Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
opinion_n	mortal_a	sin_n	venial_a	597	5	12.4318	5	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09339	A golden chaine: or The description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view whereof is to be seene in the table annexed. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences.; Selections	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.	1600 (1600)	STC 19646; ESTC S114458	1,329,897	1,121

we see how Gods word bindes conscience now conscience beeing thus bound againe bindes the man in whome it is The bond of conscience is called guiltines Guiltines is nothing else but a worke of the conscience binding euery sinner to the punishment of euerlasting death before God for this or that sinne Thus much of the proper binder of the conscience now followes the improper The improper binder is that which hath no power at all or vertue in it selfe to binde conscience but doth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of Gods word or some part thereof It is threefold Humane lawes an Oath a Promise Touching humane lawes the speciall point to be considered is In what manner they binde That this may in part be cleared I will stand a while to examine and confute the opinion that the very pillars of the Popish Church at this day maintaine namely that Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue a coactiue power in the conscience and that the lawes made thereby doe as truly and properly binde as they speake to mortall and veniall sinne as Gods law it selfe The arguments which they commonly vse are these Argum. 1. Deut. 17. That man that will doe presumptuously and not obey the authoritie of the Priest or Iudge shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel Here say they the precepts of the high Priest are Imperia not admonitions or exhortations they bind in conscience otherwise the transgressours therof should not haue bin punished so seuerely Ans. The intent of this law as a very child may perceiue is to establish the authoritie and right of the highest appeales for all matters of controuersie in the Synedrium or great court at Ierusalem Therefore the words alleadged doe not giue vnto the Priest a soueraigne power of making laws but a power of giuing iudgemeÌ„t of controuersies that according to laws alreadie made by God himself froÌ„ which iudgemeÌ„t there might be no appeale Now this power of determining doth not coÌ„straine conscience but the outward man to maintain order peace For what reason is there that that sentence which might be either a gainsaying of Gods law or a mistaking of it should bind the conscience to a sinne Again not euery one that refused to subiect themselues to the sentence of this court were straightway guiltie of sinne for this did Ieremie the Prophet and Christ our Sauiour when the Iewes condeÌ„ned them for wicked persons but he that presumptuously despised the sentence and by consequent the authoritie it selfe which was the ordinance of God was guiltie Lastly the seueritie of the punishment which is temporall death doth not argue any power in the iudge of binding conscience this they might haue learned of their owne Doctor Gerson who holdeth that they that bind any man to mortall sinne must be able to punish him with answerable punishment which is eternall death Arg. 2. Matth. 16. Whatsoeuer ye shall bind in earth shall be bound in heaven Here say they to binde is to make lawes constraining conscience according to Matth. 23.4 They binde heauie burdens and lay them on mens shoulders Ans. The soueraigne power of binding and loosing is not belonging to any creature but is proper to Christ who hath the keyes of heauen and hell he openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no man openeth Reuel 3.5 As for the power of the Church it is nothing but a ministerie or seruice whereby men publish and pronounce that Christ bindeth or looseth Againe this binding stands not in the power of making lawes but in remitting and retaining of mens sinnes as the words going before declare v. 18. If thy brother sinne against thee c. and Christ sheweth his owne meaning when he saith Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. 23. hauing before in the person of Peter promised them this honour in this forme of words Math. 16. I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen This which I say is approoued by consent of auncient Diuines August Psal. 101. serm 2. Remission of sinne saith he is loosing therefore by the law of contraries binding is to hold sinne vnpardoned Hilar. vpon Matth. cap. 18. Whome they binde on earth that is saith he leaue vntied of the knottes of their sinnes Lumberd the popish master of sentences The Lord saith he hath giuen to Priests power of binding and loosing that is of making manifest that men are bound or loosed Againe both Origen Augustine and Theophylact attribute the power of binding to all Christians and therefore they for their parts neuer dreamed that the power of binding should be an authoritie to make lawes Lastly the place Matth. 23.4 ouerturnes the argument for there the Scribes and Pharises are condemned because they laid vpon mens shoulders the burdens of their traditions as meanes of Gods worship and things binding conscience Argum. 3. Act. 15. It seemes good vnto vs and the holy Ghost to lay no more burden on you then these necessarie things that ye abstaine from things offered to idols and blood and that which is strangled and fornication Here say they the Apostles by the instinct of the holy Ghost make a new law not for this or that respect but simply to bind consciences of the Gentiles that they might be exercised in obedience And this is prooued because the Apostles call this law a burden and call the things prescribed necessarie and S. Luke tearmes them the commandements of the Apostles and Chrysostome calls the Epistle sent to the Church Imperium that is a lordly charge To this they adde the testimonies of Tertullian Origen Augustine Ans. Though all be graunted that the law is a burden imposed a precept of the Apostles a charge againe that things required therein are necessarie yet will it not follow by good consequent that the law simply bindes conscience because it was giuen with a reseruation of Christian libertie so as out of the case of scandall that is if no offence were giuen to the weake Iewes it might freely be omitted And that will appeare by these reasons First of all Peter saith that it is a tempting of God to impose vpon the Gentiles the yoke of Iewish ceremonies he therefore must needs be contrarie to himselfe if he intend to binde mens consciences to abstinence from strangled blood and things offered to idols A replie is made that this abstinence is prescribed not by the auncient law of Moses but by a new Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall authoritie I answer againe that a Mosaicall ceremonie is still the same thing though it be stablished by a new authoritie And whereas Christ by his death put an ende to the ceremoniall lawe it is absurd to thinke that the Apostles by their authoritie reuiued some part of it againe bound mens consciences thereto Secondly the Church of God in

law Answer is made that our daily sinnes are veniall and not against the law but beside the law But this which they say is against the petition for a debt that comes by forfiture is against the bond or obligation Now euery sinne is a debt causing the forfiture of punishment and therefore is not beside but directly against the law 4 In this clause as we forgiue our debters it is taken for graunted that we may certenly know that we are in loue and charitie with men when we make reconciliation why then may not we know certenly that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled to God which all Romane Catholikes denie 5 In the last wordes and lead vs not into temptation we pray not that God should free vs from temptation for it is otherwhiles good to be tempted Psal. 26.1 but that we be not left to the malice of Sathan and held captiue of the temptation for here to be lead into temptation and to be deliuered are opposed Now hence I gather that he which is the child of God truly iustified and sanctified shall neuer fall wholly and finally from the grace of God and I conclude on this manner That which we aske according to the will of God shall be graunted 1. Ioh. 5. but this the child of God asketh that he might neuer be wholly forsaken of his father and left captiue in temptation This therfore shall be graunted 6 This clause Amen signifies a speciall faith touching all the former petitions that they shall be graunted and therefore a speciall faith concerning remission of sinnes which the Romane Church denieth To come to the last place to the Institution of the sacrament of the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.23 In which first of all the Reall presence is by many circumstances ouerthrowne Out of the wordes he tooke and brake it is plaine that that which Christ tooke was not his bodie because he can not be saide with his owne hands to haue taken held and broken himselfe but the very bread Againe Christ said not vnder the forme of bread or in bread but This that is bread is my bodie 3. Bread was not giuen for vs but onely the bodie of Christ and in this first institution the bodie of Christ was not really giuen to death 4. The cup is the new testament by a figure why may not the bread be the bodie of Christ by a figure also 5. Christ did eate the supper but not him selfe 6. We are bidden to doe it till he come Christ then is not bodily present 7. Christ biddes the bread to be eaten in a remembrance of him but signes of remembrance are of things absent 8. If the Popish reall presence be granted then the bodie and blood of Christ are either seuered or ioyned together If seuered then Christ is still crucified If ioyned together then the bread is both the bodie and blood of Christ whereas the institution saith the bread is the bodie and the wine is the blood 2 Againe here is condemned the administration of the saâ—ramâ—nt vnder one onely kind For the commandement of Christ is Drinke ye all of this Mat. 26.27 And this commaundement is rehearsed to the Church of Corinth in these wordes Doe this as oft as ye drinke in remembrance of me v. 25. And no power can reuerse this commandement because it was established by the soueraigne head of the Church These fewe lines as also the former treatise I offer to the vew and reading of them that fauour the Romane religion willing them with patience to coÌ„sider this one thing that their religion if it were Catholike and Apostolike as they pretende it could not be contrarie so much as in one point to the groundes of all Catechismes that haue beene vsed in all Churches confessing the name of Christ euer since the Apostles daies And whereas it crosseth the said groundes in sundrie points of doctrine as I haue prooued it is a plaine argument that the present Romane religion is degenerate I write not this despising or hating their persons for their religion but wishing vnfainedly their conuersion in this world and their saluation in the world to come FINIS THE FOVNDATION OF CHRISTIAN RELIgion gathered into sixe Principles And it is to be learned of ignorant people that they may be fit to heare Sermons with profit and to receiue the Lords Supper with comfort Psalme 119. 30. The entrance into thy words sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple Printed for I.L. and I.P. 1600. To all ignorant people that desire to be instructed POore people your manner is to sooth vp your selues as though yee were in a most happie estate but if the matter come to a iust triall it will fall out farre otherwise For you lead your liues in great ignorance as may appeare by these your common opinions which follow 1 That faith is a mans good meaning and his good seruing of God 2 That God is serued by the rehearsing of the ten Commandements the Lords prayer and the Creede 3 That ye haue beleeued in Christ euer since you could remember 4 That it is pitie he should liue which doth any whit doubt of his saluation 5 That none can tell whether he shall be saued or no certainely ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ that all men must be of a good beleefe 6 That howsoeuer a man liue yet if he call vpon God on his death-bed and say Lord haue mercie vpon me and so goe away like a lambe he is certainely saued 7 That if any be strangely visited he is either taken with a Planet or bewitched 8 That a man may lawfully sweare when he speakes nothing but the truth and sweares by nothing but that which is good as by his faith or troth 9 That a Preacher is a good man no longer then he is in the pulpit They thinke all like themselues 10 That a man may repent when he will because the Scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne c. 11 That it is an easier thing to please God then to please our neighbour 12 That ye can keepe the commandements as well as God will giue you leaue 13 That it is the safest to doe in Religion as most doe 14 That merrie ballads and books as Scogin Bevis of Southampton c. are good to driue away time and to remooue heart-quames 15 That ye can serue God with all your hearts that ye would be sory els 16 That a man neede not heare so many sermons except he could followe them better 17 That a man which commeth at no sermons may as well beleeue as he which heares all the sermons in the world 18 That ye know all the Preacher can tell you For he can say nothing but that euery man is a sinner that we must loue our neighbours as our selues that euery man must be saued by Christ and all this ye can tell as well as he 19 That it was a good world when the olde Religion was because

is plainely ouerthrowne the excuse which they make that they worshippe not images but God and Saints in images for neither God nor the Saints doe acknowledge this kinde of honour but they abhorre it Whence it followes necessarily that they worship nothing beside the image or the deuise of their owne braine in which they faine to themselues such a god as will be worshipped and receiue our praiers at images It will be saide that the Papists doe no otherwise tie the worship and inuocation of God to images then God tied himselfe to the sanctuarie and the temple of Salomon And I say againe it was the will of God that he would shew his presence and be worshipped at the Sanctuarie and the Iewes had the warrant of Gods word for it but we haue no like warrant either by promise or commandement to tie Gods presence to an image or crucifix Againe reason yet further may discouer their idolatrie They which worship they know not what worship an idol but the Papists worship they know not what I prooue it thus To the consecration of the host there is required the intention of the Priest at the least vertually as they say and if this be true it followes that none of them can come to the Masse or pray in faith but he must alwaies doubt of that which is lifted vp by the hands of the priest in the masse whether it be bread or the bodie and blood of Christ. For none can haue any certentie of the intention of the priest in consecrating this bread and this wine but rather may haue a iust occasion of doubting by reason of the common ignorance and loosenesse of life in such persons Thirdly the commaundement touching the Sabbath giues a libertie to worke sixe daies in the ordinarie affaires of our callings and this libertie cannot be repealed by any creature The Church of Rome therefore erreth in that it prescribeth set and ordinarie festiuall daies not onely to God but also to Saints inioyning them as straitly and with as much solemnitie to be obserued as the Sabbath of the Lord. Fourthly the third commaundement or as they say the fourth inioynes children to obey father and mother in all things specially in matters of moment as in their marriage and choice of their callings and that euen to death and yet the church of Rome against the intent of this commaundement allowes that clandestine marriages and the vowe of religion shall be in force though they be without and against the consent of wise and carefull parents Fiftly the last commandement of lust forbiddes the first motions to sinne that are before consent I prooue it thus Lusting is forbidden in the former commandements as well as in the last yea lusting that is ioyned with consent as in the commandement Thou shalt not commit adulterie is forbidden lusting after our neighbours wife in the next lusting after our neighbours goods c. Now if the last commandement also forbid no more but lust with consent it is confounded with the rest and by this meanes there shall not be ten distinct words or commandements which to say is absurd it remaines therefore that the lust here forbidden goes before consent Againe the Philosophers knew that lust with consent was euill euen by the light of nature but Paul a learned Pharise and therefore more then a Philosopher knew not lust to be sinne that is forbidden in this commandement Rom. 7. Lust therefore that is forbidden here is without consent Wicked then is the doctrine of the Romane Church teaching that in euery mortall sinne is required an act commaÌ„ded of the will and hence they say many thoughts against faith and vncleane imaginations are no sinnes 6 Lastly the words of the second commandement And shew mercie to thousands on them that loue me and keepe my commandements ouerthrowes all humane merits For if the reward be giuen of mercie to them that keepe the law it is not giuen for the merit of the worke done To come to the third part of the Catechisme the Lords praier is a most absolute and perfect forme of praier For which cause it was called of Tertullian The breuiarie of the Gospel and Coelestinus saith the law of praying is the law of beleeuing and the law of working Now in this prayer we are taught to direct our praiers to God alone Our father c. and that onely in the name and mediation of Christ. For God is our father onely by Christ. It is needelesse therefore to vse any inuocation of Saints or to make them our mediatours of intercession vnto God and it is sufficient if we pray onely vnto God in the name of Christ alone 2 In the fourth petition we say thus Giue vs our daily bread In which words we acknowledge that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God What madnes then is it for vs to thinke that we should merit the kingdome of heauen by works that can not merit so much as bread 3 In the next petition Forgiue vs our debts foure opinions of the Romane religion are directly ouerthrowne The first is concerning humane Satisfactions For the child of God is here after his conuersion taught to humble himselfe day by day and to pray for the pardon of his daily sinnes now to make satisfaction and to sue for pardon be contrarie The second opinion here ouerthrowne is touching merits For we doe acknowledge our selues to be debters vnto God yea bankrupts and that beside the maine summe of many thousand talents we daily increase the debt therefore we can not possibly merit any of the blessings of God It is meere madnes to thinke that they which cannot pay their debts but rather increase them day by day should deferue or purchase any of the goods of the creditours or the pardoÌ„ of their debts if any fauour be shewed theÌ„ it comes of meere goodwil without the least desert In a word this must be thought vpon that if all we can doe will not keep vs froÌ„ increasing the maine summe of our debt much lesâ—e shall we be able by any merit to diminish the same By good right therfore do al gods seruaÌ„ts caâ—t downe themselues and pray Forgiue vs our debts The third opinion is that punishment may be retained the fault beeing wholly remitted but this can not stand for here sinne is called our debt because by nature we owe vnto God obedience and for the defect of this paiment we further owe vnto him the forfiture of punishment Sinne then is called our debt in respect of the punishment And therefore when we pray for the pardon of sinne we require the pardon not onely of fault but of the whole punishment And when a debt is pardoned it is absurd to thinke that the least paiment should remaine The fourth opinion is that a man in this life may fulfill the law whereas in this place euery seruant of God is taught to aske a daily pardon for the breach of the

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