Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	believe_v	faith_n	infallibility_n	5,890	5	11.4885	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29526	The spirituall vertigo, or, Turning sickensse of soul-unsettlednesse in matters of religious concernment the nature of it opened, the causes assigned, the danger discovered, and remedy prescribed ... / by John Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, fl. 1581-1624.	1655 (1655)	Wing B4723; ESTC R25297	104,504	248

he was a man as Paul there setteth him forth full of subtilty and mischief And such in their measure ordinarily are seducers false teachers They are as Solomon describeth the Harlot Prov. 7. 10. Subtile of heart Cunning and crafty and wily And by this means they come to seduce and deceive those that will hearken to them viz. by their Subtilty This is that which the Apostle taketh notice of as a principal Engine whereby these wheeles come to be turned about as we may collect from that intimation of his to his Ephesians in that Text to which I have had so frequent recourse Eph. 4. 14. where he giveth them this Caveat that they should not be carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive Two words expressing for substance one and the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former of which is a Metaphor taken from Cheaters who by Cogging of dice and by sleight of hand cheat and cousin those whom they play with Even so do false Teachers by their sleight and cunning craftinesse deceive those which have to deal with them Which they do divers wayes Instance in some few of them First By their Sophismes fallacious Arguments These are the false Dice which these Cheaters play with Subtile and intrapping Arguments which they take out of divers boxes fetch from several Heads As 1. From Scripture which they make use of this way by wresting it Even as Davids Enemies made use of his words as he complaines Psal. 56. 5. Every day saith he they wrest my words perverting them and turning them to another sense then ever he meant when he uttered them so do false teachers being Gods Enemies make use of his Word This is that which St. Peter saith of some unlearned and unstable soules in his time they wrested some things in Paul's Epistles as they did also divers other Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. This did they by mis-interpreting of them and drawing them violently from their true and genuine sense to a false one which they did to that end that they might thereby uphold their errours And truly such is the ordinary practice of Hereticks and false teachers they wrest the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 detorquent depravant writhe and wring them about turning them this way or that way as may best serve for their purpose Dealing by them as Chimists sometimes do with natural bodies which they as it were torture to extract that out of them which God and nature never put into them Or as cruel Tyrants sometimes deal by innocent persons whom they set and stretch upon the Rack and so make them speak that which they never thought After the like manner do false teachers use to deal by the Scriptures wresting them to draw a sense out of them which the Spirit of God never intended A practice common to all Hereticks save onely those Antiscripturians who will not acknowledge the Divine Authority of Sacred Writ 2. And as herein they make use of Scripture so also of Reason which it may be sometimes they oppose against Scripture or else make use of to vouch that sense which they put upon it So dealt those false teachers in the Primitive times Such use they made of their Philosophy Thereupon it was that Paul gave that Caveat to his Colossians Chap. 2. v. 8. Beware faith he lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceit that is by such subtile and plausible Arguments as are drawn from the principles of Naturall Reason which however in it self it is useful yet when it is made the measure of spiritual mysteries this is a dangerous abuse of it Now it cometh to be no other but as he there calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vain deceit And this deceit did those false teachers in those first times make great use of by such Arguments both opposing the doctrine of the Gospel and supporting their own errours And the like use do not a few make of it at this day In speciall the Socinians who make this the measure of their faith and the Touchstone to try all Evangelical truths by viz. humane Reason not allowing any thing to be believed how clearly soever in Scripture held forth but what that may apprehend and comprehend Upon which account it is that they desperately disclaim divers Articles of the Christian faith for which Scripture is expresse and which the Church of God in all ages of it hath looked upon as truths the belief whereof was necessary to salvation And by this means it is that they pervert the faith of some who have not learned to submit their carnal Reason to divine Revelation And in the third place sometimes they plead Custome Tradition So did the Scribes and Pharisees in maintenance of their superstitions That is the Argument which they use to our Saviour blaming his Disciples and him in them for not complying with them in some of their Ceremonial observances Mat. 15. 2. Why do thy disciples transgresse the traditions of the Elders Not observing such Customes and usages as they had received from their Ancestors and so had been of long continuance And this Argument the false Apostles in Paul's time made great use of Thereupon it is that he giveth the like Caveat to his Colossians concerning that as he doth concerning Philosophy putting them together in that forecited Caveat Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the Traditions of men This was one thing which they pleaded for their doctrines against the doctrine of the Apostles Tradition Custome Wherein they are followed by the Doctors of the Church of Rome who take up the like plea for many of their Errours pretending though most falsly as it hath been made out by divers Champions of the truth who have undertaken that cause against them Antiquity for them casting the odious imputation of Novelty upon all contrary Opinions and Practices Which is a taking Argument with many So was it with the Iewes who brought it in as an Article against Stephen that he should say that Iesus should change the Customes which Moses had delivered them Act. 6. 14. And the Disciples when Paul came to Ierusalem give him to take notice what a stumbling-blockit was in the way of the believing Jewes that he should teach those of that Nation to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the Customes Act. 21. 21. So tenacious are many at this day of some Customes that they will prefer them even before either Scripture or Reason And these are some of those Arrowes wherewith false Teachers do oft-times pierce the hearts of men Sophistical Arguments fetched from Scripture Reason Custome To which for the further Confirmation of their Doctrines and gaining belief from the credulous multitude they sometimes adde

Thessalonians to be by those false Apostles who to insinuate into them and to gain credit and credence unto their doctrines made use of that threefold Artifice viz. Spirit Word and Letter Spirit pretending Prophetical Revelations Word Reports concerning the Apostle as if he had changed his mind recanting what before he had preached and so were of the same mind with them as Grotius I think sitly expounds the word there Letter any counterfeit writing going under the Apostles name And the very like Artifices do false Teachers frequently make use of Pretending sometimes to Spirit Revelations Inspirations Sometimes to Word Reports Traditions Sometimes to Letter forged Records All frequently made use of in the Church of Rome And some of them made use of by some false Teachers among our selves at this day Now let not Christians be shaken in mind or troubled by any of these No not by that which biddeth most for belief in this kind Spirit Pretended Revelation This was the great Argument which the false Prophets under the Old Testament made use of to gain credit to their doctrines by And the like have false Teachers done in the New As in the Primitive times so in most ages since being therein imitated by some in this Nation at this day But let not this pretence gain any Credence from us That is St. Iohn's advice 1 Ioh. 4. 1. Beloved saith he Believe not every spirit But try the spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world So it was in his time there were many false Teachers who boasted of the Spirit pretended Revelation and Inspiration by which means their doctrines gained belief with over-credulous soules But St. Iohn forbids to believe them ever the more for that but to Try them So did the Church of Ephesus for which she is commended Rev. 2. 2. Thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles but are not and hast found them lyars And the like it standeth all Christians in hand to do Not lightly to believe every spirit By this means if reports be true many children have been stollen and carried away by those whom the vulgar call by the name of spirits Being over-credulous and committing themselves to them they have made Merchandize of them Take you heed of doing the like by your soules of committing them to every one that pretend to the Spirit lest they also do the like by you make merchandize of you as St. Peter foretelleth false Teachers would do 2 Pet. 2. 3. But try such spirits whether they be of God Bringing their Doctrines to the Touchstone of the Word That was the Touchstone to which God requireth his people to bring the Prophets under the Old Testament Isai. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony to the Word to the Scriptures If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them No Morning saith the Original The daystar hath not appeared unto them the Sun is not risen upon them as they pretend they have no light of divine illumination or yet can afford any light of true Consolation And in like manner by the same means try we the like Pretenders under the New Testament Not taking doctrines in matters of faith upon trust from any Not from any one singular person 2. No nor yet in the second place from any Community any Society of men Be it a Church or be it a Synod a Councel Provinciall or National yea suppose Oecumenical General Universal True it is great respect both may and ought to be given to these specially to the last But yet none of them having a promise of infallibility it is too great an honour to yield an absolute credence unto them so as to receive their determinations for Articles of faith without any further discussion Such an implicit faith did that ancient Heretick Apelles plead for Being as Eusebius reports it of him taken in some errors and dealt with for his Conviction he alledged that it was not for him or any other to enquire into the truth of Doctrines professed but every one to abide in that faith which he had received And the very like do they of the Church of Rome Fearing the truth of their doctrines they forbid the people to try them specially if once they have the Churches stamp upon them now it is piacular so much as to question them No wonder that poor souls being over-credulous are in this way carried about whither it pleaseth their blind guides to lead them Would not you miscarry in the like way make use of this second Advice Be not over-credulous in receiving of Doctrines upon trust from others I passe to a third Would you not be thus carried about Take heed how you come in the winds way how you expose your selves to Temptations in this way Under which Head let me give you a twofold Caveat 1. Take heed of high things That is the Apostles Caveat to his Romans Rom. 12. 16. Mind not high things And let it be mine to you If you would not be thus carried about take heed of high things You may remember what I told you of Chaffe upon the Mountains Being there it is presently whirled about with every gust of wind whereas had it been in the valley or upon the floor possibly it might have lyen still and quiet Would not you in like manner be carried about with this wind of strange doctrines keep off from the top of the Mountain take heed of high things In particular of high thoughts and high speculations I shall instance onely in these two 1. Of high thoughts concerning your selves of your own wit your own wisdome your own Judgment as if you were more perspicacious more quicksighted then others This Caveat the Apostle subjoynes to the former Rom. 12. 16. Be not wise in your own conceits Such for the most part Hereticks are they have high thoughts of themselves as if they could seek further then others And with this leaven for the most part their Disciples likewise are sowred And thence is it that having once given entertainment to an opinion they are so hardly induced to part with it again Seeth thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of such a one Prov. 26. 12. would not you fall into the like condition Be not in this sense High-minded Have not over weening thoughts of your selves And secondly whilest you take heed of high thoughts take heed also of high Speculations Whilest you take heed of setting the one into your soules take heed how you let out your soules after the other that they do not reach at things above their reach So our former Translation not unfitly renders that of the Apostle Rom. 12. 8. That no man prefume to understand above that which is meet to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either above that which is meet for any man to