Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	life_n	world_n	write_v	4,962	5	5.8081	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62644	Sixteen sermons, preached on several subjects. By the most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. Being the third volume; published from the originals, by Ralph Barker, D.D. chaplain to his Grace	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.; Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.	1696 (1696)	Wing T1270; ESTC R218005	164,610	488

of our Religion but by their own Writers also Nor is this mischief only confined to that Order their Casuists in general and even the more Ancient of them who writ before the Order of Jesuits appeared in the World have given such a Liberty and loose to great Immorality in several kinds as is infinitely to the reproach of the best and purest Religion in the World Insomuch that Sir Tho. Moor himself who was a great Zealot for that Religion could not forbear to make a loud Complaint of it and to pass this severe Censure upon the generality of their Casuists That their great Business seemed to be not to keep Men from Sin but to Teach them quàm propè ad pec●atum liceat accedere sine peccato how near to Sin they might lawfully come without Sinning In the mean time the Consciences of Men are like to be well directed when instead of giving Men plain Rules for the Government of their Hearts and Lives and clear Resolutions of the Material Doubts which frequently occur in Humane Life they entangle them in Niceties and endless Scrupulosities teaching them to split Hairs in Divinity and how with great Art and Cunning they may avoid the committing of any Sin and yet come as near to it as is possible This is a thing of a most dangerous Consequence to the Souls of Men and if Men be but once encouraged to pass to the utmost Bounds of what is Lawful the next step will be into that which is Unlawful So that unless Faith without Works will save Men notwithstanding the Infallible Security which they pretend to give Men of a sound and right Belief if it were really as much as they talk of the Salvation of Men would still be in great hazard and uncertainty for want of better and safer Directions for a good Life than are ordinarily to be met with in the Casuistical Writings of that Church especially if we consider that the Scriptures are lock'd up from the People in an unknown Tongue where the surest and plainest Directions for a good Life are most plentifully to be had insomuch that a Man had better want all the Volumes of Casuistical Divinity that ever were written in the World than to be without the Bible by the diligent studying of which Book alone he may sooner learn the way to Heaven than by all the Books in the World without it Fifthly and Lastly This Provision which God hath made is when all is done as good a Security against Fatal Errors and Mistakes in Religion as an Infallible Church could give if there were one and it is as good a way to prevent and put an end to Controversies in Religion so far as it is necessary that they should be prevented and have an end put to them And these are the two great Reasons why an Infallible Judge is so importunately demanded and insisted upon I shall speak to these distinctly and severally but because they will require a longer Discourse than the time will allow I shall not enter upon them at present but refer them to another Opportunity The Third SERMON ON JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self WHEN I made entrance into these W●●ds I proposed from this Text First To shew that an honest and sincere Mind and a hearty Desire and Endeavour to do the Will of God is the greatest Security and best Preservative against dangerous Errors and Mistakes in Matters of Religion In the next place I proceeded to remove an Objection to which my Discourse upon this Subject might seem liable Some perhaps might ask Is every good Man then secure from all Error and Mista●e in Ma●ters of Religion This is a mighty ●riviledge i●deed But do we not find the contrary in experience that an honest Heart and a weak Head do often meet together For Answer to this I laid down several Propositions By the Last of which I shew'd that God hath made abundant Provision for our Security from fatal and dangerous Errors in Religion both by the Infallible Rule of the Holy Scripture and by sufficient means of Instruction to help us to understand this Rule and by his Infallible Promise of assisting us if with honest Minds and a due Diligence we apply our selves to the understanding of this Rule and the use of these Means And this I told you was in all Respects a better Security and more likely to Conduct us safe to Heaven than any Infallible Church whatsoever and that for Five Reasons Four of which I have already treated of and now proceed to the Fifth and last viz. Because this Provision which I have shewn God hath made is both as good a security against Fatal Errors and Mistakes in Religion as an Infallible Church could give if there were One And it is likewise as good a way to prevent and put an end to Controversies in Religion so far as it is necessary they should be prevented or have an end put to them And these are the two great Reasons why an Infallible Judge is so importunately demanded and insisted upon I shall speak to these two Points distinctly and severally First Because this is as good a security against Fatal Errors and Mistakes in Religion as an Infallible Church could give if there were one For an Infallible Church if there were such an one upon Earth could not Infallibly secure particular Christians against Errors in Faith any other way than by the Definition and Declaration of those who are Infallible in that Church And there are but three that pretend to it either the Pope or a Council General or the Pope and a General Council agreeing in the same Definitions Not the Pope by himself nor the General Council without the Pope because the Church which pretends to Infallibility is not agreed that either of these alone is Infallible and therefore their Definitions can be no certain much less Infallible Foundation of Faith no not to that Church which pretends to Infall●bility So that if there be an Infallible Oracle in that Church it must be the Pope and Council in Conjunction or the Definition of a Council confirmed by the Pope Now in that Case either the Council was Infallible in its Definitions before they had the Pope's Confirmation or not If the Council was Infallible in its Definitions before they had the Pope's Confirmation then the Council alone and of its self was Infallible which a great part of the Church of Rome deny and then it needed not the Pope's Confirmation to make it Infallible Or else a General Council is not Infallible in its Definitions before they receive the Pope's Confirmation and then the Pope's Confirmation cannot make it so For that which was not Infallibly Defined by the Council cannot be made Infallible by the Pope's Confirmation But there is another Difficulty yet It is a Maxim generally receiv'd and that even in the