Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
book_n scripture_n sense_n word_n 3,390 5 4.5906 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A52597 The king's authority in dispensing with ecclesiastical laws, asserted and vindicated by the late Reverend Philip Nye ...; Lawfulnes of the oath of supremacy and power of the King in ecclesiastical affairs Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672. 1687 (1687) Wing N1495; ESTC R17198 36,268 70

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

of God to be only Jure Humano and may be otherwise and was so in the Primitive Church in her greatest purity Pastors and People were not then as now engaged in this Relation and one to another by a Parochial Bond or Tye but injoyed a Christian Liberty voluntarily to dispose of themselves under such or such a Ministry as they should make choise of to themselves The Church is said in this State to be in greatest purity The Congregational-way therefore is not a way in this learned Judg's Opinion of Disorder and Confusion as is frequently suggested 2. And that it is in the Power of Supream Majesty to dispense with a Parishioner as well as with a Pastor or Rector in such a Case that is to remove from his Parish to another for more suitable Enjoyments as for a Rector upon his Majesty's Dispensation to be a Non-resident and take another Rectory the division of Parishes being Jure Humano What those Things and Matters of Religion are in the Judgment of our State that comes under the Manage of humane Wisdom and Power are well expressed in Queen Elizabeth's Advertisement These Orders and Rules ensuing have been meet and convenient to be used and followed yet not prescribing these Rules as Laws equivalent with the Eternal Word of God and as of necessity to bind the Consciences of our Subjects in the nature of them considered in themselves Or as they should add any Efficacy or more Holiness to the Vertue of Publick Prayer and to the Sacraments but as temporal Orders meerly Ecclesiastical without any vain Superstition and as Rules in some part of Discipline concerning Decencies Distinction and Order for the time And in the Articles of 1562 It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all Places one or utterly alike for at all times they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversity of Countries and Mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word It is granted that even these Ecclesiastical Laws ought to be conformable to the Word of God and to those General Rules laid down in the Scriptures for ordering the Worship and Service of God in the Churches as Let all things be done decently and to Edification Give no offence to Jew or Gentile and the like and not to be the meer inventions of Men. That distinction some would make of things against or contrary and what is according to the Word of God the one they apply to Matters of Faith the other to Matters of Order It is a Distinction without a Difference there is more Wit than Truth in that Interpretation of Christ's Words He that is not with me is against me and in another place he that is not against me is with me applying the one to Matters of Faith the other to Matters of Order There is no such distinction to be made but Rites Ceremonies and Matters of Order ought to be according to God's Word as well as Matters of Faith. Magistrates are to judg Circa Res Ecclesias de iis si Fidei sint dogmata Vel ritus et Ceremoniae earumque Veritatem et Equitatem juxta Verbi Divini normam Mocket de pol. Eccl. Angl. cap. 3. And the Power of the King stands not in forming new Articles of Faith or Forms of Religion such as were Jeroboam's Calves but in defending and propagating that Faith and Religion of which God in the Scriptures is the undoubted Author saith Mason of Bishops lib. 3. cap. 5. It is evident those Holy Men our first Reformers made no such distinction but that all should be done according to God's Word laying before them these general Rules in Scripture even in retaining what hath been so offensive For of the retaining Ceremonies there is this account by them given Because they appertain to Edification whereunto all things done in the Church as the Apostle teacheth ought to be referred And of our Liturgy thus There is nothing to be read but the very pure Word of God and the Holy Scriptures or that which is evidently grounded upon the same Preface to the Common-Prayer Book God be thanked saith good King Edward the 6th we know both what by his Word is meet to be reformed and have amended c. It is convenient thus distinctly to have insisted upon what we term Religion or Matters Ecclesiastical according to that sense in which the Civil Magistrate assumes to himself the ordering thereof And what influence the Scriptures and Authority of God hath or ought to have in these Rites of the Church and Matters of Order as well as in Matters of Faith for hereby it appears whence it is Mens Consciences are more concerned in these Laws than in other Municipal Laws of the Nation And that the not being free to submit to these Ecclesiastical Laws when not formed according to God's Word is no Evidence of that Seditious Spirit that kicks against all Laws SECT 2. There is a necessity and that of much greater importance Provisions be made of Dispensations c. as occasion shall be in respect to Laws Ecclesiastical than in Civil In Matters of Religion and the Worship of God 1. Multitudes there are of loose and profane Persons in respect to such neither are the Laws in themselves nor in the execution of them severe enough 2. Against Popish Recusants the Laws have been severe enough yet in the execution great moderation 3. There are those and blessed be God great Multitudes who are not only Orthodox in Faith but of unblamable Life in the greater Things of Law and Gospel These are fallen under most severe Laws and of late with greatest severity put in execution and utterly ruin'd if there be no means of relaxation It is in behalf of these I argue this Necessity and that from these and the like Considerations 1. There is a greater proneness in Conscientious Men to scruple and to be doubtful in their Obedience to the Ecclesiastical than to the Civil Laws of a Nation as before 2. Great Difficulty in forming Laws wherein Mens Consciences are immediately concern'd so as not to dissatisfy some if not many 3. If those Laws be not according to Scripture in the apprehensions of those that are to obey whatsoever they are in themselves it is our Sin if we obey it is not so in Civil Commands 4. It is not of so ill Consequence for us to yield Obedience to a Civil as to an Ecclesiastical Law if ill constituted by the State. 5. From what is found in a manner peculiar in these our Ecclesiastical Laws and the Administration of them many ways prejudicial to the Subject there is a necessity some such provision of this kind be found on our behalf 1. The real Scruples and Doubts about our Obedience in these Ecclesiastical Matters cannot but be more and greater than in other Laws The knowingest Man in these Things knoweth but in part and the most Men have but a parcel in this part It is true the