Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	according_a	heart_n	lord_n	1,440	5	3.6316	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50159	A sermon before the provincial synod at Antrim preached June 1. 1698 / by Mr. John Mac-Bride ...	MacBride, John, 1651?-1718.	1698 (1698)	Wing M115; ESTC R14638	13,794	24

and determine such Matters as shou'd come before them This same is clear from Deut. 19.16 17 18. These Assemblies were Revived by good King Jehoshaphat according the LORD's Appointment 2 Chron. 19.8 9 10 11. Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the Priests and of the Chief of the Fathers of Israel for the Judgment of the LORD and for Controversies when they returned to Jerusalem and charged them Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD and with a perfect Heart In Ezra's Time the Elders were appointed to meet at certain times to determine the matter about Unlawful Marriages Ezra 10.14 From all which is evident 1. That as the Israelites were the Church of GOD so they had Rulers Assembled for their Government 2. That these were Church-Officers Priests and Levites 3. That the Matters they were concern'd in were properly Ecclesiastical as Matters of the LORD distinct from the Matters of the King 2 Chron. 19. 4. The Laws by which they were to Judge were Divine Deut. 17.11 5. The End of such Assemblies was the Preservation of GOD's Ordinances in their Purity the Maintaining and Promoting of Peace and Holiess 2. But it is further to be considered That this Law by vertue whereof they Assembled was not a meet Positive or Temporary Law peculiar to that Church only but a Law which Natures Light directs and obliges us to observe so it was neither Ceremonial nor Judicial unless in some Circumstances For the Light of Nature being nothing else but the Dictate of Right Reason discovering the Good or Evil of Mens Actions according to their Agreement or Repugnancy to it whatever is founded on or harmoniously agrees with Right Reason must be according to the Light and Law of Nature which plainly teaches us 1. That no Humane Society Civil or Ecclesiastick can subsist without Order and Government Ordo est Anima rerum saith the Philosopher Order is the Soul of things And when there was no King in Israel then every Man did what was right in his own Eyes Then did the Danites set up Idolatry Judg. 18. Then did the Benjamites practise and patronize barbarous and inhumane Uncleanness Judg. 19. for which Divine Vengeance pursued all 2. The same Light of Nature teaches us That no Society can be preserved without Laws Made and Executed by those on whom the Government lies Thus all Humane Societies are Regulated by Laws proper and convenient for them and if any thing be from the Light and Law of Nature Laws Law-Givers and Law-Executors are 3. Right Reason dictates agreeable to the Revealed Word of GOD Prov. 11.14 That where there is no Counsel the People fall but in the multitude of Counsellors there is Safety so hath GOD planted in the Natural Body Ears and Eyes to Inform and Direct for the Preservation of the Whole and these He hath joyn'd together conveniently And so the Seers hath He set in His Church joyntly to employ their Skill and Gifts for Prevention of those Evils which might hurt the Flocks over whom they are Overseers 4. Natural Light informs us That as Equals can have no Empire over one another so Societies consisting of Equals the Lesser Number in all matters of Controversie and Difference ought to yield to and be determined by the Greater or major part according to that Maxime Pars Major Jus habet Universitatis The Greatest Part hath the Power of the Whole And Civilians accordingly teach That refertur ad singulos quod publice fit per majorum partem It relates to All what is done Publickly by the Greater Part for otherwise Debates and Controversies would be endless and it is Irrational that a Lesser Number of Equals should over-rule or determine the Greater 5. The same Light dictates That in a Society consisting of many Particular Societies a Subordination of Power is Necessary by which an Injured Party hath the Right of Appeal from the Lower to the Superiour which Appeal is an Application from an Inferiour or Incompetent Judge to a Superiour or Competent Judge containing a Complaint of Injury done for considering the Corruption of humane Nature Men are apt both to Do and Judge Wrong and therefore the Learned Whitaker hath declared That Appeals are of Divine and Natural Right and that most necessary in every Society because of the Ignorance or Iniquity of many Judges for if Innocent Persons might not Appeal under an Unjust Sentence Honesty and Innocency might be ruined Yet such Appeals must not be Infinite but must Sist somewhere and have their Ne plus ultrà which is the Supream Authority of that Society Seeing GOD then hath so well provided Civil Societies with all that is Necessary for their Safety and Prosperity shall we think Him less concern'd for the Church which He hath purchased with His own Blood and to leave it a confused Chaos or Babel daily liable to many Diseases but provided with no Remedies 3. As GOD hath Commanded the Light and Law of Nature directed and Obliged Church-Rulers to Assemble for the afore-said Ends so this Law of Nature neither is nor can be Repealed under the New Testament and therefore in obedience to it Ministers stand bound to Assemble for Preservation of CHRIST's Vineyard Those who will Assert that this Law is Repealed must tell by whom when and how it was so But so far is it from being Repealed that it is evident it cannot be for a Law of Nature being in it self Necessary Just and Equitable what would overturn such a Constitution must be Contrary and so Needless Unjust and Unequal Yea all that ever made such Assembling Needful is so still and where the Reason of a Law which is Anima Legis continues that Law abides in its full force 4. But so far hath our LORD and Law-Giver been from Abrogating this Law that he hath under the New Testament Established it and that by prescribing Church-Assemblies as a Remedy against Offences given Matth. 18.17 enjoyning the Injured to tell the Church and in case of not hearing the Church that such be counted as Heathens or Publicans I am not ignorant of the great Division of Thoughts and Tongues about this Text all that I desire from it is what cannot reasonably be deny'd 1. That it is not a single Person or Church-Virtual as some Papists are pleased to speak for so the word never was nor possibly can be taken which ever imports an Assembly of Men. 2. This Church is such as hath power to take Cognizance of a Complaint made to them and to determine it and to censure the Contemners and Neglecters of them which our LORD would not have Commanded had he not cloath'd them with Power to hear and judge 3. This cannot be the whole Community of Believers but a select Society and that 1. Because it is a Church to whom He hath given the Power of Binding and Loosing Vers 28. and whose Sentence he will ratifie in Heaven which Power is apparently given to Church-Officers