Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	faith_n	revelation_n	3,045	5	9.5466	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29099	The description and the benefits of a regular education a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at the anniversary meeting of the gentlemen educated at St. Paul's School, January 25th 1699/1700 / by Samuel Bradford.	Bradford, Samuel, 1652-1731.	1700 (1700)	Wing B4109; ESTC R25288	12,549	25

it were led by the hand into the right way and custome and exercise have render'd their duty easy and pleasant to them so that they have nothing farther to do but to persevere in a strait course turning neither to the right hand nor to the left 'T is difficult and discouraging to begin to learn the Art of living when we are grown into Years and to be forc'd to break off evil Customs and Habits which we have been long contracting though this is absolutely necessary if we have been so unhappy as not to begin sooner but nothing can be more easy nothing more delightful than to follow the Instructions which have been early given us and frequently inculcated upon us which we our selves have been made to understand and approve and to persevere in those Habits which we have been accustom'd to from our tender Years Whereas on the other Hand we cannot forsake the Instructions of our Youth nor depart from the good Ways in which we have been us'd to walk without contradicting our own Judgments offering violence to our Consciences disturbing the Peace of our Souls and filling them with constant Regret and Horror nor finally without exposing our selves to the highest displeasure of Almighty God and the severest Punishment from his Hands Heb. 6.7 8 9. For as the Apostle to the Hebrews elegantly makes the Resemblance The Earth which drinketh in the Rain which cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned But beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though we thus speak Give me leave to conclude all with applying very briefly the Exhortation in the Text to our selves under the Three following Denominations I. To those amongst us who are devoted to any Spiritual Office or Employment in the Church of Christ As the Exhortation was here given to Timothy Bishop of the Church of Ephesus so it concerns all the Bishops and Pastors of the Church in every Age to continue in the things which they have learn'd and been assur'd of The Special Occasion of this Admonition as I observ'd before was the starting up of some false and dangerous Teachers who endeavour'd to corrupt both the Faith and Manners of Christians The Apostle compares them to Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses V. 8. in like manner these also resisted the Truth who were as he adds Evil Men and Seducers V. 13. deceiving and being deceived And I am afraid there is too much Occasion upon the same Account for the like Admonition in our Days also There are arisen up amongst us Men of corrupt Minds and Reprobate concerning the Faith Men that have presum'd boldly and wantonly to dispute against the antiently receiv'd and establish'd Doctrines of Christianity making their shallow Conceptions the Measure of divine Revelation and haughtily disdaining to believe what they cannot fully comprehend nay there are some who have not only corrupted but denyed the Faith to whom the holy Scriptures cease to be sacred and the inspired Penmen are become of no authority who make it their business to cavil at what they do not understand and to expose to contempt what they have never consider'd and what during the affected levity of their tempers they are uncapable of considering who having first deviated from the Practice of Christianity accounting its Rules of Life and manners too strict are forc'd afterwards for the ease of their minds to throw off it's very Principles too in a word who not only like those of whom St. Paul complains in this Chapter V. 5. have denyed the Power but also lay'd aside the very form of Godliness who have in effect renounc'd their Baptism and broke loose from all the Obligations of their Education We ought therefore not only to be stedfast our selves but to make it our care also to establish as much as in us lies the Flock committed to our Charge We have learn'd and upon good grounds been assur'd of the things which we profess we know of whom we have learn'd them namely of the Inspir'd Penmen of the holy Scriptures those sacred Books which we have taken as the Rule of our Faith and Practice and Doctrine and from which thorowly consider'd we have wherewith to stop the Mouths of all gainsayers II. I may apply the same Admonition to all of us as Christians It is our duty as such firmly to adhere to the Form of Sound Words deliver'd to us at our Baptism and to be true and faithful to the solemn Vow and Promise then made in our Names which those of us who are come to years of Discretion have as it may be presum'd taken upon our selves We know of whom we have learn'd these things namely of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles by the help of those sacred Books which lie open before us for our constant instruction and direction and in the due use of which we may arrive to a well grounded assurance upon the same Principles and Reasons upon which Timothy was assur'd of what he had learn'd 'T is to be hoped we have all of us been carefully instructed in them from our Childhood and it becomes us to make them our daily Study that by a thorough acquaintance with them we may be fortifyed against all the attempts of such as would either shock our Belief or vitiate our Practice III. Let me in the last place apply this Admonition to those of us who have had our Education at St. Paul's School A School that makes good the Inscription upon it's Walls viz. Schola catechizationis puerorum in fide Christi Opt. max. bonis literis which as it was designed by it's Pious and learned Founder heretofore a Dean of this Cathedral Church to these excellent purposes so by the faithful and diligent management of it's worthy Overseers the Worshipful Company of Mercers it has been constantly blest with a succession of excellent Masters Persons eminently skill'd in their Profession and thorowly qualifyed to instruct those committed to their charge So that we may upon this account also say that we know of whom we have learn'd There we were early taught the Principles of True Religion and the Rudiments of good Learning There we daily read the Holy Scriptures and were frequently Catechis'd according to that form of sound Words which our Church hath appointed for that use There also we were daily Exercis'd in offering up our joynt Devotions to Almighty God rendering thanks to him for his Blessings and asking of him such good things as were suitable to our occasions and circumstances There our Youth was form'd to Piety and Virtue to real not only formal good manners and there moreover diverse of us lay'd the sure Foundation of our future Studies We are met together at this time to make a publick and grateful acknowledgment of these great Blessings to God and the World Let us therefore in the words of our Apostle continue in the things which we have learn'd So shall we truly answer the end of our Founder our Patrons Benefactors and Masters so shall we do honor to the Place of our Education finally so shall we best express and testifie our real Gratitude to Almighty God and comply with the main design of our present assembling which is by making this our publick acknowledgment to put our selves in mind of the Obligations we are under Now to that good God who gave us our Beings who form'd us in the Womb who preserv'd and Instructed us in our childhood and in our Youth and who hath taken care of us to this day to God even our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ with the Eternal Spirit be ascribed all Praise and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS

against the Christian Doctrine In such a case neither Moses nor the Prophets not one risen from the Dead not Jesus himself after his Resurrection and Ascension appearing and speaking from Heaven nor any other Demonstration would prevail so necessary Qualifications are probity in the first place and then seriousness and diligence in our enquiries after Divine Truth And in all other cases a just application and reflection are equally necessary in a Learner This therefore should be an Admonition to Learners that they be not satisfied with being plac'd under able Teachers nor glory in the regularity of their Education till they are conscious of having perform'd their own part in receiving and thorowly digesting what has been taught them 'T is your great Privilege and Felicity to have fallen into the Hands of those who are able and willing to instruct and improve you but it will turn highly to your reproach and infamy it will aggravate greatly your sin and misery if you do not thankfully improve so great a Blessing by the addition of your own Care and Industry Before I leave this Head I shall only take notice of that dangerous Caution of the Church of Rome whereby it's Members are restrain'd from examining the Principles of their Religion and are oblig'd to believe as their Church believes without nicely enquiring into particulars nay are moreover forbid to read and consequently to know the Holy Scriptures not only whilst Children but even when arriv'd at years of Understanding and Discretion Nothing certainly but consciousness of guilt could ever have induc'd that Church to take this scandalous course whereby however it may prevail with its Members to believe it can never render them assur'd of those things which they have learn'd Men may be confident as those that are most ignorant are most apt to be without Examination but rationally assur'd they can never be How contrary is this to the Pattern of our Text Both the Grandmother and Mother of Timothy were it seems conversant with the Holy Scriptures and took care that he whilst a Child should be so too and afterwards as he grew up he did not only learn but was assur'd which he never could have been upon solid grounds unless he had first known the Holy Scriptures and afterwards consider'd and examin'd what St. Paul taught him 'T is true there is a very considerable difference between the Capacities of Men. Some are of weak and narrow Minds and have but little leisure from the necessary business of humane life and in that case supposing them truly honest there can be no question but that God by his good Providence will take care that they be competently instructed and will make fair allowances for their unavoidable Ignorance and Mistakes But after all the great and necessary Truths of Religion are so intelligible and so plainly express'd in the Holy Scriptures and a great part of those sacred Writings are so evidently calculated for the use of all sorts and conditions of Men that those who are blest with the means which we enjoy may by a tolerable diligence and application such as they use in all other cases of concernment not only learn but attain to a reasonable assurance of what they have learn'd But I hasten to the last particular I observ'd in the Words viz. Thirdly The great Obligation such Persons are under who have been well instructed and assur'd of those things which they have learn'd to continue in them This St. Paul urges upon Timothy Continue thou in the things which thou hast learn'd c And certainly the Obligation is as great as is possible both in gratitude to Almighty God and to those who have been his Instruments for our good and in kindness and justice to our selves I. Such Persons are oblig'd in gratitude to Almighty God who hath confer'd so singular a Blessing upon them Next to our being made after the image of God and our being restor'd to a capacity of recovering the Divine Image and favour by Jesus Christ is the Blessing of a good Education the having had wise and good Parents for the Instruments of our coming into the World and the being committed by them to the care of others like themselves There is according to all just Estimation no comparison between the Advantages of a meer descent from noble or wealthy Progenitors and those of an honest Parentage accompanied with a virtuous and liberal Education These may and often do raise Men to as real a Superiority above such as can only boast of the former as they are rais'd to an Imaginary one above the rest of Mankind These are the proper and likely means of informing the Judgment aright of rectifying the Temper of the Soul of repairing the Image of God upon the Mind of bringing Men to a due knowledge of themselves and their main end and disposing them to act with a just regard thereunto of rendering them useful and truly easy in this Life and preparing and qualifying them for a better And surely they are greatly indebted to God who are favour'd with such Advantages especially considering that they are the Effects of his meer bounty not our own choice For 't is he alone who can appoint what Parents we shall be born of 't is by his Providence that our Masters and Governors those who have the charge of our younger Years are assign'd to us The Improvement of these advantages is under the conduct of his Grace our part but the bestowing them is wholly his II. There is a farther Obligation upon such Persons in gratitude to those who have been God's Instruments for their good Parents and Masters deserve a thankful acknowledgment and ingenuous requital from those who have been the Subjects of their tenderness and care which is such as we cannot be thorowly sensible of till we our selves become Parents and Masters to others Then if we discharge our duty faithfully we best know because we feel the weight and trouble of such a Trust It should therefore be one of the greatest Pleasures of our Souls and it will be so if they are rightly dispos'd to make grateful returns to so great Benefactors and the very best which they desire or we can make is to continue in the things we have learn'd of them 'T is true if we are not first duly thankful to Almighty God our first and chief Benefactor upon this account 't is not likely we should be so to his Instruments but both these considerations put together may serve to increase the sense of our obligation to both And if neither of these will work upon our Ingenuity there is yet another which may move us from the principle of self Love for III. Such Persons are farther oblig'd in kindness and justice to themselves Providence hath done for them all that is possible in an ordinary way in order to their present and their everlasting Well-being The Paths of Wisdom Virtue and Happiness are plainly mark'd out to them they are as