Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A25199
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An orthodox plea for the sanctuary of God, common service, white robe of the house being writ for the good of all, but more especially intended for the common sort, being composed in a stile fittest for their capacities / by G.A. Sometime of Oxford, of St. Johns.
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Alsop, George, b. 1638.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing A2902; ESTC R16186
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26,026
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98
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prosperity it still refresheth us more and more like Moses in his Communion with God on the Mount our faces shine by it our hearts are more clearly reviv'd I but say some this Common Prayer is so mean a thing that even a Childe may read it that can but read almost any thing it is so inferiour that we cannot esteem it with that worth as our Pastors would have us This sounds something like that sin of Corah and his complies to think meanly of the Service of the Church that any man is able to perform the Ministerial offices as the Priest particularly consecrated for the work but the punishment of Korah Numb 16. Dathan and Abiram to those that have read it should be a terrour and a sufficient warning to stave them off from such a cursed opinion I ask the Question do you think that a Butcher or a Slaughter-Man brought up to that Profession could not strike down an Ox with more slight and agility than a Priest or Levite Why yes no doubt but he could common reason answers this but this was not suffered in the Temple to be done none but those that have an express warrant must officiate in Gods House 't is true you may read the Prayers of the Church to the people but by reason you are not consecrated to that particular imployment it cannot be suffered by any Christian allowance Strange fire it is an abomination unto God The Jews Liturgy it was as plain and easie to be read as our Service do you think that the Laitie could not have read the ten Commandements the Song of Moses and Daniel the Prophesies the Psalms of David why yes no Question but those men might have read these words but not to any effect but Aaron and his lawful Successors appointed and set apart for the work by God for when the people are to be blest 't is Aaron and his Sons that must give them the blessing in Gods name 't is Gods Commandment Joel the 2. and the 17. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep before the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people Oh Lord. Malachi 2.7 By the Priests lips must the people learn knowledge He that heareth them heareth me saith Christ And he that despiseth them despiseth me See here then the true dignity of a Minister his Calling and Vocation is both sacred and eminent Now as Mr. Sandcroft observes there are a sort of men but of yesterday Mr. Sandcroft in a Sermon at the consecration of Bishops that would pretend to be wiser than their Forefathers the whole world yea even Christ himself which undertakes to thwart the ancient Decrees and Purposes of God as to the ordering of his Service and way of Worship a sort of men that know God and Religion no otherwise but by meer notion that are Christians from the shoulder and upwards that whatever their brain conceives their tongue talks it for infallible Revelations but in the Words of the Litany From all such good Lord deliver us They that deny the decent Order and Worship of Gods Church deny all that 's regular and good such think any thing will pass with God and serve his turn his Ministers Dunces and his Service Nonsence neither to be called nor appointed but to happen upon the office and performance by chance and so by guess accordingly officiate and perform but our God is a God of Order and must be worshipped in Order not in confusion his Priests must be consecrated and his Service premeditated or else it serves not his turn let us square but one proposal by common reason in reference to this discourse had we any business with an earthly King of some weight and concernment wherein if we should miscarry in the delivery of our message we should not onely lose our suit but incur the Kings displeasure how careful would we be to get words fit for our business how would we forethink of them be still premeditating writing correcting and getting them all exact that nothing might be mislik't Do you think our business with the King of Heaven ought not to be as carefully stated fore-thought and considered on knowing that all vain babling is abominable to him and that we can never think to be too exact in those words that must come before God in the behalf of our selves and others lest like Zebedy we be repulsed by our asking we know not what 'T is ill jesting with edg'd tools it is a strange presumptuous venture to step into Gods presence with unthought of words and expressions Eccle. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth saith Solomon nor let thy heart be hasty to utter a thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou art on Earth The White Robe CAvills about maters indifferent in themselves are too much the quarrel of the times and that which makes the animosities the stranger is this that order and comely decency in Gods Service makes the pure Worship of God despicable and that is objected too as one of the maine causes of it The Surplice which in it selfe is the embleme of vertuous innocency that that should keep so many off from serving God in publick as t is pretended is more then ordinary wonder Now this is a great grief to many that know the way to worship God aright to see so weake a prejudice live and do mischief and that upon no sure ground that it can keep footing on but let Antagonists vent their furious madness against that harmless Robe and we that weare it let them proclaim we are Idolaters because we serve the Lord in it in this we do appeal to God to judge between their cry and us thus much wee 'l condescend to satisfie the world we never do account our selves the holier when this white garment is upon us nor the unholier when it is off we owne this Ceremony as the body doth a fine garment for ornament sake or as a late learned Writer speaks The Ceremonies of the Church are as the body to the soul the body being enlivened by the soul is very amiable so Ceremonies with devotion is very comely We use this Ceremony in the Church for ornament sake and its significant resemblance being a habit fitted for consecrated Persons to draw near unto God withal for what more fit than white that suites with the affection of joy wherein God delights to have his Saints praise him Revel 7.6 Malachi 3.1 White it is the beauty that the Angels appeare before him in how then can any nay dare any deny the Church militant here on Earth that she may not signifie something by action and rite which the triumphant doth really performe in Heaven This wearing of the Surplice or White-Robe at Dâ—vine-Service is an innocent harmless and good imitating Ceremony a thing more for order sake than for any absolute necessity of Worship is receiv'd into the Church and made use of We usually have at
least ought so to do to make our confession of what sins we have committed against him 't is but fit considering the foulness of our offences to prostrate our selves upon our knees before the throne of his grace and there acknowledg with tears the pollution of our souls saying we have erred and strayed from thy wayes c. upon which articular acknowledgment the Minister for comfort and consolation doth pronounce Gods proneness to forgive and have mercy upon Submission which being performed and the soul eased by Prayer then to rise with a reverend posture from the Knees with Praises O come let us sing unto the Lord c. upon the ending of those Praises then to place your self decently as in the House of God waiting and receiving with an open Soul those holy instructions from Gods Word that shall be read unto you and first the Psalms of David Gloria Patri being ended then a Lesson out of the old Testament most commonly relating to the antient promises and kindnesses of God to his Church in consideration 't is but meet to give him praise singing or saying that sacred Hymn Te Deum Laudamus We Praise thée O God c. then after a Lesson out of the New Testament declaring the performance of his promised mercy to his Church to sing another Hymn Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. then stoutly to stand with a direct body as well as an even soul like a true heroick Soldier of God and make a confession of thy Faith speaking with an audible voice I believe in God c. then to bow your self in Prayer before God for divers necessities of humane Nature The Lords Prayer and other invocations with the Letany not onely for your self but for others the King and the whole Kingdom yea even for the converting of your enemies then after a special prayer for Grace and Sanctification the ten Commandements with the Epistles and Gospels being distinctly deliverd unto us the one containing our duty both to God and man the other having aspeciall relation to the work of our redemption See a Peice Printed at Cambridge 1642 called the Protestant Account all and what ever remains of the service of the Church else being in order and due manner plac't for the Glory of Gods Worship and the convenient advantage of his Peoples Souls must needs be approved of from God and all good and Religious men But I know some others wil be apt to say for all this That though the words may be good and the Order plausible yet the length and tediousness of them keeps them longer out of the Church than they would be Oh say some they stop us an unreasonable while from hearing of the Sermon and were it not for this fault we would hear them oftner Why these are strange expressions and too often us'd in this sinful Nation that Prayer and Praises unto God should be counted tedious and irksome this is quite contrary to the Apostles saying Pray continually Now whereas 't is objected that the Prayers of the Church keeps people from the Sermon too long 't is a folly beyond wonder to consider it that ever people should be so ignorant of the excellency of Divine Prayer and Praises which are the golden Keys that open and shut the gates of Heaven that wrestle with God and command his mercy down as it were that this Sacred Worship should be jostled out of the Church or at least so little set by that Preaching a thing that hath been more commoner in our age to savour of wit and humour than any true devotion should be prefer'd before it I must confess I have been always God forbid I should deny the Ordinance of sound Preaching but the abuse of it I abhor from my heart when Sermons leds people to Heaven Oh then they are good but when they direct for Hell when murder and Rebellion is the Theame of the Pulpit and confused Extravagancy the whole matter that 's raised from it then to hate such Preaching is commendable why this was the preaching of the late times and too many I am afraid use it still this was the vomits of the Pulpit when that wretch Peters assum'd the Chair of Canterbury and am still a Lover of true Preaching but not at all of that which many call and would have pass for preaching to name a text and then to talk any thing that comes uppermost from it either to run so far from the text as never to come near it after once nam'd or to crow'd so close to it as to screw it beyond its height making the true word of God to speak that which it never intended certainly such preaching as this must much abuse the word of God the Hearers and their owne souls that vent it when as a neat quaint and zealous exposition upon the words is commendable with allowance to Paraphrase with sincerity trueth neither wresting the word from its intended scope or drift nor assuming to be so bold as to think by your Comments you have outstript and gone beyond the word of God as well for worth of matter as excellency of stile this were an abominable arrogancy and yet this is a crime too frequently entertain'd abroad to esteem Calamy and Baxters prating before Gods word alas they conceive that these men have outdone Christ and his Apostles for preaching to the purpose the common consequence confirms this for many had rather go five miles to hear one of these fellows talk frightful whimsies from their own brains than to go one quarter of a mile to hear our Saviour Christs Sermon which he preacht on the Mount Matthew 5.1 Acts 2.37 Peters converting Sermon to the Jews with other of Christ's and his Apostles works The holy Testament which being read unto us with a pure heart and we receiving of it with the same undoubtedly it is the onely preaching of all preaching that doth most good for what can be safer to be preach't than Gods pure Word which is able to make us wise unto Salvation and though expositions have crept into esteem amongst some yet I think that Christ and his Apostles Sermons left for our instructions are to be approved on before all other works of those that love God And next to the holy Bible the Service of the Church pleads for preheminence before any thing that shall appear for Service before God for know that Prayer and Praises are the essentiall Worship of God it is the Coyne of Heaven it answereth all things it pleaseth God and pleaseth Man we have no other way to come unto God but by Prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ Prayer brings us into his presence and shews us the light of his countenance if God be angry with us Prayer pacifies him and makes all well again if we are in sorrow Prayer comforts us see this in Hannah a woman of a sorrowful Spirit Prayer maks her look Chearful If we are in