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
A69532	A learned, vsefull and seasonable discovrse concerning the Chvrch of England, and the Chvrch of Rome addressed by way of letter to M. St. Iohn, a Romish priest / by that eminent author and worthy patriot, Dr. John Bastwick, now prisoner under the popish tyranny at Yorke.	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1643 (1643)	Wing B1066; ESTC R18862	10,786	12

Testament not in darke or doubtfull termes but plainely and perspicuously as far as was necessary for our Salvation That these sacred Scriptures being the Iudges of all controversies need not the addition of humane Traditions That we are to serve and obey God not according to the Commandements of men but his owne celestiall sanctions and that therefore the worship of Images is to be abolisht out of our Churches and minds not commanded by God That Holidaies not appointed and sanctified by the Lord need not be observed That the use of all kind of Meates is at any time lawfull being frugally and moderately taken That divine service is mis-celebrated in a language unknowne to the people That ther 's no inherent sanctity in some place more then other nor in any Church and that our prayers are no sooner heard in some one place then another Thus beleeves the Reformed Church But she gives no credit to those prodigious paradoxes viz. That iustifiing faith may be without charity and good workes That faith may be without knowledge of what is to be beleeved That men drown'd in their owne corruptions are indued with certaine preparatives to grace or furnisht with merits of congruity That our conversion to God is not wholly to be ascrib'd to grace but in part to Natures endeavour That election depends of faith fore-scene the motion of our free will That the faithfull may Apostatize and fall from grace That concupiscence is void of sinne That Kings have not their preheminence by divine Right That the Clergy are exempt from the subjection and jurisdiction of Kings That faith is not to be kept with Hereticks That blind Monastick obedience is lawfull and laudable That children may lawfully make and breake vowes without their parents consent That a Clergy mans marriage is more detestable then adultery or murther That the gift of continence is given to all that refuse it not That the Pope may lawfully take tribute of stewes That Sacraments confer grace by the worke wrought That infants baptised are not tainted at all with sinne That Christs body is in divers places at once yet neither visible nor tangible That Bread and Wine are transform'd into the very substance of Christs Flesh and Blood That wicked men eat the flesh of Christ in the Eucharist That t is not lawfull for Laicks to drinke of the Sacramentall Cup These and the like monstrous opinions since Christ the Prophet of the Church hath not taught the Reformed Churches doe not beleeve But concerning Christs Prophetick office your Doctors teach most insincerely viz. That Christ indeed is given by God as a Prophet yet hath he not declar'd to the Church all the will of God nor purposely caus●d it to be written in the Scripture for the decision of controversies of Faith by its Light and Evidence That Scriptures are obscure perillous not to be permitted Laymen to read That Authority of Traditions Fathers and Councels are necessary to the Church to supply the Scriptures imperfection That God is to be worshipt according to the prescript of Mens Lawes That Images are to be set in Churches as instructers of the Ignorant That God may lawfully be effigiated and represented in humane Forme That Holidayes are religiously to be observed and celebrated That we ought to obstaine from Meats at Times appoynted by the Church or Pope That t is no prejudice to our prayers to use an unknowne Language in the publike Lyturgy That one place is more holy then another That a man may beleeve and yet be ignorant and that Faith is best defined by Ignorance That charity may be wanting to justifying Faith That men swallowed up in the Whirpoole of corruption retaine yet certaine preparatories to Grace That our Conversion is to be ascribed both to Nature and Grace That Election depends of Faith and the right use of our free Will That Concupicence is not to be reputed sinne That Kings raigne not by the Authority of Scripture That Clergymen are not bound to any Secular Authority That blind and foolish Obedience in Monks is commendable That the Marriage of Clergymen is equall to Sacrilege or worse That the Bond of Matrimony is not dissolved by Adultery That the Gift of Continence is given to all promiscuously That the Pope may well exact Tribute from Strumpets That children may vow against the will of their parents That Sacraments confer Grace by the work wrought That children once washt with Baptismall water are utterly voyd of sin That all unbaptized persons are condemned to eternall Death That Christs Body is in many places at once yet not subject to sight or touch That Bread and Wine are transubstantiated into Christs Body and Blood That our Lords Body is swallowed by impious persons That Christian people ought not to communicate of the Chalice in the Sacrament Thus they attribute indeed the name of Prophet and Doctor to Christ but all the force and power of his prophetick Office is translated to the Pope Councells and Fathers Now Worthy Sir suppose some wel-affected Christian to be of this Beliefe that he will wholly give eare to and be instructed by Christ our Prophet that he will obey onely the Scripture and Gods will therein revealed suppose this man to beleeve that the Scripture is perfect perspicuous the Judge of all controversies and determiner of all doubts that Laicks ought to read it and regulate their lives and manners by it Doe yee thinke the high honour which this man gives to Christ as to our Chiefe-Prophet shall or can prejudice him Far be so wide and wilde a conceit from your ingenuous Candor For what crime hath he committed which being ignorant of Traditions Holidayes Images Fasting-dayes and a number of the like Ceremonious observances doth soly imbrace those Doctrines which Christ hath taught for the Churches comfort and edification Adde now hereto that the same man is fully confidenced that Scripture cannot without extreme impiety be charged with imperfection or obscurity that t is a great crime to debar the people from reading Scripture and no lesse sin to traine them to the beliefe of Traditions that t is impious to worship God in the shape or likenesse of Man or to expose Images to the peoples Adoration that t is Tyranranicall to obtrude the observance of Holidaies under the terror of Penalties which are instituted by men as also to forbid Meats to sober men at certaine Seasons That t is unlawfull to mumble mutter prayers in a strange Tongue That t is absurd to thinke one place holier then another That t is impossible at once to beleeve and yet to be ignorant or that justifying Faith should subsist without charity or that man wallowing in his corruption should be able to prepare himselfe for Grace or that concupiscence should be put out of the catalogue of sins That they are most execrable Miscreants that deprive the Kings Crowne of its divine Right or exempt the Miter from obedience to the Scepter or breake their Faith with Hereticks or draw monastick persons to a blind obedience or calumniate the Marriage of the Clergy as worse then Adultery That they are absurd and senselesse that teach the Gift of continence to be promiscuous and obvious to all which approve of tribute taken from mercenary Prostitutes which think that children may vow or dis-avow against their parents wils which hold that Matrimony is not violated by Adultery That they erre grievously that pretend the Sacraments collate Grace by the bare worke done that all baptized persons are without all Sin and all unbapatized liable to eternall Damnation That they are the maddest Bedlams that like Corybanticall Priests teach Christs Body to be in many places at once unseene and insensible which dreame of a Metamorphosis and change of Bread and Wine into his Body and Blood which dote that our Lords Flesh may be swallowed and devoured by impious Wretches which preclude the Cup from the people though Christ himselfe reach it to them in the Scripture which adore a Wafer in stead of Christ which vainly imagine his corporall presence on earth being consign'd to Heaven till the end of the World Can such a mans ignorance of these Romish Trumperies or his beliefe of Christs sincere Doctrine hurt him when he is alive or damne him for ever being Dead What cruell Rhadamanth or Judge of Hell can passe such a Sentence For what crime is there here What Law hath he transgrest shall any man be blam'd for being afraid to Idolatrize or to worship God after his owne voluntary invention shall he be condemn'd for abandoning the impious and absurd Traditions of Men and obeying the Doctor and Prophet that is given us from Heaven Thus if we collate and parallel the adverse Opinions of the Romish and Reformed Churches it will soone appear which Party is most Zealous of Religion and Piety which is its proper Fruit and product And now most Worthy Sir if I seeme to you to be of a dull understanding and weake judgement pray be pleased to helpe me in this exigent which as it will be a worke worthy of you so most welcome to me Take the Lanthorn of Gods Word in your hand enlighten my Darkenesse shew me the way of God and reduce me from the By-pathes of Error I promise you to banish from me all pertinicious opinionativenesse if I shall see you compleately arm'd with Scriptures proofes But if should attemt to cry downe our Churches Doctrine with clamors onely and Great words and brags of Eminent but Humane Authorities We shall easily sleight such braving Arrogance your rare curtesie commands me to be confident that you will not faile to doe me this good Office For it is not credible that you who are reported to have challeng'd the chiefe of our Champions to the Combate will now refuse as a Master to instruct in the wayes of God so willing a Scholler Adieu most Learned Sir and love Your most affectionate IOHN BASTWICK FINIS ●…ver ●…gi c. 5. ●…ol 2 ●…ac 28 ●…eb 7. ●…ay 9. ●…oc 17 ●… 18.38 ●…k 1.33 Deut. ●… 18.

A LEARNED Vsefull and SEASONABLE DISCOVRSE Concerning The CHVRCH of ENGLAND And The CHVRCH of ROME Addressed By way of Letter to M. St. IOHN a ROMISH PRIEST By that Eminent Author and worthy Patriot Dr. JOHN BASTWICK Now PRISONER under the POPISH Tyranny at YORKE Imprimatur JA. CRANFORD LONDON Printed for John Wright Junior at his Shop at the upper end of the Old-Bailey 1643. A Learned Vsefull and Seasonable Discourse concerning the Church of ENGLAND and the Church of ROME To the most accomplisht and learned Mr. St. JOHN Most worthy Sir FAme doth not ever delude us She proclaimes you not onely for a Scholler but celebrates you as a profound Divine and Philosopher It seemes yet to me by her sparing Relation that she was loth to offend your Modesty For after our acquaintaince you appear'd to me far greater then your Fame Verily you have so temper'd Excellent Learning with sweet Conversation that your Demerits exceed the praises even of an eloquent Lover This rare Elogy is the more illustrious in you as t is most seldome to be found in Others of your Rank and Roman profession to deale freely with you as your Curtesie invites me Being both of us cast into the same Prison but for different Causes you for defending the Pope I for impugning him I confesse that at first I purposly shun'd your Acquaintaince not in hate to your Person but out of feare of your Party which after some private Colloquies had wrong'd me and the Truth dearer to me then my selfe reporting that the Defenders of our Religion were unlearned and dishonest and absurdly caluminating our Doctrin as false and Hereticall It happened likewise that after we had casually met together in company but had then no leisure to enter into any Dispute it was bruited abroad I know not by whom that being challeng'd by you to a Scholasticall Combat I had cowardly declin'd it As my credit is not so weak to be wounded with such silly Rumors so I hold it not fit to let them passe without Comptroll Your Conference indeed I refus'd for this reason because I conceiv'd there was small hope to win you to our fide by any evidence of Truth being such an old Souldier of the Popes and now growne aged and gray hair'd in Popery But when after I had learnd by experience that you were a Gent. of singular Ingenuity and Candor and perceiv'd likewise how affectionately you lov'd me and how zealous you were of my Soules-health I began to be much inflamed with desire of your Society For Civility and Curtesie is of so winning a nature that it is a stronger Allurement then the strongest Enchantment You were often heard to say that you would give any thing to procure my Conversion yea goe to Rome bare-footed if such a painfull journey might reclaime me to the Roman-Church How much am I obliged for so eminent a Favour I confesse I was now as zealously desirous of your wel-fare For how could I retaliate so solicitous a Love but by a reciprocall Solicitude of your Salvation Nor did your Curtesie and good will rest onely in good wishes but you promis'd also very kindly to lend me your helping hand to rayse me from my Fall and gently to shew me the way after my wandering I began therefore to perswade my selfe that if haply like a straid Sheep I had gon out of the way into the Mazes and by-pathes of Error I could not possibly find out a better guide to conduct me to the Temple of Truth Your Sufficiency for Learning was well known to me and your Humanity so apparent that it was still ready to seize on me even against my will I saw we had Both leisure more then enough and that we could not better bestow our Time nor find a more pleasant Recreation during our Imprisonment I was desirous therefore to heare your Instructions and to be better informed by you not by any interloquntory Conference which is subject to inconveniencies and not so safe for either of Us but by this silent and temperate way of Writing which is more considerate and not unbecomming our present condition I remember at our last Parley you most confidently affirmed the Roman Party to be the onely true Church renowned for Antiquity Succession Conspicuousnesse Amplitude and Unity That in her Faith our Ancestors liv'd and dyed of whose salvation should their Posteity doubt it were grosse impiety That she is reputed a true Church by her profest and Capitall Enemies and that eternall Woe will be the Reward of them that erre or deviate from her Lastly you wisht out of your hearty desire of the common salvation of all that all differences being accorded and all Factions abandon'd all men would returne to the Roman Church casheering the dull and droway Religion of Luther and Calvin concluding withall that you could easily coine if you were disposed one far better and more tolerable I as confidently urged that our Church wanted neither Divine-Truth nor saving-saving-Faith Thus all our talke at that time ended in your Yea and my No But because the matter in controversie was of such important consequence I conceiv'd that it ought to be asserted not by bare words but forcible arguments yet not with pride or pertinacy but with Christian Humility and a mind prepared to imbrace the Truth The principall and most impregnable Reason inducing me to beleeve that ours is the true Church is because I cleerely see it hath all those Requisits that constitute the essence of a Church For when our Saviour Christ sent forth his Apostles to instruct the whole World he gave them onely this Commission to preach the Gospell and administer the Sacraments promising his Peace which includes all happinesse to all Nations Cities and people that resisted not their Evangelicall Legation Wherefore since the sincere preaching of the Word and beliefe of that Word preached together with the incorrupt administration of the Sacraments containe the summe and substance of our Religion and are the very essentials of the Church why should we not not both hope and judge most worthily of ours that hath neither corrupted the Doctrine of the Gospell nor adulterated the Sacraments Contrariwise your Church having polluted the Fountaine of the Gospels with the mire and dirt of humane Inventions and having corrupted the purity of the Sacraments with a number of trifling Ceremonies it seemes to me to have declin'd far from Truth and to have no right to challenge to it selfe the Title of Catholik to which she vainly pretends S. Augustin defines them to be Christian Catholikes that are keepers of Integrity and follow those things that are right And now you may see how weakely done it is of our wilfull Adversaries to cry out and calumnate us for Heretiks For if men would be pleased to try our Doctrine and yours by the Rule and Canon of the Gospell 't were no hard matter to judge whether Church were the preserver of Integrity and the Vassall of

and protector in Adversity and his sole patron in prosperity shall this man thinke you on his death-bed need to feare any Doome for his premention'd ignorance I know you are not so harshly opinionate Againe if any man that knowes there is a Pope shall confidently beleeve that Christ hath no Vicar on earth that the Pope is very like Antichrist that Rome is Heriticall that we must rather obey Christs Lawes then Decrees of Fathers and Councells that no mortall man is inerrable Multitude Antiquity Vnity and worldly Felicity have bin oft found In a false Malignant Church will you take from this man so beleeving and dying in this beleif all hope of Heaven Far be such Immanity from your Humanity For wherein hath he offended what crime is he guilty of that so beleev'd This I would faine know what Law by that Faith he hath broken For without transgression of a Law no man is a Delinquent I suppose therefore most learned Sir you will grant me that the Pope and his Gew-gawes may either be unknowne or unacknowledg'd without losse of Salvation The Reformed Church beleeves that Christ only is the sole Mediator betwixt God and men that he only hath made satisfaction to God fulfil'd the Law paid our Ransom offer'd himselfe in Sacrifice that he alone is our intercessor to God the Father opens the passage for our prayers to the throne of grace and emboldens us with confidence to addresse our supplications to God and therefore that he alone is Mediator both of Redemption and Intercession whence it followes that we ought not to pray to the Saints departed nor to the Angels as being ignorant of our present State of calamity or infirmity and not able to penetrate the secrets af our hearts as also that this Mediator-ship is impiously assign'd to the Virgin Mary who though she were indeed of all Women the most blessed yet had she need her selfe of this Mediator That this our Priest offer'd himselfe a Victime for his chosen flock and people not promiscuously for all men whatsoever That he is the Sacrificing Priest of the New Testament and that there are on Earth no other Priests to offer daily a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of quick and dead That this Priests Sacrifice being of infinite vertue and value is applied to the Faithfull by the operation of the Holy Spirit the preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments which Sacrifice having bin once consummate on the Crosse by himselfe is not to be reiterated by any man on Earth That wee are clad with the Righteousnesse of this Priest and by vertue thereof absolvd from guilt and punishment That beside his blood there it no Purgatory that can cleanse the spots and blots of our soules That there are no torments or tortures by the suffering whereof any man can satisfie divine Justice much lesse can there be any workes of super-erogation which being laid up in the Granary or Treasury of the Church may by the sale of Indulgences be dispens'd to others of lesse desert or merit That our workes being far from perfection cannot purchase eternall life That remission of sinnes is concredited and consign'd to Ministers as Preachers or Proclaimers of it not as Iudges But your Churches Creed runs thus viz. That Christ is indeed Mediator of Redemption yet Saints and Angels act likewise their parts in mediating but most of all the Virgin Mary the Gate of Paradise and Queene of Heaven and that therefore Wee ought to addresse our Vowes Prayers Petitions to them that so well knowe our Wants That there must be on Earth other Priests after the order of Melchizedek to offer Christ daily as a Sacrifice propitiatory for dead and living That the Righteousnesse of this Sacrificing Priest is not imputed to us That by his Merits we are indeed delivered from the guilt of Sin not from the punishment to which we are still liable That the soules departed are purg'd and cleans'd by the Fire of Purgatory That by our owne sufferings wee may make satisfaction to God That there are works of supererogation in the Churches Magazine which the Pope may sel to lewd and loose persons That life eternall is due to our workes as wages are to a labourer That to the goodnesse of a worke t is sufficient if the mind and intendment of the worker be good Lastly that Ecclesiasticall ministers have Iudiciall power and authority to forgive Sinns Is not this most worthy Sir a grosse Collusion to acknowledge Christ to be a Priest in word but to deny him indeed To leave a shew only and evacuate the vertue and substance of his Priest-hood This mighty masse of Blasphemous contumelies against Christ may it not be unknowne without detriment to our faith Can it hurt or prejudice a Christian to disbeleeve such fainged devices Admit there be a good man and carefull of his Salvation which reposes his confidence in Christs only Mediation offers his prayers in his only Name to God seekes for righteousnesse by his bloody Sacrifice alone being utterly ignorant of other sacrificing Priests of any other Mediator Sacrifice Merit or Purgatory thinke you that this his ignorance shall be any impeachment or prejudice to him at Gods Tribunall I trow you are not so unwise to thinke so Imagine now there is one that is rooted and strongly grounded in this belief That beside Christ there is no Mediator or Sacrificer that the Dignity of Mediation is not to be communicated to Angels Saints or the Virgin Mary That our affaires are to them unknowne and vnregranted That to them we are neither to make Vowes nor Prayers That soule tormenting Purgatory is no where to be found but in the crackt braines of Lunaticks or the jugling knavery of cozening Priests That the Saints of God are freed both from guilt and penalty That Christs Righteousnesse is imputed to the Faithfull That our sufferings can effect nothing towards satisfaction nor our doings conduce ought to salvation by way of merit That supererogation is a Bravado and Braggardisme and a device of Avarice to draw on filthy lucre That good intents are not sufficient for good works That the minister hath no judiciall Authority to remit Sinns What doe wee thinke this man in danger for this his confident persuasion this belief breakes no Law nor Commandement What danger then can there be where is no Delinquency The Reformed Church beleeves That Christ is constituted by God a Prophet Pastor Doctor and Preacher of Peace that he promulgated Gods secret and cabinet-counsell of the redemption of mankind that he publikly preached this good tydings and gospell confirming and strengthning it by his spirit in the use of the Sacraments that this Prophet declares to us all that God commanded him That in him God was well pleas'd and that we were to heare him Mat. 17.5 That from this Prophet Gods perfect will was manifested to the World and the same by his Order written in the Old and new