Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	4,717	5	6.8021	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05408	The vnmasking of the masse-priest vvith a due and diligent examination of their holy sacrifice. By C.A. Shewing how they partake with all the ancient heretiques, in their profane, impious, and idolatrous worship.; Melchizedech's anti-type	Lewis, John, b. 1595 or 6.	1624 (1624)	STC 15560; ESTC S103079	137,447	244

and his truth is not worthy of the name of a Christian seeing hee appeares rather to bee a louer of himselfe then of Christ preferring his owne temporall profit before spirituall gaine the fauour of men before the loue of God the satisfying of friends before the honour of his Sauiour the enioying of an earthly habitation before the purchasing of an earthly kingdome Wherefore it is better to loose these and win Christ then to attaine these by apostacie and Idolatry and loose Christ Yea What would it bene fit thee to gaine the whole world by going to Masse and to loose thine owne soule But albeit in the daies of persecution the Martyres of Christ haue beene so violently pursued with cruelty as that they were constrained to sacrifice 〈◊〉 to God in the fire because they would not forsake Christ Iesus and ioyne with the Romish Idolaters in their blasphemous Masse witnesse Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Bradford Philpot Bilney with many moe yet thankes be to God in these our daies the Gospell flourisheth the Sacraments are purely administred according to Christs institution and there is freedome by the lawes of the Realme giuen to all sound Protestants to serue God according to the doctrine now established in the Church of England And if it bee not lawfull for a man to go to Masse by eompulsion but that he ought rather to suffer the spoyling of his goods the losse of friends or to lay downe his life for Christ and his truth then to participate with them in their blasphemous seruice and impious Sacrifice Then cursed shall that man be that being a Protestant a professor of the true Catholike faith howsoeuer our Aduersaries of Rome challenge the title shall voluntarily and without 〈◊〉 either for flattery fashion present gaine or future hopes or the fauour of great Personages be drawne to deny his Christ and to cleaue vnto Antichrist forsaking the Church of God and becomming one of the Synagogue of Satan forgoing Sion for Babylon Ierusalem for Bethel and Samaria refusing the waters of Siloam which run softly and cleauing vnto Resin and Remeliahs Sonne reiecting the Communion of Saints in the participation of the Word and Sacraments taught and administred in the Protestant Church now established in England and associating himselfe vnto the Sons of Belial participating with them in their abhominable sacrifice of the Masse He that shall thus doe is much more vnworthy of Christ then such as shall be constrained or by feare forced to consent vnto their Idolatry and doubtlesse shall finde such horrour in his conscience and feele such a hell in his soule as that if God make him not a spectacle of shame and misery in this world yet he shall surely doe it before men and Angells in the world to come Fourthly they plead the example of Daniel who say they was present and worshipped the golden Image which appeares by this that hee was not cast into the Furnace with the three Children his Companions I answer that either Daniel was not present which is most probable or else he was not accused vnto the King or if hee were accused it may be the King would not heare his accusation or put him to death for the great fauour and affection which he bare vnto him for the great seruice he did in his kingdome And doubtlesse Daniel that would rather bee a prey vnto the Lyons then not pray vnto his God had rather haue tryed the heat of the fiery Furnace then haue vouchsafed so much countenance to Idolatry as to worship the golden Image Fiftly they plead the example of Iehu who openly professed the religion of Baal yet hee dissembled and meant nothing lesse and the Lord commends him for his diligent Execution of that which was right in his eies Vers. 30. Our answer is Iehu is commended not for his dissembling but for his diligence in destroying Ahabs house with the Priests and religion of Baal and all thar belonged thereunto for in other matters belonging to the seruice of God he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam the Sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne wherefore this can be no excuse for going to Masse seeing God neuer approued of dissimulation Sixtly they plead the command of the Magistrate thus Wee are commanded to obey our Magistrates though they be wicked and therefore if they enioyn vs to goe to Masse we see not how we can doe otherwise for feare of contempt and disobedience We are bound indeed to obey wicked gouernours but so long onely as they command nothing contrary to Gods word their wickednesse cannot release vs or giue a dispensation for disobedience but if they command any thing contrary to Gods word especially to partake in the Masse a superstitious seruice so directly blaspheming Christ and his seruice so plainely opposing the doctrine of the Gospell and so fundamentally euerting the institution of the Lords Supper in this case obedience is a sinne for what say the Apostles of Iesus their answer is Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more then vnto God iudge yee And our Sauiour teacheth vs to Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods As wee performe our lawfull duties to men so must we not for their sakes neglect our duties to God or doe any thing whereby he is dishonoured Seuenthly and lastly they plead the example of Naman the Syrian who being conuerted to the true worship of the God of Israel desired to bee dispenced with when he should goe with the King his Master into the house of Rimon an Idoll and bow himselfe there and that herein God would be mercifull vnto him vnto whom the Prophet Elisha answered Goe in peace as liking of his motion and yeelding to it Wee answer the opinions of Diuines touching this thing are diuers some thinke he spake onely of ciuill and politike presence that his Master the King might leane vpon him before his Idoll and not of Religious for he makes open protestation that hee would neuer worship other God then the God of Israel to the which the Prophet condescendeth But howsoeuer the gesture it selfe is indifferent to stand when the King stands or bow when the King boweth yet this gesture being clothed with such circumstances seemes not to be approoued That he should do this First in a Temple Secondly before an Idoll Thirdly in the time of publike seruice Fourthly by one professing the true God This seemes not so probable And both those famous Diuines departed from this answer cleauing vnto that which was more sound in their latter workes Others thinke he speaketh of the time past as if he should say Herein that I haue bowed iu the house of Rimmon c. The Lord be mercifull vnto me vsing the future for the time past Others and that more truly expound the words of Naaman thus That Naaman professed it a sinne