Selected quad for the lemma: life_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A25358
|
Religion and loyalty maintained against all modern opposers in a treatise on the 29th of May 1681, being Trinity-Sunday and anniversary day of His Majesties happy birth and King and kingdoms restauration / by Henry Anderson.
|
Anderson, Henry.
|
1684
(1684)
|
Wing A3092; ESTC R27731
|
74,714
|
137
|
are we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living Laws and Royal Examples of greatness to the World when we do and speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as not to disgrace but adorn the Gospel and consequently stop the mouths of all gainsayers by a controuling sanctity of actions and all men be wholly convinced or compelled to unity and obedience It is expected then whatever habits are in fashion among others that the Priests should be cloathed with righteousness adorn'd with a decent conversation and produce the fruits of good works these be the evidences of the Buds Blossoms and Almonds of Aaron's Rod and denote its Supremacy Nothing will restore the Church says a Reverend Prelate to its pristine honour love and authority in mens hearts and minds but a serious setting themselves to the study preaching and practising of truth and peace in a holy life These were the Arts these the Policies these the pious Stratagems by which anciently they gained peoples hearts to love God his Truth and of themselves the witness of it to such a height of honour and ecstasie of love that they received them as the Angels of God and Ambassadors from Heaven God grant the Tribe of Levi may be like Jacob's Ladder which he saw in Bethel Gen. 28.12 whereon were Angels ascending and descending so by our Office and Ministration Angels might in us ascend and carry up ours and the peoples supplications unto God and Angels by us descend to bring Gods Word and Message to the people that there may be the sweet contexture or agreement of Beings one espoused to another in faithfulness and truth even a blessed Union betwixt Prince and People and a gracious accord too of the people among themselves in an united conformity and conjunction in the Service of God being knit together in the inviolable bonds of Loyalty and love neither entoiled with Civil broils within nor infected with Hostile inroads from without but all professing that one eternal Truth which is both the Mother and Nurse of Peace we may enjoy such a tranquillity as in the days of Solomon when Judah and Israel dwelt safely every one under his Vine and under his Fig-tree from Dan even to Beershaba Or as it was in the days of Constantine when there was silence in Heaven for the space of half an hour and the prayers of the Saints ascended up as a cloud in grateful odors The prime perfection then and pleasure in this life second to that supernatual one Faith in Christ and Sanctification through the Spirit consists in the beholding Brethren to dwell together in unity which limns and shadows out the glorious Hierarchy of Heaven the Trinity in Unity for Deus est unitas omnis unitatis affector * Dionys Areop let us therefore express this unspeakable concord by the Sacrifice of our selves to a Spirit of Unity and Truth and not a Spirit of Error and Division which causeth the breach of Union the disturbance of the Peace and quiet of the Church As the unity of Faith joyns us so the bond of Charity tyeth us fast together through one and the same Spirit to unity and godly love because Schism is the next way to Heresie which is to be hated as a thing that leads to destruction And non semper servatur unitas in credendo ubi non est unitas in colendo there will not always be unity of Doctrine in that Church where there is not uniformity of Discipline Prophane Writers can tell us by concord the weakest * The Sun-beams disperst are but of small force but they gather strength if collected in a narrow glass Scilurus the Scythian on his death-bed as story tells us taught his fourscore Sons the force of Unity by a Faggot of Rods or as it is in Plutarch a bundle of shafts while together are hardly broken but if you divide them 't is quickly done And thus it is in Ecclesiae fasciculo Hosea prophesieth destruction but this doth usher it in Their hearts are divided Hos 10.2 things grow strong by discord the mightiest States are overthrown Though States differ the Communion of Saints must be preserv'd the Church should keep at unity and by united force repel Heresie After all our unhappy Divisions what can be more seasonable to the Genius of our Times than cementing counsel that all Gods Building may be raised up as of one stone by having cor unum viam unam Jer. 32.39 one heart and one way which was the Character of the Church Christians primitive Age Acts 4.32 for Division is a sad Prognostick threatning desolation when the stones of the building begin to fall off from one another the house grows ruinous Isa 30.13 and the breach thereof comes suddenly in a moment May the number of those increase that are friends of Sion and the generation of those perish that make it their design to lay waste the City of God and bury her in her own ruines Did the godly Jews mourn for Judah And shall not the English Nation for the Land of our desires and Nativity O that ever such an inlightned Goshen should hatch or harbour such black Monsters that would gnaw out the bowels of their own Mother That so many Judasses should be found amongst Christs Disciples The Prophet Isaiah saith Isa 15.5 Chap. 16.7 9 11. My heart shall cry for Moab and bewail the vine of Sibmah I will water thee with my tears O Heshbon and my bowels shall sound like a harp for Kirharesh Is not England as dear unto us and have not we as great cause to lament for this Church and State the Womb that bare us and the Breasts that gave us suck Every one ought to bow down and go heavily as one that mourneth for his mother by reason of her Divisions * No Church so fair in this World as to be without spot and wrinkle none so happy as to be wholly priviledged from jarrs and dissentions The Jewish Church in Christs time was full of divisions there were Pharisees Sadducees Essenes c. In the Church of Philippi what contestations and tumults broils and factions were there and that not Oeconomical about meum and tuum but Ecclesiastical and in matters of Religion by those of the Concision those evil workers as S. Paul calls them In the flourishing Church of Corinth where there were so many Christians of the first magnitude eminent for Religion and Piety yet even here are strifes and divisions inasmuch as S. Paul wrote his first Epistle to dissolve those factions and repress those dissentions that were amongst them In the Church of England to come home to our selves there is Presbyterian Independent Anabaptist and Quaker and it may be said of our days as in S. Paul's time at Corinth There are divisions among us In Paradise there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only in Heaven there 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full and perfect harmony without any discord but we can't
our charity and unity but can't discern those greater lines of Duty Subjection and Loyalty And as the Scribes and Pharisees of old cry'd up every where The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord so we have many such now a-days who are seemingly great Champions for the Church and take great care of the Duties of the first Table and yet can freely indulge themselves in the violation of the second proving annoyances to the State by seditious Insurrections though the Christian Religion doth firmly oblige men to peace obedience and due submission unto Secular Governours there are many persons that owne that Name and yet entertain Positions wholly inconsistent with the Precepts of that Religion and the safety of Princes and their Kingdoms swallowing REBELLION * There was a time which is a precaution to posterity when men pretended a Call from God to do the work of the Devil viz. rebelling and then murdering the best of Kings erecting him a Scaffold for a Throne and for a Diadem of Gold gave him a Crown of Thorns and instead of a glorious Prince made him a glorious Martyr without regret which opens the floud-gates of impiety and lets in upon us a Chaos of Anarchy Libertinism and popular Confusion bringing a kind of present damnation on the World They that are Authors or Abetters of Sedition saith S. Chrysostome can neither avoid shame on Earth nor escape eternal Damnation Though God the great Judge do sometimes permit Rebels in his Justice to prevail against Kings for the contempt of the Law of the highest and neglect of their own duty the reward of Rebellion shall be no better than the recompence of Satan who is the Instrument of the Lords wrath for the punishment of all disobedience The Kings Power is from God and for any private person or any Club of Subjects to wrest it out is a double Usurpation First They invade Gods Soveraignty Rom. 12.19 who saith Vengeance is mine Secondly The Princes Prerogative whose Office is to protect and punish to defend the innocent and correct the Spirit of Contumacy and Rebellion relieve the oppressed and support the vertuous rewards to Merit as well as punishment to Sin and Vice are dispensed A terrour to evil doers 1 Pet. 2.14 saith the Text and praise to them that do well Therefore honour the King Secondly As the goodness of Heaven shines in the preservation of our Royal Soveraign from the Usurpation of cruel Enemies at home so likewise Divine Providence hath guarded him from Foreign Attempts of unreasonable men abroad and made the Plots and Conspiracies of these worse than Heathens of none effect and deliver'd our King and our Princes our Nobles and the Heads of our Tribes the Governours of our Church and Judges of our Land nay the whole Commons of this Realm from a fearful destruction that would have swallowed them up For when the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree to cut off Soveraignty and destroy the Lord 's Anointed the rest of the people who are the Branches must expect lopping The restless Emissaries of the Church of Rome whether Priests Jesuits or Colledge of Cardinals give daily proof of their inveterate malice against the King the Government and Protestant Religion thinking that new Massacres are the most effectual course to stop the cry of the old and that the readiest way to silence their Adversaries is to make them instances of the Truth of the Accusation If the great God of Heaven who refrains the Spirits of men that delight in Blood had not been gracious to our King and Kingdom you had not this Day been Auditors nor I Speaker of this Theme but all of us miserable Spectators of the contrary And the Pope's Triple Crown would have been set with many red Roses of great Triumphs in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing less than utter extirpation of us and Memorial from under Heaven The Rivers of Rome may seem to run smooth their Sea is Blood the extracted Spirits of things work more forcibly than concrete Bodies take heed of an Elixir an Extraction of Malice sublimated spiritualized into a Religion The cruel Massacres of Primitive Christians * If we reflect on ancient times and look back to the course of the World in general in the first Monarchy we find a fiery Furnace in the second a Den of Lions in the third the madness and fury of Antiochus when to believe in one God was to be put on the Rack and to abhor Idolatry involved the Votary in cruel Tortures In the fourth Monarchy the ten Persecutions more bloody and grievous than all that went before for not to sacrifice to Idols and to offer Incense to Heathen Gods was cause enough to be torn in pieces by wild Beasts and be exposed to all manner of terrible Torments when bloody Tumults affrighted Christ's Members and chased them from their Devotions when the Priest became the Sacrifice and his Books in disdain were made a Burnt-offering will teach us the price of our own happiness and the slaughter of our Forefathers may upbraid our unthankfulness with the benefits of our peace 'T were good that we their surviving Off-spring would learn to make use of their happy Martyrdom In their crimson steps we may trace the way to our Saviour's Cross and read in the living memory of their Torments the sad Tragedy of his Sufferings The World at this day is well mended with us we know not the meaning of Rack or Faggot of Sword and Gridiron the Instruments of Romish Cruelty Let three Kingdoms therefore bow themselves as the heart of one man and praise God for his mercy unto his Servants under the Protection of our gracious and religious King Charles Heaven hath preserved our Church from ruine and confusion from the spreadings and prevailings of Errours Heresies and Schisms Superstition and Idolatry which strive to oppress us and to eclipse the truth and purity of Doctrine which is our Churche's Glory and so much offends the Eyes of Rome and makes them clip wash and new-coyn the Gold of the Sanctuary Lastly As Divine Providence and Goodness did this Day bring into the World our gracious Soveraign and hath hitherto preserv'd him from all Enemies Domestick and Foreign So the same special grace and favour of God did this Day bring home and restore to us our King a Prince of so much Clemency and Mercy that he is inferiour to none that sways a Scepter or sits upon a Throne His Restauration was wonderful without any Effusion of Blood The Voice of War is changed into Proclamations of Peace the Clattering of Swords and Spears is turned into the sweet Melody of Harps and the harsh Tones of Death into a Psalm of Thanksgiving O Lord thou art become gracious unto thy Land and hast turn'd away the Captivity of Jacob Praise therefore waits on thee in Zion and unto thee shall the Vow be perform'd in Jerusalem We celebrate the Memory of this thy Mercy in restoring our King and with him the free Profession of true Religion and Worship What doth God require now both from Prince and People but the acknowledgment of his favour He that will not glorifie God as the Father of Mercies in the rigour of Justice God may glorifie himself in his eternal ruine If we prove not the Heralds of his Glory Examples shall we be of his just indignation All tasting Mercy all should be thankful and though all have not Frankincense yet every one mâ—y have Praise Let us praise God for his miraculous preservation of our King and Kingdom Church and People and let it sound so â—oud this day as it may reach Heavens gates and meet with Hallelujahs which the bright Morning-Stars in their Orbs pay to their Creator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angels Liturgy is singing of Hymns of Glory And shall not the Militant Church say We praise thee O God our Souls do magnifie the Lord The Stork pays Tribute of her young the Trees of their fruits the Earth of her flowers and shall we be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without God in the world not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 return blessing and praise to the Divine Majesty for his infinite Blessing unto us We praise God in his Sanctuary and in the Firmament of his Power for his mighty Acts and according to his excellent Greatness Praise him with the Sound of the Trumpet with Psaltery and Harp with stringed Instruments and Organs shew your selves joyful before the Lord the King Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Let us now direct our Prayers and Supplications to the Glorious and Eternal Trinity that all Blessings Divine and Humane Spiritual and Temporal like the precious Oyntment of Aaron's may be pour'd out on the Head of ouâ— Royal Soveraign length of days on hiâ— right hand on his left Riches and Honour that his Reign may be glorious and his Regal Vertues after this Life crowned with immortal Glory And we with the residue of God's holy Church may rise to that incomprehensible endless Felicity where the Blessings of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity will gloriously shine upon our Souls for evermore Which God of his infinite Mercy vouchsafe unto us for the Mercies of his Eternal Son our blessed Saviour To whom with the Father and Holy Ghost three Persons one God be ascribed as most due is all Honour Glory Power Praise Might Majesty and Dominion the residue of our lives and for ever Amen FINIS ERRATA Pag. 56. line 13. for then read there p. 62. l. 10. fo Reershaba r. Beersheba p. 74. l. 16. for fair this read this fair