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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	believe_v	church_n	infallible_a	2,870	5	9.5232	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31437	Diatribe triplex, or, A threefold exercitation concerning 1. Superstition, 2. Will-worship, 3. Christmas festivall, with the reverend and learned Dr. Hammond / by Daniel Cawdry ...	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1654 (1654)	Wing C1626; ESTC R5692	101,463	214

this The Churches that retain these Feasts especially the Lutherans are not reputed the best Reformed Churches nor by the Doctor himself I beleeve thought fit to be compared with England some other Churches in Doctrine and Worship and so no fit presidents for our Reformation What private persons wish or say is not much to be regardded unlesse their reasons bee constringent However we are not alone nor the first in this dis-usage of this Festivall Some Protestant Reformed Churches are with us and afore us As for the Sermons given to Christmas day by some that now disuse it wherin The whole body of their publick devotions is falsely said now to consist their prayers being as good and as large as the Liturgies it will afford him no more succour than this That the Authority then in being commanding Vacation from work they onely took the opportunity to preach to prevent disorders in their people which attend such Festivities And the Authority now in force prohibiting they doe forbear to preach § 12.3 The laying down or disusing the observation of this Festivity is not an act of Division or separation from either the particular Church of England or from the Universall Church in all ages especially that of the first and purest times Not the latter for certain for we have proved afore the first and purest ages of the Church did not observe it Not the former unlesse he will yeeld that the Reformation of the Church of England in former times was a Division or separation from the Church of Rome or the Reformation in Luthers time was a division and separation from the Catholick Church as Papists say it was § 13.4 If Superstition and profaness may be ground sufficient to lay aside a Custome the complexion of the times have long since invited to the laying aside the usage of this Feast His pretences to the contrary are insufficient 1. The omission of Christmas sermons and services tends not to raze out of the minds of the ignorant sort the slender knowledge they have of the birth of Christ and consequent mysteries of Religion For the Gospell being read and preached on all the year long they cannot but often hear of the Birth Life Death Buriall and resurrection of Christ The Knowledge which the ignorant people learned by some mens Christmas Sermons Act 25 was slender indeed nothing but a Superficiall as he Notionall carnall knowledge of one Jesus as that Roman Deputie spake that was borne at that time to give men liberty to Feast be merry 2. This cannot as he charges it gratifie their worldly affections and assist Atheism c. but rather to keep it as usually they did in all Festivall delights like the Revells of Bacchus did both mote gratifie their Worldly lusts and tended to Atheism and profanesse 3. The Casuists whose great reason hee seemes to applaud affirming that the necessaries of beleefe for the vulgar sort are no more than the great Holy dayes of the year spake with as much that is as little reason as their fellowes the Jesuits who say and affirm that Images are the best laymens-books instead of the Scriptures 4. The ejecting of these Holydaies out of the Church will not any with dispatch the opinion of any necessity of beleeving the Articles of faith the Creed being still to be retained in and with the Catechisme for the Ministers preaching constantly of those Truths may helpe not onely in some degree as he but very much and more than the great Holydaies of themselves can doe And why not abundantly sufficient as it was in the first planting of Churches before these Festivalls were invented We have had enough experience that in those places Cathedrall Cities where those Festivalls have been most punctually and solemnly observed taking in there Chrystmas Sermons too there have been found lesse saving knowledge of Christ more Superstition and more Prophanesse than in any Country Villages where the Gospell hath been sinceerely preached § 14. The Impatience of sound Doctrine and readinesse to embrace what ever is novel is not to be found in those of dee per sound knowledge but in the ungrounded professors of former times made formal Christians by external Ceremonies outward Pomp of service But those that endeavoured to Reforme the abuses of Superstition and prophanesse are the men onely or chiefly that propugne and maintain sound Doctrine whereas those that were the greatest favourers of those Festvities some of them either are fallen into the propagating of error Arminianism c. or at least doe little appeare to maintain the truth As for Hospitality and charity at those times its observable in many strong pleaders for Christmas that they are willing enough to abate the charge of the Feast both then and all the year after yet no body hinders them from being Hospitable and Charitable § 15.5 What ever specious design was in the first institutors of this piece of Service to Jesus Christ as after it is called it matters not much Gideons design in making a Golden Ephod was very fair to leave a Monument of his Victory as a pious publik acknowledgement of his thankfullnesse yet it proved a snare to him and his house to all Israel Many of the Superstitions of the now Church of Rome had no doubt a pious design and a shew of wisdome but the issue hath been very mischeivous Even so it hath happened to this Institution now in hand § 16. There may indeed a threefold guilt and danger be charged upon the Institution and continuance of this observance 1. Of Will-worship because it is not commanded in scriptures 2. of Superstition in observing dates 3. Of Riot frequent in such Festivalls The two former he saies he hath spoken to else where viz. both in his Treatises of Will-worship and Superstition and also in his practicall Catechisme In the two former though something be said in generall or in thesi yet nothing that I observe in speciall or in hypothesi of this Festivall Indeed in his practicall Catechisme hee hath undertaken the vindication of it from all these three charges but more largely the two first there aad here more of the last that of Riot we shall consider what he saies in order First to free the Festivall from the charge of Willworship he proceeds two waies 1. In respect of those who retain the usage of it they observe it in obedience to the Lawes of the Church and so it proceeds from obedience to Superiours a duty of the 5 th Commandement This argument should not have had the first place but the second in a just method The Doctor should first have proved that they that instituted the Festivall had a lawfull power to do it before he proved them that observe the usage to be innocent For may not Papists plead the same argument for observation of not onely their Holydaies but of their invocation of Saints adoration of Images and the Masse it selfe They do it in obedience to

them than God in Nature or by his Institution hath put into them Which though they be not properly Excesses of the Christian Religion being common to Heathens and not properly worship yet are they Excesses in Christians that use them and a kind of Superstition call it Religious or Civill as he pleases § 37. And now wee are come to another consideration of the last way that he supposes may be called Superstition and that is Because men place holinesse in some observances amongst us Sest 49 which what ever may be said of it in thes●● in hypothesi or application to the particular cases is generally very false or impertinent Wee shall consider what he saies for it § 38. 1. He askes what is meant by holinesse reall inherent holiness or onely seperation from common uses The latter onely we would answer Separation to holy from common uses that is such a separation to holy uses that the things may no more be alienated to common uses this is proper holiness § 39. But then the onely inquiry will be By whom and how farre any thing is thus separated either by1 Christ Sest 51. or2 the Apostles or the3 universall Church in purest ages or the4 particular Church and rulers thereof wherein we live or 5 if free by our own Act. He tells us here by whom the seperation is made but not a word how far or in what difference a thing seperated by the severall Authors is made holy or whither it be equall in all That a thing made holy by a private person is equally holy with that done by a particular Church and so upwards that of the generall Church equally with that of the Apostles and that of the Apostles equall with that of Christ himself this would first have been resolved Hee seemes to make the difference of the Holiness from their severall Seperations to be onely graduall but wee suppose it to be specificall at least betweene the Seperation of God or Christ and that of the Church to say nothing yet of the Apostles And withall wee say we desire a proofe that any but God or Christ or his Apostles guided by his Spirit can make any thing properly Holy Now to make a thing properly holy is not to separate it onely to holy uses from common as the Doctor defines it Sect. 50. but to make it 1. a part of worship 2. to be efficatious to work and convey holiness to him that rightly uses it 3. to make the service person more accepted 4. To give a ground of expectation of a Blessing upon some promise thereof in the word c. In this sense none but God alone can Sanctifie and Seperate any thing to Holy from common uses All which the Doctor either takes no notice of or takes as granted others may doe For he saies The way to discern whither we exceed that is be Superstitious in any of those afore and place more holiness than is due to them is to account them holy in a degree proportioned to the authority of him that seperated them Wee shall speake something considerable to this For 1. The difference between Christ and his Apostles and the rest is not well or not distinctly laid out For the Apostles authority was also Divine by Christs commission 2. Then it followes that the Authority of the Apostles in their Seperation differed much from that of the Universall Church the rest as much as Divine humane 3. The precept or example of the Universal Church as it cannot be demonstrated ever to have concurred in making any thing holy there never having been an Oecumenicall Councill truly so called so cannot make any thing properly holy with the respects afore said but onely improperly with respect to holy things or duties so made by God e. g. In times or places seperated by God or men there is this difference besides those above that Time or Place sanctified by God require holy duties to till them up But seperated by men they are to wait upon Holy duties In the first the duties are appointed for the Time or Places sake In the other the time or place are appointed for the Duties sake but this is to make any Time or any Place when and where those duties are performed as holy as all other times or places that is the one no more Holy than another We therefore deny that either the Universall Church or any particular Church or any private man can make any thing properly Holy which the Doctor doth not at all undertake to prove Onely thus he goes on If that which is thus seperated be by Christ himself I shall count it holy in that degree and my selfe obliged by virtue of Divine precept and so of the rest and then I offend not But 1. I suppose the Doctor will account himselfe obliged to an Apostolicall institution by Divine precept also I had thought Apostolicall * Hoe thought and said so in his first Quere sect 22. The Apostles Doctrines and institutions are so owned by Christ himselfe that what is truly A postolicall is immediately and by necessary consequence divine and infallible Sect. 52. and Divine had been both one with the Doctor but I perceive he makes them differ and yet differences Apostolicall from Ecclesiasticall as if the Apostles were neither Divine nor Humane but something between both 2. By this distinction of his the Papists may excuse their grossest Superstition in placing Holinesse in things times places c. by borrowing the Doctors answer They may say they account them holy but either by the authority of the generall or particular Church of Rome and that is no Superstion saies he say they § 40. But he goes on If my voluntary oblation I perform as a voluntary oblation and onely expect that God that hath promised to accept such will accept it all this while I am not blameworthy But 1. what meanes he by his voluntary oblation If his willingness in tendering commanded worship he cannot doe that worship aright without respect to the command If voluntary worship of his own without a command he hath no promise of acceptance and so can expect none Yea he may rather expect or fear punishment threatned in the 2d. Commandement to such worship 2. The Dr. may remember that Sect. 45. he blamed that for Superstition when virtue is placed in some things which naturally or by the rule of the word does not belong to them and gives the reason Sect 46. because that addes to the promises of the Gospell and fastens a promise on Christ which he hath not made Now how will hee free himselfe from Superstition in his voluntary oblation that is his uncommanded worship unlesse hee can shew a promise in the Gospell for such acceptance For naturally there is no such Virtue in a Willworship and Institution hee cannot plead for that were a Contradiction viderit ipse But hee saies still In case of resolution and vow adde that respect in my performance

2. The Worship of the Law was for the most part Ceremoniall in externall pompe and services But the Worship of the Gospel is lesse ceremonious and gaudie and more spirituall Joh. 4. in spirit and truth opposed to those ceremoniall typicall shadowes and figures of the Legall worship The Gospel Worship is for the most part morall praying preaching hearing c. without any thing like to that ceremoniall worship except the observation of the Lords day and the two Sacraments designed and instituted by Christ himself or by his Commission But if the Church have a power to institute ceremoniall Worship she may bring us back to a Legall worship equall with the Jewes as the Church of Rome hath done 2. If the Church have any such power to institute Ceremonies they must be either Non-significant ones but those Protestants disclaim as idle fooleries or significant and then either by nature or Institution Those of nature need no Institution If Institution be pleaded it must be either Divine but the Church hath nothing to do with them they are instituted to her hands Or Humane but that 's expreslly against the second Commandement as hath been said elsewhere God onely can prescribe his own worship Hence it was that those Traditions of worship introduced by the false teachers are coudemned because they were the Doctrines and commandements of men Col. 2.22 which when our Divines urge against such kind of ceremoniall worship in the Church of Rome as Humane Institutions they have no way to avoid it Vide Estium Corne l. A lapide in locum but to say Ceremonies instituted by an humane spirit as ours are are there condemned but theirs are instituted by the holy Ghost joyning with their Pastors in the Regiment of the Church as the Rhemists speak on Math. 15.9 and others more And therefore Papists may better plead their binding power than ours can do I shall adde to this That to institute significant ceremonies as a part of Worship is a superstjtious excesse and so Wil-worship which I prove from the Doctors own Concessions To put more virtue and efficacie into things Of Superstition sect 45. then either naturally or by the Rule of Gods Word is in them is a nimiety so Superstition but for men to institute significant ceremonies for edification to teach and instruct c. is to put more virtue and efficacy in them then naturally or by the Rule of the Word that is Divine Institution God put in them ergo The Major is the Doctors own the Minor is evident They have it not by Nature nor by divine Institution then they needed not humane Institution ergo it is superstitious and consequently the Church hath no such power 3. Grant her but such power and there will be no end of Ceremonies no man can tell where she will stay Of Superstit sect 38. unlesse some bounds be prescribed in Scripture The Doctors qualifications That they be few and wholsome have no ground to rest on For who shall judge of the number or unwholsomnes without a Rule Not any private man that 's denyed and very reasonably Not a particular Church the Universall may judge otherwise Not the Universall Church of one Age for the next Generation may be wiser and thinke them too few or too many not wholsom or unwholsom and so may either multiply or annul them See more of this in the Discourse of Superstition Sect. 32.33 Upon this ground grow all those more then Jewish ceremonies of the Romish Church That of the first 2. The Doctor takes for granted also that the Church hath power to institute Holy daies such as Christmas and to make them equall with the Lords day For of this he is speaking while he gives the Church this unquestionable power but he cannot but know this is denyed by many Divines 3. He also takes as yeelded That there is some ancient Institution of this Church for his Christmas from our first conversion which must be the ground for it to stand on and a competent Authoritie for the continuance of such a practise in this Kingdome but this he hath not proved 4. Once more he takes as granted That such ceremonies or Festivals established by a Church That were to restrain our liberty and to exchange one burthen for another So the Dr. of Superstition sect 56. may not without great temerity be changed or abolished by any What not by the Universall Church not by the succeeding Church That were to make the Laws of a particular Church like those of the Medes and Persians unchangeable and equall with the Laws of God Or else to cut short the succeeding Church from the same priviledge of the former and so in time the Church may lose all power to institute New ceremonies or else ceremonies may be multiplyed to the end of the world And so much of the first the Authority of the Church to institute Ceremonies A word of the next Secondly we must enquire whether if the Church have any power to ordain any Ceremonies this of Christmas be such as she may ordain We have said and say again to institute Holy daies and to make them parts of Geds worship is a priviledge of God alone If now the Doctor shall say The Church institutes this Festival onely as a circumstance or Adjunct of Worship commanded it will bee little to his purpose and makes it no more holy than any other day when the same worship is performed But it s evident that in the Church of Rome this and other Festivals are not counted meer Ceremonies in that sense but as parts of Divine Worship and so observed with greater solemnities and more Ceremonies than the Lords day it self which is both superstitious and sacrilegious And thus it hath been with some yea many of our Prelatical and Cathedral men esteemed and observed not onely as equally holy with the Lords day but with more solemn services with more abstinencie from labour and recreations as we shall hear our Doctor confesse anon We now consider what he sayes to prove the disusing of these Feasts blameable § 10. These are part of that establishment which the Reformation in this Kingdom hath enacted for us by act of Parliament To this we say 1. The Reformation formerly made in this Kingdome we have good cause to blesse God for but we know it was not so full and perfect as the Reformers themselves could have wished by reason of the times new come out of the darknesse of Popery and the tenaciousnesse of old customs received by tradition of their Fathers 2. This seems to grant that the Reformation and so the establishment of these Festivals in this Nation was made by the State and not by the Church which now is pleaded for § 11. Secondly This other Feasts of Christ are in the Reformed especially the Lutheran Churches stil retained and where they are taken away in some Churches by some sober members wished for We answer to