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	faith_n	tradition_n	5,594	5	9.1222	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70333	Political aphorisms, or, The true maxims of government displayed wherein is likewise proved ... : by way of a challenge to Dr. William Sherlock and ten other new dissenters, and recommended as proper to be read by all Protestant Jacobites.	Harrison, Thomas, fl. 1690.	1690 (1690)	Wing H917C; ESTC R35445	27,370	42

unusual way of Writing by way of Challenging of particular Men is because in a general Challenge no Man would reckon himself concerned in it for what is every ones business is no body's business and because the Dissenters from the present Government do assert that the late King James is De Jure still and that Obedience is due to him during his Life and that Dr. Sherlock and many others can prove the Doctrine of Passive Obedience without reserve to be a true Doctrine and they hope to hear it Preach'd with as much Zeal as ever These are the Reasons that induced me to Challenge particular Men and to write this Tract that there might be no Plea for the Resurrection of this absurd nonsensical sheepish slavish inhumane Bow-string Doctrine which one sucks in with his Milk another he takes it to be the distinguishing Doctrine of the Church and another believes it because it has been told him from the Pulpit and a fourth because a great many ingenious and learned Men have declared it to be a true Doctrine Thus we become wise by Tradition and Example having an Implicit Faith to believe whatever our Guides declarr to be the Doctrine of the Gospel though it be never so contrary to the Iustice and Goodness of Almighty God and to undenyable Reason If the Church in its Reformation from Popery had retained Transubstantiation no doubt but we should have had as many and as zealous Asserters of that Doctrine as of Passive Obedience without reserve the one being as false as the other is impossible I remember the saying of a Passive Obedience Man If an Angel sayes he came down from Heaven and Preacht any other Doctrine than Passive Obedience as it was lately taught us I would not believe him O what a commendable thing is it to be true to ones Principle though it be never so ridiculous or false or tends never so much to the Inslaving or Destruction of our Countrey I have hitherto says Cato fought for my Countreys Libety and for my own and only that I might live Free among Free-men I wish that every English-man could say that he had either sought or done something else for the good of his Countrey which is the Ambition of T. H. Political Aphorisms OR THE True MAXIMS of Government DISPLAYED IT is evident that no Rule or Form of Government is prescribed by the Law of God and Nature for that then they would be both immutable and the self-same in all Countries For the better proof whereof it is necessary to shew how far Government proceeds from Nature and how far from Man to wit that Man is sociable and inclined to live together in Company which proceeds from Nature and consequently also from God that is Author of Nature from whence do proceed all private Houses then Villages then Towns then Castles then Cities and then Kingdoms and Common-wealths as Aristotle saith in his Book of Politicks Tho Government in like manner and Jurisdiction of Magistrates which does follow necessarily upon this living together in Company be also of Nature yet the particular form or manner of this or that Government in this or that Fashion as to have many Governors few or one and those either Kings Dukes Earls or the like or that they should have this or that Authority more or less for longer or shorter time or be by Succession or Election themselves and their Children or next in Blood All these things I say are not by Law Natural or Divine for then as hath been said they should be all one in all Countries and Nations for God said Gen. 2. 18. It is not good that Man should be alone I will make him an Help-meet or Assistant like unto himself So that as this first Society of our first Parents was of God and for so great purpose as the one to help and assist not destroy or inslave the other So all other Societies as proceeding from this first stand upon the same ground of God's Ordinance for the self-same end of Mans Utility or Happiness all which is confirmed by the Consent and Use of all Nations throughout the World which general Consent Cicero calleth Ipsam vocem Naturae the Voice of Nature her self For there was never yet any Nation found either of ancient times or of later days by the discovery of the Indies or else-where where Men living together had not some kind of Magistrate or Superior to govern them which evidently declareth that Magistracy is also from Nature and from God that created Nature though not in this or that particular Form which Point our Civil Law doth prove in like manner in the beginning of our Digest do origine Iuris civilis omnium Magistratuum of the beginning of the Civil Law and of all Magistrates which beginning is referred to the first Principle of Natural Instinct and God's Institution Though Common-wealths and Government of the same by Magistrates are of Nature yet the particular Forms or manner of Governments are not of Nature but are lest unto every Nation and Country to chuse what Form of Government they like best and think most fit for the Natures and Conditions of the People By the State of Nature we are all equal there being no Superiority or Subordination one above another there can be nothing more rational than that Creatures of the same Species and Rank promiscuously born to all the same Advantages of Nature and the use of the same Faculties should also be equal one amongst another without God by any manifest Declaration of his Will had set one above another and given him Superiority or Soveraignty Were it not for the Corruption and Viciousness of degenerate Men there would be no need of any other State for every one in that State being both Judg and Executioner of the Law of Nature which is to punish according to the Offence committed Men being partial to themselves Passion and Revenge is very apt to carry them too far in their own Cases as well as Negligence and Unconcernedness makes them too remiss in other Mens This makes every one willingly give up his single Power of punishing to one alone or more as they shall think most convenient and by such Rules as the Community or those authorized by them to that purpose shall agree on with intention in every one the better to preserve himself his Liberty and Property What is it but Flattery to the natural Vanity and Ambition of Men too apt of it self to grow and increase with the Possession of any Power who would perswade those Monarchs in Authority that they may do what they please because they have Authority to do more than others since Rational Creatures cannot be supposed when free to put themselves into Subjection to another for their own harm which were to put themselves in a worse Condition than in the State of Nature wherein they had liberty to defend their Lives and Properties against the Invasions of any Man or Men

and charges him with inviting the Christians to Idolatry and tells him he ought to be put to Death for so doing by the Command of God in Deut. 13. where God says That he that but intices secretly to Idolatry shall be put to death And this was approved on by the great Bishop Athanasius and those Christians that were with him who calls it The Light of Truth the Doctrine of the True Faith How came you says he to Calaritanus to understand the Sense and Meaning of the Scripture so perfectly if the Holy Ghost had not assisted you in it Now I would sain know whether he that is aiding and assisting towards the bringing in of Idolatry as the Popish Religion is is not as worthy of Death as he that only inticeth to Idolatry And this is the Case of many who call themselves of the Church of England who are for the Restoration of King James and by consequence of Idolatry Surely if God had commanded the Yoke of Subjection to the Tyrannical Will of Princes 't is strange that neither the Prophets Elisha and Elijah nor Azariah nor David with his Followers nor the Jews under their Kings nor the Primitive Christians after their Religion was established by Laws nor any of the Reformed Churches should not have known this Doctrine of Passive Obedience In the Barons Wars under Simon of Monfort the King and his Sons were taken Prisoners but the Prince escaping fights Simon and kills him The Historians of those Times calls him not a Rebel or a Traytor but a Martyr for the Liberties of Church and State If Resistance be unlawful upon any Account whatsoever then were all those People guilty of Rebellion who in all Ages have resisted or turned out their Evil and Destructive Kings and Governours and then the Jews were guilty of this Sin for slaying and turning out several of their Kings without any appointment from God in Scripture So likewise the Primitive Christians did involve themselves under the Guilt of St. Paul's Damnation for resisting of their Kings and Emperors and likewise the Christians in all Ages since who have resisted their Princes by turning them out c. And then Bishop Athanasius Author of our Creed and those Christians with him did also come under the Guilt of St. Paul's Damnation for approving of Calaritanus's Book which according to the Doctrine of Passive Obedience was a Treasonable and Rebellious Book for the Incendiaries to Rebellion are as guilty as they that are actually in it And then all those Princes that have been set up by the People in the room of those whom they have turned out for their Evil Government were Usurpers and consequently all those who have succeeded them where the Descent of the Blood is altered are intruders Usurpers and no lawful Kings Were the Doctrine of Passive Obedience without reserve a True Doctrine no doubt but we should have had a better Account thereof than from a few Court-Divines who have most learnedly interpreted the Will and Pleasure of the Prince against the Laws of Nature or of the Country to be the Powers which St. Paul requires Obedience unto under the pain of Damnation So by consequence the Law ceaseth to be the Powers then we are in a worse condition than in the State of Nature With what Face can any Man assert that Passive Obedience without reserve is the Doctrine of the Gospel which is charging God with as palpable a Contradiction as any two things can be it being diametrically opposite to the Law of Self-preservation which is the Law of Nature and the Decree of the Almighty which Law is Sacred and not to be infringed by any Man God never commanded any thing contrary to the Law of Nature unless it were in the Case of Abraham in commanding of him as a tryal of his Faith to offer up his Son Isaac Protection is the only cause of Allegiance and Obedience is plain from the Example of David and his six hundred Men who were protected from Saul and his Army by Achish King of the Philistines who gave them Ziklag to live in and David and his Men fought for the Philistines against the Geshurites Gezrites and the Amalekites and subdued them David owed no Allegiance to Saul who sought his destruction is plain for when Achish told David that he and his Men should go with him to fight against the Children of Israel David offered his service and said to Achish Surely thou shalt know what thy Servant can do Then Achish said unto David Therefore I will make thee keeper of my Head for ever So David and his Men went in the rear of the Army and when the Lords of the Philistines would not let David and his Men fight for them lest they should betray them into the hands of Saul and his Army then David expostulated with Achish and said What have I done and what hast thou found in thy Servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day that I may not go fight against the Enemies of my Lord the King 1 Sam. Chap. 27 28 29. This is a plain case that David intended to fight Saul and his Army Now the Intention of the Mind is as bad as the Act and yet it is no ways said that David repented thereof or of his arming the six hundred Men before mentioned with design to sight his lawful Soveraign King Saul The Primitive Christians took Protection to be the only cause of Allegiance For when Julian the Apostate was chosen Emperor of the Romans not by the free Consent of the People but by the Souldiers during the Life of Constantius the lawful Possessor of the Throne The Christians did not reckon themselves obliged to fight for Constantius against Julian for they troubled not their Heads with the Rights of Princes Agustus tho he had violently usurped the Throne yet he was confirmed in it by the People and Senate of Rome who established it in his Family by a long Prescription when St. Paul's and St. Peter's Epistles were wrote of Obedience to the Laws to Kings and Magistrates so that we see that Obedience was required to an Usurper under the pain of Damnation when the Government was confirmed to him by the People that is by the Majority for it cannot be thought that every Body consented thereto Apolonius Thyanaeus writing to the Emperor Domitian saith These things have I spoken concerning Laws which if thou shalt not think to reign over thee then thy self shalt not reign In Matrimony which is the nearest and strictest Obligation of all others by which those who were two are made one Flesh if one Party forsakes the other the Apostle pronounceth the Party forsaked to be free from all Obligation because the Party deserting violates the chief Conditions of Marriage c. 1 Cor. 7. 15. And shall not the People be much more absolved from their Allegiance to that King who has violated his Oath and the Laws of the Land the very cause for