Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	law_n	see_v	2,683	5	4.1564	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85785	The magistrates pourtraiture drawn from the Word, and preached in a sermon at Stowe-Market in Suffolk, upon August, the 20. 1656. before the election of Parliament-men for the same county. / By William Gurnall, M.A. of Eman. Coll. now pastor of the Church of Christ in Lavenham. Suffolk.	Gurnall, William, 1617-1679.	1656 (1656)	Wing G2259; Thomason E889_6; ESTC R202321	24,684	43

that hath been prest with a curious cut seal its true stamp though so ragged as will tell you 't is clay not gold like the seal So there are some among us I doubt not on whom you may finde those Magistratical endowments and graces that are engraved by the Spirit of God on the seal of the Word yet so as their imperfections will tell us that they are printed upon fraile flesh and blood First enquire for the feare of God in those you chuse This is writ with so large a character in Scripture upon the Magistrates forehead and is so principal a letter in his Name that it cannot be well spelled without it Exod. 18.21 Moses bids them provide such men as feare God Magistrates are called gods because none among the sons of men represent his Power and Majestie like them by stamping Authoritie upon a wicked man what do you but present the beautiful face of God to the world in a broken glasse and give them by his ill-favoured countenance an occasion of setting up vnworthie thoughts of God in their hearts as if he were like him who is set in his place Some Kings have commanded that none should carve this Pourtraiture in any meaner mettal then gold And is it not pitie that Gods Image should be stamp't upon a person of base mettal as every ungodlie man is how much soever his name swells in riches and honours in the worlds stile Antiochus called a vile person Dan. 11.21 The poorest Saint he persecuted was a Starre and he as vile as dirt even while he stamped them under his foot of pride He that puts a wicked man in place willinglie would if he could pull a righteous God out of place We had need look for the fear of God in those we chuse into Government the more because they are so far above the fear of any else and if they have not the fear of God to keep them right no wonder if they miscarrie When Joseph would perswade his brethren they should have honest dealing with him see what pawne he gives them Gen. 42 18 This do for I feare God Indeed his power was so great that if the feare of God had not given law to his conscience he had them at such advantage that he might have revenged himself upon them for their unkindnesse yea crueltie to him without laying his own safetie to stake at all from man The Governours that went before Nehemiah wanting this nothing could keep them from oppression whereas good Nehemiah himself had no other cord but this to tie his hands Nehemiah 5.15 But so did not I because of the fear of the Lord Secondly enquire for wisdom and ability of parts for the work to which you choose them Exod. 18.21 Provide out of all the people able men such as fear God All that fear God are not able men Every godly man doth not carry a Counsellours head on his shoulders there are some so holy that in regard of their Prayers and the Power of godlinesse in their lives may be said to be Saviours I am sure the Nation had drowned had not they helped to hold its chin above water but if they were called to Parliament-work they might for want of wisdom and a governing spirit be in danger of proving destroyers of it and is it not pitie that they who do such service to the publick in their private capacities should be called from praying for to ruining of the Nation Every good Christian could not make a good Minister the Apostle speaks of a special gift besides grace in common with others that belongs to them they must be apt to teach So a Senatour must be apt to advise and counsel without this all is insufficient because he wants that which should enable him to reach the end of his place A knife though it hath a sheath of gold a haft of diamond yet if it hath no edge it is not a good knife it may be good to sell and make money of but not to cut Look therefore for men of wisdom you will not put a suit to make no not a shooe to mend meerlie because he is an honest godly man you desire something of the trade in the man or else you may be pinched for it and go uneasie But oh you will saie if honest honest men they will do no hurt you mean I suppose not willingly for else they may do much That physick in a dangerous disease which doth not good doth hurt because that might have been given which should have done good The distempers of the Nation at this time are many and those complicated it will employ the skill of a Colledge of as wise State-Physicians as ever sate within those walls to finde out a remedie And I am of his judgement Si pereundum inter peritissimos pereamus if we must die let it be under the hand of the ablest Physicians for therein we shall be least accessorie to our own ruine Thirdly enquire whether they be sound in the faith and that upon a double account First consider the care of keeping Religion pure in a Nation is part of the Christian Magistrates charge and not the least The Kings of Israel were commanded to keep by them the Book of the Law that they might learn to feare the Lord and keep all the words of this Law Deut. 17 18. which was not meant only personallie that was to be the endeavour of every private Israelite but as a Ruler to see the Law of God kept and the true Religion there commanded preserved in their Kingdom Hence we finde those Kings sharply reproved that did either set up or connive at idolatry in their reign and those commended who removed the Monuments of idolatry and restored the Worship of God to its purity Thus we finde of Hezekiah the most famous Reformer of them all a large testimony is given by God to him for his zeal therein That he cleaved to the Lord and kept his Commandments which the Lord commanded Moses And truly if it were the Magistrates work then it continues to be so now except we can finde that Christ hath retrenched their power in matters of Religion which he hath not the observation is good that Dr. Rivet quotes out of Augustine If we would resolve the Question what the Magistrates power is in matters of Religion we must observe those times rather when the Magistrate was a member of the Church as in the Jewish Church he was then when an open enemie to the Church as in Christs and the Apostles time There is no danger saith that Reverend Authour to allow the Magistrate now as much power as God then approved of Well is Religion the Magistrates care then for the Lords sake and Religions sake choose not such as are corrupt and rotten in their principles except you have a minde to diffuse the infection presently over the whole Land The plague of this spiritual leprosie is spreading too fast already in the body

had been able to keep this errour from setting foot on English ground But is Magistracy such an uncircumcised thing that it must be shut out of the pale of the Church Is it an office fitted and formed for Heathens and not Christians Truly then I should chuse to live rather among Heathens then Christians But how an those reade the Scripture and not blush were the Saints at Rome Heathens or Christians and doth the Apostle bring any such newes to them doth he see them out of the Magistrates precincts No He is the Minister of God to them for good and he tells them they must needs be subject though then the Magistrate was no friend to the Church and that not only for wrath to save his skin from mans wrath but for conscience sake to save their soules from God Rom. 13.4 5. They cannot father their brat upon the Scripture No 't is a misshapen brat conceived in the wombe of ignorance and begot by pride and it will appear so by the two principles which are the very seed of which this errour is formed and they are First a liberty which they fancie Christ hath given them to which subjection under Magistracy forsooth is inconsistent what will not a strong imagination finde in the Scripture even that which was never writ if it hath but a strong desire it should be so to back it A liberty that never came into his minde to give a strange liberty that leads to licentiousnesse and ends in bondage True liberty is to chuse good and reject evil and this Magistracy is erected to defend thee in doing Rom. 13. Rulers are not a terrour to good works Secondly a perfection that they dream of which lifts them up so high that now they need not the Ministery of the Magistracy to keep them within bounds The Magistrate is an avenger say they to execute wrath to them that do evil but Saints who are led by the Spirit dare not do thus Well suppose them so holy as they would seem yet do they not live among those that are wicked I am sure they think and speak bad enough of all besides their own tribe and do they not need the Magistrates help that they may be defended in the exercise of holinesse The Saints do not finde the world so kinde as that they should need dismisse their guard before they get safe to Heaven But what horrible pride is this to pretend to such a conduct of the Spirit as to be priviledged from sin the Apostles that were of as high a forme in the Spirits Schoole I trow as the best in the Anabaptists bunch are willing to be branded themselves for loud liars if they should pretend to such a perfection If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 But the Churches of Christ have had too much experience of many of the Anabaptists to give them their hands to be such great Saints No no 't is not their perfection that lifts them up above Magistracy but their lusts that make them not able to bear the Magistrates power Those Scholars are the first that would burne their Masters rod who have most need of it I am sure this sort of men have shewen they need Magistracy as much as others And some of them those I mean at Munster in Germany convinced the world for all their loud cries against Magistracy at first that they liked the Magistrates seat well enough when they could once come to set themselves in it If God intend mercy for England this Anti-Magistratical spirit shall not prevail If we be too good to live under Magistrates Gods Vicegerents we are too bad to live under Gods own care and Government The Hebrewes have a Proverb Migrandum est ex eo loco in quo Rex non timetur We had best make haste from that place where the King is not feared as if some heavy judgement impended that place where Magistrates are despised and it were a sin that could not long stay for its guerdion and reward I am sure those fanatick spirits in Germany found the warrant of vengeance sent from God against them endorsed with speed Use 3 Thirdly Is Magistracy an Order of Gods erecting a word then to you worthy Gentlemen into whose lap the lot of this dayes choice shall fall Decline not the place for fear or ease If God gives you a Commission you need not feare to act you are but under-Officers and of all Cowards he is the worst that dares not follow when God leads him on Go in this thy might saith God to Gideon have not I sent thee Judges 6.14 Gods Word was his Warrant and Gods Warrant was his Protection Frederick Duke of Saxony when he had read Luthers book put out in Vindication of the divine Authority of Magistracy against the Anabaptists lift up his hands to heaven and blest God that he lived to see the place of Magistracy wherein he stood so clearly proved from Scripture evidence to be a place wherein he might with a good conscience act so as to please God therein The Magistrates office we see is honourable because 't is of God yet sometimes it goes a begging but 't is a certaine signe of calamitous times when good and worthy Patriots are loth to appear on the stage of Government Kings Palaces and Senate-houses do not use to stand long empty or are hard to be let except some evil spirit from the troubles of the times haunt them and then indeed it is no wonder to hear it said as in that deplored time of Judah's declining-state Esay 3.7 I will not be a healer make me not a Ruler of the people If the Physician will not take the Patient in hand 't is to be feared he thinks the disease too far gone and he shall have little credit in the businesse if he hap to miscarry under his hand Indeed State Physicians though never so faithful can hardly escape blame if they do not the cure The multitude judge the Pilot good or bad as the voyage he makes is gainful or losing to the Owners But I hope you have learn't not to judge your selves by others thoughts Nemo miser sensu alieno no man is miserable by what others think of him If you be not willing to give up your own name to be sacrificed by the multitude there is little hope of being a Saviour to your Countrey Christ could not have saved man if he had stood upon saving his Name among men he was willing to do them good though he was thought and spoken all to naught by them for his paines Do your duty and leave the issue to God I confesse 't is a blustring time but sometime Marriners find faire weather at sea when they launch out in a storme That God hath the winde in his fist that sends you to sea and if a storme meet you in your work Christ can soon be with you in it and save you