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
A93733	The cause and cure of divisions: or, The way and means for all Chr[istians] (however they are distinguished [or] named) to come to unity Demonstrated and pointed out from the scriptures of truth; by Richard Stafford, a scribe instructed therein.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1699 (1699)	Wing S5109; ESTC R230354	13,703	16

Reformed even from those Rites and Ceremonies and Carnal Ordinances and Impositions of Men. But since that there is such a Maintenance and Livelihood set out by a National Law to the Clergy-Men thereof for using and keeping those Rites and Ceremonies and Carnal Ordinances and Humane Impositions As they have been kept and retained hitherto for this reason so in all Likelihood and Probability they will be kept and retained yet longer any Law or Ordinance of God to the contrary Notwithstanding Altho herein also our first Reformers from out of Popery seemed to have used the like method as the Apostles and first Christians did in reforming from Judaism For as they did retain for some time a few Jewish Ceremonies that they might hereby the sooner gain and bring over the Jews as Paul for this fame reason did Circumcise Timothy All which Jewish Ceremonies the Christian Church did by degrees and at length utterly lay aside when there was no Hopes or Likelihood further to Convert the Jews unto the saith So our first Reformers from Popery did retain some Popish Ceremonies and a great Part of the Liturgy which was the same in the Mass Book but such as had nothing of the Leaven or Errour of Popery therein As the Cross in Baptism wearing the Surplice Bowing towards the Altar and such like If hereby they might sooner bring over the Papists unto their Communion and accordingly many were and almost all of them did come to their Parish Church until they were forbid to do so by a Bell of the Pope But since that long process of time it being above an Hundred and Fifty years since the Reformation these is no great Likelihood further of bringing them over by this way and kind of Condescention It is therefore now high time if they would do as the Apostles and Primitive Church did whilst it was Pure and Uncorrupted so that now they should lay aside even those Popish Rites and Ceremonies and Carnal Ordinances and whatever is meerly an Invention Doctrine or Commandment of Men that all things may be done exactly according to the Pattern shewed unto us in the Gospel This I do again teach and affirm constantly And indeed it is written For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is Proud and Lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And the Idols he shall utterly Abolish Isa 2.12 18. Now whatsoever is meerly of Mans making and devising in the Worship of God that is an Idol So that by true and necessary consequence whatever is meerly and only of Mans making and devising in the Worship of God that same should yea at length it shall be utterly Abolished and done away And as it is elsewhere written Many also of them which used curious Arts brought their Books together and burned them before all Men and they counted the Price of them and found it fifty thousand Pieces of Silver So mightily grew the Word of God and Prevailed Acts 19.19 20. So the time will come that many of those which used humane Inventions in the Worship of God altho they had their outward Worldly Livelihood and Preferments by them will cast them away to the Moles and the Bats which being blind Creatures so these were fit only for Blind and Ignorant Worshippers and they will be apt to burn the Books in which those Inventions of Men were that they should not be produced and brought forth as a Witness and Evidence against them in the day of the Lords Judgment and Indignation For fear of the Lord and for the Glory of His Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the Earth Isa 2.21 And so they would do now if the Word of God did grow mightily and prevail in their Hearts more then the God of this World or the Spirit which ruleth in the Children of Disobedience For altho those who used Curious Arts did get their outward Livelihood by them like as Astrologers and Stage Players do at this day Yet when they once come to wisely and throughly consider Shall I only to get a little outward Worldly Livelihood for a short time or for a moment for what is our Life but a Vapour which passeth away thereby lose that Blessing which the Lord our Creatour hath Commanded for such as are his Obedient Children who keep and do according to his Laws even Life for evermore Even so the Priests of the Worldly sanctuary and of that Tabernacle which Man hath Pitched and not the Lord I mean all those aforenamed might thus reason and consider throughly within themselves Shall I and so another may say Shall I altho I have my outward Livelihood and Preferment by such a way of Worship which is made up of the Inventions or Intermixtures of Men thereby provoke the Lord to Jealousie and Indignation so that he will not accept of my Worship and then it will not become unto me a Worship to the saving of my Soul so that in short I shall lose Life Eternal only to get a short Temporal Livelihood in this World God forbid far be it from me this wisdom can never be justified of her Children for indeed it is the greatest Folly Accordingly to what Christ Jesus the wisdom of the Father herein spake What shall it profit a Man if he should Gain the whole World and lose his Soul And what shall he give in exchange for his Soul And thereupon each one should smite upon his thigh and frame a right conclusion that I would not commit Sin nor Practise Errour to get the greatest Bishoprick or Arch-Bishoprick or even so much Revenues as the Pope himself hath For even he hath not the Thousandth Part of the Revenues of the whole Earth and if one had that yet it could not be a sufficient Compensation for the loss of our Soul And then by consequence I for my Part and so another should say till the same mind was in them as was in Luther and the other Godly Reformers I will not consent with nor yet bear a Part in that false and erroneous Worship altho any Ecclesiastical Dignity or Preferment might be bestowed on me for the same If our Priests also were so Obedient to the faith and zealous for the Truth of his Worship so that this mind were once in the Bishops and Clergy of the Romish or of our National Church which is much better then that altho she is not clean come out from all the Dregs and Defilements of Popery then indeed some good thing might be expected for the Church of God and for the Unity thereof May it not at this day be truly said unto the Church of England what John was Commanded Unto the Church of Thyatira write these things saith the Son of God who hath his Eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine Brass I know thy Works and Charity and Service and Faith and thy Patience and thy Works and the last