Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	christian_a	church_n	scripture_n	2,641	5	5.9474	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62281	The necessity of adhering to the Church of England as by law established, or, The duty of a good Christian, and particularly parents and masters of families under the present toleration by William Saywell ...	Saywell, William, 1643-1701.	1692 (1692)	Wing S801; ESTC R40636	34,235	49

Duty I Have made it evident beyond all doubt that there are Spiritual Governours appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the World and all Christian People must be under the Authority and Jurisdiction of some or other of those Ministers and that by direction of the Apostles and constant Law of the generall Councils and tradition of all Christian Churches and the Rules of Decency and Order all Countries that own the Christian Religion are generally divided into Provinces and Dioceses c. for the more peaceable management of all affairs Things being thus settled all those commands in Scripture that People ought to bearken to the Church obey them that have the Rule over them besides all those generall precepts Honour thy Father and Mother To know them that are over you in the Lord and admonish you to esteem them highly for their works sake c. do oblige all People here in England to obey their several Bishops and joyn in Communion with their respective Parishes and those that do obstinately withdraw themselves from their obedience do live in open contempt of Christ and manifest violation of his Holy Gospel which does require all Men to maintain Love and Charity especially with their Fathers and Governours and to keep the peace and unity of the Church All such Men that wilfully and obstinately continue in their Schism and disobedience are not only shut out from the priviledges and benefits of the Gospel but bring upon themselves all the curses and punishments denounced against such grievous Sinners for those that are disobedient to parents are reckoned up amongst the most heinous Offenders Rom. 1.30 2 Tim. 3.2 Consider therefore how you will answer it to God in the dreadfull day that do meerly neglect to joyn in the publick Service and Sacraments and thereby disobey your Spiritual Fathers and affront that Government which Christ has set in his Church for your good and as the means to promore his Glory and your Salvation 'T is not Man but God that you reject who gave us this Charge over your Souls and you do despite to the Holy Spirit of grace from whom we receive our Commission Besies the guilt of disobedience and contempl of Christs Ministers you that assemble in Conventicles are guilty of Schism which is a damning Sin and a root of all confusion AS nothing is more agreeable to the Nature of God then Love and Unity so nothing is more odious to his most Holy being then Schism and Division for the nature of Love is to unite all things in Peace and Order but the nature of Schism is to bring all things to misery and confusion Whatsoever therefore Schismaticks may pretend of Zeal for the glory of God their advancing Piety and setting up Religion in greater purity the Scripture calls such courses the works of the flesh and pronounces the Persons that follow them Men of carnal affections Rom. 16. Gal. 5. Those therefore that do not only withdraw from the obedience of their Lawfull Governours but set up separate Assemblies under colour of purer worship do plainly make a Schism in the Church and rend the Body of Christ in pieces and are marked out by the Holy Scrip tures for the grootest enemies of God and true Religion Our Saviour fays he that shall be angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment and he that says unto him Rache that is empty vain Fellow and so lighting and bringing his Person into contempt shall be in danger of the Gounoil but whosoever shall say thou fools shall be in danger of Hell fire Now if it be so heinous a crime in the sight of God to undervalue our Brother what is it to despise our Spiritual Fathers and contemn their godly commands and admonitions moreover to tear and divide the Church of Christ and instead of Love stirr up animosities and contentions strife and hatred as is too to evident and from thence do genenally follow Massacres Rebellions long and bloudy Wars Murder subversion of Kingdoms and States destruction of Countries and all the cruelties and miseries that Mankind are lyable unto As these things are manifest by experience so Scripture tells us Jude 18 19. they spring from Schism There shall be mockers in the last times who shall walk after their own ungodly lusts these be they that soparate themselves sensual having not the Spirit whereas none glory more of the Spirit then these Separatists whom the Apostle charges with carnal and ungodly Lusts Again Rom. 16.17 Mark those that cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have Learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own helly and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the heart of the simple The Apostle pursues the same matter 1. Cor. 3.3 Lor ye are yet Carnall for whereas there is among you Envying and Strife and Divisions are ye not Carnal and walk as Men For while one saith I am Paul and another I am Apollos are ye not Carnall Again Galatians 5.20 reckoning up the works of the Elesh that shut Men out of Heaven he says the worke of the Flesh are manifest which are these he puts down Strife Seaitions or Schism and Divisions Heresies and then adds v. 21. They that do such things shall not in herit the Kingdome of God So that as Schism is an heinous Sin of its own nature so it proceeds from a carnal mind and that is the root of all other Evils and Disorders James 4.1 From whence come Wars and Fightings among you Come they not hence even of your Lusts that war in your members Lust breeds Division and Division breeds War and War brings all other evils with it especially civil and homebred Wars which spring from this root of Schism If none of these temporal evils follow upon Schism which God grant they may not yet Schism brings in Heresie Ignorance and Prophaness DID Men keep to the Rule of Gods word and follow the interpretation of the Catholick Church they would be secure from all danger of Heresie ignorance and profaness and would have a sure direction to lead them into the way of Salvation For all the Schisms Heresies and mistakes that Men sall into come by forsaking the guidance of the Church and wresting the Scripture to their own destruction which St Peter says many of the unlearned and unstable do 2 Pet. 3.16 So that in this case the Scripture may be compared to an Apothecaries shop full of all fort of wholesome Medicines if rightly applyed with judgement and discretion but such as will prove deadly poyson if taken at adventure and misimployed Now our Saviour has given us the Scriptures for our direction which with much study and pains we may understand our selves for our own benefit and instruction yet because few Men who are engaged in worldly pleasures and business c. do give themselves so much leisure as

easier Terms then all Churches do require of those that are under their respective Jurisdictions So that we are neither the cause nor party in any Division Other Churches that break communion with us deny that Christian Charity that One Member of Christs Body ought to pay to another and those of our own Members that run into Conventicles set up Altar against Altar and divide themselves from our Communion go against the plain word of God which requires them to obey them that have the Rule over them See my Evangel and Cath. unity c. against the constant Order of the Catholick Church and general Councils and contrary to the Doctrine and Command of all other Churches in the World Obj. But are there no Reasons then for Men to refuse the Communion of their particular Church and Bishop and must every private Christian alwayes comply with their Governours whatsoever they say or do Answ They must obey their particular Church in all things Lawfull which are in all things not contrary to the word of God and the Catholick Church Obj. But who shall be Judge in this Case Answ The sense of the Catholick Church in Cases of doubt is to be consulted Obj. But is it not hard to know where she may be consulted and how to understand her Sense in any matter Answ God has promised that the way shall be so plain that a wayfaring Man though a Fool shall not err therein Isa 35.8 1 Tim. 3.15 and for our direction tells us the Church is the Pillar and Ground of Truth And thereupon he has commanded us to hear and obey the Church and there is no doubt it will be an easie matter to understand what her Sense is in all Cases needfull for us to know Obj. But have not Bishops and Scholars themselves many disputes about the Church and about her Sense in several points and how then can People know the Sence of the Church Answ Men of some Judgment and little Reading are willing to despise that Authority which is above their capacity and Men of great Reading and little Judgment do not know how to reconcile the seeming differences in the Church but if you consult your Bishops and Ministers they will satisfie you concerning the Sense of the Catholick Church in all parts of your duty For since God has made it our duty to hear and obey the Churches he will order matters so that all People that are willing to follow her direction may be guided by it for God does not reveal any thing to us that we cannot believe nor command any thing which we cannot perform in the manner it is proposed to us Quest What plain Rule will you give us to go by in this matter for we would willingly know the Truth and hearken to the Church Answ First in all Lawfull and in most doubtfull matters it is your duty to follow the command of your particular Church Quest But what must I do in things that seem to me contrary to the Word of God when such are commanded by my particular Church Answ The second Rule then I would give you is that if you think or are credibly told you ought not to joyn with your particular Church in this or that Doctrine or practice before you make a Schism enquire of learned Men what was the Sense of the Primitive Fathers and generall Councils and what is the generall opinion of other Churches and most learned Divines about it and be sure you have good Reason and Authority before you depart from your own Church in which you live and were Baptized Obj. This is the way to put me upon a tedious endless work more then either I or the Persons I consult will be ever able to go through Answ No no such matter the Sense and Consent of the Scripture and of the Church is so clear in all points of duty that People are concerned to know and practice and the Controversies are so few when rightly stated and understood that want to be decided in Order to your doing your duty that it will be no hard matter to receive full satisfaction for they are either such that have been long agoe decided or the Church is wholly silent about them and there is no evidence of Scripture to oblige you to depart from your particular Church upon that account Now consider in how many matters all Churches are agreed and the Controversies long agoe setled First against the Arrians and Socinians Consess August which are long agoe condemned for Hereticks and the Three Creeds that expound the Catholick Faith See my enquiry into the means of a happy union contrary to their perverse interpretations are generally received by all Churches So likewise the Anabaptists and Quakers who deny Infant Baprism are likewise condemned by all Churches and 't is the constant Doctrine of the Catholick Church and all Reformed Churches that to separate from their Lawfull Bishops upon the account of their requiring of them to joyn in stated Forms of Prayer and for enjoyning decent Ceremonies not contrary to the Word of God and thereupon to set up Altar against Altar and run into private meetings is that Schism condemned in the Holy Scriptures So that not only from the Holy Scriptures but from the interpretation of the Church it is most evident that they hold pernicious if not Damnable errours and in these points it will be an easie matter for every body to find satisfaction and to know the Churches Sense concerning them So that to joyn with such Dissenters and to profess their Doctrines is manifestly to oppose the Catholick Church as well as the Word of God Obj. But if you put us to enquire into the Ancient ways and consult the Sense of other Churches and give us that Rule for our direction in matters of Controversie we fear you have a design to lead us back to the Church of Rome for they talk much of the Church and the old Religion and tell us all the World is on their side Answ That is the great weakness of some to imagine so and by their speaking meanly of hearkning to the Authority of the Catholick Church make many Suspect indeed that the Church of God has been altogether corrupted and lost or else no where to be found for many Ages but in the Church of Rome Whereas if you will inquire of your Bishops and Divines of the Church of England they will tell you that the pretended Authority of the Pope and Church of Rome is contrary to the generall Councils rejected by the whole Church for the first Six Hundred Years and upwards and condemned by the major part of the Bishops and Christian Churches from the Apostles times to this very day nay the Church of Rome is the only Church by Name warned to take heed least she be Cut off from the Body of Christ as the Jews were Rom. 11. So that the Church of Rome is so far from being the Catholick Church that she is a very corrupt part of it and those of that Communion that amongst us set up separate Assemblies do oppose the constant tradition of the Catholick Church the