Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	world_n	worship_n	worthy_a	68	3	6.5259	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04164	The raging tempest stilled The historie of Christ his passage, with his disciples, over the Sea of Galilee, and the memorable and miraculous occurrents therein. Opened and explaned in weekly lectures (and the doctrines and vses fitly applied to these times, for the direction and comfort of all such as feare Gods iudgements) in the cathedrall and metropoliticall Church of Christ, Canterb.	Jackson, Thomas, d. 1646.	1623 (1623)	STC 14305; ESTC S107445	230,620	359

Church hath been and is so visible ours not therefore theirs is the true Church of Christ and ours is not For the first we say that howsoever the Catholique and Universall Church hath continued from the beginning of the world and shall continue to the end the Lord shall never want on earth a company of faithfull men to serve him yet this Church is ever invisible an article of our Faith to beleeve there is such a Companie and that we are of that number but for a congregation of men and women to have the Word truly preached and Sacraments administred in publike and by Authoritie which wee call a visible Church and is a mixt company there hath not alway beene such neither can wee be assured that there alwaies shall be such For the second viz. That they say the Roman Church hath beene visible and enioyed such a succession without interruption since Christ and his Apostles time professing the same faith without change I answer there hath not been in the Church of Rome that perpetuall succession they boast of For to say nothing whether Peter was ever Bishop of Rome or not or who succeeded him whether Clement or Linus which is disputed amongst themselues it is most cleare that there have stood three Popes at once and did the Succession hold when Pope Ioan stept into the Papall Chaire and managed the affaires of the Church Was she also Saint Peters Successor and they lawfull Cardinals Bishops and Ministers of her ordination Neither are his Arguments to be despised who proveth that now for divers yeares ever since Sixtus they have had no Popes nor Cardinals nor Bishops according to their owne Councels and Canons c. But grant them what succession soever they challenge yet succession of persons and place without succession of doctrine is nothing worth as Ierome said Yee hold the Seat and Faith of Peter if faith be gone the state is no better then a chaire of pestilence Now the faith is gone and not onely this latter Rome holdeth doctrine contrary to the Ancient Rome within the five hundred or six hundred yeares after Christ but now maintaineth strange and novell doctrines and service which Rome knew not when it first became the seat of Antichrist as the Conception of Mary Latine Service suppression of Scriptures the mariage of Priests adoration of Images supremacie of Pope Communion in one kinde Transubstantiation c. and therefore is long since ceased to be any true visible Church Lastly whereas all Popishly affected persons doe commonly demand Where was your Church and who professed your Religion before Luthers times I will answer plainly that the simple may understand the Doctrine Faith and Religion which we professe is the very same that all the Christian Churches throughout the world professed for many hundred yeares after Christ and his Apostles all the blessed Martyrs in the Primitive died for no other but our Faith and Religion after that the Church had peace by meanes of godly Constantine the learned Bishops Fathers taught no other the people beleeved received professed no other though as the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time so the longer the worse and moe errors and corruptions crept into the Church till in the end the ship came to be covered with waves of heresies persecutions that the Church was not so glorious eminent visible conspicuous as before Then came the darke time of Antichrist for many hundred yeeres yet even then were the Waldenses Bohemians and others who agreed with vs in the substance of Religion and spake and wrote against the corruptions of those times but when it pleased God to stirre vp Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage Martine Luther and other his worthy servants to open the skupperholes the waves which so oppressed the Church ran out the ship came aloft againe and that Faith which had so long beene oppressed began publikely to be professed and a faire visible Church in one place or other hath ever since continued and I trust shall now to the end of the world and shall never be universally covered againe Neither let any Papist suppose it a forfeiture of the cause if wee cannot shew a precise and exact Catalogue of the persons places and times by whom where and when our faith was professed For first howsoever in all ages some have oft appeared and given singular witnesse to our faith as our Martyrologe hath recorded so the Church may be in some places where none can see it as in Elias time there were seven thousand in Israel and yet hee saw never an one of them And as wee doubt not but there are at this day in Spaine Italy Rome even where Satans throne is Againe through defect of history many things are hid from us and specially the Church of Rome doing her best to deface the memory of any thing that might witnesse for us and our Religion If in these daies they will not spare man living but wipe names out of bookes give commandement that none shall name them but with contempt and charge the Protestants with such horrible opinions as wee hold not As that God is the Author of sinne we condemne prayer fasting povertie cha●●itie good workes confession what may wee not thinke their Ancestors have done in former ages to men of our Religion So as it may be there were many moe Martyrs that then died for our Faith yea moe Churches that professed our Faith then are come to our knowledge Thirdly howsoever the Church in these parts of the world might for many yeares be oppressed as the Moone in Ecclipse and as a ship covered with waves yet even then Christ might have most glorious visible Churches in other parts of the world for howsoever the Iesuits brag exceedingly of their conversion of the Indies where they say our Religion is scarce heard of Yet that learned Iewel of our Church hath long since shewed out of Vespatius that in the East-Indies there were many godly Bishops and whole Countries professing the Gospell before the Portugals came there or Popes name heard of Yea doe not they say that the Apostle Thomas lieth buried in a City there and that he converted them to the Faith of Christ and did S. Thomas preach Popery or no If they say true our Religion was there professed before Popery Lastly give me leave in a word to answer them out of themselves Thus writeth Gregorie of Valence When we say the Church is alwaies conspicuous this must not be taken as if we thought it might at everie season be discerned alike easily for we know that sometimes it is so tossed with the waves of Errours Schismes and persecutions that it shall be verie hard to be knowne Yea the learned Papists doe generally confesse that in the supposed or imagined reigue of Antichrist their Church shall be invisible Thus saith Acosta In the daies of

sinners yea pierced that heart with a speare which devised all good for man And doe yee not marvell Doe you reade that the fountaine of living water thirsteth the light of the world put out Truth oppressed by false witnesses Discipline scourged He that beareth up all things faint under the Crosse He that is Iudge of quicke and dead judged by a mortall man Justice condemned Foundation hanged on a Tree Salvation wounded and Life killed and doe yee not marvell But alas these were lamentable things and in the eye and wisdome of flesh and bloud base and contemptible Behold then such things as are full of glory and majestie The Sunne ashamed of their doings pulled in his beames covered it face and refused to give light to such a work of darknesse The earth trembled as not able to beare the weight of such a sinne The vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the top to the bottome in detestation of such wickednesse The Centurion confesseth truly This was the Sonne of God Pilat whose hands were embrewed with his bloud writeth his inscription and publisheth his glory to Hebrewes Greekes and Latines This is Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes And will you not marvell at it Yea open the eyes of your mindes and you shall see the benefits hereof He was apprehended that we might escape scourged that we might be spared bound that we might be loosed disgraced that we might be honoured wearied with the burthen of the Crosse that wee might be eased of the burthen of the Curse fainted that we might be refreshed thirsted that we might be satisfied wounded that we might be healed humbled to the Crosse that we might be exalted to Thrones died amongst Theeves that we may live amongst Angels condemned that we may be justified killed that we may live And doe yee not marvell and say What manner of man is this Moreover when Christ was truly dead and buried and all made sure as they thought the wicked triumph and rejoyce and his Disciples full of sadnesse and sorrow Luk. 24. 17. loe he that had power to lay downe his life had also power to take it up againe Ioh. 10. 18. Hee loosed the sorrowes of death whereof it was impossible for him to be holden Acts 2. 24. having thorowly conquered death even in the grave it strongest hold fortresse or castle It was not the great sealed stone could keepe him in Matth. 27. ult but Sampson-like carrieth on his shoulders the brasen gates Iudg. 16. 3. and declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God by his rising from the dead Rom. 1. 4. Death and Grave confesse their weaknesse and his dominion they are weary of their prey and hasten with the Whale to cast up this Ionah they are oppressed with an intolerable burthen and have swallowed so bitter a morsell as they would faine be rid of the earth is in travell till it be rid of him Moreover after that he had beene conversant with his Disciples for the space of forty daies after his resurrection and had instructed them concerning his kingdome he was received up into glory from the top of Mount Olivet in the sight of his Apostles he ascended into heaven that is his humane Nature by the power and vertue of his Godhead was truly and locally translated from earth into the highest heavens of the blessed where he is said to sit on the right hand of God to make continuall intercession for his Elect from whence he sent the Holy Ghost in likenesse of cloven tongues of fire within ten daies according to his promise from whence he powreth out his spirit on all flesh and specially on such as he hath called to the work of the Ministerie doth gather and protect his Church bridle and confound his enemies and at the appointed time shall come from thence in his owne glory and the glory of his Father and of the holy Angels to iudge both the quicke and dead when all his Saints shall be gathered from the foure corners of the world shall meet him in the aire and be with him in happinesse for ever whose kingdome shall have no end Oh most marvellous Redeemer Oh most glorious mysteries of the Gospell How are we bound for ever to that good God who hath revealed them by his word and Spirit unto us How poore and simple beggerly base and contemptible are all the Religions in the world compared with this What is Moses and all the Legall service and worship though ordained of God yet the time of Reformation being come the Apostle calleth them weake and beggerly elements What is that Impostor Mahomet with his Alcaron though a Religion so generally received and professed how carnall filthy and obscene What are his best promises but such as a godly minde would despise abhorre How many great Kingdoms do worship Sunne Moone Starres yea foure-footed beasts and creeping things And some worship the Devil himselfe How in Poperie are poore people deprived of the Scriptures nusled in ignorance and implicite faith taught to beleeve lying Legends counterfet miracles fed with old wives fables and abused with cosening tricks of deceitfull men Oh stand fast in the faith marvell and praise God who hath made knowne the Saviour and the way of salvation unto you You have marvelled at many things but I pray you forget not that which is the burthen of all What manner of Man It is Man yea true Man that is so marvellous in birth life doctrine death resurrection ascension Oh how highly hath God exalted humane nature Some love their flesh for the beauty of it and some for the comely shape and proportion some for the strength Here is the ground of true love to love it because in Christ it is the flesh of God and herein exalted above the nature of Angels It was a great honour was given to man at the Creation when he was made after Gods Image but it is a far greater honour given in Redemption God himselfe becomming man flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Oh Christian acknowledge thy dignitie and doe not defile with a lewd conversation what God hath so highly honoured But me thinketh I heare some object this is a matter of offense that Christ was a man yea a weake and poore man I answer Indeed it is true if we behold him with a carnall eye and looke upon no more but his bare humanitie and wrapped up in great infirmitie it is a matter of offense and therefore Christ hath pronounced Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me The Prophet foretold hee should be a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offense And the Apostle saith We preach Christ a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentiles But whoso well observeth the Gospell shal see in

Antichrist all light of Ecclesiasticall Order shall lie buried the Priests lament the Church emptie the Altars forsaken and none come to the Lambs solemnitie Many others as Pererius Suarez Ovandus and others speake to this purpose I conclude with that of the Rhemists It is verie like that the externall state of the Roman Church and publike entercourse of the faithfull with the same shall cease With what face then can the Romanists denie our Church to be the true Church of God because of the covering or obscuritie thereof whereas they doe acknowledge their owne subject to the same Thirdly note that it is said the ship was covered with waves but not broken or dashed in peeces or sunke into the waves No no the waves may tosse and shake and cover but cannot breake nor sinke this Ship Your third lesson then is Persecutors may by cruell and bloody practices warres murthers and massacres trouble and disquiet the Church lessen the number of professors hypocrites falling away as the Corne which wanteth moisture withereth when Sunne shineth hot They may destroy for a time the visibilitie of the Church and make such as have publikely served God in his Temple now either serve God privatly in their Houses or Chambers or in Wildernesses Woods Caves Dennes and solitarie places All this they may doe but to destroy the true people of God they cannot They may cut them off and put hundreds and thousands of them to death but as they fall by unities they will rise by multitudes The blood of the Mattyrs will be the seed of the Church Nothing more dangerous to the Church than prosperitie Herem is the Proverbe true the Daughter devoureth the Mother Religion bringeth prosperitie and prosperitie destroieth Religion Gods Church is like the Aire the more it is fanned with the Winds the sweeter it is like Water the more it runneth on Stones the wholsomer like Gold and Silver the oftner tried in the Fire the purer it is like Camomill the more troden on the deeper it rooteth and thicker it groweth like the Lawrell the more oppressed with waight the further it spreadeth like the Vine the nearer cut the more Fruit it beareth like Spice the more it is beaten and bruised the sweeter it smelleth The more the Aegyptians sought to destroy the more the people of God multiplied being like the Bush all in flaming fire but consumed not After the cruell decree of Haman that all the Iewes should be destroied many of the people of the Land became Iewes Never so glorious a Church for zealous profession in England as immediatly after the daies of Queene Mary in whose daies Gods people had beene as dry Stubble before the flaming Fire and one would have thought but few left Never more Protestants in France then since their massacre nor never more Protestants in the Christian world then since the league for to destroy them and that the Iesuites have so farre prevailed with Princes to seeke utterly to root them out and destroy them These are the Israel of God that may truly say Often they have afflicted me from my youth up but they have not prevailed against me Christ is in this Ship and though on sleepe yet it is great weaknesse in Faith to feare the drowning of it But all other Ships though sailing faire for a while shall suffer shipwrack Atheisme Arrianisme Turcisme Iudaisme Anabaptisme Libertinisme Papisme and if there were as many Religions in the world as there are Orders and sorts of Friers in Rome yet shall they all consume and vanish nothing shall continue and abide in the waves and outride all stormes and tempests but the pure Religion of the Gospell of Christ So saith Christ in another Metaphor Every plant which mine heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Such Trees may for a time yea a long time take deepe root and flourish and spread but the Axe is at the root they must downe and into the fire To conclude seeing Poperie is no plant of Gods planting but a wilding a composition of novelties a miscellanie of heresies brought in by packing and ambition of some God may suffer it to spread and flourish to saile faire for a while but it shall one day be overturned with the breath of God and sinke into the waves Christ is in the Feild with all his Armies the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken An Angel standing in the Sun hath bid the guests to the supper of the great King and told them their cheere even the flesh of Kings and Captaines All Kings that make warre against the Gospel must to it To shut up all in a word know that not one drop of water can come into the Ship but according to Gods pleasure and therefore that he suffereth such a storme and tempest as the Ship even to be covered with waves is doubtlesse for his glorie and the spirituall good of his Church No affliction saith the Apostle for the present is joyous but grievous Oh Lord how grievous and enough to draw teares from that heart which is not harder than the neather Mill-stone that enemies should come with Fire and Sword to ruinate and waste whole Countreys and Provinces take away the liues of so many and utterly undoe moe make many a widow and fatherlesse child But see the good of it by this meanes he hath made many smite on brest and thighes and shed many a teare breathe out many a sigh powre out many a praier which otherwise God had never heard of How doth the miserie of Gods Church covered with waves abroad cause in England Scotland Ireland and other places where by Gods mercy they enioy a calme to be thankfull and pray Verily if the covering of the Ship with waves do not wonderfully affect you and doe you good it is not well with you but I trust it doth and the Lord turne it to more good So much for the first circumstance aggravating their danger The ship was even covered with waves The second followeth But he was asleepe Sleepe properly taken signifieth the rest of the bodie and is a sweet blessing of God as David saith He giveth his welbeloved sleepe yet ordinarily caused by naturall meanes For as the Physitians say the evaporations of meats from the stomacke being condensate and thickned with the cold of the braine doe stop the passages of the spirits and so locke vp the senses from execution of their functions and stay all the parts and members of the body from their labour And this is that sweet dew of nature the repast of the body and the greatest comfort that nature hath and without which no liuing creature can long continue And sleepe hath two degrees either it is weake and remisse such as in sicke persons or aged people who as Salomon saith awake at the chirping of the bird this is called a