Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	blood_n	life_n	sin_n	8,000	5	4.5474	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42450	An examination of the case of the Quakers concerning oaths propounded by them, A.D. 1673, to the consideration of the King, and both Houses of Parliament : with a vindication of the power of the magistrate to impose oaths, and the liberty and duty of all Christians to swear by God reverently : humbly submitted to the judgment of His Most Sacred Majesty, and the two Houses of Parliament / by Charles Gataker ...	Gataker, Charles, 1614 or 15-1680.	1675 (1675)	Wing G305; ESTC R40267	35,338	42

receive and submit unto the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures manifest that this pretended Light within them which is directly opposite to the Light which hitherto hath enlightened all the World which did not extinguish it by Atheism or wink against it with wilful folly is of God we cannot but conclude that the use of Oaths is still as warrantable from the very Nature and benefit of them as ever it was And as the superstitions which though contrary to the common Notions of a God and to the natural principles of Piety yet by Satans malicious subtilty and the vanity of Mans mind are ingrafted upon the stock of natural Religion do not extirpate the root of natural Religion which will maintain true Piety to Gods Glory when by good husbandry the corrupt grafts are cut off and the root and branch are cultivated aright for the service of the true God so the various abuses of Oaths frequent in all Ages with prophane despisers of God and by vicious custom too general with Professors of Religion do not in themselves directly and should not by consequence eliminate the religious practice of Swearing For the banishment of a Sacrament as the Latines call an Oath out of humane Society is a step to supersede all Worship of God and to remove an Oath out of all procedures of Judicature is no little artifice to extinguish the fear of God in the World SECT V. Concerning the summe and end of the Gospel THat we may yet draw nearer to an end and hit our Mark close and deep it will be fit to consider the intimate and peculiar quality of the Gospel to which these pretenders to Evangelical perfection say that an Oath is irreconcileable The Gospel as it stands in opposition to the Law of Works Rom. 3. ● 28 ● 5 ● whereby Man was to seek Righteousness and Life by his own perfect obedience is called by St. Paul the Law of Faith whereby Man being by the general corruption of humane nature and by his singular sinfulness obnoxious to Gods wrath which is the Messenger of Death obtains Righteousness Luk. 1. ●9 〈◊〉 Cor. 5. ●8 19 〈…〉 3.9 and Life by Faith on Christs Blood The Gospel then is a way of peace a word of reconciliation a ministery of Righteousness Peace and Life which are purchased by the Death of Christ and by the Blood of his Cross The primary ends of the Gospel are these two inseparable benefits which our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hath compassed by his Death and works by the power of the Gospel upon the Consciences of Believers Reconciliation and Reformation of Man who was in a state of enmity with God both active and passive by his Sin Rom. 5. ●0 Col. 1. ●1 22 〈◊〉 Pet. 3. ●8 2. ●3 Tit. 2.11 ●2 In one word this is the Reduction of the lost sheep or the fugitive servant unto God in the way of Peace and Holiness The saving Grace therefore of the Gospel teaches all mankind which is enlightened with its beams to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and piously in this present World We are moreover to observe that from the first foundation of a Church which immediately was after Mans Sin and Sentence began to be built upon the promised Messiah who is the Rock of Salvation common to all Ages God did set up a way of Worship which had relation to Christ the Lamb of God 〈◊〉 Pet. 1. ●9 20. fore-designed by God and manifested in Gods own season This instituted Religion in several shadows drawn out by Gods hand in such proportions as he thought fit conteined the Salvation by Christ and the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance of which the Law given to Man in his state of integrity made no words and gave no hopes of Salvation that way The Gospel therefore first in the cloudy Pillar which was the guide of Patriarchs and Prophets and then in the brightness of its Revelation by Christ since all is accomplished and preached to the Nations superadds to the Law Rom. ●● 17 the Righteousness of God from Faith to Faith but it pares off nothing of the Religion and Righteousness which Man owes to God and to his Neighbour by that natural dependence upon God and that order to his neighbour Act. ●● 26 which God established by Creation of Mankind after his own Image and of one blood to bind them together This indeed is that which we call the Law of Nature which God unfolded and taught the Patriarchs the first Fathers of Families and founders of humane Society And the grace of the Gospel is so far from loosening the Bond of this Law that on the contrary by addition of the inestimable benefit of Redemption to our deep engagement by Creation it ties more strictly the Redeemed of the Lord who are enlarged from the bondage under Sin and made the Servants of Righteousness to yield up all their Members once abused to the service of uncleanness and iniquity Rom ●● 19 to become now the servants and instruments of Righteousness unto sanctification This then being the end and efficacy of the Gospel to clear the light of the Law of Nature and to strengthen the holy bonds of Love to God and Man how is it imaginable that the Tongue is restrained now by the Gospel from being still made an instrument of Religion and Righteousness Since the Evangelical Prayer of our Saviours framing for our use is that Gods name should be hallowed in all the World can we think that silence and total abstinence from taking up the name of God in an Oath with reverence upon just occasions sanctifies or magnifies the Name of God Mal. ●● 11 Or is it consonant to that enlargement of Gods honour which is the effect of the Gospel in regard of persons and to the maintenance of it by all acts of Piety which our Saviour professes to have been his work and care that Heathens and Infidels should still by the Law of Nature be bound to acknowledge and honour the Name of God by Swearing in a due manner and Christians should have their hands tied from lifting up to Heaven 2 Cor 14. and their Tongues from calling upon his Name and giving him the Glory due unto it Indeed the Apostle says what participation is there between righteousness and the transgression of the Law what communion of Light with Darkness or what agreement of Christ with Belial Let it therefore first be proved that an Oath is the transgression of the Law Ma●● 33 before it be cast out of the Kingdom of God as inconsistent with the Righteousness thereof ●●h 5. ● which Christ commands us to seek Let an Oath which is indeed a Light according to the Apostles sentence because it doth discover and manifest somtime Truth and somtime many shameful things which are done in secret be proved to be an unprofitable deed of Darkness or else let

of their Persons but of their Doctrines the reception whereof concerns a Mans own Salvation And if the common reason of all Men directed by such Light as God affords them do enable them to choose that Church among the several pretending Societies of Christians at this day with which he may safely hold Communion then the same reason with the same aids will be sufficient to guide him to determine what Doctrines of Faith and Manners he may safely receive For God hath given unto us all one Rule of Faith and Manners which is common to the Stewards and to the inferiour Servants of his House the Church Neither is it now possible to make a right Judgment of a particular Church but by conferring of their Doctrine with that Rule For the Light cannot be discerned whether it be True or False by the Candlestick but the Candlestick must be judged of by the Light which it upholds and that must be tried by something else Thus it is evident that every one must pass a Sentence within himself of what he must Believe and Doe Our Saviour reproves those who will not employ their Talent of Reason Luk. 12.57 Lam. 3.40 and make use of their Light this way saying But why do ye not even of your selves Judge what is right or just Again every Christian is bound to judge himself for what he hath done to search and try his ways whether they have been and are conformable to the Law of God God hath set up Conscience a Domestick Judge within a Man 's own Brest who is a swift witness and an impartial Judge And the sincere proceeding in judgment of our selves is the certain way both to make and to keep our Peace with God For St. 1 Cor. 11.31 Paul says If we would Judge our selves we should not be judged The Master says Judge not to wit others least ye be judged and the servant says Judge your selves and ye shall not be judged But God the Supreme Judge of all hath delegated his own power to certain Ministers whom he hath honoured with one of his own Names to wit Elohim and armed them with Authority to judge and punish other Men See this Title given to Judges Ps 82.1.6 Ex. 22.28 Act. 23.5 Levit. 19.22 where we should read Honor the face of the old Man and fear thy Judge I am the Lord Age is to be honoured Authority is to be feared if they be proved Malefactors These are by Gods Ordinance advanced to sit upon the Throne of the Lord 1 Chron. 29.23 that they may judge for the Lord 2 Chron. 19.7 and their Sentence pronounced according to Justice and Equity is the Judgement of God Deut. 1.17 This Judicial power derived from above Joh. 19.11 Act. 25.9.10 our Saviour owned in Pontius Pilate and the Apostle St. Paul in Augustus Caesar whom he accounted a compleat Judge even in matters of Religion and therefore made an Appeal from the Jews to the Roman Emperor Briefly it is a main point of Christian Doctrine that Christians must be subject to the Judicial Authority of the Powers ordained by God in the Civil Government of the World Rom. 13.1.6 Tit. 3.1 I will not now run out to shew what spiritual power of Government and Jurisdiction the Lord hath given to his Ministers intrusted with the Pastoral charge for edification and not for destruction which the See Mat. 18.17 19.28 Here our Saviour promises to the twelve Apostles that in the Regeneration when all things are made new under the spiritual Kingdom of the Messiah they shall be the Judges of Gods Israel Read 1 Cor. 5 3.4.5 12.28 2 Cor. 10.8 1 Tim. 5.17.19 Tit. 3.10 Holy Scripture abundantly testifies To conclude then if Christs words Judge not should be taken in their utmost latitude the Lord himself would be taken for the Author of Confusion and not of Peace in the State and in the Church the subverter of his own Ordinances and his Gospel which is a word of Peace would be made an Engine to turn the World upside down Thus we see a necessity of limiting them by the distinction of private persons judging others which cannot be done without the bold intrusion upon Gods Office and of Publick Ministers of Gods Government judging those who are under their Power which is a lawful execution of their delegated authority Secondly Christ hath given us another distinction of the manner of judging in cases wherein Men are allowed to judge For he says Judge not according to the appearance Joh. 7.24 but judge righteous judgment Here is a double charge judge not to wit hastily rashly upon weak grounds of slight and superficial shews and yet judge Righteous Judgment that is according to the Merit of the Cause upon clear evidence I need say no more to shew that this prohibition is not to be understood in an unbounded sense We may observe the like of our Saviours inhibition Mat. 5.39 Mat. 13.38.39 1 Pet. 5.8.9 Jam. 4.7 Heb. 12.4 Phil. 2.17 Apoc. 12.11 But I say unto you resist not Evil which must be limited by the distinctions of the Evil to be resisted and of the persons resisting For every private Christian is a Souldier who must stoutly resist that Evil one that Enemy both of God and Man the Devil and Sin which is the Work of the Devil yea every temptation unto Sin is to be resisted sometimes even unto Blood not actively by shedding the blood of others but passively by suffering our own to be shed and by willingly pouring it out as a drink-offering upon the Sacrifice of our Faith For in the spiritual warfare Christians are more then conquerors when they love not their Lives unto Death itself But the Magistrate is armed with a Sword and hath a Commission to resist every evil work to stop the course and to repress the force of Sin in others for the publick welfare and peace of the State If therefore a Magistrate draw his Sword to execute Justice he must not put it up in his sheath and be quiet if the Malefactor shall say oh Sir you must remember the command of our Saviour Resist not evil and the check given to Peter when he was unseasonably and rashly over-valiant Put up thy Sword into its place Mat. 26.52 for all that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Thus the resisting evil is unwarrantable in private persons but necessary in publick officers To close up all if it be an intollerable abuse of the Gospel-prohibitions aforesaid to extend them to all occasions whereas in many cases they are not of any force it is equally irrational to stretch this negative Swear not to the utmost extent of the words when they cannot consist with that Law of God written in the Heart of Man which is also established by the Law written by Moses at Gods command and given to his own people for a Rule of Religion and Righteousness and is farther urged by the Prophets who were sparing in pressing carnal Ordinances but earnest in exacting the everlasting Righteousness of God and is confirmed by our Blessed Saviours Declaration that he came not to abrogate any part of that Law nor to infringe any piece of Gods Righteousness whereof an Oath reverently taken upon a just occasion is a part Let the Adversaries then if they can shew a Disparity between these Prohibitions why the one concerning Judging and Resisting must be limited and the other concerning Swearing ought not or may not without injury to our Blessed Saviours Authority In the mean time I conclude in the words of St. Paul who with modesty and care to decline the suspicion of exercising a Dominion over the Faith of his Brethren 2 Cor. 1.24 1. Cor. 10.15 referred his Doctrine to be determined by common reason upon the general principles of Religion I speak as unto Men of discretion judge ye what I say FINIS