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
A81785	Johannes Becoldus redivivus or, The English Quaker, the German enthusiast revived : visible in this narrative. / Translated into English, for the use of his countrey-men, by J.S. ; Written long since in French by Guy du Brez.	Brès, Guy de, 1522-1567.; Scottow, Joshua, 1618-1698.	1659 (1659)	Wing D2413; Thomason E2137_3; ESTC R208359	48,581	94

affirm that the sense of these words written and spoken by the mouth of the Minister is the true and indubitable word of God as it more plainly appeareth Jer. 36.4 6 8. where the Prophet Jeremiah commandeth Baruch to write from his mouth all the words of the Lord. The words of Jeremiah written with ink in a Book are called the word of the Lord. How often do we hear in the Prophets Thus saith the Lord read these Scriptures Jer. 25.15 Jer. 20.33 1 Pet. 1.23 Isa 40.6 1 Thes. 2.13 Deut. 10.18 Acts 4.31 Acts 6.2 Acts 8.14 25. Acts 11.1 Acts 13.5 7 25. Acts 17.13 Acts 18.11 Heb. 13.7 Ephes 1.13 We ought rather to give credit to so many evident testimonies of Scripture then unto such Ravers who do nothing but rave and dream Muntzer careth not for that but dareth give the Apostle Peter the lye Now they which thus leave the Scriptures finding out another means to come unto God through pride they are deprived of their senses They pretend unto Revelations of the Spirit and despising all reading they mock at the simpleness of those which yet follow the dead and killing Letter as they call it By what spirit is it by inspiration whereof they are so highly rapt as that they dare reject all the Doctrine of the Scriptures as a babish and childish thing they say It is the Spirit of God but it is plain mockery so to speak For they must needs grant us that the Apostles and the faithful in the Primitive Church were inspired by the Spirit of Christ yet none of them durst contemn the word of God and the holy Scriptures but rather each of them had them in very great reverence as we may see it by their writings which are furnished with many testimonies from the Old Testament and certainly thus was it promised by God through the mouth of the Prophet Isa 59.21 where we see that the Lord joyned these two together his Word and his Spirit wherefore should we separate what God hath by an inviolable bond conjoyned Moreover 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul who was rapt up into the third heaven and there heard things unlawful for man to utter notwithstanding gave not over diligent reading nor profiting by the Books of the Old Testament Commanding Timothy to bring with him the Books which he had left at Troas with Carpus 2 Tim. 4.13 2 Tim. 3.15 1 Tim. 4.13 Yea he exhorts Timothy who though he was an excellent Teacher and well instructed in the holy Scriptures to give himself to reading and what praise doth he put upon the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 I would ask these men whether they have received another spirit then our Saviour promised to give his Disciples they will not dare to vaunt of another spirit now what Spirit our Saviour promised to send unto his Disciples he sheweth plainly when he saith Joh. 14.26 This Spirit shall not speake of himself but should bring to their remembrance what they had formerly heard of him It is not the Office of the holy Spirit that which Christ promised to dream of dreams of new and unknown revelations or to hold forth new doctrine but it is the work of the Spirit of God to confirm us in that which he hath already spoken by the Prophets and Apostles seeing also that the Lord promiseth not to send us another doctrine saying Hold fast that which thou hast until I come Revel 2.24 Gal. 1.8 9. whereby it appeareth that we ought diligently to travel as well in the hearing as in the reading of the holy Scripture if we will feel the benefit and fruit of the Spirit of God Luke acknowledgeth the diligence of those of Baerca in searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 To this purpose tend these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 Joh. 5.39 Luk. 4.21 Mat. 4.4 Ephes 6.16 Mat. 22.19 Luk. 24.27 Joh. 2.22 And Paul would have a Bishop to hold fast the faithful word Tit. 1.9 c. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures c. Acts 14.24 28. If it were otherwise how could we take heed of the deceits of Satan who daily transformeth himself into an Angel of light whereupon should our faith rest we should be carried to and fro without any stability But they do alleadge Object it were a great absurdity to subject the holy Spirit unto the Scriptures to whom all things are to be subjected As if it were a shame and ignominy to the Holy Ghost Answ to be alway like unto himself and to be constant in the same word without wavering at all if any should reduce the Spirit to an Humane or any other Rule it were debased yea brought into servitude but when we say That the Holy Ghost having once spoken is not mutable and changeth not discourse now speaking one thing and then another as men are wont to do who will say that we offer any injury to the Holy Ghost But they say Object He is by this means examined which belongeth not unto men to do Is is very clear Answ that it is such an examination as he hath pleased to establish in the Church that we may not receive the spirit of Satan instead of him wherefore it must needs be that the Spirit abide for ever such as once he hath revealed and manifested himself to be in the holy Scriptures It is no shame nor opprobry to the Spirit for any to say of him That it is no dishonour for him not to be mutable nor to renounce himself As for that which they tax the Ministers to be Ministers of the dead letter one may plainly see the Lords taking vengeance upon the outrage offred unto his holy Word smiting them with a spirit of giddiness for having despised the true and only means of coming unto God which is the Scripture and the Word of God In that passage of the Corinthians where Paul saith 2 Cor. 3.6 The letter killeth and the Spirit quickeneth let any closely consider against whom the Apostle disputeth and they will understand his drift It is very evident that Paul in this place had to do with false Apostles who preached and extolled the Law without Christ caused the people to recoil from Salvation purchased by Christ and the grace of the new Covenant whereunto the Lord had promised to write his Law in the heart of the faithful the Law then being separated from Christ as a body without a soul Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Ezek. 36. Heb. 8.10 and nothing cometh from it but death to those that are under it it doth nothing but beat and strike the ears without any quickning the soul until by faith we are sent from it unto Christ as from the Usher unto the Master and then the Law will be found such as David sings it Psal 19.8 The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is faithful making wise the simple the commandments of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart c. Thus must we

sight is so fixed upon themselves and their own fair deeds as that they are perswaded that they are the only ones and the None-such in the world In the mean while the Apostle lively upbraideth them saying Such false Apostles are deceitful workers disguising them selves into Apostles of Christ and no marvel saith he for Satan transformeth himself into an Angel of light it is no great matter then if his Ministers transform themselves into the Ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works Moreover who knoweth not well that Doctrine far surpasseth works so as if the Doctrine be not sound pure and true the works how holy and fair soever they may be will never prove the calling of a false Prophet that he is sent from God If it were lawful for us to boast it should not be in our sanctity perfection mortification as they do but only in the pure mercy of God through Jesus Christ if so be that gravity and honesty of life were the true sign of the vocation to the Ministry it would follow that all honest and good people should be Ministers of the Church but that is well known to be false 1 Cor. 7.10 nor can it be for there is a command for every one to walk in the calling wherein he is called 1 Cor. 12.29 he asketh also are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Every Christian may or ought to read and discourse of Scripture it followeth not therefore that all Christians are Preachers and Ministers of the Churches but only those which are lawfully called nor doth the calling cease for any failing that may be found in the life of the called wch is not spoken to give occasion to make Ministers negligent God forbid But the exhortation of the Apostle Paul is alwaies necessary to the Ministers no more then Peter ceased to be a true and lawful Apostle Act. 6.6 Act. 13.3 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 when he so grossely failed Gal. 2.11 12. It is well known that our Ministers are called to Office by the voice and common consent of all the Church and that after fasting and calling upon the name of God according to Apostolical institution and are confirmed in their Office by imposition of hands what reason is there for these Sectaries to say That their Ministers are called of God but ours onely by the world and men if their Ministers have a special calling as the Apostles had let them prove it by signs miracles gifts of tongues and Apostolical Doctrine as they did the Church hath no need of your Ministers for the Doctrine of Repentance Amendment of life and of Remission of sins in the name of Christ is abundantly declared in the Church of Christ to teach the same thing is superfluous if you teach any other Doctrine then you and your Doctrine is accursed and not to be heard I shall say no other thing then what the Apostle Paul before spake to the like glorious Ministers as theirs be Gal. 1.18 If their spirit be so full of knowledge and light so as they cannot contain themselves from preaching without calling why do they not preach where the Gospel was never yet declared they insinuate themselves into such places where the holy Gospel hath been preached to the people with great labour and hazard of life unto the poor Ministers It is a marvel how they will vouchsafe to enjoy and partake of the labours of those Ministers whom they so much hate they secretly by fraud and deceit seduce and disturb in such places the poor sheep of Jesus Christ which ought not to be withdrawn from their true Pastors Joh. 10.5 I pray all the flock of Christ not to give heed to such strangers but rather hearken to the voice of the Apostle 1 Thes 5.12 13. Heb. 13.17 These Sectaries do defame and reproach the Ministers and speak all evil of them but it is because they touch them at the quick because they cry out upon these wolves and pluck the sheepskins from off their backs that none might be surprized by their fair appearance seeing the Gospel-Ministers are stiled the Salt of the earth none must think strange that the Salt biteth and pricketh and maketh it self to be Salt the Salt biteth not where there is no wound but it is felt where there is a raw place It will appear then that they have lost their spiritual senses who say That our Ministers are not called of God God hath put singular honour upon the Ministers yea what greater could he put upon them then by saying He that heareth you heareth me and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me the Lord not only by words hath recommended the Ministers unto the Church but also by example hath shewn what honour and reverence all ought to have them in Act. 8. The holy Ghost could have taught the Ethiopian Eunuch without the Ministry of man but he would maintain this order So Cornelius Act. 10.5 God could have taught him by the Angel but he is bid by him to send for Peter When our Lord called Paul he could have instructed him himself yet he is sent to a Mortal man to receive the Doctrine of Salvation and Baptism behold a case which fell not out by rashness that an Angel of God should withdraw from entring upon the Ministry Act. 9.6 and should send him to a man a Minister to preach unto him Who with a good Conscience dare then despise the true Ministry so highly honoured of God and to disgust men from the same and to cause men to run after those which were not lawful Ministers but thieves robbers and grievous wolves which spare not the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ Let us now come to the second point Muntzer after he had spued out his poyson against the poor Ministers of Christ he falls upon the word of the eternal God and there that he may leave nothing entire with open throat he spits out his blasphemies It is no marvel if he fall upon the Ministers of the word to speak evil of them seeing he dareth so outragiously to set himself against the very mouth of God Behold his own words That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Object and the eternal preaching of the word is not the word of God and that we must search for the word in the internal part in the heart and that the Ministers are much deceived thinking that faith cometh by reading of the Scriptures or by hearing them preached seeing all the Scripture saith that they shall be taught of God These are his own words We plainly confess Answ and are not so ignorant thanks be to God and who knoweth not that the external word i. e. that the Letters written with ink upon paper by the hand of the Writer and that the voice sounding out of the mouth is not the word of God inasmuch as it is written and spoken by man yet we do notwithstanding

Munday or Tuesday but the first and second day of the week binding their Consciences unto such things they make themselves ridiculous because they condemn garments and trimmings which are not according to their cut and rule by their Taylors and according to their patern and fashion We would not here let loose the reins to pompe and vanity but we say We are not to condemn him who is clothed according to his estate and according to the custom of the Countrey young people and all according to the received custom Gentlemen according to their ranks Merchants and consequently all men of estate according to their qualities We condemn with the Apostle Peter all sumptuousness and vanities which are unprofitable notwithstanding we say That when Princes and the like carry it magnificently they are not to be condemned as Pagans for Christ and his Apostles never gave us rules for our Garments Let every one hold forth mediocrity and cut off all superfluity for the profit of the poor Meat and drink is not less free to Christians then garments wherefore to forbid them 1 Tim. 4. is to hold forth the doctrine of Devils as Paul saith What hurt can be found therein when God shall by his blessing give a Christian means that he may make use of good meat and drink and the faithful receive it with giving of thanks without gluttony but with sobriety wherefore should any say That this gift of God is a curse have not the servants of the Lord praised the Lord for it as David for the Lords filling of his cup Psal 23. and spreading his table Was not Christ at Feasts and banquets with his friends there were none but the hypocritical Pharisees offended at it calling him glutton and drunkard Paul saith He could tell how to abound as well as to want If a believer hath little let him be contented without murmuring if he hath much let him use it with moderation and sobriety and giving of thanks remembring that passage of the Apostle Whether you eat or drink do all to the glory of God ● Cor. 10.21 They condemn all mirth and laughter as bad It is true Christ saith Wo unto you that laugh for you shall mourn yet Paul exhorteth to rejoyce with them that rejoyce Rom. 12.14 and Solomon saith There is a time to laugh Eccles Abraham laughed Gen. 18.10 and yet these men would banish all mirth and laughter All civil mirth is not to be condemned nay rather their hypocritical sighings and their sad and melancholy looks are to be censured whereby they would as more holy extol themselves above other men the Kingdom of God consists not in these things the Scriprure no where condemneth honest mirth but every where hypocrisies In the time of Solomon Israel held a Fe●st for fourteen daies together because of all the goodness of God vouchsafed to David his father As mourning proceeds from adversity so joy from prosperity which Jeremiah plainly holds forth when he saith The joy of our heart is ceased and our mirth is turned into mourning Lam. 5.15 c. They condemn also the honest banquets at Weddings as unlawful and evil and yet we see the Scripture speaketh often of the voice of the spouse and espoused we reade it no where condemned either in the Old or New Testament Our Lord was not only at a Wedding being invited but wrought there his first miracle by turning water into wine he sat down there and his Disciples David saith Psal 104.15 God hath made wine to make glad mans heart and oyl to make his face shine Feasts and Banquets which exceed Christian modesty are not to be commended Lot made a feast to his two guests and Abraham did so at Isaacs weaning who ever will reade of the feast of the faithful let him reade these Scriptures Gen. 26.30 Gen. 43.31 Judg. 14.10 12 17. 2 Sam. 3.20 1 King 3.15 Job 1.4 5. It is said Matthew made a feast where many Publicans were Christ doth not forbid them yea he fetcheth comparison from the Bride and Bridegroom Luk. 14. from the Wedding-Supper and the Wedding-Garments We would not here encourage intemperance in any but to shew the liberty which Christians have of the good creatures of God that none may condemn those who in Gods fear do make use of their liberty the Kingdom of God lieth not in such observations bodily exercise profiting little but godliness being profitable in all things Moreover if we should reckon up all their errours and several opinions time would fail us to refute them There be some who hold re-baptizing so necessary as that without it none can be saved Nor will they salute any nor give the hand nor acknowledge any but such to be their brethren some hold it not so necessary and make no scruple to be found with honest people and to account them as brethren but their number is but small Some account Childrens Baptism so bad as that they will rather be dismembred and suffer then to let their children be baptized Others suffer it as an Ordinance which neither hindereth nor profiteth Some account themselves holy and pure these are separated from others and have all things in common none saith among them This is mine and to have any thing in propriety is accounted a sin Some have endured great torments because they would not keep Sundaies and Festival daies in despite of Antichrist seeing they were daies appointed by Antichrist they would not hold forth any thing which is like unto him Others observe these daies but it is out of charity Some say they are come so high as that they cannot sin any more The most pure of them preach up the Cross and persecution so high that they seem to make it an Idol and a new Saviour putting of it in the place of Christ for salvation as the Papists do their works There be some who have daily some new command from God to make known unto their brethren and strangers Some are rapt into an extasie and have their visage and countenance changed lying upon the ground certain hours Some Tremble and Quake for two or three hours together after that when they are come unto themselves they prophecie and speak strange things as if they had been in another world or as if they had fallen from out of heaven 2 Cor. 12. and they account to have that in common with the Apostle when he was taken up into the third heaven Many cannot speak nor declare the great secrets and mysteries which they have seen To some this Extasie or Trance cometh often to others not so often to others of them not at all Some among them fall down upon their faces and dream others do not but keep themselves to the Letter of the Scripture Some do nothing else but pray as the Friers do and say That they do hinder and keep back by their prayers all the mischief which otherwise would befal the world these will