Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	catholic_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,797	4	6.6121	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10650	An explication of the hundreth and tenth Psalme wherein the severall heads of Christian religion therein contained; touching the exaltation of Christ, the scepter of his kingdome, the character of his subjects, his priesthood, victories, sufferings, and resurrection, are largely explained and applied. Being the substance of severall sermons preached at Lincolns Inne; by Edward Reynoldes sometimes fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford, late preacher to the foresaid honorable society, and rector of the church of Braunston in Northhampton-shire.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1632 (1632)	STC 20927; ESTC S115794	405,543	546

the same spirituall truth and power towards the Church therefore all the faithfull who are any where by these multitudes of Preachers taught what the truth is in Iesus doe all by the secret sway and conduct of the same Spirit of Grace whose peculiar office it is to guide his Church in all necessary and saving truth with an admirable consent of heart and unitie of judgement incline to the same end and walke in the same way acknowledging no monarch over their consciences but CHRIST nor any other ministeriall application of his regall power in the Catholike Church but onely by severall Bishops and Pastours who in their severall particular compasses are endowed with as plenary and ample ministeriall power as the Pope and his Consistorie within the See of Rome Secondly that Peter was Prince and Monarch Rocke and Head in this Vniversall Church and that hee alone was custos clavium and all this in the vertue of Christs promise and commission granted unto him Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church feed my sheep feed my Lambs unto thee will I give the Keyes of the kingdome of heaven In which respect Baronius calleth him Lapidem primarium the chiefe stone and againe though Christ saith hee bee the Author and moderator of his Church yet the Princedome and Monarchie hee hath confer'd upon Peter and therefore as no man can lay any other foundation than that which is layd namely Christ so no man can lay any other than that which Christ hath layd namely Peter And it is wonderfull to consider what twigs and rushes they catch at to hold up this their monarchy Because Peter did preach first therfore he is Monarch of the Church By which reasō his monarchie is long since expir'd for his pretended successors scarce preach at all And yet if that may bee drawen to any argument it proves onely that hee was Lapis primus the first in order and in forwardnesse to preach Christ as it became him who had three times denied him but not Lapis primarius the chiefe in dignity and jurisdiction over the rest● and why should it not bee as good an argument to say that Iames had the dignity of precedence before Peter because Paul first names Iames and then Cephas and that in a place where hee particularly singles them out as pillars and principall men in the Church as to say that Peter hath jurisdiction over Iames and the rest because in their Synods and assemblies hee was the chiefe speaker Because Peter cured the lame man that sate at the gate of the Temple therfore hee is universall monarch By which reason likewise Paul who in the selfe same manner cured a creeple at Lystra should fall into competitiō with Peter for his share in the monarchie But the people there were not so acute disputants as these of Rome for though they saw what Paul had done yet they concluded the dignity and precedence for Barnabas they called him Iupiter and Paul Mercury Againe because Peter pronounced sentence upon Ananias therfore hee is monarch of the universall Church and why Paul should not here likewise come in for his share I know not for hee also passed judgment upon Elimas the sorcerer and we no where finde that hee derived his authority or had any commission from Peter to doe so And surely if by the same Apostolicall and infallible Spirit of Christ which they both immediatly received from Christ himselfe S. Paul did adjudge Elimas to blindnesse by the which S. Peter adjudged Ananias to death I see not how any logick from a parity of actions can conclude a disparity of persons except they will say that it is more monarchicall to adjudge one to death than another to blindnesse Againe because Peter healed the sick by his shaddow therefore Peter is monarch of the universall Church and even in this point Paul likewise may hold on his competition for why is not the argument as good that Paul is Monarch of the Church because the handkerchiefs and aprons which came from his body did cure diseases and cast out Divels as that Peter is therefore monarch because by the overshaddowing of his body the sick were healed But the truth is there is no more substance in this argument for Peters principality than there is for their supposed miraculous vertue of images and relicks of Saints because the shaddow which was the image of Peter did heale the sick for that also is the Cardinals great argument Againe because Peter was sent to Samaria to confirme them in the faith and to lay hands on them that they might receive the holy Ghost and to confound Simon Magus the sorcerer therfore hee is primate of the Catholike Church and hath monarchicall jurisdiction And yet the Pope is by this time something more monarchicall than Peter for he would thinke skorne to bee sent as an Ambassador of the Churches from Rome to the Indians amongst whom his Gospell hath been in these latter ages preached and doubtlesse they would bee something more confirmed than they are by the soveraigne vertue of his prayers and presence But alas what argument is it of monarchie to be sent by others in a message and that too not without an associate who joyned with him in the confirmation of that Church and if the confuting or cursing of Simon Magus were an argument of primacy why should not S. Pauls cursing of Elimas and Hymeneus and Alexander and S. Iohns of Cerinthus be arguments of their primacie likewise Againe because Paul went up to Ierusalem to see Peter therefore Peter was monarch of the Catholick Church And why should not by this argument Elizabeth bee concluded a greater woman than the virgin Marie and indeed the lady of all woman because the blessed Virgin went up into the hill countrie of Iudea and entred into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth but wee finde no argument but of equality in the Text for hee went to see him as a brother but not to doe homage to him or receive authority from him as a monarch else why went he not up immediately to Ierusalem but staied three years and preached the Gospell by the commission hee had received from Christ alone and how came S. Paul to bee so free or S. Peter to bee so much more humble than any of his pretended successors as the one to give with boldnesse the other with silence and meeknesse to receive so sore a reproofe in the face of all the brethren as many yeares after that did passe betweene them Certainly S. Paul in so long time could not but learne to know his distance and in what manner to speake to his monarch and primate By these particulars wee see upon what sandy foundation this vast and formidable Babel of Papall usurpation and power over the Catholike Church is erected which yet upon the matter is the sole principle of Romish religion upon which all their faith worship and obedience dependeth But wee say that as Peter was a foundation so were all the other Apostles likewise Eph. 2.20 Revel 21.14 and that upon the same reason For the Apostles were not foundations of the Church by

Sonnes of men the incorruptible and precious bloud of Christ the exceeding great and pretious promises of the Gospell the word of the Grace of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Now it is required of stewards that a man bee found faithfull that hee defraud not Christ of his purchase which is the soules of men nor men of their price and priviledge which is the bloud of Christ that hee neither favour the sinnes of men nor dissemble the truth of God that hee watch because hee is a seer that hee speake because he is an oracle that hee feed because hee is a shepheard that hee labour because hee is a husband-man that hee bee tender because hee is a mother that hee bee carefull because is a father that hee bee faithfull because he is a servant to God and his Church in one word that he bee instant in season and out of season to exhort rebuke instruct to doe the worke of an Evangelist to accomplish and make full proofe of his ministery because he hath an account to make because hee hath the presence of Christ to assist him the promises of Christ to reward him the example of Christ his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Bishops and Martyrs of the purest time who have now their palmes in their hands to encourage him It was Christs custome to enter into their Synagogues on the Sabbath-dayes and to read and expound the Scriptures to the people It was S. Pauls manner to reason in the Synagogues and to open the Scriptures on the Sabbath dayes Vpon Sunday saith Iustin Martyr All the Christians that are in the cities or countries about meete together and after some Commentaries of the Apostles and writings of the Prophets have been read the Senior or President doth by a Sermon exhort the people and admonish them to the imitation and practice of those divine truths which they had heard read unto them And S. Austen telleth us of Ambrose that hee heard him rightly handling the word of God unto the people every Lords day Yea it should seeme by the Homilies of S. Chrysostome that hee did oftentimes preach daily unto the people and therefore wee frequently meete with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yesterday this and this I taught you And Origen intimateth this frequency of expounding the Scriptures in his time if saith hee you come frequently unto the Church of God and there attend unto the sacred Scriptures and to the explication of those heavenly commandements thy soule will be strengthened as thy body with food And our Church in her Ecclesiasticall Constitutions hath provided for the continuance of so faithfull and pious a custome injoining every allowed Preacher to have a Sermon every Sunday in the yeare and in the afternoone besides to spend halfe an houre in Catechizing the yonger and ruder sort in the Principles of Christian Religion The neglect of which most necessary dutie no man can more bewaile nor more urge the necessity thereof than those who looking abroad into the world have experience of more thick and palpable darknesse in the mindes of men concerning those absolutely necessary Doctrines of the passion merits and redemption of Christ and of faith in them than men who have not with their owne eyes observed it can almost beleeve And that too in such places where Sermons have been very frequently preached I will close this point with the as●ertion and profession of Holy Austen Nothing saith he is in this life more pleasant and ●asie than the life of a Bishop or Minister if it be perfunctorily and flatteringly executed but then in Gods sight nihil turpius miserius damnabilius and it was his profession that hee was never absent from his Episcopall service and attendance upon any licentious and assumed liberty but onely upon some other necessary service of the Church Touching the abilitie required in the discharge of this great office there are as I conceive two speciall branches thereunto belonging First Learning for the right information of the consciences of men that men may not pervert the Scripture Secondly Wisedome or spirituall prudence for seasonable application of the truth to particular circumstances which is that which maketh a wise builder For this latter it being so various according to those infinite varieties of particular cases and conditions which are hardly reducible unto generall rules I cannot here speake but referre the Reader to the grave pious counsels of those holy men who have given some directions herein For the other two great workes there are which belong to this high calling Instruction of the Scholer Conviction of the Adversarie Vnto the perfection of which two services when wee duly consider how many different parts of learning are requisite as knowledge of the tongues for the better understanding of the holy Scriptures by their originall idiome and emphasis of the arts to observe the connexion and argumentation and method of them of ancient customes Histories and antiquities of the Babylonians Persians Greeks and Romanes without insight whereinto the full meaning of many passages of holy Scripture cannot bee cleerly apprehended of Schoole learning for discovering repelling the subtilty of the adversaries a thing required in a Rhetorician by Aristotle and Quintilian insomuch that Iulian the Apostate complained of the Christians that they used the weapons of the Gentiles against them and threfore interdicted them the use of Schooles of learning Lastly of Histories and Antiquities of the Church that wee may observe the succession of the Professors and Doctrines hereof the originals and sproutings of heresie therein the better to answere the reproaches of our insolent adversaries who lay innovation to our charge I say when wee duly consider these particulars wee cannot sufficiently admire nor detest the saucinesse of those bold intruders who when they have themselves need to bee taught what are the first Principles of the Oracles of God become teachers of the ignorant before themselves have been Disciples of the learned and before either maturity of years or any severe progresse of studies have prepared them boldly leape some from their manuall trades many from their grammar and logick rudiments into this sacred and dreadfull office unto which heretofore the most learned and pious men have trembled to approach To these men I can give no better advice than that which Tully once gave unto Aristoxenus a musitian who would needs venture upon Philosophicall difficulties and out of the principles of his art determine the nature of a humane soule Haec magistro relinquat Aristoteli canere ipse doceat Let them spend their time in the worke which best befits them and leave great matters unto abler men Thirdly and lastly unto this call is requisite the imposition of hands and the authoritative act of the Church ordaining and setting apart and deriving actuall power upon such men of whose fidelity and ability they have sufficient evidence

first workes lest so excellent a priviledge be removed from us There is no wrath that is wrath to the uttermost but that which depriveth a people of the Gospell and taketh away their Candlesticke from them Thirdly it notes unto us the difference of the two covenants the one out of Sinai and the other out of Sion At first the Law proceeded out of Sinai wherein though the end were merciful yet the manner was terrible and therfore the effect nothing but bondage but after it was sent out of Sion with the Spirit of grace and adoption observed with cheerefulnesse and libertie as by those that know God will spare them as a man spareth his childe that serveth him for in my bond-slave I looke to the perfection of the worke but in my son to the affection and disposition of the heart Lastly it notes unto us that the seat of saving truth the custodie of the promises and Gospell of salvation doth still belong unto Sion to the Church of God Out of the Church there is no Gospell and therefore out of the Church there is no salvation The Apostle saith of children which are borne out of the Church that they are uncleane unto the Church above all congregations of men belongeth this excellent priviledge to be the Treasurer of the riches of Christ and to hold forth the Word of life unto men In which sense the Apostle saith that it is the pillar and the ground of truth not that which giveth being to the Church for the Law must not faile nor perish nor that which giveth authoritie imposeth a sense canonizeth and maketh authenticall is a judge or absolute determiner of the truth for in that sense the Church is held up by the Word and not that by it for the Church is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles namely upon that fundamentall doctrine which they have laid But the Church is the depositary of the truth that orbe out of which this glorious light shines forth unto it appertaines the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Her office and her honour it is to be the Candlesticke which holdeth up the Word of truth to set to her seale unto the evidence and excellencie thereof by her ministery authority consent and countenance to conciliate respect thereunto in the mindes of aliens and to confirme it in the mindes of beleevers to fasten the nailes and points thereof like masters of the assemblies under one principall Shepherd which is Christ in the hearts of men not to dishonour it by their usurped authority above it for by that meanes all controversies of religions are turned not into contentions of doctrine that that may be rested in which doth appeare to have in it most intrinsecall majestie spiritualnesse and evidence but into factions and emulations of men that that sect may bee rested in who can with most impudence and ostentation arrogate an usurped authority to themselves but by their willing submission thereunto to credit it in the affections of men and to establish others in the love and obedience thereunto for the authoritie of the Church is not Autoritas jurisdictionis an authority of jurisdiction above the Scriptures but onely Autoritas muneris an authoritie of dispensation and of trust to proclaime exhibite present the truth of God unto the people to point to the starre which is directed unto by the finger but is seene by the evidence of its owne light To hold forth as a pasquill or pillar that Law and Proclamation of Christ the contents whereof we discover out of it selfe In one word that place sheweth the duty of the Church to preserve knowledge and to shew forth the truth of sacred Scriptures out of themselves but not any infallibilitie in it selfe or authority over others to binde their consciences to assent unto such expositions of Scripture as derive not their evidence from the harmonie and analogie of the Scriptures themselves but only from Ipse dixit because the Church hath spoken it To conclude this point we are to note for the cleere understanding of the office of the Church concerning the holy Scriptures First that some things therein are Hard to be understood as Saint Peter speakes either by reason of their allegoricall and figurative expressions as the visions of Ezekiel Daniel Zechary c. or by reason of the obscure and strange connexion of one part with another or of the dependance thereof upon forren learning or the like but then we must note that the knowledge of such things as these are not of absolute necessitie unto salvation for though the perverting of hard places be damnable as Saint Peter telleth us yet that ignorance of them which groweth out of their owne obscurity and not out of our neglect is not damnable Secondly some things have evidence enough in the termes that expresse them but yet are Hard to be beleeved by reason of the supernaturall quality of them As when we say that Christ was the Sonne of a Virgin or that he died and rose againe there is no difficultie in the sense of these things it is easily understood what he that affirmeth them doth meane by them All the difficultie is to bring the minde to give assent unto them Thirdly some things though easie in their sense to be understood and it may be easie likewise in their nature to be beleeved are yet Hard to be obeyed and practised as repentance and forsaking of sinne c. Now according unto these differences wee may conceive of the office and power which the Church hath in matters of holy Scripture First for hard places in regard of the sense and meaning of the place it is the dutie of the Church to open them to Gods people with modestie and moderation and therein God alloweth the learned a Christian libertie with submission of their opinions alwayes to the spirits of the Prophets so long as they doe therein nothing contrary to the Analogie of faith to the generall peace and unity of the Church to the rules of charitie pietie loyaltie and sobrietie to abound in their owne sense and to declare for the further edifying of the Church what they conceive to be in such difficult places principally intended And further than this no Church nor person can goe for if unto any man or chaire there were annexed an infallible spirit enabling him to give such a cleere and indubitate exposition of all holy Scriptures as should leave no inevidence in the Text nor hesitancie in the mindes of men how comes it to passe that hitherto so many difficulties remaine wherein even our Adversaries amongst themselves doe give severall conjectures and explications and how can that man to whom so excellent a gift of infallibilitie is bestowed cleere himselfe of envie and abuse of the grace of God who maketh not use thereof to expound the Scriptures