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	england_n	reformation_n	4,105	5	9.0185	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52574	New-Englands duty and interest to be an habitation of justice and mountain of holiness containing doctrine, caution, & comfort : with something relating to the restaurations, reformations, and benedictions promised to the church and world in the latter dayes : with grounds of hope, that America in general & New-England in particular may may have a part therein : preached to the General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, at the anniversary election, May 25, 1698 / by Nicholas Noyes ...	Noyes, Nicholas, 1647-1717.	1698 (1698)	Wing N1461; ESTC R16814	53,865	112

New-Englands Duty and Interest To be an Habitation of JUSTICE AND Mountain of HOLINESS Containing Doctrine Caution Comfort WITH Something relating to the RESTAURATIONS REFORMATIONS and BENEDICTIONS Promised to the Church and World in the latter dayes With grounds of Hope that America in General new-New-England in Particular may have a Part therein Preached to the General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay at the Anniversary ELECTION May 25. 1698. By NICHOLAS NOYES Teacher of the Church at Salem Published by Order of Authority BOSTON in New-England Printed by Bartholomew Green and John Allen. Printers to the Governour Council 1698. Isa 1. v. 26. Afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness the faithful City Luke 1. v. 75 In Holiness and Righteousness before Him all the dayes of our Life 2 Pet. 1.20 Knowing this first that no Prophesy of the Scripture is of any Private Interpretation Psalm 86.9 All Nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee O Lord. Si est Gens quam non fecit Deus Non adorabit eum nulla est autem Gens quam non fecit Deus quia fontem omnium Gentium Adam Evam fecit Deus Omnes ergo Gentes fecit Deus Omnes ergo Gentes venient adorabunt Augustin in locum Psalm 100. v. 1. Make a Joyful noise unto the Lord all ye Lands Jam jubilat Domino universa Terra et Quod adhuc non jubilat Jubilabit Augustin in locum The Epistle Dedicatory To His EXCELLENCY RICHARD Earl of Bellomont AND Lord COOTE Colooney in the Kingdom of Ireland GOVERNOUR Of New-England New-York New Hampshire and Vice-Admiral of those Seas May it Please Your Excellency IT is recorded in the Holy Scriptures that the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ though it was of great importance and concernment to all People yet it pleased God that it should by one of the Evangelists be directed in a special manner to a single Person called the most Excellent Theophilus as in Luke 1.6 I write unto thee most excellent Theophilus that thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed Theophilus signifies A lover of God It is conceived by learned and pious Interpreters to be the proper Name of an Eminent Person who had been Converted to the Christian Faith at Antioch where the followers of Christ were first called Christians and the title Most Excellent given to him renders it very probable that he was in a chief place of Magistracy in that eminent City if not Governour of the whole Province for we read not of that style Most Excellent given to any but such as were Governours of Provinces such as Faelix Festus who were successively Governours of Judea as in Act. 23.25 Claudius Lysias to the most Excellent Governour Faelix c. So why might not this Theophilus be Governour of Syria by the special Providence of God raised up to such a Dignity that by the influence of his Example and Authority he might be a means under God for the Propagation and Progression of Christianity unto many others In like manner this Ensuing Sermon containing one great end of the Gospel of Christ viz. That all Christians should Serve the Lord in Holiness and Righteousness before Him all the dayes of our lives Luke 1.75 It is now presented to Your Self as to our most Excellent Theophilus in concurrence with all New England bowing down themselves before You as to our Governour sent from God and the King We give thanks to God for Your safe Arrival Per varios Casus Per tot discrimina rerum Now as God hath been with those Worthy men whom He hath graciously vouchsafed to bestow on this People to bear Rule over them particularly the Honorable William Stoughton Esq Lieutenant Governour and our Worthy Patriots assisting in Council whose Integrity we can't but remember at all times with Gratitude So we pray for Gods gracious Presence with Your Excellency and His more abundant Blessing upon Your Person Government that the end thereof may be attained that this People may live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness Honesty The good report of Your Personal qualifications Your Publick appearing for Securing of the Liberties of our dear England and Your good beginnings of Reformation at New-York where You first landed have filled our hopes and raised our Expectations that You are sent from God and are coming amongst us in the Spirit and Power of that Excellent Governour Nehemiah of whom it was said He was a man that came to seek the Welfare of the Children of Israel Neh. 2 10. W●●ch was a grief to their Enemies but matter of great rejoycing to that good People in their afflicted and low condition This People of New England are a People whom God hath Signally owned blessed in our first former times our Fathers coming into these ends of the Earth not upon any Worldly design but meerly on the account of Religion they had much of the gracious Presence of God with them in their Planting and Building Work and in laying the Foundations in Church Common wealth and in the additional blessings of Heaven Earth and Sea Land So that from a day of small things New England in a few years was grown up to be a thriving and flourishing Plantation But alas we their Successors have not answered the Lords Expectation or our own Profession but as we have been multiplyed encreased so we have Sinned and provoked the Lord to anger against us so that of late years He hath Severely witnessed against us by the variety of His Judgments in a Successive way and for a long time So that we are at present an Afflicted poor People greatly diminished impoverished and brought very low through Oppression Affliction and Sorrow as it is in Psal 107. from v. 33 to 42. And as yet it was said of the People of Israel when they were in a distressed condition that the Lord gave them Saviours Neh. 9.27 And with respect unto the latter dayes it is foretold That Saviours shall come up on Mount Sion and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Obad. the last v. This hath been frequently done in these latter times in some degree as might be shewed in many instances it may Suffice to mention Your Grandfather of blessed Memory who was raised up under God with an Heroick Spirit to be the Saviour of Ireland in the day of their distress in 1641. and we hope in God that He hath sent Your Self amongst us as a Saviour to New England bringing with You an Olive Branch of PEACE as a good Omen that the deluge of our Calamities is abated and our hopes encreased that yet New England may live in the sight of God and that under the Shadow of Your Government we may yet be revived and the work of God amongst us be renewed by degrees unto a more flourishing Condition than hitherto that

the Example Prayers Tears of many plain Christians are like to be more wanted then they are lamented Our friend Lazarus sleepeth saith Christ and wept at his grave Godly men must die as well as others and if their Children and Successors made good their Leaders ground it were not so Ominous But alas it hath been often otherwise in New England 5. The lubricity fickleness and unsteadyness of men in the true Religion in which they have been Educated not to say born as well as brought up it is a woful sign of declension when the Children of the Church are like Children tost to and fro with every wind of doctrine Men run away with a perverse interpretation of that of the Apostle 1 Thes ● 21 Prove all things forgetting the very next words hold fast that which is good Alas men are more fixt and steady in a false Religion Hath a Nation changed their gods which yet are no Gods but my people hath changed their glory c. Jer. 5.11 'T is a prodigie of Levity and Vanity to see persons that sucked in such Milk as David who said Thou art my God from my Mothers belly thou hast caused me to hope on my Mothers breasts that had such Mothers and Grandmothers as Timothy had that have been acquainted with the holy Scriptures from their very childhood and by their Godly Fathers Schoolmasters and Ministers were brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and it may be have made a Personal profession yet hanker after Novelties in Religion without regard to verity and when reproved for it think to justify themselves by that of the Apostle Prove all things as if that would justify their running a gadding and a madding after such Seducers as pretend to divine inspiration immediate revelation infallible guidance by the holy Spirit and yet deny the holy Scriptures to be the word of God and touchstone of truth and deny the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lords Supper and all Instituted worship Truly Sirs as for them that have lived long under the Preaching of the Gospel and can't see that such doctrine needs not much trying whether it be sound or no will be found to have their Religion to choose and that they have unsound hearts as well as itching ears They that have long had the offer of Truth and yet let it go will hold fast-Error They that were so scrupulous about CHRIST who came in his Fathers Name and confirmed his doctrine by Miracles did as Christ foretold believe on one that came in his own name Declension in Doctrine and Worship will bring on declension in Manners They that are not sound in the faith will not long be sound in Gods Statutes they that make Shipwrack of Faith will make Shipwrack of a Good Conscience also 6. The extream Difficulty of recovering from declension renders it very hazardous whether we shall not yet be more Sinful If there were no Devil to tempt nor no evil Example among men nor any temptation from a frowning or flattering World which is all far otherwise yet the inbred corruption of mens hearts that are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked is enough to undoe all This peop●● saith Jeremiah hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone Jer. 5.23 Such a deceitful revolting rebellious heart can shift off all Conviction and bear up against all reproof Infidelity can despise and disrega●d all Promises and Threatnings Security can eat and drink build and plant till the flood come and carry all away Prophaneness can mock at all th s and more till there be no remedy Self-love can blind mens eyes in what concerns themselves so as they shall not be able to see faults in themselves though they be very quick sighted in seeing faults in others Reformation is the most necessary but the most difficult thing in the World because the Enemy of it is not only in a mans own house but in a mans own heart To cure a long contracted Cachexia or ill habit of body to uphold a tottering Empire and to reform a declining People are three very difficult things but the last of them is the hardest of them all These six foregoing particulars may serve to show that the people of New-England are in great danger of being yet more Sinful which is a very humbling and awful consideration Who can seriously reflect upon it and not say as they Jo●h 22.17 Is the Iniquity of Poor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day The more the Danger is the more need our care fear prayer endeavour be lest we add to the heap of New-Englands Transgression Secondly New England is in danger of being much more Miserable than ever yet they were or yet are The fore mentioned danger being found real and impending this cannot be otherwise It unavoidably follows from the premisses for if it be like to fare with New England as to Happiness or Misery according as it goeth with them as to Holiness and Righteousness as hath been proved and that New-England is already very Sinful and in danger of being much more Sinful there must needs be the like danger of being more Miserable God threatned Israel three times in one Chapter that if after they had Sinned against him and thereby brought upon themselves some direful Effects of his displeasure they did not humble themselves return and reform H● would punish them yet seven times more for their sin which accordingly came at last to p●ss God did bear for-bear time after time and many a time forgave them upon their repentance such as it was so as not to consume them though at several times he sorely afflicted them for their sin Yet forasmuch they revolted more and more after their respits from their trouble at length they found the threatning executed and so may we if we don't take warning Before I leave those two last heads I will reflect a little on the sayings of some that were they true would render the fore mentioned Warnings needless and useless 1. Some make as if New-England were already as sinful as sinful can be as bad as bad can be To which I reply I have no design to speak diminutively of the Sins of the Countrey I do acknowledge with grief and shame that they have been and are very horrible yet I think such Sayings are not justifyable in any Some well-meaning holy men being of dark melancholly Spirits and little acquainted with the advances that Atheism Idolatry Superstition Prophaneness Iniquity and Sensuality have made in other professing parts of the World are apt to think so and in their indignation against sin sinners to say so But the truth is Though we have cause to abhor our selves for being so bad as we are and to meditate all ways possible to grow better yet it cannot with truth be asserted that as yet we are as bad as bad can be for there is real danger of

throughout and Deut. 28. throughout And the way of God was accordingly So that if a man had known before hand now that People would have acted towards God and one another he might have written their History in a good measure before things came to pass Hence they were so condemned for not knowing the way of the Lord which means not only the way of his Doctrine but of his Discipline and Providential Dispensations Jer. 5.4 Therefore I said surely these are poor they are foolish for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of our God Yet must not this be so strictly taken as if God dealt with them according to their deserts for had they been dealt with according to the First Covenant they were never good enough to deserve the Blessings they were always bad enough to deserve greater Wrath than ever fell upon them They were always less then the least of Gods Mercies God always punished them less than their Iniquities deserved and upon their Repentance Humiliation and Reformation God was always ready to pardon and turn their Curses into Blessings as upon their Apostacies and Declensions he turned their Blessings into Curses and was wont to distinguish between weakness and wickedness between Sins of Infirmity and Sins of Enormity His Severities were for the most part against presumptuous Sinners and such Sins as violated the Covenant There were also at that time by Divine Appointment Sacrifices of Expiation and Atonement not only for particular persons but for the Congregation not only for the Sins of private persons but of the Priests Rulers also Hence in Judgment God remembred mercy many a time he forgave them and did not stir up all his wrath and in some instances his Judgments were unaccountable but ordinarily they were as the light and the Equity of them very discernable 4. Gods Judicial Proceedings with the Jews before the Coming of Christ are instructive to people and places professing the Christian Religion that it is like to fare with them as to happiness or misery according as it goeth with them as to Holiness and Righteousness For the proof of this I offer to your consideration the following Arguments which for brevity I shall but name 1 That God is the same now as he was then as holy and righteous as ever he was Did he then love Righteousness and hate iniquity So he doth still therefore his Way and Discipline is like to be much what the same now as it was then 2. His Church is the same Church now though not the same people God hath but One Church Christ hath but one Body from the beginning to the end of the World Cant. 6.9 Eph 5.23 25 27. 3. This Law requiring Holiness and Righteousness is the same not one tittle of it is passed away 4. Gods Name and Honour is alike concerned in the ways and behaviour of his people now as it was then Did the Sins of the Jews give occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam 12.14 So do the Sins of Christians now See 1 Tim. 6 1. That his Name and Doctrine be not blasphemed 5. They were under the Covenant of Grace as well as we and we under the authority and direction of the Law as well as they Heb. 4.2 plainly affirms that they had the Gospel preached to them and in James 2.8 it is evident that Christians are required to fulfil the Royal Law When Paul saith Believers are not under the Law he means not under the Curse of the Law though under the Command of it 6. The Apostle speaking of Gods Judicial Proceeding with the Jews in Instances of Severity saith All these things happened unto them for Ensamples and they are written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.11 7. The Apostle saith that Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 and consequently Ungodliness hath the Threatning of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come And of like import is that 1 Pet. 3.10 11 12. He that will love life and see good days let him refrain his tongue from evil c. for the Eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous that is his Providence is active about them for good but his face is against them that do evil that is the frowns and rebukes of Divine Providence are against them that do evil 8. Gods Judicial Proceedings with his professing people in the Old World and afterwards till Moses's time were much what the same as they were afterward as the Book called Genesis the Book of Job 2 Epist of Peter and Jude plainly show 9. Experience hath convinced the Christian Churches of this and many of the New-Testament Promises Threatnings Argumentations and Prophesies show the truth of it 10. That this is no new Doctrine may be seen in the Confessions of Faith set forth by the Assembly of Divines and the New England Confession in the Chapter concerning the Law of God Sect. 6. The Threatnings of it viz the Law serve to show what their Sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them although freed from the Curse thereof threatned in the Law The Promises of it in like manner shew them Gods approbation of Obedience what Blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof although not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of Works All this notwithstanding I would not be understood as if the Dispensations of God now did exactly quadrate with his Dispensations to the Jews before Christ came The Church was then in its non-age and under a certain Tutorage proper to that time when the promises and threatnings that relate to the other World were more darkly and more rarely mentioned and temporal promises and threatnings more frequently insisted on and the accomplishment more visible and conspicuous and Dispensations more Corporal God did more visibly plague Disobedience and reward Obedience than now although he hath not left himself without witness but maketh all the Churches to know that he searcheth the hearts and tryeth the reins and renders to his people according to their works Rev. 2.23 And the same is evident by all the Epistles to the Churches of Asia in which it is manifest that our Lord Jesus Christ who hath the Government of the Church and World declareth that he will deal with them as they deal with him Obj. Doth not Solomon say that all things come alike to all and that there is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked c. Eccle. 9 1 2. A. Solomons meaning is not that it is alwayes so but that it is sometimes so and that notwithstanding temporal promises and threatnings God hath reserves for the display of his Soveraignty whereby unbelievers will be hardned in their sin and good men will be humbled and their faith and patience exercised And

cure the Lukewarmness of professors and recover the Power and Life of Godliness in them and to Convince Convert and Reform Ungodly Sinners it had need be done that the Land become not more Sinful and more Miserable I beseech also the Churches of Christ and exhort them to do their utmost that this land may be an Habitation of Righteousness and Mountain of Holiness They must excel abound in Holiness and Righteousness themselves or it can not be so Jerusalem was a Type of the Christian Church The mountain of the Lords House must be a Holy Mountain I beseech you walk worthy of your holy Vocation You are Saints by Calling Eph. 4.1 compared with Eph. 1.1 To the Saints which are at Ephesus Phil. 1.1 To all the Saints which are in Christ Jesus at Philippi Colos 1.2 To the Saints and faithful Brethren in Christ which are at Colosse Rom. 1 7. To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 To the Church of God c. called to be Saints You ought to be Holy in all manner of Conversation yea to perfect holiness in the fear of God to be blameless and harmless and to shine as lights in this evil Generation and by your Example to shew others the Amiableness of the ways of holiness and righteousness and by your extensive Charity be ready to entertain into your holy Fellowship such whose hearts God shall prepare and incline to seek it Let the Church of God be swept and kept clean by the besome of Discipline Let the hearts and hands of your Ministers be incouraged in the work of the Lord Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls Keep the Worship and Ordinances of God pure from humane inventions as well as from prophaneness And let the Church be built up in the most Holy Faith and be a pillar of Truth and not removed from her Stedfastness Walk in your Houses in a perfect way bringing up your Children in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord. And for reading the Word of God Prayer Family-instruction and Discipline and holy Example Let your Houses be as so many Little Churches Finally be ye● followers of God as dear Children in Holiness Righteousness and Charity Love at Brethren yea as holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly Calling Love one another Care for one another and the things each of other Admonish one another Exhort one another Forgive one another Pray one for another Let all Ranks and Orders of men seek the Increase and Advancement of Holiness and Righteousness and mourn for and turn from and seek the pardon of all our Unholiness and Unrighteousness and that through the plentiful Effusion of the Holy Spirit the Skyes may as it were pour down and Shower down Holiness and Righteousness that this Land may be an Habitation of Righteousness and Mountain of Holiness FINIS Typographus Lectori The Reverend Mr. Grindal Rawson Pastor of the Church in Mendon and the Reverend Mr. Samuel Danforth Pastor of the Church in Taunton spent from May 30. to June 24. 1698. in visiting the several Plantations of the Indians within this Province And the Remainder of this Sheet may be well employed in giving an Account of it IN pursuance of the Orders and Instructions given us by the Honoured Commissioners for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Indians in the American Plantations in New-England and parts Adjacent We have given the said Indians in their several Plantations in the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay a visit and find as followeth At Little Compton we find two Plantations of Indians who keep two distinct Assemblies for the worship of God and according to the best information we could have are constant therein The first Assembly dwells at Saconet Samuel Church alias Sohchawahham has for more than one year past endeavour'd their Instruction and is best capable of any in that place to perform that Service He has ordinarily forty Auditors many times more of these above twenty are Men Diverse here are well instructed in their Catechisms and above ten can read the Bible Here are likewise two Indian Rulers John Tohkukquonnoo and Jonathan George the first of which is a man very well spoken of At Cokesit in Little Compton Daniel Hinckley hath taught here four years twice every Sabbath Eleven families are his Auditors Most of the men here can read and many young ones of whom we had an instance can say their Catechisms Of this Company three persons are in full Communion with the Church settled at Nukkehkummees A person call'd Aham is Schoolmaster here and as we are informed performs his work well Here are likewise two persons improv'd as Rulers Preaching here the two forementioned Teachers at our direction pray'd very soberly and understandingly they gave very diligent attendance and were handsomely cloathed in English Apparel At Dartmouth We find two Assemblies of Indians at Nukkehkummees William Simons ordain'd by Japhet of Marthas Vineyard three years since is their Pastor In the Church here are forty Communicants part dwelling in Nukkehkummees part in Assameeskq Cokesit Acushmet and Assawanupset Here are many that can read well The Word is Preached here twice every Sabbath Twenty families in which one hundred and twenty persons at least are for the most part constant hearers almost all their Children can read Johanan hath been their Schoolmaster but ceases now for want of encouragement We propose his continuance as a person well fitted for the employment William Simons informs that here are four persons annually chosen as Rulers They are well clothed and gave good attendance whilest we dispensed the Word to them Their Pastor praying with good Affection and Understanding and is likewise well reported of by the English At Acushmet John Bryant their Teacher for five or six years past Here are fourteen families unto whom William Simons once in a month ordinarily comes and Preaches some of those who belong to the Church at Nukkehkummees being here settled viz. five men and ten women We find that Scandals are among them reflected upon if any exceed the Rules of Sobriety they are suspended until repentance is manifested By the best intelligence we could arrive to from sober English dwellers on the place we understand they are diligent observers of the Sabbath they are generally well clothed diligent labourers but for want of Schooling their Children are not so well instructed as at the other places though they earnestly desire a Remedy At Major Winthrops Island Mr. John Weeks an English man teaches them on the Sabbath An Indian named Asa chief Ruler among them and a person well reported of teaches them when Mr. Weeks cannot attend it Here are but about nine families most of which can read well are diligent in their callings and generally go well in cloathing