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
B01135	The true Israelite, or, The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite. By Master William Andrewes, late minister of the word of God.	Andrewes, William, minister of the word of God.	1638 (1638)	STC 630.5; ESTC S124182	38,395	238

Malachy Mal. 1.14 Cursed is the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offereth a corrupt thing 2 Pet. 2 7. If thy righteous soule bee grieved at sin with just Lot If thou mourn'st because men keepe not Gods Law with zealous David Ps 119 136. If thou art weary of thy life for the daughters of Heth with Rebecca Ge. 27.46 If thou canst cry with Samson for that well of life Iudges 15.18 give me drinke or I die with thirst then art thou free from fraud and thou art knowne of God for a true Israelite O let us raise up our hearts from this fraud remembring that of the Apostle Gal. 6.9 Be not weary of well-doing knowing that ye shall receive if yee faint not and let us carefully follow the councell of the holy Ghost Reu. 3.2 Be awake and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die 3. The fraud of fained Religion THe third fraud in profession is counterfeit religion which stands in outward show without intention of the heart drawing neere unto God in the lipps the mind being far from him This deceiver showes himselfe in the Feathers of the Swan but secretly wallowes in the mire of the Swine and though hee seemes to be a very hoorder of the Manna yet is he found feeding at the Prodigalls trough These deceivers saith Nazianzen weave Penelopes web what they make in the day they marre in the night Like they are unto Plinies bastard Eagle that hath the face of an Eagle but the foote of a Goose Ezech. 10.14 or to Ezechiels vision with many faces of Angell of Man of Beast these shew themselues Cherubims in the Church in company men beasts in secret Suidas Pasetes the Iuglers feast full of varieties in show vanishing all away when they should be tasted was but a mock-belly the goodliest building the fairest house without Inhabitant to give reliefe that poore men call but a mocke-beggar and the most ostentant professors which have a shew of godlinesse without the power therof a counterfeit Israelite is but a mocke-God these are reeds shaken with every winde of tentation smooth but yet hollow without the pyth and substance of godlinesse This fraud the holy Ghost found in the Angel of the Church at Sardis saying Reve. 3 1. I know thy workes that thou hast a name to live but indeed art dead From this guile was David free who cheerefully appeales to Gods view saying Ps 138.23 Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reines and my heart T' is with every true Israelite as St. Ierome speakes of a good Priest Christiani Sacerdotis lingua manus mens concordent A true Israelites tongue and his hand and his heart goe together 4. The fraud of forced Religion SErvile and compel'd religion is the fourth fraud in professiō and that is when men attend the exercises of religiō without freedome of soule spirit Where appears the main difference betweene religion inspired and religion cōmanded the one leades by cheerefulnes love the other draws by feare and force I will offer saith David unto the Lord free-will offerings Psal 110.3 Psal 45 6. that is offerings of a ready and cheerefull mind A speciall mark of a true Israelite for where the spirit of God is there is liberty saith Saint Paul 2 Cor. 3.17 I was glad saith David whē they said Come we will goe into the house of the Lord. But these deceivers reckon the Lords service as a very torment to their pleasures profits a cooling of their delights and as the devills in the Gospell was affected with the presence of Christ so these with the exercise of godlinesse what have they to doe with them they come to torment them before the time Mat. 8.29 5. The Fraud of forged Religion ARbitrary and devised Religion is the fifth fraud in profession which magnifies private inventions to the neglect of the councell of God which being urged as necessary parts of divine worship argue the Word of God of Insufficiency but it is the wantonnes of mens wits and luxury of their mind that rove out beyond the limits of God and are not content with his Wisdome This fraud Christ spied in the Pharisies Mat. 15 6. who made the Commandements of God of no effect to establish their owne traditions This fraud also is observed to be in the Romish Church who have equalled their traditions to the Scripture and have devised a new Creede making their fancies Articles of Faith needfull to salvation This fraud some also impute to the Church of England though injuriously for it urgeth no humane invention as an essentiall part of Gods worship or as needfull to salvation but onely for order for comlinesse for signification From this fraud the true Israelite is free who is so bound to the word of God that he makes it the warrant the honour of his actions the warrant that secureth the rule that directeth the honour that graceth his Religion 6. The Fraud of carnall Gospelling THe last fraud in profession I call flattering or carnall Religion which doth not crucifie the flesh with the lusts therefore they say of their lusts as Pilate said to Christ what evill have they done These deceivers admit nothing that savours either of labour or restraine of the appetite tell them of mourning for sinne of watching in prayer of fervency in devotion of fasting and abstinence of mercy and almes deedes to the poore and such like and they will put of all to the hearing of a Sermon an easie worke and for the rest seeme to say as the Devills did to the sonnes of Sceva Iesus wee know and Paul we know Act. 19 13. but who are ye Sporting they may say we know feasting we know but what is fasting what mourning what almes Of this fraud speaks the Apostle S. Iude saying Iude 1.4 there are certaine men crept in Vngodly men which turn the grace of our God into wantonnes These men instead of building that Spirituall Tower mount up a narrow and overtopping Chimny Luke 14.28 instead of sound religion a smoaky vaine and foule singularity These fly not like doves to their windowes Esay 60.8 as the Prophet describeth the Godly mans celerity spirituall contemplation but hop like frogs raising themselves a little from the earth in a ceremonious hearing of the word praier the weight of their belly of their lusts puls thē down to their pond to their filth againe and there though they croake of Religion of the Gospel of Christ yet in truth they can not abide to enter into the streight gate the narrow way that leadeth unto life Quintus Cicero perceiving his brother Mark to sue for the Consulship counselled him that continually he should think upon these words Novus homo es Consulatum petis Roma est Thou art but a strāger thou suest for the Consulship and t' is Rome where