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	scripture_n	tradition_n	15,184	5	9.5685	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56188	Philanax Protestant, or, Papists discovered to the King as guilty of those traiterous positions and practises which they first insinuated into the worst Protestants and now charge upon all to which is added, Philolaus, or, Popery discovered to all Christian people in a serious diswasive from it, for further justification of our gracious King and his honourable Parliaments proceedings for the maintenance of the Act of Uniformity.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1663 (1663)	Wing P4030; ESTC R7555	26,609	49

We have preached and do preach to you a Religion plain and close which requires not so much shrewd and subtle heads as good and honest hearts Luk. 8. 5. The Testimony of the Lord that is sure making wise the simple We made your way plain before you They of Rome will perplex you with those infinite rules of Faith which the Learned among them cannot comprehend When you have endeavoured to know the minde of God in the Scripture that you might believe and in believing might have lise you have d●… nothing there are endless traditions which no one man ever saw which you shall never know but yet must believe them many Volumes of Councils which you never saw you must receive all the Popes Decrees whereof some are not yet published you must assent to before you can be saved To day you may believe all the Traditions Councils Decrees and Impositions of the Church of Rome and be saved and to morrow the Pope may set out a new Decree or a new Article of Faith which if you do not believe you are damned While you are here secure you know not but that there is a new article of Faith defined by the Pope which you do not know and not knowing cannot believe and not believing may perish for ever Ah! happy you who need not say Who shall go into Heaven or Hell or the uttermost parts of the Earth to fetch down a rule of Faith from thence The word is nigh even in your hearts and in your mouths 3. We have perswaded and do still perswade you that without knowledge the minde is not good we have intreated you to grow in all knowledge and in all goodness and we cease not to pray that you may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement You have a sure word of prophecie to which we say you would do well to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place a light to your feet and a lanthorn to your paths We say when an holy wisedom entereth into your hearts and knowledge it 's pleasant unto your souls discretion shall preserve you and understanding shall keep you to deliver you c. There are those abroad a part of whose Religion it is to make you perish for want of knowledge to keep you under the power of darkness that you may walk after the vanity of your minde having your understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in you because of the blindness of your hearts That Scripture which we have translated for you which is your meat your drink your delight sweeter then honey or the honey-comb of more value than the world must be taken from you and if they prevail as we know they will not it will be no less than death to read that word which is dearer to you than your lives your faithful Ministers to whom you would have given your right eyes must be removed into corners yea and must seal that Doctrine with their blood which they now deliver you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is to behold the Sun If the light that is in us be darkness how great how sad is that darkness A God we must own but shall not know him a Saviour we must have but we must that come to him though this is life eternal to know him and the Father who hath sent him Duties we must do that we may live but we shall not understand them Scriptures there are written to our comfort but we must not read them We erre not knowing the Scripture saith out Saviour we erre by knowing the Scripture say the Roman Catholicks Hear read saith God and your souls shall live Read saith the Papist and you shall surely dye O wretched mankind a great part whereof Mahomet hath taught not to hear reason that they may judge in themselves what is right a great part whereof the Pope hath traught not to hear the Scripture which is no vain thing which is our life A sad Religion if I may call it Religion that sets up the kingdom of darkness by which the Devil may rule in the children of disobedience A Religion that hoodwinks poor people in forced ignorance when alas we are all too willingly ignorant lest we should know Gods will or any way to Heaven but theirs so as millions of souls live no less without Scripture than if there were none that forbids spiritual food as poyson and fetcheth God's Book into the Inquisition 4. Although the Church and our selves by her appointment first discovered to you the eternal truth yet have we not suffered you to rest upon us who may deceive and be deceived but have led to the Rock that is higher than us and resolved your Faith into a foundation that cannot fail the truth and authority discovered in his Word by his Spirit They they of Rome who are now so busie will take you off from the foundation of God which standeth sure they will perswade you that the Word of God which you know is pure is corrupt that the Law of God which you know is perfect is defective that the Scriptures which you know in things necessary evident are dark and all this to what purpose but to settle you upon men who you know are a lie to make you rest on Councils who saith Bellarm. himself l. 2. c. 11. p. 153. May erre Particular Councils confirmed by the Pope may erre in Faith and Manners Some Catholicks affirm saith Bell. de Concil Ecclesiasticis l. 2. c. 5. p. 110. or upon Popes whereof some have been Infidels and privately conferring with their Cardinals said Oh how much gain this Fable of Christ hath brought us Others have been Witches others Murtherers others Whoremongers ravishing women in the Apostolick doors others as their own Records testifie by Bribes by Devils by VVitches have climbed up to the infallible Chair Oh can you trust your souls with those men which have confessed to have given their souls to the Devil that they might be Popes yea which is worst of all the poor Catholicks when they have relied upon this man as infallible today must tomorrow relie upon another Pope as infallible who may declare this man an Heretick if they believe not he is infallible they are damned and if they believe not he is an Heretick when declared by another Pope to be so they are damned too Ah poor men 5. We teach you to serve the true God and him onely to worship and we tell you he is a jealous God and he will not give his honour to another and that idolatry hath been the ruine of all Nations in this World and is the damnation of men without repentance in the World to come You know that Idolaters shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven for without are Idolaters Rev. 22. 15. Yet they they who now with fair words deceive the hearts of the

place they all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers and they say that they are mad so that the great God is blasphemed Christian Religion is dishonoured Atheism is promoted and the world is ready to be shut up in unbelief 8. We our God our Church hath taught you a Religion that teacheth to deny all ungodliness and all worldly lusts to hate every false way to allow no evil inclination in our nature nor disorder or sin in our life A Religion that teacheth us to deny our selves to walk in a narrow way to mortific our lusts to abstain from all appearance of evil to walk circumspectly to live without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation to set God always before us and not allow our selves or others in the least evil The poor deluded souls of Rome endeavour by all means to set up a way that professeth to be a baud to sin whilst both in practice they tolerate open Stews and prefer fornication in some cases before marriage which is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled and gently blanch over the breaches of Gods Law with the name of venials and such favourable titles of diminution daring to affirm that venial sins are no hinderance to a mans clearness and perfection They would deceive you and themselves with a pretended power in the Pope to dispense with those sins which none can forgive but God They encourage one another and the vitiously inclined world to all excess of riot with a vain hope that sin may be bought and sold that pardon may be had for money and that riches will profit in the day of wrath So as Hell can have no Dives no rich men in it but fools and the friendless Devils indeed are tormentors there yet men can command Devils and money can command men We have taught you to fear an oath and to swear in truth righteousness and judgement and to speak the truth one to another for the peace and security of the world How can men live by one another unless they can believe what each speaks or swears to other But alas Rome would impose upon us a Religion shall I call it a Religion that allows jugling equivocations and reserved senses in our very Oaths O sad swear one thing mean another mock God and deceive the world Hear what Cardinal Ostatus reports of Pope Clement the eighth who said he urged that the King of France should joyn with Spain in the invasion of England but the Cardinal replyed that that King was tyed by an oath to the Queen of England whereunto the Pope answered and they say he is infallible that the oath was made to an Heretick but he was bound in another oath to God and the Pope and that Kings may allow themselves all things which make for their advantage Indeed saith he using the Duke of urbins words everyone doth blame a noble man that is not a Soveraign if he keep not his word but supream Princes may without any danger to their reputation make covenants and break them or betray and perpetrate other such like things What shall a Confessor do saith Franc. de S. Victoriâ an ingenious Papist and a learned reader of Divinity in Salamanca if he be asked of a sin that he hath heard in confession may he say that he knows not of it I answer saith he according to all our Doctors that he may But what if he be compelled to swear I say that he may and ought to swear that he knoweth it not for it is understood that he knoweth it not besides confession and so he swears true But what if he be asked upon oath whether he knew it in confession or no I answer saith he that a man thus urged may still swear that he knoweth it not in confession i. e. not so as to reveal it O wise cunning deep and holy perjuries unknown to our fore-fathers Yea which is worst of all they do obtrude upon the World so many idle Legends so many false Discourses so many lying Miracles so many pious Frauds as that they have shaken mens belief of all Antiquity such ridiculous and improbable things that they sure can hardly deliver them without laughter pleasing themselves to see how they deceive the world and their abettors cannot hear them without shame and confusion of face It 's a sad thing to see the wiser sort of the World read those stories on winter-nights for sport which the poor credulous multitude hear in their Churches with a devout astonishment Neither do they satisfie themselves with these false suggestions they have thrust upon the world but in conscience of their untruth they go about to deprave all Authors that may give evidence against them to outface ancient truths and to deface all monuments of Primitive belief and practice leaving nothing unattempted against heaven or earth that may promote their interest and disable us their innocent adversaries though thereby they blot out all Religion and suppress all truth We teach you to keep holy the Sabbath day prescribing the careful observation of this day and others as the onely means to keep up the life and power of Religion in the world But alas they turn not away their feet from the Sabbath from doing their pleasure upon God's holy Day they call not the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord and honourable neither do they honour it but upon it they do their own ways they finde their own pleasure and speak their own words 9. Our Church indeed preserveth teacheth openeth confirmeth and urgeth the truth yet so as your selves being judges and allowed a judgement of discretion she urgeth nothing contrary to Scripture Sense and Reason Yet if our Church were overthrown there are they that would overthrow with it Scripture Sense and Reason Not to mention their infinite vanities introduced to the Church which rob poor souls of the sound and plain helps of true Piety and Salvation they take from you one half of that heavenly which our Saviour left for his last and dearest Legacie to his Church for ever As if Christs Ordinances were superfluous or they were wiser than their Redeemer against express Scripture which saith Drink ye all of this Cup. They would have you mock God with a few Latine Prayers without faith ignorantly without comfort unprofitably expresly contrary to the 14 Chapter of the 1 Epistle to the Corinthians And lest ought should here be wanting to the affront of the Scripture and the setting up of the doctrine of Devils they forbid to marry yea they teach it is better to burn then to marry And when our Church hath taught you that all things are lawful that every creature of God is good and none to be refused all things being yours as you are Christs onely that you must admit three moderations of your Christian Liberty Sobriety Charity and Duty in obedience to your Soveraign forbidding

Antonii Arnoldj the truth a sad truth really the truth defended against the Arrest of Arnold Nay but we wrong them this business of King-killing is but a disputable question which some may hold one way and others another Not so neither saith Bellarmine Non opinio sed tertitudo it s not onely an opinion but a great certainty res certa explorata you must look upon them in this point as in others Insallible But you will say I pray deal faithfully with me do you think the Church of Rome holds such dangerous positions Ans. 1. Ecclesia erreret si impune c. If the Church should offer to let Kings go unpunished it should erre though it be built upon Cephas though it be otherwise infallible though its faith should never fail yet in this it would erre Bellarmine saith in one place if the Pope perswaded a man to go to hell it were a sin not to believe him if he teach a damnable error he is yet infallible always provided he doth not teach that dangerous error That Kings ought not be brought to justice If he doth he erres 2. That you may be sure the Church is right in this point Bellarmine tells you ex authoritate frequenti Ecclesia facit c. The Church doth these things Frequently It s a very usual thing it seems nay saith Johannes Eudaemon mistake not your self this Doctrine non est Jesuitarum propria sed totius Ecclesiae to give the Jesuite his due it is not the Doctrine of the Jesuits only but of the whole Church yea that the world may know the Jesuits are well backed Universa Theologorum juris consultorum Scholasticorum Schola saith Creswell The whole School of Divines and Lawyers make it a Position certain and undoubtedly to be believed that if any Christian Prince whatsoever shall manifestly turn from the Roman Catholick Religion or desire or seek to reclaim others from the same or but favour or shew Countenance to an Heretick he presently falleth From and loseth all Princely power and dignity and that by vertue and power of the Law it self both Humane and Divine even before any Sentence pronounced against him by the Supream Pastor and Judge That thereby his Subjects are absolved from all Oaths and Bonds of Allegiance to him as to their Lawful Prince nay that they may and ought provided that they have competent power and force to cast out such a Prince from bearing rule amongst Christians as an Enemy to his own Estate and Commonwealth and that the Kingdom of such an Heretick or Prince is to be bestowed at the pleasure of the Pope with whom the people upon pain of damnation are to take part and fight against their Soveraign Lord you will say can any men after so many Oaths and Obligations upon the Pope or others Instigation rebel against their lawful Soveraign A. Aas do you not know that children are deluded with Rattles and men with Oaths Papa potest quanquam absolvere de juramento fidelitatis when you have taken all the care Imaginable to oblige men to peace and Obedience the Pope can absolve men from all their Oaths I pray hear how the Iesuite in Bishop Usher would make a fool of the wise King James and the Parliament that formed the Oath of Allegiance sed vide saith he in astutiâ quanta sit simplicitas c. But see what simplicity here is in so great craft when he had placed all his security in that Oath he thought I poor man how contemptible this Jesuit looks upon an excellent King and his August Parliament he had framed such a manner of Oath with so many circumstances which no man could any way dissolve But he poor man Could not see that if the Pope dissolve the Oath all its knots whether of being faithful to the King or of admitting no dispensation are accordingly dissolved Thus now he was teaching the world a strange doctrine saith he I will say a thing more admirable you know I believe that an unjust Oath if it be evidently known to be such or openly declared such obligeth no man that the Kings Oath is unjust is sufficiently declared by the Pastor of the Church himself you see now that the Obligation of it is vanished into smoak and that the band which so many wise men thought was made of Iron is lesse than straw a trick to over throw the world But sure no Christians will be so wicked as to attempt such things against their Soveraigns Ans. They must hear what Father Creswell saith Certe non tantum Licet sed summa etiam juris divini ●…ssitate ac praecepto Imo conscientiae vineulo extremo Animorum per ●…ulo hoc incumbit certainly this is not onely Lawful but necessary as that which is incumbent upon all Christians upon no lesse obligation than that of Divine law and command of the bond of their Conscience and the utmost danger of their soules But the Counsel of Constance hath denied that it is lawful for any private men to attempt any thing against Publique authority Alas What is that as they resolve in other things Non abstante sic Scriptura so in this Case Non obstantc Concilii const decreto licitum est privatis c. Notwithstanding any decree of that Counsel by the authority of the Pope who is above all Counsels Private men may Omni ratione vi●… by any means no matter what so it be successeful attempting the destroying of an heritical or a wicked Prince How may a Prince be safe in that Case An. Bellarmine told K. James of famous memory si secure regnare velit Rex c. If the King would reign with safety if he would secure his mens lives and his then let him suffer the Catholicks to enjoy their Religion Wellfair thy heart Bellarmine that was plain English It seemes that if the Roman Catholicks are not pleased there is no security for King or People but may not a Protestant King enjoy the Liberty of his own conscience as the Papists desire ●…berty for their consciences Ans. No it is not saith Bellarmine de Pont. Rom. lib. 2 cap 7. For Christians to tolerate an Heritical King and he that cannot come up to all the abominations of Rome is Heritical if he ende●…vour to draw his Subjects to his Heresie or unbeleif but to judge whether a King doth draw to Heresie or no belongeth to the Pope to whom the case of Religion is committed therefore it belongs to the Pope to judge a King to be deposed or not deposed We Protestants indeed did think that we should be obedient unto the death rather then resist as all the primitive Christians did who said they could dye but they could not disobey Alas We are deceived alas if the primitive Christians did not depose the Emperors it was because they wanted strength and not because they wanted will saith Bellarmine so that no Prince is safe any longer