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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	scripture_n	word_n	7,766	5	4.4516	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40635	Peace and holiness in three sermons upon several occasions / by Ignatius Fuller.	Fuller, Ignatius, 1624 or 5-1711.	1672 (1672)	Wing F2390; Wing F2391; Wing F2392; ESTC R2184	61,487	158

Apostles 2. That the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles is not a Speculative but a Practical Doctrine 3. And which will follow from both The raising of Opinions beside the Doctrine of our Lord and his Apostles and which have no good influence upon the lives of men is the effect of Pride Ignorance Corruption and destitution of Truth and the cause of Envy Strife Reproachings Suspicions and perverse Disputings Of these succinctly The only Rule of a Christian's faith and life is the Doctrine of Tertul. de Praescript C. 6. Nobis verò nihil ex nostro arbitrio inducere licet sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit Apostolos Domini habemus Auctores qui nec ipsi quicquam ex suo arbitrio quod inducerent elegerunt sed acceptam à Christo discipliuam fideliter Nationibus assignaverunt 1 Pet. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles St. Peter would have him that speaks as the Oracles of God i. e. without Addition Subtraction or Alteration For the Apostles were Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Now 't is required of Stewards that they be found faithfull 1 Cor. 4. 1. St. Paul was not wont to withhold any thing profitable from them but Acts 20. 20 27. to declare the whole Counsel of God And Moses speaking of our Saviour truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall Acts 3. 22. ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say to you and the voice from the cloud telling us he was the beloved Son of God commands us to hear him Luke 9. 35. Why else are we bid to search the Scriptures are said to have Moses and the Prophets Why did St. Paul think it a just and full defence of himself to say After the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written Acts 24. 14. in the Law and the Prophets But here I expect the objections of the old Gnosticks decliners of the Scripture Lucifugae Scripturarum Tertul de c. 47. In accusationem ipsarum Scripturarum convertuntur as Tertullian calls them when they are reproved out of the Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures themselves either they want sufficient Authority or are hard to be understood or imperfect without Tradition not written but oral because St. Paul said We speak wisdom among them that are perfect So Clemens Iren. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 757. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Alexandria tells us of some who did patch together false and feigned doctrines that with very good reason they might refuse the Scriptures But when God's Church had exploded those conceits the Romanist rises up against the Word Scriptures saith he be not necessary nor written by divine command are imperfect obscure that we have no original Books and such as we have be corrupted and some others quos dicere nolo imagin that they can speak better than the Wisdom and Spirit of God and notwithstanding St. Paul hath told us the Scripture is useful for reproof yet these men are pleased 1. Tim. 3. 16. to take up what Timothy was to avoid the introduction of Profanas vocum novitates So Ambr and the vulgar Latin Chrysostom as Theophylact intimates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though there is as little difference in the sence as the sound All new terms i. e. postnate to the sealing of the Canon in matters of faith being vain and empty as to the establishing any one Article in it New and Extra-scriptural words for the more effectual reproving of Hereticks forsooth as if he could be an Heretick who did receive the whole Scripture as his only Rule of Christian faith and life But if that be the Rule which is the language of the whole Reformation it must be so complete that it needs no addition as Chilling worth 54. well as so evident that it needs no interpretation for both these we are assured are properties requisite to a perfect Rule 'T is a strange piece of arrogance to think we can speak of God or the things of God better than he himself hath spoken Cannot he that fram'd Num Deus mentis vocis linguae Artifex disertè loqui non potest the mind the voice the tongue speak apposity Yes sure divine Providence took care that those things which were divine should be clear that all might understand Carere fuco voluit ea Lactan. de vero cultu p. 623. what things he spake to them all And Chrysostom having very much urged the reading of the holy Scriptures at length meets that objection What if we do not understand the things we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil 3. de Laz. there He answers 'T is not possible you should be equally ignorant of all things therein For the grace of the Spirit hath so disposed matters therein that Publicans and Fishers and Tent-makers and Shepherds and Rusticks and Ideots and Illiterate did compose the books So that the most Idiotick soul cannot excuse himself on this account things being plain enough to be seen that mechanick Servants and Women and the worst educated may receive great benefit by them These things were not composed for vain glory Tom. 5. p. 244. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for the salvation of such as should hear them Gentile Philosophers indeed and Rhetoricians and Writers not consulting the publick good but their own reputation delivered the most useful notions in their usual obscurity But Prophets and Apostles take the very contrary course their clear and manifest notions they explicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all men as became the common teachers of the whole World So that every man of himself may by reading only understand the things that are said in these books And afterwards on occasion of the Eunuch's reading the Prophet he vehemently recommends a diligent reading of the holy Books He tells us how the reading of them defends us against sins the ignorance of them is a dangerous Precipice and deep Abyss A great hazard it is of our Salvation to be ignorant of the Scriptures This is it that introduces Heresies into our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyp. de lapsu Ecclesiae non jungitur qui ab Evangelio separatur Aufer haereticis quae cum ethnicis sapiunt ut de Scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt Tertul. Faith Immoralities into our lives and causes great confusion in matters of Religion 'T is the neglect or contempt of Scripture is cause of heresie So that we say as Austin All things De doct Chr. l. 2. c. 9. In its quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt inveniri illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque vivendi Epist 3. ad Vo. Iren.

be extinguished Now Death of its own nature being eternal there being naturally no return from the privation to the habit therein must man have been detain'd for ever if our merciful God had not found out an expedient to deliver us from it which is by his Son Jesus whom Acts 2. 36. he hath made both Lord and Christ and hath exalted to be a Prince and a Acts. 5. 31. Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins and by consequence deliverance from death This being that very thing which St. Paul saith The Law of the Spirit of Life hath made me free from the Law of sin and death Which words are a reason or rather a clearer explication of what he had said before viz. That there is no condemnation to them who in Christ Jesus that is by Christ Jesus walk not after the flesh but walk after the Spirit i. e. who for the most part do not in their actions follow the duct and guidance of their sinful appetites but walk according to that Gospel which the Spirit hath consigned to us or that Vertuous habit of mind which that Spirit hath ingenerated in us there is no condemnation to such This Law of the spirit of life i. e. of the quickning Spirit having delivered us from the Law of sin Paraphrase of the words and death That Spirit which our Lord is about to give which leads to Eternal life hath made me i. e. every Christian free first from all customary and habitual sins then from eternal death which necessarily follows all sinful habits and customs By sins St. Paul understands consulted Strom. 2. p. 387. and deliberated sins So Clemens after a long discourse to that purpose concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only are matters So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in St. John 3. 6 10. which God will damn When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ had triumphed over Death and the Grave had ascended on high and was vested with all power in heaven and earth then he gave gifts unto men but no donative did so excel as that effusion of the Spirit in the day of Pentecost the chief and last effects and events whereof were the deliverance of all Believers from the double tyranny of sin and death Hath made me free from the Law of sin and death In the words then we have a deliverance from Sin the cause of Death Death the fruit and consequent of Sin There is a victory over and a deliverance from all habitual customary consulted and deliberate sins to be obtained in this life which is that true Evangelical righteousness which gives us at present a title to and hereafter will actually invest us with a blessed Immortality For our more distinct perception of which notion we may consider that Real Evangelical Righteousness admits of various degrees 1. The first and lowest whereof is of them who for the most part yield obedience to the Precepts of Christ and abstain from sin but yet not without grievous conflicts and great difficulties because that although the Spirit be superiour to the flesh yet the carnal part is not altogether subdued nor a habit of Vertue taken in a more perfect acceptation entirely acquired for which cause their lapses are frequent either for that the Appetite is assisted too strongly from external incitement or too often surprised by error or incogitancy 2. The second degree is of them who have acquired a perfect habit of Righteousness and have so subdued the flesh that they find either none at all or very little difficulty in acting in the ways of God thence consequently are more steady and uniform in the waies of Vertue and holiness and such was St. Paul as may be gathered from divers passages of his writings and others such like there may be as appears both from the sacred Book and also from Experience it self which will yet be more manifest if we shall demonstrate as by and by we shall That there remains possible an higher degree of holiness than that we have yet spoken of although there needs no farther proof than those plain words of our Lord My yoke is easie and my burthen is light i. e. to all them who are supported with a firm hope of a life after death and a blessed immortality And those words of St. John This is the love of God i. e. Metonymically the manifestation of our love towards God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous These overcome the World and that too by their Faith which inspires strength into them And he that overcomes i. e. all such things as the World objects to him to affright and call him off from righteousness sive prospera sive aspera whether smiles or frowns to him it is easie to keep the commands of God to him I say that yoke is easie that burthen is light The third degree and that the highest is of such who being most cheerfully incumbent on the study of Vertue have proceeded so far as that for some competent space of time they sin not at all against any Precept of Christ To this degree ought all Christians who are going heaven-wards always to aspire which state St. Paul seems mystically to call the Resurrection from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. the dead and was the mark whereto he pressed Not that I have already attained neither am already perfect This then is the third degree whereunto if Christians do not attain 't is simply necessary they should reach the second or the first 'T is praise worthy in Pri●ra sequentem ho●stum est in sec●nd is out terti●s consistere Tully him that endeavours to excell to be found in the second or the third degree of Vertue Yet all who would find mercy in the day of Christ must endeavour to attain this highest degree For all acknowledge 't is never permitted to a Christian to sin consultatively for that is to sin malitiously Now unless a man shall labour to shun every sinful act which is to aspire to this supreme degree of Piety he sins consultatively i. e. malitiously which no Christian will defend Sin becomes exceeding sinful exceeding heavy with its own weight if done malitiously or with deliberation And God sometimes remits greater sins if fallen into through frailty or ignorance sooner than lesser sins malitiously committed Again that great study diligence vigilance and labour so exactly required of us in all our Christian Conversation points us out our Mark and Scope which is to eschew every sin and so to aspire to this highest degree of Piety Are we not every where all up and down the sacred Books called upon to imitate God and Christ to be holy as God is holy to be perfect as our Father is perfect to walk in the light as God is in the light to walk as Christ walked and to follow him He that observes these Precepts doth no