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	word_n	write_a	1,918	5	10.7958	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B15350	De adiaphoris Theological and scholastical positions, concerning the nature and vse of things indifferent. Where also is methodically and briefely handled, of ciuill and ecclesiasticall magistrates, of humane lawes, of Christian libertie, of scandall, and of the worship of God. A vowed worke, destinated (by the grace of God) to appease the dissentions of the Church of England. Written in Latine by M. Gabriel Powel, and translated into English by T.I.; De adiaphoris. English	Powel, Gabriel, 1576-1611.; Jackson, Thomas, 1579-1640, attributed name.; T. I., fl. 1607.	1607 (1607)	STC 20146; ESTC S101530	122,532	204

is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. vlt. that is it is polluted and accursed before God 27 Now then it remaineth that we expresse a certaine Canon or RVLE whereby we may assuredly know what Things are INDIFFERENT vnto vs and what are not and the RVLE is this 28 If these Traditions on the one side A Certaine RVLE to know what Things are Indifferent be grounded vpon the Written Word of GOD or at the least be not repugnant vnto it and on the other side tend to the aduauncement of godlines and pietie that is if they be profitable as well for the exciting conseruing promouing of the Inward Worship which consisteth in faith hope charitie and a good conscience as also for the more reuerent exercising of the Outward Worship which consisteth in the hearing of the Word receiuing of the Sacraments publike Prayers and such like then we constantly affirme that such Traditions and Ceremonies are profitable Indifferent things and therefore being commanded by the Church they are necessarily to be obserued and entertained as godly and wholesome 29 The Reason of this Rule or Canon is because all the Traditions of the Apostles had these two things First They had Grounds from the Scriptures Secondly Profit to the furtherance and helpe of publique piety and edification 30 And this is manifested by two arguments First out of the general Rule which the Apostle prescribeth for these matters 1. Cor. 14. Let all thingi be done to edification and againe Let all things be done decently and in good order Secondly by a particular Induction of those places wherein we reade the Constitutions of the Apostles whereof I haue thought good to expresse some Examples 31 1. Cor. 11. The Apostle ordaineth that Women should pray in the Church couered and Men bare-headed First of all this is not repugnant to holy Scriptures Secondly the end of this Constitution is honestie the preseruation of Decency and the edification of the Church that is to say that the outward Worship may be performed with greater honesty and comlinesse Againe Another End of that Ceremonie is that thereby euery one might be admonished and put in mind of his owne place and dutie namely that the Man is the head of the Woman and the Woman was put in mind of her subiection to the Man which things are profitable to the Internall Worship 32 In the same place the Apostle setteth downe an order for the due celebration of the Lords Supper that all of them should meete and assemble together and tarry one for another First he sheweth that this ought to be done out of the Word of God that is out of the Institution of Christ himselfe Secondly The End hereof is their Saluation least they should be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ Thirdly that the same holy Supper might be celebrated with greater reuerence Lastly that this outward Ceremony of meeting and assembling together might serue to the inward Worship namely to faith charity and the spirituall vnion of the minds or soules 33 1. Cor. 14. He ordaineth how Tongues may be vsed in the Church to wit that no man speake in a strange language without interpretation and explication First How many reasons doth the Apostle vse drawen out of the holy Scriptures to proue this ordinance to be according vnto will of God to be good and honest After many Reasons vsed to that purpose at last he bringeth the authoritie of sacred Writ saying It is written in the Law I will speake vnto this vnbeleeuing people in diuers tongues and with strange lippes that so they may not heare me as if the Apostle had said in other words Suffer not these men to speake straunge tongues in your congregation without explication for this were a signe that God loueth you not for he is wont to send such Prophets to the vnbeleeuing Nations whom he would not haue to know his will or to attaine to the knowledge of the truth Secondly he plainly affirmeth that the End of this constitution is the edification of the Church that they might haue consolation exhortation instruction c. that is that it might serue the inward Worship faith loue and consolation of Spirit 34 The selfe same thing may be said of all other Canons Constitutions and Ordinances of the Apostles all which it were very tedious to repeate in this place First They haue their foundation in the Word of God or else they doe not repugne the same Secondly They serue to aduance pietie to stirre vp repentance and faith and finally they serue to the end that the godly in the Church may with greater desire and more fruite heare the Word of God receiue the Sacraments beleeue his promises and obserue his commandements all their whole life 35 Out of these things which hitherto wee haue declared these Conclusions following doe manifestly follow 36 I. What Traditions and Ceremonies are not to be accounted Indifferent Those Traditions which of their owne nature are contrarie vnto the Word and Commandement of God or which cannot bee performed without sinne are not to bee numbred among Indifferent things because in themselues they are Things impious and damnable 37 II. Euen then also when Traditions doe speake of things in their owne nature Indifferent yet they are made impious and doctrines of Diuels by adding vnto them the false opinion to wit 38 1. Of Merit as though the obseruation of them did merit Remission of sinnes 39 2. Of Worship as though God would be worshipped thereby contrarie to that expresse saying Matth. 15. In vaine doe they worship me with the precepts of men Also that of Ezech. 20. Walke in my commandements and not in the precepts of your fathers 40 3. Of Perfection as if their obseruation did make vs perfect before God 41 4. Of absolute Necessitie as if it were simply necessarie to obserue them for Conscience sake 42 III. Ridiculous Scenicall or theatricall gestures idle and vnprofitable Ceremonies which neither serue for Discipline nor for Order but rather make ostentation and apparance of heathenish vanitie and expose Religion to contempt and scorne which obscure true Doctrine and are the sinewes of Popish superstitions which make men prophane and without all true reuerence of God such as are a pish ridiculous gestures processions about Church-yards carrying about of Images and reliques the laying of Christ into the Sepulchre the Play of Christs resurrection and ascention and such like fooleries None of these are to be ranged among the number of Indifferent things 43 IV. Those Ceremonies which are either the Seminaries of superstition or cannot be vsed without superstition or certainly without some shew or appearance of superstition which they draw with them inseparably by the very vse thereof doe not belong to this place of Indifferent things 44 V. Neither are those Ceremonies rightly termed Indifferent things by whose vse the Enemies of truth are confirmed or the weake Christians offended For all Ceremonies ought to be helpes

God and maketh the doing or omission of all indifferent actions to agree and stand with the Will of God 20 The Error is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 21 They insist Whatsoeuer is done of faith Obiect 4. and pleaseth God is the Worship of God Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall rites as some men say are done of faith and do please God Ergo. They are the Worship of God 22 ANSVVERE The Proposition is particula● Answ For it is not a sufficient Definition of Worship That Ceremonies are not Worship that some thing please God seeing Indifferent actions also may be done of faith and please God albeit farre otherwise then Worship doth properly so termed 23 For this so pleaseth God so as the opposite or contrarie thereunto doth displease him and therefore cannot be done of saith 24 But Indifferent things so please God NW as that the contrarie thereunto do not displease him and therefore both may be done of faith which maketh both the worke and the person accepted before God 25 The Error is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Theologia And an imperfect and lame Definition of Worship 26 They insist All actions rites and Ceremonies Obiect 5. which are performed in the publique Worship of God are Worship But the Ecclesiasticall Constitutions whereof there is such Contention in the Church of England are actions rites and Ceremonies which are performed in the publique Worship of God Ergo Such Constitutions of the Church are Worship 27 ANSVNERE To the Proposition Answ That Ceremonies are not Worship The Proposition is an assertion both atheologicall and alogicall For all such Constitutions of our Church are instituted either for Order and Decencie sake or for institution discipline sake wherefore they are not nor ought to be termed WORSHIP OF GOD but are only exercises attending vpon or seruing to the performance of Diuine Worship as namely the Sacraments Prayer faith repentance c. which verily are Worship 28 The Error is two-fold 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Theologia 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OBIECTION II. 29 Secondly Obiect 6. they Obiect It is not lawfull for any Church to institute Significant Ceremonies Ergo. Neither is it lawfull for the Church of England so to do ANSVVERE To the Antecedent 30 I. Answ The Antecedent is an in idle figment worthie rather to be exploded with laughter That the Church hath power to ordaine significant Ceremonies than seriously to bee refuted by any Scholasticall congresse For it is most certaine that Ceremonies ought not to be idle ridiculous or vnprofitable but conformable vnto the Word of God and fitted for the vse of the Church to prouoke and stirre vp mens affections to deuotion to pietie and the worship of God and by their signification to leade vs vnto Christ 31 II. Apostolicall Ceremonies signisicant Let vs examine some of the apostolicall Ceremonies and see whether they were SIGNIFICANT and leading vnto PIETIE or not 1. Cor. 11.4.5 The Apostle instituteth that Women in the Church should pray couered and Men bare-headed Wherefore Namely that euery one by that Ceremonie might be warned of his dutie that the Man might know that he is head of the Woman and that the Woman might acknowledge her subiection vnto the Man 32 Againe 1. Cor. 11.33 He ordaineth that for celebrating of the Lords Supper all should meete together and that one should tarrie for another to wit that this externall Ceremonie of meeting together might serue the Internall Worship faith charitie and the vnion of mindes 33 Furthermore 2. Thess 2.13.14.15 We ought to giue thankes alway to God for you Brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of truth Whervnto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the Glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ Therefore Brethren stand fast and keepe the instructions which you haue been taught either by Word or by our Epistle In which words the Apostle teacheth what manner of Constitutions and Traditions hee commendeth vnto the Thessalonians and which they receiued of him namely such as whereby they could haue been mooued more fully to obey GOD and receiue greater profit in sanctification of the Spirit in the faith of the Truth and in acquisition of the glorie of our Lord IESVS CHRIST Hence therfore we gather that all Traditions and Ceremonies Ecclesiasticall ought to serue for promoting sanctification of the Spirit faith of the Trueth and the acquisition of the Glorie of Christ 34 Moreouer 1. Cor. 55. The Apostle teacheth how Excommunication ought to be exercised against that Incestuous person that he being made ashamed according vnto the flesh might be more forcibly prouoked to repentance that his Spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus Therefore those Ceremonies and Traditions whereby men are the more prouoked vnto repentance are Apostolicall and good 35 Also The same Apostle 2. Cor. 7 8.9.10 doth allow that sorrow whereby men are excited and prouoked to repentance For albeit saith he I made you sorrie with a letter I repent not c. I reioyce that you sorrowed to repentance c. 36 Lastly The holy Kisse Rom. 16.16 1. Cor. 16.20 2. Cor. 13.12 which S. Peter calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kisse of loue 1. Pet. 5.14 was a signe and testimonie most vsuall in the Primitiue Church of mutuall loue of humanitie of ciuilitie of shamefastnes and candor 37 The Meane to be obserued in Ceremonies is to be referred vnto three things 1. Paucitie in number 2. Facilitie in obseruation 3. Dignitie in signification which also consisteth in perspicuitie Caluin Institut lib. 4. cap. 10. §. 14. Is not this fault worthie reprehension namely that they the Papists doe propose Ceremonies not vnderstood as if they were but an histrionicall Scene or Magicall incantation For this is certaine that all Ceremonies are corrupt and hurtfull EXCEPT that by them men be directed to Christ But such Ceremonies as are vsed in the Papacie are separated from Doctrine that they might detaine men in signes destitute of all SIGNIFICATION Caluin Jastitut lib. 4. cap. 10. § 15. But lest any man should calumniate vs to be peeuish and scrupulous about externall things who precisely take away all libertie Here I would haue it KNOWNE vnto the Godly Readers that I DOE NOT CONTEND about such Ceremonies as serue only for Decencie and Order or also are the signes and incitations of that Reuerence which we owe vnto God Caluin in Tractat. de Optimo Ecclesias reformandi genere cap. 6. De Cultu Dei Bonis operibus It is necessary that Ceremonies be the exercises of piety leade vs with an euen hand vnto Christ Zanch. in Compend loc 16. pag. 638. Ceremonies are the exercises of pietie which by their SIGNIFICATION doe leade vs vnto Christ Zanch Ibidem pag. 639. Hereunto would I adioyne the graue Iudgement of those most bright Startes