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knowledge_n believe_v faith_n implicit_a 1,688 5 13.6300 5 false
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A95735 The method of a synod, or a rationall and sure way to compose and settle the differences and controversies in religion to the contentment of honest and wise men, By G.T. stud. in C.C.C. G. T. 1642 (1642) Wing T9; Thomason E134_22; ESTC R212751 5,989 12

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THE METHOD OF A SYNOD OR A RATIONALL AND sure Way to compose and settle the Differences and Controversies in Religion to the Contentment of honest and wise men and all the Lovers of Christian Peace By G. T. Stud. in C. C. C. Nemo nostrum dicat jam se invenisse veritatem Sictam quaeramus quasi ab utrisque nesciatur Aug. cont Manich. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by William Larnar MDCXLII A METHOD OR WAY OF PROCEEDING in SYNOD NO Age from the first entrance of Sinne into the World ha's enjoyed so pure and certaine a happinesse but that it ha's still beene mingled and disturb'd with some infelicity and on the other side on Time ha's beene so miscrable and unfortunate but the good will of God towards Mankind whose flesh his blessed Sonne wore ha's temper'd it with some sweetnesse The experience of all Ages witnesses this the Histories of all people abundantly prove it This present Age of ours is a most cleere Testimonie to assert the same Oh all you that passe by was ever griefe and distraction like ours Which to prove I meane not to runne the Story of all our Evils nor of that Good wherewith we are somewhat recreated and relieved but onely to recount one most eminent Good and one Evill diametrally opposed to that Good our great and eminent Good is this That divine Mercy ha's illuminated these Kingdomes with the beames of Sacred Truth and the knowledge of the true that is of the Christian Religion for all others besides it are most certainly false Our Exceeding great Evill to that Good oppos'd is That either humane ignorance or perversenesse ha's not only mask't but dangerously clouded the beauty of that Truth with Errors and torne us into various parts nay parcels of parts quite contrary to the nature spirit and Genius of Christian Religion which is most entirely one the Author of which is one and the Prince of peace the Doctrine the Gospell of peace the Professors call'd the Sonnes of peace and to say all in a word The foundation of which is that great Pacification betwixt GOD and man and the end of it eternall peace and tranquillitie Is it not then strange that of this Religion such and so many Dissentions should be borne Christ himselfe tels us no. Mat. 10. I came not to send peace into the Earth but a sword c. And the enemies of a man shall be those of his owne house which words doe not shew the end of Christs comming but an event like to arise from thence by the aversnesse of some or the most of men from his Discipline From Religion sprung that hate of the Jewes towards the Samaritans whose service hee would not use even in businesse that concerned his life nor the Samaritan his hence the Samaritan woman admires that Jesus should aske water of her to drinke Joh. 4. From such hate and dissent of minds Schismes Factions Secessions into severall parties arise For as Love is an Affection of Union so hate of disseparation Hence Synagogues are oppos'd to Synagogues Temples to Temples Altars rais'd against Altars consecrated and frequented which neither part wiladmit of Commerce with the other This is the cause that voyces not unlike those of the Jsraelites scattering themselves into Factions are heard amongst us now To thy Tents O Israel they have no share in God nor in his Sonne Jesus Christ For both Factions equally appropriate to themselves that glorious name of the true Israel and take it from the other as if this were possessed with plenary absolute power of judging above the other or as if the GOD of Heaven had prejudg'd that great name to this partie alone which hee graciously bestowes upon and publishes to his whole Church neither yet do's this im bitterdnesse of dissenting minds rest and fixe it selfe in Schisme but if peradventure one partie find it selfe too strong for the other it do's not feare to begin a persecution against the adverse and to contrive and labour the utter destruction of it passing by no Engine fit for that purpose which either wit can invent or Religious choller can dictat or the very Shop of Hell can furnish them withall They are mad and commit outrages upon the same the goods and bodies of men alive upon their dust Sepulchers and memory when they are dead nay upon the soules of living and dead men and that with all kinds of armes with mocking Calumnies and Execrations Excommunications Anathematismes Libels Prisons Banishments into remote and barbarous Ilands from their deare Wives and Children till the adverse part be either quite extinct or submit it selfe to the will of the prevailing side by abjuring their owne opinion and receiving that opinion which they lately blam'd and protested against Thus the Gentiles persecuted the first and best Christians thus the Arians the Orthodox Divines If we looke upon our present state here at home I need not cast about for more Arguments to prove this all this Towne all this Kingdome confesses That from Christian Religion our greatest good dissentions and importunate vexations of one another have flow'd not immediately from Religion it selfe but our vice or weaknes or both And now I come to the Remedy of these miseries and evils and most hopefull appearing way to repossesse us in that good which wee our selves have forfeited Physitians say the nature of Remedies is such that they are never applied in vaine that they either doe good and truely are what they are said to be or a great deale of harme which very thing perswades me first to remove certaine perverse remedies in this case of controverted Religion devised by men and sometimes used 2. Ill. Remed First of all the sufficiency of implicite faith by which wee believe without knowledge of the thing it selfe what the Church and Prelats believe is obtruded upon us as a speciall Remedy when Religion is distemper'd and sick With this kind of faith sayes the jesuite the Catholique Collier perplext and confuted the Divell And indeed this is a way without doubt not onely to remove dissentions in Religion but take away even Religion it selfe which cannot be without knowledge and faith Rom. 10.10 Hab. 2.4 2 Cor. 4.13 2. another Device not unlike this to settle Religion is a strange Position yet received in the world namely That every man may be sav'd in his owne Religion But this Assertion is a Remedie worse then the Disease of Religion and leads those which are possess'd with that Error to certaine destruction because that opinion makes Error incurable since no man upon this ground That his owne Religion will save him needs to lay downe or correct his error Mahomet devis'd this to establish his Alcoran and exempt it from Disceptation This prevaild in Paganisme as appeares by that inscription of an Altar at Athens To the Gods of Asia to the Gods of Europe and Affrica to unknowne and forreigne Gods By this way the Devill sought to establish