Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	4,212	5	9.5265	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16506	The true vvay of a Christian, to the nevv Ierusalem Or, a three-folde demonstration: first, of the excellencie of the true and sauing knowledge of Christ; and the meanes to attaine it: with the antiquitie, necesitie, and benefit of catechisme. Secondly, of our vnion and communion with Christ, and his Church. Thirdly, of our new creation in Christ, by the blessed Spirit. With diuers questions, and cases of conscience, most comfortable for a Christian. Deliuered first in briefe, in a sermon preached at Paules-Crosse, the first Sunday in the new yeere, 1617. And newly reuised and enlarged by Immanuel Bourne ...	Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.	1622 (1622)	STC 3419; ESTC S106545	102,817	130

witnesseth Ephes 4.11 so the primitiue Church being carefull to enlarge and increase the knowledge of Christ following the steppes of the Apostles amongst other offices they did appoint some to be Catechists or teachers of the Catechisme as S. Ambrose Ambros in Epist ad Ephe. Cap. 6. affirmeth And such Catechists amongst other had the Church of Alexandria in a continued order from the Apostles times for many yeeres together For as Eusebius relateth after the Apostles they had Pantaenus who had learned all things from the Apostles and by word of mouth Catechized that Church saith S. Hierome Hierom in Catalog After him they had Clemens Alexandrinus whose Schoolemaster a booke which he intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of the varietie of the matter in it is yet extant and it is nothing else but a kinde of Catechisme with which he had instructed that Church of Alexandria After him came Origen who in the eighteenth yeere of his age restored the order of Catechizing which before in time of persecution was intermitted And after these was Heraclas and Didimus and Dionisius and diuers others as S. Cyprian Cyprian lib. Epist 3. cap 22 records The like order we finde in the Church of Ierusalem Socrates Hist Eccle lib. 2. cap. 25. The like in the Church of Carthage in the Church of Rome in the purer times the like in diuers reformed Churches And the like at this day commanded continually inforced by the authoritie and care of the Reuerend Bishops and religious fathers of our Church though the practise be too much neglected To conclude Ancient Catechismes a signe of the Churches care to plant knowledge would you haue this care of the Church further confirmed looke but to the ancient Catechismes and briefe summes of Diuinitie which haue beene compiled to this purpose Saint Paul to the Hebrewes sets downe a briefe Catechisme Heb. 6.1.2 which he calles the foundation of Repentance from dead workes and of Faith towards God of the doctrine of Baptisme and of laying on of hands and of the resurrection of the dead and of eternall Iudgment Heb. 6.1 2. And what else is the Apostles Creede but a briefe Catechisme or summe of the Christian Faith made by the Apostles for the instruction of beleeuers in the knowledge of Christ For hauing receiued that command of Christ to goe and teach all nations Matth. 28.19 and being fitted and prepared by the power of the Spirit who inabled them with the gift of tongues in a wonderfull manner Acts 2.4 being about to depart one from the other Normam prius futurae praedicationis in commune constituunt They doe first constitute and appoint amongst themselues a rule or square or guide of their future preaching as Ruffinus Ruffinus Expos symbol as S. Cyprian Tom. 3. pag. 56 a. records Vide Baron Tom. 1. Annal. pa. 317. S. August de Tempore serm 181. Hierom. de Script Eccle. Betulaius Comment ad Lactant. lib. 2. cap. 11. Ignatius in Epist ad Ephes the Presbyter who liued in the time of S. Hierome about the three hundred and ninety yeere after Christ in his preface to the Exposition of the Creede relates and he giueth this reason that being separated their preaching might yet agree and the faithfull be grounded in one rule of faith by which they might be directed to the true and sauing knowledge of Christ And for this end as S. Hierome affirmes there was a Catechisme written by S. Cyrill Bishop of Ierusalem And there was another written by Iohn Bishop of the same place which Betulaeius mentioneth in his Commentaries vpon Lactantius And to these I might adde the briefe partitions and compendiums of Diuinitie giuen by diuers both ancient and moderne writers for the instruction of the ignorant Jgnatius who was the second Bishop of Antioch ordained by the Apostles and succeeded Euodius the first that gouerned that Church as he himselfe testifieth in his Epistle to the men of Antioch the 71. yeare after Christ Hee giueth this short diuision of Christian doctrine Irenaeus Martyr lib. 4. cont Hares cap. 76. Lactantius Diuin Institut lib. 4. cap. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The beginning of life is faith the end of life is charitie or good workes and these two saith he if they agree in one they make perfect the man of God And Lactantius lib. 3. cap. 30. concludes thus All the wisedome of man consists in this one thing That he may know God and serue him S. Augustine August Tom. 3. lib. 2. de Doct. Christ cap. 9. Bishop of Hippo speaking of the bookes of the old and new Testament Either the precepts of doing or rules of beleeuing are diligently saith he to be traced out Answerable to these is that of Polanus Polan Syntag. who makes two parts of Christian Doctrine the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things to be beleeued the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things to be done The summe of all our wisedome saith iudicious Caluin doth consist in two things Caluin Institu lib. 1. cap. 1. Aquinas Catechisme The knowledge of God and of our selues Aquinas in his Catechisme obserues fiue things to be remembred The first concerning Faith the second Hope the third Charitie the fourth of Christian righteousnesse the fift of the Sacraments Vrsinus Vrsinus Catechisme giueth but three as principally to be learned The first concerning mans miserie through the fall of our first Parents and so by sinne The second concerning our deliuerance and freedome from this misery by Christ The third concerning our thankfulnesse to God by conforming our liues according to his Law Iohan. Duns Scotus in Prolog quaest 3. fol. 10. colum 2. And besides these the Schoole-men and later Diuines Musculus Peter Martyr Beza Danaeus Zanchius Bucanus Nowel Iacobus Kimedontius and others haue taken like paines and written seuerall treatises and sums of Diuinitie The confessions of the reformed Churches Harmony of confessions in particular of the Church of England in the Articles of Religion and that Plat-forme of Catechisme set forth in the booke of Common Prayer and rightly commanded by authoritie for preseruation of Vnitie in the Christian faith and to auoide the danger of Schisme in the body of Christ All shew plainely the care of the Church and of religious men in their seuerall ages to plant the Catechisme or grounds of Christian knowledge in the hearts and minds of men And well they might so doe because these principles of Catechisme not onely are and are rightly called Theologicall verities and Capita the heads of Christian Religion but Cardines religionis the very Hinges of religion as Scaliger Scaliger exercit 307. sect 20. calles the Articles of our faith Because vpon these are turned the doores and gates by which the way to happinesse is opened vnto vs. Catechisme is Clauis Scripturae the Key of the Scripture because as a key doth open the doores that we may