Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	know_v	sin_n	transgression_n	1,337	5	11.0260	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52816	A Protestant antidote against the poyson of popery clearly proving the religion of the Church of Rome to be 1. superstitious, 2. idolatrous, 3. damnable, 4. bloody, 5. novel, 6. inconsistent with the publick peace, 7. irreconciliable to true Christianity ... / by Christopher Nesse ...	Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.	1679 (1679)	Wing N461; ESTC R14548	103,633	225

say that those which live and dye in Popery be damned we know how durus (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sermo was replied to Christ himself John 6.60 I shall discuss its harshness 140. As it may be presumption in us to pry too much into the book of Life that is sealed from us and into the decrees of Heaven about Salvation and Damnation for it is not given to the Sons of men to know infallibly who are Elect and who Reprobate who be for Hell and who for Heaven So it is pusillanimity and a putting off that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that becomes the Ministers of God to strengthen the hands of the wicked That he cares not to return by promising him life Ezek. 13.22 141. 'T is true the Patrons of the Reformed Religion do affirm that some in the Church of Rome may be saved to wit such as do expect Salvation by Christ and not by the merit of their own works as the Trent Papists do None amongst the Judicious ever taught that a Papist universally owning the Trent Faith and Religion living and dying so could be saved 142. The Romanists indeed make some advantage of our charitable Judgment concerning them saying that some of our Reformed Religion acknowledg that the Papists hold all things necessary to Salvation then it will follow by necessary consequence that a Papist quà talis may be saved They especially improve that saying of Luther that the Kernel of true Faith remains yet in the Church of Rome inferring from thence that we take only the Shell of Religion 143. (w) Dr. Sclater 's Exposition on 2 Thess 2.10 pag. 153. Dr. Sclater tells us of his meeting once with a wandring Star to wit a Traveller that had been foraging France Italy to seek his Religion and bewraying his Inclination to Popery by preferring it in his choice upon this ground that a man may be saved holding the Faith and Religion of Rome quoth he our selves confess that any can be saved in our heresie as they term it Papists confidently deny thus he argued 144. But the Learned Dr. thus answered the Argument of this Planetick Sophister 1. That argues not that the Papists have more verity but that we Protestants have more Charity 2. But who amongst our judicious Divines ever did confess that a Papist universally joyning to the Tridentine Faith and Religion can be saved nisi fortè detur Regressus in viam unless he make an honourable Retreat 145. Let the Romanists obferve that our own Mr. Perkins that Romanistarum malleus hath solidly proved that a Papist cannot go beyond a Reprobate yea and Hunnius hath writ a book to prove them no Christians and 't is the concurring Opinion of all our profoundest Writers that where Popery prevaileth against the practical points of Christianity and is predominant even in Fundamentals there can be no Salvation for such without Conversion 146. We distinguish also betwixt affected and invincible Ignorance that of purae negationis and pravae dispositionis there is a simple Ignorance to wit where means of knowledge are wanting as Act. 17.30 This God winks as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over-looked it this may excuse a tanto but not a toto it may extenuate Sin but cannot annihilate it one Sin cannot excuse another totally but rather in some sense doubles the Crime 147. Not to do Gods Will is sin and not to know Gods Will as it were doubles the sin for Ignorance is a sin of it self as well as Disobedience Yet Knowledge in conjunction with Disobedience is a greater aggravation to it than Ignorance is Luke 12.47 Jam. 4.16 17. and where Ignorance is affected among means of Knowledge this is worse with God than where 't is invincible for want of means 148. There must a difference be put betwixt Papists in Spain and Papists in England those in Spain have indeed an Ignorance but we call it Ignor antiam purae negationis non praevae dispositionis they are not guilty of that Ignorance which hath a perverse disposition in it as those in England that live in the midst of blessed means of Knowledge yet shuts their eyes willingly lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them those are Devils to themselves 2 Cor. 4.4 149. The Papists in England have an affected Ignorance because as those Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 3.5 they are Willingly or wilfully ignorant Quando habent a quo discant et tamen non discunt They put away knowledge though God offer it them far from them and as Bernard saith excellently libenter ignorant ut liberiùs peccent light would stare in their faces and controul them in their unwarranted fooleries and Popish transgressions 150. Indeed the Papists every where call Ignorance the Mother of Devotion and do embrace it with some affectation as Children do a Mother yet as 't is no Mother in Israel if it be in Babylon 't is none in Sion The Prophet tells us Hos 4.6 'T is a Mother of Destruction not of Devotion my People are destroyed for want of knowledge So English Papists be the worst 151. English Papists are not willing to know what they should and might do lest they should do what they would not and what their Popish principles may not allow of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have winked Act. 28.27 They stubbornly shut their Windows lest the light of knowledge should spring in upon them The word is nigh them they need not cross the Seas for it Rom. 10.6 7 8. the Spanish Papists have no such advantages How then can they escape if they neglect such great Salvation Heb. 2.3 152. Spanish Papists have that Ignorance which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex negatione because the word of God is not nigh them in the preaching of the Gospel they may wander from Sea to Sea and not meet with means of knowledge as Amos 8.11 12. That Country is like the Mountains of Gilboa that had neither Dew nor Rain discending on them 2 Sam. 1.21 Gods Doctrine doth not drop as the Rain upon it nor bis Speech distil as the Dew Deut. 32.2 153. But English Papists have that Ignorance which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of an evil disposition and which excuses not but aggravates God rains down Manna at their Tent doors and they will not vouchsafe to go out to gather it but rather loaths it as light bread and prizes their own foolish trash before Christs precious Treasure 154. Indeed (x) Francise de Sancta Clara Deus Natura et Gratia probl 15. pag. 122 123. Franciscus de Clarâ alias Damport that quirking Scotist and Reconciler to Rome would confound these two kinds of Ignorance and make them in some cases aqui Reatus quoting Vega lib. 6. cap. 18. in Trid. who says as Ignorantia purae Negationis about many Articles of Faith may be without fault so there is the same reason of that Ignorance which is pravae

this Condition will I make a Covenant with you if I may thrust out all your Right Eyes 1 Sam. 11.2 that they might have been disenabled from taking up Arms and so become his Vassals for ever Thus doth the man of sin blow out the lights of the Gospel and takes away all means of knowledge 168. The Romish Priests are much like those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lawyers that Christ speaks of Luke 11.52 that took away the Key of knowledge and neither would enter in themselves nor suffer others that would have entred Those Priests take away all means of knowledge by which as by a Key men are to have their entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven they interdict them the use of the Scriptures which is the way to Christ and consequently of Christ which is the way to Heaven 169. Knowledge is so necessary to a true Christian that there can be no sound believing nor Salvation without it It is required to the being of Saving Faith as a necessary Antecedent thereof for though there may be Knowledge without Faith yet there can never be Faith without Knowledge for one ingredient of Faith is Assent which is an action of the Understanding the object whereof is truth and there must be some knowledge and apprehension of this truth before we can Assent to it 170. Though Knowledge be not Faith but an habit distinct from it yet it doth concur to the being of Faith for no Assent can be without it as there is a Faith to be added to Knowledge for men may have Knowledge and want Faith so there is a Knowledge to be added to Faith 2 Pet. 1.5 to wit a more full understanding of heavenly Mysteries Yet so blind is the Popish Religion that it opposes the first sort of Knowledge which is an Antecedent of Faith much more this which is a consequent of it 171. Their implicit Faith therefore where by they give only a general Assent to all the Doctrines of their Church and Churchmen whilst they scarce know any one Article of their Faith distinctly is a mere bruitish unreasonable thing not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (c) Reasonable Service Rom. 12.1 like the motion of a Beast that is ordered by his Driver but knows neither whither nor wherefore how can their Laity give an account of their Faith 1 Pet. 3.15 172. How can their service which is not according to knowledge be acceptable to God 'T is our duty first to know God and then to worship him Scientiae praecedit Religio sequitur saith Lactantius Institu lib. 4. cap. 4. Our Understandings must first be informed and then our Affections reformed there must first be a scire facias and then a fieri facias how can a blind Papist do the Will of God that knows it not this brings upon him a double guilt to wit of Ignorance and Disobedience both which are damning 173. Ignorance is a damning Sin of it self for there is Vengeance to be rendred on them that know not God 2 Thess 1.7 8. it exposes us to the wrath of that dreadful day it makes men Aliens to the life of God Eph. 4.18 through the Ignorance that is in them So becomes it indeed a Mother Sin the Mother of many Transgressions not the Mother of any true Devotion How did this Mother Ignorance bring forth Blasphemy Persecution c. in the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.13 and in the Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.2 Ignorance is the proper Element of Sin where Knowledge is there Sin is tanquam Piscis in Arido out of its Element upon dry Land 174. All wicked men are under Satan but ignorant ones are in his very Dungeon this Sin is a Leprosie in the Head if it be affected and such are to be pronounced utterly unclean Lev. 13.33 That Ignorance which proceeds from a perverse disposition which will not know God as Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 is worse than hatred of God for such Ignorance is the cause of hatred and in Vices the cause must be worse than the effect this Ignorance makes us haters of God 175. There is a natural Ignorance which every child of Adam brings with him into the World forasmuch as every mans understanding is darkned and this in Infants being a part of their Original Corruption is more than purae negationis but is also pravae dispositionis as being ill disposed to know by their evil Nature Now where this simple Ignorance is without any stubborn and wilful neglect and contempt of the means of knowledge there Stripes are due Luke 12.48 It is a sin and deserves Death 176. Ignorance in things revealed and commanded to be known may incur (d) Christ died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the not knowings of his people Heb. 9.7 Only such to be saved that come to the knowledge of the Truth 2 Tim. 2.25 eternal death though not so much torment 't is only fewer stripes and as Austin saith all that simple Ignorance can profit us in that day is ùt mitiùs ardeamus that we may burn the slowlier but wilful Ignorance shall have many stripes they shall have the hottest place in Hell and God expresses great wrath against such They that are ignorant let them be ignorant still 1 Cor. 14.38 if they affect it let them perish in it 177. It must follow then that the Popish Religion is a dangerous and damnable Religion that makes a direct profession of this shameful sin as if it were the best way to do our duty not to know it at all as if the faith of a ghostly Father would save us without our own hath God wrath for Heathens that know him not who are left in the dark to grope after him Jer. 10.25 then double Damnation attends those Papists that reject means of knowledge saying depart from us c. (e) God will say to them depart from me as they to him depart from us Job 21.14 John 3.19 26. 178. The same Romanists that have so little charity for us saying that a Protestant cannot be saved have a great deal of charity for the Heathens on whom the Lord hath said he will pour out his fury because they know him not maintaining that Infidels may be saved though they believe not the Articles of the Christian Faith as if that were not necessary to Salvation Thus through their partial and ungrounded censures they cast out the Protestants and receive Infidels into the bosom of their Church 179. But Christ tells us that Heathens are strangers to the true Church and not Members of it and such as are excommunicate should be as the heathen Matth. 18.17 and our best Writers hold that Negative Infidelity is a Sin as well as a punishment of Sin though Stapleton and others deny it from John 15.22 If I had not come and spoke to them they had not had sin The Pagans never had Christ preached to them and therefore they believe not so 't is not their sin 180. How can that Text be understood