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religion_n authority_n church_n scripture_n 4,231 5 6.1426 4 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A42270 A short defence of the church and clergy of England wherein some of the common objections against both are answered, and the means of union briefly considered. Grove, Robert, 1634-1696. 1681 (1681) Wing G2160; ESTC R21438 56,753 96

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Gift of the Spirit by which they have matter and expressions suggested unto them in the performance of that duty It must first be made appear that they have indeed such a Gift before the Exercise of it can be proved to be necessary Or granting that they had this Gift it is very evident that it might be restrained for the preventing of disorder and great inconveniencies in the Church which might easily arise upon the unlimited Exercise of it But the moderation of the Church of England may put an end to this dispute for in Pulpit Prayer some liberty of expression has been generally taken and seems to be allowed by the Canon and will not be condemned in any that know how to make a prudent and sober use of it And since our prescribed Form does not exclude all exercise of mens private Gifts it is not reasonable that the pretence of these Gifts should deprive the Church of the great advantages of such a Form What has been sometimes confidently spoken and as easily believed by credulous men concerning Praying with the Spirit I shall not mention because I think it will not now be insisted on since it is manifest from the Text that that phrase imports no more but only Praying in an unknown tongue which was a Gift that some had in those first times but cannot be applyed to our present controversie I shall not weigh the conveniencies and inconveniencies that may be imagined on either hand though I suppose the advantage might lye on our side Neither shall I examine the particular exceptions against the Liturgy established amongst us I do not judge any of them material enough to make us break the peace of the Church for their sakes or to justifie our living in an open and constant contempt of Authority But if any thing in it can be made appear to be repugnant to the word of God I am very sure that the wisdom and piety of our Governours would never rest till it were altered And therefore having indeavoured to shew that set Forms of ●●ayer may be lawfully used I think the Church of England cannot be blamed for having injoyned the use of them I shall add nothing farther here but only desire those that do approve of the publick way of Worship now received amongst us that they would be serious and affectionate at their devotions and very careful that they do not discredit their prof●●●●on by a loose and unholy life For those that canno● yet be perswaded to join with us I would take leave to advise them that they would be very cautious how they censure or despise those that do And for such as do not altogether like it but yet can allow themselves to come sometimes to our assemblies I would earnestly beg them to give God their hearts while they are there and not sit as if they were wholly unconcerned in the petitions that are putting up much less to esteem it a piece of Religion to behave themselves irreverently during the time of divine Service SECT IV. The last thing in the Church of England which I shall mention is concerning Ecclesiastical Laws By these we understand such Rules and Constitutions as not being contrary to the word of God may be made for the better regulating of our external Worship and the more orderly administration of Discipline in matters not particularly determined in the Holy Scripture And in places where the State is not Christian the Authority of the Church alone is sufficient for the perfect establishment of such Laws but where Christianity is the received Religion of the Country they are to be confirmed by the concurrence of the Civil Power before they can have their full obligation But it cannot well be questioned but that there is a Power in the Church of making such Constitutions as these For the Church is a Society of Christians and therefore there must be some Authority in it to govern the several members of which it is composed or else it would be immediately dissolved and brought to confusion And if there be such an Authority then it may command us in those things that are not forbidden in the Written Word For these are in themselves indifferent and may be injoined by Authority and done by us without any Sin For our Governors are no more forbidden to command them than we are to do them and if they do command them it cannot be conceived that the command of a Lawful Power should make that Unlawful which was not so before it was commanded The Church in all ages has assumed such a Power and was never that I remember condemned for the exercise of it In the famous Council held at Jerusalem where many of the Apostles were present three of the four things which they decreed to be observed were absolutely indifferent upon the Christian Principles and were nothing but prudential determinations which the necessity of the times seemed to require that they might not give too great a Scandal to the converted Jews who still retained a mighty veneration for their antient Law nor hinder others of that Nation from imbracing the Faith which was then newly published in the World And if such things were determined by the Apostles their example may be thought a good plea to justifie those that succeeded them in the Government of the Church if they do no more than what must be confessed to have been done by them in the like cases If any should imagine that this power in things indifferent was peculiar unto them and such a one as was not to be derived upon their successors It is more I believe than can be proved and we have this strong presumption against it We know that there were others besides them concerned in the determinations of that Council St James that gave the definitive sentence was none of the twelve and Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this question and upon the result of the debate they are called The Decrees that were ordained of the Apostles and Elders The other Elders were to be consulted and gave their voices in the matter of that controversie as well as the Apostles so that these Decrees were not made by any Power that was proper and personally inherent only in them but by such a one as was common to them with the other Elders and therefore must be a part of their ordinary Jurisdiction which was always to continue in the Church They were indeed divinely inspired but they cannot be more safely followed than in those things in which we know them to have been guided by the Holy Ghost Thus I am sure the primitive Christians always understood it They called Councils and made Canons and had several usages which they thought were to be observed though they were not expresly to be found in the Scripture And when they injoined any thing of this nature they did not look upon themselves as guilty of usurping a Power