A01956:157
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But every mans mind is as free as the Emperors: Conscience is a Castle, and there is nothing so voluntary as religion: faith comes by persuasion, not by compulsion. Yield all this: and say with Tertullian; Nihil minus fidei est, quàm fidem cogere. And with Bernard; Suspendite verbera, ostendite ubera. Make a man in error rather blush, then bleed. But if they break the foundation, Non ferendi, sed feriendi. First speak to the Conscience by good counsel: but if that ear be stopped, shake the whole house about it. Speak to the ears of the inheritance, of the liberty, of the body; by mulct, by prison, by exile. Let the Liberty say to the Conscience, For thy sake I am restrained: let the Inheritance say, For thy sake I am impoverished: let the Body say, For thy sake I am afflicted. But because heresy dies not with the particular person, but kills also others: and Centum inficit, dumb unum intersicit. And because it strikes at the life of a Christian, that is his Faith; For the just shall live by his faith. Therefore pereat unus, potius quàm unitas. Haretici corrigendi ne pereant, reprimendi ne perimant. Heretics are to be corrected lest they damn themselves, to be restrained lest they damn others. Persecutio facit Martyrs, haeresis apostatas: plus nocuerunt horum 1tog•, quàm illorum galeae. Persecution made Martyrs, heresy makes Apostates: the Heretics words have done ⟨p. 65⟩more hurt then the tyrants swords. Apertè savit persecutor 2ut Leo: haereticus insidiatur ut draco. Ille negare Christum cogit, iste docet. Aduersus illum opus patientià, aduersus istum opus vigilantia. The persecutor rageth like a Lyon, the heretic insinuates himself like a serpent. To deny Christ he compels, this man instructs. Against the former we have need of patience, against the latter of vigilance.
But euery mans mind is as free as the Emperors: Conscience is a Castle, and there is nothing so voluntarie as religion: faith comes by perswasion, not by compulsion. Yield all this: and say with Tertullian; Nihil minus fidei est, quàm fidem cogere. And with Bernard; Suspendite verbera, ostendite vbera. Make a man in error rather blush, then bleede. But if they breake the foundation, Non ferendi, sed feriendi. First speake to the Conscience by good counsell: but if that eare be stopt, shake the whole house about it. Speake to the eares of the inheritance, of the liberty, of the body; by mulct, by prison, by exile. Let the Liberty say to the Conscience, For thy sake I am restrained: let the Inheritance say, For thy sake I am empouerished: let the Body say, For thy sake I am afflicted. But because heresie dies not with the particular person, but kills also others: and Centum inficit, dum vnum intersicit. And because it strikes at the life of a Christian, that is his Faith; For the iust shal liue by his faith. Therfore pereat vnus, potius quàm vnitas. Haretici corrigendi ne pereant, reprimendi ne perimant. Heretikes are to be corrected lest they damne themselues, to be restrained lest they damne others. Persecutio facit Martyres, haeresis apostatas: plus nocuerunt horum