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	holy_a	place_n	3,411	5	4.1535	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77100	Paideia Thriamous. The triumph of learning over ignorance, and of truth over faleshood. Being an answer to foure quæries. Whether there be any need of universities? Who is to be accounted an hæretick? Whether it be lawfull to use coventicles? Whether a lay-man may preach? VVhich were lately proposed by a zelot, in the parish church at Swacie neere Cambridge, after the second sermon, October 3. 1652. Since that enlarged by the answerer, R.B. B.D. and fellow of Trin. Col. Camb.	R. B. (Robert Boreman), d. 1675.	1652 (1652)	Wing B3760; Thomason E681_10; ESTC R206793	32,371	43

punished with open shame Though his zeal seemed to be good and also his * To a lawfull act there is required not only a good end but also good meanes A good intention if the meanes be bad will not bring a man to Heaven Many with this mistake have gone to Hell Bonum benè is the rule in Divinity intention yet because they were not regulated or guided by Gods word he did wickedly and was therefore both justly resisted by the Priests and punished by God This note you shall finde in the Margin of your English Bibles which I wish were well observed by our too too forward Zelots who flatter and deceive themselves with their good intentions when the meanes they use is not lawfull but unrighteous Fourthly He that can prove it by any plausible argument as I am sure none can though he were as powerfull in invention and witty in Arguing as † Persuadebit nobis quicquid volet ita de Perronio Paulus sanctus in vita Perronii Opusculis ejus praefixâ Perronius once a Cardinall of Rome That it was lawfull under the old law for any Butcher because he had skill in killing of a beast to slay the Sacrifice which was onely proper to * Levit. 1.4 He shall kill the Bullock the Levites And he that shall demonstrate to my understanding that he is not guilty of great presumption and much pride who shall first think himselfe fit for that office which S. Paul so admired and trembled at that he brake forth into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.16 who is sufficient for it He that thinkes himselfe so is most unsufficient especially when he shall want all those gifts which are usually seen and required in ministers as skill in the Languages Fathers Councells Schoolemen Church histories with other modern writers together with the Arts and Sciences Fiftly he that shall cleer this point unto me that the practice of Christ and his Apostles together with the whole Church for sixteen hundred yeares and upwards is not to be allowed of especially when that practice is confirmed and ratified by praecept in the holy Scriptures where we find * 1 Tim. 4.14.5.22 Tit. 1.5 Act. 14.23 c. directions to the then Bishops for the laying on of hands upon those who were then and now are to be admitted into holy Orders And lastly he that can evince it that besides the inward Testimony of a mans owne Conscienee * That he is both willing and able to discharge the office of a Minister there is not upon the former grounds required the outward call or Testimony of the Church to whom he is to give triall of his gifts and then receive the Churches blessing with solemn Prayers to God to prosper the work which he is going about i. e. that he may convert Soules and thereby enlarge the Kingdome of Christ He that is able as I am sure none ever was or will be to prove all these particulars shall subdue my reason and bring me to a confession that it is lawfull for a Layman to preach Till this be proved as it never can be expected I shall with the authority of Gods word the consent of all Antiquity and the practice of all Reform'd Churches conclude and stand firmly to this position That no man ought to take upon him this sacred function or office Heb 5.4 but he that is called as Aaron was i. e. by God The voyce of the Church is the voyce of God Ergo Laymen that call themselves by a bold intrusion we may lawfully call Vsurpers of the Priests office of the Stock of Korah of the race of Jeroboam's Priests 1 King 13.33 He made of the lowest of the People Priests of the high places which thing became a sinne to the House of Jeroboam even to cut it off and destroy it from the face of the Earth And unlesse the Divine Justice shall speedily stop the mouthes of the Apron-Rabbies and Russet-Levites by some strange judgement and so cut them off who have kindled a flame in State and Church that hath blasted all good order consumed all Gods Ordinances and caused a generall ebbe of Devotion and Piety amongst us who also have crept in like theeves into the Church by back-wayes have secretly insinuated themselves into the Society of Gods people professing themselves to be teachers of the True Faith but are indeed the destroyers of it and Disturbers of our peace Jude 4. ungodly men who were of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordained appointed as if it had beene set downe in a book to this condemnation or to this Judgement to be flagellum Ecclesiae to try to * Id circo doctrinam Catholicam contra dicentium obsidet impugnatio ut fides nostra non otio torpescat sed multis exercitationibus elimetur Aug. exercise and molest the Church by their false Doctrine and when they have done their worst to receive for a recompence or reward of their impiety and wickednesse damnation Till these Incendiaries be suppressed and silenced we cannot expect but that this our now distracted Nation which was once the scourge of others and the praise of all the world shall become the scorne of all Nations whilst as the Jewes once did we destroy our selves at home by our multiplyed divisions and so prevent the mischievous malice of our foraine Enemies Vid. Ioseph Hist. which thing will make us a derision to those that are round about us to the men of Gath and Askelon the uncircumcised Philistines bloody Jesuites and Papists Which God avert for his mercies sake and the Merits of his Sonne Christ Iesus Pray for the Peace of Ierusalem Psal 122.6 ERRATA PAge 9. lin 3. r existimationem ibid. l. 4. r. ab illis p. 11. l. 6. r. argumentations p. 15. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Authours Prayer to God for the suppressing of Haeresie and happy composing of our unhappy Divisions OH Thou who art one and infinite in power the center of perfection and the God of Love collect our scattered thoughts from perverse disputes and worldly distractions draw in our hearts from hunting after Vanities Confine them to thine Heaven and to thy selfe who art the Heaven of that Heaven Make us to love thy Truth which is the brightnesse of thy everlasting light the undefiled mirrour of thy Majesty and the Image of thy Glory And because there is but one Heaven and one way to it that living way of Faith and Obedience Oh let the bright beams of thy grace shine in the hearts of thy people who are now turned to the by-wayes of Errour and wander in the desarts of Sinne and Haeresie reduce them good Father into the way of Truth that with one heart and one minde they may serve thee the onely true God through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Trin-uni Deo sit Honos Laus gloria THE END

which such Learned Wise Orthodox and pious men may be called and produced to govern particular Congregations and to sit at the Helme of the Church This cannot be preserved secure and entire from Heresies but will be like the † Luke 8.23 Ship wherein our Saviour was asleepe i.e. battered with tempests and beaten with the waves of contrary Opinions For this cause wee finde in ancient Records that not onely among the people of God the ancient Jewes and Christians but also even among the Gentiles evermore in all ages great care and diligence was used to ordaine and maintaine Schooles of learning and to place in them holy and knowing men whom they encouraged with large stipends by whose paines and parts the liberall Arts and Sciences together with the Doctrine of their Religion might be taught and fastened in the people's Memories To omit the Schooles of the Gentiles as of the Aegyptians * Alsted li. 24. c. 13. Encycl Scholast Heurn primord Philosoph to whom Learning and Arts were derived from the Jewes likewise those of the Chaldeans Babylonians Persians Greeks and Romans all which to the shame of Christians in these times had learned and men of Wisdome in high estimation especially of Professours and assertours of their Religion such were their Magi their Gymnosophists their Philosophers their Augures or Sowthsayers omitting these I shall onely make a plaine discovery of the Schooles erected by the People of God as well before as after Christ and then leave it to the Judgments of discreet and moderate Judges whether a want of love to Religion and the feare of God does not discover it selfe in the profane practises of those men who labour to pull down the Ministery which is now the Jesuits maine designe by doing as the * Gen. 26.18 Philistines did by the Wells of Abraham i. e. by seeking to stop the Springs and Fountaines of Learning into which they have thrown dirt and stones by undeserved slanders and reprochfull infamies Colledges and Schooles under the old Law If wee traverse the story of the old Testament wee shall find that there were and this not without the prescript or command of God in the Kingdome of Israel Schooles constituted and opened to publick use in some whereof were placed Levites in others Prophets to teach and explicate the Law of God to traine up Disciples or Scholars who afterwards should teach either in the Temples or Synagogues and propagate the Doctrine of the Law to succeeding Generations For who were the Sonnes of the Prophets of whom there is so often mention made in the Booke of the Kings but those that were students educated and brought up in those Schooles whereof the Prophets were heads and Governours 1 Kings 20 35. 1 Kings 2.3.7.15 This was the intent or meaning of the Prophet Amos when hee said I am not a Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet Amos 7.14 i.e. never brought up in the Schooles of the learned Prophets What was the reason that the Lord commanded 48 Cities with their Suburbs to be assigned to the Levites above their Brethren of the other Tribes Numb 35.2 was it not for this that in the Land of Israel there might be Schooles and Colledges in the which the Levites might teach and instruct young Novices their pupils in the Law of God and thereby fit them for the Offices of the Sanctuary Over these Schooles or Colledges there were ever placed men renowned for their Piety Learning Prudence and Gravity of Manners and those chosen out of the Prophets and Levites Thus † 1 Sam. 29.28 Samuel was the Prefect or Governour of the Schoole which was at Naioth in Mount Ramah where was a Schoole and Scholers in the Raigne of Asa if we may believe the Talmudists who say that hee was therefore punished with lamenesse in his Feete Vid. Buxtorf in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chr. 16.12 because hee compelled all the Wisemen or Doctors of that place together with their Disciples or Scholers to leave their Studies and to take up Armes for his aide against Baasha King of Israel This they collect how truly I will not determine out of the 1 of Kings 15.22 where it is said that Asa made a proclamation thorowout all Judah none was exempted and they tooke away the stones of Ramah c. i. e. when the Scholars were all warned out by the King's Edict Elias was the Praepositus or Master of the Schoole at Hierico 2 Kings 2.5 In his place succeeded his Disciple Elisha and so others after him in succeeding ages In the second of Chron. 34.22 wee read of a Colledge in Hierusalem It is called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as a double House so called by reason of it's two Courts wherein Huldah the Prophetesse dwelt when Hilkiah went unto her with a message from Josiah Doubtlesse shee dwelt by her selfe in one of the Courts remote from the Prophets and their Sonnes who were taught in the other For Colledges indeed ought to be what a Name that is given them by Eusebius does import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 places of gravity and severity which cannot well stand with a mixture of both Sexes in one and the same place But to returne from this short digression To this end and purpose it likewise was I meane for the maintenance of Schooles that the Levites under the Law had such large incomes by Gods appointment they had well nigh as hath beene proved by mee in another † The Churches Plea c. Sect. 10 p. 23. Treatise the fifth part of the Jewes Revenues which large allowance was given them that being free from all cares to which the Ministers of the Gospell are too sharply exposed they might with the lesse distraction and more freedome of Spirit devote themselves wholy to their studies and their Ministeriall Functions Againe wee finde that the Jewes themselves ever in after Ages endeavoured even when they were dispers'd amongst the Gentiles to retaine their Schooles which are called sometimes Synagogues although in a strict sence a Schoole and a Synagogue differs Philo as hee is cited by Grotius on St. Mat. Grot. in Mat. 4.23 uses the Names promiscuously and calls those Synagogues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they did both Pray and Preach in them and withall as they doe now where they are traine up their youth and exercise themselves by disputes and polemicall Discourses concerning the holy Scriptures whereby they finde out many hidden Truths This is the practise of Colledges in the Vniversities by which meanes the Students learne to whet their Tongues in disputes against the Truth 's adversaries those of Rome together with other Hereticks Colledges and Schooles under the Gospell In the second place That there were Colledges places of publick concourse even under the Gospell in the time of the Apostles at Hierusalem wee may collect or gather out of the Acts. And there were dwelling at Hierusalem

ensuing conference I thus replied with great affection to their soules and in obedience to the Apostles command Gal. 6. Gal. 6.1 Yee which are spirituall restore c. with as much meeknesse as I could lest that in the flame of Passion and heat of contention Truth should singe her winges as too oft shee hath done and take her flight leaving the parties wholy unsatisfied Who is an Heretick First to avoyd all needlesse questions and endlesse disputes wee must distinguish between these two Things To be an Heretick and to embrace an Heresie or an Opinion that is erroneous For not every one whose Opinion is hereticall is to be reckon'd and listed in the black role of Hereticks but onely he who having been baptiz'd into the Christian Faith shall stifly maintaine and obstinatly defend an untruth against it By the Christian Faith wee are not to understand in generall the Word of God in it's whole Latitude viz. The Propheticall and Apostolicall Doctrine contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament For not every false Interpretation of any one place in Scripture nor every Opinion resulting from that place so interpreted falls under the name and notion of Heresie as S. Hierome seemes to assert in his comment upon the Galatians C. 5. v. 20. but by the Christian Faith The foure Principles of our Faith and Religion wee meane those foure Principles of our Faith which are the foure kindes of Fundamentalls the deniall and opposing any one whereof with pertinacy entitles a man to the guilt of Heresie and the name of Heretick The first of those Fundamentalls is placed in the Apostles Creed The second in the Decalogue or ten Commandements The third in the Lords Prayer The fourth in the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper Thus the Reverend and Learned Bishop Davenant determines the case in that most judicious and Schisme-confounding worke of his entituled ad Pacem adhortatio So then hee that shall perversly deny an Article of the Creed which is Christianorum fidei spei formula Veritatis summa ac fundamentum To use the termes of the Tridentine Catechisme The forme of a Christian's Faith and Hope The Epitome and Foundation of Truth Hee that shall likewise wilfully erre in principiis moralibus in the Principles of manners or good living Hee that shall believe or maintaine the contrary to any precept or morall command as that simple Fornication is no sinne which is the Opinion of the * Vid. Kinchi in Psal Iewes and Papists That it is lawfull to worship an Image the worke of mens hands or the like Hee that shall overthrow the Doctrine of the Sacraments either denying the exercise or use of the Sacrament of Baptisme or not Baptizing according to the tenour of Christs Mat. 28. v. ult injunction In the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost or not celebrating the Eucharist according to our Saviours institution by denying the Cup to the People or the like Lastly He or They that erre in the Fundamentall Doctrine concerning Prayer making their addresses to any one but to God alone through the mediation of Christ his Sonne by Faith in whom and being knit to them in love wee are bold to call God Our Father c. Hee that shall obstinatly persist both in Opinion and practice against any Precept or Doctrine in these foure kindes of Fundamentalls hee cannot be exempted from the number of Hereticks whose names are not registred in the Booke of Life into which none shall enter that worke abomination or make a lie Rev. 21.27 Such workers of mischiefe are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as † Cyril l. 1. in Ioh. cap. 4. Cyrill rightly tells them men that are Leaders and Abettours of an Haeresie Such men whom we may call Daemonice Meridiana as S. * Hieron Apol. adversus Ruffin lib. 2. Hierome once called Arius men blown up with pride and infected with a Diabolicall daring Spirit you must decline as you would those that have the Leprosie or Plague Haeresie is a catching disease and hardly to be cured it enters into the Soule by the Eye and Eare when you either reade the books or heare the Sermons of Haereticks and entring thus in it brings Death and Destruction as its attendants with it S. Paul was not ignorant of this as appeares by his wholsome and seasonable exhortation for these times Rom. 16. Ver. 17. I beseech you brethren observe the Apostles earnest supplication grounded upon the danger of Hereticall infection mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them † Ver. 18. For they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies They are commonly Covetous and Luxurious persons given over to their Appetites They are dissembling Hypocrites for as it followes there with faire Speeches and flatteries they deceive the hearts of their simple followers and Auditours 2 Joh. 10. If there come any such unto you and bring not the Doctrine of Christ but that which is contrary to it receive him not into your House neither bid him God speed i. e. have nothing to doe with him neither shew him any signe of familiarity or respect lest under the guise or fleece of a Lamb-like Teacher you meet in the conclusion with devouring Wolfes proud Anabaptists or Soul-murdering Jesuites Who now like their great Master the Prince of darknesse goe about seeking whom they may destroy with their Antiscripture Antichristian infectious Tenets or Haeresies None more then these grand Impostours are pleaders for Conventicles that so they may with more security open the fardall of their Masse that * So called in the Confutation of the Papists Catechisme pag. 29. maze of Idolatry amongst themselves and draw poor deceived Souls from the love of the Church and their Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marke with diligence those that preach this Doctrine and conclude with your selves that they are either immediately sent from Rome that Antichristian Synagogue or seduced by the Romish Agents whose onely aime in these times is to blow the Cole of Division using the † Doctor Crakanth in his defence of our Church does call them fitly Flabella Jesuitarum Separatists as his bellowes for this very purpose and to draw mens mindes from the love of the Truth and Learning knowing full well that the fabrick of their Superstition and Idolatrous worship relyes onely upon the rotten pillar of Ignorance the onely prop too of the Pope's greatnesse For as that examinatour of the Councell or rather Conventicle of Trent saies well Gentillet ut bonarum literarum instauratione facessere caepit ignorantia c. So soone as the cloud of Ignorance was dispelled by the bright beames of Learning the Authority of the Pope began presently to faile and suffer a great diminution Therefore I exhort you againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to marke those who are sometimes of

darknesse and transported into our Church The ground as I humbly conceive of all the enormities and loose opinions amongst us is the discountenancing and discouraging of the publike ministerie and the crying downe of Churches Vox Diabolum sonat non Deum certè as if there were none other but those that are Spirituall when as we finde upon record both in the 1 Cor. 14.35 word and in ancient writers that there were materiall Churches * 1 Cor. 11.22 houses built and set apart for the publick worship of God wherein the Christians solemnly met at the least once a weeke Vid. a full and learned discourse of this in Mr. Mede's Diatribae This was the practise of the Primitive times even in the dayes of the Apostles and continued from them to us through all ages by uninterrupted successions There is a fable amongst the Mythologists of a Maiden and a Lyon who fell in love with her and she promised out of feare to yeeld to his desires on condition that she might first knock out his Teeth which he presently yeelded to and was by her immediately destroyed Thus the only aime of the Devill and his associats is not onely to pluck out the Teeth of Discipline the wall but even the Tongue of sound Doctrine which is the Heart of the Church This he now endeavours by stopping the mouths of Gods lawfull Ministers and sending out his † Jer. 29.24 Jude 8. Shemaiahs Nehelamites his dreaming Chaplaines who dream of a form of Government never thought of nor intended by Christ and having no commission to preach thrust themselves into Conventicles where they vent their dreams and propagate their phancies to the destruction of many poore well-meaning Christians Concerning the unlawfulnesse of which private meetings congregated by men who have no calling to teach and in opposition to the Vnity and Vniformity of our Nationall Church I shall now in all love and tendernesse to the Soules good of the unlearned enlarge my thoughts and deliver my opinion which I trust will be embraced by those who shall peruse this short Treatise without a partiall prejudice which like a Curtaine drawn before a window shuts out the light of Truth and keeps darkness in it harbours errours and mistakes which breed hatred and dissention The description of a Conventicle properly so called First take a Conventicle for a meeting of men and women in a private house upon the Lords day then when they should joyn with the people of God in a Church appointed for Gods publique worship and service thus to convene or meet though in times of restraint without a lawfull Minister to head that body and by enjoyn'd Prayers and Preaching to sanctifie the work is held utterly unlawfull which I shall prove both by the word of God the practice of Christ together with the authority of Fathers and interpreters of the Holy Scriptures as also by Arguments drawn from reason which commonly if not perverted is a sure guide and a good judge First then if we weigh the Truth in the ballance of the Sanctuary if we looke into the Scriptures we shall finde a flat prohibition to the contrary as Heb. 10.24,25 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good workes not forsaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the congregation as the manner of some is but let us exhort one another c. upon which place Estius a moderate and learned Interpreter hath this glosse Qui conventibus Ecclesiasticis c. Qui conventibus Ecclesiasticis per fastum superbiam sese subtrahunt proximi sunt graviori ruirae Est in loc They that withdraw themselves from the publick Congregation are in danger of an unavoidable and fearfull ruine for that thereby they make a Schisme in the Church the doing whereof is most dangerous and displeasing to God and ingender Sects so Estius on the Text whereby they doe worse by Christ then the persecuting Jewes they devide his seamelesse Coate and give an occasion to the Adversarie of rejoycing and triumphing over the Church Therefore Ignatius in his Epistles Ignat. in Ep ad Ephes Smyrnenses exhorts and that with much earnestnesse the Christians to frequent the Church to be often present and seldome absent from the Meetings of Gods people there lest that by their continued absence they fall at length from the faith having first lost their Love to God and his Saints which Love is commonly child by the cold breath of Conventicles where hatred and malice against those of a contrary judgement with Sedition is commonly hatched and fomented as hath beene found by sad experience in this sinfull Nation I might here accumulate the Testimonies of other Interpreters upon this place to confirme this Truth concerning the unlawfulnesse of Conventicles Cornelius à Lapide writes thus upon this Text much to our present purpose The Apostle saies he by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligit caetus ecclesiae conventus fidelium ad sacram synaxim ad verbum Dei precesque publicas c. i. e. He understands the meeting of the Church in publique prayer in receiving of the Holy Sacrament and to heare the word Hos ergo conventus Apostolus vult frequentari c. Therefore the Apostle would have these publick meetings frequented that so men and women may make a cleer and open profession of their Faith which is a great meanes to beget mutuall Illi publici cat●… mutui congressus mire fovent fidem charitatem quae in secessu seperatione diuturniori languessit c. Cornel. a lap love and affections in those who agree in the same faith with us By this open profession we likewise encourage and incite others to professe the same Faith to worship the same God in that manner and after that way as it is done by us who hereby shew our selves to be an example of good works And examples we know are more prevalent then words or precepts They have a greater influence upon mens practise in a way of conformity and obedience Besides the forenamed Ignatius amongst the Fathers Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact and Oecumenius interpret this Text in the same sence with à Lapide and Estius who indeed light their candle at those bright burning Tapers whom God did set up for the good of his Church to enlighten it and to direct it in the wayes of Truth And * Luke 10.16 he that despiseth them with the rest of the ancient Fathers despiseth God who sent them The second Scripture proofe against private meetings as before were defined is this Mat. 24. Mat. 24.26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desart go not forth behold he is in the secret places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beleeve it not Most of the ancient Fathers therefore now despised because they are enemies to Haeresies as Origen Augustine and others interpret this place of the private corners of Schismaticks and Haereticks