Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	according_a	church_n	tradition_n	2,646	5	9.0706	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29925	Vlastēma ex hypsous, or, The best vvisdome propounded to the gentry of Suffolk in a sermon at Ipswich : prepared for the 9th of April, 1660, the day of election of Knights of the shire for the afore-said county, but preached the morning after / by Benjamin Bruning ...	Bruning, Benjamin, 1623?-1688.	1660 (1660)	Wing B5231; ESTC R2801	32,130	63

ancient Nor is it inconsiderable in this matter that we have so uncertain and imperfect notice of the customes and practises of the Church for the first 300 years after Christ and especially of the times that more immediately succeeded the Apostolical age As if the Lord foreseeing an abuse resolved by such a providence to admonish us that we cleave the closer to our Bibles And for the multitude of Ceremonies that were in St. Austin's time they that will please to read his 119 Epistle may find his thoughts of them and what complaint he makes of the burthen that lay upon the Church by that meanes That I may not be thought to wrong him I shall give you some of his words Omnia itaque talia quae neque sanctarum Scripturatum autoritatibus continentur nec in consiliis Episcoporum Statuta inveniuntur nec consuetudine Universae Ecclesiae roborata sunt sed diversorum locorum diversis moribus innumerabiliter variantur ita aut vix aut omnino nunquam inveniri possint causae quas in iis instituendis homines sequuti sunt ubi facultas tribuiter 〈◊〉 omni dubitatione resecanda existimo All such things as are neither authorised by holy Scripture nor found to be the injunctions of the Councils of the Bishops nor are confirmed by the custome and practice of the universal Church but are varied according to the divers manners of divers places so that the causes of their institution can scarcely be found out I am not at all doubtfull but that they are to be abolished by authority if there be opportunity for it By the Councils of the Bishops I humbly conceive the Father intends only such as were general and Oecumenical and not particular Councils convened upon the account of some particular Church or Churches This I collect from that which follows concerning the confirmation that he speaks of by the custome and practice of the Universal Church which comprises the whole body of the Christian Church in the several ages and places of its being Now whether there be any religious Rites thus enjoyned for Gods worship by the concurring votes of Oecumenical Councils and thus confirmed by the custome and practice of the Universal Church but what are likewise warranted by the authority of the holy Scripture I leave it to consideration The Church of England long since affirmed the negative in a passage before cited out of the 34 Article where it is plainly declared that Traditions and Ceremonies meerly Ecclesiastical have at all times been divers and changed according to the diversity of Countreys Times and Mens manners Now for ceremonies of this nature let but Austins judgment sine omni dubitatione resecanda existimo take place and the controversie is at an end But to follow the Father who concerning Ceremonies proceeds thus Quamvis enim neque hoc inveniri possit commodo contra fidem sint ipsam tamen religionem quam paucissimis manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis miserecordia Dei esse liberam voluit servilibus oneribus premunt ut tolerabilior sit conditio Judaeor●m qui etiamfi tempus libertatis non agnoverint legalibus tamen sarcinis non humanis praesumptionibus subjiciuntur Though it cannot be found how they are contrary to the faith yet Beligion which the mercy of God would have at freedome with very few and very manifest religious Rites in the celebrations of it this they load with such servile burdens that the condition of the Jews may be lookt upon as more tolerable for though the Jews understood not the time of their liberty yet they are subjected to such heavy carriages as were of legal appointment and not to humane presumptions And here by the way Bellarmines evasion is to no purpose he would have us believe that Austin aimes at such Ceremonies as were practised by private persons and especially women without the warrant of Ecclesiastical Authority I marvail what coloured Spectacles Bellarmine used whilst he read Austins words to such a sense Is it not plain enough that the Father speakes of such Ceremonies as oppressed Religion and made it subject to humane presumptions and doth he not plainly compare these burdens with the heavy carriages that lay upon the back of the Jewish Church and were not these publick and not private Ceremonies As for what the Father saith concerning very few and very manifest Religious Rites or Ceremonies which God would have used in the Celebrations of Religion I freely assent to it What are the Sacramental elements and actions in Baptism and the Supper of the Lord but Sacred Ceremonies These are Christ's appointments and with all reverence to be attended and concerning these there hath ever been the harmonious concurrence of general Councils in the true Christian Church to provide for their due observation and the universal Church in all times and places hath commended them to us by its practise But Austin proceeds yet further in such words as these Sed Ecclesia Dei inter multam paleam multaque zizania constituta multa tolerat● tamen quae sunt contra fidem vel bonam vitam non approbat nec tacet nec facit The Church of God among a great deal of chaff and cockle tolerateth many constitutions whilst it approves not of nor connives at any thing that overthroweth the faith 〈◊〉 is contrary to a good life If Ceremonies that were ●sed in the Church in Austins Time were not the things that he intends by chaffe and cockle I freely confess myself unable to understand him But to say no more in this matter if there be any meer humane ceremony contended for upon the account of the authority of any of the Fathers o● the practise of the ancient Church I humbly conceive I may without presumption undertake to produce some other thing every whit as ancient which I take for granted that all of us would be unwilling with but if any desired to be further resolved in the truth concerning the authority of the Ancients let them read the truly learned tractate of Daille a French Divine concerning the right use of the Fathers you will find that Author a true reverencer of them and throughly acquainted with their writings The proper intent of his work is to prove that the Authority of the Fathers is not decisive in points of controverted Doctrine but if we weigh his Arguments with reflections upon the matter of worship we shall find them for the most part not beside the purpose for which I mentioned him But no longer to presume upon your patience that which hath been spoken in order to the purity of Divine Worship my aime in it I hope hath been at the Honour of God and the peace of the Church England hath tried extreams already and hath felt to some purpose the mischiefs that have attended them 't is not a politick but if I mistake not a scriptural moderation that hath been pleaded for I am encouraged to hope that it will find acceptance as a word in season The Lord give us a right understanding in all things and teach our Senators such Wisdome as is first pure then peaceable FINIS

Lord will do for us by means of your wisdome faithfulness and courage and let me take the boldness to put you in remembrance that ye are now the Stewards of God for us and that it concerns ye as ye love your own Souls so to mannage all your Parliamentary actions as if ye were assured at the instant of the Parliaments dissolution to be summoned by the most High to give an account of your Stewardship The Lord give ye a right understanding of the Times to know what ought to be done in all concernments of Church and State If ye know these things happy shall ye and the Nation be if ye do them Take Hezekiah for an example 2 Chron. 31.21 Who in every work that he began in the service of the House of God and in the Law and in the Commandments to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered That it may be thus with you it shall be the Prayer that it will be thus it is the hope Right Worshipful Of Your Humbly Devoted to serve Ye in the Service of Christ Benjamin Bruning ERRATA For Judges in Page 45. line 22. read Indies A SERMON Preached at IPSVVICH Upon occasion of chosing KNIGHTS of the SHIRE for SUFFOLK Jam. 3.17 But the wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable THe Text speaks of a thing that is much spoken of in the world I would it were as well known and as much possessed and that 's right Wisdome The Cynick Philosopher walked the Market-place at noon-day with a Candle in his hand and all to seek a wise man wise men were scarce in the judgment of Philosophers who by the rules of Christian wisdome were far enough from being truly wise Tertullian terms them alicujus sapientiae animalia a sort of animals wise in their kind and whilst they professed themselves wise saith St. Paul they became fools Rom. 1.22 Our Apostle James in the 13th verse of this 3d Chapt. he makes a search for a wise man with another manner of Candle in his hand and that among Christians in a time of bright Gospel day-light Who is a wise man and endowed with knowledg among you let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdome Now because true wisdome was so scarce and its counterfeit so common and consequently so hard to convince a man that wants wisdome that he is unwise the Apostle is forced to distinguish between wisedome and wisdome wisdome that is not and wisdome that is from above the wisdome that is not from above is earthly sensual and devillish verse 15th good for nothing but to breed envy strife confusion and every evil work as is intimated verse 16 Oh! how many wise men would there be in the world were it not for a But in the 17th verse concerning another kind of wisdome But the wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easily to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisie The whole verse you see is a discription of true wisdome by an enumeration of its properties I must stop at the two first first pure then peaceable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisedome from above that is the thing described There is a wild wisdome as common as the high-way it growes in the hedg-rows of the world but this is only to be found in the Garden of the Lord and it is flos inversus a flower of admirable fragrancy that hath its root in heaven it is from above But what is meant by wisdome from above 't is not needful that I use many words about it the strict definition of wisdome as distinct from prudence giuen by Philosophers and School-men in their Ethical discourses it don't much concern my Text nor shall I trouble you with it and for the various acceptations of wisdome in the Book of God it might be worth your time to hear them had I liberty of time to speak them In this place 't is evident enough that we are not to conceive of wisdome as distinct from prudence but as including yea mainly intending it I may term it A Gift of God that inables men to a right judgment and dictates to them such action as is according to the revealed Will of God God's revealed Will or the Scripture which our Saviour in one of his Quotations calls by the name of Wisdome Luke 11.49 Therefore said the Wisdome of God that is the Scripture this may be tearmed sapientia docens teaching wisdom but then there is the gift or grace of wisdome that rules the judgments and actions of men according to the rule of the word this may be tearmed sapientia utens using or practising wisdome Now this wisdome from above 't is first pure then peaceable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pure peaceable there is the properties of wisdome in the matter of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first then there is the order of them 't is pure 't is peaceble 't is first pure then peaceable Wisdome from above is pure the only account I shall give of this shall be by some instances of rules and principles tending to purity which are the dictates of wisdome from above contrary to the rules and principles of carnal wisdome The first shall be this Divine insti●ution is the only pure rule of religious worship what God commands not in matter of worship he forbids and consequently all uncommanded worship is impure worship and the wisdome that dictates it impure wisdome As the first Commandment concerns the right object of worship so the second the right manner of it which according to known and received rules for understanding the Commandments condemns all manner of corrupt worship under the express mention of one more notorious kind of it namely the worshiping of God before an Idol The Commandment begins thus Thou shalt not make to thy self So much as there is in God's worship of mans device and making so much there is of impurity in it and as there is no Commandment that the appearing wisdome of man is more prone to make bold with than this so the God of Heaven hath taken care to fence it accordingly against abuse Here it is that the Lord represents himself a jealous God jealousie saith Solomon is the rage of a man what is jealousie then in God and jealousie you know will not only be stirr'd by gross uncleanness but by wanton dalliances And because the wisdome of man is so apt to judge its own contrivances in God's worship a fruit of love to him the Lord names it a a hating of him As much as you make of your right eyes none of you can be so tender of them as God is of his own prescriptions in his worship Whilst the Lord in the childhood of his Church prescribed a numerous multitude of Ceremonies for this reason among others as is thought by Divines that they might be the less under temptation to use their own