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	heresy_n	schism_n	2,940	5	9.8144	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36093	A Discourse of eternitie, collected and composed for the common good being necessary for all seasons, but especially for this time of calamitie and destruction.		1646 (1646)	Wing D1597; ESTC R14406	48,185	170

our severall places and callings indeavour the extirpation of Heresy Scisme and whatsoever should be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlines Yet notwithstanding this deep ingagement on our souls How many fearfull errors what unheard of fancies do uncontrollably abound in every corner of the land Doth not every man act what seems good in his own eyes Is not every wanton we impunitively suffered to make an idoll of his own way and to draw Disciples after him Me thinks its worthy our most serious thoughts how sadly how compassionately the reformed Churches do resent our home distractions See what the Walachrian Churches have writ to our Reverend Assembly of Divines upon this occasion Judicent conscientientiae vestrae quomodo omnium Heresium genus inultum permitti multiplicia schismatum sem ina impunè spargi prophana errorum dogmata passim in vulgus proferri possint in illa civitate quae tam expresso sancto severo juramento sese coram Deo devinxit ad omnes errores heresesschismata de domo Dei ejicienda * Let your own consciences judge say they h●● Heresies of all kindes can passe unpunished manifold seeds of Schisme be spread without controll and prophane Doctrines of errors be commonly vented in publike in that City which by so expresse so sacred so severe an Oath hath bound it self in the presence of God to cast out all Heresies Errors Schismes out of the house of God Hence ye may observe how loud a peal our Church divisions ring thorow out the world Our friends pity us our foes deride us and neuters stand amazed at our doings and certainly God is not pleased with our wayes For God is the God of order and not of confusion the God of peace not of division In vain it is to expect any happy or peacefull dayes or that we shall see a well grounded settlement in Church and state so long as turbulent spirits have so much line and latitude to their fancies And surely it is now high time it is high time for us all in our severall places since we stand every day hovering between time and eternity to minde our sacred vowes and to lay our solemn Covenants closely to our hearts and ask our consciences how faithfully we have performed them especially in the particular wherein we now insist Errors in opinion are of as dangerous consequence as errors in practice and therefore happy would it be for the kingdome if they that move in the highest Sphears would all come in as with one shoulder and make it the chiefest businesse of their souls that the Lord may be one and his name one through the Kingdome Now if you tell me I here digresse from the point in hand I readily grant it for these distracted times have amazed me and obstructed me in my way But now I return You see the dismall fruits of sinne what destruction it hath wrought in all the earth what havock in our State what confusion in the Church what rentings of affections in the hearts of men Oh that we did seriously consider of and soundly digest the meditation of these things For had we but hearts to understand and eyes to see the deformity of our sinnes and did unpartially compare the stain and pollution of them with the purenesse of Gods nature and the brightnes of his Majesty how should we be confounded in our souls with the sight of our own filthinesse How ready should we be rather to admire Gods patience then question his severity How should we tremble at his glorious Majesty and dread his power and justly fear what we have worthily deserved his everlasting judgement but if now on the other side we advisedly look into Gods gracious proceedings towards us and his loving indulgence in restraining his incensed displeasure notwithstanding our infinite provocations and in shewing us a way to escape his fury I know not whether we shall finde greater cause to vindicate his justice or admire his mercy For true it is as saith Saint Augustine Deus adeo bonus est ut malum nunquam sincret nisi adeo potens suiflet ut ex malo bonum eliceret Aug. So good is our God that he would never have suffer'd us to fal had not his power been such that he could extract matter out of our sinfulnes to advance his own glory Oh how unsearchable how bottomlesse how surpassing the apprehension of men and Angels is the love of God towards us whither can we goe which way can we cast our eyes where we shall not behold the admirable foot-steps of his mercy If we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens saith David If downward they that goe down into the deep see the wonders of God saith the same Prophet and his mercies in the great waters If round about us those that put their trust in the Lord mercy embraceth them on every side And hence it is that the Apostle Saint Paul to the Ephesians so diversly amplifies the love of God in severall places of that Epistle by sundry appellations or epithetes as his love his great love his abundant love his love passing knowledge again the riches of his glory the riches of his grace the riches of his mercy God who is mercifull saith the Apostle who is rich in mercy through his love his great love even when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ Ephes 2.4 The Apostle also in the same Epistle and first chapter expresseth the Lord great in his power abundant in his wisdom but rich exceeding rich in his mercy And why rich in mercy only Is not the Lord rich in Angels rich in the Saints rich in the Heavens Hath he not created the Clouds founded the Seas wisely composed the whole frame of nature And is he yet rich only in mercy True it is the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof all that we have all that we are is his but his mercy hath an excellency in it above all his creatures yea If I may so speak obove all his attributes above his Justice Mercy saith the Apostle rejoyceth against condemnation Above his power Jacob wrestled with God and overcame him above his greatnes for such was the unexpressible condiscention of the Almighty that although he were high and excellent and inhabited eternity yet did he humble himself to behold things done in Heaven earth for there is nothing doth more illustrate Gods omnipotency then his mercy It was no marvail that God should make the Heavens because he is power it self or that he should frame the earth because he is strength it self or that he should govern the times because he is wisdom it self or that he should give breath to all creatures because he is life it self But herein chiefly is God to be magnified that he who is infinitely just should yet be mercifull to sinners yea to sinners while they wallow in their blood while they rest in sinnes while they