Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	acknowledge_v	church_n	word_n	2,764	5	4.2075	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13014	A forme of wholsome words, or, An introduction to the body of divinity in three sermons on 2 Timothy, I.13 / preached by John Stoughton ...	Stoughton, John, 1593-1639.; Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1640 (1640)	STC 23307.5; STC 23307A_PARTIAL; ESTC S100140	52,852	122

I say I have ever apprehended would be a very good way and of very much use and purpose Now you shall finde that all the doctrines belonging either to speculative Divinity and to searching Divinity in the Schooles or else to practise Divinity I say you shall finde more of them as I conceive in this platform that I shall now suggest than in any that I yet saw to which premising only one thing more I shall come I premise therefore and I hope that no man will expect or thinke that I presume I shall prosecute it but only I desire to discharge my duty according to that measure of strength and life that the Lord shall vouchsafe me which makes me doe that I now intend viz. to give you a briefe delineation of all But I desire you not to expect that this can bee done with any mixture of pleasure or that it will be over easie or over facile to apprehend only I shall now run briefly thorow the whole as if a man should present you with the Scelleton or body of a man without either skin or flesh there is no beauty or pleasantnesse in such a sight yet there are all the substantials whereof the body is made there are the bones that are the very upholders of the fabricke of the body or as it was in the case of Ezekiels vision when he was carried into a field where there was nothing but dry bones there was no beauty in that sight but the beauty was afterward when those bones began to stir and move and came every one to their place and did close up with the flesh and the spirit of life came on them then it was a beautifull sight So now here in the meere naked demonstration of the thing you must not looke neither indeed is it propounded with that apprehension that it should be very delightfull or that there should be any thing in it to move that way but rather meerly for the profit of it because it may be a good guide for the comprehending and going on with through all As if a man be in a journey and hath his compasse with him by which he may know where he is it is but only for profit and therefore I hope men will beare with that dispense with the other viz. pleasantnesse though it seeme but rough to propound meerly naked bones without any beauty or comelinesse Now briefly to present the frame that I am to goe through I told you that long agoe I made the frame and then I intended to make the frame so to order it so as to bring it within the compasse of fifty two heads that is one for every Lords day in the yeare or if a man would make briefer dispatch of it hee might take two or foure heads at a time and so goe through the whole in lesse time I shall propound it the same way There be but two things by which I shall make the division of the modell or frame 1. There is first of all a frontispice or porch and Secondly there is the fabricke it selfe the whole pile and edifice There be foure things which I desire to propound in the very porch and frontispice in the entrance into all the matters of Religion and things to be knowne because they are of generall importance and use as being the very first and most sensible inquiries that will bee made in the entry into this profession The two former of them lay downe to us the marke that we should aime at The two latter the line or rule by which we must levell at that marke 1. The first inquiry will be concerning happinesse which is the very end and scope to which all that we are taught in the matters of Divinity even all the whole scope of Divinity tends that whereas there be severall arts and vocations in the world for the maintenance of this temporall life Divinity is that art which directs us in the way to get and attaine eternall life and to the true happinesse of a man all the lines of Divinity meet in that center and nothing is taught but for that and therefore this will be the first inquiry wherein the true happinesse of a man lyes And to omit the particulars that will be in that the resolution and upshot of that inquiry will come to this which will draw in the second that 2. However mens thoughts wander about their happinesse yet all the world cannot effect it neither the quintessence of any nor the concurrence of all these worldly things can make a man a happy man the only happinesse that is true and reall is only in our conjunction with God which is attainable only by our knowing worshipping and serving of God according to the true religion which is the upshot of this first inquirie and leads to the second generall thing in the porch And that is the true Religion the first inquirie is of the true happinesse the second is of the true religion But now there be many Religions in the world I will briefly name them There is the heathen religion which doth not acknowledge the true God but worship a false god There is the Iewish religion which acknowledgeth the true God and therefore differs from the heathen but doth not acknowledge him in Christ There is the Mahumetane religion which acknowledgeth the true God and acknowledgeth Christ too but doth not acknowledge Christ as the Messias and Saviour but subordinate to their Mahumet and therefore false in that And lastly there is the Christian Religion and so the upshot of all is there is no other religion true but the Christian religion which is professed in the true Church of God 3. And that leads mee to the third thing in the inquiry The first was wherein lyeth true happinesse the next what is the true religion which will lead to this happinesse and because that is said to be in the Church of God therefore the next inquiry will be which is the true Church of God There be many pretenders to the true Church there is a Greeke Church a great and large Church that professeth the doctrine of Christ there is the Romane Church that professeth Christ there be many other by-slips of Christians as Anabaptists Separatists and all kindes of sects and schismes which all professe Christ But it is none of these not the Greeke Church nor the Romane Church nor any other sect but there is a Church of the Protestants consisting of Lutherans and Calvinists and this will bee the upshot of the inquiry that the Church of God which are either Lutherans or Calvinists though different in some opinions yet both of them are within the compasse of that which is to bee acknowledged the true Church of God and the issue of this inquiry will be How wee may understand and come to descerne which is the true Church and the answer is by their adherence to the Scriptures 4. Which is the fourth head

in the inquirie After the inquiry of the true happinesse wherein it lyeth of the true Religion that will lead us to that happinesse of the true Church wherein we shall finde that Religion we must inquire of that which must be the rule of all which is the Word of God the Scriptures that shall be the fourth These are such generall and such sensible inquiries that I did thinke good in a prudentiall way as I said to place them in the frontispice The two former shew the marke wee must ayme at viz. the true happinesse and the true religion The two latter shew the line by which we should levell viz. the Churches steps in some measure but absolutely the oracles of the Scripture the Word of God which must be the measure of all things which are to be done or knowne in the whole compasse of Divinity 2. To come now from the frontispice and porch to the building it selfe to the fabricke of the whole body of Divinity I shall only present it in the nature of a building because I have mentioned the metaphor yet I vvill not keepe close to it because I vvill not spend time to be curious in vvords The building I shall present consists of two stories and no more and in either of those two stories two roomes I vvill mention no more In the first story briefly I shall comprehend all the things that are to be knowne and beleeved in the course of Divinity In the second story all things that are to be done and practised For all things in Divinity are either matters of faith or matters of life This is the generall therefore of the two stories Matters of faith being as it vvere the lowest story and matters of life being the superstructure on it and either of these have two severall roomes There be generall things to be knowne and beleeved concerning God and Man And there be some things more particular in regard of some particular relations and so likewise there be in the other But first for the former things to be known and be learned by a Christian concerning God and man I propound them either More generall or More speciall according to some speciall relations In the generall first concerning God there be two things vvhich I shall propound and either of them vvill have a double title upon which I will make the second foure for foure were in the porch Concerning the nature of God and thereon two heads or titles 1. All those things that are to bee knowne concerning the unity of the essence that is the one God and his glorious attributes 2. And all those things that are to be known concerning the Trinity of the persons in that unspeakable mystery of the glorious Trinity 2. And in the second place besides the nature of God there are to bee considered the workes of God in which I shall propound both the kinds and the species of the operations of God and the speciall objects or effects of those operations The species or kindes of the workes of God that are to be knowne by a Christian for the comprehension of what is necessary to bee knowne in Divinity and taught by a Minister may be expressed thus There be two great vvorkes his workes of Creation and of Providence And there is the principall objects or effects of those operations take them which way you will There is in generall the reasonable creature vvhich is capable of happinesse and vvhich is to be guided by a rule to the attaining of happinesse And there is the animall And so there will be two titles concerning Angels both Good and Bad. And concerning Man wherein the principall thing will bee to speake some thing of those things that are of generall necessity in Divinity the most necessary of all others viz. the immortality of the soule and the Conscience of man which is as a judge and to which a man must give account of all he doth Having laid this concerning God his nature and his vvorkes of creation and providence and the speciall objects of those workes Angels and Men vve vvill come to follow all the rest concerning man for Divinity is the rule of guiding man to his happinesse and therefore we must goe along vvith it Concerning man there are two things that are fundamentally to be considered or premised And two things formally to be considered There be two things fundamentally to bee premised First which vvill bee the next head concerning the covenant betweene God and man and the seales of this covenant in a general way though there be a particular place for the particular for this vvill be the foundation of all that I can give towards happinesse for the attaining of it it depends upon the covenant made by God vvith man and so that vvill be the first fundamentall thing the covenant made betweene God and man The second vvill be the law that God imposeth on man to regulate him in his course with all the sanctions of promises and threatnings And then there bee two things formally to be considered this being fundamentally premised vvhich vvill make up foure heads more Formally there are to be considered the principles of humane actions vvhich actions are the vvay and steps to eternall life Now there be two principles very considerable The one vvithout us and from God viz. the grace of God and here vve shall see how far that is necessary and the nature of it but I vvill not enter into particulars but onely now point out things And then there is another principle of action and that is vvithin us viz. our owne free will and there vve shall see how much vve have of that and the nature of it and of all humane actions and habits in a generality These are the principles of action grace and free will the nature of vvhich and the truth of vvhich are to bee cleared in the application of these heads These are the principles and the roots But then the fruits that grow from these are On the one side on the better hand vvhen mens vvills are assisted by grace good workes vvhere vve vvill take a briefe consideration of vertues too which are the root of good works the habits and dispositions And secondly sinnes or evill workes vvith all the penalty and punishments that belong to them vvhere also concerning vices to vvhich vve are inclineable These are the things that are generally to be knowne and beleeved concerning God and man There bee some things in particular and I shall be very briefe in them The things that are particularly to bee knowne concerning GOD and Man are either 1. In regard first of all of the different states and conditions of men that they either are or have or shall be in 2. In regard secondly of the acts of God in perfecting mans

four generall heads or titles concerning 1 The mark and scope which we must eye and aim at namely the true 1 Happinesse 2 Religion 2 The line by which we must levell at that mark viz. the right knowledge of the 3 Church 4 Scripture 2 The fabrick or edifice it self presenting maters of 1 Faith to be known and beleeved 1 Generall concerning 1 God his 1 Internall nature as he is in himself in the 5 Unity of essence 6 Trinity of persons 2 Externall operations as he hath manifested himself by 7 Creation 8 Providence 2 Man in specie and the reasonable creature in genere vvhere some things 1 Fundamentally to be premised concerning 1 The subject capable of happines viz. the reasonable creature 9 Angels good evill 10 Man Immor sou consc 2 The ground and rule of all processe with him towards happines being only the wise-good-pleasure of God appointing 11 Covenant Seals 12 Law Sanctions 2 Formally to be considered Humane actions whereof the 1 Roots and principles from whence they arise and issue 13 Free-will acts habits 14 Grace 2 Branches and kindes dividing themselves and issuing from these roots 15 Sins vices 16 Good works vertues 2 Particular in respect of the divers 1 States of Man differing in the 1 Substance of the Covenant of Works or Grace the state of 17 Innocencie by Creatiō 18 Fall and corruption 2 The form of Administration only and dispensation of circumstances before and after Christ the state of the 19 Old Testament 20 New Testament 2 Acts of Gods perfecting our salvation by degrees and translating us from the state of 1 Sin to grace by steps and acts 1 Fundamentall preparing it for us by purpose and purchase 21 Predestinat Reprobat 22 Redempt Incarnatiō 2 Formal cōveying it to those who have interest in the former by 23 Vocation effectuall 24 Justification actuall 2 Grace to glory 1 Inchoate here in a sweet taste continuall and perpetuall by 25 Sāctificatiō Privileges 26 Gubernatiō Exercises 2 Cōsummat in the ful draught perfected in the life to come by 27 Resurrectiō Judgmēt 28 Glorificat Condemat 2 Life to be done and practised which may be reduced to 1 Duties to be performed by the strength of grace and vertue more 1 Generall and those either more 1 Primary and predominant directing in duty to God and Man 29 Theologicall 30 Philadelphicall 2 Secondary and concommitant under which I comprize the vertues 31 Cardinall 32 Circumstantiall 2 Speciall regulating our lives in respect of severall 1 Parts and conditions 1 Parts teaching how to govern aright both our 33 Hearts and affections 34 Words and actions 2 Conditions ordering and directing us according to our severall both 35 Sex and age 36 State and condition 2 States and relations whether more 1 Private in a single or sociable life alone or in company 37 Ethicall 38 Oeconomicall 2 Publick as vve are parts or members of a Church or Common-weal 39 Ecclesiasticall 40 Politicall 2 Helps to be used in regard of our 1 Universall conversation 1 Principall publick the use of 1 Means instituted by God for our continuall reparation and improvement 41 Word of God hearing 42 Sacraments receiving 2 Times constituted by God for our effectuall renovation and inforcement 43 Sabbath 44 Fasting 2 Additionall private exercises which are either more 1 Contemplative and looking more immediatly towards God and heaven 45 Reading Meditation 46 Prayer Thanksgiving 2 Active improving our converse with men in the world in our holy cariage in our 47 Cōmun of Sts Confer. 48 Particular vocation 2 Particular condition as we are either 1 Travellers itinerant if 1 Strangers yet aliens to bring us into God and force our 49 Ingress Examination Resolution 2 Domesticks and children to build us up in God and further our 50 Aggresse holy Life Death 2. Souldiers militant to 1 Strengthen our weaknesse in the 51 Congresse Spirituall warfare 2 Quicken our dulnesse in our daily 52 Progresse with proficience to perseverance The forme of wholsome Words OR An Introduction to the body of Divinity In Three Sermons 2. TIMOTHY 1 13 14. VER. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ JESUS That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us I Have hitherto treated on severall Texts of Scripture in severall Arguments which I conceive will be usefull having dependance one upon another My purpose as I partly intimated formerly is hereafter to treat upon Arguments that shall hold a connexion together to deliver according to the words of the Text and to my own intention a form of sound words even the body of Divinity and I shall chuse out severall Texts of Scripture for the severall heads and have now made choice of this Text of Scripture to make entrance to the Discourse which contains an Injunction and Exhortation from Paul to Timothy to take care of that that he keep or hold fast a form of sound or wholsome words Before I enter into the particulars I shall a little acquaint you with the generall both what concerns 1. The whole Epistle and 2. This Chapter And so proceed to one main observation out of the words passing by many others which would offer themselves but different from the scope which I drive at 1. To say but a word concerning the Epistle in generall you may consider both 1. The materiall circumstances of it 2. The substantiall scope and drift of it 1. The materiall circumstances are such as concern both 1. The persons 2. The time 1. Concerning the persons in one word it is an Epistle written by Paul the Apostle to Timothy an Evangelist as most Divines conceive 2. For the materiall circumstances which concerne the time in one word also the time was 1. During the bands of Paul while he was a prisoner for the Gospels sake and in that respect to be had in precious account and so much the rather 2. Because it was not long before his desolution which he foretels in this Epistle which seemeth to be as it were the last words the last Dictates of a dying man yea a dying Martyr 2. The substantiall scope and drift of it was to quicken and strengthen Timothy in the faithfull discharge of his Evangelicall Ministery against all discouragements and hinderances that might any way abate his edge and take off his vigour in it as you may easily see in the whole course of the Epistle 2. But to passe by all other things and only to give a generall draught and delineation of this Chapter to make way to the words wheron I intend to stand There be two things which are mainly and principally contained in this Chapter 1. We have the first entrance into the Epistle 2. The continuation or some part of the prosecution of the drift and scope of it 1. In the entrance to omit the salutation vers. 1 2. which is ordinary in

second place to passe from our humble exhortation to the Church for Ministers this might bee an exhortation to them that as they should take care of all other parts of Divinity so they should take care of this to ground themselves in and withall communicate to others a forme of sound and wholesome Words not words only but wholesome words and a form of wholesome words to load the people through the maine things not one but all to deliver the whole truth of God as the Apostle speakes though in somewhat a different sence Time hath prevented me in a word therefore there be three wayes of ministeriall exercise as I humbly conceive which might be most advantagious and usefull if they were used 1. The first thing that I would have done which might be exceedingly usefull though not so well regarded is a course of the meere and bare Exposition of Scripture to goe through a whole Chapter or some part of it and so to explicate it and deliver the full summe It would bee wonderfull profitable and necessary to acquaint the people with the whole Chapter and the maine scope and principall things that are in it and goe no further not to descend into every particular in it onely by this interpretation to make the people acquainted with the Scripture This indeed is the lowest degree 2. And then there is another thing which I would have them to doe to take another course like that of ours viz. preaching upon severall texts and severall points but yet so as these severall points might hold connexion to be made up in a body of Divinity for the comprehension of all things necessary to be knowne which we now intend and that is another way 3. But then there comes in a third thing as the first should comprehend the explanation of the Scriptures and the second should be for all the doctrinals so if there were a third thing added which is a course to comprehend all the exemplary historicall parts of the Scripture part by part treating in them not of every particular part of the Text but of the most remarkable examples in them As how God hath governed and preserved by his providence the Church in all ages from the very beginning of the world till the flood and from that till the promulgation of the Law and from that till the building of the Temple and so till the Nativity of Christ and so carrying all along this would be an admirable thing to strengthen religion by seeing how God in all ages hath managed his Church how he hath gone along with it and supported his truth and shewed his goodnes and mercy in a sweet and gracious way and so in all the Scripture to marke out all the singular passages and examples of Gods providence These would be best altogether although every one of them be good in particular 3. To all private Christians this may force them to their duty the exhortation that I should presse on them should bee in a word that 1. They would not thinke this to be a thing out of their spheare and walke and therefore that they would labour and aime not onely to have some scramblings and scrapings some broken ends of knowledge to harp upon this point and that point But to labour and strive to come to the knowledg of a form of sound and wholsome words to the whole body and frame of Divinity at least according to their capacities every one according to their form If he be a child in yeeres and apprehension to have the lowest kind labour to come to the lowest form and so for yong men and fathers to carry it along through all degrees So that let no Christian thinke this without the compasse of his duty or unprofitable for him for he shall gaine by it aboundance of benefit and profit He may gaine all the benefit I mentioned before It will help his understanding and his memory and his performance of duty make him receive more profit by others and make him more profitable unto others it will every way advantage him 2. And let no man thinke that there is an impossibility in it for him and that it is only for the learned for besides that ordinary blessing that God hath vouchsafed us in letting us have the Gospel he hath vouchsafed more extraordinary wayes of knowledg in our times than in any other As it is with trees they are sometime so laden with fruit that they doe even bow downe to the ground againe so as that a child may gather from them God hath so filled this age with knowledge and so plentifully vouchsafed it that it bowes downe that it offers it selfe to us and that so familiarly and facily that none of ordinary capacity it being in our owne language and tongue but may attaine unto it even children and withall the difficulty will be taken off if we consider that it is not required in the highest degree but according to the degree and capacity of every one God doth not require the highest forme of those that are of the lowest but onely the highest of the high and the low of the low capacity And there is no Christian but in some form or other at least is capable of it It were worth the while therefore to set our selves about it to labour to attain the summe of divine truths and to carry it as a rich treasure about us to make us exquisite for every practise and discourse {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 TIMOTHY 1.13 14. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus That good thing which was committed to thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us WEe observed out of these words one main point viz. It is a matter of high concernment for all to have and to keep cautiously as a sacred depositum as a rich treasure a form of sound and wholsome words in Divine and fundamentall truths especially We have dispatched the explication and confirmation and application There remaines nothing now but that which I promised to discharge viz. to acquaint you according to this rule and my present scope it being my purpose to enter on a form of sound and wholsome words even to comprehend the whole body of Divinity at least the substantiall and maine truths that are necessary to be known and beleeved to salvation but before I enter into any particulars which will be severall and many I will give you at first a prospect of all a generall delineation of the whole compasse and course which if God permit life and liberty I intend to go through I was at a stay a long while with my self whether I should do it or no their seeming no beauty or profitablenesse in a meer beholding of a bare Skeleton a naked anatomy of the summe of Religion But I consider with my selfe that we spend many houres houres