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	true_a	visible_a	19,269	5	9.3685	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01099	A shield of defence against the arrovves of schisme shot abroad by Iean de L'escluse in his advertisment against Mr. Brightman Here vnto is prefixed a declaration touching a booke intituled, The profane schisme of the Brovvnists. By Iohn Fovvler. Clement Saunders. Robert Bulvvarde.	Fowler, John, Brownist.; Saunders, Clement. aut; Bulwarde, Robert. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 11212; ESTC S102487	39,669	46

insult there vpon though vve be vvronged yet are not they cleared from the matters there noted vvhich are still in force against them Our desire our purpose is hereafter as occasion opportuinty meanes shal be offred more fully to manifest their Profane schisme by the publishing of those thinges vvhich formerly have bene omitted in the meane time vve do here present vnto the reader a fevv observations vpon the advertisement of Iean Delescluse vvhich he hath vvritten against Mr. Brightman against the communion of saintes His perverse collections for separation dravvne from Mr. Brightman his Testimony vve have here shevved to be vaine vvicked The principles of Brovvnisme vvhich he hath briefely alledged are here breefely ansvverd yet so as that the vanity errour of their separation may be easily discerned hereby This labour vve have vndertaken cheefely for the comfort helpe of those vveake brethren vvho either do not sufficiently vnderstād the iniquity of this errour of the Brounistes or els do not duely consider the danger of this schisme vvhich as it dayly breakes it self in pieces so vvould it also break ruinate overthrovv all the churches that should admit receyve the same vvhen corruptions do encrease are maynteyned let the godly vvitnesse against the same but let them not fret vnto separation so shall they vvalke vvith Christe in vvhite Reu. 3. 4. An ansvver vnto the advertisement of Iean Delescluse concerning Mr. Brightman vpon the Apocalyps 1. WHereas in his title he pretendes to advertise the godly reader whom afterward in his Epistle he calles Gentle reader and Christian reader marke how this man doth mocke his reader for by his profession of Brownisme he holdes all the membres of the church of England to be no visible Christians to be without true faith without godlines even eve-ry one as they are publique professours of the gospel in that church yet here in this flattering title of his English booke he dissembles notably as though he would honour record their godlines And thus in the very forehead of his booke his hypocrisy beginnes to shew it self 2. VVHereas in his title he takes on him to advertise every godly reader of Mr. Tho. Brightmā his booke how absurd senselesse is it There be many godly readers of Mr. Brightmās booke which vnderstād no English at al seing it is extant in Latine yet he writes in English to advertise every one of them 3. IN the same place he alledgeth against the church of England that saying of the Prophet 1. Kim 18. 21. How long halt ye betweene two opinions If the lord be God follow him but if Baal be he then go after him This is vniustly applied against them who are assured of their lawfull communion with that church but this sentence or the like may much more fitly be alledged against the divided distracted Brownistes who halt betweene two opinions betweene two communions some halting after the Franciscane order sone limping after the Ainsworthian popular order some hanging in doubt betwixt both opinions so that they dare not ioyne to either of them but walk alone 4. THe first cause which mooved him to put forth this writing in defence of the separatiō he sets downe in these wordes First the glory of my God etc. what meanes he by this speech of his God in saying the glory of my God Hath he and his flock a speciall God of his owne more then other churches of Christe It is true indeed that David other faithful servants of God do often with the voyce of faith vse to speak of God in this manner my king and my God as Ps 84. 3. but yet if we looke a litle further into the profession of the Brownistes we may easily imagine some other cause of their speaking on this manner for whereas R. R. in his prophecying among the prophets of Mr. Anisworthes company testifyed against their separation iustifyed the church of England to be a true church being for this vniustly excommunicate of that company it was as vniustly defended by Mr. Ainsworth who layd this groud of his excommunicatiō frō Deu. 13. 1. 2. c. that he had sought to turne thē away frō the Lord their God had perswaded them to go after other Gods and to serve thē all this onely for perswading that it was lawfull to heare a sermō in the church of Engl. to pray with thē c In this proceeding they declare that they hold the church of Engl. to be withovt the true God in that they cōdemne those that ioyne with the same to turne away frō the Lord their God to go after other God● and therfore no marvel if according to this opinion they speak of their special God intending an other God whom we know not This may yet further appeare in the speech of Delecluse who being blamed for his schisme from the french church hath here vpon cōdemned that reformed church as having Christe to be neither their King priest nor Prophet And if they be without Christe then are they without true God Ioh. 2. Epist vers 9. and Ioh. 17. 3. According to these speeches it is not strange nor inconsequent that he should meane his speciall God in the forenamed phrase Iemar the monstro●s Arrian pretending that we erre about the nature of Christe doth blasphemously affirme that our God is no better then the planke vnder his foote Delescluse the inordinate Brownist pretending that Christe is not our king doth hereby sacrilegiously both deprive Christe of his people his people of their God their saviour their mediatour And thus while he pretendes the glory of his God he treades vnder his feete the glory of that everlasting God who is the God king of all the reformed churches round about 5. AGaine in his declaratiō of this first moving cause that made him to publish this treati●e in defence of Brownisme he alledgeth divers scriptures which teach that the people of God ought to be holy as the Lord is holy as namely Levit. 19. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 5. 16. But what meanes he by this Can not the people of God be holy sanctifyed vnlesse they separate from the churches as the Brownistes doe or can they not give glory vnto God without their separation we see the contrary throughout the scriptures the holy Prophets the holy Apostles and Iesus Christe that holy one of God did keepe a holy communion among open obstinate sinners and glorified God thereby and this also in a church that was far more corrupt than that reformed church from which this Delescluse hath schismed and runne away 6. VNto his other allegation that all those that call vpon the name of Christe should depart from iniquitye 2. Tim. 2. 19. It may also be answered as the former that the most holy servants of God most zealous of his glory have kept communion which open sinners as offensiue as 〈…〉 the church

vrged Mr. Ainsworth therevnto that openly in their congregation before the rent was made Yea besides respect of the matter it self are they not specially bound for their old covenant sake to shew the Franciscanes their errour that by writing rather then to deale with strangers 19. FRom these instances above mentioned he drawes a terrible conclusion on this manner Therefore it doth necessarily follow that the estate of the church of England is worse then was the estate of those rebelles in the wildernes that there is nothing to be expected from Christe by any member thereof but a powring out of his eternal wrath vpon them In this peremptory sentence which he denounceth against the church of England he takes on him as if he would seeme to be one of those sevē angelles which having their breastes g●●ded with golden girdles do stand with the vialles of Gods wrath in their handes to powre ●ut ●is vengeance on the wicked but the truth is he is rather in this his doome like one of the angelles of Sathan that accuse the brethren condemning those whom God hath iusti●yed By this sentence he doth at once extinguish quench the whole light comfort of the gospell which teacheth that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christe beleeve in his name Rom 3. 28. and 8. 1. For such beleeves there are many in the church of England holding that doctrine of faith iustification whereby the faithfull the saintes in al the reformed churches do hope to ente● into life everlasting that whereby the Brownistes themselves must be saved if ever they enter into glory Now to denounce the aeternall wrath of Christe to those that have true faith what is it els but to abolish the gospell to destroy faith to make it of no effect If an angell frō heaven should come preach vnto vs as Delescluse here hath done yet ought we not to receive him Gal. 1. 8. But here the Brownistes obiect that true fayth shewes it self by workes which they say are apparantly evill in the church of England First their faith sheweth it self by these fruites by their ioy in the Lord their cōtinuall study delight in the word of God their cōtinuall invocatiō of the name of God every day their delight in the Sabath their love of the godly for the truth sake their vnfeigned sorow for their sinnes their patiēce for the testimony of Christe sundry other such like fruites which are the vndoubted certaine to kens of true saith Ps 89. 15. Ps 1. 2. Ioel. 2. 32. Esa 56. 4. 5. 6. Mat. 10. 41. 42. Mat. 5. 4. 10. 11. Secondly suppose other of their workes be evill suppose also that their refusall of separation were a sin yet seing it cannot be thought other then a sinne of ignorance that God had not opened their eyes in this matter what an absurd wicked thing is it in this estate to pronounce of them all without exception that there is nothing to be expected from Christe by any member thereof but a powring out of his aeternall wrath vpon them for who can vnderstand his faults and who is it but that he sinnes of ignorance and why not in the mysterie of the separation as well as in others especially it being such a poynt as the members of all other true churches can not comprehend the same Not with standing such errours the members of the church of England may be vpright with the Lord and accepted of him and made partakers of eternall salvation Ps 19. 13. 1. Cor. 13. 9. with 1. Cor. 1. 30. Ps 32. 1. 2. But to salve or mitigate this their vnchristian and hard sentence they tell vs that in such maner of sentences and iudgements they speak respectively viz. that the faithfull in England cannot be accounted true Christians in respect of their ministery in respect of their constitution in respect of their estate being so considered etc. In this exception the Brownistes do shew their vanity in seeking out frivolous pretences to colour their rash iudgements for first when as true and ●ound iudgemēt is to be given touching the estate of a Christian and an heire of salvation he is then to be considred not by the halfes or by some such and such respects onely but wholly and entirely with all his respectes togather And so a faithfull man considered not apart from his errours and ignorances but considered togather with them and with his faith is yet to be iudged and that absolutely a true Christian an heire of salvation suppose there besome manifest errours and offences vpon him yet his faith shewing it self in other manifest fruites thereof is a visible cover for all his offences seing the Lord hath manifested in his word that faith alone doth iustify and lay hold on everlasting righteousnes Gal. 2. 16. and 3. 7. Eph. 2. 8. and therfore such a one in his outward estate and profession is still a visible Christian notwithstanding any other visible iniquities wherein he ignorantly continueth Secondly when Christe at his last comming shall pronounce iudgement he will not consider men apart frō their constitution ministery governement etc. he will not say in such respect I condemne thee and in such respect I do iustify thee and save thee but he doth absolutely pronounce sentence either of salvation or condemnation And this iudgement of the Lord is generally manifested in his word according to his word will he iudge at the last day Ioh. 12. 48. Mark 16. 16. and therfore according to this word of the Lord the estate of of mē is absolutely to be declared without such respective cōsiderations and exceptions If the questiō had bene onely about the reproofe of some particular sin in any persō or about the comparing of one person with an other thē might they have iudged herein respectively for the mā that is a true Christiā may in some respect be worthily reprehended may in some respect be vnlike vnto others but when the question is about the iudgement of a true Christian about his obteyning of salvation then are such partiall respective considerations idle of no vse A man is in such case either absolutely to be condemned or absolutely to be iustifyed acquit Thirdly according to that respective iudgement every church yea every person in the world should be condemned stand vnder the wrath of God because every church every person doth erre commit sin in that respect being considered apart from Christe is accursed And according to this respective iudment of the Brownistes Delesculse in respect of those eleven corruptions which they lay vpon the reformed churches supposing they were iustly imputed vnto them might in like manner accordingly have pronounced of them all that there is nothing to be expected from Christe by any member thereof but a powring out of his eternall wrath vpon them seing no

best ād learnedest interpreters there are noted out vnto vs in the Apocalyps divers estates both ecclesiasticall civill that have wounded Antichriste but no interpreter that ever yet could finde the Brownistes among them VVe read of divers angelles fighting against Antichriste Rev. 14. 6. 7. 8. 9. And these do fitly declare vnto vs such as Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Husse Hierome of Prage Martin Luther such like but where be the angelles that may fiftly represent vnto vs Robert Browne H. Barow Francis Iohnson etc. VVe reade of divers that have obteyned sundry victories conquestes and triumphes against Antichriste Rev. 11. 15. 16. and 14. 14. 17. and 16. 1. and 17. 16. For the further vnderstanding whereof we desire the reader to consider weigh Mr. Brightmans exposition of those places But where is the lot and roome of the Brownistes VVere is their atchievement registred among these cheefe instruments of the Lord Secondly whereas he telles vs that this his full perswasion dependes vpon a condition viz. If they continue faithfull vnto the end whereas also Mr. Iohnson his followers doe now in the account of Delescluse slide back from their ancient faith are already proved vnfaithfull Mr. Robinison also halting betwixt them in some thinges these thinges duely considred the full perswasiō of Delescluse may quickly turne into a faint perswasion and his vaine confidence into a wan-hope 45. THe reason of his glorious perswasion touching the Brownistes he setteth downe in these wordes For by that purity of doctrine which they do teach and by the sincere and publique administration of the glorious kingdome of Christe publiquely and before all the people as also by professing that glorious liberty in the gospell that if any sin be shewed or manifested vnto them by the word of God is amended whatsoever opposition may be to the contrary by those thinges I say by them professed practised and taught it is imposible that where they have place Antichriste can or have any doore to come in First for their purity of doctrine they have no groundes of pure doctrine which other churches of Christ round about them have not as well as they VVhy do they exalt themselves in that which others have as well as they and before them Other churches have this doctrine also in better and more abundant maner then they for H. A. I. Delescluse Thomas Cocky Iohn Hales and such like prophets do not teach the pure doctrine with half that purity grace power fruite that the ministers of other churches doe Besides their ignorance their doctrine is divers wayes impure mixt with sundry errours new doctrines faithes leading vnto schisme confusion is therfore in part recanted by Mr. Iohnson For their glorious liberty in their publique administration the anabaptists may boast thereof as much as they seing the anabaptistes are as publique in their administration as the Brownistes and the brownistes are but followers of them therein as they are also in the most or all those thinges wherein they differ from vs. For their sincere administration thereof against all opposition whatsoever as he boasteth how vaine is it Before the schisme of the Ainsworthians from the Franciscanes the sinnes and * scandalles of Daniel Studly were shewed and manifested by divers of the Ainsworthians yet such opposition was made against them as that Da. Studly did neither soundly repent nor loose his office from which he is now deposed That which the popular governement could not then effect is now effected since that governement was changed by Mr. Iohnson VVhereas he sayth that Anti-christe cannot have any doore to come in where those thinges by them professed and practised have any place it is also false for suppose the doctrine and discipline of the Brownistes were both of them pure even as pure as in the apostles times yet might Antichriste finde a doore to come in by as well as he did in the time of the apostles where there were better meanes to keep him out then the Brownistes now have see 1. Ioh. 2. 18. 2. Thess 2. 7. Suppose the Romish Antichriste have no dore to come in by among the Ainsworthians yet while they open a doore to the Anabaptistes to come in amōg them what avayleth it That such a doore is opened by them see the testimony of the * Franciscanes who charge Mr. Ainsworth and his company with this evill 46. MOreover he addeth further in praise of the Brownistes And for my part I do blesse the day in which I had that grace from my God to know both the people and their faithfull walking in their wayes and religion of God If a stranger meete with this booke of Delescluse he may be divers wayes deceyved by him in this deceitfull speech for if he know not that the Brownistes are broken and rent in the middes falling one from an other then by this false report of Delesc he may be drawne to think that the Brownistes do faithfully cleave vnto one an other and walke constantly in their wayes without schisming from one an other which is most vntrue And further againe if a stranger do know that they are rent a sunder and yet withall know not of what side Delescluse is then shall the stranger be left in vncertainty not knowing whether he meane the Franciscanes or Ainsworthians to be that faithfull people hereafter therfore let Delescluse learne to speak more plainely and to avoyd his deceitfull speeches for ought that he hath here written he might be taken for a Franciscane and so his faction might loose that praise of faithfullnes which he intendeth for them 47. DRawing to an end he seales vp his booke with this prayer for the brownistes I beseech the Lord of his grace even with teares that he vouchsafe to open the eyes of their most noble and wise prince that he may see the iustice and equity of their cause and cavse them to see his royall face and presence againe with ioy and gladnes of heart vnder his dominions and iurisdictions Amen In this prayer or forme of prayer observe first how he dishonours the Lord and takes his name in vayne by praying for the manifestation of the iustice and equity of their cause which is so full of iniustice and iniquitye As Saul took the name of God in vayne by his blessing the Ziphims for their shew of compassion which indeed was cruelty 1. Sam. 23. 21. So doth Delescluse by blessing of the brownistes for the equity of their cause which is indeed a meere iniquity Secondly mark here his vaine publishing of his owne devotion zeale viz. his praying with teares yet is it no sound commendation of himself while his teares are spent in such a cause Delescluse may remember since he was a Papist that many of those idolatours in their superstitious devotion do often times weepe powre forth their teares before their idolles