Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	kingdom_n	person_n	scotland_n	2,494	5	8.3989	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30235	The difficulty of and the encouragements to a reformation a sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons at the publick fast, Septem. 27, 1643 / by Mr. Anthony Burges ...	Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1643 (1643)	Wing B5643; ESTC R7338	25,238	35

the manner of proving and the matter or proofe it selfe we will gather two Doctrines seasonable for these times Doct. 1. That Gods Word is the onely rule and principle in matters of Religion and Reformation It holds à majori ad minus if the Prophets that were acted infallibly would yet confirme their matter delivered by Scripture how much rather others 2. From the matter or argument and in that the duty pressed Doct. 2. That it is a speciall duty upon all to remove all impediments and to make way for Christ when he is comming to us We will begin with the first Doct. The Word of God is the onely rule and principle in matters of Religion or Reformation It hath the properties of a Rule which are these 1. It is known and easie Psal. 19. 78. It is compared to a light and a Lanthorn to our feet Nor will that evasion of the Papists serve their turnes that it is lumen or light in it selfe but not quoad nos as if the Scripture were a light under the bushell God should then doe that which our Saviour saith no man doth for that the Scripture is light effective as well as formaliter appeares by the addition giving understanding to the simple Besides to be a light in it selfe but not quoad nos is a kind of contradiction seeing the light it hath is for us It is true indeed there is a two-fold obscurity one of matter which sometimes is so excellent and perfect that our understandings cannot reach it and so in this sense it is said the naturall man perceiveth not the things of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a naturall man one that doth excolere animam such as Aristotle and Tully but this blame is to be cast upon our understanding not the Scripture for as we say Sol est maxime visibilis Deus est maxime intelligibilis the Sunne is most visible and God most easie to be known because the one hath the greatest motive of seeing which is light and the other of being understood which is verity so are these truths most full of light if our understandings were opened The second obscurity is of the phrase and that the Scripture useth not in things essentiall to salvation and commonly what is obscurely set down in one place is cleare in another and shall not the Spirit of God which giveth a cleare understanding and expressions unto men be cleare See the Papists folly they hold it possible to fulfill the Law but not to understand it for when we urge that place Deut. 30. 12. The Word is not hidden from thee and it is very nigh thee Oh say they this is to be understood of the fulfilling of the Law not the knowing it wee conclude then the holy Scriptures are the holy Ladders whereby we climbe up into heaven and know Gods meaning 2. It is infallible and certain The infallibility of it is witnessed by those places where Gods Word is compared to Gold seven times refined and where it is said Heaven and earth shall sooner passe away then one jot or tittle a And so thy testimonies are sure By all this it appeareth that the Word of God is a fixed Canon it cannot be wrested and wyer-drawn so as to approve one thing to day and the contrary to morrow It is hellish blasphemy to compare it to a nose of Wax and to say that it is to be interpreted secundum currentem statum Ecclesiae as the condition of the Church altereth so must the Scripture alter thereby they confirme that of Tertullian Deus non erit Deus nisi homini placuerit God shall not be God unlesse man please If you say that the Apostle Peter speakes of some who did wrest the Scripture and put it upon the wrack This is to be granted concerning the words not the sence and matter of the Holy Ghost intended by those words That is invariable and cannot be a Reed shaken with every wind of interpretation and because Heretiques would flye to the words denying the sence therefore hath the Church of God been constrained to use new words to distinguish them by Irenaeus doth well compare Heretiques to the Beast Hyaena that imitates the Shepheards voyce and so by that meanes seduceth the Sheep into destruction Now this infallibility of the Word is so great that when some as Saul and Uzzah have gone against it as if their speciall considerations might give them a protection which were indeed faire and plausible yet they were severely punished by God 3. It is universall in regard of time place and persons so that he is the true and good Catholike that keeps to this Catholike rule The Word was ever a rule to declare unto the Church any thing besides that we have received nunquam licet nunquam licuit nunquā licebit Vinc. Lyr. Hence in the Old Testament Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this it is because there is no light in them Hence also the good Kings Hezekiah and Iosiah were guided by this pillar of fire when they set upon Reformation It was a rule in the New Testament therefore our Saviour often Luk. 10. 26. Psal. 11. 17. How readest thou and how is it written Paul when he would reform the abuses crept in the Church of Corinth about the Sacrament goeth to the first institution and as it was delivered from Christ And if wee consult with the Fathers we shall finde that this Scripture was the brook out of which they gathered those stones which they slung in the forehead of those Goliahs that oppressed the truth There was never any errour but it went up and down like Cain from one place to another fearing lest every place of Scripture that met it would kill it Then it is universall for all places as the Sun in the firmament is light for the whole world not for this Kingdome only or that but it is for Nations so is Gods Word a rule to England to Scotland to Rome to all where it is promulged Lastly it is universall to all persons for as the Psalmist saith of the Sunne there is nothing hid from the heat thereof so no person or persons are exempted from the Obligation of the Word there is none too great to have his faith and life controlled by it Hence it is able to make the man of God wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3. 17. And not onely a Minister but an whole Councell yea this is a rule that binds Kings and Parliaments We must all stoop to his Word 4. It is Indivisible When we say a rule is indivisible the meaning is that nothing may be added to it or detracted from it and this the Scripture in the close of all Rev. 22. challengeth to it self how great a breach of this truth hath been made when the Apocryphall Book and many other traditions and Ceremonies have been equallized to Scripture and made as necessary as