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	false_a	teacher_n	2,669	5	9.2889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90814	The paper called the Agreement of the people taken into consideration, and the lawfulness of subscription to it examined, and resolved in the negative, by the ministers of Christ in the province of Lancaster. Published by them especially for the satisfaction of the conscience, and guiding of the practise of our entirely honored and beloved, the people of our several churches, committed to our charge; and for the general good of this Church & nation.	Heyrick, Richard, 1600-1667.	1649 (1649)	Wing P279; Thomason E546_27; ESTC R203122	28,425	38

to in them upon any temptation either of advantage offered or danger and trouble threatened and the remissness backwardness and indifferency of spirit in all we excuse not our selves in this in relation to the duties of them But especially we know not how to hide or hold in the sorrow and shame that even unto horror hath filled our hearts and faces upon occasion of the late proceedings both those against the secluded and imprisoned Members of Parliament and those against the person of the King deceased we not knowing how to clear them from manifest disloyalty and breach of Covenant and when we would comfort our selves with this that our souls have not come into the secrets of or been united in any society with those actions but ever abhorred them our hearts are yet faint within us when we consider how upon these proceedings our Christian and Protestant profession the Way and common Cause we have stood for the endeavored Reformation and the National Covenant we with others have entered into are reproached Oh tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistins rejoyce ● Sam. 1.20 lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph But having delivered our sense in this first part of the whole frame and general drift of the book we proceed to that which we proposed for our second part the examination of the nineth Section of this Agreement which concerneth Religion we have seen its contrivements in humane or civil matters let us now see how it would despose in the matters of God and truly in this respect we may say to the promoters of it as the Prophet Isaiah spake to Ahaz the King Hear ye now is it a small thing for you to weary men but will ye weary any God also (a) Isai 7.13 In speaking to this Section we shall 1. dissect it sentence by sentence denoting as we go the flaws or faults we observe in it 2. Lay down some of our Reasons against what we take to be the main import or project of it to wit the dissettlement and free intermixture of Religion This Section of Religion is divided into four heads whereof we shall examine particularly the three first It is intended Agreem 1. that Christian Religion be held forth and recommended as the publike Profession in this Nation 1. How reservedly sparingly fearfully doth this Agreement own Religion as if it were jealous of engaging men to it it dare not injoyn no nor resolve firmly on it only it adventures to intend it a word that enacts or puts not anything in being imports nothing but a wavering irresolvedness and mutability 2. How doubtfully doth it hold forth Religion Here 's no restriction to true Christian Religion although there are so many so extreamly differing ways of Religion which assume the title of Christian yea instead of such a necessary restriction here 's a plain implication in that only Popery and Prelacy are excepted from being thus held forth That any Religion Popery and Prelacy excluded may be the publique Profession 3. How pretendedly and meerly in shew doth it hold forth the profession of Christian Religion for in the three following Heads it leaves practise free and what gross hypocrisie is this If a man should propound to himself and declare to others that he would profess Christian Religion but he would leave himself a freedom to practise any way live as his list were not this in him the most deliberate wilful and perfect hypocrisie that can be imagined And is it not so in a Nation yet this is the Agreements Profession 4. Is not this holding forth of Christian Religion as the publique Profession being compared with the rest of this Section a self-contradiction for if none shal be compelled to the publique profession but may cast it off if they will as in the second Head and if men may both profess and practise differently from that which it 's said shall be publiquely held forth as in the third Head if this liberty be generally made use of what becomes of the publique profession how is it held forth and by whom And suppose it not grown to that yet this Agreement neither tells us who it intends shall hold it forth nor by what acts or means it shall be held forth but on the contrary denies the Representatives to have the highest and final Judgment concerning things Spiritual or Evangetical Pag. 14. part 8 and consequently it cannot be done by them and for a Church Representative or National Synod or any other way of holding forth a publique Profession here is not the least sillable but contrarywise provisions that make it morally impossible to be done Agreem Which we desire may by the grace of God he reformed to the greatest purity in Doctrine Worship and Discipline according to the Word of God 1. Here are none nominated encouraged or authorized to take this work in hand and we apprehend the Representatives being not to have the judgment of things Spiritual of Evangelical are dis-enabled to do or set others about it 2. But in the three following Heads there are full promises that men may if they will live unreformed yea lay aside the very face and profession of Religion or deform the Church of God in Doctrine Worship or Discipline without controul 3. We have Covenanted a Reformation in all these but is this hollow desire with long actual grants of the contrary following it all the keeping and performing of our Covenant that is intended It is no marvel those words are left out according to the example of the best reformed Churches for such a Reformation is this is without example or pattern in any Church or age 4. It is Reformation according to the Word of God That the Magistrate suppress the preaching of false doctrines and exercise of false Religion and that he command men to serve the Lord according to his own institution and bring men to the means of their Salvation which the following particulars deny him power to do Agreem The instructing of the people whereunto in a publique way so it be not cumpulsive as also the maintaining of able Teachers for that end and for the confutation or discovery of Heresie Error and whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine is allowed to be provided for by our Representatives 1. Here is mention of able Teachers for the instructing of the people in Christian Religion but not a word of a Church or Ministry for this or for the building up of those that are instructed or for the offering up of the publique Worship the administration of the Sacraments and Discipline Must we have none of these things provided for Must they be laid aside until that faint desire without hands or endeavors work out a Reformation Or must these be dispensed by any body Here then is a Christian Religion without Church Ministry Sacraments or Discipline 2. Here is confutation and discovery of Heresie c

spoken of but no Church Censures or Authority placed in any to purge them out of the Church 3. Here is compulsive instruction prohibited the meaning of which we take to be that none shall be compelled to repair to the publique meetings for instruction or to behave themselves orderly therein so that neither Magistrate parent or master shall bring those under them to the means of their salvation but give them the reins to run on in ignorance and all damnable ways This one clause if followed is a lesson that may more instruct men to irreligion and informedness and more unteach men the Christian Religion then all the able Teachers here allowed to be provided for by the Representatives can prevail to instruct them to it 4. Here is not so much care taken to promote the Religion which is intended publiquely to be held forth as there is of giving advantage to other ways differing from it in the following Heads for here the instruction of people unto the publique Religion and providing Teachers for that end is put off and referred to the Representatives but the liberty of diserting it and both professing and practising contrary to it is presently granted and enacted and the Laws Statutes and Ordinances contrary to that liberty are repealed The maintenance of which Teachers may be out of a publique Treasury and we desire not by Tythes For this we being in hand with matter of Religion and this being but of a temporal concernment and that our own we shall not insist on it We expect to suffer in such things and think it but suitable when our Religion it self is thus dealt with as in this Agreement only seeing that in this very page it saith No Representative shall in any mise level mens estates destroy property c. We mind it to see that it agree with it self Provided That Popery and Prelacy he not hold forth as the publique way on profession in this Nation 1. They are so much the more beholding to this Agreement the ways that are not thus held forth being better provided for as we shall see presently 2. Then any or all other ways of Religion called Christian are or may be held forth as the publique way or profession besides Popery and Prelacy here then is a profession of Religion of a wide latitude and of strange party-coloured and jarring composure more like to the mixture of the cup in the hand of the great Whore of Babylon or to the many headed and homed beast she sits on Revel 17. then to pure and uniform Religion of the chaste Spouse of Christ 3. Why are these two only excepted is it because these are the worst of all doubtless there are other doctrines and ways that are held forth among us or may be introduced as bad as the worst points of Popery ten thousand times worse then Prelacy such as these of the Antiscripturists Antitrinitarians Arrians Pelagians c. 4. Why are they only excluded from being the publique profession If they may be allowed to be professed and practised why may they not be comprehended under the notion of the publique profession as well at least as some other differing ways It they be too dangerous or noxious for that notion why are they not wholly exterminated they may hurt as well if they be permitted as private profession That to the publique Profession so held forth none be compelled by penalties 2 Head or otherwise but only may be endeavored to be won by sound doctrine and the example of a good Conversation 1. To the profession of Christian Religion none among us have been or are desired to be compelled but it hath been and still is judged a necessary course to cause men that profess the Christian Religion to carry towards it answerably to bring men to the means of the knowledg of it and to restrain men from publique scandalizing of it 2. Compulsion by Penalties or otherwise here forbidden may include the Ecclesiastical Censures of the Church the exercise of the power of parents over their children and of masters over their servants in reference to duties of Religion and the rather because it is said they only may be endeavored to be won by sound doctrine c. which words are exclusive of all other ways 3. Here then if this should stand men might become Atheists Recusants Sabbath-breakers Blasphemers or what they will and no man say to them what dost thou The former Court connivance of Popery the prelatical indulgence of prophaneness the Kings book for sports on the Lords Day so much cryed out upon since this Parliament were but small Gnats to the swallowing down of this a horrible thing to be enacted in a Kingdom so generally christianized as this is 4. Them may no Court or Magistrate constrain men to take an oath such as is used among us because in so doing he professeth Christian Religion 5. How should men be won to Christian Religion by sound doctrine and good Conversation when no provision is made to bring or keep doctrine to be sound and conversation to be religious That such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ however differing in judgment from she Doctrine 3 Head Worship or Discipline publiquely held forth as aforesaid shall not be restrained from but shall be protected in the profession of their faith and exercise of Religion according to their conscience 1. Thus all the damnable Heresies Doctrines of Devils Idolatrous Superstitious and abominable Religions that ever have been broached or praclised or can be devised if the persons owning them will but profess faith in God by Jesus Christ are set a liberty in this Kingdom nay not only granted a Toleration but enfranchisement yea protection and patronage and that in gross without considering or knowing what is so allowed and taken into Tutelage 2. Although here is a distinction used betwixt the Doctrine Worship and Discipline publiquely held forth and other ways differing from them yet the deserters of and contrary professors and practisers to the publique profession have as much favor granted them as to secure practise as they have that embrace it nay more 1. None are forbidden to compel by penalties or otherwise to any profession of Faith or exercise of Religion that is differing from the publique how gross soever it be in it self or opposite to it only men may not be compelled to the publique 2. None are prohibited to restrain any from the publique Religion only men may not restrain from the Heterodox or differing ways though never so corrupt 3. No protection is granted to those of the publique profession men may thrust themselves into the publique Assemblies violate the Ordinances of them and no remedy for it men may profess the publique Religion at their perils but the differing ways must be protected 3. It were much more to the honor of the Name and Faith or God if this liberty must be afforded that men might have it without professing Faith in God