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doctrine_n	ancient_a	church_n	hold_v	2,250	5	6.2009	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25771	A sermon preached at the visitation of the Right Reverend Father in God, John Lord Bishop of Chester, at Chester by James Arderne ...	Arderne, James, 1636-1691.; Pearson, John, 1613-1686.	1677 (1677)	Wing A3625; ESTC R20728	9,763	22

it would make these men who are both for Dissention and Peace the very worst of Hypocrites Having now given you some account of the original and tokens of Innovation it remains we consider the fairest Pleas on whose credit the man excepts against what is well established these are chiefly two 1. That what has hitherto been receiv'd in the Church is contrary to the Rules of Reason Or 2. Contrary to the enlight'ning of the Spirit 1. Contrary to the Rules of Reason It was indeed never denied of reason by those who might be suppos'd to have some share of it that it was very serviceable about Religion and it is yeilded among us that it could never find so creditable employment as in defending that of Christians but there is a wide difference betwixt Instrument and Contriver betwixt Service and Authority Reason was very useful in discovering the honesty and infallibility of the first Publishers of the Christian Doctrine but then it has no right to take the Doctrines asunder and to make an exact search whether these agree to those apprehensions of things which flow from the alone light of Nature and to order that as the Doctrines shall approve themselves upon this trial suitably their success shall be either to be entertain'd or rejected no certainly the Laws of God do not so doubtfully depend upon the sentence of our faculties nor is the Scripture a fair proposal only that may probably be receiv'd if we approve the matter of it All the power of debate and that is fully enough which God gives to our reason antecedent to our belief is this to examine the miracles wrought in confirmation of our faith and so to consider whether these and consequently the Gospel which accompanies 'em can proceed from any one but the most High God and after this hearing is over reason changes its person it lays down all its Ensigns of Jurisdiction descends from its Judgment-seat and does homage to this Vicegerent come from Heaven professing an entire obedience to its Authority and afterwards if it be found that some of these Laws so Divinely authorized shall appear capable of two meanings or of none that is plain to us reason is not to take this advantage for an excuse to restore it self to its former power but it must go to consult with those who convers'd familiarly face to face with the Publishers of this Law or with their nearest Successors to know what interpretation they receiv'd of this dark saying or what Doctrines were deliver'd them nearest the possible meaning of this place and so it believes according to their true report This is in a manner the whole process of the Knowledg and of the Faith of Christianity and he who will attribute to reason an employment higher than this must be requested to tell us how by reason he arrived at the belief of the Trinity and of other mysteries of the Christian Faith If he say that he has as distinct a conception of these as of any self-evident proposition we congratulate his early attainments and his being already wrapt up into Heaven but if his free answer prove as we may well suspect quite contrary that for his part he does not at all believe these things because he cannot clearly understand 'em and that Christian Religion has nothing in it but what is plain and easie to conceive it will be expected in the next place he shew after these incomprehensible propositions are laid aside what so difficult truths there are in our Religion more than were in the world before that it should be worthy of God to make a man on purpose in such a wonderful manner to preach them and to communicate to him his own power to do those mighty works that men might believe on this score that which mankind believ'd long afore by the light of Nature Thus as the argument deriv'd from divine Revelation and the strange attendants of it proves that more was requir'd to be believ'd than reason could suggest so we shall find if we look into Scripture that it professes to contain more than human reason even after the revelation given can fully conceive 2. Some plead in behalf of their novelties that they proceed from the enlight'ning of the Spirit They apply hither those promises of the Old Testament made concerning the latter days whereas those latter days are by St. Peter understood of the days of the Apostles preaching and so they were applied by the primitive Church in opposition to the Enthusiasm of Montanus and his fellows We acknowledg sufficient aids of the Spirit of Grace in the use of means but we say it does not give this knowledg by inspiration in our days this extraordinary grant being formerly accompanied with the gift of strange tongues and with that of working of Miracles these two or the like being necessary to go along with that Spirit which distinguishes the Divinely inspired from the pretending Impostor Having said thus much concerning Innovations let me further disswade you from them consider that what is of the greatest standing and continuance is truth it self truth is that which is eternal in God and among men it is the off-spring of Divine perfection whereas error is modern and an upstart thus was it with the Idolatry of the Iews they serv'd new Gods newly come up In the stile of Scripture the Ancient People signifies the same with the true Church Deut. 2. 19 and the good way and the old way are one and the same Our Saviour makes this the best trial of Doctrine whether it be true or no by seeing whether it was so from the beginning The Iews are directed in matters of Religion to consider the years of many Generations ask thy Fathers and they will tell thee thy Elders and they will shew thee the whole Church in all ages is but one Flock and we that come after must as Solomon bids observe the steps of the old Flock The first Christian Church is that Pillar of truth on which Divine Laws were affix'd that they might be made publick whom may we then with better success follow than those whose bright knowledge of what they raught was not sullied with lusts nor swol'n with arrogance nor envenomed with malice How can we suspect their evidence who knew God's will by doing it and who rather chose to dye than betray their Faith given to God or the Faith delivered to them Blessed Saints The second Advice of St. Paul is to improve in knowledg He would not that they who are Teachers should not understand what they say Eph. l. 7. Nor would he a Teacher should only begin to understand so ch 3. Not a Novice lest he be filled with pride But instead hereof one who hath well studied his work 1 Ep. ch 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Of all knowledg most principally the knowledg of Scripture is required this

A SERMON Preached at the Visitation OF The Right Reverend Father in God JOHN Lord Bishop of CHESTER AT CHESTER By JAMES ARDERNE D.D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for H. Brome at the Gun at the West-end of St. Pauls Church 1677. A Visitation Sermon 2 Tim. iv 5. latter part of the Verse Make full proof of thy Ministry THese words are the summing up of all those advices in general terms which St. Paul had more distinctly given before in this and the former Epistle to Timothy These particulars as we find them in both will most sutably become the matter of this days discourse And I hope tho both the Text and this Assembly would fairly allow us to shew that Timothy was a Diocesan Bishop yet it will not be reckon'd necessary since the Authority of St. Ignatius's Epistles hath been beyond all just exception fully vindicated and that other the ancientest Records of Church-affairs do prove Bishop and Priest to be not meerly two Degrees but likewise two Ranks of Clergy-men distinguish'd by different Ordinations and Powers as appears amongst several Writings from the Apostolick Canons which I take the freedom to urge by this Name because they were called so before the first General Council of the Church and are referred to by it and have expresly this Title given by that of Ephesus which was one of the four principal Councils But to return to the propounded work the Advices given to Timothy which concern all who are plac'd in the Ministry may be brought under these four heads 1. To keep out of our Religion whatever is new 2. To improve in Divine knowledg 3. To be diligent in all Offices of the received Ministry 4. To have a Conversation sutable to their Office 1. To keep out of our Religion whatever is new Our Religion is the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ therefore sutable both to Christ and to every other Eternal it should be the same yesterday to day and for ever It being at once and at first perfect any alteration or addition would utterly spoil it Hence is it that St. Paul bids Timothy 1 Tim. 1. 3 to charge some that they teach no other Doctrine and ch 4. v. 6 that he should put the Brethren in remembrance like a good Minister of Jesus Christ of the words of Faith and good Doctrine and ch 6. v. 3 that he should so teach and exhort that if it might be not any man might reach otherwise but consent to wholesome words more directions of the same nature you may read in this second Epistle as ch 1. 13. of holding fast the form of sound words of committing the Apostles Doctrine to faithful Teachers of others ch 2. 2. the like charge is given to Titus ch 2. 1. and 7. and so before ch 1. 9. Now being new things made part of Religion do plainly destroy the rest of it let us inquire awhile whence such innovations arise and how they betray themselves and how they are most popularly carried on they rise from the same Original whence wars come from the lusts within men from vain-glory very oft and from an ambitious desire of drawing Disciples after them so the old Canon Law defines at once a Heretick and a Schismatick to be such who for the sake of vain-glory either makes or follows false opinions Such the Gnosticks were men vainly puft up in their fleshly minds professing themselves to be wise such an one Novatus was as Cornelius Bishop of Rome gives an account of him to Fabius of Antioch Euseb. hist. l. 6. cap. 43. That he was lifted up with arrogance and that his ambition and longing for a Bishoprick was the cause of his separation The Heresie of Marcion as we learn from Tertullian sprang from another as bad ground * Tertul. de praescript Epiphan li. haeres 42. and Epiphanius to wit from revenge because the Roman Church was then more strict and modest and judg'd it unlawful to receive him into its Communion who had been excommunicated by his own Father a Bishop in Pontus for foul conversation with a woman of that City Sometimes Divinity-inventions are studied out of covetousness so Simon thought to buy the gift of Healing that he might be a good gainer by his practice And as to the present state of the Church of Rome whose innovations are much more modern than any I have yet nam'd if we survey the main differences 'twixt them and us and compute the large revenues thence arising to their Church-men we should think if their opinions had been old enough that they came rather from this Simon than from St. Peter If it were not tedious to you to hear what already you fully know it would be easie to shew a like beginning of all new whims and fashions of deceivers for though it were uncharitable to question but that some may follow a Heresie or Schism as some follow'd Absoloms rebellion in their simplicity and knew not any thing yet it would be charity mistaken to believe that this simplicity and ignorance could furnish out a Leader that sets up his Banner in defiance of the Church no certainly this requires some endowments like those of a fal'n Angel fighting against Heaven a good understanding and an ill purpose Such men do usually betray themselves and shew that they are setting up a new Doctrine when they quarrel with the words us'd by the Church so the Arrians when they were suspected alledg'd that they were only offended with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fearing lest it favoured Sabellius who taught that there was but one Person and three Manifestations in the Godhead and the Socinians when they first fram'd into a body like a Church pretended they did not find fault with the Doctrine concerning Christ and the Holy Ghost but only with the barbarous School-term Trinity but for all their simpering both these enemies of God appear'd afterwards bare-fac'd in their own colours the like may be observ'd in those who design an alteration in Discipline as these other did in Doctrine If you knew not the men and their communication you would take them to be harmless and tender but history and experience acquaint us by what has been that they are not like other dealers for that they will have more than they ask Another way whereby men discover an inclination to something foreign to the Church of which they appear Members is when they would compound with the Church that which were all along Articles of Religion should now be only Articles of Peace and what was look'd upon formerly to be believ'd should be only not publickly opposed but this project has too many mischiefs surely ever to obtain success it would cast a mighty Reproach upon our first Restorers and it would make us one just as the Interim made the dissenting Germans not in Religion but as then it was fitly call'd an Inter-religion And further seeing our Doctrines are plainly contain'd in our Devotions