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	tradition_n	9,173	5	9.2350	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79851	A second voyce from the temple to the higher povvers. Wherein is proved that the decrees and institutions of popes and popish counsels, which have been established by the law of the land, and have been continued and confirmed throughout divers ages, by several acts of Parliament, against Jesus Christ, in the way and order of the Gospel (the same yet standing) ought by the present supream authority of this nation to be taken away. Moreover; here is shewed, some particular decrees of popes, which have beeen established by several acts of Parliament, viz. A nationall ministry, tythes, prohibiting men from publick preaching of the Gospel, unlesse elected and ordained after a popish manner, &c. All which as they are the institutions of popes, formerly confirmed by the law of the land, so now, to be abrogated. By John Canne.	Canne, John, d. 1667?	1653 (1653)	Wing C442A; Thomason E710_19; ESTC R207195	25,656	36

Priests that would not teach the people unlesse they had great and large revenues But I wonder how any man unlesse a Prelate would mention this of Julian considering it was the revenues of Archbishops and Bishops c. which he tooke away nothing from the Parish Priest for as yet there was no set maintenance for him nor such a humane creature in the world But why is this story of Julian so often repeated in their Pamphlets It must be for one of these two Reasons either to render the Parliament irreligious and contemptible to the world if they take tythes away or else that they cannot take care for Religion and Christianitie unlesse they support a carnall Ministerie by tythes For the plea which they make of the Patrons Interest in the Donation of Parsonages and Vicarages The thing is so unjust as the Non-conformists in their writings against the Bishops usually cald them Latrons Theeves and professe their places to be unlawfull and wicked and give many Reasons for it If some one in a Parish had entailed to him and to his heires for ever the power of appointing husbands and wives to all the people therein the slaverie were unsufferable although in a matter of a Civil nature But how much more then unsufferably great is their sinne which loose a spirituall freedome and greater those Patrons which keepe it and greatest such Time-servers who labour what they can to maintain so corrupt and vile a thing I come now to the last General head which is that the Gospel may have a free passage amongst us and all such men libertie publickly every where to preach the same whom the Lord hath fitted enabled for that work though not in office and all restraints and prohibitions to the contrary both former and later removed and taken away Our Reasons are 1. That none should preach unlesse ordain'd this as the Nationall Ministerie and Tythes came likewise from the sea of Rome For Gregorie 9. in the yeare 1227. made a Decree that no lay man should preach Here began the abomination that maketh desolate Now the occasion was to suppresse the truth which at that time began most gloriously to breake forth by the Waldenses so that no higher can they bring this practise then to the yeare 1227. Neither have they any other Author to father and fasten it on then Satan and Antichrist For howsoever before this time many fowl abuses and corruptions were crept into the Church yet it was so many yeares after Christ before this Decree of the Pope came forth viz. That no lay man should preach But how sinfull and unlawfull that Decree of the Pope was will appeare by this Position or Conclusion which I shall here lay down and prove namely That faithfull men able to speak to edification exhortation and comfort though not Ministers or in any office may open and apply the holy Scriptures to the profit and benefit of others Or thus Preaching of the Gospel whether in publick or private is not tied to any office function calling ministerie but those out of office have right power libertie to make knowne the truths of the Gospel wheresoever they are or come 1. This was a practice both allowed and observed in the Jewish Church For howsoever Christ and his Apostles were more then private men viz. extraordinarily cald of God yet were they not by the Jewes acknowledged as Prophets and Apostles or men in office either ordinarie or extraordinarie but as gifted men and able to teach so they were permitted according to the laudable custome of the Church Luk. 2.46 47. 4.17 18. Act. 4.4 Act. 13 14 15 15. And there remaines among the Jewes the foot steps of this practise to this day as I have often seen in their Synagogues 2. Whether the Primitive Churches took up this practise as from the Jewes I shall not determine But that the brethren not in office might publickly preach it cannot be denyed You may all prophesie one by one saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.31 That he speakes not of any Church Officer or Minister the words vers 34. make it cleare Let your women keepe silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speake This is brought in to answer an objection as thus If all may speake in the Churches then women likewise No saith the Apostle it is not allowed them for severall Reasons Besides if none might speake to the edification of the Church but Ministers then the Apostles words forbidding women to speake would be vaine and absurd For what use was there that he should mention a restraint or prohibition of women if none might speake no not men unlesse Pastors or Teachers 3. As this was practised both in the Jewish and Christian Church so we finde it a dutie prest upon the people of God and earnestly cald upon not to quench the Spirit But as every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God 1 Pet 4.11 Againe Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith Or ministerie let us wait on our ministering or he that teacheth on teaching or he that Exhorteth on Exhortation c. Rom. 12.6 7 8. He that well observes the words here may plainly see how the Apostle distinctly sets downe the Exercise of prophesie from what is to be don ministerially and by the officers of the Church 4. If men out of office may not open and apply the holy Scriptures observe what absurdities would follow 1. In case the Church have no Minister as it may often fall out by sicknesse persecution c. then she must want Teaching and so Vision ceasing the people perish Pro. 27.9 2. Multitudes in darknesse and the shadow of death are hereby left to perish in their bloud and sinne For to deny preaching to them by men out of offices is to leave them without the arme of God for their conversion gathering and bringing in to the Lord Jesus 3. Should there be no preaching till there are Ministers then necessarily after the General Apostacie of Antichrist there could never be raysed up either Churches or Officers For it is so absurd and ridiculous to imagine Officers before Churches and therefore we well know by the preaching of men out of office people were first called out from Babylon and being seperated from the world they covenanted together to walke in the faith and order of the Gospel and they become the true Churches of Christ electing and ordaining afterward their own Ministers according to the Apostolicall Institution 5. The benefits are great and pretious which not onely Saints but sinners too may receive by the private and publique teaching of men out of office For 1. what doth more speake out the glory of Christ in his Saints then to see the gifts and graces which he hath bestowed upon them shining

Vigandus to please him or his followers is will-worship Of this judgement were e in Hos 2.16 Junius f Loc. com de trad p. 421 422. Musculus g Tract theol vol. 3. p. 210. Beza h in Psa 16. Mollerus i de Polit. p. 72. Sipperus k Contr. Mon. pag. 70. Sadeel and others Now men approve countenance and give honour to the wayes of Antichrist by paying Tythes to Priests we have shewed before 4. It is vitious and superstitious to simbolize with Idolatery By the l Deut. 12.30 Lev. 18.3 Exod. 23.24 Gen. 25.2 3. Deut. 14.1 Lev. 19.17.27.28 Isa 27.9 Scriptures we are forbidden all conformity with them in any of their way order custome traditions manner of worship or religious observations And the Saints in all ages have carefully shun'd it as might be shewed by several examples It was the m Herodot in Thalco Becan in Anolog vetet nov test c. 5. custome of the Arabians and other Heathens in imitation of Dionysius that is Bacchus to round the corners of their head now this the Israelites n Lev. 19.27 might not doe though a thing indifferent as o Calv. in Levit. 19.17 Calvin observes because God would not have them to be like Idolaters 5. Superstition is committed when more estimation is had of a thing more dignity and excellency placed in it and more regard had to it then God alloweth or can stand with his will revealed in his word and so much p lib. 1. de vit ext cult oppos col 504 505. Zanchy proves by sundry instances And in this regard also paying of Tythes is superstitious because that thing is honoured and embraced which we find not in the New Testament to be lawful and thus an idol is set up Tanquam deus ex parte though not deus simpliciter 6. This may be further proved by the testimony of learned men For to have any thing common with Idolaters or to serve God after any way of theirs or to take up and make use of any of their rites orders customes observations institutions they hold it utterly unlawfull Thus have the q Tertul. de coron mil. Greg. l. 1. epist 44. ad Leon. Theod. l. 1. c. 10. August ep 86. ad Casul old Fathers affirmed so our later writers r Pareus in 1 Cor. 10.14 Bucer in Mat. 18. f. 143. Beza Tract theol vol. 3. p. 210. Calvinists ſ Cen. 4. c. 13. col 406. Chemnit exam theol Melane par 2. p. 491. Luthervns t B. Jewel upon 1 Thess 5. p. 219. Sutclief chal p. 62. Formall Protestants u Perth Assemb p. 55 56. Altar Damosc p. 539. Reformists x Bellar. de monac c. 40. de ester● sac l. 2. c. 31. sect 10. Rhem. Annot. on 1 Cor. 6.14 and 1 Tim. 6. sect 4. and in Rev. 1.1 Papists yea many y See Mr Ainsworth on Levit. 19.27 Jew Doctors and some a Taledo can 5.40 Laodec c. 38. Brac. can 32. and 73. Councels have thus concluded and the b Deor. pa. 2. caus 26. quaest 27. c. 13. c. 14. Cannon Law speaks so too Thus much for the first particular that Tythes ought not to be paid as being in it selfe superstitious The next is not to be paid to an unlawfull and Antichristian Ministry as is this nationall ministery essentially derived from the Sea of Rome Our Reasons are 1. Because this is little better then to rebel against Christ and to seek what in us lies to uphold that thing which the Lord will cast downe and utterly destroy 2. It manifesteth the great want of that zeale and love of God which all Christians should have specially here the Higher powers as to disown and abrogate all Decrees of Popes and Popish Counsels which have been confirmed by idolatrous Princes for the payment of Tythes to an unlawfull Clergy 3. To pay Tythes to this Nationall Ministry is to serve Antichrist according to that saying His servants yee are whom yee doe obey 4. To doe this it is to condemn the Generation of the righteous who have suffered under Popery and Prelacy for refusing to pay Tythes to the ministers of Antichrist and to destroy what the others built 5. So long as Tythes are payable by Law to this ministry it grieves the hearts of the righteous and gives just cause of offence to the Churches of the Saints Now wo unto that man by whom the offence cometh 6. The continuance of Tythes will be an occasion to harden the Nationall ministry in their error and sin as to think their unsanctified places are lawfull and good because the Law allowes them maintenance And indeed they have little else to say for themselves their calling being so contrary to the order and way of the Gospel 7. This paying of Tythes strengthens every where the ignorant people in their superstition and blindnesse and is a means to hinder them from the light and knowledge of a Gospel-minister For how can they otherwise but believe that their Parish Priest is sent of God and Tythes due to him so long as by the Law of the Land his ministry is onely owned and justified And he shall say Cast yee up cast yee up prepare the way take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people Isaiah 57.14 Before I end this point I shall answer two Objections and I know no more of weight which are usually brought against the taking away of Tythes 1. That it is injurious 2. Irreligious First Injurious to alter or abolish them seeing the Law of the land hath vested and setled them in persons Ecclesiasticall and so are their right and possession We might send these pleaders for Tythes to what hath been said before as a full and sufficient Answer to this Objection Notwithstanding we shall further add 1. This is no more then what the Bishops Deans Prebends c. and before them Monks and Fryers might have said and upon as faire pretence ground and reason so that in taking away their Tythes if no injury was done them then none here the case being clearly one and the same 2. Acts of Parliament are Acts of men not Oracles from Heaven A Parliament as well as a Councel may be led by wrong principles and so err and make Lawes and Acts that are unjust We doe not think though Tythe-takers would be glad if it might be so that Acts of Parliaments are like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians that never alter But the same power that made such an Act can repeal it againe yea and is bound so to doe if it stand not with the rule of justice and equity contained in the morall Law of God and nature or sound natural reason And this is the case here viz. that those Acts and grants confirming Tythes to Priests were not agreeable to the moral Law of God nor to the Law of nature or sound naturall reason not according to the