Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	faith_n	scripture_n	6,265	5	6.0885	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56628	Christs counsel to his church in two sermons preached at the two last fasts : one April xi. MDCLXXX, the other December xxi. MDCLXXX / by Symon Patrick ...	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1681 (1681)	Wing P770; ESTC R22417	50,470	126

Communion Which have so far degenerated from the primitive Christianity such is the mischief of not reflecting perpetually upon what was first delivered and received that their Religion looks more like the old Paganism revived in a new shape than that good old way of worshipping God which our Saviour taught when He came to destroy the works of the Devil And they were still plunging themselves further into such gross Superstitions as endangered the very Being of Christianity by magnifying the Blessed Virgin and St. Francis to such a degree that they were regarded more than Christ himself that a Reformation became absolutely necessary and was generally desired as it were easie to shew by men of the greatest note in these parts of Christendome for choise learning and piety Nay in that very Council which they themselves packt to hinder the Reformation that of Trent I mean Ten several Kingdomes and States desired both by their Ambassadors and Prelates That the Cup in the holy Communion might be restored to the people from whom it had been sacrilegiously taken to the manifest violation of the Christian Religion which had instituted it in both kinds And many pressed for Divine Service in a known tongue the want of which was another palpable corruption and shameless abuse in the Roman Church Which many desired might be reformed in other Particulars but nothing could be obtained from them who were resolved to baffle all these pious endeavours In order to which they took such a course that there were more Italian Bishops in that Council who would vote as they were directed sometime more by twenty sometime by an hundred than there was of all the World beside So that in effect all these Parts of Christendom would have reformed had not Italy opposed it and craftily combined by all manner of artifices to hinder these honest intentions Which blessed be God prevailed notwithstanding in this Church and were so zealously and yet so prudently prosecuted that we were happily purged by the singular Grace of God to us from all those corruptions which had infected the Body of Religion without the loss of any part of that Truth which was anciently and at first received For when we reformed we did not set up a new Religion as they falsely and foolishly accuse us but only cast out their novel errours and reduced all things to the ancient Standard or Rule of Faith and Worship which was once delivered to the Saints that is to the Church of Christ As will appear by applying all this to our selves and remembring you as briefly as I can what it is that we received and have often since heard to be the true Doctrine of Christianity as it stands reformed from the corruptions and abuses of the Roman Church 1. Which is no other than that which the Church of Sardis and all the rest at first received The fundamental Principle of our Religion being this That all things necessary to be believed and done for the obtaining salvation are contained and plainly enough expressed in the holy Scriptures A Compendium of which as to matters of Faith is drawn up in the Apostles Creed as it is explained by the famous Council of Nice which comprehends all things that are necessary to be believed in order to eternal life 2. Yet we acknowledge that it is not sufficient as you have often heard to believe but though our sincere profession of Faith according to what is revealed in the holy Scriptures and comprehended in the Creed do enter us into the state of Justification yet the fruits of Faith in a godly life are absolutely necessary to continue us in it For that very Faith which justifies us doth imply and include in it a purpose and is accompanied with a promise of holy obedience Which if it be not performed we cannot be accepted with God nor claim the promise of eternal life This is another Principle which we have received 3. And among the rest of the duties which are required of us by our Faith the holy Scriptures teach us this as plainly as any whatsoever That Christian People ought to have a great regard to their Pastors the Guides and Conductors of their Souls in the way to Heaven whose spiritual authority over them is to be reverenced though not as infallible yet as most valuable not to be followed blindfold but fit to be consulted on all occasions and most to be relied on in dubious cases There is no principle of the Reformation more undoubted than this That a Pilot is not more necessary in a Ship or a Shepherd to watch over the Flock than such spiritual Shepherds and Guides are to teach direct and govern Christ's Church and that among other means and helps which Christian people should use to understand the Scriptures the direction of their Guides is the chief To whom it belongs as to receive men into the Church by Baptism so after they are thus born again to breed them up in their Religion as their spiritual Parents to expound and interpret to them the holy Writings and out of them to instruct the ignorant convince Gainsayers correct the peoples mistakes reprove their sins stir them up to all the Duties of a holy life satisfie the scrupulous censure the contumacious absolve the penitent and administer comfort to dejected Spirits The people indeed ought to examine whether the things they deliver out of the Scripture be so or no as the Beroeans did and are commended for it xvii Acts and conscientiously to discern between truth and falshood between the right faith and rule of life propounded to them by their Pastors and the poysoned Doctrine of Hereticks and Deceivers But they must not judge alone without their direction and guidance nor hastily conclude their Teachers to be in the wrong nor rashly dissent from them and refuse to follow their direction but rather suspect themselves and enquire further when they think they ought not to assent to them and in the issue if the things they deliver be not plainly against the holy Scriptures to suspect their own judgments rather than contradict those whom God without all doubt hath appointed to be their Instructors and Guides By which principle we have quite shut out the Roman tyranny on one hand who would lead the people blindfold whereas we endeavour to make them see and require them to open their eyes and show them that we do not mislead them and avoided also on the other hand the wild frantick liberty of those who will not be led at all but go alone and guide themselves by their own private judgment As by the other principle also of sticking to the Scriptures in all things necessary to salvation we have cut off all the fond Traditions of the Roman Church which they have equalled with the Scriptures and yet have retained many things of ancient observation which were not absolutely necessary but not sinful for peace and decency sake Because we would not seem to have undertaken

much more to revile and rail at their Authority And yet some have proceeded thus far in their opposition to them nay deny they have any Authority at all The woful effects of which we see as in other things so in the Divisions that are among us which have opened a Gap for Popery and we all fear will bring it in But we will not see as we ought to do that all those Divisions have sprung from this other Cause and still are maintained and widened by the general contempt of those whose Guidance ought to be religiously observed which if we will not regard as God commands us we shall inevitably run our selves out of our Religion For our Divisions which this Day we come to lament we all confess will do the business if they be not cured And of all the ways of Cure which are now thought of we seem resolved to wave the principal if not the only way of Gods own prescribing The method of which I shall faithfully and plainly lay before you that thereby you may judge what is like to become of us if it be neglected We all grant I believe that the right means to avoid or to remedy Contentions and Divisions in the Church are as clearly set down in the holy Scriptures as any Rule of life whatsoever For otherwise they would be extreamly defective in that thing which is most necessary for the preservation of the Religion which they teach 1. Now if you search the holy Scriptures with never so little diligence you cannot but observe there is a Duty frequently inculcated of reverence and obedience to Christs Ministers which if the people will not pay according to the evident meaning of such places as I shall mention anon it is impossible that the Society of the Church should be kept in unity but must necessarily break in pieces and be dissolved 2. We must add indeed That the Ministers of Christ ought also to take special care to be such wise and faithful Stewards in Christs houshold that the people may be inclined with the greater forwardness to obey their directions For which end their Duty is no less plainly and amply set down in the holy Scriptures and such extraordinary caution is given by Saint Paul about the admission of persons into holy Orders that were his directions sincerely followed and did the people as He enjoins adhere unto them in hearty love and esteem of them for their works sake there would be a marvellous encrease of Christian knowledg and goodness without that strife and contention which now blasts them both 3. But if Princes do not make such good choice as they ought of spiritual Governours or if those spiritual Governours by their negligence ordain worse inferiour Ministers yet the Authority of ordering or reforming things doth not by devolution come to the people nor will this justifie their disobedience to them But their Christian Duty is as manifest in this Case as in any other which lyes in these two things First They ought to fall the more earnestly to their Prayers both for their King and for all in authority under him especially their spiritual Pastors The Scripture enjoyns both and the gross neglect of both is one cause things are no better among us What other meaning is there of those words of the Apostle 1 Tim. ii 1 2. I will that supplications c. be made for all men for Kings and for all in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And why doth the same Apostle frequently desire the Church would be helping by Prayers for him who needed them less than we do but to teach all Christians how earnestly they should recommend those to Gods guidance who are to guide them Read 2 Cor. i. 11. vi Ephes 19. and other places And if they find that their prayers are ineffectual there being no amendment in those that should take care of them their Duty Secondly is to examine seriously and lay to heart the cause why they cannot prevail and a little consideration will teach them that in all likelihood it proceeds from their own sins who deserve no better Governours and Pastors For as the Prophet speaks in the next Chapter to the second Lesson for Evening Prayer lix Isai 1 2. The Lord's hand is not shortened that He cannot save neither his ear heavy that He cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that He will not hear And for what sins do you think it is more probable that God is angry with us in this Nation and will not hear the prayers of this people than their disesteem of Christs Ministers even of the best of them their contempt of their Office their proneness to disobedience nay their scurrility and scoffing at all spiritual Authority and such like sins expresly forbidden in Gods holy Word With which this Church alas abounds a great deal more than with supplications and prayers to God for them All are more forward to find fault if not to rail and revile than to beseech God of his infinite mercy to give them Pastors after his own heart or to examine their own Consciences how they have provoked God by their unprofitableness at least under the best means of Grace that He hath bestowed upon them 4. But let us suppose further That the Governours and Pastors of the Church are not only negligent but exceed the bounds of their Authority as it seems to the people by enjoyning things which they take to be unlawful yet this will not warrant their contempt of their Authority and their casting off all obedience to them But two things are to be considered Whether they be certain the Commands of their Governours are unlawful or they only fear they are In the first Case indeed they ought not to be obeyed in such things but by the peoples care to obey in all others which they judge to be lawful they ought to demonstrate that it is only respect to God which makes them not comply in things which seem to them to be apparently unlawful And so unity in most things being preserved they will be the easier brought to see their errours on one side or other But in the other case when they are not certain the things commanded are unlawful which is the common cause of all our Divisions but only suspect them to be so it seems to be reason that the people should not disobey a certain Command of God which requires them to submit to their Governours when they are not certain there is a cause for their refusal The most that can be allowed them is humbly to desire those Laws may be altered or if the Rulers of the Church who are the proper Judges of such matters cannot think it safe to make such alterations as are desired then barely to suspend their obedience in what they fear is unlawful till they can be better