Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	authority_n	church_n	tradition_n	3,081	5	9.1854	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03409	The Churches authority asserted in a sermon preached at Chelmsford, at the metropoliticall visitation of the most Reverend Father in God, VVilliam, Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Grace, &c. March 1. 1636. By Samuel Hoard B.D. and Parson of Morton in Essex.	Hoard, Samuel, 1599-1658.	1637 (1637)	STC 13533; ESTC S104116	44,865	76

hath authority to punish as well as to prescribe Secondly he beareth it not in vain hath authority to smite with that sword and to put his power in practise upon evill doers There is one Law giver saith S. Iames cap. 4.12 who is able to save and to destroy in which words is given us by consequent to understand that it belongs to all Law-givers to doe either of these as occasion requires And the reason why they are to have this power as well as the former is because it is a back to the former without this that other would be unprofitable for (c) Morinus de cens eccles c. 2. Inermis authoritas non authoritas dicenda est sed authoritatis larva unarmed authority is rather a mask and semblance of authority than authority indeed Into all creatures God hath put two faculties 1. A concupiscible by which they are caryed to seek out whatsoever things are needfull for their preservation 2. An Irascible by which they are inabled ad omnia contraria eliminanda to expell by slight or resistance at least in endeavour whatsoever threatens their destruction And without this last the former would not be sufficient to keep the creature in being Answerable to this there is in governours a concupiscible faculty of making good orders for the maintenance of that body wherof themselves are a part and an Irascible of resisting and executing vengeance on such irregular persons men of Belial as assault that body those orders and without this that other of making laws is not only weak and of little use but oft times a snare to law-makers who otherwise would be like the log in the fable fabula vulgi a scorne to the rude unruly multitude But lest some may think that this last power is peculiar to the civill magistrate A coactive power necessary to Chu governours and belongs not to Bishops and governours of the Church their Canons being but councells and their authority only to perswade as (a) V. d. Vrsin catech some of note to the disparagement of their learning doe not stick to say Par. Orat. de Q. anleges magist obligent Consc pag. 13. Cast your eyes on Timothy and Titus two Bishops of the Church S. Paul armeth them both with this double authority Command and teach saith he to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.11 There is a power directive given him Them that sin rebuke before all that the rest also may feare 1 Tim. 5.10 there is his power coactive And to Titus he saith These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority Tit. 2.15 Teach there is his authority to informe and direct but is this all No Rebuke too there is power to censure the disobedient But how rebuke not with weak words only for that belongs to the inferiour Clergy but with all authority that is with censures deeds even to the stopping of mouths if need be as we may see Tit. 1.11 Nor doth S. Paul give these his Bishops any greater allowance than he knew his master would warrant for he was not ignorant of what with his owne mouth he had uttered Mat. 18.17 18. Goe tell the Church and if he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven c. In which words 1. Our Lord erecteth a Tribunall in the Church to which offenders against the Church must be cited and by it censured Goe tell the Church 2. He ratifies and setleth it whatsoever ye binde on earth c. ●i whomsoever you cast out for neglect or contempt of that authority which I have given you shall be reputed an outcast in the kingdome of heaven and by consequent whatsoever other punishment you justly inflict shall be authorized in the highest Court by the highest judge What will you saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 4.21 shall I come unto you with a rod or in love and in the spirit of meeknesse that is will you be perswaded by faire words or shall I exercise my Iudiciall authority over you shall I punish you For as the rod of Christ signifies his authority to rule his servants and subdue his enemies and therefore is called the rod of his strength Psal 110.2 So doth the rod of S. Paul here signifie his punishing power as S. Chrysostome and S. Austin expound the place And which is a thing that should work with us this is also the doctrine of our owne Church to the truth of which wee my brethren of the Clergy have subscribed Whosoever saith the Article by his private judgement willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be approved by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may feare to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authority of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of weak brethren And shall we not thinke that the Church hath need of this latter power as well as the common-wealth Are people so well affected to the orders of the Church that they will obey them if they be but barely propounded or at most by a few perswasions commended to their obedience Is the Church so setled by divine goodnesse that no unruly windes within her bowels can make her quake Or is the King of the Church so carelesse of his flock which he hath purchased with his owne blood that he hath given it weaker supports than Kingdomes and civill States enjoy and hath set over it shepheards indeed but yet lame ones that cannot or must not strike if there be occasion Certainly this earthly Paradise would soon be entred and wasted were not those Angels that are set to keepe the doore armed with a flaming sword of vindicative power to keep out or drive out all those that either professedly or secretly have evill will to Sion And therefore we cannot think with reason that Church-governours have the place of commanding but no power of compelling and urging obedience to their commands The Lords of the Gentiles c. no argument against the Churches primitive power But they that would have a parity in the Church and would make Church governours to be but empty Cyphers alledge the speech of our Saviour to his disciples contending among themselves for superiority Mat. 20.25 26 17. The Lords of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you But whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister and whosoever would be chiefe among you let him be your servant c. And say that Christ here compares the world and his Church and forbids the use of that power to the Pastors of the one which belongs to the Princes of the other and that is principally a punitive and coactive

have been used by the Romane Church when yet it is most certain that not only Papists but Pagans too by the light of reason may be competent judges of decency and order in externall Rites 3 Others will allow this surname to none that have been abused to superstition and Idolatry but would have them all abolished as most uncomely for the service of God but without reason may not Churches be accounted fit places for publike worship because they have formerly been polluted with Idolatry may not that body which hath made it selfe a member of an harlot become a glorious member of Iesus Christ and a holy Temple for Gods Spirit to dwell in Wise men have alwayes thought that the separation of the use of a thing from its abuse is very possible and that the use of some things stript out of their abuses is very commendable To take away the use of a Ceremony because formerly abused Curatio quidem est sed curatio carnisicis non medici saith (b) Cassand Commonstr viae Circ med Cassander rightly is a cure of the abuse indeed but the cure of a hangman who takes away diseases disasters and life and all at a clap not of a physician who so expells the disease as he saves the life These are all false Cards to saile by By the best writers ceremonies are then judged to be conformable to these directions 1. When they are not elevated above their nature neither used as true and proper acts of worship as vowed chastity poverty and regular obedience among the Papists are nor as instruments to produce supernaturall effects as holy water is sprinkled in the Church of Rome to wash away veniall sinnes and the signe of the Crosse is used to drive away devils 2. When for their multitude they be neither burdensome to the Church making Iews of Christians and Law of Gospell nor occasions of diverting their affections and thoughts from such religious acts and services as are substantiall And therefore such Rites as are not opposite to these rules we are to hold for decent and orderly Determination of decency belongs to Superiours 3. The determination of this decency belongs not to private persons it is not for them to nominate and governours to chuse or for them to bring the writing and superiours to give the seale this would be to make authority but a meere cypher and the Bishops of the Church like those images in the Psalme Which have eyes and see not hands and handle not c. this were an utter vverturning of the body a placing of the feete where the head should be But our Rulers must be judges in these matters the Kings majesty the supreme and the Prelates of the Church the subordinate for 1. this is the honour belonging to their places as it is the honour of the head to judge what is fit and comely and conducible to the wel-fare of the body 2. they are best fitted for this work of determining both in respect of their learning and experience and because of that divine assistance which by their masters owne promise Loe I am with you to the end of the world Mat. 28.20 is usually afforded them though not so far as to secure them from all possibility of mistaking in their decisions To their sentence in these things must inferiours submit if not their judgements for perhaps they are not bound to beleeve at all times that they doe all things well yet their practises both for the honour that is due to their places and the peace of Gods Church which every good member will pursue In Deut. 17.8 9 10 11 12. God enjoyneth the people under the paine of death in all their doubts and controversies to stand to the sentence of the Priest and to square their practises thereby he thought it not fit then for the people to be judges of doubtfull cases and doth he think it convenient now I will therefore conclude with the speech of Nazianzene Greg. Naz in Orat. quâ se purgat Presume not ye that are sheep to make your selves guides of them that should guide you neither seek to skip over the fold which they have pitcht about you it sufficeth for your part if you give your selves to be ordered Take not upon you to judge nor make them subject to your laws who should be a law to you for God is not a God of confusion but of order and peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 And so leaving Rites and Ceremonies for their determination to the heads of the Church as peeces of coine which beare their image and superscription I passe from the point to the Consectaries resulting from it 1. From hence we may see that Laws or Canons concerning orders in the Church are alterable and binde to their use no longer than they that made them are pleased to urge them Matters of faith and morality will endure no addition diminution or change because their authority is divine but matters of order and decency doe because their authority is humane Every particular or nationall Church hath power to ordaine change and abolish ceremonies and Rites ordained only by mans authority so as all things be done to edification (a) Art 14. It is the subscribed doctrine of our owne Church and a proofe of the Consectary Upon this ground S. Ambrose in his owne Church abrogated an old custome of feasting at the Tombs of m●rtyrs (b) ●ud ●es in Aug de Civ Dei l. 8 c 27. S●d ●c Ambrosi●s ●●●r● ve●u●t ne u●●●oc●sio l●●o●sis se ing●rg● andi q●ua illa qu●si parent l●a superst●m gen●li●m ●s●t si●n 〈◊〉 lest occasiō of quaffing should be given thereby to drunkards and because those parentalia funerall feasts were very like to heathenish superstition And how many Apostolique and ancient Rites have long since bidden the world good-night by the Churches pleasure only on the same ground (c) Cassand l de ossic P● pag. 855. Cassander reckons up two sorts of old ceremonies which because they were different have been differently dealt with 1. Some there were which are of perpetuall use to preserve the memory of Christs benefits and to traine up Christian people in piety Such were those famous festivals of Easter Ascension and Whitsontide for by their anniversary solemnizations and by the publique reading and explaining the histories sutable to those holy-dayes people are put in minde of those Acts which Christ did for their redemption and excited to shew their thankfulnesse to him by their love and obedience to his laws Of this sort also have singing of Psalms and sacred hymnes in the Church reading of sutable prayers and Scriptures at the holy communion silence of women in the congregation and the fast of Lent been accounted All these therefore have been religiously preserved without the least alteration 2. Others of them were of an inferiour nature and may be divided into three ranks 1. Rites of no great