Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	pastor_n	universal_a	1,330	5	9.1769	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61267	A sermon preached at the Assizes at Hertford, March the 9th, 1682/3 by John Standish ...	Standish, John, d. 1686.	1683 (1683)	Wing S5217; ESTC R13596	14,535	38

in That and onely That Meddle not then but avoid all those that have actually changed the Doctrine of Faith and not to mention others now I shall onely instance in and caution us all against Two formidable Parties which are the great Temptations of this our age to allure and seduce men from their received and most holy Faith First Meddle not with the Church of ROME who though she cry her self up for the Eldest Sister among the Churches and plead Antiquity for all her Errours yet they that have perused the most ancient Greek and Latine Fathers and other Writers nay they that can but read their English-Bible may easily see how unconstant what an Apostate she hath been of latter times Once indeed we grant her Faith was famous and spoken of throughout the World as St. Paul witnesseth Rom. 1.18 but since she is degenerated she hath removed the old Land-Mark she hath espoused corrupt Principles and Practices and sought out many many New Inventions Eccles 7.29 Let Her make out that new found Name of a Roman-Catholick to be better sence as she useth it then a Particular Universal and tell us by what Logick she arrogates to her self that Indefectibility promised onely to the Church Catholick Let Her once fairly demonstrate that Christs Kingdom was indeed of this World St. -Joh 18.36 and St. Peter by Him constituted his sole undoubted Vice-Roy nay let Her convict St. Peter Himself of Heretical Modesty at least because he proclaimeth not Himself but the KING SUPREAM for otherwise 1 St. Pet. 2.13 instead of the true ROCK she doth most manifestly build upon the Sand. Let Her produce any manner of evidence for the POPE's Universal Monarchy in the first five hundred years ELEUTHERIUS who flourished in the second Century acknowledgeth LUCIUS the first Christian KING of England and in all the World to be Gods immediate VICAR in his own Dominions Speeds Chron. and GREGORY the Great who lived in 570 saies expressly if any man call himself Universal Pastor or Head of the whole Church he is the forerunner of ANTICHRIST and why are not they as Infallible as their Successors Let Her shew any ground for Idol Worship in the Holy Scriptures or the primitive Writers Tertullian Lactantius and several others do plainly condemne it even in their own Notion Let Her acquit her self of the many senceless absurdities and contradictions of TRANSUBSTANTIATION and tell us by what warrant of Antiquity she denies the Cup in the Eucharist to the Laity St. Mat. 26.27 contrary to a palpable command Drink ye All of it There had been more pretence of reason for denying them the Bread Lev. 17.11 or Body because the Life is in the Blood besides that it is no where in the Gospel said Eat ye All of That She professedly edifies the People in Ignorance 1 Corinth 14. by Praying and Prophesying in an unknown Tongue she makes no other use or accompt of CONFESSION then what professed Drunkards do of Vomiting She abuses and cheats the World for filthy Lucre's sake with that gaineful Dream of Purgatory and those more dangerous delusions of Indulgences in a word she absolves natural Subjects from all Oaths and ties of Obedience deposes KINGS and disposes of their Crowns to mention no more and then we will confess it is not She but We that are given to Change the Faith but not till then 2. Meddle not with the Enthusiast on the other hand whatever his Sirname be though it be Legion for they are Many They will teach you strange and desperate Doctrines such as Absolute Reprobation without any prospect of man's Fall of a Light within them whereby they read the will of God more certainly then by the Lampe of this Word of Gods being the Author of mens sins as that lying Greek said of Old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Gods Grace is irresistible to some and equally Impossible to others that men may be saved by the strength of their own natural Powers without the special Grace of God merited by Christ that Christ himself had no Being at all before he was born of the Virgin Mary or at the best that He was onely the First-born of Gods Creatures with many more such frightsub Blasghemies And as the summ of all the rest they will insinuate that Jesuitical and Traiterous Position of taking up Armes by the KINGS Authority against his Person holding it lawful to arraign and condemn Majesty it self at the Barr of his own Subjects in a Mock-Court of Justice such a horrid Doctrine as I believe Jews themselves would never have own'd or practised had they been convinced that JESUS was their lawful KING Meddle not with them for they have forsaken the right way 2 St. Pet. 2.15 yea Wo unto them saies St. Peter for they have gone in the way of Cain and followed the errour of Balaam New Lights indeed they are but all wandring Stars St. Jude v. 13. of an irregular motion and running out of one Heresie into another being constant to nothing but the incorrigible temper of mad Prophets and Rengious Murtherers Thirdly and Lastly For yet thou lackest one thing and if thou wilt be perfect Meddle not with Schissmaticks St. Mat. 19.21 that are given to change the received ancient Discipline for some new fangled Model of their own and rashly depart from the Communion of the Established Church Were not our Church-Government legible all along in Ecclesiastical story to the Apostles times And did we not find the Original of their several Projects in the Annals of the very last Age there might be somewhat pleaded in their excuse Let one Instance serve for all that the Cross in Baptism that great Scandal and stumbling Block as they would make it is no new thing St. Austine or St. Cyprian can tell them at large and the old the excellent Rule of the Primitive Church about such Rites was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Nic. Let the ancient Customs prevail There is indeed no Prescription against Truth as Tertullian observes neither Space of Time nor Patronage of Learned men nor Priviledge of Countries and our Saviour calls himself the Truth not the Custome but yet however in things harmless and decent and tending to edification Custome and Antiquity are like the gray haires of old Men Prov. 20.29 so far from contempt or reproach that they are their Beauty Crown and Glory And it is a very hard case that men should be so superstitiously affraid of Popish abuses on the one hand as to incurre a more dangerous mistake on the other Rom. 1.16 Rev. 7.2 c. 16.2 and profess they are wholly ashamed of the Cross of CHRIST and that they will rather suffer the mark of the Beast than the Seal of the living God to be set upon their Foreheads Constantine's Name will be for ever Great for making the Cross his Standard in vertue whereof He did