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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	add_v	life_n	part_n	1,720	5	4.3430	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64336	The saints duty in contending for the faith delivered to them a sermon preached at Pauls church before the right honourable the Lord major, and aldermen of the city of London, July 17, 1659 / by John Templer ...	Templer, John, d. 1693.	1659 (1659)	Wing T666; ESTC R12673	26,766	48

of later date yet the thing was as early as this Epistle They pretended to a more refined and sublimated knowledge then others were arrived at Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 1. which the Apostle tels them Puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 They stiled themselves spiritual and all others carnal and therefore in the 19th verse of this Epistle it is charged upon them notwithstanding this pretence that they themselves and not those whom they would brand with that mark were carnal not having the Spirit Their false claims to the divine Spirit gave occasion for those words That ye be not shaken in mind neither by spirit c. 2 Thes 2.2 Irenaeus tells us Lib. 1. advers H. they drew their Rise from Simon Magus who was contemporary with the Apostles Oecumenius upon the place that the persons against whom the Christians were animated here to defend the Faith were the followers of Simon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These men crept into the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 4. by pretending to unusual severities they did by degrees insinuate themselves They made many meek condescentions to those whom they desired might become their Proselytes we find them there in a very lowly posture creeping upon their knees The minds of the vulgar sort were so low that they could not get into them without stooping Yet in the mean time their tongues were imploy'd in inveighing against the sacred Appointments of God in speaking evil of Dignities despising Dominion verse 4. He that considers the present danger the Doctrine of Faith is exposed unto by persons not much of a different stamp will conclude for the seasonableness of this Advice Earnestly contend for the Faith once delivered unto the Saints In these words three parts expose themselves to our view 1. An Act contend 2. The Object of this Act the Faith once delivered to the Saints 3. The manner how thir Contention is to be managed earnestly after the manner of the Agonists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall treat of these in their order 1. Here is the Act contend It speaks the using your most serious endeavours to maintain the Doctrine of Christ the opposing of every thing which may conduce to its prejudice the expence of your parts your Authority your Estates your Lives if God requires to maintain faith in its primitive purity it calls to every one to come into the help of the Lord against the mighty those mighty and strong delusions which prevail with many to the eclipsing of the glorious Gospel during this present state the Faith of Christ hath so many enemies to contest with so many prejudiced minds rebellious hearts seared Consciences that if there be any bowels or love in us we can do no less then side with him in this holy Conflict 2. Here is the Object we are to contend for Faith once delivered to the Saints It is Faith not the Faith whereby we believe though that merits our most vigorous contending but the Faith which is believed by us The Doctrine of the Gospel 1 Tim. 4.1 This Faith either pertains to the Foundation of Religion or else to the Superstruction this Distinction the Apostle makes 1 Cor. 3.10 11. If we would know what Faith belongs to the Foundation the best way is to examine its Connexion with that which is of undoubted necessity to salvation The Scripture mentions two heads Saving Faith and Holiness Heb. 11.6.12.14 without the first none can please God without the second none shall see him whatsoever hath an essential Connexion with these two is to be owned as a fundamental Truth and whatsoever is repugnant rejected as a fundamental Errour By the light of this Rule a great part of Socinu's his Divinity will appear to be a fundamental mistake for how can a man believe and devolve himself upon God in the way of his providence who is possessed with an apprehension of his not knowing future Contingents How can a man believe and relie upon Christ who conceives him to be but a mear man when the Scripture pronounces him cursed that relies upon man Jer. 17.5 As these Apprehensions are repugnant to saving Faith so they will appear to be as contrary unto Holiness The first prevents the Resignation of our Wills to the divine pleasure the principal part of a holy life The second destroyes the first branch of the Mysterie of Godliness God manifested in the flesh As for what belongs to the Superstruction the Apostle hath ranked it under these heads Gold Silver Pretious stones Gold that is next to the Foundation and therefore of the greatest value then Silver then pretious Stones Every stone in the Building is pretious though every Truth be not of equal importance in reference to salvation yet every one hath his just price and value It is a Faith once delivered once for all Indeed it was gradually discovered to the world first in the Promise to Adam then the Sun of Righteousness began to appear above the Horizon Then to Abraham He was injoyned to offer up his Son to signifie that the promised seed should break the Serpents head by being made an offering for sin in the very Act he was prohibited to denote the time was not yet come for the manifestation of that seed A Ram a principal Sacrifice amongst the appointments of the Law was substituted to express Gods acceptance of that service in the mean time The waters of life like Ezekiels waters did arise by degrees Eze. 47. v. 3 4 5. in Adams time they were to the Ancles in Abrahams to the knees in Moses and the Prophets to the loines in the times of the Messias they became a great River in time past God spake at sundry times and in divers manners but now he has spoken by his Son most fully once for all in the New Testament This is his last Will and Testament which Christ as his only Son and Heir hath opened and disclosed he hath spoken by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir Heb. 1.2 This Testament being the last will admit of no alteration and therefore at the End of the book which concludes it there is a curse pronounced against him who shall make any such Attempt I testifie to every man that heareth the words of this Book if any man shall add to these things God shall add to him the Plagues which are written in this Book and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life Rev. 22.18 By the Book of this Prophecy is not only meant the Revelation but the whole Scripture which is sometimes called the Prophets Act. 24.44 45. sometimes the Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 16.18 and here the Book of Prophecy because the greatest part of those who were imploy'd to pen it Omnes Canonici Thri veteris Testamenti scripti sunt a Propheris Vid. Whitakcri contrav 1. Q est cap. 5. had a prophetick

ingrafted into Christ It was his former attempt to beget a belief that the Ambassadors of Christ could not be invested with too much outward pomp and now instead of that double portion of honour God hath allowed them he conferrs upon them a double portion of contempt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the beginning Plutarch in his treatise about superstition sayes there are two extreams into which men are lead through their want of a true knowledge of the nature of the gods Superstition and Atheism formerly the design of the Tempter was to enervate the power of Religion by superstition but now he as strongly attempts the leading of men into the other extream namely Atheism As his design is contrary so the meanes he uses Before he advanced the externals of religion and now he casts disparagment upon them Before he set up the institutions of men now he pulls down the ordinances of God He perceiving he could not bring us in love with humane appointments that he might advance superstition indeavours to annihilate those divine appointments which are designed for the furnishing the mind with lively apprehensions of God that he may bring in and establish Atheism Thus you shall always sinde him in some extream walking at the outsides amongst the tombes where he may revive and give life to some dead errour Therefore it is good in the heat of contention to beware we be not suddenly transported beyond the just bounds and measures of truth There is nothing more pernicious to the peace and wel-fare of the Church When men overshoot themselves when their opinions like Jonathans arrows fly beyond it is a signification of imminent danger 3. After the Contest we are to rest in the determination of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or judge We owne no supream visible judge but the Scripture There are other subordinate judges the Magistrate in his place the Minister in his the private Christian in his The Magistrate may judge in order to restraining acts of violence committed by the outward man against the faith delivered to the Saints The minister in order to the instructing the ignorant directing the erroneous confirming the doubtfull The private Christian in order to his own duty that his faith may depend upon divine Testimony that he may believe Christ more for his own then the Testimony of others Yet the Scripture is the only supream visible judge to whom appertains the infallible deciding of all controversie in the matters of religion Although as it directs our practise 't is properly termed a rule yet as it exhibits the voice of God passing sentence upon mistakes in the concernments of Faith we commit no incongruity to call it a Judge This is the reason why passing of judgment is attributed to it Joh. 12.48 Why 't is stiled a living Word a Judge of thoughts Heb. 4.12 a Judge is nothing but a living or animated Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word tenders a decision of all doubts it doth not let pass the first controversie concerning its own Authority Although the stamp of divine Authority be not equally evident in all the parts yet it is plain enough to distinguish every piece from counterfeit coin If the Scripture be the only Judge I need not express the benefit which will accrew to us by being willing in our contendings to be decided by it all the difficulty is how to discern what this Judge hath determined Every party pretends to be acquainted with it though the dreams be many yet the interpretation is but one all the Question is how we shall find it out Answ In order to this end a double evidence is required in the Object and in the Subject That the Object may be evident we are first to be informed of the importance of the words and Phrases The mind of God in Scripture is said to be a Light or Candle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 119.105 The words and phrases are the lanthorn in which it is conteined Many times the darkness of the Lanthorn hinders the shining of the light and therefore we are indebted to those who have dived into the languages the Spirit of God was pleased to use and informed themselves and us with the customes and manners of speaking which prevailed at that time when the Scripture was penned without this method many portions of sacred Writ which are now disclosed would have continued under their former concealement For a miraculous appearance could not have been expected for the opening of them seeing a full provision of means in preserving antient Records in erecting Schools of Learning hath been made by divine Providence for that purpose This Expectation would have been as unreasonable as for the Israelites to have lookt for the continuance of Manna from heaven after by a divine hand they had been led out of a barren wilderness into a land of plenty The words and manners of speaking being understood we are to weigh the Circumstances of every Text The Spirit which is sent Ambassador from heaven to treat with us in every portion of Scripture hath his Interpreter not far from him usually some word or expression stands ready in the Context to explicate his mind If the Circumstances be dark we are to light them at other Scriptures which are clear and evident Passages in Scripture are like the stars not all of the same magnitude Those of the lesser are at no great distance from those of the greater which without any diminution can lend them evidence If nothing shall be accounted evident because some or other have made divers glosses upon every Text upon the same account we may doubt whether the snow be white because Anaxagoras was of a contrary mind that he had not many followers is no Argument of less probability for his opinion then many have for their Conjectures For I doubt not if it had been as much the interest of Satan to perswade men that snow is black as to misinterpret all those places which speak for the discriminating Grace Divinity Satisfaction Ministry of Christ but Anaxagoras might have had as many Disciples as Arminius or Socinus In order to the procuring evidence in the subject it is the divine pleasure to assure the communication of such a measure of his Spirit in the use of means to his own people as will inlighten their minds and lead them into all truth which is of precise necessity to eternal life He which bestows upon every Creature a Principle to distinguish betwixt food poison hath not left his people without a spiritual taste by which they relish radical Truth and disgust those glosses which tend to the corrupting of it though they may be under the Conduct of their own spirit when conversant about the superstructions of faith yet they have the promise of an unerring guide in those things which relate to the foundation which are of indispensable necessity to salvation Therefore if we desire this Spirit may be a Guide to go before us through the dark passages of Scripture 't is good to apply our selves to the use of such means which may help to possess us of it When the Disciples had received the promise of the Spirit they are reproved for standing idle and gazing about them Acts 1.8 When the Apostle had received the Spirit it self he doth not lay aside his former study and industry he was solicitous about his books 2 Tim. 4.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Th●cam librorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Syriack Interpreter translates a Chest of Books which he charges Timothy to bring with him In the midst of all endeavours we must be importunate in prayer which is powerfull in drawing down the aids of this Spirit who knows how to loose the seals which are set upon any part of the Bible Iamblicus saves it was the custome of all prudent persons in matters of Philosophy De vita Pythago p. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to begin with the invocation of God it is of much more use in so divine a concernment as the unfolding the Counsell of Heaven The Antients use to repeat their dreams every morning before the Sun were those dreams and Fancies which men take up in reading the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Seph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeated before the Sun of Righteousness and he earnestly implored to detect by his Spirit the vanity of them it would be the next way to be led into a right understanding of the Will of God The mind in all these accesses must lay aside it s own prepossessions Socinus saith he went to God upon his knees for the interpretation of the 58. ver of the 8. of John No wonder he came away without any return from Heaven who had no intent to find out Gods mind but to confirm his own He first believed the Trinity to be no way consonant to reason and then attempted the bending of Scriptures into a complyance with that belief He that would receive a clear answer from God must bring a mind clear from prejudice willing to submit to that light which confutes as well as confirms his former conceptions And now I have run through the several parts of the Text the Act the Object the manner how this holy contention is to be managed in a word in all the your contendings for the faith delivered to the Saints we are to use such a tenderness towards others as becomes men such a meekness as becomes Christians such a fervency and ardour as becomes a peculiar people zealous of good works FINIS ERRATA PAg. 5. l. 16. del his p. 7. l. 26. r. Christ. p. 11. l. 20. r. attempts p. 14. l. 32. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17. l. 2. r. with p. 18. l. 6. r. Ordinances p. 22. l. 12. r. them p. 24. l. 19. r. Apostle p. 27. l. 11. r. some branches p. 28. l. 1. r. commiseration p. 29. l. 29. r. that p. 34 l. 1. r. himself p. 34. l 3. r. that tene●t in being before Arius In the Margent Pag 7. r Co●trov p 9 And this is be p 10 Putamus without a stop p 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 24 Platonis p 34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉