Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	proof_n	reason_n	use_v	6,938	5	9.5713	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17917	Three sermons The former discouering a double and false heart, vpon the I. King. 21. 9. and 10. The second called, the blessednes of the righteous, vpon Psalm. 37. verse 37. The third, the court of guard, or watch of angels: I, Sam. 17. 37. By Nathaniel Cannon, Preacher of Gods Word at Hurley in Berkeshire.	Cannon, Nathanael, 1581 or 2-1664.	1616 (1616)	STC 4578; ESTC S117074	22,426	70

if God doe not stay vs. Sinne will begin to possesse that man that doth not resist it and break it of in time for it enters in three waies as one of the learned obserues 1. Blandiendo first 3. Degrees in a course of sin it smiles vpon vs like the strumpet Prou. 7. 2. Delectando Secondly it takes away our hearts as Absolom would steale away the hearts of the people 2. Samuel 3. Regnando Thirdly it takes possession like the strong man n Luke 11. then whose are we vntill a stronger come and cast him out thus the wicked they decline sinne per omnes casus Innominatino per superbiam in genitiuoper luxuriam in datiuo per Symoniam in accusatiuo per detractationem in vocat●to per adulationem in ablatiuoper rapinam and yet for all these Iezabel and her crew are certainely perswaded that they can sinne and not be seene 1. Reasons for the progresse of sinne Sinne groweth in the heart as the child doth in the wombe for as the infant hath his increasings euen by degrees vntill he come to see the light and bee borne into the world according as Iob hath it o Iob 10.10.11 Thou hast powred me out as milke and turned me into curds like cheese thou hast clothed mee with skinne and flesh thou hast ioyned mee together with bones and sinewes So is it with the vngodly man his beginnings were but euill imaginations which hee neuer resisted then afterwards out of the abundance of his heart his mouth spake either falsely furiously or fainedly which he neuer repented and then at length he becomes all these and acts any part of wickednesse whatsoeuer Reason 2 The iudgements of God are vpon such men as neuer made conscience of lesser sinnes by meanes whereof they are at length giuen ouer to a reprobate sense and become past feeling which the Apostle notes p Rom. 1.28 that as they haue not regarded to know God so the Lord hath giuen them vp to their owne hearts lusts to worke all maner of wickednesse and this comes first of all by the little or no account that we make of sinne Bernard Tract de de gradibus hum at first this as that father noteth vpon the point of excusing or extenuating sinne when sinne is found out and the question is who hath done it the sinner answereth Nonfaeci if that will not serue the turne but that it be proued then t is turned Si faeci non male faeci if the euill be proued then it is translated si male faeci non multum male if the qualitie and quantitie be proued then it hath a fourth euasion si multum male non male intentione if good or euill intents bee by diuinitie confuted then our last refuge is aliena tamenfaeci perswasione and thus we spin out iniquitie and giue it sucke from such a brest of mainetenance and excuse as if it were very lawfull to doe euill Let vs therefore descend vnto the life of this doctrine that is to shew our vses and applications Vses 1. All these proofes reasons examples and illustrations doe eccho foorth vnto vs this first vse Principijs obsta looke to the beginning of euil kill sinne in the neast before it bringeth foorth for it hath a cursed ofspring thou must set a watch ouer thy mouth as Dauid saith q Psalm 39. thou must make a couenant with thine eies r Iob. ●1 thou must examine thine hart s Psalm 4. if it be a proud hart at the first it wil after spawne foorth into a false heart if become a false heart it will not bee long before it be a cruell heart if it grow to be a cruel heart a little time will make it a hard heart if it be hardened then surely the next degree must needs be a reprobate sense the very iudgement that God suffers the most vngodly to fall into O then stay the beginnings of wickednesse and follow the deuine counsell of thy Christ who wisheth thee to look vnto thy members and if thine eie offend thee to pluck it out if thy hand offend thee to cut it off that is cut or take away that sinne that groweth by meanes of thine eie or thy hand and doe it in time least with the leprosie it run further and further Amongst the many diseases or maladies that happen vnto mans body there is one that they call by the name of Gangren The Gangren which doth affect altogether the ioynts and the present remedy thereof is immediatly to cut off that first ioint which is first affected or else it presently taketh another and so from that vnto a third vnlesse it be thus ordered by decision this is the nature of sinne which vnlesse it bee cut off in the motion proceedeth vnto the action from the action vnto delectation Aristot log Habitus est difficulter mobilis a subiecto from delectation vnto assuefaction or custome from that vnto a habite neuer to bee remooued a dangerous leprosie both for infection and dispersion vnlesse there be a timely preuention Let this bee considered in all our temptations vnto sinne Thetheefe if it be vnto stealth we begin with a pin then a point then a shilling then a pound at length any thing O let the young thiefe take heede of an olde iudgement vnlesse hee repent and leaue that sinne It may bee they haue escaped many times and that emboldens them but hee that leades them will neuer leaue them vntill they are left vnto the law both of God and man vnles they stay these beginnings by true touch of conscience The adulterer doth not presently fall vpon the bed to commit wickednesse The adulterer but first his eye sends a message to his heart his heart giues consent vnto the action and then the time and place purpose is concluded whereas if the eye went single the whole body would haue bene single and that first restraint would cut off the cursed consequents that alwaies do proceede from that sinne The lyar The lier Mendacium perniciosum officiosum ioco sum who kills his owne soule and vents falshoods of al sorts sometimes to destroy a Brother as these false witnesses did against Naboath sometimes out of their pretended charitie to saue anger or preuent displeasure sometimes out of the olde wiues Calender tell strange and merrie lyes fables of great antiquitie and no lesse iniquitie all these lies had their beginning which should haue beene suppressed at the first but for want thereof maketh the ingredient so perfect that a man cannot beleeue one word that commeth out of his mouth and if it happen that such a man speake truth which is but sildome yet it is not beleeued and it is iust vpon a lyer speaking trueth but sildome neuer to be beleeued O then season thy mouth at first with trueth for thy God is a God of trueth and in that thou hast not preuented this sinne in time

deuision of the Text into three parts 1. Naboaths death 2. The meanes of his death 3. The colouring of his death 1. His death is decreed aforehand stone him to death saith Iezabel she wil haue it according to the desperate rule Sic volo sic iubeo stet pro ratione voluntas 2. The meanes of his death by subornation of false witnesse Set two wicked men before him saith she and let them accuse him of blasphemie against God and the King answerable to that Popish proposition as Heathenish as the former inra periurasecretum prodere noli 3. The pretended color for the lamenting of his death Proclaime a fast as if shee did commiserate the mans case and as if he had been iustly condemned and that shee for his better preparation to his death would haue this fast proclaimed partly to haue it conceiued that shee and others were sorrowfull for his death but chiefly that by meanes of such an Assembly and so holy any action as fasting was shee would haue it appeare that shee did it to no other end but onely to bring Naboath to a feeling of his fault as if he had deserued death and shee great commendations for this charitie and compassion towards him in prouiding thus religiously as shee would haue it thought for his peaceable departure Thus the Camelion cast her colour and this miste must arise to make many fall into error she hauing concluded that it was enough to make this shew Et satis est potuisse videri Thus wee haue taken the Scripture asunder let vs desire God to ioyne with vs in the enlargement of the whole And for asmuch as the last part of this deuision are the first words of this Text I will therefore begin with them and so take them in their course as they lie in order Proclaime a fast Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas saith Austin Augustin in Psalm 36. a dissembled holines is double vngodlinesse It had been wickednes to shed innocent blood and falsely to condemne cruelly murder the harmelesse and guiltlesse man but thus to trick it vp color it vnder pretence of pity doubles the impietie But here is matter of great amazement comming forth to meet vs. For first of all it is a trembling businesse no question to the wicked themselues to shed blood for it quakes nature and excludes grace and cries for vengeance and proues alwaies so discouerable that as wee see by daily experience God suffers neither time nor place nor greatnesse to couer the blood that is so barbarouslie shed would not all these stay the hand or stagger the heart it is more then a miracle vnto vs Secondly it is no lesse to be wondered at that the nature of sinne should grow to bee so desperate as to make choise of the most sanctified actions for their colourable protections For example What action can there be more leading vnto true sanctification then our mortification What leadeth more vnto mortification then religiously and sincerely from the bottome of the heart to hold a religious fast vnto the Lord. Behold it is here but a vizard to produce a most monstrous and prodigious acte Heare O Heauens and hearken O Earth and maruell O yee sonnes of men at this impudency O who should dare to prophane such deuine actions as these are but only those who are incurable and so vtterly incorrigible as that they care not though they act the Diuels owne part Iudas kisseth Christ c Luk. 22.48 but hides his treason and so Iezabel proclaimes a Fast but hides the knife from Naboaths that must giue him his death The Panther Plin. nat hist lib. 8. as Pliny reporteth carrieth with him a sweete sent but an vgly force therefore he hides his talents vntil he haue the pray within danger In like manner Iezabel will sucke the blood of Naboath and yet shee hides this venome vnder a fast proclaime a fast saith shee from whence we may draw this obseruation Doctrin 10 Euery sinne will shelter it selfe vnder some pretence There are no perquisities of lasting and certaine tenure but onely those which a crew from vertue notwithstanding so quick is our apprehension in the point of profit and our wils so absolute in the doing of euill that though shame run by vs like a lacky and confusion prooue the close and full point of our deriuations yet will the wicked proceede and verily perswade themselues there can be no quare impedit either to hinder or cut off them or their designes But it were a necessary question to demand of them why they disguise themselues Aristot Quaedam videntur non sunt why they are like Aristotles videnturs who affirmes that there are many things seemes to be that which they are not The answere will aford it selfe for by their shadowes mists and colours that they cast they doe deceiue the people whereas if they came in the proper resemblance of their deformed courses they would bee more then monstrous in the eyes of the people and therefore our Sauiour speakes of these pretences when hee shewes that there are some that haue put on sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening Wolues Sinne ashamed of it selfe where we may see the hatefulnesse of sin that it dares not bee seene in his owne likenesse but must assume another shape for it the which let me now endeuour to proue from the Scriptures as formerly I proposed it in the doctrine namely that euery sinne will shelter it selfe vnder some pretence The Scribes and Pharisies who were party coluored in all their actions and clouen-footed in all their treadings did many foule and fearefull things vnder pretences but amongst all others how ill did they vse poore widdowes Christ saith That they deuoured widowes houses d Ma. 23.14 How did they deuoure thē euē vnder the pretēce of long praiers It was a fearefull thing to offer violence vnto them aboue al others for God commandeth vs to helpe them to comfort them and to bee a father to their fatherles and the Apostle shewes that this is as the euidence of our religion e Iam. 1.27 pure religion and vndefiled before God is to visit the fatherles and widowes so that to do them wrong were hatefull but to oppresse them or to draw blood frō thē vnder pretence of some prayers most damnable for so Christ affirmeth therefore saith he your damnation is greater because of your monstrous hypocrisie f Iohn 12.6 Iudas also puts on his cloake to his couetousnes as appeareth in the Gospell This oyntment saith he would haue been sold and the money giuen to the poore O what a faire pretence is this who will or can dislike that man which shall speak for the poore but God knew his heart that it was not vpright He care for the poore No such matter let them starue sinke or swimme it was all one to him This he said saith the Text not that hee cared for the poore

but that hee was a theefe and carried the bag and therefore was loath that such a morsell should goe from his own mouth g Mat. 2.8 Herod also seems wonderful forward in the sending away of the wisemen to Bethelem to seeke out the Babe Christ and when you haue found him bring me word saith he that I also may come and worship him Would Herod worship Christ No such matter but if he could come at him he would murther him for hee is afraid of his crown as al Tirants are Balam h Num. 23.1 pretends the glory of God when hee goes about his magical spels and yet comes the Lord and calles for altars Build me here saith he seuen Alters if so be it may please the Lord to answere me Hee workes in sorcery and yet pretends great pietie iust after the manner of that which the Apostle speaks of in the Epistle of i Titus 1.16 Titus They professe that they know God but in workes they denie him being abominable and disobedient and vnto euery good worke reprobate Thus from the Scriptures haue we prooued this doctrine and further might confirme it from k 1. Sa. 15.8 Saul who vnder the pretence of sacrifice reserueth Agage and the rest of the booty Further from Ammon l 2. Sa. 13.6 Dauids son who pretends sicknes to rauish his Sister Tamar from Ioab who vnder pretence of curtesie stabs Amasa to the heart m 2. Sa. 20.9 From the Scriptures come vnto our owne times what is there that we will allow to be sinne haue wee not a cloke a vaile for euery transgression Doth not the couetous person shroud himselfe vnder pretence of prouiding for his familie n 1. Tim. 5. Doth not the drunkard couch vnder good fellowship and loue doth not murder goe now for manhood is not lying and excusing answered and defended with good intents and what sinne shall there be named that will not be defended Alas my brethren our defenses and intimations reseruations and mentall conclusions distinctions and euasions will not suffice vs. Amongst others if we shall looke vpon the example of Vzza ● 2. Sam. 6.6 Good intents will not excuse it is notable to this purpose to put vs from the good intents when the Ark was in danger of falling by the stumbling of the oxen hee put forth his hand out of a good intent out of his loue vnto the Lord yet in regardd there was a commandement to the contrary the Lord was angry with him and strikes him dead the which with all other allegations to this purpose as the Apostle meanes in the 3. Rom. 3.8 to the Romans that we must not doe euill that good may come thereof This therefore might raise admiration but that wee can collect the reasons why sinners wil lodge themselues vnder these pretenses and imaginarie euasions Reasons 1. They wil doe all their euill actions vnder good pretences in the imitation of their Master the Diuell whom they serue Satan neuer comes to tempt like a diuell but to that end that he may blind or deceiue he will transforme himselfe into an Angell of Light q 2. Cor. 11. and he is so cunning in the delusions that he offereth that as our Sauiour saith if it were possible hee would deceiue the very Elect r Matth. 24. This lesson hath he taught his instruments alwaies to pretend some good in the wickedest actions that can be enterprised and amongst other maxims and principles of Satan how foule so euer the fact is yet you must not confesse it but either iustifie the act vnder some good pretence or else so extenuate it as it were not worthy the reproouing This shuffling our first parents kept s Genes 3. It is one of the Diuels principles neuer to acknowledge a fault Adam saith God hast thou eaten of the fruite The woman hee saith that thou gauest me she gaue me and I did eate Marke it was no sinne of his but the womans yea he will lay the imputation vpon God as if he had been in the fault for giuing the woman The woman that thou gauest me Then to the woman Why hast thou done this The Serpent saith she beguiled me and I did eate Thus they poste their sinnes one from another This tricke Satan hath taught all his for the thiefe in his deedes of darkenesse vseth the night that none may see him but if he be brought to light Why then what would you haue me doe I am in wants and I was ashamed to beg and I could not worke and therefore I did this for necessities sake The Fornicator or Adulterer being made manifest doth hee take it to heart in that he broke the commandement No verily but when his finne is vrged his excuse is ready Why it is but a tricke of youth and I am not the first and if all our sinnes were written in our foreheads others might bee ashamed to shew their faces as well as I and therefore saith he Let him that hath done no sinne cast the first stone The Curser and common blasphemer that rips vp the woūds of Christ and sweares ex tempore at euerie word is he to blame when his sinne is cald in question and he told that the plague of God is vpon that house where aswearer is and lieth betweene the wainscot and the wall t Zach. 5.4 Doth this either moue him or reforme him no not at all but he will defend it why did you prouoke me then saith he it is your sinne to vrge me saith he and not mine Reason 2. Iesabel and her disciples will haue pretences to giue some kind of satisfaction as it were to the common people especially if it concerne a publike action for so Iezabel carrieth this Naboath is set in the midst of the people and a fast is proclaimed and euery thing carried in that pitifull manner as if none had been more mooued with compassion then Iezabel yet because he was a blasphemer he must needs die but in the manner of his death she would shew all the fauour that could be A Similitude like vnto some theeues who when they haue stript a man out of all he hath would faine be accounted mercifull theeues in that they do not murder those whom they haue robbed or in that they do not bind them so cruelly as some others haue done Thus that bloodie Emperor wold be accounted pitiful Nero. in that he let his school-master die an easie death wheras it was monstrous crueltie in him to do him to death at al especially vpon no better ground but because he whipt him when hee was his Scholler But let vs gather towards the haruest of our doctrine and that is such profitable vses as may bee deriued from this point which shewes vs that euery sin will shelter it selfe vnder some pretence Vses 1. This shewes what a fearefull sinne couetousnesse is the which this action of Iezabels will demonstrate vnto vs for

Gods childe in thee s Psalme 15. not to receiue an euill report against his neighbour This reacheth farre and fasteneth vpon many in these our daies and with the Athenians t Act. 17.21 we still aske newes and if any thing come out against any man especially against him or them that we doe not loue then we first beleeue it and secondly set vpon it as furiously as if wee were very Fensers and would play such a prize that euery body should thinke wee were not our selues Thus we play at Tennis with the good names of other men but vpon great disaduantage for in this tennis court we haue extraordinary hazards We hazard our iudgements in receiuing rash reports Secondly wee hazard our discretion in beleeuing them and thirdly wee hazard our religion in publishing them and railing vpon them whom we thus set vpon for u Iam. 1.26 as Saint Iames saith if a man seeme to bee religious and refraines not his tongue that mans religion is all in vaine notwithstanding all this yet this vnruly member will flie about and dart at Gods deerest children very few of them shall be free from the venome of it In this course the wicked will bee agents The righteous may be reuenged on them that accuse them falsely and the most righteous must be true patients and yet the righteous know how to be reuenged when they will and that is by following the counsell of God namely when they curse the godly must blesse and when their enemies and accusers are hungrie let the godly feede them if thirsty let them giue them drinke and in so doing they shall heape coales of fire on their heads w Ro. 12.20 let them commit and commend their causes vnto the Lord for vengeance is his and he will repay it x Deu. 21.19 and let this suffice for the doctrine which was deriued from the second part of this deuision which was the meanes vsed to bring Naboath to his death namely false witnes now let vs see what applications will issue from hence vnto vs. Vses Our first ingredience will afford vs a Caution take heede of this little mēber it may hurt many waies but it stabs to the very hart when it is vsed in this kind to slander or accuse the innocent take heede thou that deuisest take heed thou that reportest and take heede thou that beleeuest any thing against the innocent there are many reasons why thou shouldest hearken to this caution First because God followes that man with a sword to destroy him and to cut him off which he threatens in the Psa y Psal 101. He that priuily slandereth his neighbour him will I destroy Secondly euery one that committeth sinne is of the diuell z 1. Iohn 3. but this is the diuels owne sinne Now if thou wouldest not be accounted a diuell be not guilty of this sinne Thirdly if thou be spirituall thou wilt restore a man with the spirit of meekenes that is falne as the Apostle a Gal. 6.1 exhorteth knowing that we our selues also may fall But one the contrary we rather delight in these passages then labor to couer them but if it were a cursed thing in Cham b Genes 9.14 to discouer his fathers nakednes it must needes bee a wretched thing to enlarge amplifie and make an addition to our brethrens infirmities but a cursed thing to deuise matter that shall hurt their innocent soules therfore from the rule of charitie this sin would be forborne because charitie neuer thinketh much lesse doth euill to the brethren Fourthly a reason for this caueat might be drawne from the rule of equitie which bids vs doe vnto others euen as we our selues would be delt withall but wee would grieue and vexe to heare that men should accuse and raile vpon vs wee would be loath to haue our life or credit lie vpon the accusation of a false tong then proportion things vnto others Doe as thou wouldest be done by as thou wouldest receiue fac alijs fieri quod cupis ipse tibi if thou wouldest that men shouldst not make the worst construction of thee bee not thou like vnto a cupping glasse A Slaunderer like a cupping glasse which onely drawes ill matter which only drawes that humor that is euil and corrupt so doth the slanderer onely apply his tongue to false accusation and euill speaking The second vse is to shew the excellent and sound condition of an vpright life if any man will doe them hurt he must doe it by lies and falshood for the righteous are circumspect and the blessing of God is so vpon them that they do not lie open to dangers and imputations as other men doe and yet no men so often in question and so subiect to false aspersions as they but for the most part it is deuised and enlarged against them it shewes that the blessing of God is as a shield to couer them and yet for all this Satan hath fiery darts and maleuolent courses against them 3. This will teach vs to charge a watch ouer all our members but especially our tongues O Lord saith Dauid set a watch before the doore of my lippes that I offend not with my tongue c Psa 141.1 May a man bee a murderer with his tongue O then watch that member forbeare to heare euill forbeare to speake euill si deest auditor deest de tractor Hierom. if the hearer would forbeare the slaunderer would cease for the sinne of slaunder gets a kind of nutriment from a willing hearer and yet both are so dangerous that as Bernard obserueth Bernard dum aurem inficit animam interficit so bad a season must needs haue a cursed haruest let vs therfore bridle our affections and let grace ouercome nature in this euill and this shall suffice to shew the cursed disposition of the wicked who doe so hate the godly and are so bent in their owne purposes that though they haue no iust cause to accuse the righteous of yet they will inuent and with Iezabel set wicked men before them to accuse and condemne the innocent 4. This serues to pacifie and to appease the working that these prouocations and accusations would worke in vs if God did not stay vs surely these slanders and false reports and dangerous attempts against vs may with other afflictions bee fitly compared vnto phisick Affliction like phisick the which we take from the phisition to make vs well and so with the blessing of God it doth yet at the first it makes vs very sicke vntill such time as it hath purged the stomack and clensed it so verily our afflictions make vs sick to the death and bring vs very low at the first vntill it hath clensed our hearts of all vindictiue humors of all earthly humours of all superfluous matter then we shall finde health euen sauing health and bee so restored that wee will not feare those that can but kill the