Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	discipline_n	reform_a	3,178	5	10.3079	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56029	Proposals for a national reformation of manners humbly offered to the consideration of our magistrates & clergy : to which is added, I. the instrument for reformation : II. an account of several murders, &c. and particularly a bloody slaughter-house discover'd in Rosemary-lane ... : as also the black roll, containing the names and crimes of several hundreds persons, who have been prosecuted by the society, for whoring, drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, &c. / published by the Society for Reformation.	Societies for the Reformation of Manners.	1694 (1694)	Wing P3725; ESTC R4427	27,307	37

viz. Common Swearers Cursers Drunkards Revellers Haunters of Publick-Houses of common Infamy Prophaners of the Lord's day common Gamesters Riotous and such-like and all who are notoriously suspected to be such or to be guilty of Adultery or Fornication secretly lived in and not openly repenting thereof We all know That the Orthodox Doctrin of the Church of England and the Rules or Canons of her Discipline as likewise of all other Reformed Churches beyond the Seas do positively and expresly forbid all such scandalous persons from coming to the Sacrament and strictly enjoyns them All to forbear that Sacred Ordinance whilst they continue in their Sins lest hereby they prophane the Holy Mysteries of the Communion of the Body and Blood of our Lord Christ without a scrious and impartial Examination of themselves and a visible manifestation of Repentance in case any are guilty of those or the like open and seandalous Sins And we are obliged in Charity to believe that all the pious Ministers of the Church do take a consciencious care herein But what shall we say In this debauched Age wherein Sin hath got such an universal rooting how many loose Pastors or Ministers are there throughout this City shall we say or rather throughout the whole Nation who are regardless in this matter of so great consequence And we all may appeal to any sober understanding Person whether this he not one of the great Causes or Grounds of that Offence which many have taken at the Church of England and by reason whereof there hath been such a number of Dissenters as we see are at this day And this is certainly true that many young Persons who have been loosely educated and scarce know the Principles of Christianity and Church-Communion c. yet have long since and even at this day imbibed of their own accord without any Document from others a real Disrelish and Disesteem of the Church of England and that for no other reason than this palpable Corruption of many of the Ministers thereof in this neglect of their Discipline so contrary to the Canons of the Church And when they see such an Epidemical Distemper overspreading it self without Redress the consequence thereof may be such as is not difficult for any considering persons to conjecture And it must needs be for a daily Lamentation that the Complexion of the Christian Church though Anti-Roman looks so like that of the highly degenerated Church of the Jews of which the Prophets so greatly complained even of old under their Temple-Worship at Jerusalem Ezek. 22. v. 25. They have devoured Souls Ver. 26. Her Priests have violated my law they have prophaned my holy things they have put no difference be tween the holy and prophane nor between the unclean and the clean and I am prophaned amongst them Compared with Mal. 1.6 7 Ye offer polluted Bread upon my Altar c. Many Mountains of Objections and Difficulties seem to lye in the way None that we know do intend to propose the Removal of These Ministers c. but must leave that to the Wisdom of those who better understand their Duty than we may presume to be the Judge thereof But all that we humbly entreat is That there may be some such Way or Medium put into practice as may redress this Corruption in the Discipline of several Parochial Churches or other Congregations who need this or some such-like Way or Method whereby if possible to prevent the further spreading of this Malady in the Church Wherefore till the Wisdom of our Superiours shall think fit to find out some better Measures We humbly propose the following Way or Method as a present Expedient only and this also in becoming Modesty in order to the aforesaid Necessary End Supposing therefore that the several Ministers who have the immediate Care and Charge of their respective Parishes or Congregations chuse out amongst some of their Flock divers Persons of known Piety and Integrity unto whose Care and Fidelity to commit the Trust of Inspecting into the Lives and Conversations of Those within their own Parish or Congregation who are most known or suspected for more open and seandalous Vice and Debauchery that so they may be Ear and Eye-witnesses thereof and of their frequent Relapse or Continuance therein no persons being to know who these Inspecters are but the Minister and themselves and so accordingly to inform the Minister with Particulats which their own Eves and Ears and Observation can and shall attest And that the Minister every Lord's-day after Evening Sermon in the presence of the Congregation cause the Names and Crimes to be distinctly read as they stand upon this Record declaring That these persons are to be Suspended from the Lord's Table till they purge themselves by open Confession and visible Tokens of Repentance and if they do not by a limited time prefixed after they have had Notice of their Crime then to be proceeded against according to the Legal Comminations and Censures of the Church their Silence to be taken for a tacite Confession and Token of their obstinate persistance in their Sins To close up the whole of this Discourse in a word If it shall please God to put it into the Hearts of our pious Magistrates and Ministers to use their utmost Interest and Endeavour to promote a National Reformation in the Particulars before mentioned or in any other adequate unto all or some of the great Ends so necessary to be accomplished This may be the most effectual Means to answer GOD 's Expectations from these Nations and more especially from England and London and thereby to prevent those Judgments which we have yet all so much reason to fear and expect Then we need not be too sollicitous what any Man can do unto us or that Arm of Flesh Strength or Policy of our Common Alversary for GOD will then be on our side and perfect those wondrous Mercies and Deliverances He hath begun to work out for us Then will THE LORD OF HOSTS go before us and Fight all our Battels and make our way smooth and prosperous before our Face and guide us by his Vnerring Counsel and direct all our Steps and lead us into the Way of Peace Safety Honour and Renown Then will He delight to do greater and greater things for us whilst He puts a Fear and Dread on our Enemies Then will He make our walls Salvation and our gates Praise This Blessed Reformation will be a greater Security to our KING and QUEEN and to Their Excellent Government and to their Kingdoms and Dominions in particular also unto this Great and Populous City and to the Church of Christ and his Interest and Gospel than all our Warlike Preparations of Stores and Magazines or than all our Treasury of Gold and Silver or than all our Councils Wisdom Policy and Excellent Conduct Prowess and Mangificence of our Most Illustrious Monarch or than all our Armies and Confederate Forces by Land or Sea And who can tell but GOD may