Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	pay_v	priest_n	tithe_n	4,836	5	10.3389	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65716	Three sermons preach'd at Salisbury the first, A.D. 1680, and again before the militia, at their going against the late Duke of Monmouth ... the second preach'd before the Right Reverend Father in God, Seth, Lord Bishop of Sarum, A.D. 1681 ... the third, preach'd A.D. 1683, at the election of the mayor ... / by Daniel Whitby.	Whitby, Daniel, 1638-1726.	1685 (1685)	Wing W1737; ESTC R28389	88,809	79

from other base and evil Motives can be no certain Evidence that we are acted in it by the Power of Godliness 4. Men may express a Form of Godliness in being very nice and scrupulous in seeming very strict and conscientious in lesser Matters and yet be Strangers to the Power of Godliness This Niceness in these little matters seems to evidence great tenderness of Conscience great fear of doing any thing which may offend our gracious God great exactness of Conversation and hatred of all kinds and all Appearances of evil especially when men are grown so stiff in these Punctilio's that they will rather suffer from the hand of Man than act against the little Scruples-they have entertained and yet we find none more precise in these Particulars than were the Scribe and Pharisee even when they did neglect the more substantial Duties of Religion Our Saviour tells them in the general that they would strain at Gnats Matt. 23.24 Mats 7.3 4. and swallow Camels they could not bear a little Mote spied in their Brother's Eye but they must presently rebuke him for it and be earnest with him to pull it out whilst yet they over-look'd the Beam in their own Eye John 18.28 Mat. 26.59 60. They could seek false Witness against Christ and condemn the Innocent but even then They would not enter into the Governours Hall lest they should be defiled They would pay Tithe of Mint and Cummin to the Priest which thing seems not required by the Letter of the Law and at the same time would neglect the weighty Matters of that Law Matt. 23.23 Luke 11.42 Maimon de Idol sect 3. cap. 10. apud Vossium Judgment Mercy and the Love of God Their own Traditions tell us that they were so careful to avoid Idolatry that they would rather perish than drink of any Water which ran through a Statue yet these tender conscienc'd Persons who so abhorred Idols would commit Sacrilege and be notoriously guilty of that Covetousness which is Idolatry The ancient Jews after the burning of the Temple by Nebuzaradan Jer. 52.12 13. on the tenth Day of the fifth Month were wont to fast upon that day for the Remembrance of that Desolation and when the Temple was rebuilt they were so scrupulous that although the Occasion of this Fast was now removed they durst not cease to fast till they had first consulted with the Priests that were of the House of the Lord and with the Prophets Hence they enquire of them saying Should we weep in the fifth Month Zach. 7.3 separating our selves as we have done so many Years And yet these Persons so scrupulous in this particular could without all regret neglect the Duties of the second Table They were guilty of oppressing the Widow Poor and Fatherless Zach. 7.10 They wanted Mercy and Compassion to their Brother v. 9. They were deficient in executing the Judgment of Truth and Peace in their gates they would speak Lies swear falsly and imagine Evil in their Hearts against their Neighbour v. 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiq. l. 18. c. 4. Halos l. 2. c. 14. vid. c. 17. 10. About our Saviour's time and after they were so nice and superstitious in the case of Images as scarcely to permit the Roman Eagle quietly to pass their Country or to continue in their Cities When Pilate introduced those little Images of Caesar which were annexed to the Military Standards they presently cried out that this was done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the dissolution of the Jewish Laws and they would rather dye than suffer it And when Herod Son of Antipater brought into Judea the Trophies of the Nations he had conquered they thinking they were Images of Men did with one Voice cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiq l. 18. c. 7. l. 15. c. 11. Mark 8.38 that whatsoever they endured they would not suffer the Images of Men within their City And yet the Scripture doth declare them to be a very wicked and adulterous Generation and their Historian adds That † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 27. Heb. 13.4 never Generation was more wicked And happy were it if we could not instance in some other Persons who will not stand up at the Recital of the Creed observe an Holy-day or hear Common-Prayer receive the Sacrament upon their Knees which being things no where forbidden in the Word of God cannot be evil in themselves but they will cheat their Brother be guilty of Rebellion Sacrilege and Schism will cause Divisions in the Church of God and Factions in the State and by so doing weaken the Interest of Protestants blaspheme their holy Calling and gratifie the common Enemy of our Religion 5. Men may express a Form of Godliness in being outwardly conformable to the whole Law of God so that they who can only judge by outward Actions shall be obliged in Charity to think them truly pious when yet they want the inward Life and Power of Godliness This seemeth to have been the Case of the Young-man who told our Saviour he had observed all the Commandments of the second Table ‖ Mat. 19.20 from his Youth that is he had abstained from the outward Acts forbidden in those Laws but yet he had not purged the inward Man from Covetousness or an immoderate Love of Riches and therefore he is called by Christ to the performance of this Duty that he might be perfect v. 21. This was the Righteousness of which the Pharisees did boast and by which they obtained so great a Reputation among Men for so our Saviour plainly tells them saying Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees for you are like to whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outwards Mat. 23.27 but inwardly are full of dead Mens Bones and all Vncleanness even so ye outwardly appear righteous to men but within you are full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity And again Luke 16.15 You are they that justifie your selves before men or seem to carry a fair out-side to the World but God knoweth your Hearts for that which is highly esteemed among Men is abominable in the sight of God And this is also that which passeth for Religion in our days That Men come orderly to Church and so behave themselves that the World cannot charge them with any scandalous Offences whereas perhaps these men may be condemn'd for their Omissions for though they have not robbed others they may have been close fisted Matt. 25.41 42 43. and uncharitable to Christ's needy Members neglecting both to cloth the Naked feed the Hungry and visit his sick Members and this our Saviour tells them is sufficient to place them in a left hand Station Thou may'st not go beyond the rigour of the Law but yet thou may'st be cruel and unmerciful in dealing with thy Brother according to the utmost of it casting him into Prison for a Debt he cannot pay or there discharge whereas our Saviour plainly