Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	church_n	heresy_n	schism_n	4,424	5	10.0782	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95963	The authours, nature, and danger of hæresie. Laid open in a sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons at Margarets Westminster, upon Wednesday the tenth of March, 1646. being set apart as a solemne day of publike humiliation to seeke Gods assistance for the suppressing and preventing of the growth and spreading of errours, heresies, and blasphemies. / By Richard Vines. Printed by order of the House of Commons.	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.	1647 (1647)	Wing V545; Thomason E378_29; ESTC R3304	47,605	81

Jude haveing described haerenicks saith ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are they that separate themselves 3. A loose and carnall course taken up and followed either privately or openly and that under the patronage and protection of these dogmaticall errours Their lives are as full of Athisme as their opinions of blasphemy or false-hand all which being laid together it appeares that an haereticke's understanding mind is corrupted a good conscience is thrust away his will electively adheres to errour and false wayes his affections are drowned in sensuality and lusts he is subverted and sins being selfe condemned either c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oicumen in tit 3. 8. formerlly by his owne conscience and light yet remaining or d Ideo sibi damnatus quia in quo damnatur sibi eligit Tertull de proe virtually by his voluntary rejection of Gods truth to stick to his owne errour and so in conclusion except the Lord pull him out of the fire by some happy hand in the meane time hee brings upon himselfe swift destruction As touching pertinacy or obstinacy which is generally by Divines put into the definition of haeresie according to that saying errare possum haereticus esse nolo I shall say but this that obstinacy may bee considered either in respect of the crime of haeresie or of the censure and rejection of an Haereticke In respect of the crime of haeresie two ways First that an errour in it selfe not haeresie is made haeresie by obstinacy as some of the Papists will have that to be haeresie which is stifly holden by any man after the e Rhemists Annot. in Tit. 3. 10. determination or admonition of the Church when a Councell or that transcendent thing called the Pope hath defined by the authority of his infallible Chaire that such an errour is haeresie and hath put it under Anathema though f Error in side non ideo haeresis quia ab ecclesia damnatus sed quia fidei contrarius Altenstaig c. verbo haeresis Turre crem summa lib. 4. ● part cap. 3. others of them in my opinion say more rightly that an errour in faith is not therefore haeresie because condemned by the Church but because contrary to the faith or secondly that an errour subverting the faith is not haeresie unlesse attended with obstinacy and that as I conceive cannot be said for as Constancy in that which is good as namely faith or justice doth not make faith to be faith or justice to be justice so neither doth obstinacy in evill or errour make that errour to be haeresie but as vertue is commendable and rendred more glorious by constancy so is haeresie aggravated and made more high by obstinacy The essence or nature and so the denomination of haeresie is not to be measured by obstinacy against the decision or admonition of the Church for then every such obstinate errour should be haeresie but by the contrariety and opposition of it to the principles of faith which are razed or overthrowne In respect of the censure and rejection of an Haeretick which rejection whether it be by a private beleever or by sentence of the Church I now dispute not I suppose obstinacy is requisite for as in other scandalls the rule of proceeding is If hee heare not thee or if he heare not the Church so it s said a man that is an Haereticke reject after the first and second admonition Contumacy is a common adjunct of sinne in order to the finall judgement or sentence of the Church in excommunication In a word I cannot read those words Titus 3. 10. Thus or in this sense g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that after the first and second admonition is an Haereticke as if he then became an Haereticke by standing out against or after admonition but thus reject a man haereticall after the first and second admonition which argues and demonstrates that he may be an Haeretick before he bee obstinate and so obstinacy is not essentiall to the nature or being of haeresie Though I confesse and doe suggest it to your observation and saddest thoughts that Haeretickes are generally and usually stricken with obstinacy few of them that runne into this labyrinth doe either seeke or finde the way out when the vitall parts of faith are putrified and corrupted in any Patient the recovery is hopelesse weigh seriously that expression or marke set on these very men by Iude ver 12. Trees twice dead plucked up by the rootes when do you see such a tree recover life and fruit It s a hard rescue to fetch a man off that is prisoner to an erring conscience especially if he be fetter'd by both legs his judgment being captivated by errour and his affections enslaved by lusts we must doe our duty and of some have compassion and others of them save with feare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snatching them out of the fire Jude verse 22. 23. Though they complaine of violence offered to their liberty when they are pul'd out of the fire For as h 〈◊〉 qui servat idem facit ●●cidenti Horat. the saying is hee that saves a man against his will hath no more thankes for his labour then if he kill'd him It is a matter of wonder and amazement to see men of eminent parts and learning of great reputation for Religion captivated carried away and made prey of by senselesse and absurd fancies and opinions but that wee know there are no delusions or lies but are strong when God delivers a man up to them in way of punishment for not receiving the truth with love thereof The Lord give us to receive his truth with fear and trembling and make us thankfull whom in this time of wantonnesse as some call it or rather wickednesse of opinions hee hath kept from shipwracke of faith and made to stand upright when men that have lived strictly and religiously as i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Epistola 4. ad Olymp. Chrysostome said of Pelagius seem to warp and to be drawn awry Having thus farre laid open the nature and danger of haeresie by the Scriptures I should now come to the use of all but that in few words I desire to put you in minde in what notion the word haeresie hath passed amongst men in common acceptation and that I shall doe in these two words 1. The Ecclesiasticall or Scholasticall acceptation is this a T●rre●rem sum lib. 4. Haeresie is an errour or assertion contrary to the faith in points fundamentall or momentous holden or maintain'd by a man professing the Christian faith this they call simple haeresie and such a one an Haereticke licet ab ecclesia non recesserit though saith b In Gal. cap. 5. Ierome hee doth not separate or make secession from the Church and though hee cannot be blemisht with wickednesse morall or in conversation All momentous truths are not strictly so called fundamentall there are truths as I may say

Christ and his offices be denyed by false teachers and by your silence too and the Lord grant that it may not be said of you as of the Ministers of Ephesus Acts. 20. 30. also of your owne selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Catharinus said of some middle-region men in those times that they were Luther anunculi halfe or dough-baked Lutherans Let us not halt between two opinions but be valiant for the truth He is but halfe a good Sheepheard that feeds the sheep in good pasture but defends them not from the wolves It belongs to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Titus 1. 11. to stop their mouths that is by conviction as is plaine by the ninth verse as Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 22. 34. Stopt the Sadduces mouths by silencing their arguments They wil tell you that arguments of vre seca fire faggot are not fit arguments for Ministers that their minds ought to be enlightned not their bodies burned and the truth is the keys are given to Peter not the sword He usurps that without authority the weapons of our warfare are not carnall Malchus eare is not to be cut off by us But wil they that plead exemption from violence suffer endure the word of conviction will they afford their ears patiently beare the examination of their errours I fear they will not such is their love to their plerophory of errour Nay will they not rather cast dirt upon the Ministery and use all stratagems to undermine it decrying their calling and their lively-hood or tithes which among all their destructive errours must needs be confessed to bee a saveing doctrine whatsoever be the event you that are Gods Ministers must venture into the Lions mouth to save a sheepe and assert and vindicate the truth of God from being taken captive by errour for if either his trueth or his people be lost by your default the account will be heavy As I began so I shall conclude with you the Honorable Vse 4 house every one sees what height we are come unto Arrius in Alexand. was but as one spark a little water at first would have quench'd that fire which afterward set almost all the world in flames I see by your order for keeping of this solemne day that you take notice of the growth of errour haeresie and blasphemy I would you had taken such notice of the beginnings of them If you take notice of these as a judgement upon us then search out the sin for which this judgement comes If you take notice of them as our sin then let every man labour to owne it so farre as by participation it is made his owne that so we may be truly humbled and renew our Vowes and Covenants to owne and stand up for the truth of God against all invasions of errour and haeresie you as Magistrates we as Ministers all as men that have soules to be saved or lost It s a good rule In eo serviunt reges deo in quo non possunt illi servire nisi ut reges Kings and Princes and indeed all magistrates doe therein serve God wherein they cannot serve him but as Magistrates we are exhorted to pray for Kings and all that are in authority that wee may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. There is as Divines distinguish simple haeresie and complicate Simple haeresie is an opinion or assertion holden and maintained contrary to and subversive of the faith by one that professes the Christian Religion Complicate haeresie is that which is attended with schisme sedition blasphemy where one opinion lyes with another and begets a new bastard a new monster growing up into a multiformity more more until it break forth into such dangerous symptoms as the fore-named The schismaticall Haereticke upon his opinion breaks off from the communion of the Church and runs out into separation setting up his new light as he calls it in a new candlestick The blasphemous Haereticke strikes through the name of the great and glorious God or his truth with despightfull reproaches not to be named The seditious Haereticke troubles the peace of the Church and State as an army is troubled by Mutineers The seducing Haereticke panders to his bed all hee can and goes up and down to vent his poyson to the infection of others privily bringing in damnable haeresies There is a great contest about simple haeresie whether it come under your sword or no in respect of capitall punishment The o Vide 18. argumenta Lutheranorum apud Conradum Bergium de haeresi Lutherans are negative and so are very many others Haereticidium ob simplicem aut nudam haeresin nemo nostrûm simpliciter asseruit None of us say they a Censura in cap. 24. have asserted haereticide or capitall punishment for simple haeresie And b Calvin in opusc de Serveto Calvin saith of Servetus vel sola modestia potuisset vitam redimere that he might have saved his life had he been but modest And to such I wish light and not fire let bloudy Papists only have this brand of cruelty upon them to confute errours by fire and faggot For the blasphemous and seditious Haeretickes both c Haereticum sedittosum blasphemum capitali supplicio dignum nemo ex nostris facile impugnabit Tota quaestio est de haeretico simplici Meisnerus Philos sob sect 2 cap. 4. Lutherans and others of the Reformed churches do agree that they may be punished capitally that is for their blasphemy or sedition but the d Schlichtingius pro Secino contra Meisnerū page 457. Socinian stands out herealso and denies it alleadging that the punishment of false Prophets in the old Testament was speciali jure by speciall law granted to the Israelites and therefore you must not looke saith the Socinian into the olde Testament for a rule of proceeding against false Prophets and blasphemers Nor saith e Calvin de Serveto in opusc Catharinus in 3 Titus 10. Calvin and Catharinus can you find in the new Testament any precept for the punishment of Theeves Traytors Adulterers Witches murtherers and the like and yet they may or at least some of them bee capitally punisht for the Gospell destroys not the just lawes of civill policy or Common-wealths but I will not enter upon the debate of this point neither bringing in the Scriptures or reasons for it nor answering the arguments brought against it of which arguments this I suggest by the way to your observation that some of them doe even ship in one bottome the morall duties commanded in the old Testament and the typicall ceremonies or shadowes Some of them doe make a Which Erast●s denies not as to Haereticks or such as keep not the faith Th●s 9. 70. against Ecclesiasticall censures as well as civill and some of them doe carry further then haply they are intended even to take

teachers now to any one place or time but speakes indefinitely they shall be amongst you There is no age of the Church free of them onely the last dayes are most likely to have most of these dregs and whereas its said of all true Prophets that they were sent and of Pastors and Teachers that God hath set them in and Christ hath given them to his Church there is no more said of these in the Text than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were and they shall be they may easily find a Prophesie for their being in the Church but will hardly finde a Scripture-warrant or calling 2. As the Church of old notwithstanding those living oracles of truth the holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost and the lively oracles of holy Scripture committed to it had false Prophets also who spake their owne dreames so the Gospell Churches even in the Apostles times 1 John 4. 1. and not withstanding the fulnesse and perspicuity of Evangelicall doctrine given by inspiration of God shall have false teachers in them Who shall come up in Samuels mantle and putting the Scriptures to the racke shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one saith of Philo force things into allegories and conceited extractions and make them like Anaxagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drawing every thing out of any thing For an haereticall wit is a strange Chymist The truth is the resisters of the truth and the seducers in the old Testament are but acted over againe in the Gospell Churches Here also are the resistings of Jannes and Jambres by men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. Here are the contradictions of Core Jude vers 11. Here is the doctrine of Balaam Rev. 2. 14. and here are the false teachers answering to the false Prophets but yet it is argued by some that the Analogy betweene the Old and New Testament doth not hold in regard of the punishment of false Prophets and blasphemers nor ought to be drawn into consequence now I would they would rather study to avoid the same sinnes then to evade the like punishments for the greater liberty of Conscience under the Gospell cannot extenuate the sinne of blasphemy because this liberty is accompanied with greater light 2. In their Character or description The Greek which hath great felicity of composition of words calls him in one word a false prophet whom the Hebrew cals a Prophet leaves him by spurious characters or properties to be detected false or illegitimate A false prophet or a false teacher may be so denominated in a two fold respect 1. As he teaches or vents lies and false-hood which is the most usuall and common acceptation of the word 2. As he teaches without a commission or calling Ier. 14. 14. Esay 9. 15. Ezec. 13. 2. c. 1. In the first notion he is a false prophet that teacheth lies or delivers forth the visions and deceit of his own heart which he covers over with Thus saith the Lord Ezech. 13. 6. Ier. 28. 2. and so fathers his false dreames upon God and his cheifest aime and care is not to sting the people but to feed his deluded followers with pleasing things and rather to tickle than to prick them Saying to Ahab go up prosper 1 King 22. 12. or God hath broken the yoke of Babylon Jer. 28. 2. which was the advantage that Ahabs false prophets had of Micajab and Hananiah had of Ieremy this observation the Scripture makes upon them Thy prophets have not discovered thine iniquity to turn away thy captivity Lam. 2. 14. and they thinke to cause my people to forget my name Ier. 22. 27. Whence it is that they are applauded and that all men speake well of them Luk. 6 26. They are wiser then to marre their owne markets by sharpe reproofes as a cutpurse is afraid to touch the quick with his knife lest he loose his prey The character of false teachers is answerable they are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lying masters speaking perverse things to Drus praet in 2 Pet. 2. 1. draw Disciples after them Acts. 20. 30. and speaking lyes in hypocrisy which they palliate over with It is written or the name of the spirit and are therefore called spirits of errour 1. Tim. 4. 1. as we are forbidden to beleeve every spirit 1. Iohn 4. 1. that is every doctrine though pretended to be from the spirit for men are cunning to lay downe their bastards at an honest doore and to pin them upon the backe of scripture being like to the false prophets in this mis-fathering of their doctrines as also in that other thing which is the bayteing of their hookes with sweet pleasing baytes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they allure as with a baite through the lusts of the flesh and wantonnesse 2. Pet. 2. 18. And they promise liberty ver 19. which are takeing things that it is no wonder there are many that follow their pernicious wayes ver 2. 2. In the second notion he is a false prophet who Jer. 14. 14. Ezech. 13. 6. runs indeed but is not sent I have not sent these prophets yet they ran Ier. 23. 22. They can say I have dreamed I have dreamed ver 25. but they have no mission and such a one is to be counted a false prophet b Molin Vates cap. 4. Sive vera praedicet sive falsa whether he preach true or false The character of a false teacher is answerable hereunto hee is one that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe called or fills his owne hand so that the question is not what he teaches but by what warrant as Cyprian Cyprian in Epistola ad Antonianum said once to one that was inquisitive what doctrine Novatian did teach we need not saith he be carefull or curious to know quid ille doceat cum soris doat the like may be justly said of false teachers It s no asking what they teach since they have no calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach There are found in the new Testamēt I had almost said in England False Christs false Apostles false Prophets false teachers all these rankes are counterfeited as he is called a false Christ a false Apostle who pretends to be Christ or an Apostle is not so is he a false teacher who pretends to be a teacher and is not sent Nor is it any wonder that when once men do begin to looke for a new Christ or new Apostles or new Prophets they should in the next place fall to making of them that so their seeking may not seeme frustrate but because some are of opinion that preaching of the word is not so much an act of office as of gifts and that gifts and talents doe carry with them letters patents of commission to trade with them I must crave leave to bestow a few words upon it because it hath been generally received in the Church

notionall The Lord humble us for our declensions and swervings from the g 1 Tim. 6. 3. end of the commandement which is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained and for our turnings aside to vaine ianglings The best way of fortification of our selves against the allurements and assaults of false teachers is 1. To be grounded in the principles of the doctrines of Christ or else we shall easily be tumbled up and downe like loose stones that lie not fast in the building upon the foundation 2. To study and adhere unto the doctrine which is h 1 Tim 1. 5. 6. according to godlinesse practicall and edifying truths which draw up the heart into acquaintance and communion with God and draw it out in love and obedience to him For its good that the heart be stablisht with grace Heb. 13. 9. 3. To hold faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. for if we thrust away a good conscience by entertaining base lusts and ends the shipwrack of faith will follow 4. To pray for confirmation and establishment by the hand of God for as it is not a strong constitution that is a protection against the plague so neither is it parts and learning which secure us from beleeving lies and delusions It s a mercy for which we are not enough thankfull that God keeps any of us standing upright when others shrink awry or that wee are enabled to discerne between truth and errour and to stand for the one and withstand the other when so many that have driven a great trade of profession are broken and turned bankerupts 5. To keep as a treasure those truths wherein you have formerly found comfort and which have been attested and confirmed to you by your owne experience sit upon those flowers still and sucke their fresh honey every day A Christian very hardly parts with those truths that have been sealed up to his experience but it s no wonder that a man should lose that out of his head which he never had in his heart To those that bring in or follow these pernicious Vse 2 wayes of damnable haeresy you shall see the crop which you shall reap swift destruction you are under judgement which slumbers not It will be destructive to you to wrest the Scriptures 2. Pet. 5. 16. and to make merchandise of mens soules for sinfull ends 2. Pet. 2. 3. To corrupt the mindes of men from the simplicity that is in Christ 2. Cor. 11. 3. and to cause divisions and scandalls Rom. 16. 17. are things which will cost you deare lay to heart the terrible expressions of wrath which are fulminated against such men in Scripture There may be differences in opinion betweene them that are godly which are not inconsistent with the peace of the Churches and for which its unlawfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the historian saith to make butter and cheese of one another It s a discreet rule which is laid downe by one a Conradas Bergius dedictamine c. Si non idem sentimus de veritate at saltem de pondere If we cannot agree upon the truth of every question or point of divinity yet at least lets be agreed concerning the weight and moment thereof so as not to make as great a stirr about a tile of the house as if it were a foundation stone nor erect new parties or Churches upon every lesser variation but to contend for or pretend a liberty of professing or publishing such doctrins as overthrow the faith and subvert the soule under the name of liberty of conscience can be no other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 3. 9. a manifest folly or madnesse Is this liberty any part of Christs purchase Hath he made men free to sin and deny him that bought them what yoake of bondage doth this liberty free us from Gal. 5. 1. should we claime a liberty of being in bondage to errour or promise to men a liberty of being servants to corruption which the falseteachers in effect did 2. Pet. 2. 19. God hath as one saith reserved to himselfe as his prerogative three things Ex nihilo creare futura praedicere conscientijs dominari To create out of nothing to foretell things to come to have dominion over conscience and it is true that while a thing is within in the conscience it s out of mans reach but when ' its acted and comes abroad then it comes into mans jurisdiction and is cognizable in foro humano God onely is judge of thoughts men also are judges of actions It s a great mistake and of very ill consequence to imagine that a man is alwayes bound to act or practice according to the light or judgement of conscience though rightly informed in thesi for then I see not that there can be any place for that rule given by the Apostle Rom 14. 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe before God Truth it selfe though never to be denyed yet is not alwayes to be declared for the hurt or scandall may be greater then an inseasonable profession or practice of that which is in it selfe lawfull may be worth but the mistake is yet more grosse to imagine that an erring conscience is a sufficient protection or warranty for an evill act It s sin to goe against an erring conscience Stante dictamine as its sin to ravish and force awhore It s sin also to act according to the dictate of an erring conscience as to committ adul tery with consent To make conscience the finall judge of actions is to wipe out the hand writing of the word of God which doth condemne many times those things which conscience justifies yea and men also may passe just judgement on delusions or lyes though those that vent them doe beleeve them for truths If conscience be warrant enough for practices and opinions and liberty of conscience be a sufficient licence to vent or act them I cannot see but the judicatories either of Church or State may shut up their Shop and bee resolved into the judicatory of every mans private conscience And put the case that the Magistrate should conceive himselfe bound in conscience to draw forth his authority against false teachers or their damnable haeresies and upon that supposed errour should challenge a liberty of judging as wee doe of acting would our liberty give us any ease so long as he had his and were it not better for him to judge and for us to walke by a knowne rule and if we should say that his liberty of judging is unlawfull it is as easy for him to say that our liberty of preaching or professing errours is so too To you that are Ministers of the word that you would draw forth the sword of the Spirit against these spirits of errour as not onely the duty you owe to Gods truth and mens soules requireth but also the pressing examples of the Apostles doe constraine you let not the Lord Jesus