Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	comfort_n	doctrine_n	election_n	1,458	5	12.3413	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25212	Melius inquirendum, or, A sober inquirie into the reasonings of the Serious inquirie wherein the inquirers cavils against the principles, his calumnies against the preachings and practises of the non-conformists are examined, and refelled, and St. Augustine, the synod of Dort and the Articles of the Church of England in the Quinquarticular points, vindicated.	Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.; G. W.	1678 (1678)	Wing A2914; ESTC R10483	348,872	332

doubt not both of the purity and peace of their Consciences because 1. He allows no other Election then Gods determining absolutely of temporal Blessings p. 74. But the Church of England Art 17 having described a particular Election to Everlasting Life from Gods Everlasting purpose tells us That the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to Godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ. He then that disowns this Doctrine must needs want one main ground of a pure and comfortable Conscience 2. They who own Justification by works want another bottom of a comfortable Conscience So the Church of England Art 11. Wherefore that we are Iustified by Faith only is a most wholsome Doctrine and full of comfort All peace then is founded in Grace In Gods Grace as the Fountain whence it springs and in the Operations of Grace upon the Soul as the Evidences of that Grace in God and though men may bless themselves in Evil and flatter themselves when they find prosperous Iniquity yet if any one be a lyar a persecuter a hater of Godliness and Godly Men a slanderer c. God speaks no peace to him and therefore it s more adviseable to boast less of a comfortable Conscience and mind the things that belong to a comfortable Importance 3. The last pretended cause of the Dissenters withdrawing from the Church of England is A Charge against the sufficiency but especially the sanctity of the Clergy The Dissenters do gladly acknowledge that the Learning and Piety of very many of the Ministers of the Church of England is such as deserves an honourable place in their hearts that they have not such a valuation for some of our Enquirers co-partners they beg his excuse till they may see more cogent Reasons to alter their Judgements when they are in the Humour to take a few sorry Sophismes candied over with Rhetorick to be Learning or uncharitable censoriousness crusted over with smooth Hypocrisie to be Piety they see nothing to the contrary but they may enlarge their Charities That there are many of the present Establishment eminent for sound Learning and exemplary Holiness who exercise Christian tenderness towards those who dissenting in Conscience do suffer for Conscience is the rejoycing of their Souls under their great pressures And they know that the more Learned and Godly any person is the more humble he must needs be A little knowledge ferments a●… impotent heart and makes it intolerably arrog●…nt but he that knows much amongst other things must needs know that he that stands in need of mercy from God and therefore will more readily shew pitty to Man He that knows what a tender Conscience is at home will pitty and indulge it wherever he meets with it abroad He that knows much cannot presume all the world enjoys his measures of Light The Enquirer might therefore well have spared this odious and invidious discourse had he not found it necessary first to make a Man of Clouts and then execute it And yet his Victory cannot be great in trampling on those that lye on the ground and can be laid no lower but in their Graves for to Hell he cannot send them Two needless things he will say to this Objection for he is full Et si non aliqua no●…uisset 〈◊〉 esset 1. Supposing this Objection had been true yet it could not be made by any Protestant without contradicting his principles No why not Oh for the Papists are taught that the efficacy of all Divine offices depends upon the intention and condition of him that administers but Protestants are taught it seems otherwise that the efficacy of all Divine Ordinances depend●… upon the Divine Institution and the concurrence of Gods Grace wi●…h my use of them The Reader must give me leave to repeat my former caution which is always understood though not exprest that I deny not the sanctity of the English Clergy my only task is to examine the strength of his Arguments which are sometimes so weak as would tempt the less considerate to conclude that cannot be true which so bold 〈◊〉 undertaker cannot make out His answer to the Objection is ●…nly more weak then the Objection it self For. § 1 When he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of Rome sure the Protestant Dissenters must expect no Quarter The Papists do indeed hold That the efficacy of Sacraments depends upon the Intention of the Priest but that it depends on the Condition of the Priest as to Holiness they assert not I shall produce one evidence of many Tolet de instructione sacerdotis lib. 1. cap. 92. propounds this Question Quando licet à ministris malis accipere Sacramenta When or in what case is it lawful to receive the Sacraments from wicked Ministers And the very moving of the Question implies that at least at sometimes and in some cases its lawful but this will more fully appear from his Answers which he gives 1. Negatively A non-toleratis ab Ecclesiā non licet ullum Sacramentum accipere etiam necessitatis tempore It s not lawful to receive any Sacrament from those who are not tolerated by the Church no not in case of necessity Here is Doctrine to his own hearts content and wherein the Jesuite may assure himself of our Enquirers suffrage A Non-conformist amongst them may not Baptize or Administer the Supper though the Salvation or Damnation of never so many depended on it And yet when the Casuist thinks better on 't he will except Baptism and perhaps the other Sacraments in the Article and point of death●… A ffirmatively A m●…lis ministris dum non sequatur aliquod grave scandatum possumus sacra recipere Nam Ecclesia ipsos tolerat ipsi ta●…a administr●…ntes sibi solis nocent We may receive Sacraments from wicked Ministers such as he there describes provided no grievous scandal follow upon it for the Church tolerates such as these and when they administer the Ordinances they hurt none but themselves Nay he quotes Pope Nick. to back him Isti sunt sicut fax a●…censa quae alios illuminat se consumi●… unde aliis commodum exhibent sibi dispendium praebent mortis These evil Ministers are like a burning Torch which enlightens others though it wast it self and destroy themselves by that very means whereby they advantage others but at last he comes to this Ab his quibus ex officio incumbit sive sint parati sive non licet petere accipere Sacramenta five ex necessitate five non quia ille ex officio tenetur quandocunque petiero ministrare nec ego jus meum à mitto ex illius malitiâ We may demand and receive Sacraments from those whose duty it is to Administer whether they be prepared or not whether it be in a case of necessity or not Because su●…h a one is bound by virtue of his Office to minister when I demand