Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	let_v	2,627	5	4.5197	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45154	A reply to the defence of Dr. Stillingfleet being a counter plot for union between the Protestants, in opposition to the project of others for conjunction with the Church of Rome / by the authors of the Modest and peaceable inquiry, of the Reflections, (i.e.) the Country confor., of the Peaceable designe.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.; Lobb, Stephen, d. 1699.	1681 (1681)	Wing H3706; ESTC R8863	130,594	165

that one Bishop should have so many Cities underneath him Unto whom I answered That I could no farther go than to St. Paul's text which set in every City a Bishop Then asked he me If I thought it now unright seeing the Ordinance of the Church that one Bishop should have so many Cities I answered That I knew none Ordinance of the Church as concerning this thing but St. Paul's saying only Nevertheless I did see a contrary custom and practise in the world but I know not the Original thereof Then said he That in the Apostles time there were divers Cities some seven miles some six miles long and over them was there set but one Bishop and of their Suburbs also so likewise now a Bishop hath also but One City to his Cathedral Church and the Countrey about it as Suburbs unto it Methought this was far-fetcht but I durst not deny it because it was so great Authority and of so holy a Father and of so great a Divine But this I dare say that his Holiness could never prove it by Scripture nor yet by any Authority of Doctors nor yet by any practise of the Apostles and yet it must be true because a Pillar of the Church hath spoken it But let us see what the Doctors say to mine Article Athanasius doth declare this Text of the Apostle I have left thee behind c. He would not commit unto one Bishop a whole Ylde but he did injoyn that every City should have his proper Pastor supposing that by this means they should more diligently oversee the people and also that the labour should be more easie to bear c. Also Chrysostome on that same Text He would not that a whole Countrey should be permitted unto one man but he enjoined to every man his Cure by that means he knew that his labour should be more easie and the subjects should be with more diligence govern'd if the Teachers were not distract with the governing of many Churches but had cure and charge of one Church only c. Methinks these be plain words and able to move a man to speak as much as I did But grant that you may have all these Cities yet can you make it none Heresie For my Lord Cardinal granted that it was but against him and against you which be no Gods But I poor man must be an Heretick there is no remedy You will have it so and who is able to say nay Not all Scripture nor yet God himself By this time the Reader cannot but be well satisfied that the great thing aim'd at by the first great Lights England had in Henry the 8ths days as a most effectual way to carry on a Reformation was the reducing the Popish Hierarchy to an Apostolical Presbytery The Presbyterian Discipline that is The Government of Gospel-Churches by Presbyters and Deacons being of Divine Institution is most admirably suited to the designed End of promoting the Glory of God the Power of Religion c. A Discipline the truth of which hath been sealed by the blood of blessed Protestant Martyrs a thing in which our Episcoparians cannot make the●r boast Moreover 't is manifest that this was not only the apprehension of Tindall Barnes and Lambert but that all the Clergy in Henry the 8ths time denied a Diocesan Episcopacy to be of Divine Institution asserting that in the New Testament there is no mention made but of Deacons or Ministers and Priests or Bishops This is in a Paper sign'd by Cromwell and many others Yea and in the necessary Erudition of a Christian man as is acknowledged by the Judicious Dr. Burnet who in his Addenda to the first part of the Reformation doth say That both in this Writing and in the necessary Erudition of a Christian man Bishops and Priests are spoken of as one and the same Office Though I must confess that the Dr. doth differ from those Divines and although he gives us not satisfaction in his Reply yet he speaks more ingenuously and more to the purpose than either this Gentleman or Dr. Stillingfleet himself 4. The old Nonconformists in Queen Elizabeths days agreeing with those worthy Martyrs Tyndall Lambert and Barnes concerning the most effectual way of carrying on the Reformation applied themselves seriously to the Work The Viciousness of some of the Clergy in Queen Elizabeths days was as grievous unto the Nonconformist as unto those glorious Martyrs a Reformation in Manners and in order thereunto in Church-Discipline was what they aim'd at 'T is very evident That a further Reformation than was carried on by Queen Elezabeth was very desirable for in some respects she carried it not so far as King Edward himself had done ' For Queen Elizabeth as Dr. Burnet most admirably expresseth it though she had been bred up from her Infancy with a Hatred to the Papacy and a Love to the Reformation yet as her first Impressions in her Fathers Reign were in favour of such old Rites as he had still retained so in her nature she loved State and some Magnificence in Religion as well as in every thing else She thought that in her Brothers Reign they had stript it too much of external Ornaments and had made their Doctrine too narrow in some Points Therefore she intended to have some things explain'd in more general Terms that so all Parties might be comprehended by them She inclin'd to keep up Images in Churches and to have the manner of Christ's Presence in the Sacrament left in some general words that those who believe a Corporal Presence might not be driven away from the Church by too nice an explanation of it History of Reform part 2. l. 3. As to this last Particular the Rubrick that explain'd the Reason for the kneeling at the Sacrament That thereby no Adoration is intended to any corporal presence of Christs flesh and blood because that is only in Heaven which had been in King Edwards Liturgy is left out and kneeling at the Sacrament to many a Protestant much more offensive than formerly The great Propension in Queen Elizabeth's days to gain over the Popish party to her Communion by those Alterations made in the Liturgy in favour of the Papist the ordering the Sacramental Bread to be made round in the fashion of the Wafers used in the time of Queen Mary the requiring the Table to be placed where the Altar stood c. was attended with the Conformity of many who were cordially affected to the Interest of the Church of Rome at which time there was not a sufficient number of learned men to supply the Cures which filled the Church as Heylin saith with an Ignorant and Illiterate Clergy whose learning went no further than the Liturgy or Book of Homilies though otherwise conformable unto the Rules of the Church The Old Nonconformists still desiring a further Reformation than was carried on in King Edwards days but ●●●●ing rather a turning toward Rome could not but be greatly grieved They in their places

q. d. as what is not according to the word of God All this being most plain and obvious to an ordinary Capacity that is not biassed by Prejudice c. Let the world judge who is in the FAULT They who keep close to Scripture or they who recede therefrom They who will do any thing but Sin for Peace Or they who will exercise their Authority and impose unnecessary things with the greatest Violence imaginable I say with the greatest Violence imaginable for they are impos'd with such a severe Threatning anrex'd that whoever refuses a compliance is cut off from the Catholick Church and given over to the Devil Hence 't is that they imposing Indifferent things as necessary to Salvation do according to Dr. Stillingfleet's own Rule declare themselves to be the Schismatical Dividers I say according to Dr. Stillingfleet's own Rule compar'd with his Substitutes Notion In the Doctor 's Unreasonableness of Separation p. 213. he saith That there are three Cases wheren the Scripture allow of Separation The last of which is When men make things Indifferent Necessary to Salvation and divide the Church upon that account and this was the Case of the false Apostles who urged the Ceremonies of the Law as necessary to Salvation Now although St. Paul himself complied sometimes with the practice of them Yet when these false Apostles came to enforce the Observation of them as necessary to Salvation then he bids the Christians at Philippi to beware of them i. e. To fly their Communion and have nothing to do with chem From this Rule of Dr. Stillingfleet it must follow That if the Church of England make things Indifferent Necessary to Salvation our Separation from the Church is allowed by the Scriptures yea commanded and enjoyned We must beware of 'em i. e. to fly their Communnion and have nothing to do with them But that things Indifferent are made necessary by the Church of England according to his Doctrine doth appear irrefragably That which is Necessary to our Communion with the Catholick Church is according to his Doctrine necessary to Salvation But Indifferent things are Necessary to our Communion with the Church of England which is One with the Communion with the Catholick Church in that according to him they are made necessary to our Communion with the Church of England which is One with the Communion with the Catholique Church according to his constant Judgment Ergo. Or in other Terms Whatever is made necessary to our being Members of the Catholique Church is made necessary to Savation for to be Members of the Catholick Church and to be in a state of Salvation is the same and to be Members of the particular Church of England and Members of the Catholick Church is one and the same with our Author p. 248. As if it had been said To be Members of the Church of England is to be in a state of Salvation but not to be Members of the Church of England is to be out of a state of Salvation Whence what is made necessary to our being Members of the Church of England is made necessary to our Salvation that is The many indifferent Ceremonies impos'd as terms of our Communion with the Church of England are made necessary for Salvation according to our Author For which reason the Scripture allows our Separation yea the Scripture bids us beware of her that is to fly her Communion and have nothing to do with her Thus the Doctor in conjunction with his Substitute furnishes us with an unanswerable Argument to clear the Dissenter from the odious Sin of Schism which in short is this From such as make Indifferent things Necessary to Salvation we must Separate This is Dr. Stillingfleet's But the Church of England makes Indifferent things necessary to Salvation This is the Dr's Substitutes Notion Ergo We may yea we must Separate that is 'T is the Will of God we should Separate or 't is our Duty and therefore not our Sin to separate i. e. We are not the Schismaticks This is Argumentum ad Hominem and either this Author must quit his Doctrine or acquit us of Schisme But to treat our Author with the greater Civility we 'll suppose him to be so tenacious of his own Doctrine that he 'll rather discharge us of Schisme than abandon his beloved Notions for which reason seeing 't is on all sides acknowledged that there is a Faulty Division among us and consequently a Faulty Divider who is the Schismatick He must be either the Dissenter or the Conformist but not the Dissenter as we have already prov'd from our Author 's own Topicks Ergo the Conformist Here we might have put an end to this Discourse and would do so had not our Author 's fertil Brain furnish'd us with another Argument that doth as fully evince the Conformist to be the Schismatick as the former clear'd the Dissenter In the management of this Argument we 'll consider the Netion of Dr. Peter Gunning and Peirson as compared with our Author The I earned G. and P. in a Conference with the Papists assert That a Superiours unjust casting any out of the Church is Schismatical If the Governours of the Church do by sinful Impositions or unjust Excommunications cast any out of the Church they are Schismatical This our Author won't deny But according to his Notion The Church of England are guilty of such Impositions and do unjustly Excommunicate Dissenters 1. That the Impositions are sinful is evident in that Indifferent things as has been prov'd are made necessary to Salvation The making any indifferent thing Necessary to Salvation is sinful But the imposing indifferent things as terms of Catholique Communion is the making such things Necessary to Salvation Ergo Sinful Ergo The Imposer is Schismatical But 2. Whoever doth unjustly Excommunicate any are Schismatical This is Dr. Gunning's sense But the Church of England if they agree with our Author Excommunicates the Dissenter unjustly Ergo c. That the Church of England Excommunicates unjustly according to the Doctrine of our Author is demonstrable even in that the Church doth as he would have it by Excommunication cast thousands out of a state of Salvation for not complying with little uncommanded things Whence I argue thus To Excommunicate or cast us out of a state of Salvation merely because we cannot comply with what God never commanded us is to Excommunicate unjustly But so doth the Church of England if we may pass a censure on her as our Author provokes us to do for the Church according unto him doth Excommunicate that is shut Heaven-gates against such to whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised the opening them To illustrate this with the greater clearness I beseech the Reader to consider That Salvation is promised by Jesus Christ unto all such as do sincerely Believe truly Repent and lead an Holy Life in all Godliness and Honesty Though a man may be daily guilty of lesser Evils yet if he believe in Christ

's no Impartial Reader can believe that Mr. B. intended the Dr. in that lewd Character as he is pleased to call it and it is a rare faculty this Author hath of misrepresenting the words of other men and to put his sense upon them as he lists and then brazen it out I will add withall that it seems a little strange that Mr. B. that hath courage enough to libel Church and State as this Author often says and to cast dirt upon the Church and Church-men as 't is in his next page should be afraid to apply to the Dr. any part of that Character which he thought did belong to him The Gentleman proceeds in the same page But suppose he meant this of such Substitutes as had neither the Candor nor Learning of the Dr. I reckon a man may fall many degrees short of the Dr. and yet not deserve such a character or be unworthy of Mr. B 's notice Sir the question is not Whether a person may not fall many degrees short of the Dr. and yet not deserve that Character but whether a person may not fall so far beneath him as to deserve it and yet officiously substitute himself in the place of the Learned Doctor and whether such an one may not be unworthy of Mr. B's notice Our Author adds p. 4. As for the former i. e. Candour I confess a very great proportion of that is necessary for any man that will treat Mr. B. with any tolerable Civility when in all his late Writings he casts so much dirt upon the Church and Churchmen And this Author will not allow the Dean himself any great share of that though he has very sparingly considering the frequent provocations and very decently and modestly considering the occasions he takes for it rebuked that hussing Disputant To this I answer That Mr. B. hath reproved the faults of Churchmen in words pretty plain and sharp I do easily acknowledge and so have some regular Sons of the Church done also See Englands faithful Reprover and Monitor and a Book called Ichabod But that he hath thrown dirt upon them unless speaking truth be casting dirt I shall not easily grant and I am of opinion if this Author and some others had lived in the days of the old Prophets yea and of the Son of God himself and had heard their Sermons and Discourses they would have said That they Defamed the Governors of the Church and Libelled the State That a great deal of candour is necessary for those that will treat such as reprove them with Civility I do easily concede yea and a great deal of Humility Self-denial Tenderness of Conscience and the fear of God too But all this is no more than their Duty and if they had any considerable measure or degree of these Virtues they would find no great difficulty in treating such as reprove them with Respect and Kindness As to what concerns the Learned Doctor I have always esteemed him and do to this day a person of Candour but good men are sometimes transported and do such things as are inconsistent with the habitual Temper and Constitution of their own Mindes And I hope the excellent Dr. suffered some such kind of Transport when he replied to Mr. B. in his late Book That the Dr. did very sparingly decently and modestly rebuke Mr. B. which this Author calls a hussing Disputant I shall grant also if the Doctor 's rebukes be compared with this Authors For he hath observed no Laws of Modesty Decency or Decorum therein but after a most profuse and scornful manner hath reproached and despised him to his own greater Infamy and Reproach For Mr. B's Reputation for Learning and Judgment is too firmly established in the minds of Impartial and Unbiassed men that all that he can say to abate it will be but throwing water on a rock that will return and dash himself In the same page he addes As for the latter i. e. Learning I acknowledg my self such a Substitute as may not compare with the Doctor This I think bating the Texts of Scripture which he quotes is one of the truest passages in all his Book and I have a Veneration for truth and will not speak any thing to the disadvantage of it but let the Author have the honour of having spoke it once at least in a Book of six or seven hundred Pages Page the 5th he says I shall begin with the Reflecter who writes himself a Conformist Minister in the Country and this is the only thing considerable in it that it is the testimony of one of our own Church against the Dean of St. Pauls and for his adversaries And for that reason Mr. B. at the end of his Answers refers his Readers to him that those may receive that from a Conformist which he will not receive from such an one as he And then he addes But what is this to the purpose If there be some such Conformists among us now as there were in 1643 who raised a Church-War and then pulled down Church and State to set up a Presbyterian Party and such a Conformist our Reflecter is who vindicates Mr. B's Parochial Episcopacy which is but a new name for Presbytery as I have proved in the following Treatise To which I answer I had thought our Author had begun with the Reflecter some time since but peradventure what he hath hitherunto said hath been only like the slight velitations of the Avant-guards of an Army he intends now to fall to down-right blows Be it so 't is to be hoped the Reflecter may survive his most powerful Impressions and the rudest of his Assaults For though he talks like one of the Sons of Anak for ought that I can see be performs as little and something less than other men that do only but talk But to proceed to the matter I will assure him that the Countrey-Conformist gives no testimony against the Dean of St. Pauls or for his Adversaries but out of the Love and Zeal that he hath for Peace The Church of God in this Nation is broken into pieces Ephraim is against Manass●h and Manasseh against Ephraim and this I dare say is indeed matter of sad Meditation for I know him very well to the Countrey-Conformist who hath no other Controversie with the Reverend and Learned Doctor than on the behalf of Peace As to what our Author says concerning those Conformists that raised a War in 1643. and pulled down Church and State to set up a Presbyterian parity the Countrey Conformist hath nothing to say unless it be to assure him That as he had nothing to do in that so he never intends to have any thing to do in another He is no admirer of that which this Gentleman calls a Presbyterian Parity he very well likes of Diccesan Episcopacy provided their Diocesses be no bigger than they were in the first two hundred years yea than they were in the third and fourth Centuries in most parts of the