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A22474 The badges of Christianity. Or, A treatise of the sacraments fully declared out of the word of God Wherein the truth it selfe is proued, the doctrine of the reformed churches maintained, and the errors of the churches of Rome are euidently conuinced: by pervsing wherof the discreet reader may easily perceiue, the weak and vnstable grounds of the Roman religion, and the iust causes of our lawfull separation. Diuided into three bookes: 1. Of the sacraments in generall. 2. Of Baptisme. 3. Of the Lords Supper. Hereunto is annexed a corollarie or necessary aduertisement, shewing the intention of this present worke, opening the differences among vs about the question of the supper, discouering the idolatry and diuisions of the popish clergy, ... By William Attersoll, minister of the Word of God. Attersoll, William, d. 1640.; Attersoll, William, d. 1640. Principles of Christian religion. aut 1606 (1606) STC 889; ESTC S115827 366,439 472

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is the sacra of repentance and faith though neither of these be in infancy yet they are baptised to the repentance and faith to come which albeit they be not actually formed in them yet by the fruites afterward they shal appeare to be in them Lastly if baptisme should be giuen only to those that truely beleeue it should likewise be denied to such as are of vnderstanding for wee are able to pronounce of these that they do truely beleeue and certainely apprehend the promises of the gospel Wherfore if infants are not to be baptized because they haue not faith and want repentance neither are they of sufficient age to be baptized of whom it cannot be directly and vndoubtedly said they do beleeue Simon the sorcerer mentioned in the Actes of the apostles was baptized and yet remained an hypocrite If they say profession of faith is sufficient to make members of the visible church I answer our sauiour speaketh not of a bare profession of faith when he saith He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued for then al that professe faith should receiue The reward of their faith which is the saluationof their soules Againe profession of faith is for such as are capable of it which agreeth not to the age of infants as they cannot deny the faith before men which they haue not acknowledged no more can they confesse the truth of doctrin which they neuer learned Now to be borne in the church and in the couenant is infants in place and stead of an actuall confession and reall profession Such as are growne vp must beleeue with the heart and confesse with the mouth the gospel of saluation it is sufficient for others to bee the children of such as haue confessed the faith Fourthly they obiect in this manner baptisme is giuen for remission of sinnes but infants haue not sinned they therefor cannot be baptized I answer infants commit not actuall sinne yet are guilty of originall sinne they want inherent righteousnesse they haue a pronenesse to all euill their whole nature is corrupted being in the seede of Adam Albeit therefore infants haue not finned after the similitude of Adams transgression in their owne persons yet they haue sinned in him and in his loynes in whom al are dead This the holy man teacheth Iob. 14. Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse There is not one Likewise the prophet Dauid confesseth this truth Psal. 51. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne my mother conceiued me So the Apostle Paule Rom. 5. Death reigned from Adam to Moyses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the manner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of him that was to oome for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Wherefore such as holde infants without all guilt of sinne neuer knewe the greatenesse of Adams fall of Gods iustice of mans misery and of Christes endlesse mercy Lastly they obiect that Christ himselfe was not baptized vntill 30 yeares of age I answer no more did he preach before he was thirty yet hence it followeth not that none ought to enter that calling before that age True it is hee that desireth that worthye office must bee no new plant no younger Scholler none lately come to the profession and gathered immediately from heathenish religion to the fellowship of the gospel yet the office of teaching is not tyed to 30 yeares the age may be lesse if the gifts be great and fit for that calling Againe Christ stood not in neede to be baptized in respect of himselfe being without originall or actuall sinne to he washed away and therefore Iohn at the first put him back yet he would be baptized for our sakes to fulfill all righteousnesse to sanctifie our baptisme in himselfe and that thereby we might know he was installed into his osfice But we stand in neede to be baptized to seale vp the washing away of our sinnes and therfore there is a great difference in this respect betweene Chrift and vs. Besides the Euangelist doth testifie that albeit our sauiour were baptized at thirty years of age yet he was circumcised at 8. daies old Now wee haue proued before that the same which circumcision was to the Iewes baptisme is to al christians If then he in his infancy wer circumcised then children in their in fancy may be baptized and are not commaunded to waite thirty yeares for baptisme is our circumcision as the Apostle teacheth but Christ in his infancy was circumcised when the eight dayes were accomplished therfore children in their infancy may be baptized Furthermore baptisme was not hitherto as yet in vse it was not commanded to be vsed when he was a child and therefore he could not possibly be baptized vnlesse we will imagin he might be baptized before baptisme was So that wee see as he would not haue his circumcision deferred one day beyond the time appoynted so hee was presently baptized so soone as baptisme was instituted of God and administred by Iohn Fiftly we are no more tied to this circumstance of time in christs baptisme then we are to other circumstances of time place and persons in the Supper he ministred it in an vpper Chamber and before his passion we in churches before dinner after his resurrection Lastly when the time appointed came that the promised sauior and redeemer of mankinde should manifest himselfe to the world then he shewed himselfe openly then he came to the preaching baptisme of Iohn began to publish the glad tidings of saluation and to exhort men to repent beleeue the gospel These are the chiefest obiections against childrens baptisme that carry any shew and probability of reason which hitherto wee haue dissolued and discussed And this is the second point before propounded Now as we haue seene the truth proued by the scripture and maintained it against all the ignorant cauils of the Anabaptistes and other Arrians of Transiluania that haue oppugned this truth so let vs come to see the benifit of this doctrine and what profit commeth by baptisme of children that are without knowledge without vnderstanding without faith and without repentance What vse can there be of this Much euery way as well as by circumcising an infant of eight daies old First consider from hence a plaine and palpable errour of the Church of Rome that teach that the baptisme of children is by tradition not by deuine institution from their word vnwritten not in the word of God written But we haue confuted the Anabaptistes by the Scriptures and conuinced them by the institution of circumcision by the tenor of the couenant by the holinesse of their birth by their redemption through the blood of Christ and by the practise of the Apostles This is better armour these are stronger weapons this is a sharper sword to cut in
sunder the corrupt heresie of the Anabaptistes then the wooden dagger of humaine tradition which the church of Rome draweth out against them The Scripture is all sufficient to proue all truth and to beate downe all false doctrin that lifteth vp it selfe against God Wherefore we hold their traditions to be superstitions their vnwritten 〈◊〉 are written lies As we retaine the baptisme of children so wee haue alwaies beene ready to maintaine it by the old and new testament as by the sword of the spirit against all the aduersaries thereof Secondly let vs learne from hence 〈◊〉 acknowledge a difference betweene 〈◊〉 and the Lords supper For in baptizing of children 〈◊〉 faith not 〈◊〉 not regeneration is required but onely to bee borne in the couenant but the supper of the Lord requireth knowledge discerning trying and examining of our selues which are not required neither can be performed of young children who know not light from darkenesse nor good from euill Thirdly if infants haue interest in baptisme then hence it floweth that all are conceiued and borne in originall sin and whatsoeuer is of the flesh is flesh So the apostle saith As in Adam all dy euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue There is no difference all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorious kingdome of God we must be iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in christ Iesus by nature all are the children of wrath and borne dead in sins and trespasses infants not excepted We learne therfore that whatsoeuer is begotten of man is sinfull and corrupt it must be cut and pared away we must be renewed and borne again by the spirit of God clensing vs from our sins yea the children of the faithfull parents whose corruptions are mortified whose lustes are subdued whose flesh is tamed and brought vnder the obedience of the will of God are notwithstanding brought forth in sin because they are born by carnall generation and not by spirituall regeneration as corne winnowed from the chaffe yet groweth vp againe with it and as the foreskin cut off from the parents recurneth in the child Again haue infants of the faithful right to be baptized Then acknowledge heereby the difference betweene them and the children of infidels Iewes Pagans and Turkes As the children of the Iewes being heires of the couenant were separated distinguished from other children of the wicked Idolatrous nations and were therefore accounted the holy seed so for the same cause and reason the children of christians are called holy borne of either party and parent being faithful and a beleeuer and do differ from the prophane seede of idolatrous people Indeede whosoeuer maketh a true profession of the faith which he holdeth and is ready to lead his life according to that confession though he be not the seede 〈◊〉 child of the faithful yet is to bee baptized though hee came of the race of Turks or pagan●s as appeareth by the speach of Phillip to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest thou maiest Thus we see that the childrē of those that professe the faith belong to the church of God the children of Pagans belong not to the church of God loe how great a difference there is betweene them Heerby then the children of the faithfull are discerned and distinguished from the prophane multitude of Atheists Epicures Libertines Arrians Anabaptistes Turkes Sarazens Persians and other barbarous nations which are without christ without hope without God in the world wheras the holy seede of all the faithfull belong to the church of God and are reckoned in the company of the church For this cause the Apostle calleth the whole posterity of Abraham holy that is consecrated and halowed to God If the roote be holy the branches are also holy Not that the children of the faithfull do want originall sinne or that they gather any actuall holinesse or inherent righteousnesse by carnall generation and propagation from their parents but because by benefit of the couenant of God and by force of his gratious promise they are separated from prophane infidels and brought into the bosome of the church as Noah was into the Arke Fiftly this doctrine setteth forth the honor and glory of God For is not God greatly glorified when he sheweth himselfe true in his promises and hath mercy vpon the faithfull for a thousand generations And is not occasion offered to vs continually to glorifie him Can we deserue that God should be our God Nay do we not deserue that hee should not be our god And yet behold he will be the God of our children also Let vs therfore neuer forget his mercies let vs fil our mouthes or rather our heartes with his praises let vs confesse before the Lorde his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Sixtly all parents are heereby wonderfully comforted they haue their faith strengthened and are confirmed in the loue of GOD when they see themselues so beloued of GOD that it descendeth and floweth euen to their Children as they are assured by this visible signe This is that worthye and wonderfull promise which wee must receiue by faith I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee A sentence to be written not onely in Golde but in the tables of our hearts to dwell with vs for euer When we must leaue the worlde and our families in poore estate behind vs and go vnto the father let vs not be dismayed discoraged or discomfited this is the stay of our hope this is the staffe of our cófort this is our Anker-hold that he wil not shut vp his mercy towarde our children but be a gracious God to them as he hath bene to ourselues so that wee may assuredly say vnto them with faithfull Abraham My sonne God will prouide Let vs be content with those things that we haue for he hath saide I will not 〈◊〉 thee neither for sake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper neither will I feare what man can do vnto me Godlines is great gaine and he that is truely godly is truely rich He that hath Christ hath all things he that wanteth him wanteth all things Heauen and earth are the Lords all the gold and siluer are his who hath promised to be an husbande to the Widdow eyes to the blind a couering to the naked a father to the fatherlesse and he will not forget his kindenesse towards vs for euer Wherefore let vs lift vp our hands and our harts which hang downe let vs strengthen our weake knees and make straight steps vnto our feet God is able to worke contentednes in all his seruants whose power is best seene in our weakenes 〈◊〉 whose glorie shineth brightest in our greatest wants Remember what the prophet saith Psal 37 25 I am young and now am olde
are oftentims in gendred Eucharist and so consume it whether the shewes of bread be the body without the blood and the shews of wine the blood without the body It were infinite to note out all their contentions and contradictions these may suffice to shew how the enimies of God fight one against another and all of them with their own shadwoes And thus much of the late doting deuise of transubstantiation which is the soule and life of their popish religion the deniers or doubters wherof they pursue with fire and sword more eagerly then such as are enemies to the blessed trinity The last generall vse is this if christ deliuered both these signes not onely the bread but the wine also to his disciples then both kinds by the minister are to be deliuered and both kinds by the people are to be receiued not bread alone nor wine alone but bread and wine the bread in token of his body giuen for vs and the wine in token of his blood shed for vs. This is the ordinance of Christ this is a greeable to the scripture Notwithstanding the Church of Rome hath decreed that it is not necessary for the people to cómunicate in both kinds and holdeth them accursed that hold it necessary for the people to receiue the cup cósecraced by the priest Thus it appeareth they labor nothing more then to take from the faithful the sweete comfort of the Lords supper This is a sacrilegious corruption of christs institution deuised by sathan broached by Antichrist published by his adherentes in the corrupt times of most palpable darknesse as may appeare by these reasons Frist if none may drinke of the consecrate wine but the priest then none should eat of the bread but priests so that they must either exclude the people from both which I trust they dare not or admit them to both which as yet they do not For to whom Christ said Take and eate to those gaue he the cup and said Drinke ye Wherefore the signes being both equal all communicants must drinke of the one as wel as eate of the other there being the same warrant for the one that there is for the other and the let that would barre the one will hinder the other so as the thinges which God in his goodnesse hath ioyned together man without sinne cannot separate Secondly when Christ instituted this sacrament he said Drinke ye all of this and by all he vnderstood of the Communicants And the Euangelist Marke addeth They al drank of it to wit all that were present at his last supper who had before eaten of the bread of the Lord. This also appeareth by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. They haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit This commaundement of Christ being generall imposeth a necessity vpon the people when he saith Take ye eate ye drinke ye do ye this These commaundements are perpetuall vnchangable and alwaies in force not arbitrary not temporall not repealed but bind the conscience to the end of the world against which no limitation or dispensation can be alowed being the commaundementes of God not of man Thirdly the cup is a part of Christes will and testament Now touching the nature of a testament or will the saying of the Apostle is knowne If it be but a mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing therto where he sheweth that the dead mans wil may not be changed nothing can be put to nothing taken out without forgery and salsehood This is the law of nature and Nations But the Lordes Supper is a sacrament proper to the new testament as Christ saith this cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you This testament the Lord Iesus made the night before he was betrayed he sealed it by shedding his most precious blood he hath giuen Legacies not of earthly and temporall but of heauenly and eternall goods And seeing he hath appointed the cup of this his testament to be deliuered and drunke of all those for whom his blood was shed it is intollerable boldnes and presumption to take away the vse thereof from the greater part of the Church and an infallible token of an vnshamefast and shamelesse harlot to alter her husbands will to defraud and defeat his children of that worthy portion which their father alotted 〈◊〉 and so to keepe backe part of their inhetitance and 〈◊〉 Fourthly the blood of Christ shed vpon the Crosse belongeth not onely to the pastors and teachers but to all the faithfull that come to the table of the Lord as appeareth by the wordes of Christ This is my blood which is shed for you and for many why then should the blood of Christ be denyed or the cup of the Lord be barred from them If then the blood of Christ were shed for the people as well as for the ministers surely the cup belongeth to one as wel as to the other If the people haue the greater who shall keepe them from the lesse If they haue their part in the thing signified who shall deny them of the outward signe For as the fruite and effect of the blood of Christ is common to the people with the pastor so should the cup also which is the communion of his blood shed for the redemptionof the peoples sinnes be diuided indifferently betweene the pastor and the people Fiftly the Apostle deliuered that to the Church which he had receiued from the Lord Iesus Now the Church ought diligently to obserue the written traditions and verities of the Apostles which are committed to posterity to be kept inuiolably But he hath deliuered how the Lord after taking blessing breaking and distributing of the bread likewise tooke the cuppe blessed and distributed it among them so saith the Apostle must the Churches do If then he receiued this from the Lorde to deliuer both kinds to the people let the Church of Rome consider with her selfe from whence she hath receiued the contrarye to withhold one of the kinds from the people for both cannot proceed from one and the same spirit of truth which is neuer contrary to it selfe Sixtly if all the faithfull that come to the Lordes Table must shew forth the Lords death vntill he come and this be done by them as wel by drinking of the cup as by eating of the bread then all the communicants must receiue the sacrament vnder both kinds vntill the second comming of christ But the faithfull must shew forth the lordes death by eating of that bread and drinking of that cup as the Apostle teacheth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lordes death vntill he come Therefore all communicants must partake the sacrament vnder both kinds Seuenthly the Apostle giueth an expresse commaundemēt to 〈◊〉 whole church which al must obey that come worthily to this holy table Let a man examine himselfe
testament and the new they had sundry significant signes and Ceremonies whose interpretation was not easily knowne vnto them Thirdly seeing God hath giuen vnto vs two signes and added two seals to his word and writings we ought to haue the stronger faith in his mircyfull promises For wherefore hath he doubled the signes but that wee should encrease in faith and as it were double our assurance of his graces Lastly this number of two ouerthroweth the number of seauen sacramentes maintained in the church of Rome which iust number was first broched by Peter Lumbard afterwarde ratysied in the Counsell of Florence and lastlye established in the Counsell of Trent and is now become the common doctrine of that counterfect church For besides baptisme and the Lords supper which wee receiue they haue instaled into the number of sacraments Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreame Vnction contrary to the doctrine of the scriptures contrary to the nature of Sacramentes and contrary to the euidence of sundry reasons And firist of all confirmation cannot bee lifted vppe into the seate of the Sacramentes or sit downe in this Chaire of honour because it wanteth the institution of Christ it wanteth an outward signe it hath no word to warrant it or promise of blessing for howsoeuer the Apostles by imposition of hands gaue the holy ghost those miraculous gifts are now withdrawne from the church of God Lastly they haue aduanced it aboue baptisme they administer it in a strange tongue and halow the greazy oyle to purifie soule and body Secondly their popish penance instituted by bodily chastisements to make satisfaction for sinne to God is no sacrament of the new testament nor any sacred thing being thus vnderstood For we acknowledge no other satifaction for sinne wherein God delighteth and the conscience of man 〈◊〉 but only the death and obedience of christ Besides true repentance hath beene preached and practised from the beginning of the world after that sinne entred into the world Furthermore their penance hath no visible signe as baptisme and the supper of the Lord haue Thirdly matrimony albeit it be a diuine ordinance honourable among all estates yet can be no Sacrament of the church of christ because it was instituted before the law it is ratified among the infidels which are no members of the church it hath no promise of grace and saluation ioyned to it and albeit it be honorable in all yet it is not necessary in all Lastly the Roman church esteemeth it as an vnclean thing a prophanation of holy orders a liuing in the flesh so that as with one hand they aduance it to a great dignity with the other hand they cast it downe with great disgrace and contempt as vnworthy of the high and holy priesthood Fourthly orders come in the next place which are the offices and ministry of the church but no sacrament or sacraments of the church For then according to the number of orders we should multiply the number of sacraments Neither haue they any outward element and visible signe Lastly we are come to extream vnction which we suffer not to maske vnder the name of sacraments but pul off the vizard thereof because the church had the vse of anoynting so long as it retained the miraculous gift of healing Besides it hath no word ofinstitution to warrant the continual practise of it vntill the second comming of christ Wherefore seeing the word of God teacheth the number of two sacraments onely and the church of Rome instructeth her children in the number of 7. sacraments neither moe nor lesse they must pardon vs if we harken rather to the scriptures then to their traditions rather to God then to man rather to the truth then to the spirit of error Hitherto we haue spoken of the Sacramentes in generall of their parts their vses their number now we come to speake of them in particular first of baptisme then of the Lords supper And howsoeuer baptisme hath sundry significations yet as it signifieth that washing with water which serueth to seale the couenant of the new testament it is the first sacrament wherein by the outward washing of the body with water once in the name of the father of the son and of the holy ghost the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of christ is represented This descrption teacheth that such as are not yet baptized are not to be admitted to the lords table that albeit dipping be not necessary to the being of baptisme yet washing with water is of the essence of this sacrament that such as are once baptized are not to be rebaptized albeit they haue beene baptized by heretickes and that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemne couenant to professe the Christian religion Now q wee are to consider in Baptisme as wee did before generally in a Sacrament these two thinges his partes and his vses The partes of baptisme are outward and inward The outward partes are these foure The first outward part is the Minister as the Messenger of God For baptisme is a part of the Minystry and God hath ioyned the ministry of the word sacraments togither Wherfore the minister must be carefull and not carelesse in the execution of his osfice who is to sanctifie the Water and to wash the party Moreouer the people are directed to whom to resort when they haue children to be baptized Lastly the Church of Rome prophane baptisme when they appoint mid-wiues and priuate persons to baptize children The second outward part is the word of institution which is as the forme of this sacrament The third part is the element of water which is the matter whereof baptisme consisteth Whosoeuer therefore baptiseth with any other liquorthen with water as with blood with sand with snow with milk or such like matter doth frustrate Baptisme and maketh it an idell ceremony Againe all Popish corruptions added and annexed to this sacrament contrary to the simplicity of the gospel as creame crosses censors tapers spettle salt and such like vnsauory trumpery are 〈◊〉 hauing also a superstitious opinion of holinesse and worship ioyned with them Also if water be an outward part the want of washing with water cannot hinder the saluation of such as dye without baptisme All perished not vnder the law that died without circumcision God is not more rigorous vnder the Gospell This therefore is a bloody and discomfortable doctrine to be abandoned and abiured of all parents of all childeren of all Christians The fourth outward parte of baptisme is the body that is washed Novv such as are to be baptized must be within the Couenant these are eyther men and Women of riper yeares or else the infantes of such vvho haue interest in Baptisme as vvell as their parentes This condemneth the Romyshe practise of baptizing bels and serueth to set forth the great loue of God to all