Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	day_n	holy_a	sabbath_n	14,086	5	10.0894	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49123	Mr. Hales's treatise of schism examined and censured by Thomas Long ... ; to which are added, Mr. Baxter's arguments for conformity, wherein the most material passages of the treatise of schism are answered.	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Mr. Baxter's arguments for conformity against separation.	1678 (1678)	Wing L2974; ESTC R10056	119,450	354

the Scruples and suspicions of private Christians concerning the lawfulness of Actions required by their Superiors cannot warrant their separation Because their obedience to Superiors in things not unlawful is their duty and to omit a certain duty upon a bare suspicion is dangerous and sinful And for a full answer to this error I desire it may be considered what a scrupulous Conscience is which I take to be such an act of the practical understanding as resolves what is or what is not to be done but with some fear and anxiety lest its determination be amiss And it differs from a doubting Conscience which assents to neither part of the question but remains unresolved as doubting of the true sense of the rule in which case it is resolved that in all things doubtful we are to take the safest course And doubtless that wherein the generality of wise and good Men as well Ancient as Modern are agreed is much more safe than that in which a few less knowing prejudicated and guilty persons pretend to be doubtful But where there are only groundless fears and scruples concerning some circumstance annexed to a known duty it is the sense even of our Non-conformists That if we cannot upon serious endeavours get rid of our Scruples we ought to act against them And this is so lawful and necessary that we cannot otherwise have either grace or peace See more to this purpose in a Sermon at Cripplegate on Acts 24. 26. p. 18 19. And if scruple and suspicion were a just plea for Separation then every discontented Person that is resolved to contemn his Superiours every one that is affectedly ignorant and lazy or refractory to better information every one that hath melancholy humours and temptations or wants true Christian Humility or Charity may make separation and yet be guiltless So that this Opinion of our Author's would be an Apology for all Separatists which being allowed there neither was nor can be any such sin as Schism For I suppose it is sufficiently known that neither the Doctrine or Worship of any Church is so well constituted but some unquiet spirits have raised scruples and suspicions concerning them And unless the Church have power to command things lawful and no way repugnant to the Word of God though some giddy Persons may scruple at them it is impossible that it should preserve it self from confusion The Apostles I am sure did practise this in the Synod at Hierusalem Acts 15. And St. Paul silenceth the objections of contentious and scrupulous Persons with the Custome of the Churches of God 1 Corinth 11. 16. Every Congregation that pretends to have the face of a Church requires the obedience of its Members to all Orders for publick Worship as well as their consent to their Articles of Faith and without this it could not subsist I shall conclude this with Mr. Baxter's advice in his Dispute of Ceremonies Ch. 15. S. 3. That the Duty of obeying being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain and only Suspected we must go on the surer side And the Author of the Sermon on Acts 24. 16. gives a good reason for it saying If a Christian should forbear praying or receiving the Sacrament every time his scrupulous conscience tells him he had better wholly omit the duty than perform it in such a manner he would soon find to his sorrow the mischief of his scruples And he adviseth In all known necessary duties always do what you can when you cannot do what you would Our Author p. 202. falls on an Ancient controversie concerning the observation of Easter of which he gives us this imperfect account That it being upon error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church thought further necessary that the ground for the keeping the time of that Feast must be the rule left by Moses to the Jews there arose a stout question whether we ought to Celebrate with the Jews on the 14th of the Moon or the Sunday following This matter though most unnecessary most vain yet caused as great a combustion as ever was in the Church the West separating from and refusing Communion with the East for many years together An impartial relation of the ground of this controversie as it lies in Church History will sufficiently discover how odiously it is represented First then whereas he says it was upon error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept I answer if it were an error the Church had it from the Apostles themselves for although the contending parties differed among themselves in the day yet both agreed on the necessity of observing Easter in Commemoration of our Saviour's Resurrection And the Controversie concerning the day puts it out of controversie that there ought to be a day observed Some learned men have thought the setting a-part of an Easter day to be grounded on 1 Cor. 5. 8. where S. Paul speaking of the Christian Passover says Let us keep the Feast and Grotius observes that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to abstain from all work for the offering up of holy things to God If the observation of any day be necessary unto Christians this of Easter is because it is the Mother and ground of our weekly Sabbath and is supposed to be the same which S. John calls the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. But we need not seek express authority from Scripture to make it necessary the practice of the Apostles testified by such early and authentick witnesses and the continued celebration of it in all the Churches of God do evince that it was not taken up on an Error no more than the observation of the Weekly Sabbath Mr. Hales says enough to resolve this objection in his Golden Remains set forth by Mr. Garthwait 1673. p. 260. on the question how we may know the Scriptures to be the word of God When saith he we appeal to the Churches testimony we content not our selves with any part of the Church actually existent but add unto it the perpetually successive testimony of the Church in all Ages since the Apostles times viz. since its first beginning and out of both these draw an argument in this question of that force as that from it not the subtilest Disputer can find an escape For who is it that can think to find acceptance and credit with reasonable men by opposing not only the present Church conversing in earth but the uniform consent of the Church in all ages So that the Church in all Ages agreeing that an Easter must be kept it was not taken up upon Error Nor secondly was it upon worse than error i. e. as our Author affirms a point of Judaism grounded on the Law of Moses to the Jews that the observation thereof was by some Churches solemnized

to teach but command 1 Tim. 4. 11. to give charge concerning widows 1 Tim. 5. 1 7. how to receive accusations against Elders 1 Tim. 5. 19. how to ordain 1 Tim. 5. 22. and see that they held fast the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. to suppress striving about vain words and prophane bablings such as were the discourses of Hymenaeus and Philetus which did eat as a canker and overthrew the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 14 16. to rebuke authoritatively such as would not endure sound doctrine but agreeably to their own lusts did heap up teachers to themselves having itching ears 2 Tim. 4. 2 3. And in like manner that Titus should suffer no man to despise his authority Titus 2. 15. but diligently discharge the duties for which the Apostle setled him in Crete i. e. to set in order things which were wanting and to ordain Elders in every City Titus 1. 5. and to reject hereticks after a second admonition Titus 3. 10. Besides we find the Spirit of God commending the Angel of the Church of Ephesus for shewing her hatred against the Nicolaitans and blaming the Angel of the Church of Pergamus for tolerating the Doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans and the Angel of Thyatira for permitting the Doctrine and practice of Jezebel Rev. 2. 6. c. Nor did I ever hear yet of any Conventicle that pretended to have the face of a Church that did not exercise some authority over their members for as the Synod of Dort declared No order nor peace can be preserved in the Church if it should not be lawful for it so to judge of its own members as to restrain within bounds wavering and unsetled spirits This hath been the practice of the Churches of all Ages the particulars to which their authority did extend are not now to be reckoned nor the arguments for vindication thereof necessary to be insisted on I shall shut up this with that of Beza de pace Ecclesiae Neque enim Dei gratiâ ignoro Ecclesiam esse veritatis testem extra quam non sit salus Orthodoxorum consensum in Synodis adversùs Haereticos plurimi fieri par est Patrum in interpretandis Scripturis in refutandis erroribus in admonendis populis labores adeò non contemni oportet ut secundo à Scripturis loco meritò habeantur These things do certainly infer that Church-authority is something However our Author p. 224. dares to tell us that They do but abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christ's institution have any superiority above other Men further than of Reverence And the reason which he gives for it is this For we have believed him that told us that in Jesus Christ there is neither high nor low and that in giving honour every Man should be ready to prefer another before himself Which reasons do as certainly conclude against Magistrates as Bishops viz. that there is no obedience no tribute or homage due to them by Christ's institution nothing further than an airy superiority of reverence which if the other were denyed would be but a mockery Like that wherewith the late Royal Martyr was Reverenced when the Usurpers robbed him of all that God and the Laws invested him withall and gave him only the superiority of reverence in a Noble Death But as to Bishops let our Author's Assertion Answer it self For first It grants that Bishops were by Christ's institution because by his institution they had a superiority of reverence above other Men. 2ly This superiority was grounded on their Office as Bishops that is Overseers of the Flock committed to their charge which Office was assigned to them by the Holy Ghost Acts 20. 28. And now I would have the Reader consider whether those that by the institution of Christ and of the Holy Ghost were made Rulers and Governors of the Church have no other superiority above other Men beside that of reverence There is more expressed Hebr. 13. 17. in these words Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves And when St. Paul instructs Timothy in the office of a Bishop he tells him how he should learn to rule the House of God 1 Tim. 3. 4. by ruling well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity Again when he chargeth Timothy 1 Ep. 5. 17. to provide that those Presbyters that did not only rule well but laboured above others in the Word and Doctrine should be counted worthy of double honour he intended somewhat more than a superiority of Reverence namely an Honorary maintenance such as was the portion of the elder Brother under the Law not a precarious Eleemosynary stipend but that which was as due to them as the hire is to the labourer and I suppose that this is by Christ's institution the Apostle assuring us that as it was setled by a Divine institution under the Law Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1. Cor. 9. 14. Besides the Apostle grounds the superiority of Reverence on that of the office of governing labouring and watching for the Souls of the People So 1 Thessal 5. 12 13. We besseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake And that the Apostles were superior in office not only to the People but to the 72. Disciples and to the Deacons is clearly evinced by the Scriptures for upon the miscarriage of Judas another being to take his office Acts 1. 20. the Apostles met together and in a solemn assembly after prayer and supplication the lot fell on Matthias who was one of the 72. Disciples and had accompanied the Apostles all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them And this method was to continue by Saint Paul's advice to Timothy 1. Ep. 3. 13. where such as had used the office of a Deacon well are said to purchase to themselves a good degree i. e. as the Assembly expound it doth deservedly purchase to himself the honour of a higher office in the Church And whereas we read Acts 1. 3. that our Saviour Christ after his Resurrection conversed 40. days with his Apostles speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God i. e. the teaching and governing of his Church and when he ascended up on high he gave some Apostles some Prophets c. not only for the work of the Ministry but preventing of false Doctrines and Schisms Ephes 4. 11-14 compared with 1 Cor. 12. 25 28 29. it is evident there was a superiority of office as well as of reverence given to the Teachers Governors of the Church For God hath set these several orders in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets c. all are not Apostles nor all Prophets nor all Teachers there were some even by God's institution above