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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	ghost_n	holy_a	1,615	5	4.9281	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56143	A brief, pithy discourse upon I Corinthians 14. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Tending to search out the truth in question: Whether it be lawfull for church-governours to command and impose indifferent decent things (not absolutely necessary) in the administration of Gods worship? Written some years past by a judicious divine, and seasonable for our present times	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1661 (1661)	Wing P3915; ESTC R219594	10,985	16

authoritie would be pleased to studie and emulate an Apostolical Spirit Let a fourth Argument be this That if the Synod of Apostles Presbyters and Brethren of Ierusalem did reach their authoritie no farther than to lay upon the Disciples necks the yoke and burthen of Necessary things and that only during the time while they continued Necessary Then may not any succeeding Synod reach their authoritie to lay upon the Church Commandements and Canons of indifferent things For this Synod at Ierusalem was and ought to be the pattern and president of all Succeeding Synods For Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura reliquorum And our Saviour teacheth us to refute aberrations from Primitive-patterns with this Math. 19 8. Non sic fuit ab initia From the beginning it was not so But the Synod at Ierusalem reached their authoritie no farther than to lay Commandements upon the Disciples only touching Necessary things Acts 15 28 Necessarie I say either in themselves as abstaining from Fornication or at least in respect of present offence as abstaining from blood c. And let me conclude this Argument taken from the Apostle Paul his intercourse with the Apostle Peter about a matter of this kind If the Apostle Peter was to be blamed for compelling the Gentiles by his example to observe Indifferent things or Ceremonies of the Jewes Then other Church-Governours will be as much blame worthy for compelling Christians by Law and by grievous censures to observe the Ceremonies now in question though they were Indifferent But the Apostle tells us that Peter was to be blamed in this Case Gala. 2. 11. 14. Ergo c. Now if any except thereat as some are wont to do in this case and say that Peter was therefore blamed because the Ceremonies to which he compelled the Gentiles were not urged as things Indifferent but as Necessarie to Justification and Salvation I answer This is but a mere evasion and will stand them in no stead For it is certain Peter did not account them as necessary he knew the contrary nor did he so use them himself nor so compel others to them But knowing his Liberty for him a Jew to use them among the Jewes he used them onely when the Jews came down from Ierusalem out of a tender care to prevent their offence But you will urge again and say The false Teachers did urge them as necessary I answer What then So did the Christian Jewes at Ierusalem yea Paul himself used them there Acts 21. 23 24 26 27. notwithstanding the corrupt opinion of Worship and Necessity which they put upon them as much as ever did the false Teachers in Galatia Why then will you say did Paul blame that in Peter which he practised himself He had indeed blamed Peter for that which he practised himself if he had therefore blamed him for practising such Ceremonies because they were urged by others with a corrupt opinion of Necessity and worship What was then the difference that made the practise of Paul lawfull in using the Ceremonies at Ierusalem and the practice of Peter unlawfull in using the same Ceremonies among the Gentiles at Antioch I answer The difference was this Though that corrupt opinion of the necessity of the Ceremonies prevailed alike in both places yet the Ceremonies themselves had not the like warrant in both places In Ierusalem they were known to have been the Commandements of God and were not yet known to the Christian-Jewes to have been abrogated and therefore at Ierusalem they had warrant from God to use them to avoid the offence of the weak Jew there But at Antioch and all other Churches of the Gentile they were at best but things Indifferent as having never been commanded of God there Whence it was that Peter saw his Liberty to forbear them there at his fi●st comming What was then the Sin of Peter in resuming the practice of the Ceremonies there His Sin was double First the abuse of his authority in the Church for that unawares by his Example he compelled the Gentiles to the use of such Ceremonies as himself saw Liberty to forbear amongst them And which having never been commanded by God to them he had no power to impose on them His other Sin was the dissembling or concealing of his Christian Liberty which he should then then have stood upon when he saw the false teachers urge these Ceremonies upon the Gentiles as well as upon the Iews to the prejudice of their Christian Liberty When things that are indifferent are commanded to be done of necessity as now all Popes and Prelates Ceremonies are then are not the same to be obeyed because the same destroyeth our freedom in Christ. The Sum of all this will lead us by the hand one step farther namely if it be a sin in Church-Governours to command especially upon strict penalty Indifferent decent things It will be a sin also in Ministers and in private Christians to subscribe Ex animo and to yield obedience by Conformity to such commands although the Ceremonies were as good indeed as they were pretended which I believe they are not Indifferent-Decent-Things For doth not such voluntarily Subscription and Conforming to them build up our Church-Governours yea and with them that which is most to be taken to heart of us our Soveraign civil Governours also in the confidence that such Commandements are as well lawfully given by them as received and obeyed yea confirmed and allowed by us Now to build up or edifie a Brother to sin is properly to offend a Brother For the proper definition of an offence is that which edifieth a Brother unto Sin as the original word expresseth it 1 Cor. 8. 10. and so to sin against a Brother is to wound his Conscience Yea and as much as in us lyeth to cause him to perish for whom Christ died Which is no better then Spiritual Murther of his Soul Now if thus to edifie any Brother to sin be so heynous an offence how much more heynous an offence is it to edifie our Governours to the giving and urging of such Commandements yea and to the sharp Censuring of all others as refractory and factious persons who choose rather to undergo the losse of the greatest Comforts they enjoy in this World then to wound the Consciences either of themselves or of their Governours It is true by forbearing obedience to those Commandements we offend the Spirits of our Governours and make them to be though causelesly offended with us But by yielding obedience to these things we should offend their Consciences in edifying them to sin and provoke the Lord to be offended with them Better they be offended with us without fault then through our fault God to be offended with them and us It is not for Christians Muchlesse for Ministers to redeem outward peace and Liberty at so dear a price as the hazzard of the blood of so many pretious Souls especially of our Governours in highest place and Authority This was the Authors Judgement with whom our Martyr Mr. Will. Tyndall concurs in his Answer to Mr. Moores first book p. 285 286. Our Prelates ought to be our Servants as the Apostles were to teach us Christs Doctrine and not to Lord over us with their own Peter called it tempting of the Holy Ghost Acts 15 to lade the Heathen with ought but that which necessity and brotherly love requireth and Paul rebuking the Corinthians and Galatians for their over much obedience warneth all men to stand fast and not to suffer themselves to be brought into bondage FINIS * Which will serve for an answer to Dr. Alexander Read Parson of Fifield in Essex his idle Visitation Sermon printed 1636. upon this very Text. Throughout which he makes his own private Fantasies the sole rule of Decency without one word of Scripture to back them * Gal. 6. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 16. 19. Isay. 8. 20. Luke 16. 29. * 2 Cor. 4. 2. When Peter and Paul commanded us to obey our Superiours they commanded to obey the Bishops in the Doctrine of Christ not in their own Tyndals Answer to Mr. Mores first Book p. 286. * 1 Cor. 14. 34. 15. 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. * 1 cor 11. 5 to 11. * Acts 15. 29. * 1 Cor. 7. 8 9. 12 13 14 25 26 c. cap. 11. 4 5 13 14 15 16. * See Dr. Barnes his Discourse that Mens Constitutions bind not the Conscience p. 297. to 301. Objection Answer * 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 14 Luke 12. 42. to 49. Tit. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 3. Note this * 1 Cor. 11. to 18 c. 14. 2 to 38. 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. 1 ●●t 3. 3. * See D. Barnes That mens Constitutious bind not the Conscience p. 297. to 300. * see La Cerda his Commentary thereon * Mar. 11. 25. Lu. 18. 11. 2 Chron. 6. 13. Lu. 22 41. Acts 3 60. c. 9 40. c. 20. 36. c. 21. 5. 2 Sam. 7. 18. 1 Chron. 17. 16. Ezr. 9. 4. Ezech. 20. 1. † Mat. 26. 7. 20. Mar. 14. 18. Lu 22. 14 27 30. c. 24. 30 31. Chrysostom Theophilact Beda Beza Walae us Buxtorfius and others on those Texts * This was the Argument of Joannes de Wesalia Abb Uspergensis Paraleipomena p 419 to prove Quod praelati non habent autoritarem instituendi leges Objection Answer Argument 2. Objection Answer Argument 3. † see Niceph. Cal. Eccles. Hist. l. 1 2. c. 33 34 35. Socrates Eccles Hist l. 5. c. 21 22. l. 7. c. 28. ●5 * See Acts 21-23 24 16 27. Eusebius Eccles Hist. l. 5. c. 21 to 25. in the English Translation Objection Answer 1. Note this Argument 4. * See 1 Cor. 7. 5 to 40. Col. 2. 19 20 20. 1 Tim 4. 3 4 Mar 7. 7 8 9. Matth. 15. 9 Gal. 1. 10 11 12. c. 6. 12 13. Objection Answer Object Answer Objection Answer Quere Answer Q●ere Answer * This was the iudgement of the Author of them

command Phil●mon that which was convenient Phil. 8. Therefore he might make a Law commanding the Church some expedient decent things It follows not For first it s one thing to give a Commandment for once and that in a particular case as here another thing to make a Law to bind One alwayes to doe the like Secondly it is one thing to command a particular person in case only of a private wrong who may owe himself to a Church-Governour as Philemon did to Paul Another thing to command yea to give a standing command binding Law to a whole Church in Worship or Ceremonies to whom he professeth himself only a Servant or Minister 2 Cor. 4. 5. over whom he hath no authority but only Stewardly or Economically to wit when he speaks in his Lords or Masters name not in his own As the Steward in a family hath not power over his Masters Spouse but when he speaks or shews his Masters command or directions not his own But of such things as are only Indifferent and Decent I do not find in Scripture that ever Church Governours did Lawfully advise and perswade them Much lesse charge and command them And that this place in hand 1 Cor. 14. 40. doth not give them any such power though it be much urged to this end may appear from these reasons First the place speaketh not of Indifferent Decent things but of Necessary Decent things only the neglect wherof was undecent and disorderly by the light of Nature Scripture Custom As for Men to wear long-hair women to be bare-headed brayd their hair for women to speak in the Congregation as also for men to speak many of them at once Secondly the words of this place run not thus Let all decent things be done Or let all things judged or declared by the Church-Governours to be decent be done but thus Let all things to wit all Ecclesiastical matters As all the Ordinances of God that are done in the Church all the duties of Gods worship Whether Praying Prophesying Psalmes Sacraments or the like be done decently orderly in orderly and decent manner But whether in that decent manner which Church Governours do appoint or in some other that the Apostle limitteth not but only requireth that all be done decently which if it be done in any decent manner gesture warranted by Scripture or Nature his rule here prescribed is fully observed and followed 3. Thirdly the same may appear out of this place by this argument If this Text of the Apostle did give power and authority to Church Governours to command indifferent decent things then he that should transgresse the commandement of the Church therein should also transgresse the commandement of the Apostle As look what Order or Acts of Justice any civil Governour doth by vertue of the Commission of the King He that violateth such Acts or transgresseth such Orders transgresseth also against the Commandement and Commission of the King But it appeareth to be otherwise in this case as for instance If the Church-Governours command a Minister to pre●ch alwayes in a Gown it being indifferent and decent so to do he that shall now and then preach in a Cloak transgresseth the command of the Church But not of the Apostle For he that preacheth in a Cloak preacheth also decently or else whereto serveth Tertullians whole Book de Pallio Now if so be it be done decently then it is all that the rule of the Apostle requireth in this point The like may be 〈◊〉 of praying and of receiving the Lords Supper standing kneeling or siting which are all three lawfull indifferent and decent gestures warranted by Scripture Presidents and Sitting the gesture which doubtless Christ and his Apostles used when they instituted and received the Lords Supper is a posture of Humility and Reberence as well as Kneeling alwaies used at Suppers and Feasts among all Nations as St. August Enarratio in Psal. 126. 138. ad Simplicianum l. 2. qu. 4. Gulielmus Stuckius Antiqu. Convivialium l. c. 33. l. 2. c. 34. and Walaeus in Mat. c. 26. p. 294 to 299 and in Mar. c. 11. v. 25. prove at large Therefore to confine Christians to pray or receive the Sacrament only kneeling not standing or sitting or else to censure or debar them from these Ordinances must needs be without the verge of this Text and so of Church-Governours Jurisdiction and a high encroachment upon their Christian Liberty But because this point is of great consequence both for Church Governours and others to be truly informed in give me leave to clear the same from some other arguments To wit That it is not in the power of Church-Governours to command things meerly decent and indifferent in the worship of God by Order of Law That so Prelates Clergy men may be right well assured God never gave unto them authority to make and establish so many Ceremonies and Traditions which be contrary to the liberty of the Gospel and are blocks in Christen mens wayes that they can neither know nor observe the same his Gospel in liberty of Conscience nor attain a ready way to Heaven as Iohn Purvey affirmed in his Articles Fox Acts and Monuments p. 7. 11. 712. First then that which exceeds the bounds of Apostolical authority and straightneth the bounds of Christian Liberty is not in the power of any Church-Governour to command But to command indifferent decent things by order of Law exceedeth the bounds of Apostolical authority and straightneth the bounds of Christian Liberty Ergo c. The former of these to witt that to command indifferent decent things exceedeth the bounds of Apostolical authority appeareth from the Commission granted to the Apostles which was the largest Commission that ever Christ gave to any Church-Governours Mat. 28. 20. Where our Saviour giveth them Commission to teach all Nations to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them Now all things whatsoever he hath commanded them are Necessary not indifferent for the people to observe If therefore the Apostles over and above the Commandements of Christ which are necessary should teach the people to observe indifferent things also which Christ hath not commanded they shall exceed the bounds of their Commission 1 Cor. 11. 23. c. 14. 37. 1 Cor. 7. 6. 10. It will be in vain to object that our Saviour here speaketh only of matters of Doctrine and Faith not of Government and Order unlesse it could be proved that our Saviour else where did enlarge this Commission and gave them more unlimited power in matters of Government Order or Indifferency Which for ought I can see no man goes about to do unles it be from this place of the Corinth which hath been already cleared as I hope from any such meaning As for the second or latter part of the Assumption that to command indifferent Decent things straightneth the bounds of Christian Liberty is of it self evident For whereas for