Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	6,830	5	6.3395	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91323	The life of that incomparable man, Faustus Socinus Senensis, described by a Polonian knight. Whereunto is added an excellent discourse, which the same author would have had premised to the works of Socinus; together with a catalogue of those works.; Vita Fausti Socini Senensis. English	Przypkowski, Samuel, 1592-1670.; Biddle, John, 1615-1662.	1653 (1653)	Wing P4136; Thomason E1489_1; ESTC R203303	35,107	77

it self envyed her own fortune or finally the counsel of almighty God that vertue might never want a ●●fficient combate certain it is that the hope of so happy a condition together with the way thereunto hath been for many ages involved with the greatest difficulties For first the very confidence of our hope which onely is able to set us on the top of true happiness began to be undermined and shaken with engines well-nigh planted against it Next the very Religion of Christ which alone gave assurance of so great a hope to mankind was on several accounts called into question Finally a great impediment lay in the way to hinder us not only from conceiving but also venturing on this hope And which would most of all move you with grief and indignation all these things were done by them who professed themselves competitors of the felicity hoped for For that we may return unto what was proposed in the first place what engine was fitter to undermine our faith then the difficulty of returning to life That life might perhaps be extended to a very great length would though with some difficulty be assented unto by reason but that being once taken away it should be restored again for ever was though not contrary to reason yet above belief In so great a miracle thwarting the custome of nature mankind could hardly believe without an example And therefore God exposed to the view of all a certain experiment thereof having recalled him to life who did not at all exceed others as to the condition of mortal nature This so evident a prop of our faith is taken from us by the common opinion of Christians if Jesus that was raised from the dead be the very most high God not differing in essence from the Father For neither did he really dye for who would imagine that the Supreme Power can dye who would affirm that a person coeternal and coessential with the Father was killed nor when he was dead did he like us stand in need of anothers help so that returning unto life in a glorious manner he did by his own strength and such a power as was neither taken away from him nor laid down by him rescue himself out of the jaws of death Tell me now what is there in us like hereunto It is not something added unto us but we our selves that dye and what hope is there in our strength being altogether broken and quelled by death Certainly the Ghosts or persons of the dead do not watch an opportunity to raise themselves by their own power out of so profound a sleep Moreover as if it had been a small matter to have our faith so dangerously shaken in a thing of the greatest moment a very provident care was also taken that it might not make use of some other means to erect it self For whereas it was the chief duty of a lively faith sincerely to believe so sublime promises of God the generality of Christians was made to believe that the main business of faith was to believe certain opinions touching the nature of God and other the like doctrines Thus did the Publick error wrest and turn aside the minds of all from the true exercise of faith to the affectation of vain opinions Whereby it came to pass that all disputed concerning the nature of God but few believed his promises and accordingly not many obeyed his commandments So that with a little adoe faith degenerated into opinion religion into Philosophy vertue into contemplation zeal into contention love into faction Nor could it be otherwise when once the maners of men were slighted and their wits only began to be improved and examined I come now to the second engine wherewith our faith was shaken and which strook at our hope through the side of our whole rel●gion No sect no religion besides the Christian doth solidly promise heaven and the stars to them who have well deserved The pledge of so great a promise perisheth if the promise● himself is called into question But they have taken the direct way to make it be condemned of falshood or burthened with a very just ground of suspicion who deem such doctrines fundamental thereunto as are false and repugnant to all reason Who would not fall a weeping for the miseryes of the Church when he considereth how much she hath degenerated from her primitive chastity And in the midst of grief a just indignation sometimes breaketh-out to see that those ancient Bishops should in the doctrine touching God not be ashamed violently to draw the sense of the Holy Scripture to the opinions of the Greek shall I say or Barbarous Philosophy The ancient Church heretofore laughed at the Gnosticks for corrupting prophane Philosophy with shreds taken out of the Christian doctrine and prodigiously patched together When in the mean she her self forsooth making a more sober use of Philosophy had rather seem to have defiled the Christian Divinity then the Learning of that age Did those Fathers think it so miserable a thing to be accounted ignorant of those arts which were then so ardently affected by the times But as they who desire to sit on two stools fall from b●th even so those Bishops did neither sincerely retain the primitive simplicity of the Sacred Revelation nor the conjectures of prophane wits Whereupon the Doctrines of the Church were stuffed with absurd and contradictions opinions which inasmuch they pull-up by the roots the notions naturally implanted in us and consequently reason it self are obtruded under the pretence of Faith Which might notwithstanding be endured first if they onely surpassed the power of our mind and did not overthrow it For there is a wide difference between nor perceiving the reason of a thing and seeing the falshood thereof Because the truth is oftentimes so deeply hid that it can hardly be brought to light whereas falshood can seldome lye so close but that it may be traced out Wherefore I could wish that it were as easie a matter to cure ignorance as to convince errors of falshood Otherwise to what purpose doth our mind serve if it shall on any pretence be afraid to condemne that which implyeth a contradiction Furthermore that desense of paradoxes under the buckler of Faith might be endured did men in very deed fly from the examination of Reason to the authority of Divine Testimony But when the cause beginneth to sink under the judgement of Reason a sudden supply is fetched from Sacred Revelation When this very Revelation cometh to scanning we find it as we formerly hinted to be more evidently discovered by Platonick Wits then by the Apostolick Writers Again if there be any place in the Holy Oracles which may seem to prove it it is so obscure that we must again return to those flying and aiery contemplations of mans brain to have some certainty concerning the ambiguous sense thereof In framing which consequences if the cause begin again to totter a ridiculous return is also made again to the

narration almost exceeds belief The son of this Marianus was Alexander the elder the grandchild Marianus the yonger the Great-grandchildren Alexander and Laelius the one as we said the father the other the Unkle of our Faustus Both of them for greatness of wit and endowments of Learning exceeding famous but to whom that of the Poet may justly be applyed These to the earth the Fates will only show Causing them presently away to go For Alexander having a marvellous sharpness of wit together with a Divine memory and excellent Eloquence had scarce fulfilled the one and thirtieth yeer of his age but he was suddenly snatched away to the great grief of all Italy And Laelius having in a short race of life performed very great matters exceeded not the seven and thirtieth yeer of his age The memory of this man I judge worthy to be exceedingly admired by posterity who in so short a space as he lived not only smelt-out so many grievous errors which had privily crept into the Church but pulling them out of their very holes first shewed the way how to kill them He being by his Father Marianus put upon that study which was hereditary to his name thought that the knowledge of humane Laws was to be setched out of the very fountains of Gods Law To which purpose whilst he diligently turned-over the sacred volumes he without difficulty found that very many of those Doctrines of the Church which are commonly received are quite opposite to the Divine Testimonies And that so much the more easily because most of them are also repugnant to Reason and such principles as Nature it self hath implanted in us Inasmuch therefore as the height of his excellent wit and sharpness of his judgement was accompanyed with a singular probity of mind having detected the errors of the Church he did not as the greatest part do abuse them to the contempt of the Scripture and Religion but rather used the authority of the Scripture and of the Christian Religion to heal the diseases of the Church which could not be cured unless the errors were detected Wherefore in that study to which his sublime and pious mind was carryed with inflamed speed a great light not without the Divine Assistance suddenly brake out unto him especially because to fetch out the senses of the Scripture he brought with him the knowledge of the Oriental Tongues the Hebrew and Greek chiefly and also the Arabick Whether therefore it were for fear of danger as it is likely or that he might more exactly study purer Divinity and the Tongues he soon passed out of Italy into Switzerland and Germany He left his country very young not being above one and twenty yeeers old In the next four yeers having travelled over France Britanny Belgium all Germany and Poland he took up his dwelling at Zurich Whereupon although he were often drawn away with publicke and private affairs yet did he spend the chiefest part of his exile there being endeared to sundry Princes in all parts and favoured also by certain Kings There was not a noted Scholar in that time then which none ever abounded more with learned men but he had by his carriage won not onely his friendship but his samiliarity also Whereby it came to pass that the inbred goodness of his judgement was accompanyed with a singular prudence and sweetness of behaviour Which endowments are acknowledged in him as by very many other famous men so chiefly by Philip Melanchton in his commendatory Letters which he wrote to him as he was departing And indeed what correspondence was between him and the most renowned men of that age chiefly Calvin Melanchthon Bullinger Brentius Musculus Munster Zanchius Vergerius Castellio Beza Martyr Ochinus Coeleus and sundry others their frequent Letters unto him do testifie the coppies whereof in a great number have come to our hands He did not more desire to enjoy their friendship for the safe-guard of his fortune then to make use of the same to the benefit of the Church Wherefore he did by his questions much urge and exercise those redoubted Doctors of then-flourishing Divinty I have a Letter written with Calvins own hand wherein he openly professeth that he was put into choler by him and in stead of an answer sends him back a check and threatning It is not fit saith he that you should expect untill I answer those portentous questions which you object If you are disposed to fly through those aiery speculations I beseech you suffer me an bumble Disciple of Christ to meditate on such things as tend to the edification of my faith And indeed I will by my silence gain what I desire nam●ly that you be not henceforth troublesome to me Now that so gallant a wit as the Lord hath bestowed on you should not only be unprofitably taken-up with slight matters but also corrupted with pernicious figments is a very great grief What I not long since testified I again seriously warn you of that if you do not timously correct this itch of enquiring it is to be feared you will draw on your self great torments Should I under a shew of indulgence cherish such a vice as I know to be very hurtful I should be perfidious and cruel towards you Wherefore I had either you should be a little offended with my roughness then be drawn away with the sweet allurements of curiosity beyond all recovery The time will come I hope when you will rejoyce that you were so boisterously awakened Jan. 1. 1552. Yours John Calvin Neither was the truth of his threatning either uncertain or contemptible For in the moneth of October the next yeer Servetus was burned at Geneva Nevertheless the gravity of Laelius and his incredible modesty in the greatest endowments of learning and wit together with his dexterity of carriage had so disarmed the anger of those that were in a chafe that they did not endure to hate the man although otherwise they could not brook his freedome Which thing may teach them whom over-much freedom of truth betrayeth into needless dangers that that very Truth which they maintain is more secured by the circumspect mildness of prudence then by unbridled zeal So that they who of their own accord meet dangers seem to make greater hast to their own praise then to the advancement of the publike good And certainly if there be any this is the place where the simplicity of the Dove is to be mingled with the subtilty of the Serpent unless we suspect the counsel of our Saviour condemning their unadvised rashness who oftentimes have very bad success in casting-down their pearles where they cannot be estimated according to their worth The truth is Laelius remained entire and inviolate amongst the capital enemies of his opinion Yet did he not suffer the sense of his judgement to perish within the closet of his conscience Wherefore to those whom he liked he feared not to entrust the things that had been discovered to him by God But

opinions yet did they not condemne one another And therefore keeping mutual tolerance entire they oftentimes disputed very eagerly and this was the chief work of their Synods Wherefore anno 1585 in the Synod of Lublin the opinion of Socinus touching the seventh Chap. of the Romans was exceedingly agitated There were some that defended it but as great a number of Pastors that opposed it One whereof named Nicolaus Zilinius being willed by others of the same party to explain that Chapter contrary to the mind of Socinus and having to that purpose stoutly managed the matter falling in his discourse upon those words wherewith the Apostle giveth thanks to God for his freedome stood like a man amazed And by and by what is that freedome saith he What is that benefit which drew from the Apostle so great thanks was it that he was of necessity detained in so great a servitude of sin Certainly such a thing as this can at no hand gain approbation with me I therefore saith he in like manner give very great thanks to the Father of lights in that he would have the light of his truth arise unto me who am now freed from error Afterwards entering upon a contrary way of explaining he accurately disputed for the Orthodox Opinion When they whose cause he had undertaken being amazed did rebuke him his answer was that he could not resist the judgement of a convinced mind This business was of great moment for the propagation of the Truth nor did their endeavours less conduce thereunto who had lifted up the standard unto others to embrace it Amongst them the Eloquence of the foresaid Petrus Stoinius did excell That Elegant Tongue only had God bestowed on those Churches equal to the wit of Socinus and able to deliver in a popular manner his subtile senses that were above the capacity of the ruder sort and to commend them unto all by the genius of his flexanimous speech Him therefore as the chief Interpreter of his mind did Socinus make use of to the notable advantage of Gods Church And indeed certain things happened which did enforce a stricter union with him Socinus sojourning at Cracovia began long since to be environed with such dangers on every side as are for the most part wont to accompany the faithful servants of Christ How great an Indignity was there offered to him by that insolent soldier Vernecus he himself signifieth in a certain letter But above all after the printing of his book touching the Saviour the Adversaryes again began to shew the rancor of their hatred Whereupon in the yeer 1598 the Scholars having stirred up the dregs of the rabble took Socinus being then sick and minding the recovery of his health and pulling him out of his chamber half-naked drag him in a contumelious manner through the market and the the most noted streets the greatest part in the mean time crying out to have him brought to execution At length having been grievously handled in that furious rout he was with much adoe rescued out of the hands of the raging multitude by Martinus Vadovita Professor of Cracovia The plundering of his goods and houshold-stuff together with other things lyable to spoile did not so much grieve him as the irreparable loss of certain writings concerning which he often did profess that he would redeem it with the expense of his life Then perished together a notable labor of his against Atheists which he had undertaken to refute the ingenious Devices of a certain Great Man But when to so barbarous an example of cruelty threats were also added he departed from Cracovia to Luclavicia unto a certain village famous for his last habitation and death and distant about nine miles from Cracovia where having for certain yeers used the table and house of a Noble Man named Abrahamus Blonscius he lived a neighbor to Sto●nius Both therefore affording mutual help neer at hand in chasing away the relicks of errors had now brought almost that whole Church to an unanimous consent in all opinions for even Niemojevius himself having in most things already given assent to Socinus condemned his own mistakes with such ingenuity as can never sufficiently be extolled Czechovicius only could not be removed from his opinion Who as the better part prevailed conniving though with much adoe at other things a little after began to make a stir about the opinion concerning Baptism which nevertheless being suddenly according to the wish of Socinus laid asleep did afterwards vanish of its own accord Having thus fully purged the Church from errors as if his life had been prolonged hitherto for this purpose only he was at the end of winter in the sixty fifth yeer of his age taken away at Luclavicia by a death not so untimely to himself as sad to his followers His last words at his death were these namely that he no less full of envy and troubles then of dayes did with a joyful and undanted hope incline to the period of his appointed time which shewed to him both a discharge from his sorrows and a reward of his labours Petrus Stoinius who had been the associate of his life and labours was also the Praiser and in the yeer following the companion of his funeral For as if he had already ended the appointed task of his life he followed Socinus being hardly forty yeers old Having passed over the race of Socinus life through which we have made a short cut it remaineth that we stop a while in considering what he did and performed No man in our memory did better deserve of all the Christian world but chiefly of the Polonian Churches For first by setting out so many works he opened the genuine meaning of the Holy Scriptures in innumerable places Next he only shewed how to confirm with solid arguments and skilfully to defend from subtill cavills and sophisms those opinions touching the Person of God and Christ which he found already rife in Poland After that he happily extinguished some impious other prophane opinions whose deadly poison did by stealth insinuate it self into the bosome of the Church No man did more vigorously quell Judaizers he also exploded the opinion of the Chiliasts and many other fanatick dreams besides As for the errors received from the Reformed Churches which did in a great number as yet raign in that Church he did with a marvellous felicity root them out Such were that of Justification that of Appeasing the wrath of God that of Predestination that of the Servitude of the Will that of Original Sin that of the Lords Supper and Baptism together with other misconstrued Doctrines Finally having taken-away pernicious errors that he might not also leave any fopperyes in the Church he exterminated very many superstitions about indifferent things Of which sort was the over-much affectation of mean clothing and the eschewing of Magistracy and refusing to prosecute ones own right even without a desire of revenge and what other like spots there were caused by the