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
A16144	The effect of certaine sermons touching the full redemption of mankind by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus wherein besides the merite of Christs suffering, the manner of his offering, the power of his death, the comfort of his crosse, the glorie of his resurrection, are handled, what paines Christ suffered in his soule on the crosse: together, with the place and purpose of his descent to hel after death: preached at Paules Crosse and else where in London, by the right Reuerend Father Thomas Bilson Bishop of Winchester. With a conclusion to the reader for the cleering of certaine obiections made against said doctrine.	Bilson, Thomas, 1546 or 7-1616.	1599 (1599)	STC 3064; ESTC S102011	337,523	436

it is temporall when it should iustlie be eternall and afflicteth the bodie where it might worthilie kill the soule it is rather the chastisement of a father then the rigour of a Iudge And yet the scriptures call it wrath because God neuer proceedeth to punish but when he is prouoked and despised in such sort that were it not for smart of correction wee would fall to the rage of open rebellion Wherefore the displeasure of God against our sinnes was verie great that pursued our suertie beeing innocent and obedient and euen his owne and only sonne with all maner of corporall and temporall scourges vnto death before it could bee pacified but that Gods fauour towards his sonne was altered or diminished or that Christ in feare and terror apprehended anie such change in his father or so much as doubted the constant and eternall counsell and decree of God to make him the Sauiour of the worlde and by the bloud of his crosse to make peace in heauen and earth these are so dangerous doctrines that I thinke no learned diuine will vndertake them Though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by that which he suffered saith the Apostle Now obedience could not breed diffidence but confidence and was the vertue that so highlie pleased God in Christ that hee was made the authour of eternall saluation vnto all that OBEY HIM A double sense then of Gods wrath Christ Iesus had The first that pursued his bodie vnto death on the trée where hee bare our sinnes that is the chastisement of our peace the STRIPES of our iniquities and VVOVNDES of our transgressions The next was the serious contemplation of that eternall and intolerable vengeance which the iustice of God had in store for vs by reason of our manifold sinnes whose danger and destruction touched him as néere through the tendernesse of his loue and pietie as if it had beene imminent ouer his owne heade And therefore euen sicke with sorrowe for vs trembling at the terror of Gods wrath prepared to reuēge our vnrighteousnes he neuer left SVVEATING VVEEPING and CRYING to God for vs that his stripes might heale vs his anguish excuse vs his death quicken vs and his person sustaine and suffer for vs whatsoeuer the iustice of God would laie on him till he was heard and allowed of God to offer the sacrifice that should propitiate the sinnes of the worlde In these paines and feares whiles hee felt the arrowes of God sticking in his flesh and sawe the terror of eternall death readie to swallow vp all his members we maie grant that the CONSOLATION and IOIE which the humane soule of Christ before had of his Fathers continuall presence and assistance was for the time somewhat diminished his heart being oppressed with sorrow his bodie afflicted with sharpe and bitter paine his soule besieged with feare and care for vs that neither the dreadful wrath of God ouerwhelmed vs nor the deceitefull fraude of Satan vndermined vs but by no meanes we maie admit in Christ either feare or doubt of his owne saluation nor forgetfulnes of his person or function but the harder the work he vndertooke the stronger his faith that performed it the more terrible our danger the more stedfast his loue that shrunke not from vs in so great extremitie Might not yet the soule of Christ in this constant and full assurance of Gods loue towardes him and mercie towards vs feele the torments of hell for the time without anie distrusting or doubting of his saluation or our redemption The essentiall torments of hell are the absolute losse of Gods kingdome without recouerie and exquisite sense of hell fire euerlastinglie without release Neither of these without horrible blasphemie can be imagined in the soule of Christ the ●est that are consequents to these as desperation murmuration darkenesse horrour and such other impressions are like to these and coulde no more haue place in Christes person then the antecedentes might And since it is no where witnessed in the Scriptures nor anie waie prooued that Christ suffered the paines of hell whie striue we to establish a méere conceite of men neuer written or spoken of before our age beare wee so small regarde to the Church of Christ and to all the learned fathers and teachers in the same that for thirtéene hundred yéeres no man euer knew or heard the right waie and true meane of our redemption and reconciliation to God till the paines of hell were latelie deuised Abuses and errours did by little and little creepe into the church by the wilinesse of Satan and wilfulnesse of men but that the gates of hell shoulde so much preuaile against it as from the Apostles time to this present age no christian should euer trulie teach or rightlie beléeue how we are saued by the crosse of Christ is to me so strange that I wil be ten times aduised before I will once admit it Let vs giue thankes to God for dispelling the mist of darkenes and ignorance that ouerspred the world vnder Antichrist but let vs neuer glorie that we first inuented a newe faith neither testified in the scriptures nor mentioned in anie ancient writers nor euer heard of amongst christians before our time It is no corne but cockle that springeth so late in the Lordes field it is no saith but fansie that neuer before was in y ● foundation of Christs church The simplicitie therfore of the scriptures continually PRESSING the DEATH and BLOVD of Christ as the TRVE CAVSES of our saluation redemption and the consonancy of all antiquity according therewith do so chalenge my faith and establish my hart that I will see this new deuise of hel paines suffered in the soule of Christ better warranted before I wish it to be beléeued And as for the doctrine of the church of England which some men would faine infect with this late fansie giue mee leaue men and brethren to admonish you shortlie but trulie that who so will reade the sermon of the saluation of al mankinde in the first volume of Homilies and likewise the two Homilies concerning the death and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ contained in the second tome of Homilies shall finde that the doctrine which I haue deliuered you hath the publike approbation of Prince and Parliament the consent and agreement of all the Bishops and the subscription of all the clergie of this kingdome to bee taught as truth in all the churches of this realme and so hath had as well in the daies of king Edwarde the sixt as all the time of her maiesties most happie raigne whatsoeuer some forward nouices haue told you to the contrarie And thus much let me speake in the Honor of her maiestie and this realme I see no cause why the doctrine of the church of England so plainelie warranted by the Scriptures so fullie confessed by all the Fathers so long continued in Christs church without contradiction so

the second of the Acts could hardly haue any good construction because it seemed farre fet and altogither repugnant to the proper signification of the wordes to take the soule for the bodie and hell for the graue and as for the locall descent of Christ to hell after death they counted that but a fable I was forced to promise that I would openlie deliuer which I thought was the likeliest and safest sense as well of that article in the Creede as of those wordes of Dauid fulfilled in the person of our Sauiour This occasion drew mee to the next question of Christes descent to hell Wherin I resolued as by perusing the later part of this treatise will better appeare that Christs descent to the verie place of hell after his death did best concord both with the Creede and with the truth of Christian religion so we tooke care not to swarue frō the Scriptures in setting downe the cause why he went thither which was to ouerthrow destroy the kingdom might of Satan in the place of his greatest strength euen in hel and as our head to free all his members from daunger and feare of comming thither the sorrowes and terrors whereof hee loosed vvith his presence treading them vnder his feete and rose againe into a blessed and immortall life leading captiuitie captiue and taking from hell and Satan all povver to preuaile against his elect Both these resolutions that Christ suffered not the true paines of hell in his soule on the crosse and that hee personallie conquered and disarmed the powers and terrours thereof before his resurrection some as in such cases is common misremembred some misconstrued and some misliked vvhereupon I vvas both aduised and intreated by men of greater place then I vvill name to put the effect of that vvhich I had deliuered in vvriting that by mine ovvne vvords and not by other mens conceits or reports the learned might iudge of the doctrine Which I did that verie Summer and had it readie for the presse before Bartlemewtide but that the Parliament of States approching wherein men shoulde be otherwise imploied and a great hurle raised against it by certaine popular preachers in that citie through whose mouthes the contrarie had often passed to the people as currant I was desired by the same persons againe to staie till that time of businesse were ouer past that heat of contradiction somewhat alaied and respite giuen that it might be trāslated into Latin which also is now performed as wel as published in English To whole coūsell I yeelded referring the time wholy to their iudgements notwithstanding I were by many traduced in many places as a teacher of strange and false doctrine But I haue beene and am the more willing to beare the reproches of maligners because I seeke not my selfe heerein but that the church of Christ heere in Englande should hold fast that ancient and sure foundation of faith which hitherto it hath kept and professe that doctrine touching our Redemption by Christ which as wel the publike lawes of this realme as all the catholike fathers do vphold and allow In setting downe the summe of that which I preached I neither do nor can promise thee gentle Reader the same words which I then spake I wrote them not but I assure thee before him that knoweth all things that I haue not swarued nor altered anie materiall point from the methode propositions proofes and conclusions which I then vsed nor from the wordes as farre as either my notes or my memory vpon the fresh foote coulde direct mee which I haue yet to shew Manie proofes and authorities I omitted in the pulpit which the time shut me from and some obiections I haue answered here more largelie then the course of Sermons would permit but here is the selfe same in effect which then I vttered and purposed if the time woulde haue suffered The manner of handling this question I alwaies wished might bee temperate and sober as best became christian professours and teachers least by catching aduantages besides the cause wee increased quarrels and so much regarded our credits that wee neglected the truth I haue therfore in the Treatise it selfe touched no mans name oppugned no mans wordes traduced no mans iudgement but admitting and retaining as much as I thought might stande with the truth I haue pared off certaine extremities and reiected certaine additions which the first inuentors did refraine for that Christ suffered the death of the soule or all the same tormentes which the damned do and shall are positions lately coined and deriued from the proportion of Gods iustice as they call it but as I thinke from presumption of mans reason intruding into Gods secrets The doctrine which I defend that we are sufficientlie redeemed by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus without adding of hell paines to bee suffered in the soule of Christ hath the constant full and expresse warrant of the Scriptures and the like approbation from al the fathers without exception And therefore howsoeuer some men may despise all ancient writers and frustrate the scriptures with their figures al sober and wise christians will I doubt not beware how they admit this strange and late found nouelty into their Creede or consciences The second point I presse nor with like vehemencie because it hath not like certaintie So long as we confesse which the Scriptures do confirme that Christs humane nature after his extreame humiliation on the Crosse before his resurrection conquered spoyled not death only but hell Satan also of al their power right ouer y e faithful ascending on hie lead captiuitie captiue tooke the keyes of death and of hell into his owne hands with the precise maner and hower I will not burden anie mans conscience that cannot be perswaded by reading the latter part of this treatise though I my selfe after long diligent search find no sense so agreeable to y e words of the Creede so answerable to the rules of the sacred Scriptures and so fullie followed by all the Fathers as Christs descent to the verie place of hell for the purposes aforesaid Hauing premonished thee Christian reader of thus much I am not willing to detayne thee anie longer from vewing and examining the booke it selfe but onelie to tell thee that whiles I stayed the printing hereof till others did like it as wel as my self one more hastie then either aduised or learned calling himselfe H. I. would needes traduce it and confute it before he saw it resting belike on such notes as his angry mind and brickle memorie tooke at the time when I preached of these points Wherein though others condemne his follie yet I commend his pollicie that least hee should trouble himselfe with more thē he could answere he thought it y e best way to come into the field alone and like a stout Champion fighting with his owne shadow to say no more thē he would be sure to deny or decline with one

were inclosed in a place vnder the earth expecting Christs comming to bee carried vp to heauen of which I haue spoken as much as is néedfull in the treatise before yet they absolutelie acknowledge that Christ descending destroyed the kingdome of Satan and fréed all the faithfull from euer comming thither The rest of the Confuters talke is like y e froth of the sea which wind waues roll to and fro sometimes he runneth this way and then backe againe another way saying and vnsaying hee knoweth not how nor what Sometimes he saith the Creede and namely this article Christ descended to Hades could not bee made long after the Apostles time whereof Ignatius and others most ancient do speake In another place he saith We find almost all the Creedes certainlie the most ancientest and the best of them to want these wordes of Christs descending into hell In one place he saith The Creedes which we find in Ignatius Irenaeus Iustinus Martyr Tertulliā Origen Athanasius Augustinus the Nicene Cōstantinopolitan Toletan Ephesine al these neuer thought that Christs going downe to hell was anie distinct or certaine Article of the Christian faith And yet before he confessed y ● Ignatius and others most auncient doe speake namelie of this Article But Sir haue these Creedes which here you cite all the rest of the Articles that are in the Apostles Creede I hope there want in some of them a good manie For these rehearsals in the eldest Fathers doe but touche some of the Articles of the Creede and shewe that there was such a compendious briefe of the Faith receiued amongst Christians from the beginning The Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and others want euerie one of them sundrie Articles that are in the Apostles Creede and adde other that are not there so as in deede they are rather expositions then recitals of the Apostles Créed And yet I hope Athanasius creede hath this Article in precise wordes and rehearseth it as a part of the Catholike faith that Christ descended into Hell Neither is there anie one of these Fathers whome heere you haue named as Ignatius Irenaeus Iustinus Martyr Tertullian Origene Augustine but they expresselie touche and teache Christes locall descent to Hell as all the rest doe without exception And if Councels will content you you shall not goe farre for both Prouinciall and Generall The Councell of Alexandria that wrote to represse the heresie of Nestorius maketh the spoiling of hell a part of Christes resurrection and saieth Tertia Die reuixit expolians infernum Christ rose againe the thirde daie hauing spoyled hell This confession was read and allowed as Catholike in the first generall Councell of Ephesus in the great Councell of Chalcedon and in the fifth generall Councell of Constantinople So that fathers and Councels both decumenicall and prouinciall haue receiued and approoued this article euen from the foundation of Christs church as a part of Christes resurrection howsoeuer they did not alwayes annexe it to their Creedes With like follie and inconstancie he saith it is the naturall and necessarie deuision of the articles of the Creede that these Christ suffered was crucified dead buried descended into hell should concerne Christs humiliation and hee supposeth euerie sensible man will confesse so much whereas he himselfe expoundeth the last of them to haue this meaning that Christes soule ascended to heauen Now to ascend to heauen euery boy knoweth is a part of Christes exaltation and not of his humiliation Howe his note booke deuideth the Creede I know not but Saint Paule whence this diuision hath his ground saieth this is Christs exaltation that at the name of Iesus euerie knee should bow of things in heauen earth and vnder the earth which is hell His humiliation stretcheth no farther then the death of the Crosse then beginneth his exaltation With like discretion when I alledged the Parable from Christes owne mouth that his triumph ouer Satan must haue thrée parts the ouerrunning the binding the spoyling of Satan and his kingdome and further from that Parable I deriued nothing This wisdome to shew himselfe learned crieth out a fine toy or rather a shamefull gloze by vnsauorie allegorizing to corrupt the Text. Is this a good waie to prooue Articles of the fayth videlicet by Allegories As if the moste parte of Christes doctrine were not deliuered by Parables and Allegories The parables of the Sower of the labourers in the vineyard the husbandmen killing the heire of good trees straight gates of the lost sheepe vniust Steward and vnrighteous Iudge of Tares sowed by the enemie and haruest at the end of the world of the great Supper and wedding garment of the wounded Samaritane and wise virgins of the prodigall sonne and euill seruants one y t neglected his masters talent the other that imprisoned his fellow of the rich man Lazarus to be short the allegories of light of salt of leauen of chaf●e of the vyne and branches of the good shepheard and a thousand such in the prophets Euangelists and Apostles do they teach no matters of faith What Buzzard was euer so blind as so to saie no points of faith maie be prooued by allegories Had I extended the Parable farder then Christ himselfe did or applied it to anie other purpose then he did there might haue beene some cause of quarrell but kéeping my selfe preciselie both to the Scope and words of our Sauiour I could not tread awrie But in a brauerie to chalenge all the Parables and allegories in the Scriptures as vnfitte to teach points of faith neuer came in anie sober mans head As you vse the Scriptures so you vse the Synode of this Realme that is you arrogantlie and absurdlie falsifie it The manifest meaning of the whole Synode of this Realme which is our publik doctrine and established by law in England APPARENTLY RENOVNCETH saie you this doctrine of Christs going downe to the hell of the damned If you prooue that you saie I must confesse it is verie materiall by Gods grace I my selfe will reuoke all that I haue said in this point but if you brag not onlie without cause but against the verie trueth and tenor of their proceedings are you not worthie in steede of H. I. to be named W. F but let vs heare how this appeareth Euen thus the Synode before holden in king Edwards time affirmed this doctrine directly and expresly in their article of Christs descent to hell This Synode comming after repeateth and ratisieth apart of that article in expresse words but part of it euen all and euerie whit that containeth this doctrine expreslie of Christs going downe to the hell of the damned all this I saie our Synode anno 1562 cutteth off it putteth out it casteth awaie The words are these of the former Synode Quemadmodum Christus pro nobis mortuus est sepultus ita est etiam credendus