Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
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A61267
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A sermon preached at the Assizes at Hertford, March the 9th, 1682/3 by John Standish ...
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Standish, John, d. 1686.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing S5217; ESTC R13596
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14,535
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38
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in That and onely That Meddle not then but avoid all those that have actually changed the Doctrine of Faith and not to mention others now I shall onely instance in and caution us all against Two formidable Parties which are the great Temptations of this our age to allure and seduce men from their received and most holy Faith First Meddle not with the Church of ROME who though she cry her self up for the Eldest Sister among the Churches and plead Antiquity for all her Errours yet they that have perused the most ancient Greek and Latine Fathers and other Writers nay they that can but read their English-Bible may easily see how unconstant what an Apostate she hath been of latter times Once indeed we grant her Faith was famous and spoken of throughout the World as St. Paul witnesseth Rom. 1.18 but since she is degenerated she hath removed the old Land-Mark she hath espoused corrupt Principles and Practices and sought out many many New Inventions Eccles 7.29 Let Her make out that new found Name of a Roman-Catholick to be better sence as she useth it then a Particular Universal and tell us by what Logick she arrogates to her self that Indefectibility promised onely to the Church Catholick Let Her once fairly demonstrate that Christs Kingdom was indeed of this World St. -Joh 18.36 and St. Peter by Him constituted his sole undoubted Vice-Roy nay let Her convict St. Peter Himself of Heretical Modesty at least because he proclaimeth not Himself but the KING SUPREAM for otherwise 1 St. Pet. 2.13 instead of the true ROCK she doth most manifestly build upon the Sand. Let Her produce any manner of evidence for the POPE's Universal Monarchy in the first five hundred years ELEUTHERIUS who flourished in the second Century acknowledgeth LUCIUS the first Christian KING of England and in all the World to be Gods immediate VICAR in his own Dominions Speeds Chron. and GREGORY the Great who lived in 570 saies expressly if any man call himself Universal Pastor or Head of the whole Church he is the forerunner of ANTICHRIST and why are not they as Infallible as their Successors Let Her shew any ground for Idol Worship in the Holy Scriptures or the primitive Writers Tertullian Lactantius and several others do plainly condemne it even in their own Notion Let Her acquit her self of the many senceless absurdities and contradictions of TRANSUBSTANTIATION and tell us by what warrant of Antiquity she denies the Cup in the Eucharist to the Laity St. Mat. 26.27 contrary to a palpable command Drink ye All of it There had been more pretence of reason for denying them the Bread Lev. 17.11 or Body because the Life is in the Blood besides that it is no where in the Gospel said Eat ye All of That She professedly edifies the People in Ignorance 1 Corinth 14. by Praying and Prophesying in an unknown Tongue she makes no other use or accompt of CONFESSION then what professed Drunkards do of Vomiting She abuses and cheats the World for filthy Lucre's sake with that gaineful Dream of Purgatory and those more dangerous delusions of Indulgences in a word she absolves natural Subjects from all Oaths and ties of Obedience deposes KINGS and disposes of their Crowns to mention no more and then we will confess it is not She but We that are given to Change the Faith but not till then 2. Meddle not with the Enthusiast on the other hand whatever his Sirname be though it be Legion for they are Many They will teach you strange and desperate Doctrines such as Absolute Reprobation without any prospect of man's Fall of a Light within them whereby they read the will of God more certainly then by the Lampe of this Word of Gods being the Author of mens sins as that lying Greek said of Old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Gods Grace is irresistible to some and equally Impossible to others that men may be saved by the strength of their own natural Powers without the special Grace of God merited by Christ that Christ himself had no Being at all before he was born of the Virgin Mary or at the best that He was onely the First-born of Gods Creatures with many more such frightsub Blasghemies And as the summ of all the rest they will insinuate that Jesuitical and Traiterous Position of taking up Armes by the KINGS Authority against his Person holding it lawful to arraign and condemn Majesty it self at the Barr of his own Subjects in a mock-Mock-Court of Justice such a horrid Doctrine as I believe Jews themselves would never have own'd or practised had they been convinced that JESUS was their lawful KING Meddle not with them for they have forsaken the right way 2 St. Pet. 2.15 yea Wo unto them saies St. Peter for they have gone in the way of Cain and followed the errour of Balaam New Lights indeed they are but all wandring Stars St. Jude v. 13. of an irregular motion and running out of one Heresie into another being constant to nothing but the incorrigible temper of mad Prophets and Rengious Murtherers Thirdly and Lastly For yet thou lackest one thing and if thou wilt be perfect Meddle not with Schissmaticks St. Mat. 19.21 that are given to change the received ancient Discipline for some new fangled Model of their own and rashly depart from the Communion of the Established Church Were not our Church-Government legible all along in Ecclesiastical story to the Apostles times And did we not find the Original of their several Projects in the Annals of the very last Age there might be somewhat pleaded in their excuse Let one Instance serve for all that the Cross in Baptism that great Scandal and stumbling Block as they would make it is no new thing St. Austine or St. Cyprian can tell them at large and the old the excellent Rule of the Primitive Church about such Rites was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Nic. Let the ancient Customs prevail There is indeed no Prescription against Truth as Tertullian observes neither Space of Time nor Patronage of Learned men nor Priviledge of Countries and our Saviour calls himself the Truth not the Custome but yet however in things harmless and decent and tending to edification Custome and Antiquity are like the gray haires of old Men Prov. 20.29 so far from contempt or reproach that they are their Beauty Crown and Glory And it is a very hard case that men should be so superstitiously affraid of Popish abuses on the one hand as to incurre a more dangerous mistake on the other Rom. 1.16 Rev. 7.2 c. 16.2 and profess they are wholly ashamed of the Cross of CHRIST and that they will rather suffer the mark of the Beast than the Seal of the living God to be set upon their Foreheads Constantine's Name will be for ever Great for making the Cross his Standard in vertue whereof He did
themselves with a formal Service to their Earthly Prince either out of a guilty Fear because He beareth not the Sword in vain or else out of flattery and design to manage their Game of worldly Interest to the best and advance themselves in Wealth and Honour Or Thirdly and Lastly The Antithesis must infer and so indeed it doth that these Changers are such as truly Fear neither God nor the King for that the One doth ever suppose and imply the Other He cannot be a Loyal Subject to the Crown of Heaven who proves a Traytor or Rebel upon Earth 1 St. John 4.20 If any Man love not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen It is impossible in St. John's Logick And so I argue a Fortiori He that knows not to reverence the Image of God in his Soveraign let him make what plausible shews of Piety he will he is no real Servant of God he cannot heartily Love that invisible Being of Power and Majesty Justice and Mercy which Kings of all other Men do most lively represent Again Men cannot fear the King as they ought and not God because the very Reason of that Duty they owe Him is That He is the Minister and Lieutenant of the Living God 1 St. Pet. 2.14 ordained by Him for the Punishment of evil doers and Praise of them that do well and Authorized under the broad Seal of Heaven to see the Divine Will observed in all things here on Earth Thus we see Who and What these Changers are And shall now 2. Enquire into the Force of the Caution whereby we are warned not to Meddle with such as these That Solomon should hereby intend a check for Princes or hinder the due execution of Justice and processe of Lawes against Rebellion were a gloss fit for none but Rebells to make who are wont to wrest all Scriptures to their own Perdition The Grand-Inquest may present the Magistrate may punish the Law may and ought to take hold of and medle with these Changers in that sence 2 St. Pet. 3.16 as we shall shew in due time Mean-while his plain undoubted meaning is in short this when any of your fellow-subjects study or practise Sedition or go about to remove the ancient Land-mark in Church or State bid them not God-speed herd not with them avoid their company at your Peril do not abett or assist them be not of their Accursed Councills have no hand in their unhallowed Covenants no finger in their sacrilegious Associations though their pretences be never so popular as the vindication of their Religion the defence of their Christian or Civil Liberty O my Soul come not thou into their secret Caballs Gen. 49.6 medle not have nothing to do with these men from such withdraw thy self According to which genuine sence of the words I now proceed 2. To my main Design to urge and apply his pious Counsel with respect to both its Objects signified in the Text and that 1. in general and at large And then 2. VVith reference to this special occasion First then to invert the order of the Text for methods sake medle not with them that are given to change their KING the Civil Government and fundamental Laws and Constitutions of a Kingdome We don't deny sayes a late Learned Prelate of our Church whose Sence I choose to speak in this weighty Point We don't deny Bishp Saunderson de obligat Consc but they who are endued with sufficient Power may Change a form of Government sometime for the better as that of a Common-wealth into a Monarchy or any other kind into an Hereditary Monarchy held to be the best by all sober Men as most resembling that whereby God himself Governs the World But then saith he no Power on Earth is sufficient to Change an Hereditary Monarchy into any other form both because it were for the worse and an apparent Injury to all the Heirs and lawful Successors besides for whatever Plea may be made or quirks used for cutting off Entailes amongst Subjects yet no Laws of Men can justly dis-inherit Princes or Exclude Heirs to a Crown because they hold immediately from GOD Rom. 13.1 As for particular established Laws it is a received Maxime in Politicks that they are not to be altered without very great and evident Necessity whereof the Philosopher gives these brief Aristot Polit. lib. 2. cap. 8. but acute Reasons Because First Frequent and unnecessary Changes weaken the Hands of Sovereignty Both Laws and Law-givers would be thereby chargeable with Levity and so lose much of that respect and reverence the Subject owes them Secondly The People will be craving and petulant in asking a Change of Laws where they find a Law-giver too facile and free in complying with their Humour and carving away his own Prerogative Give them an Inch they 'l roundly take an Ell If they can get the Royal Assent to pluck one Corner-stone out of the Fabrick to repeal one main Foundation-Act or Statute then Have at All. 3. It is much better to wink at small faults in old approved Lawes nay to tolerate inconveniences of greater moment sometimes than to turn all topsie turvie for their Reformation the Remedy in such cases being often worse and more dangerous than the Disease All this while there is no question but particular Lawes may and ought to be changed by those that sit at the Helm when the necessity of the publick Good requires it their ancient Reasons being now quite ceased and the times and mens manners requiring different perhaps contrary Constitutions whereof we meet with daily Instances But to come up closer to the mind of my Text Subjects may not attempt a Change of Lawes without the consent of their Lawful Prince which they are to ask with all due Reverence and Submission not by popular Murmurs and Clamours not by Tumultuous Petitions which at the best are but humble Affronts to Majesty much less by resisting Rom. 13.2 and taking up Armes against Him It was well provided by the Locrians of old against all daring Innovators That whosoever propounded any new Law in Parliament should present himself at the same time with a Rope about his Neck that in case his Law was found destrustive of the publick good or tending to dissolve or undermine the Government he might be rewarded out of hand for his Invention We had no such Law to curb or restrain them else those bold Reformers of ours had not dared to confront the Majesty and abuse the Mercy of the most pious Prince that ever swayed this Imperial Scepter K. Charles I. To subvert and unhinge both the Magistracy and Ministery the two Poles and Pillars of the Kingdome To start New Governments Cancel old Lawes and fall foul upon Magna Charta it self by straining the Liberty of the Subject so high as to leave their good King neither Prerogative Power Property no nor Life The accursed Spawn of