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	contain_v	doctrine_n	2,322	5	6.1087	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12473	Essex doue, presenting the vvorld vvith a fevv of her oliue branches: or, A taste of the workes of that reuerend, faithfull, iudicious, learned, and holy minister of the Word, Mr. Iohn Smith, late preacher of the Word at Clauering in Essex Deliuered in three seuerall treatises, viz. 1 His grounds of religion. 2 An exposition on the Lords Prayer. 3 A treatise of repentance.	Smith, John, 1563-1616.; Hart, John, D.D.	1629 (1629)	STC 22798; ESTC S117569	350,088	544

is an holy and a Christian-like spending of the day wherein a man may rest with peace assuring himselfe that he leades a life in some measure pleasing to God Q. What are wee to doe at night A. When the night is come then we are to looke backe and to marke how we haue spent the day then wee must call our selues to a reckoning and an account how wee walked in the duties of our Calling then how wee haue behaued our selues towards God towards our brethren towards our selues If we finde that we haue spent it well then to blesse God and to thanke him for it if not then to be humbled by it and to seeke to God for comfort and grace that we may lie downe in his fauour and make an end of all after-reckonings Qu. For further practise of Religion What is to bee done A. Wee must see what is to be belieued and practise the same The somme whereof is contained in the Apostles Creede Q. Why is it called the Apostles Creede A. Not that the Apostles made it for then it should bee Canonicall Scripture as well as the rest of their Writings But because it containes the summe of the Apostles doctrine Q. How many parts hath the Creed A. Two The first treateth of God The second of the Church Qu. What is the somme of the Creed A. Wee professe therein that we beleeue in God distinct in three Persons The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost And that this God hath gathered to himselfe a Church that is A company of faithfull people vpon whom hee will bestowe his graces in this world and the glory of his Kingdome in the world to come Q. What is it to beleeue in God A. Not barely to beleeue that there is a God for the Deuills doe so and tremble and if this were our faith our faith were no better then the deuills faith and therefore to beleeue in God is to put our whole trust in God and rest our selues vpon him in all estates to bee assured in our hearts wee shall finde him a God that is mercifull and good to vs in all our needs 2. Tim. 1. 12. Q. What gather we of this A. That they who are cleane out of heart in their troubles be they neuer so great or seeke to winde out of themselues by vnlawfull meanes they care not how doe not belieue in God And therefore so oft as they say the Creed they lye because they say they Trust in him when indeed they are not inwardly perswaded that he will helpe them Qu. How many kindes of faith bee there A. Two An Historicall faith which the deuills may haue Iam. 2. 19. Secondly Iustifying or sauing faith which none but the true Christians and Gods elect may haue Tit. 1. 1. Q. What difference is there betweene these two A. The deuills beleeue that there is a God that there is a Christ But they doe not beleeue that they shall fare the better for him Nay they know that heshall one day condemne them and therefore their faith doth not comfort them but make them the more affraid But the Christian beleeuing that there is a God that there is a Christ beleeueth also that he shall fare the better by them that God will be his God and Christ the Sauiour will be a Sauiour as his Sauiour And therefore this faith is so farre from affrighting him that it comforts him exceedingly Gal. 2. 20. Q. Why doe wee say I beleeue not wee beleeue as wee say our Father A. Because our prayers may be profitable vnto others But our faith shall not saue any but our selues Abac. 2. 4. Q. May a man know that he hath faith A. Hee may for hee that beleeueth in God hath faith But euery man if hee would search himselfe and his owne heart can tell whether he repose trust and confidence in God or no And therefore euery man if hee would search himselfe can tell whether he haue faith or no 2. Cor. 13. 1. Q. If a Christian may bee sure that he hath Faith then he may be sure of his saluation A. It is true For hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God he shall be saued Iohn 3. 36. But I know that I beleeue in God and therefore warranted by Gods promise I know that I shall besaued 1. Iohn 5. 13. Q. Doe not many deceiue themselues in their assurance A. Surely many doe because they thinke they haue faith but when it comes to scanning it is not faith but a vizard and a shadow of it like one that keepes an old Euidence by him and thinkes his land is sure But when it comes to tryall his deed is naught and will not carry it Q. How may a man know that he hath true faith A. Two wayes By the Nature of Faith And by the effects and fruites of it Q. How may a man know it by the nature of Faith A. If a man feele himselfe inwardly perswaded in his heart that God loues him in Christ and because he loues him will prouide him of all things needfull both for this life and for the life to come so that wee run not out to any wicked and vnlawfull meanes but rest our selues on God with contentment in all estates This is a sure note that his faith is true Iob 13. 15. Q. How may a man know it by the effects of Faith A. If a man haue an earnest loue to God so that he be glad to doe any thing that may please him and loath to doe the least thing that may displease him Secondly if he loue them that loue the Lord so much the more they shew the more affection to him This sealeth to his soule that his faith is true 1. Iohn 3. 14. Qu. Why doe wee say I beleeue in God not I beleeue in the Catholike Church A. Because we must beleeue in God and in none but God not in Saints not in Angels nor in any other power Ierem. 17. 5. Q. What gather wee of this A. That as we beleeue in God and in none but God so we must pray to God and to none but God For prayer and faith be linked together So that we may not pray to any in whom we may not beleeue Rom. 10. 14. And therefore seeing we may not beleeue in the Saints but in God alone it is euident that wee may not pray to any but to God alone Q. Who is this God in whom wee beleeue A. The three Diuine Persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Q. What gather wee of this A. That the Turkes and Iewes though they confesse that there is a God yet because they doe not confesse the three diuine Persons acknowledge not the true God the true God being hee whom the Scriptures describe the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost 1. Iohn 2. 23. Q. Whose Father is God A. He is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ And then by meanes of Christ he is our Father Ioh. 20. 17.

them as Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledge my sinnes vnto thee and mine iniquitie haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sin And so the poore Publican that went into the Temple and knockt his brest hee confessed his sinnes vnto God and said God be mercifull vnto me a sinner I tell you saith Christ this man departed to his house iustified and so wee see it by experience in the holy Scripture That wee should confesse our sinnes vnto God onely It is the saying of a learned man That wee should confesse our sinnes vnto God who onely can best wipe away our sins for a man is many times ashamed to discouer his secrets to his best friends much more to a stranger Priest And so then against the Papists wee see that we are not to confesse all our sinne vnto any but vnto God onely As in the storie of Manasses wee see in his distresse it is written 1. Chron. 33. 12. And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers So then if they be secret sinnes it is enough to confesse them vnto God onely Whereby you may see that the Papists opinion is false which inioynes a man vpon paine of damnation to confesse them vnto a Priest all the Scripture being contrarie vnto them if rightly vnderstood But yet In one case wee are bound to confesse them vnto men that is in case of distresse when wee are so burthened with them as that we cannot rise vp vnder so great a load nor can finde ease or comfort any other way In this case there is a necessitie and wee should and ought confesse them vnto men as Saint Iames hath it Acknowledge your sinnes to one another and pray for one another but yet wee must take heed vnto whom wee make our sinnes knowne It must be such a one as wee thinkeable to comfort vs in our distresses and resolue our doubts such a one as will conceale them and pray for vs in al occasions as if it were his owne case Obiect 1 Now the Papists goe further and bring two places of Scripture against this doctrine to maintaine their opinion The first is out of Math. 8. 4. where Christ saith to the Leper Ostende te Sacerdoti But go thy way shew thy selfe to the Priest so that euerie man though God heale him and clense him vpon his confession yet he is also bound to shew himselfe vnto the Priest Answ. To this I answer The Papists in this place do alledge Scripture against Christ Mat. 8. 4. to peruert the sense of the Scripture for the words say not Confitere te Go and confesse thy selfe to the Priest but Ostende te Shew thy selfe to the Priest Secondly Christs meaning is That he should therefore shew himselfe vnto the Priest to let him know that he was clensed and healed from his leprosie and was now free from the pollution thereof Christ sayes Ostende te quia sanatuses Shew thy selfe because thou art made whole they doe wrest the meaning thus Shewthy selfe because thou art polluted Thirdly Christ sent him to the Priest only in case of leprosie that is of knowne pollution but the Papists say That Christ sent him to the Priest for to confesse his sinnes whatsoeuer Fourthly Christ sent him vnto the Priest because of the precept of Moses Leuit. 14. 2. where God had enioyned it Christ sent him but they will haue him to performe an ordinarie dutie Object 2 The second place they do alledge is out of S. Iames 5. 16. Confesse your faults to one another and pray one for another Answ. 1 I answer That the place doth not bind vs to confesse vnto a Priest it as much bindes the Priest to confesse vnto vs because this dutie spoken of by Saint Iames is a reciprocall dutie Confesse your sinnes to one another Secondly This confession Saint Iames speakes of is onely in case of necessitie and distresse without examination and freely and that in such a sinne onely as cannot be healed by our selues Thirdly The healing that Saint Iames speakes of is by Prayer but the healing of the Priest is by substantiall Absolution and so the Popish confession cannot bee meant here in this place So that this Argument stands good against them that our secret sinnes against God are not of necessitie to bee confessed but vnto God onely But if they bee knowne sinnes against God then it is not enough to repent of them before God but wee are bound to repent of them before men also So wee see the Prophet Dauid after his fall hee did not onely repent of his sinne before God but also he made Psal. 51. a penitentiall Psalme as the Fathers haue it to bee a monument and Testimoniall to the whole Church So likewise St. Paul 1. Cor. 15. hee saith I am not worthy to bee called an Apostle because I did persecute the Church of God So as his sin was made manifest in persecuting the Church of God in like manner his repentance was made manifest and knowne vnto all So then this case is cleere that knowne and open sins are to be confessed not onely vnto God but also vnto men that as they haue knowledge of our sins so also they may haue of our repentance and that we are changed into newnesse of life and that for two reasons First because as men doe know of our sins so also may they of our repentance The second is that as we haue done hurt to our brethren by our bad example in sinning against God and drawing others by the same example to doe so also so farre we should by our outward example of outward confession and repentance draw men vnto God Which was the reason why Abimelech Gen. 20. 8. did tell his seruants that which God had in a dream reuealed vnto him that as many as knew of his sinne in taking away Abrahams wife might know of his repentance because as he had done hurt by his bad example of sinning so he might againe salue that sore by his repenting he might haue carried the matter closely and secretly that none might haue knowne it but wee see hee doth reueale it to the end it might be knowne The second sort of sinnes are against our brethren and they are of two sorts 1. There are some sinnes which one may commit against a man which doe not hurt him or indammage him as to thinke an euill thought against him these sinnes wee are to confesse vnto God onely because hee onely knowes them and is offended for them 2. Some sinnes againe there are that doe hurt them and they doe receiue damage by them of which there bee two sorts First some are such as we know not to be sins and such as we haue forgotten and cannot call to our mindes to remember them For which sinnes a generall