Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	john_n	reason_n	use_v	4,413	5	9.2793	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96361	Pantheologia or the summe of practical divinity practiz'd in the wilderness, and delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount. Being observations upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of St Matthew. To which is prefixed a prolegomena or preface by way of dialogue, wherein the perfection and perspicuity of the Scripture is vindicated from the calumnies of Anabaptists and Papists. By Tho. White B.L. minister of Gods word at Anne Aldersgate, London.	White, Thomas, minister of St. Anne's, Aldersgate.	1653 (1653)	Wing W1806; Thomason E1466_1; ESTC R208673	167,277	207

the next following verses and then in the sixth verse he sets down how all these blessings and who should accomplish them or if you will the reason why all these things should come to passe in those words viz. For to us a childe is born to us a Son is given Galilee of the Gentiles The reason why it is called Galilee of the Gentiles is 1. Either because divers Gentiles lived there it being upon the border of the Land of the Jews 2. Or because Solomon gave twenty Cities there to Hiram 1 King 9.11 12. Galilee was divided into two parts the upper and the nether the upper was that which here was called Galilee of the Gentiles Vers 16. The people which sat in darknesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up The people that sate in darkness These people that lived in Galilce were very ignorant and very wicked though in the Prophet Isaiah it is said They walked in darkness not that they walked towards the light hence is that saying John 7.52 hence the reason of their ignorance and wickednesse 1. Their remotenesse from Jerusalem the place of Gods worship 2. The vicinity and mixing with the Gentiles 3. Capernaum being a Garison town and full of souldiers by darknesse is meant in the Scripture ignorance it is said they sate in darknesse the light came to them they did not come to the light Saw a great light 1. It is not said they imbraced the truths of the Gospel but that they saw them 2. Christ called a great light to distinguish him from the Prophets or else it is meant of the Gospel which revealed diver truths either utterly unknown or very obscurely known in the time of the Law And to them that sate in the region and shadow of death 1. Those that sit in ignorance of divine truths sit also in the region of death that is in that place where death hath dominion over them 2. In that it is said they sate in the region and shadow of death it shews that they did not strive to be delivered but were content and secure in the state wherein they were Light is risen up to them The word properly signifies the Sun rising not as it is in our Translation is sprung up which is proper to flowers and things that grow out of the earth and it shews that by no endeavour of theirs did this blessing rise up to them but as we have no hand in making the Sunne rise for it rises though we sleep and are so far from causing it to rise that we do not so much as expect it Vers 17. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand From thence Jesus began to preach and to say Repent It is not meant exclusively that Christ did not preach before for it is apparent John 3.24 that our Saviour did baptize and very probable it is that he did not baptize without preaching before John was cast into prison the reasons why our Saviour began with the same doctrine that John Baptist did 1. Because it was the most convenientest doctrine for him to preach at first and there was no reason why he should avoid it because John preached it before him and therefore when he sends his own Disciples to preach he bids them begin the publishing of the Gospel with the self same words which appears by comparing those two places together Mark 6.12 Matth. 10.7 2. It might be to confirm their high esteem of St John for it much concerned them to have an high esteem of St John who testified of our Saviour 3. That he and his doctrine might be better received at first for St John being accounted so great a Prophet and so much honoured by the people they must also receive any one that went his way and for the great inconvenience that might have come upon this that the people might have thought our Saviour St Johns Disciple it was taken off by the frequent testimonies of St John before given of him as also by Johns Disciples following of him and by his doing so many miracles whereas St John did none Repent c. 1. You may see the nature of repentance from the word for it signifies the changing of our mindes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the understanding judgement will thoughts and so by consequence whosoever doth truly repent his thoughts judgement will and all are changed they are set upon other objects 2. By consequence it is not an outward change but argues some repentance one may have restraining grace without repentance 3. It argues that all are gone astray or else there need be no returning 4. It shews that the Gospel is the right way to bring one to repentance And the kingdom of heaven is at hand is brought as the reason and motive of repentance the hammer of the Law may break us in pieces but 't is the fire of the Gospel that purges us from our drosse 4. The Gospel is a kingdome to rule us as well as promises a kingdome to be bestowed upon us Divers look upon the Gospel as promising a Kingdome of Glory but not as it sets in us a Kingdom of grace but except the Kingdom of God first come into us we shall never come into it 5. It shews that Christ and John preached for the substance the very same Gospel for both begin their preaching with the same words 6. The Gospel is now seen clearer because it is neerer Vers 18. And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee It is the same which St John cals the sea of Tiberias which City was built by Herod after he was reconciled to Tiberias which in honour of him he named Tiberias and from thence the sea also took his name it was about sixteen miles long and six miles over It was called the sea of Galilee though it was but a lake for the Jews used to call any abundance of waters a sea as the brazen sea in the Temple of Solomon so called because it held a great deal of water it was called the sea of Galilee to shew that it was not the main Ocean Saw two brethren Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother These were not the first that our Saviour called to be his Disciples for Philip was called John 1.43 before John Baptist was cast into prison neither was this the first time that our Saviour saw them John 1.37 Casting a net into thesea for they were fishers 1. We do generally reade in Scripture that those men to whom God shewed any great revelation or bestowed any great blessing he did it in the time when they were well imployed in the works of their callings so to Moses so to the shepherds Luke 2. and

for since the Scripture only is able to make them wise to salvation the Psalmist also plainly saies that the Law of God maketh wise the simple Psa 19.7 119.130 Papist The Scripture with traditions and the Churches Exposition of them are necessary for how can you know the Scriptures to be the Word of God but by the Traditions of the Church if that had not preserved and delivered it unto you how could you ever have had the Scriptures Authour 1. I would desire you to consider what intricate Meanders you would have them walk in whom you deny to have understanding enough to go in the plain and pleasant paths of the Word of God if they say We must beleeve the Scriptures accerding to the Exposition of the present Roman Church then how shall one know whether that Church be the true Church If you say By such notes universality succession c. then what an endlesse work do you put these men whom you call simple people upon viz. reading over all Ecclesiasticall Histories of the Fathers to see whether that succession you pretend be so or no besides how doth it appear whether those notes Vniversality and Succession c. that you give of the Church be true Notes or no If you say By the Scripture then you make the Church to be known by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the Church as you pretend 't is as if you should desire to know whether your Gold were weight or no If you should say when he brought his weight how do I know whether the weight be a right weight If it should be answered If the weight weighs just as much as your gold 't is right may he not justly answer If I bring my Gold to be tried by your weight I can receive no satisfaction at all if your weight must be tried by my gold Besides those places of Scripture set down the notes of the true Church and Gods promises of preserving of it in the Truth c. which you quote for the proving that we must be ruled by the Church and that yours is that Church Those I say your very quoting proves that you will have them read and judged of by Lay-men and why then not other places of Scripture also are not other places as easie to be understood as they nay far more easie especially in Fundamentalls both for Doctrines and practice 2. As for Traditions they are wonderfull uncertain 1. Because there are divers Traditions that are very ancient and very false Clemens Alexandrinus reports that it was a constant Tradition in his time lib. 1. Stro. Clemens I say who lived about 14. hundred years ago reports That it was an Apostolicall Tradition that Christ preached but one year Irenaeus that condemns this as hereticall sets down another as a constant Tradition as false viz. That it was delivered by Saint John That Christ was very near 50. yeers old when he died Nay there was a Tradition that was as old as the time betwixt our Saviours Resurrection and Ascention It was generally reported by godly precious Saints and from the mouth of Christ as they pretended that John should not die and the mistake arose by the leaving out or misinterpreting but of one syllable Our Saviour said If I will and the Report went I will that thou come Abundance of other instances which are to be found almost in every one of the Fathers that lived near Christs time 3. There is abundance of disagreement on the Traditions of the Fathers for that which one Father accounts Apostolicall another accounts hereticall 4. This is no new practice for 't was in all ages the custom of false Prophets and Hereticks to pleade Traditions nay by their Traditions to make the Word of God of none effect as Mat. 13. and if you shall say so Hereticks make use of Scriptures but as for Scriptures we are on all sides agreed that it is a true rule and nothing ought to be taught contrary to it and we have the example of our Saviour and the Apostles for proving doctrines by Scripture 5. You Papists do not give us a Catalogue of Traditions and indeed those that you call Apostolicall Traditions wherein you differ from us 'T is a very easie thing to prove you the very yeer or at least the Century when they first sprang up but you use to amuse and silence poor simple people by putting upon your error the glorious titles of Apostolical Traditions and practice of the Primitive Church which you know they are not able to contradict in saying of our Religion that it began in Luther in K. Henry the 8. daies as if one should say Moses his Law was no ancienter then in Josias times because it had lain hid many years before and was then newly revived 6. The wickednesse of your forgery appears in this that though you pretend the current of antiquity for th innovations yet you being conscious to your selves of the falseness of this pretence have appointed an Index Expurgatorius and in your new Editions of the Fathers have left out all things that make against you and then no marvell that Antiquity seems to be folly when you make it speak what you please and hinder it from speaking whatsoever is contrary unto you Papists But though you speak so much against Traditions is it not evident that you have the Word of God by Tradition for as you cannot know but by Tradition that one whose Name was Seneca wrote those Books that go under his Name so you cannot know that this was the Word of God had not you received it from the Church Authour As a Carrier that brings a Leteer from a friend 't is not his saying that it comes from such a friend that is my main argument to make me beleeve it but I know his hand and know the matter that he writes to be such that none could write of but he because none else in the world knew that businesse but only he Insomuch that though he should bring me a Leteer to which my Friends Name was set and he should write of the same business yet I should know that it came not from my Friend by the hand and stile and if he knew not the secrets between my friend and I he would have divers mistakes concerning the businesse he wrote of by which I should discover that the Letter came not from my friend notwithstanding his Name was subscribed so for the Scriptures though the Church delivers them to us as from God yet that matter is of that nature and other intrinsecall arguments viz. holiness consent depths of mysteries and discovering all the secret corruptions of ones heart c. I know it to be the Word of God by these Arguments discover the Alcoran not to be the Word of God though the Mahumetan that delivers it to me say 't is and as for Seneca this is clear In case I were sure that there was such a one as Seneca lived

they needed not to mend them it shows that the fishes were taken by the almighty power of Christ for broken nets will catch no fishes 4. It also shews that Christ cals not them that are idle but those that are imployed in their callings And he called them and immediately they left the ship Although it is unlawfull for a childe to leave his parents no not though they be wicked as a friend may leave his friend especially because they did not leave their father altogether unprovided for for they left him their ship and all that they had and hired servants in the ship with him Mark 1.20 by whose labours he might very well be sustained Vers 23. And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome and healing all manner of sicknesse and all manner of disease among the people And Jesus went about all Galilee Went about that is went into every village of any note if not all By Galilee is meant the inferiour Galilee except some word be added as Galilee of the Gentiles the reason why our Saviour first preacht in Galilee was because he was to preach to the lost sheep of Israel and in the upper Galilee the greatest part was inhabited by Gentiles wherefore it was called Galilee of the Gentiles the reason why John Baptist did not go about preaching as our Saviour did was because 1. For the manner of baptizing was so that it could not be but in some river 2. Because John Baptist was by his exceeding mortification and austere life which was best performed or at least manifested by living an hermite in the wildernesse to gain credit of his doctrine and testimony of our Saviour which since he did no miracle John 10.41 was no other way to be obtained Teaching in their Synagogues The Jewish Synagogues were the same with our Churches where the Scriptures were read every Sabbath-day and expounded Mark 1.22 which was the same with our preaching for they had but one place where they sacrificed at Jerusalem yet they had very many places where the Law and Prophets were expounded to the people the reason why our Saviour taught in their Synagogues was for the concourse of people 1. Our Saviour taught in their Synagogues because else he should not have auditours enough to preach to but afterwards there were so many that followed him that their Synagogues not being able to hold them he was forced to preach in the wildernesse out of ships and upon mountains as in the next Chapter And preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome In the Prophets as in Isa 9. and in divers other places it is prophecied of the Messias that is Christ for Messiah is the word in Hebrew and Christ in Greek both signifying anointed our Saviour in his Sermon in the Synagogue told them that good news or good tidings for the word which we translate Gospel signifies so much that the Kingdom of the Messiah which was fore-prophesied was now come And healing every sickness and every disease among the people He doubly confirmed this his Doctrine to wit that the Kingdom of the Messiah was come 1. By doing miracles for every miracle is Gods setting his seal that the doctrine which it is done to confirm is true 2. By doing these particular kinde of miracles it was prophecied before that the Messiah should do as may appear by comparing Mat. ● 17 with Isa 53.4 By sicknesse is meant great and mortal diseases by disease is meant your lesse and not mortal infirmities as blindnesse deafnesse c. by every sicknesse and every disease is not meant as if he cured every one that was sick and diseased but that he cured every kinde of disease 2. Or every one that was diseased that came to him to be healed MATTHEW V. Vers 1. And seeing the multitudes he went up into a Mountain and when he was set his Disciples came unto him ANd seeing the multitudes he went up into a mountain 1. The strangenes of our Saviours miracles the benefit of his cures and the excellency of his Doctrine all or some of these take most men which was the cause of such multitudes following of him 2. The reason why he went into a mountain and not into a Synagogue was because that was not able to contain those that followed him the reason why he went into a mountain and not into some private place was to show that he was not afraid his doctrin should be known and that that might be verified that he said John 18.20 3. He chose a mountain to preach in that he might have the better advantage to be heard and seen as partly to avoid the presse of the people for when multitudes of people pressed upon him his custom was to go into a ship or up to a mountain to avoid the throng of the people And when he was fit It was the custom of the Scribes to sit when they taught the people Mat. 23.2 Psal 1.1 and our Saviour also used according to their custom to sit down when he preached Luk. 5.1 Mat. 23.1 Luk. 4.20 Joh. 8.2 His Disciples came unto him It is to be supposed that all the multitude came unto him when he was sit but that is said his Disciples came unto him the meaning is they came next unto him this Sermon being chiefly preached to instruct them Vers 2. And he opened his mouth and taught them saying And he opened his mouth and taught them saying 1. Our Saviour had taught them often before by his examples and miracles now he teacheth them by word of mouth the other wayes of teaching were made intelligible though not vocal 2. Before he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets now he speaks by his own 3. To shew the solemnity of his speech in his Sermon 4. Or it is an Hebraism and is all one with that He spoke and taught the people for when it is said I will open my mouth in parables Psal 82. it is all one as if he should say I will speak parables 5. Or else it might be to shew that he spake aloud that all might hear him Vers 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are It is not said they shall be but they are blessed 1. Because that which infallibly shall come to passe is accounted as already done as when it is said To us a childe is born Isa 9. 2. Those things which are not far distant are accounted as present 3. They have the right though not the possession of blessednesse 4. They have that possession since that grace differs not specifically but gradually only The poor It is very seriously to be observed and considered by all rich men how often the Scripture makes mention of several promises to poor men and never so to rich men for you shall never reade Blessed are the rich but woe to you that are rich and many cautions given us concerning riches surely