Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	church_n	faith_n	truth_n	4,940	5	6.2410	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80766	Hæreseo-machia: or, The mischiefe which heresies doe, and the means to prevent it. Delivered in a sermon in Pauls, before the Right Honourable, the Lord Maior, and the aldermen of the famous citie of London, February the first, M. DC. XLV. And now printed, for the satisfaction of the hearers, and others. / By James Cranford, pastour of Christopher Le Stocks, London.	Cranford, James, d. 1657.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6823; Thomason E329_1; ESTC R200684	45,138	61

HAERESEO-MACHIA OR The mischiefe which Heresies doe AND The means to prevent it Delivered in a SERMON in Pauls before the Right Honourable the LORD MAIOR and the ALDERMEN of the famous Citie of LONDON February the first M. DC XLV And now printed for the satisfaction of the hearers and others By JAMES CRANFORD Pastour of Christopher Le Stocks London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. ad Solitar Diligite homines interficite errores sine superbia de veritate praesumite sine saevitia pro veritate contendite Aug. cont lit Petil. lib. 1. cap. 29. Jude 3. It was needfull for mee to write unto you and exhort you that yee should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints LONDON Printed by James Young for Charles Green and are to be sold at the signe of the Gun in Ivie-lane 1646. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS ADAMS Lord Maior THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL THE SHERIFFS VVith the residue of the ALDERMEN Of the famous CITIE of LONDON Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull THese Meditations were intended onely for the Pulpit but are enforced to the Presse not so much by the intreaties of friends as importunities of adversaries I print to use Theodorets expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist 83. not to please or commend my selfe but necessitated to apologize and to assert the verity of what I have delivered Many aspersions have been cast upon me upon my Sermon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I expected them The disciple is not above his Master The most of you were my hearers I am contented you should be my Judges and rest Your Honours and Worships Servant in the Gospel JAMES CRANFORD TO THE READER READER IT hath been my endeavour in this Sermon to discover unto thee The mischief that Heresies doe and the means to prevent it It hath been my care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deliver the naked truth in plain expressions Rotten posts need pargetting withered faces painting Truth is most comely in her native colours and hath strength of her own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to conquer by weaknesse It is possible thou hast heard if not fomented the great clamours raised against my self and my Sermon by Sectaries whom it would better have beseemed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. Epist 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril ad Nestor Epist 4. have amended themselves and their own errours then to have aspersed others and given out such unchristian language when they were not at all injured but only reproved and that for their advantage It is no great matter to mee to be judged of you or of mans judgement he that judgeth me is the Lord. The testimony of my conscience and God the approver of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theodoret. Epist 99. my doctrine sweep away as a spiders web the calumnies of sycophants yet to the intent I may remove prejudice from thee I shall speak in a word to three objections which are most frequent First Some say It was unseasonable Why unseasonable Because others were silent Nay rather it was seasonable because others were silent I conceive with Theodoret that speech or silence in this season distinguisheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epist 77. between the faithfull shepherd and the hireling Pauls spirit was stirred in him when he saw the City wholly given to idolatry And is it possible for a faithfull Minister to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyprian ad Nestor Epist 2. silent when the faith is corrupted and so many subverted Must we not all appear before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account of our unseasonable silence But thanks be to God there is no ground for such an objection Secondly Others say I was bitter the Sermon a bloudy Sermon I answer Examine the quotations Was I more bitter more bloudy then the Scriptures then the Fathers Who called false Prophets ravening wolves dogs evill workers Who wished them cut off commanded them to bee reproved sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly Did not Christ Did not the Apostle Did not the Ancients account them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril in Joh lib. 1. cap. 4. The workmen of destruction the huntsmen of the Divell the snares of death Were these bitter bloudy If so I will not blush to be in the same condemnation with my Saviour Bitter pils may be wholesom physick Thirdly Others say All men speak ill of mee some resolve never to hear more in that Auditory for my sake c. Reader Let not this trouble thee I passe through good report as well as bad I am satisfied with the testimony of Athanasius I have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad Adelphium done as becometh a Minister of the Gospel and the doctrine of godlinesse in my sharpest reproofs against these men As for the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 2. I say with the same Father I respect those people that adhere to the truth not weather-cocks and such as delight in novelties I conclude as Austin You have heard their reproaches which they had Audivistis male dicta quae ab illis non audirem si vestram perditionem contemnerem si charitatis viscera non haberem Cont. lit Petil. l. 3. c. 10. never cast upon me if I had been carelesse of your salvation Reader I will detain thee no longer the Sermon is now thine reade it try it censure it spare not but remember the scene will be changed it shall one day try and censure thee Vale. From my Study this 16. of March 1645. JA. CRANFORD The Analysis of the Sermon D. Erroneous opinions eat as a Gangrene 1. Speedily 5 2. Incurably 5 3. Mortally 6 1. Faith Quae 8 Quâ 9 2. Peace Church 10 Civill 10 3. Piety 14 R. 1. Hereticks are 1. Subtil 17 2. Active 28 2. People are 1. Ignorant 30 2. Curious 31 God is just 1. Punishing lukewarmnesse 32 2. Manifesting the approved 33 Use Prevent and stop them 1. People 1. Adhere to the Ministry 36 2. Try all things 38 3. Avoid Seducers 39 2. Ministers 1. Convince 42 2. Cast out 44 3. Magistrates what they 1. Have done 47 2. May doe 47 HAERESEO-MACHIA OR The mischiefe which Heresies doe and the means to prevent it 2 TIM 2. 17. And their word will eat as doth a canker or a gangrene of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus c. THE blessed Apostle was at the writing of this Epistle now ready to be offered up as you may see Chap. 4. 6. I am now ready to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand He writes this Epistle as his last Will and Testament to Timothy his own son in the faith to give him direction how to behave himself in the Church of God which is the house of God the pillar and ground of truth Hee bestowes upon him good counsell as a legacy that hee should be painfull in his doctrine and watchfull over his conversation and proposeth

himselfe as an example Chap. 3. 10. Thou hast fully known my doctrine manner of life purpose faith long-suffering charity patience Disce puer virtutem ex me Learn my son painfulnesse and watchfulnesse of mee a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. ad Ephes I require no more of thee then I my selfe have given thee in pattern Thou hast fully known c. Now the Apostle not ignorant of the wiles of the divell his main engines against the two pillars of the Church b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ibid. faith and love the bonds of our union with our head and with his body and his endeavours to overthrow love by the overthrow of faith hee warns him in a speciall manner to hold fast the forme of sound words and to shew himselfe a workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth to avoid profane and vaine janglings which would increase to more ungodlinesse And hee urgeth the same exhortation in my Text from the mischiefe that will come to the Church by such vain janglings Their word will eat as doth a gangrene of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus The Text therefore discovers the mischief of unsound teachers or unsound doctrine where wee consider First the Subject Their word illustrated by an instance Of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus who have erred c. Secondly the Adjunct Will eat or will have pasture set out by a similitude As doth a canker or a gangrene Thus you have the connexion the scope and parts of this verse out of which I shall propose one Observation In the prosecution of which other things may happely be touched upon in transitu The Doctrine is this Doctr. Erroneous and unsound doctrine is of a devouring i. e. spreading and destroying nature Their word saith the Apostle will eat as doth a gangrene The Apostle Peter speaking of false teachers assures us that they shall privily bring in damnable heresies even denying 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. the Lord that bought them And that many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the truth shall be evill spoken of I pray you observe it Heresies erroneous doctrines are damnable They shall bring in damnable heresies They are of a c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. ad Anaylo l. 2. Tit. 1. 11. destroying nature They are of a spreading nature Many shall follow their pernicious wayes So also Paul averres to Titus They subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake Heresies are of a destroying nature They subvert the house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they undermine it and overturn it from the foundation They are of a spreading nature They subvert whole houses many houses are overturned But by what is all this speaking things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake Our Saviour Christ warns his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces Matth. 16. 6. 11 12. which is expounded of their doctrine Their erroneous and false doctrine is compared to leaven which is a fit d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril de ador in sp verit lib. 15. resemblance of all doctrine The doctrine of the Gospel is compared to leaven Luke 13. 22. and the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees is compared to leaven because As a little leaven leavens the whole lump and quickly sowres all so doctrine e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril ibid. l. 17. when it once sinks into a mans minde and gets into the heart it doth as it were translate the soule and spirit and body even the whole man into the similitude qualitie nature of it selfe It is not onely thus spreading over a person but the Church is a body as saith the Apostle Ye are the body of Christ and members 1 Cor. 12. 27. in particular erroneous doctrine no sooner gets into a Church but it overspreads it runs thorow all and corrupts and sowres all as saith the Apostle Gal. 5. 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Erroneous opinions are interpreted by f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. ad ortho qu. 1. some to be those tares which the envious man and the adversary sowed in the field where Christ had sowed his good seed Matth. 13. 25. Tares if they be sowed in a field quickly over-spread the whole field and choak up the good seed and are therefore if wee may beleeve Basil g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Hexam hom 5. a fit resemblance of such who put a false stamp upon the doctrines of Christ and being themselves infected with the doctrine of the divell intermingle themselves with the healthfull body of the Church that they may undiscerned diffuse their poyson into the soules of those that are unlearned or well meaning The same Father in another h Hex hom 2. place compares heresies erroneous opinions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a noisome canker or carbuncle which is no lesse dangerous then infectious Saint James tels us of a tongue that is set on fire by hell Jam. 3. 6. and setteth on fire the whole course of nature Would you know what tongue this is It is the false tongue the lying tongue which David compares to sharp arrowes of Psal 120. 3. the mighty and coals of Juniper I am not ignorant that Hilary Chrysostome Augustine understand this of the punishment In locum Moller Marlorate Amesius c. of the mischievousnesse of the false tongue which is compared to coals of Juniper hot burning hard to be quenched keeping fire exceeding long and easily spreading it into every subject such coals is an hereticall tongue i Arius in Alexandria scintilla una fuit sed quia non statim oppressa totum orbem ejus flamma populata est Hieron in Gal. 5. lib. 3. Arius was but one single spark yet because not speedily put out hee set the whole world on fire so that the world did admire that it was become Arian And the Prophet compares the tongue to a bow Jer. 9. 3. They Jer. 9. 3. have bent their tongues their bowes for lies and the words to arrowes Psal 64. 3. That they may shoot out their arrows Psal 64. 3. bitter words If these things be true of a slanderous tongue that calumniates men how much more true of a false tongue that perverts truth and blasphemes God There are no words so bitter as the words of heresie they are k Instar sagittarum sermones ipsorum corda vulnerant Novar l. 9. Elect. sac Sect. 13. sharp arrowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arrowes that have teeth these words are devouring words Psal 52. 4. Our Saviour Christ compares false prophets to ravenous wolves whose property it is not to worry a sheep but make havock of a flock not to devour one but scatter all The truth is sufficiently declared out of Scripture Heresies do eat as doth a canker or a gangrene Let us now consider 1. The