Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostolical_a	church_n	tradition_n	4,989	5	9.5918	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92845	A sermon, preached at St. Marie's in the University of Cambridge May 1st, 1653. Or, An essay to the discovery of the spirit of enthusiasme and pretended inspiration, that disturbs and strikes at the universities: by Joseph Sedgwick, Mr. of Arts, and Fellow of Christs Coll: in the University of Cambridge. Together with an appendix, wherein Mr. Del's Stumblingstone is briefly repli'd unto: and a fuller discourse of the use of universities and learning upon an ecclesiasticall account, submitted by the same authour to the judgement of every impartial and rational Christian.	Sedgwick, Joseph, 1628-1702.	1653 (1653)	Wing S2362; Thomason E699_2; Thomason E699_3; ESTC R510	26,942	31

in the service of God that and this partaking in the general notion of a religious Assembly their Ministery of a Ministery and their Worship of the Worship of God And observing the difference of their and our dispensations we may very lawfully make use of their institutions to direct us to discover many things which belong to religious Congregations Officers and Worship in generall That onely being abrogated of Moses which was typical and founded in God's Covenant with Israelites as Israelites i. e. as instated in the land of Canaan not as men and related to God by creation and the covenant of nature IV. Which follows from and may adde strength to what hath been already said Collections from Scripture though not to every eye exprest in Scripture and arguments drawn according to the different circumstances of the Primitive and Later conditions of the Church are proofs very admittable by any sober Christian This is no more then what reason readily grants as founded in the very nature of the things no more then what is commonly allowed as sufficient proof in collecting from any History ancient Custome and usage or old Law which is in force with respect to the alteration of times It is that which in other more uncontroverted cases is used in alledging of Scripture it self V. Custome and practice of the Church in succeeding ages and Ecclesiasticall History especially neare the Apostles times universal and in conformity to the former presumptions is an argument in it self as considerable as intolerable to Enthusiastick Spirits or men that affect novelty their own humours Now to our question The Christian Schooles in former ages are notorious and the high price then set upon Learning is cleare by their diligence in instructing their children in Arts and Sciences and by the sense they had of Julian's injurious forbidding them the Heathenish Learning and denying them the liberty of the then Schooles of literature What joy for their deliverance from this oppression by his death What industry in supplying the want of publick education It is evident Nazianzen had other thoughts of humane Learning then those that prefer Julian for a pattern of reformation But this way of arguing were I skill'd in it would be put off with the Antiquity of the Mystery of Iniquity which if we believe some had almost in every thing overspred the Church of Christ straight after the decease of the Apostles Indeed it would be ineffectuall because beyond the possibility of our Opponents Examination who have exprest their Christian justice in vilifying and condemning the Ancients whom they are not at all acquainted with Yet it needs no great reading to know that those which we acknowledge to be the times of greatest Apostacy in the Church were the freest from secular Learning and had as much darkness in that respect as our Adversaries can hope to bring England to if the Universities were utterly abolish'd The Reformation of Religion and the reviving of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in plaine English the Gentile Learning were contemporary and happily promoted by the same Instruments And it were strange if the Reformation begun in knowledge could no otherwise be carried on then by returning to the Ignorance of darker and more degenerate ages What can an adversary to the reformation in reason think else but that they have convinced us of the insufficiency of our Cause and that now we are sensible Learning was onely an argument for us when our Opponents had not attained to enough to discover our fallacies impostures learned juglings What greater triumph can the Jesuites desire then to see us beat out of our confidence of Learning and put to a poore and irrational shift of private infallible Inspiration One inclining to Atheisme will be perfectly possessed that the defences of Christian Religion were only proud triumphs over the too unexercised disputers against it in Heathenisme or that the power of the Christian Emperours was the strongest argument for the truth of Christianity Experience having as he may justly surmise if all Christians were of these mens minds discovered to our selves the weakness of our Religion unable to withstand the clearer light of natural and refined reason We come now to our former Conclusions Conclusion I. A Ministery was not to cease with the primitive times and Apostolical administration and gifts Which will be proved if in particular we evidence the truth of the Church of England and the lawfulness of its Ministery which may be done thus 1. There is a visible Church of God in England or the Church of England is a true Church of Christ in an Apostolical sense By a Church I mean according to the notion of a Church in the Apostolical writings to which I refer any attentive reader for proof of the notion I meane I say by a Church a Collection or Society of men united in the Worship of God in his Son Jesus Christ whom they professe to believe to be sent by the Father for the remission of sinnes and according to whose precepts they engage themselves to lead their lives in hopes of everlasting life through the same Lord Jesus Though as yet they are no otherwise renewed then by this more generall belief of the Gospel and Salvation promised by Christ i. e. but potentially and in gradu remoto sanctified their lives being unanswerable to their profession and promise And this is the case of the English communion whose members having been baptized in their infancy and having at yeares of discretion acknowledged their assent to the then-dedication of them to God and acknowledging their Baptisme into repentance for remission of sins are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints by call called unto holiness and true members of the Church till duly and justly put out of communion This is in Apostolical phrase a Church of God and a Congregation of Believers in the Scripture expression And that is soberer language then carnal and worldly Church though there is a more invisible Church more spiritually and intimately united to Christ to which neither hypocrites nor unrighteous professours do belong the bounds of it being narrower and salvation attainable to none that are without it But the Church we speak of is such as those St Paul wrote to visible and externall the conditions of whose communion was in the Apostles time but a believing Christ to be the Messiah and submitting to Baptisme to the remission of sinnes and repentance from dead works This Church is not to be rested in neither are the members of it to be vilified and slighted as out of the Church as unbelievers or to be debarr'd communion who have the faith of Christ in them and whose hearts God hath purified by a belief wrought in them of the truth of the Gospel though their faith be dead as yet unprofitable and that which unless it be brought into act and work by Love will not save Yet there is that faith wrought in them by the Spirit of God in

of Scripture's perfection I must confesse I am as much out of hope of convincing him as free from any feare that he should multiply proselytes where any thing of sober-mindedness remaines I 'le speak in a word my thoughts as to the forementioned Doctrine of the fulness of Divine Writ with submission to the better judgements of our Reverend Doctors of the Church and to the candid examination of any judiciously ingenuous lover of truth I understand that we reject Traditions as false when they contradict written Revelation as dangerous when the probability of abuse and ill consequence overweighs the benefit received by retaining them but thirdly the rest only as uncertaine because we want much of that evidence which we have of the Scripture's authority Yet these last may be retained according to their probability of truth and usefulness to the Congregations of Believers I see no ground to conclude all under falshood and humane invention which is not found in the Scripture though I may rationally question the certainty of such Traditions any further then I can discover their rationalness or then the authority of their discoverer and proposer gives them a credibility Methinks I see these Querers acted I know not how to a more dangerous consequence then they themselves imagine What use is there of their ridiculous Quere's unless to weaken the truth of the Scripture's sufficiency a sober and undoubted Truth if well understood i. e. as I conceive as to matters of salvation and necessary entertainment though indeed it doth containe all Truths that are certainly of Divine originall I am afraid this will be the effect among common people that can seldome keep from one of the extremes if once they be as they cannot but be in time sensible of this wild way of disputing from Scripture and by fond and frivolous interrogatories many of which though applauded by men as madly conceited as the Enquirers yet to a sober indifferent mind evidence but the Authors follies and unmask that spirit of scurrility and immorality by which the Contrivers are frequently acted To this purpose we shall premise these Conclusions of some moment in this and other disputes 1. Matters of common prudence needed not to be revealed nor are they revealed in Scripture nor is therefore common humane prudence unlawfully used in things Ecclesiasticall I suppose it will be easily conceived that God never intended that the Church should be a collection of indiscretion and folly and hence it is that there are so few hints of those things which mere Reason may instruct us in Even in the Jewish dispensation where the outward forme was exactly prescribed some things were left to common prudence and the determination of the Consistory as indeed it must be when Laws are framed in the greatest perfection imaginable I know no other use of that which the Apostle calls Government 1 Cor. 12. i. an extraordinary gift as I apprehend of prudence for the ordering and managing the rule of the Church and for a particular application of that general direction given by St Paul that all things should be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. Decently and in or according to order must be understood according to that becoming ordinateness and decorum observed in the assemblies of civile and wel-bred men without the rudeness of immoral and tumultuary meetings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some I remember have expounded by according to institution i. e. the rule which I gave you But I think good method convenient as it were ranking is the more usual signification and best stands in conjunction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both order and decency being left to the judgement of the Church or its governours acting according to the rules of prudence Nor indeed could it be otherwise then left thus if we consider the severall states of the Church as under and neare to the Apostles times and as in succeeding ages The condition of the Church and Christianity is extreamely varied being then low persecuted discountenanced by the temporal power and in a state of poverty Then on the contrary guided by Apostolical infallibility and immediately furnisht from heaven with a large effusion of the Spirit in gifts and special endowments Now remember that the Acts of the Apostles is an History of the then Church and the Instructions given in the Apostolical Epistles referre to their then state are to be applied to us onely with consideration of circumstances or in the common reason and general duty contained in them When I heare some mens objections methinks it is sufficient answer to many arguments fetcht from primitive practice That the Apostolical Churche's purse and power would not carry them out as in building of Churches and the like We know they had not then the liberty of publike worship In other things the Apostles needed not such helps yet in times wherein they are needfull the Apostles practice is no prejudice to their use Where read we say some of the Apostles praying with all that would come to joine as the whole Congregation Neither say I do we read of a whole Nation professing Christianity which being now the universal profession of many countries alters the case of their and our times Upon this particular it is not unseasonable to wish that men would learne seriously to weigh the strength of their arguments and their extent more then in relation to their particular question and present concernment It would save them the trouble of being forced by others to answer their own arguments upon another question Which hath been very usual in this very principle which some have formerly upon other occasions made use of that all is will-worship which is instituted in the worship of God without particular warrant from Scripture and what the consequence hath been our times sufficiently evidence II. For further confirmation of what hath been said I observe that there are many things common to a society of Christians and Civil Societies Churches being humane Societies as to the matter of them i. partaking of this general nature of being a Collection of rational Creatures and then what ever is applicable to humane Society in general belongs to Churches as contained under that larger notion as for example the lawfull employment of honest wisdome and discretion for its preservation Provided onely that nothing be acted contrary to the principles and nature of Christianity If this caution be observed rational deductions from Civil Societies keeping the analogy of religion are improveable to the Church Much more what is deducible from the notion of a Christian Assembly III. Where the reason of the thing is common and unappropriate to the then-obtaining dispensation and when there is nothing implied to the contrary in the Gospel Doctrine or Institution there arguments drawn from the Jewish Church do hold good as to the Christian It is warranted by S. Paul's discourse about Gospel maintenance for the Ministery For the Church then was a Society joyning

their education which may by the assistance and supervenient grace of the Spirit be a foundation of reall closing with Christ and real Gospel-holiness In the meanetime God hath purified their hearts by this Faith which is in them though unconsidered unimproved and unactive in that sense as I think is agreeable with the context of Acts 15. 9. i. e. so that though they were impure as to legal purification uncleane and profane as to communion with the worshippers of the true God God hath now made them cleane as to Church-communion and being admitted into Brotherhood by the believing Jewes by bringing them to a belief that Jesus is the Christ 2. Further to warrant the communion of the Church of England observe that those that are united in the Faith of Christ ought to be united in Church-communion i. e. ought to assemble together for the publick Profession of their Faith in Christ and joint serving of God seeking him for each other and the cause of Christ in enlarging and protecting his Church and for mutual edification It is grounded upon that promise of our Saviour He that confesses me before men him will I confesse 'T is true there are other wayes of confessing Christ but the promise is to confession in the latitude and it is dangerous in any particular to be guilty of denying Christ Assembling together to the imploring of Divine grace and a thankfull remembrance of the Lord till he come is the duty of the members of Christian Churches the ends still remaining and being as necessary as in the Apostles times viz. to hold out the profession and faith of Christ to the World and to strengthen encourage and build up each other in our most precious faith and Christian love which is mightily confirmed by our union in the service of God and which is the ground of God's especial regard to united prayers which argue the unanimity and concord of his people The arguments against our assemblies that of mixt-congregations being answered in the precedent assertion are these two I. The perfection to which some men have attained so as to be past those beggarly rudiments externall and fleshly worships c. and now to live in immediate communion and a constant Sabbath If this glory and raisedness be reall in them more then fancy words I shall only say First humility and self-disesteeme is one maine piece of a Christian's perfection Secondly submission to Divine institution certainly would be no derogation from happiness yea that is the question And for proof of it we appeale to Apostolical practice those first times wherein this spirit was wholly unknown We desire not a warrant from Scripture to beare us out in our inconformity to this primitive practice though we might more reasonably then they require of us to shew by Scripture that the effusion of the Spirit in extraordinary gifts ceased with the first age of the Church The matter is quite other in man's duty and God's free dispensation Especially if we remember that a publick profession of our dependance upon God and communion in seeking and acknowledging of God are the dictates of natural light and indispensable Thirdly enquiry may be made whether they are incapable of growth and beyond all increase of grace if not whether the Scripture-way of edification be not most imitable Fourthly such glorious Saints in reality might assemble to the greater benefit of inferiour Christians and sure no perfection priviledges from serving God in building up the Church Fifthly to acknowledge God and Christ before men to blesse him for his mercies to glorify him in the Congregations of his Saints nay to celebrate the memoriall of his death in the Supper of our Lord are Duties agreeable with the most Saintlike eminency while conversant in the World The most glorious Saint or Angel if in a body and mixt with humane society would I believe thus be employed and count it no disparagement no superfluous or empty service Methinks the souls under the Altar and the Hallelujahs resounding from Heaven to the Apocalyptical Divine are good presumptions that there is some such thing in Heaven or that such service is not altogether indecorously attributed to the highest manifestation of God But I wish there be nothing of self-conceit impatience under God's wisely-and-justly-suspended communication of himself or formality converted to another extreme at the bottome of this high-towring confidence I desire in my self to be shrewdly suspicious of that Heaven which lessens my willingness to meet God and his Angels it is as probable an exposition of 1 Cor. 11. as any I have heard coassembled with believers upon earth An heart enlarged to communion with Saints to edification of our brethren to a constant praising of God and to an embracing of any opportunity of acknowledging thankfully before men and Angels the love of God in our Redemption an heart I say thus raised to be Praecentor in the Quire of the Saints blessing God the Father and our Lord Jesus is an heaven in almost every thing but in the spiritualness and Immortality of the Body II. The imperfection of our assemblies in comparison of the primitive times is to some an argument against our Worship of God Indeed it is a good argument to quicken our dulness to an imitation of their affectionate fervency Yet I appeal to the experience of devout souls whether God be wholly absent from our assemblies and the quickning presence of the Spirit absolutely withdrawn We retaine not empty and dead Ordinances and to call them but dead and ineffectuall shadowes is an expression injurious to the manifestations of God in many a faithful heart who can sensibly and with rejoycing beare witness to the appearance of God in our publick Service What wants of miraculous presence we may referre to the Divine Wisdome manifesting it self suteably to each Age of Christianity What wants of effectualness let us blame our negligence and approach more spiritually to service But what consequence is it We are already by much short of the primitive ardour and therefore must still more recede from their so glorious example While we believe the Gospel grace worth our thanks while we need his assistance and protection we must not deny God the service that is due unto him even by right of Creation but do it to our best ability Expect what glorious times you see ground for in Scripture I shall not quarrel though the largeness of your hopes may exceed any promise I can see in Divine Writ yet remember to presse toward it in eminency of piety and due attendance upon the Worship of God which I am sure can be no greater prejudice to the drawing nigh of any glory in the Church then Simeon's waiting in the temple was to his seeing of Christ 3. There must be set over the Church men that may watch to the Flock Pastors Teachers men able to instruct direct and order the Church of Christ and more especially in their religious

him with Kingly abilities Yet is this a warrant to chuse Governours of the meanest condition and knowledge because God is able to give them the spirit of Wisdome and Government That miraculous gifts are ceased for ought I can heare is yet very palpable Amongst us that are Christians two reasons may be given First unbelief is ceased The Faith of the Gospel is become a presupposition to our preaching people being instructed in it from their youth and the primitive miracles are generally embraced for true Secondly there is plentifull provision in the ordinary providence of God and then I know no ground for any faith to expect a miraculous supply Suppose any of our Adversaries preach to Welchmen being themselves English Do not they learne the language Yet there was the gift of Tongues Whether this were a permanent gift or no I enquire not If not the Apostles sure used humane industry when they preached to people of another language Healing was a gift yet I hope a Christian may study Physick Then for Heathens Miracles being requisite for a testimony to them consider that there is rationall morall evidence for the Gospel-truth and Christianity comes not with that disadvantage being a religion of a great part of the World Miracles beside being then necessary the more for the inconsiderablenesse of the Revealers in their persons and the paucity of the Professours a few contemptible men in outward appearance contradicting all the rest of the World I shall only adde 1. That a great part of the Apostles knowledge was by attendance upon Christ and converse with him and from his expounding the Scriptures after his resurrection i. e. in a way of humane diligence and industry 2. Where ever God found gifts he made use of them as in S. Paul without any superfluous repeating the same by extraordinary endowments which further proves that the primitive gifts were many of them for a supply to the Apostles illiterate education who though called in Ignorance were sent out with the reality and eminency of Learned Accomplishments 6. What Learning S. Paul speaks against is condemned by Learning it self Philosophy or the then-Philosophy opposed Reason as well as the Gospel The place of Col. 2. answers it self Philosophy according to the traditions of men and the principles of the World the Philosophy of the Sects Philosophicall quirks subtilties and ungrounded dreams and fancies concerning Angels and the like is nothing to genuine Philosophy proceeding upon true principles of nature i. e. God's discovery of himself to our understandings by the light of Reason and works of Creation The Sophisticall captious and wrangling deceit this that is called Philosophy but indeed was vain deceit is as much declaimed against by the sober Philosophers of the same Age. Nay what better morall provision in pursuance of the Apostles caution not to be deceived by vain Philosophicall deceit then for Ministers to be well able to discover to people the cunning Sophistry and delusion of men that thus delight to lead captive the multitude Then for the glarous painted and ranting Rhetorick of those times if used in the matters of God it offends against the main principle of Rhetorick to keep a decorum and speak suteably to the matter Lofty towrings of fancy fawning words and vainly-garnish'd expressions neither fitting the capacity of a popular audience nor becoming the Majesty of a God and the nobility of Divine revelation Yet true raisedness of expression a majesticall state and artificiall and genuine insinuations with most patheticall captivatings of the minde are obvious in Scripture as obvious as fantasticall cloud-reachings are affectedly frequent in our new Formalists Enthusiasm who are truly those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2 Pet. 2. 18. 7. All Learning is advantageous a great deal necessary to an able publisher of the Truth and Governour of the Church Tongues and the gift of Interpretation and Utterance with skill to collect from Scripture easily speak their necessity Observe here there are some things common to a Minister and secular employments and to this no wonder if secular and humane abilities be necessary Thus to be able to speak aptly intelligibly consequently and suteably to the disposition and capacity of his hearers is the Apostolicall way of preaching and yet it is the method of secular Oratory Dependance of Truth upon Truth Conclusions upon Principles is discoverable in Scripture revelation and is of the same nature that is in other Sciences proceeding in the way of naturall light acting upon and in revealed Truth Scripture is writing and Scripture-interpretation proceeds by the generall rules of interpretation of Authours with whom it partakes likewise in Language and helps to understand the sense For my part I know no one piece of true and reall whether solid or delightfull Learning that hath not considerable advantage in it to the rendering a Minister more able to understand explain and confirm the truth of Christian Religion To be able to search into the true and naturall sense of Apostolicall writings to discern the excellency consonancy and true authenticknesse of Scripture to examine and draw consequences from it to see the agreement of reason and revelation to view the appearances of God amongst the Heathen their self-condemnednesse attestations to part of truth and defectivenesse to take notice of God in the Creation and distinguish miracles from impostures to observe God's Providence in the World and Church to see the severall breakings forth of light and overcastings of darknesse in the Church to make out the Truth by full evidence to explain and order the several Truths of revelation and have a distinct and more then popular notion of them so as to be able to answer Atheisticall and unbelieving cavills to converse with Christians in all Ages and make use of their experiences and discoveries to know God our selves and men in order to a convenient application of our selves unto them for their good these are some of the ends of Learning that thus and otherwise enlarges quickens and imbetters the naturall faculties of the Soul And if all this contains any thing of usefulnesse to a Minister of the Gospel we may safely adde that Conclusion IV. The Universities or places that offer opportunity advantages and encouragement to humane Learning and that conjoined with and subservient to Divinity are so farr from being Antichristian that they are of apparent necessity to the Church of Christ And truly weigh but the concernment of Christian Religion to the peace and happinesse of a Nation there can be to say no more no greater prudence in a Magistrate much more if professing eminency in Christian Religion then to lay it self out in all just and lawfull means for the conserving and propagating of it encouraging and helping forward those who devote their time and studies to be thus serviceable to their Countrey I shall answer but two objections 1. The Idlenesse and Luxury of the University 2. The diversity of Opinions and Errours To the First It is no great wonder if in these times of Liberty when the authority and discipline of the University hath been weakned by some such spirits amongst us as our Adversaries when Learning seems to most to be in so despairing a condition not much wonder if there be some miscarriages in so great confluence of Youth which is very seldome considerate and hath hot bloud to suppresse But I call all that know Cambridge and I question not but others can testifie as much for Oxford all that judge by nothing of faction and prejudice that there is no collection of men this day in England that can shew more eminent examples of true Worth reall sober Piety and Religion then are in our University Nor are the enormities so many or so unsuppress'd by discipline as discontent and malice would bear the World in belief To the Second I wondered to hear such an argument You Scholars cannot agree in the truth Ergo what need Universities It is a strange accusation that we are a Society of Men. We confesse we seek after truth and if we erre it is because we are fallible Nay that we differ is an argument that we set our selves to seek the truth and not lazily conspire in that which for ought we can tell certainly may be absolute falsehood which is all I doubt a perfect unity of opinion will amount to till it be the fruit of an universall infallibility of spirit Rather the ingenuity of an indifferent and free enquiry into Truth is true Noblenesse I am sure it is the likeliest way to discover Truth to have contrary opinions debated here where there are men able to see how farre each agree with other and how much they differ and to examine each other's grounds Learning too having civiliz'd their spirits to calme and moderate debates without any thing of that passionate heart-burning and inveteratenesse which accompanies dispute among common people I am sure the enemies of Learning are at a farre greater distance bateing their joint-persecuting of the Ministery and Scholars We can pitty them but not fear them whilest next to the Providence of God with thankfull acknowledgement of our protection we dare commit our selves fully to the dispose of our wise and worthy Governours appealing in the mean time for the usefulnesse of our Universities in the present constitution to all whom Avarice Envy or Fanatick Frenzy have not perfectly blinded FINIS