Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	according_a	church_n	holy_a	2,884	5	4.5206	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00397	A declaration and catholick exhortation to all Christian princes to succour the Church of God and realme of France. Written by Peter Erondelle, natife of Normandie. Faithfully translated out of the French	Erondelle, Pierre, fl. 1586-1609.	1586 (1586)	STC 10512; ESTC S112258	9,822	26

doctrine florish and augment all ouer the worlde Besides it was neuer seene neither in the time of the holy Patriarkes or Primitiue Church that Religion was decided confirmed or disputed vpon by force of Armes but onely by the Sworde of godlinesse the pure word of God conteined in the Bible Howe many errors did spring vp in the Primitiue Church and yet there needed no other weapon then the holy scripture neither did we euer know false doctrine but the same immediatly vanished through the power of Christ Iesus Wee may therefore easely presume that the aucthors of these ciuill warres couering themselues vnder the vizerd of religion doe seeke no other but the vtter ruine of this Realme wherof they were to make their profite and commoditie Wee know that before the decease of the late Lord Duke of Anieow and Alencon the Kinges onely brother there was nothing spoken of But they will now say that the Crowne belongeth to them then should they greatly deceiue themselues for in liewe of benefiting the Realme they consume all the substaunce thereof in the charges of the Warre If any man aske who bee these goodly aucthors of these present ciuill Warres I will answere that it is the house of Guize which saith that in cace it shoulde so come to passe that the King should dye without issue the Crowne can not belong to the King of Nauarre because he is a Hereticke But truely any man endued with the feare of GOD which will iudge vprightly may well know that Popish Religion is meere error besides that in the Primitiue Church the sheepeheards and Bishops liued not in so greate pride and superfluitie as doe the Popes for since that Christian Emperors Kings and Princes permitted them libertie to rule they haue not onely abandoned the true Church of Christ Iesus but also haue embrased falshoode in stead of trueth and liued ouer losely and dissolutely Neither is it the office of a Bishop to seeke the dominion of a whole climate of the earth but rather onely to instruct his flocke according to the holy scriptures and the true doctrine of Iesus Christ Let vs consider whether Saint Peter whose successer the Pope chalengeth himselfe to be or the other Apostles sought to rule Monarkes No no but contrariwise Christ himself said that no man could serue God and Mammon But let vs returne to our purpose for I am not to meddle in matters which so many learned Parsons haue debated vpon in presenting to the view and palpably feeling of the Popish errors neither is it the marke that I leuell at who doe pretend only to shew vnto you what iust occasions we haue to take armes for our necessary defence For it is extreeme crueltie and meere tyranny to banish the poore and vsurpe their goods as in these doyes they doe in our France I doe therefore most humbly beseeche all true louers of the Gospell and such as desire the preseruatiō of this crowne not to suffer for want of taking armes and succouring of vs so florishing a Realme as ours to be lost for all men may see and it is most euident that the aucthors of this warre doe seeke the onely decay thereof Haue wee not seene all Germany England Scotland and the most part of Europe troubled for this onely cause of Religion and yet nowe wee find that at this day they doe enioy most blessed peace through such agreements and order as on either part haue beene taken These men cannot excuse themselues of seeking the vtter destruction of this countrie for we haue had so many Peaces and Agreementes in time past that now it is a most manifest matter that the onely point of Religion is no cause of present troubles but rather an enuious desire to vsurpe They minister cause neuer to repose confidence in whatsoeuer promesse or peace which properly be tearmed a Childrens pastime who may say and vnsay and all with one breath what soeuer they ●…st How many holy and iust edicts haue we had and especially the Edict of Ianuary made in the yere of grace 1561. vnder King Charles the ninth which was both good and lawfully made to the benefite as well of the one as other religion Was not the same sufficient whereby wee might enioy an assured peace as doe other the bordring realmes our neighbours But what It was of ouer great importance to the enemies of peace What shal I say more haue we not since that had many other edicts by y e last was not the French Nation assured to enioye a blessed peace though to the great preiudice of our reformed religion and very beneficiall to the contrary as wanting more then halfe the libertie of that of Ianuary which notwithstanding the wicked could not continue in that Peace This sufficiently sheweth their peruerse and mischieuous mindes as also that they haue no other desire but to destroy or vsurpe this Crowne of the Flowerdeluce But what neede I so largely describe a matter which all the world knoweth better then my selfe Wot wee not that this house of Guize and their associates are the chiefe Captaines and Conductors of all this alteration See wee not that they seeke to deliuer and abandon as it were in praye this poore kingdome to the Spanish nation Moreouer haue we not already found howe they haue endeuoured and still doe goe about to bring all Christiandome into confusion And howe In Scotlande haue they not sought to drowne the Realme in troubles and Ciuill warres so as we haue seene the Nobilitie and Commons so sore bent one against another that no peace could bee obtained without most grieuous and horrible bloodshed Yea had it not bene by meanes of the most sacred of GOD the Queenes Maiestie of England the troubles had yet cōtinued and al through the Guizes Vndoubtedly we can not thincke but that after so many mischiefes God will powre out his iust iudgement vpon that Family notwithstanding many tymes we see the perturbers of publicke peace and ennemies to the trueth prosper more then the good neither are we to meruaile when we see the wicked exalted before our faces for God will sometimes vse such instruments to trie the pacience of his elect Nowe haue I sufficiently shewed you the iust causes that wee haue to defend our selues there resteth no more but to open vnto you the end whereto I doe pretend which is to desire all true louers of the Gospell not to suffer the tyrannizing of the faithfull flock of Iesus Christ who saith that his shalbe knowen by the brotherly loue that they shall beare one to another but what amitie is it to see his brother or neighbour dye truelly before his eyes vndoubtedly if wee would consider what charitie and brotherly loue to our neighbour is we should feele our consciences wonderfully oppressed I we see a thiefe or robber take a pooremans purse in the wood and doe not our endeuours to deliuor him from the said oppression shall not we be guiltie

partes thereof to all in generall to the end not onely to preserue it whole and sound but also more and more to encrease it so that if one prince careth but for part of the Church as of that of Germany or Scotland and the whiles contemneth and abandoneth an other part that is oppressed and it lieth in him to succour he hath abandoned the Church for Christ Iesus hath bnt one only Spouse dispersed throughout the whole world whom euery prince ought so to defend and keepe that she may not be any where defiled if possibly hee may neither is it to any purpose to excuse himselfe by such vsurpation as a Prince might take hould of in an others country for who so is led by a wil procéeding from the spirit of Iesus Christ can not vnder such a false title expell his neighbour out of his patrimony as being a matter farre repugnant to Gods commaundement which is that hee shall not couet any thing that is his neighbours Such superfluous allegations are not therefore to be feared for whatsoeuer is guided by the holy ghost can yeld nothing but what proceedeth from the same and sith the holy ghost proceedeth from the wholy perfect goodnesse namely God who is conteined in the three parsons the Father the sonne and the holy ghost who proceedeth frō the two we must needes beleeue that who so is guided by God can doe nothing contrarie to his will I say therefore and it is most certaine that God willeth Christian Princes to take armes in defence of his afflicted people which are of the Church examples whereof we find in sundry places of the holy scripture We see that in the time of Ezechias King of Iuda the kingdome of Israel had long continued in subiection to the Assirians therfore if onely the Church of Iuda and not the vniuersall Church had bene committed to the charge of Ezechias also that if in the preseruation of the Church he ought to haue kept like measure as in the deuision of the lande no doubt Ezechias would haue cōteined him selfe within his owne bonds when the Assirians ruled ouer the rest but hee sent Postes throughout all Israel to summon them to the obseruation of the Passeouer Doe wee not reade also of good K. Iosias that he put out Idolatrie not onely forth of his realme but also out of the kingdom of Israel that iustly for when the kingdom of Christ is in question there is neither bounds nor limites that shoulde staye the zeale of Christian Princes These examples of such and so good princes might stand for a Lawe but let vs also looke what God himself pronoūceth by y e mouthes of his holy Prophets against those that make no accompt of his Church besides wee doe roade that the Gadites Rubenites and the halfe tribe of Manasses required Moyses to alot thē their portion on this side of Iordan which Moyses did graunt to condicionally that they should not onely helpe their other brethren the Israelites to conquere the Land of Canaan but also should marche formost make the auantgarde Haue we not testimonies enowe to proue the duetie of Princes to succour the Church surely if we would alledge all other the examples that might bee found in the word of God wee might haue enough to make a very large volume but because I meane to write onely a short declaration I would make no further mention therof as also this is enough and therefore wee want onely goodwill Alas I feare God wil one day reprooue vs of vnprofitablenesse in this world And what you Kings and Princes doe you not feare that God will aske accompt of you for your gouernments wherfore it is that he hath made you his ministers and preseruers of his Spouse Is this the oath that you make at your admissions when you take the sword into your hand and looke both East West South and North as if you would inferre that there shall be no corner in the world but you will indeuour therein to mainteine and encrease this Spouse This Church of Christ is it comprehended within your dominions and is it not vniuersall ouer the whole face of the earth No no wee can haue no lawfull excuse truely I doubt the reproche of the Prophetesse Debora against the Rubenites will fall vpon vs as also the iudgement for we professe our selues to bee Christians and yet charitie dwelleth not in vs when we suffer our brethren who also are members of Christes Church to be thus tyrannized I beseech you let vs eschue the iust iudgement of God that is readie to fall vpon our heades let vs giue ouer all excuses for we haue none sufficient Let vs leaue all amities for the Church of Christ Iesus for it is he onely that can saue vs let vs immitate the good Princes Iosias and Ezechias also that vertuous Prince Constantine who with open Warre assailed Licinius euen in his own countrie because he prosecuted the Christians But as saith the comon prouerbe It booteth not to preach to him that careth not for wel doing neither is it to any purpose for me to alledge examples sith they will not be followed We tearme our selues Christians and knowe the duetie of Christians and yet doe not the workes of Christians Christ Iesus teacheth vs that he is more worthy of punishment that knoweth his masters will and doth it not then he that not knowing it doth it not Hauing therefore attained to my principall purpose which is to desire all Christian Kings and Princes that doe professe the pure doctrine to Christ Iesus to graunt succour to his people in France afflicted by tyrants and meere bloudsuckers who drawe forth mans bloud to glut therewith a forrain famely and hauing shewed as well by Gods word as by good holy testimonies takē out of the same how by all law as wel of God as man they be bound to doe the same I haue no more to doe but to require the Readers to reade and consider of this discourse with reason and throwly to way the matters therein contained without any passion and to iudge according to equitie so shall they perceiue that it proceedeth not of my selfe but of God and therefore not to haue any respect to my age or calling for any man knowing me may well iudge that of my selfe I am vtterly vncapable of such a deede Take it therefore as proceeding frō God who for the most p●rt reuealeth him selfe to the ignorant and doultes and hydeth himselfe from the wise of the worlde Consider Saint Peter who was a simple Fisherman also the rest of the Apostles who were but of meane calling For likewise God hath vsed me in this worke whome I doe beseech to open the heartes of Kinges and Princes and to deliuer them from blindnesse which stoppeth their sights and to make them partakers of his cleare light which is the knowledge of his will So be it