Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	business_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	27	3	8.3673	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01736	A short treatise against the Donatists of England, whome we call Brownists Wherein, by the answeres vnto certayne writings of theyrs, diuers of their heresies are noted, with sundry fantasticall opinions. By George Giffard, Minister of Gods holy Word in Maldon.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1590 (1590)	STC 11869; ESTC S114289	90,151	124

is written Ierusalem from aboue is the mother of vs all and is free with her children They boast of such freedome as that touching outwarde orders the Prince and Church hath no power to impose any thing by Lawes and Constitutions Which is one thing wherein they do not onely abridge the power of the Christian Magistrates denying them the authoritie to reforme the Church and to compell their subiects to the true worship spoyling the Church of that comfortable ayd but also condemne all reformed Churches which haue orders and prescript formes of prayers imposed which these Brownists tearme Idolatrie a tradition bringing Christian libertie into bondage and therefore a thing most detestable Moreouer they hold such a perfect freedome from all spirituall bondage of sinne that they affyrme S. Paule neuer consented to wicked thoughts after he was regenerate But in an other place they affyrme that all men be Idolaters and can keepe no one Commaundement where they are both contrary to themselues vttering that which ouerthroweth the whole Brownisme and also speake grosely For albeit there is no man perfect in any Commaundement yet the holy Scriptures do not call them Idolaters nor adulterers They boldly gayne say the holy Ghost by affirming that the Psalmes were not to be sung vnto God And touching the discipline which is the thing they most glorie of as if they suffered for it let all men know for certaintie that they be not only ignorant what it is but also do in their practise breake and ouerthrow the very pith and substance thereof in the chiefe rules For they take vpon them to abandon and cast foorth whole assemblyes which professe the Gospell and haue their estimation and dignitie among all godly Churches without obseruing the rule giuen by our Sauiour Christ Math. 18. They intrude themselues without calling beeing meere priuate men to the erecting and establishing of a publike gouernment forgetting that which is written I haue not sent them and yet they runne They cut off also the power of the Church in a great part of the discipline as namely in ordeyning constitutions in things that are variable Finally touching this poynt I may say boldly the Diuell can no way almost more disgrace Ecclesiasticall gouernment then he doth by them for it is the Sterne of Christes Ship and requireth men of the greatest wisedome learning experience and sobrietie that may be for to guide it Now when the common Artificer the Apprentise and the Bruer intrude themselues and they will guide the same being ignorant rash and headie what worldlie wise man will not take it that discipline her selfe is but a bedlem Who will aduenture himselfe in that Ship where presumptuous ignorance and bold frensie doth sit at the Helme Shall that Ship escape the rockes If it would please God to giue Browne the grace to repent and to speake the truth he could best declare this thing For when he had with certayne other drawne some both men and women ouer the Seas and there spread his Sayles how soone did his silly Boate dash vppon the rocke and was clouen in two or three peeces Let not men be deceyued with euery vayne shewe for vndoubtedly he that obserueth shall finde that the end of Brownisme is infinite Schismes Heresies Atheisme and Barbarisme For what other fruites can followe of the disgracing and condemning the liberall Artes of bringing the ministerie of Gods Word by which the religion and godlines that is in men hath been ●rought into vtter contempt What can followe from immoderate outragious rash furie wrath and bitter zeale and vainglorious contention which are earthly sensuall and diuelish If men could stay themselues but a while and see whether the same things spring not foorth which came from the Donatists and Anabaptists it were well For it is to be wondred at that any which professe the Gospell should be seduced and called away not only from the Ministers of the Church of England that haue taught them but from all the most worthy men and Churches vnder heauen and that by the voyce of the Deuill in such furious blinde Schismatikes In deede there be two speciall causes of it the one that sundry men receyue not the holy Word of God in humilitie with feare and trembling with conscience to practise but are puffed vp and swell with opinion of their knowledge as soone as they can vtter a fewe words and growe vnto vayne iangling yea vnto bitter zeale and contention in stead of being quiet as S. Paule willeth and medling with their own busines 1. Thes 3. and also in stead of following after righteousnes faith and loue 2. Timoth. 3. He that seemeth most zealous in religion and refraineth not his toong hath but bitternesse in steed of heauenly zeale For wheras in steed of gentlenesse meekenesse patience mercie and loue yee finde wrath fiercenesse intemperat rage vncharitable condemning and slaundering know for certainty that the true zeale is not there The other cause of mens seducing is that in this corrupt age there be many stumbling blockes and greeuous offences where indeed it is the part and duty of euery true Christian man beside the taking heede to his owne wayes most instantly to offer vp praiers and supplications to God to intreate him to shew mercie and compassion vpon vs by increasing all heauenly graces and giftes of his holy spirit in our most noble Queene and in all Gouernours both ciuill and ecclesiasticall that there may be feruent zeale to purge the house of God and to take away the causes of contention that we may not alwaies seeke to deuoure one an other but that vnity and concord may florish holding this withall that it is also euery mans dutie that will feare God to giue him hearty thanks for the inestimable treasures and blessings which he hath bestowed vpon vs by meanes of the happy raigne of our gratious Soueraigne and to take heed of that malignant spirite of Brownisme which would carry vs to this wicked opinion that she bearing the Sworde of God hath doone no more for vs then an Heathen Prince might doo For if we haue no word of God no ministery no Sacraments nor visible Church but all idolatrous and antichristian what hath she done what honor can she haue for defence of the Gospell This is no small dishonour and iniurie to a Christian Prince thus to diminish the loue of the subiects The Lord giue them repentance and grace to cease from such impietie and let all men with modestie reuerence and subiection and not with reproch and contempt seeke the redresse of abuses at their hands which be in Authoritie and not aduenture like Corah Dathan and Abiram to intrude themselues without calling and warrant from God They cryed out are not all the Lords people holy and therefore Moses and Aaron yee take too much vppon yee The Brownist proclaymeth that all the Lords people are free and therefore freely to deale and not to haue any thing imposed by any Be

to enquire out and to reuew the lawes of GOD and stirre vppe all the Subiects vnto more diligent and carefull kéeping of the same goeth also verye currant among manye Whereas indéede it denieth a great parte of that power which GOD hath giuen to Princes For shall not the Christian Magistrate driue the negligent to heare the worde Preached shall hee not punish the wicked despisers blasphemers Heretikes Schismatikes Idolators and such like And howe can this bee doone but by lawes made and established Yet Browne the roote of this heresie who hath by his writings seduced the rest dooth make verye great shewe in this matter The kingdome of Christe is spirituall and not set vp by the arme of flesh and blood but by the Holy-ghost The Subiects of Christe come willinglye of theyr owne accorde and not by compulsion None of all the godlye Kinges durst compell any to the worship of God And that all the Kings of Iuda which did reforme religion did it by a spirituall power as being figures of Christ Indéed the kingdome of God is spirituall all the power of Kings in the world cannot conuert one soule vnto Christe that is doone by the Holy-ghoste through the liuelye worde of faithe Neuerthelesse the ciuill power is an outwarde meane to driue men to heare the Gospell preached and to obey the discipline Christes subiects are franke and willing so farre as his holye spirite and word haue wrought and haue power in them to subdue and bring vnder euery high thing which exalteth it selfe against God but before men bee conuerted compulsion euen with penalties is a meane to bring them to that whereby this regeneration is wrought after conuersion to God there remaineth still a great lumpe of corruption which is to be kept in and bridled with some force I will make the matter cléere by the chastisment which the Scripture willeth Parents to vse to their children A father hath a sonne which is dissolute and proud whom he cannot reclaime by anye instruction or exhortation He correcteth him with stripes and forceth him to heare the word of God diligentlye being preached It pleaseth God so to blesse this indeuour of the Father that his Sonne is conuerted and dooth become a right godlye man Shall we saye he is none of Christes subiects because at the first he came not willingly The King is the Father of all his Subiects and by fatherly correction laboureth to bring them to goodnesse And where Browne saith that none of the Kings of Iuda durst compell their Subiects to the worship of God it is most false For beside the punishment of death mentioned in the dayes of Asa It is said statlye that Iosias compelled them to worship the Lorde God of their Fathers 2. Chron. 34. The Hebrew worde is Iagnabed which is he bound them or made them serue And finallye where Browne faith the Kings of Iuda did reforme religion by a spirituall power as figures of Christ it is absurd and false First séeing they did that which Christ himselfe did not for hee neuer reformed the state of religion Had they a spirituall power to reforme and to establish religion because they were figures and so did breake downe and roote out false worship and Christ himselfe who then should haue had all the power did not meddle that way Was not the high Préest as worthy to bee deposed as he whome Solomon did depose Were there not horrible abuses among the Préestes the Scribes and Pharisies which hee did but Preach against Againe will Browne be so foolish as to imagine that the kings of Iuda set bodily penalties by a spirituall power It is as cléere as may bee that they reformed by that ciuill Kinglye power which God gaue them Cyrus the King of Persia who made the Decrée for the building of the Temple in Ierusalem Ezra 1. was no figure of Christ Iehu King of Israel who destroyed the Temple the Idols and the Priestes of Baal 2. Kings 10. was no figure of Christ I conclude therefore that the wickednesse of Browne and of Brownists is great in thys poynt when they in thys manner abridge the power of Princes spoyle the Churche of her comfortable ayde and protection and thrust forward priuate men to take vppon them that which God hath not called them vnto And I doo intreate all Godly Christians and warne them in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they looke to these holie rules of Gods Word First with all humilitie modestie subiection and lowlinesse of mynde to kéepe themselues within the boundes and limits of theyr calling studying to be quiet and to doo theyr owne businesse 1. Thess 4. vers 11. Then that they turne not the holie Religion of GOD or the profession thereof into questions bitter disputations wrath contentions and vayne-glorious boasting but that in practise they followe after Righteousnesse Faith Loue and Peace with those that call vppon the Lord out of a pure heart 2. Timoth. 2. vers 22. Finally not in rigour and presumption to iudge to condemne and to treaddowne But with mercie with pittye and compassion to supporte the weake Gal. 6. This is the plaine straight paued and holye waye of GOD and whosoeuer maketh account of saluation let them take héede they bee not drawne out of it into crooked by wayes and into myrie flowes by presumptuous Heretikes and Schismatikes FINIS Faultes escaped Page 18. line 16. for being a dead trée reade bring a dead letter Page 25. line 13. for Béez reade Bréez Page 72. line 35. for prebyterie reade presbyterie Page 75. line 5. for man reade men Page 86. line 11. for bend reade bond AT LONDON Printed by Iohn VVindet for Toby Cooke and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Tygers head 1590. 1. Timoth. 〈…〉 ath 4. 〈…〉 al. 51. 〈…〉 ath 3. 〈…〉 s. 17. ●●gum 1. G. G. G. G. G. G. G. G. G. G.