Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	authority_n	church_n	person_n	1,479	5	5.0691	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

pretended touching their interpretations who are accounted the expositors of it so that perspicuity which we ascribe to them is implicitely and in effect granted even by those who directly deny it and still persist in the holding of many corruptions that are repugnant to the said Scriptures to wit the Papists For whence else is it that they are not willing to have those controversies that are agitated betwixt them and us to be decided only by the Scriptures yea whence is it else that they pretend the interpretation of these Scriptures is to be setcht from their Church but only that they know or distrust that there is a plain and evident sense of the same Scriptures that makes against them and yet whether they will or no they are at length forced themselves also to have their recourse to the said Scriptures to prove thence that authority which they arrogate to their Church without which pretended and thus seemingly proved authority they cannot finde how they may so much as in show or appearance in any manner maintain their false opinions Since then it may appear from what hath been said that there are and still have been some common and universally received principles among all Christians namely the Holy-Scriptures from which the falshood of such opinions as are contrary to faith and hinderances of salvation may be demonstrated and since also that the said Scriptures are so clear in such matters and by all those that receive them directly or indirectly and in effect confest to be so there cannot be any necessity imagined why miracles should bee continued or at present renewed for the declaring of what is divine truth in this kind notwithstanding the foresaid great defection from and corruption of it The Scriptures so remaining and acknowledged being as a standing rule by the conformity or dissonance to which all opinions in matters of saith may for the soundnesse or unsoundnesse of them sufficiently be tried and judged of and therefore as to require or expect other rules or evidences beyond this namely those extraordinary ones of miracles for discerning such divine truth would be a tempting of God on our part so if God should in this case when he hath so sufficiently provided for us in reference to this end conferre the power of working miracles on men it would be in him a receding from that way of wisdom which he hath formerly observed by doing that where no necessity requires which only in cases of necessity he hath used to do But it may be here objected that wee see no such effect that the Scriptures have as to keep those who receive and entertain them in the enjoyment and profession of all necessary saving truths Christians are still divided by contrary opinions and many ensnared in destructive errours 1. To which I answer 1. that all points and matters of religion are not of that importance as to be reputed necessariò credenda or fundamentals some there are as the Apostle implies in that discourse of his touching dayes and meats Rom. 14. to which others of a like nature may be reduced in which as men may erre without necessarily hazarding their salvation so differences of judgement about such matters if there were that charity which anciently hath been and ought still by the lawes of Christ to be among Christians would not produce any breach of peace or amity amongst them that should so differ from one another so long as upon this supposall so much of divine truth is joyntly received and professed by them as is sufficient towards the making of them that thus differ the children of God here and so bringing them to the enjoyment of that inheritance which is designed onely for such hereafter 2. Those errours or differences in matters of religion which have been and are at this day either in fundamentals or in some lesser points among Christians are not truly to be imputed to any defect in Scripture as if it through its obscurity were the cause or occasion of them for as the Apostle sayes if the Gospel which sure is contained in his and other Apostelical writings now extant be hid or obscure it is so onely to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 that is to such as by their own wilfull impiety or carelesness in seeking make themselves incapable of finding and discerning the saving truths contained in it but these errours and differences are of right to be reckoned to have their original hence namely from a contempt or slighting of the said Scriptures while many are not willing in matters of faith to adhere solely unto them or to fetch the whole doctrine of Christ thence but with great reverence and almost equal to that which they pay to these have recourse to Councels and Fathers and Antiquity and judgements or confessions of Churches counting it in a manner piacular to dissent from or contradict these in sacred matters whereas all these ought with wise and sober men to be of no farther use or authority but onely to acquaint them what was the judgement of the Church of those times or of such persons and companies of men as then lived or that yet are remaining in such matters and that we should not lightly and without good reason recede from those opinions which have been approved by them but for any to extend the authority of any or of all these farther that is obstinately to retain some opinions because they are found to bee approved by the foresaid Fathers c. when as the Scripture in our apprehension and it may be really makes truly against them this is to put out our own eyes and onely to see by theirs yea this is to put them in the place of God and their judgement in stead of his word the Scripture and so is that which is not onely a debasing of our selves into a degree of servility below that wherein God has placed us and which indeed he hath forbidden us by making our selves thus the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 but is also a direct contempt and slighting of the Scripture and consequently that which may expect the falling into errours both as the effect and punishment of such contempt to attend upon it as we see at this day it is among Papists and so proportionably with others that love in this kinde to tread in their steps The truth is as it would be a perplext and endlesse way to go about to trace or finde out divine truth by consulting the writings of Fathers or written Canons and Decrees of Councels of several Ages some of which are certainly lost and the rest which are extant are not easie to be got nor possible to be read by all and withal as it would be a way liable to the same or rather far greater uncertainty then that which is pretended by some against Scripture for the seeming obscurity of it in regard those Fathers and Councels do not only abound in equally obscure expressions as may appear to

and those that are made ordinarily in war for conquering them that stand out the latter usually are successful wholly against the wills of the attempted it being the glory of this war to constrain men by violence to submit themselves and become their captives but the former in respect of the nature of Religion Christ being King only of a willing people can be no further successful then the persons attempted yield themselves in some kinde to be wrought upon or at least do not wilfully and malitiously oppose themselves if they shew themselves towards these holy things these pearls laid before them like dogs or swine contemners or deriders of them if by their obstinate and resolute going on in evil they proclaim as the Jews did once that they judge themselves unworthy of eternal Life Acts 13.46 then they are to be turned aside from and not to expect any violence to force them to this submission this being that which would destroy the nature of it and make it no submission that is no voluntary unconstrained submission which is the only submission that Christ approves of But besides this general hold or reasoning of the flesh which seems common to all natural men there are to be conceived some other more particular holds in this kinde intended by the Apostle such as have a strength more then ordinary and are the peculiar fortresses of some certain sorts of persons of the highest repute in the world making their subduing that is their conversion unto Christ usually a harder work then ordinary and these are nothing else but those reasonings which worldly wisdom and learning and the enjoyment of great places or riches in the world suggest to men to keep them off from a through submission unto Christ or obedience to the Gospel Now such persons may be considered 1. Either as they were in the Apostles times wholly unconverted to so much as an outward profession of the doctrine of Christ 2. Or as they are now in our times being outward professours of it but for the most part denying the power thereof without which they are to be conceived in as bad an estate as the former that is persons that have need still to be subdued and brought into the way of salvation 1. Touching the former what their reasonings were in this kinde may be collected partly from what the Scripture either expressely testifies or implyes and partly from what we find recorded in the Ecclesiastical stories of the times immediately following the summe of both which may be reduced to these 2 heads 1. Such as immediately tend to uphold the credit of their superstitions and idolatrous worship and customes that they were to be subdued from 2. Such as tend to discredit or vilifie this doctrine of Christ that they were to be perswaded to 1. Touching the first head they alledge Antiquity that they were things that they had been long accustomed to of which the world had had a continued and long possession their fathers and fore-fathers for many generations before had been professors of them and why should not respect and credit be given to such antiquity why should not we tread in the steps of our fathers as they have happily done in the steps of them that went before them it cannot but be an arrogating to our selves more then is due and a detracting from them that which of right belongs to them yea an exposing them to scorn and disgrace to disallow and cast off that religion which they so long and close were addicted to and instead thereof entertain one so new as was never so much as heard of or mentioned in their dayes Lib. 10. ep 61. Thus Symmachus servanda est tot saeculis fides sequendi sunt nostri parentes qui secuti sunt feliciter suos sera est contumeliosa emendatio senectutis 2. These wayes of worship were generally and universally used they were not the practise and so grounded on the judgement and approbation only of some few persons or of one nation but all persons and nations generally did concur in the same judgement and practise Act. 19.27 This Diana saith Demetrius that Paul preacheth against all Asia and the world worshippeth Thus they had both antiquity and universality to plead for what they professed and to this adde a third taken from authority 3. They were not the professions of the vulgar or unlearned only who might perhaps be mistaken and deceived but of the greatest Statists of persons most learned and wise and exact in their judgments and such as were of most eminent account and place every where in the world Besides they had been so well things had so flourisht and thriven with them under this worship that great cause they had to have a reverent esteem of it and it would be no smal folly in them to change it for that which the world had little experience of and might think from that it had that it was more likely to cast them upon new miseries and troubles then any way better their condition These or the like we may conceive were the reasonings or strong holds whereby the Gentiles in the primitive times especially the great ones of them were confirmed in their love to and practise of their old superstitions and so consequently made more opposite to the doctrine and religion of Christ There are yet some other reasonings that served more directly to fortifie them in their opposition to this doctrine and they were nothing else but the prejudices and exceptions that they had against it as 1. That it was altogether a new worship a thing that the world had not been formerly acquainted with may we know said some at Athens to Paul what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest Act. 17.19 20 18. is for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears and in the former verse others said he seems to be a setter forth of strange gods because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection Is there any likelihood that that should be true and worthy to be believed that the world generally for so many ages together hath had no knowledge may not wee well think that if it were as is pretended a doctrine proceeding from God he would have long before this communicated it to others as well as to those persons that are now the first publishers of it 2. That the persons that were publishers abettors of it were but obscure ignoble persons such as were no way eminent in the world or equal for learning and authority to those that opposed it and so likewise those that submitted to it were generally only of the meaner sort ignoble and simple persons of the multitude who could not consider what was truly for their honour and therefore were easie to be perswaded to any thing but for them that were wise and knowing persons and knew how to value their credit in the world such as the rulers and the Pharisees Joh. 7.48 they

every where sufficiently declared their dislike and enmity against it and this sure could not but be another great prejudice to fortifie such in their gentilism and standing out against the doctrine of Christ that it was not only a thing new in it self But that no others generally shewed themselves commenders or professors of it but only contemptible and obscure persons 3. That mens mindes were every where possessed with hatred against it as for this sect said the Jews to Paul we know that every where it is spoken against Act. 28.22 yea not only spoken against but so far seemed God from owning or blessing it those that were the most zealous professors and maintainers of it met with nothing but bonds and imprisonment c ue ty or infamous deaths as rewards of their service the world hereby declaring at once its enmity against this doctrine and the professors of it and also its judgement of both that it held the former as no small crime and the latter for a sort of the most vile and unworthy persons such as were not fit to live in the world 4. There was another not the least prejudice which was common both to Jew and Gentile immediately respecting the first author of this doctrine himself namely that he whom his followers pretended was now in heaven and had power as they affirmed to bestow a glorious and eternal life after this upon his servants which was the only allective whereby they could hope to draw others to them that he when here on earth should appear to be no other then a vile infirm and infamous person that he should be made subject to mockings and whippings and a wretched death as his followers have been since without manifesting any power he had either of executing any revenge upon the persons that so used him or rescuing himself out of their hands can it be thought that the King of Israel the glorious Messiah that was so long spoke of by the Prophets before he came and had such great and excellent things affirmed of him that he now when he was come should be so far short of those ordinary kings that went before him as not only to have no retinue answerable in Pomp and greatnesse to what they had but also be exposed to such indignities as use not to befall any save the vilest sort of men is it likely but if he had been indeed such a person he would either have saved himself from the Crosse or being upon it he would as he was desired have come down thence and so have manifested his power that his enemies might have believed in him This is that reasoning that the Jewes heretofore and still to this day make use of for fortifying themselves in their infidelity and opposition against the doctrine of Christ And thus the great and wise ones of the Gentiles strengthned themselves in the like opposition they could not see how he who was so inglorious himself as it sufficiently appeared to the world Christ was by his messengers constantly preaching of his crosse and sufferings could ever come to have such a power as they affirmed he had of conferring such transcendent glory on others neither could they with all their wisdom and learning apprehend indeed they rather hindred them in this matter how outward sufferings and afflictions and death which in themselves as their reason told them was the way to or rather made up extreme misery and unhappinesse how these things should be as the Apostles affirmed they were the certain road to supreme glory and happinesse this was in their judgement an absurd and foolish thing to imagine and so in this respect Christ and the doctrine publisht by him and his servants became a stumbling block to the Jewes and to the Gentiles foolishnesse the very consideration and belief of somewhat which was true of both as namely that Christ was a person that suffered such great evils on earth and that he had taught that others by the like sufferings must expect to come to glory and happinesse was a ground whereon their wisdome built such reasonings as became a strong hold or fortresse to make them persist in their enmity against both And by all this we see what several reasonings or strong holds there were wherewith men were generally fenced against the doctrine of Christ all which were of necessity to be battered down and demolisht before it could have entrance into their mindes or they be brought to yield submission unto him And to these may be added some other reasonings in the like kind but more immediately of the devils invention that father of lies having not that truth in them which the former are to be conceived to have for the ground of them namely those false calumnies raised against the professours of this doctrine Tertul. Apol. Minut. felix as that they were haters of mankind that their meetings were for sedition or to enjoy a promiscuous satisfaction of their lusts that they killed young children and used sorceries and inchantments c. by which means we must conceive further that men were still more estranged and the strong holds erected against Christ became more powerfull and hard to be subdued Now I should shew you how these weapons formerly spoke of in the Apostles and others hands were effectuall in great part for beating down these holds for silencing and confuting these severall reasonings but first it will be fit for us to observe by reflecting upon those reasons that we have named who they are to be compared to or rather who they are true imitatours of that make use of the very same reasons in effect that is of the reasons of Pagans or unbelieving Jewes for their persisting in any old opinion or custome or opposing of that which is newly perhaps discovered and that it may be by men of no great eminency in the world Thus the Papists they plead antiquity of those corruptions of theirs which we have rejected that they and their fathers before them have thus believed and practised They plead also universality all the Christian world at that time when Luther began to oppose them and still the greatest part yet hold the same opinions with them they plead also authority many learned Councels and Fathers heretofore and at present great Cardinals and Kings and men that excell in all kind of learning as many of their Jesuites do are not onely professours but Patrons and maintainers of them that these their corruptions as we call them have had the blessing of God going along with them their Churches at present as they have long flourishing in splendour and riches and high dignities which they enjoy And to these may be added further their usuall allegations against that truth wee professe as its novelty when Luther first publisht it where was it say they for so many ages before him what number of persons or company of men can wee name that held those opinions that we do now and was all