Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A53661
|
Remarks on a sermon, about corrupting the word of God preach'd by Tho. Gipps Rector of Bury, on a publick occasion, July 11, 1696, wherein the dissenters are fully vindicated against his vnjust accusations / by J.O., Minister of the Gospel at Oswestry.
|
Owen, James, 1654-1706.
|
1697
(1697)
|
Wing O709; ESTC R6175
|
33,441
|
32
|
cannot learn This State of Cambridge was communicated to me by the Learned and Judicious Mr. Francis Tallents who was a Student then in 38. By this it appears what a ridiculous Story it is that the Vniversities were running into the same Excess of Riot with Scotland in 1638. But I proceed to his 2d Argument viz. Argument II. The Corruption in appearance favours the Dissenters and their Design against Episcopacy If then any they may be suspected for being willing to have it at least continued and propagated I Answer 1. He durst not say the Corruption favours the Dissenters for he knows the contrary but he slily says it does in appearance favour ' em This appearance is only to himself for I believe no Dissenter ever thought of it 2. I know no Principle of any sober Dissenters that is favoured by this Corruption It is the profest Principle of the Presbyterians That no man ought to take upon him the Office of a Minister of the Gospel until he be lawfully called and Ordained thereunto by the Presbytery See the Directory for Ordination Both Presbyterians and Congregational-Men whom he disjunctively accuseth have declared their United Judgment about the Ministry in the Heads of their Agreement Printed at London 1691 in which they Unanimously declare for the Election and Ordination of such as undertake the Ministerial Office the former they ascribe to the People the latter to the Elders or Pastors Chap. 2. Of the Ministry This then is the pernicious Principle which he fancies the Dissenters would support by corrupting Act. 6.3 viz. that Ordinarily the People have power to choose their own Ministers This I confess is asserted by the Vnited Brethren And cou'd they be under any Temptation to corrupt a Text of Scripture to assert a Principle that may be justified by express Scripture and is asserted in this very place without any corrupt Reading Act. 6.3 Wherefore Brethren look ye out among you Seven Men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom whom we may appoint over this business Here the People choose the Deacons the Apostles by Imposition of Hands and Prayer Ordain or Appoint the Persons so chosen The Rector himself in another Mood allows this pâ—wer to the People or Multitude of Believers For thus he speaks The Apostles commanded the People to choose seven men Act. 6.3 So St. Peter exhorted them to choose one * Tent. Novum p. 4. Again The choice of the Persons to be pâ—esented unto the Apostle was made by the People †p. 3. Whether the Rector of Bury were accoâ—ding to this Apostolical practice chosen by the People he himself best knows and the good People of Bury may do well to consider Behold here our Accuser asserts the very Principle in favour of which he pretends the Presbyterians or Corgrâ—gational Men for he knows not which have corrupted the Word of God Now suppose a peevish Recriminator should retort the Charge upon him and say there is shrewd suspicion that the Rector of Bury hath contributed to the corrupting of Act. 6.3 at least to the continuance and encrease of it § Serm. p. 23. because it is done in favour of the Popular Principle he maintains what can the Rector say for himself He stands condemned out of his own Mouth If his Argument be good against the Dissenters it 's good also against himself For he allows the People as much Power in making their Ministers as the Dissenters do Either then let him honestly acquit his Brethren or condemn himself They are conscious to their own innocency let him who is acquainted with the secret practices of the Press come off as well as he can 3. The altering of we into ye in Act. 6.3 cannot be imputed to the Dissenters or to any Design of theirs to assert the Peoples power of setting up their own Ministers p. 25. because the Seven Deacons in Act. 6 3. were no Ministers of the Word and Sacrament in the Judgment of the Dissenters They have all along pleaded That the Deacons in Act. 6. were Ministers of Tables and not of the Word Is it likely they should corrupt a Text to assert the Peoples Power in making Gospel Ministers which in their Opinion speaks not of those that Minister in Gospel Mysteries It belongs not to the Office of Deacons saith the Westminster Assembly to Preach the Word or administer the Sacraments but to take special care in distributing to the necessities of the Poor See their Advice to the Parliament concerning Church-Government in the Directory Argument III. On the contrary it cannot saith our Accuser with any colour of reason be imagined that the Episcopal Party design'd to corrupt this place p. 24. Answer This proves nothing against the Dissenters nor do they charge the Episcopal Party with any design of corruptâ—ng it tho the Press was in their hands and strictly guarded against the Puritans when it was first done if it was in the Year 1638 as he supposes Nor will any one of sence adds he believe that the Episcopal Party were willing to have that thrust out of the Scripture upon which their Church Government seems to be built or to substitute in its room what in appeaâ—ance overthrows their Polity ibid. I never understood before that the Episcopal Government was built on this Act of the Apostles in ordaining Deacons Doubtless the Episcopal Party will reckon themselves highly obliged to this Master-Buildâ—r who hath supported the Foundations of their Goâ—â—rnment by so strong an Argument as is here proposed viz. The Apâ—stles Ordained Deaâ—â—â—s to seâ—â—â—â—ables therefore the Church ought to be govern'd by Bisâ—ops But he spoils all 〈◊〉 â—y sâ—â—ing That thâ—ir Church Government seems to be built on this Scripture which in â—lain Eâ—gâ—â—sh is as much as if he had said it is not really built upon it This overthrow◠〈…〉 Pâ—â—son That it was their interest not to corrupt it so that their Cause not being really sâ—â—â—orted by this Text they might be the Authors of the Corruption according to the Râ—ctoâ—'s way of arguing Thus the Episcopal Party are more obliged to the Charity of the Dissenters in acquitting 'em from a designed Corruption of this place than to the strength of the Rector's Argument Argument IV. That Party ought in all Reason to be suspected of Foul-Play herein who under colour of this new Text of Scripture assert and support the new Popular Government of the Church as some of the Presbyterians do at this day For Proâ—f of this he tells us a Memorable Story as he calls it of a Cameronian one of the most rigid Sects of the Scotch Presbyterians who Preaching some Years since concerning the Peoples Power of setting up their own Teachers urged this corrupt Reading for Proof Answer 1. It is a pretty way of proving that the English Presbyterians assert the Popular Government of the Church from this Text because a Scotch Cameronian has done so some Years since 2. I expected he would have instanced
and Newcomb ye 1685. by the Assigns of J. Bill and by Hills and Newcomb ye 1686. by Charles Bill H. Hills and Tho. Newcomb ye 1687. by Ch. Bill Hills and Newcomb ye 1689. Oxford large 8vo ye 1691. 12. ye Observe in these Editions 1. They are all Octavo's or Duodecimo's of the larger or smaller size but where the contrary is expressed 2. I find no less than Thirty Eight Editions that are faulty in Act. 6.3 Our Author tells us That upon Examination he hath found the first accidental slip repeated since in at least half a dozen Impressions of the Bible here in England p. 27. And in another place he saith His Diligence and Observation has not been a little and managed with all care and faithfulness in examining this point P. 22. If his Faithfulness be no greater than his Diligence and Observation I doubt it 's very little Wonderful Diligence to be able to discover about Six or Seven faulty Impressions in near Forty 3. I can meet but with two faulty Editions in King William's Time and both in Oxford which he says has for ought he can learn been somewhat happier in this kind than her Sister Cambridge P. 22. But in this also he is somewhat mistaken as he is in his other accounts For I find Five Oxford Editions that are faulty And I hope he will not say That Presbytery was in the Ascendant when these Corruptions happened there 4. Different Editions by the same hand do vary some having we others ye which is an evidence the Corruption is accidental Bill and Barker's Edition in Octavo 1673 hath We another Edition by Bill and Barker in 24's 1673 hath Ye So in 1678 and in 1687. 5. From the whole it appears that most of the Corrupt Editions were in K. Charles the II's time when the Episcopal Party were in the Ascendant and had the sole Management of the Press Therefore let the Rector lay the Saddle on the right Horse and when he has done let him try his Skill by another Tentamen novum to make it fit as easie as he can I will not intrude upon his Province to enquire into the Reasons of multiplying Corrupt Editions in that Reign in which Debauchery and Corruption of Manners were in the Ascendant which might render it a little difficult for the Masters Printers to get sober and conscientious Correctors I am of this Gentleman's mind That some effectual course should be taken to rectifie not only this which is all his concern but other mistakes of the Press but we differ in the Method of curing these Evils He recommends to those in Authority the burning of one or more Bibles thus depraved as a proper Remedy P. 27 28. I confess I love not the burning of the Holy Bible especially for one literal mistake because by the same Rule all our Bibles might be in danger of the Flames for it will be very difficult if not next to impossible to find one Bible without a literal fault And it is not fit the Sacred Scriptures should be obnoxious to the Fiery Zeal of every peevish Critick or desigâ—ing Adversary who may take occasion to pick quarrels with 'em and demand Judgment against 'em for every Misdemeanour of the Press Tell it not in Gath That a Son of the Church and a Protestant Divine should make a Motion for the burning of Bibles at this time of day when our Popish Adversaries are threatning us and ready to add more Fuel to the Fire to consume all the rest But I leave this Incendiary to walk in the light of his own Fire and to warm himself at the Sparks that he hath kindled I humbly conceive the most proper means of obtaining more Correct Bibles would be the employing of persons of greater Diligence and Observation and of greater Care and Faithfulness than the Rector hath shew'd in examining the Errata of the Press Had he evidenced as good an Interest in these qualifications as he pretends to p. 22. he might have bid Fair for the Office of a Corrector of the Press which would have enabled him to serve his Generation to better purpose than he can do by Publishing Calumnies in the Name of God CHAP. IV. Vindicating Mr. B. and Exhibiting Ten Instances of the Rector's corrupt way of Citing the Holy Scriptures IN his Epistle he accuseth him also with corrupting the Word of God His Words are these Nor is this of Act. 6.3 the only Instance of this kind In the Dissenters Petition for Peace above Years since Act. 15.18 it should be 28. is thus cited To lay upon you no greater burden than necessary things that small word these being cunningly left out meerly to support their Proposition Mr. B. who drew up the Petition and since has been publickly charg'd for thus abusing the Scripture though he forgot not to acquaint us with the most trivial yea ridiculous Passages of his Life yet had not the ingenuity to Confess his Error nor yet the courage to palliate it with any Excuse Answer That great Man was not at leisure to take notice of nor disposed to Answer every trifling Accuser This Accusation is as groundless as it is malicious and therefore Mr. B. might easily pass it over in silence He that will make Silence an Argument of Guilt would have Condemned the most Innocent Person that ever was Matth. 26.63 Mr. B. urged that Text to prove that the Apostles imposed only necessary things and did not make unnecessary things necessary by meer Imposition his Words are these The Apostles and Elders Act. 15.28 declare unto the Churches that it seemed Good to the Holy Ghost and them to lay upon them no greater burden than necessary things imposing them because antecedently necessary for that is given as the reason of their Selection and Imposition and not only making unnecessary things necessary by Imposition for then the Imposition had been unnecessary tho it was not a simple unchangeable necessity yet it was a necessity by accident pro tempore loco antecedent to the Imposition of that Assembly Petit. for Peace p. 20. Lond. 1661. Here I desire the Reader to observe 1. That Mr. B. does not pretend to make a full Recital of the Words of the Decree but to give the Reason upon which it was grounded and that is the necessity of the things imposed They were not necessary meerly because imposed but imposed because necessary under present Circumstances Had the cited the very words of the Text he would have rendred 'em in the second person It seemed Good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden But he speaks in the 3d person It seemed Good to the Holy Ghost and them to lay upon them referring to the History and not to the very words of the Decree The Rector may as well quarrel with him for not mentioning the Canons of the Council v. 29. which he had no occasion to repeat as for leaving out the word these which