Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	church_n	faith_n	rule_n	23,354	5	7.5970	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77847	The reformation of the church to be endeavoured more then that of the common-vvealth, declared, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords at the publike fast, August 27. 1645. / By Anthony Burges, pastour of Sutton Coldfield, and now preacher at Laurence-Jury, London.	Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1645 (1645)	Wing B5654; Thomason E298_13; ESTC R200236	17,974	31

it cannot doe so in matters of faith because they are supernaturally revealed These things duly considered may make men pray and again pray that God would not leave them to their own understandings Lastly There is no solid excuse or plea can be made for it Not that it is a mans ignorance and therefore we are to do with them as blinde men whom we pity and not beat for by this means the Jews who opposed Christ should have been excused and those who thought they did God good service in killing of the Prophets insomuch that a man may be under much guilt by errour and yet be perswaded he is in the right way neither doth this excuse him that he cannot help it or remove his errour no more then he can remove a mountain into the sea for then this would excuse those also who are captivated to any sinfull way and certainly the commands of God are as much to understand the truth and to believe what God hath revealed as to embrace in our will and affections what is good neither doth this excuse them that they have good intentions and ends for the Socinians professe they dare not hold Christ to be the true God equall with the Father out of reverence and respect to the Father lest they should dishonour him Nor lastly that every man is fallible and therefore no man may judge another to erre for if because all may erre it would follow that they do erre then all truths in Religion would be quite overthrown The last Objection is wherein should England be reformed Hath not the Church thereof been famous for her orthodoxy what can be done more to her I answer to settle wholsome orders and spirituall discipline against sin It 's not enough for a Church to be orthodox but she ought to be holy also and the Scripture is not only a rule for faith but for our life also now take those places of Scripture 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thess 3.6 what little influence had they upon our Kingdom O but this will bring men into bondage and slavery no more then to have Physicians in the Common-wealth then to have Pilates in a ship these orders of Christ are meerly medicinall utiliter vincitur cui licentia iniquitatis eripitur Again these orders of Christ are not terrible for he hath commanded them to be administred with all love tendernesse and compassion Luther said while he was still leavened with Popish principles of contrition and their penance there was no more bitter word in all the Scripture then resipisce repent but when he understood the Gospel then it was precious and welcome Thus it may be with the orders of Christ while they are lookt upon as made odious by the calumnies of men they are ready to reject them but if once understood according to the institution use and end of them then with Moses you may take this Serpent that you were afraid of and it will become a rod. Further consider that it 's no bondage to take Christs yoke but to be under the command of sin that is a slavery To be servum tot Dominorum quot vitiorum this is indeed a great vassalage Again For want of spirituall order and government in a Church many sins goe unreformed which yet do much dishonour God for commonly States in making of laws consider a sin as it is destructive to the Common-wealth and as injurious to others and doe not for the most part attend to a sin as it is offensive to God now what a sad thing is it to consider that the sea is not fuller of water or the air of flies then towns and cities are full of wretched oaths and blasphemous curfings which certainly do much provoke God against us whereas spirituall order would be a speciall means to remove these And lastly lay to heart seriously how far Popery hath prevailed with Kingdoms and States to debase and wrong themselves indeed in their outward liberties to set up that and shall not Christ prevail to have his doctrine and orders setled which will indeed be no detriment but a preservation of all honour and dignity And thus have I answered the three main Objections I come to the second Doctrine which is That the work of Reformation requireth the concurrence and conflux of many noble and excellent graces It 's like the choice compound of ointment which Aaron was to make As First A clear understanding of Gods will out of his Word Thus the King he was to write Gods Word and to be acquainted familiarly with it that so he might be the more able to reform all abuses that may creep into the worship of God it 's a great fault when men in place and power think that matters of Religion doe not at all belong to them whereas they cannot discharge their duties if they know not by the Word what to doe 2. Zeal for Gods glory and his pure worship Such as was in David and Hezekiah and most remarkably in Christ himself It 's an excellent thing when Magistrates lay to heart Gods dishonour more then their own and are more sollicitous that the laws of Christ may be best then their own laws It was an ingenuous way of reproving which one orthodox Bishop used to an Arian Emperour who being called into the Emperours presence where his son also was the Bishop made his low obeysance to the Emperour but took no notice at all of the Emperours son at which there was great offence taken but the Bishop replied that if he would not honour the Son of God why should he regard his son So why should we look upon it as an hainous thing when men will not keep our Laws if we doe not Gods 3. Publike affections and love to the soul of others Unlesse a man beclothed with a publike spirit he cannot labour for a Reformation Nehemiah though it was well with him yet how deeply and sadly is he affected because the Temple lieth desolate and thus Christ himself at that very time when he was received with the greatest acclamations he doth not minde them but weeps for Jerusalem Then hath God dealt graciously with your hearts when neither riches honours or any personall dignity can do you any good till Jerusalem be setled a praise in the earth as it was with David 4. Sincerity and pure aims For though Governours may be carried far in a Reformation yet if pure love to God and his Ordinances be not the Star which leadeth them the issue will be very uncomfortable you have a sad instance in Iehu who though he did all according to Gods heart as the Scripture saith yet Hos 1. God threatens to be avenged on him Take heed therefore of corrupt politicall designs in promoting Gods work Nazianzen complained of some that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This hath made God many times let his own Ark fall into the hands of the Philistims not but that his cause was dear to him only those who managed it had selfish and particular interests 5. Humility under all the honours God puts upon them This was wonderfull in Gideon and David whereas men who are lifted up by any successe that God bestoweth on them are like a blazing star that make a great lustre at first but at last end in slime Iohn the Baptist that wrought a great Reformation and the eyes of the world was upon him yet he rejoyceth because he must decrease and Christ increase 6. Exemplary holines of life This obligation cometh upon all Reformers by that generall rule He which reproveth others ought himself to be free from those sins The examples of Reformers they are to others as the particoloured sticks to Jacobs sheep and indeed how uncomely is it when Governours make laws against impiety prophanation of the Sabbath contempt of holinesse and such sins be found in their lives or in their families Now this is a great part of Reformation when the lives and families of men are changed as well as when Reformation is in the publike worship and Ordinances 7. Fortitude and courage accompanied with faith For all Reformations meet with much opposition and contempt When Hezekiah sent messengers up and down for the pure keeping of the Passeover they were mocked and scorned Now to goe thorow all the accusations and calumnies of men yea and many exercises from God himself this requireth as humility and patience to be under them so faith and courage to be above them 8. Prudence and singular wisdom This fact of Gideon going with some few men in the night is questioned by some as a weaknesse in him whereas indeed it was his great prudence Any that hath read ecclesiasticall Histories may observe that the imprudence of men hath much hindred the propagation of truth only there must be care that prudence doe not degenerate into carnall and meer State-wisdom God hath made such wisdom in the end great folly especially when it is accompanied with the corruption of his worship The Use is for Exhortation to be filled with all these excellent qualifications God hath put an opportunity into our hands and we have all covenanted according to our places and callings to set upon this work Let us therfore be humbled and ashamed this day that we have with no more zeal promoted it How have Governours and others who have not had such advantages such interests in the Kingdom done much for Christ and his Ordinances and do these things speedily lest hereaster you may in the anguish and grief of your spirits call for the time and opportunities again but cannot obtain them let not the generation to come say our Governours indeed delivered a Common wealth from thraldome but beset the faithfull Ministers and the godly people of the land under as many groans and troubles as ever before FINIS

learn from God let your affections and thoughts be most about that which God hath the greatest care about from all eternity He looks to the Common-wealth in the way of providence as a God absolutely considered but to his Church in the decree of Election and acts of Justification and Salvation as a gracious Father therefore God he doth either blesse or afflict Common-wealths and the Governours thereof as they are either froward and churlish or kinde and mercifull to his people Psal 87.2 Jehovah loveth the gates of Sion more then the dwelling places of Jacob the place of his worship and ordinances more then all other places Thinke therefore that if Gods love and works in a remarkable manner be for his people worship and ordinances how effectuall and strong ought the resolutions and endeavours of those be who by reason of their place and office are called gods and if it was accounted such an honour among the Heathens unto Hercules that he cleansed their Augean stable and conquered their many-headed Hydra how much more will it be matter of honour and glory to cleanse the temple of God from all defilements and to subdue all heresies that rise up against the truths of Christ let us therefore all imitate God in our places and relations by our love and thoughts of good to the Church and ordinances of God 5. The Common-wealth is in reference and subordination to that the Church is not for the Common-wealth but the Common-wealth for the Church Hence a Common-wealth is made glorious when it becometh holy and Christian as jewels which they say have their being at first in the sea yet have more affinity with the heavens whose colour they represent so a State when once become the Church of God doth more depend on heaven from whence it hath it's originall then on the earth in which it liveth And then doe all Governours contradict this principle when they make the Scripture subordinate to State-ends or policies Thus Jeroboam makes the worship of God subordinate to the outward peace of the Kingdom and this hath been the fatall miscarriage of many Governours they have not consulted what God and his Word speaketh but what are the maximes and principles of State If therefore your hearts and affections be for the Common-wealth how much more ought it be for the Church seeing God made the world at first and doth still preserve it because of his Church that is in it and if Christ thought not his own bloud too much to give for the ransome of it how much lesse should we judge our pains and thoughts too much for it Psal 2. There is a forcible exhortation to all the governours of the earth to receive Christ and to submit to his government let none thinke himselfe too great to be in Christs yoke nay this is the end why God hath given greatnesse and power to men that they might serve his Church and therefore he suffers her to be in a weake and indigent estate when the Lord promiseth that Kings and Queens shall be nursing fathers and nursing mothers it supposeth the Church to be like a poor helplesse orphan now when we speak thus of helping the Church of God we mean not in such a manner as they in Popery plead for the outward dignity and carnall priviledges as also unlawfull authority which are not of Christs kingdom but we speak of the people of God the Ordinances the true Doctrine and the wholesome discipline thereof we desire this to be established and promoted by you Who seeth not a vast difference between the spirit of a proud Thomas Becket obstinately dying for the outward pompe and usurped power of the Church as they call it and the zeal of a Calvin choosing punishment yea a hundred deaths as he saith rather then to suffer the publike prophanation of the Lords Supper Plato said magis amandam esse patriam quàm matrem quia patria quiddam divinum est how much rather then are we to love the Church of God above the Common wealth because that is indeed divine being the immediate plant of Christ himself 6. God in laying down a law doth command those things first that concerne him and his worship so his promises to his Church are chiefly about the spirituall means of salvation this consideration may also be a great motive in the worke of reformation God in his commands first doth establish the duties of worship and service to him and then the offices and duties towards man how happy then is it when men make laws proportionably to God Thus Moses Varro l. 14 c. 17. Romae quotiescunque senatus cogeratur nullâ de re prius quam de religione agebatur as soon as he had delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt before they were a setled Common wealth he prescribeth them all the forme and manner of Gods worship and here Gideon in the text before he subdueth the Midianites he destroyeth their Idols And as you have Gods commands so also his promises to his Church are chiefly in respect of spirituall things Hag. 2.6 7. One would not have thought that the glory there prophesied of for the Temple should have been the reformation that Christ did bring into it but rather would have expected some outward materiall magnificence Even as in Popery adorned Temples goodly Images and costly vestments are accounted the glory of a Church but we see the promise is otherwise So Zach. 12. and Mal. 1. the promises of God to his people under the Gospel are not that they shall live free from taxes and pillaging but that they shall have a refining Ministery pure Ordinances and gracious affections in the use of them 7. The oppressions in worship and Religion are farre more grievous then those of the outward man therefore ought Magistrates to ease the godly in these respects rather then in any other No doubt to the godly Israelites Gideon was more welcome in that he destroyed Altars then in that he vanquished the Midianites Conscience is the eye of a man and any little crumme of dust blown into that is very grievous This made our godly ancestours lying under the burdens of Popery to cry out like David for the water of Bethlehem Who will give us to drinke of the pure waters of Gods ordinances How many have found an hell in their hearts for communicating with false worship Our worthy reformers at first if it had been matter of purse or state they could have born it but when oppressions were in doctrine and worship this made them choose reproaches with Christ rather then the treasures of Rome It is true there are men whose consciences are like the Leviathans skinne no spear can enter into them let there be an Image set in the room of David any Idols in the place of Christ they are not much troubled That is observeable in the Iews though senselesse enough under their Idolatry while they were in outward prosperity yet being in

But this is the great eye-sore and trouble to many they would have it better with the state and are not affected with a reformation in the Church and this carnall disposition was of old Austin speaks much to this purpose about the Heathens who cried out of the Christian religion as the cause of all their troubles and miseries They would have peace againe though they had thereby mala saevis pejora hostibus and he bringeth in an Heathen saying Let us have our feasts again our merry meetings reges non curent quam bonis sed quam subtitis regnant non jubeantur dura non prohibeantur impura Let no hard duties be commanded no impure waies forbidden I lle sit publicus inimicus cui haec felicitaes displicet Lib. 1. de civit cap. 30. I fear these things lye in the bottome of many mens hearts who yet are very willing to have all state grievances taken away The means to be such Magistrates and people are these 1. Be affected with Gods Word take that for a rule adore the majesty and fullnesse of the Scripture consider not what this or that carnall principle suggesteth to you but say how is it written and how do we read in the Scripture The Church of God is tied to the Scripture to fetch all nourishment and support from it as the childe is fastened by the navell to the mother for the relief and maintenance of it What hath made men heretiques in the mysteries of the Trinity and Deity of Christ but only attending to reason and not Scripture they will have us shew the like in the creatures but the Father said well to the Arian that demanded so Da mihi alium Deum aliam Trinitatem tibi ostendam 2. Get an heavenly heart and minde which will prize the ordinances of God till this be in men they will not move or stirre in any Temple-worke It s no marvell if David have such a desire to build an house to God when he cryeth out How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord Psal 84.1 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house c. So when he is in banishment what is that which he so longeth for is it to have his peace and outward tranquillity again or not rather to see the power and glory of God as he had seen it in the sanctuary Psal 6.31 2. 3. Humble your selves for former known pollutions or for negligence and remissenesse in reformation when opportunities have been offered Who knoweth whether much of this worke that is now to do might not have been dispatched heretofore if the hearts of men in place had been for it Can we say that it is not the sinne of Parliaments and governours heretofore that the Ark is not already setled and how necessary our humiliations are for former known defilements and superstitions appeareth Ezek. 43.10 11. 4. Remember these considerations 1. What the thoughts are which God hath about a worship that is none of his Joh. 4. You worship you know not what men do they know not what howsoever they dote most upon their own invented worship There is a Papist Raymundus saith There are as many mysteries in the Masse as drops in the sea Angels in Heaven Starres in the firmament atomes in the Sunne-beames or sand in the sea shore but that which is highly esteemed among men is abominable before God 2. The danger of our own hearts in such things God doth frequently forbid our own wisdome and discretion in matters concerning him and the wiser men are the more absurd they have been in their worship when they have not been guided by the light of the Scripture as in the Egyptians who were noted to be a fountain of the arts and much knowledge they were of all the Heathens most ridiculous about their gods And all Popery may sufficiently advertise us how dangerous it is to leave Gods word and to follow our own imaginations In things of this life a Magistrate de jure suo tantum remittere potest quantum pacis studium requiret sed alia est ratio spiritualis regiminis 3. The unprofitablenesse of any such way for a spirituall benefit whatsoever doctrine worship or ordinance is not of the Lords institution can never be blest to any spirituall effect upon the soul The word of promise doth alwaies suppose a word of institution 4. Godly men cannot rejoyce in outward blessings if this be wanting as you heard before of David though he might have his countrey his liberty again yet that was not so great a good as to enjoy God again it is riches and the Gospel peace and the Gospel that makes a people happy 5. This is a great argument to prevail with God what an argument is this in prayer Lord blesse these Magistrates this Parliament for they set up thy Kingdome and consider that every time you pray that petition in the Lords prayer that the Kingdome of God would come the meaning is that the powerfull preaching of Gods word and the wholesome dispensation of the ordinances may every where be setled But against all these Arguments for a Reformation there are many objections brought I will instance in three only First Some say this is to make all Religion ridiculous what a vanity and inconstancy doth this seem to be to have one year one kinde of service and worship of God and another the next year Now to this I answer these things 1. It is indeed a very hard thing to take men off from their religious usages though they have no solid ground to retain them Thus Austin he complained Genus est morbi gravissimi eorum qui dicunt nobis verè quidem dicitur non est quod respondeatur sed durum est nobis traditionē parentū relinquere This doth much trouble men to leave customs which by long tract of time have made an awfull impression upon their conscience And thus Austin at another time Sensi saepe dolens gemens c. he often perceived with much grief that many perturbations and contentions were raised in many things one reason whereof was because it was not their custom in their countrey to doe so Therefore this must be acknowledged that people will generally startle and be astonished if an old custome be denied them though they have no Scripture for it 2. It may fall out that it is so far from being mutability that it is a duty to leave off such things as have been practised Thus when the kingdome of Israel had set up many idolatricall practices was it their sinne because they made their change or not rather their duty and thus in Popery when God caused the light of Reformation to shine out of that thick darknesse was this levity and mutability because there were no Altars no Images no Masse where they were used to be for many hundred years No God commanded them to leave Babylon 3. There is an alteration essentiall and destructive and an alteration accidentall and perfective