Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	false_a	teach_v	teacher_n	2,399	5	9.2607	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64335	The reason of episcopall inspection asserted in a sermon at a visitation in Cambridge by John Templer ...	Templer, John, d. 1693.	1676 (1676)	Wing T665; ESTC R18565	44,463	68

Prelates and to sink them into the same Order with Presbyters but at the bottom no kindness is intended Their design being to advance the B. of Rome they make him and not Christ the immediate Fountain of that Authority which the Governours of the Church are vested in and Transubstantiation being the highest mystery of their Religion and Presbyters undoubtedly interested in it they are unwilling to allow any Order in the Church superior to them believing that such a Concession may lessen the dignity of that Mystery Hitherto I have spoken of the Disease both in general and particular which is supposed in the Text. And now I shall pass on to the Remedy namely an Apostolicall or Episcopall Authority and Inspection What S. Paul and S. Barnabas did was not an act of Charity onely but Authority This was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Primitive age which was used in order to the preventing and healing Distempers As our blessed Lord retained the Power in his own hand during his residence upon the Earth so likewise did his Apostles And therefore as he is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.25 so their Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.10 The Inspection of the Churches within a certain precinct was committed to them S. James was settled betimes at Jerusalem for this Sacred purpose S. Paul at his first coming Gal. 1.18 19. found him residing upon his Episcopall Charge at his last both him and his Elders in a most solemn Assembly Acts 21.18 The Brethren came from him to Antioch as their Bishop about Ecclesiasticall Concerns Gal. 2.12 Although others of the Apostles were present at Jerusalem Acts 15.20 yet the Canon of the Council was drawn up in his words Eusebius saies Euseb Hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 19. p. 265. par that the Chair which was peculiar to him was preserved unto his time This settlement was made immediately after the Passion of our Lord as a pattern for the rest of the Apostles to imitate in their severall Plantations As the Gospel was dispersed through all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.27 so likewise the Law whereby the converted Nations were to be governed Isa 2.3 Therefore S. Paul in order to the Reforming some abuses at Corinth tacitely makes an appeal to it as the place from which the Word of the Lord first came 1 Cor. 14.36 There being an impossibility that all things in every place should come to a fulness of growth and be ripened into an exactness of Order in a moment Divine providence settled at first this sensible rule for all who were interested in the Regiment of the Church to operate by and come up unto as the circumstances of every place would permit And therefore in a Conformity to it we read of Titus being left in Crete and Timothy at Ephesus Their not residing always in those places can be no more an argument of their not being Bishops there then it would be that Richard the First was not King of England because our Chronicle represents him sometimes in Cyprus sometimes in Germany sometimes in the Holy Land Agreeable likewise to this pattern are the seven Angels enthroned in the Churches of Asia by the approbation of our blessed Lord as is manifest by his letters to them in which he commends those Vertues which did appear in the discharge of their Function His right hand was the firmament in which those Pleiades were fixed They cannot as some would perswade us signifie seven Churches The Churches are stiled Candlesticks the Angels Stars So long as Stars are of a nature distinct from Candlesticks the Angels must import some thing different from the Churches Neither can they be seven Colleges of Elders for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly denotes one individual This is the constant import of it in all other parts of holy Writ and there is nothing in the Context which may oblige us to depart from the customary signification The plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. v. 24. hath no necessary relation to the Angel of Thyatira but may without any incongruity be referred to those who are mentioned v. 23. I will give to every one of you according to his works that is you who have received the doctrine of Jezebel shall receive punishment according to the merit of your crime and then it follows but I say unto you and to the rest which have not this Doctrine It is a received Rule that we are not to desert the proper import of any word and flie to an improper but where those things which stand in conjunction put a necessity upon us Neither can the seven Angels be seven Pastours of so many particular Congregations For all which did adhere to the Doctrine of Christ in the Lydian Asia are contained under the Seven Churches and it will be very difficult for any to believe that there were no more Congregations within that Compass In Ephesus alone where it is said that the Word of the Lord mightily grew Acts 19.20 there could be no fewer then that number Oratories and places of Convention could be of no great capacity in those times when Christians were hindred from building by continuall storms of Persecution Therefore there is nothing left for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie but one Individuall Person having the care and inspection of divers Congregations The best Records next unto the Scripture inform us that Polycarp one undoubtedly invested in a power of this Latitude was the Angel of the Church of Smyrna From whence we may easily compute what we are to determine concerning the rest all the seven Stars being represented without any disparity in their Magnitude Timothy and Titus with these Seven must not be looked upon as Presidents or Chairmen onely having a Primacy of Order among the Presbyters It is most evident that they had not onely a power to Visit and govern the Laity but the Deacons and Elders themselves 1 Tim. 3.10 5.22.17 19. These they did examine ordain provide for their maintenance had Authority to receive an accusation against them Tit. 1.11 8.10 1 Tim. 5.21 stop the mouths of such who did teach false doctrine reject the Hereticall and are charged in their severall Consistories to prejudice no man nor to be byassed with any partiall regards Rev. 2.2 Rev. 2.20 The Angel of Ephesus is commended for trying those who pretended to be Apostles of Thyatira reproved for suffering such as did teach and seduce the people which can argue no less then a Superiority vested in them over the Pastours and Teachers of those Churches If the power had not been in these Persons alone why is the Charge directed to them commendation given when performed reprehension when neglected without the least mention of any coordinate Society Had they been in the quality of Chairmen onely whose office is to preserve Order in the Convention without any conclusive power in themselves the doing of the things

stiled a family will justifie the congruity of this example The supream Rector hath moulded the Universe into Communities and constituted the civil Magistrate to be their Guardian Into these Communities he hath let down from Heaven the New Jerusalem namely a Church or Ecclesiasticall Society with Governours and Laws not onely harm less and inoffensive but singularly advantageous to the purposes of the civil Constitution And because it is not impossible but that the Rulers may degenerate from the true meaning of their Originall and under a pretence of a Supernall commission undermine the interest of the civil Community the Magistrate is impowered to see that they keep within their own bounds and if they swell above their banks to remand them into their proper channel if they do not to protect and defend them against the hand of violence This makes it evident how the Church may be subordinate to the secular Power and yet have a Government grounded upon a Divine right It is the Divine pleasure that Princes within their own Territories should be so far concerned in all causes and over all persons as to see that nothing be done to the prejudice of the Community they are set over From hence doth emerge their right to inhibit limit and regulate the execution Though Christ is the immediate Fountain of the Power yet they have a commanding influence upon the streams which flow from it Though they may not invade the Offices which are peculiar to the Church yet they are obliged to see that they are duly performed by those to whom they appertain Though they have not the Power of the Keys yet in case those which have make use of them to open a door to Sedition and Disorder they have the Power of the Sword to shut it and prevent the mischief If the Church keep within her due bounds and the supream Magistrate be of opinion that she doth not and from hence a contest is commenced she hath no other weapon to defend her self but Prayer and a composed Submission to what the preservation of a good conscience may expose her All this is very far from erecting imperium in imperio it hath nothing in it of a malevolent aspect upon the Supremacy of Princes All pretended inconveniences fall with an equall weight upon paternall Government which undoubtedly being in nature and time antecedent to the civil Constitution must have a Divine originall And now whosoever pleases to look back and consider the reason of the thing the declaration of God the practice of the Universall Church which is no bad commentary upon what is dubious in any Divine appointment will be under no temptation from any rationall inducement to believe that the Apostolicall authority to govern was adapted onely to the Primitive times and not intended to continue in all Ages So much of the Remedy in generall namely an Apostolicall or Episcopall Authority expressed in visiting the Brethren In the next place I will enumerate some particular acts of this Power which are of eminent use in all Ages for the preventing and healing distempers 1. An Inspection into the Authority of those who preach 2. The Doctrine 3. The lives 4. The giving rules for the preserving of Order 5. The censuring those who neglect the Order which is agreed upon 1. An Inspection into the Authority of those who preach The work of the Ministry is of greater importance than to lie open to every one who by the strength of his fancy can perswade himself that he is fit to discharge it The peace of the Church depends upon the Practice of those who are members of it their practice upon their judgement their judgement upon the Doctrine of their Teachers These have the Helm in their hand whereby the body of the People is easily moved the Key of Knowledge whereby they are in the nearest capacity to open the intellect and let in or shut out Principles which tend to Unity The Community would not enjoy the least degree of security might the private opinion of every Person concerning his own Aptitude give him a title to this Office Men are not competent Judges of their own abilities The Generality are very partiall when they take an estimate of their intellectuall Powers Every place is filled with complaints of the want of Riches and Honour but we seldom meet with any querulous resentments of the defects of Reason and Understanding Indeed S. Paul said who is sufficient for these things but we are apt to say who is not The stream runs the fastest where the channel is most shallow Those are most forward who have the least acquaintance with the depth of Knowledge The few exceptions from the generall Rule which are duly prepared are so much under the command of humility that they judge themselves unworthy The burden of fruit which grows upon these branches bends them into too low and despondent thoughts of themselves Socr. Hist l. 4. c. 18. When Ammonius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is stiled by Socrates was acquainted with a resolution in others to compell him to take upon him the most Sacred office in the Church he cut off his right ear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the deformity of his body might be a bar to his Consecration Socr. Hist l. 7. c. 12. Chrysanthus a person eminent for wisdom and sobriety when he was solicited to take upon him the same Function was so much under the power of modesty that he fled from Constantinople into Bythinia where he concealed himself with a design to decline it By reason of this unfitness in Men to judge for themselves and to be the fountain of their own Authority God hath endued the Governours of his Church with a power as to Ordain so to examine every mans pretence that the Community may receive no damage 2. The Doctrine Those who have a good commission may exceed the bounds of it and in stead of feeding their Flock in wholsom Pastures lead them into Boggs where they will inevitably sink into an eternall Perdition Error is damnable as well as vice All the difference is this is the more open rode that the more concealed and private way to Hell T it 3.11 The Apostle saies that he which is engaged in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is overturned as a ship when the Keil is uppermost As the man of sin who sits in the Temple of God and under a pretence of Religion vents that which tends to the overthrow of it 2 Thess 2.3 is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of perdition so error which enthrones it self in the conscience and sits there with a pretence of a descent from Heaven 2 Pet. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no perdition more certain and less apt to meet with disappointment then that which is secured from a disclosure by so plausible a cover as Religion and Divine approbation Errour puts the highest of affronts upon the Divine Majesty He