Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	word_n	6,083	5	4.6960	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70394	Lacrymæ ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, or, A serious and passionate address of the Church of England, to her sons especially those of the clergy.	Ken, Thomas, 1637-1711.; Kerr, Thomas.	1689 (1689)	Wing K264C; ESTC R1553	49,273	65

whole Christian World which either is or would be governed by Bishops as the most Apostolick Primitive and Universal Way Would you have me disown the right succession of the power Ministerial conferred by Episcopal hands unto this day Shall the Jewish Church have the Heads of their Tribes as Bishops and Rulers over their Brethren the Priests and Levites and the Christian Church in imitation of them as in other particulars so in this have their Apostles Evangelists their Pastors and Teachers without reproach and may not I O it is certain that what is once well done in a regular publick way is ever after done as to the permanency of that vertue that is always in a great and good example Shall I lay aside Primitive and right Episcopacy which hath such grounds from Scripture both as to the divine wisdom so ordering his Church among the Jews as also by the example Precept and Direction evident from our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Apostles in the New Testament who preferred worthy persons for their Piety Zeal and holy Gravity to exercise a Christian authority over Ministers and people for their souls good which might consist with charity and humility for the preservation of the Churches peace and purity in the best and primitive times such grave persons as for their Age were Fathers for their innocency Saints for their industry Labourers for constancy Confessors for zeal Martyrs for charity Brethren for their light Angels and venerable for all Excellencies And I own no other Bishops but such in whom are remarkable the vertues of the most ancient and imitable Bishops the Industry of St. Austin the Courage of St. Ambrose the Devotion of St. Gregory the Learning of Nazianzen the Eloquence of St. Chrysostome the Mildness of St. Cyprian the Love of St. Ignatius the Constancy of St. Polycarp the Nobleness of St. Basil and those come nearest the Apostolical pattern and resemble the most of any Christians or Ministers the Grace and Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ I endeavour that my Bishops may be among Christians the most faithful among Men the most civil among Preachers the most painful among Orators the most perswasive among Governours the most moderate among pious Men the most fervent among Professors the most forward among severe Men the most exact among Sufferers the most patient among Perseverants the most constant the most compleat every way and perfect unto every good work These I take care should be duely chosen should be esteemed with honour and reverenced with love My Rule to them is That they should over-rule with vigilance should rule with joynt counsel neither levelled with younger Preachers and Novices nor exalted too much above the grave and Elder I allow these men an honourable competencie with eminency wherewith they may exercise a large heart and liberal hand which may conciliate a general respect and deserve the common Love. My direction to them is that their vertue and piety may preserve the Authority of their places and this is the order peace and dignity of the Church that they may be the Touchstone of Truth the Loadstone of Love the Standard of Faith the Pattern of Holiness the Pillars of Stability and the Centres of Vnity such as the Erroneous may hate the Factious envy good men may love and bad men may Fear 2. Can ye blame my Doctrine approved by the Reformed and agreeable with the Primitive Church a doctrine according to godliness teaching all men that denying all ungodliness and worldly lust they should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world 3. Do you find fault with my Devotion in the publick worship of God by Confession prayers praises Psalms and other holy Oblations of a Rational and Evangelical service offered up to our God by the joint piety of all my children the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Communi Oratio where nothing is expressed as my mind which I thought not agreeable with the mind of Gods spirit in the Scripture nor do I know any part of it to which a judicious Christian might not in Faith say Amen taking the expressions of it in that pious and benign sense which the Church intended and the words may well bear Indeed the whole composure of my Liturgy is in my judgement so wholesome so holy so compleat so discreet so devout so useful so savoury so well-advised that I find nothing in the eighteen Liturgies composed in the Eastern and Western Church that is excellent but is in this of mine and many things which are less clear or necessary in them are better expressed or wisely omitted here the whole being so ordered as might best inform all peoples understandings stir up their affections and quicken their devotions in a wholesome form of sound words such as Moses David the Prophets and the Lord Jesus left behind them solemnly recorded in the Scriptures So that according to the primitive care I first laid down Scripture grounds in the Creeds and Confessions and then I enlarged and fixed my Liturgies and devotions as near as I could to the majesty solemnity and exactness unanimity and fulness of publick Prayers upon all holy publick occasions so plainly that the devout soul knows well what it should desire of God and so affectionately that it earnestly desires in it what it knoweth God alloweth and so uniformly that it peaceably goeth along with the Congregation with one mind and one heart in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace 4. Is it the Rites and Ceremonies I impose that displease you Alas I find the God of Heaven which we worship in England enjoyning more Ceremonies on his own people and forbidding no holy custom to any Christians in order to advance the decency and order of his service or Christians mutual edification and joint devotion under the Gospel Our blessed Saviour hath by his spirit guiding the pens and practises of the Apostles sufficiently manifested the Power and Liberty given the Church and the Governours of it for the choice and use of such decent customs Rites and Ceremonies not as divine institutions upon the consciences butashumane injunctions upon the practises as agree with godly manners and the truth of the Gospel and may best serve for order decency peace solemnity and mutual edification of Christians agreed upon by publick consent in which every ones vote is personally or vertually included It 's true as the Liturgy so the Ceremonies have something of Rome in them for to deal plainly I did freely and justly assert to my own use and Gods glory whatever upon due tryal I found to have the stamp of Gods truth and grace or the Churches wisdom and charity upon it I would not refuse any good I found amongst them because it was mixed with some evil but trying all things I held fast that which was good being intent upon the great ends of piety devotion and charity It 's true I enjoyn my

lying hid in the depth darkness and ambiguity of Original words without skill in Languages How can they attain the genuine and emphatick sense of the Word of God without skill in the Original words and phrases How can they maintain the truths I have established and confute the errours I have condemned How can they detect the fallacies with which my poor people are deluded and convince the gain-sayers with which I am troubled and discover those sophisms in which poor souls wrap themselves darkning wisdom with words without understanding without the art of sound reasoning How can they convey the holy truths they are furnished with to others without an holy Eloquence a sacred Perswasion and Rhetorick which may commend them to mens minds and enforce them upon their hearts how can they satisfie themselves and others in the Controversies of this Age without the Observations Histories and Customs of former Ages and standing in the ways and asking for the old which is the good way and walk therein so find rest for their souls How is it possible for those poor creatures to understand sundry passages of Scripture depending upon propriety of words Idioms or upon the Customs Rites Proverbs Forms Usages Laws Offices and Antiquities of the Assyrian Persian Greek and Roman Governments without a competent portion of humane Learning My Religion was as the Kings Daughter all glorious within attended on by Arts and Sciences those Handmaids who cloathed her with garments wrought with needle-work of divers colours embroidering her with pathetick Elegancies with solid Eloquence and Orations with Sublimity and Gravity with Method and Acuteness with excellent Morals and useful Observations of a very sober sense But now alas it 's exposed to a prophane world with the ridiculous impertinencies and foolish adventures of men zealous but not according to knowledge What empty discourses do I hear what incoherent Notions do I read what vain trifles am I troubled with what pilfering learned mens works do I endure O what abundance of things should a Minister understand O what a great defect is it to be ignorant of them O how much do we miss a competent Knowledge in ordinary Ministers 1. To satisfie themselves and others exactly in the true and original will of God. 2. To explain and unfould the words in which Gods will is originally expressed and to endeavour by all means a right notion and conception of them as they are to be understood in the Scripture 3. To shew exactly what are those saving truths which are naturally contained in those words so explained 4. To confirm those truths so drawn out of the Scripture by such evident Arguments and powerful Reasons as may establish the true believer and convince the Gainsayer 5. To press those truths so made manifest upon men with that power that they may have their proper influence and efficacy upon mens hearts and lives The honest men that are industrious I would willingly encourage provided they have what I wished always and shall now expect in all my Priests and Deacons solidity gravity modesty piety and some savour of Learning joyned with humility and zeal with humanity some methods of intelligible Reason and profitable Scripture-Divinity The Law was published by Moses learned in all the Learning of the Egyptians The Gospel was propagated by St. Paul bred up at the feet of Gamaliel in all the varieties of Heathenish and Jewish knowledge the Primitive Fathers as Clemens Alex. Euseb Tertul. St. Aug. St. Ambrose Min. Fel. Lactant. and others maintained the Faith so propogated by their comprehensive Learning Therefore I have taken care that none should be admitted to Orders but they who are approved by sober and wise men as who have given themselves wholly to these things that their profiting may appear unto all as men of whom there is some hope because of their promptness of wit quickness of conceit fastness of memory clearness of understanding soundness of judgment and readiness of speech that they may in time by art industry experience and observation become skilful Linguists subtile Disputants copious Orators exact Critiques comprehensive Historians profound Divines and powerful Preachers that throughout the three Kingdoms I may have those that may settle the people rightly instruct the ignorant clearly satisfie the doubtful fully meet with the seducers skilfully and promote piety and peace succesfully As the times now are wherein Learning aboundeth even unto wantonnesse and wherein the world is full of Questions Controversies Novelties and Niceties in Religion and wherein most of our Gentry and people are by the advantage of long peace and the customs of modern Education together with a multitude of English Books are able to look through the ignorance of a Clergy-man and censure it if he be tripping in any point of History Cosmography Moral or Natural Philosophy Divinity or the Arts yea and to chastise his very method and phrase if he speaks losely or impertinently or but improperly I as these times are must not admit any Clergy-men without a competency of Learning as who may endeavour by their prayers care and industry to improve the Learning they have so as they may be able upon good occasion to impart a spiritual gift to the people of God whereby they may be established and to speak with such understanding sufficiency and pertinency in some good measure of proportion to the quickness and ripeness of these present times shewing in their Doctrine uncorruptness gravity sincerity sound speech which cannot be condemned that they which are of the contrary party may be ashamed having no evil to say of them I whose Clergy professed to use and prayed to God to bless their long Preparative Studies Meditations Writings Readings habitually to fit them for that dreadful work and for every actual discharge of it I am ashamed of those poor Smatterers who have gathered a few raw and indigested Notions either by superficial reading of the Scriptures or by hearing some Sermons or by gleaning a little here and there from the plainest Writings without any Critical Historical or Polemical Learning who are fit implements to bring in such ignorance irreverence Atheism Superstition and Confusion as shall quite put out the Christian and reformed Religion in this Nation reducing all to the ancient darkness looseness and barbarousness which hath been established by persons of real abilities of good Learning sound knowledge sober Judgements orderly Method grave Utterance and weighty Eloquence which all wise and sober Christians expect should appear in every true Minister of the Church of Christ in such a competent measure and evident manner as they may be able comfortably to discern them and usefully to enjoy them I am ashamed to see a Roll of four hundred and six and twenty Tradesmen who 1. out of desultory restlesness 2. out of covetousness and ambition 3. out of sullenness and discontent 4. out of pride and envy having intruded in former years into the sacred Calling of a Minister are now ordained