Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	jesus_n	lord_n	world_n	5,473	5	4.3660	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42880	Panta dokimazete a sermon treating of the tryall of all things by the Holy Scriptures, the confest rule of faith and practice : shewing the deplorable abuse of that rule, with an attempt touching the examen of ceremonies / delivered in St. Paul's Cathedral November 8, being the xxi Sunday after Trinity, by J.G.	Goad, J. (John), 1616-1689.	1664 (1664)	Wing G902; ESTC R535	23,350	40

be proved to be not sincere by the strength of Reason as to deny Tribute to Caesar and yet see the superscription to wipe the outside and let the inside be filthy to behold the mote in my brothers eye and not consider the beam in my own eye to be uncovered in the presence of my Master and not to shew the same reverence in the presence of my God I could adde more but I shall be too long on this point only this must not be omitted That Religion without Reason may carry us into a Frenzy I would this Land of ours did not shew you the truth of what I deliver The Spirit of God is no frantick Spirit but the Spirit of love and a sound mind 2 Tim. i. 7. The Apostle asks his disorderly Corinthians what they mean Will not they say that you are mad 1 Cor. xiv 21. The Apostle would not have us be of a crackt Religion If then the Light of Nature implanted in us be such a Light which we must have recourse to when the case serves if that must also with the holy Scriptures have some share in proving all things then we are something toward a settlement we have what will keep us sober at least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks Rom. xii 3. We shall put up no hideous impudent pretences that shall dare to thwart this Light we shall not be wild or brutish with the untamed Heifers or the wild Ass that snuffes in the Wilderness we shall not be like the populous Fish of the Sea that have no Ruler we shall not preach down Crowns and Scepters the Ordinance of God and Nature and set that new Magistrate the People above them On pretence of Freedom we shall not bring in Confusion and invade other mens Estates on the Plea of Saintship we shall not from the example of Jael Phineas and the Canaanite preach hideous Massacres of all the Loyal Party to such numerous Congregations which are able to do the feat we shall not with those Fanaticks in Jeremy vii 10. believe that we can possibly be redeemed even to commit such abominations we shall have none strip themselves of Shame and Garments and display themselves Naked through our once civil Streets none will desie the civilities of a salute we shall not study to do things quite contrary to humanity only because all mankind that were in their wits had done so before we shall not forget we are men because we are fellow creatures we shall save our natures if we do not save our souls And so much for the first particular Prove all things which concern Conscience by the Rule of holy Scripture but at no hand excluding the Light of Reason or Nature Our second particular treats of the proof in matters of Faith Faith strictly so called in which sense not every point of Spiritual Knowledge is an Article of Faith i. e. necessary to salvation the Scriptures are the Rule of both Faith and Spiritual Knowledge but so as their interpretation keep a fair correspondence with the Rule of Faith the Creed the publick confession of Christ from the first minute of Christianity made in the Church by all the Candidates of the holy Baptism as you hear by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Person I believe c. Which confession is brought down to after Ages not in Tables of Stone saith Saint Hierome but in the hearts of them that believe unto righteousness and in the mouths of those that have made confession to salvation For to this very practice doth the Apostle there referre Rom. x. The greatest searchers into the annals of the Church Voss de Symb. confess that the Apostles Creed as now it stands was in use above twelve hundred years ago viz. before four hundred years after Christ Let us take their grant and let us ask them in the Name of Christ Was the Apostles Creed then thought an Innovation such inferences giddy people are apt to make But if we look into the Scriptures there we shall find that Catechism into the Faith of Christ and Confession of the same is elder then the very name of Christian Acts xi 26 as it must be because nothing else could give them that name Elder by some years then the writings of the New Testament Saint Lukes Theophilus was catechis'd into Christian Religion before the Evangelist wrote his Gospel S. Luke i. 4 The Creed and the summe of Christianity differ secundum magis minus a straiter and a larger compass the Creed believes the Son of God the summe of Christianity saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one substance with the Father This believes the Resurrection of the Body that explaines it self a Shining and Glorious Body they differ not in substance but as the Bud and the Rose in Explication only Now the summe of Christianity is the Immediate Rule of Faith the Scriptures being the Rule quatenus They contain in them this great Pawn and Pledg the grand Depositum of our Religion This Depositum was left with the Church and also committed to writing Left with the Church thence the Apostle exhorts in in several places to hold it fast So 2 Tim. i. 13 Hold fast the Form of sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Observe first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Form of sound words a Draught a Breviate so Ptolomy calls his Maps of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Form and a Rule Thus is our LORD's Prayer a Form of sound words and a Rule viz. of Prayer the Decalogue a Form of sound words and a Rule of Life Observe 2ly a Form of sound words or rather sound Articles and Propositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for single words are not capable of soundness or of the contrary Thirdly the Contents of this Form the Credenda and Agenda as all Creeds rightly understood do contain Matters of Faith and Matters of Practise witness that Article of Remission of sins Gloriously and Catholickly explained by I believe one Baptisme to Remission of sins Now these Credenda and Agenda the Apostle calls Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Next that this Form must be held fast that 's some signe it was of no unreasonable extent it must be grassed first before it can be held fast such as doth not overlade the Memorie as the Apostle seems to speak 1 Cor. xv 2 where he is explicating the Articles of the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Construe it how you please it makes for us Now to tell us that at first Voss de 36. Symb. dep 3. p. 14 it was enough for the Baptized to profess Belief in the Lord Jesus or the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Act. ii ch viii 12 c. is contrary to those very Scriptures and Reason For he that believeth in the Lord Jesus doth not believe in those two words only but in all those Great Things concerning him All that he

Moral and Spiritual good to be held fast when found by Faith and a tenacious observance Now since all Acts of Examen and Probation are made with respect to some Rule as in Angles the Square in Levels the Plumb-line in Measures the Standard our chief enquiry must be what is this Rule according to which our Examen must proceed And secondly Who are the proper Judges to fit on these things Whether every one of the Laity or Clergie only To whom for certain it only belongs in a special manner Rev. 11.2 Upon which account some very Learned and Christian men have restrain'd the Precept here to them only Yet I shall not deny them nor do they I think their right of Tryal and Judgement even as far as they themselves shall venture when they shall be rightly instructed in the true nature of application of the Rule on one hand which is our business and consider soberly and meekly the more petite measures of their own Parts and Graces seeing God dispenseth not his Talents to all equally but divideth to each man severally as he pleaseth I say I shall not deny them nor indeed can I the way I go provided they use the Rule according to the Authors minde and withal keep themselves within the bounds that God and Nature hath set them as they will answer dearly to God for the contrary who will have every member to know his own station as lusty and liking and thriving as he may be in his own esteem Howbeit since the Act of Examining and Proving in the Text supposing the Rule with the Spirit of God toward the admission and love of it is an Act of the Understanding it is clear that the rational man is the proper Judge here regarded the Scripture many times referring things even to our Judgment 1 Cor. x. 15. Luke XII 57. and all the world knows that Judgment is an Act of the Understanding For as in the first admittance of the Rule we did not take it up upon an easie credulity as the Atheist upbraids us but upon most weighty moment abundantly courting and pressing us for our assent so after that assent the same Reason which draws conclusions for her own use is able to turn and taste of those which she sinds drawn to her hand But in this her Estimate of so sacred a thing as Religion she is not a little jealous and cautious because a Drug or Jewel the more pretious it is the more do men study how to adulterate it The Case is plain Religon is not the Fools Gospel it despises not the Fool neither provided he be a docile i.e. a wise Fool. The Body consists not of Babes only it hath its men and the Scriptures call upon us to be men in understanding that we may approve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 1. the things that are excellent for so Hesychius explains the word in all judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to that Psal 119. Teach me good judgment and knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Hebrew a spiritual taste to distinguish joyn'd in that place with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man saies at least I cannot that Reason can make out the mysteries of Religion the Holy Trinity c. But that Religion hath to do with Reason appears because no other creature is capable of Religion and no Law of God can lay hold of us without it Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit Adultery doth not reach us but upon these reasonable Suppositions 1. That God speaks to All 2. That We are some of that number For that Reason makes inference from the sacred Text observe the Apostle who having occasion to apply that place of Scripture to our Lord Christ He hath put all things under his feet steps in and sayes that 'T is Manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him 1 Cor. xv 27. Manifest to what but to Reason as in another place 'T is manifest that we can carry nothing out of this world Manifest to sense it self But then how our Lord himself uses arguments and deductions from the Text. 'T is excellent for every one that loves the praxis of Reason to consider how he handles the Pharisees and Sadducees and worsts them as in case of the Sabbath Do the Priests saith he do such butcherly work as kill and flay the sacrifice for the ends of God and may not my Disciples grinde an ear of corn for the ends of nature S. Matth. xii 5. May David's Hunger entrench upon the Shew-bread and must we starve in the midst of a Corn-field ver 3. and if Circumcision when he had heal'd on the Sabbath that wounding Ceremony be no violation a healing Miracle sure saith he is no breach S. Joh. vii 23. Thus in the question of the Souls Immortality he argues S. Matth. xii 32. If God entitled himself to be the God of Abraham and Isaac then sure they have a perpetual Being and subsistence with their God for 't is no Title of Honour to be the God of the Dead those that are not the better for him as They that have no subsistence are not Ergo. And once more in the case of Blasphemy S. Joh. x. 34. Jesus answered Is it not written in your Law I said you are Gods If he call them Gods to whom the Word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken say ye of him c. Nay since one way of Probation of all our Hopes our ever blessed Jesus to be the Messias lies in deduction from the Prophesies of the Old Testament it will be but wrong to intelligent men to say any more The reasonable man then is constituted the Judge after examination and proof to bring in his Inference What is the Rule now The Answer that is justly expected here is the Scriptures the Word of God and of his Prophets the Law and the Gospel the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ And this Answer takes its date from the time in which the Church of God first owned the Canon as now it stands For however it pleased God to tutour the Patriarchs by Tradition and other Revelations and to found the Christian Church by the oral Preaching of the Apostles it is evident that since he hath committed Both Testaments to Writing seeing 't is his Word it is our RULE and being such no question hath lost nothing by the writing All confessing that God had designes of safety and conservation of that his Word to the respective after-ages when first he began the writing part himself I might adde to this that ONELY Scripture is the Rule but then I must crave leave to distinguish and take heed that the word Onely be a just exclusive of what is extraneous to Scripture not to have any malignancy against ought that hath natural intimacy and consanguinity with it Of this nature are these Let notional men dispute how