Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n
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A91516
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The right religion, reviewed and inlarged / by L.P. Gent.
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L. P., Gent.
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1658
(1658)
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Wing P74C; ESTC R181384
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42,130
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187
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as there is for the revelation of the other to wit the Churches Tradition which giving a like exidence of both ought not to be deemed less sufficient for the latter than the former It will be said before Scripture had being the power and right of declaring Revelation belonged to the Church but since they were transferred and given to Scripture so as now Gods Revelation is to be known thence without recourse to the Church Repl. The power and right of declaring Gods Revelation were bestowed upon the Church not for the Apostles time only but for all the time after for the Commission was not each same but all Nations Mat. 6. which is not to be accomplisht till the end of the World when the Jews shall be gather'd from their dispersion and consequently imparts the fulness of him that is to say so long as this World lasteth or there is time in being It will be said to what purpose then did the Evangelists set pen to paper Repl. For more comfort to give Testimony of the Church and her sincerity in teaching and not for every one to be his own carver and interpreter St Paul is positive let men esteem of us c. as the dispencers of Gods mysteries 1. Cor. 4. It was ever held an effect of great improvidence and an occasion of much confusion for the people in any state or Common-Wealth to have the freedome and liberty of construing the Law Therefore wise Lawmakers to shew their care and foresight for the good and weal publick as they caused then Laws to be written so did they appoint certain select persons of great abilitie and in egritie to administer and dispense the same This being true what an undervalueing must it be of Gods wisdom and providence to think that in a Commonwealth of his own immediate establishing as the Church is he hath left to all indifferently a liberty to make what sense they please of his Law on which as on a shelf or Rock her peace and safety would be in perpetuall danger of Wrack The Jarres and Garboyles of Sectaries having scarce had any other source than the priviledge every of them took of reading and interpreting Scripture The Reason is clear because all men are not apt to understand alike for being for the most part of different tempers and composures they have various fancies which of necessity will beget a diversity of understanding Let twenty read and reason upon Scripture and not relate to some former exposition and I dare be bold to say that no two of them shall agree Experience is my warrant in Luther Zuing lius Calvin who for all their reading and reasoning made no less than three contrary and repugnant senses of those plain words This is my Body This is my Blood 10. It will be said those selected persons intrusted with the administring and dispensing of the Laws utter by mouth what they understand and they understand no more than what their private reading and reasoning are able to inform them so that even this way man would be to seek Repl. Judges have not only their reading and reasoning to inform and direct them but likewise the practise of former Courts from the very promulgation of the Law at which time the sense and meaning of the same was declared by the Law-makers themselves The Church besides the letter of Scripture which she reads assiduously with watching fasting and prayer for a right and happy understanding thereof and her own reasoning hath the help of a better and surer tradition and the assistance of the Holy Ghost Now I leave it to the impartial Reader to judge whether is more like to informe right and sure of Gods revealed truâ—h â—he that hath-onely his own private reading and reasoning to help him or she that over and above all these is favoured both by infallible Tradition and the Holy Ghost And again whether in a matter concerns Salvation it be not an act of imprudence and folly to believe him rather than her CHAP. 16. Of the Roman Church BY the word Roman are not onely comprized the Inhabitants of that particular Territory of Rome but likewise all Christians in the world that acknowledgâ— the Bishops of Rome for their cheif Pastour appointed by Christ to govern his flock My taske in this Chapter is to prove that this company together with the said Bishop compose and make up the true Catholique Church 1 1. My first proof is that company of Christians compose and make up the true Catholique Church to which the definition of the true Catholique Church doth agree But the difinition of the true Catholique Church doth agree to the above mentioned company therefore they compose and make up the true Catholique Church The first Proposition is evident every thing being really one and the same with its definition as Man with rationall Beast with irrationall The second Proposition I shew The definition of the true Catholique Church is a society of men linck't together in the profession of one Faith in the use of the same Sacraments and under the government of Bishops and Pastours lawfully sent that are able to shew their personall and doctrinall succession from Christ and his Apostles without the least interruption A society of men And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and other some Evangelists others Pastours and Doctours to the consmmation of the saints unto the work of Ministery unto the edifying of the body of Christ linck't together Eph. 4. One body one spirit one faith one Baptisme ibid Lawfully sent No man taketh the honour to himself but he that is called as Aaron of God Heb. 5. How shall they preach unless they be sent Rom. 10. That are able to shew c. The Mountain of the house of our Lord shall be prepared in the top of Mountaines and all nations shall flow unto it Jsa 2. He hath placed his Tabernacle in the sunne Psal 118. Their Personall and doctrinall succession He gave some Doctours and Pastours c. Untill wee all meet in the unity of faith Ephes 4. without the least interruption Behold J am with you alwaies unto the end of the world Ma. 6.28 2. Let us look upon this definition in its severall parts and veiw if any be discrepant from the a forenamed company The first is a society of men this agreeth to the said company for in that company is to be seen Hierusalem descended from above Apoc. 4. A goodly Hierarchy or Heavenly order and subordination of Subdeacon to Deacon of Deacon to Priest of Priest to Bishop of Bishop to chief Bishop or Pope and of the Laity to all And which is yet more admirable these degrees are so masterlike set that they doe not hinder and trouble but as great less strings musically tuned make and preserve the Melodious Harmony of Peace and Concord The second part is linck'd together This agreeth to the said Company for in that company there is no diversity of belief but one as Monarch
Riches occasion dangers beget dropsie-like new longings rack the thoughts day night with care of keeping apprehension of losing Pleasures if they stay glut gone leave behind them sadnesse and remorse Health is beset on all sides contraries lying perpetually beating and knocking at the four humours to let in distemper Strength be it never so vigorous is at length weakened and jaded by motion and labour Beauty fadeth away Age the canker-worme of mortality gnawerh her sleek smoothness into roughnesse and wrinkles The faculties and habites live in dependence of action and action it self is not quite free being penned up and imprisoned within us All under God hath a mixture of ill carrieth in its honey a certaine sting that none draw neer but they meet with displeasure A forcible argument that the end of creatures abide out of themselves where all perfections abounding sweet conten and rest is to be found and that is God 3 In the supernaturall by reason here is greater lack of ayd more might and power required the effects being greater and of a farre nobler Kind And if God was so charie and sparing of his honour as not to let passe the ordaining of nature to himself much more grace Whence it is cleer all flow from God as streames from the sea and are indowed with an innate or ingrafted Propension to return back to him again Now the happiness of every thing consisting in content and rest and content and rest in the injoying of its end it followeth in man that there is a capacity of double happiness natural supernatural he being capable of injoying God as he is the Author and end of nature wherein consists naturall happinesse and as he is the Author and end of grace wherein consists supernaturall happinesse 4 But as nothing would have remained without Being Except God had stretched forth his omnipotent hand to bestow it so possessed of Being it s bent and inclination must take effect by his gracious leave appointment in regard he is to prescribe the means to an end that is the Author and cause of the desire thereof wherefore whosoever desires to arrive safely at the blessed port of happinesse must banish far all self-conceit and steer by no other Compasse than that God hath touchd ' so may they saile right els their course will be evermore crooked and desperate untill they doe run themselves upon the Rocks and Shelves of utter perdition CHAP. 2. Of the will of God PHilosophers assure it for a very truth that the first of every kind is the rule of the rest in the same kind and they are strongly back'd by reason for the nearer a thing draws in likenesse to its first the more perfect it is and so held to be Whence may be easily gathered that the known Will of God is the rule Paramount of all kinds as well natural and humane as supernaturall because it was as hath been proved before them all as Author causer thereof I said known in regard knowledg is so necessary requisite to the compleating of a Rule that wanting it hath not right to challenge compliance Now this knowledg coming from Propension instinct reason tradition or revelation Propertie of speech will yeild proof sufficient that Propension and instinct are the light of naturall things reason of humane tradition of revelation and revelation of supernatural forasmuch as none meaning to be understood will deliver themselves that the Elements hold their severall places by instinct that Beasts prosecute their ends by discourse that men attaine to what is past and to be believed without tradition and revelation Undoubtedly had not Christ revealed a consistencie of Trinitie with Vnitie a possibility of Hypostaticall Vnion and tradition brought this revelation down to us these Mysteries would have been as terra incognita not so much as ever dreamed of Quis cognovit sensum Domini Rom. 11. so as to speak intelligibly and with truth the will of God becomes known in things void of sense by propension insensible by instinct inhumane as to present action by reason as to action past by tradition in beliefe by revelation Alwayes provided concerning reason that it be cleer of passion and strong for in case of byas weakness every one is to submit to the wise and perfect it being but meet that they that see should have the Guidance of those who are in darkensse least the blind leading the blinde both fall into disorder It onely remaines there being an ordinary and an extraordinarie Will to determine how they are to be observed In short thus if they agree obedience ought to bee yeilded to both if not the extraordinary must take place Christ commanding the same with his father was equally to be obeyed the Israelites according to the extraordinary will immediately revealed unto them might lawfully destroy the Cananites all others were bound to observe the ordinary will of love and peace because God onely having the obsolute soveraignty can command at pleasure lives and fortunes CHAP. 3. Of the way to happinesse 1 SIth God hath manifested his power by creating Man and his goodnesse by willing him a double happinesse doubtlesse he hath not been backward to shew likewise his wisdome in contriving the meanes to bring it to passe and his providence in making the meanes discernable otherwise he had willed an impossibility and in vaine for an end is not possible without a meanes and a meanes is to no purpose unlesse it may be known Now the meanes to an end requiting proportion and fitnesse to the end it is ordained to as the end of man is twofold naturall and supernaturall the meanes whereby he is to attaine to these ends must be so to 2. Sutable unto which God hath appointed the meanes to mans naturall happinesse to be acts of his understanding will for by them he may seeke and finde out God as he is the author and end of nature by these cleave and unite and so injoy him To mans supernaturall happinesse to be a conformity of faith to the Church a conformity of hope to our Lords Prayer and a conformity of Charity to the Commandements A conformity of faith without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. He that believeth shall be saved He that believeth not shall be condemned Mar. 16. To the Church Going teach ye all nations he that heareth you heareth me Math. 16. He that heareth not the Church let him be as a Heathen and a Publican A conformity of hope Hope in our Lord Psalm 43. Blessed is the man who hopes in him Psalm 2. To our Lords Prayer When you pray let it be our Father c. Matth. 6. Thus shall you pray Our Father c. Luke 11. A conformity of Charity If I give all to the poor and have not charity it profiteth nothing 1 Ioh. 3. To the Commandments This is the charity of God that we keepe his Commandements Ioh. 14. If ye love me keepe my commandements Ioh. 15