Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	catholic_n	church_n	visible_a	4,689	5	9.3932	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61267	A sermon preached at the Assizes at Hertford, March the 9th, 1682/3 by John Standish ...	Standish, John, d. 1686.	1683 (1683)	Wing S5217; ESTC R13596	14,535	38

which Lawless Miscreants we are here caution'd against in the Text for they are Invaders of their Superiours Rights disturbers of the publick Peace and sworn Enemies to Government Rom. 13.2 the Ordinance of God And therefore to shut up this first Stage From all their Seditious Principles Privy Conspiracies and open Rebellions against the Lords Anointed Good Lord deliver Him and Us Secondly Meddle not with them that are given to Change their God their Religion and Faith I mean that good old Way those beaten Paths visible all along to the Apostolical Age. What Rebells are in State Hereticks and Schismaticks are in the Church By Hereticks I mean such as stifly and obstinately maintain and propagate Errours about the Christian Faith soundly and generally held by the Catholick Church By Schismaticks such as scornfully separate from the received ancient Discipline and set up some new Model of their own 1. Then Meddle not with them that are given to change the primitive Faith We must have a special care of bartering away our precious Faith 2 St. Pet. 1.1 as St. Peter calls it either for the Traditions of men or Doctrines of Devills Rom. 16.17 I beseech you Brethren says St. Paul mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them And knowing that fair means will not always doe He hath elsewhere left a solemn Execration upon Record to affright us from Heretical Teachers saying Though We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel Sal. 1.8 then that we have already Preached let him be Accursed His words are full of Emphasis it is not though I but though We that is though Peter and James and John and I and all the Apostles should combine together to forge a new Gosp●l nay though an Angel from Heaven should be in the Plot let him also be Anathema And lest we should think He speaks unadvisedly as led by humane Passion more than by any Divine Warrant He repeats it over again in the very next verse As we said before so say I now again ver 9. if any man Preach any other Gospel unto you then that ye have received let him be Accursed Whereupon Vinc. Lerinadu Haeres saies good Vincentius in a holy Zeal if any man presume to teach Novelties in the Faith contrary to the ancient sound Doctrine let that elect and chosen Vessel that profound Doctor of the Gentiles that Trumpet of the Apostles who whilst he preached on Earth was caught up into the third Heaven cry out in his writings still against him Let him be twice Accursed Let him be rejected and Excommunicated least the Infection of one Sheep and much more the Defection of one Shepherd endanger the whole Flock of Christ 1 Tim. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same Apostle chargeth his Son Timothy O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy Trust avoiding profane and vain Novelties as St. Chrysostome and the vulgar read it which I can't let pass without Vincentius his excellent Paraphrase thereon Keep the Depositum that which is recommended to thy Charge and Trust Id. Ibid. not that which is of thine own Invention that which thou hast received not what thou hast devised a matter not of Wit but Doctrine not of private Usurpation but of publick Tradition thou receivedst Gold free from all mixtures of Brass or Lead Fraud or Feculency and therefore be sure to pay Gold And again O Timothy O Preacher O Priest Shew thy self if thou wilt and canst a cunning Bezaliel in the spiritual Tabernacle fall to work with the Precious Jewells of Divine Doctrine fit them faithfully adorn them wisely add splendor grace and beauty to them Let that be understood more clearly by thy Exposition which was before believed more obscurely But be sure it be the same of the Old stamp and no adulterate Doctrine His meaning is that such things only must be taught and held for matters of Faith both by Priest and People as have been always owned by the Catholick Church from the express Word of God for understanding the true sence whereof in case of Disputes we are to follow Antiquity Vniversality and Consent as he adds afterwards Now that our Church of England is hated by both her Extremes 2 Tim. 1.13 for holding fast this old Form of sound words in their primitive Purity that very Faith whereof our Saviour is the Author our Soveraign the Defender and not admitting their Novel Opinions into her Creed will appear by and by For it seems not unreasonable to satisfie one Enquiry first Quest Why God will suffer so many Heresies and Impostures in the world from time to time to prejudice and countermine his most holy Truth I answer in the words of Moses Deut 13.1 Answ 2. If there ariseth a Prophet or Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee a sign and the signe come to pass and then he entice thee to go after other Gods thou shalt not hearken to that Dreamers words for the Lord your God proveth you whether ye love the Lord with all your heart and with all your Soul A very clear Account of the whole matter God suffers false Prophets to make true Predictions sometimes and then to entice his people to the Worship of Idols merely and on purpose to try their Constancy whether they will by any means or artifices be tempted from his service and change their God Now Heresie under the Gospel bears Analogie to Idolatry under the Law both imply a setting forth of strange Gods Act. 17.18 And therefore St. Paul gives much the same reason hereof with that of Moses saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be also Heresies among you 1 Cor. 11.19 that they which are approved may be made manifest There Must be Good and Evil Life and Death true and false Religions set before men else there would be no Choice no Vertue but all Necessity there being no such thing as Victory without Enemies no credit in vindicating truth were there no Errour in the World Therefore it is that God permits men oftimes of subtile heads rational learning eloquent speech pleasing converse and exemplary lives t● set up for Hereticks in their several ages as a Touchstone to prove his own Servants Faithfulness to shew whether they love or flatter Him whether they hold their Religion by chance or choice whether a well-contrived Fable learned Cheat or specious Imposture can perswade them out of their Christian Name that they which are approved may be made manifest For he onely is a true and Catholick Christian who preferres nothing before the Catholick Faith Vinc. Ler. Ib. Not any private man's Love nor his Wit nor his Eloquence nor his Philosophy nor his Authority no nor that Dagon of his Infallibility but despising all these is fixed and immoveable in that Faith he finds the Church Vniversal hath ever held and resolves to hold and live and die