Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	creed_n	2,605	5	10.2206	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62644	Sixteen sermons, preached on several subjects. By the most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. Being the third volume; published from the originals, by Ralph Barker, D.D. chaplain to his Grace	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.; Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.	1696 (1696)	Wing T1270; ESTC R218005	164,610	488

because the Pope it seems and no body else understands the true meaning of that Council at least is thought fit to declare it And therefore one may justly wonder at the presumption of those who after this Declaration of the Council have taken upon them to Expound the Catholick Faith and to represent that Religion to us as it is defined in that Council because if there be any Controversie about the meaning of its Definitions as there have been a great many even betwixt those who were present at the Council when those Definitions were made none but the Pope himself can certainly tell the meaning of them Now in this Creed of Pope Pius there are added to the Ancient Creed of the Christian Church twelve or thirteen new Articles as concerning Purgatory Transubstantiation the Worship of Images the Invocation of Saints the Communion in one kind and that the Church of Rome is the Mother and Mistress of all Churches and that there is no Salvation to be had out of it and several other Points all which have either no foundation in Scripture or are plainly contrary to it and none of them ever esteemed as Articles of Faith in the Ancient Christian Church for the first five hundred years and yet they are now obtruded upon Christians as of equal necessity to Salvation with the Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed and this under a pretence of Infallibility which St. Paul tells us would not have justified an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven in making such additions to the Christian Religion and the imposing of any thing as necessary to Salvation which is not so declared by the Gospel of Christ And all that they have to say for this is That We do not pretend to be Infallible but there is a necessity of an Infallible Judge to decide these Controversies and to him they are to be referred Which is just as if in a plain matter of Right a contentious and confi●●nt Man should desire a reference and contrive the matter so as to have it refer'd to himself upon a sleeveless pretence without any proof or evidence that he is the only Person in the World that hath Authority and Infallible Skill to decide all such differences Thus the Church of Rome would deal with us in Things which are as plain as the noon-day as Whether God hath forbidden the Worship of Images in the second Commandment Whether our Saviour did Institute the Sacrament in both kinds Whether the People ought not to read the Scriptures and to have the publick Service of God in a known Tongue These and the like they would have us refer to an Infallible Judge and when we ask who he is they tell us that their Church which hath imposed these things upon Christians and made these additions to the Gospel of Christ is that Infallible Judge But if she were as Infallible as she pretends to be even as an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven St. Paul hath denounced an Anathema against her for preaching another Gospel and making those things necessary to the Salvation of Men which are not contained in the Gospel of Christ The Inference from all this Discourse in short is this That we should contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and not suffer our selves by the confident pretences of Seducers to be removed from him that hath called us through the grace of Christ unto another Gospel The necessary Doctrines of the Christian Religion and the common Terms of Salvation are so plain that if any Man be ignorant of them it is his own fault and if any go about to impose upon us any thing as of necessity to be believed and practised in order to Salvation which is not declared to be so in the Holy Scriptures which contain the true Doctrine of the Gospel what Authority soever they pretend for it yea tho' they assume to themselves to be Insallible the Apostle hath plainly told us what we are to think of them for he hath put the Case as high as is possible here in the Text when he says Tho' We or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I will conclude all with that Counsel which the Spirit of God gives to the Churches of Asia Revel 3. 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Chap. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer be thou faithful unto the Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life A SERMON ON JOHN VII 17. If any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self SINCE there are so many different Opinions and Apprehensions in the World about Matters of Religion and every Sect and Party does with so much confidence pretend that they and they only are in the truth The great difficulty and question is by what means Men may be secured from dangerous Errors and Mistakes in Religion For this end some have thought it necessary that there should be an Infallible Church in the Communion whereof every Man may be secured from the dangers of a wrong Belief But if seems God hath not thought this necessary If he had he would have revealed this very thing more plainly than any particular Point of Faith whatsoever He would have told us expresly and in the plainest terms that he had appointed an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith and would likewise have told us as plainly who he was and where we migh● find him and have recourse to him upon all occasions because the sincerity of our Faith depending upon him we could not be safe from mistake in particular Points without so plain and clear a Revelation of this Infallible Judge that there could be no mistake about him nor could there be an end of any other Controversies in Religion unless this Infallible Judge both that there is one and who he is were out of Controversie But neither of these are so It is not plain from Scripture that there is an Infallible Judge and Guide in Matters of Faith much less is it plain who he is and therefore we may certainly conclude that God hath not thought it necessary that there should be an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith because he hath revealed no such thing to us and that Bishop and that Church who only have arrogated Infallibility to themselves have given the greatest evidence in the World to the contrary and have been detected and stand convinc'd of the greatest Errors And it is in vain for any Man or Company of Men to pretend to Infallibility so long as the evidence that they are deceived is much greater and clearer than any proof they can produce for their Infallibility If then God hath not provided an Infallible Guide and Judge in Matters of Faith there is some other way whereby Men may be

and assisted by an Infallible Spirit and had an immediate Commission from Christ to preach the Doctrine of the Gospel did not require from Men absolute submission to their Doctrines and Dictates without examination of what they delivered whether it were agreeable to that Divine Revelation which was contained in the ancient Scriptures This was St. Paul's constant custom and way of teaching among the Jews who had received the Revelation of the Old Testament he did not dictate to them by vertue of his Infallibility but reasoned with them out of the Scriptures and required their belief no further than what he said should upon examination appear agreeable to the Scriptures So we find Acts 17. 2 3. And Paul as his manner was went in unto them speaking of the Jews and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is the Christ And Chap. 18. 28. he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Script●res that Jesus was the Christ And St. Paul was so far from reproving them for examining his Doctrine by the Scriptures that he commended it as an argument of a Noble and Generous mind in the Bereans that they did not give full assent to his Doctrine 'till upon due search and examination they were satisfied that what he had said was agreeable to the Scriptures Chap. 17. 11 12. Where speaking of the Bereans it is said That these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so therefore many of them believed that is because upon search they found what he delivered to be agreeable to the Scriptures and it was not a slight but diligent and deliberate search they took time to examine things thoroughly for it is said they searched the Scriptures daily And here in the Text St. Paul puts the case that if he or any other of the Apostles concerning whose Divine Commission and Assistance they were so fully satisfied should deliver any thing to them contrary to the Gospel which they had formerly preached they were to reject it with the greatest abhorrence and detestation and this necessarily supposeth a liberty to examine what was delivered even by those whom they believed to be Infallibly assisted and a capacity to discern and judge whether what they said was agreeable to the Gospel at first delivered to them or not And after this shall any Person or Church what Claim soever they may make to Infallibility assume to themselves an Authority to dictate in matters of Faith and that their Dictates ought to be received with an absolute submission and without liberty to examine whether they be agreeable to the Faith once delivered to the Saints and tho' they add new Articles to the Christian Faith and of which there is not the least foot-step or intimation in any of the Ancient Creeds of the Christian Church and do plainly impose upon Christians the Practice and Belief of several things as necessary to Salvation which the Gospel never declared to be so yet no body shall judge of this but every Man ought without more ado to believe blindfold and to resign up his Understanding and Judgment to the directions of this visible Infallible Judge But surely this is not the reasonable Obedience of Faith but the forc'd submission of Slaves to the Tyranny of their Masters Christians are expresly forbid to call any Man Father or Master upon Earth because we have one Father and Master in Heaven Now to make an absolute submission of our Understandings to any upon Earth so as without examination to receive their Dictates in Matters of Faith is surely if any thing can be so to call such a Person Father and Master because a greater submission than this we cannot pay to our Father who is in Heaven even to God himself I come now to the Sixth and last Observation from the Text That whosoever teacheth any thing as of necessity to Salvation to be believed or practised besides what the Gospel of Christ hath made necessary does fall under the Anathema here in the Text because they that do so do according to the mind of St. Paul pervert the Gospel of Christ and Preach another Gospel For the Reason why he chargeth the false Apostles with Preaching another Gospel and those that were seduced by them as being removed from him that called them by the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel is plainly this that they had changed the Terms of the Christian Religion by adding new Articles to it which were not contained in the Gospel that is by making it necessary to believe it to be so because they taught so Now St. Paul expresly declares this to be Preaching another Gospel because they plainly alter'd the Terms of Salvation declared in the Gospel and made that to be necessary to the Salvation of Men which the Gospel had not made so And whatever Person or Church does the same does in●ur the same guilt and falls under the Anathema and Censure here in the Text yea tho' he were an Apostle or an Angel And I am sure no Bishop or Church in the World can pretend either to an equal Authority or Infallibility with an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven Let us then hear what St. Paul declares in this Case and consider seriously with what earnestness and vehemency he declares it tho' we says he or an Angel from Heaven preach any ●her Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him b● accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed St. Paul you see is very earnest in this matter and very peremptory and therefore I cannot but think this Declaration of his to be more considerable and every way more worthy of our regard and dread than all the Anathema's of the Council of Trent which in direct affront and contempt of this Anathema of St. Paul hath presumed to add so many Articles to the Christian Religion upon the counterfeit warrant of Tradition for which there is no ground or warrant from the Scripture or from any Ancient Creed of the Christian Church And for the truth of this I appeal to the Creed of Pope Pius the IV th compiled out of the Definitions of the Council of Trent by which Council the Pope only is Authorised to Interpret the true sense and meaning of the Canons and Decrees of that Council and consequently his interpretations must be of equal force and authority with that of the Council it self So that whatsoever he hath put into ●is new Creed for an Article of Faith ought to be received with the ●ame pious affection and veneration as if the Creed had been compiled by the Council it self

government of Religion and directed by the Laws and Rules of it and it should be our continual Care and Endeavour to please God in all things and we should take as much pains and be as heartily concerned to be good Men as the Men of the World are to grow Rich and Great in this World nay so much more by how much it is a better and nobler Design to improve in Grace and Virtue than to prosper and thrive in our Temporal Estate and we do not in good earnest seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness if this be not our great study and endeavour to subdue our Lusts and govern our Passions and in a word to reform whatever is amiss in the inward frame and temper of our Minds and in our outward Conversation And indeed nothing does require greater diligence and attention and care than for a Man to become truly and thoroughly good to be meek and humble and patient and contented and resigned to the Will of God in every Condition to be peaceable and charitable and placable and ready to forgive these are great and difficult things and whatever we think not the work of a Wish or the effect of a sudden Resolution before the receiving of the Holy Sacrament no nor the fruit of frequent and ●ervent Prayers without the hearty concurrence of our own Care and Endeavour to render our Lives such as we pray God by his Grace to assist and enable us to be Thirdly Seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness does further imply zeal and earnestness in the pursuit of this Design And this is a degree above diligence for zeal is an ardour and ●ervency of Mind in the prosecution of a thing for which we are greatly concerned and which we vehemently desire to obtain it is the hottest and most intense degree of our affection towards any thing of our desire and love mixt with anger at every thing that stands in our way and hinders us from obtaining what we seek after such an heat as Ambition does commonly inspire Men withall in the pursuit of Power and Preferment Such ought to be the temper of our Minds and the edge of our Spirits in seeking the Kingdom of God as does usually possess Men in seeking the Kingdoms of this World and the Glory of them We must remember that it is a Kingdom which we seek for and aspire after not like the unstable and tottering Kingdoms of this World but a Kingdom which cannot be shaken as the Apostle calls it So that the greatness of the Design and the Excellency of what we seek after will justifie and warrant the highest degree of a discreet zeal and fervour in the prosecution of it and therefore no wonder that the Scripture in this matter useth words that import the greatest vehemency and earnestness bidding us to strive to enter in at the strait gate to labour and watch to run and wrestle and fight and in a word to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure Lastly Seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness does imply patience and perseverance in our endeavours after them and that we never cease our pursuit of them 'till we have obtained them and this notwithstanding all the difficulties and discouragements the opposition and persecution that we meet with for Righte●usness sake For this we must expect and reckon upon before-hand to encounter many difficulties and find many discouragements in the ways of Religion for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life as our Lord himself hath told us Nay we must count to be grievously persecuted for Righteousness sake and if God see it good for us to pass through many Tribulations before we shall enter into the Kingdom of God and therefore we had need to be armed with a great deal of Patience and a very firm and obstinate Resolution to enable us to bear up and to hold out against all these for this is a necessary qualification for our seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness So our Lord hath told us Mat. 10. 22. he that endureth to the end shall be saved if we hope to receive the Crown of Life we must be faithful to the death Rev. 2. 10. And to the same purpose St. Paul declares Rom. 2. 7. that they only shall be made partakers of Eternal Life who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality You see what is meant by seeking th● Kingdom of God and his Righteousness it remains briefly to be shewn in the Second place what is meant by seeking these first seek ye f●rst the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness that is let this be your main and principal Design so as to take place of all others in your esteem and affections in your aim and endeavour in comparison of this mind nothing else not the Comforts and Conveniencies no not the Necessaries of Life what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink and wherewithal ye shall be cloathed These you see our Saviour instanceth in before the Text as not to be regarded and taken care of when they come in competition with the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness And our Saviour tells us elsewhere that not only none of the Comforts and Necessaries of Life are to be valued against him and his Religion but that even this Temporal Life itself as dear as it is to us is to be parted withall and given up rather than to quit the profession of his Truth and Religion Mat. 10. 37. 38. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me He instanceth in the nearest Relations those towards whom we have the most tender and relenting affections and yet he tells us that the Consideration of his Truth and Religion ought to take place of these nay even of Life it self for so it follows and he that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me St. Luke expresseth it more strongly and vehemently Luke 14. 26. If any man come to me that is take upon him the profession of my Religigion and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple When these come in competition with our Religion and the great interest of our Eternal Salvation we are to regard and value them no more than if they were the Objects of our hatred but to set aside all consideration of affection to them so far as it would tempt us from Constancy in our Religion and the Care of our Souls So that when our Saviour bids us first to seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness his meaning is tha● Religion and the Concernments of our Souls and the Eternal Happiness of them in another World should be our first and chief Care and that all