Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	according_a	apostle_n	faith_n	2,836	5	4.6389	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49464	A sermon preached before His Majesty at Whitehall March 27th 1664 by ... B. Lord Bishop of Lincoln.; Sermons. Selections	Laney, Benjamin, 1591-1675.	1665 (1665)	Wing L348; ESTC R17615	15,955	41

ipsum custodem What credit must be given to that which must be a rule how far we credit others That we mistake not They are not to be received with that faith which is due to Gods word or any thing out of it as necessary to salvation but with such as wise men would give to the means of settling unity and consent in matters controverted as the title of our Confession imports that is That they are Articles of Peace not Articles of Faith They make no new Religion or new Faith This by the way gives an easie Answer to the Papists hard Question as they think Where was your Religion before Luther Where was your Church before the 39. Articles We do not date our Religion from those Articles The Church of England I grant is call'd so from their Confession but by an accidental denomination i. e. It is that Church which for preservation of unity and peace in it injoyns nothing to be taught or heard for God's Word which is repugnant to them in the particulars there mentioned But for the essential denomination of our Faith whereon Salvation depends it is the Faith of God's Word summ'd up in the ancient Catholick and Apostolick Forms as is evident from our Constitutions and Practise For when any is received as a Member into the Church by Baptism the Laver of Regeneration no other Faith is required but that which is comprised in the Apostles Creed And when by a confession of our Faith and Sins we prepare to receive the other Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord our Faith is that according to the ancient Nicene Creed And in the Office of Visiting the Sick the Absolution a Comfort at all times and most of all when we give up our Souls into the Hands of God is not to be administred but to those that make confession as well of their Faith as of their Sins and that Faith is only according to the Apostles Creed Thus are we born nourish'd and dissolv'd by the same Faith according to the ancient Catholick and Apostolick Forms A Faith of this age neither ought they to reproach nor we to be asham'd of To return to our particular Church Confession it hath another end and use they are Articles of peace and consent in certain Controversies to instruct and help us to take heed what we hear But it will not be so taken by all for the Churches Remedy is the Sectaries Disease who complain That by this means the liberty of the Spirit and of the Conscience are penn'd up in those Forms and which is a worse mischief if it were true a binding of God's Word which ought to be free But for that God's Word neither is nor can be bound The Forms are no more but the gathering together some of those Waters which flow all over the Scriptures into a stream to fit them for the ease and use of all But they say they take a better course to fetch all from the Fountain The Fountain indeed is purer but I see no reason why the Water should be purer in their Pitchers than in the Churches Stream seeing both claim immediately to the same Fountain They say again That these Forms are no better than snares to hinder many a painful Preacher of the Gospel They would seem careful to unbind God's Word but I see it is to set themselves at liberty As for painfulness in Preaching if it be not to some good purpose I shall not much reckon upon The Pharisees compassed Sea and Land Mat. 23.13 but it was to make Pharisees Proselytes of their Faction not of Religion Nay but they preach the Gospel The Gospel is a glorious Word but what Gospel A Gospel you may perhaps have enough of and too much 2 Tim. 3.1 S. Paul informs Timothy of perilous times to come when men will be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded How think you comes it to pass that there shall be such a general Apostacy was it not for want of preaching They had no Sermons or perhaps no great affection for them they were some cold hearers that were content with one Sermon a day No that was not the matter if we read on to the next Chapter we shall find they had hearing enough for they were such as heap'd to themselves Teachers and so had heaps of Sermons and affection for them too for they had itching ears What was it then They could not away with sound Doctrine but would have Teachers after their own lusts they had the Gospel in plenty but it was Evangelium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after their own lusts not of sound Doctrine But what is sound Doctrine S. Paul doth not say here because a little before he had given Timothy a form of it Keep the Form of sound words which thou hast heard from me and because their Gospel did not agree to that he chargeth him to avoid it So should we do too with such a Gospel as will not stand within our form of wholesom words Or if it be such as was preached here for twenty years together we have little reason to be fond of it or any pains that is taken about it If they will not hean the Churches Gospel what reason hath the Church to hear theirs To end my first point If it was wisdom in St. Paul to commend a form of words and in the whole Catholick Church to use one if the same was practis'd by every reformed Church and all that people might with peace and security know what to hear I do not understand what wisdom it can be to lay all common again for any mans pleasure for this is to legitimate Schism and entail division to the Church for ever As you love your selves your quiet and look to receive benefit by the immortal seed of Gods Word if you would be good Christians that is be advised by Christ and in that way which all Christians have used to Take heed what you hear We come now to the second point of our care Take heed how you hear and this no less necessary then the former for when we have provided for the Matter what we hear we may yet offend in the Manner how and so lose the benefit of both That which is here set down in proper words is by our Saviour illustrated in a Similitude ver 21. Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a Candlestick that is and so St. Luke expresses it A candle is not brought to be put under a Bushel but to be set on a Candlestick This makes two points in the manner of our hearing one negative that we do not so hear Gods Word that we put it under a Bushel another affirmative that we set it on a Candlestick For