Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	apostle_n	church_n	primitive_a	4,139	5	9.1134	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59823	Humble and modest proposals tender'd to the consideration of both houses of Parliament, for uniting the Protestant interest in the nation for the present age, and preventing our divisions for future	Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.	1680 (1680)	Wing S3294A; ESTC R37545	5,942	11

did burden mens Consciences without any cause so the other that remain are retained for a Discipline and Order which upon just cause may be altered and changed But since his Majesties Restauration the Church of England hath again declared in her Preface to the Common-Prayer That the particular Forms of Divine Worship and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various exigency of times and occasions such changes should be made therein as to those that are in place of Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient Accordingly we finde that in the Reigns of several Princes of blessed memory since the Reformation the Church upon just and weighty consideration her thereunto moving hath yielded to make such Alterations in some particulars as in their respective times were thought convenient Thus far the Church of England And of late I finde that a very eminent Member thereof the Reverend Dean of Canterbury hath acquainted us in a publick Sermon preached by him at the York-shire Feast That though it was not for private persons to undertake in matters of publick concernment yet he thought he had no cause to doubt but the Governours of our Church notwithstanding all the advantages of Authority and Reason too as they thought on their side were persons of that Piety and Prudence that for Peace sake and in order to a firm Vnion amongst Protestants they would be content if that would do it not to insist upon little things but to yield them up whether to the infirmity or importunity or perhaps in some very few things to the plausible exceptions of those that differed from them Now seeing the Church of England hath once and again declared her excellent temper and moderation for the preservation of Peace and Unity in the Church the great end and designe of all Church-government we have little reason to question her readiness at such a time as this is to comply with so modest a Proposal as a liberty of using or refusing those Ceremonies which she saith In their own nature are indifferent and alterable and upon weighty and important considerations may be changed c. especially considering that by this condescention of hers she will certainly bring into her Communion a great number of the pious moderate and more considerative Non-conformists Which will not onely adde strength to her self but give a great joy and content to all those who have wish'd well to the Peace Unity and Prosperity of this our Church and Nation and have long made it the subject of their Prayers that they might live to see those days in England wherein Iudah might not vex Ephraim nor Ephraim envy Iudah 2. I would likewise humbly propose That the rest of the Protestant Dissenters from the Church of England might be indulged by Act of Parliament provided they neither Preach'd Wrote nor discours'd against the Doctrine or Government of the Church as by Law established and that because Charity which is kinde and thinks no evil would oblige a sober and indifferent person to believe that the reason of their Separation from our Church did onely proceed from a tenderness of Conscience impressed upon them by the force of their Education Study Conversation c. lest in complying with the present established Form of Worship they should sin against God and wound the peace of their own Souls for otherwise their own present quiet and interest must necessarily have obliged them to a different Practice they having been under a continual danger and hazard of the execution of the Laws at present established against them whereby they have been not onely deprived of that Maintenance which by the countenance of Authority they might otherwise have expected and publickly enjoyed but exposed to many wants difficulties and sufferings As to the Vniting of us for the future I humbly propose to the wisdom of this present Parliament That an Act might be passed whereby every person after a limited term of years intending to take holy Orders should be incapacitated for any Church-preferment or for a License to preach in private Congregations who could not give a satisfactory account of his proficiency and ability in Church-History and Primitive Learning whereby he might be able to give a clear and plain account of what Discipline and Order were used in the Church of God nearest our Saviour's and the Apostles days when Differences and Errours in Doctrine or Church-government began first to spring up with the Authors occasion and effects thereof The Advantages which must necessarily attend the making of such a Law would be very great both to our interest in Church and State amongst which I beg leave to name the following 1. We might hereby for the future more assuredly hope for and expect Peace and Union amongst our Ecclesiasticks they having been all well acquainted with Primitive practice and therein with the rise and growth of all Heresies Schisms and Divisions in the Church and with the fatal consequences that have attended them whereby in all probability they would not more rationally than unanimously make choice of one and the same Form of Worship and Discipline but most heartily unite in their affections to one another endeavouring with all their united strength to maintain the Church in Peace and Purity 2. By this means we might be assured to enjoy the most Learned Clergy that ever this Nation brought forth who would not onely prove a greater Bulwark against Popery on the one hand but Schism and Faction on the other and being so well accomplished for the Ministerial Function before they enter into it might much more assuredly engage the affection and hearts of their people by spending in private the greatest part of the Week in instructing them in the Principles and encouraging them in the Practice of the Christian Religion a Duty alas too much neglected in our days 3. By this means we might be sure of Preferments to answer every mans merit especially if the Parliament should think it prudential to raise a sum of Money for the purchasing all Impropriations and Advowsons the latter of which to be annexed to the several Colledges in both Universities one of the principal reasons we can give at present why we have more Clergy-men than Livings being this That a great number of ordinary Country-men and Trades-men out of an ambitious designe to make their Children Gentlemen do send them to the Universities though they be not able to maintain them above three or four years Whereas were there such a Law as I proposed once established they would be willing to bring them up to honest Professions and Trades much more suitable for them and persons of better Estate and Quality would be encouraged to bring up their Children in the Universities and continue them there until they were arrived to that pitch of Learning which would not onely render them honourable to foreign Nations and highly serviceable to their own but would capacitate them for the enjoyment of a Preferment suitable to their Parents charge and their own pains and industry In short I heartily wish that we might often and seriously remember our blessed Saviours Prediction that a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand and likewise consider that fate which attended the Faction and Division of the Iews which grew to that height that they could not forbear destroying each other even when their declared Enemies the Romans were coming to besiege their City From which good Lord deliver us POSTSCRIPT UPon some Considerations I thought it would not be unacceptable to print the Speech of that wise and great General and Emperor Vespasian to his Roman Officers who seeing the Iews at great variance and civil discord amongst themselves pressed Vespasian their General not to lose this opportunity affirming that it was Gods providence who fought for them that the Iews should be at civil discord among themselves and that therefore he should not over-slip so good an occasion lest the Iews should quickly be friends again one with another either by the weariness of Civil Wars or else repenting themselves of that which they had done To whom Vespasian thus answered That they were ignorant what was to be done and desirous rather as it were in a Theatre to shew their forces and strength than with him to consider what was profitable and expedient For said he if we presently assault them our coming will make concord amongst our Enemies and so we shall bring upon our selves their forces yet firm and strong but by expecting a little while we shall have less ado to conquer them their chiefest forces being destroyed by their own Civil War God is more our Friend than you are aware of who without any labour and pain will deliver the Jews into our hands and will give us the Victory without endangering our Army Wherefore it is rather our part to be beholders of the Tragedy than to fight against men desirous of death and troubled with the greatest evil possible to wit Domestical Sedition and Civil War And if any think that the Victory is not so glorious because gotten without fight let him know and consider the uncertain events of War and that it is better if it be possible to get a Victory without bloodshed than therewith to hazard a Defeat For they who by counsel and advice do any act deserve no less praise than they who by force of Arms atchieve a Victory Moreover in the mean time that the Enemies destroy one another our Souldiers may take rest and so be stronger and better able to fight when need shall require Besides it seems not that there is much haste required to get the Victory for the Jews neither prepare Arms nor Engines of War nor levie any Forces nor seek for Aid and so by delay no damage can ensue but they will plague one another more by Civil War than our Army by attacquing their City And therefore whether we consider Prudence or Glory we have nothing to do but let them ruine themselves for in case we should even at this present make our selves Masters of that great City so it would be justly said that the Victory was not to be imputed to us but to their Discord Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum FINIS