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
A87552	Allotrioepiskopos, the busie bishop. Or The visitor visited. By way of answer to a very feeble pamphlet lately published by Mr J.G. called Sion Colledge visited, in which answer, his cavils against the ministers of London for witnessing against his errours touching the holy Scriptures, and the power of man to good supernaturall, are answered, and the impertinency of his quotations out of the fathers, Martin Bucer, and Mr Ball are manifested. / By William Jenkyn minister of the Word of God at Christ-Church London.	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1648 (1648)	Wing J632; Thomason E434_4; ESTC R202641	59,976	70

power to render the motions of grace in effectuall to it self all the requifite motions of grace being afforded If you grant that grace is certain infallible and determinative in its operation upon the will I desire lastly to know whether you mean that this invincibility and infallibility of the working of grace be only to be lookt upon as such respectu eventus in regard of what doth fall out and de facto doth come to passe or whether the certain determination of the will by grace proceedeth from the powerfull nature of that grace of God which as Austin saith no hard heart is able to refuse untill I clearly understand your minde in these particulars the pretending of the adjutory of grace in the generall renders you but suspected in the thoughts of the most and truly satisfactory to none The residue of the soil in your Pamphlet is so light and sandy for the subiect as for the manner of handling any subject it is such all over that now my pen will plough apace I first meet with a long winded sentence consisting of above ten lines which is a complication of falsities reproaches and non-sence If I can discern any thing through a fog of words Sion Col. visited p. 25 Answ it hath something like these particulars It is the calamity of these times to iudge truth and errour commensurable with the votes of the Ministers The calamity of the times is in that we do not judge truth and errour commensurable with the vote of the Scripture Such sectaries as your self have thrown away that measure that so you might trade in your ware-house with the greater advantage and instead thereof you make use of a false measure your own imagination My soul pitties your cheated chapmen But how is it you will not have truth and errour commensurable with the vote of the Ministers If M. Goodwins vote be not the standing measure of truth and errour for his followers what is I am sure according to his principles the written word cannot be it Sion Col. visited p. ult for that is not the word of God Name a third measure Sir but if it should happen to be an Enthusiasme I shall expect but a faint prosecution of your ingagement against quaerisme as you call it or seeking which you say you are now opposing in your publike Ministery And I beleeve that you are doing so as truly as you are opposing Antiscripturisme and Manicheisme the former whereof you patronize and the latter you understand not as I have proved They have engrossed the honour and reputation of being Orthodox unto themselves Sion Col. visited p. 25. Ans You grieve that others should be reputed Orthodox alone without you but why do you not grieve that others should be Orthodox alone with you Reality is better then Reputation and 't is better to be then to be accounted Orthodox And as for honour that will flie from you as long as you flie from honesty Intreat God to give you the heart of an Orthodox Minister and you will soon have the honour of such an one otherwise know that your present dishonour is nothing to your future shame either to posterity or eternity Think upon it in time 't is friendly advice They the Ministers Sion Col. visited p. ●5 still square their votes concerning truth ' and errour by the traditions of the Elders he meaneth the Fathers If you be not for traditions Ans you are for nothing since you have thrown off the written word For ought I know tradition is the best flower in your garden but charge not the Ministers with being for any traditions but written and for these I confesse they are so zealous that for your opposing them they have deservedly placed you in the forlorn of the erroneous And scoff not too much at the Elders I knew the time even when you were writing the preceeding page that you would fain have been beholding to them And could you then have perswaded those Elders to have blest you with but one tradition you would not now have blasted the tradition of the Elders But now you are like a beggar who when he cannot prevail for an alms goeth away railing But I marvell how the younger I mean Bucer and Ball escape your reviling They were as far from pitying you and as forward in chastising you as the Elders I shall add Some of Pelagius's friends may haply take it ill at your hands that when you were shooting reproaches among the Elders you did not desire your Patron Pelagius to stand aside Sir to be short with you the Ministers sometimes use but never depend upon the traditions of the Elders One of the best traditions that ever I learned from any of the Elders was from Tertullian and 't is this Custome without truth is but the antiquity of errour Your next passage breaths a malice ranklie savouring of atheisme Your book goeth out like a snuff and now fumeth with nothing but reproaches against the government of Christ Prophanation of Scripture and elevation of your self The Ministers of the Province of London Sion Col. visited p. 25. cannot but be full of this information that there was more of the truth and power of Religion in England under the Praelaticall government then in all the reformed Churches besides The best successe unto which they can with any colour of truth entitle this government is but the successe of gardiners sheers which prosper only by the snipping off and keeping under those thriving branches which else would out-grow their fellows You say that travellers have fild the Ministers of London Ans with information but there 's one that I fear hath fild you with this among a great deal of other false information I fear 't is he that is the greatest traveller and the greatest liar in the world The Lord rebuke thee Satan For your telling us that the praelaticall government was more blest with the power of religion then any reformed Church Qui●●●● in cathedrâ ●●gebit ingebe●n● I know not why you mention it unlesse it be to make Satan sport as if you were his jester Or to give aquavitae to Antichrist in his fainting fits Was the power of religion more under praelaticall govornment then in any reformed Churches Here 's a good commendation in the mean time for Independent Churches for praelaticall government had more religion you say then ALL the Reformed Churches And if so I say then Independent Churches too unlesse you will evade my argument by saying that Independent Churches were not then formed or if they were formed were not reformed so well as the praelaticall but so as you may scratch Presbytery you care not though you wound your self 2. Why tell you not the reader that the power of religion decayed in the daies of no government as well as it thrived in the da●es of praelaticall government you were afraid the Reader would have drawn this conclusion thence It s better with Religion

when people are suffered to do no more then the Praelates will then when they are suffered to do as much as themselves will The speaking of the whole truth would have laid your way as low as it raiseth praelacy ●igh 3. What 〈◊〉 informed you of such a decay of the power of religion in all the reformed Churches as that England did so much exceed them I blesse God for what I have seen in Exgland and I magnifie his name for what I have read and heard from other reformed Churches If we went before them in some things haply they might have the precedency in other I suppose it is with Churches as with Christians God variously dispenseth his graces he bestows upon some an eminency in one upon others in another haply they might hold forth a clearer torch to discover Antichrist then we and peradventure it might burn hotter then ours And its likely on the other side that for practicals many of ours at home might excell them and our walkings might be more even I have observed sometimes that a man who followeth a torch walks more steadily and not in so much danger of stumbling as he who carrieth it Sir I should not much contend about your commendation of the power of religion under prelacy did I but see you so to recollect the former power of Religion as to be humbled for the present weaknesse of it and to resolve that weaknesse into its proper cause I mean a toleration of all ungodlinesse and abominable opinions 4. You that commend prelacy as being blest with the power of Religion I pray tell me whether was this power of religion upheld and preserved by any goodnesse in the pralaticall government or did God only make it an occasion to drive his people closer to himself by their persecutions and unquietnesse in outward respects and haply by sinfull impositions If the latter be true that praelacie only were such an accidentall occasion of the power of religion you might as well for ought I know have commended the greatest enemies of the Church and have commended the fitnesse of Potiphars house for Joseph but why do you compare Praelacie to a governmnt that God hath blessed even when it hath been in a manner under persecution and savoured only of Ecclesiasticall mildnesse not medling with the purse or the body but tending to recover the soul and oppose sin If the former be true that the power of religion was from the goodnesse of praelacy as its cause you have then quite undone Independency which is never like by Anarchy the quite contrary to Pralacy to produce the same effect of the power of religion For that your horrid expression that the only successe of the Presbyteriall government is to snipp off forward branches I told you even now who the traveller was that fild you with this information A falsehood ordinarily palpable maketh its refutation easy but when in falsity it is astonishing the hearer cannot but a while suspend his reply It fared thus with me in reviewing this passage Is it possible thought I that a man who pretends not only to be a Christian but a Minister should thus far throw off both but I lookt upon you as the non-such of your way and so I recollected my thoughts into the way of an answer I would know who are the forward branches that the sheers of Presbytery snipp off Are they fruitfull branches or are they not rather suckers who draw away that nourishment from others which might make them fruitfull and convert it into thriving in heresies in Atheisme and unholy opinions If so I see no reason but the throwing away the sheers would be the overthrowing of the plant Sion Col. visit p. 6. Ans An evill eye upon the Parliament is no dissenting character of the Genius of the Ministers of London Me thinkes these words are hardly sence but I have taken you tripping so often that I shall not now be rigid Your meaning is The London Ministers have an evill eye upon the Parliament The Parliament hath suffered with grief I speak it ever since Sectaries would needs be their advocates It was better with them when you wrote your Theomachia Accuse not the Ministers of an evill eye toward the Parliament If your eyes be good toward them I am sure they are lately cured The Reader knows by what eye salve What remains of this weak Pamphlet consists of nothing but three or four prophanations of Scripture Sion Col visit p. 26. and some four or five nauseous commendations of the Authour and book For the former you say that the reason why your pen moved against its accusers rather then your fellow-hereticks was because Christ saith the stones would cry if the honour of Christ should not be vindicated Answ and you say you were loth that the stones and tiles should take this honour from you There 's not an errour transcribed out of your books but tends to the high dishonour of Christ the deniall of his Scriptures of his grace and for your persisting in these The stones indeed might speak though not for you but against you 'T is a miracle the stones and tiles of the houses do not speak about the ears of one so prophane and erroneous I bear my charge upon my shoulder with more then patience Sion Col. visit p 26. even with joy I admire more the patience of God in forbearing to punish you Ans then yours in bearing your panishment and let me hear of sorrow for sin before you tell m● again of joy in your sorrows The two theeves had not suffered death Sion Col. visited p ●● but to colour over the crucifying of Christ and no testimony had been given at this time against the heresies of the other had not the 52. judged it expedient that my name should be blasted I doubt whether the comparison between your self and Christ Anws savours not of blasphemous arrogancy A parallel between your fellow-heretickes who have rob'd God of his glory and theeves would have held good had it been between your self and them it would have been better but could you make it between your self and the penitent thief it would be best of all I wish that what you write in the end of your book among the erra●● could admit of this charitable construction of your repentance The words are these For Excusabilis you desire the Reader to read Inexcusabilis however I shall add this the truest sentence in all your book is this which you place among your errours ⁂ FINIS

know not whether you who subvert the whole Scripture intend not also to pervert this 1 Tim. 3.15 By the Church her being the ground and pillar of truth all the Orthodox agree to be meant the Church her maintaining and holding forth the truth now the Church holds up and holds forth the truth either in a way common to all Christians mutuall exhortations a way of profession and practice c. or in a way peculiar to ●ome a ministeriall way of preaching the Word administration of the Sacraments c. If you say the Ministers have vested themselves with the priviledge of being the pillar and ground of truth the first way 't is ridiculously false profession of the truth being common to the community every one in the Church If you mean as you must needs that Ministers have vested themselves with the priviledge of pillars in the second respect viz. of Ministery 't is odiously false for the Lord Jesus himself and not themselves vested them with the priviledge of holding forth truth by way of Office Christ gave some Pastors and teachers Eph. 4.11 God hath set some in his Church 1 Cor. 12.38 And if in this respect you intend that religion is so miserable because all in the Church may not preach the Word administer Sacraments and because Ministers do c. Speak out Sir It follows not because the Church holds forth the truth therefore that all may hold it forth as Ministers in it Learned Calvin * Galest is sapientia soliue E●clesiae ministe vio censerva tur Quantum ergo onus past●o vibas incumb t quitam inaesti mabilis thes●u ●icus●odiae pr●esunt Pau●u● volnit prop●sita off●●● magnitud●●e admoaito esse pastores qua●td illu● side diligentiâ reveren ia almini lrare debeonr Etenin quam borribilis sutura est ultio si eorii cu●pi intercidat veritas Ecclesi● enin ideo col●●na est veritatis quia suo ●inisterio can tuetur as propagat Ergo elogium boc al ministeriun verbi refertur quo sublato concide● Dei veritas Sustinetur Dei veritas p●ra Evangel●● praed cattane Calv. in 1 Tint 3.15 upon this place 1 Tim. 3.15 will inform you better by whom and what the Church in that place of Timothy maintains and preserves the truth Weigh the quotation Quantum onus ergo c. how great a burden therefore ●●eth upon the Pastors who are to keep so inestimable a treasure as the truth Ecclesia ideo c. Therefore is the Church the pillar and ground of truth because she defends it with the Ministery of the word And ●logium hoc c. This commendation is to be referred to the Ministery of the word which being taken away the truth fals The truth is sustained by the pure preaching of the Word And the subscribers their ministeriall zeal for the truth both in presse and pulpit is the occasion of your rage against them I confesse you may have a further aim viz. to gratifie your deluded followers whose design is to raze and levell the Church of Christ and to preach as well as John Goodwin as indeed they may soon do but the main ground of your rage against these holy men is because they discover your errours You strike at the lanthorn because of the candle in it At the pillar because of the proclamation the Gospel that hangs upon it At the shepherds because they defend their flocks Were it not for these Ministers you would do well enough you think with the people mean while remember Omnis Apostata est osor sui ordinis Religion never had greater enemies then renegadoes The Ministers of the Gospel claim Nebuchadnezzars preregative among men over the truths of God Sion Col visited p. 1. Whom he would he slew whom he would he saved alive The Nebuchadnezzars are among your selves Ans You have his Palace A Babel for such is your way His property pride far surmounting your Palace and take heed even you in particular lest his portion be also yours The heart of a beast given unto you by God for abusing the heart of a man For the truths of God slain by the Ministers I know none unlesse you mean old heresies lately vampt in your alley for new truths where what ever is strange is true O the patience of the God of truth to suffer you to voice prodigious heresies the truths of God so entitle the true God to so many untruths against God Those which you call truths and yet say are slain by the ministers will continue errours till you prove the contrary And whereas you say that the Ministers slay them did the word spare them the Ministers would do so too who dare do nothing against the truth but for the truth and for their saving some errours alive I pray prove what those errours are and the next edition of the testimony will not be wanting in due severity I wish nothing to the Ministers but good Sion Col visi p 1. Ans Devout soul that can curse and blesse in one breath Two lines off you blasted the Ministers with the title of murderous Nebuchadnezzars and here you blesse them with desires of all good to them but whereas you say you wish nothing in your praier but good to the Ministers I fear you do nothing in your preaching but hurt to the people I wish the Ministers had been in print without their own knowledge or consent S●on Col. visi p. 1. Ans Your grief is not that the book was printed with their but without your consent however the Ministers are bound to interpret charitably this wish of yours that they had been in print without their consent because you your self have sped so well by being in print without your consent when your Church set forth that 〈◊〉 ridioulous paper in commendation of you wherein they extold you to the clouds where indeed you alwaies are when you write Then you were in print against your consent the verses put under your effigies which say that you have the perfections of ten thousand men gathered in you this was against your consent too I warrant you I take care how the Authour will get into your favour again So I might maintain honourable thoughts of their persons Sion Col. visited p. 1. which I have alway laboured to doe my witnesse is o● high Is your witnesse on high Answ So is your Judge too but take heed your punishment be not below mock not God nor deceive your self Though I am still opposed by them in my way Sion Col. visited p. 2. Ans You cannot say that you have been opposed by them in Gods way and 't is a mercy for you to be opposed in your own way your way is the way of Balaam and it was an Angel that stopt him in his way The Image stampt upon the Testimony and the men whose names are affixed Sion Col. visited p 2. are very unlike the names subscribed are learned and pious