Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	3,931	5	9.9167	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02628	A recantation sermon preached in the gate-house at VVestminster the 30. day of Iuly 1620 In the presence of many worshipfull persons, by Iohn Harding, late Priest and Dominican Fryar. Wherein he hath declared his iust motiues which haue moued him to leaue the Church of Rome, and to vnite himselfe with the reformed Church of England, whose faith and doctrine, the ancient fathers and holy martyrs haue confirmed both by bloud and writing. Shewing herein the grose errors of Rome, in matters of faith, their corrupting the Fathers, and their present declining to some strange and future ruine.	Harding, John, fl. 1620.	1620 (1620)	STC 12756; ESTC S115165	15,923	28

A RECANTATION SERMON PREACHED IN THE GATEHOVSE AT VVEST minster the 30. day of Iuly 1620. In the presence of many worshipfull persons by Iohn Harding late Priest and Dominican Fryar Wherein he hath declared his iust motiues which haue moued him to leaue the Church of Rome and to vnite himselfe with the reformed Church of England whose faith and doctrine the ancient fathers and holy Martyrs hane confirmed both by bloud and writing Shewing herein the grose errors of Rome in matters of faith their corrupting the Fathers and their present declining to some strange and future Ruine LONDON Printed by Barnard Alsop for Roger Iackson and are to be sold at his shop against the Counduit in Fleetestreet 1620. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR ROBERT Nanton Knight chiefe Secretary to his Maiesties state and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell HE that hath passed a dangerous sicknesse and hath recouered his former health againe is bound in a double Obligation The one is to bee gratefull to the Person by whose meanes he recouered his health The other is to vse all meanes possible that those which be sick of the like disease may by his recouery be the better According to that of our Sauior Et tu cōuersus confirma fratres tuos And therefore right Honourable although it be somewhat besides custome to make Dedications of printed Sermons yet it is my duty to offer to your Honour the first fruits of my conuersion Your Honor being next and immediately vnder God the chiefe worker thereof The which as it is a gretaer benefite then any worldly thing can afford me so doth it require a fuller acknowledgement then as yet I could at any time manifest howsoeuer I haue most earnestly desiredit In which respect being ouer intreated by some of my friends to publish this Sermon of my Recantation and to set downe to the open view of all the iust reasons and sollid grounds that moued mee there unto I haue made hold to passe it vnder your Honours name hoping by your former encouragements of your loning acceplance And albeit they be but my first Assayes in this kind and therefore may chance to seem but harsh yet because my desire is only to set forth God mercy towards me your Honors louing kindnesse shewed to me And to stop the mouthes of some malicious Papists that rayle against me I trust that your Honour will accept of this my weake endeauour as a token of my thankefull mind which I in all duty recommend vnto your Honours fauour and your selfe and yours in your affaires vnto the mercy and blisse of the blessed Trinity who ever so asssist your Honour in all your proceedings as that after these present toyles and troubles your Honor may receine that happy Crowne of glory Quam repromiscit Deus diligentibus se Your Honors euer in Christ Iesus Iohn Harding A RECANTATION SERMON PREACHED BY A DOMINICAN Fryar Psal 119. verse 71. It is good for me that I have beene in trouble for thereby I have learned thy Statutes De elementiaad Neronem SEneca a graue Phylosopher writing vnto Nero and tracting of Cinna an ancient Roman and publike Rebell hee vseth these words Periti medici vbi blanda medela non pracedat tentant contrarium It is the vse of good Physicians that when a gentle Meditine doth take no place they presently apply a sharper salue and more bitter corrasiue The like course taketh Almighty God with those that bee repugnant vnto his holy will and rebellious against his knowne truth when faire meanes and louing kindnes cannot preuaile then goeth he non alliciendo sed compellendo not by alluring or enticing them but by compelling and enforcing them vt quod non possit per disceptatione saltem pos sit per vim that those whom hee cannot win by louing exhortations he will bring them home by extremities For as Isocrates an ancient Grecian saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afflictions are our instructions and extremitie is Gods opportunity The prodigal child would not returne vn-his father vntill extremity compelled him Manasses liuing in his pompe and pleasure in Ierusalem planted groues and set vp Idols against God and godlinesse but being in prison in Babilon and chained in a dungeon the Scripture saith that he did turne his heart vnto the Lord his God and besought him earnestly therefore saith Salomon to all things there is an appointed time and a time for euery purpose vnder the heauēs God hath his time to afflict vs that we may the more earnestly seeke after him multiplicatae sunt infirmitates eorum postea acclerauerme as our Sauiour saith seeke and you shall find But how must we seek it is said we must seeke him by Prayer Inuoca me in die tribulationis ego exaudiam te call vpon me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee The Prophet Dauid being much afflicted in many of his Psalmes doth often call vpon the Lord as in the 120. Psalme ad Dominum cum tribularer clamaui when I was in trouble I called vppon the Lord and in the 130. Psalme de profundis clamaui ad te domini domine exaudi vocem meam out of the deepe of my heart haue I called vnto thee O Lord O Lord heare my prayer so that as prosperity doth cause many to forget God and to neglect their duties towards him so doth aduersity call them home againe and makes them more carefull to seeke after him and to walke more warily in his wayes And therefore the Prophet Dauid in another place of this Psalme saith Before I was in trouble I went wrong but now haue I learned to keep thy lawes and so concludeth in the seuenth verse saying bonū est mihi quia bumili asti me it is good for me that I haue beene in trouble The like may I say at this time right Worshipfull and my louing auditors it was good for mee that I haue beene in trouble for before I was in trouble albeit I had a zeale to serue the Lord yet I had not the true way and meanes to serue him as he ought to be serued hauing liued as long time from the truth as from my country and friends being from my first arriuall into this Land deteyned in pryson sequestred from all conuersation and society In this my affliction and long misery I prayed both instantly and feruently to the Almighty that hee would vouhcsafe to open mine eyes enlighten my darkenes and incline my heart vnto his testimonies that I might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life for in him only and for him only I desired to liue and dye refoluing my selfe that whatsoeuer shall bee fall me in this life I will esteeme it all happinesse for the peace of conscience and the glory of Gods most holy name As I was thus communing with my soule there came into my mind that worthy precept of St. Iohn when he saith Trust not

still vrging me I could doe no lesse then retire my selfe back vnto the Lord from whom I haue long erred gone astray saying as Aristotle was wont to say Socrates is my friend so is Plato my friend but the friendship of the truth is far aboue all I can no longer beare witnesse against God it is no longer secure to call good euill or euill good light darkenesse or darkenesse light I must not be ashamed of the Gospell of Iesus Christ for it is the mighty power of God vnto saluation It is now high time to set aside all blinde affection and to iudge vprightly It is dangerous to ioyne with them that haue burnt Gods Word and scornefully called it a leaden rule a Nose made of waxe that call ignorance the mother of Deuotion dumb Images Lay mens Bookes who forbid marriage and lycence Concubines who haue deuised vnto themselues a strange Religion contrary to the Scriptures ancient Counsels old doctors and example of the Primatiue Church whom so many Kingdomes countries and infinite thousands of godly people haue forsaken From whom the holy Ghost by expresse words hath commanded vs to depart as it is written in the Apocalips Come away from her O my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes lest ye be also partakers of her plagues for she hath falsified the holy farthers with such translations and expositions not as may best expresse their meanings but as may best further their owne pretenses and purposes they wrest them they alter them they put to them and take from them sometimes they take the bare words against the meaning and sometimes they frame a meaning against the words they imagine counsels that were neuer lied Canons of counsels that were neuer seene they bring forged Pamphlets vnder the name of Athanasius Anacletus and other godly Fathers by whom they were neuer made These are not errors in manners which may be in any good Church but they are errors in Faith and Doctrine which cannot stand with the true Church And therefore as Saint Ciprian saith let not lies deceiue vs any longer it is night vntill the day spring but when the Day appeareth and the Sunne of truth is vp both the darkenesse of the night as also the thefts committed in darkenesse will appeare and giue place Now the Sunne of truth is vp and the Clouds of ignorance are scattered I will say with Saint Paul Let vs cast away darkenesse and put on the armour of light To maintaine a fault knowne is a double fault Errour cannot stand but by errour and the mouth that speaketh vntruth killeth the soule Therefore I may safely and ioyfully say Bonum est mihi domine quia humiliasti me vt discam instisicationes tuas It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble for thereby I haue learned thy truth O my God leade me in the truth teach mee to do thy will Albeit I haue erred and strayed like a lost sheepe Ego tamen filius tuus fillius ancillae tuae Yet I am as child of thine inheritance and borne and brought vp of thy Handmayd which is thy Church and Spouse Open mine eyes suffer me not to be deceiued by the abuses of the world Sweete Iesus confirme me in this my resolution helpe my vnbeliefe increase the Faith which is within me fructifie in me that assurance of Abraham who beleeued in hope against hope arme me with thy promises deliuer me from mine enemines replenish me with the Spirit of constancy to the end and in the end that hauing gotten the victory I may say with the Apostle Paul Bonum certamē certaui fidē seruaui cursū consummani de reliqu● reposita est mihi corona iustitiae quam reddit mihi in ill● die Iustus index 2. Tim. 4.7.8 I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the Faith 8. Henceforth there is laid vp for me a Crowne of Righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that Day FINIS