Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	church_n	doctrine_n	1,773	5	6.7675	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13014	A forme of wholsome words, or, An introduction to the body of divinity in three sermons on 2 Timothy, I.13 / preached by John Stoughton ...	Stoughton, John, 1593-1639.; Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1640 (1640)	STC 23307.5; STC 23307A_PARTIAL; ESTC S100140	52,852	122

grounds As before a dye that is perfect and durable there must be some preparative that makes the ground if you would have it a good colour if you put your cloth to receive it at first the first tincture though it be that which will properly give the dye will not doe it if that it be not prepared before so it is in this case if a man have not some forme of sound and wholsome words if a man have not laid some foundation all things will be like an Iland in the sea and he cannot come neer it to comprehend it But if he have laid a ground-work before he can reduce what he heares to that and so by the helpe of it standing upon his forme as on his bottome hee can come to reach and comprehend all other particulars 2. It helpes a man to mention no more as to profit by others so to be profitable to others and this is a thing which concernes not onely Ministers whose office it is to teach and instruct others but it also concernes every one in their place thou shalt teach thy children and thy family Deut. 11.19 There is some teaching and some conveyance which every Christian is bound unto in their place Now how shall any man teach that hath not learned He that never was in a shop cannot set up at first upon the score but hee must have something of his owne and it is impossible for him to teach another well that hath not himselfe some acquaintance with the platforme of sound and wholsome words that hath not taken some paines and made some progresse in that it will be impossible to teach I say at least judiciously or profitably to convey any thing to another But this now if a man had it would be a continuall treasury a store-house to furnish a man on all occasions to bee communicable profitably to others and withall not make any diminution at all of his owne store but rather adde to and increase it To come now to the Application There be two things that I intend to doe in the application of this point First to draw those inferences out of it according to my ordinary course of application which naturally arise from the consideration of the point and that being done In the second place to take the limit and occasion for you know I take this text to be as a porch and entrance to the discourse that I desire to prosecute to acquaint you in the generall with the whole platforme to carry it as it were over the stage which if God grant life and liberty which I doe not promise I intend to goe thorow only before I will acquaint you generally I say with the whole view and prospect as it were as Moses he had a prospect of the land of Canaan from mount Nebo so though happely I shall not live to be able to carry you to all the particulars in the whole platforme yet to set you as it were in sight to carry you on the mount to let you see the view and description of all that which I intend to goe thorow if God give ability and life which thing I conceive will bee very usefull and profitable to make way to that which I intend to handle in the particulars but I shall purposely omit this till the next time and only for present dispatch the generall application And in a word there be these three things I shall inferre hence 1. Here is a justification of the observers of this Rule and that is 1. Of persons whether Paul or Timothy or the Church If this be so then this justifieth the wisedome and fidelity and zeale of all the Churches of God and all godly men Paul and Timothy and others in all times that have been carefull to establish and preserve the forme of sound and wholesome words that it might receive no tincture of any corruption But as the Apostle Iude giveth an intimation and an item to Christians did contend for the faith once received Secondly of the manner of observing of it for this hath beene the care of the godly in all times who have beene carefull to walke according to this rule and have had plat-formes and that in many kinds I will give some taste of some few in a word It hath beene more publikely observed in their Creeds and Confessions Hence it was that the Church of God did gather together and compile as it were in a bundle in the short compasse of the Creed the summe of faith as the epitome of those things they beleeved and the ground worke of those things that are to be beleeved as necessary to salvation according to the measure of those times and the light and growth of those times judiciously and exactly for it is not to be supposed that the Apostles themselves did it but some others And this hath beene the ground that there is no Church of God but generally hath had and usually have their confessions of faith the summe of what they professe in their doctrines of Religion compiled together in so many articles as their wisedome thought meet to comprehend the most necessaries in and so to discharge that which the Apostle injoynes them to preserve a forme of sound words More privatly it hath beene the care of men and a commendable care according to this rule to deliver a forme of sound words both to unlearned and beginners in a way of Catechisme expressing the fundamentall things of Religion to the unlearned and in a systematicall way for the learned proficients to compose a body of Divinity in as narrow a compasse of substantiall and pithy principles from the top to the bottome as they could This hath beene the care of all the Churches publikely and privatly they have discharged their fidelity in this charge by their faithfull care that there might be still preserved and kept in the Church of God a forme of sound and wholesome words And it hath it been their wisedome to doe it for by this care they have not onely built up the godly with a trowell in one hand as it were and withall as with a sword did cut downe and stop the gap by which heresies would creepe in and it hath beene their praise to do it with zeale if it be such a sacred depositum such a choise jewell they are not at least to be blamed that Sacrifice themselves for it who may as David say The zeale of thy house hath eaten us up that have spent themselves in defence of it from all errors and heresies what soever 2. But then secondly this may be a just reprehension to all that either 1. Perfidiously deale with the truth instead of taking care to preserve sound truths doe sit upon their desks and beat their heads in studying how they may cunningly pervert sound and wholsome truths and how they may bring in darke errours and corruptions to poyson the people of

word Prophets he saith Let him that prophesieth prophesie according to the analogy of faith {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I know there may bee some disputes what may be the true and exact meaning of the analogy of faith For present I take that which is not contemptible nor from a contemptible author viz. Calvins interpretation which is that by faith is meant there the prime and fundamentall axioms of faith the fundamentall truths of Religion and all doctrines that are delivered in the Church must hold analogy hold proportion with those prime and fundamentall truths which are the forme of sound and wholsome words by which al other must be regulated and squared that they may hold analogy and proportion with that And in this same Epistle the next Chap. 2.15 he saith Study to approve thy selfe to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth now this seems rather directly to ayme at or at least directly to suppose that there should bee a forme of sound or wholsome words in the delivery of which a man should approve himselfe so as that he needs not to be ashamed and according to the analogy of which he should divide the word of God aright holding proportion with it though I confesse there may be another interpretation though it seeme not so sutable to that place as to be able to speake a word properly to every one as it may concerne him to the weake to strengthen them to the strong to build them up farther and farther to the tempted to arme them so some would have the meaning of it to be but this seemes not to me to be the right for the dividing of the word of truth aright seemes rather to intimate a dispensing of it in such truths and soundnes as may agree with the forme of sound and wholsome words And in the 1 Pet. 3.15 the Apostle there requires not only of Ministers that they should have a forme of sound and wholsome words and that they should be able to deliver themselves in that fashion but hee seemeth to require there so much of people of Christians by that precept that he doth injoyne them there that they might be able or ready to give an account or reason of their hope that is in them that is to be able to apologize for it and to stand up in the defence and maintenance of it Now if a man be not well grounded in a forme of sound and wholsome words if hee understand them not remember them not nor be versed in them he will never bee able to give a reason an account of his faith and hope much lesse will he be able to maintaine and defend it against the hereticall and superstitious cavils and objections that will be raised against it which every Christian is bound in some degree to ayme to get an ability of and indeed it will be the foundation of his stedfast standing for no man can be stedfast in that which he knowes not nor feeles the bottome of Therefore we should bee versed in the grounds of Religion in a forme of sound and wholsome words that containes the principles of faith and that we may be able to know what is our duty And there is something to the same purpose in the Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart the forme of doctrine which was delivered to you But I shall omit that for the present and I shall give the ground of this 2. The ground and reason of it that which makes this appear to be a truth and a considerable truth that we should all labour to get and hold fast a form of sound and wholsome words even the sum of religion is because 1. There is a great necessity of it 1. Not only in regard of the Commission and injunction that lieth upon us the trust that God hath committed to us as I did intimate before we are but depositors and God hath committed this to our care and charge charged us with it and expects our faithfull discharge in it not only because of this I say but 2. In regard of the manifold oppositions and danger of corruptions of divine truths by the subtilty of Sathan and his instruments and their malice If Christians and the Church of God did not throughly acquaint themselves with it and bottome themselves on it they could never be able to justifie the wayes of God and the truth of God nor to vindicat that from the many subtill windings which the Serpent will use to corrupt and pervert the truth I purpose not largely to expatiat but only to give a hint of things and therefore I shall but adde a second 2. It is of great utility as there is a great necessity of it if we would not have the truth overwhelmed nor errors to be spread over and overgrowne in the face of the Church So there is an infinite benefit and advantage and utility that redounds to the Church of God by this course of having both in general in particular by every Christian of a form of sound and wholsome words there is I say an infinite benefit and utility besides the necessity of it that would redound to the Church of God in generall and to every Christian in particular by this Let me name but some few and but name them 1. Those truths the main truths of Religion being preserved pure and sound and uncorrupted will be a great band of Verity Vnity and Vnanimity 1. Of verity it will be a band to hold together all the truths of God if the main ones be kept if the fundamentall principle be purely kept it will be a band to hold and soder together all the other truths and to rectifie them if there should be any swerving And as a great band of verity so it will be a band of unity in the Church of God and unanimity For herein lyeth the unity of the Church of God not that every man agree in every particular opinion concerning every particular thing but if they do agree in the main foundation of Religion in those things which are sufficient to salvation and such are sound and wholsome words such as that all that are to be saved are to be saved by beleeving and practising of them If they be retained though there be other differences yet this will be a band of unity to make them close and soder together 2. But then secondly as this will be a band so it will be a bar too A barre against Heresie and Controversie It would be a bar against heresie This will be as it were a bar of fortification to keep out the entry and incroaching and prevailing of heresie If we stand upon our guard and upon good ground in the maintenance and defence of the maine truths there will be no breach for heresies to enter in then it will much keepe them off But the neglect of our watch