Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	law_n	moses_n	people_n	3,133	5	5.0838	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70084	Truth maintained, or, Positions delivered in a sermon at the Savoy since traduced for dangerous, now asserted for sovnd and safe / by Thomas Fvller.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.; Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661. Sermon of reformation.	1643 (1643)	Wing F2475; ESTC R222778	73,801	126

in justice layeth on the burthen will in mercy strengthen our shoulders and what our prayers cannot prevent our patience must undergoe Nor is it impossible with God so to enable those whom you tax to have onely a forme of Godlinesse to have such Power thereof as to seale the Protestant Religion with their blood SERMON Paragraffe 13. 14. Such who are to be the true and proper Reformers they must have a lawfull calling thereunto duties which God hath impaled for some particular persons amongst these Actions Reformation of a Church is chiefe Now the supreame Power alone hath a lawfull calling to reforme a Church as it plainely appeares by the Kings of Judah in their Kingdome EXAMINER I had not knowne your meaning by the lawfull calling you name but that you expound it in the lines that follow to be the calling of the supreame Magistrate as if no calling were warrantable at first to X promove a Reformation but that But you must take notice there is an inward and an outward Call The inward Call is a Y speciall excitation from the Spirit of God and such a Call is warrantable by God to be active I am sure it hath beene sufficient alwayes to set holy men on worke Another Call is outward and that is either of Place and Magistracy or publike Relation Now though Magistracy be of publike Relation yet when I speake specifically of publike Relation I meane that in which every man stands bound in to God and his Country now all these Callings are commissions enough either to meddle as Christianly inspired or Christianly ingaged In ordinary transactions I know the ordinary dispensation is to be resorted to but the businesse of Reformation as it is extraordinary so God giveth extraordinary Conjunctures of times and circumstances and extraordinary concurrences and extraordniary incitations In the building of the Temple you shall see in Ezra and Nehemiah such workings of God when the people were gathered together as one man they spake to Ezra the Scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses Here the people put on even Ezra to his duty TREATIS Before I deale with the particulars of this examination I will enlarge not alter what I said in my Sermon of this point promising as much brevity as God shall enable me to temper with Clearnesse and desiring the Readers patience whilst at mine owne perill I deliver my opinion But first here we promise necessary distinction Distinguish we betwixt those Times when the Church liveth under Pagan or persecuting Princes and when God blesseth her with a Christian King defender of the Faith In the former case the Church may and must make an hard shift to reforme her selfe so well as she can for many things will be wanting and more will be but meanly supplyed without any relating to a supreame Power whose leave therein will be dangerous to desire and impossible to obtaine But withall they must provide themselves to suffer offering no violence except it be to drowne a Tyrant in their teares or to burne him with coales of kindnesse heaped on his head In the latter case when the supreame Power is a nursing Father to the Church suckling it not sucking blood from it the Church must have recourse to it before shee may reforme Reforming of a Church must neither stay behind for Nero his leave nor runne before without the consent of Constantine Religion it selfe must not be deckt with those flowers which are violently pluck'd from the Crownes of lawfull Princes Come we now then to shew how in a Christian state all are to contribute their joynt endeavours to promote a Reformation In a Church and such a State I consider three degrees thereof First meere private men without any mixture of a publike Relation Secondly persons placed in a middle posture with the Centurian in publike imployment over some yet under Authority themselves Thirdly the absolute supreame Power who depends of God alone For the first of these meere private men they have nothing to doe in publike reforming but to advance it by their hearty prayers to God and to facilitate the generall Reformation by labouring to amend their owne and their Families lives according to the Word this is all God requireth of them and more I feare then most of them will performe Next succeed those persons in a middle posture and these are either Ministers or Magistrates Ministers even the meanest of them have thus far their part in publike Reforming that they are to lift up their voice like a Trumpet though not like Sheba his Trumpet to sound sedition both to reprove vitiousnesse in Manners and to confute errors in Doctrine And if men of power and imminent place in the Church then as their ingagement is greater so their endeavours must be stronger to presse and perswade a publike Reformation to such whom it doth concerne Magistrates may have more to doe in publike Reforming having a calling from God who therefore hath set them in a middle place betwixt Prince and people to doe good offices under the one over the other betwixt both And having a calling from the King especially if they be his Counsellours whose good they are to advance by all lawfull meanes and rather to displease him with their speech then to dishonour him with their silence and having a calling from their Country whose safety they must be tender and carefull of First therefore they are with all industry both from the Ministers mouth and by their owne inquiry to take true notice of such defects and deformities in the Church or State as are really to be reformed Secondly they are with all sincerity to represent the same to the supreame Power Thirdly with all humility to request the amendment of such Enormities Fourthly with all gravity to improve their request with arguments from Gods glory the Princes honour the peoples profit and the like Lastly with their best judgement to propound and commend the fairest way whereby a Reformation may as speedily as safely be effected And if they meet with difficulties in the supreame Power delaying their request they are not to be disheartned but after their fervent prayers to God who alone hath the hearts of Kings in his hands they are constantly to renue their request at times more seasonable in places more proper with expressions more patheticall having their words as full of earnestnesse as their deeds farre from violence As last comes the supreame Power who alone is to reforme by its own Authority though not by its owne advice alone For because it is rationally to be presumed that Divines have best skill in matters of Divinity they are to be consulted with and here comes in the necessity and use of Councels Convocations Synods and Assemblyes And because there is not onely a constant correspondency but also an unseperable complication betwixt the Church State States-men are therefore to be advised with in a Reformation so to settle it as may

Prophets much more is it subject to the God of the Prophets and to the law of that God And truly Sir this passage of extraordinary incitations as it is by you rawly laid downe and so left containeth in it seed enough if well or rather ill husbanded to sow all the Kingdome with sedition especially in an age wherein the Auabaptist in their actions beaten out of the field by Gods Word doe daily flye to this their Fort of extraordinary excitations And you may observe when God gave extraordinary excitations quo ad regulam stirring up men to doe things contrary to the received rule of his Commandements then such excitations were alwayes attended with extraordinary operations Phinehas who killed Cosby and Zimry could stay the plague with his prayer and Eliah who cursed the Captaines with their fifties could cause fire to come downe on them from Heaven It appeares this his curse was pronounced without malice because inflicted by a miracle It is lawfull for such to call for fire who can make fire come at their call and would none would kindle discord on Earth till first they fetcht the sparks thereof from Heaven Neither doe we proudly tempt Gods providence but truly trye such mens pretended extraordinary incitations if when they wander from Gods Commandements in their Actions and plead inspirations we require of them to prove the truth of such inspirations by working a miracle Now Sir you being as it seemes an opposite to Prelacy would make strange worke to put downe one Ordinary in a Diocesse and set up many extraordinaries in every Parish And for ought I know if some pretend extraordinary excitations publikely to reforme against the will of the supreame Power such as side with the supreame Power may with as much probability alleadge extraordinary excitations to oppose and crosse the others Reformation and so betwixt them both our Church and State will be sufficiently miserable And now Sir remember what you said in the last Paragraffe To the law saith the Scripture and to the Testimony to such Judges we may safely appeale from all your speciall excitations extraordinary Incitations and christian Inspirations B In the building of the Temple you shall see in Ezra and Nehemiah such workings of God when the people were gathered together as one 〈◊〉 they spake to Ez●●the Scribe to bring the Booke of the law of Moses The unanimous consent of so many we acknowledge to be Gods worke O that we might see the like agreement in England where the people are so farre from being gathered together as one man that almost every one man is distrasted in his thoughts like the times and scattered from himselfe as if he were many people Well they spake to Ezra to bring the Booke of the law what of all this C Here the people put on even Ezra to his duty And little speaking would spurre on him who of himselfe was so ready to runne in his calling But I pray what was this Ezra who were these people Ezra was indeed a Priest a learned Scribe of the law who brought up a party out of Babylon to Jerusalem armed with a large patent and Commission from Artaxerxes The people here were the whole body of the Jewish Church and State together with Zerobabel the Prince and Jeshuah the high Priest who by leave from the Persian King had the chiefe managing of spirituall and temporall matters And judge how little this doth make for that purpose to which you alleadge it that from hence private persons may either make the supreame power to reforme or doe it without his consent Had you free leave of the whole Scripture to range in and could the fruit of your paines find out no fitter instance for your purposes EXAMINER And whereas you say Reformation is of those duties that are D impaled in for some particular persons I answer this were a grand designe if you could heighten E Reformation into such a holy prodigy as you would of late the Church into the Prelacy and F Clergy and excluded the Layty as a prophane G Crew and to be taught their distance Luther H will tell you this is one of the Roman engines to make such an holy businesse like the mountaine in the law not to be toucht or approacht to but by Moses alone Thus you might take off many good Workemen and honest I Labourers in the Vineyard whom Christ hath hired and sent in and so whom he hath held out his Scepter as Ahasuerus to Ester TREATIS D And whereas you say Reformation is of those duties that are impaled in for some particular persons It appeares that publike Reformation is so impaled for whereas every man is commanded to observe the Sabbath honour his Parents and every man forbidden to have other Gods worship Images take Gods Name in vaine kill steale c. Yet the supreame Power alone in Scripture is called on for publike Reformation and no private person as Saint Austin hath very well observed E I answer this were a grand designe if you could heighten Reformation into such an holy Prodigy I need not heighten it which is so high a worke of it selfe that our longest armes cannot reach it though we stand on the tiptoes of our best desires and endeavours till God shall first be pleased to send us a peace A prodigy it is not not long since you tearmed it an extraordinary businesse yet if it be performed whilst warre lasteth it is a worke of the Lord and may justly seeme mervailous in our eyes F As you would of late the Church into the Prelacy and the Clergy When and where did I doe this I ever accounted that the Cetus fidelium the Congregation of the faithfull was Gods Church on earth Yet I often find the Church represented in generall Counsels by the Prelacy and Clergy who are or should be the best wisest in the Church their decisions in matters of Religion interpreted and received as the resolutions of the Church in generall G And excluded the Layty as a prophane crew and to be taught their distance What honest man ever thought the Layty as Layty prophane I conceive our Kingdome would be very happy if none of the Clergy were worse then some of the Layty And I am sure that the godly Clergy are Gods Layty his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the godly Layty are Gods Clergy his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Yet now a dayes some usurping Lay-men may well be taught their distance who meddie with ministeriall functions Nor will a wel-meaning heart one day excuse the unsanctified hands of such Vzzah's who presuming to preach hold not our Arke from shaking but shake our Arke with holding it H Luther will tell you this is one of the Romish engines Indeed this was a Popish device too much to depresse the Layty But this engine thanks be to God is since broken asunder and it will be in vaine for any to glew

you Men of singular Learning and Piety to Examine it These likewise could discover no dangerous Positions in it except such as were dangerous for a Preacher to deliver but safe for People to Receive in these Troublesome Times And I am Confident that their Iudgement was such They would not be deceived with my Falsehoods and their Honesty such They would not deceive me by their Flattery And now Sir Love cannot Hate but it may justly be Angry Consider how your accusing of me to maintaine dangerous Positions might as the Times stand have undone me and mine and at least have intituled mee to a Prison now adayes the Grave of men alive Times are not as formerly when Schollers might safely Traverse a Controversie in disputation Honourable Tilting is left off since men fell to down-right killing and in vaine should I dispute my Innocence against Souldiers violence who would interpret the Accusation of a man of your Credit to be my sufficient Conviction I have in this my Defence so well as God did Enable me more clearely expressed and strongly confirmed the Positions I formerly delivered and request you to tell mee which are the dangerous Points that here I mainetaine By the Lawes of our Land the Creditor hath his Choice whether he will sue the Principall or the Surety and discretion will advise him to sue him which is most solveable Your Ability is sufficiently knowne and seeing you have beene pleased to be bound for Master Saltmarsh his Booke in your Approving it blame me not Sir if I I will not say sue you but Sue to you for my Reparation If you can Convince me of my Faults herein and I will bring great desire and some capacity to Learne from you I shall owne my selfe your Proselyte thanke God for you and you for my Conversion Yea in a Printed sheet I will doe publique Penance to the open view of the World to shew men that although I had so much Ignorance as to Erre I have not so much Impudence as to Persist in an Errour and shall remaine Yours in all Christian Offices THOMAS FULLER To the Reverend and his Worthy good Friend Master IOHN DOWNAM SIR BEing about to read Master Saltmarsh his examination of a Sermon of mine which you to the Preachers credit and Printers security were pleased to approve for Orthodox and Vsefull mine eyes in the beginning thereof were entertained I cannot say welcomed with this following note An Advertisement returned to the Author by a Reverend Divine to certifie him touching the Licensers allowance of Master Fullers late Sermon of Reformation Sir To satisfie you concerning M. Downams approbation of Master Fullers Sermon of Reformation I assure you I heard him complaine that he was wronged by him in that having taken exception at some passages of that Sermon Master Fuller promised to amend them according to his correction but that he did not performe what he promised Conclude me not guilty if I were moved but sencelesse if I had not beene perplext with this accusation Had it beene true I want a word bad enough to expresse the foulenesse of my deed Yea iustly may my preaching be suspected of falshood if my practise be convicted of dishonesty We know how the Corinthians from the supposed breach of S. Pauls solemne promise were ready to infer the falsity at least the levity of his doctrine till the Apostle had rectified their mistake This added also to my trouble that I can privately enjoy my innocence with more contentment to my selfe then I can publikly declare it with safety to others For the present therefore all that I will returne is this Here is an Accusation without a witnesse or a witnesse without a name and both without truth Would the Inke of this reverend Divine whosoever he was only hold out to blot my name and not to subscribe his owne We know what Court was complayned of as a great grievance because Men therein might not know their Accusers If it cannot consist with our mutuall safety to have my accusers as S. Paul had face to face yet it will stand with equity I should have them name to name till when I account this namelesse note no better then a Libel both on you and me God put an end unto these wofull times before they put an end to us that all outward hostility being laid aside we may have more leisure to attend and comfort to follow that inward Christian Warefare which your paines have so well described Yours in Christ Iesus Thomas Fuller To Master JOHN SALTMARSH Minister of Heslerton in Yorke-shire SIR YOu have almost converted me to be of your opinion that some extraordinary Light is peculiarly conferred on men in this age Seeing what cost me many dayes to make you in fewer houres could make void and confute You examined you say the same pace you read and as is intimated wrote as fast as you examined and all in one ofternoon This if it were false I wonder you would say it and if it were true I wonder you could doe it However I commend your policy herein for besides that you have given the world notice of the Pregnancie of your parts and it is no fault of yours if you be rather heard then beleeved hereby you have done me a great disadvantage For if I at leisure discover some notable errors in your examinations you have a present Plea that you wrote them suddenly and I shall only be repaired for the wrong that you have done me with your raptim scripta whereas you had done God as much Glory the cause as much good more right to your selfe and credit to me if you had tooke more time and more truely And now consider you only endeavour to confute some dismembred sentences of my Sermon of which some are falsely and more of them imperfectly alleged You know how in a continued speech one part receives and returnes strength and lustre unto another And how easie is it to overthrow the strongest sentence when it is cut off from the Assistance of the Coherence before and after it Alas this disiointing of things undoeth kingdomes as well as sermons whilest even weake matters are preserved by their owne unity and entirenesse I have dealt more fairely with you and set downe your whole Examinations thereby not expecting any praise but preventing just censure if I had done otherwise If you demand why my answer comes so late seeing so long silence may be interpreted a consent Know Sir it was the tenth of September before either friend in love would doe me the favour or foe in anger the discourtesie to convey your booke unto me Whether this proceeded from the intercepting commerce betwixt the City and the Country or that your Booke was loath to come out of London as sensible that the strength of your positions consisted in the fortifications thereof When I had received one of your bookes I had not your present parts to answer it Men must doe as