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	tradition_n	3,694	5	9.0240	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61806	The lay-Christian's obligation to read the Holy Scriptures	Stratford, Nicholas, 1633-1707.	1687 (1687)	Wing S5934; ESTC R20560	25,603	42

is obliged to search into them IV. And for the Commandments especially let it be further consider'd That there are some Commands laid upon Lay-men as well as others which no Man can be capable of yielding obedience to who is not conversant in the Holy Writings I shall instance in three only 1. To instruct their Children in the Scriptures 2. To try the Spirits whether they be of God. 3. To give a reason of the hope that is in them 1. To instruct their Children in the knowledge of the Scriptures This God commanded the Israelites in the place frorecited The words which I command thee this day shall be See also Deut. 4. 9. and chap. 32. 46. in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children Of the like import is S. Paul's injunction to Christian Parents To bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hear what S. Chrysostom says upon these words Wouldst thou have thy Son obedient nurse him up from the beginning in the instruction and admonition of the Lord. Think it not more than needful that he hear the Divine Scriptures for there he will first hear this lesson Honour thy Father and thy Mother Say not that this belongs to Monks why dost thou fear that which is greatly gainful make him a Christian For it is most necessary for those who converse with the World to know those lessons which are to be learnt from thence especially for Children And a little after he adds Let us make them from their childhood to apply themselves to the reading of the Scriptures And can a Parent instruct his Children in the Scriptures who does not study them himself 2. To try the Spirits whether they be of God. This 1 Joh. 4. 1. S. John commands not only Bishops and Priests but all sorts of Christians to do By Spirits are meant the Teachers who pretend to divine inspiration but now because it cannot ordinarily be discerned whether the Teachers are of God but by the tryal of what they teach they are therefore first to try the Doctrines and as they find them either true or false to conclude the Teacher either a true or a false Prophet Now the Scriptures being the Rule by which Doctrines are to be tried how can a Man make this tryal who is not acquainted with them Yea should we suppose that the Scriptures are not the entire Rule as the present Church of Rome in contradiction to the antient Church and the Scriptures themselves teaches but stand in need of unwritten Traditions to supply their defects yet since the Romanists still grant them to be the Rule of all those Doctrines they extend to that whatsoever Doctrine is deliver'd in them is infallibly true whatsoever is contrary to any Doctrine deliver'd in them is certainly false It plainly follows that no Man can be qualified for the tryal of Doctrines who is a stranger to them because no Man can know what Doctrines are either contrary or agreeable to the Scriptures before he knows what are contain'd in them 3. To give a reason of the Hope that is in them Be 1 Pet. 3. 15. ready always says S. Peter to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you When your Religion is opposed and persecuted be ready not only to confess it but to give a reason to every one that requires it why you are Christians And what reason can a Man who knows not the Scriptures give why he is a Christian rather than a Mahometan unless the very same that a Turk can give why he is a Mahometan rather than a Christian viz. That he had the good fortune to be born and bred in a Nation where the Christian Religion was in fashion To conclude this argument In that God commands those things to be done by Lay-men which no Man can do without the knowledge of the Scriptures he also commands them to acquaint themselves with the Scriptures As he that requires the end he also requires the use of those means without which it cannot be obtained V. The uses and ends to which the Holy Scriptures are by God designed are a sufficient proof of Lay-mens obligation to acquaint themselves with them 'T is true some parts of Scripture were intended for the use of Teachers and others of Hearers consider'd as such on purpose to instruct them in those Duties which belong to them as so distinguished the one from the other But besides those Texts which are proper to them with respect to their different ranks and stations the uses to which the Scriptures are design'd are such which respect Men in common both Laity and Clergy of what degree or quality soever Such are in the general To teach and instruct us in those things by which we may be made wise to Salvation S. Paul tells us That whatsoever things were written Rom. 15. 4. aforetime were written for our learning And if whatsoever was written by Moses and the Prophets to those who lived before Christ came in the flesh to reveal the will of God more fully and clearly to us was written not only for their learning but for ours too how much more whatsoever is written since by the Apostles and Evangelists this being written for our learning only and not for theirs More particularly They are design'd to teach us what is necessary for us to know and believe and do that we may be saved These Joh. 20. 31. things are written says S. John that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name And these things have I written 1 Joh. 2. 1. to you that ye sin not To this purpose they teach us not only our Duty in general but what are those sins in particular that are to be avoided and those good works which God hath ordained that we should walk in and are admirably suted to the begetting and promoting of all those heavenly virtues by which we may be disposed and enabled to deny all sorts of ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World that having our fruit unto holiness here our end may be everlasting life In short the word of Christ is the great instrument which God hath ordained for the saving of Souls and therefore it is call'd the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation Tit. 2. 11. Ephes 1. 13. Rom. 1. 24. Jam. 1. 21. the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth the Gospel of Salvation And certainly no Man can deny that these uses and ends of Holy Scriptures appertain to Lay-men who does not place them in the order of Beasts and deny that they have Souls capable of immortal Bliss Nor were they written to instruct the People as well as Priests in those points only of Faith and Practice which concern them all in common as they are Men and

Scriptures a small part of which I shall transcribe desiring you at your leisure attentively to read the whole Thus then she bespeaks us If we profels Christ why are we not asham'd to be ignorant of his Doctrine Seeing that every Man is ashamed to be ignorant in that learning which he professeth That Man is asham'd to be call'd a Philosopher which readeth not the Books of Philosophy and to be call'd a Lawyer an Astronomer or Physician that is ignorant in the Books of Law Astronomy and Physick How can any Man then say that he professeth Christ and his Religion if he will not apply himself as far forth as he can or may conveniently to read and hear and so to know the Books of Christ's Gospel and Doctrine Although other Sciences be good and to be learned yet no Man can deny but this is the chief and passeth all other incomparably What excuse shall we therefore make at the last day before Christ that delight to hear or read Mens phantasies and inventions more than his most Holy Gospel and will find no time to do that which chiefly above all things we should do and will rather read other things than that for the which we ought rather to leave reading of all other things Let us therefore apply our selves as far as we can have time and leisure to know God's word by diligent hearing and reading thereof as many as profess God and have faith and trust in him And having shew'd the vanity of those excuses which are commonly made by those who have no good affection for the Scripture she concludes Surely none be Enemies to the reading of God's word but such as are either so ignorant that they know not how wholsome a thing it is or else be so sick that they hate the most comfortable Medicine that should heal them or so ungodly that they would wish the People still to continue in blindness and ignorance of God. Whereupon she earnestly renews her Exhortation in these words Let us thank God heartily for this his great and special gift beneficial favour and fatherly providence Let us be glad to receive this special gift of our Heavenly Father Let us hear read and know these Holy Rules Injunctions and Statutes of our Christian Religion Let us with fear and reverence lay up in the Chest of our Hearts these necessary and fruitful Lessons Let us night and day muse and have meditation and contemplation in them c. And yet as if she thought not this enough in the Information for them which take offence at certain places of the Holy Scripture she renews the Exhortation again and presses it with variety of cogent Arguments So far is the Church of England from declining the Holy Scriptures that she thinks she can never too vehemently press her Children to search into them She knows her Doctrines will abide the Trial and therefore desires they may be exposed to the open light being confident that the more they are examined the more they will be approved As she hath taken nothing from the Scriptures so neither hath she added any new Doctrines contrary to them and therefore need not conceal any part of them in an unknown tongue 3. How great then is their Sin who while they own themselves members of this Church do seldom take the word of God into their hands much less lay it up in their Hearts make it no part of their meditation and study God will not impute to their condemnation the not reading of the Bible whose lot is fallen in those unhappy places where they can by no means procure it But for us who have not only free liberty to read it but are so earnestly pressed by our Church to make it the matter of our study if we use it no more than those who are forbidden the use of it what Apology can we make for our selves Our sin alas is wilful and utterly inexcusable a plain contempt of God and our Duty and therefore our punishment will be more grievous and intolerable This will be our Condemnation that light is risen to us but we shut our eyes and will not suffer it to shine into our hearts because our deeds are evil for Joh. 3. 19. 20. every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 4. Be then exhorted to apply your selves to the study of the Holy Scriptures let us take all opportunities of hearing them when read and preached in publick and not only so but of acquainting our selves more familiarly with them in private let us with David make them our daily Companions our delight and our Counsellors If either the love of God or of our selves If the consideration of our Duty or of our Interest of our present or future good will sway with us we shall need no other Motives than those arguments already proposed which I therefore beseech you seriously to reflect upon Many I know pretend that they have so much other business that they can find no leisure to look into the Scriptures I desire those persons who make this Plea to consider these few things 1. Have you any business of greater concernment than this Can any thing be of greater moment than to know wherein your true happiness consists and what conditions are required of you in order to the attainment of it Can any thing be more necessary than to be acquainted with your Duty and with those powerful Motives that may prevail with you to practise it Is not this the one thing necessary So our Saviour thought Martha Luke 10. 41 42. Martha says he thou art careful and troubled about many things but there is one thing needful and Mary hath chosen the better part And what was that one thing needful that Mary had chosen but to sit at Christ's Feet and hear his word that she might do it 2. You who pretend you have no leisure for reading the Scriptures do not many of you find time enough for worthless impertinent matters if not also for such as are hurtful Do you not spend hour after hour in light and trifling discourse Have you not time for Feasts and merry mettings for Cards and Dice for Taverns and Play-Houses How many morning hours more than need do many persons spend in their Beds or in attiring themselves when they get up Who cannot find one hour to spare for studying the will of God. And are these matters of such great concernment 3. Many of you who seem to spend your time to better purposes what are the great businesses you lay it out upon What but to heap up riches and to raise your fortunes in the World And are these matters of such weight that they deserve to be put in the ballance against your everlasting concernments Is it more necessary to leave a rich Heir behind you than to enrich your Souls with the treasures of Divine Knowledge and Grace when God shall call you to your great Accounts will he think you take this for a good Plea Lord my time was all little enough for the getting of such an Estate and therefore I pray thee have me excused for neglecting to study thy Word 4. You who can find no time for enquiring into the word of God consider seriously That you must shortly find a time to die in When death comes it will not be put off to a more convenient season but will force you whether you will or no to be at leisure and will effectually convince you that you had time enough had you but had hearts to use it for acquainting your selves with the Holy Scriptures For if you be not then quite besotted as many persons are by the long course of a sensual worldly life and by God's just judgment upon them these and such like will be your sad resentments I am now going to make my appearance before the great and righteous Judge of all the World and what shall I say who have had so little respect to his Word by which I must be judged that I have not vouchsafed to read it Can I say that I had not leisure I cannot be so impudent when I found time not only for a thousand impertinent trifles but for my Vices O that I had spent that time in devout meditation on the Law of God that I mis-spent in sensual Pleasure or in heaping up of Riches O that that time had been laid out in beautifying and adorning my Soul with Divine Grace that was laid out in enquiring after Fashions in getting fine Cloaths and in dressing my Body A la mode But woe and alas these wishes are vain and to no purpose It is now too late the time is past and will never return again Consider therefore 5. That the true reason why you do not find time to read the Bible is not want of leisure but want of inclination and affection to it You can find nothing there that sutes with your carnal and worldly Appetites The thoughts of God and of the things of another World are such as you can take no pleasure in and the gross and sensual entertainments of this World are the only things you have a relish for But then consider withal that unless the temper of your Souls be changed before you die unless you become new Creatures and get a taste and relish for the things above you are not so much as capable of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven FINIS