Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	holy_a	scripture_n	tradition_n	3,735	5	9.1394	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

it ever I grant in his purpose and decree to reward his faithful servants even those before Christs time as well as those after with eternal life and so the former shal assuredly be admitted thereunto for God hath prepared for them a city but this decree God did not think fit to make known to them God dealing with them in this respect as with Servants to whom masters use not to make known all their mindes and contrarily dealing with us in this kinde as with Sons by communicating to us the full knowledge of his will and by particularly and plainly acquainting us with his gracious intention of bestowing his heavenly inheritance upon us 2. I do not deny neither but that the servant of God under the Law might notwithstanding they had no such promise as we have spoke of made them have some hopes and expectation of a future blessednesse or eternal life and that not only excited in them by their earnest desires of it but also because they could not but know that there was truly such a thing it being not unknown to them that God himself did live such a life and that Enoch and Eliah were rapt up into a possession of it and for that they could not but also apprehend such a blessednesse most suitable with Gods goodnesse to bestow especially when they saw many of Gods servants fall short of those temporal blessings that were literally and plainly promised to them But yet all this being granted it remains firm which I have before asserted that there was no other but only temporal things plainly and expreflely promised to the Jews under the law and so that their promises then had that imperfection in them which those made to us in the Gospel are free from 2. A great part of the Precepts which made up the other part of that Religion namely the ceremonial part of it seem so light superstitious and outwardly foolish ridiculous in themselves and consequently so unbeseeming the Wisdom and Majesty of God that it could not but be necessary for making men truly believe God to be the Author of them and of that form of worship wherein they were commanded that he should by this outward testimony be ever and anon declaring himself so to own and approve them But it may be here as it is by some objected that though the Doctrine of Christ be truly divine above that of Moses and so have the testimony as it were in its self of its coming from God yet seeing it was alwayes so even when it was first publisht to the world there cannot but be now considering the great and general corruption that hath been made in it through the defection under Antichrist and also the many different and repugnant opinions that are held by the several Professours of it a like necessity of having the Authority and truth thereof declared and ratified by miracles as there was formerly when it came first new into the world In answer whereunto I say that these things being granted touching the corruption and contrary opinions in Christian Religion yet the case is much different in respect of the necessity of miracles betwixt this and that first time when this Religion was first preacht for then when this Religion was first attempted to be planted as there were several other Religions in the world and that of a long continuance with the profession and practise of which this could not possibly consist so there were no certain principles common to this and them out of which the authority of this and falshood or abrogation of those might be manifestly demonstrated yea this religion or doctrine of Christ did plainly grant the principles of the Jewish Religion under which Christ was born and which was yet in part to be abolisht by him and in a manner totally changed to have proceeded from God so that it could not but be fully necessary that the doctrine of Christ should be then confirmed in some admirable manner and that God by evident and infallible arguguments should be demonstrated to be the Author of it but now after the defection and corruption wrought by Antichrist in Christian Religion not only the principles of this doctrine of Christ but also the whole and entire doctrine it self according to their opinion who acknowledg the foresaid defection hath remained unviolated in the written Records of holy Scriptures being so preserved by the admirable providence and goodnesse of God during that defection and to these Scriptures all that professe themselves Christians even those who are guilty of that defection and acknowledge assent to be due as to the infallible oracles of God Now these Scriptures we say are so clear in those things which are simply necessarily to be known that the meaning of them cannot but be apprehended by any who truly desire to know it and have not their understandings blunted by their own voluntary fault and this may appear from hence that the greatest part of them were either from the beginning common to the vulgar people or sent to such persons to be read and understood by them who were in a manner rude or novices in Christian Religion and partly involved in many great errours such as diverse of those were to whom some Epistles of Paul were directed Epistles to the Corinth and Galat. and yet in which we finde the greatest mysteries of this Religion communicated by him to the said persons Indeed the Holy Scriptures had been written and publisht in vain if so be that every one by reading of them and using that prayer and diligence which is possible for him could not of himself attain the sense thereof so far as may be necessary for him to know it but that it were necessary as is ordinarily by many pretended for maintaining idlenesse in some and pride in others to seek and receive the menaing thereof from a certain sort of men as Bishops and Ecclesiastical Pastours either severed or conveened in Synods for it had been much better the case being so that there were no such Scriptures vulgarly extant but only that it were commanded that universal credit should be given to that sort of men in the knowledge of divine matters who also themselves by this means should have had no need of these sacred volumes but it had been enough for them to have had the knowledge of divine things begot and preserved in them by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost and so we might suppose that to have been done in all the doctrines of Religion which the Papists contend to have been done in many of them namely that from the Apostles times they should be without writing preserved pure and delivered by perpetual tradition from one age to another But to return as all generally so far acknowledge the authority of the Books of Scripture as to hold that there is nothing contained in them which is not certainly most true when as there is not nor can be any such certainty

either to the power of those carnal weapons or to the weaknesse of these spiritual ones as if they were unable to p●●●erve what once they had gained but only to the neglect and disuse of them men began before this apostasie to lay aside those weapons of zeal and patience and meeknesse and contempt of the world by the use of which the Apostles themselves had been so victorious and like the men of this world imployed their thoughts and set their mindes upon the things of it eagerly contesting about them and willingly using what strength it could afford though apparently inconsistent with these weapons for securing to them the enjoyment of the said worldly things and so plainly thereby expressed a greater zeal for this world then for the next and so long as it was so what marvel if this alteration follow seeing things are to be preserved by the same means by which they are at first gott so that I say it is plain it was not through the strength of these other carnal weapons or weaknesse of those spiritual ones but meerly through the disuse of the latter that those things have so come to passe 2. The weaknesse of those appears in this that they are utterly unable to effect that which by these hath been and is still in part effected in the world namely to plant or preserve religion in mens hearts and this the very name that belongs to them implies namely that they are called carnal Religion is in its nature a spiritual thing nothing else in the general but a voluntary unconstrain'd dedication of the soul and affections to God and an answerable outward worship and obedience of him proceeding thence for the begetting and guiding of both which something must of necessity be originally derived from God who is a Spirit himself and can only show us the way of his own worship Now all these forementioned weapons being carnal it must needs be beyond their power to work or produce such a spiritual thing as religion is that which is of the flesh is flesh John 3.6 nothing can act beyond its own Sphear 1. All those discourses which Orators and Philosophers have used or which are in the power of men by the light of nature to continue are but results of flesh and blood bare humane discoveries which therefore must be held ineffectual either to shew us perfectly how and wherein God is to be worshipped or to make that impression upon our spirits as to confirm or quicken us in his service 2. Those other sort of carnal weapons are farre more improper for this end namely to make use of worldly terrours as Bonds imprisonments and confiscation of goods for planting or preserving Religion in men for this very way of planting or preserving it is that which directly overthrowes it and makes that which is so planted none at all Religion being a voluntary thing a free offering and dedicating a mans self to God T is true indeed this way of planting and maintaining Religion is and hath been much used in the world and may seem to have been very prevalent and powerful in respect of those great and numerous multitudes that are professours of such religions as among the Mahumetans and Papists especially in Spain and Italy where a man is not suffered to professe any other manner of worshipping Christ then what the Pope professes and allows without the hazard of his liberty or life But as it is certain that such planting or preserving of religion hath nothing to support it from the doctrine of the Gospel or examples of the Apostles so is it no lesse certain that such way of planting what ever shew it makes is altogether ineffectual for such ends its true it must be acknowledged there are many great and numerous multitudes in those places which by means of those carnal weapons chiefly are kept in the profession of the outward form and worship of God which is there professed and maintained but their doing thus is not properly to be called nor accounted Religion that being as I have already said a voluntary thing and so far only to be accounted Religion as it is so Whosoever professing any Religion true or false out of fear so as thereby to avoid those losses and hazards which are threatned to the non-professors that person by such a profession is to be accounted to act rather a matter of policy then of religion to take care rather for providing for his outward tranquillity and profits in this world then for his inward peace of conscience and salvation in the next Indeed the doctrine or religion of the Papists as it is for so much of it wherein it differs from ours and which makes it Popery to be accounted no other but the doctrine and traditions or inventions of men such as have no foundation at all in the word of God so the means which are taken by them for preserving the credit and profession thereof with men as penalties and imprisonments c. are to be esteemed no other but dictates of carnal wisdom or worldly policie the ends whereof are not to provide for mens spiritual interests or the salvation of their souls but only for their worldly quietnesse and advantage and some other things especially belonging to their bodies it being not possible that true Religion which is a voluntary thing should be planted in mens mindes by any worldly force or fears nor consequently that the good of mens souls which wholly depends thereon should be any thing advanced by any such means as are made use of in that way so as either to begin or preserve in men such a profession of it This then shews partly the folly and partly the crueltie of all such Polititians for so they account themselves and there are many such in the world others as well as Papists that make use of these weapons of worldly terrours or penalties in case of Religion so as thereby to ingage men in such or such a profession or in holding such opinions as they themselves approve of for the religion or opinion that is by this means attempted to be perswaded on others must be necessarily either true or false 1. If the Religion or opinion be indeed true which is thus attempted to be fastned upon others the party on whom this attempt is made must be supposed hereupon either to embrace it or still notwithstanding these penalties that are used to stand out and oppose it If the former be supposed then considering those means can have no force at all to convince his judgement or better his understanding it must needs be conceived that his embracing such a religion or opinion hereupon is only an act of carnal fear making him to professe that as true which though true in it self is false in his judgement and apprehension and so such a professing though it be of the truth is a doing of a thing against his conscience and so an act of hypocrisie and consequently that which