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	false_a	teacher_n	2,669	5	9.2889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01647	A relation of the fearefull estate of Francis Spira in the yeare, 1548.	Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660.	1638 (1638)	STC 1178.5; ESTC S118976	22,974	142

terrible alteration that lately had hapned in Germanie where by the means of one onely Luther the Romish Religion had suffered such a blow as that it could neither bee cured by dissimulation nor defended by power but the Clergie must either mend their manners or lose their dignities on the other side when hee saw how propense the common people inhabiting in the bordering countries of Italy vvere to entertaine those new opinions hee now thought it no time to dispute or perswade but with speed repaires to the Senate and procures authoritie from them to send for Spira Spira by this time had considered vvith himselfe of the nature of his carriage how evident and notorious it vvas and therefore subject to bee envied by such as neither liked his person nor Religion hee perceived that his opinions were neither retyred nor speculative but such as aymed at the overthrovv of the Romish Faction and at change of Policie vvherein at the best he could expect but a bloudy victory and that his enemies vvanted neither povver nor occasion to call him to account in publique vvhen he must either Apostatize and shamefully give his former life yea his ovvn conscience the lye or endure the utmost malice of his deadly enemies or forsake his wife children friends goods authoritie yea his deare Countrey and betake himselfe to a forraigne people there to endure a thousand miseries that do continually waite upon a voluntary exile Being thus distracted and tossed in the restlesse waves of doubt without guid to trust to or haven to flye to for succour on the sudden Gods Spirit assisting hee felt a calme and began to discourse with himselfe in this manner Why wandrest thou thus in uncertainties unhappy man cast away feare put on thy shield the shield of faith Where is thy wonted courage thy goodnesse thy constancie remember that Christs glorie lies at the stake suffer thou without feare and hee will defend thee hee will tell thee what thou shalt answer hee can beat downe all danger bring thee out of prison raise thee from the dead consider Peter in the dungeon the Martyrs in the fire if thou makest a good confession thou mayest indeed goe to prison or death but an eternall reward in heaven remaines for thee What hast thou in this world comparable to eternall life to everlasting happinesse if thou dost otherwise thinke of the scandall common people live by example thinking what ever is done is well done feare the losse of peace and joy feare hell death and eternall wrath or if thy flesh be so strong as to cause thee to doubt of the issue flie thy Countrie get thee away though never so far rather then denie the Lord of Life Now was Spira in reasonable quiet being resolved to yeeld to these weightie reasons yet holding it wisedome to examine all things hee consults also with flesh and bloud thus the battaile doth renew and the flesh beginnes in this manner Bee well advised fond man consider reasons on both sides and then judge how canst thou thus overweene thine owne sufficiencie as thou neither regardest the examples of thy Progenitors nor the judgment of the whole Church dost thou not consider what miserie this thy rashnesse will bring thee unto thou shalt lose thy substance gotten with so much care and travell thou shalt undergoe the most exquisite torments that malice it selfe can devise thou shalt bee counted an heretique of all and to close up all thou shalt die shamefully What thinkest thou of the loathsome stinking dungeon the bloudie axe the burning fagot are they delightfull Bee wise at length and keepe thy life and honour thou maist live to do much good to good men as God commands thee thou maist be an ornament to thy Countrie and put case thy Countries losse would bee of small esteeme with thee Wilt thou bring thy friends also into danger thou hast begotten children wilt thou now cut their throats inhumanely butcher them which may in time bring honor to their Countrie glorie to God helpe and furtherance to his Church goe to the Legate weake man freely confesse thy fault and helpe all these miseries Thus did the cares of this world and the deceitfullnesse of riches choke the good Seed that was formerly sowne so as fearing hee faints and yeelds unto the allurements of this present world being thus blinded he goes to the Legate at Venice and salutes him with this news Having for these divers yeares entertained an opinion concerning some Articles of faith contrary to the Orthodox and received judgement of the Church and uttered many things against the authoritie of the Church of Rome and the universall Bishop I humblie acknowledge my fault and errour and my folly in misleading others I therefore yeeld my selfe in all obedience to the Supreme Bishop into the bosome of the Church of Rome never to depart again from the Traditions and Decrees of the holy See I am heartily sorry for what is past and I humbly begge pardon forso great an offence The Legate perceiving Spira to faint he pursues him to the utmost hee causeth a recitation of all his Errours to be drawne in writing together with the Confession annexed to it and commands Spira to subscribe his name there which accordingly he did then the Legate commands him to return to his owne Towne and there to declare this Confession of his and to acknowledg the whole Doctrine of the Church of Rome to be holy and true and to abjure the Opinions of Luther and other such Teachers as false hereticall Man knowes the beginnings of sinne but who bounds the issues thereof Spira having once lost footing goes downe amaine he cannot stay nor gaine-say the Legate but promiseth to accomplish his whole will and pleasure he soone addresseth himselfe for his Iourney and being onward in the way bethinks himselfe of large spoyles hee had brought away from the Conflict with the Legate what glorious testimony hee had given of his great faith and constancie in Christs cause and to be plaine how impiously hee had denyed Christ and his Gospell at Venice and what he promised to do further in his owne Country and thus partly with feare and partly with shame being confounded he thought he heard a voyce speaking unto him in this manner Spira What dost thou heere whither goest thou hast thou unhappy man given thy hand-writing to the Legate at Venice yet see thou dost not seale it in thine owne Countrey dost thou indeed thinke eternall life so meane as that thou preferrest this present life before it dost thou well in preferring wife and children before Christ is the windie applause of the people better indeed then the glorie of God and the possession of this worlds good more deare to thee then the salvation of thine owne Soule is the small use of a moment of time more desireable then eternall wrath is dreadfull Thinke with thy selfe what Christ endured for thy sake is it not equall thou shouldest suffer