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	set_v	2,434	5	5.2643	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66898	The late proposal of union among Protestants, review'd and rectifi'd being a vindication of the most reverend father in God, Edwin, Lord Arch-Bishop of York, and the reverend Dr. Tillotson, Dean of Canterbury, from the misprisions of an apocryphal proposer : with a full answer to his proposal, presented to the Parliament.	Womock, Laurence, 1612-1685.	1679 (1679)	Wing W3345; ESTC R20318	24,189	16

holy Scriptures To which I answer That we have nothing establish'd in our Church but what God hath set up by general directions and a just authority nor have we any thing in use and practice amongst us but what is in the root and ground of it as old as the Apostles nor is any thing imposed upon Ministers or People but what hath such sufficient footing and warrant in the Holy Scriptures That the Church hath power to institute external Rites prescribe Forms to make Canons and Constitutions to assist her Children and regulate their Practice in the publick Worship and Service of God is not onely the unanimous Confession of all Protestant Churches of any creditable denomination but is exactly consonant to the mind of God revealed to us in his holy Scriptures where he gives the Church a charge to do all things to edification and to his glory To this end he enjoyns her to perform all her holy Offices decently and in goad order This is God's express command in general but his Word hath no where determined the particulars wherein that decency or order does or shall consist it follows therefore undeniably that the Word of God or the Holy Scriptures do suppose or establish a Power in the Church to institute Rules prescribe Forms and make Canons to that purpose For a clearer Demonstration hereof let us seriously reflect upon these Considerations 1. That Christ and his Apostles intended Unity and to obtain and preserve that Unity they enjoyned Order and Uniformity in the Churches Christ's intent is evident in his ardent Prayer that his Disciples might a Joh. 17. be one and made perfect in one And we may read the great Apostle's aim in his earnest conjuring them b Eph. 4.1 to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace c Rom. 16.17 For there is one body and one spirit one Lord and one Faith one Baptism one Hope of our calling And elsewhere he is no less vehement Now I beseech you Brethren 1 Cor. 4.17 mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them That Order and Vniformity are enjoyned to preserve this Vnity is no less evident d 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order Order is the Parent of Decency and to observe the same Rule is to follow Order Hence the Apostle exhorts the Philippians e Phil. 3.16 Let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same things And this is the onely way to keep out Schism whereupon he useth this Observation to the Corinthians f 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment And he tells us to what end he requires this viz. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God Rom. 15.6 even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ And upon this account their Order in the Church of Coloss was a Prospect of so much pleasure to him Col. 2.5 For though I am absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ For when men begin to break order they presently grow loose in their Faith both to God and Man 2. Consider that the Apostles at their first Preaching of the Gospel did not presently establish that Order which the state of the Church did afterward require The Church was to be gathered first and afterwards Orders prescribed how it should be governed This is evident not onely from those Decrees made in the first Council at Jerusalem but from the express resolution of S. Paul Acts 15. 1 Cor. 11.34 the rest will I set in order when I come 3. Consider that the Apostle expected such a Settlement should be made by such as were intrusted with the Government of the Church This is clear from his advice and command to Titus For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting or left undone From whence two things may be inferr'd irrefragably 1. That at his first Preaching of the Gospel S. Paul left some things undone which in his own judgment were afterwards fit to be done 2. That he expected the performance thereof from the care of Titus 4. Consider that the Apostle gives certain general rules or Canons to direct the Governours of the Church Instit l. 3. c. 19. sect 15. in making such Establishments such are these Let all things be done to the glory of God Let all things be done to edification Let all things be done decently and in order Hereupon Mr. Calvin does acknowledge such Ecclesiastical Constitutions to be lawful as consonant to the Word of God And Beza accounts them celestial and divine in respect of their foundation and end which is that general decorum commanded to be observed in God's Worship 5. Consider that the Apostle left it to the Judgment of Church-Governours to determine the particulars to be established in such cases For this cause left I thee Titus Titus 1.5 a single person and at least a Bishop in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting David Solomon and Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah and all godly Princes made Laws for the Church of God and were approved yea the Laws and Decrees of Nebuchadnezar of Cyrus and Darius were for the benefit of it And God hath promised that Kings shall be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers to the Church And it was truly and worthily said in Queen Elizabeths time by that Author before mentioned That Princes especially serve Christ even in making Laws for Christ L. Drios p. 162 Now let us lay these Principles together 1 That the solemn Worship and Service of God cannot be performed without Circumstances for of necessity Circumstances must cloath every action under the Sun 2. That these Circumstances are to be observed according to the rules of decency and order and that these rules are to be adjudged and determined by such as are invested with Authority to that effect it will follow unavoidably that all Subjects and Members of the Church are obliged in Conscience to obey such Determinations and Establishments For 't is most certain where some are impowered to command others are enjoyned to obey else the Power given to Superiours were given to no effect Vbi supra Hereupon Mr. Beza does acknowledge though these Ecclesiastical Constitutions be humane and mutable and do not bind the Conscience properly and of themselves yet if they be just and honest we are obliged to observe them as they contribute to the edification of the Church and that we may avoid scandal Nor want we a better Authority than that of Mr. Beza the

THE LATE PROPOSAL OF UNION AMONG PROTESTANTS Review'd and Rectifi'd BEING A VINDICATION of the most Reverend Father in God EDWIN Lord Arch-Bishop of York And the Reverend Dr. Tillotson Dean of Canterbury FROM The Misprisions of an Apocryphal Proposer With a full ANSWER to his PROPOSAL Presented to the PARLIAMENT Psal 129. 1. Saepe oppugnaverunt à juventute verùm non praevaluerunt Isa 51.32 Et qui adhuc vexant dicunt Inclinare transibimus LONDON Printed by A. Godbid and J. Playford for R. Clavel at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1679. THE LATE PROPOSAL OF UNION AMONGST PROTESTANTS Presented to the PARLIAMENT Review'd and Rectifi'd SIR I Received your Letter and I have seriously perused the Address Humbly presented to the Parliament I like the Title very well A Proposal of Vnion amongst Protestants and the Design in general cannot but be commended but how well it is inforced from the last Will of the most Reverend Dr. Sands some time a Arch-Bishop of York and whether that is to be lookt upon as the Sentiment of the first Reformers will require a farther Examination In the interim as once for the Divisions of Reuben so now for those of England there are great thoughts of heart and who knows not that Peace is a Jewel of great price and to be purchased at any rate that may reasonably secure the possession of it This indeed is the Legacy which our dearest Lord hath left to his Disciples But alas many of the Legatees have renounced their part in it because they cannot be allowed to make their own will of his Church and Kingdom By Peace our Blessed Lord never intended a Conspiracy against the Rules of Decency and Order Peace with God and Conscience and amongst Brethren is the Fruit of Righteousness (a) Isa 32.17 Righteousness is the Foundation of Christ's Kingdom and Peace a Superstructure (b) Rom. 14.17 Now you know 't is the part of Righteousness to give every one their due the best Method therefore to be at Peace is to become just that is to become obedient and to pay our due respects to the Laws and to our Superiours The Author of one Project for the good of England tells us That good Laws and a just Execution of them and not Oaths are the natural and real Security of a Government I am very much of his mind herein For to relax the Reins of Government opens a door to Licentiousness and that is no good friend to Peace and Unity Besides if there can be such a thing as a Rope of Sand there may be a stupid quietness betwixt the parts but no solid useful strength which depends upon Command and Order as much as the attractive splendour and beauty of Societies This Sir is one Reason why the Jesuits so little value the shatter'd Parties of Protestants that they think them not worth a Consult or Plot in comparison of the Church of England Let Authority be own'd as sacred and the Laws be kept inviolable and these will prove the best Bulwark of our Peace and Union Protestants abroad are generally of this persuasion and if any of our own Communion be otherwise minded we are to look upon them as loose Stones that will never stand to support the Building but rather flinch and slip away to betray it as occasion serves These Dissenters complain of hard measure heavy burthens and oppressing yoaks as if their Persons were imprisoned under hatches their Estates torn from them under the Harrows of Sequestrators and their Wives and Children forced to dance a tedious attendance at Goldsmiths-Hall to make their Composition whereas in truth it is the great advantage some of them reap from thence which makes them still in love with their gainful Meetings against Authority This Apocryphal Anonymus tells us these Dissenters would do any thing for Peace only they dare not forsake Holiness neglect their Duty nor wound their Consciences by offending God Sir if there be not some foul tincture of Malice in these Insinuations yet are they no less unjust and scandalous than extravagant What Law what Canon what Rite or Practice injoin'd by the Constitutions of this Church or what Governour amongst us does oblige them to any such matter nay that does not charge and fortifie them to do the contrary As a learned man told those Dissenters in the days of Queen Elizabeth With us there is leave for all men to be good if they will by God's grace endeavour it * Laur. Deios That the Pope is that Antichrist pa. 147. Printed 1590. and Preached at St. Paul ' s-Cross Those desperate Plots that are on foot against this poor maligned Church we resent with no less horror than themselves But while the Pope and his Emissaries the Jesuits with their Vassals are at work to undermine the Foundation Why do these Dissenters make it their business to assault and batter the Walls and Terrets of it They attempt to blow it up and these seek to pull it down they endeavour to extinguish the Name and Essence and at the same time as cooperating to her ruin these labour at least to Eclipse the Glory of it The learned Author Ibid. p. 178. even now mentioned had good ground to conclude That if any thing will bring the Antichristian Yoak upon this Land again which God turn far from us it will be Dissention We readily grant that violent storms should drive the Sheep together burin such a season all sober men will think that the stragling sheep should run into the common Fold and not quarrel with their faithful Shepherd nor labour to pluck down that Fold which is their best shelter We know too without this na●●less Informer That the Red of God should teach us peace and quietness and having been so many years in the Furnace of Affliction we should be so throughly melted as to run easily into one But whether it be more reasonable that the Church should run into their Conventicles which can never be united or their Conventicles into the bosom of the Church let wise men judge This Church of England has been as a Lilly amongst the Thorns and the dissenting Party has been the Rod of God's indignation to chastise her but tho the Rod be not cast into the Fire through the clemency of a gracious Sovereign vet she like Moses his Bush has been miraculously preserved in the midst of flames and the right hand of the Most High has been no less remarkable in her Enemies defeat than in her own happy restauration Nor is it unknown to the wisely considerative what Relentings she has had while they have persisted stubborn and inflexible Nevertheless this officious Advocate craves leave to beg on their behalf That what God hath not set up in the Church may he pull'd down and that rejected as an Innovation which is not as old as the Apostles and and nothing imposed upon Ministers or People but what hath footing and warraint in the