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	teach_v	teacher_n	2,504	5	9.1605	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84229	The examiner defended, in a fair and sober answer to the two and twenty questions which lately examined the author of Zeal examined, in this answer are (not unseasonably) touched, Christ's interest in this and all nations. Christ's interest, and the Commonweals, as to the present affairs. The true nature of all civil states. The nature of all civil magistracie, and of the civil sword. The title of Christian magistrate. National churches and covenants. The world of religions ... The permission due to conscience ... Idolatry, and the kindes of it. The spiritual and civil sword, ... The forms of worship. The causes of destruction in nations. The violence to the souls of men; ... The dangerous consequence of such violences, ... Christ Jesus himself, ... The crying guilt of soul-rapes ... The light of nature in spirituals. The acts of Asa, Artaxerxes, &c. The fast of Nineveh. The conscientious differences ... The justice and prudence of state-provision against all uncivilities both of popish and protestant ranters.		1652 (1652)	Wing E3732; Thomason E675_2; ESTC R206745	60,783	103

and holding fast to the Death what he believes he hath received from the Father of Lights And yet better sit still then still rise and fall Have all the Spirit the Calling the Gifts the Life and the presence of God with them as those first Messengers the Apostles whose Successours Men yet pretend to be Were it not better for us to acknowledge The danger of our own Inventions in heavenly matters how poor how naked how blind how miserable we are and to listen to the holy Counsel of Christ Jesus c. to buy of him that blessed Gold and Eye-salve that white Rayment and fine Linnen that we may truely see and be truely rich and be truely glorious and beautiful then boasting of our Knowledge and Abundance and want of nothing we prove so grievous to the stomach of Christ Jesus that he vomit us with loathing out of his mouth Lastly I ask In case we had for unquestionable Fundamentals a Creed composed by the twelve Apostles of the Lamb That a Synod of heavenly Angels assembled and concluded of Fundamentals of Forms of Worship External force in Spirituals can onely pierce the outside Ordinations Ministeries Maintenance c. and all without the reach of a Curse for another Gospel Gal. 1. Yet I ask what rule can be produced from the Testament of Christ Iesus that these Forms these Prescripts must be imposed and beaten into not the Braines and Hearts of men which is impossible but into the outsides and knees of men with Swords and Staves that as Christ Jesus said of the Samaritans they might worship they know not what What reason of Christianity or Civility that the Talmud of the Iewes the Alcaron of the Turks and the Canons of all sorts of Popes must not be questioned What Scripture or Reason shall force a man to be a Scholar to a Teacher and force him to pay for his Teaching To trust his Ship with a Pilot and to pay him for his Piloting to trust himself with a Guide and to pay him for his Conduct when he believes that Teacher that Pilot are dangerously ignorant that Guide is blind c. The mystery and and tyranny of persecuting Teachers Yea further from whom he must receive all upon Trust and not dare in the very place and time of Teaching to propose his Doubt his Question his Objection or desire Explanation And I add What Christianity is that which commands that no Churches be gathered no Ministers chosen no Doctrine preached but what the civil Sword shall say is true and Orthodox Nay no Magistrate himself chosen nor any Civil Officer except he be of our Church our Way and Conscience as some say is the Mystery and Tyranny of New-Englands practice The two and twentieth Question If God was to be blessed for putting it into the Heart of a Heathen Magistrate to make Lawes for Religion Isa 7.27 Whether he comes not neer to a curse Quest 22 that would take out of the heart of a Christian Magistrate the advancement of true Religion and perswade him to give a Toleraration to the chiese Enemies of Religion Idolatry and Heresie Sure the Proposer highly esteems this Example of Erra 7. for Answ not content to mention it in the seventh Question he attempts to win it by Force and Storming indeed in a very stormy Language in this last Question To many Branches of the same hath been spoken As to the nature of Civil Magistracie essentially Civil all the world over As to the power of the Magistrates or Officers designed unto them by the people as but their Deputies either Legislative or Executive As to the perfection of Civil Magistracie in its self and in its kind not capable of Diminution or Addition by the Magistrates change of Religion to or from Christianity or any other Religion in the world As to Artaxerxes his fact Artaxerxes his favour to the Iewes not being moved out of any heart to the true Religion for neither did he or his people forsake their owne but out of a Conquering Terrour of God he shews just mercy to his captives and people he feares wrath to himself and his Sons from that God whose love and acquaintance he cared not for But I shall add with Christs help these few Queries First Whether this Supposition of making Laws to advance Religion and especially in a National way doth not overthrow and Evacuate one great end of the comming of the Lord Jesus which was to fulfil all those former shadowes of Temple Altar Priests Sacrifice c. to tear the veil to break downe the partition Wall and with the two edged Sword of his Spirit his Word to conquer poor sinners in a way of love National holiness and shadows c. abolished by Christ Iesus the body and substance For if Ezra's pattern of carrying Lawes and Authority from this King to force men to keep the Law of God in this Iewish Religion Iewish Nation be a president for all Nations where is the abolishing of the holy Nation holy Cities holy Temples Altars Priests c. Or ought we not if Christ Iesus be not come to have the Officers commanded by the King to be Tole free verse 24. the Priests the Levites the Singers the Porters the Nethinims or Ministers of the house of God If it be said The Morality of such a Law remaineth I ask Whether according to Heb. 7. there being a necessity of the change of the Priesthood there is not a necessity of the change of the Law also of that Law of Shadows the holy Land holy Temples holy Priests holy Swords c. I further ask If that people of God the figure of Gods Israel in after-Ages to arise in all Nations of the world if they had not been Captivated but had been in their owne Land and not restrained by force whether they ought not to have builded the Altar and Temple without the Kings command yea and against it Yea it is expresly said chap. 4. Gods people in Spirituals know no Caesar but himself and dear Son they were made to cease the building by power and Force yet they went on chap. 5. to build again at the instigation of Haggai and Zachary notwithstanding the prohibition of the King yet lying in force against them And lastly I ask If these things were not Examples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10. or Types figuring out the freedomes of Gods people who if not hindred by actual Force and Power ought onely to regard in Spirituals the Scepter and Sword and Crown of the Lord Iesus Christ Secondly I ask What Lawes this Artaxerxes made for the advancement of Religion Is not the first of absolute Freedome and Toleration to these poor captive Iewes Was there any Babylonian or Persian command to go up to Ierusalem any commanded to pay or to offer a peny toward this Expedition Yea were not the Iewes themselves absolutely free whether to go up to Ierusalem or stay in Babel

world I ask Whether their Regeneration and New-birth hath made any addition to their Civil Magistracie and Authority and more especially as Popish and Protestant Rabbins have taught us that now the Christian Magistrate he must judge in spiritual matters more then all the Magistrates in the world beside who though say they they have equal Authority and Duty yet they ought to suspend acting in Spirituals saith M. Cotton until they be rightly informed that is upon the point until they be of his Church and Conscience And if so A Magistrate is not more or less a Magistrate by being a Christian or Antichristian that by this professing Christianity they receive this addition of Magisterial power in Spirituals I ask if it do not clearly follow that according to that most dangerous and seditious doctrine of some Papists and Protestants such Magistrates who change their judgements and way of Worship must lose their Headship in Spirituals and consequently be found unfit at last to govern in Civils also And will not this doctrine extend to all other Civil Officers both at Land and Sea yea even to all Fathers Husbands Masters and so at last confound all Relations and tear up by the roots all Civility and all Order and the world out of the world Ninthly As to the matter of fact do not all Histories and all experience demonstrate that most of all those Kings and Queens and Princes and Magistrates Popish and Protestant that have pretended to this power of judging of saving food and poyson All Magisttrates pretending power in spirimals have ever forced down poyson in ssead of food have grosly mistaken the poyson of Satans invertions Superstitions Will-worships c. for that wholesome and heavenly food pretended and with bloody hands have forced this poyson down the throat of thousands and millions or else forced and fired them out of the world with barbarous persecutions if any have been enlightned by Christ Iesus to discern this poyson and to refuse it Hath not Christ Jesus in these last times declared it that neither Constantine nor the good Emperors before the Popes rose nor Protestant Kings Queens and Magistrates departing from the Pope unto this day but have been still mistaken most grosly either in Doctrine or Discipline and that in great quantities sometimes of dangerous poyson for saving and wholesome food What man From Constantine to the last Presbyterian Magistrate but may furnish himself with instances even down to the very Presbyterian Magistracy And whoever shall next pretend to judge between this poyson and food and put forth a restraining or a Constraining Sword accordingly How is it possible but they must alsO dash upon those Rocks whereon the very Tyde of such a practice doth necessarily inforce so many gallant Sbips miscarriage Therefore lastly since that typical land of Canaan is abolished the Partition-wall broken down and in every nation not Whole nations he that feareth God and worketh rirghteousness is accepted with him Acts 10. since Magistracy is a meerly Civil Ordinance and the forms and sword thereof derived from the People and all Magistrates in the world so derived are lawful and none can receive any addition to the power of Magistracie by his spirituality or Christianity I ask Whether this doctrine of Kings and Queens judging of soul-food and poyson for all their subjects The doctrine of Kings queent being nursing fathers the Firebrand of the world c. hath not been e pecially in Popish and Protestant Nations the Fire-brand that hath kindled so many devouring flames of War c. Yea was not this the very Doctrine that cost the late King Charles his Crown and life who being flattered and bewitched into this dream of a Nursing father The Ax that cut off the last King's head and a judge of wholesome food and poyson for his people he forced poyson for food upon the Scotch nation and upon that occasion was perswaded to maintain his stewards and cooks the Bishops by commencing and prosecuting those fatal Wars which by a naked hand from heaven justly pluckt up root and branch both Ceremonles Bishops and King together The sum of the second Question Whether the magistrate be not bound to advance the doctrine of Grace Quest 2. and 3. which doth advance the peace and prosperity of a Nation Of which nature is the third Question viz. Whether a Magistrate be not bound to advance that Godliness which giveth all good and happiness to a nation I answer and ask as before Whether Answ since Civil Magistracie is meerly civil and the power thereof derived from the People the fountain of it it will not appear that the Magistrate can no more judge authoritatively what is the doctrine of Grace what is the doctrine of Godliness no more I say then the people of each Nation in its national and natural capacity can be the primitive and original Iudges thereof and may therefore rightly delegate such a Spiritual power unto their Officers or Magistrates Secondly I ask Whether the proposer of these Questions intendeth not by the Magistrates advancing the doctrine of Grace and the doctrine of Godliness these two things 1. A National profession of the doctrine of Grace and the doctrine of Godliness 2. The advancing of such doctrines by the power of the civil Sword And if so as the scope of all the Questions seem to imply then Thirdly Whether there be any such thing to be found in the last Will and Testament of Christ Iesus as a National Church that is whether as the Land of Canaan was a Land holy unto God so any Nation as a Nation may lawfully pretend to be the Spouse and Wife and Body of Christ Jesus according to his own holy Order and Appointment Or rather Fourthly The world and Eng and in a national respect lies in wickedness Whether since the world lieth in wickedness dead in sins and trespasses c. since every Nation in the world is a part of it since such as fear God in a nation are distinguished from the Nation Act. 10 I ask Whether this Nation as a part of the World lieth not in the same estate of wickedness also more or less and the body of the people estranged from the life of grace and godliness notwithstanding that this body be sometimes clothed with the name of Christianity under sometimes a Popish and sometimes a Protestant fashion as it pleaseth God to permit the Sword to pretend to and advance its way of doctrine of grace and godliness And whether beside the common nature of mankind Four greatchanges of the Religion of this nation in abous 12 yeers space in Hen. 8. Edw. 6. Qu Mary and Qu. Elizabeth the wonderfull changes of Religion in other Nations and in none more then in this and that in the same individual persons in a few yeers do not make this undeniably evident and demonstrate For illustration I ask shether the Kings and Queens Parliaments and

and Banquet And because three are not onely Rivers of pleasures at the right hand of God but Rivers of Fire and Brimstone for the obstinate they knowing these Terrours of God perswade and pull and compel poor sinners as Brands from the everlasting Burnings c. The sum of the twentieth Question Whether those portions of Scripture Quest 20 that contain principles necessary to Salvation deserve to be call'd and despised by the name of Forms and whether the Examiner think fit upon the title of formes to despise the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Iesus Heb. 6. 2. Whether if the Examiner were ready to starve or sick neer Death he would refuse Bread or Physick because they came in Formes 1. I ask Answ Whether the Proposer of these Questions have fairly collected from any words of the Examiner in the quoted ninth Section that the Examiner doth call any Principle necessary to Salvation or despise them under the name of Formes or doth despise those Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6. under the title of Formes or whether he do simply or without all due consideration contend against the Title or the substance of a Forme For can it be supposed Of outward Forms of worship that the Examiner should plead so much for the Light of the holy Scripture and the holy Spirit of God and yet to want that light of Reason as not to know that form a dat esse and although there are very intricate Disputes de formie internis externis and whence the forms of creatures are produced to imagine that any thing in the world should have a being much less the best and perfectest spiritual and heavenly things and be formless or that there should be so much visible Acknowledgements service or Worship of God left in the world as of the Word and Prayer which the Examiner is known to approve and practise without some form and order without which it must prove a Chaos a Babel and confusion Besides Several sorts of Forms pretending all to be Christs are not these his very words excepted against Do yet make so much of outward Forms as to force men to bow down to them In which doth there not fairly seem to be couched this double Assertion First That there are many sorts of outward forms Forms of Confessions Forms of Prayers Formes of Churches Formes of Discipline Formes of Worship c. Secondly That every Sect and Sort are wofully apt to force one another to bow down unto their owne most excellent waies and manners of which they severally and respectively are so and so perswaded And is not this most wofully and lamentably true in all Nations in all Religions in all Sects of all sorts now extant among our selves and upon all the Face of the whole Earth Secondly I ask Of doctr●●● necessary 〈◊〉 ●●●vation If the Proposer walk not upon a most dangerous Bridge whiles he disputes of Principles necessary to Salvation And indeed whether both Papist and Protestant are not both in the woods while they force whole Nations to believe many Doctrines necessary to Salvation and yet wind up all in one viz. to believe as the Church believes For if they prove but obedient Sons to the doctrine of their Mother the Church although they wholly want the Life and Spirit of God their pretended Father yet how have such Children been ten thousand times more accepted then such who cannot see nor live but by their owne Eyes and Faith and desire to taste to examine and try all things and to hold fast that onely which they are perswaded comes from God Againe Fundamentals of Religon notwithstanding several numbers of Fundamentals which others both Papists and Protestants are pleased to assert Yet I ask what we think of the short word of the Lord Iesus Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved yea whether upon the point the first of these two be not absolutely necessary because he pincheth onely upon not Believing as Damnable He that believeth not shall be damned And howsoever some grant that as to the visible profession of the Christian Religion It is danger●●● to say with how little faith God will save a distinct knowledge of Christ Jesus is necessary Yet we know what is extant abroad of a possibility of Salvation without an express and distinct knowledge of the name of Christ according to that of Heb. 1. He that comes to God must believe that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And I ask Whether although it be a duty to work out Salvation with fear and trembling and to grow in the Grace and Knowledge of the Lord Iesus yet is it not very presumptuous and dangerous to set a Neplus infra a stint and bound of so much Knowledge and so much grace of Christ as to the degrees of it without which there is no Salvation I ask Two of the Principles Heb. 6. of great controversie once more from that Heb. 6. VVhether although I question not but that both the Proposer and Examiner believe four of these Principles viz. Repentance Faith the Resurrection and Iudgement yet whether the Proposer be able to dissolve the doubts of thousands as to those other two the Doctrine of Baptismes and the Laying on of hands concerning which the more Conscientious and tender the People of God are about the true worship of God and Christ Jesus the more they finde their loss about the holy waies and means of it Thirdly I ask What have been most of all the Forms and Prescripts of Doctrine and worship since the great Apostacie and falling away but meer Formes and Pictures without the power and life of Godliness In which respect may I not say in the Language of Iames As the Body without the Spirit and Faith without works is dead So what have been the several National Models Platforms Frames and Forms The meer Formalities of State-Forms of worship of the Ecclesiastical Governments which the Fathers have built and the Children have broke either in the East or Western Churches even to the last and Youngest and Fairest of the Pictures but Pictures drawn to the Life and yet but liveless Pictures and Proforma I most humbly and thankfully acknowledge the Heavenly discoveries of many Truths of Iesus wrapt up confusedly even in Babylon it selfe and the people of the God of heaven with them from whence he hath and will gloriously redeem them both I acknowledge the several blessed degrees Gods light and Gods people wrapt up in the National Reformations and increasings of Light wrapt up in several Clouds of Reformations so call'd in our owne and other Nations I am far from imagining that people should hold nothing do nothing c. for I unfeignedly desire as the Scripture speaks in a Scripture-sence that all men might be saved That every Man were a Noble Man an ingenious Berean Examining by the Scriptures