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
A92845	A sermon, preached at St. Marie's in the University of Cambridge May 1st, 1653. Or, An essay to the discovery of the spirit of enthusiasme and pretended inspiration, that disturbs and strikes at the universities: by Joseph Sedgwick, Mr. of Arts, and Fellow of Christs Coll: in the University of Cambridge. Together with an appendix, wherein Mr. Del's Stumblingstone is briefly repli'd unto: and a fuller discourse of the use of universities and learning upon an ecclesiasticall account, submitted by the same authour to the judgement of every impartial and rational Christian.	Sedgwick, Joseph, 1628-1702.	1653 (1653)	Wing S2362; Thomason E699_2; Thomason E699_3; ESTC R510	26,942	31

considerable then the ornamentall splendour of the Church For I apprehend not as yet any such thing so sacred and devoted to a pious use but that urgent and publick necessity brings in a sufficient dispensation for any thing besides the inevitable ruine of a Church In unavoidable necessity of State when no way else can hinder a totall ruine he is not a true lover of his Countrey nor hath he digested the brave examples extant in history that could not chearfully beg for his Countrie 's good and be ready to serve it and the Church in outward want This lesson possibly others have learn'd that see no such urgency of affairs to invite their own poverty I question not but if publick and nationall exigency should force our Rulers to suspend our present encouragements to Learning and diligence in the Ministery the Integrity of University-men and their sincere desire to lay themselves out for the Church would abundantly appear in their greatest afflictions and the more conspicuously by the neglect of many now forward in preaching because they are forbidden who would prove as remisse when once they had according to their wishes brought about their envious and malicious designes against Learning and the Ministery a great deal of their vehemency and diligence being from love of disobedience and contradiction or a designe to overthrow the Clergy I speake not here of those whom a desire of enlarging the Kingdome of God and declaring to others what they have found in his wayes hath stirr'd up to preach unto others nor do I doubt but there are many such of the Laity But without any spirit of prophecy methinks I see most of our Intruders upon the Ministeriall office soon after this sad accomplishment of their desires pretending to be above Ordinances and very well content to be in the silence and ease of a more exalted dispensation 'T is shrewdly suspicious that Mr. Dell's constancy in preaching would not long survive Tithes and the University or some stipend large enough for a preacher of self-deniall All is yet but conjecture for blessed be God our prudent and worthy Governours are not yet put to so dangerous a pitch And notwithstanding some mens suggestions of publick profit and Necessity our State will be alwaies so conscienciously wise as in the greatest streights to consider how Learning and the Church may be nobly provided for and whether the pretended Necessity doth really counterpoise the publick advantage of the present Institution and make amends for the injury that must be hereby done to a considerable part of the Nation and the improbability of leaving an able and well-provided Ministery to posterity I understand not why we should make more bold to leave God to provide by miracle for the Church then for the State unlesse our Faith be of this nature that where we are really sensible of a necessity we are resolved to see our selves supplied but we can trust God very willingly with what we care not much for and scarce believe in truth to have any reallity But to the Question I heartily desire that encroaching term of Antichrist and Antichristian so frequent in some mens mouths and used even in this business by Mr. Del and others had its unlimited bounds once somewhat fixt by assigning a Conception that might tell us wherein the nature of Antichristianisme consists It seems to me one of those words that have worn out all their signification by frequency of being used or else onely a nickname to reproach any opposer of our private opinions or designes While every thing is Antichristian in some or others mouths What should that be think I which fits Contradictories both parts for ought I can see as well as one I suppose here he meanes what exalts it self against the Kingdome of God but still I am asmuch to seek for Mr Del's meaning as before of which by and by In the meanetime I shall forbeare to urge the Engagements which all University-men have entred into for the defending of the Rights Priviledges Honour of our common Mother Their answer is ready The Oaths were unlawfull and so better broken then kept Nevertheless what hold can be taken of men that disannull solemne Oaths upon every whimzy At least feare of an oath should have put them upon diligent examination and impartial judgement ere they concluded the engagement unlawful And then seriously they have miserable Crownes and very soft heads if these be as it is probable they are the prevalent Motives which they usually produce It is somewhat to the purpose to propose one Question to Mr. Dell. With what Conscience can any Christian knowingly take the wages of Antichrist I do not understand much honesty in cheating the Man of Sin of his money Is the University stipend as paid to a Divine Antichristian maintenance Then under what capacity do Mr. Dell and his associates enjoy their places in Cambridge I know no account can be given but that they have rusht into the Pulpit amongst a crowd of Mechanicks All it seemes is fish that comes to net I must confesse the same largeness of Conscience may beare a man out in receiving the emoluments where the duty of the place is lookt upon as unlawfull and in exacting Tithes which the same over and over declares against as Judaicall and opposite to the Liberty of the Gospel It is a strange inconsistency of Doctrine and Practice to extoll self-denial in the Pulpit and yet to be content to keep the road of the Clergy that is so Antichristian where it leads but to considerable profit But let us see how the Opinion will approve it self in so high pretences to the motion and powerfull incitations of the Spirit if these Propositions be any thing opposite to it 1. A Gospel Ministery is to continue though the extraordinary and miraculous appearance of the Spirit be ceased For this I believe will be denied in the upshot if the truth of our present Churches be not the first mistake Of this we shall speak but in subserviency to the present discourse Upon another occasion I am ready to declare what I think may be said for a fuller justification of the English Churche's Apostolicalness 2. Learning is no hinderance to the advancing of the power of the Gospel 3. Gifts of Learning are necessary to an able and accomplisht Minister or dispenser of the Truth of God 4. Then I suppose we may adde without much more proof that the Institutions of Universities are not onely commendable but of extraordinary benefit and in some degree necessity to the Christian Church In all which I shall endeavour to take little or nothing for granted which one in his right wits may considerately deny I know the usuall way is Where find you in Scripture that the Apostles studied 7 years at the University What Word is there for excluding from the Ministery those that understand not Greek and Latine If any man applaud such toies and understands no better the Doctrine

of Scripture's perfection I must confesse I am as much out of hope of convincing him as free from any feare that he should multiply proselytes where any thing of sober-mindedness remaines I 'le speak in a word my thoughts as to the forementioned Doctrine of the fulness of Divine Writ with submission to the better judgements of our Reverend Doctors of the Church and to the candid examination of any judiciously ingenuous lover of truth I understand that we reject Traditions as false when they contradict written Revelation as dangerous when the probability of abuse and ill consequence overweighs the benefit received by retaining them but thirdly the rest only as uncertaine because we want much of that evidence which we have of the Scripture's authority Yet these last may be retained according to their probability of truth and usefulness to the Congregations of Believers I see no ground to conclude all under falshood and humane invention which is not found in the Scripture though I may rationally question the certainty of such Traditions any further then I can discover their rationalness or then the authority of their discoverer and proposer gives them a credibility Methinks I see these Querers acted I know not how to a more dangerous consequence then they themselves imagine What use is there of their ridiculous Quere's unless to weaken the truth of the Scripture's sufficiency a sober and undoubted Truth if well understood i. e. as I conceive as to matters of salvation and necessary entertainment though indeed it doth containe all Truths that are certainly of Divine originall I am afraid this will be the effect among common people that can seldome keep from one of the extremes if once they be as they cannot but be in time sensible of this wild way of disputing from Scripture and by fond and frivolous interrogatories many of which though applauded by men as madly conceited as the Enquirers yet to a sober indifferent mind evidence but the Authors follies and unmask that spirit of scurrility and immorality by which the Contrivers are frequently acted To this purpose we shall premise these Conclusions of some moment in this and other disputes 1. Matters of common prudence needed not to be revealed nor are they revealed in Scripture nor is therefore common humane prudence unlawfully used in things Ecclesiasticall I suppose it will be easily conceived that God never intended that the Church should be a collection of indiscretion and folly and hence it is that there are so few hints of those things which mere Reason may instruct us in Even in the Jewish dispensation where the outward forme was exactly prescribed some things were left to common prudence and the determination of the Consistory as indeed it must be when Laws are framed in the greatest perfection imaginable I know no other use of that which the Apostle calls Government 1 Cor. 12. i. an extraordinary gift as I apprehend of prudence for the ordering and managing the rule of the Church and for a particular application of that general direction given by St Paul that all things should be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. Decently and in or according to order must be understood according to that becoming ordinateness and decorum observed in the assemblies of civile and wel-bred men without the rudeness of immoral and tumultuary meetings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some I remember have expounded by according to institution i. e. the rule which I gave you But I think good method convenient as it were ranking is the more usual signification and best stands in conjunction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both order and decency being left to the judgement of the Church or its governours acting according to the rules of prudence Nor indeed could it be otherwise then left thus if we consider the severall states of the Church as under and neare to the Apostles times and as in succeeding ages The condition of the Church and Christianity is extreamely varied being then low persecuted discountenanced by the temporal power and in a state of poverty Then on the contrary guided by Apostolical infallibility and immediately furnisht from heaven with a large effusion of the Spirit in gifts and special endowments Now remember that the Acts of the Apostles is an History of the then Church and the Instructions given in the Apostolical Epistles referre to their then state are to be applied to us onely with consideration of circumstances or in the common reason and general duty contained in them When I heare some mens objections methinks it is sufficient answer to many arguments fetcht from primitive practice That the Apostolical Churche's purse and power would not carry them out as in building of Churches and the like We know they had not then the liberty of publike worship In other things the Apostles needed not such helps yet in times wherein they are needfull the Apostles practice is no prejudice to their use Where read we say some of the Apostles praying with all that would come to joine as the whole Congregation Neither say I do we read of a whole Nation professing Christianity which being now the universal profession of many countries alters the case of their and our times Upon this particular it is not unseasonable to wish that men would learne seriously to weigh the strength of their arguments and their extent more then in relation to their particular question and present concernment It would save them the trouble of being forced by others to answer their own arguments upon another question Which hath been very usual in this very principle which some have formerly upon other occasions made use of that all is will-worship which is instituted in the worship of God without particular warrant from Scripture and what the consequence hath been our times sufficiently evidence II. For further confirmation of what hath been said I observe that there are many things common to a society of Christians and Civil Societies Churches being humane Societies as to the matter of them i. partaking of this general nature of being a Collection of rational Creatures and then what ever is applicable to humane Society in general belongs to Churches as contained under that larger notion as for example the lawfull employment of honest wisdome and discretion for its preservation Provided onely that nothing be acted contrary to the principles and nature of Christianity If this caution be observed rational deductions from Civil Societies keeping the analogy of religion are improveable to the Church Much more what is deducible from the notion of a Christian Assembly III. Where the reason of the thing is common and unappropriate to the then-obtaining dispensation and when there is nothing implied to the contrary in the Gospel Doctrine or Institution there arguments drawn from the Jewish Church do hold good as to the Christian It is warranted by S. Paul's discourse about Gospel maintenance for the Ministery For the Church then was a Society joyning