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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	law_n	lord_n	people_n	2,758	5	4.7826	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01698	The only rule to walke by guiding Christs ministers, and all his members, how to frame their conuersation in the way to saluation. A sermon preached at a synod, or meeting of ministers in S. Michaels Church in Couentry the second of October. 1615. By S. Gibson, preacher of the word, and pastor in the same city.	Gibbons, Samuel.	1616 (1616)	STC 11837; ESTC S118451	20,003	53

we are taught this point that we are not left to our selues to follow our owne way and doe what seemeth good in our owne eyes but we haue our rule giuen vs of God which we are to follow constantly and religiously neither turning to the right hand nor to the left Let vs walke by rule From the beginning it hath bin thus God neuer left man to himselfe to do his owne will but at the first Adam had his rule giuen him by liuely voyce Gen. 2 3. 4.3 Heb. 1.1 and after the Lord declared his will to the fathers in visions and at length deliuered his mind in writing he gaue his word vnto Jacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel Psal 147.19 Psal 147 1● and that both for their direction in the worship to be done to himselfe and also for the well ordering of their conuersation to his will First briefly and summarily in two tables Deut. 10. ● written with his owne finger Then more largely and amply in other Propheticall bookes where hee hath set his people a course Micah 6. ● and shewed what he requireth of them And cursed bee hee saith the Lord that continueth not in all things written in the law to do them Deut. 27. Deut. 27. And as in the old Testament so in the new we haue our rules Gal. 3.10 as for the worship of God both inward and outward 〈◊〉 24 〈◊〉 10.28 〈◊〉 6.6 〈◊〉 11.12 〈◊〉 21.34 〈◊〉 6 30. c. 〈◊〉 7.12 so wee haue our rules also of sobriety and charity and righteousnesse towards men both together make one complete and exact rule for the whole catholike Church to walke and order their steps after as the Iewes vnder Moses so wee vnder Christ are vnder rule still and great reason we should be so for 1. hereby almighty God that made vs and Christ that hath redeemed vs exerciseth his authority and dominion ouer vs and we our obedience and subiection vnto him whilest he giueth vs our rule we yeeld our selues to be ruled by him and to do whatsoeuer hee commandeth vs and not what pleaseth our selues 2. It is necessary that a rule should be giuen vs of God to walke after in regard of our naturall blindnesse and folly and vnaptnesse of our selues to doe that which is right in the sight of the Lord. We see when in the worship of God men haue followed their owne deuices and not walked by rule in stead of honouring the most high God they haue vilified him with their base manner of seruing of him as the Apostle sayth Romans 1.21 They glorified him not as God 〈◊〉 1.21.23 1. with worship suteable to his Maiesty but turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man and of birds and foure-footed beasts and creeping things and the Israelites swaruing from their rule offended in a high degree Exod. 32.10 and prouoked the Lord to great wrath against them with their idolatrous seruice and as in the worship of God so in their conuersation and carriage towards men all are subiect to erre and do amisse It is not in man to walke and to direct his steps aright without a rule and therefore necessary it is to haue direction from God and to follow that that wee may doe well and haue comfort of our waies in the end when we haue run our race and finished our course Which maketh against all vnruly and lawlesse persons sons of Belial that will not submit themselues to bee ruled by the word of God but cast off the yoke Psal 2.3 and rebelliously breake out of all compasse following their owne way which is the way of sin and errour as if they were their owne men and had no master Christ shall be no Lord of theirs to appoint them what to do they hate to be directed and restrained by any I would these knew it that according to their workes ●om 2.6 so shall it be vnto them in the day of iudgement vengeance shall be rendred vnto them by Christ ● Thes 1.8 for their rebellion If they will not be ruled by him here they shall not bee saued by him hereafter Others in some things are content to follow the rule giuen them but withall in other things they will haue their owne way 1. In the matter of Gods worship none more presumptuous this way then our aduersaries of the Church of Rome ●xod 20.4 ●ee popish Ca●ech ●n●ituled The Christi●n Doctrine 〈◊〉 manner of a Dialogue be●ween the Ma●er and the dis●iple God ●eepe the chil●ren of Chri●ians from ●●ch masters who in euery part will haue their owne inuentions and thereby haue mard all Our rule is not to make to our selues any grauen image But first they haue broken this rule and then they haue put it out of their Catechismes and will not haue it mention'd with the rest of the commandements great image-makers and image-worshippers they are after the manner of the heathen they haue turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man and of birds picturing God the Father like an old man the holy Ghost like a Doue vnder * Nihil f●lsius ●uam licere obis omnia ●cere que ●eus facit V●●n in L●●● 166. pretence of such appearances Christ Iesus is counterfeited as it pleaseth the Painter and before an image that goeth vnder the name of Christs Image though nothing like him they c Greg. de Valent Tom. 4. disp 1. Gretserus alij teach men to bowe downe and worship I am sure they haue no rule for this from God but rather for the contrary d Scriptura v● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dānat sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laudat Fest Hom. p. 229. disp 37. de imag in the Sacrament also they are as audacious to do cōtrary to the institutiō Substantial bread they haue turned to little round wafers of vnsolid frothy stuffe and wine they haue taken from the Lords people e Licet Christ● instituerit sub utraque specie licet in primitiua ecclesia reciperetur à fidelibus sub vtraque specie c. Concil Const sess 13 notwithstanding the rule of Christ Drinke ye all of this which the primitiue and auncient Churches constantly kept Thus likewise in other things they are a rule vnto thēselues and wil not do Christ that honor as to bee directed by him in all things No Antichrist is mounted vp too high to stoope so low as to let Christ onely reigne ouer his people But that proud Vsurper is not got so aloft but hee shall bee brought downe low at the length whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth 2. Thes 2.8 and with the brightnesse of his comming Euen so come Lord Iesus Reu. 22.20 come quickly 2. In course of life it is the sinne also of many of our own people they obey the Lord IESVS but by

sanctifying of that day and to that end appointeth as all the Commandements to be read continually In the booke of Common Prayer so that Commandement also of keeping holy the Sabbath without leauing out one word and withall hath added a prayer for the people that presently vpon the hearing of their dutie in that respect they should lift vp their hearts and voices to heauen that God would incline their hearts to keep that lawe Now what odde dealing is this with the people when a Minister in his lower pue shall bid them remember to keepe holy the Sabbath day and require their prayer for the same purpose and in the pulpit teach them that they neede not doe it here is saying and vnsaying teaching and vnteaching by one and the same man These are dangerous errors and as you see not onely against the Scripture and against the Truth and against Gods ordinance and against Religion but against the Church also whereof wee are members that of iustification by vvorkes is against one of the Articles of our Religion that likewise of reading against diligent preaching against one of the praiers of the Church and against one of the late Canons that against the Sabbath is against one of the ten Morall Commandements and against the Commandement of the Church that appointeth that Law to bee read with the rest and to be receiued of the people with a speciall Prayer for the keeping of it Such therefore are not to be suffred as maintaine such poynts but either they are to be reformed or made examples this should be the care of those in authority that according to the rule of the Apostle wee should be of one minde And those that hold singular Opinions are to be censur'd I speake not this as if I desired rigor to bee vsed to euery one that in any thing dissenteth from the Church That is not the way to make peace and to make all of one minde it is necessary that there be discretion and moderation in gouernment and a difference put betweene the errors held and the persons that differ betweene sober men and turbulent spirits else it may marre all * Georg. Cass consultatio●e de relig ad ●erdinand 1. ●aximil 2. ●●p cap. de ●cclesia Cassander spake to the purpose when he told his great masters before the Councell of Trent that the chiefe cause of the destruction of the Church in his time Nullam ecclesiae firmam pacē sperandam puto nisi qui Ecclesiasticae gubernationi praesunt de nimio illo rigore aliquid remittant ac multorum piorum votis monitis obsequentes manifestos abusus ad regulam diuinariū literarum veteris ecclesiae corrigant haec ille was to be imputed to them that beeing puft vp with their Ecclesiasticall power proudly and disdainefully contemned and repelled those that modestly admonished them And hee was perswaded that there would neuer bee firme peace till they remitted somewhat of their extreme rigour and reformed manifest abuses There must be yeelding euen by those in authoritie as well as by others ere there can be firme concord But when the Opposition of any is preiudiciall to Religion and Pietie and there is contumacie too then they are not to bee tolerated or fauour'd Rulers in Church or common-wealth may haue comfort in seuere proceedings against such Cal. in 1. cor 11. verse 16. Nunquam co●tentionum eri● finis si certan● do velis hominem pugnacen● vincere quia● centies victus● nunquam fat● gabitur lege ●tiam prudēti● Caluin well iudgeth peeuish and froward persons Authoritate magis compescendos c. ought rather to be schooled by Authority then with long disputations to bee confuted for some are of that spirit that centies victi as hee sayth if they be conuicted an 100 times they will not yeeld Some rougher course therefore is to be taken with them I speake now in season of these matters This is one speciall vse of Synods Nazianzene spake bitterly Nazianz. in Epist ad Pro●op Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Danaeus de po●estate ecclesiae ●ap 36. when speaking of greater Synods then these hee sayd hee neuer saw any good end of them I will suppose with Danaeus that he is to be vnderstood of the Councels Synods of his time when they did all to please the Emperor and the most potent Praelats Good vse no questiō there is of such meetings of Ministers as that those may grow to knowledge and acquaintance one with another that bee vnder the same iurisdiction and to maintaine Loue and amitie amongst vs so specially to end such controuersies as arise by any stirring heads or contentious persons If this bee put in practice no doubt wee shall see good come of Synods Well let euery one in his place doe his part that this Apostolicall Rule may be kept And we specially that teach others concord let vs looke that we agree among our selues the way the Apostle hath taught vs let vs walke by the same Rule And then ●sal 133.1 ecce quam bonum c. a ioyfull sight it is to GOD and men and Angels when brethren in the Ministery liue together in vnity it is the ornament of the Church and the honour of Religion And thus much of the first exhortation to Vnanimity Now a little briefely giue me leaue to adde concerning the other part because it doth much also concerne vs. In the next place the holy Apostle would haue all to be followers of him and of such as walked as he walked Doctrine 4 Where 1. it is to be obserued that he taketh it for granted that as his Doctrine was sound so his example was also good so was it with others also of the same Faith Whence our lesson is that the life and practice of teachers and professors ought to be answerable to their doctrine and profession it is a thing much prest vpon al Christians Ephe. 4.1 Philip. 2.15 1. Pet. 2.12 that they walk worthy of their vocation Ephes 4.1 and that they haue their conuersation honest and vnreproueable 1. Pet. 2.12 and specially of Ministers of the Gospell wee find it required Be thou an example in conuersation c. saith Paul to Timothy 1. Tim. 4.12 1. Tim. 4.12 And shew thy selfe a patterne of good workes to Titus Chapter 2.7 Tit. 2.7 And of all Elders this is required 1. Pet. 5.3 2. Pet. 5.3 to be types or examples to the flocke necessary this is because the common sort look as much if not more to a mans doings as to his doctrine and to his practice as to his profession For they know it is an easie matter to talke of holinesse and righteousnesse and to make a profession of great matters but when they see a shew of zeale and forwardnesse this way in any and yet the life vngodly and the practice vniust it maketh them conclude that their profession of such strictnesse is but in hypocrisie and in