Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	covenant_n	sacrament_n	seal_n	4,627	5	9.5821	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07190	The avthoritie of the Chvrch in making canons and constitutions concerning things indifferent and the obedience thereto required: with particular application to the present estate of the Church of England. Deliuered in a sermon preached in the Greene yard at Norwich the third Sunday after Trinitie. 1605. By Fran. Mason, Bacheler of Diuinitie, and sometime fellow of Merton College in Oxford. And now in sundrie points by him enlarged.	Mason, Francis, 1566?-1621.	1607 (1607)	STC 17595; ESTC S112385	61,269	101

an other it is often ioined with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stumbling-blocke may be expounded by it For whereas a Christian should go forward in the way of godlinesse a scandall may be called a word or a deed which is laide as a blocke in his way whereby he may fall or stumble or any way be hindred in his vertuous course Scandall is of two sorts giuen or taken to giue scandall or to scandalize is to doe or say any thing which is apt to prouoke vnto sinne by greeuing the godly wounding the weake reioicing the wicked Some things doe scandalize because they haue a scandalizing nature as all sinne and wickednesse Some things doe scandalize accidentally because they are scandalously vsed and so things indifferent may become scandalous First when they are deuised for an euill purpose as the Eunomian heretikes deuised to powre water but once in Baptisme and not thrise to crosse the doctrine of the Trinitie In which age if any should haue left the custome of the Church in applying it thrise and haue followed the Eunomians in doing it but once hee should haue giuen a very scandalous example for he might haue beene probably thought to haue fauoured their heresie whose example he followed Secondly when things originally deuised for good are abused to euill As in Spaine certaine hereukes abused the thrise applying of water in Baptisme to signifie three gods which gaue an occasion to Gregorie as also to the Councell of Toledo to take order that in Spaine it should be applied but once Thirdly a thing indifferent may become scandalous in regard of the circumstance of time person or place as for example if one in Spaine after the constitution of Toledo should haue applied water thrice this though done in simplicity had beene scandalous in regard of the time because heretikes did then vse it to strengthen their heresy of three gods Moreouer although meats forbidden by the ceremoniall law after the death of Christ became indifferent yet if a weak brother not perswaded of the indifferency should professe himself offended thē thy eating in his presence should be scandalous in respect of the person Againe though meat offered to Idols might lawfully be eaten yet to eate in the temple of the Idoll were euill in app●arance and scandalous in respect of the place because it might seeme to bee done in honour of the idoll so it might greeue the godly and be an occasion of falling to thy weake brother and harden the idolaters in their impietie A scandall taken not giuen is when that which is not scandalously done is traduced as scandalous either by errour or calumniation By errour as when therest of the Tribes were offended with the tribe of Ruben Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses for erecting an altar vpon the borders of Iordan which they supposed to be erected for sacrifice but was indeed onely a memoriall that they had a part in the God of Israel of which when they were truely informed they corrected their errour they rested satisfied and all imagination of scandall was taken away By calumniation a good thing may be blamed for scandalous as when Christ himselfe to the disobedient was made a stone to stumble at and a rock of offence Hitherto what scandall is and of the kindes of scandall now let vs apply all this to the Church of England We are accused for retaining many scandalous ceremonies but is the scandall giuen or is it onely taken If we giue any scandall let it appeere wherin to whom And first is there any ceremony in our Church which is of a scandalizing nature And to begin with the Surples is it a thing in the owne nature simplie vnlawfull not so for those which most spurne at it both in England and Geneua confesse it to be a thing in the owne nature indifferent and that very man who called it a marke and sacrament of abhomination vseth these very words The trueth is that I dare not be author to any to forsake his pastorall charge for the inconuenience thereof and giueth this reason because preaching is the absolute commandement of God and therefore ought not to be laide aside for a simple inconuenience or vncomelinesse of a thing which in the owne nature is indifferent And of the same iudgement is Beza But of all other things the crosse in Baptisme doth most sticke in mens mindes let vs therefore consider whether that be of a scandalizing nature Now if the crosse be simplie vnlawfull wherein consisteth this vnlawfulnesse is the very making of a crosse a thing so repugnant to godlinesse that whosoeuer shall make it though it be but with his finger shall presently sinne but this to my knowledge no man obiects for they allow it in banners and coines and such ciuill respects Is there anie thing blameable in the thing signified but that without all controuersie is a most religious dutie What is it then which is so offensiue in the crosse They tell vs plainely that though it be the word of God that we should not be ashamed of the crosse of Christ yet it is not the word of God that we should be put in remembrance and obseruation of it by two lines drawne a crosse and a little before this bringeth in a new word into the church But I hope my brethren will consider that wee vse it not as a thing necessarie but onely as a thing indifferent and it hath beene declared that the Church may appoint things indifferent which are not commanded in the word and yet this is not to bring in a new word or if it be then all Christan Churches are bringers in of a new word But they thinke that this is to mingle the inuentions of men with the Sacraments of God And why so wee teach that a childe is perfectly baptised before he be crossed and wee confesse that such as are baptised without crossing haue the full perfection of baptisme And though we make a signe at the time of baptisme yet wee doe it not as a part of baptisme In the old law they named the childe at circumcision as we doe at baptisme Was this to mingle the inuention of man with the sacraments of God the Church of Geneua vseth Godfathers shall this also be in the same condemnation but this crossing they say is superstitiously and wickedly to make a new sacrament For answer whereunto may it please them to remember that euerie significant signe is not a sacrament For a sacrament properly is a 21 signe and a seale of the righteousnesse of faith that is of the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs and apprehended by a true and a liuely faith And therefore a sacrament is not onely a signe to signifie but also a seale of the liuing God establishing our hearts in the couenant of grace Whereby it is apparent that the crosse is farre different from a sacrament

for it is not a seale but onely a signe not commanded of the Lord but appointed by the Church not as a confirmation of his couenant but as a memoriall of our dutie Wherefore it doth not appeare to be of a scandalizing nature and therefore a wise and iudicious man liuing in reformed churches where the crosse is not vsed doth call it plainly a thing indifferent Let vs now consider whether it be scandalous in respect of the vse And first dare any man affirme that it was deuised to a scandalous end that doth not appeere but rather the contrarie For among the Iewes to die vpon a tree was a cursed death and among the Romanes the death of the crosse was full of reproch Wherefore the Iewes seeing the poore estate of Christ and his shamefull death did thinke him vnwoorthy the title of their glorious Messias and many of the Gentiles did scorne to beleeue in a crucified God But the true Christians reioiced in the crosse of Christ that is in Christ crucified not onely in Christ rising ascending and sitting in glorie but they reioiced in his crosse that is in his death passion which he suffered vpon the crosse for his humiliation is our exaltation his death our life his crosse our crowne his reproch our glorie And whereas the heathen did reproch the children of God with it the Christians set the signe of it in their foreheads to testifie that they were not therefore ashamed of the same God And this the great controller of our Church confesseth to be done of a good mind to keepe amongst them an open profession of Christ crucified and so though hee dis●●ke the meanes hee commendeth the end Yet I confesse though it were deuised to a good end it was afterward abused and peruerted to euill For ceremonies depend vpon the doctrine especially of the free grace of God and merits of Christ. So long as this doctrine is preserued pure the ceremonic is pure when the doctrine declineth the ceremonie is peruerted and therefore Goulartius affirmeth that the old Christians did vse the signe of the crosse without superstition because the doctrine of the merits of Christ preserued them from errour which afterward crept in When the doctrine was corrupted no maruell if the ceremonie were defiled as it came to passe in poperie where it was very scandalously abused But if it were scandalous onely in respect of the abuse then the abuse being remooued the scandall it selfe is likewise remooued Now can any man say that it is abused in the Church of England for doe we adore it with diuine worship all the world may know that we detest and abhorre all such abhomination Doe wee superstitiously ascribe anie grace or vertue vnto it let our very enemies be our iudges And surely if the puritie of doctrine preserue from superstition then who can accuse the Church of England wherein the doctrine of Christ is so purely taught as euer it was in anie Church vpon the face of the earth since the Apostles time But peraduenture they will say that our Church doth vse it scandalously in respect of some circumstances of time person or place Indeed we vse it in the Church at the time of Baptisme as our forefathers haue done before vs which liued either in or neere the Apostolike age But that wee vse it scandalously wee vtterly denie For who are they which are scandalized They answer that the papists are some weake aad some obstinate weake which haue made some steppe to the Gospell and yet are not fully scowred from their former rust and these as is imagined thinke that the sacraments get reuerence by the ceremonies as namely by the crosse and surples and that they want some thing they should haue where these are not vsed In which errour they are said to be strengthened by our vsing of them And the stubborne and obstinate doe heereby take occasion as is supposed to blaspheme the Gospell and to hope that the rest of their trumperie shall likewise in time be receiued And by this meanes they grow hardened and frozen in their dregs But if the Papists be weake and not wilfull there is great hope that as they haue alreadie made some step from popish opinions by meanes of good instruction so these silly imaginations may likewise by the like meanes in time be remooued For this doth not inforce any abolishing of ceremonies but it requireth more diligence in instruction And for the stubborne papists which stop their eares against all instruction wee need not regard them When the Pharisies were displeased with the Disciples of Christ for eating with unwashed hands Christ rendred a sufficient reason in defence of their fact but the Pharisees notwithstanding were offended then Christ answered Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch This may be applied to our papists which being blinde themselues go about to corrupt others with their blinde opinions but we wil let thē alone returne to our weake brethren To whom Beza answereth that it is a vaine thing to pretend weaknes in that kingdome where the Gospell hath beene alreadie so manie yeers both preached and receiued and confirmed by the bloud of so many most excellent Martyrs But the godlie are much greeued at our ceremonies surely it is great pittie that the godly should be grieued at that which is lawfull our intent is not to grieue them but rather that we may goe with them hand in hand and doe our dutie with all ioy and comfort At Geneua some godly brethren were grecued at the wafer cake yet they did not therefore cancell the publike constitutions of their Church but Caluin did instruct the weak in the nature of things indifferent and so they learned to comfort and content themselues If they vrge vs with the saying of our Sauior Whosocuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeueth in me It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea It may be answered that Christ speaketh of such offenders as by their owne default giue offence vnto others and therefore Caluin vpon this place doth excellently define Scandall giuen Siquis nostra culpa vel impingit velabáucitur àrecto cursu velt●rdatur eum dicimur offendere Now if any be offended with our ceremonies it is their owne fault and not to bee imputed to the Church of England Neither is a Church bound vpon euery pretended offence presently to alter her publike decrees for that were nothing els but ridiculous leuitie Indeed it is the dutie of euerie Church carefully to prouide that nothing bee decreed which may minister iust occasion of offence and likewise to establish her ceremonies with such sufficient cautions and cleerenesse of doctrine as may preuent so far as is possible all sinister constructions and