Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
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A39077
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An exposition on that most excellent prayer in the liturgy of the Church of England called the litany Wherein all or most ot the exceptions that have been made against it, are fully answered.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing E3888DA; ESTC R220212
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16,626
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45
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many Thousands besides in other Parts of the Kingdom in that and the Year following 3. From Famine a Judgment God be thanked not heard of in our Land and yet to be feared if we call to mind the several FÃ mines we find threatned and inflicted upon the two Fruitfulest Countries in the World the Land of Canaan and Egypt 4. From Battle that is not only from proclaimed Wars and open Hostilities but from all sudden Frayes Quarrels and Duels which never end well 5. From Murder that is from Suffering as well as Committing of it From all violent Death and especially 6. that which is Sudden From which last it is not only Lawful whatever private Fancies have suggested to the contrary but very behoveful to pray to God to deliver us as that which may snatch us away before we are prepared either to leave this World or go to a Better The Frequency and Fearfulness of Earthquakes gave the first occasion to this Prayer against Sudden Death as a Reverend and Learned Person tells us Dr. Hakewill 's Apology c. Lib. 2. S. 4 and I question not if Earth quakes were as Frequent and Fearful now as they were in those days the Objectors would be as ready to Pray the same as any other But though this sort of Calamity be more rare in this than in some other Countries and less Dreadful in later than in former Ages so that this Petition at least as to us may seem less needful upon that account yet how many are the Casualties and Dangers we are continually exposed to that may put a sudden period to our Lives Which to beg the Divine Protection to be preserved and delivered from the Judicious Mr. Falkner looks upon as the most proper and direct sense of this Petition Libert as Ecclesiastica p. 150 152. and let that Man alone saith he who judgeth this unfit condemn and reject this Petition against Sudden Death But because this Petition as the same Author saith hath been much excepted against it may not be amiss to return a more full Answer to it Although then we ought not to have ever the worse Opinion of any whom God is pleased to take away on a sudden as the Chapter of York in the Time of King Henry the First An. 1109. who would not permit Gerard their Arch-Bishop who died suddenly to be buried in the Church though he had been a Benefactor to it but in the Church-porch Although Mr. Brightman pray'd for a sudden Death and had the Death he desired wherein perhaps he was singular for as the forecited excellent Author saith to die as Josiah or Uzzah did Libertas Ecclesiastica p. 151. is not desirable to the most holy and pious Men who according to the Example of Jacob David and our blessed Saviour himself by their holy Instructions at the time of their Death may become useful for the bettering of the Lives of them who survive Again Though since we know not the Date of our Lives it should be our constant care and endeavour whether we die suddenly or gradually and deliberately to die preparedly like the good and faithful Servant that knowing not when his Lord should come stands upon his Watch and is ready at every hour of the Night Though we are not so much concern'd to pray that our Deaths may be fore-warn'd as that they may be fore-arm'd and therefore pray that we may so stand upon our guard as not to be surprised and so stand to our Arms as not to be vanquish'd yet notwithstanding all this I question not but it may become any good Man to pray to be delivered from sudden Death Our merciful Lord in his Prophesie of the sad Desolation that was coming upon the Nation of the Jews whereof he gave many most significant fore-tokens Matt. 24.36 and yet declared that of that day and hour no Man Knew no not the Angels in Heaven but his Father only Matt. 24.20 in that Prophesie adviseth them saying Pray that your flight be not in the Winter neither on the Sabbath-day In the Winter when they could not easily flie and on the Sabbath when many through a scrupulous Superstition would not flie and doth therein advise them to pray that that sad time might not overtake them unawares For the same reason Prayer against the Surprise of a sudden Death is very adviseable that so Men may be fore-arm'd against the Stroke when it doth come that so their Houses which they are to leave may be set in better Order for some cannot be perswaded to make their Wills till extream Sickness or if made Men may always have a desire and occasion and yet not always an Opportunity to alter them and so something of Consequence may be left unwill'd that may create Trouble to Executors Heirs Legatees c. and that they may be better prepared for that House or State whither they are going lest when they are call'd they may be found not doing their Master's Work and so fall short of their Wages The most prepared Soldier had rather fight a pitch'd Battle than upon an hasty Alarm The best furnished House-keeper would take it more kindly to have some notice of his Friend 's coming before-hand than to be put upon a sudden Hurry So the most wary Walker the most wakeful Watcher would gladly some Harbinger of the King of Terrours some kindly Sickness or sensible Declension of Strength would give him warning to settle his outward Concerns make his Peace with all the World and leave Peace amongst his Relations pay his Debts here below and get a Release of all above Seal'd and assured to him I pass on 2dly To such Evils as may affect the Publick and that either State or Church The State may suffer either by Sedition or privy Conspiracy the former disturbs the Peace and Health of the Body the latter aims at the Life of the Head for the Preservation whereof we are all bound daily to pray and against all those things that have any Tendency towards their Ruin be they open or secret more or less intended Sedition is one step to Rebellion and privy Conspiracy another We pray therefore that the Cockatrice may be crush'd in the Egg the monstrous Bastard stifled in the Cradle all Tendencies that way may be stopp'd in their first Motions And then for the Evils that may injure the Church False Doctrine Heresie and Schism in the Deprecation of them our Church disowns all Pretence to Infallibility praying against that which may befall it or the purest Church in the World And here let me observe that the forementioned Primer hath not this Branch in it viz. From all Sedition privy Conspiracy and Rebellion from all False Doctrine Heresie and Schism The Church of Rome being a great Patroness of Sedition privy Conspiracy and Rebellion and so high a Pretender to Infallibility that False Doctrine Heresie and Schism are whatever she please to call so And therefore in her Mouth and
the Mouths of all her Children all that own the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England yea all that teach contrary to Her are Hereticks and Schismaticks Heresie strikes at the Doctrine and Schism at the Discipline of the Church the former is like a Disease which taints the Blood and poisons the Seat of Life the latter is like a Wound which lets out the Blood and if not well look'd to may turn to a Gangraena and both are so dangerous that we cannot too often pray against them and all the Steps and Tendencies thereto even that that is but False Doctrine or simple Errour which persisted in and pursued to its utmost Consequences may turn to Heresie and occasion Schism And Lastly against the inward Causes of them and the other things that are so Mischievous to the State to wit Hardness of Heart and Contempt of God's Word and Commandment Obstinacy is a great Ingredient of Heresie and Stubbornness of Rebellion these two are Synonimous to one another in 1 Sam. 15.23 and these all spring from the Contempt of God's Word and Commandments which are the Test of Truth and Rule of Obedience And so much for the things pray'd against In the two next Branches we have those potent Arguments wherewith the foregoing Supplications are urged By the Mystery of the Holy Incarnation by thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Baptism Fasting and Temptation In all which there is no Swearing nor Conjuring as some weak Persons sondly object as if the Preposition By could not be used in any other way or Sense But what think they of St. Paul when he saith I beseech you therefore Brethren Rom. 12.1 by the Mercies of God that is as ye hope to partake of or be Saved by the Mercies of God It is a Form of vehement Obsecration Exhortation or Contestation So again We beseech you Brethren 2 Thess 2.1 by the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that is as ye hope for the Coming of our Lord at the last Day and our Meeting him at that time of which he had spoken in the former Epistle and such Forms are usual among all Writers and Speakers when a thing is earnestly desired Chap. 4.15 17. And so we may account for all the Particulars above-named By the Mystery of the Holy Incarnation Good Lord deliver us As if it had been said O Lord to what end did'st thou contrive that great Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the Flesh Why did'st thou that was 't in the Form of God Phil. 2.6 7. and thought'st it no Robbery to be equal with God take upon thee the Likeness of Sinful Man Was it not to save thy People from their Sins Matt. 1.21 From the Power as well as the Punishment of Sin From the Crafts and Assaults of the Devil from the Wrath of God and from Everlasting Damnation By thy Circumcision Thou O Lord that was 't made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 5. was 't made under the Law to redeem us that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons therefore thou sheddest thy first Blood at thy Circumcision and thy last upon the Cross to redeem us from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 2 Cor. 5.21 thou was 't made Sin for us and a Curse for us By thy Baptism wherein thou was 't so Solemnly own'd and proclaim'd to be the Son of God and whereby thou didst Sanctifie Water to the Mystical Washing away of Sin Office of Baptism and making us Children of God By thy Fasting Collect. 1st Sunday in Lent Thou who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights to deliver us from the Surfeit we took by eating the Forbidden Fruit and to prepare thy self against that great Temptation wherein thou overcamest the Crafts as after in thine Agony the Assaults of the Devil By that three-fold Temptation which thou underwent'st and wherein thou overcamest the great Enemy of Mankind at all his three Weapons wherewith he worsted Man at first the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life Good Lord deliver us from the Deceits of the World the Flesh and the Devil By thine Agony and Bloody Sweat O Lord the Devil then set upon thee like a roaring Lion and all the Powers of Darkness were let loose upon thee and thou then offered'st up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and Tears unto him that was able to save thee from Death Heb. 5.7 and was 't heard and delivered from that thou feared'st so may we understand that place Good Lord deliver us from all our Fears O Lord in that thy self hast suffered being tempted Heb. 2.18 thou art able to succour them that are tempted By thy Cross and Passion that is by thy Passion upon the Cross or by thy Cross that is The manner of his Death he was made a Curse for us but by his Shedding his Blood thereon he took away the Curse and made full Expiation and Atonement By thy precious Death and Burial Upon the Shedding of so much innocent and precious Blood Death must needs follow and it need not be counted any Tautology to add it to Passion since we have not words enough to express what our Lord Suffered And let not any think it was all one to us whether our Lord was buried or no meerly to quarrel with this Prayer for they must also quarrel with the Apostle's Creed that hath in that short Sumâ—n of our Christian Faith this and all the foregoing Particulars distinctly thus He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified Dead and Buried Our Lord's Burial with the choice Circumstances of it strongly prove the Reality of his Death and Resurrection And St. Paul looks upon it as so considerable a Passage as to particularise it and repeat it as part of the Christian Cabbala delivered to him at first 1 Cor. 15.3 4. I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our Sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried yea and to resemble the Spiritual part of Baptism thereunto Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried saith he with him by Baptism into Death And again Col. 2.12 Buried with him in Baptism Next follow after all these Instances of our Lord 's Mysterious Humiliation those of his Exaltation his glorious Resurrection and Ascension Our Lord by his Resurrection hath given the greatest Evidence and Assurance of our Immortality and Resurrection and that he not only died but overcame Death and mastered him that had had the power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 and to shew that he was to die no more he left this Stage of Mortality and made that glorious Ascension whereof enough cannot be said And when he ascended on high he led Captivity Captive Eph. 4 8. and gave Gifts to Men by his