Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	2,510	5	8.9827	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20187	The opening of heauen gates, or The ready way to euerlasting life Deliuered in a most familier dialogue, betweene reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word, and mans free-will, to the vnderstanding of the weakest capacitie, and the confirming of the more strong. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God, at South-Shoobery in Essex.	Dent, Arthur, d. 1607.	1610 (1610)	STC 6619; ESTC S116579	52,599	137

standing so much vppon the fouly slippers of theyr wisedom gray heads would thus ouershoote them-selues which so farre forth as in them lyeth do make God a contemptible changeling Religion more vncertain thē the Lesbian rule tye themselues to the continuall slauery of theyr own deuice theyr maister the man of Rome yéelding theyr whole contemplation to the works of darknesse Alasse with what blind spirit are these poore soules vexed that will haue theyr Pope and the Church of Rome againe exalted that take away the playne Doctrine of faith and iustification in Christ and teach a fayth solted vppe in an Idle fancy saying that we must beléeue of Christ as theyr Church beleeueth because theyr Church beléeueth as they beléeue But if we demand what they or theyr Church doe beléeue the next way for vs to know is euen to get looke for doubtlesse they know not neyther can they tell vs. Truly howsoeuer they cotten y● matter with deuout countenances or coragious bragges with perswasions of the time past or the scarcety or iniquity of the time present or with the outward face or visor of theyr charity theyr estate is lamentable it fareth with them euen as with butchers that vse to blow vp their flesh that it may seeme bigger they are grubling so much in the myre of theyr own desart to the world ward that they forget or neglect all that true religion and seruice they owe vnto God For note this well where is that Papist in all the world that will not sooner bid vs behold his charity towards his neighbour then his integrity in the worshipping of God So that charity béeing the vnderseruant to religion and a second thing required they make it the head-stone of the corner and the foundation wher-vpon they build all theyr righteousnesse vnto saluation Truly we dare not deny that in respect of the world wereit not depraued the Papist hash som good matter in him because his déeds doe often times extend to the benefit of GODS Church And euen in this I write in the gréef of my conscience wherin I call the Lord to witnesse shall they condemne many professors in the day of visitation that are lewd speakers and lewd liuers altogether yet I say alwayes that in this his only poynt if fareth with him as with the Cow hauing giuen a iolly messe of milke that afterward doth spill it with hir foot For to they beare vs in hand that they haue many good workes and that they are continuall workers not because they are so commanded of God but rather because therby they will w●●●e out theyr saluation and purchase heauen Alasse it is a Crauen Cock that croweth no where but on his owne dunghill We know that all the good works of the world being done without loue are nothing worth and that theyr superrerogations being examined and theyr greatest workes of dignity next vnto them are found without loue mercy pitty or compassion But if it may bee accompted a déed of mercy to giue rich Altar clothes to the beutifying of Altars a déed of loue to build Chappels and Chauntries and a déed of pitty to go farre on knées to giue great gifts to shrines then are they passing full of loue mercy pitty and compassion otherwise they haue none at all at least that is acceptable For they pitty the pouerty of lime and stones them they cloath They pitty a sort of foule fat Priests infurr'd gov●nes and them they decke with golden Copes and supply in all other theyr vanities and Idlenesse as if it were a good déed to grease a fat hog in the tayle But where is the loue and compassion of theyr poore brother all this while I will say no more let them that fare the better for these and such other good workes praise them but yet Let them beware they sinne not there in like vnto these are theyr Idols which executors vse to giue after men be dead that liberality is idle hauing no good intent and the reward rotten that is payd backe againe which is Lord haue mercy on the soule of this charitable dead man O grosse folly where is the loue that should make this deed acceptable if we should speake generally of al theyr works they are euen drosse and more shamefull vices then these if more may bee for I say and yet not I but the holy Ghost if they be not done in loue springing out of the bowels of true fayth they stink before y● face of God Yea but they wil say they haue al loue mercy pitty compassiō Yea but how can this be true ●● Let it be granted y● they giue many gifts to the poore that they hely to defend the widow to harbour the fatherlesse to cloath the naked to féed the hangry c. 〈…〉 ● They do not these things 〈…〉 of the néedy but to getto 〈…〉 she ●nspeakable benefit of saiuation this is loue indeed I graunt but is it not the onely loue of them selure For I lend or giue a man a hundred pounde because I would gaine a thousand or a thousand because I would gayne tenne thousand whome loue I my poore neighbour hauing néed of mée or my selfe O blindnesse that seeth not these euills nay twise O blindnesse that doth not sée more then this what is it to say that we are able to saue iustifie our selues before the tribunall seat of God but to reproue our most wise God of folly doltishnesse in that without need hee sent Jesus Christ his welbeloued Son by so great torment as he indured to deliuer vs from the bondage of sinne And what is it else but to contemne the vnspeakable loue of our sauior who being a God so mighty y● King of all Kings and the only Prince of all worlds disdayned not to take vnto him the contemptible shape of a seruant and to beare the burden or all our sins euen vnto the death of the vile and shamefull crosse that hee might present vs blamelesse before his father Which grosse opinion so outragiously blasphemous some Papists at this ●ay waxing halfe ashamed of and daring not so broadly to maintaine will seeme to qualifie with a poore shift of deskant And because very infants or fooles in this light of the gospell for which the Lord be praysed might otherwise point at them for their folly they ar contct not to be priue Christ of his dignity altogether and therefore doe attribute some part of iust fication to him the rest to them-selues Surely this is scarcely so good a recompence as hauing cracked his crown to giue him a plaster for except som insufficiency were or might iustly be foūd in him what madnes should moue them to intrude themselues into his office But if these enter commoners with Christ though they séeme to haue retayned a certaine blinde modesty be heedfully examined in truth they doe but practise to delude themselues and vs hauing no mind to deale with Christ

whot or cold For if we demaund of them for Gods eternall predestination whereby he bringeth the elected and reprobate sort to the●r appointed ends they are at defiance with that doctrine and euen in this haue they taken away all that part of iustification that they ascribed to Christ before for why If we be not safe conducted to heauen by the predestinate on of God in Jesus Christ if followeth that we are carryed thether by same desert of our owne or else that wee neuer come there at all it were a strong engine that should hale them from this opinion and yet is Christ heereby made altogether Jacke out of office Let vs not wonder at these men so much as pray for them let vs not quarrel so much with them as perswade with them nor laugh so muck at theyr folly wickednes as lament theyr ignorance for this is true if they be right we be wrong if we be wrong we are already sold vnder sin contrary wise if we be right whereof let vs not doubt because the spirit of truth hath sealed vs vppe in the Prophets and Apostles then are they wrong if they be wrong there is nothing more certayne then theyr iust damnation vnlesse they turne to God with hearty repentance which God for his son sake euen spéedily grant them if it be his will And although they are not ashamed to denounce against vs that we are Libertines and despisers of good works because we preferre our fayth in free iustification be it as farre from vs to be troubled at those false suggestions as we are frée of that fault we know confesse that Gods dearest children haue smal féeling of God without righteous doing therefore wee professe that if wee sée no good workes in our hands if we perceiue not that the preaching of the Gospell hath mortified in our concupiscence and made vs to hunger thirst after righteousnes we haue smal testimony of Gods election we may talk til we are weary of our hope and faith in Christ we may prattle till we ar hoarse of the Gospell and our profession and we may desie the Pope and his accomplices to the bottome of hell But except our selues loue the righteousnesse of God and we exercise the same Satan doth féed vs forth with the strength of illusion for Godlinesse is not made of talke as bookes are of leaues nor as woods are of trées but it is such a holinesse as doth clime from vice to vertue and from one vertue to another without ceasing Good sir this being true we haue néed to looke about vs and euery man haue an especiall eye to Gods glory in the execution of our actions and if we haue attained to some knowledge in the schoole of Christ we sée in the Gospell that he is condemned that hideth his talent aswel as the other that riotously wasted it I pray you apply this to your selfe whom the Lord hath loued with long continewaunce of his goodnesse and you shall find out a right Christian exploit euen in the man that sat next at your elbow Set vpon it or if you haue begon giue it not ouer for the winning of one soule to Christ is more acceptable in the sight of GOD then to offer the whole world for a sacrifice what though he be a man the spirit of GOD is able to encounter him if hee bee neuer so wyly or peruerse in opinion God who is able to rend the heart and to pierce the marrow in the bones is alwayes presont in his owne worke What though hee happily may commaund your silence your spirit must bee touched with his sinnes you may not suffer him to rest in vncleannesse for they that are of CHRIST are alwayes carefull to bring others to Christ-ward but especially those that are so neare vnto them as hee is to you you know that in processe of time the soft drop of raine doth break the hard flint the silly worme doth throw downe the mighty oake and the slow snayle doth attayne to the top of Mountaines Therefore let nothing discon age you If this opinion be established vpon the prescriptions of his forefathers try him by the Prophets Apostles if the length and continuance of his religion doth séeme forceable toperswade him shew him the law where God punished y● transgression of Israel with four hundred yeares blindnesse and no doubt hee that would punish the transgression of that Law the gaue by Angells with so long ignorance may as iustly perswade him that the same God can punish the contempt of his Gospel with a thousand yeares blindnesse Nay proue vnto him I say the generall apostacy wherof the Apostles haue told vs if he dare not subscribe to the Gospell because he may become an offence to his friendes proue from thence that he feareth his worldly friendes more then hee loueth his heauenly God if he shun the Gospel because of those herestes that dayly spring vp in the light therof shew him that he neuer knew or else hath forgotten the Scripture which doth witnesse The Heresies must needs be that the faithful may be tryed if his eies be presixed vpon professors that he can find many faults in theyr manners let him look backe into him-self and he shall sée that Papists and Protestants are very men néeding the Phisition But if he find not so great corruption in him-selfe First let him take héed least it fare with him as with men that be sicke which when they thinke them-selues recouered nearest to health ar euen then furthest from health and nearest theyr end But if there bee not indéed such corruption in them which is hard to be determined on eyther side considering how partiall our nature is in it owne behalfe and ready to sla●ter it selfe let him neuer impute this to the dignity of his religion but to the goodnesse of God the giuer of al good things If he feare the Gospell because it is ill spoken off Let him remember that Christ himself is a stumbling stone made for the fal of many if he be affraid of corrupt trāslations let him either correct orshew vs y● causes of his misliking and he shall be satisfied Finally if he shall stumble at Jarre that is now ava●●s among Diuines let him without partiality read the monuments of Popery he shal perceiue ten times more oddes among the Doctors thereof For there is none of thē al almost as few of the old fathers but ar so far wide one from another yea and most of them from them-selues that neyther Papists nor Protestants doe want matter thereof to authorize and maintaine theyr religion nor any heretique that hath bene since the first beginning of Papistry Therfore you may proue vnto him that this fault ought not to be fathered on the word of God which doth plainly and truly set forth all points of religion But rather vpon Sathan and his mallice whose continuall practise hath béene by al meanes and deuices