Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	faith_n	holy_a	2,665	5	4.7089	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92566	A vindication of conformity to the liturgy of the Church of England. In a letter, written to A person of quality, wherein satisfaction is given to certain queries suggested by a non-conformist.	P. S.	1668 (1668)	Wing S124; ESTC R183126	12,388	56

A VINDICATION OF CONFORMITY TO THE LITURGY Of the Church of ENGLAND In a Letter Written to a Person of Quality wherein satisfaction is given to certain Queries suggested by a Non-Conformist YORK Printed by Stephen Bulkley And are to be sold by Richard Lambert 1668. Imprimatur Joh. Garthwait Reverendissimo in Christo Patri ac Dom. Dom. Richardo Archiepis Eboracensi à Sacris Domesticis Datum Episcopo-Thorpae Feb. 19. 1668. Queries of a Non-Conformist WHether our Lord and Master Jesus Christ as he is God and Man he not the sole Supream Legislator to his Church and People in things concerning the Worship of God insomuch that what ever externall exhibition of the Worship of God as to the whole or such part of it as was not in use in the Prophets our Saviours the Apostles dayes not for above three hundred years after our Lords Ascension neither is any where in the sacred Scriptures appointed by our Lord Masiers command or example to be used in Publick and is so far from having his Royall Stamp upon it that as to some parts of it it is plainly insufficient considered as a means to effect that which it is appointed for whether such a Publick Worship of God with ' its Liturgie and Rubrick ought at all to be used in the Churches of Christ in these dayes of Reformation or Restoration of Conformity 2. Whether the enjoyments of such a Publick Worship ut supra with that strictness that unless that Worship be used there must not be any other Worship of God be used be it never so Scripturall and Orthodox whether this be not a making this Worship an Essentiall part of Gods Worship and an adding to Gods Word so solemnly forbidden in Deuteronomie and Revelation 3. Whether if I assent and consent to the use of that Worship Liturgie and Rubrick Whether I doe not so far set up an other Power in co-ordination to my Law-giver and Judge who is both God and Man Yea Whether I doe not set up another Power above Him if I doe as that Power enjoynes rather omit or curtall that I know for certaine my Lord and Master enjoynes than leave one word un-read of that manner of Worship a Forraigne Power enjoynes Whether thus doing is not such a pleasing of Man as declares I am no true servant of Jesus Christ 4. Whether it be not a transgression of my Commission given me by my Lord and Masters own mouth in Mat. 28. ult and penult whether it be not in some sence a bidding him keep his Gifts and Spirit he hath promised keep them to himselfe I am furnished with a manner of Worship which I can carry on without his or his Spirits help or any extraordinary gift Whether by Assenting and Consenting ut supra I doe not incurr the curse threatned against Adding or detracting from the Word of God and from the word of that Prophet spoken of by Moses and Paul Whether by Assenting and Consenting ut supra I doe not recidivate from being a faithfull Witness and Asserter of my Lord and Master his sole Supremacy ut supra And whether I doe not hereby render my selfe plainely without excuse when he at that great day shall say Who required the Exhibition of such a worship at thy hands Good Madam I Intended before this time to have performed my promise to your Ladyship in sending you a word or two concerning that Paper which a Divine presented to your Mother I told you at Horn by Castle that much having been written by Learned Men of our Church concerning this Argument which it is supposed any Minister in this Nation that desires cordially to imploy his Talent in his native Country to Gods glory and his Country-mens advantage will not neglect to peruse the best course would be for a Person unsatisfied after the Reading of such Writings Hookers Ecclesiasticall Politie Arch-bishop Whitgifts Reply to the Admonition Masons Sermon of Conformity Bishop Sandersons Preface c. to debate matters calmely with some Divine of a contrary perswasion especially with some Learned Bishop who by verball conference may possibly give the dissenting person that satisfaction which by Reading he cannot yet procure If till opportunity offer it selfe of better assistance any weak endeavours of mine might contribute any thing to the settlement of this Gentleman I should be very ready to communicate unto him the ground of my own submission to the Church Government now established among us and to hear him produce the Reasons of his dissatisfaction If he shall be able by any convincing Arguments to prove that our Church enjoyneth any thing contrary to the will of the Supreme Legislator I hope that nothing that I enjoy at this time in it shall be an impediment unto me of embracing his convictions and bearing a part of that Cross which many of his perswasion would have the world think that they take upon them for the cause of Christ 'T is possible the Gentleman may have more to alledge in discourse than he has expressed by writing otherwise I much marvaile why he should think himselfe warranted to suspend his exercise of such gifts as God hath given him and the pursuit of that high Calling unto which I suppose him Legally advanced by reason of the present settlement of our Church For first in reference to his first Querie We all readily acknowledge our Lord Christ the Supreme and sole Law-giver to his Church in all the substantialls of his worship and service But yet we deny that it doth hence follow that no circumstances of serving God are left to the Judgement of the present Church The holy Scriptures are a sufficient rule of Faith and manners and we abhorr that distinction of the Papists of the Word of God into Traditionall and Written We cheerfully beleeve all things necessary for us to beleeve and doe to be contained in those holy Books of the Old and New Testament as appears by the sixth Article of our Church And yet when God was pleased to afford us the succour of supernaturall Revelation in the grand Mysteries of our salvation We do not beleeve that he forbad us the sober use of Reason the giving a greater light was not intended for the extinction of the lesser but to offer unto us the help of Divine assistance in things that naturall reason is altogether blind in the eye of humane reason is dimme in discerning naturall and Morall things altogether blind in Divine We give therefore no licence at all unto reason to contradict the revealed will of God in his Word The sacred authority therefore of supernaturall truth being advanced to that pitch of unquestionable dignity that where it speaks clearly there no exceptions of Men or Angels are permitted to interpose and controle what is there spoken what should hinder a single Person as far as his liberty is not restrained by his Superiours much less a Nationall Church publiquely to manage the worship of God after those Methods which reason assisted by

and want humility Ambition and Covetousness and Pride and Rebellion have stained the gifts of many in our late remembrance that might otherwise have done though not so much service to the Church as themselves supposed yet less mischiefe than through their mis-imployment she hath sustained By reason of these defects what hath our Church suffered whilst one was for a Classis Another for a gathered Congregation A third against Paedobaptisme A fourth against Monarchy and yet all would we credit them for Christ When these had Preached their severall Sentiments they concluded their Harangues with Prayers agreeable to their respective judgements and the Auditors that heard them must either with their Amen to such wild devotions seal contradictions or stand upon their guard to pick and choose where to joyne issue with those incoherent ejaculations which in defiance of all Authority of the ancient Church must be obtruded upon the world as the Dictates of the holy Ghost But 't is alledged That to enjoyn a set Forme so as not to suffer any parts of Gods worship to be carryed on without it though never so Scripturall seems to make an addition to Gods Word forbidden in Deut. and the Rev. nothing less For here 't is to be noted that some things are absolutely good as the Love of God and our Neighbour the believing of the Articles of the Christian Faith praying to and praysing of God c. And then some things are absolutely sinfull and wicked as all the violations of the Moral Law and the discredit of any thing commended to our beliefe under paine of damnation But then some things are of an indifferent and middle nature neither of themselves obliging us to the use or refusall of them but are left unto us under our Christian Liberty to be either forborne or imployed as our selves shall think fitting under no restrictions till our Superiours limit us but that of the Apostle Whether ye eate or drinke doe all to the glory of God And let us follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one way edifie another 1 Cor. 10.31 Rom. 14.19 of this kind are the words wherein we present our supplications to God the time when the Lords day excepted and the place where the Garments in which we Pray unto him Which circumstances when the Church determineth she is far from intending to make any addition to the sacred Oracles of Gods Word or from straightening that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free For first The Church of England hath no such opinion as some of the Romanists have of the Orders of some of their Saints touching any constitutions that she maketh concerning the regulating of Gods Worship she placeth no necessity in them Indeed she judgeth that when such Laws are made they ought to be obeyed upon the obligation of the fifth Commandement But that obligation springs not from the immediate Law giver but from the Ordinance of him that hath commanded us to submit our selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake For even after her determination the Church supposeth the indifferency that was before still to continue in respect of the things themselves onely in respect of use and so farr as concerns us we are under restraint but yet not so that the violation of such Laws when it falleth to be committed upon some sudden emergency is esteemed a sin like the breach of Gods Laws so long as it is without wantonness scandall and contempt 2. The Church conceiveth her selfe not so bound to keep any Rites or Ceremonies established but that upon due motives she may alter them as she pleaseth prescribing to no other Church what they should doe but permitting unto them in this behalfe the liberty that her selfe taketh If upon this ground it should be inferred Why are such Ceremonies of which the Church declareth her judgement to be that in themselves they are indifferent pressed so indispensably that he that will not assent and consent to the use of them must not be suffered to use another manner of Worship which he conceives more Scripturall We answer That it appertains not to private men to judge what Publick Worship is most Scripturall but to the Governors of the Church and they think that the Liturgy established is as Scripturall a Worship as any that can be contested against it If the Scriptures had appointed with what words and after what express Forme the whole Service of the Church should have been managed that method would have obliged all Christians but such a Forme is no where extant in all the Book of God Indeed there is a generall Rule That all things should be done decently and in Order And a cleare Injunction that we should obey those that are over us in the Lord to whom it belongs to judge what in the publick Assemblyes is decent and orderly It may be this Querist would have every Minister of God in the Publique Service of the Church proceed according to the measure of his Talents which he supposeth may be husbanded to the edification of soules far more advantagiously than the prescript Formes can be which being known and alwayes the same are apt to beget or at least nourish in us formality oscitancy and dulness in those addresses that should be active and vigorous full of affection and holy zeale I know such things have bin pleaded but experience hath taught us that neither set Formes doe necessarily beget those evill effects nor doe the arbitrary conceptions of such Divines as have thought fitting to renounce complyance with the rule enjoyned them provide against them We have no desire to reproach men but if we had might we not tell them that the new methods of devision which entred upon the late banishment of the Liturgie were so far from spiritualizing the people that pertook of them that if Pride Contention Schisme Rebellious contumacy against Governors both Ecclesiasticall and Civill Oppression and Covetousness are works of the flesh a more carnall generation of professors cannot be produced I say not since the Reformation but scarce since Christianity than those that have upon pretence of Carnality Formality deserted the Communion of the Church of England 3. I hope upon consideration of what hath already been said the Querist may easily perceive that by his Assent and Consent to the Liturgy c. he will not fall under the guilt of setting up a power in co-ordination to our great Law-giver who is God and Man much less need he feare that hereby he shall advance a power above Christ For the Church of England pretends to no infallible authority over mens Consciences she is farr from checking any thing expressly commanded by the Spirit of Christ in the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles onely by the help of that light which she thence receiveth she endeavoureth to direct and assist all the children within her Communion in the most ready course of performing the duties there required and herein