Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

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

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77492	An antidote against the poysonous vveeds of heretical blasphemies, which during the deplorable interval of church-government have grown up in the reforming Church of England. As it was lately presented to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth. / By Iohn Brinsley, Minister of the Gospel there. Augus. 10. 1650. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1650 (1650)	Wing B4705; Thomason E612_13; ESTC R206488	47,516	58

This I take up from the Apostle writing to Timothy in the place forenamed 1 Tim. 5. 22. where he giveth him this Caveat Lay hands suddenly on no man viz. in Ordination so it is most commonly and most properly expounded Herein Paul willeth Timothy to be advised so as not to have any hand in instaling any into any Ecclesiasticall function who were not approvable both for Doctrine and life Adding this for a Reason Neither be partaker of other mens sins Timothy by ordaining impowring of an Heretical false teacher giving him an advantage to spread his false doctrine with authority should make himself accessory to all that mischief which should redound unto the Church by so pernicious an Instrument A point which I wish it might be taken notice of by all those who have or may have power to impower others whether in a Civil or Ecclesiastical way to promote and install any in any place or office of publike trust whether in the Church or Common-wealth If so be they be men of dangerous and poysonous principles such as those Heretical Blasphemers I have been speaking of let them take heed how they lay hands on them unlesse it be in securing their persons from doing any farther harme how they have any hand in putting advantages into their hands wherby they may spread the contagion of their Errours to the indangering of the souls of others In so doing they shall make themselves partakers of their sin accessories to all the evill that accrueth to the Church of God by their means 3. A third way is by tolerating and suffering of such This I take from the spirit writing to the Churches Rev. 2. Writing to the Church of Pergamus he layeth this to the charge of the Angel there that he had in that Church them which held the doctrine of Balaam ver. 14. and them which held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans vers. 15. Pertinacious Hereticks for so much the word there imports {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} such as held fast those doctrines So the same word is translated in the verse foregoing ver. 13. Thou hâ—ldest fast my name {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And so the word here signifieth an obstinate and pertinacious holding of those heretical doctrines which properly maketh an Heretick Such Hereticks there were some in that Church But what was that to the Angel the Minister or Officers in that Church Yes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Thou hast them i. e. thou toleratest and sufferest them not proceeding against them according to that authority committed unto thee So you have it more plainly in that charge against the Church of Thyatira v. 20. I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my people This TOLERATION where that power which God hath committed to any for the suppressing reforming or punishing of such Heretical Blasphemers is not put forth but they are connived at born with this involves those who are herein failing in their duty in the guilt of that sin maketh them accessories to it The Rule is ancient and true Qui non vetat peccare cum possit jubet who so having power to prohibit or hinder an evill shall not put forth that power maketh himself at least accessory to it This do Church-officers in the state Ecclesiastical Having liberty to exercise that power which Jesus Christ hath committed to them for the edification of his Church under himself if they shall not put it forth for the suppressing of so great an evill as this they thereby become accessories to it And so doth the Civill Magistrate being by Gods appointment keeper of both Tables if he shall not draw forth the sword which God had put into his hand for the vindicating of the name and cause of God against these open and professed enemies of it for the Punishing of Blasphemers according to the power and authority committed to him by this whether voluntary or negligent Toleration and connivance he involveth himself in the guilt of this sin Quest Happily some by the way may interrupt me and demand of me What punishment is due unto this sin Answ. Give me leave to turne aside a little to returne them an Answer For the right stating whereof we must distinguish There are divers kinds of Blasphemies and Blasphemers To follow the Casuist Alsted there are two kinds of Blasphemy the one Immediate the other Mediate Immediate which strikes directly at God himself denying him to be or to be such a one as he hath revealed himself or attributing something to him which is inconsistent with his nature or highly dishonorable to his Majesty Mediate which doth only obliquely indirectly interpretatively by consequence redound to him and reflect upon him As when his Image Word Works Ordinances are contumeliously spoken of which redoundeth unto God the Prototype and Author of them Again Blasphemy is either of Infirmity or Pertinacie Of Infirmity which is sudden and occasioned through the distemper of some passion or the violence of some temptation Of Pertinacy when men in cold blood do advisedly blaspheme the name of God or when they do {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} pertinaciously and obstinatly maintain some damnably Heretical and Blasphemous doctrines Now according to the quality kind and degree of this sin so is the punishment to be proportioned As for Immediate Blasphemy against God himself the divine law maketh it capital You may read it Levit. 24. where Moses enquiring of God concerning the Blasphemer which was then in ward what they should do with him the Lord returns him an answer both concerning him and all others in the like case ver. 13 14 15 16. The Lord spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath cursed without the Camp and let all that heard hâ—m lay their hands upon his head and let all the Congregation stone him And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death Here is the Divine Law which hath been followed by the Civil Law Blasphemi ultimis suppliciis afficiantur Blasphemers let them be punished with capital punishments with death Others have adjudged this sin to be punished with cutting off or plucking out the tongue And that saith Aretius most deservedly For unworthy is that tongue ever to speak more that shall dare once to speak against its Creator Afterwards the Canon Law hath relaxed and mitigated the punishment commuting it into pecuniary Mulcts and Penances c. But by what Authority it hath taken upon it thus to dispence with the Divine Law it cannot be said Sure it is this unwarrantable lenity hath been no small advantage unto the sin As for the Law of God it is expresse and peremptory He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall surely be

those with their pestilent doctrines who would hearken to them Such were they of whom the Apostle here foretelleth they should be found guilty of this great Evill Men shall be Blasphemers So he foretold it and accordingly it hath come to passe Such there were not a few in Timothies time In the first Centurie in the Apostles times and soon after how many of this brood such as pretending to an outward profession of the Gospel yet were blasphemers in some kind or other Such were Hymeneus and Alexander and Philetus of whom our Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 1. 20. 2 Tim. 2. 17. who amongst others {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of whom is Hymeneus c. had put away Faith the Doctrine of Faith and a good conscience Erring concerning the faith In particular denying the Resurrection of the dead saying that it was past already Most probably maintaining their Error by open invectives against that Article of the Faith whereupon the Apostle chargeth them with Blasphemie for the cure of which he delivereth them up unto Satan by the censure of Excommunication 1 Tim. 1. 20. Of this sort were those in Saint Johns time of whom we finde mention Revel. 2. In the Church of Smyrna there were some which stood chargable with Blasphemie I know the Blasphemy of them which say they are Jewes and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan saith the Spirit verse 9. Such a generation of men there were in that Church who said they were Jewes bragged of the truth of their Religion whilst they wanted both the inward power and outward evidences of it being in truth the Synagogue of Satan under his government and acted by him and as it is probable these slandered and reviled those which were not of their way inveighing against the truths of God and so became Blasphemers Such there were also in the Church of Pergamus some who held the Doctrine of Balaam ver. 14. Others that held the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans ver. 15. both heretically Blasphemers And such also was that woman Jezebel in the Church of Thyatira v. 20. who called her self a Prophetesse some noted wicked woman like unto that old Jezebel or of the same name with her or both who called her self a Prophetesse pretending it may be to Revelations or at least to a more then ordinary measure of the spirit and so took upon her to teach and instruct others and by that means being naught her self she taught others to be like her self seducing them both to corporal and spiritual fornication Adultery and Idolatry and that as is most probable under Religious pretences which may well be called Blasphemy To these Scripture instances we may adde those other which I mentioned before Blasphemers upon record in Ecclesiastical History in the first Century such was Simon-Magus the father of Hereticks of whom it is recorded that he gave out himself to be God and that it was he which gave the Law at Mount Sina unto Moses in the person of God the Father and appeared in the person of the Son in Tiberius his time and descended upon the Apostles in those cloven tongues of fire in the person of the Holy Ghost at the day of Pentecost and so required Divine honour to be given to him which accordingly it was at his coming to Rome where they who a little before had refused to acknowledge the Divinity of Christ now give divine honour to a seducing Sorcerer setting up his Image with this superscription Simoni deo sancto to Simon an holy God Out of his ashes sprung up Menander in many things like unto his master Simon but in absurdity of monstrous opinions far exceeding him And after him that payre of Hereticks Ebion and Cerinthus who denyed the Divinity of Christ The latter of which first broached the opinion of the grosser kinde of Chyliasts or Millenaries about the personall reigne of Christ upon earth viz. that after the Resurrection Christ should reigne upon earth for a thousand yeers during which time the subjects of this Kingdom should enjoy all kind of sensuall pleasures and carnal contentments About the same time or not long after sprung up that infamous Carpocrates from whom came that wicked generation of the Gnosticks A company of blasphemous Hereticks called by the name of Gnosticks because they pretended to a more then ordinary knowledge in dark and hidden mysteries whose opinions and doctrines were so detestable so abominable that I finde some blaming Epiphanius for leaving any record of them to posterity they being such as cannot but offend any chast eare to heare or eye to read Such as justly denominated them as Augustine tels us they were called Borboritae or Caenosi men polluted and wallowing in the mire of all speculative and practical filthinesse Such were there some and not a few in those Primitive and purest times of the Church And such there have been more or lesse in all ages of the Church since O that I might not say that some such there are to be found in this Kingdome in the Church at this day But alas how is this Prophecie of the Apostles fulfilled and made good amongst us in these last and worst of times In the last dayes c. mon shall be Blasphemers And is it not so Wherefore is it that we are met together this day but to bewaile the Blasphemies the hideous horrid prodigious Blasphemies which swarme almost in all places of this Nation at this day To go about to reckon them up would be a work as endlesse as fruitlesse Nay a work in attempting whereof I should deserve the like censure as the aforesaid Historian hath incurred there being some and not a few of them so horridly impious that it is not fit they should ever be so much as named among Christians Such as should I rehearse them I know they would make all your eares to tingle Not to speak here of the Blasphemies of many wicked and profane persons of whom we may say as the Spirit doth of that great Whore Revel. 17. 3. they are full of names of Blasphemie not sparing to peirce thorow to rend and teare the sacred name of God in peices by impious hellish Oaths and Imprecations Not regarding how contumeliously they speak of God of his works of his Religion Ordinances Officers Image Such a generation there is to be found amongst us true Malignants such as David describeth Psal. 73. 9. They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth they speak profanely of God and of his works of Providence Such is their pride that they speak of every thing at their own pleasure without any regard either to God or man Not unlike that Beast in the Revelation Rev. 13. 6. of whom it is said that he opened his mouth in Blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in heavenâ— So do they they spare not to open their mouths in

take heed of Covetousnesse take heed of Arrogancie take heed of Superciliousnesse To these I might adde many more I shall only hint unto you two or three which are very proper to the present times and present case 5. Take heed of renouncing Church-communion This Direction I shall hold forth with all respective tendernesse to those upon whom it may seem to intrench yet so as the truth of God may not be concealed or dissembled Take heed of forsaking Communion with the true Churches of Christ in his publike Ordinances This Saint Jude points at as an inlet unto this sin Jude verse 19. Having minded those to whom he writeth of what the Apostles had foretold how that in the last times there should be mockers such as Paul here calleth Blasphemers he presently addeth These be they who separate themselves {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} makers of Sects as the Geneva renders it or Separatists men dividing and separating themselves from the true Churches of Christ renouncing their Communion forsaking their Assemblies as the Author to the Hebrews describeth the like Apostates Heb. 10. 25. and so it may be casting off the publike Ordinances Such saith St. Jude are the Mockers the Blasphemers of the last times And is it not so amongst us at this day Who or what are the Blasphemers of the times Are they not for the most part such as separate themselves Grosse and rigid Separatists and Sectaries Mistake it not I do not say that all those who have thus separated themselves are such No God hath yet kept many of them and my prayer shall be yet he may keep them from this so great an evill But those who are such are they not for the most part of that number such as have separated themselves and that in a rigid and bitter way for of such I now speak renouncing Communion with the true Churches of Christ crying them down for Antichristian Churchâ—s false Churches no Churches Let it be seriously and impartially observed and I suppose this will be found to be the ordinary doore at which this desperate Evill hath entred and broke in upon the Church of God in this Nation And I dare not forbear to give you notice of it that upon this ground you may so much the rather beware of it 6. Take heed of usurping upon publike offices and administrations in the Church Being private persons take heed how you take up on you the office of publike teaching not being called not being sent how you usurp upon the Ministerial function You know the story of King Vzziah 2 Chron. 26. 16. 19. How that being as the Text saith strong and his heart lifted up not contented with his kingly dignity he would be usurping upon the Priests office thereupon he advanceth into the Temple the Holy place where it was not lawful for any but the Priest to enter and there he attempts to offer Incense which it was not lawfull for any but the Priest to do But what was the issue Why presently the Leprosie rose up in his forehead from beside the Incense-Altar The very ashes of the Altar as some conceive of it flew in his face and turned to a Leprosie And hath not the like hapned to many amongst us who have been guilty of the like usurpation They being strong in their own conceits and their hearts being lifted up in the apprehension of their own gifts and abilities and envying to the Ministers of God the appropriation of their Ministeriall functions they have taken upon them the office of publike teaching without any mission or Commission from God or man scorning to enter at Christs doore by the way of the Churches orderly Ordination But what hath been the issue Why God hath met with them in the like manner The ashes of the Altar have flown in their faces the Leprosie of Blasphemy hath risen up in their foreheads so as they have become of Orthodox Professors Hereticall Seducers indangering all that came within the breath of them with the contagion of their Doctrine Of this kinde were those Blasphemers which our Apostle here speaketh of Such as took upon them to be Teachers of others and for that purpose went about from place to place as some and too many circumforaneous teachers like Saint Judes Planets wandring stars Jude 19. do in all places at this day creeping into houses and by-corners to vent their Heretical and Blasphemous doctrines That you may be kept from the like evils take heed of the like unwarrantable presumption Mistake it not It is farre from my thoughts to discourage any in doing their duty Parents in instructing their children Masters their families or Christians in edifying one another in their holy faith in a private way whether it be by praying together conferring together or in helping one another in calling to minde what they heard in publike for all which they have the Apostles warrant to bear them out 1 Thes. â— 11. But for private persons to take upon them to teach in a publike and ordinary way without any mission from the Church this is the presumption which here I taxe and look upon as rendring men so obnoxious unto this spiritual judgment 7. To these I shall adde but one more would you be kept from this sin take heed of curiosity and inordinate affection of novelties in matters of Religion You know how fatall it proved to those men of Bethshemesh who dared to look into the Arke of God In seeing that they saw their last 1 Sam. 6. 19. Of such dangerous consequence is it when men will be prying into Gods secrets will not be contented with what the Apostle confines Christians to Rom. 12. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be wise or understand unto sobriety as those words are most properly rendred but they will be unlocking of Gods closet picking of his Cabinet Being surfeted with old and wholsome Truths they long for Novelties like those Athenians Acts 17. 19. who were very desirous to hear Paul doctrine meerly for the newnesse of it May we know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest Being glutted with plain and open truths they hunt altogether after unrevealed mysteries not fearing to plunge themselves over head and ears in those depths where the Elephant may swim nay where never any yet could finde a bottome If such adventurous spirits be drowned in a sea of Errors what wonder Plinie the younger was swallowed up of his Vesuvius that smoaking burning gulfe whilst he dared to approach too nigh to finde out the cause of that Eruption Nothing more dangerous then an overcurious disquisition and enquiry into the depths and hidden mysteries of God Herein he spake rightly who said of himself Mallem ignorare sine crimine quÃ m scire cum discrimine I had rather be ignorant of what I am not bound to know then to hazard my self in seeking to know it It had been well for Eve if she had never tasted

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