Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A33470
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The grand expedient for suppressing popery examined, or, The project of exclusion proved to be contrary to reason and religion by Robert Clipsham.
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Clipsham, Robert.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing C4717; ESTC R27263
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164,018
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330
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Primitive times Besides the Holy Scriptures or written word of God as I remarked before call upon us to search and study and meditate in them nay to believe and obey or Live according to them and Promise Eternal Happiness and Salvation to all that do these things but they make no mention of the word of God not written do not Command any to enquire or search after or trouble their Heads about any such thing as the Unwritten word of God 'T is true indeed St. Paul praises the Obedient Members of the Church of Corinth that kept 1 Cor. 11. 2. the Traditions or Ordinances which he deliver'd to them But these were no part of the word of God either written or not written but things in their own nature Indifferent That the Men should Pray in publick with their Heads uncover'd and the Women with their Heads cover'd Verses 4th and 5th He gives this charge also to Timothy hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of 2 Tim. 1. 13. me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Which form of sound words was either the Creed which the Apostles agreed upon as a summary of the Chief things that were to be believed and profess'd by all Christians or else the whole Doctrine of Christ containing all things to be done as well as believed to Salvation which if not then were before the Apostles left the World intirely written for the Instruction of all that should Imbrace the Christian Religion But doth not Christ tell his Apostles I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now By which saith the St. John 16. 12. Church of Rome it appears That Christ spoke many things that were not written and it is not credible that the Apostles would not deliver these by word of mouth to the Church To which a Reverend Bishop of ours gives this Satisfactory Answer that Christ doth not say Bishop Davenane de judice norma fidei page 18. Multa habeo quae non potestis in posterum scribere I have many things to say unto you which you cannot hereafter write but which you cannot now bear Postea autem Spiritu sancto illuminati portare ea potuerunt praedicare mundo ac demum scriptis toti Ecclesiae Commendare but afterwards being inlightned by the Holy Ghost they could both bear them themselves and Preach them to the World and at last in their writings Commend and Transmit them to the whole Church But let us grant saith he that these things were such as are not written yet who is so impudent and rash as to dare to specifie or assign what those things were This is such Transcendent Presumption that none but the Church of Rome dares venture on which takes the boldness to Father all her Dreams Fables and Errours upon God calling them his Traditional or Unwritten word As for those words of St. John which they insist so much upon There are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be Chap. 21. 25. written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books that should be written These neither prove the necessity nor Authority of their Traditional or Unwritten word of God Fatemue enim multa esse quae fecit Jesus quae tamen ab Evangelistis scripta non fuerunt for we Page 18. confess saith that Learned Authour that there were many things which Jesus did that are not written by the Evangelists but these many things were not Doctrines necessary to Salvation but Miracles or sayings which we may be ignorant of without any detriment to Religion or Salvation so St. John himself tells us And many other Signs truly did Jesus in the Chap. 20. 30. 31. presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have Life through his Name Which utterly destroys the necessity of their Unwritten word of God for if what is written be enough to perswade Men to believe in Christ and that believing be sufficient to save or bring them to Eternal life that do it then no more can be necessary but St. John affirms both these therefore the Romish Traditional or Unwritten word of God is at best a needless or superfluous thing Besides it is and must be with all thinking Men a mighty Objection against this Unwritten word of God as they call it that the Church of Rome hath the sole Custody or keeping of it the Primitive Church after the Canon of the Scriptures was compleated says nothing at all of it for all the Fathers cry up and maintain the Perfection and Sufficiency of the written word of God and all the Reformed Churches adhere to this in Opposition to that Unwritten Word How then came Rome by it Is God so partial such a Respecter of Persons as to Communicate it to that Church and not to others Or is it a Cheat or Artifice of the nequam ingeniosi the witty or Crafty Deceivers to help at a dead lift This is the very Truth Many of their Doctrines and Practices they plainly perceiv'd did openly clash with and contradict the Holy Scriptures or written word of God and therefore there was no way to defend them to acquit their Church from Errour and Impiety but to cry up Tradition and make it of equal Authority with the Scriptures But this will not do it for doth God use to contradict himself There are that say he hath two Wills the one secret the other reveal'd and that the one is contrary to the other which is neither better nor worse than downright Blasphemy the Church of Rome with equal Blasphemy affirms that God hath two Laws or Words the one contained in the Scriptures the other transmitted by Oral Tradition and they plead this in Defence of those Doctrines which are contrary to that being beaten from the Scriptures and having no shelter or protection for their Errours there they Fly for refuge to Tradition as if that could bear them out or support their Cause and so they make the infinitely Wise and Righteous God contradict himself which he must needs do if he hath declared his will to Mankind two several ways that is by Scritpure and Oral Tradition and this affirms things which that deny's and gainsays They had rather if they could do it prove the points in controversy by the Scriptures as the most satisfactory and convincing proof but not being able to do that they are constrained either to confess their Errours or to pretend Tradition to vouch and countenance them That they will not do because it is against their Worldly Interest inconsistent with their Honour and Profit This they had better not do because the Cheat is so Evident that none but weak Persons will be gull'd and deluded by it for we know that must
undermine their great Royal Office and cunningly to overthrow that most sacred Ordinance which God himself hath Established and so is Treasonable against God as well as against the King In the Oath of Allegiance which all our Clergy take the Superiour at their Consecration the Inferiour at their Ordination and Institution they do profess testifie and declare that the King is Lawful and Rightful King of this Kingdom and of all other his Dominions and Countrys That the Pope neither by his own nor any other Authority can depose him dispose of his Kingdoms nor give Authority to any Forreign Prince to invade his Dominions That he cannot discharge his Subjects from their Allegiance nor give Licence to any of them to bear Arms against or to offer any Violence to his Person State or Government By this Oath they bind themselves notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation or Absolution that they will bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King His Heirs and Successors and defend him and them to the uttermost of their Power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity and will do their best endeavour to disclose and make known to the King his Heirs and Successors all Treasons and Trayterous Conspiracies they shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them That they do abhor detest and abjure as Impious and Heretical this Damnable Doctrine or Position that Princes which be Excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murder'd by their Subjects or any other whatsoever Lastly they declare also that they believe and are in Conscience resolv'd that neither the Pope nor any Person whatsoever hath Power to absolve them of this Oath or any part of it So that our Princes have all the Honour and security they can desire What Motives or Inducements then could his Royal Highness have to forsake such a Church as this A Church that is so tender of the Honour of her Princes so zealously asserts maintains and defends their Royal Authority all their Rights Priviledges and Prerogatives gives them no offence at all is in nothing injurious to them but next to the great Giver of Crowns the Glorious Founder of their Order Honours Reveres and Obeys them 'T is apparently the Dukes Interest to stay in this Holy and Loyal Church to lend his helping hand to preserve support and defend it from all its Enemies as his Renowned Grand-Father his Immortal and most Glorious Father did so carefully in their Days and his brave and Royal Brother doth with such admirable Courage Wisdom Watchfulness and Diligence in this Stubborn Factious and Schismatical Age. 'T is no wonder if a Prince that knows no better truckles to the Church of Rome bears all the burthens injuries and oppressions it lays upon him is content the Pope should Domineer or Lord it over him sneaks and behaves himself as submisly to him as if he was the meanest of his Domestick Servants his Groom or Stirrup-holder as some Princes have been his ignorance is the Mother of this Spanish slavish Obedience and Devotion but there is no place for this in his Royal Highness he hath heard enough of the Insolencies Incroachments and Misdemeanours the Treasons Cruelties and Outrages which the Pope and those of his Faction have committed against Kings he was Born and Educated in a Church that abominates detests and declaims against such Impious and Unchristian Practices that Teaches all its Members and People to Fear God and the King and not meddle with them that are given to change and therefore cannot be so unmindful of his Honour and Interest as to make so unreasonable a change to quit the Brave and Glorious Freedom of ours for the base and reproachful Vassalage or Slavery of the Church of Rome This is the first part of a Princes happiness in this World to injoy all the Authority Priviledges and Prerogatives belonging to his Royal Dignity which I have proved he may do in this but cannot do in the Church of Rome and therefore can have no Reason nor Temptation upon this account to run from ours to joyn himself to that The next great branch of a Princes Happiness upon Earth is a Loyal and Obedient People Subsect 2. The Crown sits easie on his Head the Government is a Pleasure rather then a burthen to him when his Subjects have an high Esteem and Veneration for him in their Hearts Love and Reverence his Person Rejoyce in and are pleased with his Government Pray for his Life willingly Obey his Laws cheerfully Pay him the Subsidies and Tribute due unto him Afford him such supplies as will support his Royal State and Dignity inable him to defend himself and them from all the attempts of his and their Enemies and are ready to guard his Sacred Person with their Lives as well as Estates Such a People are the chief Jewels of the Crown the Treasure of the Prince and the prime part of his Happiness without such a People he is broken with Cares distracted with Fears disturbed with frequent Tumults Seditions indanger'd by Conspiracies doth not sit safe nor sure upon his Throne and therefore must needs be miserable Such a Loyal and Obedient People are all the true Members of the Church of England all those Christians I mean of this Nation both Clergy and People agreeing in that Faith Government and Dean of St. Pauls Vnreas Separ pa. 299. Worship which are Establish'd by the Laws of this Realm There is not in all the World such a Society of Loyal Souls of Brave Faithful Subjects to be found that do so highly Honour so Heartily Love so Chearfully Obey and Serve their Prince They have got such an habit of Loyalty 't is so endear'd to and so deeply rooted in their Hearts that it cannot without great difficulty be pluck'd up 't is built upon a Rock the sure Foundation of Christs most Just and Holy Religion they therefore Love Honour Obey and are Faithful to their Prince because God requires all this of them and Commands them so to be and because he is Gods Minister Governs for and receives his Royal Power and Authority immediately from him And till they have unlearnt these Grounds and Reasons of it they cannot be other then Loyal and Faithful to their Prince which they can never do so long as they continue in the Church of England because they are a prime part of the Doctrine of it which is constantly press'd inculcated and urg'd upon them no Church in all the Christian World doth so strictly and carefully and sincerely observe that great and weighty Charge of St. Paul in both the parts of it Put them in Titus 3. 〈◊〉 Church Catechism Mind to be Subject to Principalities and Powers to Obey Magistrates to be ready unto every good work They are put in Mind of it in their Childhood in the explication of the