Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	faith_n	receive_v	scripture_n	3,204	5	6.0081	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89681	An apology for the discipline of the ancient Church: intended especially for that of our mother the Church of England: in answer to the Admonitory letter lately published. By William Nicolson, archdeacon of Brecon.	Nicholson, William, 1591-1672.	1658 (1658)	Wing N1110; Thomason E959_1; ESTC R203021	282,928	259

c. This is a holy watch-word and a wholesome warning and I desire it may be heedfully hearkned unto by such as are your Church Officers for then I doubt not but that they who have so much power and have such an influence on the multitude might be excellent instruments in this cure and quickly be able to bring back the multitude of Church hearers from those many above-named observations and aberrations into which they have been cunningly and in simplicity of heart drawn as those poor Israelites were to follow Absolon That it be speedily amended I wish with all my heart but say it be not but these poor simple souls seduced by and through Philosophy do not amend so timely as is desired my charity will not permit me to damne them eternally and that they shall partake of the judgment of those who worship the Beast that they shall drink of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and that they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and that the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever as you threaten out of Revel 14.9 c. This is a harsh sentence and though it may affright and terrifie those who for doctrines teach the commandments of men and make the Word of God of none effect through their traditions which is a wilfull obstinate presumptuous sinne yet I have great reason to hope that those who have simply and ignorantly and weakly followed such Teachers may finde mercy especially if they shall call to God with David Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from my secret faults Psal 19.12 13. keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great offence But because this danger lies as you say in the observation of Traditions it will not be amisse to set down that about this point Dr. Whites Orthodox cap. 4. p. 3. Sect. 1.2 which may satisfie any sober man which because I am not able to do better then Dr. Frauncis White hath done I shall transcribe the Summe of what he delivers The word Tradition in general signifies any doctrin or observation deliver'd from one to another either by word or writing Acts 6.14 2 Thess 2.15 cap. 3.6 1 Cor. 15.3.4 The Protestants simply do not deny Tradition but first we distinguish of Traditions and then according to some acceptions of the name we admit thereof with a subordination to holy Scripture 1. First the Romanists maintain there be doctrinal Traditions or Traditions that contain Articles of Faith and substantial matters of divine worship and religion Decret prim 4. Sess Syn. Trident not found in the holy Scripture and that these are pari pietatis affectu ac reverentia sucipiendae ac venerandae with Scripture and to be believ'd no lesse then the prime Articles such are Purgatory Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints the Popes infallibility c. These and all other such Traditions containing new parts and additions to religion the Protestants simply condemn and renounce 2. But secondly the name of Tradition in the writings of the Primitive Doctours and Fathers is taken in three other senses First for external Rights and Ceremonies of decency order and outward profession of religion not found expressely in the holy Scripture but used as things adiaphorous being not of the substance of divine worship but only accessary as the sign of the Crosse and many of those you in your following words mention and these we say may be used or disused according to the Laws of every Church as they serve for aedification or otherwise Secondly The report of the Primitive Church concerning matter of fact and concerning the practice of the Apostles is another Tradition as that the Apostles did baptize infants that they admitted none to the Lords Supper but those who were of years to examine themselves that they ordain'd such and such in several Churches to be Bishops That that very Canon of Scripture which we now maintain was the Canon at that time with many other which can be best prov'd by Tradition And therefore we willingly admit of these Traditions also deliver'd unto us by the Histories and Records of the Church because such reports explicate the meaning or confirm the doctrin of the Scripture Thirdly The summe of Christian faith as the Creed and the explication of Christian doctrin in many principal parts thereof concerning the Trinity Incarnation descent of Christ into hell c. is oftentimes call'd Tradition being receiv'd from hand to hand as the Apostles lively teaching and such Tradition found unanimously in the Fathers we admit also because it gives light to the doctrine found in Scripture But in the admittance of these we require two Cautions 1. That the holy Scripture be the rule of all Traditions whatsoever thus far that they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up on examination conformable to the Scriptures and every way subservient to the same 2. That they have the Testimony of the primitive Church in the prime age thereof and descend to our days from the same by the stream of succession through ages following and were received as Apostolick in the Catholick Church The Question of Traditions being thus stated unto you easie it will be to answer to your two alleag'd Texts of Tradition Mark 7. Col. 2. For they make as much to your purpose as Ecce duo gladij doth to confirme the Popes claim to the Temporal and Spiritual power or Pasce oves to uphold his Supremacy Or God made two great lights to prove the Popes power to be above the Emperours as much as the Sun exceeds the Moon or that Parson who would undertake to prove the Parish must pave the Church and not he because it was written in the Prophet paveant illi ego non paveam For how doth that place of Mark 7.7.9 pertain to the spiritual historical or interpretative Traditions of the Christian Church It was of the Scribes and Pharisees of whom our Saviour there spoke and of their Traditions of washing of pots and cups and many such other like things of their Corban And in their washings they placed not decency and civility but made a matter of Religion of it and by their Corban they took away the duty of the fifth Commandment Look into the place you urge and tell me whether I say not truth and this it seems you saw and that made you skip over the 8. verse and never mention the 11. which if you had done and weigh'd you would not for shame have equall'd our Traditions with theirs or judged us as superstitious for observing our Traditions as they were for theirs We have a command for the institution of our Ceremonies let all be done decently in order and to edification we have good

the Parish Parson being turned out of dores all the ill-favourednesse and unholinesse went out with him 3. Against this poor Parson you are very bitter arraigned he must be brought to the Bar to take his trial And him you endite for luke-warmnesse like he is to the Angel of Laodicea not hot nor cold and therefore condemned he is to lye under the lash and take his correction kindly 'T is manifest indeed that all luke-warme hypocritical Professours shall be spued out of Christs mouth for vomitum faciunt Deo To him they are as luke-warme water to the stomach that procures a vomit and if so 't is good counsel you give him or any other in his case to receive what ever correction shall be as a cordial of love administred unto him for preventing of what may follow But here I must put you to it to prove your enditement the punishment he is under will never do it careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putet This will prove him culpable and guilty and so I admit he was but whether he were hot or cold an hypocrite or otherwise is more than you can ever know For zeal and sincerity in Religion are qualities that lye very much inward and he that is cold in it may seem to be very zealous as did Jehu and he whose heart is not upright may pretend to be very sincere as did the Pharisees Now how can you passe your judgment in such a case And it seems you cannot for you confesse there may be hypocrites luke-warme men even in your Combinational Churches which if you knew you would cast out from among you and so would we do spue them out after Gods example Forbear therefore hereafter these harsh and uncharitable censures especially against a whole order of men For they must ●and and fall to their own Master Were they ignorant and scandalous so were these But now I remember it this is no signe of luke-warmnesse in the Parish Parson since they who were truly ignorant and scandal ● were for the most part kept in and those who were knowing and blamelesse were cast out 1. But now I pray tell me in what sense it is that you accuse them is it for being Parsons or for preaching or for preaching Parsons Take it in what qualification you will beware upon whom this blow will light and what a company of precious ones you will presently endite to be like the luke-warme Angel of Laodicea For how many of your Preachers are now become Parsons you know they have the fattest Benefices of this whole Country If plurality were an argument of the Parish Parsons luke-warmnesse it is theirs If non-residence an argument they are guilty of it If handling the flesh-hook too much none more guilty If neglect of Catechizing they cannot be excused If frequent preaching they exceed If forbearance of Sacramental administrations this by them is seldome done That I say not that in life and example they are no whit better In Gods name therefore since in luke-warmnesse they are so like the old odde head the Parish Parson let them lye down under the lash with him and with shame and confusion of face to themselves receive a sharp correction that they may prevent the spuing of their names out of Christs mouth as it is manifest by what is foretold Revel 3.19 One thing onely I may not forget that whereas the old odde head you mention did least harme this last Parish Parson you have imposed upon us does all the mischief 4. In your conclusion yet God be thanked you shew more charity to the Parish than to the Parson of it you say that the whole half-blind political body doth yet appear not to be utterly uncurable You do so load your sentences with strong words that they passe my capacity I know not what to make of this political body of a Parish for I never understood they were under any other policy then that of the Common-wealth or Church in which they lived nor that they were any Corporation at all I profess I understand not what you mean if you intend any thing besides this But whatsoever you intend by it this I finde that you affirme the whole was half-blind they have not yet then lost their sight altogether that little light they have may in good time make them see how they have been deluded and so free them from all the fallacies that have been put upon them which when it happens both you and I are in hope of their cure But that you say must not be expected so long as they remain in their present condition For in respect of its present posture and numerous abominations it is altogether unapprovable and I say the same too and upon the very self same ground because it rejects the Commandments of God that it may observe the traditions of men For what is the whole constitution of your Church but the tradition of men what 's your plea all this while but a tradition of men That a company collected under a Covenant without either Pastours or Elders is a true Church is a tradition of men That they may create elect ordain their Pastours and Elders is another tradition of men That the power of the Keys subjectively and authoritatively to invest and devest is in them is a third tradition of men That there must be Lay-Presbyters which must be Ruling Elders in the Church is a fourth tradition of men That the erection of the Cathedral Parochial Provincial National Church was the corruption of the Combinational is another tradition of men That the Supreme power in any Nation is a violent head the Arch-Bishop a haughty horrible head the Diocesan an idle and addle head the Parish Parson an odde head is another of your traditions That there may be no set forms of prayer used in the Church no singing of Psalms in mixt Congregations That the Scripture may not be read in the Church except expounded That those Rites which you call but falsly Romish and Humane may not be used in the Church That Godfathers and Godmothers may not be used in Baptisme nor the children of those who are out of your Combinational Church baptized That those whom you usually call profane ignorant scandalous persons may not be admitted to the Sacrament That there must be an upper seat erected for the Elders to sit in their ranks as Aldermen upon the Bench in the Church That there must be Tables set up for the maintenance of the Ruling Elders All these are the traditions of men and doctrines of men and therefore I give this counsel to the whole half-blinde political body of the Parishes where you have prevailed most that while they are curable they tender their health and to beware of the Scribes and Pharisees who in vain worship God teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men and to beware lest any man spoile them through Philosophy or vain deceit through the tradition of men