnthankefull seruant in the Gospell whome his Lord and maister after vpon his submission and supplication had forgiuen tenne thousand talents was for his vnthankefullnes to his Lord and his cruell and extreame handling of his fellow seruant that onely ought him but one hundred pence deliuered vnto the Iayler vntill hee should pay all he debt Lastly because in the duty of praise and thanksgiuing we are most defectiue negligent and remisse we need vse all good meanes to stir vp and reuiue vs and to testifie our zeale and thankefulnes vnto God For as without meanes we cannot attaine vnto the end so without speciall and spirituall helpes wee can neuer be truly and constantly thankefull Of this sort are the often meditating of our sollemne promise and vow made in Baptisme to renounce all false Gods false worship and sinne and to beleeue in God and to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our liues Of this sort are morall and gospellike vowes and couenants of repentance praier and thankesgiuing obedience yea publicke and priuate othes to cleaue vnto God and serue him onely Herevnto may bee added religious fasts both publike and priuate so often practised of the saints of God both in the old and new Testament yea and of the reformed church since and that with most happy successe Lastly seeing that the Lord knowing our aptnesse and pronesse vnto this vice hath ordained a sacrament of thankesgiuing which the ancient fathers call the E●charist to nourish and preserue true thankefulnesse in the church towards Christ and for all his merits graces and blessings wee must often and religiously as vse all other helpes so specially this And finally as all riuers runne into the sea from whence they came so let all the benefits and blessings of God bestowed on vs flow backe and redownd vnto God the author and fountaine of them which God almightie grant for Christ Iesus his beloued Sonnes sake to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be giuen and rendered in the Church all honour praise and glorie foreuer and euer Amen THE GENERALL signes and forerunners of Christs comming to iudgement soundly and sincerely collected out of holy Scripture and seruing as well to awaken the drowsie and slumbering Protestant as to comfort and reuiue the Godly and afflicted Christian. Take heed watch and pray for yee know not when the time is Mark 13. vers 33. When these things beginne to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere Luk. 21. vers 28. To the Right worshipfull learned and Godly wise Gentleman Mr William Combes of Warwicke Esquire high Sheriffe of the shire and one of his Maiesties high Commissioners in causes Ecclesiasticall all increase of grace comfort and happinesse EVEN as right worshipfull it was the commendable and diligent practise of the Prophets and holy men of God for the encrease of their comfort and confirmation of their faith to calculate by the direction of the word of God and to search and enquire out the very time of Christ his incarnation his death his glorification So in semb●able sort it as much concerneth vs vpon the ends of the world are come and who haue both promises and signes of Christ his second appearance at hand for our perfit redemption and full saluation to take due notice of them to serch into them and obserue the accomplishment of them in their proper times Our rule of direction must not be humaine collections fained prophecies and reuelations Astrologicall coni●ctures Arithmetical computations for these are vaine vncertain deceitfull as the euent in all ages doth demonstrate but it must bee onely the written word of God which albeit it hath not reueiled the daie nor the yeare nor the definite time of Christ his second comming yet it hath left vnto vs many generall yet vndoubted signes and forerunners of it which are some of them wholy expired some of them in present motion and progresse and others yet wholy to come These signes and predictions if wee serch them out weye and make vse of them as they are described in holy scriptures wee shall not onely bee contained and preserued from Atheisme and vnbeleefe the common sinne of the world and bee kept from all ras● foolish and vngrounded ●uri●sities but also bee effectually and continually stired vp to prepare our selues in Faith Hope and Repentance against Christ his comming and we shal in all trialls and temptations whatsoeuer might comfort our hearts in that our Redemption is so nigh at hand This doctrine being of so notable vse and profit especially for the Godly and sober minded I thought good to publish it and vpon good considerations to recommend it to your worships patronage First you for learning iudgement and experienc● are very sufficient to iudge of it Secondly your vertuous affection and