Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	know_v	scripture_n	tradition_n	2,389	5	9.3614	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56696	A sermon preached before the king, on the second Sunday in Advent, Decemb. viii, 1678 by Symon Patrick ...	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1678 (1678)	Wing P841; ESTC R7087	16,535	44

that these things belong not to us for that Authority which was in Kings under the Old Testament is now translated if you will believe those Doctors unto the Priests under the New But what man of sense can entertain this wild fancy that Kings under the Government of Christ are in a worse Condition than they were in under the Discipline of Moses Or that Christ should single out Kings of all other men to be injurious to them and deprive them of their former rights when he left every body else in the very same estate wherein he found them Was this our Saviours business when he came to reign over the Gentiles to strip their Princes of their Prerogatives and lessen their Power and Authority over their Subjects How detestable would the Apostles have been if they had broached this Doctrine when they went out to convert the World Or shall we be so impious as to think that St. Paul equivocated or had some mental Reservation when he Commanded every Soul in the Roman Church to be subject to the higher Powers Mark I beseech you it is upon the Church of Rome that he presses this Doctrine Chapter xiii of this Epistle more than upon any other Church whatsoever as if he foresaw there would be an Apostasie among them from this Faith Let every Soul be subject though thou beest an Apostle and the Bishop of Rome I hope was never greater than so though an Evangelist though a Prophet or whatsoever thou beest thou must be subject as S. Chrysostome whose words these are faithfully expounds the Apostles honest meaning And so Christian Princes long after his time understood him and did not fear both to assume this Authority and to justifie it when they had done so after the same manner that we do by the Example of the Kings that ruled over the People of God before the Coming of Christ Witness to name one for all Charles the Great a Prince as great in Ecclesiastical Policy as in Feats of Arms who in his Preface to his Capitulary tells the Clergy of the Empire That he had sent his Deputies to them that they by his Authority might together with them correct what stood in need of amendment according to the Example of the godly King Josias who endeavoured saith he to restore the Kingdom which God had given him to the Service of the true God by going about it by correcting and admonishing it as we read in the xxiii Chapter of the Second Book of the Kings And they had been very much to blame if they had not taken this pains For as the forenamed S. Chrysostome admirably speaks in a Sermon of his recorded by one of the writers of his Life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Georgius Alexandrius Tom. Ult. p. 265. The Care appertaining to Kings is not so much about War as about the Church not so much about Political Affairs as about the Church with whose Preservation and Safety God having been pleased to intrust them he expects they should be as angry with those who would Adulterate his Worship therein setled as Moses was with Aaron when he had made the Golden Calf That very example is sufficient to shew the Authority which the Civil Magistrates have in matters of Religion With which they ought not to part no more than they would with their Crowns nor to suffer their people to be deprived of these Holy Books wherein they may read these things and thereby be so throughly possest with a sense of their high Authority that they may never be Debauched from their Duty But of that more presently IV. Let us first hear what the next exception of the Manichees was aginst the Scriptures written aforetime which they said were unprofitable to teach men good manners nay were destructive and contrary to them There are two parts you see of this wicked suggestion the first of which is so directly confuted by St. Paul in another place that one would think these men never read the New Testament at all nor the Old for any other end than to carp at it and frame Objections against it For in 2 Tim. iii. 16. he expressly saies that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Scripture speaking of the Old for not much of the New was then extant given by inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in Righteousness Upon which words you may be pleased to take this short gloss All Holy Learning consists in being wise and in being good in acquiring of both which the Scriptures being Divinely inspired give us singular assistance As for the first Christian Wisdom it consists in knowing the Truth and in rejecting Falshood Now behold how profitable the Scriptures are in both regards For they are profitable for Doctrine which is teaching the Truth and for reproof which is confuting the falsehood of Error And then for the Second learning to be good that consists of two parts more as the Prophets instruct us to cease to do Evil and to learn to do Well To both which ends also the Apostle affirms the Holy Scripture is profitable for correction that is when we do amiss and for instruction in Righteousness to make us do better And that I may add not only by its Precepts but by its Examples examples which strongly excite and quicken us to our duty and which mightily deter and withold us from doing wickedly I shall only mention some of the latter sort which are drawn up to my hand by St. Paul in the next Epistle 1 Cor. x. where he sets before that Church the example of the ancient Israelites with many of whom God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness after he had brought them out of the bondage of Egypt v. 5. And lest they should think themselves unconcern'd in such stories he adds v. 6. Now these things were our examples to the intent that we should not Lust after evil things as they also Lusted Neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them as it is written The people sat down to Eat and Drink and rose up to Play Neither let us commit Fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Now all these things hapned unto them for Examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come So he concludes after the same manner as he began this pathetical discourse Which we ought to lay to heart and apply to our selves as much as if he had told us in other words which are but an explication of these I would not willingly have you abuse your selves with false Opinions and therefore do not imagine I beseech you that these things which were done so long ago do not belong to you or that the

Great who comprehends all that I have said in a few words in his Sermon of Faith * Tom. II. pag. 251. It is a manifest falling of Faith and may be justly charged with Pride either to reject any thing that is written or to introduce and bring in over and above any thing that is not written This was the ancient Catholick Doctrine which it is the Interest let me take the boldness to say as well as the Duty-of-Christian Kings and Princes above all other men to assert and maintain For by these Holy Books their Authority is as strongly supported as by the pretended Traditions of the Roman Church it is notoriously undermined and subverted Upon which account it is a point of their greatest Wisdom not only to keep these Books in their Peoples hands but to encourage nay command the conscientious reading of them that they may there learn how plainly they are taught and how Religiously they are bound to fear honour and obey their Sovereigns even though they were Pagans much more when they are Christians Of which Liberty if they suffer their People to be deprived they shall soon be taught that they owe no further respect to their Princes than it pleases the Bishop of Rome to allow them Who from the Dignity of a particular Bishop and Pastor of Souls is raised to be a Worldly Monarch above all Kings and Emperours by sewing several patches and shreds to the ancient Christian Doctrine under the Name of Traditions For nothing is more apparent in History than this that as the Bishop of Rome's Greatness increased so Traditions were still more and more multiplyed which in process of time were more recommended than the Scriptures themselves and more Religiously observed There is another Reason also why Princes should keep the Holy Books open before their Subjects eyes and suffer no Man to shut them and seal them up Because it plainly appears by them that their Persons and Office are Sacred not a mere humane Institution but the Ordinance of God by whom Kings reign and by vertue of whose Laws they demand Obedience The contrary to this is taught by the Popes Creatures and will soon be obtruded for Christian Doctrine if the Holy Scriptures be laid aside Bellarmine for instance in his Book against Barclay maintains that their Power proceeds not from God but is the Institution of Man Conformable to that memorable Maxim of Father Binet in a Discourse of his with the famous Casaubon * Epist ad Frontonem Ducaeum p. 209. about the business of Garnet which he calls the Immortal God to witness is true That it were better all Kings should perish than the Seal of Confession so much as once be violated for the Authority of Kings is by Humane Right but Confession by Divine Which sounds so horridly in all true Christian ears that it is hard to find any thing more contrary to common Reason and to the Holy Scriptures among that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Andraeas Caesariensis calls them * Cap. IV. in Apocalyps that crazed stupid Tribe of Manichees whose Frenzies I have in part represented But this is not a place to lay open this Mystery of Iniquity whereby Kings are almost Dethron'd and manifestly deprived of that which assures their Crowns and their Lives far more than the constant Guard of their Bodies or the most powerful Armies they can raise For though by those they may strike terror into their Subjects minds it is only the Sense of God that can frame their hearts to Obedience Then the Fidelity of Subjects will be firm and unmovable when it is incorporated into Piety and accounted a part of Religion a necessary piece of that Service which we owe to God Almighty For which end the Scriptures must lye open before the People that there they may read their Duty and have their Souls moulded into a Sense of God and not merely receive such Impressions as the Interests of men shall be pleased to stamp upon them I conclude all with those Notable words of S. Chrysostome in his Second Homily upon S. Matthew where he justifies what I have said from the words of St. Paul before mentioned It is a great fault in Christian People that they do not Read the Scriptures but to think it is a needless and superfluous thing to read them is a far greater Crime This is language of the Devils invention for do you not hear what S. Paul sayes That these things were written for our Instruction God grant we may in such wise hear read mark learn and inwardly digest them that we may bring forth Fruit with Patience and do our Duty so faithfully to Him to our Sovereign to one another and to all men that in the end we may attain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be given by us and by all others all Honour Glory and Praise both now and for evermore Amen FINIS