Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	article_n	church_n	homily_n	2,467	5	11.7893	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56609	A brief account of the new sect of latitude-men together with some reflections upon the nevv philosophy / by S.P. of Cambridge, in answer to a letter from his friend at Oxford.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1662 (1662)	Wing P754; ESTC R18217	17,337	26

sacred oracles of God talk at such a rate as if they were offended to see so general a conformity It seems very strange that any son of the Church should be displeased to see the number of her children to encrease beyond expectation I hope it is not because there will be the more likely to lay claim to a share in the patrimony nay I am well assured it is far from any of her genuine off-spring that are faithfull to her interest to be so affected or if at any time some less becoming expression should drop from them it hath onely proceeded from misinformation and want of a right understanding of things which upon better thoughts it is likely they could wish unsaid But it cannot be expected but the prosperity of the Church will occasion the flocking in of many less worthy persons who will be very ambitious to be accompted in the number of her Children who for want of something else to render them more considerable than their Neighbours must make use of an unmeasurable ostentation of their Zeal and forwardness which they think is best expressed by slandering and reproaching those whom they have out-stripped not in sincerity but in shew and appearance and it may be some of them may hope to expiate their former disaffections by their present overdoing and think to recommend themselves by calling others Hypocrites It were I say a thing to be wondered at if there should not some such men as these creep into the Church since it is become a profitable way who by such unworthy acts will endeavour to compass their designes and by breeding and fomenting publike differences will hope to serve their private turns but I am confident their number is very small and that the most part are men of more noble and generous spirits that hate such unworthiness however their names may sometimes be abused by some few unquiet spirits that make all this noise and stirr For I must tell you I do not find that the grave heads or other prudent persons of the University give any countenance to this peevish talk of some few who for distinction sake if Latitude be a name of reproach will not I hope be offended to be called Narrow-men notwithstanding But that there may remain no suspicion of their disaffection to the Church in any respect I will give you a brief accompt of what I conceive to be their sentiments in each point relateing thereunto which are the Liturgy the Ceremonies the government and the Doctrine of the Church As for the first they conceive there ought by all means to be a settled Liturgy it having alwayes been the practice both of the Jewish and Christian and more or less retained by all reformed Churches that there can be no Solemnity of publick worship without it that it is the greatest check to devotion that can be to hear men mix their private Opinions with their publick prayers which are for the most part false and have an evil influence on the lives of men yet this hath been almost the Universal practice for these twenty years The like may be said of those absurd ridiculous blasphemous expressions that do so frequently occurre in extempore prayers under the pretence of being familiar with God Almighty to say nothing of those seditious and traiterous principles craftily thereby insinuated into the minds of people with greater authority than in their Sermons could be done for as much as there is a greater aw and solemnity in the one above the other which allso shews how uncomely a thing it is for men to ostentate their parts and abilities therein as they were wont to doe by their empty Rhetorications and tedious prolixity Our Latitudinarians therefore are by all means for a Liturgy and do preferre that of our own Church before all others admiring the Solemnity gravity and primitive simplicity of it its freedome from affected phrases or mixture of vain and doubtfull opinions in a word they esteem it to be so good that they would be loth to adventure the mending of it for fear of marring it As for the Rites and Ceremonies of Divine worship they do highly approve that vertuous mediocrity which our Church observes between the meretricious gaudiness of the Church of Rome and the squalid sluttery of Fanatick conventicles Devotion is so overclad by the Papists that she is oppressed and stifled with the multitude of her own garments Pars minima est ipsa puella sui some of our modern reformers to make amends have stripped her starke naked till she is become in a manner cold and dead The Church of England only hath dressed her as befits an honourable and vertuous Matron There are few men so abstractedly intellectuall but that their devotion had need to be advanced with something that may strike upon their outward sences and engage their affections and therefore while we live in this Region of mortality we must make use of such external helps recommend Religion to the people by those ornaments which the Church hath according to her prudence thought fittest for those ends The Church of Rome is a luxuriant vine full of superfluous branches and overrun with wild grapes from whence many a poysonous and intoxicating potion is pressed forth But the greatest part of Reformers have done like the rude Thracian in the Apologue who instead of moderate pruning and dressing his vines as his more Skillfull Athenian Neighbours did cut them up by the Roots but the Church of England is the only well ordered Vine-yard In like mannner they have a deep veneration of her Government which they stedfastly beleive to be in it self the best and the same that was practised in the times of the Apostles They did alwayes abhor both the Usurpation of Scottish Presbytery and the confusion of Independent Anarchy and do esteem it one of the methods which the Prince of darkness useth to overthrow the Church and Religion by bringing the Clergy into contempt which experience tells us will necessarily follow upon the removing the several Dignities and preeminence among them for when the Bishops are once levelled with ordinary Presbyters the Presbyters will soon be trampled on by the meanest of the Laity and when every Preacher would needs be a Bishop every Rustick and Mechanick took upon him to be a Preacher Lastly for the Doctrine of the Church they do cordially adhere to it as doth sufficiently appear by their willingness to subscribe to the thirty nine Articles and all other points of Doctrine contained either in the Liturgy or book of Homilies and particularly whatsoever may be privately whispered to the contrary they do both devoutly adore the blessed Trinity in the Letany and make solemn profession of their Orthodox faith both concerning it and other points in the three Creeds not excepting that which is commonly ascribed to Athanasius nor is there any Article of Doctrine held forth by the Church which they can justly be accused to depart from unlesse absolute