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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	time_n	world_n	2,761	5	4.2527	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61799	A consultation about religion, or, What religion is best to be chosen with an appendix upon this question, whether every one may be saved in his own religion / translated out of Latin in which it was written by an eminent professor of divinity.	Lechmere, Edmund, d. 1640?	1693 (1693)	Wing S5928A; ESTC R27505	93,395	238

your own Testimony alone which is to bear Witness of your self But he that gives Testimony of himself his testimony is not true Joh. 8.13 That is is not to be esteemed true unless by some other way he can prove it For Example These Calvinists cannot prove by other ways that they have this private Spirit but would have us believe them upon their bare word and naked assertion whereby they affirm to know it secretly Therefore there is no reason why they should be credited but rather there is great reason why all should be disbelieved for the Spirit of God cannot be contrary to it self but they are contrary to themselves and others also Therefore they are not guided by the Spirit of God And hereunto and this also pertaining to their fraud and deceitful Machinations and Contrivances they revolted from the Antient Faith which had flourished so many Ages and they embraced these New Religions Their Princes according to the custom of the Church received from the time of Constantine the Great would compel them to return to the Antient Religion which sometimes they professed and forsake their Novelties For which cause they rail against Catholick Princes and accuse them of Tyranny call them Enemies of the Gospel and over all the World raise envy against them as those that would do violence to their Consciences against their Eternal Salvation And lastly under colour of this Liberty they raise Sedition and wage War against them But when themselves God permitting it for our sins get possession of our Goods or Estates they grant no Liberty to Catholicks but raise bitter persecutions against them and force them with divers Torments and Confiscation of their Goods to desert their Ancient Religion and embrace the New which they never learned which never had any Name but of their Sect which they owe nothing unto which they never saw confirmed by any rational Arguments but on the contrary condemned by the Church in all the Christian World with the greatest and most-weighty Reasons Is this to deal sincerely candidly and equitably Is not this the Society of Lyons whose Right consists in their Power and Strength who make and unmake Laws for their Interest And what Tyranny of Conscience can be compared to this In the Church none are ever compelled to the Catholick Faith but those who formerly professed it nor they neither but after a lawful and full Proof and Conviction to which the Deserters cannot Answer But these New Reformers compel those that never professed their Novelties and before they have convinced them of Errour In which thing they act against their own Doctrine For they teach that Man has no Free-will but all things are done by the Divine impulse and decree which none can resist and that God infuseth Faith into his Elect only By what Law then do they inforce Catholicks to believe them since it is not in their power Again since the whole cause of believing according to their Decrees is reduced to the Testimony of the private Spirit they do very unjustly in forcing Catholicks to believe them not only against the Testimony of the private Spirit but also against the Testimony of the publick Spirit of the Universal Church For it is certain out of the Scriptures that the Church is governed by the Spirit of God and therefore cannot err but yet this is in no manner certain of private Men. The Eighth Reason from their overthrow of Good Works THat Religion which takes away all Practice of Good Works is not to be imputed to Christ who every where commends Good works and the Observation of God's Commandments But the Religion of Luther and Calvin takes away all desire of Good works therefore neither of them is to be esteemed the Religion of Christ That these two Religions take away all desire of Good works is manifest First Because both teach That Man with all his Good Works is never the juster before God never the more deserves Eternal Reward and shall receive neither more or less Glory in Heaven for doing but a few or many or no Good Works at all That God regards Man only for his Faith That all Justice is contained in Faith alone For thus says Luther I would not give one Half-penny for all the Merits of St. Peter to help me De 10. Precept c. 1. because he cannot help himself but whatever he hath he had it from God through Faith in Christ Here he plainly teaches that St. Peter is never the juster for his own Good works or hath received a greater Happiness in Heaven for the same but was Crowned for his Faith only And again in another place De captio Bacyl cap. de Baptis Do you see how rich a Man is that is a Christian and Baptized who cannot be damned for what sinns soever he commits though he would unless he will not believe for no sins are damnable but only incredulity all other sins if he returns and fixes his Faith upon the Divine Promise are in a moment absorpt through the same belief Again in another place Good Works cannot be taught De Votis Monast without prejudice to Faith since Faith and Good Works in the case of Justificarion are extreamly contradictory in such sort that the Doctrine of Good Works is necessarily the doctrine of Devils and apostacy from the Faith Calvin is of the same Opinion as 't is manifest in his Institutions where he saith The Justice of Good Works can by no means be joyned with the Justice of Faith not only Works done by the force of Nature but all other whatsoever Title they are adorned with are excluded by the Justice of Faith L. 3 c. 11. s 13. l. 3. c. 15. s 2. sequen cap. 19. s 2.4.7 The same he teaches in many other places If there is not Merit in Good Works if they do not render us more gracious and acceptable to God and that for them we shall receive no reward in Heaven why should we trouble our selves about them Why should we spend our Fortunes in works of Mercy and relief of the Poor What should we Fast for and afflict our Bodies Why should we be instant in Prayer 'T is great folly to busie our selves in those things and be sollicitous for that which will redound nothing to our profit or advantage Who sees not by this Doctrine that the study of all Good Works is extinguished Secondly Because both their Religions teach ' That all our Good Works are so far from meriting any thing of God that they are sins and mortal sins too although by reason of Faith they are not imputed to Believers Luther teaches this in many places A just Man says he sins in every Good Work Again A Good Work well done In Presol cont Eckium in assert art 31. is a Venial Sin by the Mercy of God but a Mortal one according to the Judgment of God Again in another place In assert art 32. Our best Works whereby

one way to Eternal Happiness It is an Atheistical Opinion that every one may be saved in different Religions for as there is but one God one Christ one Truth one Right-way one Justice so there is but one true Faith one true Religion one true Congregation or Church of God and Christ out of which there is no Salvation Let them beware lest by a curiosity of reading or hearing or uncautious conversation with Hereticks or desire of pleasing any Mortal Man or fear of Persecution or loss of Temporal Life or Estate or loss of gain or ambition of Honour or for any other cause they lose so great a Good For what is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul But a loss of the true Religion is a loss of the Soul which no Wise Man will part with upon any account Those are unhappy Souls and unworthy the Name of a Christian who little regard the ruine of the Catholick Church or Religion so they may but safely and quietly enjoy a Temporal Peace to live in sensuality or hoard up riches and the trifling goods of this Life But this madness and vile esteem of so great a Good shall cost them dear when this momentary Life shall be ended and they suddenly fall into an endless Eternity Many Seducers are gone forth into the World many under Sheeps cloathing under a smooth pretence of God's Word hide a Wolfish Nature to the destruction of Christ's Sheep Our Lord hath admonished us more than once carefully to beware of them The Apostles and Holy Fathers have often warned us Eccles 13. He that touches pitch shall be defiled and he that loveth danger shall perish therein Eccles 3. The Times were never more dangerous and destructive to our Salvation than now the Fascination of the Devil was never greater nor a Spiritual frenzy more powerful with Men the operation of Errour was never more prevailing and successful and the minds of Men never blinder all which deservedly possess the understandings of those that disesteem this great Gift of the Catholick and Orthodox Religion and prefer Temporal Things before it Let those therefore that heartily desire to be saved preserve this Celestial Jewel and keep it with all carefulness because Life proceeds from it and because 't is a Supernatural Gift which without the Divine Assistance can neither be acquired nor preserved being invironed with so many Enemies Let them daily implore Gods help for themselves their Children and whole Family and add unto their Prayers Alms to the Poor with other Works of Piety for Prayer is good with Fasting and Alms and better than to heap up Treasures of Gold Job 12. Let them lead Lives agreeable to their Religion and allay their Thirst after the Goods of this Life with expectation and hope of Celestial and Eternal remembring the Saying of the Apostle 1 Tim 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and the snares of the Devil and many unprofitable and hurtful desires which drown Men in destruction and perdition for the root of all Evil is Covetousness which some desiring have erred from the Faith and intangled themselves in many sorrows By these helps they may securely walk amongst the differences and dangers of these Times and preserving intire the Gift of the only true Religion by it easily obtain Everlasting Life Amen To the Immortal and Invisible King of all the World the only God be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen An APPENDIX to the foregoing Consultation Whether every one may be saved in his own Faith and Religion WE have said in the Preface of the foregoing Treatise that it was a stupid and gross Errour of some that think it sufficient to Salvation if they believe in Christ and that he died for our Sins and we briefly demonstrated their Errour with certain Reasons But because this Errour is now far spread and hath infected the Minds of many I am intreated to explicare the same more at large Therefore I shall divide the matter into Two Questions The First is Whether it be sufficient to Salvation to believe in God and do no Body any injury that is to say Whether every one may be saved in his own private Faith or Belief if he endeavours to live honestly and virtuously The Second is That supposing that Faith in Christ is necessary Whether that alone be sufficient or whether we ought to believe something else The First Question AS to the First Question many at this time The Foundation of our Adversaries Opinion are of Opinion that every one may be saved in his own Faith or Religion The Reason which they chiefly give is because it seems to them incredible that all Jews and Turks many of which Worship God devoutly in their way and deal justly with their Neighbours should be damned eternally only because they do not believe in Christ since in this regard they seem not to offend very much because from their infancy they were taught otherwise For why should God who would have all to be saved make the way of Salvation so strict 1 Tim. 2.4 Joh. 3.17 Why should he condemn to Eternal Punishment these miserable Wretches who study to please him according to their Capacity who do no Man any Wrong but observe Justice and honesty of Life meerly for ignorance of that which they have not been sufficiently instructed in But this Opinion though consulting only Natural Reason It is refuted with Four Reasons ir seems to have some shew of Truth and Equity yet considering those things which God hath revealed to us in Scripture is altogether a Paradox For if every Turk or Jew may be saved in his own Faith or Belief then in vain the Apostles and Holy Fathers laboured so much to plant the Faith of Christ for they might abstain from a profession of this Doctrine without loss of their Salvation and remain contented with the Jews with a coufession of one God I add moreover Christ therefore was made Man in vain he wrought so many Miracles in vain that People might believe him to be the Messias and Saviour of the Would in vain he was Crucified and died for none of these things were necessary to Man's Salvation It had been enough to have sent Preachers through the World to perswade Mortals to believe in one God The Apostle uses this way of arguing saying If Justice be by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2.21 that is if Justice may be obtained by the knowledge of one God and observation of the Law then Christ died in vain because his Death was not necessary to Salvation Second Reason Again the whole Scripture will he found false and lying which teaches That Christ is our Mediator Redeemer and Saviour which proposes him a Propitiator for us by Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. by whose Svcrifice we are reconciled to God by whose Blood we are