Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	according_a	church_n	discipline_n	2,858	5	9.0169	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78174	Censura cleri, or A plea against scandalous ministers, not fit to be restored to the churches livings in point of prudence, piety, and fame. By a true lover of the Church of England in doctrine, ceremony and discipline.	Barnard, John, d. 1683.	1660 (1660)	Wing B852; Thomason E1035_2; ESTC R209059	14,798	23

and offices in the Church that any one who reads the book of Ordination may see how justly they have merited their ejection out of the Church by having less conscience then Infidels among whom the bonds of covenant and vows are sacred yet these violate their oath break their faith evacuate their promise betraying that singular trust and charge which the Bishop doth repose in them when he consecrates their persons to so high a calling as Deacon and Priest which is done with that admirable solemnity to inforce the deeper impression of reverence and obedience to Ordination that which must needs prefer it above all other Ecclesiastical Ordinances Now let us hear what the Bishop giveth in to his Candidate when he ordains a Deacon or a Priest First he solemnly put them in mind of their duty the greatness of their office the danger and fearfull consequence that follows the neglect Book of Ord. p. 2. Have alwayes printed in your remembrance saith he how great a treasure is committed to your charge What treasure is this that is the souls of the people which are of more invaluable price then the treasures of many worlds for they be the sheepe of Christ which be bought with his death and for whom he shed his blood the Church and congregation whom you must serve is his Spouse and body if it chance the same Church or member thereof take any hurt or hinderance by reason of your negligence you know the greatness of the fault and also that horrible punishment doth ensue Can there any thing more divinely be uttered for the demonstration of a Ministers duty and the setting forth his charge with terror in case he should break the same which no doubt is a sin of that nature of provocation as not only draws him before the Ecclesiastical seat of Judicature whereby he will be judged worthy of deprivation but also before the judgement seat of God whereby he will be arraigned unto condemnation For if the breach of vows and promises is a sin contrary to the light and practice of the Gentiles who were faithfull performers of what they promised before their Gods and their Priests much more doth a Christian and a Minister offend the Almighty before whom and his Bishops and Presbyters he doth make a solemn vow at Ordination and then breaks it Let us hear further what he engages to Will you give your faithfull diligence saith the Bishop alwayes so to minister the doctrine and Sacraments and discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as the Realm hath received the same according to the commandment of God I will saith he by the help of God What shall we say of him that went out of the Church to spue before the consecration of the Sacrament because he had overcharged his stomack with drink hath not he broken his vow of ordination and is worthy of ejection Will you be diligent to frame and fashon your own selves and your families according to the doctrine of Christ and to make both your selves and your families as much as in you lyeth wholesome examples and spectacles to the flock of Christ Jesus I will saith the Priest apply my self the Lord being my help Certainly thou prophane man shalt be judged out of thy own mouth who hast been an example of wickedness a leader of the people to the gates of Hell and destruction who hast the keyes put into thy hands by ordination to open the doors of Heaven If this be suffered what conscience will the people have of their vows promises when they see the Priest or Deacon go away unpunished whose integrity of life being a condition whereby he is received into holy orders the wilfull breach thereof deserves no less upon proof then the degrading him from the work of the Ministry and forfeiting his living by scandall when he that breaks his trust in any civil office that he holds in the Kingdom is adjudged worthy of being displaced much more who beareth rule in the Church of God ought upon misbehaviour forthwith to be expelled 2. These scandalous Ministers have corrupted our Gentry and most ingenuous spirits in the Nation with speculative and practical Atheism that religion is esteemed a mockery and a subtill artifice of deceit to possess the people with Chimeraes fancies dotages of timerous men according to Lucretius Primus in orbe deos fecit timor that we are debarred from the sweet enjoyment of that lawfull liberty which otherwise we might use Are not their thoats a common sepulcher to issue out such unsavory speeches what is their ordinary discourse but Rablais language to confirm one another in liberty and Atheism and when Gentlemen see a Ministers vitious life so diametrically opposite to his doctrine though he preaches the judgement of hell Gods wrath and eternal damnation yet not scrupling to commit the same sins against which he thunders forth judgement what can they believe but that he is a religious Mountebanck and juggler and speaks out of the Pulpit as from his stage to get money of the people and he only preacheth ex officio to receive his tithes and profits is not this the common exprobration of Gentry against Ministers and grown proverbiall in the mouthes of the people that let them sharpen their doctrine and reproof with never so keen an edge of their spirituall sword yet they can dull its encounter from any powerfull execution with this ready answer O Doctor intus respice labium tuum fac quod dicis operare quod praedicas and in the words of the Apostle Rom. 2.21 Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou which preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal That sayst a man shall not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery that makest thy boast of the law dost thou dishonour God that his name is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Let us mark our ingenious-spirits in the countrie how they are chiefly led aside and corrupted where they have a debauched Ministry in their parish by whom they justifie their mispending of precious time and palliate the crimes of drinking idle talking and common swearing with the Apology of their example and this prodigality of time with their estates dribling away in cups to the destruction of their families and dishonour of their persons they christen in their drink with the excellent name of Society good fellowship and liberall fruition of each other as if there was not a more generous way of enjoyment both for free communication and diversion of pleasure and delight then in a paltry Ale-house the common receptacle of infamous and vile persons who have no other Sanctuary for their revelling to form a discourse sutable to the liberty and extravagancy of the place is not the Theme commonly betwixt him and the Minister who must conform himself to his Patrons humor either obscene idle and misbecoming both or else Atheisticall profane Celsian and Julian like scoffing at the austerity and

CENSVRA CLERI OR A PLEA Against Scandalous MINISTERS Not fit to be restored to the Churches Livings in point of Prudence Piety and Fame By a true Lover of the Church of England in Doctrine Ceremony and Discipline ROMANS 2.24 The Name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you S. Bern in coen Dom. Ser. fol. 1683. Non enim provenit dignitas in hoc nomine quod est Sacerdos non inquam nomine sed unitate conversatione non officio merito non vocabulo Sanctitate non ministerio LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Blackspread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1660. Censura Cleri OR A Plea against Scandalous Ministers not fit to be restored to the Churches Livings FOR Sion sake I cannot hold my peace who am a true lover of the Church of England in its doctrine ceremony and discipline I believe the purest and Apostolical of any Christian Church in the world O my bowels my bowels are troubled within me When I saw the violent endeavours of some who should be more tender of the Churches welfare peace and honour that profess themselves true sons of it yet their actings do manifest the contrary so incongruous to the principles of reason piety and prudence that in the just restoration of orthodox holy and learned men into their spiritual livings and promotions they would restablish the wicked debauched Clergy who are notoriously scandalous and have been the overthrow of our most glorious Church the reproach of Protestant Religion and the just odium of the people in this Nation that I wonder as St. Austin could not be restrained from writing his excellent Notions of the City of God quippe zelo domus Dei exardescens because he was inflamed with the zeal of Gods house that I see not many Pens taken as it were from the wings of a Seraphim and inflamed with a coal from the Altar to declare their zeal for the Temple of God against drunkards swearers prohane persons who should be scourged out as they were deservedly by Cromwell that flagellum Dei the rod of Gods correction upon the Nation and overthrown as the buyers and sellers and money-changers nay the gates thereof as of Paradise should be shut up against them that they never offer sacrifice of polluted lips more who have caused the offering of the Lord to be abhorred in the Sanctuary like Elies sons What though they were erected by an extraneous power which judged in the throne of Gods Church as well as in the Courts of civil judicature over his Majesties subjects yet the persons of such Clergy known so infamously scandalous that the Countrey ringed with the common fame of their vices witnesses many produced to attest the reality of their crimes that they were not forged calumniations and still are in readiness to assert the same upon oath shall we in all haste restore them before the matters of charge be cleared whereof they still still stand accused As I saw then their deprivations from their livings was not much judged their very Friends being ashamed to solicite their cause before an Usurped power so their present restitution in the countrey to their places is so far from being desired that the very nameing of their return is so odious to the people that it cannot be heard with any patience I speak of such Clergy as have been deprived purely upon the account of scandall by the pretended Act of Cromwell as for common drinking swearing and carding and dicing in an Ale-house or in other publike houses and not of those who were wickedly thrust out of their livings for the constant tenure of a good Conscience adhering to their principle of Loyalty to the King and obedience to the established orders of the Church so that if there shall be a promiscuous reduction of them all into their Churches without any special note of discrimination upon them who are worthy and who are not who sufficient for the Ministry and who are not but all rush in a croud to the Churches Patrimony and celebrate her sacred offices wicked and ungodly with their unsanctified lips and hands to offer up sacrifices for the people as if the flood gates were let open to irreligion and prophaness upon this change for debauched livers to swim in the Sea of their former lust and pleasure and not the way open to piety strictness and order amongst all ranks of men and Ministers especially if this be the fruits of Gods mercies and deliverances to us which have been wonderfull to the acknowledgement of our enemies we must not expect a blessing from heaven upon the Nation nor the long continuance of our Church in its excellent constitution but as Hooker observed it had but the Age of a man in its best estate when it flourished with the outward riches of honour and glory to the envy and admiration of other Nation we may fear it will live but the day of an infant that is unnaturally born when it shall cherish and nourish such monsters and Vipers in its brest as scandalous Ministers to feed upon her milk who will afterwards with more cruelty then Nero not only detest but eat out the very bowels of this their tender Mother The reasons which should induce then all honest Sons of the Church of England for the present stop and admission of such injustice especially they which are in Authority and have their daily emanation from the Head of our gracious Soveraign to cherish and enliven their just actions and Counsels for the happy establishment of our Church and Kingdom let them impartially weigh the merit of the cause in the ballance of reason justice and conscience and then it will appear I hope to their full satisfaction for piety sake prudence fame and our Churches honour they should not be restored but at present suspended untill a reexamination of their case before a lawfull Authority is made to have the depositions of the same witnesses upon their oaths who are ready to appear and who should seem against this Christian proposall which savours so much of equity I know not but all men are rather bound to have wickedness brought to light and that which is the work of the devil to shame and confusion considering the nature of offence in a Minister who is a publike person doth draw a reproach upon religion and the heavenly calling he hath taken upon him that his ejection from the Church when he hath ministred a just scandall to the people instead of a good example is but a punishment commensurate with his crime that deserves no less then deprivation if not a totall exclusion ab officio beneficio while he lives of which we shall speak more fully afterwards 1. Because such have violated and broken their sacred vow and promise at their ordination when they were made Deacons and Priests by the Bishop and this doth so evidently appear by the solemn charge that the Bishop doth impose upon their calling into these degrees