Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	receive_v	scripture_n	tradition_n	3,442	5	9.3524	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66110	The sinfulness of worshipping God with men's institutions as it was delivered in a sermon / by Samuel Willard.	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.	1691 (1691)	Wing W2295; ESTC W24933	12,930	32

vain for the excusing much more for the warranting of any Tradition which by the commandment of men loseth its indifferency and is tied as a burden on mens Consciences 2. That a Divine Precept is necessary to warrant every part of Religious Worship Instituted Worship must be able to prove its Legitimacy by Institution for because it 's not natural but positive it depends upon Authority its obligation therefore can be of no greater strength than the Authority of its Author can put upon it that must be founded in his right to command it all instructions derive their Authority either from God or the Creature if it be from God then he hath signified his mind about it in scripture and that in particular for he hath no where by any general indulgence given away this liberty of his to any other Authority in the world to have the dominion of the Conciences of men or to give rules of worship but hath on the one hand strongly prohibited it and severely threatned any that shall presume to do it if then any such derive from men let them shew their Authority if they expect them to be entertained The Authorizing of any part of worship belongs to the second and not to the fifth Command and must for that reason have a Divine Warrant Hence it follows that there is nothing to be received by us on this account but what hath God's Scale affixt to it it is therfore enough to set us down resolved against any such thing if we can say there is a silence about it in the scripture that God hath nowhere Commanded it in his word either expresly or by just and necessary consequence it is no order of his devising Scripture silence about any Tradition gives it a full condemnation whatever pleas men may bring for the justification of it although they may pretend that it is very profitable that many have bin edified by it that it is a very prudent way to secure the Interests of Religion that many wise holy and learned men have pleaded for and practised it that there is much of decency in it and the thing in it self is no ways harmful all this is fully answered with that one word God hath spoken nothing about it Heh 7. 14. it never entred into his heart to enjoyn it Jer. 7. 31. USE II. This may put us upon asking whether God manageth no part of his controversy with us upon this account It is a time wherin God is making discoveries of his Holy dispeasure against us in a whole series of frowning Providences that we are labouring under witnessing that he is not a little offended at this his people it is therefore a time for deep heart searching and in the doing of it it will not be a miss to make a little enquiry for this sin among the rest possibly it may be supposed that of all the sins that a people of God are wont to be charged withal these Churches are least guilty in this Article of any however if we look narrowly there may for ought I know be enough to humble us before God and put us upon Repentance it may be we may find some that have willingly and upon choice exchanged the more pure worship of God for that which is more mixt and had much rather to serve Him at an high place than at the Sanctiuary are there not they that have observed days of Humane consecration and put a title of Holiness upon them though they have expressed little of it in the manner of their observation It may be there are Traditions by custom grown into Ordinances gotten at least into some of our Churches which can shew no warrant under Christs hand to authorize them and yet it hath been an offence not to comply with and cry them up hath there not been too much of a pinning our Faith on the credit or practice of others attended on with a woful neglect of seeking to know what is the mind of Christ in it This I am sure of that an aspiring mind is Natural to Fallen Man and will be stirring whilst there is Corruption in us and this is greatly delighted in tampering with things that are above us and particularly to be patching in Religion but let us beware to our selves in this The God we have to do with is a jealous God and if there be any such thing we had need very carefully look after it and remove it God will else Charge us sor committing of Lowdness and deal with us accordingly USE III. Be we then Exhorted to avoid this sin so far as there may have bin any Guilt contracted if not willingly and knowingly yet if ignorantly and through neglect let us repent of and turn from it and let us set our selves more strenuously against it for the time forward is it a sin so great let not us then think it little or our selves to be out of the danger of falling into it and to move us to be the more careful in our endeavours against it let us consider 1. There are no small Temptations to it from within and from without the world and your own corrupt hearts have a great deal to say and plead which is suited to the flesh to insinuate into you unto a compliance with such things these things are many of them adapted to the carnal wisdom of men and are easily cloathed with divers religious pretences and how many ways they are seemingly advantageous to the promoting of Piety these all must be withstood if you will not be bafled into this sin besides there are no small arguments from the lawfulness of the things in themselves and scandal apt to arise from a non compliance with them 2. Except we thus do we shall directly vacare our Fathers design in Planting of this Wilderness It is certain that their Errand hither was to sequester themselves into a quiet corner of the world where they might enjoy Christ's unmixed Institutions and leave them uncorrupted to their Posterity and if this design of theirs were unworthy of them and reproachful to their names let it then be buried with them and forgotten and no more mention made of it to stain their memories withal but if it were worth their parting with so many comforts and conveniences of a pleasant Land in which they enjoyed a considerable share and the exposing of themselves to the suffering of so many hardships and almost unconquerable difficulties of an Uncultivated Desart and so many discouragements cast in their way which were in themselves very ungratefnl to the minds of men let us not cast this reproach upon it and them which we shall certainly do if we depart from the strict avoidance of whatsoever Worship doth not derive from the Precept of God and Appointment of Jesus Christ in every such act we call them fools and this will rise up in judgment against us another day 3. We cannot else stand to our explicit Covenant That it is lawful and a duty sor the people of God solemnly to enter into and renew Covenant and that frequently referring to the matters of Gods House and to all duties wherein they stand oblig'd to serve him the Scripture is full and we have divers Examples there Recorded it being too true that a Professing People are apt to forget themselves and fall under neglects and for this cause ought to be doing something to quicken themselves up and bind their Souls to their work and what is this for not to find out any new ways of worshipping God that would be a Conspiracy instead of a Covenant but it is to reform any thing that is amiss to revive any thing that is decayed to reslore that which is lost and to ratifie that which ought to be Now these Churches have declaredly Covenanted with God and mutually that we will serve the Lord with no other manner of Worship but that which he hath appointed and established in his Word and do we think that he will be trifled withal in a Covenant and Vow that hath been made by us before Angels and men 3. Hence our so doing will leave us under the Guilt of Apostasy to depart from any thing which God hath required of us and we have Covenanted with him to perform will certainly have this brand upon it and it will be so much the more aggravated by all that light which God hath afforded to shew us the sinfulness of so doing which will take away all Cloaks from us and there hath been not a little of that which we have enjoyed the advantage of yea and that which will make it yet more provoking to God and dangerous for us is that this will be an Apostasy in that very thing which is the Test upon which God tries the Churches in New-En gland FINIS