Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	2,243	5	10.5323	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74651	The clergie in their colors or, the pride and avarice of the Presbyterian clergie hindering reformation: shewing, how from time to time they have not onely been the fomenters of this first and second war, but also by their horrid fallacies have to this present time deluded the common-vvealth. Discovered in a plain and familiar dialogue betvveen Philalethes and Presbyter.; Pride and avarice of the clergie.	Boun, Abraham.	1651 (1651)	Wing B3835; Thomason E1416_1; ESTC R209447	53,245	199

Bishops which grew up within the first three hundred years after Christ and were ordained as was pretended for a remedie against Schisme and Heresie which yet proved more dangerous then the disease and made way for Antichrist the head of Prelacie The Commission granted by King Henrie the eight to the Lord Crumwell Fox Acts and Monum vol. 1. pag. 503. to visit the Clergie And the. High-Comission Stat. 1. Eliz. ch 1. granted in the first year of Queen Elizabeths Raign had as great shew and Probabilitie of doing good as these Classes and Synods And for present I conceive did some good But when wicked men became High Commissioners that proved a notable scourge to the godlie of the Land And so will your Classes and Synods in a short time when wicked and ambitious men get into the chief places and Power prove as bad if not worse because they be more then the High Commissioners who were but two and thirtie And this through the just judgment of God because these Policies are not of his appointment Pr. Why should you say so Ph. Because God never useth to bless means devised by man to accomplish his work in things appertaining to Religion especially when they come in Competition with those things which he hath appointed when men's posts are set up by God's Posts or when Go'ds means are laid aside For example God hath ordained his word and the Censures of the Church to keep and drive out the profane and to bring them to Repentance and amendment of life Instead of these the State erected or rather continued from the Papists the Spiritual Courts or rather Baudie Courts whose Officers lived upon the bloud of the best and the sin of the worst I need not tell you what profit or rather hurt came to all sorts of men by this means To come a little nearer to that which hath a little more shew of State-Religion The Parlaments of this Nation have made several Acts Ordinances for reformation of offences against profaning of the the Lords day and against swearing and drunkenness but the Church-Censures have not been used for those ends See but the effect what good these Laws have done no reformation much less any repentance in the Delinquents for the punishments touch not the heart and soul But for the present cause the sinner to rage and raile and some to vow to be avenged of those who accuse them and some to sin on purpose to provoke others who are more grieved for their transgressions then they themselvs or because of the sleight punishment appointed for expiation of such offences whereas if Gods waies were taken up he would bless the same for the conversion and amendment of such as belonged to him and the rest would either be outwardly reformed or at least left without excuse So then if these things be not of God I shall expect no good from them And can those things which are meerly prudential overtop those things which undoubtedly are of divine institution The foolishness of God is wiser then man Pr. But you said even now that those who put the Parlament upon these things have their ends and aimes in them What good or profit can they have by such Classes Synods or Appeals Ph. They do much conduce to uphold their double honour which they labour so much for I conceive the chief Engineers for contrivance of these things are the greatest and wealthiest of the pretended Clergie who have the greatest power in everie Countie which they extend to the utmost having an oare almost in everie boat and they take themselvs wronged if they may not order or contrive all designs both concerning peace and war nay and their projects reach verie far take but a view of the late great designes wherein besides their secret interests in particular States-men which they extended far and wherein they prevailed much Their publick preaching was almost nothing but Politicks in manie places Their fear was and yet is that the Parlament and Armie complying would spoil their great livings and countenance their opposites more then they and so the wheeles of their Chariots would fall of This fear they tearmed the miserie and danger of the Church as the late Arch-Priest Laud did in a case not much unlike theirs And their praiers and preaching must prevent it if possible and further their designe which was First to raise a new war and then to prepare the sillie people to entertain the Scots as avengers of the Covenant to perfect that design which was to set up that Government and Platform which they had modelled as neer the Scotch fashion as would stand with their honour and profit and by their subtiltie and earnestness they prevailed much upon the people and manie of the more religious sort believed them both in Citie and Countrie During this time they bent all their force against Rebels Hereticks Schismaticks and Sectaries which they said did much endanger the Church that is the Diana of their great Livings Well it pleased God by part of that Armie of Sectaries whom some of these men had cursed and scoffed at by the name of Saints to frustrate the design by scattering the enemies Armie almost miraculously which was not prepared for relief of the Church as our Clergie told us but to root out and destroie the godlie of the Land But the snare is broken and we are delivered blessed be God and there that design ended Now these men fall to work afresh and if you will believe them the Hereticks and Sectaries do again threaten the destruction of the Church of God and more hurt comes to the Church by these Hereticks and Sectaries then did by all the Marian Persecution and accordingly the people in manie places begin to believe them as they did before But the Center where all their lines meet and the Axis upon which they turn is their honour and profit for for if they can hold their own they have and will have all the best livings all the peoples heads under their girdles and all the power in the Classes and Synods and so upon the point the power of the Countie and of the whole Common-wealth and will without doubt reign in the Consciences of all sorts of men and incroach upon the Temporal power as much as their Predecessors the Prelates did before And this must needs conduce to their honour and profit Pr. Alas it cannot be conceived that so learned Orthodox men should aime at such ends being for the most part godly painful Preachers of the word Pr. I do not judge all Ministers but conceive many to be faithful but I speak of the most of those whom you account the best the Ringleaders chief Projectors and rigid of the Presbyterial Partie whose preaching for the most part is but reading and their Sermons for the most part Politicks either concerning Monarchical Government Libertie of the people Municipal Lawes Obedience to Princes foundations of Government Levying of Warre disbanding of Forces