Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	authority_n	church_n	1,814	5	4.2729	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94735	Fermentvm Pharisæorvm, or, The leaven of pharisaicall wil-worship: declared in a sermon on Matth. 15.9 Novemb. 24. 1641. at Lemster in Herefordshire. / By Iohn Tombes, B.D.	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1643 (1643)	Wing T1808; Thomason E56_16; ESTC R20645	17,333	24

doctrine of the Apostle Col. 2. 20. when Ceremonies are obtruded as necessary we are not to submit to them If ye be dead with Christ saith the Apostle from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances Peccant igitur saith Bishop Davenant on those words non modo qui nova decreta fabricantur in religione sed qui iisdem se subj●ciunt libertatem Christi sanguine partam patiuntur sibi eripi Quid ritibus oneramini inquit Apostolus quasi diceret vestrum est hoc jugum recusare in li●erate quâ Christus vos liberavit perstare ut Paulus m●net Gal. 5. 1. That is they therefore sinne not onely who make new decrees in Religion but who subject themselves to the same and suffer the liberty gotten by the blood of Christ to be taken from them Why are yee burdened with rites saith the Apostle as if he should say It belongs to you to refuse this yoke and to persist in the liberty in which Christ hath freed you as Paul admonisheth Gal. 5. 1. Secondly Because it is apparent by many proofes and declared in the Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome that they have beene urged and used for the reduction of Superstition and Popery and for the hindering of true godlinesse Papists themselves boasted of it that we were comming neare to them and they gathered it from the outward face of this Church as was of late in the urging and use of Ceremonies Besides they began to corrupt the doctrine of Religion specially that point of the free grace of God as the booke called the Cumerb●rtant selfe Conviction proves from their writings And it is the rule of Master Francis Mason in his booke of the authority of the Church on 1 Cor. 14. 40. that when the Doctrine declineth the Ceremony is perverted Now the Apostles practice is a sure rule who having circumcised Timothy would not yeeld to have Titus circumcised when he saw that by yeelding the preservation of Christian liberty and of the truth of the Gospell was endangered Gal. 2. 3 4 5. Thirdly Because they are found to foment Ignorance and superstition in the people And this by innumerable experiments is manifest that by reason of the constant continuance of them Religion is placed in them yea the omitting of a Ceremony is conceived an alteration of Religion they are zealous for them as if all their Religion were placed in them Nor is this onely in places where there hath beene no Preacher to shew their errour but also where they have been often and fully taught the contrary And indeed where humane Ceremonies are p●ecisely used the word of God is little minded Now in this case though the things be indifferent in themselves yet are they not to be used to the scandall of mens soules It is the speech of the second part of the Sermon of fasting in the second Tome of Homilies that Gods Church ought not neither may it be so tyed to that or any other order now made or hereafter to be made and devised by the authority of man but that it may lawfully and for just causes alter change or mitigate those ecclesiasticall decrees and orders yea recede wholly from them and breake them when they tend either to superstition or to impiety when they draw the people from God rather then worke any edisication in them Fourthly Because they have found them to increase more and more and the yeelding to some gives encouragement to adde more Now it is a rule agreed that Ceremonies if many are an intolerable burthen It makes the case of the Church Christian worse then that of the Jewes if as Saint Augustine observes Epist. 119. ad Januarium the Christian Church being freed from legall ordinances of God be burthened with humane presumptions Now as he that will beare a little burthen will throw off all if more bee added to over burthen him so may that man that would beare a few Ceremonies justly throw off all when the burthen is increased without measure especially sith multitude of Ceremonies shadow the Gospell making the Religion rather carnall like the Jewish then spirituall like the Christian hindering the fruit thereof from ripening as too many leaves doe a few grapes that are covered by them Thirdly from hence we may take occasion to admonish ministers that they avoid the way of these Pharisees who taught for doctrines mens precepts Con●ider I beseech you whereto you are called to be Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. not observers of Ceremonies and teachers of Church orders Give me leave to expostulate with you Are ye called to maintaine mens traditions or Gods word the Ceremonies of men or the Gospell of Christ How will you then give your account to Christ when you are so zealous for mens traditions so cold for his Gospell When ye exclaime against them that omit an humane Ceremony favour and commend them that teach not the way of salvation When yee foment the hatred of the people against those that disuse Ceremonies of men favour them that neglect the Commands of God when ye cherish the ignorance and superstition of the common people which ye should labour to weede out of their hearts Is it not enough for you to worship God in vaine but that ye teach men so to doe I beseech you consider that threatning before alledged Isa. 29. 14. that for this cause the wisedome of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid Remember the threatning Mal. 2. 9. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as yee have not kept my wayes but have beene partiall in the law Fourthly From hence we may take occasion to admonish the people to take heed of such Pharisaicall teachers as teach for Doctrines Commandements of men our Saviour Christ having manifested the hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisees in this thing bids his Disciples let them alone telling them that they were blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde lead the blinde both fall into the ditch Matth. 15. 14. And elsewhere Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Luk. 12. 1. And surely people have neede to take heede of such teachers sith superstition as it is a pernitious evill so it easily insinuates into peoples mindes and sticks fast in them under shew of antiquity decency and gravity I know this will bee interpreted as if it were a hainous thing to perswade people to withdraw themselves from the Ministers of their Parish though never so negligent or corrupt But let Bishop Bilson answer for me Imo populus ipse deficiente Magistratu Christiano deserere falsos improbos pastores jure Divino potest coercere vero minime Declinare derelinquere eos possunt cogere aut punire non possunt Vis et vindicta gladio alligatae extra privatorum sortem ac caetum collocatae sunt Vnde Paulus Rom. 16. Observate eos qui dissidia scandala contra doctrinam quam edocti estis faciunt et declinate ab iis Oves meae inquit Dominus noster Johan 10. vocem meam audiunt sequuntur me Alienum autem nequaquam sequentur sed fugient ab eo Idem Cyprianus et reliqui Episcopi consulti rescripserunt Epist. Lib. 1. Ep. 4. Separemini inquit Dominus a tabernaculis hominum istorum durissimorum et nolite tangere ea quae ad eos pertinent ne simul pereatis in peccatis eorum Propter quod plebs obsequens praeceptis Domini et Deum metuens a peccatore praeposito separare se debet nec se ad sacrilegi Sacerdotis sacrificia miscere quando ipsa defectu fidelis magistratus maxim● habeat potestatem vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes vel recusandi indignos FINIS Sect. 1. Sect. 2. Sect. 3. Sect. 4. Sect. 5. Sect. 6. Sect. 7. Sir Fran. Bacons essayes of superstition Sect. 8. Dr. Hall quo vadis or censure of travaile Sect. 20. Sect. 9. Sect. 10. Sect. 11. Sect. 12. Archbishop Laud Epist. Dedic. before the relat of his conference with Fisher Heylin coale from the Altar Bishop White Answer to Burton of the Sab. p. 20. Reeve in his expos. of the Cat Bishop Andrewes Sermon in locum Widdowes Lawles kneeles puritan Bishop Andrews Answer to the 18. ch of Cardinall Perrouns reply Heylin Antid Lincoln Sect. 13. Sect. 14. Sect. 15. Libro de perp eul gubernat c. 10.