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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	believe_v	church_n	tradition_n	3,808	5	9.3936	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65715	A sermon in confutation of R. H. the author of The guide in controversies Shewing that his most plausible arguments produced against Protestants, do more effectually conclude for Judaism against Christianity. By Daniel Whitby, D.D. chantor of the church of Sarum.	Whitby, Daniel, 1638-1726.	1679 (1679)	Wing W1736A; ESTC R222007	21,763	39

And this opinion they grounded chiefly upon those places which seem to speak of the perpetual duration of those Statutes Deut. xxix 29. Levit. iii. 11. Exod. xii 17. and say they shall be ordinances to them for ever and consequently seem to infer a Declaration from the mouth of God that they should not be altered Moreover it is certain that as the Protestants condemn as sinful and pernitious many Traditions and Customs of the Roman Church so did that Jesus whom Christians honour as the true Messiah as frequently inveigh against and solemnly condemn many Traditions which then were generally received and practised in the Jewish Church as vain and sinful customs and such as tended to make void the Scriptures and render the whole Jewish worship vain He therefoce seemeth to have been as great an enemy to Ecclesiastical Traditions though they were generally owned by the then present Church as such as Protestants can be esteemed Lastly Certain it is that the Superiours and Church Rulers or at the least the Major and prevailing part of the Church Rulers did then as firmly and unquestionably believe that those Traditions which were condemned by your Jesus and which so evidently proved if true he was not the Messiah promised to the Jew were both agreeable to the word of God Expounded by their Church Tradition and were delivered to them by Moses and the Patriarchs and Prophets and were continually practised by their Forefathers as doth the Roman Church believe that her Traditions were taught and practised by Christ or his Apostles and by their Successors throughout all Ages of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. xv 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. i. 14. Hence are they often styled by them the Traditions of the Antients or the Traditions received by succession from their Fathers And in their later writers they are always held to be derived from God by Moses together with the written Law and as an explication of it Hence like good Roman Catholicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. xxi 21. Act. xxviii 17. they were more exceedingly zealous for the Traditions of their Fathers than for the Law it self They accuse all who walked not according to these customs of their Fathers as persons who forsook the Law of Moses And to do any thing against these customs of their Fathers was reputed Criminal This being so I ask why the tradition of the major part of the Church Catholick or Christians in any Age whatsoever and their concurring judgment that what she doth at present teach and practise she received from Christ and his Apostles should be esteemed sufficient to render all those persons guilty of Heresie and Schism who do not yield assent to what they teach or a compliance with their practices as Roman Catholicks assert and yet that the general tradition of the then present Jewish Church even including the Disciples of Christ should not conclude them Schismaticks and Hereticks who being Members of that Church would not assent unto what they so generally taught or comply with that which they practised as delivered to them by Moses and the Patriarchs and Prophets But to apply these things if it be possible yet more particularly unto the pleadings of the Roman Church and to shew the weakness and the pernicious results of their most specious pretences I add 1. That notwithstanding it was the duty of the Priests and Rulers of the Jewish Church both to preserve and teach unto the people the knowledg of the Law yet did the major part of these Church-Guides both oft and dangerously swerve from this their duty For they did teach and practise and direct the people into those ways which were destructive to the eternal welfare of their Souls God by his Prophets doth complain without exception of them Esa xxviii 7. Ibid. v. 15. that they erred in vision and stumbled in judgment that the teachers of his people made lies their refuge and under falshood hid themselves saying the overflowing scourge shall not come to us Isa xliil 27. Isa lvi 10 11. that their Interpreters had transgress'd against him that his watchmen were blind they were all ignorant all dumb dogs that could not bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber that they were greedy dogs that could never have enough Jer. ii 8. Shepherds that could not understand that the Priests said not Where is the Lord and they that handled the Law knew him not that the Pastors also transgressed against him and the Prophets prophesied by Baal and walked after things that did not profit Jer. v. 31. Jer. vi 13 14. That his Prophets prophesied falsly and the Priests bare rule by their means That from the Prophet to the Priest every one dealt falsly That they heald also the hurt of the Daughter of his people slightly saying peace peace when there was no peace Jer. viii 9. Jer. xxiii 1 2. That his wise men had rejected the word of the Lord. And that the Pastors whose business it was to feed his sheep destroy'd and scattered and drove them away and did not visit them Ibid. v. 11. Ezek. xxii 26. That both Priests and Prophets were profane That they had violated his Law and had profaned his holy things putting no difference betwixt the Holy and profane the clean and the unclean and hid their eyes from his Sabbaths Ezek. xxxiv 1 6. That the Shepherds of Israel fed themselves but did not feed the flock the diseased did they not strengthen neither did they heal that which was sick nor bring again that which was driven away nor seek that which was lost but with force and cruelty they Ruled so that the sheep were scattered because there was no Shepherd Hos iv 6. Zeph. iii. 4. That they rejected knowledg so that Gods people were destroyed for lack of it That her Prophets were light and treacherous persons her Priests had polluted the Sanctuary they had done violence to the Law Mal. ii 8. That they had forgotten the Law of their God they departed out of the way they caused many to stumble at the Law they corrupted the Covenant of Levi. Moreover of these Guides it is expresly said Isa iii. 12. Chap. ix 16. Jer. l. 6. Matt. xxiii That they which led his people caused them to err and destroyed the way of their paths That the Leaders of the people caused them to err and they that were led of them were destroyed and that their Shepherds caused them to go astray Our Lord declares that they were fools blind Guides full of Hypocrisie and of iniquity that they had taken away the key of knowledg Luke xi 52. Matt. xxiii 13. and had shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men not going in themselves nor suffering them that were entring to go in That they made many false decisions in matters of so great importance as to make void the Law of God Matt. xv 6 9. and render his whole

worship vain That they transgressed the commandment of God by their Traditions That notwithstanding their instructions the people were as sheep without a Shepheard Matt. ix 36. Matt. xv 14. or only had such Guides as would most certainly if they submitted to their guidance lead them to the pit Hence therefore I infer 1. That even those Spiritual Guides who are by Gods appointment constituted to instruct his people and to feed his flock for such our Lord acknowledged the Scribes and Pharisees and Rulers of the Jewish Church to be may scatter and destroy that flock And they who are set for the judgment of the Lord and for controversies may violate corrupt pervert that Law they should interpret they may be partial in it they may depart out of the way they may make the Commandments of God of none effect and his whole worship vain by their traditions they may cause their sheep to err stumble and go astray and that so dangerously that they who are led by them shall be destroyed with them and find no entrance into bliss And hence I hope I may assume the boldness to conclude against the Infallibility of our Spiritual Governours or the concurring judgments of the major part of them which is sufficient to root up even the foundations of the Romish Babel 2. Hence I infer that notwithstanding all the formentioned Scriptures which say it was the duty of the people to ask of their Spiritual Guides the meaning of the Law and seek the knowledg of it at their mouths and to enquire after their judgments in all those Controversies they were not able to resolve I say hence I infer that notwithstanding this the people were not absolutely obliged to rest in the decision of the major part of these Church Guides or bound to practise all that they approved for then an obligation must be laid upon them not only to err in judgment with them to countenance false Prophets and to speak peace to themselves when there is no peace but also to violate the Law and to comply with their false glosses and corrupt interpretations of it nay which is more unreasonable they must be then obliged to be destroyed to fall into the pit and to exclude themselves from the enjoyment of Christ Kingdom Whereas it is a contradiction to say that God obligeth any Person to transgress his Law and it is little less than Blasphemy to say h● doth require them to destroy themselves to fal● into the pit or to deprive themselves of the enjoyment of his Kingdom Hence therefore I infe● this Corollary That neither are all Christian people Churches 〈◊〉 Nations absolutely bound to rest in the decisions of th● major part of Christian Bishops or to practise all th●● they approve and impose Which proposition overthrows that absolute and blind obedience to their Church Guides or Councils which Romanists ●● stifly plead for 3. Hence it is also evident that private persons or that the minor part of the whole Church may have sufficient ground either from reason or clea● Scripture for their refusal of assent and of submission to the Authority and definitions of the major part of their Church Guides for the Jews were bound to believe Christ to be the true Messiah although the High Priest and the Elders had pronounced him a deceiver and a Malefactor They were obliged to believe his Miracles were wrought not by Belzebub but the Spirit of God that Christs Kings was not of this world that John Baptist was that Elias which was for to come and that to eat with hands unwashed to heal the sick to pluck some ears of Corn upon the Sabbath day were not unlawful actions although the major part of their Church Guides taught and believed the contrary Matt. xv 5. They were obliged not to void that Law of nature which required Children to relieve their own distressed Parents and therefore stood obliged not to comply with those traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees which made the word of God of none essect and would not suffer them to yield obedience to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark vii 8. And seeing they had many traditions and decrees of the like nature which obtained amongst them and only were rejected by the Saduces and the Disciples of our Lord in none of these could they comply with their Church Guides without the violation of that Law of God which sure they had sufficient ground and reason to observe In a word in all those cases in which they were not bound to rest in the decisions of the major part of their Church Guides or practise what they did approve that is in all the cases mentioned in the former head they must have had sufficient ground either from Scripture or from Reason for their refusal of submission to them Now these three inferences do fully justifie the Reformation of the Church of England 4. From what hath been discoursed we may see the weakness of those pleas the Roman Doctors make in their own defence and of the Arguments they use to shew that 't is impossible they should be guilty of those corruptions in Doctrine or in manners which we charge them with For their most specious pretences are to this effect that we confess the Church of Rome was once both true and Orthodox shew then say they how we did cease to be so whether by Schism or Heresie With Schism you cannot justly charge us R. H. Rational account disc 3. Chap. 5. §. 63. p. 203. for that can never be of a much major and more dignified part in respect of a less and inferior subject to it because this main body in any division is rightly taken for the whole from which a separation is Schism and to which every Member ought to adhere as to the body and head here upon earth to which it belongs we therefore being the much major and more dignified part of the Church cannot be Schismaticks in reference to Protestants who are and were at their departure a less and an inferior body to us If Heresie be the crime charged upon us by what Church were we condemned what body of men before you found fault with those corruptions which you pretend to reform for sure it was not possible for so many errors and corruptions to come into the Church and no one take notice of them could this be so where was the watchful eye of providence over the Church But if we could suppose this providence was unconcerned for preservation of the Church could all the Pastors fall asleep at once or could they all conspire together to deceive their Posterity Moreover since God will always have a visible Church what can you mention besides that which holds Communion with the Church of Rome as the then present visible Church of Christ when you began your reformation except perhaps some Eastern Churches which you dislike almost as much as that of Rome And if that Church could teach such