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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	true_a	truth_n	3,714	5	6.3516	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92845	A sermon, preached at St. Marie's in the University of Cambridge May 1st, 1653. Or, An essay to the discovery of the spirit of enthusiasme and pretended inspiration, that disturbs and strikes at the universities: by Joseph Sedgwick, Mr. of Arts, and Fellow of Christs Coll: in the University of Cambridge. Together with an appendix, wherein Mr. Del's Stumblingstone is briefly repli'd unto: and a fuller discourse of the use of universities and learning upon an ecclesiasticall account, submitted by the same authour to the judgement of every impartial and rational Christian.	Sedgwick, Joseph, 1628-1702.	1653 (1653)	Wing S2362; Thomason E699_2; Thomason E699_3; ESTC R510	26,942	31

in the service of God that and this partaking in the general notion of a religious Assembly their Ministery of a Ministery and their Worship of the Worship of God And observing the difference of their and our dispensations we may very lawfully make use of their institutions to direct us to discover many things which belong to religious Congregations Officers and Worship in generall That onely being abrogated of Moses which was typical and founded in God's Covenant with Israelites as Israelites i. e. as instated in the land of Canaan not as men and related to God by creation and the covenant of nature IV. Which follows from and may adde strength to what hath been already said Collections from Scripture though not to every eye exprest in Scripture and arguments drawn according to the different circumstances of the Primitive and Later conditions of the Church are proofs very admittable by any sober Christian This is no more then what reason readily grants as founded in the very nature of the things no more then what is commonly allowed as sufficient proof in collecting from any History ancient Custome and usage or old Law which is in force with respect to the alteration of times It is that which in other more uncontroverted cases is used in alledging of Scripture it self V. Custome and practice of the Church in succeeding ages and Ecclesiasticall History especially neare the Apostles times universal and in conformity to the former presumptions is an argument in it self as considerable as intolerable to Enthusiastick Spirits or men that affect novelty their own humours Now to our question The Christian Schooles in former ages are notorious and the high price then set upon Learning is cleare by their diligence in instructing their children in Arts and Sciences and by the sense they had of Julian's injurious forbidding them the Heathenish Learning and denying them the liberty of the then Schooles of literature What joy for their deliverance from this oppression by his death What industry in supplying the want of publick education It is evident Nazianzen had other thoughts of humane Learning then those that prefer Julian for a pattern of reformation But this way of arguing were I skill'd in it would be put off with the Antiquity of the Mystery of Iniquity which if we believe some had almost in every thing overspred the Church of Christ straight after the decease of the Apostles Indeed it would be ineffectuall because beyond the possibility of our Opponents Examination who have exprest their Christian justice in vilifying and condemning the Ancients whom they are not at all acquainted with Yet it needs no great reading to know that those which we acknowledge to be the times of greatest Apostacy in the Church were the freest from secular Learning and had as much darkness in that respect as our Adversaries can hope to bring England to if the Universities were utterly abolish'd The Reformation of Religion and the reviving of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in plaine English the Gentile Learning were contemporary and happily promoted by the same Instruments And it were strange if the Reformation begun in knowledge could no otherwise be carried on then by returning to the Ignorance of darker and more degenerate ages What can an adversary to the reformation in reason think else but that they have convinced us of the insufficiency of our Cause and that now we are sensible Learning was onely an argument for us when our Opponents had not attained to enough to discover our fallacies impostures learned juglings What greater triumph can the Jesuites desire then to see us beat out of our confidence of Learning and put to a poore and irrational shift of private infallible Inspiration One inclining to Atheisme will be perfectly possessed that the defences of Christian Religion were only proud triumphs over the too unexercised disputers against it in Heathenisme or that the power of the Christian Emperours was the strongest argument for the truth of Christianity Experience having as he may justly surmise if all Christians were of these mens minds discovered to our selves the weakness of our Religion unable to withstand the clearer light of natural and refined reason We come now to our former Conclusions Conclusion I. A Ministery was not to cease with the primitive times and Apostolical administration and gifts Which will be proved if in particular we evidence the truth of the Church of England and the lawfulness of its Ministery which may be done thus 1. There is a visible Church of God in England or the Church of England is a true Church of Christ in an Apostolical sense By a Church I mean according to the notion of a Church in the Apostolical writings to which I refer any attentive reader for proof of the notion I meane I say by a Church a Collection or Society of men united in the Worship of God in his Son Jesus Christ whom they professe to believe to be sent by the Father for the remission of sinnes and according to whose precepts they engage themselves to lead their lives in hopes of everlasting life through the same Lord Jesus Though as yet they are no otherwise renewed then by this more generall belief of the Gospel and Salvation promised by Christ i. e. but potentially and in gradu remoto sanctified their lives being unanswerable to their profession and promise And this is the case of the English communion whose members having been baptized in their infancy and having at yeares of discretion acknowledged their assent to the then-dedication of them to God and acknowledging their Baptisme into repentance for remission of sins are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints by call called unto holiness and true members of the Church till duly and justly put out of communion This is in Apostolical phrase a Church of God and a Congregation of Believers in the Scripture expression And that is soberer language then carnal and worldly Church though there is a more invisible Church more spiritually and intimately united to Christ to which neither hypocrites nor unrighteous professours do belong the bounds of it being narrower and salvation attainable to none that are without it But the Church we speak of is such as those St Paul wrote to visible and externall the conditions of whose communion was in the Apostles time but a believing Christ to be the Messiah and submitting to Baptisme to the remission of sinnes and repentance from dead works This Church is not to be rested in neither are the members of it to be vilified and slighted as out of the Church as unbelievers or to be debarr'd communion who have the faith of Christ in them and whose hearts God hath purified by a belief wrought in them of the truth of the Gospel though their faith be dead as yet unprofitable and that which unless it be brought into act and work by Love will not save Yet there is that faith wrought in them by the Spirit of God in

him with Kingly abilities Yet is this a warrant to chuse Governours of the meanest condition and knowledge because God is able to give them the spirit of Wisdome and Government That miraculous gifts are ceased for ought I can heare is yet very palpable Amongst us that are Christians two reasons may be given First unbelief is ceased The Faith of the Gospel is become a presupposition to our preaching people being instructed in it from their youth and the primitive miracles are generally embraced for true Secondly there is plentifull provision in the ordinary providence of God and then I know no ground for any faith to expect a miraculous supply Suppose any of our Adversaries preach to Welchmen being themselves English Do not they learne the language Yet there was the gift of Tongues Whether this were a permanent gift or no I enquire not If not the Apostles sure used humane industry when they preached to people of another language Healing was a gift yet I hope a Christian may study Physick Then for Heathens Miracles being requisite for a testimony to them consider that there is rationall morall evidence for the Gospel-truth and Christianity comes not with that disadvantage being a religion of a great part of the World Miracles beside being then necessary the more for the inconsiderablenesse of the Revealers in their persons and the paucity of the Professours a few contemptible men in outward appearance contradicting all the rest of the World I shall only adde 1. That a great part of the Apostles knowledge was by attendance upon Christ and converse with him and from his expounding the Scriptures after his resurrection i. e. in a way of humane diligence and industry 2. Where ever God found gifts he made use of them as in S. Paul without any superfluous repeating the same by extraordinary endowments which further proves that the primitive gifts were many of them for a supply to the Apostles illiterate education who though called in Ignorance were sent out with the reality and eminency of Learned Accomplishments 6. What Learning S. Paul speaks against is condemned by Learning it self Philosophy or the then-Philosophy opposed Reason as well as the Gospel The place of Col. 2. answers it self Philosophy according to the traditions of men and the principles of the World the Philosophy of the Sects Philosophicall quirks subtilties and ungrounded dreams and fancies concerning Angels and the like is nothing to genuine Philosophy proceeding upon true principles of nature i. e. God's discovery of himself to our understandings by the light of Reason and works of Creation The Sophisticall captious and wrangling deceit this that is called Philosophy but indeed was vain deceit is as much declaimed against by the sober Philosophers of the same Age. Nay what better morall provision in pursuance of the Apostles caution not to be deceived by vain Philosophicall deceit then for Ministers to be well able to discover to people the cunning Sophistry and delusion of men that thus delight to lead captive the multitude Then for the glarous painted and ranting Rhetorick of those times if used in the matters of God it offends against the main principle of Rhetorick to keep a decorum and speak suteably to the matter Lofty towrings of fancy fawning words and vainly-garnish'd expressions neither fitting the capacity of a popular audience nor becoming the Majesty of a God and the nobility of Divine revelation Yet true raisedness of expression a majesticall state and artificiall and genuine insinuations with most patheticall captivatings of the minde are obvious in Scripture as obvious as fantasticall cloud-reachings are affectedly frequent in our new Formalists Enthusiasm who are truly those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2 Pet. 2. 18. 7. All Learning is advantageous a great deal necessary to an able publisher of the Truth and Governour of the Church Tongues and the gift of Interpretation and Utterance with skill to collect from Scripture easily speak their necessity Observe here there are some things common to a Minister and secular employments and to this no wonder if secular and humane abilities be necessary Thus to be able to speak aptly intelligibly consequently and suteably to the disposition and capacity of his hearers is the Apostolicall way of preaching and yet it is the method of secular Oratory Dependance of Truth upon Truth Conclusions upon Principles is discoverable in Scripture revelation and is of the same nature that is in other Sciences proceeding in the way of naturall light acting upon and in revealed Truth Scripture is writing and Scripture-interpretation proceeds by the generall rules of interpretation of Authours with whom it partakes likewise in Language and helps to understand the sense For my part I know no one piece of true and reall whether solid or delightfull Learning that hath not considerable advantage in it to the rendering a Minister more able to understand explain and confirm the truth of Christian Religion To be able to search into the true and naturall sense of Apostolicall writings to discern the excellency consonancy and true authenticknesse of Scripture to examine and draw consequences from it to see the agreement of reason and revelation to view the appearances of God amongst the Heathen their self-condemnednesse attestations to part of truth and defectivenesse to take notice of God in the Creation and distinguish miracles from impostures to observe God's Providence in the World and Church to see the severall breakings forth of light and overcastings of darknesse in the Church to make out the Truth by full evidence to explain and order the several Truths of revelation and have a distinct and more then popular notion of them so as to be able to answer Atheisticall and unbelieving cavills to converse with Christians in all Ages and make use of their experiences and discoveries to know God our selves and men in order to a convenient application of our selves unto them for their good these are some of the ends of Learning that thus and otherwise enlarges quickens and imbetters the naturall faculties of the Soul And if all this contains any thing of usefulnesse to a Minister of the Gospel we may safely adde that Conclusion IV. The Universities or places that offer opportunity advantages and encouragement to humane Learning and that conjoined with and subservient to Divinity are so farr from being Antichristian that they are of apparent necessity to the Church of Christ And truly weigh but the concernment of Christian Religion to the peace and happinesse of a Nation there can be to say no more no greater prudence in a Magistrate much more if professing eminency in Christian Religion then to lay it self out in all just and lawfull means for the conserving and propagating of it encouraging and helping forward those who devote their time and studies to be thus serviceable to their Countrey I shall answer but two objections 1. The Idlenesse and Luxury of the University 2. The diversity of Opinions and Errours To the First It is no great wonder if in these times of Liberty when the authority and discipline of the University hath been weakned by some such spirits amongst us as our Adversaries when Learning seems to most to be in so despairing a condition not much wonder if there be some miscarriages in so great confluence of Youth which is very seldome considerate and hath hot bloud to suppresse But I call all that know Cambridge and I question not but others can testifie as much for Oxford all that judge by nothing of faction and prejudice that there is no collection of men this day in England that can shew more eminent examples of true Worth reall sober Piety and Religion then are in our University Nor are the enormities so many or so unsuppress'd by discipline as discontent and malice would bear the World in belief To the Second I wondered to hear such an argument You Scholars cannot agree in the truth Ergo what need Universities It is a strange accusation that we are a Society of Men. We confesse we seek after truth and if we erre it is because we are fallible Nay that we differ is an argument that we set our selves to seek the truth and not lazily conspire in that which for ought we can tell certainly may be absolute falsehood which is all I doubt a perfect unity of opinion will amount to till it be the fruit of an universall infallibility of spirit Rather the ingenuity of an indifferent and free enquiry into Truth is true Noblenesse I am sure it is the likeliest way to discover Truth to have contrary opinions debated here where there are men able to see how farre each agree with other and how much they differ and to examine each other's grounds Learning too having civiliz'd their spirits to calme and moderate debates without any thing of that passionate heart-burning and inveteratenesse which accompanies dispute among common people I am sure the enemies of Learning are at a farre greater distance bateing their joint-persecuting of the Ministery and Scholars We can pitty them but not fear them whilest next to the Providence of God with thankfull acknowledgement of our protection we dare commit our selves fully to the dispose of our wise and worthy Governours appealing in the mean time for the usefulnesse of our Universities in the present constitution to all whom Avarice Envy or Fanatick Frenzy have not perfectly blinded FINIS