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truth_n believe_v faith_n reason_n 7,423 5 5.8303 4 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A30995 A sermon preached before the King at White-hall, October 17, 1675 by Miles Barne ... Barne, Miles, d. 1709? 1675 (1675) Wing B859; ESTC R12524 14,181 47

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much greater is to be given to those Doctrines which are contain'd in the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles who were Taught of God and spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost II. Secondly I urge the Authority of my Lord Bacon whose if any me thinks should be admitted by these Virtuosi in Religion The Divine Prerogative saith he extends it self to the Whole Man and requires not only Obedience from our Wills but Submission from our Understandings And therefore as we are bound to Obey the Divine Law though our Wills reluct never so much against it so are we obliged to believe whatsoever God hath Reveal'd though never so improbable to our understandings For if we believe no more than what we can demonstrate to be true we do not believe the Truth deliver'd for the Authors sake but the Author for the Truths sake and so we pay no more Respect to the Oracles of God than we do to the Writings of Men though never so much Suspected by us The Faith which Justified Abraham was conversant in a matter incredible to Reason And therefore the higher the Mysteries of Religion are above our Reason the greater is the exercise and tryumph of our Faith the Honour done unto God in Believing To conclude this Point Great is the use of Reason in Religion both as to the manner of interpreting the Scriptures the deducing true consequences and wholesome conclusions from thence and if it be wholly suppress'd our Religion will degenerate into Superstition we shall be so far from paying God a Reasonable Service that we shall offer Him the Sacrifice of Fools But then it must be kept to a due temper for if be not managed by prudent Guides 't is apt to grow Wild and Extravagant to hurry us on to a Belief of the Fowlest Impostures to a Practise of the Grossest Impieties which either the prevalency of the World the domineering enmity of the Flesh or the implacable malice of Satan can propound to be Believed or Practis'd II. The second Reason of Private Mens falling into Error is their Instability in not adhering to their Guides but forsaking them to go astray in the intricate paths of Error and Deceit Heresie being nothing else but an Excision from and Disobedience to the Church in points of Faith And therefore the Apostle pronounceth an Heretick Self-Condemned one who hath Wantonly chosen to himself those Opinions for an Obstinate Defence whereof after full and plain means of Conviction he justly falls under the Censures of the Church is Excommunicated the Assembly of the Saints so without Repentance Reconciliation continues in a very dangerous estate if that of Heathens and Publicans be acknowledg'd such Not in Vain then are those frequent Cautions against Falling Away those repeated Admonitions to Perseverance those earnest Exhortations to hold fast the Profession and contend for the Faith which was once Deliver'd those so much inculcated Commands of Obeying those who are set Over us in the Lord Heb. 13. v. 7. Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of God whose Faith follow Ver. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they Watch for your Souls For in Vain may those men commit themselves to the immediate Assistance of God who neglect to hear his Guides and violate His Commandments in hopes to procure His help favour For from that very moment of time they cease to be Members of the Holy Catholick Church they are become Out-lawries in a Gospel-sense they have lost the Protection of the Heavenly King and they lay under the Deprivation of the benefits belonging to the Subjects of that Jerusalem which is Above And what wonder if being in this forlorn condition the Tempter take his advantage lead them into the Wilderness and there present to their disturb'd fancies false schemes of Religion suggest unworthy apprehensions of God and whatsoever is by him thus suggested is by them mistaken for new light and holy inspirations And because this spirit of delusion dares put forth among Christians no Doctrines but such as pretend to be founded on the Scriptures to this purpose they are wrested and tortur'd their scope is mistaken their sense abused their Periods miserably mangled their whole design perverted to countenance every Wild Opinion which either a capricious fancy can imagine or a Malicious Wit invent And from hence it comes to pass that we have as many several sorts of Christians as there are different humours or Interests of men the Gospel with St. Paul though in a quite contrary sense is become all things unto all men And having made thus bold with the Scriptures it cannot be expected that they should deal more modestly with any authority inferior to that the most ancient Traditions must now give place to new discoveries The Consent of the Catholick Apostolick Church be borne down by the Dictates of a private I might say familiar spirit Whereas there is all the reason in the World to believe that the Apostles best knew the mind of their Master that they faithfully fully communicated their knowledge to their successors so by certain steps and degrees we may arrive at this fundamental truth That as the Church is the most faithfull Keeper so the most authentick Expositor of Scripture Which fairly ushers in my third and last Consideration That for the preventing Mistakes from Rising and suppressing Errors when Risen 'T is the duty of Private Men to submit their Judgements in matters of Religion to the Determinations of those whom God hath Constituted to be their Spiritual Guides and Governours Vnless it manifestly Appear that such Determinations are contrary to Gods Word And this I shall assert very briefly both from the qualifications of the Persons who are appointed to Rule in the Church and the Reason of the thing I. And that which first entitles the Governors of the Church to a superiority over their Subjects is that special Ordination and Comission which they have receiv'd from Christ to instruct the World in all necessary Truths and that Charge which he hath laid upon others to obey them If any one listeth to see their Commission He may find it recorded in any of the four Evangelists I shall exhibit it as 't is exemplified 28 Mat. 18 19 20. Verses And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have Commanded you And lo I am with You alwayes unto to the end of the World In the which words there are these Three Things considerable 1. That Christ commission'd His Disciples immediately after He had proclaim'd Himself Omnipotent 2. That this Commission implies it to be Christs Will that all Nations of the World should Obey them 3. That He promised to be with Them and their Successors unto the end of the World And