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	know_v	tradition_n	2,871	5	9.3405	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78145	Reformed religion, or, Right Christianity described in its excellency, and usefulness in the whole life of man by a Protestant-Christian.	Barker, Matthew, 1619-1698.	1689 (1689)	Wing B777aA; ESTC R42840	61,592	137

Errors and Heresies of the Times and endeavours to preserve truth uncorrupted and his People sound in the Faith and to lead them the right way to Salvation whereby he neither seeks to pollish the simplicity of the Gospel with vain Philosophy or Platonick Speculations or corrupt its Purity by the mixture of Pelagian Socinian or any Popish Doctrines dissonant from the Scriptures Further He bindeth and loseth retains and remits Mens sins Yet only Ministerially he well knowing that none can forgive sins but God only and this he doth not only by general Doctrine in his Preaching the Gospel but by what particular Evidence he finds of true Faith and Repentance in Men. As the Priest cleansed the Leper when upon Examination he declared him clean and not othewise Lev. 14. 11. And though few question but a Form of Prayer animated with a right Intention and holy Affection may be accepted of God yet he confines not himself to it as knowing there may be many Emergent Cases among his People fit to be commended to God in Prayer which cannot particularly be comprehended in any stated Form. And he hath a special Reverence for the Lords Prayer as briefly comprizing all those Blessings both Spiritual and Temporal which we have need to ask of God and as Dictated by the sacred Lips of Christ himself but he doth not think that the meer saying of it doth sanctifie his Prayer or that it is the Sal Condimentum Sacrificii As Durandus speaks Rationale Lib. 5. in his Discourse of the Mass He is one who Preacheth and Practiseth Obedience to Civil Magistrates making publick Prayers for Kings and all that are in Authority as knowing that they are Ordinances of God appointed for the good of Men to maintain the publick Peace and the Estates Liberties and Lives of the People to be a Terror to evil-doers and a praise to them that do well and he putteth his People in mind to be subject to them for Conscience-sake Giving to Caesar the things which are Caesars and to God the things which are Gods. He teacheth not for Doctrine the Commandments of Men nor makes void any Commandments of God by humane Traditions and makes no more things necessary to Salvation than Christ hath made either in Doctrine or Worship whom he knows to be Lord and Head of the Church And yet is careful to maintain Order and Decency in the publick Assemblies for the more comely discharge of all publick Service and the greater Edification of the People as knowing that God is A God of Order and not of Confusion as in all the Churches of the Saints If he dissents in any thing from the established Religion he doth not do it out of Faction Pride or Obstinacy but out of a real and rational dissatisfaction of Mind makes no noise with his dissent and will not judge and condemn other good Men in their belief or practice as he would not be judged and condemned in his own and doth not separate from the Universal Church by any particular dissent in Religion Again He is wise to Sobriety will not too boldly search into the Secrets of God but contents himself to know and preach only the things that are revealed and will not be positive in dark Prophesies or dubious Problems in Religion but modestly submits his own Sentiments to the Tryal and Judgment of other Men. He reckons the Work of his Ministry not only to be Laborious but Hazardous a spiritual Warfare and therefore doth Arm himself with Faith Wisdom Courage and Patience to encounter the Perils that may attend the faithful discharge of his Function Scripture-story tells him of the Sufferings of the Prophets and Apostles Ecclesiastical Story of Ignatius Policarp Cyprian c. and our own Martyrologies of Cranmer and Ridley and many other famous Bishops and Ministers in their days and of the fires they passed through into the Light and Glory of Heaven And Eusebius tells us that the Persecution under Maximinus the Emperor was particularly against the Pastors and Ministers who are above others set for the defence of the Gospel Again He serveth not God of that which costs him nothing digests well in his own Mind what he delivers to others examines it by the unerring Rule of the Scripture cloaths his Matter with convenient words and method that he may approve himself a Workman that needeth not be ashamed and better speak to the Understanding Memory and Affections of the People He studiously avoids ridiculous Gestures mimical Postures affected Tones disfiguring Looks Superstitions and all Antick Formalities in his publick Service but fills up his Place with that Presence and Gravity as becomes the solemn Work that he is ingaged in and is careful to utter nothing rashly with his mouth before God. Further He wisely considers the State of his Flock and therefore suits his Doctrine to the Capacity and Condition of the People he hath strong meat for the Strong and milk for Babes and he puts a difference betwixt the Righteous and the Wicked the Penitent and the Obstinate the Scrupulous and the hardned Conscience He will not cast his Pearls before Swine nor give that which is holy unto Dogs but will give to the Children their Bread and as a faithful Steward will give to all their Portion of Meat in due Season And also he knowing that his Office leads him not only to Teach but Rule he therefore will make use of Christs Discipline to preserve the Purity of his Church both in Doctrine Worship and Manners doing it with Wisdom Integrity and Impartiality Christ having put the Power of Order and Jurisdiction as they distinguish the Keys of Doctrine and Discipline in the same hand and in all his use of the Church Keys he is careful to avoid Extreams which Men are apt to run into either by opening the Door where it it should be shut or shutting it where it should be open And Though he meets not with that Reward and Encouragement from Men which he expected and may be his due yet he is not discouraged but persists in the discharge of his Duty and encourageth himself in the Reward reserved for him in Heaven to be fully given when the chief Shepherd shall appear Again He is no Respecter of Persons thinks not the meanest and poorest of his Flock beneath his Care and Charge that he may give good Account of his Ministry to the chief Shepherd who takes care of his whole Flock and regards not the Rich more than the Poor And though the Name of Bishop be now confined to one particular Order of Ministers yet he looks upon himself as a Bishop in his own Congregation to take the oversight of his whole Flock as his Name and Office do oblige him He hath respect to the Interest of Religion beyond his own Congregation as he hath Call and Opportunity he being set a Minister in the Universal Church as well as particular and a Servant of Christ therein and though he be

Sacrament that she might thereby the better establish her self Hath she not made it too evident that Wealth Grandeur and Dominion hath been more her design than the Glory of God pro●oting true Holiness and the Salvation of Mens Souls Hath she not been guilty of Silencing many ●undreds of able Preachers not for Slothful●ess or Non-residency not for Insufficiency ●ot for Scandal not for Heresie not for ●ebellion to the Civil Authority but only ●on-conformity to some unnecessary Rites in ●eligion which they scrupled out of their zeal ●gainst Popery wherein if they have exceed● I hope it may now be judged a pardon●le Crime but I fear it hath had no good ●fect but hath tended to the hindering the ●ogress of the Gospel and the Salvation of any Souls by rigid imposing of Subscriptions ●d Canonical obedience and Assent and Con●t and stretching Conformity beyond what ● was in the former Age Doth not the in of many Families and the loss of some ●es lie at her door Hath she not debarr'd publick Assemblies for Worship to multitudes in the Nation unles● in such a way as was Offensive to their Consciences and not Edifying to their Souls though such as maintain and profess all th● substantial parts of the Christian and Protestant Religion are blameless in their Live● and profitable in the Nation and thereb● exposing them to the danger of returning t● Popery or of being reduced to Paganism D● the Dissenters differ from her in any of tho● things wherein she differs from the Papist● but rather in those things wherein she agre● with them And what then is that whi● is strictly to be called the Church of Englan● She hath indeed made a strong and honour●ble oppsition to Popery by many Wort● and Learned Men of her Communion b● hath it not been in those things wherein t● Dissenters agree with her and rejoyce ● what they have done and act with her the● in So that the Church of England consid●ed as distinct from the forementioned Diss●ters is made up only of some Additional to ● Christian Religion And if it be Object That such deference ought to be given to ● Laws of the Land as not to have publ● Meetings otherwise than allowed I Answ● Such Laws are only humane and topical ● so cannot supersede the universal Law● Nature which doth dictate to all Nati● publick Assemblies for the solemn worshi● God. And let it be considered whether the imposing of those things which are judged unnecessary can be justified to the hindering of what is necessary both by the Law of Nature and the written Law of God and whether this Liberty hath not been taken against publick Laws both in the times of the Heathen Persecution and here in England in times of Popery Many other things I might mention but these I only lay before her with the words of our Saviour to the Church of Ephesus Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and Repent or else I will come against thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick except thou Repent Rev. 2. 5. And if she thinks her self in danger should not this awaken her to Repentance And is there any Protestant Church but doth solemnly Fast and Pray in threatning Dangers But we see little of this in the Church of England Not that every individual Member of that Ecclesiastick body ought to be charged God forbid I know many of them have been grieved at the sufferings of their Brethren Pleaded ●heir Cause and Lamented to see such a ●pirit of Persecution act in the Church of England and could see a little better than ●thers who they were that pusht on those ●evere Persecutions against them and how ●opery crept in upon the Nation under a Pro●estant Vizard and were ashamed to hear some of her Clergy boast of the Purity of the Church of England when to their great trouble Corruptions both in Doctrine and Worship and in the Conversations of multitudes in it was so visibly seen to prevail not only tolerated but too much countenanced and little Discipline exercised but against Non-conformists though Men of the greatest Sobriety and Piety and usefulness in the Nation But I mention these things not to recriminate but to help on that Repentance which may prevent Gods controversie with that Church and to melt down their Spirits into such a Coalition with their dissenting Brethren that the Nation may be strengthened against our Popish Adversaries and that all hands may be at work to make the Bank strong against the inundation of the Sea ●● mean the See of Rome I fear whilst our publick especially our Cathedral Worship is shaped so like to that which is in Popery the transition will be made more facile to it It will be never the less Decent by being less Ceremonious And I hope the Pulpit-theam of some dignified Clergy-men will be no longer The Necessity of a Publick Conscience The Absoluteness of Kings And Invectives against Dissenters and that Able Orthodox and Learned Preachers will not be starved out of their work for want of Maintenance Nothing is more likely to secure the Protestant Religion than a pious diligent and able Ministry Every body knows the influences a corrupt Clergy hath upon the Laiety and how easily under the name of the Church of England such Men may lead the People blindfold into the Enemies Camp. But now I hope that both sides will be sensible wherein they have failed and the more Sober Pious and Judicious among them both centring in their present Majesties Accession to the Throne it will allay all former Animosities and we shall love and own one another as Christians and fellow Protestants which will disappoint the Hopes of the common Adversaries above any thing that can be imagined who are likely to get no great advantage upon us but by our own Divisions and make no Musick but by our Discords and we may well hope that the Concord that is found in the great Assembly of Parliament for the uniting all Protestants will have a happy influence upon the whole Nation herein but if any will be still grumbling and contentious sure they are such Men who love the fiery Element are the Nations Enemies and are secretly acted by Priests and Jesuits to bring us back again to Popery and Confusion But I hope by this time the body of the Nation is enlightned and awakened to dis●ern their Dangers the Indications of Providence and their own Interest and that the designs wherewith these Men are travelling will prove Abortive or bring forth no other Fruit but Mischief to themselves but it may seem strange that any who have Prayed or Preached for Union and lamented the want of it should run from it when it is now offered to them and they invited to it As we would preserve the Nations Existence and Entity let us study its Unity and follow the instincts of Nature herein Omne ens no● minùs appetit unitatem quam entitatem And as Natural Unity upholds the Universe