Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	rule_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	12,255	5	9.8749	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26927	Fair-warning, or, XXV reasons against toleration and indulgence of popery with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's letter to the King and all the bishops of Irelands protestation to the Parliament to the same purpose : with an answer to the Roman-Catholicks reasons for indulgence : also the excellent reasons of the Honourable House of Commons against indulgence, with historical observations thereupon.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1663 (1663)	Wing B1263; ESTC R15222	25,663	47

your religion if I may so call it is the farthest from that which is styled the old Protestant then from any other way professed and owned in England 4. And is it come to that that you have raised so many Sects among us for the Sects are but your by-blowes that we have but this sad choice left either to be swallowed up by them or to close with you This is plain English 1. Reas. Roman Catholique was the Religion of England a thousand years Ans. the Roman Catholique way was not the Religion of England but the corruption of its Religion these thousand years Although however that 's not the Christian Religion that is of a thousand standing onely our Religion was the Word of God for 1400 years to which the Papist added their Idolatry superstition and tradition these 900. years the Religion of England was alwaies contained in the Lords Prayer the 10 Commandments the Articles of Faith the Doctrine of the Sacraments the Order and Discipline we have now established by Law the corruptions of Rome were only of late brought in upon these foundations and are now removed by Law and really it 's strange that humane corruptions such as Popery is should claim the same right with Gods institution such as Judaism was one institution of God may give place to another by degrees though it give not place to the corruption of men not for an hour We have buried your way in honour our care is how that it rise not again in dishonour As the Primitive Christians suffered that generation of Jews which was bred up in Judaism to continue their own way though they suffered neither Jews nor Gentiles to be bred up in it in the next generation so we used that generation we found here at first very civilly but would not suffer any more to learn that way The Apostles that suffered Jews to practice their way for the present would not suffer them to teach it for the future and we who indulged Papists in the first generation after the Reformation to live in their own perverse way would not allow them to pervert others in the next generation And as we would not force a Heathen as he saith to our way so would we not suffer him to perswade others from our way we would not compel Heathens or Papists who in some places are little better then Heathens to the truth but we would restrain them that they should not seduce others to their errours Reas. But shall the old Protestant who confesseth Rome a true Church and himself derived from her persecute her and call her a Whore let the Presbyterian c. Answ. Let the world know that the old Protestant bears as little honour to the corruptions of Rome as the Presbyterian and that the Presbyterian bears as much honour to the truth of Rome as the old Protestant and that both for we will not by your Artifices be divided any further then needs must own her as a true Church though they do not own her as a corrupued Church They will allow the Church of Rome and they maintain their own here they condemn not them that live in communion with the Church of Rome because they have the foundation of Religion They allow them not the same priviledge with those of their own communion because they build dangerous things upon that foundation we own all Protestants for Christians yet we hang them for murder and felony so we own Papists for Christians yet we punish them for superstition and Idolatry Reason 3. If we acknowledge they have all things necessarie to salvation then we should indulge them An. Indeed you hold as you say the fundamental truth by which men may be saved but you hold likewise some errors in judgement and corruptions in practice contrary to those fundamental truths by which men may be damned we embrace your faith and yet we oppose the heresies you hold contrary to the faith I love a man though I hate his disease I love the Religion of Rome I hate her prophanation of that Religion if any man be saved in Rome it 's by the truths we and you hold in common and not by those abominations we punish in you and we must needs say that we restrain you not as Christians whom we shall see in Heaven one day but as Idolaters and Hereticks whom except you repent we shall never see in Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 Gal. 5.20 21. 4. Reason We differ but in small questions and opinions c. therefore 1. Answ. If so small the difference between us why so great your cruelty towards us were we burned massacred tortured banished imprisoned famished upon quirkes and differences in words rather then in real points 2. But is the worshipping of Creatures but a quirk●s with you is saying to a peice of bread Thou art God but a trifle and to God Thou art not able to instruct us for salvation without humane tradition but a Toy 5. Reason Because we own one rule of Faith with them that is Scripture and tradition we ought to tollerate them Answ. We disown this reproachful insinuation we own no rule of Faith but the Scripture by which we try all humane writings judging in our selves what is right and though we have the Fathers and the first Councils against you yet we desire nothing but the Scripture for our selves we reverence the practice of the Ancients we walk by the rule of Scripture as we would do as they did so would we walk by the same rule they did 6 Reason The Lutherans agree with the Papasts elsewhere therefore c. Ans. I. How the Lutherans agree with Papists we say not we are sure the Papists agree not with Lutherans what else means the quarrels plots seditions tumults discontents we hear of every day 2. We walk not by example but by rule 3. This favour the Lutherans and Hugonots got by arms and keep by interest before we know how they were used 7. Reason As to what you say of commerce and marriage we establish not our religion upon policie but upon piety we look not what is most advantagious but what is most lawfull although yet it be the interest of forreigners as much to be of our Religion as it is ours to be of theirs the English peace and trade is as much their advantage as theirs is ours as for the Earl of Bristow he told King James and King Charles that for which he was questioned by the Duke of Buckingham in Parliament As for the Earl of Leicester he did a little regard Richleau as he did him and he hath lived to see as great a Cardinal court the English when resolute in their way though never so severe to Catholiques their resolute are fooled the resolved are feared as for the Queen of Bohemia if we had followed Her interest she might have been the greatest Queen in Europe and the Lord would have let the World have seen that it was the highest advantage in the World

must we needs have these among us that may persuade people too much inclined of themselves to sit in ignorance among us who after all our pains to instruct an ignorant world now persuade poor souls to be still alienated from the life of God to have their understanding still darkened to retain still the blindnesse of their hearts and can the enemy of mankind do any more shall we have those in the midst of us who notwithstanding all our endeavours to teach the world a saving knowledge of God shall yet and alas the murderer from the beginning desires no more persuade mankind that it is a vein thing to be filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding no Christian state can Tolerate those people whose Religion is to keep the world in ignorance of all Religion who know we must love God yet will not suffer us to know him who know we must obey him yet wil not suffer us to know his will Reason 2. That way that persuades men to believe and live by the traditions of men and to make the word of God of none effect is not to be tollerated how can a King who must give an account of himself to God answer for his connivance at that profession which teacheth men to live not by the will of God that made them but by the will of men like themselves How can Kings answer it if they suffer men to live by the Law of men and not of God will God endure that the world should be governed by the Creature and not by the Creator But Popery takes men off from the wil of God they say we have no Scripture but what the Pope allow do not they teach and that among Christians too that we must think the Scripture the word of God no longer than the Church saith it is so do not they write and that among us that waite upon God to hear the Scripture weekly and dayly that their customes and opinions are to be the Rule and foundation of our faith as well as the Scripture do not they equal the Popes decrees to Gods word and say their Church may impose new Articles of faith upon poor Souls every day prefering the judgement of the Church before the counsel of God that say the authority of the Church in its Laws is above the authority of God in the Scripture and yet the authority of the Pope in his decrees is above the authority of the Church in her Laws that say God in his word did not say enough to save men did not speak cleerly enough to instruct them in the knowledg of the truth Be wise O ye Kings be instructed O ye Judges of the Earth to what end hath he set up you but to see that men should walk according to his will to what end hath God advanced you but to see that men lived according to his Law hath God raised you up and will you suffer Anti-Christ to advance himself above every thing that is called God doth not God see this doth not he observe it Reason 3. That way which buildeth the salvation of men upon the Infallibility of one man is not to be tolerated Popery doth so therfore c. O Princes do you not watch over your people for good have you any care of precious Souls will you endure those men that will not suffer us to rest upon the foundation of God which standeth sure and allure us to trust in the foundation of men that wil fail wil you indulge men that delude your people to rely upon man that is a lye and the son of man that may deceive will your God keep silence when he observes you looking on men making one another a God and yet keep silence will you stand by and see God robbed of his honour and vain man indeavouring to be as God and use not that power God gave you to punish hath he pulled down the usurpers of your throne and will you not keep under the usurpers of his attributes hath he overturned them that would be Kings as well as you and will you encourage them that would be infallible as well as he can you stand still and see so many perish and led away in that great Errour of the wicked That man is Infallible O suffer not that way which leadeth us to man bottometh us upon man and leaveth us short of God Reason 4. That way that leaves men no certain way to be saved is not to be Tolerated Popery is that way c. When poor Souls would know how to be saved They say hear the Church If he say how shall I know wether the Church is infallible They say by the Scripture how shall we know the Scriptures they say by the Church O wil you suffer your subjects O ye Kings to be thus led in a maze to be thus perplexed in a circle for eternity is this your kindness to give them leave to be utterly at a loss for another world Is this Indulgence to let them live and dye they know not how besides its a cruel Favour to let people throw away their Souls upon these uncertain traditions decrees c. that the most learned can hardly understand if you love them keep them to the Law of God which is perfect converting the Soul the Testimoney of the Lord which is sure making wise the simple the commandement of the Lord which is pure enlightning the eyes the fear of the Lord which is clean enduring for ever the judgements of the Lord which are true and righteous altogether however be not so unmerciful us to let Christians cease to hear the Scripture that they may hear the Pope cease to be Christians that they may be Papists Reason 5 Being there is but one safe way to Salvation do you think that the Protestant way is that way or is it not If it be not why do you live in it If it be how can you find in your heart to give your subjects liberty to go another way can you in your Conscience give them leave to go on in that course in which in your conscience you think you could not be saved Reason 6. A way to serve God which no man can know must not be Tolerated O we must not be Indulged to worship we know not what Popery is a way that no man can certainly know For the Papists way is to believe as the Church believes Now a man knoweth not whether he believe a right in that way if he is not sure 1. That the Church of Rome is the true Church 2. That this Church is by the promise made to St. Peter infallible 3. That the Pope is Peter's true successor 4. They must know that he is rightly qualified duly well-chosen to his place 5. Whether the Cardinals the People or the Emperour have the right power to make a Pope For there have been Popes chosen by all these at one time 6. They must know which of