Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	day_n	observe_v	sabbath_n	4,146	5	9.8777	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66765	Paralellogrammation an epistle to the three nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, whereby their sins being parallel'd with those of Judah and Israel, they are forewarned, and exhorted to a timely repentance, lest they incur the like condempation : to render it the more effectual, some considerable notions are therein expressed touching ceremonies, and things indifferent, the Lords supper, the civil government, the taking of oaths, the mark of the beast, the library of conscience, the great Sabbath, and the two witnesses, with other particulars of concernment interwoven / written by Geo. Wither.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1662 (1662)	Wing W3176; ESTC R11575	78,735	140

hath appeared to me in this my Loneliness that it may help strengthen the Faith and Hope of those who can receive it as it hath fortified mine to the making a large amends for all my Sufferings The better to explain it I must walk a little about by the way of Circumlocution that I may fetch in some collateral Notions which will be pertinent to my main Design Slight them not my dear Brethren though in some Circumstances I may differ from you in Judgement for if we continue in the Love of Christ Jesus and of each other that Love will at last bring us into all Truth make all who are of one house to be of one mind and cover a multitude of other sins as well as our Ignorances which are not wilfully contracted I proceed with my promised Illustration GOD Almighty all whose Actions are eternal when he was pleased to give a being unto Time and make a visible World seemed in some respects to work according to the manner of men the better to suit his workings to the natures and capacities of his Creatures as by making his Actings to be temporary and that which he could have perfected in one moment to be the work of six Ordinary Dayes In which time he having compleated all Created things and put them into an orderly way of procreating and continuing themselves by his assisting Providence and Superintendency it is said he rested the Seventh day and Sanctified it Not that he needed Rest or the setting apart of any portion of Time for himself who is LORD of Eternity but in respect only to mankind and to what should come to pass about the later end of Time The Consideration of that Rest and Sanctification dictated unto me that which I have discovered of the foresaid Mystery in the Illustration whereof I shall hint upon some particular Notions repugnant to what hath been commonly believed by many good men concerning the Sabbath wherein I hope to be as charitably censured as I consure those who sincerely declare their Judgements though they are not the same with mine I am not of their Opinion who suppose the fore mentioned Sanctification of a part of Time did imply that Seventh day which was afterward Commanded to be observed by the Jews when they were brought out of Egypt For it is said by Moses Deut. 5. 15. that the Sabbath at that time injoyned to be observed was Instituted for a Remembrance of that Deliverance as likewise to preserve them alwaies mindful to be merciful to Servants Cattel and Strangers as GOD was to them in vouchsafing Rest and Deliverance from their hard labour and cruel Taxmasters in the Land wherein they had been Strangers and Servants And the Sabbath being made for man and not man for the Sabbath it was chiefly for that end Commanded Nor do I think the Sanctifying of the Seventh day at the Creation or that which was injoyned to the Jews implyed the Sanctification of that which is called the LORD's Day which is observed by most Christians according to an antient custome for a day of Assembling together in regard upon that day of the week our Saviour Jesus Christ with whom the Jewish Sabbath was buried arose from Death to Life upon that day of the week Yet I my self do observe that day and acknowledge the observation thereof if not Judaically or Superstitiously kept and imposed to be a pious Custom and Institution as well tending to our edification in Faith and good life by our meeting to hear GOD's Word and communicate in other Pious Duties as toward a fulfilling that part of the Moral Law which is contained in the Ten Commandements and injoyneth an allowance of competent Rest and corporeal refreshment to Servants Cattel and Strangers who would else be oppressed by unmerciful Masters and Owners who either know not how to use their Christian Liberty or are ignorant what is due to the Creatures by the Law of Nature and for that reason provision hath been prudently made by the practise of the Church and by Christian Princes upon penalties for allowing of certain portion of time and they are not wilfully to be neglected nor superstitiously to be observed but for conveniency comliness and order sake that we may associate in the Service of GOD and communicate in holy Duties at such times to the edifying of each other yet over and above those times GOD provided a Supplement for Moral Rest and spiritual Contemplations by allowing to every Day a Night wherein to rest the body by sleep and to refresh the mind by Prayer and Meditations But I do not find that the LORD's Day was injoyned by any Evangelical Precept to be observed instead of the Jewish Sabbath and in such manner as that was Or that the said Jewish Sabbath was given at the Creation or at any time since by divine Institution to be an Universal Law to all Mankind or to any of another Nation save only to those who became Jewish Proselytes whilest the Ceremonial Law was in force For had it been otherwise then that seventh day should questionless have been universally made known and kept without scruple by other Nations without changing it into another day until it had been divinely done by the same Law-giver and that change declared at the promulgation of his new Covenant in the Gospel it being not in the power of any other to change his Ordinances or to warrant a variation from them in the least Punctilio whether they concern Faith or Manners The Observation of Dayes and Meats with such-like Ceremonies had their end in Christ and every man is left at liberty as concerning a Religious Observation of such things to do as the present necessity requires and as he thinks himself in his own Conscience obliged And therefore the Apostle implicitly reproving them who presumed to judge between another mans Conscience and GOD to whom only he stands or falls as his Servant expecteth every one to do as he is perswaded in his Conscience and saith Rom 14. He that observeth a day observeth it unto the LORD and he who observeth it not forbears the observation thereof in conscientious obedience to the LORD also which liberty he would not have given had a set day been essential to the morality of the fourth Commandment Therefore I am not offended with any one what day soever he observeth or observeth not who doth it Conscientiously not Contentiously neither condemning himself in that which he alloweth or disalloweth nor judging uncharitably of others who claim the like liberty of Conscience And I hope the conscientious sanctification of Dayes piously set apart for Religious Duties will be rather better then less observed by what I have hitherto or shall hereafter express for there be many to my knowledge who are more zealous in professing the observation of this or that day then in truly observing any day as they ought to do as also of many other Christian Duties and such Persons will take most

spiritual Rights and Freedoms one by one That unnecessary cost which many thousands are or may be enforced unto by their Visitations Inquisitions Articles vexatious Prosecutions in several Courts their numerous exacting Officers and by Bribes to supercede or take off the Process Censures and Mulcts cannot be sum'd up besides the charge of all these and those other burdensome Impositions laid upon the People since Antichrist got power Among the rest that one of Imposing the observation of Holy Dayes as they call them above the seventh part of time set apart by ancient Christians in place of the Jewish Sabbath amounts yearly to an incredible sum and by my calculation to a greater burden than the Excise and all other Taxes For it deprives the People of above the 12th part of those dayes wherein GOD by the old Law allowed them to do what they had to do in their temporal Affairs And if we could cast up into one sum what the labour of every man woman beast teem of horses and oxen probably ariseth unto in those many dayes which are superstitiously dedicated to Saints and Angels together with the sinful or vain expences which they occasion by drunkenness gaming and other vanities and mischiefs during those dayes it would appear such an annual charge beside hindrances in Trading and losses at Harvest and Seed-times that being added to all the other Impositions Services and Payments lawfully and unlawfully laid upon the Nation it would in my judgement seem greater than ever was charged upon any People who were not absolute Slaves nevertheless that superstitious observation was not to be murmured at if it tended ought to the Glory of GOD or but to the benefit of any part of Mankind except those who are enemies to the Kingdom of Christ That such Oppressions might be prevented and redressed when begun GOD left not them who should be Kings and Governors over his People at large as the Kings of the Nations were but gave them beside many other exemplary Paterns of Righteousness the Law of a Just Monarchy in Deut. 17. 15. before the coming of Christ and many Evangelical Precepts since whereby they and their Substitutes under them ought to be regulated And in all times divine Providence hath raised up some as well in the Campe like Eldad and Medad as in the Tabernacle to be Remembrancers of what ought to be done They have also those Ministers of the Gospel who instead of those Priests whose lips were heretofore to preserve knowledge by whom they may and ought to be assistant with their Counsel which would not be in vain if consulted But hereupon ariseth a Question lately put to my Conscience which may perhaps be of concernment at this time if I could give a satisfactory answer thereunto for which cause I will endeavour it so far forth as my Judgment extends The Question is Whether they who being called to a Spiritual Function to minister in things relating to the Kingdom of Christ and the divine Service of GOD may intermedle in the administrations touching the Kingdoms of Men or in civil and common matters seeing it seems to be an undertaking to serve two Masters which may occasion the neglect of the one or of the other I Answer it may or it may not be so according to the mind and sincerity of the Undertaker The State of Venice rarely admit any of the Clergie to be of Counsel in their Civil Affairs because they are jealous of the Popes Interest among them yet I remember they had one by whose wisdom and faithfulness they were more advantaged than by any one Counsellour that ever they had But this was a rare Bird Rara Avis terris nigroque similima Cigno Many such are not bred at a time in one Nest The Woods yield few white Ravens and as few white Dawes are bred in Churches yet I have seen both If he that is called to the Ministry of the Gospel shall ambitiously desire wordly honours or profits which he formerly enjoyed not or shall not willingly for-go what he formerly possessed when he is called to follow Christ and finds it is or may be his hindrance therein he cannot as I believe with a good Conscience either keep that which he had or accept of other temporary Dignities or Profits But if he be born to any temporal honour or estate or shall have them bestowed on him by his Prince who may have need of his Service in the administration of Justice or of other Civil Affairs without his own desire or seeking and conscientiously believes he may thereby the better serve his Master Christ Jesus he ought in my understanding to keep what he had and accept of what is tendred rather than reject it provided he be watchful that honors corrupt not his manners nor his Riches choke the seeds of Grace and that when he serves his Prince or Country in a temporal capacity he leans not to them and forsakes his best Master making use of his additional power to the disadvantage of Christs Kingdom provided also that when he serves his Prince or Country in a temporal capacity he so remembers his spiritual Engagement that he humble himself into a parity with his fellow Commissioners ordained by Christ as meekly as if he had no temporary additions or priviledges more than they so totally laying them aside in the execution of his spiritual Function that he may not over-awe them in their Votes or so much as seem to think them any appurtenances thereto Where this Moderation is with sincerity preserved both GOD and the King may be the better served then Peoples Christian and Civil Liberties be the more secured and both Parties be as mutually helpful as one hand in washing the other This I conceive is as lawful and as agreeable to the will of GOD and a good Conscience with the provisoes afore-mentioned for preservance of the Civil politick Body and of peace in the Church as it was for Jehojeda the High Priest to intermedle together with his Priestly Office in the administration of the Civil Government for preservation of the King and Kingdom of Judah or as it was for Paul and other Disciples who officiated in preaching the Gospel to exercise their Mechanick Trades for the subsistance of their bodies which was less considerable than the well-being of the Saints in their bodily concernments As there be no worse Counsellours than Priests if they be corrupt and wicked so there be none better if they be prudent and sincere and therefore I grudge them not a double honour who are approved such But when the most ambitious and the most covetous self-seekers of a Formal Ministry shall be only or chiefly consulted withal who endeavour the establishing of their own Ecclesiastical Constitutions or Popish Canons shall be joyned to a Civil Government by their own procurement or by other indirect means with persons who for the most part wholly intend also the settlement of their Politick ends there can be nothing