Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	creed_n	2,605	5	10.2206	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09069	A booke of Christian exercise appertaining to resolution, that is, shewing how that we should resolve our selves to become Christians indeed: by R.P. Perused, and accompanied now with a treatise tending to pacification: by Edm. Bunny.; Booke of Christian exercise. Part 1.	Bunny, Edmund, 1540-1619.; Bunny, Edmund, 1540-1619. Treatise tending to pacification.; Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610. Christian directory.	1584 (1584)	STC 19355; ESTC S105868	310,605	572

in Christ alone for the whole work of our redemption seeking none other to be mediators or to help forth with the attonement betwixt God and us coveting none other doctrines than those that himselfe hath delivered unto us neither yet giving over our obedience to other observations than such as the written word doth teach us But the cheefe thing they charge us withal is for that we receive not more than Christ his Apostles in the written word hath delivered unto us as the supremacie of the church of Rome worshipping of images their miraculous praesence of Christ in the sacrament ordeining our service to the common people in a toong that they do not understand praier to saints and for the dead and many others such like as these Concerning which the truth is that we do not receive them and the reason is bicause they are not catholik but devised or crept in of latter time and not professed in al ages nor of al Christian churches generally In which one point they do unto us a very great and a double injurie both for that they denie us the name of catholiks that nevertheles receive the catholik faith both in the whole and in every point and for that they take that name to themselves who mingle with the catholik faith many inventions of their own devise and sufficiently hold not much of the truth that they do professe But when we do constantly hold al the holy scriptures without exception and al such sums of the Christian faith as have been gathered by the fathers of old and now are authentik in the church among us as that which is called the Apostles creed the Nicene likewise and that other of Athanasius and whatsoever the churches agreed on togither among themselves in the four first general councels and last of al whatsoever at any time since hath been ordeined by the church of Rome or whomsoever else that is not contrarie to the holy scriptures and they on the other side have mingled togither with the catholik faith with the truth and substance of religion which in al ages and in al churches hath been professed many other novelties besides utterly unknown not only to the scriptures but also to the fathers of old yet notwithstanding hold many of these as fast as they do any thing else let any indifferent man be judge whether they or we be better catholiks and then if it please him whether they are meet so resolutely to judge of others that are so far overshot themselves So for this matter we resolve our selves that we are no several church from them nor they from us and therfore that there is no departing at al out of the church for any to depart from them unto us nor from us unto them Al the difference that is betwixt us is concerning the truer members whether they or we may be found more woorthy of that account In which point of controversie we dowt not for to praevail against them and as for the other we allow no such quaestion to stand betwixt us 19 Wheras therfore the case so standeth betwixt us that it were no benefit or advantage to us in any respect to join with them in their profession but mo wais than one great inconvenience and they on the other side by joining with us should reap great benefits have no incōvenience withal wheras also such things as have hitherto hindered many by better advisement may soone be found to be of no such force to stay thē what could there be on behalfe of the common cause more seemly in respect of their own benefit more circūspectly done than so to tender the unitie peace of the church and their own salvation withal as that they would no longer stand out against the truth but lay down their affections now and willingly submit themselves to the kingdome of Christ The magicians of Aegypt being set on by the king willingly did for a certain time what they were able against Moses and Aaron to the discredit both of their persons and of the just cause that they had in hand but afterward being touched somwhat neerer they persisted not then but yeelded themselves and gave glorie to God If any of these have been set on to do as they do it wil not acquit the cost in the end if they have done it of their owne accord it is not like to scape unpunished if they see not unto it betime The Ephramites were of the people of God and yet revolted away from the law though stil they held after a sort the profession therof and having so done they so continued a long time after as a wanton untamed and unrulie heifer notwithstanding al the most earnest warnings that GOD by his prophets did give unto them But yet is it recorded of them that at the length they turned again smiting upon the thigh and acknowledging that they had committed very shameful things If with Ephraim they have so erred and stept aside pittie it were but they should be as readie with him to repent and turn again especially seeing that they have greater provocation now than ever had Ephraim before The Iewes that put their savior to death and utterly renounced whatsoever salvation was offered by him did notwithstanding yeeld from among them very shortly after three thousand persons at once that diligently inquired of the Apostles what they should do and immediately therupon were baptised likewise And it is not to be denied but that many thousands of these also are alreadie come in but yet is it pittie if it might be amended that any one of them al should so far have crucified the Lord again and yet be so long before that he do repent him of it S. Thomas an Apostle himselfe nevertheles dowted very much for a time of the resurrection of Iesus Christ and would in no wise beleeve the others affirming the same but upon very hard conditions and such as agreed not with the nature of his resurrection For needs would he find the badges of mortalitie in his glorified and immortal bodie or else he would in no wise beleeve But when Christ condescended therto and for the time by special dispensation allowed those badges of his mortal nature in his immortal bodie now reteining for the time his wounds he quikly forsooke his unbeleefe and foorthwith acknowledged him to be as he was his Lord God These also beleeve not that the Gospel of Christ is risen again they suppose it is either manifest haeresie or at least but some newfangled doctrine the ancient Christian and catholik faith they can in no wise think that it is The conditions also that they require are as hard as the others for manie of them such as are verie seldom found in the most glorious truth of Christ but commonly haunt the corruption of faith and those beggerly rudiments of the world the doctrines of men But wheras God hath so disposed and ordered this matter

for him he blessed them both and finally shewed al possible tokens of love that might be But what insued Adam committed but one sin and that at the intisement of another and that also a sin not of so verie great importance as it may seem to mans reason being but the eating of the tree forbidden and yet the matter was no sooner done but al frindship was broken between God and him he was thrust out of paradise condemned to perpetual miserie and al his posteritie to eternal damnation togither with himselfe if he had not repented And how severely this greevous sentence is executed may sufficiently appeer by this that infinite millions of people even the whole race of mankind is for it cast down unto the unspeakable torments of hel excepting those few that since are ransomed by the comming down of Gods own son the second person in Trinitie into this flesh and by his intollerable sufferings and death in the same 9 The two miracles of the world Moises and Aaron were of singular authoritie and favor with God insomuch as they could obtain great things at his hands for other men yet when they offended God once themselves at the waters of contradictiō in the desart of Sin for that they dowted somwhat of the miracle promised to them from God therby did dishonor his majestie before the people as he saith they were presently rebuked most sharply for the same though they repented hartily that offence and so obtained remission of the fault or guilt yet was there laid upon them a greevous chastisement for the same and that was that they shuld not enter themselves into the land of promise but should die when they came within the sight therof And albeit they intreated God most earnestly for the release of this penance yet could they never obtain the same at his hands but alwais he answered them Seeing you have dishonored me before the people you shal die for it and shal not enter into the land of promise 10 In what special great favor was Saul with God when he chose him to be the first king of the peple caused Samuel the prophet so much to honor him and to anoint him prince upon Gods own inheritance as he calleth it When he commended him so much and took such tender care over him And yet afterward for that he brake Gods commandement in reserving certain spoils of war which he should have destroied yea though he reserved them to honor God withal as he pretended yet was he presently cast off by God degraded of his dignitie given over to the hands of an evil spirit brought to infinite miseries though he shifted out for a time and finally so forsaken and abandoned by God as he slew himselfe his sons were crucified or hanged on a crosse by his enimies and al his family and linage extinguished for ever 11 David was the chosen and deer frind of God and honored with the title of One that was according to Gods own hart But yet assoon as he had sinned the prophet Nathan was sent to denounce Gods heavie displeasure and punishment upon him And so it insued notwithstanding that he sorrowed and humbled himselfe so much as he did for the sin that he had done as may appeer by his fasting praier weeping wearing of sak eating of ashes and the like By which is evident that how great Gods mercie is to them that fear him so great is his justice to them that offend him 12 The scripture hath infinite examples of this matter as the rejection of Cain and his posteritie streight upon his murder the pittiful drowning of the whole world in the time of Noe the dreadful consuming of Sodom and Gomorra with the cities about by fire and brimstone the sending down quik to hel of Chore Dathan and Abyron with the slaughter of two hundred and fiftie their adherents and many thousands of the people besides for rebellion against Moises Aaron the sudden killing of Nadab and Abju sons of Aaron and chosen preests for once offering of other fire on the altar than was appointed them the most terrible striking dead of Ananias and Saphira for retaining some part of their own goods by deceit from the apostles with manie mo such examples which the scripture doth recount 13 And for the greevousnes of Gods justice and heavines of his hand when it lighteth upon us though it may appeer sufficiently by al these examples before alleged wherin the particular punishments as you see are most rigorous yet wil I repeat one act of God more out of the scripture which expresseth the same in woonderful maner It is wel known that Benjamin among al the twelve sons of Iacob was the deerest unto his father as appeereth in the book of Genesis and therfore also greatly respected by God and his tribe placed in the best part of al the land of promise upon the division therof having Ierusalem Iericho and other the best cities within it Yet notwithstanding for one only sin committed by certain private men in the citie of Gabaa upon the wife of a levite God punished the whole tribe in this order as the scripture recounteth He caused al the other eleven tribes to rise against them and first to come to the house of God in Silo to aske his advise and follow his directiō in this war against their brethren And thence having by Gods appointment entered battel twice with the tribe of Benjamin the third day God gave them so great a victorie as they slew al the living creatures within the compasse of that tribe except only six hundred men that escaped away into the desart the rest were slain both man woman children and infants togither with al the beasts and cattel and al the cities villages and houses burnt with fire And al this for one sin committed only at one time with one woman 14 And who wil not then confesse with Moises that God is a iust God a great God and a terririble God Who wil not confesse with Saint Paul It is horrible to fal into the hands of the living God Who wil not say with holie David A iudicijs tuis timui I have feared at the remembrance of thy iudgements If God would not spare the destroieng of a whole tribe for on sin only if he would not pardon Chore Dathan and Abiron for once the sons of Aaron for once Ananias and Saphyra for once if he would not forgive Esau though afterward he sought the blessing with tears as the apostle saith if he would not remit the punishment of one fault to Moises and Aaron though they asked it with great instance if he would not forgive one prowd cogitation unto the angels nor once eating of the tree forbidden unto Adam without infinite punishment nor would passe over the cup of affliction from his own Son though he

omit to labor 11 The second impediment is called by me in the title of this chapter negligence But I do understand therby a further matter than commonly this word importeth For I do comprehend under the name of negligence al careles and dissolute people which take to hart nothing that pertaineth to God or godlines but only attend to worldly affairs making their salvation the least part of their cogitations And under this kind of negligence is contained both Epicurism as Saint Paul noted in some Christians of his dais who began only to attend to eat and drink and to make their bellies their God as many of our Christians now do and also a secret kind of Atheism or denieng of God that is of denieng him in life and behavior as Saint Paul expoundeth it For albeit these men in words do confesse God and professe themselves to be as good Christians as the rest yet secretly indeed they do not beleeve God as their life and doings do declare Which thing Ecclesiasticus discovereth plainly when he saith Vae dissolutis corde qui non credunt Deo Wo be unto the dissolute and careles in hart which do not beleeve God That is though they professe that they beleeve and trust in him yet by their dissolute and careles doings they testifie that in their harts they beleeve him not for that they have neither care nor cogitation of matters pertaining to him 12 These kind of men are those which the scripture noteth and detesteth for plowing with an ox and an asse togither for sowing their ground with mingled seed for wearing apparel of linsie woolsey that is made of flaxe and wool togither These are they of whom Christ saith in the Revelations I would thou were either cold or hot But for that thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot therfore wil I begin to vomit thee out of my mouth These are they which can accord al religions togither and take up al controversies by only saieng that either they are differences of smal importance or else that they appertain only to learned men to think upon and not unto them These are they which can apply themselves to any companie to any time to any princes pleasure for matters of life to come These men forbid al talk of spirit religion or devotion in their presence only they wil have men eat drink and be merry with them tel news of the court and affairs abroad sing dance laugh and play at cards and so passe over this life in lesse consideration of God than the very heathens did And hath not the scripture reason then in saieng that these men in their harts works are Atheists Yes surely And it may be prooved by many rules of Christ. As for example this is one rule set down by himself By their fruits ye shal know them For such as the tree is within such is the fruit which that tree sendeth footh Again The mouth speaketh from the abundance of the hart and consequently seeing their talk is nothing but of worldly vanities it is a sign there is nothing in their hart but that And then it followeth also by a third rule Where the treasure is there is the hart And so seing their harts are only set upon the world the world is their only treasure not God And consequently they prefer that before God as indeed Atheists do 13 This impediment reacheth far and wide at this day and infinite are the men which are intangled therwith and the cause therof esspecally is inordinate love of the world which bringeth men to hate God and to conceive enmitie against him as the apostle saith and therfore no marvel though indeed they neither beleeve nor delite in him And of al other men these are the hardest to be reclaimed and brought to any resolution of amendement for that they are insensible and beside that do also flie al means wherby they be cured For as there were smal hope to be conceived of that patient which being greeuously sik should neither feele his disease nor beleeve that he were distempered nor abide to hear of physik or physitions nor accept of any counsel that should be offered nor admit any talk or consultation about his curing so these men are in more dangerous estate than any other for that they know not their own danger but persuading themselves to be more wise than their neighbors do remoove from their cogitations al things wherby their health might be procured 14 The only way to do these men good if there be any way at al is to make them know that they are sik and in great danger which in our case may be done best as it seemeth to me by giving them to understand how far they are off from any one peece of tru Christianitie consequently from al hope of salvation that may be had therby God requireth at our hands that We should love him and serve him With al our hart with al our soul and with al our strength These are the prescript words of God set down both in the old and new law And how far I pray thee are these men off from this which imploy not the halfe of their hart nor the halfe of their soul nor the halfe of their strength in Gods service nay nor the least part therof God requireth at our hands that we should make his laws and precepts our studie and cogitations that we should think on them continually and meditate upon them both day and night at home and abroad early and late when we go to bed and when we rise in the morning this is his commandement and there is no dispensation therin But how far are those men from this which bestow not the third part of their thoughts upon this matter no not the hundred part nor scarce once in a yeer do talk therof Can these men say they are Christians or that they beleeve in God 15 Christ making the estimate of things in this life pronounced this sentence Vnum est necessarium one onely thing is necessarie Or of necessitie in this world meaning the diligent and careful service of God These men find many things necessarie beside this one thing and this nothing necessarie at al. How far do they differ then in judgement from Christ Christs apostle saith that a Christian Must neither love the world nor any thing in the world These men love nothing else but that which is of the world He saith that Whosoever is a frind to the world is an enimie to Christ. These men are enimies to whosoever is not a frind to the world How then can these men hold of Christ Christ saith We should pray stil. These men pray never Christs apostle saith that Covetousnes uncleannes or securitie should not be so much as once named among Christians These men have no other talk but such Finally the

whole course and canon of scripture runneth that Christians should be Attenti vigilantes solliciti instantes ferventes perseverantes sine intermissione that is Attent vigilant careful instant fervent and perseverant without intermission in the service of God But these men have no one of these points nor any degree of any one of these points but every one the clean contrarie For they are neither attent to those things which appertain unto God nor vigilant nor solicitous nor careful and much lesse instant and fervent and least of al perseverant without intermission for that they never begin But on the contrarie side they are carelesse negligent lumpish remisse key-cold perverse contemning and despising yea loathing and abhorring al matters that appertain to the mortifieng of themselves and tru service of God What part have these men then in the lot and portion of Christians beside only the bare name which profiteth nothing 16 And this is sufficient to shew how great and dangerous an impediment this careles senseles and supine negligence is to the resolution wherof we intreat For if Christ require to the perfection of this resolution that whosoever once espieth out the treasure hidden in the field that is the kingdome of heaven and the right way to come to it he should presently go and sel al that he hath and bie the field that is he should prefer the pursute of this kingdome of heaven before al the commodities of this life whatsoever and rather venture them al than to omit this treasure if Christ I say require this as he doth when wil these men ever be brought to this point which wil not give the least part of their goods to purchase that field nor go forth of doore to treat the bieng therof nor wil so much as think or talk of the same nor allow of him which shal offer the means and wais to compas it 17 Wherfore whosoever findeth himselfe in this disease I would counsel him to read some chapters of the first part of this booke especially the third and fourth treating of the causes for which we were sent into this world as also the fift of the account which we must yeeld to God of our time heer spent and he shal therby understand I dowt not the error and danger he standeth in by this damnable negligence wherin he sleepeth attending only to those things which are meere vanities and for which he came not into this world and passing over other matters without care or cogitation which only are of importance and to have been studied and thought upon by him 18 The third and last impediment that I purpose to handle in this booke is a certain affection or evil disposition in some men called by the scriptures hardnes of hart or in other words obstinacie of mind Wherby a man is setled in resolution never to yeeld from the state of sin wherin he liveth whatsoever shal or may be said against the same And I have reserved this impediment for the last place in this booke for that it is the last and woorst of al other impediments discovered before containing al the evil in it selfe that any of the other before rehearsed have and adding besides a most wilful and malicious resolution of sin quite contrarie to that resolution which we so much indevor to induce men unto 19 This hardnes of hart hath divers degrees in divers men and in some much more greevous than in others For some are arrived to that high and cheefe obduration which I named before in such sort as albeit they wel know that they are amisse yet for some worldly respect or other they wil not yeeld nor change their course Such was the obduration of Pilate though he knew that he condemned Christ wrongfully yet not to leese the favor of the Iews or incur displeasure with his prince he proceeded and gave sentence against him This also was the obduration of Pharao who though he saw the miracles of Moises and Aaron and felt the strong hand of God upon his kingdome yet not to seeme to be overcome by such simple people as they were nor that men should think he would be inforced by any mean to relent he persevered stil in his wilful wickednes until his last and utter destruction came upon him This hardnes of hart was also in king Agrippa and Felix governor of Iewrie who though in their own cōscience they thought that Saint Paule spake truth unto them yet not to hazard their credit in the world they continued stil and perished in their own vanities And commonly this obduration is in al persecutors of vertu and vertuous men and especially of those that professe the truth whom though they see evidently to be innocent and to have the word of God and equitie on their side yet to maintain their estate credit and favor in the world they persist without either mercie or release until God cut them off in the midst of their malice and furious cogitations 20 Others there are who have not this obduration in so high a degree as to persist in wickednes directly against their own knowledge but yet they have it in another sort for that they are setled in firm purpose to follow the trade which alreadie they have begun and wil not understand the dangers therof but do seeke rather means to persuade themselves and quiet their consciences therin and nothing is so offensive unto them as to hear any thing against the same Of these men holy Iob saith Dixerunt Deo recede à nobis scientiam viarum tuarum nolumus They say to God depart from us we wil not have the knowledge of thy wais And the prophet David yet more expressely Their furie is like the furie of serpents like unto cocatrices that stop their ears and wil not hear the voice of the inchanter By this inchanter he meaneth the holie Ghost which seeketh by al means possible to charm thee from the bewitching wherin they stand called by the wise man Fascinatio nugacitatis The bewitching of vanitie But as the prophet saith they wil not hear they turn their baks they stop their ears to the end they may not understand they put their harts as an adamant stone least they should hear Gods law and be converted 21 The nation of Iews is peculiarly noted to have been alwais given to this great sin as Saint Steeven witnesseth when he said unto their own faces You stifnecked Iews you have alwais resisted the holie Ghost Meaning therby as Christ declareth more at large that they resisted the prophets saints of God in whom the holie Ghost spake unto them from time to time for amendement of their life and for that through the light of knowledge which they had by hearing of Gods law they could not in truth or shew condemn the things which were said or avoid the just reprehensions used toward them