Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	church_n	rule_n	scripture_n	23,359	5	6.6164	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77847	The reformation of the church to be endeavoured more then that of the common-vvealth, declared, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords at the publike fast, August 27. 1645. / By Anthony Burges, pastour of Sutton Coldfield, and now preacher at Laurence-Jury, London.	Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1645 (1645)	Wing B5654; Thomason E298_13; ESTC R200236	17,974	31

it cannot doe so in matters of faith because they are supernaturally revealed These things duly considered may make men pray and again pray that God would not leave them to their own understandings Lastly There is no solid excuse or plea can be made for it Not that it is a mans ignorance and therefore we are to do with them as blinde men whom we pity and not beat for by this means the Jews who opposed Christ should have been excused and those who thought they did God good service in killing of the Prophets insomuch that a man may be under much guilt by errour and yet be perswaded he is in the right way neither doth this excuse him that he cannot help it or remove his errour no more then he can remove a mountain into the sea for then this would excuse those also who are captivated to any sinfull way and certainly the commands of God are as much to understand the truth and to believe what God hath revealed as to embrace in our will and affections what is good neither doth this excuse them that they have good intentions and ends for the Socinians professe they dare not hold Christ to be the true God equall with the Father out of reverence and respect to the Father lest they should dishonour him Nor lastly that every man is fallible and therefore no man may judge another to erre for if because all may erre it would follow that they do erre then all truths in Religion would be quite overthrown The last Objection is wherein should England be reformed Hath not the Church thereof been famous for her orthodoxy what can be done more to her I answer to settle wholsome orders and spirituall discipline against sin It 's not enough for a Church to be orthodox but she ought to be holy also and the Scripture is not only a rule for faith but for our life also now take those places of Scripture 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thess 3.6 what little influence had they upon our Kingdom O but this will bring men into bondage and slavery no more then to have Physicians in the Common-wealth then to have Pilates in a ship these orders of Christ are meerly medicinall utiliter vincitur cui licentia iniquitatis eripitur Again these orders of Christ are not terrible for he hath commanded them to be administred with all love tendernesse and compassion Luther said while he was still leavened with Popish principles of contrition and their penance there was no more bitter word in all the Scripture then resipisce repent but when he understood the Gospel then it was precious and welcome Thus it may be with the orders of Christ while they are lookt upon as made odious by the calumnies of men they are ready to reject them but if once understood according to the institution use and end of them then with Moses you may take this Serpent that you were afraid of and it will become a rod. Further consider that it 's no bondage to take Christs yoke but to be under the command of sin that is a slavery To be servum tot Dominorum quot vitiorum this is indeed a great vassalage Again For want of spirituall order and government in a Church many sins goe unreformed which yet do much dishonour God for commonly States in making of laws consider a sin as it is destructive to the Common-wealth and as injurious to others and doe not for the most part attend to a sin as it is offensive to God now what a sad thing is it to consider that the sea is not fuller of water or the air of flies then towns and cities are full of wretched oaths and blasphemous curfings which certainly do much provoke God against us whereas spirituall order would be a speciall means to remove these And lastly lay to heart seriously how far Popery hath prevailed with Kingdoms and States to debase and wrong themselves indeed in their outward liberties to set up that and shall not Christ prevail to have his doctrine and orders setled which will indeed be no detriment but a preservation of all honour and dignity And thus have I answered the three main Objections I come to the second Doctrine which is That the work of Reformation requireth the concurrence and conflux of many noble and excellent graces It 's like the choice compound of ointment which Aaron was to make As First A clear understanding of Gods will out of his Word Thus the King he was to write Gods Word and to be acquainted familiarly with it that so he might be the more able to reform all abuses that may creep into the worship of God it 's a great fault when men in place and power think that matters of Religion doe not at all belong to them whereas they cannot discharge their duties if they know not by the Word what to doe 2. Zeal for Gods glory and his pure worship Such as was in David and Hezekiah and most remarkably in Christ himself It 's an excellent thing when Magistrates lay to heart Gods dishonour more then their own and are more sollicitous that the laws of Christ may be best then their own laws It was an ingenuous way of reproving which one orthodox Bishop used to an Arian Emperour who being called into the Emperours presence where his son also was the Bishop made his low obeysance to the Emperour but took no notice at all of the Emperours son at which there was great offence taken but the Bishop replied that if he would not honour the Son of God why should he regard his son So why should we look upon it as an hainous thing when men will not keep our Laws if we doe not Gods 3. Publike affections and love to the soul of others Unlesse a man beclothed with a publike spirit he cannot labour for a Reformation Nehemiah though it was well with him yet how deeply and sadly is he affected because the Temple lieth desolate and thus Christ himself at that very time when he was received with the greatest acclamations he doth not minde them but weeps for Jerusalem Then hath God dealt graciously with your hearts when neither riches honours or any personall dignity can do you any good till Jerusalem be setled a praise in the earth as it was with David 4. Sincerity and pure aims For though Governours may be carried far in a Reformation yet if pure love to God and his Ordinances be not the Star which leadeth them the issue will be very uncomfortable you have a sad instance in Iehu who though he did all according to Gods heart as the Scripture saith yet Hos 1. God threatens to be avenged on him Take heed therefore of corrupt politicall designs in promoting Gods work Nazianzen complained of some that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This hath made God many times let his own Ark fall into the hands of the Philistims not but that his cause was dear to him only those who managed it had selfish and particular interests 5. Humility under all the honours God puts upon them This was wonderfull in Gideon and David whereas men who are lifted up by any successe that God bestoweth on them are like a blazing star that make a great lustre at first but at last end in slime Iohn the Baptist that wrought a great Reformation and the eyes of the world was upon him yet he rejoyceth because he must decrease and Christ increase 6. Exemplary holines of life This obligation cometh upon all Reformers by that generall rule He which reproveth others ought himself to be free from those sins The examples of Reformers they are to others as the particoloured sticks to Jacobs sheep and indeed how uncomely is it when Governours make laws against impiety prophanation of the Sabbath contempt of holinesse and such sins be found in their lives or in their families Now this is a great part of Reformation when the lives and families of men are changed as well as when Reformation is in the publike worship and Ordinances 7. Fortitude and courage accompanied with faith For all Reformations meet with much opposition and contempt When Hezekiah sent messengers up and down for the pure keeping of the Passeover they were mocked and scorned Now to goe thorow all the accusations and calumnies of men yea and many exercises from God himself this requireth as humility and patience to be under them so faith and courage to be above them 8. Prudence and singular wisdom This fact of Gideon going with some few men in the night is questioned by some as a weaknesse in him whereas indeed it was his great prudence Any that hath read ecclesiasticall Histories may observe that the imprudence of men hath much hindred the propagation of truth only there must be care that prudence doe not degenerate into carnall and meer State-wisdom God hath made such wisdom in the end great folly especially when it is accompanied with the corruption of his worship The Use is for Exhortation to be filled with all these excellent qualifications God hath put an opportunity into our hands and we have all covenanted according to our places and callings to set upon this work Let us therfore be humbled and ashamed this day that we have with no more zeal promoted it How have Governours and others who have not had such advantages such interests in the Kingdom done much for Christ and his Ordinances and do these things speedily lest hereaster you may in the anguish and grief of your spirits call for the time and opportunities again but cannot obtain them let not the generation to come say our Governours indeed delivered a Common wealth from thraldome but beset the faithfull Ministers and the godly people of the land under as many groans and troubles as ever before FINIS