Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	age_n	church_n	tradition_n	3,033	5	9.4226	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13767	A triple antidote, against certaine very common scandals of this time which, like infections and epidemicall diseases, haue generally annoyed most sorts of people amongst vs, poisoned also not a few, and diuers waies plagued and afflicted the whole state. / By Iohn Tichborne, Doctor of Diuinity, and sometimes fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge..	Tichborne, John, d. 1638.	1609 (1609)	STC 24064; ESTC S118413	94,709	132

purchase fauour from an vniust and wicked Iudge there being no other man or meanes allowed by authority for that end and purpose and yet poore men for this point also as well as for all other of doctrine or practise generall or particular in some cases of conscience they allow of a sorry cōpany in their Presbiters to order ministers and determine all other matters as the sentēce vnreuersable in in al things In regard wherof many such like generals particulars which might easily be added a man would think it high time thrice necessarie to haue this Subscriptiō with the greatest strictnes religiō to be vrged Now these being the two maine reasons of this subscription respecting the state in generall we will consider of some others which concerne the reuerent fathers of the Church and their speciall requiring the same at the hands of any and then to answere to some few things obiected to the contrary First therefore the common reasons for subscription being such as we haue aboue shewed it may easily appeare to any equally minded that the Bishops being put in trust by God and man with the gouernement of the Church and all state occasions depending thereupon they do no more herein whatsoeuer any doe lesse then that which the common lawes of the kingdome and the chiefe gouernours of our whole state do enioyne them and require at their hands and none other So that in case it should at any time fall out which God forbid that by reason of negligence or want of due care in looking to these things so committed vnto them any such as Dauids men were or worse should come so neere the Lords annointed or any part of that caue or compasse whereby they might haue opportunity to cut off the lappe of his coat 1. Sam. cap. 26. v. 15.16 or take the pot of water from his head I meane to violate any the least part of that generall order of things established by him much more to preiudice or endammage any of his royall prerogatiues all Dauids and others might iustly cry alowde to these our Abners that they were very worthy of the greatest blame Secondly did not these grand Captaines and commanders abouesayd for all state proceedings looke for this care and seruice at the Bishops hands yet being the Immediate gouernours of the Church both their power and authority and godly wisedome and foresight could doe no lesse except they should become desperately carelesse in their speciall charges Iud. 18. vers 7. like vnto those gouernours in Iudges which had neither gates nor barres to their townes and Cities And so not only that turbulent Tribe but the very runnagates of Ephraim and tayles of Israell as in Hosea they are called might not only traiterously pierce our best and strongest Church forces as they dayly now doe but also enter vpon and surprise which also they haue beene very ready and busie to do euen their best Holds within yea the Masters and gouernors themselues who more especially sitting at the sterne should not only without that former care and meanes of preuention be infinitely molested in their owne persons and all their proceedings but to their greate hearts griefe often see the whole ship of their gouernment tossed vp and downe with contrary windes and waues of diuers and contrary doctrines and as many differences in ceremoniall and all outward obseruances if not to be wracked vpon the manifold dangerous Syrtes and rocks of this later Church-hating enuying and robbing age Thirdly not only the care of the present state in generall and more especiall that of the Church committed vnto them but charity it selfe and due compassion of so many poore people committed vnto them easily seduced and most inclinable to this variety in doctrine and profession doe bind these reuerend Fathers of the Church to a more strict vrging of this subscription or any other meanes for the maintaining of vniformity in the one and conformity in the other To which purpose that speeche of Cyprian albeit extended and detorted against all reason by our aduersaries for the establishing that their vniuersality serueth very well being vnderstood and applyed aright Vnde aliter natae haereses c nisi quia non obtemperent omnes vni voci in Ecclesia Noting thereby the chiefe causes of all heresies and disorders in the Church because where this subscription is not to one voice as it were in the Church euery one imbraceth for his iudgement and profession whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eyes as if there were no King in Israel as Iudges 18.12 Iudg. 18. To which accordeth that grand resolue of that wise obseruer Melancton who managed many state occasions for his time both for Church and Common wealth pag. 123. Vt sit igitur discordiarum finis conuenire debent ecclesiae doctores curare vt extet vna Doctrinae vox in quaque ecclesia For as for that which the Papists dreame of herein to haue this one voice to proceede from one mans mouth throughout the whole world is no whit like to that which we require to be performed in euery speciall prouince and Corporation of Church or commonweale as most necessary for the common peace and well ordering therof as in another kind of Treatise I haue laboured to demonstrate and peoples safeties liuing vnder the same the other not to bee affected or expected in this world but must be perfourmed at that day when there shall bee but one sheepheard and one sheepfolde and none but Christ his sheepe shall be there which euermore heare his voice But for the reason it selfe we now insist in it is euident to the eies of all our English who without partiality and preiudice doe behold the state of our times where a man may see for want of exacting this meanes of security and preuention against the same not onely diuersities of opinions broached and scattered in euery place but infinite distractions thereupon of all sorts of people and looke almost how many men so many minds so many factions and oppositions betwixt sometimes Bishop and Minister Minister and people and if it may be more vnkindly and vnsauory contentions amongst vs. Insomuch as some amongst vs haue beene noted as men of another Church although they were in the compasse of one Deanry yea two of the next parishes yea the same parish houshold many times the one allowing and vsing the Crosse kneeling at the Communion and such like the other cleane contrary euen condemning all other that are not of their owne opinion Yea too too commonly and by no meanes to be reformed but onely by this we now speake of in many essentiall poynts of wholsome doctrine and the holy faith professed amongst vs as of predestination sauing grace renewing againe by repentance praying for Apostates and such like were they particularly recited exceeding many wherein the poore people are infinitely offended and many so stumble that they fall downe right vpon occasion of this

I haue dealt with or heard of confesse as much of our doctrine which yet indeed be things well examined is as much as is required at their hands by this Subscription And as for particular differences of learned men about the exposition of sundry Scriptures and diuersities of iudgements about any speciall point of positiue Diuinitie as for example in some part of that Article touching Christs descending into Hell and such like very manie about the reading or translating In Epistola quadam yea allowing at all certaine books generally retained amongst the rest of holy Scripture they need not hinder any mans hand from Subscription for as long as the world standeth there will be infinite such differences and that which Hierome obserueth in his time concerning many such varieties must goe still for currant that in such causes Quilibet abundet suo sensu and yet submit himselfe to the generall truth and equity of things ordained in the Church which is the best rule for euery age and euery special Church For so neither is it any way cōtrary but very agreeable to the word of God and euery particular therein that the best humane constitutions for matters of doctrine or manners should be imperfect and not want their doubts and ambiguities nor yet that those that liue vnder gouernment for these imperfections no way implying any manifest error or impiety be they neuer so many shall refuse to subscribe thereunto being lawfully required for so should they yeeld vnto nothing and yet when they haue done all they can they must and doe subscribe to some men and some rules for doctrine and matters traditionary amongst themselues and why not aswell to the present state whereby they liue but that singularity syding and affection now ruleth all the world and God his ordinance is easily neglected and reiected Secondly in matters doubtful and difficult either for doctrine and practise so long as they containe no manifest impiety or notorious offence in them the Superiours authority grounded vpon the fift commandement is sufficient warrant and bond also to any conscience for obedience therein for otherwise there would be no end of controuersies as Melanct. pag. 123. Part. 2. Consil Theolog. Vt sit igitur discordiarum finit recte facit potestas obligans homines vt obtemperent cum alioqui parere sit necesse according also to that old argument Cognitio in synodis est summum iudicium in Ecclesia parere igitur est necesse nor yet any order for any proceedings in the world Which mooued Saint Augustine at the last to conclude this point for the compelling of hereticks and all contrarily minded to wholsome doctrine and religion established by the Ciuil Magistrate as in his Retractations he sheweth Retractatio lib. 2. cap. 18. whose iudgemēt being so vniuersaly approued amōgst vs that refractary spirits may and ought to be constrained to such obedience euen against their iudgements that without any conscience of sin vnto them I maruaile how these standards out can in their consciences absolue themselues of a great sin against the fift commandement for disobeying in so meane and small impositions by so lawfull authority whereas in obeying they haue the fift commandement for their warrāt and the commanding magistrate his soule and conscience engaged in this behalfe as whose sinne furthermore it is if it bee any and of whom it is to be required and not of the obeyer who in cases doubtfull and difficult maketh iust conscience of obedience to superiors and stayeth himselfe herein vpon the fift commandemēt And if they say that in subscription things simply wicked are vrged by our Church as in our doctrines formes of prayer and discipline defended and allowed it is strange that they haue neuer as yet in all their pryings exceptions and conclusions amongst them exhibited any such foule matter to the eies of the iudicious which God be thanked are in great number amongst vs and abroad in the world and it were very strange and wicked also that our neighbour Churches with whom we entertaine and professe agreement and confession alike should want so much charity and that so long especially those Aristarchi of Geneua and Beza himselfe writing so oft to our late Queene and some Bishops also of this kingdome as neuer to haue put vs in minde thereof in a word they might as well say wee haue no Church at all which GOD be thanked for matter of constitution for doctrine and maners is one of the most flourishing Churches in the world as to say we should retaine such grosse points contrary to faith and manners Cassander de Baptismo Infantum p. 113. as Cassander learnedly disputeth from this generall to his particular defence of infants baptism against those Anabaptisticall exceptors in Germany of late very like in too too many things vnto those Sectaries of our times to whom our wise and learned most noble Soueraigne lately answered that if they supposed and iudged such grossenesse as idolatry and such like to be in any part of the substance of our religion or any meanes of expressing the same that then they did very ill to stay so long amongst vs and should rather depart the kingdome which is also our answer in some cases vel subscribendum vel secedendum rather in case they cannot be perswaded then they should doe any thing against their conscience In his Epistle to Queene Elizabeth and the Bishops of that time to depart from vs. Thirdly M. Digges his reasōs for association in religiō which presume are well accounted of by these refusers and dislikers of Subscription the Author being for the most part wholly of their side make as much for vniformity in professing and expressing the same religion by one kind of ceremonies and circumstances accordingly And be it well considered and examined in matter and weight of state deliberation and execution it will be found thereupon by all that are truely able to discerne such matters and mysteries that it is as like to haue toleration multitudes of religiō which all kinds of opinion so much condemne as such variety diuersities and contrariety in the outward manner externall rites circumstances and ceremonies to expresse the same as we haue aboue intimated and in the outward performing thereof And albeit there be great ods in respect of the matter of conscience with GOD which is but one and so will haue but one religion one faith one baptisme c and so for the soules and safeties of Christian people which can haue but one good and true religion yet for good policy matter meanes of common peace and well ordering the outward gouernment of the Church more inconueniences may well and wisely be obserued to proceede from the latter then the former as in comparing ceremonies with doctrine by certaine reasons drawne from master Luther and others we haue elsewhere shewed in a more large treatise which if God please shall not be long behind this about this

to our selues so all other deuoide of that word promising aswell as commanding remaine matters of another nature and doe indeed differ essentially which is as we say in Schooles genere definitione So that if we would define those ceremonies and Sacraments we must giue them a Genus aequiuocal from this commandement of GOD as whose nature is in this kind of our conceiuing them now altered to be indeed ordinances of God 1. Cor. 11. as Exo. 12. and Cor. 11. whereas the other are only actions of men or things inuented made choice of by them and so remaine for their proper notion and terme to my mind howsoeuer ordained to holy vses by them that haue authority to separate and determine things to such vses who haue no kind of power to make such ordinances being only to be appointed by GOD as the second commandement prouideth Neither are ill actions in Gods worship or whereby God is better worshipped by vs much lesse signes helpes and meanes therein presently the worship of God it selfe neither yet are all ceremonies actions but whether they be actions gestures or any outward habites ordained and appointed only by man they are no other but helpes only howbeit commanded once by God as the legall ceremonies were the best and greatest of them are but meanes and helpes whereby the better and more easily to worship GOD by and in those such meanes as he hath appointed priuately or publiquely with any power faculty or action of body or soule which are the sole and all the parts of Gods worship from man And lastly I conclude this answer that these ceremonies we speake of are neither in themselues worship of God or any meanes thereof nor yet any strange manner of seruing God so often condemned in holy Scripture with that determination herein of Georgius Cassander in his answer to one that carped at and condemned all ceremonies vsed in baptisme In responsione ad obiectiones contra ceremonias in baptismo vsitatas Alienus modus est colendi Deum qui vel pugnat cum vero culius vel abducit a vero cultu Dei which is a short summe of things forbidden in the second commandement non qui eò institutus est vt homines ad verum Dei cultum ducat ad eius obseruationem informet Nor any other meanes as helpes to our weaknesse are forbidden by Christ in the fifteenth of Mathew vnder these words In vaine doe they worship me Mat. 15. v. 9. teaching for doctrines mens precepts or traditions but onely such as whereby the superstitious heart of man supposeth to please GOD or any way demereri Deum as wee say to procure GODS mercy and goodnesse to vs or whereby as Christ himselfe obiected to the Iewes the commandement of GOD or any part thereof is preiudiced made voide or incumbred not adorned and helped forward as by these we speake of That other reason of being an Image so forbidden by name and in their sense also by the second commandement albeit Peter Martir and Bishop Iewell also as Doctor Fulke remembreth against Sanders about this argument of Images wil not grant the Crosse vsed by vs or els as it was vsed in the primitiue Church to be any Image at al yet because in the largest extent and true signification of the Hebrew word vsed to signifie the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or at the least some such thing forbidden in that commandement we will not as indeed we need not oppose their authority in this point seeing as we haue aboue shewed no such kind of Images are any way forbidden by the true scope and meaning of that commandement in generall or any particular word or clause contained therein or any part of God his word being no waies made nor by any meanes allowed or defended to represent the Godhead or any person of the Trinity or els to be any meanes at all for our better conceiuing or seruing any of them much lesse as to which the least part of diuine worship inward or outward is or ought to be performed or applied which the first commandement directly prouideth against and which I take it is the summe of all our defenses or replies vsed by any of our learned writers for the vse or abuse of the Crosse or against any kind of Images About which I suppose there would neuer haue bin such hot and vnnecessary contention betwixt the East and West Churches of GOD in generall if these things had beene thoroughly considered of and the controuersie it selfe so farre as it may be so truely and in it owne nature termed fully discussed and determined But because I haue in the second Chapter sampled these things together with many particulars of like nature as namely one aboue the rest to paint Deaths head to put vs in mind of Death and to prepare vs thereunto would equally be found vnlawfull by their expositions and exceptions or to write any thing in greater letters for better remembrance of any part of Gods mercies and iudgements And because also the greatnesse of the argument in generall doth deserue of it selfe and through some more speciall and importunate traducements of my selfe by some more seuere censurers of my poore paynes hereabout in another kind wherein I desired to giue satisfaction to this argument may happely vrge me to a more particular consideration and discourse about the same hereafter I will leaue it for this time and come to that other and last reason of this first ranke arguing the vnlawfulnesse of this Crosse simply and in it owne nature which is because being with many other ceremonies most of them artificiall and of mans deuising and withall Ecclesiasticall as we all grant are yet notwithstanding significant to the Church of GOD and of mysticall vse representation and signification there being no warrant or Scripture in particular or generall expresly or by consequence for any such ceremonies To which because I haue answered in a larger discourse which God willing shall not be long from the worlds censure somewhat in examining that cauil exception against our Church how far foorth Matrimony signifieth the mysticall vnion betwixt Christ and his Church as is read in our solemnization thereof I may be a little the briefer herein The argument it selfe standing vpon a very small and weake foundation of all other For these ceremonies first being enioyned and appointed by lawfull authority to a good end without heresie or error thereabout in our doctrine or superstition or any kind of manifest impiety and pollution in our practising of them we haue many waies sufficient warrant for any of them in the word of GOD neither are any of them done without or besides Gods warrant and allowance by his word as in the declaration of this point in our treatise before we haue shewed being done to that generall end of all our actions in respect of God Rom. 14 Whether we eate or drinke or