Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	bishop_n	call_v	presbyter_n	3,421	5	11.0026	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34970	Fanaticism fanatically imputed to the Catholick church by Doctour Stillingfleet and the imputation refuted and retorted / by S.C. a Catholick ...	Cressy, Serenus, 1605-1674.; Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1672 (1672)	Wing C6898; ESTC R1090	75,544	216

Devotions in their Natiue Tongues which are for the most part taken out of the Publick Liturgy and moreouer has commanded all Pastours to interpret to the people in the administring of Sacraments especially the most Holy Eucharist whatsoever they are capable of vnderstanding by which means there is scarce a Rustick so ignorant but well vnderstands what the Priest does through the whole course of the Masse 149. Matters standing thus the Church esteems it more prudent and more conducing also to edification in generall that all Catholick Churches should serve God vniformly in a language which cannot be corrupted especially such provisions being made for the peoples good then to haue the Service of God exposed to Corruptions and continuall Changes But if the Doctour think himself wiser then the whole Western and most Eastern Churches much ioy may he take in his great humility 150. But after all how can the people say Amen will the Doctour say from S. Paul I answer S. Paul in that place Speaks not of the Common Divine Service which was celebrated then in a language well vnderstood and at Corinth doubtles in the Greek tongue but of these Spirituall Hymns and Praises of God extraordinary that were delivered by some in a tongue vnknown And all that can be deduced from it and applied to the Publick Divine servcie is this that either this be performed in a known Tongue or when the Church hath reasonable Motives which she not we must judge of not to change the formerly vsed language of it so much as is necessary for the common people to vnderstand and say Amen to be interpreted as the Apostle saith there ouer and over again Now such Prayers Collects Psalms Hymns Litanies c. as are thought necessary for the common people are interpreted by the Churches order and they have them ready in their Primers Manuels c. Euen all the parts also of the Service of the Masse necessary to be known by them 151. Jt is certain that it is not out of a desire that the people should be ignorāt that the Church thinks not meet to change the language of her Liturgy And I would to God that were the only hindrance of reuniting England to her once beloued Mother for then the breach would not last long §. 12. Of the Churches denying the Reading of the Bible indifferently to all 152. BUt the last and greatest Hindrance of piety and which is wonderfull of Vnity likewise in the Doctours opinion is the Roman Church her denying the reading of Scripture to all persons promiscuously without exception This fault the Doctour will neuer forgiue Her And the truth is if euer there should be a restraint of such liberty in England all the Principles of his Religion would vtterly goe to wrack For how then should euery Sober Enquirer into Scripture frame a Religion to himself How much would the number of Sects be diminished which is great pitty Then Pastours and Teachers would perswade the people that it is their duty to believe and obey them and not to be their own Directours which is intolerable Therefore in so great a concern the Doctours zeale in this Point aboue others may well be forgiuen him 153. How much would the Doctour be beholden to that freindly man who could furnish him with but one line out of any Ancient Ecclesiasticall Writer Father or Councill to iustify the Fundamentall Principle of his and as he pretends of all Protestants Religion viz. That euery sober enquirer may be a Iudge infallible of the sense of Scripture in all Points necessary to Saluation But I can assure him such a freind is not to be found Nay I believe he would thank that man who could shew any Ancient Heretick an Authour of that enormous Doctrin for as he cannot but know that he embraces seuerall Points condemned by the Ancient Church in Hereticks he would no doubt with ioy adopt this Point so beneficiall and necessary to the fabrick of his Protestant Churches 154. To descend to our Modern times Though Luther Calvin Zuinglius c. those disturbers of the world to gain the affections of the Common rabble were very earnest to put the Bible into their hands yet does the Doctour think that they would patiently haue suffred any of their followers to chuse any other Religion out of it but what they as Prophets sent from God had taught them Nay would the Doctour take it well of his own Parishioners if they should doe so Yet he is angry with Catholicks because we rather trust the Churches iudgment then our own a strange quarrell certainly But it is a folly to think that any of the Common sort of people seek into the Bible to find their Religion there not one in ten thousand among us but for his whole Faith relyes vpon the credit and supposed honesty of some zealous Lecturer or reputed learned Doctour Now J would fain know of Doctour Stillingfleet with what conscience he can suffer a whole Congregation of well meaning men who can rely vpon nothing but authority to prefer his authority before that of the whole Church For nothing can be more contrary to the Rules of Common reason in them and for their sinning against Reason he must be answerable to God How does one of the Doctours Parishioners find his whole Religion in Scripture Thus The Doctour will bid him read the last verse of the 6. chap. to the Romans or he will read the words to him The Gift of God is eternall life Here says he the Papists are plainly confuted who say that God rewards our good works with Heaven He will tell him again that the Papists hold that our Lords body is in the Sacrament How shall they be confuted Christ indeed says This is my Body What then this must be vnderstood as if he had sayd This is the figure of my Body Then plain Scripture interpreted by the Doctour is against them Again Look out the first Chapter to Titus you will find that those who are called Elders or Presbiters in the fifth verse are called Bishops in the Seaventh Here our Antichristian Prelats are plainly confuted who exalt themselues aboue Elders c. 155. But one Point there is of main importance to these who will find all things in Scripture which is A Proof that these Books which they are taught to call Scripture are the same which were Anciently written by men inspired by God That they have not been corrupted and that they are rightly interpreted None of all these things they can find in Scripture what remedy therfore for this None in the world but the Doctours own authority He will tell them perhaps that the Vniversall Tradition of all Ages which is of it self credible testifies this and therefore they ought to belieue it But if they should reply and tell the Doctour that for all necessary Points of belief they were according to his Principles to be Iudges for themselues but of that which they call

or Writing has declared the contrary to either of these or engaged his soule in the Covenant so great so horrible a Scandall as that certainly ought not only to be repented of but a publick revocation of it to be made And moreover my Lords the Bishops his Superiours deale but too mercifully in not requiring also a Recantation from him of what he has written destructive to the Ecclesiasticall Government of that Church in whose revenues they have now given him so great a share But I despair of being able to extort from the Doctour a free expression of his mind touching these two Points which involue a secret never to be discovered At least then he may with Civilitie be entreated to satisfy the world touching the sense of the two Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance which he has taken already as appears by the Preferments he enioys unles perhaps for the tendernes of his conscience he has been dispensed with taking them I doubt not but that in the Oath of Alleagiance he cheer-fully renounced all Authority in the Pope or any forrain Potentate to absolue Subiects from their Allegiance but will he doe the same with regard to any domestick Power Assembly or State at home This were worth the knowing 82. And next touching the Oath of Supremacy the Doctour during the late execrable Vsurpers time publishing in his Irenicum the Iudgement touching Church Government of the prime Patriarch of the English Reformation stiled by him that most worthy Prelat and glorious Martyr Archbishop Cranmer a Martyr indeed if an impenitent Traytor may be called a Martyr and his judgment declared in an answer to a Petition of the Clergy in the Convocation was in brief That Princes and Governours may make Bishops and Priests as well as Bishops may And that a Bishop or a Priest made by them needeth no Consecration by the Scripture Moreover the Doctour signifies that he had in his possession an Authentick Copy of the same Cranmers Answer in resolution of certain doubts propounded by the same Clergy touching Doctrinall Points as about the Masses institution nature receiving c. But this Secret the Doctour envyed his Readers Notwithstanding we may collect the sense of Cranmers Answer from the Subscription to both the Resolutions the Form whereof is this T. Cantuariens This is mine Opinion and Sentence at this present which I do not temerariously define but do remit the judgment thereof wholly to your Majesty So that it seems a finall judgment both touching Government and Doctrin is by the Prime Bishop referred to a Child of about nine years old a great glory surely to the English Clergy for the knowledge of which they are beholding to the Doctour as the Doctour was to Cranmer for confirming the substance of his Book touching Church Government very advantageous to my Lords the Bishops 83. Now this being premised and notice being taken that this Book attributing all this power to the Supreme Civill Governour was printed in Cromwells time he cannot surely refuse to declare whether he intended in taking lately the Oath of Supremacy to acknowledg as much in the King whose Title by Law is Supreme Head and Governour of the Church of England and whether by the Church of England is to be understood only the Prelaticall Church so as that all the Doctours other Protestant Churches are to be supposed exempt from his Iurisdiction For if they be not it is expected that the Doctour should declare that the King as Head of the Church may ordain Bishops and Priests for his own Church and Presbyters for the Presbyterians Ministers for the Independents Holders-forth for Anabaptists Declarers for Quakers and Tub-preachers for that sort of Fanaticks But this is not all For the Doctour if holding to his Book seems obliged to assert a power in the King to appoint also Articles of Belief a hundred ways varying and contradicting one another to fitt the fancies of each respective Congregation But how would the Doctour advise him about Fifth Monarchists Thus much at present upon this Subiect by occasion of the Doctours requiring an account from Catholicks touching their Fidelity which account none were less fitt to require then the Doctour Causa patet 84. But after all did it become a Doctour of such reputation though having a design to doe all the mischeif he could to Catholicks who never provoked him to call into his ayd two such Authours as the Answerer to the Apology for Catholicks and the Answerer to Philanax For touching the former he cannot but know that his barbarous Answer has mett wich a Reply already from an Honourable pen. And for the other where was the Doctours modesty when he stiled himr a worthy Authour for belying most horribly a party among Catholicks as if they had had an influence and had joyned with the Doctours friends in the most barbarous effects of Fanaticism here in the murther of a most excellent Prince Does he not know how oft and particularly how upon the complaint of the late Queen-Mother of most precious memory he has been summoned to make good that his forged calumny but all in vain Js that wretched Serpent to be stiled a worthy-Authour who if he had not been warmed and thawed by English preferments had never been able to hiss in his own countrey and much less to disgorge his poyson to the disturbance of our Island Js any credit to be given to him who would haue that to be believed in England which all France knows to be false viz. That his Father was a loyall subiect to his King that is that he was an Apostar from Huguenotterie where Confession of Faith obliges them to be Traytours and Rebels whensoever the Honour of God that is the Defence of their execrable Religion is concerned 85. If the Doctour had had the patience to delay a while the publishing his Book he might both haue cowntenanced and strengthned his cause very considerably by imploring the succours of another of the same French Huguenot brood of the loyall family of the Du Moulins One by Profession of late God Help us à Physician but heretofore as is said for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presented to Cromwell in which he celebrated his victories created by him a publick Reader of History in the Vniversity then he became a Controvertist and Teacher of Diuinity the Diuinity doubtles then in fashion and pernicious to lawfull Soverains Jt seems the poor Snake not th●iving by his Drugs for he finds very few of the English Holy Tribes weary of living long betakes himself to his former Trade of railing at Papists a Trade at all times but now especially which brings in as certain a Revenue as if he had sett up an Alehouse This doughty Controvertist to putt the world in mind of his first Trade of Surgery has giuen Catholick Religion as he alone thinks a deadly wound in cutting the very Iugulum causae Jf his Book had come abroad time enough the Doctour could