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A48737 Solomons gate, or, An entrance into the church being a familiar explanation of the grounds of religion conteined in the fowr [sic] heads of catechism, viz. the Lords prayer, the Apostles creed, the Ten commandments, the sacraments / fitted to vulgar understanding by A.L. Littleton, Adam, 1627-1694. 1662 (1662) Wing L2573; ESTC R34997 164,412 526

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and a praise to the good And as he hath corwn'd all mankind with honour and dignity giving them dominion over their fellow-creatures so he hath put that Majesty upon rulers whom he hath appointed to govern their fellow-men who else without lawes and order would be little better then beasts that they may be looked upon and observ'd with that reverence as if they were earthly Gods I have said ye are Gods but ye shall dy like men They are God's anointed ones and honour'd of him accountable only to him required therefore to do their homage and kiss the Son least he be angry And as they must like all other men dy so they must also appear before the judgement-seat of God Kings to their subjects dreadful stand O're Kings themselv's is Gods command He hath all the royalties that belong to an Imperial Crown a righteous Scepter righteous lawes loyal subjects glorious priviledges blessed rewards for the obedient and great punishments for the disobedient Not ought Kings of the earth to be impatient at mutinous and rebellious spirits when God himself wants not those who rise up against him and which may set them a copy of princely clemency to write their acts of grace after gives gifts to the rebellious leaving some of them as monuments of his mercy though too others he make trophies of his justice I might note that sure Kingship is the best form and model of government since God himself rules under that title that the Regicide is a kind of Deicide and when subjects dare mate their soverain and contrive a Common-wealth to justle out the Kingdom they do but challenge divine vengeance for that which perhaps their injur'd princes forces cannot chastise and call upon themselves Lucifer's fate who left his first estate by clambering higher whose pride prefer'd him to the principality in Hell where he gnashes his teeth and curses God who questionless hath been that Angel of light that hath cloak'd sedition with the name of Godliness and taught the late teachers to despise dominion and speak evil of dignities and blaspheme the name of Kings And all nature hath by instinct followed divine example gathering it self as much as may be into oneness making every sort of creature almost submit to monarchical rule and preaching as it were the Apostle's lesson Be not many masters But the sad experience of these nations in the time of tyranny and the wonderfull providence of God in the restitution hath sufficiently convinc'd all honest English of this truth that That government is best which is likest God's to wit a Monarchy a Kingdom Now God hath a twofold Kingdom one universal at large all the world over the other particular and special his Church For he is King of the nations and King of the Saints or we may say a threefold Kingdom in respect of the different administration of this later according to the different condition of the church militant here on earth or triumphant in heaven to wit a temporal spiritual and eternal Kingdom or the Kingdom of his power the Kingdom of grace and the Kingdom of glory By his power he governs the whole fabric of the world disposes of all things appoints seasons sets bounds to human power over-rules their purposes stills the raging of the Sea and the madness of the people raises up casts down kills and makes alive strikes the earth with his thunder and darts forth his lightnings the winds obey him blow only where he lists All things are his servants and he doth what he pleaseth both in heaven and in earth By his grace he governs his Church sets up his throne in the hearts of his people appoints officers gathers the elect and rules them by his word and spirit conquers sin and death kills our corruptions subdues our lusts and treads Satan under our feet and breaks the powers of hell that the gates thereof shall not prevail against the church guids the faithfull ones in his wayes tryes their patience exercises their faith teaches them his lawes that they may observe his statutes and ordinances defends the Saints and is a sun and shield to direct and protect them that neither the Devil nor wicked men can doe them any hurt rewards those that doe or suffer any thing for his sake punishes offenders and persues the impenitent and such as obstinately stand out his calls and tenders of grace and go on presumptuously in their evill way with the fury of his indignation afflicting them with bodily plagues temporal calamities and spiritual judgements as blindness of mind hardness of heart c. giving them up to their own shamefull lusts and a reprobate mind into the power of the divel and either passing final sentence upon them in this life or reserving them till the great Assises of the last judgement In the Kingdom of glory as he himself is call'd the King of glory he sits on his Throne incompass'd with millions of Angels and blessed Saints who fall down before him and sing praises to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb. This is to have it's beginning when the other two end not to be compleated till the last day when the Angels gather the elect from the four corners of the earth whom God shall reward with everlasting bliss when he shall send the ungodly to Hell where the worm never dyeth and the fire never goes out Then those who were sufferers shall be conquerers and wear a never-fading crown I have fought a good fight saith St. Paul and henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness All the Saints then shall be Kings there shall be the glorious orders of pure Virgins that defiled not themselves of blessed Co●●essors that were not ashamed of their profession of holy Martyrs who lov'd not their soules to death of Prophets the Harbingers of Christ and Apostles the heralds of the Gospell and all the quire of Heaven singing Halleluiahs This is that Kingdom of Christ which he said was not of this world for which he despised the shame with which his servants that have a tast of the heavenly gift and are afforded the earnest of their meditations a sight of the heavenly Canaan and glorified transfiguration as from Pisgah and on mount Tabor are so ravished and deeply affected that they must needs cry come Lord Iesus come quickly Thy Kingdom come COME i.e. appear and show it self may its interest be promoted may it get ground and inlarge it self may it be seen that the Lord is King let the people be never so unquiet may it come into our hearts and rule there and beat down every proud imagination that lifts it self up against God may Christ hasten his coming illustrious presence which the Iews Liturgy is ful of even to this day the coming of Messias Now there is a twofold advent or coming of Christ mentioned in
to upbraid any one Party For though the Act of Oblivion injoyns us to forget Injuries done to Men yet Religion will oblige us to remember our Sins against God The Sacraments I have handled with that brevity that I have not there much insisted on the Rites wherewith our Church administers them but elsewhere in the Book have in the general offer'd somewhat to their defence Where I plead Admission of all to the holy Table I would not be understood to speak for those which are under Church-censures On every of these parts I have said little of the much which might have been said and for ought that I know nothing that has been said by others having had a special care all the way of the Eighth Commandement Sir You are the onely Author that I have consulted and these sheets have not been the travail so much of my Invention as of my Memory while I have been recovering those Notices your Institution lodg'd in my young head and heart Wherefore what I have fail'd in Elegance of expression or Solidity of matter I must first here beg your Pardon for seeing that contrary to the method of the Resurrection what was sown in strength is now ra●s'd in weakness And next crave your Blessing upon the Book and Me that God would make us both serviceable to the Publick For I very well understand what hazard of censure I run by appearing thus in Print and what Obligations I now lay upon my self to walk carefully and order my conversation aright since he that puts forth a Book of Religion and leads an irreligious life doth but libell himself and scandalize his Book Sir As it was your great care and love to send me in my younger years to several places for my education so 't was my no lesse happinesse that I was principled in Religion by your self and though Scholar to sundry Masters was your Catechumenus I thought it then the most fitting Gratitude to return you what I receiv'd and design your own Instructions the Memorial of my Dutie That the God of all Consolation would crown your Old age with Honour and Ioy and after these many years of Suffering and Persecution wherein you have had so large a share heap upon you the blessings of Peace and a long Life that you may see and partake the prosperity of Jerusalem shall be the dayly prayer of Dear Father St. Thomas-day 1661. Your most dutifull and obedient Son Adam Littleton Sentences out of Scrip ure Heb. V. 12. FOr when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk not of strong meat 1 Tim. I. 13. Hold fast the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Iesus Prov. XXII 6. Train up or Catechise a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Psal. XXXIV 11 12 13 14. Come ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life and lov●th many dayes that he may see good Keep thy Tongue from evil thy lips from speaking guile Depart from evil do good seek Peace and pursue it Prov. IV. 23. Keep thy Heart with all diligence or above all keeping for out of it are the issues of life Psalm CXI 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom a good Vnderstanding or good success have all they that do his Commandements Eccles. XII 13. Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and Keep his Commandements for this is THE WHOLE DUTIE OF MAN An Explanation of the GROUNDS OF RELIGION RELIGION is the Fear of God i.e. the acknowledging worshipping of God God is known by his Works and by his Word There was never any Nation which did not profess the worship of God An Atheist was alwayes counted a monster Now most Countries following Nature as their guid have mistaken either in the matter or manner of their worship The Heathens therefore such as Indians Scythians Turks c. worship either a false God or with false worship But God's people being guided by the light of Scripture do embrace the true Religion the Iewish Church in the time of the Law the Christian Church under the Gospel For after the coming of Christ the Religion of the Iews hath now no longer use since it was but a shadow and type of Christ to come For Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse being risen the Ceremonies like shadows are scatter'd and fled away Christian Religion then is that Doctrine which Christ himself taught when he was on earth confirm'd by miracles and holinesse of Life and sealed with his precious Blood dying on the Cross. Christian Religion is at large conteined in the holy Scriptures i.e. in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles who were the Pen men of the holy Ghost But it is chiefly compriz'd in the four Heads of Catechism which we call the Principles of Religion Now Catechism is a brief and plain Institution which explains the Mysteries of Faith and the Duties of a holy Life in that manner that they may be easily understood by any even the most vulgar apprehension Wherefore 't is call'd the Sincere milk of the Word as being fitted to the capacity of little children which as yet cannot bear more weighty discourses which are compar'd to solid meat This Doctrine then is plain that it may be receiv'd by the Understanding and short that it may be held in Memory yet full too that it may instruct us in all things necessary to salvation For it is made up of four parts whereof the First teacheth us what we are to believe concerning God and the Church the Second what duty we owe to God and man the Third describes a method of praying the Fourth delivers those Sacred seals by which this doctrine is confirm'd The Confession of Faith is set down in the Apostles Creed The Law of God contein'd in the Ten Commandements is the Rule of life The Lord's Prayer is a most absolute form and pattern of Prayer And lastly the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper are instead of Seals These are the Pillars upon which not onely the Church but every faithfull soul is in the Spirit built up to perfect knowledge and blessednesse to grace and glory AN EXPLANATION Of the LORD'S PRAYER The Lord's Prayer OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our dayly bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen The LORDS PRAYER PRAYER is a calling upon God in time of
have his Maker and his God turn Idolater he bids him that dwelleth on high fall down such a fall too as would be lower then the divel 's own fall for it must be below him it must be to him Fall down and worship me Oh impudent blasphemous absurdity what divel could put such thoughts into Satan's heart such words into 's mouth that God whom all the Gods worship should himself worship For he knew very well whom he had to doe with in this encounter that he was the Son of God having been often cast out by him confessing it here with an If. And whom what wouldst thou have him worship an image an idol stocks and stones why thou canst not perswade any men that have their reason about them to doe so What is 't some Saint or Angel Thou knowst his Angels have charge of him and are bid worship him what then speak Lucifer me Oh diabolical pride oh unsufferable rudeness which a poor creature can hardly have patience to hear that God at whose name the divels tremble should be tempted by the divel to worship that divel that tempts him Me thinks one cannot read this passage without a great horrour and an agony of fear that God should suffer his onely Son God equal to the Father to be tempted by the divel to the foulest of sins Idolatry to the worst of creatures the divel What care and vigilance ought we to have what fear and jealousy How should we watch and fast and prepare our selves for spiritual conflicts and beg strength from above that our hearts may be garrison'd and kept by grace And since Christ himself was thus brought into the clutches of Satan what great reason have we to pray that we may not be led into temptation Now there is a twofold temptation one for tryal whereby God doth keep the graces of his Saints in exercise so God searches the hearts and tryes the raines of the children of men as silver is tryed in a fornace Thus Abraham's faith Iob's patience c. were tryed nay sometimes God leav's his best servants to themselves and lets them catch falls to keep them humble and to let them know that their strength is from him God tempts for tryall the divel onely tempts for sin and sometimes too God imployes the divel in his tryals to heat the fornace which he does with an intention to destroy but God orders for experiment and probation Another is for hurt when we are tempted to sin to presumption or dispair Thus God tempts no man but judicially hardens impenitent sinners that harden themselv's in their evil way and gives them up to their lusts and into the power of the divel Thus we read he harden'd Pharaoh's heart put sometimes a lying spirit into the mouth of the Prophets let Satan tempt David to carnal confidence and the pride of numbring his people and our Saviour after the divel had filled Iudas heart bid him doe what he meant to doe quickly meaning that horrid treason of betraying his Master And of this kind of sinfull temptation is this especially to be understood though it mean also the other kind of tryals BUT DELIVER US FROM EVILL This infers the contrary that since we have so many to lead us into temptation God would rather lead us out and keep us from evil then lead us into it The opposition lyes in the words Lead us not but Deliver us i.e. bring us not into temptation but when we either of our selves fall into it or are by others led into it do thou bring us out and lead us forth rescue us out of the tempter's clutches and set us at liberty for so the word properly denotes deliverance out of an evil we are already in though the preposition will very well bear this sense that God would keep us totally from it as the Church teaches us to pray as well in time of health plenty as mortality and dearth from plague pestilence and famine good Lord deliver us We are kept from evil by preventing or restraining grace we are deliver'd out of it by assisting grace God keeps us from being tempted by the restraints of his grace and providence by alarming conscience by quenching lust by denying opportunities for sin by imploying a man and filling all his time with duty For 't is the idle soul that commonly proves the tempters prey Diligence in one's calling is a good preservative against vain thoughts and checks the approach of temptation shutting the doors windows by which it should enter God delivers us out of temptation by proportioning it to our strength so that we may not faint or grow evil under it which he doth either by lessening the burthen or strengthning the shoulders by supporting and bearing us up in conflict by making our faith victorious with heavenly supplyes of grace by the aid at the charge provision of his spirit and in fine by giving us a joyfull issue out of our temptations as he did with Ioseph by making his brethrens envy an occasion of his advancement with the Israelites by a wonderful delivery from a cruel bondage with Iob making his righteousness break forth as the Sun before his setting after those dismal storms and clouds which had darkned it Thus 't is Gods usual course to heighten the rewards of his tryed servants which have fought a good fight and layes up a crown of glory for them Indeed in every temptation the tempter comes by the worst and 't is to the divel 's disadvantage for if it take 't is true 't is his hellish delight to see souls perish yet however it increases his guilt as being accessary to anothers sin and consequently must needs increase his punishment improve his torments If it meet with repulse it cannot choose but be great torment to this spightful spirit to see that he has been instrumental in raising the happiness and furthering the salvation and heightning the gloryes of the Saints every baffled temptation is a step higher into glory and if I may say it we get up to heaven on Satan's back by trampling him under our feet A Saint goes triumphant with a train of conquer'd lusts and as Samson carried away the gates of Azza breaks the gates the powers of hell to force his passage None in so high a form of glory as those who have most scarrs to shew and who have the buckler of their faith batter'd and shatter'd with temptations We are to fight under Christ's banner and he will be most blessed who shall be found likest his master and have the marks of Christ's wounds imprinted not so much upon their body as the Legend has it of St. Francis I mean by outward sufferings as upon his soul by the violent assaults of temptation St. Paul indeed sayes of himself I wear the marks of our Lord Iesus in my body it may be that which in another place we render a thorn in the flesh