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A69536 The judgment of non-conformists about the difference between grace and morality Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1676 (1676) Wing B1292_VARIANT; ESTC R16284 66,799 124

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gainfuller Trade of life than spending-labour with poverty reviling scorn and imprisonments XLII To conclude As far as we are able to understand the most learned sober judicious Conformists by their own words to us and their Writings they differ not at all from us about the matter it self which we deny Conformity to but confess it to be unlawful as to the hardest points of the imposed Subscriptions Oaths and Declarations and Covenants but they only take the words in such a sense in which we our selves could take them were we perswaded that it were indeed the true meaning of them And do they that are as much as we against that sense which we disown and agree with us in the matter deserve liberty honour and preferment for otherwise interpreting the words of the Law which the Law-givers themselves will not interpret And doth our supposition that the Law-makers mean properly as they speak deserve scorn silencing and Goals from them that will not expound them to us The righteous God will be Judge between us For instance 1. By Assent in the Declaration required we understand Believing it to be true But the Conformists that we speak of understand only a Belief that I may use it 2. By all and every thing contained in the Book we suppose is meant all and every thing indeed But they say only the Forms to be used are meant and many other things in the Book not meant We find after named Unfeigned Assent and Consent unto and Approbation of the said Book and to the use of all the Prayers Rites and Ceremonies Forms and Orders therein contained and prescribed we think here Approbation and Assent are more than Consent to use and we think that the use of all the Orders is more than the use of the Forms We think that no Word in the Book was intended to be useless and that the Doctrines Calendars even that untrue one to find out Easter-day Rubricks and Directories have each their proper use We suppose that the foregoing words of the Use are the End and the Form of the Declaration is the Means to secure that Use as the End and that the Means hath more in than the End 3. Some of them suppose that denying Christendom to Christians Children for want of Crossing or Godfathers and denying Communion to true Christians that receive not kneeling are none of the Orders to be used But we think otherwise 4. Some of them think that Admitting none to the holy Communion till they be Confirmed or desirous to be Confirmed though it be the very words is none of the Orders which they Consent to use and we never knew any use it by any tryal of mens desires But we think that nothing in the Book is intelligible if such plain passages are not 5. Some of them by the words at Burial that thank God for taking to himself the Soul of this our dear Brother out of the miseries c. understand not his Salvation but his going out of this World But we think otherwise 6. When only the unbaptized self murderers and excommunicate are there excepted some say all others are meant that ought to be excommunicate and so every Priest is made the Judge who should be Excommunicate But we think that Exceptio particularis firmat regulam in non exceptis 7. They think that the Words in the Canon that Nothing in the three Books is contrary to the Word of God are meant with exceptions as to Nothing or to Contrariety But we take Nothing for Nothing and Contrary for Contrary 8. Some of them say that the Church being the Maker of these Impositions we are to take them in the Churches sense which the Bishops may signifie But we think that we must take them in the sense of the King and Parliament as the Law-makers and that no Church or Bishops can alter our Religion or Articles or Subscriptions by an Expository Power 9. Some of them think that the words on any pretense whatsoever in the Subscription have exceptions But we know not how any words can be more exclusive of exceptions 10. Some of them think that by any Commissioned is meant only Lawfully Commissioned and so Subjects are left to judge of the Lawfulness We find there no such Limitation or Exposition 11. Some of them say that by the Government of the Church not to be altered is not meant the Lay-Chancellors use of the Keys But we think that their actual Government is the Government actually 12. Some of them say that by no change or alteration is meant only of the Essence of Episcopacy We take no alteration for no alteration 13. Some of them say that by not endeavouring is meant only not seditiously or by ill means We think That ubi DEX non distinguit non est distinguendum 14. Some of them think that no Law or words imposed must be expounded contrary to Gods Law or any former Law or to the King 's or Peoples rights But 1. That is to suppose that men cannot contradict themselves or God or do unjustly 2. And then whatever Oaths men put on us we may take them were the words never so false or impious because the meaning must still be judged good 15. Some say that we must put the best sense on imposed Oaths and Covenants and Subscriptions that the words can be subdued to We think that they must be taken in the sense of the Law-makers which is to be judged of by the usual meaning of their words unless themselves do otherwise expound them And so in many other Instances the Conformists say that they would not Conform themselves if they understood the words as we do Seeing then that all these worthy Conformists before mentioned do confess that if the words of the Laws be properly to be understood and not with their limitations then the Conformists are in the wrong and the Non-conformists in the right we conclude with these few Questions Q. 1. Whether we owe not that honour to our Law-makers as to suppose that they are able and willing to speak intelligibly Q. 2. Whether they would have men left as to the Oath of Allegiance and all other Oaths and Laws to subdue the Law-makers words to any sense that the Subject thinks lawful and to make themselves Judges of the sense by departing from the common use of the words without proof that the Law-makers meant otherwise Q. 3. Whether there be need of much Learning Conscience or Honesty to stretch the words from their ordinary sense more than to do otherwise And whether so to do would deserve honour and preferment and to do otherwise be a Crime that deserveth silencing and ruine Q. 4. Whether their way of Exposition or ours tend more to promote Perjury and Equivocation and which more secureth Truth and Honesty Q. 5. If once the Conscience of Oaths and Covenants be relaxed by stretching words to the takers interest are not the Lives of Princes left in danger and the Bonds of common Converse loosened Q. 6. If this must be the cause of our sufferings and silence is it not justice so to tell the World and write it on our Cross that we are silenced and laid in Goals because we dare not take Oaths and Covenants imposed in Terms excluding limitations and exceptions in a limited excepting sense without the Explication of the Law-makers Q. 7. And if we must be so used whether any in the whole World be more unfit to silence imprison fine reproach and ruine us for mis-understanding the words which we are to Subscribe or Promise or Covenant in viz. for taking none to mean none nothing to mean nothing not any to mean not any contrary to mean contrary all to mean all than those that while they are set to ruine us will by no intreaties after our almost fourteen Years sufferings and expectations be prevailed with to procure us an Exposition of the sense of any of these so much controverted words We are more confident that the Law-makers can more certainly and infallibly expound their own words than the Pope or Council can expound Theological difficulties And if our Accusers will not once endeavour to procure them so to do nor be intreated to consent it when Conformists and Non-conformists are chiefly disagreed about the Interpretation of them and when our preaching or silence honour or reproach maintenance or poverty liberty or imprisonment yea and much duty or sin in the Body of the Nation lyeth upon the resolution of this Controversie what is the Law-makers meaning we will still refer all to him that judgeth righteously who will shortly finally end the Controversie praying to God though Men will not hear us to open our Lips that our Mouths may sh●w forth his praise that he will make speed to save us and make has●e to help us that he whose service is perfect freedom will defend us his humbled servants in all assaults of our Enemies that we surely trusting in his defence may not fear the power of any Adversaries and that these evils which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against us be brought to nought and by the providence of his goodness they may be dispersed that we his Servants being hurt by no persecution may evermore give him thanks in his holy Church that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in his mercy and evermore serve him in holiness and pureness of living that he will forgive our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and turn their hearts especially that he will save our Posterity from their Curse who say The Blood be on us and on our Children For we are not against such a Liturgy as this POSTSCRIPT Reader IT was intended that a short Account of the Nonconformists Judgement about the Power of Kings and the Obedience of Subjects should have been added but by reason of some Mens aptness to be offended at all such Publications and because of the present dispersion of the Collectors it is pretermitted with this Profession That they shall at all times be ready to give such Account of their Judgements when Authority shall call them or allow it as shall satisfie all impartial Men that they are haters of Disloyalty Sedition Rebellion and Schisme FINIS
adorn their Chimnies nor that use a Skelleton or Deaths-head or that by these are minded of Mortality or the Life to come and so make a holy use of them as good Men should do of all lawful things which therefore are pure and sanctified to them XXV We hold not a Gown or other meer distinctive Garment for Ministers to be unlawful in which saith the Canon no holiness is placed any more than to Judges Lawyers or Phylosophers And some of us hold a Surplice rather to be used than the Ministry forsaken And those that think otherwise think not the matter of so much weight as to alienate them from Love or Communion with those that use it For we pretend not to so much perfection as to be all just of a mind and measure of Knowledge in all things of no greater importance than this Nor would we silence faithful Ministers for a Surplice XXVI Though we greatly dislike the common use of God-Fathers as they undertake that as Sole-promisers for the Child which they never signifie credibly the least purpose to perform and the Parents are excluded from entering their own Children into Covenant with God and must not speak one covenanting or promising word no nor be urged to be present c. Yet we refuse not the use of such Sureties or Sponsors in Baptisme as are but Seconds to the Parents and only attest the Parents credibility and undertake to take care of the Childrens Education in case the Parents either apostatize or dye nor yet such as are Adopters of the Children and take them to them as their own and so have the right of disposing of them and covenanting in their names and stead Though yet we conform not to the denying of Christendom to the Children of all godly Parents that either cannot get such God-Fathers or will not but offer to enter their own Children into that Covenant XXVII Many of us hold it lawful to communicate Kneeling in the reception of the Sacramental Body and Blood of Christ And those of us that think so and those of us that think otherwise take it not for such a matter as should hinder Christian Love Concord Unity and Peace or allow Men to despise condemn or excommunicate one another But all detest that cruelty that dare cast out the worthy Members of Christ and his Church from Communion for their difference in that gesture XXVIII We all hold that God must be orderly and decently worshipped with the Body as well as spiritually with the Mind And that reverent gestures and behaviour are fit not only to express mental reverence to God but also to excite it in our selves and others And that such slovenly rude and undecent behaviour as seemeth to signifie prophaneness and contempt or to tempt others thereto is no small sin whatever men intend by it XXIX We all hold that Preaching Prayer or Sacraments should not be made ridiculous or contemptible by the Ministers incongruous light or otherwise unmeet and uncomly words nor by tautologies and such an unmeet stile as tendeth to disaffect the Hearers Though that Curiosity which consisteth in pedantick light and frothy Speech unsuitable to the Hearers edification we dislike And O that God would raise up enow such for his Service in the Church and World as are able to express true wisdom holiness and zeal in words beseeming the most Holy Majesty and the holy Things of which they speak But yet we judge that various Auditories should have various Stiles though none but clear and spiritual and serious As a labouring poor man will chuse a great piece of Brown Bread before a little piece of Manchet when idle tender Persons will chuse otherwise XXX We are so far from holding it unlawful to use the Creed and Commandments and Lords Prayer as some accuse us that we take them to be the Summaries of the Christian Religion as to matter of Belief Desire and Worship which the Church should use and profess accordingly and should never be forgtoten XXXI We are so far from being against Catechizing as some have accused us as that we take it to be a most needful thing and no small part of that work which both Ministers and Parents should perform XXXII We are far from opposing that sort of Confirmation which consisteth in the solemn transition of Persons out of the state of Infant Communion into that of the Adult by their solemn intelligent owning that Covenant with God which they entred into by others in their Infancy The Reasons of which more than one of us have long ago publickly given to the World Mr. Hanmer Mr. Baxter And the want of which we conceive is a great cause of the pollution of the Church and of the increase of Anabaptists who are scandalized at the omission of it and the turning it into a Ceremony or Formality XXXIII We hold it a Duty for all Ministers in their Administrations of Baptism the Lords Supper Absolution and in their Speeches of the dead at Burials to go as far in charitable hopeful expressions as Reason will allow and to speak and judge of men according to their own intelligent Professions not rendred incredible by proved contrary Expressions or notorious contrariety of Practice as being no searchers of mens hearts our selves And where Discipline is truly exercised such words are meet as otherwise are not tolerable So that if we conform not to the Liturgy in our Administration of any of these Ordinances of Christ and if we dare not pronounce of all the open Atheists Infidels Hereticks Schismaticks Rebels Perjured Murderers Thieves Adulterers Drunkards c. who made not away themselves and were not unbaptized or excommunicate that God of his great mercy hath taken to himself the Souls of these dear Brethren nor give thanks for delivering them out of the miseries of this sinful World nor pray to rest in Christ ●is our hope is this our Brother doth c. it is not because we deny any of this before granted but because we dare not renounce the Gospel that saith He that believeth not shall be damned and without holiness none shall see God and Except ye repent ye shall all perish and because we are loath to preach to men all our lives that which we shall contradict at mens burial and tempt the ungodly to presumption and damnation XXXIV Many of us hold it lawful to keep Anniversary Days of Thanksgiving in commemoration of the great Mercies of God to his Church by the Holy Doctrine Labour Miracles Lives and Sufferings of the Apostles and most famous promoters of the Faith so that Superstition and prohibited Creature-worship be sufficiently avoided And those of us that scruple such Days of mans Institution yet take not this for any other than a tolerable difference among us XXXV We are not against such sort of reading the sound parts of the Apocrypha as we may do by other good Books sufficiently distinguished from other Scriptures and used in due time and place