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
A93344	An alarum: to the last warning peece to London by way of answer: discovering the danger of sectaries suffered: and the necessity of order, and vniformity to bee established. Wherein the Presbiterian way of government, and the Independant liberty, is compared.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1646 (1646)	Wing S4033; Thomason E339_6; ESTC R200848	17,531	24

are opposite and to which we must stand As for their Nation we are beholding to them and they are beholding to us an oath of the Lord is between us which I hope shall be observed to all posterities with brotherly union in despight of Sectaries and Royalists that seeke to dissolve it But woe to him or them that wish or endeavour it whether a man or a Nation for God will surely avenge his Covenant of all and every person and it concernes both Nations to consider duty and Conscience without regard to the envious designes and plots of wicked men though some cause of discontent may arise to both by their hellish subtilty yet t is not a cause of division where wisdome and godlinesse have any sway All there zeale and covenanting with the most high God you will find is for no other end then to bring this easily deluded Nation under the same bondage to Presbyteriall Lords and Task-masters This is the thing intended when you are provoked against Sects when you are put upon petitions after petitions all to keepe you in a forward humour against that season c. Our Covenanting with the high God hath been a visible blessing to us as in the dayes of As● 2 Chron. 15. 13. and it will be an established mercy to both Kingdomes except wee procure wrath by our conniving at so many that have re●used to take it and by over much Clemency to sectaries whom we are bound by it to exterpate by whom for ought I know for that neglect God seems to threaten us with farther misery and new troubles Our Covenant no way drawes us into bondage nor brings us under Task-Masters but free us from both The way of the Presbyteriall government is most congruent to holy Scripture most orderly and uniforme neither Tyrannicall like Episcopall nor loose like that of the Sepratists therefore we are bound to Petition for the one and against the other which is indeed the only obsticle to Church reformation and of all reformation but the Presbyterian way is without prejudice holy and safe It will be then time no longer to dispute the Gariso●● but to professe the holding of them for those who will keep and 〈…〉 their covenant according to the Scotch interpretation which will serve our English Masters purposes as well as theres That there is any dispute about Garisons is the businesse of the higher powers to give the reasons not my pen though I conceive seditious sectaries have given some offence conducing to such disputes That there will ever be any professing to hold them I am confident the affermers thereof will be proved lyers And that they shall be kept for any English Covenanter except the Parliament is scandalous false and most seditious What I may say of F●rts Castles and Garisons kept by others I will omit and it shall be my prayer that those that contemn the Covenant doe not really plot and intend to act what they scandalously charge upon others I will forbeare and hop● the best though with feare For I am confident they are not wanting in all designes to make themselves masters of England who by uncharitable censures binde us over as slaves to hell and Satan You cannot be ignorant of a prophesie foresaid cunningly to forespeak the bondage of this Nation as first it must bee conquered by the Romans then by the Danes and Saxons after them the Normans but the last must be the Scotts and this prophesie is now more frequent in their mouthes then ever Sectaries will seeke matter to foment strife though it be from old Mother Shiptons prophesie any thing serves that will beget jealosies and raise contentions leave no coale unblowed are more troubled in conscience to obey any Ordinance of God that tends to order and peace then to bely their brother or speake lyes in prophesie to seduce silly soules as if their conscience were seared with a hot iron as the Apostle speakss 1 Tim. 4. 2. The Covenant cannot bind you to force conscience or to molest your brother under pretence of heresie or schisme what you conceive is truth may be an error doe as you would be done unto in all things you would not bee enforced therefore enforce not observe rather the wayes of Christ then the Scotch Presbyterians if you have taken the Covenant in a worse sence it calls rather for repentance then p●rtinacy therein c. Neither our Covenant nor our wills are to binde or force any mans conscience but our covenant and Gods word bindes as to endeavour conjunction and uniformity in Church discipline according to Gods word and the example of other the best reformed Churches not to the Scotch Presbytery except as aforesaid we are also bound to exterpate heresie Schisme prophanesse and whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine and to discover those that make faction or parties among the people c. Men of weake consciences and such as have beene seduced we will with all gentlenesse admonish as brethren instruct with love and meeknesse till God shall give them repentance to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 2. 25. and be tender to tender consciences to the uttermost so long as they make not parties Sects Conventicles nor labour to seduce others and draw them from their obedience to lawfu●l authority if so law must punish them according to the degree of their offence and this is not to force conscience but to punish fact in obstinate and turbulent persons Nor will the Presbyterians molest any Brother under any pretence but upon apparent heresie and Schisme not in one person but as it shall appeare by holding parties and factions nor will the Presbyterians be their owne Judges but the word of God shall judge betweene both from whence we are able if Sectaries were not wilful or would compare Scripture with the Scripture to shew that many things that Sectaries hold for truthes or manifest Errors And we shall ever hold that rule to doe as we would be done unto and would perswade Sectaries to practise that lesson which they do not towards us for they would lay intollerable burdens upon us but not touch them with one of their fingers We shall ever observe the wayes of Christ and his Apostles for our example not make any one Nation nor person our rule This is the Covenant we have taken it in this sence and in no other And in this we must per●ist and not repent except that we have not bin so vigorous in pursuance thereof as we ought MInd the owne good cleave fast to the House of Commons let no sorcery or Sophestry divide you from them inforce not nor be importunate with them for Church Government leave it to their wisdomes to measure out of the Clergy what may be for the quiet and profit of the people c. We minde the good of others or our owne and desire to bring home erring sheepe to the sheepesold of uniformity and shall ever cleave to the house of Commons

for redresse against Seditious Sectaries nor need that honourable house be importuned to do justice submissive requests in making our greivances knowne is not importunity We have betrusted them withall and we leave all to their wisdomes and care to settle Order and Government in the Church and Common-weale for the peace and benefit of both and wish there were no underhand dealing used by those of contrary judgments to disturbe the peace of both and to traduce us But God will defend the just truth seekes no corners nor pretends any thing shee professeth not to deceive any THe Lords are not to go before the Commons in determining what concernes the Nation Their large answer to your last Petition for Church Government and suppression of Conventicles insinuates they would allure you from the Commons therefore observe them watchfully and trust them accordingly c. The Lords and Commons make but one Parliament but wee petition them a part as two distinct Houses We blesse God for the happy concurrence that is betweene them for publike peace and benefit and thankfully accept their answer to our last last petitions But the pamphleter snews the envy of sectaries their seditious endeavour to devide betweene the two houses and between two Kingdoms care not how or whom they bely to make quarrells because in times of destraction loosenesse is a Law to disordered and lawlesse persons It is better such men be observed then trusted THe Clergy you kn●w most of them that now stickle against th● Sepratists or independants do it for their owne ends to retains their Glory in a distinction of Clergy Their domination in judging of Doctrine Discipline and Ecclesiasticall Censures and their profit in pretences of Tithes all with the sepratists dis●●●●● and oppose which is the true cause of the quarrell between them c. The Presbyterian Clergie we know are men of conscience learning piety and holy life by whose prayers and sufferings as a meanes we are preserved to this day they stickle not against Sepratists or Independants in displeasure against their persons but their erronious opinions Nor seeke they glorious distinctions nor domination in judgment as any end to themselves but as it shall bee found consonant to the will of Jesus Christ They ayme not at their profit in the right of Tythes but as it hath bin an Ecclesiasticall right and due to the Ministry held out in holy Scripture Heb. 7. 5 6 c. continued since the Primitive times And as it is established by the Laws of this kingdome The labourer is worthy of his hire That the Sepratists or Independants deny any of these I deny except for selfe end for there more honour and greater profit For the glory domination judgment censuring c. that the dissenting party assume is more every way then the Presbyterian hath or seeks Separatists maintaine that there is an intire power of all government in every single Congregation of which the Clergy is chiefe there censures right or wrong admit no higher appeale is not this domination equall to a King hath a Pope or more Or what can he aske more And for their profit they ayme at unknowne benefit not contented with the Tythes which customarily have bin payd and is a certainty for convenient subsistance but expect from every one of there Congregation a farre larger gratuity not so little as double the value of tythes nor hold him worthy a Disciple that doth not by private offerings exceed it I might instance particulars but I will forbeare and shall desire all rationall men to observe but generalls looke upon the men their wives children c. note there garbe ga●lantry fashions riches and increase of wealth within 3. years past and I shal need say no more let the juditious Judg it may be it wil be objected that the Presbyterians are not exempt in all this and seeke pluralities too my answer is modest for I cannot call evill good it is possible some such there are but t is but for the present they are subject to command and will obey There losse have been much and there labours are great by which expences ri●e high we neither allow such things nor justifie them but desire a holy reformation in these things as in other according to that of Tim. 2. 11. and ● Tim. 3. 2 3 4. c. Nor is this the cause of quarrell or difference betweene the Presbyterians and them as they would pretend to delude the people except as they make it there quarrell for selfe ends The contest between us in concerning things of order wherin Gods glory and the Kingdomes peace is chiefly concerned by a holy uniformity which is the thing the Presbyterians seeke and Sepratists oppose The former would have all Congregations governed as one Church in one order according to divine right The latter would be left at liberty that every Congregation may have power and government within it selfe The Presbiterian would have only porochiall Congregations the Sepratists would have select Congregations out of all the parishes of a City or County if some out of all will enter themselves some to this Church some to that fewest to the Congregation or Parish in which they live as their fancy which they call conscience leads them and not only so but they would that every person in a family Sonne or servant c. shall by the same fancy claime liberty to be of what Church they will if there bee ten in a Family those ten may be of ten severall Churches and so be made incapable of Society and family duties what is this but confusion and against the rule of Scripture or example of all or any reformed Churches what is this liberty but libertinisme and it must needs end in loosenesse and prophanesse besides it must needs be destructive to the peace of the common weale Now that which the Presbyterians would have and for which they supplicate as that which doubtlesse is consonant 〈◊〉 the holy Scripture is that every Minister as a shepheard should bee over his porochiall flock as they that are appointed over them of whose soules they must give an account Hebr. 13. 17. these he is to keep feed and cherish The 7. Churches of Asia had seven Angells that is seven Ministers over them Rev. 1. 20. and each Church had his particular Angell over it not confusedly as the Independants would have it but one Angell was over the Church of Ephesus one Angell over the Church Smerna an other over the Church of Pergam●● c. and each Church was 〈…〉 d to one and the same order as appeareth in compa●ing that 〈◊〉 Ephesus commended that they hated the deeds of the Nicholaitans Rev. 26. with that of Pergamos blamed for suffering the doctrine of the Nicholaitans among them Revel 2. 15. and that of Thyatira reproved for suffering those that by false doctrines seduced the people vers 20. and the sin is aggravated because they were forewarned and time given to reforme The Shep●eard o● pasture over a parochial flock hath them ever in his eye may see which straggles and which is weake and is alwayes ready to helpe them but select Congregations that are scattered all the week some a myle some five myles f●om there shepheard cannot be observed tended nor cherished but are left to live as too many such doe at this day to their lusts in disorder and scandalous manner under the notion of Religious men yet voyd of civill honesty and justice How disagreeable such a way is to the rule of Gods word or to the peace or laws of a well constituted common-weale and how agreeable the Presbyteriall way is to both I leave to all juditious or rationall men to consider and advise all men as they love the honour of God and the good of the Kingdome to be wary of rash conjunction with such private Congregations least they foolishly ensnare their Consciences and after much heart-breaking returne by weeping crosse This is one maine difference and cause of the quarrell betweene us if it be a quarrell but I never counted it a quarrell but a dispute only I use the Pamphleters owne word who it seemes and the rest of his society meane to make a quarrell of it There are divers other particulars wherein we disagree which for brevity I must omit my ayme in this tract ●e●●ing only to give a short answer to his seditious Pamphlet to undeceive seduced people that meane well but are ensnared in their consciences by Sectaries who as the Prophet saith set Trappes to catch men Nor should I have undertaken to set my pen to paper to Answer him but that after three weekes time or more I see it was omitted by all of more abi●lities my end is Gods glory and my ayme the publike good to which I devote my selfe neither seeking favour nor fearing frownes Conscience and Covenant command thus much From George Smith Gent. Imprimat Io. Downam FINIS